#the rebirth after the ultimate death

[crybabyboyscout]

Drinking wine. Unpacking. Roller skating around my bedroom

[starfirexuchiha]

Danganronpa 2 Flower Language Symbolism During Chapter 3

I’m not sure if anyone else noticed this but, when I was playing Danganronpa 2, I noticed that the flowers are different in each hospital room during Chapter 3. I immediately recognized that these different flowers are associated with the respective patients, because of my knowledge on 花言葉 (hanakotoba). My knowledge is thanks to an old P5 Royal post I made regarding flowers. 😊

So I decided to go over each flower I saw for each patient!🙏

Ibuki Mioda - Sunflowers

In Ibuki’s room, there is a sunflower on the cabinet. 

Sunflowers are called 向日葵 (Himawari) or in katakana ヒマワリ in Japanese. 

In Japan, sunflowers are well-known for being a happy flower because the kanji “向日” means “facing the sun” as if they are always chasing the sun. They usually symbolize brightness, sunshine, and happiness!

In Hanakotoba (花言葉) Sunflowers mean:

私はあなただけを見つめる (I only have my eyes on you)

あなたを幸福にする (I will make you happy)

崇拝 (Admiration / Adoration)

光輝 (Brightness)

あなたは素晴らしい (You are amazing)

This connects well with Ibuki’s personality because she is usually cheerful, carefree, and happy. She is also loud and full of life and energy, something that sunflowers also represent. 🌻🌻🌻

Not only are sunflowers full of sunshine, they also produce some tasty seeds! Sunflower seeds are my favorite seeds to eat. 😄

Nagito Komaeda - Red Spider Lilies

In Nagito’s room, there are red spider lilies on the cabinet.

Red Spider Lilies are called 彼岸花 (Higanbana) in Japanese. 

In Japan, red spider lilies are well-known to be associated with the themes of death, departure, and the afterlife. The kanji “彼岸” (Higan), can mean “the afterlife” which is why this flower is referred to as the “Death Flower”. The bulbs of these flowers are also poisonous, which adds on to the ominous and dangerous symbolism it holds. In Japanese media, these flowers would usually appear when someone dies or when someone goes through a new transformation. In addition to that, these flowers are also often seen in graveyards as a way of mourning the dead.

So these flowers usually symbolize “Death”,  “Rebirth from Death”, and “Change/Metamorphosis”. 

In Hanakotoba (花言葉) Red Spider Lilies mean:

死と再生 (Death and Rebirth)

生と死 (Life and Death)

変化 (Change)

悲しき思い出 (Sad memories)

諦め (Resignation)

It’s not surprising that Nagito represents this ominous flower, because it actually makes sense for his character. It can also portray his near-death experience when he had the Despair Disease, because those red spider lilies were there during that time. Nagito has always been dancing around life and death due to his Ultimate Luck. In his FTEs, he mentioned that his Luck can bring death to others, and it also gave him a life threatening illness. It’s as if his Luck is a curse that poisoned him like a poisonous red spider lily. 😔

and well what do you know? Red spider lilies are actually my favorite flower because I love red, I love its beautifully creepy shape, and I love the foreboding symbolism it holds! 💖

Akane Owari - Bananas

In Akane’s room, there are bananas on the cabinet.

Bananas are called バナナ (banana) in Japanese.

Bananas are not flowers so there is no Hanakotoba (花言葉) for them. It can just mean that Akane loves food, but I think there is some symbolism behind them. 

Bananas can symbolize transformation and personal growth, because the ripening process of bananas, from green to yellow to brown can portray that. This can probably symbolize Akane’s growth as a character after witnessing Nekomaru’s “first death” during that time, and her willingness to get stronger. Bananas are also good to eat after a good workout to prevent sore muscles, so maybe that can relate to Akane’s athletic nature. 🍌🍌🍌

Bananas were actually my favorite fruit back when I was a kid, and nowadays I usually eat them after going to the gym too! 😊

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu - Pink Carnations

It’s hard for me to tell what kind of flower is on the cabinet in Fuyuhiko’s room, so I’m guessing that it is a pink carnation flower with white tips. Please correct me if I am wrong! 😣🙏

Carnations are called カーネーション (Carnation) in Japanese. 

In Japan, pink carnations are the most commonly found color and they can symbolize gratitude. Although carnations, usually the red ones, are used to represent a mother’s love, a pink carnation in particular can represent a woman’s love in general. 

In Hanakotoba (花言葉), Pink Carnations mean:

感謝 (Gratitude)

あなたを決して忘れません (I’ll never forget you)

女性の愛 (A woman’s love)

温かい心 (A warm heart)

美しい仕草 (Beautiful behavior)

気品 (Elegance)

I think these flowers represent Fuyuhiko’s feelings towards Peko after her execution. He must have been grateful for all the things she did for him, and for saving his life during her execution. What happened to her had made him change into a better person with a “warmer heart”. He of course will never forget her, in fact Peko was the first thought in his mind when he learned that his “dead” classmates are actually not physically “dead” in reality. As for the “woman’s love” meaning, it’s pretty obvious that it is regarding Peko. It was revealed in her FTEs that she has feelings for Fuyuhiko, which means that her actions and her desire to protect him, stems from that as well as her duty.

If I am correct that the flower in Fuyuhiko's room is a pink carnation, then I am once again hitting myself in the feels with the KuzuPeko angst 😭😭😭

—---------------------------

I can never look at flowers the same way anymore in anime/video games after delving into Hanakotoba years ago. I might end up making another flower-related post in the future at this rate. 🥴

[writingslob]

[X] x [LIN LING]

Author's note: Thank you, inviflower, for requesting the idea, and thank you, cemeterydwd, for translating! I hope you guys enjoy!

.

.

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It’s been a few days now since Lin Ling’s supposed ‘death’ and subsequent rebirth into Nice. X, as the concerned boyfriend that he is, has been keeping a close eye on the entire situation, ready to pull the plug the minute that Lin Ling displays even a hint of discomfort about playing a dead man. But Lin Ling seems to be holding up well, practicing ballet late into the night. 

Now, X was a bit ashamed to admit that when Saturday night rolled around—date night for them—that he got all dolled up only to realize after stepping out of the door that Lin Ling wouldn’t be coming, on account of being Nice. He was one snap away from ending this whole charade and bringing Lin Ling home, but restrained himself. Lin Ling is a grown man; he can make his own decisions, he reasoned. Besides, he’s sure he’d quit after a few more days.

Those few more days turned into weeks, and X had to witness his boyfriend punch his asshole of a boss, fight Nice’s ‘nemesis,’ and then hold up that massive statue of Firm-man all by himself. X was on the edge of his seat, hands ready to snap in and help him out, but Lin Ling handled all the challenges thrown at him with elegance and grace. X was conflicted; on one hand, he could tell Lin Ling was enjoying being the hero—finally able to live out that lifelong dream; on the other hand, he knew how much Trust could fuck up a person, and being the ‘perfect hero’ must have some heavy burdens. 

(Ultimately, he made the choice after waking up on a Saturday morning to a cold bed in an empty apartment, devoid of the life Lin Ling brought to the place.) Calling his boss up, pretending to be sick. He barely finished his morning routine before snapping, the world opening up around him, and he landed right next to Lin Ling, who was eating his breakfast. In his haste to get his boyfriend back from this whole insane situation, he forgot that he hadn’t told Lin Ling yet about his double persona. Poor Lin Ling, he thought with amusement as Lin Ling flailed in front of him, clearly caught off guard. 

After explaining the whole situation regarding his double life (and getting on his hands and knees to beg for forgiveness for deceiving his boyfriend this entire time). He finally gets the chance to ask if Lin Ling was happy being Nice. Lin Ling grew quiet at that question before muttering softly that being Nice gave him the chance to be the hero he always wanted to be. X's heart broke for his boyfriend, so he wrapped him up in his arms and reminded him that it wasn’t Nice who made Lin Ling a hero, but the opposite way around. 

After a few more reassurances (and a few kisses), Lin Ling finally admitted that he was sick of being Nice. With one last kiss and with the snap of his fingers, he broke the Trust tethering Lin Ling to Nice, and he whisked him away. Let his manager and team deal with the fallout; X has a date.

(Miss Juan was shocked to see that not only had Nice vanished but that a new hero had taken his number 10th spot, the Commoner.) 

[residentwordsofaffirmationdealer]

barbara gordon in thrillkiller

every few months i remember that Batman: Thrillkiller and Batman: Thrillkiller '62 exist and reread it and get obsessed with it cause genuinely its so crazy. its an elseworld where bruce's parents were killed by their employees and bruce didn't get any of the money (because they lost it during the great depression) so he's just chilling in the suburbs. he becomes a police officer and later commissioner gordon's right hand man and a really good detective. there's this vigilante duo that appears, and they call themselves batgirl and robin, and they show up to places where the police work dirty. bruce starts investigating it and he figures out who batgirl and robin are.

for broader context, batgirl is barbara gordon, the daughter of bruce's boss, commissioner gordon. she's a "madcap heiress" and lives in wayne manor. she quit college to run away to the circus and at the circus, she meets german immigrant and teenage aerialist richart graustark. richart (nicknamed dick) and her fall in love and they come back to gotham, where they become batgirl and robin.

while this is all happening, everyone is trying to stop this gang lead by bianca steeplechase, also known as the joker.

unfortunately, dick's family (of aerialists) is killed by bianca. at the same time, selina kyle is killed by bianca as well. bruce is framed for selina's death and becomes a fugitive on the run. dick and babs plan revenge on bianca and while executing their plan, bruce crashes their party to save babs from getting shot by bianca. unfortunately, bianca kills dick through her poisonous kiss and bruce and babs are forced to escape. now that dick is dead, bruce vows to continue dick's legacy -- but named after babs because she was the one who inspired him. he becomes "the batman" now, there's more story than that but this is enough because holy shit. the agency it gives barbara specifically is crazy.

as you can see through these sceenshots, yes, barbara is batgirl, but she's batgirl in the way that batman is batman in most other media. if that didn't makes sense: she's the leader, brains, and detective. even her Alter Ego is very similar to what bruce wayne's traditionally is: she's a very a charming "madcap heiress" and "ultimate party girl" (basically her version of "billionaire playboy"). barbara owns wayne manor, she owns the batcave, she buys, creates, (and uses) the arsenal of weapons, she drives and repairs the motherfucking batmobile, she is a better fighter than robin and batman (judging by how many times they get caught/injured compared to her). she's also the one with the cool toys. she's the master of disguise, and her crusade for justice is her mission. she's the one with the guilt complex, she's the one who uses the tear gas and smoke pellets. she's the one with the strong dislike for guns, and she was the one at the circus the night that dick's family died. she even gets the tragic backstory with a visual of kneeling over a dead parent's body! -- she is what all things Batman traditionally has

the amount of agency it gives over her story and also how it acknowledges that she is such a powerful and driven hero who's talent is equal to batman (in other medias) is honestly so cool!! esp since recently in the new 52 and rebirth eras, i feel like babs has been done so dirty by how she's portrayed -- recently, she's been portrayed as a lot younger and more naive and inexperienced as she's traditionally been, and often she's only there as a plot device or shallower character (in comparison to who she used to be). i think the era where she was oracle and the leader of the birds of prey in the 90s and early 2000s did a lot better on being accurate to who she was supposed to be -- in some of her earliest appearances, she literally had a PhD (in library science and later, in law) and even was a congresswoman. also, in this elseworld, barbara's and bruce's dynamic is especially interesting because she is still very much the one in charge -- and especially after reading newer comics or seeing fandom stuff where babs is included as a "batkid" (which i hate), this comic really reminds me of the era where babs and bruce very obviously cared a lot for each other but also did very much see each other as equals and he even looked up to her (like stated in gotham knights, or bruce wayne: the road home).

also its such an interesting play on how things usually are: in this book, dick is basically "fridged" for her character development (while yes, babs wasn't technically killed off for a male character's character development in the mainline comics, she was "depowered" and it left her with a lot less agency (which she did eventually get back -- as oracle), but mostly it was done for her dad's and bruce's character development and she was just a plot device in that book....

again, i really like how in Thrillkiller, bruce was inspired by her to become batman because usually its the other way around. her name comes first on the title and when people refer to them as "batgirl and robin", and pretty much everyone refers to dick through his relationship to her.

dick and babs they literally meet (in the flashback) when he falls into her arms... anyway i think its especially interesting how this comic with only 4 issues basically created THE first female batman story of the time (it was written before cass existed or helena was the bat (or before she was "batgirl" if that's what you prefer cause i would argue helena was trying to emulate batman, not batgirl, and that she was batman not batgirl in terms of who she was trying to be, who people thought she was, and etc etc)). but anyway barbara gordon the woman that you are <3

[aingeal98]

Cassandra Cain Timeline

Putting this together just to get it out of my head. Going to try and push everything together to get a consistent age for me to use. So starting off:

0 to 8 years old: Cass is born and trains with Cain until she kills for the first time

8 to 16/17 years old: Wanders the world alone until coming to Gotham.

16 years old: Barbara states in the NML audio book that Cass can't be older than 16 but she could just be short and malnourished. DC wiki says she entered Gotham at 17 but I think they're pulling that from batgirl issue 1 SO. 16 during the beginning of NML to me and turns 17 before the start of her Batgirl run

17 years old: The first 25 issues of her Batgirl run and everything that happens in other batbooks between those issues. She fights Shiva after a year, so by the time she fights Shiva to the death we know she's definitely 18.

18 years old: Fights Shiva, dies, makes friends with Steph, loses Steph, moves to Bludhaven, tracks down Shiva again, dies again, Bludhaven gets nuked, kills Shiva, returns to Gotham. A busy year for her!

19 years old: Gets drugged by Slade and forced to become evil. Very traumatising but painfully ooc time for everyone. Gets freed, tracks down Cain and Slade but ultimately decides not to kill them, Bruce adopts her, then dies and tells her to give Batgirl to Steph. Moves to Hong Kong and becomes Black Bat for a while, then returns to Gotham and works with Batman Dick and Robin Damian for Gates of Gotham. An eventful and even worse year than last! But don't worry it gets worse.

20 years old: Erased from existence. Appears once in batgirl futures end and once in convergence batgirl. I'm putting her at 20 for both of these because I feel like it. A nothingburger of a year, I'm using Damian's time as an 11 year old to track how long this lasts because Cass was in "too cool for Dan Didio" purgatory.

21 years old/16 years old: Technically 16 during batman and robin eternal but the new 52 was stupid and they've all gotten their real memories back so to Cass she would have basically been an amnesiac, de aged 21 year old during the new 52. Again using Damian's age to track hers since everyone else's was all over the place during this era.

22 years old: Rebirth era. Damian turned 13 in teen titans during rebirth so I'm putting Cass at 22 during all of this.

23 years old: Damian turned 14 during his Robin run so batgirls Cass was technically 23. Does she act like it? Not at all. But they can't take this from me.

24 years old: Damian is now 15 during the new Batman and Robin run. Cass is confirmed to be in her early/mid 20s in her current run.

25 years old: She recently had her birthday so she could be 25 now, which would put Dick in his 30s and Bruce in his 50s. Hilarious, perfect, no notes. She's 25 to me and will stay that way even after Damian inevitably turns 16 because I've decided she has her birthday first. Also it's 25 years since her Batgirl run came out so it just feels right to me.

[rholsof-film]

Krittika the Wild Woman

Aries: 26°40' to 30°00' - Taurus: 0°00' to 10°00'

Krittika refuses to be tamed but enjoys the game of the hunt.

When I first delved into Krittika Nakshatra, much of the information I found seemed overly negative. While it’s important to approach new insights with discernment, it’s equally crucial to peel back the layers and explore deeper truths. Many sources label Krittika natives as "homewreckers" or "husband stealers," citing their association with the knife, a symbol of separation. Scandals and infidelity are often linked to this nakshatra. However, scandals and mistakes are universal—no one is immune to human flaws. So, let’s set the record straight: Krittika's reputation doesn’t define its full potential or how it manifests.

Krittika’s mythology ties back to Kartikeya, the warrior god, who was raised by six Krittikas. This association gives rise to their perceived "affair-like" energy, but it also highlights their untamable and magnetic qualities. Women of Krittika Nakshatra are often highly sought after, critical thinkers, and fiercely independent. Blessed by the Sun, they radiate beauty, vitality, and magnetism, often maintaining a youthful appearance well into maturity. These women don’t rush into relationships; they are selective, choosing partners they hold in high regard, often marrying later in life or not at all. Their independence makes them unwilling to submit to anyone who doesn’t align with their high standards.

The fiery nature of Krittika, symbolized by the element of fire, underscores their untamable spirit. Fire cannot be controlled—it transforms, destroys, and purifies with purpose. Krittika natives act with intention, refusing to compromise their inner drive. Their focus and self-assuredness inspire those around them, especially women, whom they often nurture and uplift. When they speak, their words command attention, reflecting their natural leadership and authority.

Krittika’s dark feminine energy is rooted in its destructive and transformative qualities. As the first solar nakshatra, it carries a fascination with shadow work and the psyche, embodying the alchemical process of transformation—moving from darkness to light. This process involves spiritual death and rebirth, aligning with themes of liberation and being unapologetically themselves. Their journey mirrors the Lilithian archetype, using destruction as a means of creating space for new beginnings. This aura of untamed liberation often intimidates others, while simultaneously drawing them in.

Known as seductresses and huntresses, Krittika natives love the pursuit and the "game of the hunt," but remain untamable themselves. Dominant in relationships, they can struggle to find partners who match their energy or submit to their commanding presence. Saturn-dominated personalities often complement their solar dominance, creating a dynamic where the Sun woman leads. Their regal and radiant quality, a gift of the Sun, makes them naturally alluring.

Ultimately, Krittika natives are embodiments of transformative power. They pursue goals with precision, inspire others through their unapologetic authenticity, and embrace their untamable, radiant essence.

*So just because people note that Krittika is known for taking other’s partners, they are also known to be cheated on themselves. Let’s look at the entire scale. An being cheated on is not something anyone can control. However, just because you see a negative note of your nakshatra does not mean it will manifest that way for you. Krittika is a powerful nakshatra and everything should be taken with a grain of salt.*

*Also this is NOT the only nak with this reputation, Pushya is right next door with this rep!*

(All woman used have Krittika placements)

[ew-selfish-art]

Dpxdc Au: As Danny gets more comfortable as a “long term roomie” in Wayne Manor, he starts to have freinds over. Aka psychopomp AU

Danny decided to take Batman’s deal upon the JL shut down of the GIW and Fenton Labs. He’d been working with the various heroes for a minute while they pursued the illegal government branch and his mad scientist parents- when it was clear he wasn’t going to have a home to return to, the Bat said he had a civilian contact that could help him and Jazz.

Jazz was honestly so relieved that they wouldn’t have to start from zero in her college town- how could Danny possibly say no when it took so much stress off of his sisters plate? Begrudgingly, he gets back to the Big Bad Bat and gets the contact info for one Bruce Wayne. Adoption is refused but, Jazz and Danny are invited to stay for how ever long they need to get their feet under them.

Danny keeps a lot of distance between himself and the other kids in the house, only coming to the meals that Jazz also attends. She’s pretty busy with classes during the day but it’s becoming clear that she’s also spending “quality time” with one of the older guys that stops by for dinner. Jazz advocates that he start to integrate himself or find a local community and after months of being a shit about it- Danny agrees to make new friends. He never said they would be alive tho.

Thus, Danny becomes Gothams local psychopomp. He just starts inviting the Shades of the unavenged for tea time in the west wing gardens. Alfred is always happy to supply tea and snacks, Danny doesn’t understand how the man doesn’t have more questions but is going to push his luck by asking. Wayne Manor is high key becoming the most haunted spot in the city and it’s starting to show.

Tim is the first to notice the changes in the Manor- he’s always been the smartest detective- and joins Danny at one of his tea times. What he hears Danny and the vague shape of a man talk about… is an old cold case. Holy shit, he’s got a break through.

Jason is the next to show up, but not because of the flickering lights or cold air, because he’s just maybe the teensiest bit interested in Jazz. Danny initially ignores him but seeing as the shades are all quivering in fear, Danny sighs and ultimately tries to figure out this dudes “whole undead deal”. Jason just wants to know what her favorite meal is but Danny will only exchange information for information. Jason gives him an abridged version of his death and rebirth- He walks away knowing Jazz’s preferred take out orders, favorite brand of tea and the cafe she likes to study at.

It’s going well honestly- Danny is having quality time with the ghosts in the city, the city is repaying him in good karma and Jazz is too occupied with the zombie to get on his case about not making human friends.

Then one of the batkids gets overshadowed and it results in… reveals? Drama? Friendship? Actual brotherly bonding?

[wingedblooms]

Void and Chaos

“My father was the Void, the Being That Existed Before. Chaos was his bride and my dam. It is to them that we shall all one day return, and their mighty powers that run in my blood.” (Apollion, hosab)

When these words spilled from Apollion, my first thought was of the Cauldron and Book of Breathings. Higher beings like Void and Chaos are forces—and might be part of the Forces That Be. Their union is described like a cosmic marriage, reminding me of another romantic scene:

I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection…that knife. (acowar)

@offtorivendell (here), @psychologynerd (here) and I have discussed how Elain and Azriel are opposing forces coming together in this scene (and let’s be honest, every scene they share together; it’s an established pattern). Throughout the Maasverse, when opposing forces meet in the space between, they create balance and harness power as @silverlinedeyes reminds us here. Azriel and Elain (and the three brothers + three sisters) represent cosmic balance when they come together, and are poised to help restore the current cosmic imbalance impacting their world.

Nothing (Void) into something (Chaos)

In acomaf, both halves of the Book of Breathings (and other Made weapons, namely the Mask 👀) repeat the same cycle that involves Void and Chaos, with pointed differences:

Unmade and Made; Made and Unmade—that is the cycle. Like calls to like. (acomaf, the first half—void)

-

Not as the voice of the second and final piece of the Book filled the room, sang to me.

Life and death and rebirth

Sun and moon and dark

Rot and bloom and bones

Hello, sweet thing. Hello, lady of night, princess of decay. Hello, fanged beast and trembling fawn. Love me, touch me, sing me.

Madness. Where the first half had been cold cunning, this box…this was chaos, and disorder, and lawlessness, joy and despair. (acomaf, the second half—chaos)

They express the same cycle but begin and end differently: Void begins and ends with unmade, and Chaos begins with life and ends with rebirth, which aligns with their roles in creation.

Ultimately, what we learn from these quotes, is that creation, or what Rhysand calls the chaos of Forming (acomaf), involves both nothing (Void) and something (Chaos). The mural in Spring reflects this union in vibrant color:

It began with a cauldron. A mighty black cauldron held by glowing, slender female hands in a starry, endless night. Those hands tipped it over, golden sparkling liquid pouring out over the lip. No—not sparkling, but … effervescent with small symbols, perhaps of some ancient faerie language. Whatever was written there, whatever it was, the contents of the cauldron were dumped into the void below, pooling on the earth to form our world… (acotar)

So does the Night Court insignia.

"The silver thread," Elain asked. "What is that called?"

The weaver paused the loom again, the colorful strings vibrating. She held my sister's gaze. No attempt at a smile this time. "I call it Hope."

My throat became unbearably tight, my eyes stinging enough that I had to turn away, to walk back toward that extraordinary tapestry.

The weave explained to my sister, "I made it after I mastered Void."

I stared and stared at the black fabric that was like peering into a pit of hell. And then stared at the iridescent, living silver thread that cut through it, bright despite the darkness that devoured all other light and color. (acofas)

And so do Azriel and Elain.

Void, icy and devouring darkness

People often made the mistake of assuming Cassian was the wilder one; the one who couldn’t be tamed. But Cassian was all hot temper—temper that could be used to forge and weld. There was an icy rage in Azriel I had never been able to thaw. In the centuries I’d known him, he’d said little about his life, those years in his father’s keep, locked in darkness. Perhaps the shadowsinger gift had come to him then, perhaps he’d taught himself the language of shadow and wind and stone. (acomaf)

Azriel’s black hair seemed to gobble up the blinding sunlight. (acowar)

Azriel silently faded into blackness—until he was my own shadow and nothing more. (acowar)

Azriel tucked in his wings and left without another word, stalking through the house and onto the front lawn to sit in the frigid starlight. To let the frost in his veins match the air around him. Until he felt nothing. Was again nothing at all. (Azriel’s bonus chapter)

The pain that last quote delivers is so brutal every time. But it reinforces Azriel’s connection to Void, and it brings us to Elain. The person who makes him feel awake and alive and hopeful, to ask sacrilegious questions he has never dared to utter before. He is not nothing in her presence—he is more, he is something.

Chaos, blooming light and life

She loves to garden. Always loved growing things. Even when we were destitute, she managed to tend a little garden in the warmer months. And when–when our fortune returned, she took to tending and planting the most beautiful gardens you’ve ever seen. Even in Prythian. It drove the servants mad, because they were supposed to do the work and ladies were only meant to clip a rose here and there, but Elain would put on a hat and gloves and kneel in the dirt, weeding. She acted like a purebred lady in every regard but that.” (acotar)

The gates to her mind…Solid iron, covered in vines of flowers—or it would have been. The blossoms were all sealed, sleeping buds tucked into tangles of leaves and thorns. (acowar)

If Elain was a blooming flower in this army camp, then Nesta…she was a freshly forged sword, waiting to draw blood. (acowar)

The Cauldron seemed to realize what she’d done, too, as his head thumped onto the mossy ground. That Elain…Elain had defended this thief. Elain, who it had gifted with such powers, found her so lovely it had wanted to give her something…It would not harm Elain, even in its hunt to reclaim what had been taken. (acowar)

Her sister’s delicate scent of jasmine and honey lingered in the red-stoned hall like a promise of spring, a sparkling river that she followed to the open doors of the chamber. (acosf)

Soft steps padded from under the stair archway, and there she was. The Faelights gilded Elain’s unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn. (Azriel’s bonus chapter)

It was Elain who was gifted something by the Cauldron in the chaos of her own (re)Forming. And now that their fortune has returned—ie, they’ve been blessed by Fate—Elain may garden on a far grander scale. And she’ll have the help of her love interest and friends (and maybe her entire family).

Which brings us back to the beginning, to the Cauldron and Book of Breathings. In his bonus chapter, Azriel wondered if the Cauldron was wrong and he learns in hofas that it was, in fact, warped. But how was it warped, and for what purpose?

Rhysand said, “I heard a legend that it was written in a tongue of mighty beings who feared the Cauldron’s power and made the Book to combat it. Mighty beings who were here … and then vanished. You are the only one who can uncode it.” (acomaf, Rhysand to Amren)

As @merymoonbeam and I have mentioned before, the Asteri created the Book of Breathings to control the Cauldron. The Cauldron was sacred to the Fae, and it likely gave them power the Asteri could not initially control. It made them a threat. Remember, the Cauldron is Wyrd, and Wyrd governs the forces of creation (Void and Chaos). She is a Mother to all, a Cauldron brimming with life, and a weaver of Fate, according to the Under-King.

Mother, Cauldron, Fate.

She is not an actual goddess, but a force. And certain beings, like the Archeron sisters, are bearers or vessels of her magic and can wield it when needed.

When the Asteri claimed the power of Wyrd through the Book of Breathings, they were able to gain control over life and fate. And they used that control to feed their insatiable appetite for power. They twisted the natural cycle—life and death and rebirth—into one that served them.

In hofas, Azriel and Nesta learn that this control was never wholly uncovered or addressed. The Asteri’s secrets were buried in the land, forgotten. And so it is fitting for us to return to the beginning with Azriel and Elain, to unearth the remaining secrets and unravel the Asteri’s control over life and fate. To truly change fate, though, their union cannot just be one of magic, it must also harness the strongest force:

Through love, all is possible. It was an ancient saying, dating back to some god he couldn’t remember. Cthona, probably—what with all the mother-goddess stuff she presided over. Hunt had long since stopped visiting temples, or paying much attention to the overzealous priestesses who popped up on the morning talk shows every now and then. None of the five gods had ever helped him—or anyone he cared about. Urd, especially, had fucked him over often enough. (hoeab)

Love. It’s possible their union was always meant to alter life and fate through love, as so many (@icedflames, @elriell, @silverlinedeyes, and @offtorivendell) have theorized. Together, they might be able to swear something between their bodies and hearts and souls, binding the threads of gold that control their very fate, and make the impossible, possible. A cosmic love that restores balance and honors the joy and beauty Void and Chaos created when they first came together and formed the world.

Life and death and rebirth.

-

Thank you for reading my rambling love notes about cosmic forces and Elain and Azriel. Happy Elriel Month, friends! 🌸🦇

@elriel-month

May 1: Death and the Maiden

[sylvieserene]

currently thinking about how dark enchantress is technically WLC and how maybe her weakness is still PVC deep down

It definitely could be true.

While I was writing the chapters for my PureLily fic, Love is like a Poison , I found myself pondering about it in my free time lol mainly to get a better understanding of WL's character

Idk if I have said this here before but I see White Lily Cookie and Dark Enchantress cookie as Kagome and Kikyo from Inuyasha as their characters resemble eachother perfectly.

Just like Kagome and Kikyo, both are the same as they share the same soul but with two different halves and beings.

When their souls split and DE was born, they got divided in two halves.

Just like Dark Enchantress Cookie's birth was through a tragic event and basically the "death" of White Lily Cookie where she split in two

As shown in her gacha animation too

Kikyo's tragic "death" is what caused the birth of her reincarnation

But also a hollow version of her when she was brought to life again unfairly.

Just like the Shikon Jewel which shall never again choose her or shine for her in her rebirth, the light of freedom shall NEVER shine for DE because just like Kikyo, upon death both of them were reincarnated as former shells of themselves, born with only resentment, revenge and hatred towards the world, the last feeling they felt before they died.

WL got to keep the love and kindness part of her soul while DE got born with her dark hatred, jealousy resentment, angry and regretful side. Just like Kagome got born with love and empathy while Kikyo got born with anger and resentment because of how unfair life had been to her previous to her "reincarnation" (Inuyasha fans will know)

Just like her, DE is also more than happy to get rid of her "other half" as it is the part she is missing and she.... doesn't want to acknowledge that

She doesn't want the reminder of the pain when she went through at all.

Just like DE, she (Kikyo) lived a miserable existence as she couldn't accept the fact that Kagome (who is basically her reincarnated in modern time, sharing her soul and heart) exists and Inuyasha (whom she loved) still loved her (just like she loved him) and wanted to reach a conclusion. She continued to hate him, but still kept reaching out to him. She didn't get liberated until she found closure from him.

I see White Lily Cookie and Dark Enchantress Cookie's character in the same light because underneath all that hatred and anger, DE, as much as she likes to pretend she doesn't care, she cares a lot.

Which is evitable with her question here.

Just like WL, who asks the same question.

Despite everything, DE is still what WL is, but just a former shell of it for she only got her hatred while WL got to keep the love and kindness she possessed at heart.

At the end, DE is merely a shadow of what WL is and would forever be incomplete without her. Deep at heart, despite the anger and resentment, DE is still is doing what she feels like is in the best interest for Cookie Kind. Not to attain world dominance, not to get all that power for herself but trying to "fix" the world in a way she feels is right

All of these wars and atrocities? All of this is still for the "help" of others.

Mainly because Dark Enchantress Cookie still cares.

She is still that scared White Lily Cookie with anger and fear clinging her heart as she fell to her ultimate doom.

That girl who thought she can change the world single handedly.

The girl who failed.

The girl who lost her life in the process and is angry about it.

The dead girl still saying "Only I can offer a path to unity."

Just like Kikyo, who also seeked to "fix" the world after she got reincarnated with just hatred

DE is still trying to do what's best for everyone even if it means casualties and hurting everyone in the process.

Something WL, being morally grey, also has done to reach the "truth" (not this severely ofc cuz she still held love and kindness, smth de lacks) but did all the same and perhaps even continues to do so without realising. But she recognises this flaw and is trying her best to fix it.

This is why, I can confidently say Dark Enchantress Cookie has deeply suppressed feelings still for Pure Vanilla cookie and vise versa.

Because again underneath that soul less shell, she still is an extension or perhaps a part of WL, who still carries similar feelings and sentiment over things she cares about.

And no matter what she tries, it keeps showing.

White Lily Cookie is consciously aware that Pure Vanilla Cookie is her major weak spot. Something which even Shadow Milk Cookie catches on very quickly.

Even Dark Enchantress cookie is aware that perhaps only Pure Vanilla cookie who, as much as she'd like to discard her past, continues to be someone she sees as a threat because he can stop her, not just via power but via being himself

And it shows, over and over again.

"Especially you"

Even back when she met him all over again, she's like "So you finally admit you were an idiot aye?"

When PV tries to talk about it, she goes

She is amused and curious. Because she does know this guy was close to her. She knows his deal, she is interested in hearing his side even though frankly she got no reason. She still has an interest over him.

But she recognises this instantly so she doesn't even let him speak lol

Because while she is interested, she is still angry. As evidenced here:

The interesting thing here is, she glares. Because she still recognises that something about him still makes her feel ...weak

Which is why her next question was this

She questions her weakness despite Pomegranate never even mentioning anything about it and just saying "as long as pv is here, the echoes of the past will continue in this castle"

Which is why, DE inorder to get rid of this, tries to kill him lol because she knows Pomegranate is right and that she won't be able to do anything if PV just keeps being himself because no matter how hard she wants to throw away her past, that strange pull for him would never go because he is a major part of it.

What better way to stop making yourself feel bad but by simply getting rid of the thing causing that hurt especially when you're in an eternal cycle of anger and resentment and are incapable of thinking rationally emotion-wise?

She is still angry at him for sealing her and if we go deeper, not getting/understanding her. Which ultimately lead to her doom and cause DE because like I said, underneath all those layers, WL still is alive in DE, in a form who is angry at PV for not understanding her even before anything happened. Something which ultimately led them to splitting paths as even PV admits, he didn't get her and which is what led to both of realising that they gotta part ways, leading to WL's expedition to beast yeast for searching the truth and for PV to stay back and help crispia and his kingdom.

Both did things for helping others.

Their goals aligned but at the same time, they didn't.

Because neither of them got eachother.

Because unfortunate timing.

PV valued his Kingdom more than searching the world with her for a truth they may never find.

This is why when she "meets" him again in Creme Republic, she is almost disappointed at him lol

To the point you can interpret it as "You are still an idiot and you are talking to me?! Stfu"

Just like she was disappointed back at banquet because despite all this time, he has still not seen the "error" in his ways according to her.

He still didn't understand her vision.

This is why, this is exactly why DE is the way she is to him.

She is still deeply affected by him. Even if she doesn't admit it, she still cares a lot. She still has deeply suppressed feelings for him which make her question herself even when literally no one on earthbread is capable of doing so.

She doesn't understand these complex feelings because she never processed her anger. She is permanently incapable of processing these feelings because her other half got that part and now she is merely a husk of what she was.

Just like Pure Vanilla Cookie still questioned his feelings for White Lily Cookie (whom he knew had become Dark Enchantress Cookie), Dark Enchantress cookie definitely questions hers but in a way she is capable of mentally and in her own way.

Pure Vanilla Cookie is what Inuyasha is to Kagome/Kikyo. He recognises the soul of White Lily Cookie even when she can't find it out because he truly loves her. He didn't just love her, he fell in love with her soul. He recognised it was WL in his final moments of the Dark flour war as his eyes went wide which is why he sealed her instead of killing her and along with that sealed his own memories because he couldn't bear this anymore.

This is why when told again that de is wl, he accepts it relatively fast because he knows, he knew and was in intentional denial because he didn't want her to be that.

This is also why he is the one approached by the light of freedom because it also knows that only he has the ability to know the true WL and recognise her being.

This is also why he is more than happy to get WL despite her being half alive to the point of him being willing to die just to get her back because he loves her soul and he wants that part, the one whom he fell for, come back to life and wake up.

This is also why again and again back when he didn't know the entire debacle of WL and thought she is gone for good in exchange of DE, he tried to explain her over and over again that there still was time and she can come back if she wants because he didn't want to seal her, not when he clearly recognises that it's her, it's still the same soul he fell for but now against him.

This is why he happily embraces WL back when she is alive again because he realises that she and DE are not the same despite being the same soul.

Because he fell for WL and not her but he can still/might have residual feelings because at the end, they're still part of each other but he'll always love WL more because DE and WL are no longer the same. But he will definitely always have a spot for DE too cuz that's a fragment of WL too. A part of her too.

So does that mean DE has feelings for PV? Highly possible because it's clear that she's still drawn to him and what he has to say. She still holds him in high regards despite what she likes to admit to herself.

So yes, it is very possible that DE still has deeply suppressed feelings for PV just like he did for her once (before WL woke up) but she would NEVER voice them because caught in a cycle of eternal anger, pain and resentment, she has lost the ability long ago to process these emotions.

Just like Kikyo continued to love Inuyasha but couldn't say it out loud despite her evil birth, despite everything, still continued to subtly show so as she became incapable of love in her new unfair "birth", DE shall always remain this tragic character with an unfair fate and life incapable of emotions and feelings other than hatred.

This is also why, these 3 shall always remain my favourite characters as WL is not a Mary Sue, she is a deeply complicated, complex character who deserves all the love she gets along with PV.

[astrolook]

Decode the Universe: Why astrology and tarot are the ultimate power couple! #4

Libra - Sep 23 - Oct 22 : Moon / Saturn / Jupiter in Libra

Moon in Libra - Queen of Swords - "Gracefully cutting through nonsense—one polite insult at a time."

Moon in Libra people can destroy you politely.

Reads people like a book, edits accordingly.

Knows exactly what to say and when.

Feelings? Considered—but facts win.

A queen who needs no king.

If moon is afflicted, They can get cold and aloof when annoyed. Socially selective. Too high standards. Can be passive-aggressive.

Saturn in Libra - The Empress (again) - "Grace and structure—because beauty needs discipline."

These people looks soft, works hard.

Interior design? Wardrobe? Flawless.

Tough love. Will support you, but won’t coddle you.

They know their worth and expects you to know it too.

Natural peacemaker. Will keep their home harmonious.

If saturn is afflicted, can be high maintenance and would replace people if they don't serve them any good.

Jupiter in Libra - The Justice - "Fairness isn’t just a rule—it’s a lifestyle."

Every choice they make is a blend of logic & morality.

These people see all sides and believes in karma.

Truly a diplomat and great at giving advice when you really need it.

A long-term thinker and won't waste their time, money and effort on short-term things.

If jupiter is afflicted, would do anything to climb up the social ladder. Life could be unfair to these people. Sometimes experiences loss more than others. Just another Tuesday.

Scorpio - Oct 23 - Nov 22 : Mars / Sun / Venus in Scorpio

Mars in Scorpio - King of Cups -"Silent waters run deep… and dangerously strategic."

Emotional powerhouse. Feels everything but lets nothing show.

Mars in scorpio people have that magnetic presence. Mysterious but weirdly irresistible.

If they love you, they love you.

Cool under pressure. Very hard to break.

If mars is afflicted, a man-child. Plays mind games. Exhibits possessive tendencies.

Sun in Scorpio - The Judgement - "Rebirth? Been there. Done that. Watch me rise again."

These people revenger via success. Their glow-up is your karma.

Not afraid to call you out when your doing something wrong.

These people don't break when they lose everything in life. They evolve.

Deeply spiritual and would easily catch you in a lie.

Not afraid of self-improvement. They rise like a phoenix.

If Sun is afflicted, their revenge has more layers than a subway sandwich. Poor judgement and can be rude.

Venus in Scorpio - Death - "Till death do us part… or maybe not even then."

Love? Not “cute” love. Soul-consuming love.

Romance? You will change after loving them.

These people are authentic to the core. No fakeness. Just raw, real energy.

They heal you with their powerful love.

They need a soulmate, not a situationship. For them, love isn’t just physical—it’s cosmic.

If venus is afflicted, they could be possessive AF. They hold on to their exes and jealousy too. If you break up with them, you will feel them and it would haunt you forever.

Nest post...Sagittarius and Capricorn placements. Stay Tuned!

Curious about your birth chart and what it's really saying about you? 🌟 Slide into my DMs for a personalized astrology reading, and let's unlock the secrets of your stars. ✨ Don’t forget to check out my pinned post for pricing details! 🔮 Let’s make those cosmic connections happen! 🌙🌌

[talonabraxas]

Kernunnos "Cosmic Horned God" Talon Abraxas Kernunnos: or of the perennial renewal of the cosmos

Primordial epiphany of the giver of life and death, archetypically connected to the dark forces of the natural world, the Celtic Cernunno was not only god of hunting and wild nature, but a real "cosmic god" ruler of the cycle of death-and - rebirth, as evidenced by the symbols attributed to it by traditional iconography: the stage with cervine horns, the torques and the horned snake. Cernunnus, which the Romans called simply "the Horned", is an ancient divinity, venerated since the dawn of time: we find attestations of his cult since the Mesolithic and Neolithic. For prehistoric hunters, the Horned God constituted the primordial epiphany of the divinity giver of life and death, as well as the embodiment of the dangerous and relentless powers that spread their dominion over the world of wild nature; it was therefore in part, as is easily understood, a "double" of Bread Hellenic and del faunus Latin, or an equivalent of the Wendigo, terrifying cannibal god-demon of the Algonquins of the Canadian sub-arctic, archetypically connected to the dark forces of the natural world and meteorological and represented as a colossal skeleton of man-deer.

Like the Pan of the Orphics - who saw in him the universe considered as an interconnected whole, in spirit, soul and body - the main divinity of these ancient populations is considered to be a "Cosmic god of life and death", whose breath hovers and penetrates everything. In this, Cernunno can also be compared to Dionysus, which similarly embodies at the same time the black death drives and those scarlet of sex and blood, both symbolically connected to the same vital archetype of Zoe, the "indestructible life". Heraclitean wisdom is framed in the revelation of the false dichotomy that ultimately exists within the "cosmic drama" and along the "seasonal dance" of the ages of the world, between Life and Death: the same god are Hades and Dionysus.

As in the case of Dionysus, the dominion of Cernunno was not limited to the natural world: although revered by the tribes of hunters, the Horned God he did not simply have lordship over the game and the woods over which his spirit was constantly watching, but also and above all over the Other World, the world of the dead and spirits, which the shaman could access in a trance after having ingested herbs or psychotropic decoctions or having used one of the many "techniques of ecstasy", to use the phrase coined by Mircea Eliade. In other words, since protohistoric times Cernunno was also considered the "Great Magician", as well as the primal source of supernatural or "magical" psychic faculties.

The god - adorned similarly to the green man of leafy antlers, symbolizing the cyclical nature of time and the perpetual rebirth of the cosmos and nature - gathered the souls of the dead to escort them to the afterlife, sometimes accompanied by his paredra (in Ireland, the goddess of the hunt Flidass, who, similarly to his Mediterranean counterpart Diana / Artemis, drove a chariot pulled by deer).

[luli-lads]

*Takes deep breath* Okay.

- Predictions and analysis of the 4 new chapters -

(If you're reading this in the future, this was made before the chapters were actually released, because I have brainrot)

"Death and Rebirth"

Just like we have "Under Deepspace", "Long-Awaited Revelry", "Prologue to Tomorrow" and "Homecoming Wings", this is going to be the name of the new main story, which will contain 4 chapters, and I'm guessing each of them will have 9-10 episodes of actual story, with some battles sprinkled in.

1 - Absurdity Unfolds

The Gaia Research Center is where Josephine worked as a researcher, and where MC (and Caleb) were being experimented on as kids.

If you remember, ruins of research centers were in the N109 Zone, so although we have no confirmation of this specific one, this is probably a Sylus chapter.

I'm guessing MC is trying to uncover more of her past, and that's why she decides to sneak into this 'laser-surrounded' place. I wonder if we'll get info about Caleb as well.

As for the 'Zoion Hunt'... Hmm... I wonder if that has to do with the little cube we saw Sylus and MC holding in the trailer. It seems to be some sort of game. Perhaps the people chasing them are trying to win the game too by snatching the cube from them, or perhaps they're guards who took notice of MC's breaking into the research center.

The last part, about the arena, seems to connect directly to the next chapter, as we can see by the next picture (it looks like a futuristic football field lol).

2 - All From Deepspace

Now, I'm not sure what's up with the arena itself. So I'm gonna leave that in the air and let y'all speculate.

Let's just focus on the text itself.

MC successfully gets into the lab where they experimented on her, and either finds records of what happened there, or has flashbacks about it. That's where the quote at the bottom comes in.

I'm also thinking that the car chase sequence might be at the end of this chapter instead, once she has gathered all the info she needs and has to escape from the Ever guards, she calls Sylus to come pick her up.

As for the thing that Sylus destroys... There's no confirmation from the voiceline itself that it's the cube (sometimes they mix voicelines and scenes that don't correspond) but whatever it is, I'm pretty sure he destroyed it because it had a tracking device or something like that. And MC gets mad because she thinks he destroyed it for no reason, and wanted to take it back to Unicorns to analyze it. OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IDK

3 - Cosmic Speck

Immediately the fact that there's snow already tells us that this is a Zayne chapter. I'm guessing this happens a day or two after the previous two chapters, not immediately after.

And. Btw. 'Unsettling figures lurk in the darkness', that's about Dawnbreaker. If they were just talking about those 'Alterum' they wouldn't mention them in the next sentence, or they wouldn't use that first sentence. It's a nudge towards Dawnbreaker + the Alterum at the same time.

I'm really worried though. Because, you remember when Zayne's branch was announced and we saw him wearing Dawnbreaker's clothes so we assumed it was him, and then it wasn't...? I'm worried they'll pull the same stunt and it won't actually be Dawnbreaker.

So if it is... How did he get here? Or how did we go there? They're talking about Linkon City, not about Chansia, so... It means he came here... But how...?

About the Alterum, they seem to be people that are being taken by Protocore Syndrome, but not quite yet turned into Wanderers. Still, kinda monstrous, maybe? (Half-Wanderers, just between you and me)

The fountain of Atei is Ever's ultimate project. About reaching immortality. As for how the Alterum and the project are connected... The greater number of Alterum probably mean more people that Ever has used as test subjects, which means they're getting closer to their goal if they're using more resources on their experiments.

As for the plot in this chapter exactly... I'm not sure about the sequence of events. It seems like it's gonna take place around the city, helping/killing Alterum with Zayne/DB. Maybe that'll lead him and MC to break into another research center...? ...Xander? (Which leads us to the next chapter)

4 - Snow Fades at Dawn

Yet again nudging us with that chapter title huh.

Just like I said in the previous chapter, more Protocore Syndrome, more subjects, more Alterum, etc.

But it also adds something new. It seems like some of these patients, before they even turn into Alterum, are choosing to be treated by Xander Sciences using their Life Pods (I'm assuming that's what the 'cocoon' part is referring to, since yknow Ever owns Xander), to try and stop the illness, but by doing so they become willing test subjects (and maybe that's when, if the experiments fail, they turn into Alterum).

I'm also wondering if Ever is manipulating the Protocore Syndrome odds so more people will turn to them...

And then that last line. I can assure you with 100% certainty that it's said by Carter. Remember he wanted MC as a patient to test on her, but she kept refusing.

Hmm... I wonder if the situation is that he manages to trap MC and gives an evil monologue, says that, and then Zayne comes to save her? Perhaps that's when the whole trailer scene happens. Hmmm.

Final thoughts

I'm gonna be honest, I don't know if Sylus and Zayne are actually going to appear in chapters 1 and 3, but I'm 100% sure of their presence in chapters 2 and 4. (Not together. You know what I mean. Sylus in 2 and Zayne in 4)

I'm really hyped for this update, and some things it may bring: Hints about 6th LI, possibly more 3D models for important characters (Carter pls pls pls pls), Zayne and Sylus interaction if we dare dream (no way lmao), etc etc...

What do y'all think?

[monakisu]

I want you to know that I came across a random post of your Death Note art, went "Awww, oh my gosh, with the way this person draws Light I think Akechi would look fantastic in the same style!", clicked onto your profile, and then saw your newest artwork was Akechi. I'm still kind of cackling over it and thought maybe you'd find it funny too. Your art is SO cute, I'm very happy I found it <333

HAHA THAT’S AMAZING (<< was an akechi artist wayyyy before i fell head over heels for light)

but rlly… theyre so similar:

- brunet

- asshole

- pretty boy

- mass murderer

- black-haired homoerotic rival

at the end of the day, the key difference is one is a top and the other is a bottom.

ok but seriously, they’re vastly different characters on a fundamental level:

- light was handed everything him on a silver platter: family, friends, looks, intellect, a comfortable life… as a bastard child of a sex worker and now an orphan, goro had to fight his way to his current position and will always harbor a terrible sense of inferiority (light is completely confident in his absolute superiority, Always (that’s why the challenge of L sent him off the deep end of obsession lol))

- light genuinely sees himself as a hero, while goro would like to feel the same but is nonetheless depressingly aware of his villain’s journey (his undesirable position as the detective vs the underdog phantom thieves, his string of assassinations, his ultimate dirty bloody goal, etc.).

- light’s motive is about the world’s salvation, cleansing, the birth of his ideal reality (very messianic of him with the slightest loving tinge of mary cradling her lamb hahaha) while goro is laser-focused on ruining this one asshole’s life in particular, vengeance and revenge at once! one’s focused on rebirth, and the other gunning straight for death! they both use murder to get what they want but light probably floats around thinking himself so clean and divine as mother of the world (ignorance is bliss) while goro is constantly desperately trying to cover up his suspiciously red hands with his gloves hehehe… they’re both constantly striving for perfection, just with varying levels of self-awareness!!

- goro is a canonical loner; light has a horde of friends; this is probably due to a difference in public persona! goro is an untouchable idea of what he thinks a human should be and is completely out of the loop when it comes to normal social interactions (believes opening with hegel will instantly endear himself to the average person (luckily he inflicted that upon akira who is decidedly not average in the slightest)), light is implied to be more down-to-earth and even slightly goofy (he’s gaming decorum like an advanced speedrunner)! it’s probably good how distant goro is, because getting any closer to him will allow you to see how off-putting and uncanny he is, sorta like an AI-generated image—seams in the wrong places and far too much teeth LOL. meanwhile light has this whole shebang so thoroughly figured out that he’s BORED with it all! he’d like to move on to the next game (with L), thank you!! light definitely still exudes uncanny creepiness (it’s his natural state of being) especially when he zones out or starts hysterically cackling out of nowhere at his own thoughts, but he’s a hundred times better at masking compared to goro due to a better upbringing. goro is starved for the adoring friends he sees akira easily picking up one after another; light couldn’t give less of a shit because he’s always had those trivial luxuries! he’d much rather prefer an adoring WORLD!!

- then there’s the difference in how they die… one started out surrounded with company but ultimately died alone, while it’s the opposite for the other (if you count the de-realization of maruki’s reality as goro’s “death” (which i don’t)).

- in conclusion, light and goro are like funhouse mirror reflections of each other!!! one is a pampered lapdog getting a taste of rabies and letting loose, while the other is a starving wolf trying to domesticate itself for treats and headpats!! and i <3 them both!!!!!

anyways i may be wrong about light because im going purely off of fics, tumblr shitposts, and my own imagination :] feel free to school me in a way that won’t destroy my delusions!

[chaoticbardlady99]

✨SPOILERS FOR THE MAIN STORY UPDATE BELOW: basically what I think the Lore is kind of all connecting to. I initially put it in a thread on Reddit but wanted to share my thoughts ✨

This ridiculously coked out fight video from me blazing through the main story earlier- I was kicking my feet and giggling. Nothing is more fun than taking on level 37 wanderers with maxed out cards and crazy protocores 💀



I think “yes” Sylus has been pulling the strings but I think they were separated when they left the Nebulae they were in and Sylus was caught and taken to the space time prison. I think the stuff in between that time and current MC is the part that is murky cause now we have a timeline that is after their first encounter as Dragon and Sorceress so how that all connects isn’t quite clear yet.

This timeline that is unknown to us- they are both living in a world that is really fucked up and hunger games ish when they were young kids- I’m guessing they were both exceptionally strong and then working together, they were able to destroy all their competition. They were told- okay cool, kill each other. Sylus said “PSYCH”, not doing that to my best gal”. Sylus and MC kind of Peta and Katniss the situation but get separated when they leave the Nebulae/planet they were originally from while trying to escape their captors.

So basically- Sylus finds MC, tracks her down to this Ever lab and saves her before Dimitri can kill her, but her death was quite literally explosive and caused the Chronoshift catastrophe and creating a new reality. It’s why they mentioned that she is death and rebirth in the Cosmos bits. The death of stars is violent and it creates a new life form (from my minimal understanding). I think as we understand MC’s origin more, we will see how maybe she influenced many different planets and civilizations by ‘destroying them’ and they are forced to renew. It gives Phoenix, Persephone kind of energy. Maybe even some Eris elements, but ultimately, every person and planet she has effected has all kind of crammed together on this planet. MY THOUGHT is that, when they were trying to gather all of that energy from the deep space tunnel, they quite literally collected every single fragment of the Oracio core (MC) and it manifested as a person.

This surge of all this energy brought all these timelines together in one room essentially (or at least, that is my theory). Xavier, Rafayel, and Zayne are all mentioned to have their own labs at the Gaia Center- whether that be they were experimented on or were working at the Gaia center is unknown.

Sylus prevented Dimitri from killing MC and ridding the world of her completely- if he had been able to do that, it would mean he would have destroyed the birth and destruction cycle to some extent. Since Sylus was at the lab, I deduce that would mean that Sylus is aware of them to some extent. I’m not well versed in Rafayel and Xavier lore, but this is what I have slowly begun to pull together.

I’m still getting through Zayne’s story, but I’ll hopefully understand more of what’s going on.

UPDATE/EDIT: It would also explain the existence of the deep space tunnel at all because Caleb and MC died and essentially created a black hole together in their lore. When a star dies, it collapses in on itself from gravity and can create a nebula, black hole, and/or a neutron star which I think is really interesting considering Zayne and Caleb kind of represents a dark black hole, Xavier is represented by stars, and Sylus reminds me of a Nebula. Rafayel is the earth itself I think- a representation of a planet still fighting to live.

Also if MC is ‘Magnum Opus’ then to me it seems that Sylus is recognizing MC as a creator and destroyer of the cosmos and ultimately his and others existence and why they have all collided together here on this planet- Earth (or Philos, I’m still struggling with understanding that piece)

And maybe the Wanderers manifested from Xavier’s world and Sylus’s world since they both seem to be from some form of Philos, but I don’t remember any wanderers in Rafayel or Zayne’s myths.

Basically I think MC was a massive collection of shards that was turned into the stained glass window that is the present. I’m not sure how it all connects yet, but this is my current thoughts

[nayatarot777]

What Should You Focus On About Your Internal Self?

• Pile One •

Hi, Pile One! Welcome to your reading!

You’re being called to focus on your lack of productivity. It’s keeping you stagnant when you could be creating and manifesting great things for yourself. There needs to be a death to a part of you that’s stuck around for longer than necessary. You may be satisfied with less. Or seemingly satisfied with going without what you know that you could have. It’s time to change that. And it won’t be easy (a part of you will feel like it’s dying - because it is. Your ego will resist and try to drag you back from fully laying this procrastinator within you to rest) but it’ll catapult you out of this energy of being stuck in the same place. Your ego only resists death because it’s afraid of the unknown. Thats when you have to come in and soothe yourself by providing understanding to your ego about how the unknown is new, but positive. After death comes rebirth, right? There’ll be a brand new journey for you to embark on and learn about. You’ll be able to learn about your capabilities, your creative efforts and how far they can go, etc. This procrastination is a method of self-protection that your ego has utilised for a very long time, meaning that it’s afraid of experiencing failure which would ultimately lead to shame, disappointment, etc. However, it’s already experiencing these things because you’re allowing it to prevent you from doing anything anyway. There’s a reason why your ego is so closely linked to your inner-child. What do you do when a child doesn’t want to do something that you know would be good for them, due to their own fear? You calm them and slowly introduce them into the unknown that they’re afraid of, while reassuring them and praising them for ever step forward that they take. You don’t let them allow their fear to control them. You subdue their fear with comfort and assurance. This is what you need to do for yourself.

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• Pile Two •

Hi, Pile Two! Welcome to your reading!

You are being called to focus on finding peace and contentment. Focus on finding satisfaction within yourself as well as a feeling of safety. There’s an internal transformation happening for you, and it does lead to this feeling of safety that we’re speaking of. You may have a history of not having the tools of self-protection, leaving you vulnerable to those who wanted to use you or take advantage of you. There’s a part of you opening up that is some type of warrior on behalf of yourself. A part of you that’s able to protect yourself from anyone who gets too close to you too soon. This protector is your intuition. Your crown chakra that’s the medium between your higher self and your human self. This is what’s opening and transforming within you. You may be experiencing ascension symptoms (specifically your third-eye opening a lot more, enabling you to read between the lines of what people say and the situations that you find yourself in). Trust that you don’t have to be in defence-mode anymore, because you’re capable of protecting yourself. Don’t be discouraged if you feel like your consciousness is slow to catch onto certain things either. Tapping into uncharted territory such as your intuition or your 3rd eye takes time. Let it develop naturally. The people who don’t usually end up going a bit crazy and unhinged because they’ve opened their third eye (their pineal gland) forcefully and too quickly. You don’t want to be one of them 🙃. You also need to ensure that you’re breathing life into your intuition. What do I mean by this? You need to validate that your intuition exists. Don’t suppress it - because that’s the opposite of giving life to something. That’s how you squash it, eventually killing it. Validate its existence and its being. Again, your intuition is the direct connection to your higher self. Your higher self is on a higher dimension compared to you, meaning that they see things that you can’t see with your physical eye - hence why you see symbolisms and messages in your metaphysical (non-physical eye - your third eye. Your mind’s eye). Try to bring to an end your habit of disregarding what you see spiritually.

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• Pile Three •

Hi, Pile Three! Welcome to your reading!

There needs to be a lot of acknowledgement from you towards yourself in regard to how much work you’ve put into creating safety and peace within yourself. You’ve completed the journey that Pile Two is currently on. You’ve been busy putting yourself together internally, which your physical reality is probably reflecting in some way - as within, so without. I’m hearing “you can rest”. You’ve found a lot of the safety and peace that you were looking for, thanks to your own efforts. You can take some weight off of your shoulders and just relax. Get playful and treat yourself in some way. The reason why you’ve found this sense of safety is because you’ve protected your mind, in-turn protecting your peace. “The ALL is mind; the universe is mental” - for those of you who are avid readers, I suggest that you read The Kybalion if you haven’t already. It seems like you’ve already taught yourself one of the principles of mental alchemy, which probably means that you’ll be able to grasp the other principles relatively easily too. You’ve found peace because you’ve found trust in yourself and your inner-knowing. Your intuition has been working overtime 😂. Your intuition is why you can keep yourself in your serenity. I’m hearing clapping from your higher self. They’re proud of you. You’ve reached a stage that many of us are still working on completing. Now that this ability to connect and to have faith in your intuition comes so naturally to you, you can rest. You don’t have to be vigilant all of the time. If your intuition needs to tell you something, then it will. You don’t need to constantly stay alert to it because you’ve built a great connection to it now.

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[rachetmath]

Retracing Steps

Nora: Jaune?

Jaune: *researching*

Nora: Jaune?! Jaune?!!

Jaune: What?

Nora: Jaune I get you and Lewis were friends but he’s gone.

Jaune: I know.

Ren: So what are we looking for? His grave?

Jaune: No. That’s not what I’m looking for.

Emerald: Then what is it?

Jaune: His first draft.

Nora: You mean his book?

Jaune: Yeah. Lewis censored a lot of information. More importantly, his story was based on his diary. I don’t know what happened to him but he still lived in Vacuo or moved. He had to have taken it with him.

Nora: But what’s so important is that you need his book.

Jaune: *silent*

Nora: No. Jaune you’re not thinking– Are you-

Jaune: Slow down. Yes, I’m looking for a way to return to the Ever After. But not for me. For Salem.

Ren: What?

Jaune: When I was in the Ever After, I thought Ascension just meant death. Which it is. However, it’s also about rebirth. Making changes in one’s self. 

Emerald: And? What does this have to do with Salem? 

Jaune: Think about what Ruby told us. Salem failed to learn the value of life and death. In The Ever After you still die but-

Emerald: Salem’s immortal Jaune.

Jaune: Listen. After you die or are taken by the tree as Ruby described, you are sent to the forger. The forger has the power to create, reforge, and repair you.

Nora: Jaune we fail to see your point.

???: I get it.

Ren: Ruby? When did you and your team-

Ruby: Sorry. I was looking for Jaune a while ago. They were just helping me look. I wanted to talk but that can wait. Jaune, if what I’m guessing is correct then if you find this portal back to The Ever After, you can send Salem there.

Jaune: Yes. However once I find it and see if it works, I need Raven there before sending Salem. 

Yang: Why my mom?

Jaune: Her semblance allows her to travel anywhere as long as she has been there before. 

Ruby: And unlike the staff, it ignores time and space. That means Raven can easily leave the Ever After without having to go through the door again.

Emerald: Okay. Stop! You keep talking about the Ever After but what about Salem?! What does any of this have to do with beating Salem?!

Ruby: *smile* It’s possible but only a theory. If we send Salem to the Ever After, allowing the tree to take her-

Weiss: Then she ascends. 

Blake: Allowing the forger to reset her.

Yang: Leaving her-

Jaune: That’s right.  She can be imprisoned or she can return but maybe as… a mortal.

NER: !!!!

Nora: Meaning…

Ren: She can finally be killed.

Ruby: Exactly. 

Nora: Yes! Fearless Leader strikes again. *hugs Jaune*

Jaune: Nora, calm down. Besides like Ruby said it’s theoretical. And even so, she could come back maybe stronger than before.

Weiss: Maybe. But still-

Yang: It’s better than nothing.

Jaune: *continues his research*

Ruby: Hey, can you all leave for a minute? I want to talk to Jaune alone. 

NER and WBY: *leave*

Jaune: *sigh*

Ruby: I’m… I’m… I’m sorry.

Jaune: For what?

Ruby: For what happened on the bridge? 

Jaune: *stops what he’s doing for a second*

Ruby: I… I figured out what happened. Put two and two together. And… I’m sorry.

Jaune: *continues working* Just promise this. Don’t be like them.

Ruby: Like who?

Jaune: Pyrrha. Penny. And Alyx.

Ruby: I don't -

Jaune: Pyrrha thought she could do it. Though it was slim she still went in with no way out. She could have lived to fight by our side if she hadn't been egotistic. Penny could have lived if she had been a little more selfish. Willingly to put her life first before others. What made her death even sadder was… she died a puppet on the strings. Alyx died because of ignorance. She thought irrationally. Jump to conclusions. Not taking the time to think things through. All those things probably are what ultimately led her to her death. She was truly a naive girl.

Ruby: *silent*

Jaune: Look Ruby, your silver eyes are not the only things that make you special. And just because you get praise for it doesn't mean you should let them define you. You are not alone. So please, count on me to help. Or at least your team. Don't die over pride. 

Ruby: *hugs Jaune*

Jaune: Hm. Hey, what's- …oh.

Ruby: *in tears* 

Jaune: *sighs and smiles* Alright, I’ll take a break, for you at least.

Ruby: Thank you.