#that it Might teach them how to connect to god better? all of that is worth it to you?

[2024skin]

Lmfao @ the idea that it's possible to raise children religiously in a healthy way

[laismoura-art]

Ok so...

Twice now i’ve seen people approach @elsa-fogen about a take that is “Alastor is in hell because of Voodoo” (the latest one basically saying he is in hell solemnly because of Voodoo”) and I can’t help but feel there’s reeks of religious intolerance from his take (even if it’s not intentional) cause let’s not forget, Voodoo is a religion (main one in places such as Haiti and Gana), and it’s often stigmatised and viewed through the wrong light. So you all can understand how a take like this could rub someone the wrong way and be deemed as religious intolerance.

But as I know this fandom is PAINFULLY stubborn and probably will want to keep exploring this take even if it makes some people uncomfortable (take the people who refuse to acknowledge Alastor as aro and the people who refuse to stop calling Alastor a wendigo for instance) I would like to offer an alternative take: 

See, I’m not from Voodoo and it’s not that big of a religion here in Brazil, however, we do have two other religions here that are similar/derivatives from Voodoo (Candomblé and Umbanda) and face similar prejudices, so I’m making this based mostly on these two but know that it also applies to Voodoo. 

In Umbanda, we have a higher god, the Orixás (entities that provide guidance and protection) and we have spirits, these spirits divide in different groups and offer advices and guidance to all types of people, there are spirits that look after women, children, grieving parents and even the lost (such as drug addicts).

But as we have good spirits, we also have bad ones. they are popularly known as “espiritos de porco” (pig spirits) who are usually mischievous and even ill intended spirits that might loom over you if they feel a bad energy coming from you or if you are spiritually unprotected and they will start to cause you misfortune and even make you feel weak and sick.

Some ill-intended people use these bad spirits against people they want to harm, the bad spirits may guide them in performing a ritual or maybe the spirit will loom on this targeted person. 

It’s (partly) due to people like this that these religions have such bad reputation, but these people basically perform their religion in a corrupted way! Umbanda is a religion that connects you with nature and guides you spiritually, it’s deeply connected with healing practises (mentally, physically and spiritually), but as I said, like EVERY other religion, it can be corrupted and used to harm.

I think the best use of “corrupt vs proper use of religion” I’ve seen comes from Disney's The Princess and the Frog. People usually remember Dr Facilier better, who used Voodoo against his enemies and to harvest power (much like a certain deer man we all know and love) but we also had Mama Odie (which is a real figure in voodoo, mind you. Also present in Umbanda, a Mama Odie is sort of a priestess of the religion) notice how she is a much more accurate representation of the religion, she lives in contact with nature, she performs her rituals and prayers in the wide while dancing with a very positive energy around, and she wears white (which is the most recommended colour to wear during rituals, as it’s a neutral colour and pleases all Orixás). 

So as you can see, there’s good voodoo practicants and bad ones, and in the end it’s all about how you use your religion, if you use it as you were taught, with pure intentions, seeking guidance and protection of good spirits and Orixás, or in a corrupt way, surrounding yourself with bad spirits and helping them spread their bad energy. 

So what I am hoping with all this is is that people put a stop to “Alastor is evil because he uses Voodoo” and adopt the “Alastor is evil because he does malpractice of Voodoo” which is a much more accurate to reality and respectful take. 

I’d even like to offer a headcanon of my own: 

That Alastor's mom was from Voodoo (maybe even was a Mama Odie herself) and taught Alastor all she knew and he corrupted her teachings and started using them for evil (perhaps even to aid him in his killing) and THAT, that corruption, was what sent him to hell, and true redemption for him would not to give up his powers/forsake his religion but actually to go back to his roots and use his powers for good (perhaps in a way that he ends up healing/saving someone (hopefully Charlie or Rosie)👀

[fallingdownhell]

May I request Zhongli, Itto, Kaveh and Cyno with an s/o who's got crazy good luck? They could win any challenge or game presented to them, never get hurt (to badly), and are always making loads of cash (somehow).

I can imagine at least one of those characters getting jealous over something like this.. Characters Included: Itto; Cyno; Zhongli; Kaveh Content: gender neutral reader; established relationship; crack??; some fluff and comedy; nothing too serious here, just some funny headcanons Word count: 942 words Have fun with this<3

Itto

the man, the myth, the legend himself..

he gets SO incredibly jealous. When he challenges you jokingly at first, and you keep winning against him..

His pride is on the line here, okay?

you win a match of TCG against his amazing deck? That's fine, he can always challenge you for another round

but when you keep on winning and winning, he gets more and more desperate with each passing round

okay, screw TCG. How about a beetle fight? He's sure to win this, no doubt about it!

...what do you mean he lost again?

he's heartbroken. Will fall to the ground in disbelief. Have the gods truly forsaken him now?

a little drama queen about it, but it wouldn't be the Itto you know and love if he wouldn't act like this

still, you do feel a bit bad about it. To the point where you decide to only do the bare minimum and let him win against you, so he'll cheer up again

when he does win, his spirit is back up again immediately, bloating about his superior victory for the rest of the day. Like, seriously, he won't shut up about it anymore

unless someone were to mention all his previous losses, then he's back to sulking again

however, the next day, all is forgiven and forgotten again

Cyno

one night, after dinner, he was talking about his new deck in TCG when you decided to ask him if he could teach you how to play

immediate sparkles in his eyes as he gets all excited and pulls out a new set of cards for you. He's been waiting for this day to come!

takes his time to explain the rules to you and helps you build your deck. If you ask him questions, he answeres them paitently

then comes the time for your first duel. Even though you are his partner and it's your first ever match, he doesn't plan to go easy on you. Well, maybe a bit, but he still will take this match very seriously

But when you end up winning against him, he's dumbfounded. How did you manage to do that?

He'd quietly mumble something about beginners luck, then challenges you to a rematch. This time, he plans to go all out

...and he looses again

now thourougly confused, he's looking at his cards like he might find the answer in them, while you are laughing your ass off. Your stomach hurts from all the laughing, but you can't calm down. Cyno's just so cute when he looks so shaken up

it's a mystery to him, how you could win against him, despite him having the better cards, the better deck and obviously having more expierence playing the game

in the end, he does swallow down his pride and congratulates you to your win, though he will work his deck over and challenge you again at a later point in time

Zhongli

as an adventurer, it is unavoidable that people get injured every now and then. It's just a risk that comes with the profession

and yet, Zhongli has never seen an injury on you more severe than a cut and maybe some darker bruises

don't get him wrong, he's glad that you're not getting hurt all the time. It's just that your stories and the results don't match up most of the time

"And get this. Then, a huge rockfall comes falling down in our direction! Can you imagine that?" "Darling, that's very serious. How did you manage to avoid that?" "I don't know. Guess I just got lucky. I only got hit my a small one on the head, but it wasn't even big enoug to give me a concussion, so all's good!"

"I almost fell down a cliff today!", "A group of Ruin hunters attacked us today!", "We got locked in a cave, but luckily, they were connected to other caves, so we got out no problem."

almost every other day, you come home with a similar story and every time, Zhongli questions just how much luck one single human can possess to come out mostly unharmed every single time

still, every time you set out for work, he can't help but worry about you. What if one day, your luck runs out on you? You reassure him that you're careful, but it does little to appease his mind when you come home with yet another tale to tell...

Kaveh

Kaveh isn't one for gambling, never has been and never will be. Though, he knows that you like to induldge from time to time, so when you invite him to come along with you, he agrees

and then he witnesses you winning each and every game you partake in. Doesn't matter how rigged the games might be, you make it look so simple

with a huge grin on your lips, your arms raise into the air as you declare your victory one again, and he's left dumbfounded

when he catches a quiet moment, he can't help but ask you about it

"I don't know. I just always had really good luck when it comes to those type of games.", would be your nonchalant explanaition

now he gets why you don't go out to play more often. You'd get banned from every single location if you were to do this regularely

Going home from a place like this with such a massive win.. he's too stunned to speak, but nonetheless very impressed and proud of you for it

will accompany you more often when you want to go out to gamble again, just to see your excited and joyful expression again

[childrenofcain-if]

The marriage asks in particular have me thinking about the baby carriage… what WOULD the ro’s thoughts on parenthood be? Would Elias be excited to be a grandpa?

elias would be over the moon about becoming a grandfather! he’s the kind of man who, despite his big flaws, deeply values family. the prospect of grandchildren would awaken his softer side, and he would likely spoil them, enjoying the chance to pass down stories and wisdom.

he would see becoming a grandfather as a second chance to contribute to the family legacy, this time with a bit more patience and less trauma hopefully. all he asks of MC is that they do not bring a child into the world while they’re in college 🤦🏻‍♂️

when it comes to the ROs tho:

C LACROIX: C’s feelings are complex when it comes to parenthood. on one hand, they would likely feel some hesitation, perhaps even fear, given the deep scars left by their own childhood. the thought of becoming a parent brings the risk of repeating the same cycle of trauma.

a child is too fragile, too malleable, and C would never forgive themselves if they bent that child into something broken, something like them. still, there’s a small, infinitesimal part of C that would see their child—if it ever happened—as a way to prove they were better than alain. they would probably be deeply protective, albeit occasionally overbearing, but they’d channel their ambition into ensuring their child never feels the abuse or pain they did.

V NÆSHOLM: V would feel a deep, quiet fear at the mention of parenthood. their faith is a comfort, yes, but it’s also a reminder of their own failings, of how often they fall short of the ideal they cling to. what would they teach a child? how would they guide them? they’d feel the weight of moral obligation, the pressure of doing right by the child in the eyes of god. after all, their own biological parents had abandoned them and their fraternal twin on the doorsteps of an orphanage.

but there’s also a strange tenderness there, something hopeful in the way they might imagine holding a child in their arms, a child that’s half them and half the person they love. they’d worry about their own sins, but somewhere in their heart, they’d believe that raising a child could be an act of redemption and understanding.

W OSTENDORF: W is likely to approach parenthood with both fear and fascination. as a reclusive and introverted person, they feel quite overwhelmed by the responsibility that comes with raising a child. they struggle to take care of themselves sometimes—how could they possibly take care of a child? they’d doubt themselves constantly, convinced that they’d never be enough, that they’d fumble through every decision and even end up faring worse than even their neglectful parents.

but—and this is the tender part—there’s also a quiet yearning in W for family, for a place where they belong. they’d look at a child and see it as a second chance, a way to build something safe, something pure, out of the chaos of their own life. that’s their call to start a family filled with nothing but care and love. of course they’d be scared and unsure at first, but they’d try to never make their kid(s) feel abandoned in any turn of their life.

D DIACONU: D would laugh, loud and carefree, brushing off the notion of parenthood as something too serious for them. they’re the one who wants no attachment whatsoever, the one who flits from one moment to the next without a care in the world. they’d make some offhand joke about how they’re too pretty to settle down with a kid, how they’d be the worst parent in the world and even give their mother a run for her money.

but deep down—far, far down—there’s a part of D that craves a connection like that. a child would be terrifying, yes, but also intriguing. could they really do it? could they be more than their own fears, more than the mess of emotions they so often try to bury? they wouldn’t admit it, but they’d be tempted by the idea of a child who looks at them with nothing but trust, with pure love untainted by who they are and where they’re from. you will not be able to recognise the person they’d become after that.

M WHITLOCK-SINGH: there was never a question of never having kids with M. it didn’t matter if the kids were biological or adopted, their list of responsibilities included being a parent sometime in the future. there’s duty in it, a sense of tradition that’s woven into the fabric of who they are. they’d be meticulous, careful in how they planned for this future, because they know that everything they do would reflect on their child.

there’s love in it too—deep, steady, enduring love. M wouldn’t be the kind of parent who lavishes their child with expensive stuff, but they’d be the kind who makes sure that child never wants for anything, who guides them with a firm but gentle hand. they’d take it seriously because for M, parenthood would be as much about a legacy as it is about love and care. they’d feel the pressure obviously, but they’d carry it with the grace expected of them.

[catboydogma]

'til our hell is a good life

codywan week 2024 sol master list (solsterlist)

codywan week 2024 day 1 prompts, sol edition: no/different order 66, lightsaber/lightsaber training

notes: title from our hell by emily haines & the soft skeleton. i've been having a comically disastrous week/month (it's only the 4th? jesus christ) but god willing i will post for all 7 prompts (+ bonus anniversary prompt?). im not gonna lie i had to pop out the soju to finish this beast and i think that did set the tone for the rest of the week's writing. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER AMIRITE FELLAS

wc: 3,099

cross-posted to ao3

Obi-Wan supposed it might have all started because someone gave Cody a lightsaber. No, it had not been Obi-Wan, and even if it might have been, he knew to always cover his own ass. Qui-Gon had been an excellent teacher, for the most part, and there was one thing he had drilled into Obi-Wan above (almost) all else: never drop plausible deniability.

No, he’d no idea where the lightsaber had come from. No, Cody could keep it now. He wasn’t going to take the damn thing away from Cody when the good Commander had, evidently, come across it fair and square. Obi-Wan knew his Commander; it wasn’t like there was some fresh-faced thirteen year old Padawan wandering around somewhere sans ‘saber. If he had to take a stab at the quandary, he supposed it probably would have happened the time Cody’d dogpiled Grievous with the rest of his Command Corps. No, not that time. The time after that one, perhaps.

Regardless, there came a time when Cody’s tac belt had two lightsaber clips, not just one for when Obi-Wan strategically left his lightsaber in a secure place for safekeeping. The two of them never discussed the fact that Cody was likely Force sensitive. It didn’t seem something Cody was at all interested in; given the givens, Obi-Wan was predisposed to let him take the lead on the topic. Or not, as it happened.

But Obi-Wan couldn’t let that stop him in the face of something so egregious as this, even if Cody seemed determined to duck out of the conversation at every turn.

“I am not a Jedi, sir,” Cody told him for the fifth time that day. “I fail to see what tactical advantage there would be in meditating with a weapon.”

“It isn’t entirely a tactical advantage, per se,” Obi-Wan demurred. “But it can be. It’s difficult to articulate.” Especially when most resources for teaching lightsaber forms and meditations were meant for Initiates first starting out, or struggling Padawans; not outsiders to the Order, and certainly not ones that hadn’t grown up in the Temple. If they’d had the time—if not for this bloody war—Obi-Wan might have taken Cody to Jedha for insight. “Would you learn to fight with a particular blaster even when you haven’t familiarized yourself with its base components, or haven’t learnt how to disassemble and repair it?”

Cody frowned. It was a minute thing, barely a twitch of the corner of his mouth and a slight tilt of his head.

Aha. Obi-Wan pressed his advantage, absently touching Cody’s elbow to direct him around a group of techs as they walked through the halls of the Negotiator. “It’s the same for a lightsaber. The kyber—or heart of the lightsaber—is not just a power source; a strong connection between oneself and one’s kyber is paramount to maintaining a good working relationship with the lightsaber itself. And a good working relationship leads to better results in a fight; not just anyone can pick up any old lightsaber and start swinging it around and expect good results, you know. That’s why the black market money is mainly to be made in the raw kyber itself, not in the weapons.” Obi-Wan made eyebrows at Cody over this, who simply glared at him. Ah, well. A man had to find his fun somehow.

“You have me there, sir,” Cody sighed. He was graceful in his concession, at least. Unlike some others Obi-Wan could name upon learning that, yes, meditation with a new lightsaber was practically required…

“We can clear up an evening for it,” Obi-Wan said, magnanimous even in victory. As ever. “And perhaps I can show you what I mean, rather than trying to talk in circles around it.”

“But you do so love talking in circles around things, sir,” Cody said, dry as anything. Obi-Wan mimed shocked outrage at him, and they passed the next few hours in good humor.

“This can be done anywhere, really, but for your first time I thought to make it somewhat more formal,” Obi-Wan told Cody. He’d somewhere unearthed a spare meditation mat to set in between the cramped space between his ‘fresher and desk. Incense in a lump-shaped holder wafted smoke into the air; one of his last good joss sticks. But this was a special occasion. “Many Jedi like to do it in the salles, and many Consulars perfect it in the field.” There had been the especially memorable time during Obi-Wan’s own Padawanship in that nest of gilloms…

Cody inspected his new outfitting and seemed satisfied, though it was hard to tell. He sat on the mat with no complaints and suffered through Obi-Wan running a hand across his shoulders, then nudging Cody’s legs with his own into something more closely approximating a meditative pose.

“The floating is optional, then,” Cody remarked.

“Well, yes. It’s up to personal preference,” Obi-Wan told him, resolutely not letting his flush creep above the collar of his tunics. It was Obi-Wan’s personal preference, really, and usually something more commonly found in the creche than not. “You can hold your lightsaber, or set it in front of you, or in your lap. Many Jedi like to hold themselves in the Force with the lightsaber, hence why this is often accompanied by one’s lightsaber floating in front of oneself. For today, do whatever feels right to you.”

Cody nodded, then opted to hold his lightsaber loosely in his lap. After a moment of consideration, he mirrored Obi-Wan’s own pose: one hand folded atop the other in his lap, thumbs pressed to each other, lightsaber cradled in his palms and just under the arch of his thumbs.

Obi-Wan guided Cody through the preliminary steps of a light meditation, discarding many of the more Force-oriented aspects and focusing on the connecting to one’s lightsaber, on opening oneself up and letting the kyber reach out in turn. When he felt Cody slip deeper, into a state simultaneously more introspective and more concentrated on his lightsaber, Obi-Wan turned his own attention to his kyber.

The heart of a lightsaber could be a curious thing. This wasn’t all completely altruistic; Obi-Wan had left out the bit about also needing to meditate with his ‘saber, because then Cody might have given him one of those looks. But it was good to refamiliarize himself with his kyber, in a ritual both utterly familiar and yet somehow foreign. He just hadn’t done it in so long, or at least not as thoroughly as he might have liked. They had changed, the both of them. The war, Anakin’s Knighting, Obi-Wan’s own views of the galaxy at large and perspective of self… such was the nature of having a malleable brain and being subject to the rigors of time.

Some interminable time later, the soft beeping of a timer brought Obi-Wan up out of the depths of his meditation. He cracked his eyes open and took a moment to settle himself back down onto his mat, still feeling like a great river was still carving its way through his skull in vast, sweeping currents.

“Don’t give me that face,” was the first thing Cody said when he finally deigned to open his eyes.

Obi-Wan, caught mid-insufferable-smirk, quickly arranged his face into something with less smug. “I shall endeavor to do nothing of the sort. So?”

“I see what you mean,” Cody grudgingly allowed. He looked like he was still chewing something over, so Obi-Wan let him stew in silence while he packed up the remains of the incense and their mats. They shared a quiet dinner over formwork together, as well as a quick update sent to Mace when they dropped out of hyperspace to shift to another lane.

They continued to meditate together. Over time, not always with their lightsabers; Obi-Wan didn’t say anything about it, because a Commander Cody was—at times, very rarely—a creature easily spooked, and Obi-Wan had to be careful in his approach to certain things. But it was—good. To have someone else to share time and space together like this. He hadn’t realized how much he missed it until it became a regularity in their schedules; oh, he meditated plenty with Ahsoka, when the 501st and 212th was berthed together or they were sharing missions, and sporadically with Anakin in these same instances, but it… was somewhat another thing, to come to look forward to meditation with another.

Now it wasn’t just Obi-Wan—by himself, in his silent quarters—but it was Cody-and-Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan was also realizing how much he had missed teaching. It wasn’t the same flavor of interaction as between a Master and Padawan, but Obi-Wan enjoyed that Cody was an excellent listener and genuinely enjoyed hearing Obi-Wan ramble on about whatever topic of the day it was. Or topic of the hour, as it sometimes happened. Not only that, but he was the most delightfully clever conversationalist—something that Obi-Wan had always known, at heart, yes, but was coming to explore more and more, as of late.

And then there was the other side of Cody’s learning how to wield a lightsaber.

“You’ve been holding out on me, darling.” Obi-Wan reset and swiped his hair out of his eyes with his shoulder, sweaty fringe just flopping right back over his brow. Of course. He needed a trim was what he needed, but first… he had this to sort.

“I bet you say that to all the men who try that shoulder lock on you.” Cody snorted and readjusted his grip with a quick twirl of his lightsaber. Obi-Wan felt something molten and shivery slide through him, because he had taught Cody that. He manfully ignored the quiet whisper in the back of his head that Cody’s fighting style, after this, would have the hallmark of Obi-Wan’s hands all over him.

The good Commander took Obi-Wan’s split second of distraction as his cue. Bastard. He’d probably been doing it on purpose. Obi-Wan very carefully ignored the frisson of feeling that thought gave him, focused on defense, and then, when Cody had settled into a rhythm, pressing the attack.

“Only you, my Commander,” Obi-Wan said warmly. He ducked under Cody’s guard when his step faltered at that little exchange and the quick twist of the wrist Obi-Wan gave his ‘saber, but didn’t quite press his advantage. This match wasn’t about beating Cody into the ground, though Obi-Wan had no doubt that his Commander would give him a run for his money even if that were the case; no, this was about teaching Cody, and drilling the muscle memory into him.

Cody had taken to lightsaber fighting like a quacta to slime. They’d rotated through each form, but Cody had returned to the first they had drilled for a strong foundation, and Obi-Wan had to say that it quite suited him. This variant of Shii-Cho focused more on lethality than disarming, something which might have given pause to the Jedi Obi-Wan of five years ago had been—but Obi-Wan of now couldn’t argue with results, if those results were what kept Ghost Company alive and well and the Sith from overtaking them. His Commander fought with a combination of focus and brutality, utterly utilitarian but almost elegant in its most efficient economy of motion. Obi-Wan found himself almost comparing Cody’s style to that of a Nabooan ballet dancer’s, famed for their relentless discipline and endurance.

The bout ended when Cody broke through Obi-Wan’s guard with a clever bit of bladework and bashed the crown of his head into Obi-Wan’s face, narrowly missing breaking his teeth in.

Obi-Wan laughed through the blinding pain—literally, his vision was still sprinkled with bright lights and strange afterimages—and said, lying on the floor, “I was right.”

Cody narrowed his eyes at Obi-Wan, lightsaber—now off—imperiously leveled at Obi-Wan’s chest.

“You have gotten better, now that you’ve been meditating with it.”

So, yes. It might have started when Cody found that lightsaber—and held onto it—and learnt to wield it properly. Obi-Wan had a suspicion—well, he had a number of suspicions. This primary suspicion, however, was how it ended.

It was supposed to be a routine inspection; rote, trivial, something necessary but not a thing anyone truly looked forward to. But a gaggle—or perhaps drove—of senators had decided to invite themselves along, some kind of publicity stunt, Obi-Wan didn’t know. Usually Adi handled these sorts of things, or else one of the other PR- or legal-inclined Masters. Thus, of course, Chancellor Palpatine had to say some words at the landing pad—some inane drivel about whatever the hell sentiment Palpatine was using to drive through his bill of the week. Obi-Wan tried not to grimace too obviously at the thinly-veiled warmongering the Chancellor was using to drum up support and inclined his head toward his Commander, about to comment on the daring sartorial choices of one bold politician, when Cody tilted his head towards Obi-Wan and nearly knocked him on the temple.

“I didn’t know the Chancellor used to be a Jedi,” Cody said.

Obi-Wan’s comment died halfway up his throat. He blinked at Palpatine, then at Cody. “Pardon?”

Cody shifted infinitesimally backwards on his heels, allowing Obi-Wan a better view of where Palpatine stood on the other side of Cody, with Anakin flanking the Chancellor’s left.

“He’s got a lightsaber in one of those concealed carry holsters at his back,” Cody told him, eyes still forward, settled in a textbook-perfect parade rest. “I was.” His eyes shifted to Obi-Wan and then back forward in a rare—and unsettling—display of trepidation. “Doing a bit of meditation. As it were. Haven’t had the chance to get the ‘saber out in too long with all these… press tours. So I felt it. First.”

Obi-Wan gaped, forgetting all about the attendant senators and cam droids and the battalion of clone troopers at his back. There were… well, very few reasons he could think of to explain why Senator Palpatine, of all people, had a lightsaber. In a concealed carry holster meant to hide it away even from the eyes of Jedi, of all things. Because—“He most certainly is not, and never has been, a member of the Order,” Obi-Wan said. In fact, he had never been a part of any Force sensitive sect. In fact, Obi-Wan had it on good authority and as a matter of public record that the Chancellor was as Force sensitive as a brick.

Allegedly.

Well. This would either be very, very funny, or disastrous for all of them. Obi-Wan held out a hand and yanked, not letting himself think of any other outcome. A cylinder of cool metal slapped into his hand, stinging his palm and sending an unpleasant shock down his arm. If not for his long history of battling Sith, Obi-Wan might have dropped it on the spot for how it reeked of the Dark, now out from Palpatine’s immediate sphere of control.

Mas Amedda’s blathering stuttered to a halt. Obi-Wan stared at the hilt in his hand, then at Cody’s expression slack with surprise. He thought he knew what the color of the blade would be even before his thumb hit the switch; it was almost like a dream, or a barely-remembered dreg of an old nightmare.

A venomous scarlet light sprang forth.

“Well,” Obi-Wan said after a moment. “I suppose now you can say that Sith lords are our specialty.”

Palpatine shrieked something hysterical and reached out, fingers curling into hooked claws and expression contorting from that of a kindly grandfather into a spitting tyrant. Obi-Wan braced himself for something—he didn’t even know what—and—

Brilliant green light split the morning. Cody caught Palpatine’s chain of Dark lightning on his blade and bared his teeth in a fierce challenge. The stark shock on Palpatine’s face was almost enough to make Obi-Wan laugh. Instead—he leapt forward with his own lightsaber raised in a cross with Palpatine’s—cutting off whatever poison Palpatine had been about to spit at his Commander.

In the end, it came down to the timely and swift intervention of the Coruscant Guard. Anakin had been too busy torn between shouting at Obi-Wan that there must be some mistake, and being goaded by Palpatine into drawing on Cody. Palpatine kept trying to say something to Cody, or else to the nearest officer—Gregor, taking potshots at the Chancellor or else keeping the other senators away from harm—but every time, Obi-Wan or Cody drove him back to the edge of the landing pad and parried another round of lightning or dodged Force shoves.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” Fox said to Cody, after, as the scene was taped off and various senators’ statements were taken. He’d shot Palpatine just under the heart, giving Cody the chance to take Palpatine’s head off. Obi-Wan would have been shiningly proud, except he was currently trying to keep his ribs from puncturing his lungs and steering Anakin away from going into histrionics.

“Er, Cody,” Obi-Wan said, tugging on the sleeve of Cody’s blood- and char-spattered greys. There was something very pressing he had to do, right before Mace got here, and his ribs were as supported as they were going to get until a medic got to see to him.

Cody turned, resplendent in his sweaty flush and still breathing hard. Fighting with him in a duel like that had been exhilarating; just as on the battlefield, they worked together like a well-oiled machine, and if not for the circumstances of it all, Obi-Wan would have been enjoying himself immensely.

“I’m tendering my resignation as an officer, effective immediately,” Obi-Wan told him, watching the way the Coruscant sun limned Cody’s tight curls from behind and gilded the edge of his cheek. With that out of the way, he fisted a hand in the front of Cody’s stiff uniform and pulled him down to kiss him soundly on the mouth. Quite a few troopers whooped at the sight; that was likely Gregor who was wolf whistling in a truly obnoxious manner.

“You had to do this in the most dramatic way possible,” Cody said, but he sounded fond, despite it all. He pulled back, cast a critical look at the way Obi-Wan was holding his ribs, then ducked back down for another—more chaste—kiss. “As long as you’ll take me with you when you go, my General.”

From just beside Obi-Wan, Anakin let out a sound previously only heard from gravely ill massiffs and tipped right over his breaking point.

[explodingchantry]

dai harbors such disdain for the elves it's honestly baffling. Both of your elven companions hold disdain for the dalish. neither of them ARE dalish. a dalish inquisitor barely gets a say in being forced to carry the title of herald of andraste and inquisitor. their clan can be wiped out in a war table mission with no consequences, no cutscenes, no dialogue, no nothing as a result. you can get one of the most beloved companion of the game defending slavery to you. you can get an elf to command orlais from the shadows but the game goes to great length to let you know that she is corrupt and untrustworthy, too, like the humans.

solas, who is FRAMED as being not just trustworthy, but extremely knowledgeable and wise, denies his connection to the elves. he believes himself better than the dalish who are foolish worshippers of the monsters who enslaved them millenias ago, and better than the city elves who let themselves (in his eyes) be persecuted by humans. if you romance him he takes away your vallaslin, one of the most culturally significant symbols of the dalish, because it actually used to be a marking forced upon them by their evil slaver gods. ther dalish are constantly, over and over, portrayed as foolish and misunderstanding their past and heritage, with very little opportunity to argue against that even as a dalish inquisitor.

Non dalish know more than you even when you are a dalish inquisitor. Morrigan, a HUMAN, teaches you, a dalish elf, about ancient elvhen magic and artifacts. Solas, who through the game is portrayed as a non-dalish elf, teaches you about ancient elvhen magic and artifacts whilst at the same time mocking the dalish who wish to retain their culture, heritage and knowledge

it is so meanspirited. the reveal that solas is fen'harel does very little to soften the blow, especially since it's hand in hands with the reveal that flemeth, a HUMAN, is mythal.

i know there's some interesting lore bits that ties ancient elves to humans, but that doesn't matter, okay? What matters is that the fucking writing is biased against elves. the writing could've raised these questions, offered these earth shattering discoveries, without being so mean spirited and biased against elves and especially the dalish.

imagine being a player who doesnt care to dig into the deeper lore, whose never played a dragon age game before. you would be left scoffing about how foolish the dalish are, obsessed with their past to the point they'll happily believe falsehoods and venerate evil slavers. you wouldn't care about any of the lore implications. and even if you did, it wouldn't remove the negative bias the game really shoves at you. it's literally baffling how no one in the writer's room was like "hm, maybe we should offer a proper dalish point of view to some of these things. maybe we should hold back on the fantasy racism just a teensy bit, considering our fantasy races and cultures are deeply tied to real ones in the real world with very obvious inspirations. it might be best to not portray one of our marginalised races and people as stupid idiots who got their entire heritage all wrong. maybe."

[anthroamazed]

tips for stem majors in math and science courses (spoonie + neurodivergent friendly)

hi y’all! my nameis lila and i’m a 28 year old physics and anthropology major who’s about 2 years through college (in the US)! as we’re coming up on the start of the fall ‘23 college semester, i thought i might share some really solid hacks for fellow STEM students taking science and/or math courses that i’ve basically built my college academic career on. and! these study tips are spoonie and adhd friendly! as a matter of fact, a lot of these are tips/methods that specifically work for me as a neurodivergent spoonie (i have pretty severe adhd, as well as POTS and ME/CFS), but that i think non-disabled/non-spoonie and/or neurotypical students could also benefit from using! so with out any further ado, here are my 7 tried and true study hacks for college math and science classes…

1) discover your learning style and tailor your studying towards leveraging it.

you’ve probably heard of visual, audio, and kinesthetic learning styles, but did you now there’s actually way more learning styles than just those three? i’m personally a “social learner,” meaning i learn best through discussion and socialization with 1+ other people to interact with. this could look like teaching other classmates concepts and methods that we’ve learned or discussing ideas with classmates and/or professors until i fully understand the concepts at play and how they connect and can reflect them in performing analysis and application, etc. honestly, figuring out my learning style was hands down one of the most helpful things i’ve done in college. it has allowed me to choose professors who i will mesh better with in terms of how they teach, as well as to adapt materials and methods to my style of learning in order to master them quicker and more effectively.

2) rewrite your notes after lecture, for the love of god.

this tip actually comes from my high school IB Math HL teacher, who told me to do this when i originally left high school for college. even if you think you’ve mastered the basics of the topic covered during the lecture, rewriting those notes after lecture helps really hammer in the knowledge that you’ve already established and also helps to get the wheels turning on pieces of information you might have less of a grasp on. try tp set aside at least 30 - 40 minutes after class to just rewrite your notes and try to really digest the information.

3) body doubling is one of the most beneficial things ever to be invented even if you’re not adhd, and i WILL die on that hill, thank you very much.

“body doubling” or “having an accountabilibuddy” are interchangeable terms in the adhd community that mean you have one or more consistent study buddy/buddies who you do all the homework and/or studying with in person on a regular basis, even if you’re just working next to each other in total silence. this does a couple of things. first off, it forces homework/assignments/studying to become a concrete social obligation you need to regularly show up for, rather than a nebulous obligation based on an invisible deadline. second off, it gives you 1+ partners to work out your problems concerning course topics with. third off, it allows you to build a network of peers where you feel comfortable helping each other with course material (this is especially great because it’s likely you and your classmates have different strengths regarding course content). tbh, body doubling is the other method that i, personally, have found most useful in college and i highly recommend trying it, even if you don’t have adhd.

4) teach others/your classmates the analysis and application methods you’ve learned, even if those methods aren’t 100% solidified for you (trust me on this).

the goal of stem courses is never memorization, but rather being able to understand a topic well enough to analyze a similar situation and apply the what you’ve learned creatively. this is where teaching others comes in. in order to teach others a concept and its related analysis and application well, you have to have at least a fraction of a decent understanding of these things yourself, and, further, often time in teaching these things you also learn to grasp the concepts/aanalysis/applications even better than you did before with each new teaching session. basically: teaching others is a creative way of also teaching yourself. you get the benefits of repetition, of thinking about a concept/technique/analysis and application in a new way, and of getting to apply the concept/technique/analysis and applicatioin to a new scenario each time. plus, you’ll typically make friends quickly in the process! there’s really no downside to this tip imo ;-)

5) utilize your college’s tutoring center/program(s), even when you don’t think you need to.

usually colleges have either set up a general “tutoring center,” on campus where you can find tutors for all different kinds of topics and courses available during regular hours for walk-in sessions and/or appointments free of charge or departments will hold regular weekly (or twice weekly) free on-campus tutoring sessions for specific courses. regardless of which of these options your college has, i highly recommend attending at least one tutoring session/appointment (ideally with the same tutor if/when you eventually find one you click with) every single week, even when you don’t feel like you’re struggling with the topic(s) covered in that week’s lecture. this will help you review topics and techniques covered in lecture, deepen your understanding of them, and, if nothing else, it’s an excuse to get homework out of the way while having someone else there who can help you if/when you get stuck. attending at least one session weekly also helps you get into a habit and routine of keeping up with your assignments, so you’re not left scrambling at the last minute before they’re due.

6) if you have accommodations, request access to record lectures. if you do not have accommodations, ask your professor if you are allowed to record lectures. IF YOU RECORD LECTURES, DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW THEM!

okay, so first up for my fellow spoonies and neurodivergent peeps: when you apply for/renew your accommodations, make sure that “recordinng lectures” is on your MOA (memorandum of accommodations), because so long as it is, your professors legally cannot deny you permission to record lectures without risk of themself and the college being sued for an ADA violation. also, make friends with a classmate and ask them to record lectures and send them to you if/when you are absent (let the professor know that you’ve asked this classmate to record and send you the lecture if you are absent)

now, if you aren’t disabled, a spoonie, and/or neurodivergent, you aren’t guaranteed permission to record lectures. however. ask the professor if you can have their permission to audio record lectures (be sure to also let them know that such a recording would be for personal use only and that you don’t plan on distributing the recordings). i’ve found that many professors don’t mind you having an audio recording.

even if you aren’t an audible learner it can be really useful to have these recordings to review at a later point. oftentimes reviewing lecture recordings can be useful if you glazed over and missed a section of the lecture and/or if you can’t remember what a professor taught during a section of a lecture.

7) last but not least, on a related note, if you have accommodations, also request access to your professor’s lecture notes. if you don’t have accommodations, check if your professor posts their lecture notes for students to use.

having your professor’s notes can be extremely useful for review purposes, but they can also help you understand where your professor is going with course content and what they want to stress as important.

[esoteriamaya]

Dark Moon Lilith/Waldemath Lilith (H58) : Mother Gaia, Spiritual Realm, Shadows, Night and the Moon.

Waldemath Lilith (h58) was discovered by scientist George Waldemath .

Wanting to take the time to explain my feelings towards this placement. As it's different from the other lilith placements, but has nothing to do with lilith in its entirety.

When Waldemath saw the planet in the sky, he said he seen it as a dark shadow in the sky and thats when he got the name for it.

Connecting it to lilith is great, but understanding its prophecies are bit different. So lets begin.

With the energy of dark moon lilith, its connecting to a cosmic force that focuses on the 'Mother'. Who is that you might ask?

Well in this case, The Mother is the Universe. But its so much deeper than that.

Because we exist in a timeline where we don't say thank you to mother gaia, where we pretend that the feminine is lesser than the masculine. Where we think of 'God' as a masculine entity and nothing more.

And this is where it gets challenging.

To say its a lilith placement isn't far fetched, just have to take into note that this energy that the dark moon portrays is far more connected to something spiritual than the lilith placement itself.

This one focuses on the spiritual elements, the ancestor, the mother, the unseen forces and realms that we hear about but can't get our grip on.

So when I say this placement has some deep shit to unravel, I mean it.

So starting off with someone having this placement in there first house. These individuals could deal with the world where the empathic effects can be overly daunting or exceptionally healing.

At some point, people will look to you as something other than. For better or for worse.

In the beginning phases of life, you may be forced to see how much different and sensitive you are to others and this may shape you in a way that makes your outlook on life far connected to something spiritual and enlightening. You can explore the different realms and find solace in what it is you came to do without shame once you realize those experiences where you were outcasted were suppose to shape you into your original form.

You're different in a way that connects the universe to your vision, never forget it.

Someone with this placement in the first house would have to learn the hardships & lessons of being 'Other' and knowing how to navigate things in a way that correlates with their plane of existence. You're not alone in it, and deep down you are a source of divine inspiration because all your life you had to get your level of intellect and knowledge from some where. And at times this can reflect on your appearance and show itself brightly. You have a big aura that shapes the people around you, and a lot of times people can see you in a odd way than most, but it's Mother.

Mother isn't just one thing, she is everything. And thats you.

Now for someone who has this placement connected to the Sun, you will have to surrender to the divine forces within more often than you'd like. The shame, guilt and fears you've succumbed to where not that of your own, which is very similar to lilith, but again, its connected to something cosmic. It's as if your life force is here to shape the perceptions and realities of others with just your mere presence. You have a gift that enlightens a lot of people into being who they are and you're very captivating to say the least. You may have been bullied with how unique you stand in your aura but thats because children and even adults had not known what the outer realms we're trying to teach them.

The way you express your divine feminity is not that of anyone else, which can confuse others and they'll try to change your perception of what it is and what it isn't. But you'll keep going nonetheless.

You're a shape shifter, a healer, and a vortex opener. Someone who knows the ins and the outs when it comes to spiritual knowledge. But you keep this to your self. Something about you is incredibly magical, and the more you connect to nature, crystals and animals the higher your vibration will be.

Moon aspecting the dark moon can show an individual whos psychic prowess can take form and connect to the areas around them. You're likeliness is like a witch, and you're connected to the stars and all things unseen in a way that most people will never grasp. It. isn't for them too. You're like the crone but you haven't lived that long yet, its been ingrained in you since a young age.

You guys are different in the way you carry yourself, you could end up going into something connected to candle magick, witchcraft if you will, as the feminine magic you carry needs expression at some point.

Theres a special quality to the connection you have with others, it passes the concept of time and other things related to beliefs in religious doctrines. You have a interesting persona and the way you carry yourself is unique and has nothing to do with social standards carried out in society.

Your energy holds weight and it may push people into believing in something and thinking deeper than what is totally normal.

This was a fun, short, intricate analyzation of the planet and the energies connected to the big 3. I hope this helps someone wanting to learn more about the dark moon and its ties to the spiritual. More to come on this. Adios!

[chrollo-lucilfers-chains]

Currently thinking about...

Chrollo, whose s/o is a history professor teaching at yorknew university, specialized in historical artifacts.

Chrollo, who loves the way their eyes sparkle when they look at historical pieces and who takes them to museums and galleries all around the world.

You two are the hot, mysterious, well-read couple that shows up on art installations just to judge the pieces. Every academic around dreams of being like you or at least knowing you.

He however loves when you wear those gigantic, dramatic sunglasses while outside. It's cute.

His s/o, who's become sort of famous in the art world, as they always show up to gatherings on the arm of that charming gentleman (who nobody assumes might be responsible for the art pieces being stolen later).

Chrollo's arm is always wrapped leisurely around your waist during these events, as he takes a sip from an expensive wine glass.

Chrollo, who brings his s/o little trinkets™ home, like a cat would, only for them to be like ?!?

"What the.... This is like two thousand years old and only three copies still exist!! How did you get this?!"

He never tells them. He doesn't have to because they're too busy nerding out about the apparent value of the artifact.

Chrollo, who adores when his s/o goes into their little rants and infodumps because 1. He likes listening to them talk 2. He's becoming kind of invested in art history because of them and 3. He can now gouge the exact price he can sell the piece for in the black markets.

Chrollo, who sneaks into his significant other's lectures to soak up all the knowledge when they're too busy for him at home.

Chrollo, who shamelessly uses your connections and knowledge in the arts and history and who becomes really good in locating the most expensive object of a collection.

The troupe is impressed by his knowledge. Little do they know he's just repeating what you told him a few hours ago.

Pakunoda, who is the only one that knows you (she's been having weekly tea parties with you for about two years) and who just watches the chaos go down with a knowing smile.

Chrollo, who started the relationship on a whim but has gotten invested in your world. He's obsessed.

Honestly might get a degree in art, history or something too, just for the aesthetic™.

You hate that he archives that so easily. It's one of the most genius but annoying things he's done.

Like, you're proud of him but god dammit, why is he so good at everything!?

Chrollo, who loves the looks your students give you when he picks you up with his car, dressed in suit pants, a tight dress shirt and sunglasses, with the arms of the shirt rolled up to the elbows, exposing his muscular forearms.

The students are drooling. So are you.

Say what you want but Chrollo's got the most beautiful hands and long, slender fingers (great for stealing stuff and unbuttoning shirts, if you get the hint).

Emo boy™ is in his suit phase. You don't mind, you're definitely not complaining.

He's into the academic aesthetic now, you're not getting rid of him anytime soon.

Chrollo, who told Pakunoda he keeps you around because of your knowledge and connections.

Pakunoda, who knows better.

You, his s/o, who is relatively oblivious to all of this thievery and mischief going on and who is just happy having such a great boyfriend who's also invested in your interests :)

[welikeimagines-andfandoms]

Imagine being best friends with Charles Xavier, dating Dean Winchester and your father being Athelstan

Charles:

- Meet in university

- You’re friends with Raven first but after the battle with Erik you grow closer to Charles

- Never let him feel bad about himself and his chair

- Often make fun of him calling him ‘old man’ and sitting in his lap to ‘go for a spin’

- Youre the first one he calls on when Logan comes around

- Charles helps so many mutants but you are the one that truly helps him

- You’ve been around a lot longer and help him to guide students with their mutations and become like an Aunty to Storm, Jean and Scott

- Always know you’ll lose Charles as you’ve lost many friends before but he always knows the right thing to say

- You help Charles run the mansion but you also help mutants who want to be more nomadic like you

- You’re Charles right hand man

Dean:

- You meet on a hunt and becomes confused when he finds you talking with the vampires instead of killing them

- Thinks you’re a vampire yourself

- It takes a while for him to trust you but once he does, you both connect quickly

- loves hearing your stories

- Is like a little boy when you teach him how to fight with a sword

- Tries to be serious when going to the X-Mansion for the first time but once again feels like a little kid

- Both him and Sam get along with Logan

- Kurk is like a fanboy when he meets Castiel

- He loves hearing about all the old rock concerts you went to

- Sam likes your older historical stories

- Dean playfully rolls his eyes whenever you and Cas get into ‘bible talk’ as Dean calls it

- Dates to museums where you explain more than the museum does

- Teaching the boys old healing things you’ve learnt over time

- Dean loves how dominant you are in the bedroom

- Calls you his warrior

- Wonder Woman and Batman for Halloween

- Singing him old songs from your childhood when he’s sick

- Sometimes museums become a bit too much and you cry seeing your lost friends and family, but Dean holds you and makes you feel better

Athelstan:

- never really knew your mother

- Raised between different friends (Royal and Viking)

- Kept both Nordic and Christian faith

- Go to every museum expo about your father/family that you can

- Lagertha, Ragnar and Bjorn know you but are kept from Aslaug and Ragnars other sons

- When your mutation develops, your father thinks you’re a gift from God, and Ragnar, Lagertha and Floki believe you to be a child of the Aesir

- Ragnar believes you can be a great asset but Lagertha and Athelstan try to keep you out of battle, believing you need to be treasured

- You are taught how to fight however

- Growing up being told stories of both the bible and the gods

Charles and Dean:

- Charles is sceptical when he meets Dean at first but is quickly won over

- Dean is very polite and proper when he meets Charles for the first time

- He even worries about what to wear and almost wears his FBI suit

- You make sure they meet at a BBQ so Dean is more relaxed

- Overtime Charles becomes like grandad to Dean and helps him in life

- Sometimes mutants turn out to be monsters and vice versa so they end up calling each other every now and then

- Charles gets Dean to paint some demon sigils around, just in case

- Dean and Charles ganging up on you with old lady jokes

- “Dean we’ll have to get the fire department on call.” “Why’s that?” “Well with the old lady’s birthday coming up the cake might just be a major fire hazard”

[its-short-for-jackalope]

OKAY, WE GOT A TRAILER AND A TITLE AND I HAVE THOUGHTS

You know what that means: it's brainrot time.

🏝 TITLE REVEAL: WHO IS THE SEARCHER IN THE SHADOWS?

quick note, I love this title. It's rad as hell. 10/10. anyway—

of course when I hear the word "Searcher" I immediately think of the one and only Addison Arvad, missing captain of the Antikythera and beloved wrecker of journals.

look at her. I love her. she's beautiful. also I am lowkey obsessed with how Jackie draws hair. (please teach me your secrets.)

We didn't get to learn much about Capt. Arvad in episode 3, but we do know that she was a Searcher who disappeared without any explanation, along with the rest of her crew. Kal probably had something to do with it, since he was attempting to retrieve the ship's orrery and said some vague stuff about fog and vortices, but even he doesn't seem to know exactly what happened to her and the crew.

Whatever the case, her disappearance is the reason most of the events in TGOA even happened, so it would make sense for her to be a big part of the next episode. And if Addison is the Searcher and the Searcher is in the shadows, then I have two (and a half?) theories.

The first is that she (and her crew, if they survived, who are also presumably all Searchers) are lost somewhere and that whatever "fogging the vertices" entails led to her getting whisked away somewhere else. She could be trapped there, trying to get out, and/or maybe she is in shadows in the same way Margaret was—maybe she has lost her memories and her magic.

The second theory is actually an idea @man-down-in-hatchet-town proposed that promptly blew my mind: what if whatever happened to Addison led to her getting corrupted and going dark and she is the villain of the episode? I honestly love this idea so much and I think it would be fun and also delightfully heartbreaking after hearing that entry from Addison's journal and getting a glimpse of the person she once was.

(also every pulp fan I know is in complete agreement that we want a cool female villain, pretty please Matt— 🥺🙏)

🏝 OH GOD, THE TIME TRAVEL

I've already yelled a bit about Rose being separated from Samuel and the others, so I'm not gonna repeat myself here, but I also have other thoughts about the time travel!

The trailer has confirmed that Rose was indeed sent two weeks into the past like Ahlaam said she would be. I think it's safe to assume that Rose will have to wait those two weeks until she can reunite with the others, and I also believe we're gonna have to wait with her.

Rose’s two weeks are going to be important—she's meeting Dakkar and hopefully getting some Travelore™ about the island and The Blazing World, and probably getting into some sort of trouble that better not require a printing press plate to resolve, since she doesn’t have it right now—so I don’t think they're going to just blip by. Otherwise what’s the point of sending her back in time?

I think it’s a pretty safe bet that we (the listeners) are probably going to be doing some time travel ourselves, hopping between Rose's two weeks with Dakkar and the rest of the brick family in the present as Sia takes them to the island and they get started on all that mysterious work they have to do. I have no idea what they're going to find there except maybe a rocket? but I can imagine Samuel and the others following Rose's trail as they piece together what's happened to her and learn about this place and its inhabitants, and then the storylines will connect by the end of the episode and we'll get the twins back together and they'll never be separated again!

Isn't that right, Mr. Dahan?

/lh

Alternatively, I suppose the Ellen Austin could be met on the shore by a Rose who has already spent two weeks on the island and then we could get relevant flashbacks here and there, but I don't think that's as likely. It might be too impractical for this medium when we have a lot of story (and lore) to cover and only so much time to sing about it! Plus, that"By the time our heroes are reunited" bit really makes me think that they won't see each other until closer to the end of the episode. The reunion is absolutely gonna make me cry. I can't wait.

🏝 TRAVELER ISLAND, BABEY!

The island's inhabitants have magic similar to Margaret's, and are led by a new group of powerful Travelers.

...Well, maybe it's not Traveler island, exactly. I'm guessing that most of these ~inhabitants~ are actually Searchers. Sia might not be the only Traveler, but I don't think there are a lot of them out there. It makes more sense for there to be less Travelers and more Searchers to balance things out if the Travelers are significantly more powerful like they've been implied to be.

I definitely think Ahlaam is one of the "new group of powerful Travelers" and I'm super excited to get to know her more. (I am also hoping that maybe we'll get a Jackie Traveler character? 👀) I still don't know if Dakkar is a Traveler or not, but I'm inclined to believe he might be a Searcher—mostly because his portrait doesn't have glowing eyes and flashy gold jewelry like Sia or Ahlaam. (I also feel like it may not be a coincidence that he's wearing a light blue-ish colored shirt like Addison, even if it's a different style and looks considerably less like a space suit, lol.)

They speak of a lost kingdom, The Blazing World, and how what occurs on Lincoln Island will impact an entire civilization.

The Blazing World!!! Rose hasn't heard this name yet, but we have! (and Margaret and Samuel.) The people on Lincoln Island could be survivors/refugees from the Blazing World, or perhaps they are all here on a war mission and this is simply their base of operations. Either way, I'm sure the civilization being impacted is the Travelers'; even if this island isn't currently sheltering all that remains of their people and this is only an outpost for the war, they still have some valuable people here—like Margaret, who is recovering her memories and I am certain has an incredibly vital role to play in this war—and the aftermath of whatever happens will undoubtedly be felt beyond the shores of Lincoln Island. Either our heroes succeed in whatever they're trying to do here, or it goes wrong and the Blazing World potentially loses valuable warriors & resources, and the war against Itzal takes a turn for the worse.

🏝 THE "D" WORD: DESTINY

By the time our heroes are reunited, they will be closer to understanding their destinies than ever before...

Destiny... oh, I've had many thoughts about this and been part of multiple discussions with various friends about fate and coincidence and puzzle pieces coming together in this story. enough that I'm almost not sure where to start.

...Eh, chronologically, I guess.

1817 — the year the Stratford family paper stand was established and the year Anna Hanover's father lost his place in the world. Both of these events affected the characters' lives, helping to cement the twins' love of stories and giving them an eventual connection to the New York Sun that would allow them to publish the moon hoax, and giving Anna her tragic backstory and a goal that would drive her to construct her own moon out of brick rather than ink.

1829 — the year I believe Margaret Cavendish arrived in New York City. She lost her memories and her magic, and the Travelers set her up here to live in comfort and safety and loneliness. We don't know why this happened yet, but I think it's safe to assume the location isn't a coincidence when we know at least one Traveler with precognitive abilities and it's only a handful of years until...

1835 — the year of the moon hoax and the brick satellite. Samuel and Rose Stratford write a story that takes the city by storm, attracting the attention of both Margaret Cavendish, who has been looking for answers and winds up with more questions and magic she doesn't remember or understand, and Sir John Herschel, who doesn't want fantastical stories written about him, thank you very much—but wait, how did he get here? He was in South Africa, a whole other hemisphere! How did he find out about the hoax so quickly?

Well, someone brought him the newspaper that made him come to New York, meet the Stratfords and Margaret, and invite them all to work on the brick satellite with him. They go to British Guiana, manage to finish the satellite alongside Anna, get it into the sky thanks to Margaret's Radiance, and finally meet the Traveler out in space, who somehow knew they would be there and knew Margaret's magic was returning but is surprised that her memories weren't. The Traveler knows more than she's telling, but rather than explain she sends the quartet back to Earth.

1874 — the year the quartet are teleported to. They happen to meet a friendly bosun who offers them a place on a ship that'll take them to New York, right where they want to go. Perfect, right? But in reality it takes them to a ghost ship that just so happens to contain some stuff that helps Margaret remember some things. There's a crazy awesome magic battle, sailors vanish, the ghost ship vanishes, and by the end of it all they're sailing towards a mysterious island and the Traveler, Sia, is telling them they have a lot of work to do.

...okay, the point I'm attempting to make here is that yeah, it definitely seems like something has been leading them here, to this time and place. I just can't tell if it's ✨️destiny✨️ or if it's just Sia, who can see into the future and had a clear hand in at least some of these occurrences. She sent our heroes to 1874 in a flash of light, right into Morgan's path, into Kal's, into the Antikythera's. And if she did that, who's to say she hasn't been guiding the quartet in more covert ways this whole time? Someone had to get that paper to John. Someone—specifically a Traveler someone—had to get Margaret settled in New York.

You could say that it's all destiny and that Sia's foresight and her actions are simply destiny's way of getting shit done, that it was all going to happen this way no matter what. You could also go round and round questioning how destiny and precognitive abilities work & influence each other until your brain feels like it's melting (why yes, I am speaking from experience) but I think I'm going to skip that and focus on a different question instead:

What does destiny (or Sia) have in store for our heroes?

I don't know, of course. probably a rocket at some point? gotta wait for the episode to find out.

but regardless of who or what has been pulling the strings, it took a lot to get our heroes to this point and the idea that they're meant to be here, that they've always been headed toward something that's more than this the lives they had before is so unbelievably exciting??? even if you don't care for the idea of destiny or fate, you know great things are coming and that the story is gonna get bigger and wilder.

🏝 YEAH I KEEP MENTIONING THE ROCKET, DON'T I?

might as well actually give it its own little section on this ramble-y ass post, lol.

We've had hints that there'd be at least one rocket in the story from the very first M.A.I.A. transmission. (If you haven't seen those, you're missing out!) Now that we're getting new cast photos where everyone has been posing with a little red rocket, it looks like it's time!

Maybe the quartet are going to help the Travelers build a rocket. Maybe they're going to help repair a rocket that already exists. Maybe they're going to go to space again, or another planet—The Blazing World?—or maybe they're only going to see the Travelers off and that'll be it. (Okay, that last one would be a little disappointing, lmao.) Hell, maybe they're only going to Lincoln Island to meet a rocket that hasn't arrived yet! So many possibilities!

...hmm. I think that's it? I think that's all the thoughts I had. I have been putting this post together off and on since last night so if I missed anything or it seems a little disjointed then that's why, lmao.

this is admittedly less of a theory post at times and more of a John impression (it's not my fault I have questions!) but why wait for M.A.I.A. transmissions and more information when I can shout about it all now? the universe simply wouldn't be right if I didn't seize every opportunity to scream about Pulp Musicals.

anyway, if you read all of this then I hope you enjoyed it! you can expect/dread more posts like this in the coming weeks, as soon as we get more info and M.A.I.A. transmissions. can't wait to see my best girl again. 💙

...I really hope Matt and Jackie have gotten that window fixed.

[ds9promenade]

Podcast episode discussing DS9 "Past Tense" & "Far Beyond the Stars"!

My friend Laura invited me onto their podcast to unpack Deep Space Nine episodes 3x11 & 12: "Past Tense" and 6x13: "Far Beyond the Stars," using them for a broader discussion on the role of science fiction in dreaming better futures into reality.

In our conversation, we:

compare the 2024 of "Past Tense" to our 2024

share our theories about historical events that may have inspired both episodes, as well as their relationship to other works of speculative/science fiction

point out and offer revisions for parts of "Past Tense" that somewhat undercut the story's intended messages about the evils of capitalism, ableism, police / military violence, and anti-homeless laws

gush about the artistry of the filming and acting in "Far Beyond" (Avery Brooks monologues my beloved)

and more — with a dash of humor as we go!

Give "Sanctified Imagination Far Beyond the Stars" a listen wherever you get podcasts — or read along with the transcript!

(CW: Christianity) — please do go in forewarned that Laura's Autistic Liberation Theology podcast centers around reinterpreting the Bible from a trans & disabled lens. If you skip to 44 minutes in you'll miss most of the religious commentary, except for when it makes sense to bring it up re: Joseph Sisko's 1950s incarnation as a street preacher.

If you are interested the full episode, some of the places we go in our winding conversation are:

Womanist midrash & sanctified imagination, which enact this call to imagine possibilities for the oppressed — to "make a way out of no way"

How Jesus's use of parables to teach about his envisioned "Kingdom of God" —where there's access for all, oppressors reformed and oppressed liberated, all needs met and all gifts celebrated — invites people to engage their sanctified imaginations to join in the work for a more just world, here and now

AutScape's & Crip Camp’s modeled possibilities for a fully accessible, disability-centered world

various directors / show writers who, through writing, discovered something new about themselves (think the Wachowski sisters & The Matrix, Dan Harmon and Community)

If you give it a listen (or read), I'd love to hear what you think! Did you connect with the concept of imagining better futures into reality? Any other Star Trek episodes you think encapsulate that well?

____

Transcript of the above audio clip:

Avery: I definitely think the writers of this episode were thinking about how When Deep Space Nine was coming out, people's response to seeing Sisko was, Yeah, is, you can't have a black space captain. A black man can't be the hero of Star Trek!

Which just shows, like, for the viewers, like, Yeah, we've come a long ways here in the 90s. But we still think it's ridiculous to imagine a black space captain and it's only just becoming possible now.

Laura: yeah the um, , editor of the magazine says "put it in a drawer for like a couple of decades and might be--" it's like, yeah, that's

Avery: Yeah.

Laura: inside joke.

Avery: At the end, when, um, Benny Russell breaks down after being fired and everything, the street preacher comes back and, Benny says, "Tell me, please, who am I?"

Don't you know?" "Tell me." "You're the dreamer and the dream."

Laura: ah, this is so amazing.

Avery: And, like, yeah, that fits on so many different layers with, uh, Benny Russell is dreaming Sisko and dreaming Deep Space nine, and also Sisko is dreaming him, and also breaking the fourth wall,

Laura: yeah, because they're, neither of them are real, they're both fiction and yet they're, yeah. real.

Avery: Yeah. Yeah. Breaking the fourth wall, the writers and Avery Brooks are the dreamers, and the dream. This is, this is what, people have been dreaming of, this even the possibility of this. And they're making it true.

Laura: and at the end, you see him looking out the window and seeing Benny Russell in the reflection of the glass and

Avery: it's such a good shot. It's so good. It like gives me chills

Laura: you Have to cast something into the space you're not there yet to-- that becomes you.

Avery: Yeah. dream yourself into being.

[babybluebex]

Bex!! Bex I beg of you to write more priest!Jamie and his little lamb, I'm thinking maybe they're getting farther into their relationship, they might get married close (idk how catholicism works on that), maybe it's their wedding night or he proposed and she worships him as her god? - @this-was-bad-sorry

YES darling, sorry for this taking so long to come out but omg i love these two cw oral f!recieving, overstim, religious themes, power imbalance, jamie's god complex is... intense lol | series masterlist

The hickies faded after three days, and Jamie proposed on Friday morning. 

You hardly saw him at all in the days leading up to Friday, as was your mother’s doing. She heavily protested you and Jamie’s relationship, and all but forbid you from seeing him again, and you had put your foot down and declared that nothing could stop you. “I’m an adult, and I can make my own decisions!” you said. “And Jamie is kind and thoughtful, and he’s— He’s a man of God, he wouldn’t do anything bad to me!”

“Then what about those marks on your neck?” she asked. “If he didn’t make them, then what happened? You walked into a private meeting with him looking normal, then walked out looking like— Like— Like a whore!” 

Anger flashed in your chest. There was no defending what you and Jamie had done, because even you knew that premarital sex went against the church’s teachings, and there was no hiding it; when you had gotten home, you saw just exactly what he had done, marks on your neck and your messy hair and walking a bit uneven on shaky legs. It was obvious that he had fucked you, but you could do without the shame from your mother. “Mom,” you started. “I’m not gonna fight with you on this. He knows what he’s doing, and, if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have started anything with me.” 

“And what happens when you leave on Friday?” she asked. “You go back to college and leave him here, and suddenly you’re just some girl that he committed a sin with that lives three hours away.” 

“I told you, he knows what he’s doing,” you said, and you sincerely hoped that Jamie did know what he was doing. 

Dinner that night with him was nice. It was just at his home, a small parsonage that was connected to the back of the church, a building that hardly looked like anything at all, even with the stovetop and bathtub and mattress set on the floor. “Only just moved in, you see,” he explained. “I haven’t had time to go into the big city and buy a bed frame or much of anything.”

“That’s alright,” you had told him. “I think it’s lovely.” 

He made you pray to him again, but this time was different. He kissed down your body, undressing you as he went, and his long, slender fingers caught in your panties once he had ridded you of your dress. “I’ve done bad things, lamb,” he whispered, shaking his head lightly. “Terrible things.” 

“Like what?” you asked softly. “Tell me, my God.” 

Jamie’s baby blues lifted to look at you, and he pressed a kiss to your cunt, still covered by the thin fabric. You had long since soaked them through, and Jamie worked them down your thighs as he whispered, “I’ve lied to people. I’ve been so dishonest. I act like I’m so holy, so much better than everyone else, but I’m not.”

“But you are,” you said quickly. 

“But I’m not,” he insisted. “I’m just like everyone else, but still I act like I’m better just because I found God. Everyone in the church found God, that’s why they’re there. How does that make me different or special?” 

“It makes you different,” you started. “Because you had lost God, and you found Him again. And you help lead people to God, like me. You led me to you.”

Jamie kissed your cunt again, and he settled his mouth over you and licked hard into you. You had gasped and grabbed at his hair, and Jamie had smiled into you and tasted you again. “On my knees for you,” he whispered. “Worshipping you, just the way I should. If I’m your God, you’re mine.” 

You had cried out both of his names as he tasted you and licked into you, his strong hands grabbing your hips and keeping his mouth right on you, even when your poor, overstimulated nerves tried to push him away. You whined and whimpered and tugged his hair, but he didn’t stop until you were gushing into his mouth, coating his tongue with your juices, and he drank down everything you gave him with a lewd smacking of his lips. “Goddamn it,” he whispered. “Goddamn you.” 

“Why?” you asked. “Just so you can save me again?”

“Exactly... When do you leave for university again?” 

“Friday afternoon,” you said glumly, and Jamie frowned as he helped you redress. 

“Not if I have anything to do with it.” 

You woke up on Friday morning to the ringing of the doorbell of your parents’ house, and you groaned and buried your head under the pillows. You heard your father lumber up out of bed and cross the house to answer the door, and you peeked from the pillow to see the time. 8 o’clock, on the dot. Who the fuck…? 

“Oh,” you heard your father say when the front door creaked open. “Father James.”

You were awake in an instant, jumping out of bed and grabbing a t-shirt to pull over your bra and panties. As you rushed to find something in your already-packed luggage, you heard Jamie speaking, his low voice rumbling. 

“I’m sorry to disturb you this early in the day,” Jamie said. “I was only hoping to see you before your daughter left this afternoon.” 

“Me?” your father asked. “Why?” 

“May I come in?” Jamie asked, and there was silence before the door shut heavily. You heard the thudding click of Jamie’s boots on the hardwood floor, and you could imagine him worrying his hat in his hands as he spoke. “Sir, I know that I only know your daughter from a certain distance—”

“I’d say a much closer distance than you’d be willing to admit,” your father interjected. “You did sleep with her on Wednesday after the service, didn’t you?”

“Erm, yes, I did,” Jamie said. “I’ll admit to that, as shameful as it is. I’ve been praying about it ever since, praying for God’s forgiveness for the sin I committed. I only hope he does forgive me, because… Well, sir, I came here to ask for your permission for your daughter’s hand.” 

“Excuse me?” your father spat.

“I intend to marry her,” Jamie said. “And I thought it the proper thing to do to ask your permission before I did.” 

“So, you’ll fuck her, but marrying her is where you take the proper route?” your father asked. You finally found a suitable shirt and ran out of your bedroom as you tugged it on, and you skidded into the living room to see Jamie and your father, same height, standing nearly nose to nose. Jamie did hold his hat in his hands, the same black wide-billed number that he had worn on Wednesday, his hair perfectly messy, wearing his usual black with the collar done up to his throat. 

“Dad,” you said quickly. “Jamie.” 

“Hi there, lamb,” Jamie said softly. His eyes sparkled as he looked at you, and he added, “I guess you heard that, didn’t you?” 

“I-I didn’t think you were serious,” you said. “When-When you told me that you wanted to marry me. I thought that was… Heat of the moment type stuff.” 

“And perhaps it still is,” Jamie said. “But I never want this moment to end. I want you as my wife.” 

“We all want lots of things in life, buddy,” your dad said pointedly, and Jamie raised his eyes from you to him. “But I draw the line here. You are not marrying her, not after knowing her for less than a week and taking advantage of her like that.” 

“Dad, gosh!” you exclaimed. “He didn’t do that, I’m an adult, I wanted it as much as he did! And anyway, it isn’t your decision to make. Jamie, I think it’s lovely that you asked my dad for permission, but I-I would have accepted, even if you hadn’t.” 

“Really?” Jamie asked. He looked hopeful, his eyes wide and his eyebrows drawn up, and his pink lips stretched into a smile. “Little lamb…”

You went to him and wrapped yourself in his arms, and you touched your forehead against his as your hand lightly touched his cheek. He needed a shave, the faintest stubble appearing on his face, but he was still beautiful, still your handsome god. “Yes,” you whispered. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Jamie.” 

“Good,” Jamie said softly. His eyes flicked down for a moment to your lips, then back up to your eyes, and he said, “You can come live with me.”

“And what about her degree?” your father asked. “She is not abandoning her education to get married to some lowlife—”

“Dad,” you snapped. “I’ll figure it out. But if that means that I drop out…” You shrugged and turned back to Jamie, and even the sight of him made you smile. “So be it.” 

By the time noon rolled around, you were back in Jamie’s home— your home. You knew that there were a million logistical things to parse through soon, especially since break was ending on Sunday and classes started back; you would have to move out of your apartment and come to Jamie, drop out of school to live with him, but you could deal with all of that later. For now, Jamie had you in his arms, worshipping you with kisses. “My beautiful girl,” he whispered as his mouth pressed over your bare breast, letting his tongue lave over your nipple. You bit your lip to hold in your moan, and Jamie’s hands fell onto your waist. “My beautiful wife. I’ll give you a good life, I swear I will.” 

“I don’t need that,” you told him. “Any life with you is perfect.” 

Jamie was quiet for a moment, and he suddenly moved away from you, standing up from the bed. His shirt was undone, hanging open to expose his toned chest and dangling silver cross chain, his pants unbuckled; he looked especially debauched, and you loved it. “I need to show you something,” he said as he moved around the small room, obviously searching for something specific. Finally, on a busy, cluttered shelf, he found a small book, and he moved back to the bed, book in hand. 

“These are pictures from back when I was…” Jamie started, and he shook his head. “I need you to know the man you’re marrying, even if I’m no longer that man.” 

You sat up. This was obviously important to Jamie, and you watched as he opened the book to show photograph after photograph. Some were better quality than others, taken with a shaky hand, and you gently touched the corner of the first photograph. It featured Jamie prominently, a microphone in hand and sweat dripping from his hair. He was shirtless, wearing tight black jeans, and he was bent over as he sang. 

“This was during that period in my life when I eschewed God,” Jamie explained. “I was in a rock band, and I acted like it too. I was rude to people, selfish, I lied about everything, I… I was behaving quite badly, if we’re honest.” 

He flipped the page to the next picture, and you saw another photograph of Jamie performing. This time, he wore a guitar over his body, still shirtless, still screaming into the microphone, but this time, you could glance at someone in the background, partially hidden behind a guitar. “Who’s that?” you asked. 

“My brother, Sam,” Jamie said. “He’s still on that path. We’ve fought about this so much, about how I found the church and he hasn’t. He says I’m trying to convert him, or that I’m not genuine in my faith, but I just want what’s best for him.” 

“Oh,” you mumbled. You pressed your cheek into his shoulder and frowned, and you added, “I don’t like this, J.” 

“I don’t either,” Jamie said. “I hate you knowing exactly what I’ve done. But you deserve the whole truth— no more lying.” 

“Not telling me about a past that you’re ashamed of isn’t lying,” you told him. “Even if it is, I forgive you.” 

“Darling, listen to me,” Jamie said, abandoning the scrapbook and turning to you. He took your arms into his hands, holding you firmly, and his beautiful eyes went hard and serious. “You deserve to know everything I’ve done. You deserve that, as my wife. You deserve me being honest with you.” 

“I don’t deserve anything,” you whimpered. “Jamie, my dear God, you can tell me anything you want, but if you don’t want to tell me something, you don’t have to.” 

“God…” Jamie whispered. “I love you.” 

“And I love you,” you told him. “Totally unconditionally.” Your hands clutched at his shirt as you drew him into a kiss, and Jamie’s hands abandoned your arms to wrap around you as he kissed you back. He nibbled your lips as you fell backwards onto the bed, and you smoothed your hands down his chest to fiddle with his belt. 

“Oh, yeah?” Jamie chuckled. “You really need me bad like that?”

“Yes,” you whined. “God, please.” 

Jamie kissed you again, deep and fervent, and he said, “Worship me, little lamb. Show me how much you love me.” 

Without question or hesitation, you moved to kiss Jamie’s cheek and the little brown freckle that laid in the middle of his pale skin. You kissed from his cheek to his ear, and you pressed your lips to the small gold hoop he wore in his ear before trailing kisses down his rough, stubbly chin. Your kisses then landed on his neck, and you sucked his thin skin between your teeth hard enough for Jamie to make a soft moan. “Good girl,” he whispered, his hands lingering on your hips, and you moved your lips from his neck down to his prominent collarbones, tasting his skin and sighing softly. 

You shuffled to reach his chest, pushing his shirt aside and off his shoulders, and you gawked at the tattoos on his arms. Obviously, Jamie saw what you were looking at, because the muscles in his arms flexed, and he whispered, “You like them?” 

“Yeah,” you told him, stretching out his arm and kissing down to the inside of his elbow. “Really pretty…” 

“You can tell me that you think they’re hot,” Jamie laughed. “You don’t have to call them pretty.”

“But I don’t want to make you think I’m only here for the sex,” you told him. “I love you, and I worship you, and you’re so much more to me than just a man. You’re my God, Jamie. I revere you, I want to pray to you, there’s nobody and nothing more powerful than you. You are Him, and nobody can compare.” 

“Your God has done bad things,” Jamie said, and you kissed back up to his shoulder. “Terrible things.” 

“And I forgive you,” you told him. Your kisses came down his chest and your lips lingered over his nipples for a moment before you bit the rosy pink nubs. Jamie smiled and patted down your hair, and you moved your mouth down to the ink on his stomach. You let your lips touch at his undone trousers, and you lifted your eyes to find him watching you. His blue eyes were intense on you, and you whispered, “God?” 

“You don’t think you’re done, do you?” Jamie asked. “Keep going.” 

Quickly, your hands grabbed at his hips and dragged him closer, and you took down his trousers and pants to expose his soft cock. The sight of him made you gasp, and you pressed forward, nuzzling your cheek against his cock. He smelled so good, and you whimpered as you dug your fingernails into his ass. “God,” you sniffled, and you felt the hot prick of tears touch at your eyes. You loved him so much, revered him and worshipped him so much, and Jamie’s hands touched your head. “I love you.”

“Good, good,” Jamie whispered. “You’re doing so well, worshipping me so good. I’ll fuck you, if you want.”

“Yeah?” you asked, kissing the head of his cock and smiling when his cock flexed for a moment. “I think I’d rather just worship you instead. How can I come to know my God if I don’t worship you?”

“You’re going to kill me,” Jamie whispered fondly. “But I’ll die a sweet death with you.”

[rakubalka]

Shortly after being accepted into the Black Bulls Asta gets put as the stand on medic for his squad by himself .

Late on he gets put as the actual main madic for his squad because Grordon the only other person who knows any sufficient amount of medicine can't heal properly because of his poison element . When people find out he is an actual doctor that is , the with years of practice are a bonus .

One of the first things he does is teach everyone especially Vanessa how to sew wounds . He also starts to give medication to however needs it and overall tries to keep them in good health .

They mainly consist of the following :

Yami :

Immediately got banned from smoking

Would complain from the lack of smoke if he wasn't testing the medical drugs Asta is trying to feed him to detirmen what works best

As a result there are moments he has some of the worst headaches in his life and moments of absolute bliss of no longer having to feel peoples magic at all

Also as a side effects suffers from stomach and/or digestive problems partially because of medication partially because of just genetics

I wanted to keep the gag while giving an explanation and it was either this or making Yami lactose intolerant

Maybe both

Later on got given TheTalk™ from Asta

Finral :

Has mostly normal check-ups

Gets checked regularly for any poison attempt's by both Asta and Gordon

None have worked so far

Absolutely willing to either help or just directly supply any and all medical plants Asta wants

Was the first person to get TheTalk™ from Asta

Nacht :

The moment Asta finally gets his hand on him Nacht is going to pray to every God out there for help

Jokes on him

Asta has WAY more connections than him

He isn't going to like the vaccination

Neither will he like being put before a mind healing specialist doctor but he doesn't have a choice

Because displeasing Asta in the Medic™ mood is going to get all the fear he needs for a lifetime put in him in a few minutes so he shuts up and listens carefully

Nacht doesn't know what he is more - impressed , absolutely terrified or romantically interested in a never before seen by himself way

Apparently he has a type and that is a kind hearted and compasioned very competent absolutely terrifying people

He has no idea how to deal with those feelings especially for people who are half his age

He thought Asta was bad enough on his own and then he met Rebecca

And started to even more seriously question his taste

He didn't start to romantically pursue either of them before they're in their 20's however because he does have standards and one of them is not dating a child or grooming said child

Gordon :

Finally has a doctor who can help him heal without his mana going hare wire

Started to receive both medical cream and better medical make up from Asta to help with his skin condition

He and Asta gave the recipes to his family as the skin condition runs in it

Both of them along with Zora and however knows enough rune magic are trying to make a magical instrument to amplify sound so in a dire situations he can scream for help or to help get peoples attention for something important

Because he has an old scar/wound on his vocal cords making him unable to speak barely above a whisper he carries a notebook to communicate

Gray :

After getting Gray the check up they immediately got to TheTalk™

Both Asta and Gray come to the conclusion that with Gray experiencing very little if any gender dysphoria when constantly transformed might mean they are nonbinary , gender fluid , agender or something else they don't know at the moment

The only thing Asta recommends is more moving and to eat more

Also starts Gray on taking anti anxiety medications

Later after Gray Gordon and Gauche started dating in a trouple he gives them the longer more detailed version of TheTalk™

Gauche :

Asta immediately got up to speed by Mother Theresa(the nun) , Captain Yami and Finral as to their plan to get through Gauche tick skull that he finally has a proper support system and needs to stop being so co-dependent on his sister as it's not healthy for either of them

Asta also starts to search for a mage that can finally properly and more importantly permanently heal the wound in Gauche's nose that causes him to get a nose bleed any time he fell even a speck to much of love , be it platonic or romantic

The wound in question is almost as old as Marie and that and never healed properly

He is in love with his sister PLATONICALLY , not romantically cause that would be nasty

He is practically her parent figure and I don't think I need to explain how fucked it would be for your parent figure to be romantically interested in you , and while I want to point just how desperately he needs help because of all the mental problems he has that line I am not crossong

Also at some point also gets Gauche to start seeing a mind healer regularly because he desperately needs it

Vanessa :

Got banned from drinking permanently

Got started on both anti depression and anti mana overstimulation drugs because she definitely needs it

Charmy :

At first Asta though she had problems

Then later on found out she is just a human-dwarf hybrid and was like "that explains it"

Other than that she is in perfect health

But they both had to re-organize the menu and what ingredients are allowed because the only reason no one is having mana induced cancer is because of Henry taking the extra mana

Fun fact for this - the way we see Charmy is purely stylistic to us to everyone else she looks like a normal young lady around Asta's height when in her dwarf form , in her human form however she is actually taller than Julius

Zara :

The moment Asta finds he is a member he gets the vaccines and the long overdue check up

Also any and all insects he presents to Asta are either getting a) made into medicine , b) given to Charmy to cook or c) eaten raw

Needless to say Zora is both terrified and impressed of Asta

And when he learns Asta full name and does a double take . Because this is the older of the Winter Brothers™ of Hage village !?!

He is honestly surprised he didn't get jumped by the other one

Not that he didn't get death treats stares from Yuno mind you he just didn't realize that Yuno is fully ready to kill him and take care of the body by himself

He is terrified

He also gets bullied by Asta to wear sunscream

Henry :

Gets his check up regularly

Is on a very strict dietary and exorcise plan made by Asta so he is in good health

Also started to get documented by Asta as while there have been people with this curse/sickness in history they are still pretty rare

Nero :

First started getting check ups not by Asta but by a veterinarian

Later it came out she has a human form

Asta has no idea how the Deal™ would have affected Nero so he tries to monitor her health a lot so that he can understand what is healthy for her

Also while looking like a young adult she is very much a grandma at heart , she does mother hen people into seeing Asta

Luck :

Immediately gets started on anti mana overstimulation drugs

Also tried anti anxiety medications, it did not work and if anything it made tings worse

Got permanently put with a mind healer similar to Gauche

Magna :

Got a plan to up his mana capacity by Asta and Charmy

Also got to a mind healer because of self worth issues

Still batshit insane and yet one if not the sanest member of his squad

Noelle :

Asta saw the family issues and mana problems a mile away

And decided she is one of his now effective immediately

She can't go to a mind healer other than Mark because of security reasons but that doesn't stop her family from being a supporting environment

And while therapy is out the table at the moment

She still starts to take medical drugs from Asta like everyone with high mana

Vanessa's and Captain Yami instructions and advices as to how to better her control are very informative and useful

Later on also gets tutored by Klaus on how to move metal mana or just heavier and denser mana

Libei :

Asta is banging his head at the wall but mark his word he will make sure everyone he cares about is safe , healthy and happy and Libei is in that group of people

Asta(himself) :

Has a visit to the doctor around two time a moth

Can actually get given directly to the newbie to use healing as Asta's body will react positive to any healing other than the one using one own mana to do it

Any and all questions are welcome

Might later on also add the future members

[walkswithmyfather]

‭‭Psalm 119:65-72 (NKJV‬‬). “You have dealt well with Your servant, O Lord, according to Your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word. You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes. The proud have forged a lie against me, But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart. Their heart is as fat as grease, But I delight in Your law. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.”

“The Field Trip of Trials” by In Touch Ministries:

“While not pleasant, trials give us the opportunity to connect with God intimately.”

“When we were still in school, most of us probably preferred the hands-on learning of field trips to classroom lectures. A lot of adults, however, no doubt wish they could absorb life lessons from a book instead of from their own painful mistakes. But the truth is, there are some things we learn best through experience.

Some trials are the result of sin and can play a big corrective role in our lives. God might use them to draw our attention to unhealthy habits, attitudes, or activities we have tolerated or overlooked. No matter how trivial we may think a sin is, it should have no place in a believer’s life.

Or it could be that God is showing us something we need to release to Him—perhaps a relationship, goal, or ambition. And sometimes He calls us to exercise self-control so that we can pursue Him to a greater degree.

If we never had any troubles, we would continue in what’s comfortable, easy, and enjoyable but might end up missing God’s best for our life. That’s why the psalmist said, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, so that I may learn Your statutes” (119:71). Any hardship that drives us to God and His Word is good for us. That’s because what we gain in knowing the Lord is worth so much more than all the wealth and fame the world can offer us.”

(Photo by Michael Cummins at Unsplash)

[ghidorahsrealm]

So... hasn’t taken me a while, before I wanted to redesign Daevas. I thought she looked rather bland and not much like the hybrid of a Queen and Devil, so instead of two heads, I’ll be giving her five total and revamping her head design so that she has two sets of split jaws on each head (which is going to be an absolute pain to draw each head).

Additionally, I’m going to give them the cobra hoods I gave to my new Ghidorah design, plus give them a sort of hierarchy of horns - the two outer most heads will have smaller, more ‘stump’ like horns, and progressing to the middle head is where they are the biggest and sharpest. 

As for their limbs, I decided to revamp the inner chest limbs so that they’re bigger and more so used for stabilizing Dae, as she has a lot of front weight going on. Might make them bigger so that they’re like the outer set of limbs for better support. Her wings are being changed too to be more ragged - it bothered the hell out of me how I made the wings too streamlined, as I want to lean more heavily towards Ghidorah’s heritage than Mothra’s with this daughter. That’s pretty much it for Dae, as for the moth next to her, that’s actually a new character I’m slowly working on.

Titanus Askifro is the son of Mothra and Battra.

Askifro, I imagine, has a very posh way of speaking, almost like a Victorian style. He doesn’t enjoy short-conversations, so he’s typically advise to have something you can talk extensively about, preferably something he also enjoys - which, admittedly, isn’t a lot. He has a relatively stable relationship with both Mothra and Battra, but tends to prefer his father rather than mother. 

he’s actually the older half-brother to Dae, as Mothra first landed with Battra before reaching out to Nii (there’s a whole poly relationship going on that I’ll maybe explain later). Dae never got to meet her older half-sibling, but honestly? Askifro and Dae would surprisingly get along - she understands and respects Aski’s knowledge of things, and is actually a little upset at not meeting him sooner. Something about his presence soothes her immensely, and she feels genuinely safe around him. 

Aski doesn’t mind having Dae around, but finds it daunting to be the older sibling. He doesn’t have any trauma really, so it’s hard for him to exactly feel that connection with his younger sister - very much a advice rather than comfort guy too, but tbh his advice is just “kill your enemies and wear their skeletons as trophies” which Dae just responds with “please no”

very knowledgeable on kaiju biology, and is a pristine collector of their bodies if a kaiju is too pass. very careful, very precise. if its a fresh death, he’d likely eat the corpse then drag the remains elsewhere, or if it’s just the bones or a rotting corpse, he’d clean the flesh off of the bones and carve whatever he wants out of them

fucking hates Goji tbh, but keeps it veeeeeeeeeery close to himself. he’s not a big confronter, preferring to keep all of his secrets and opinions to himself rather than tell anyone, including his parents. WHICH REMINDS ME, SHIN AND ASKI

god, he didn’t expect her to be so blunt and outright rude towards him. he didn’t really find her intimidating though, just... kinda annoying. the most he’d do is just bap her on the head (Dae doesn’t do anything about it bc shes admittedly a little spooked of Aski despite the fucking power and height difference) and try to teach her proper manners, which Shin doesn’t actually need, she’s just being a dick

she does warm up to him after a while though, and so Aski watches over his little siblings with a lot of care, actually. HOWEVER, he definitely doesn’t want to get involved in Dae’s rivalry with Apoc. that’s a disaster in itself and while yes he cares for Dae, it’s her fight, he literally has no connection to them so he doesn’t care, plus he can probably get bodied if he got caught in the crossfire 

random thought time, after getting to know each other, Shin grows comfortable enough to gossip to Aski about stuff with the other kaiju, and he listens, hiding the smile as he hears all the tales. OH and if they were in their human form, they’d definitely braid each other’s hair and go out to get their nails done, Aski doesn’t give a fuck 

one last thing, with Aski and Dae, they have a something similar to what Goji and Mothra had - Aski sacrificing himself to give Dae power, then Dae goes absolutely ham. that is all