#y-destiny meta

[everythingsinred]

Let's Talk About NatsuMikan: Mikan (pt. 27)

Mikan and company are journeying to the past so Mikan can make an informed decision on how to act going forward. This journey will be emotionally taxing, to put it lightly, but she will learn a lot, both about her parents and about her connection to her friends and especially to Natsume. After all, she and Natsume are the "fated pair," aren't they?

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Chapter One Hundred and One

Mikan and the others are prepared to time travel now, with Mikan determined to make her own decision after getting her parents’ story. Before Noda fully takes them away, Yuka bursts into the room, calling after Mikan. 

Mikan is only vaguely aware that someone is calling out to her, thinking that the voice is both foreign and familiar. In no time at all, they’re time traveling and Mikan is freaking out about it, completely in awe at the experience.

A couple of heartbreaking panels.

Again, just like before, I am confused and uncertain about the role of relative telepathy during time travel. They seem to be aware of each other’s thoughts and telepathy is mentioned from time to time, like now with Hotaru complaining about Mikan having a noisy mind, but there’s not a clear explanation (at least not in the English scans). I’m doing my best with the resources I have, friends.

I mention this because it might be relevant later.

Ruka brings up the person who called out for Mikan and Noda suggests it was Yuka, who was likely listening the whole time and heard Mikan’s angry refusal. Mikan’s loyal friends admonish him for being so indelicate with Mikan’s feelings. She has some defense attorneys here, which is lovely.

We discover next that Mikan’s father was the former SA teacher, the occasionally alluded to “Sensei” that Mikan has heard so much about before, and that Yuka was Noda’s classmate in the SA class. Mikan’s strong feeling of connection to the Sensei/Yuka graffiti in the SA classroom is justified now. That bond was real all along. 

This trip to the past is huge for Mikan because she’s finally getting the answers she’d always wanted but never imagined getting. She’d always wanted to feel connected to her parents, to know about the family she never had outside of Jii-chan. Though she doesn’t particularly like Yuka right now, this is still a great chance for her and she’s not taking it for granted.

A preview for us to get a little hooked on this very long arc.

This first little moment in the past is like a trailer for the things to come. Mikan gets to see her mother at five years old, when she first enters the academy, and then there's little skips around, seeing glimpses of people who played a role in Yuka’s life. A preview for things to come, to keep both Mikan and us (since Mikan has always been a stand-in for the audience anyway, mostly) hooked for the next chapter.

From now on, I will be skipping through chapters. I find it boring to comment on Mikan’s occasional facial reactions to Yuka’s life. I will only be commenting on actual conversations and actions, because that’s way more interesting to me. Moving on!

Chapter One Hundred and Two

I’m just here to further elaborate on one of my last points, Mikan’s joy at finally being able to “meet” her parents, in a sense.

She is introduced to her father, a silly and good-hearted young man who wants to help the students at the academy and make the school a great place for kids along with his brother. Mikan tears up at this. Her whole life, her parents have been enigmatic stars in the sky, too far for her to reach, too mysterious to know. But she can see him now, can hear Hotaru say they’re a lot alike, can see his smile and hear his voice in a way she never imagined before. That’s her father, her family, a part of herself she never had the privilege of knowing. 

She had wondered about him her whole life, had--as I’d discussed at the very beginning of this essay--a complicated relationship with ghosts because of her feeling of connection that one night at a festival so long ago. He’s been there, every now and then, to protect her, to connect with her, but only ever through a distant veil. And now she can see him. 

I'm crying too. Damn.

Noda comments that Mikan has the best traits from both her parents, and that her personality gave him someone to believe in, a person like sunshine. It’s a nice thing to say anyway, but Mikan likes being compared to her parents because it makes them more real. Just like she always liked hearing comparisons between herself and the mysterious SA teacher before she even knew he was her father, she likes hearing it even more now.

Chapter One Hundred and Seven

We take a short intermission from Yuka’s sad life to see Mikan and her group reunite with Tono, Nobara, and even Tsubasa, who has gotten to know Yuka during his MIA time. She inserted the time travel alice inside him, which is why he’s able to join them now without Noda’s help. He’ll be able to help keep them stable going forward. 

Mikan is relieved and ecstatic to see her senpai again, understandably, since she had been so worried about losing him. She cries in his arms, only separating to finally talk to Nobara, who she hasn’t really gotten the chance to chat with since before the New Year’s Arc. She apologizes to Nobara that she was forced to make such a bold and dangerous choice for her sake earlier that night, and Nobara--like Hotaru--quickly denies that Mikan did anything wrong. 

Been a while, hasn't it...

With the reunions out of the way, Tsubasa has a chance to talk about his experience with Yuka. He shares that he knows what this trip of theirs is about and tells Mikan that, while the choice is definitely up to her, he can’t see Yuka as a bad person. He then asks her what she thinks of Yuka so far, putting her on the spot. Mikan is struck by that question.

Again, I’d mentioned this before, specifically in regards to Yuka, but Mikan is quick to come to a decision about whether or not a person is good or bad. The people she meets are immediately sorted into such categories, and it’s not easy for her to change her mind. When she sees the good, that’s all she focuses on. Hotaru is a great example. Mikan tolerates all the bad and insists on Hotaru being amazing simply because, in her point of view, the good outweighs all the bad. Hotaru can be cold, easily annoyed, detached. But Mikan tolerates this because she has a deep understanding of Hotaru’s positive traits, which, in her mind, are far more important. 

Natsume is a more interesting example because she hated him initially. While most of her friends are people she saw from a good angle all along, Natsume is someone she came to like more over time. She met him and was immediately introduced to the negatives. In fact, that’s all he wanted her to see. But every time she was given a hint that there was something more, she looked deeper until he seemed to be a more complete image of a person. I don’t think Mikan views Natsume as perfect, but the good--again--far outweighs everything else.

A loaded question.

Yuka is someone Mikan swore she could never forgive. She hated Yuka for hurting her friends and for being part of the evil Z organization. But real people aren’t so easily sorted into good and bad. Z is for the most part a deceptive organization that touts itself as a freedom fighting group while also participating in vile activities like child trafficking and slavery. Yuka is a part of that, albeit reluctantly. She has done bad things and has earned Mikan’s anger. But Mikan has just now witnessed Yuka’s suffering, her hardships. She’s not even close to understanding it all quite yet, but even what she’s so far seen is enough to challenge her previous prejudices.

Is Yuka truly unforgivable? Is she really nothing more than a person who has hurt her friends?

Chapter One Hundred and Nine

In this chapter we are finally introduced to Igarashi Kaoru, who remains elusive for a while. Mikan thinks she looks familiar but can’t place how she might have seen her before. Mikan is intuitive enough--she can see there’s a connection to make, like always, but can’t completely connect the dots. Even as Kaoru further interacts with Yuka, Mikan remains clueless though everyone else can tell that she must be Natsume’s mother.

Yuka is brought to Himemiya and Kaoru confronts her by scaring the shit out of her--but essentially gives her the message that she should believe in herself and focus on trying instead of making excuses. “Be a woman,” basically. Noda reveals that Kaoru was a key figure in Yuka’s life, who gave her strength and support and ended up her best friend. She even gave her more confidence in her alice through this particular encounter with Himemiya.

I think that parallels nicely with Mikan’s own lack of confidence in her alice and Natsume’s role in making her feel useful. Though Kaoru’s own alice has little to do with Yuka’s, it’s still predominantly Kaoru’s influence that helps Yuka feel more confident, like she can do good with her alice. Meanwhile, I do think the relationship between Mikan’s alice and Natsume is a bit more profound, but ultimately, it’s due to him that she feels like her alice can be useful. It’s just a similar theme, one generation apart. Very interesting.

She's so stupid. It's fine.

It’s only when Noda tells Natsume that his mother has always been beloved by many people that Mikan finally gets it. Her mom and Natsume’s mom were best friends, unbeknownst to the both of them.

Chapter One Hundred and Ten

Mikan is shocked by this revelation. That’s quite a coincidence (until you realize that kids like Ruka, with non-Alice parents, are the rarity and that there are probably many more familiar surnames at that school in this moment in the past… the Academy has a small student body because being an alice is rare, and most Alices marry other Alices and spend their school years entirely surrounded by the same Alice classmates… It’s not that weird a coincidence that Yuka and Kaoru met… that their bond never broke and that Natsume and Mikan met and fell in love after… maybe that’s a little more strange). 

Mikan knows that Natsume’s mother passed away, and she feels even more empathy towards him. This is a mother he never really got to know, just like she never got to know her father. This time trip is just as much a benefit for him to connect with his family as it is for her. For both of them, snapped strings they get to mend.

You and me both, Noda.

Noda further explains that Kaoru used her alice as an investigative journalist, trying to uncover more information about the ESP and the corrupt academy. He claims Yuka must have been inspired by Kaoru’s work, leading her to joining Z in the fight against the ESP. 

I’ll talk about fate again, though I only mentioned it in the tags of Natsume’s corresponding essay.

There’s talk of red strings, of being fated, with even Noda musing on the mystery of it all. And it is a huge coincidence. I’ve discussed fate a little in this essay too, saying that while I do think fate plays a role here, it’s inextricably tied to agency and choice, particularly on Mikan’s end. Fate united them, but they would only work if Mikan was Mikan and Natsume was Natsume. Fate put them in each other’s orbit, you might say, but their own choices led to where they are now. Nobody made either or them fall in love, except for the other. Just like Natsume fell in love because of who Mikan was, Mikan fell in love with who Natsume was. 

The cosmic influence here is the connection between two generations, the coincidence of Mikan, who was purposefully kept far away from the academy, winding up enrolled despite her indetectable alice, winding up meeting Natsume, the son of her mom’s best friend.

Fate and soulmates and destiny are hard things to define, and I’m not sure I believe in them in real life. But this is fiction, and fate is the author, and Natsume and Mikan were always meant to be together.

Mikan and Natsume hold hands, staring at each other, both wondering about their bond. Though Natsume has already said his piece, Mikan hasn’t given us much insight into her own thoughts, particularly in regard to Natsume, and this moment is no different. It could be that this new information is blindsiding her, overwhelming her even further. In any case, I believe Mikan’s head is a mess but that she knows deep down what she feels. Though that’s for us to figure out. 

Conclusion

Mikan's journey to the past is all about connection, not just with the parents she thought were lost to her, but also to her friends and especially to Natsume. Tomorrow (or whenever I post next), I'll wrap up the Time-Travel Arc, which is even further about Mikan's connection to Natsume. She will remain nonverbal about her feelings for him for the duration of this long arc, but her reluctance to actually speak will prove to be critical (I was not just bringing it up all this time just to fill up space, I promise!)

This arc can be pretty fun to analyze, actually. I hope it's fun to read. Thanks and see you next time!

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[mouthpoisons]

on viktor's doomed destiny as the magical harbinger of the apocalypse, sky being a secret mastermind, the butterfly effect, the message within the pattern, the arcane being a sentient manifestation of The Narrative and pushing everyone towards tragedy

so this started out as a halfhearted joke post that went something along the lines of ''maybe sky is such a nothing character because she was always the arcane's y/n x viktor self insert and not just after the hexcore eats her'', then it turned into me spending like a whole day examining sky scenes through this lens and acquiring a massive tin foil hat about it, and then while paying attention to sky i also started viewing the arcane as a whole as something conscious, malignant, the plot of the show itself manipulating and urging everyone, but especially viktor, towards it's end goal of him becoming heimerdinger's world ending mage. and then This post happened. because i was initially writing an analysis on sky, this post is mostly me talking about sky. i started Realising Other Shit about halfway through and i simply wont be rewriting what ive already put down. but the more i think about it and go back and rewatch parts of the show, the more this makes perfect sense and i'll definitely be coming back with a part two. part 2 will likely be about jinx because that ''use your explosive potential and maybe you can change your story'' line from vi, which we can only assume is directed at her sister, is doing cartwheels in my brain

this is massive and long and messy and its going under a readmore. enter if u dare

disclaimer because theres gonna be people who Seriously hate this and might wanna assume things about me because of it but i hope youll understand im coming from a place of pure story and meta analysis. this theory is unfortunately going to assume theres a manipulative ulterior motive to Everything sky says and does, and this is not written in any way to spite people who like sky as simply the sweet doomed lady who has a crush on viktor, skyvik shippers, etc. i honestly just think she is currently the worst written character in the show by miles and that that... cant be it. trying to attach any secret meaning to what she went through and her role in the story beyond ''fridged woman'', i promise, is out of love, despite what im about to spend a billion words accusing her of. i deeply want her ass to secretly be part of the craziest reveal in the show.

if anything im about to say stays one of the most crackpot theories about the show ever written, then i will firmly be a member of the ''she deserved better'' camp, in which you can all beat me with hammers if you want. anyway lets get right into it.

i think sky has been some kind of arcane manifestation who scouted out, has been keeping an eye on, and has urging viktor along the path he's been on the entire show, and not just after the hexcore ''killed'' her. i believe she is essentially another herald who foreshadows some of viktor's major character developmental moments, that she is the butterfly effect, that the arcane is a conscious character and she is one of the vessels it uses to manipulate the show's story towards it's end goal, which very much seems to be setting up viktor as a world ender. i also believe that she may have had one major instance of manipulating the trajectory of jayce's story in service of this

before i continue i need you to know i tried to pull up a wiki page about her just now incase theres any Extra Lore that hasnt appeared in the show and apparently all anyone could be bothered to write down for her is ''Viktor's assistant with an unrequited admiration for the scientist.'' lmfao. if there Is any missing lore, behind the scenes stuff, etc, id love to hear it, whether it supports or contradicts any of this.

ok then, whatever, what do i remember about sky. shes from zaun, shes viktors assistant, they knew eachother or at least met that one time when they were children, she's been doing her own private research, and she has a massive crush on/admiration for him. viktor doesnt pay her too much attention until she ''dies'' and then he is consumed by guilt surrounding her death. sky also has a pattern of becoming more and more ''relevant'' to viktor as the show goes on, and a lot of people have criticised this as a form of reconning her fridging, and yeah if all of this is bullshit then it might be, but if not, wow. i also vaguely remember hearing something about amanda overton being very proud of sky's character which... right now? youre kidding me. if literally any of this is true? holy shit, i get it.

as a last bit of additional context; this theory was also super inspired the other theory that the corrupted spot heimerdinger noticed at the base of the hexgate is where some of viktor's blood fell as he... divinely received the idea to build the hexcore? (that's going to be such a fucking facepalm moment for all of us in retrospect if im onto something here lol). it's one of the things that really got me thinking. he shouldn't have been in any way magical at that point. my theory is in essence a massive continuation of the idea that arcane forces have been having an effect on viktor for longer than we realise.

i'll pitch this theory primarily through some scene analysis, and mostly from season 1 since everyone else has ''wait is she being Bad here'' season 2 sky analysis on lock, most of us agree she's being strange and ominous after her ''death''. i might be the first insane person on earth to pitch that she's also being strange and weird Before her ''death''

i'll start with what might be one of my personal smokiest of guns and biggest Insane In Retrospect Moments, which has a lot of the core thematic stuff shoved into it and laid out quite plainly, then im just gonna go wherever the flow takes me. im not an essay guy. this will be messy and im sorry in advance.

in this scene, viktor is messing around with the hexcore. sky is watching behind him, and remarks that it's beautiful. viktor expresses his frustration at not being able to figure out the device, sky responds ''you will'', asks to walk him home with her, and he declines, saying that he's going to keep working on it through the night. sky doubles down, asking ''again? yknow there's always tomorrow, right?''. he dismisses her and she leaves. pretty much immediately, viktor passes out coughing up blood, which merges with the hexcore.

viktor has been established as a wildcard and a risk taker who doesnt like unnecessary stalling and delays. at this point in the show his health is starting to take a heavy toll on him. jayce has recently hit the pause button on releasing their new hextech tools (more on that in a bit). he's incredibly frustrated with the overall situation and is in tunnel vision mode. my theory is that sky very purposefully asked him to take his time, to give it a rest, knowing that he would do the opposite. this is an example of some potential reverse psychology sky demonstrates a couple times during the show. the other one is a very prominent scene in s2e6 that also got me Thinking about all this, the part where she says to viktor ''you once told me, all systems have limits'', and he responds by asserting vander is worth the risk. course vander's continued presence in the camp as viktor tries to heal him kickstarts the rest of the horribleness that happens that episode, which in the end makes viktor ''understand'' the futility of the human condition, and perhaps if he hadnt just gotten shot by jayce, wouldve been the moment he becomes the apocalypse wizard.

in this s1 scene though... she didnt really have to flex it here. the purpose this specific example would theoretically serve would be to piss off the audience upon rewatch, because we all thought she was just flirting lol

her assuring him that he will figure it out, and then a massive advancement happening instantly, is crazy. it's as if she knew what was going to happen, as if she heralded it into being. this is also her first speaking scene in the show which feels significant especially when it comes to retrospect potential

next i wanna talk about the scene where she may have, in a such a blink-it-and-youll-miss way, manipulated jayce's trajectory. this is also her first appearance in the show period

before jayces progress day speech, he asks viktor to come onto the stage with him, ''we're partners'', and sky adjusts her glasses while looking in on in the background. viktor declines, anxious about the idea of being on stage, and sky hands jayce his script.

jayce confidently reads from the script for a bit, but then changes his mind about what he wants to say, and this is when he hits the brakes on unveiling the new hextech devices, suddenly disappointing both viktor and mel, who he sought out for advice on the matter just a couple of scenes prior. his mind is assumedly comfortably made up about this. hell, enough to write a script, set up a presentation, and for mel and viktor to also be confident about how the presentation will go. the decision was extremely on-the-spot; it's a very awkward moment as jayce freezes mid sentence, we get several shots of the hexgem behind him, strange noises start chiming in the background (which do sound a lot like the mic feedback that's also going in that scene, but these ones seem.. different? certainly deliberately placed), and he suddenly decides against the tech demo. the shots of the hexgem behind jayce have the potential to be ominous as fuck in hindsight. certainly ominous enough to snap me out of simply writing a theory about sky, to thinking about the arcane's influence on the characters and plot as a whole.

this is a possible example of sky, as some kind of arcane avatar, manipulating the plot, with the goal of creating tension between jayce and viktor, and frustrating viktor with the stalling of their technology. after the progress day speech, jayce remains a lot more safety-cautious, and is given his councillor positon, which furthers the rift between them. viktor states all of this in their brief argument in the scene at the hexgate, before he coughs up blood over the railing and has his vision of the hexcore. within the context of this theory, it really feels like the arcane kind of saying to itself, ''all according to plan, he's ready for the next big thing.''

this now. on a personal I Was A Disabled Loner Kid Too Once level this scene has always bugged me and i never quite understood why most people seem to take it as ''aw their first bonding moment''

viktor cant play with the other kids because of his disability, so he hangs out on his own and builds toys. sky comes over, literally looks down on him from a cliff, seems very curious about what he's doing but only briefly, and is called away by her friends, leaving with a smile, as quickly as she arrived. she... acknowledges him, but that's about it. this scene is significant to my theory in that she appears, does her little bit, and then viktor meets singed, who shows actual sustained interest in him and his toy boat, and lets him hang out so they can ''be loners together''. this is a seed planting moment in so many ways and it even threatens to come full circle next week if singed is going to revive viktor again. this very well may well have been when the arcane, through sky, ''chose'' viktor, or at least decided that his story is to be put into motion now, and set him on the path. he literally gets up and starts following his boat down a river.

i'm also pointing out the butterflies in this and jayce's flashback scenes. i dont have much to say about them that a lot of other people havent already especially since butterflies and insect imagery started popping up Everywhere for jayvik in season 2, but yeah *vague hand wave* im pointing them out.

pausing scene analysis for a moment to talk about the idea of viktor really being The Center Of All Of This, as caitlyn said in the act 3 trailer, before i go onto the next bit.

viktor, for this whole show, has been so unbelievably doomed, and it's ramped up to the nth degree in season 2. he's felt especially at the mercy of outside forces to the point where me and everyone else are starting to get real tired of the lack of agency the story is affording him. he becomes terminally ill, he rages against the dying of the light for a bit, but then shit gets scary and he makes jayce promise to destroy the hexcore (and let him die), he gets jinx nuked, jayce revives him explicitly against his wishes, comes back from time prison and kills him again, its a mess. its infuriating. i think that viktor's entrapment by the narrative, and everything becoming more hopeless and out of his hands, is going to be extremely important in act 3. that him giving the biggest Fuck You to his arcane destiny and tearing away from the narrative with claws and teeth is going to be the moment he becomes our machine herald.

i wrote a much shorter post about this earlier, but since then i've also become confident that the bad ending apocalypse wizard viktor himself is who sends jayce back to destroy the hexcore, effectively breaking the cycle and thrusting viktor's story into uncharted waters, which he will Gloriously Evolve above, but only after singed puts him through hell and fills him with resentment for jayce.

ok back to scene analysis

viktor has already come close to breaking free of his predetermined path before. in the context of this theory, viktor's beautiful hopeful triumphant moment, seemingly having a massive breakthrough in rising above his fate and body, outrunning the boat, being immediately cut short by sky showing up and dying and throwing him into a pit of guilt, despair, and desperate need to atone, is in no way accidental. im about to spill whats probably going to be this post's most egregious sky character assassination so be warned i guess!!!!

to put it very bluntly, heres how this whole scene goes according to my theory. viktor gears up to transmutate himself again, but because he's doing so while so full of hope, in a way that's threatening to break him out of his doomed narrative, maybe even just the fact he's doing it to himself instead of jayce doing it in a frantic attempt to save him from death, sky steps in. viktor must die, physically, emotionally, before he becomes the magician.

sky takes the drastic measure of ''killing herself'' in order to curse viktor with the crushing guilt that would morph him into someone who desperately needs to pay for what he did. fix the world, no longer as a driven idealistic scientist, but all consumingly, obsessively, and devastatingly.

if sky didn't intervene, viktor presumably still would've become some form of magical purple guy, but it wouldve been... the best possible timeline? a timeline completely untainted by death? like imagine the cocoon emergence scene and that conversation with jayce but a version where he's not absolutely destroyed by guilt surrounding sky. he was so, so close to just outright winning the game.

as sky's walking down the hall thinking about how she's going to pitch her ''private project'' to viktor, she says something that's potentially a massive red flag hidden in plain sight. she says that she's been working on it for weeks, then changes her mind and says she's been working on it for a year. that's... a huge time difference? if it was months vs a year it would sound much more organic, but weeks vs a year? of course in the real life ''everything im saying here is bullshit'' world she's just figuring out how to pitch herself and sound impressive, but whichever way you look at it and no matter her intent, she was preparing to lie to viktor here.

back in my delusional mind palace, i think viktor's full transmutation attempt takes her (the arcane/the narrative) by surprise - she was formulating her next move here, but it becomes her having to throw a spanner in the works immediately in order to keep him on the path of despair, of death and guilt.

so sky's a pile of ash now. sky is a pile of ash. she wasn't absorbed by the hexcore, on the contrary it looks to be actively pushed away from it (metaphorical skin shedding?) something else is happening for her to be manifesting herself to viktor in season 2. there's also that extremely ominous freezeframe of her when viktor picks up her glasses, but i cant for the life of me get a screenshot of it.

viktor picks up and starts reading sky's journal, and i'll be honest i cant really find any hidden message in her words there apart from the idea that this wide eyed, sweet, idealistic girl that viktor has just let down drastically is some kind of persona. it does stick out to me how much sky seems to envoke a younger viktor - someone who's stuck in an assistant role when she has her own big dreams. This tragic reveal that this cute but inconsequential background character had an inner life and goals too… it's a shock! And it’s all very personal. He paid her barely and mind and now she’s dead because of him, this poor girl who was inspired, by him, to change the world, just like him. It’s like. It’s so tailor made to make him feel like shit.

the next thing that happens is viktor gets Big Mad and tries to smash the hexcore, but it goes ''nuh huh!'' and makes him fall over in a show of power over him. he's firmly stuck in this narrative now, and he wont be breaking out again for a while. the mask is off and his story is locked. he will die, one way or another, and come back to destroy the world.

viktor cant break himself out of the narrative anymore, it has him by the neck and it makes sure he knows it, but someone else promises to.

and he cant, initially. it takes betrayal through reviving him with the hexcore (exactly what it wants). it takes a guilt-ridden viktor being overtly guided along by a much more suspicious sky, for him to get so in his head about this cult shit that it approaches the event horizon of becoming all consuming, it takes jayce being trapped in a time loop desperately trying to find any possible way around this. but the destruction of the hexcore, the narrative, sky, the destruction of the arcane within viktor is the only way for him to truly gloriously evolve.

jayces love for viktor was dooming him into becoming the arcane that ends the world, and the only way to chart a new course was by truly saving him. destroying the hexcore, sky, freeing him from the narrative, at the ultimate cost of viktor's love for him.

[absolutebl]

2023 Thai BL Favorites List - Mid Year Check In

Tagged by @thatgirl4815​ (thanks hon!) I adapted this to my taste.

Feel free to c/p do the same! 

I’m answering all these right now for 2023, because it’s too complicated for me otherwise. 

Favorite Thai BL 2023:

My School President

Favorite currently active Thai BL Branded Pair:

High Heat: Net James (Bed Friend) 

Established: OhmFluke (609 Bedtime Story)

New: GeminiFourth (My School President & Moonlight Chicken) 

Most underrated Thai BL actor right now: 

Film Thanapat. He was perfectly serviceable in To Sir, With Love but he’s a goddamn revelation in Laws of Attraction. 

Pair the deserves a second chance: 

Haii & Boom (Chains of Heart) 

Favorite Thai BL Main Character 2023:

King (Bed Friend) 

Favorite Thai BL Side Character 2023:

Thiu (My School President)

Favorite Thai BL side dishes 2023: 

Li Ming & Heart (Moonlight Chicken)

Favorite scene in a Thai BL so far:

My School President calling on the spirit of Love Sick. What can I say? I love meta and I love BL remembering it’s own history. This did both. 

Most Anticipated Thai BL (& why):

I Feel You Linger in the Air 

I like the premise, the cast looks great. This is a time travel historical romance adaption of y-novel by Violet Rain about a heartbroken architect who is transported to the 1930s from the producers of Lovely Writer.

Guilty pleasure Thai BL 2023 series (or likely to become so):

Future the series

July 2023 Thai BL Report

ABL has watched:

My School President & Our Skyy 2: My School President

La Pluie

Step By Step

Bed Friend

Between Us

Destiny Seeker

Make a Wish

Moonlight Chicken

Never Let Me Go & Our Skyy 2: Never Let Me Go

Our Skyy 2: A Tale of Thousand Stars

Our Skyy 2: Bad Buddy

Our Skyy 2: Star in My Mind

Our Skyy 2: The Eclipse

A Boss and a Babe & Our Skyy 2: A Boss and a Babe

Cutie Pie 2 You special

Future the series

609 Bedtime Story

Our Skyy 2: Vice Versa

I Will Knock You

Remember Me

Tin Tem Jai

Pastsenger

The Promise

Cafe In Love

Chains of Heart

Hit Bite Love

The Luminous Solution

My Blessing

Currently Watching: 

Be Mine Super Star

Be My Favorite

Dinosaur Love

Hidden Agenda

Laws of Attraction

Love Syndrome III  

Low Frequency

Senior Love Me

Wedding Plan

Can’t Find

Love Upon a Time

Boyband the series

Heart by Heart

Moments Of Love

DNF 

House of Stars

Till the World Ends

Announced for 2023 (maybe still to come?)

After Sundown

1626

Fake Love

Friends Forever

I Wish You Love

Lucky Love

Pisces of Me

Refund Love

Right Time, Right You

You Are My Soulmate

The Camp Fire

The Outing Series

Deep Night

Pit Babe

Rule No.1: Don’t Be Too Emotional

Future From Me

SHADOW

Naughty Babe

Only Friends

Buddy Line Y Animal AKA

Mystique in the Mirror

2 Worlds

Punk Spy

The Next Prince

Kemjira Will Survive

Playboyy

Close Friend 3 Soju Bomb

Waterboyy 3 AKA Waterboys

Acadex

I Feel You Linger in the Air

Middleman’s Love AKA Middle Love

Cinderella Boys

Cherry Magic (Thai remake)

Born to be Y

Dangerous Romance

23.5

4 Minutes

7 Times 4 Days

Big Dragon 2

Big Dragon the movie

Boy Never Smiles

Chiang Mai Adventures

City of Stars 

Colorful Melody

Cooking Crush

Flirt Milk

Friend. Boyfriend

Heroin The Series

Hot Bamee and Yummy Gyogung

Khemjira Will Survive

Last Twilight

Lost in the Woods

Love in Translation

Love Puzzle AKA Plengrak AKA

Love Syndrome – The Beginning

Lover Merman

Man Suang

Night Dream

Our Skyy 2

Our Story

Rule No.1: Don't Be too Emotional

Sunset Vibes

The Chinese Family

The D Project

The Hidden Character

The Internship

The Sign

The Whisperer

True Moon

Two Worlds

Wish Me Luck

Wish You Luck

Y-Moment

Crazy Handsome Rich

For Him the series

Twin The Series AKA Twins

Casanova Begins

Marry Go Round

Venus in the Sky  

[the-witchs-cafe]

A bit more of a meta question than a specific character question: but how do you think kyubey and the witch system work in the pokemon world? Would kyubey perhaps be a legendary, or is he something completely unrelated? Can kyubey and/or witches be caught in poke balls? And what about soul gems?

I'd be lying if I didn't say that I have been seriously brainstorming this for some time. While I do have bits and pieces in my disposal atm, I am more than happy to share them with ya! Hopefully, with time, we could manage to uncover a bigger picture here; see how these small particles of knowledge interconnect with one another to form a constellation like no other.

This is gonna be separated into parts, because, pal, I am gonna unleash levels of autism like no other;

-

Incubators

- H E A V E N S A Y S - "Y O U A R E A N A N G E L !"

So, first thing's first, Kyubey; after looking into his main inspiration, being the Old Ones and any other eldritch horror that is beyond human rationality, I've theorized that perhaps that a whole other incubator species is present within the Pokemon universe. Much like Kyubey, their individual "selves" are little more than parts of a much higher, vaster being that is looking down at humanity with calculative intrigue; striking a single one of them down is an act akin to simply waving your hand in front of their face, which is annoying, but not necessarily harmful. Unlike incubators, though, I can see their designs being more heavenly and digital; focused on what is right or wrong without any of the nuance of humanity, as well as butterflies being a key motif present.

While I am still working on how they would work lore-wise (like, how they came to being in the first place'; perhaps born from the expansion of the universe, as a consequence of Arceus' actions?), I don't think they would be in any way related to Pokemon as a species- rather, they are part of the universe as a whole. Think of the Pokemon universe as an Operating System, and the incubators as an essential application, there to ensure that the OS is running in a stable manner like a sort of booster, and magi are their own anti-viruses.

Aside from emotions and karmic destiny, tho (because I fucking hate Kyubey's justification for why he only contracts with girls in-canon; "oh, girls are just more emotional-" shut up), the incubators of the Pokemon universe also target desire; think visions from Genshin Impact, those whose wishes are so powerful that they rival the very narrative they are in. Those who seek to take charge of their destinies are more than likely to contract.

-

Witches

Regarding witches, I have to make it clear that, no; they're still interdimensional monsters born from curses and are, in fact, the maddened remnants of the souls of the magi they once were trapped in an eternal nightmare. However, it can be said that they would develop certain...quirks depending on the region they hail from. I'm still working on the whole list of regions, but here is what I got so far;

Alola: Community (can call for one another for assistance; battles against one another is rare, as they prefer to team up. More in-tune with the physical world than the rest.) and ??? (something to do with Z-Power, and how it would affect the witches and their barriers; still need to work on that)

Galar: Monarchies (the strongest witch there is crowned as their "ruler"; mirroring the region's celebrity culture and the old monarchs of Britain) and illusions (upon witching out, the magi leave behind "specters" of their former selves; kinda like faceless remnant data of the people they used to be, haunting the places and people that influenced them so until the witch's defeat. This phenomenon is caused by the former trainer's wishing star/dynamax band and the region's power spots.)

Paldea: Regrets/Treasures (still working on that) and paradoxes (how fucked up would it be if you met your future witch form looking down at you and square in the eyes, amirite you guys? Dang it, Sada and Turo...)

Aside from all of the above, if the magi happened to be a Pokemon trainer themselves before falling into despair, I think that their accompanying party 'mons would also be affected. After all, Z-power is drawn from both the trainer and their pokemon, and Mega Evolution's success depends on the bond made with one another. I'm still working on the intricacies, but they might become akin to shadow Pokemon from Pokemon Colosseum/XD: Gale of Darkness; they aren't familiars for the witch, but they would still be driven to insanity by their master's despair and still obey them in this form.

As a side-note, mainly because I am a huge Alola stan, I should state that, through Z-moves, the region technically has something akin to the Doppel system of Magia Record. When your heart is in-tune with your pokemon's, you share one another's hopes, dreams, worries, and despair in the process, before unleashing it all in the form of an as-of-yet unnamed specialized Z-Move. Using them also doesn't pose the risk of contracting Doppel Syndrome, either, but that is due to the following key aspect that separates this universe's doppel system from that of MR's-

You see, these specialized Z-Moves don't completely cleanse the soul gem upon activation; rather, they simply create a sort of equilibrium between the remaining energies of the magi and their 'mon. In a sense, you are sharing your burdens with your buddy by using this power, while also allowing them to lend their energy to you. Think of how the MC would feel exhausted after unleashing Light that Burns the Sky, then imagine the opposite of that.

This method of purifying soul gems is often regarded as an absolute last resort; the thought of risking your Pokemon's health just to make sure you don't kick the bucket is considered to be way too much of a taboo for most people. If used carelessly, then unleashing this power would cause the user to witch out at an even faster rate- perhaps instantly.

Yeah, between the witches that can actually organize and a less-than-stable doppel system, Alola is one of the worst regions to contract in. Too bad most of the residents there have a LOT of Z-power coursing through their veins, making it a sort of incubator/witch hotspot; same goes for Galar and its Dynamax Energies.

[spanishskulduggery]

what are some crucial phrases/vocabulary words for discussing literature (especially in conversation as opposed to academia)? I know genres and things like gustar/preferir, but I’m not sure how to talk about themes, characters, etc.

This vocab list on Academic/Literary Spanish might help

I'll also include my list on Academic Spanish Words which will help in general, but especially if you ever have to write essays or talk more conversationally about things

Also - just some additional help...

el tema = theme / subject

el motivo = motif / motive, motivation / theme

la metáfora = metaphor metafórico/a = metaphorical

la alegoría = allegory alegórico/a = allegorical

el personaje = character

el arquetipo = archetype el arquetípico = archetypal [sometimes people use this as "quintessential" when talking about specific roles characters play]

el/la protagonista = protagonist

el héroe = hero la heroína = heroine

el/la antagonista = antagonist

el villano, la villana = villain

el concepto = concept

el escenario = setting / scenery

el argumento = plot

el resumen = summary

la sinopsis = synopsis, summary

el papel = role [when it's not "paper"] hacer el papel = to play the role

la meta = goal

el hito = milestone

el deseo = desire / wish

el obstáculo = obstacle la dificultad = difficulty

el reto = trial, adversity, challenge

el desafío = challenge

la recompensa = recompense / reward

el premio = reward / prize / award

And some common things that show up with characters:

simpático/a = nice, kind, sympathetic

antipático/a = mean, unkind

amable = friendly, loving

cariñoso/a = affectionate

heróico/a = heroic

malvado/a = wicked, villainous

cruel = cruel

solitario/a = lonely / solitary

el príncipe = prince el príncipe azul = "knight in shining armor"

el galán = "the leading man", "hero" / "a Casanova", "Don Juan"

un donjuán / un mujeriego = womanizer [un donjuán is taken from Don Juan Tenorio, a famous womanizer in Spanish literature (check out El burlador de Sevilla y el convidado de piedra by Tirso de Molina to see more about him)]

la princesa = princess

la damisela = damsel la damisela/princesa en apuros = "damsel in distress"

egoísta = selfish

altruista = selfless, altruistic

sabio/a = wise

listo/a = smart [with ser] inteligente = smart

tonto/a = foolish

distraído/a = distracted / absent-minded

ensimismado/a = "in their own little world"

orgulloso/a = proud

engreído/a = conceited

apasionado/a = passionate

honesto/a = honest sincero/a = honest, sincere

humilde = humble

caritativo/a = charitable, giving

compasivo/a = compassionate, kind

codicioso/a = greedy

envidioso/a = envious celoso/a = jealous

poderoso/a = powerful

fuerte = strong

débil = weak

estable = stable

inestable = unstable

solemne = solemn

adusto/a = dour, grim, serious

severo/a = strict, severe

perezoso/a = lazy vago/a = lazy holgazán, holgazana = "lazybones" [lit. "person who is idle" or "person doing nothing"]

sinvergüenza = "terrible person" [lit. "shameless" or "knowing no shame", but it's a generic insult for someone]

alegre = happy

triste = sad

enojado/a = angry

asustado/a = scared

da miedo = scary [conjugates with dar, so dan miedo is "they're scary"]

amante = lover amantes malhadados = star-crossed lovers [lit. "ill-fated lovers"] amantes/amores contrariados (por las estrellas) = star-crossed lovers

afortunado/a = fortunate con suerte = lucky tener (la) suerte = to be lucky

desafortunado/a = unfortunate sin suerte = unlucky

desgraciado/a = tragic / unfortunate

vidente = seer / sees the future

miope = short-sighted

la moraleja = moral (of the story)

fantástico/a = fantastic / fantastical, from a fantasy

romántico/a = romantic

épico/a = epic

trágico/a = tragic

realista = realistic

pesimista = pessimistic

optimista = optimistic

And some common themes in general:

el amor = love

el bien y el mal = good and evil

la moral = morality, morals

la pasión = passion

la amistad = friendship

la suerte = luck

la fortuna = fortune / luck

el hado = fate el destino = destiny

la tragedia = tragedy

la comedia = comedy

la ironía = irony

el dinero = money

la riqueza = richness / wealth

la pobreza = poverty

la guerra = war

la paz = peace

el orgullo = pride [or "hubris" when talking about Greek plays; it's the same translation in Spanish; more formally it could be la arrogancia or la soberbia]

la ira = anger, wrath

la codicia / la avaricia = greed

la envidia / los celos = jealousy

la venganza = vengeance, revenge

el asesinato = murder la matanza = killing, slaughter

la crueldad = cruelty

la magia = magic

Dios = God [masculine; los dioses are "the gods"]

la justicia = justice

el valor / la valentía = bravery, courage

la sabiduría = knowledge

la astucia = smarts, cunning, intelligence / wisdom

la profecía = prophecy el augurio / el presagio = omen / premonition

el tiempo = time

la historia = history

la memoria = memory

la verdad = truth

la mentira = lie

el engaño = deceit, lie, trickery

el pasado = past

el futuro = future

el sueño = (a) dream [as opposed to "sleepiness"]

la realidad = reality lo real = what's real lo irreal = what is unreal

la vida = life la vida cotidiana = daily life la vida tal y cómo es = "life exactly how it is" [as opposed to an ideal; la vida tal y cómo es shows up a lot in realism and shows the good bad and the ugly]

la muerte = death

la misericordia = mercy

el perdón = forgiveness la clemencia = forgiveness

el remordimiento, el arrepentimiento = regrets

la culpa / la culpabilidad = guilt / responsibility, "blame", "fault"

el castigo = punishment

la responsabilidad = responsibility

la resistencia = resilience / resistance

la promesa = promise

el juramento = oath, promise

You'll also see a lot of lo with general concepts. The lo is a way to make a noun out of an adjective, so it gets translated as "what's" or "the thing that"

As an example... lo cierto y lo falso is "what's true and what's a lie", but you could rephrase it as la verdad y la mentira "truth and lie"

But you'll commonly see lo with things like that, discussing major themes or things the author wants people to think about... such as lo ideal y lo real "what's ideal and what's real", as in "someone's perfect ideal vs what they're really like"

You'll also see versus and contra "against" used in contrasting statements

[uniquetyphoonmiracle]

Siguiendo con OASIS [o la banda más POPULAR del MUNDO surgida tras el Suicidio de Kurt COBAIN de nIrVANa..algo que creo que cambio la HISTORIA DE LA MUSICA ]..vuelvo a recordar que su cantante LIAM GALLAGHER misteriosamente le desaparecieron sus 2 dientes frontales en ALEMANIA el sabado 30 nov 2002 [recuerdo que estaba yo en MAZATLAN_MEXICO para correr su MARATON el domingo 1 dic 2002..tras llegar el 28 nov o día de mi 31 cumpleaños que celebre en el aeropuerto de MEXICO DF con un tal JAIME NIETO al que llevaba un MALETON de ROPA de la MEXICANA ROCIO MEDELLIN BLANCO..durante la ESCALA a MAZATLAN ..por lo que el 29_nov descanse y el 30 intente hacer un reconocimiento de las calles pero cayó una TROMBA DE AGUA que las INUNDO..el 1 dic me levante muy temprano y muy dormido por lo que me puse los IMPERDIBLES del DORSAL cerca de los PEZONES y con el movimiento rozaron haciendo herida por lo que broto sangre que se extendió POR TODA LA CAMISETA al pasar por debajo de alguna ducha del recorrido pues había una humedad del 90% con bastante calor y al llegar a meta me dijo una chica que parecía EL DE LA MATANZA DE TEXAS=mi último SITIO visitado fuera de ESPAÑA como fue CORPUS CHRISTI..ademas mi hotel en MAZATLAN era el MISION donde volvi en 2019 y me di cuenta que esta frente al hotel GENESIS..y nada más entrar a la habitación me puso el botones la TV y echaban en NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC un documental del accidente del AVION "LA_MIA" que se estrelló día de mi 45 cumpleaños =28_11_16..que me dio por correr desde la calle MADRE DE DIOS a calle VIRGEN DE LA PAZ donde este el restaurant CHINO PALACIO IMPERIAL en su cruce con calle VIRGEN DE LA ALEGRIA y donde cene ..tras ese reportaje echaron como HONNOLD nacido en SACRAMENTO fue el 1ero en subir SIN CUERDAS el CAPITAN en YOSEMITE ..de Auténtico VERTIGO.

Liam GALLAGHER dice que no los perdió en una pelea que se monto en un bar de un hotel de MUNICH con unos ITALIANOS ni con la POLICIA que se los debieron quitar en comisaría con unos ALICATES cuando estaba inconsciente porque no tenía ninguna marca o hinchazón.. yo creo que se los quito DIOS O de MILAGRO y no por QUIMICA PAGANA que era el cd que presentaba entonces y al que siguio cd NO CREAS LA VERDAD

Is it any wonder why princes and kings

Are clowns that caper in their sawdust rings?

Ordinary people that are like you and me?

We're the keepers of their destiny

[indie-bard-maiden]

~The Morgue~

(the afterlife story, apart of my short story collection 'The Ballad of Hollowfaye', also available to read on wattpad)

Fallon Noot must make her choice at The Doors of Death.

Genre: Dyin' and Cryin'

Word Count: (to be determined)

"Come, come now, don't be afraid."

The orb-spirit of the red-haired witch hesitates over her body on the metal table. She's been clean of the blood and all the parts are in the right place now, only not in. Just lying there. Semi-put together.

"I don't like this. It's too meta." She shivers though her aura no longer feels temperature. How confused she must be. Poor wretch.

I lead her on, "Well, come then. We'll go to the Doors of Death now and you can make your choice."

"A, that doesn't sound very inviting, and B, what choice?"

I force the entry way to aparate in front of us. It obeys mindlessly as it is a door.

"It's quite warm, actually. And you will choose what you will do for the rest of your eternity."

We walk through. There is a large stone archway on the other side of a cobblestone bridge. On either side of us are waterfalls. All around us is darkness. There is no top or bottom. Only eternity.

"But that's such a long time." She says as we pass along, quietly, peacefully, no pain or coldness. "How will I know I'm making the right choice?"

I place my hand on her shoulder. Or at least. Where her shoulder would be if she had a mortal body. "Because there is no right or wrong. Only what you wish to be for you." I hold the door open for her, and she takes a deep breath before she passes through.

There's the clicking of a typewriter. The smell of the old books on shelves in the circular room. A fireplace across from the door. A counter with an elderly man with glasses penciling in his logbook with a quill, now and then dipping it into the ink pot and clinking it against the rim to rid it of any excess. There's a fluffy couch in the center of the floor atop of an even fluffier rug. A coffee pot in the corner, though there are no corners, from which a warm buttery, nutty, chocolate-y scent pours into the air.

"What... What do I do?"

I lead her to the old man, "We have an appointment."

His voice is warm and soft and gentle, eternal sleep in a larynx, "Busy night, Maeby?"

"Definitely."

He licks the point of his pen and flips the page. He tsks as he slides down the names and taps when he lands on hers, "Ah, yes," he looks up at her over the brim of his nose, "Fallon Noot, is it?"

"Yes, sir."

He stands from his chair and walks around the table, "Too young, eh? You're always too young or too old. No one ever goes who's just right." He leads her to the double doors, hidden behind a stack of books on the other side of his desk. "Well, off you go. Don't worry yourself about it too much. You got along before and you'll get along now."

"Thank you, sir." Her voice is small. Resolute. A lost soul nowhere near found.

She passes through first, and I follow her. I don't say goodbye to the man. I'll see him again soon. Shortly, even, with another lost passerby awaiting their eternal destiny.

This room is colder. Wider. No decoration or furniture. No smells or discernible place where the dim light pours in. Just counters that reach for the skies and a stone floor that's cold and empty. The beings atop the counters can't be seen, only heard. Falloon looks back at me.

"What now?"

I nod towards the sky.

"Fallon Noot." An androgynous, ambiguous voice that sounds like a cluster of beings unified as one. They're not cold or empty or frightening, only strong, powerful, and sure of every secret of the universe, of all matters life and death. "A choice you must make; a path you must take. Which shall be yours."

A golden light forms in the left corner of the ceiling, flows down slowly, along the floor, and stops just at her feet. And it forms a doorway on the wall. Through the golden light and shimmering essence are her family who've passed. Those who've chosen being reunited with family as the most important peace.

A man and a woman stand closest to the opening, smiling at her, tears in their eyes. They wave at her. They don't tell her to pass through or gesture her to come forward. They know it's her choice. And they'll forgive her if she chooses another path.

A second light, this one metallic silver forms in the right corner of the ceiling and rushes down to the ground. It reaches her feet before she's even fully registered its presence. Its doorway is a circle, a tunnel, a dark glimmering crawl space.

There's her as a baby, as a child, a young girl. It's a chance to relive the life she loved. To relive it forever, forever knowing what awaits her, but never having to replay the end again. Getting to see the family she loved again, to see the friends she knew, forever and forever. Only choosing to relive her happiest moments if that's what she wished.

To the left-middle, beside the golden light, a blood-red light oozes down the walls, slowly, so slowly she distracts herself with the other two options while it finishes forming the opening and closing doorway. There's a beat from it. A subtle thump thump thump.

And then there she is, on a hospital sonogram. Her first heartbeat being recorded for a crying mother to hear. A new her. A new life. A new soul fragment. A new family. A chance to experience the world over again with a fresh start. A chance to find another way at life; a chance to try the things she never got to before; a chance to get things right or to get things totally wrong. Complete reincarnation.

Beside it, to the right-middle, a flourish of green leaves grows down the wall. Winding and braiding along the floor. The branches open up to a reveal a door that reveals... Nothing...  To pass through means to sleep forever. To feel no pain, to have no worries. To be warm and comfortable, and having a dreamless rest that you never want to wake up from and never will wake up from. Eternal peace.

And then, the very last choice for her, a black cosmos lights up in the middle. It dims the light of the others, though there's no way to see exactly what it holds in store, for it's a gamble. The path least chosen.

To face punishment for all of your mistakes. To feel all the pain you've caused, to hear all the things you've said to people that you regret, to relive all your greatest mistakes, to rebreak every bone you've ever broken, to face all the demons of your past. The worst pains imaginable over and over and over.

And if you survive without succumbing to the suffering, if you make it out stronger, more aware, more forgiving of yourself, and more understanding of your mortalhood, you will be granted a gift. Immortality and godhood, a gift that encapsulates your entire soul. The ability to make a new name and legacy for yourself.

She stands back. Knowing all the options, she's overwhelmed.

"I... This is too much..." She turns to me, "I can't choose. I can't choose just one."

She steps out of the center of the floor, and I urge her back. "You must. Go with your instinct. Remember, there is no right or--"

"The fifth one, final answer. I'm conceded enough to be a god, and I think I've got what it takes to make it through."

I'm taken aback, as she crosses her arms. Or what would be her arms. I clear my throat even though I haven't the need, "You could relive being disemboweled again."

"Well, I survived it once, didn't I? What's one more time for godhood?"

"You didn't..."

"Whatever," she waves me off, "I thought nobody was allowed to influence me." She looks up at the cosmological beings in the ceiling. "I choose the black one. I want to be a God."

The room tilts from side to side, jilts on its axis, spends in circles. The lights from the other doors revert: her family stepping away from the doorway, trying to hide their frowns about having not been reunited; her life in the silver metallic fading forever, being forgotten forever, being eaten by time and space; the vines from the fourth door rot and wither away; the heartbeat in the third door fades into silence, the mother's baby being lost. The last sound being from the next appointment.

"I'm sorry," The doctor echoes, "I can't seem to find a heartbeat." The door swallows itself whole, dissolves into nothingness.

All that's left is the black cosmos. It expands and expands, taking the walls and the floor with it. Fallon falls to her knees.

"What is this?" She screeches.

"Your test," I mumble though she can no longer see me, can no longer touch me as I become one with the darkness, "begins now."

BACK TO MASTERLIST? CLICK ╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ HERE

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to like, reblog, and/or comment if you liked or hated it. Spill the tea. Share your thoughts directly with the source (me.)

[mystiika]

re; death personified

h i s t o r y

a meta post can be found here for details on the name & reason for the default form Death uses, but at some point over the millennia death gained the moniker ' ada ' which is what it uses to introduce itself. as such, to make it easier to read this info post i will be using that name to help differentiate between death as the state vs death as a being or capitalise Death to indicate the being. as the form they choose to take most often is that of a woman & i often switch between pronouns especially because what even is gender as a concept, but these pronouns includes it/its. it all depends on the state Death is in for me to use one pronoun or another. below i will try to primarily use it/its but will switch to they/them or simply say ada when i feel like its a little unclear or matches the timeline, as you'll understand a bit from that name meta linked above. that said, ada has & will continue to take the forms of people from the life of the person dying in order to help their passing more tranquilly, if death believes a person/animal with a connection will be better rather than the form of the woman ada will default to. side note: in threads, any pronoun goes honestly so use whatever you feel fits best.

so for my version of death, ada has existed since the beginning of time. it controls both the death & birth of all things. from the birth of universe to the birth of a fly. from death comes life & from life comes death. it’s all connected & does so through ada. all this to say, ada is something of a god. now, that doesn't mean that ada the only god. she can work with other gods as they come up, other givers & takers of life. though it is ancient even among those gods, it was there when they all came to be & as such, demands respect inherently. ( & as an aside, i can easily alter this lore to accommodate other muses ).

she aims to help people live their lives to the fullest before their time comes, but when it does, ada can come to each person/ each living thing, differently, comforts them as best she can, & aids them to pass on peacefully where possible.

but it also hurts her to take lives, to do so in painful ways especially, but just as ada can do things of her own accord, she is bound by her destiny. ada is, at times, forced to be cruel & evil. so she lives ( for lack of a better word ) each day with regrets because, ultimately, she loves everyone & everything so fully. death doesn't want to take lives but there's value & necessity in death order for other life to continue.

earlier i also mentioned both the birth of universes & flies as being something ada is a part of. & while she doesn't necessarily feel the same contributing to the passing of animals without a brain vs something as intelligent as humans, the simply act of taking the life of anything is significant. seeing the death of something as beautiful as a star is difficult even when it brings about the something as breathtaking as the nebula it creates.

i want to discuss the woman whose form ada takes but as this post is already rather long & the background ada has with this woman is also quite long so i'll be making a separate post on her specifically

i n f l u e n c e s

when creating ada, i was firstly influenced just generally by death as it comes up in various media, from things like death/angel of death from supernatural, to stories where death isn't a person. but after reading things such as tuesday's with morrie by mitch albom, my own personal thoughts about death can, has, & will continue to change. this means that my concept for ada is also subject to change here & there.

that being said, my death personified is ultimately heavily inspired by the book thief by markus zusak because of death being the narrator.

the way death introduces themself as the first thing in the novel really stuck with me in particulate. of course there was mention of the observable things that death would notice at the moment someone passes. but to me these two parts in particular were noteworthy:

" it suffices to say that at some point in time, i will be standing over you, as genially as possible. your soul will be in my arms. a color will be perched on my shoulder. i will carry you gently away. "

&

" the question is, what color will everything be at the moment when i come for you? what will the sky be saying? personally, i like a chocolate-colored sky. dark, dark chocolate. people say it suits me. i do, however, try to enjoy every color i see — the whole spectrum. a billion or so flavors, none of them quite the same, and a sky to slowly suck on. it takes the edge off the stress. it helps me relax. "

it just felt so human, while also incredibly isolating in a way. obviously ada is not a 1:1 in personality, but just the concept of death existing as an actual being with a consciousness & feelings were the building blocks for ada as a whole.

realistically the only characters ada can't interact with are other characters that are death ie. death from supernatural or thanatos from greek mythology

[intplayboy]

WITCH'S REFUGE - ROYAL SOLDIERS! BTS OT7 X FEM WITCH! READER [ CHARACTER BOARDS ]

if you wish to be part of the tag list, complete the form.

summary: in an era where the royal family denounces all magic, as one of the few remaining witches, you hide your powers. though you try to lead a normal life, only the seven accepting men make you feel truly understood. yet, what destiny awaits when you must reveal your true identity?

genre: supernatural/magic au | medieval-modern fusion fantasy au | F2L (more like idiots to lovers, honestly) | moderate? angst | action | romance | fluff | hint of crack

pairing: royal soldiers bts ot7 x female witch reader (high royal commander!kim namjoon, high royal soldier!kim seokjin, high royal soldier!min yoongi, royal assassin!jung hoseok, royal assassin!park jimin, elite warrior!kim taehyung, elite warrior!jeon jungkook)

warnings: mentions of violence, blood, death, slight mentions of SA, disgusting misogyny, witchcraft, slight gore, and swearing.

permanent tag list: @taolucha, @exfolitae, @namjoonswaifu, @rinkud, @vinyl-music0sleep, @queenlouie18, @Sophiaj650, @m0v3m3ntsblog, @nicholedobre-blog, @bjoriis, @multifandom301, @princess-sunshyn, @han-aaaaa, @ejspencer14, @dango-07, @catthecreator, @skyys-universe, @thvslvt, @dustyinkpages, @tinymesblog, @savagemickey03, @aynbookworm, @loveforred, @jwonz, @ghostlyworld, @ldfkeddieshot, @wagtte, @louisaqueen, @meepsters-world, @carolina-thiell, @svnbangtansworld, @deepestfacedevil

(the tags that are strikethrough could not be tagged)

drabble masterpost | masterlist | character boards | prologue | part 1 | part 2 [finale] | alternate ending

Y/N L/N - "Zalvokraël" OF WITCHES

AGE: 22

ABILITIES: Meta magic, Omni-Magic, Linguistic Assimilation, Projective Omnilingualism, Healing magic.

KIM NAMJOON - HIGH ROYAL COMMANDER OF THE KINGDOM OF PENTARAEGIS

AGE: 26

ABILITIES: Peak Human Physical Condition, Martial Arts Mastery, Tactical Analysis, Strategic Military Mastery, Leadership Mastery, Bladed Weapon Proficiency.

KIM SEOKJIN (JIN) - HIGH ROYAL SOLDIER OF THE KINGDOM OF PENTARAEGIS

AGE: 28

ABILITIES: Peak Human Physical Condition, Martial Arts Mastery, Tactical Military Mastery, Bladed Weapon Proficiency.

MIN YOONGI - HIGH ROYAL SOLDIER OF THE KINGDOM OF PENTARAEGIS

AGE: 27

ABILITIES: Peak Human Physical Condition, Martial Arts Mastery, Tactical Military Mastery, Bladed Weapon Proficiency.

JUNG HOSEOK (HOBI) - ROYAL ASSASSIN OF THE KINGDOM OF PENTARAEGIS

AGE: 26

ABILITIES: Peak Human Physical Condition, Assassination Mastery, Martial Arts Mastery, Technical Military Mastery, Combat-Medical Proficiency, Bowmanship.

PARK JIMIN - ROYAL ASSASSIN OF THE KINGDOM OF PENTARAEGIS

AGE: 25

ABILITIES: Peak Human Physical Condition, Assassination Mastery, Martial Arts Mastery, Technical Military Mastery, Combat-Medical Proficiency, Bladed Weapon Proficiency, Throwing Weapon Proficiency.

KIM TAEHYUNG (TAE/TAEHYUNGIE) - ELITE WARRIOR OF THE KINGDOM OF PENTARAEGIS

AGE: 25

ABILITIES: Peak Human Physical Condition, Martial Arts Mastery, Sub-Tactical Military Mastery, Bladed Weapon Proficiency, Throwing Weapon Proficiency.

JEON JUNGKOOK (JK) - ELITE WARRIOR OF THE KINGDOM OF PENTARAEGIS

AGE: 24

ABILITIES: Superhuman Physical Condition, Supernatural Combat Mastery, Sub-Tactical Military Mastery, Supernatural Swordsmanship.

drabble masterpost | masterlist | character boards | prologue | part 1 | part 2 [finale] | alternate ending

[hydralisk98]

Fast reference notebox for the book gig...

Essentially documenting my autofiction scenes + scenarios, the constructed world + its related "soft lucid-y reality shifting" dreams I had and all the quintessential content for that specific book planning and outline production (for the gig with Emma @xemmiiex on Fiverr).

For myself, don't forget to write down paper notes and get some prints onto paper for double content access and backup safety.

In a nutshell, I had dreams for each major character in my story except for "Nil", because ofc they is a placeholder for the reader / watcher / player / manifester that is yet to be determined.

I will drop a file archive (aka something like *.zip ) containing the remainders of content I produced thus far for Angora outside of this blog relatively soon, alongside some content ideas to solidify such into my manifestation habits & imagination overall.

======

So yeah... I got some relatively vivid scenes to document about the core characters in the story, as well as suggestions derived from such that are worth pointing out like storytelling themes, worldview values, creative tools, stylistic devices, visual moodboards, musical audio playlists, intertextual inspirations... Pointing out about Kate (& her house pet Shoshona the black angora cat) first. The first of two dreams was simply entering a modest household as Kate in a middle-class suburban home from the front, with Shoshona just around the corner as I was getting ready to leave the entry before the dream ended. The second dream was a compilation of mix-and-match lively memories from Kate (some middle schoolwork, some travel trip... hoping for a bookstore / public library / cybercafe one soon) until I hit the scene waking up the maternal grand mother with spirit detectors of retro kinds, misunderstanding my presence thanks to older but barely accurate machines that lead me to leave but not without marking some gender transition markings on a wall. Afterwards is Ava, the synthetic household social servant for Kate and her delegated scene. The dream was pretty much a visit to a pristine white + black design shop for older assistive automata asking for the status and acquisition of Ava and other matters related to the previous dream. The service representative felt mostly like a handsome MiB trope and was well versed into my French well aware of meta-physical details of my shifting attempts; (Don't forget about synthetic agentive rights, political rights + cooperation between lifeforms, meta-awareness and esoteric comforting acknowledgments) And then is the Curator. That one last dream has a sort of princess rulership vibe to it from a further galactic cosmic future. Closely related to the proper 16^12 meta-narrative aka elderly universe tropes mixed with nihilistic optimism. It has some precursor dreams involving hellish, celestials, fey & aliens estates as well as a long character backlog derived from Bungie works (90s' OpenAleph Marathon series, Halo 2's Arbiter & Destiny's Witness specifically) among many other sources. Wakfu and Helluva Boss got major influence in there as well, due to their additional nuances and thematics that complement my storytelling brilliantly.

======

There is more yet to be written and unveiled, but if I was to condense it into a novel summary of some sort, it would be around the lines of a nuanced empowerment and embracing the nuances of existential grand strategy scale narrative about making life your very own through the manifestation toybox and overall customizing life within your own bounds towards your very own tastes through the example world that Angora (main planet analog to Earth in this 16^12 cosmos) represents. Definitely a hobbyist historian retrospective feel with optimism and yet grounded in pseudo-historical simulationism.

I mean, the one grand major point of divergence politically stems from Theodore Roosevelt getting elected in the 1912 equivalent and then carrying on quantum consequentially to the present day of ~2020-2025 where I live throughout Kate. The perspective is through Nil & Ava mostly despite the focal point being Kate and the game-master author stand-in being the Curator.

I do am very hooked onto technological & cultural grand scale ramifications of such a worldly timeline, with some ethos branches (RadicalHarmonists=Celestial, Progressives+SyndicalistsPact=Infernal, LibertyParty=Sylvan, Unity=Democrats+Republicans US parties merged) and multimedia interactive scenarios involved. But I am getting my hands dirty to finish the bottom level stuff with the help of video games and other third-party tools to ready the baseline mindset / environment to write for.

Farewell to very very soon @xemmiex . I will try my best to be ready enough to start the gig by July 31st at the earliest, or by August 20th at the latest.

[avelera]

#I agree with all of this#you putting into words has made me better understand why I like hob so much#hob gadling#meta#the only thing I'd add is that I (unpopular opinion I know) LOVE 1489 hob#like you said it's like a second childhood to him#I love the innocent look on him and like to think it's real#I think he lost half his village and his family pretty young#like 9-12#strong healthy kid probably worked for food and shelter for someone who had lost to many family members to work their field#then he gets roped into the army and then his life was soldiering and banditry!#for a century!#it seems pretty clear that printing is his first other job#he's likely just started a new life (looks young and is an apprentice)#learned to read (probably not to write yet I don't think)#I think he probably just now figured out the 'I'll live x years as y then fake my death' thing#before he just 'died' and went to do banditry the next town over#I think it's his first time having a 'normal' life as a young adult#he didn't get that the first century and it never occured to him for a while!#he's a peasant. learning a trade. going to taverns and playing cards and having 'everyday' problems like fleas and kerchiefs#not the plague and the war and your family dying and not knowing how to make an honest living#I think he's in wonder of that#which I find relatable in the sense today too we might lose our childhood/teens/20s to trauma and then#be so in awe when we sort our mental health get a job and live on our own and such - @sb-essebi

Ok first of all I want to highlight these gorgeous tags but also I need to say: how did you manage to so swiftly and elegantly redeem 1489 Hob for me??

Like, I still enjoy the con artist 1489 Hob headcanon, but, this take absolutely warmed my heart and shattered it at the same time.

Just... Hob after 100 years finally having enough time to emerge from the trauma of the 1300s, something most humans never live long enough to do? Hob finally having this second childhood after breaking free of the fight-or-flight necessities of being a peasant, and a soldier, and a bandit, to finally come out on the other side of that and have the chance to just... settle down in a field where death isn't a daily expectation, with means of his own and independence and security? Enough that he can start to have routines and hobbies and just sit back and be in awe of the wonder of the world? I'm going to cry??

It also jives well with a sense I've had about Hob since I first saw the episode, which is that he would feel so, so bad for The Old Guard immortals? That was my previous fandom, I love immortals and it's part of why Hob fascinates me. Because he's not a soldier even though it would make sense when he can't die. He doesn't try to save the world like they do, even though it would be easy to see the whole world as being your responsibility to save, single-handedly but, as we see, more than half the Old Guard are driving themselves insane by trying to engage, constantly, on the most brutal level with "saving the world" just because they can't die or be permanently injured.

I feel like Hob would pity them so much? Like, they see themselves as having finally matured beyond selfish daily needs but I could see Hob coming right back at them with, "No? I kept moving forward, you stopped at the trauma response level of thinking you need to fight the entire world all by yourself, that there's no other, better use for your time and energy and ability to help others except to expose yourself, over and over again, to the absolute ugliest parts of humanity without relief? How do you not expect to go insane after that?" Like, Hob's not a superhero, he's just not, he's not out there saving the world. But would Booker be a superhero without the others to channel his immortality into that life? He's clearly not well-suited for it, so it's not destiny, it's just their decision to spend their immortality that way instead of as, Idk, doctors or something (I mean, obviously Doylist, we wouldn't have a story that way lol).

My point is, I'm sort of obsessed with the idea of Hob not just Doylist being a fascinating immortal but like Watsonian, in-universe, being a totally bonkers immortal that none of the others understand, including Dream. Like you just... continue? To find life fulfilling? Not on the margins or in the extremes but just daily life and purposefully attaching yourself to the little difficulties and irritations and the big things like grief that come from daily life? You just do that? Because that sounds easier but also harder than being one of those super-powered world saving immortals, who justify their own existence mattering in the grand sweep by attaching themselves to BIG things like saving the world, rather than little things like... just being there to help out around someone's day and having someone to come home to.

So anyway, with your 1489 Hob read I'm just seeing Hob looking at the Old Guard and not seeing these badass mercenary immortals who have everything figured out but seeing traumatized people who never ever learned how to move on from fight-or-flight or how to get better, so they just stayed there and justified it by saying what they did was important, that how dare they do anything else but expose themselves to this horrible depths of human cruelty and loss every day? And him just shaking his head wondering how do they not get how much more there is to life?

Hob Gadling - the absolute maddest of immortal lads

One of the things I love most about Hob Gadling as a character (and as a result, do my best to capture in fic) is how unique his reactions are to immortality and to Dream, and how he so often does the opposite of what one would expect from the genre of "humans granted immortality" but also what the average person and most of the audience expects that they would do with immortality, lending well to the concept that Hob is, genuinely, unhinged and a truly supernatural creature in his own right, which is often lost when the character we see him most often juxtaposed against is Dream, who is even more odd and unhinged if in very different ways

(I've decided to be systematic about this and go through meeting by meeting so strap in, folks it got long, as usual!)

1389 - First of all, Hob simply bragging at all that he doesn't plan to die. OG hipster right there, loving life before it was cool. But also, ok, loving life after being born less than a decade after the Black Plague ended. And in the midst of a great many Black Plague aftershocks! The latter half of the 1300s was a truly abysmal time to be alive, with huge social upheaval, war, plagues, "two bloody Popes fightin'" and in the midst of all this is Hob motherfuckin' Gadling, cheerfully announcing that death is for suckers and he doesn't intend to ever do it.

The man is a soldier! You'd think he'd be more accepting and philosophical about his inevitable death given the time he lives in, the profession he has chosen, the fact that most young men his age were wiped out at age 9 by the second wave of the Black Death, and just, in general, doing all of this while having the misfortune to live in England at the time.

And then when Dream comes up to him, like a complete weirdo, and challenges him on this, Hob is actually pretty nice to him! He gives him a side eye but he also goes along with the question, tells him to ignore his friend's jibes, and cheerfully accepts the wager! I cannot express to you how many turns in the road there are between what a normal person would do and what Hob Gadling does in that moment.

1489 - This one bugs me because the most unexpected thing Hob does is seemingly regress in maturity despite now being 100+ years old.

Now, I'm a huge fan of the theory that he's conning Dream right now and putting on the innocent chucklehead routine to put Dream off from kidnapping him to Faerie Land in exchange for his immortality. HOWEVER, since that's just a headcanon, let's take Hob as he is on the page!

Hob has a job. A Freaking Job. He used to be a bandit and a soldier, things that kind of make sense to do as an immortal (like The Old Guard) when you can't die! You could theoretically make BANK there just by taking dangerous jobs. But Hob doesn't?? He gets a normal-ass job, though in that day's equivalent of getting a job at Microsoft or Apple before they became big, Caxton is like one of the first modern startups in essence, a new technology that made TONS of money once it was imported, and Hob was on the ground floor. Still. HE GOT A JOB as an IMMORTAL. He doesn't seem to have this immortality thing figured out yet? And he doesn't ask Dream hardly any questions about it either! You'd think he'd be frothing at the mouth to better understand wtf happened to him, but once Dream clarifies that he's not the Devil and Hob's soul isn't in danger, that's it! No further questions, your honor! WHAT??

Also, just when you WOULD expect him to beg for death (that IS the genre savvy thing to do, Dream's not wrong!) he DOESN'T. He's more in awe than ever, he seems to be experiencing a second childhood over the fact. He's just vibing and living life. That's so, so unusual in this genre.

Hob also hasn't done any of the savvy things an immortal might do after 100 years! He doesn't actually seem all that angsty about why is he immortal, beyond a bit of fear he might need to pay the piper (Dream) now for this gift. Most vampires in an Anne Rice novel would have gone through about 20 stages of grief after they dealt with the first 100 years of everyone they know and love dying but Hob seems to not only be unbothered but actively gearing up for the next century. It's so bizarre. IT'S SO BIZARRE and I love it because I LOVE characters who DON'T do what you'd expect!

1589 - Hob has a family. HOB HAS A FAMILY. Who in their right MIND would start a family, knowing you'd have to bury your spouse and your children? HOB MOTHERFUCKING GADLING that's who! It's incomprehensible! He does it anyway! It's why I headcanon that he planned to support and nurture his family throughout time, like it was all very deliberate to found a dynasty, but it need not be! Knowing him, he just saw a pretty girl and married her! He didn't even CONSIDER his own wife and children getting angry and jealous with him for having immortality he can't share with them? He didn't even CONSIDER the heartbreak?? WHAT?! Who knows! He just did!

Now, this Hob HAS begun to do SOME of the things one would expect of an immortal - like build up generational wealth, BUT he has a KNIGHTHOOD. What immortal in their right MIND would draw that sort of attention to themselves?? HOB, THAT'S WHO. What are you ON, man, that's INSANE! No wonder he got drowned as a witch the man had ZERO CAUTION AT ALL.

1689 - the man is destitute. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN IF YOU'RE AN IMMORTAL? This is AS puzzling as anything else. Theoretically, Hob could just take a dangerous job with a high fatality rate for quick cash and rebuild his fortune pretty quickly, but he DOESN'T. What went wrong? The possibilities are tantalizing and painfully human that maybe he did do that and failed anyway, or hit even WORSE strings of truly abysmal bad luck.

But somehow, at 300 YEARS OLD it's not until 1789 that we hear Hob has begun socking money away for a rainy day! How does it TAKE YOU that long, sir?? How is that NOT something you figure out in your first century? I've seen a lot of fan writers ascribe a certain amount of immortal savvy to Hob but it's REALLY not there on the page! The guy is NOT genre savvy about immortality AT ALL he doesn't do ANY of the things one would expect, it's absolutely WILD that he falls this low after 300 years after completely failing to, theoretically, CONSIDER this possibility! And then, AND THEN, the guy STILL wants to live. I mean, this one hardly needs saying, that's nuts after what he went through, it's on the page that he's NUTS for this. But the guy is literally in the gutter dreaming of the stars, he is unstoppable I love him so fucking much what a force of nature.

1789 - OK, we've already mentioned that it took until 1789 for Hob to start saving money for a rainy day but let's talk about the fact HE'S NOT ACTUALLY CAREFUL ABOUT BEING CAPTURED?? Again, least genre savvy immortal EVER. You can't die so you'd THINK that being captured or imprisoned or god forbid, thrown down a mine shaft would be the SCARIEST possible fates when you don't have death as an escape, but the guy doesn't even blink at the thought of getting captured by an occultist like Johanna Constantine, dude's totally unbothered! DREAM has to tell him after 400 YEARS that maybe he should be worried about this? THE GUY GOT DROWNED AS A WITCH, picked himself up, dusted himself off, got into some crimes against humanity, and MOVED ON apparently without learning a single goddamn lesson he hasn't had since 1389 which is how to kick ass and look good doing it BUT HE'S NOT EVEN A PROFESSIONAL FIGHTER AS A CAREER, he's just a gentleman of means!

He just... lives a normal human life and seems to expect weird things like being kidnapped by occultists to not happen so long as he stays within those boundaries and you know what? IT SEEMS TO HAVE WORKED! Because to be fair, how many of us outside the bounds of fiction would ever expect the wild stuff like kidnapping to really happen? It's statistically quite vanishingly rare! And that's been all Hob has needed, presumably, to not need to stress since the damn witch trials about his immortality! So yeah, I read fic where Hob is like this very savvy immortal but by 400 YEARS he's BARELY learned to have a savings account under a different name and he STILL doesn't seem too bothered by the possibility of getting hurt or captured! Like, AT ALL?! Absolutely class act right here, top lad, unbelievable, no notes. HOW do you SURVIVE like this as an anomaly, Hob?

1889 - By now, it SEEMS like Hob has bought a clue. He's pretty understated, he's made some amends, SEEMS to have resolved to be less of a shithead, and he's got this immortality thing figured out. It only took him 500 FUCKING YEARS. But again, Hob ISN'T fabulously wealthy as far as we can tell. He's not a megalomaniac and he STILL seems to be vibin' as just a dude doing Just A Dude things like HAVING A JOB and if we borrow from Hob's Leviathan a bit, he's STILL just jumping between industries, just living life down at the normal human level. He hasn't detached from humanity, he lives in the day to day on a level that's just INCONCEIVABLE for a being that's 500 years old.

1989 - Ok, moving on a bit from Hob being an immortal, because getting excited about technology like his brick phone is absolutely so charming I want to squish his cheeks, but he's hardly the only immortal to get excited about that. What I want to talk about is how HOB FORGIVES DREAM for 1889. Because, look, Dream is a prick there. Hob could have been more diplomatic but Dream could have waited for the apology and he didn't.

I have seen SO MANY TAKES where Hob would be MAD after 1889 and RIGHTFULLY SO. But he's NOT. He's not! There are so many fics where he has lingering hurt over it but that's just NOT what the character does! He blames himself! Guy did pretty much nothing wrong except maybe choose his words poorly, but he's blaming HIMSELF for making Dream uncomfortable. Absolute legend. Saints have nothing on this man, that is saint-like behavior. I'd be furious. Hob just misses his friend and BLAMES HIMSELF that Dream isn't there. Not an a single, microscopic trace of anger in sight.

2022 - And then, AND THEN, when he has EVERY REASON to flip out when Dream shows up, finally, after 133 YEARS, after Hob has APPARENTLY stuck around the area just in case, WAITING for him, what does this fucking legend say? "You're late."

THAT'S IT! He's not mad, he totally has a right to be! He doesn't jump out of his chair in shock, that would be a totally expected reaction to! He glances up! He acts like Dream is 5 minutes late instead of over a century WHAT IS THAT?? WHAT IS THAT?! HOW?!! They just settle back with a pint after that like it's nothing. That's not what I would do. I don't think that's what almost any human would do after a shock like that. I still can't wrap my head around it.

So anyway, Hob Gadling, absolutely FASCINATING character from the perspective of just not doing a single fucking thing you'd expect an immortal Just A Dude to do. Goddamn legend right there. Worth remembering for those like me who are obsessed enough to write this guy in fic. He is just so... opposite of everything you'd expect and that is so fucking sexy of him wow

[productsreviewings]

Retrenched tech employees really feel they've been mistreated by their former employers after years of loyalty. Former Googlers and meta employees say they have been laid off or instantly locked out of the system whereas on maternity go away. HR consultants instructed Insider that many corporations are unprepared for the supply of mass layoffs. loading One thing is loading Thanks for signing up! Entry your favourite subjects in a customized feed whilst you're on the go Obtain the app Why does the most recent spherical of layoffs in tech appear significantly brutal?In March, a bunch of greater than 1,400 Googlers petitioned CEO Sundar Pichai to respect employees and never "be evil" as the corporate minimize its workforce by 12,000. The outrage got here after numerous former workers publicly shared how they felt the corporate dealt with their layoffs in a distinctly un-Google-y approach. Some found they'd been laid off whereas on parental go away. Present workers stated they realized they have been let go after emails from co-workers bounced again.Then there's the difficulty of severance packages: Some former workers begged the corporate to grant them accepted parental go away or paid go away, whereas others lamented the miscalculation of their inventory choices. These unlucky conditions are a part of a rising refrain of laid-off tech employees throughout the business who really feel their once-beloved employers are giving them the chilly shoulder. When Meta started its first spherical of mass layoffs, some workers realized their destiny after they could not log again into their laptops whereas working from house. One laid-off Meta worker described the expertise as "chilly" and "impersonal."After years of abusing — some would say robbing — their workers, why are the layoffs being dealt with in such an impersonal approach that leaves employees feeling alienated? The Insider spoke to a few human sources consultants about the best way corporations strategy layoffs. Consultants say that whereas a few of what we have seen in layoffs is a part of a well-planned technique, the remaining is probably going an oversight. And within the case of Google and Meta, who've by no means completed a mass layoff earlier than, a few of that may be chalked as much as inexperience."Lots of people should be communicated with about firm choices. And most corporations are unprepared to take care of the logistics round that," says David Lewis, CEO of Operations Inc., a human sources consulting agency. No plan is flawlessFirms sometimes plan weeks or months prematurely of any layoff announcement.As soon as the finance division determines that steep cost-cutting measures are so as, management meets with HR, authorized, and consulting groups to develop an motion plan. They may attempt a hiring freeze and restrict journey amongst comparatively easy money-saving measures.

However when that does not work, they will attempt the quickest route: minimize the workforce, says Jaime Klein, CEO of Encourage Human Assets.Firms are then pondering who to let go. "Final one employed, first one fired" is a standard phrase, however consultants inform Insider it is by no means that easy. Lots of the current layoffs included individuals who had been with their corporations for years. It might be that the worker had the very best wage in a single function, making them costlier than others. Or perhaps the function is lastly going to be phased out and the corporate has chosen to start out the method with layoffs. Regardless of the purpose, solely the individuals behind the layoffs know the complete story.Regardless of all of the planning going into the massive announcement, there are nonetheless hiccups. Layoffs are generally accelerated due to the urgency to chop prices, Klein stated. In keeping with Lewis, it doesn't matter what technique is tried, there will probably be errors – even if you name within the professionals. "You have seen corporations lumped collectively. It appears impersonal and chilly and disrespectful and disrespectful. You have seen corporations by way of corporations like mine, by way of full strangers on this equation." He stated.Lewis additionally stated that corporations typically neglect about people who find themselves on trip or who name in sick and should not have a plan in place to get the message throughout. This may occasionally sound disgusting, nevertheless it's normally an actual oversight.There isn't any heat and caring strategy to defend firm knowledge No person likes strolling out of their office, saying they can not get again to their workstation to gather their stuff, or instantly locking out their laptop computer. However consultants say a couple of incidents the place issues went horribly mistaken throughout layoffs ruined it for everybody. "Nobody takes this information evenly. Some individuals react very emotionally and should begin sending inappropriate emails, ruining some work," stated Lauren Winan, chief HR guide and CEO of Subsequent Degree Advantages. Winan describes a shopper who waited 24 hours to show off entry so their employees may say goodbye and assist switch their work to a different colleague or group. Various workers benefit from the time to ship e-mails containing obscenities, or destroy information.Lewis recalled a shopper who instructed her it was impolite to disclaim workers the precise to return to their desks to gather their very own belongings. So, he allotted a number of hours for employees to do exactly that. Just a few days later Lewis and his group realized from IT information that an worker had downloaded a whole shopper record from the corporate and commenced reaching out to clients.However, along with defending the corporate, there may be additionally an curiosity in defending the laid-off employees."You do not need them to finish up in a state of affairs the place they do one thing they remorse, as a result of that might comply with them for some time of their profession," Winan stated. These attainable explanations don't communicate to each layoff. There are all the time exceptions. However for many layoffs, corporations attempt to decide on the lesser of all attainable evils, with minimal potential for legal responsibility for all events concerned, Lewis instructed Insider.But, even in that, everybody should keep in mind, as Klein factors out, "We're all going to stumble upon one another once more in life, in our careers. And other people will keep in mind who handled them with respect or not."

[heretherebedork]

Now that Y-Destiny is coming to an end, what would be your rankings on each couples from best to...well meh?

OKAY. Okay, you're right, it's time to do this. It is time to Rank Y-Destiny.

So, we're gonna go... down. Starting at my least favorite and going all the way to my favorite. Y'all probably already know my favorite.

SO.

7. SatChoke (ep 11+ 12): Look. Look, they're cute. I'll give them that. But I didn't enjoy their dynamic all that much in the end and, while I get what the story did, it didn't do what I wanted it to do and so I am left just... not loving it at all. Cute but without any substance in the end. This is just cotton candy but, like, awkward cotton candy in a weird shape that makes you not really want to share it.

6. TuekAek (ep 1+2): Just... meh. The meh boys. I have no strong opinion on them at all. They were cute but they were just that. Just... just cute. Nothing else. /shrug

5. ThursPae (ep 7+8): I wanted to love them deeply but I didn't. The timing in their episodes just felt... off to me. The love story never quite fit together. It was a jigsaw puzzle missing pieces that I never quite found. But they were very cute and I really liked the idea of the story and so they get to be here on the list.

3.5. MonTeam (ep. 5+6): Okay, picking spots three and four was the hardest thing in the word. They're basically tied but I don't want to just slap them together like that. So here we are. I love MonTeam, I do. But the unequal power dynamics in them getting together pushes them down a little. They're cute and I adore them but I like them a lot more post-getting together than actually getting together.

3.5. Masuk and his boys (ep 13-14): Look, do I love them? Yes. But I genuinely loved Masuk with Tir so much more than Masuk with Hia Jia that it was hard to just kind of... move on? But I get it and I do enjoy both pairings and I REALLY enjoyed the whole 'invite the spirit of the one you loved to join us' bit.

2. PuthKaeng (ep 9+10): I love their dynamic and I loved them as characters and I love their energy and their pain and their tooth-pulling communication. I really do enjoy them a great deal, no denials. So they get to be right here. (could only be improved by this being a threesome)

1. SunNuea (ep. 3+4): If you're surprised by this... welcome to my tumblr, hope you'll stick around! I love these boys. I love both of them so deeply. The bratty boy and the man who spoils him, the rich boy who just wants to spoiled and the tutor who finds out that spoiling him just takes his time and that he loves doing it. I adore them. Favorite pairing in Y Destiny. Hands down. Love them!

The middle of this list was SO HARD anon. SO. HARD. And that is why they're 3.5 instead of 3 and 4. I couldn't decide. I couldn't rate one over the other. They're equally in third place.

But there you are! My final rankings of the couples. I did enjoy the show a great deal and I actually hope we get more shows like this. I like the way it's set up and the fact that, even if I disliked a couple, I could know that it was only two episodes.

[uniquetyphoonmiracle]

Clara Alvarado cantando una canción de la BSO de LA CASA DE PAPEL titulada MY LIFE IS GOING ON sobre el DESTINO..la VERDAD es que nada me PARECE PERFECTO..todo tiene sus PROS Y CONTRAS..y casi nada está bajo tu CONTROL así como TODO SE ACABA O DECAE

Por cierto..fue con motivo del último capitulo que definió CLARA como IMPERDIBLE..por lo que su compañera le da el significado de lo que tienen en el costurero las Abuelas ..es decir..con lo que por ejemplo te sujetas los dorsales de una carrera como hice de forma SANGRANTE para mi última maratón en MAZATLAN o en el hotel MISION frente al hotel GENESIS [donde por cierto..volví 17 años después o en 2019 y el BOTONES me puso como FOTOGRAFIE la TV con NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC con un reportaje del accidente de la AVION "LA_MIA" el día de mi 45 cumple=28_11_16..que cene en el restaurant CHINO PALACIO IMPERIAL que hace Esquina en calle VIRGEN DE LA PAZ con calle VIRGEN DE LA ALEGRIA tras salir desde cruce calle MADRE DE DIOS con AVDA PIO XII junto al HIPERMERCADO "AL_CAMPO" donde vi pasar a JUAN PABLO II ir a la adjunta NUNCIATURA CATOLICA a descansar antes de reunirse con los Jóvenes en el AERODROMO DE 4 VIENTOS en mayo 2003]..pues me coloque 2 de los IMPERDIBLES del DORSAL cerca de los PEZONES y al moverse empezaron a ROZAR e hicieron HERIDA..además al pasar bajo alguna ducha del recorrido se extendió la SANGRE por lo que una chica en la META me dijo que PARECIA el de la MATANZA DE TEXAS.

Por cierto..luego tuvo que subir a la habitación del hotel MISION..uno de MANTENI_MIENTO para arreglar la CERRADURA ELECTRONICA de la PUERTA

I don't care at all

I am lost

I don't care at all

Lost my time, my life is going on

I will be so strong

Looking for a new version of myself

'Cause now all I want is to be a part

Of my new world

Whatever happens in the future

Trust in destiny

Don't try to make anything else

Even when you feel

[myssthyss]

Lady Myss

@warcrymidori​ insists on making Myss an Iron Lord like he is, so we wrote out what her ceremony would be like. Inspired by these images

Tall flames burned in the braziers in the main hall of the Temple, casting a warm, comforting, orange glow that bounced off the statues, forming shadows that made them look alive.

A small crowd was gathered, positioned around the centre of the main brazier, which was lit with the brightest of the flames. Guardians and civilians, dressed in their armour and their best clothes, chatted amongst friends as they waited in anticipation. For this night was to bind another to the family of Iron, filling the atmosphere with excitement.

Saladin, dressed with his fur cloak, approached the main brazier with pride in his step, the crowd falling silent as he passes. The sound of his footsteps echo in the sudden quiet, and the crackling of the fire is magnified.

As he takes his spot in the center, he turns to see Lord Midori and Lady Rose leaning against the door frame. The pair each had a smile etched into their face, and the Hunter they stood with was anxiously gripping her necklace. Nodding towards the Warlock, Saladin begins his speech.

"A long time ago, when the first Iron Lords swore to protect this world, we made a promise to never be anything less than what was expected of us." He turns to the fire. "Many wolves have come and gone, every single one honour bound by fire and compassion." He raises his hand to beckon to Lord Midori, who moves to his spot beside Myss, taking one of her hands in unison with Lady Rose.

"Ready?" Warcry asks, as he looks to the tallest of the three.

"No." She replies, her hands gripping each of theirs a little tighter. “But it’s too late to turn back now.”

"We'll be with you every step of the way." Comforts Mahala, a huge smile still printed into her cheeks.

“Okay.” The tallest Hunter says. “Let’s go.”

They begin to walk towards Saladin, stepping into the glow of the flames.

"Here, on this day. When all that could have gone wrong, went wrong. Here, where one’s Iron is tested against all odds, where the fire will burn brightly in those who vow to defend all that can't do so themselves." The voice of the Iron Lord echoes throughout the Temple, warming the hearts of the crowd.

The trio were only a couple of feet away from the main brazier now.

"Here. On this day." He raises his arm in a gesture of welcoming, Warcry nudging Myss slightly ahead of the pair.

"Here we welcome a newfound friend. A sister. A Guardian who won't take no for an answer. A Hunter who won't turn her back on her duties, no matter the cost."

Myss takes her spot in the middle as Mahala takes a step to the right, and Warcry to the left, to stand by each of the stone wolves. Metallic items lay on stools beside them.

"Myss Thyss.” Saladin continues. “You have shown honour in the darkest of days. You have tested your mettle. You and your fireteam…” He moves his arms to point both at the Hunter and Warlock. “...have answered the highest of callings that this world can offer and yet never repay you."

"For your duties, and as a token of my thanks, you will always be welcome to call this place your home." He turns to pick up a sword held on an ornate cloth, Warcry and Mahala do the same with the items - the armor - on their stools.

"There used to be hundreds of swords made in the forge,” The Iron Lord continues. “But for many years it has laid cold and quiet." He rests the sword on his open palms. "This sword was made uniquely to you, Young Wolf. Wield it as you would your wit and it shall serve you well.”

The Titan offers the sword to the Hunter, and she takes it with a slight bow. It felt lighter than she anticipated it being.

Warcry and Mahala walk forward with their items, presenting them to Myss. Her Ghost transfers the Iron Lord-fashioned armor onto her, simultaneously applying her preferred colour palette. All she was missing was her cloak.

Warcry had asked if she could lend it to him for a little bit, for “research purposes”, he’d told her. She did so uncomfortably, but only after he promised that he would return it to her as soon as he could.

The Warlock placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke directly to her.

"I suppose I should start calling you Lady Myss from now on." He jokes, winking at her.

"I mean… only if you want.” She quietly jokes back. “I won't complain."

Chuckling, Warcry turns and pulls out a neatly folded pile of purple fabric, offering it to her.

Myss takes the fabric, lets it unfurl in front of her, and discovers that it’s a cloak - her new cloak. A golden tree sprawls against its back, and white fur adorns its neckline, much like the mantle Warcry had mentioned Lady Efrideet wore. Assuming it’s part of the ceremony, the Hunter whips it gracefully over her shoulders, and fastens it to her armor.

As she pulls up her hood, she realizes that the fabric feels very familiar. It takes only a moment for her to put the pieces together, and she inhales sharply when it clicks. She promised herself she wouldn’t cry, but her watery white eyes meet the bright green of the Warlock’s.

“This is… This is what you wanted to use it for?”

“Yes. You’d be getting a new cloak anyways, and we knew you wouldn’t want to lose the one she gave you.”  Warcry nods, smiling at his wife. “We both wanted to make today the best it possibly could be for you, so we took it upon ourselves to make sure she was here too.” He flattens out the fluff on her shoulders.

Myss’ tears overflow, laughing as she pulls her fireteam into a hug.

Lord Saladin can’t help his smile, but the ceremony must continue. He clears his throat to signal to the fireteam that he’s about to start speaking again.

The trio hear his cue, quickly separating. Myss holds her new sword upright in front of her, swishes it a few times, and stows it on her hip.

“Welcome, Lady Myss, to the Iron Lords.” Saladin says, raising his arms. “Let us celebrate our new sister!”

The crowd erupts into cheers upon his closing remarks, and the fireteam embraces once again.

[therealbeachfox]

Wait, you were talking about "Gods of Astielle" being the next in line after "Rise of Empire", but I thought Queen of All Monsters came after Rise of Empire?? Does Stars Rising Infinite take place between those two, or what's going on? Who even designed this timeline in the first place?!

[[Character Breaking Information to Prevent Confusion: This whole thing is meta fan-fiction for @unpretty's Astielle series, which is written as if it's fan-fiction of a non-existent long-running video game series. This is my vision of what said game series might look at based on everything she's written so far. Legend of Starlight Hero XII: The Gods of Astielle is the name of the 'current game' Astielle is supposedly fanfiction of. This is written shortly before its release.]]

Well, no one. That's the problem. By the time anyone involved with the series realized it was going to last long enough for Lore to be a concern, they'd already played so fast and loose with the reincarnation cycles it was anyone's guess how they all related to each other. There are centuries long gaps between game-worthy incarnations, piles of side-games that constantly contradict each other, all those comics and novelizations, and so many Youtube videos trying to detangle the whole mess.

But you're in luck, Anon! With Gods of Astielle coming out, I've been mulling over this very question myself lately, and I am ready to present to you and the world the only 100% True and Canonical Legend of the Starlight Hero/Astielle timeline.

[[A screenshot of The Old Man of the Mountain sitting in his chair in front of a room full of herbs and bottles in all his 32-bit glory, but with a fox-head crudely pasted over his face]]

So come in from the cold, child, and buckle the fuck in. The Old Fox of the Mountain has some learning for you.

First, I'm laying down some ground rules so this project is halfway feasible.

I) I'm only covering video games. No novels/comics/web exclusives/terrible 1989 cartoons. I'm not getting caught in the "You forgot this obscure three issue manga from 1991 that said-" trap.

II) All numbered Legend of the Starlight Hero games have to be canonical. Yes, even Return to Monster Mountain. Yes, even Queen of All Monsters. Sorry.

III) All games involving time-travel (Tangled Skein of Destiny) or alternate time-lines (90% of the Untraveled Paths DLCs) or crossovers (Smash Brothers) are automatically out of the lineup. Yes, this means that I'm not covering some of the best games of the series, but to make up for it, the canon timeline includes the absolute worse ones.

IV) Any games which directly contradict world details or events laid out in the mainline games are out. So we wont be covering the Stardust Dungeons series or Fight of Goddesses/Final Flight or any of the PSP games. Again, not saying whether they're good (Fight of Goddesses) or bad (Stardust Dungeons), just whether they're part of the Main Canon timeline or not. "But if you assume that X is true, and Y was lying about Z, then technically~" This isn't Unraveled. If you want to imagine that there's a colony of sentient rootboars having magical adventures in their underground kingdom that no one else knows about somehow, that's all fine and good, but unless there's a sequence in Gods of Astielle where we meet them, I'm not counting it as canon.

Second:

My arrangement of the timeline may not be your arrangement of the timeline. The games I consider to be canon might not be the same ones you do. It's your right to disagree and it is my right to be correct.

Finally:

To try and make things clearer, all the Legend of the Starlight Hero games will be in bold, while all other games that are part of the main timeline like Monster Kingdom Builder will be in bold + italics.

Quick Lexicon (for the lil'ones):

Astielle: The World/Universe the LotSH games all take place in. Starlight Hero/LotSH/Astielle are used interchangably when talking about the series/franchise as a whole which doesn't get confusing at all, what are you talking about?

Dan (Thanks, Dan) Ryner: Head of Void Star Games studio and edge lord supreme. Banished to the wastes of Idaho for his many many sins

Fantastico: Plastic toy maker turned video-game maker turned console maker turned industry-cautionary-tale. Were responsible for the LotSH golden age of 1990-2000, and then also for whatever you want to call the 2001-2006 period.

Ito Makoto: The original creator of LotSH, and chief game designer until his death in 1998

Itokoto: Japanese game company that was the first publisher of LotSH and related games until it's bankrupcy in 1990

LotSH: Legend of the Starlight Hero. The main series of games for Astielle

Nichelle Augustin: Studio Head for White Spire Games. Also a former developer for Void Star Games who managed to grab the LotSH license and leap out of company headquarters right as the whole thing imploded in slow motion behind her.

Void Star Games: Owners of the Starlight Hero franchise from 2007-2015. Despite their best efforts, LotSH survived their stewardship.

White Spire Games: The current developers for LotSH since 2016.

Everything clear? Alright. Let's start at the beginning

=*=*=

Lute Bard Hero (2007) [Void Star Games] [Arcade/Wii/PS/Xbox]

[[A stylized Renfaire-esc bard playing a lute in a rockstar pose as magic explodes behind him. Jet Black from School of Rock has been crudely photoshopped over him]]

No, stop, don't click away! I swear I'm fucking serious! Let me explain.

It's 2006, era of Guitar Hero clones and endless Wii filler, and a spunky little studio named Void Star Games had just snagged up the rights to the Starlight Hero franchise in the aftermath of Fantastico's collapse. And while the studio heads plotted together in their dark crypts as to how best suck the joy and laughter and everything pure from the franchise, their shovelware department was put to work creating some quick and easy cash grabs to provide the funding.

One of these projects started as a generic Guitar Hero knockoff "with a twist". The twist being, you were a generic fantasy-world bard doing heavy metal rock if lutes were able to play heavy metal rock. Then the programmers realized that, hey, their company owned this great pre-existing fantasy world franchise that came with all sorts of pre-developed assets and started mining the entire Starlight Hero franchise for... easter eggs? Homages? Fanboying?

Regardless, what you wound up with was a too-short rock-opera where your first-person bardic protagonist traveled the countryside of 'Almost, but not quite Astielle', playing giant fantasy kingdom stadiums and rocking with Void-Magic Heavy Metal Rock, and occasionally defeating armies with wicked lute solos. If it had more than eight stages, or if they'd been able to hire someone halfway competent to write the music, it would've been awesome.

So why does this count as the first Astielle game and not just an easter-egg filled one-off? Well, the head developer of Lute Bard Hero was a bright young lady named Nichelle Augustin, and there was this other game she'd be head producer of a decade later...

=*=*=

Legend of the Starlight Hero XI - Stars Rising Infinite (2018) [White Spire Games] [XBox/PS/PC]

[[The boxart of Stars Rising Infinite featuring the Heavenly Trio in action poses.

Jet Black from School of Rock's head has once again been pasted over Vaelon's.

Brienne of Tarth's face has been pasted over Lynette’s.

Karzarul's head has been replaced with Baby Yoda's]]

*wicked heavy metal lute solo*

Go back and look at that lute in the screen shots above. Now look down at Vaelon's lute. Now look at the hands. Now compare the Aekhite Empire architecture with the architecture of the final concert arena. Now look at how Vaelon's primary mechanic is Void Magic powered by Heavy Metal Lute Solos.

[[Two screenshots side by side of first-person perspective from The Lute Bard and Vaelon with redlines connecting all the similarities. A piece of the background from Stars Rising Infinite that crudely approximates a triangle has also been outlined in red with a heavily pixilated illuminati pyramid next to it]]

Lute Bard Hero is Vaelon's prelude story. After that final blowout concert, he wound up chilling with the imperial family, hit it off with the eldest daughter, and wound up helping her run off on her quest to find fairies willing to hook her up with Goddess Smiting powers to kill her brother with.

The rest is history.

So. This game.

It really, really shouldn't have worked.

I have publicly made penance for all the unkind things I said about the concept when the first teasers dropped. I've left them up as proof that even the best of us can be young and stupid at times. But come on, it was an origin prequel that no-one asked for that retconned some of the basic foundations of the entire series and they blew a significant portion of the budget on getting Jet Black to voice one of the Celestial Trio!

It really, really shouldn't have worked as well as it did!

Obviously, this is the first main game of the series chronologically, no question of that. The Celestial Weapons don't even exist until halfway through the main campaign! So, a Shitass Long Time Ago, in a land that's the exact same land we've always been on, the Aekhite Empire is still in one piece and the eldest daughter of the dead emperor thinks her older brother sucks at the job and comes to the conclusion that the most logical and straightforward solution is to wrangle a Void Witch to her cause, track down the king of fairies, get him to help her acquire the divine blessing (and arsenal) or her patron goddess, then use those to depose her brother all while an epic-rock soundtrack plays in the background.

I love you, Lynette, but did you ever consider just hitting him with a brick?

Along the way, the Void Witch flirts with a reflection of moonlight so hard it manifests a Sphinx Cat fursona to flirt back with, everyone winds up getting Patron Goddess Blessings, and the most dysfunctional love/hate triangle in history proceeds to conquer the world before crashing and burning so hard it sets off the Unending Murdercycle that's shaped Astiellian history ever since.

Vaelon almost muscles Jonys out of the position of Best Starlight Hero.

Karzarul completes his journey from "What If Bowser was a Sexy Were-demon" to "What If A-Precious-Cinnamon-Roll-Who-Just-Needs-a-Hug was a Sexy Were-demon".

Lynette is the Queen Empress of Hot Messes, the answer to the eternal question 'Why are the Heirs Like That?' as well as the archetype of Video Game Playable Antihero that all future game-writers should learn from. She is beauty, she is grace, she will stab you in the face.

I have so much more to say about this game. And I have. Repeatedly. Check the sidebar. Or my YouTube channel. Or get cornered by me at Furcon.

[[Screenshot from the Winding Paths of Destiny DLC of the popular "Mothman" alternate monster form saving Vaelon, Lynette, and Lynette's horse during the canyon collapse scene]]

The DLC for this game is god-tier, but explicitly non-canonical, so I'll pass it by other than saying I hope the 'Venturing Off the Path of Destiny' mechanic becomes a series standard. I don't know how they'd manage the "Frantic Quicktime Button Mashing Choices that Result in new Monster Forms" mechanic from the alternate timelines, but the Gods of Astielle devs have made noises that something from that will be showing up. I'm hoping for Mothman. Everyone's hoping for Mothman. Long live Mothman, King of all Mothmans.

=*=*=

Stars Rising: Astiellian Warriors (2019) (White Spire Games) [XBox One, PS4]

[[A screenshot of the stampede scene from Lion King with Tauril heads pasted on all the wildebests and Lynette's face pasted over Simba]]

This is such a stupid game. I love it so much. It's a blatant Dynasty Warriors knockoff, it's got a multiverse/timestorm framing plot, the fucking Universal Dragon plays a major role, and the voice acting is for shit. But you can also plow through 1,000 soldiers as a Tauril before kicking their commander in the face so hard he flies halfway across the map and ragdolls Lynette right off her horse. Glorious.

Even within the story, 80% of it is explicitly non-canonical, what with the branching timelines and multiverse shenanigans, but The Untrammeled Path of Destiny is straight up how Astiellian history actually went. The fact it explains the details of the Aekhite Empire's expansion and Lynette's and Karzarul's shadow war way better than Stars Rising did is just a surprise welcome bonus.

=*=*=

Aekhite Empire: Eternal Zenith (2019) (White Spire Games) [PC/Mac]

[[An old Evony ad. The standard big boobed princess has been replaced with a seductive Abyssscale, and Aekhite Empire is pasted over "Evony". The 'Please Save Us, My Lord' text remains unaltered]]

I don't play much 4X games beyond Civ, so I can't speak to how balanced or polished or original the gameplay of EZ is, but any game that gives you combat bonuses for sexing the opposing general so hard their stats fall off, or reserves an entire gameplay loop to sending your boy toy out to open in-universe quick-travel points is alright by me. There's a lot of world-building and random details they put in this one that don't contradict anything from the core games, and I hope it continues to stay that way because I love every bit of it. It paints such a deliciously fucked up view of of pre-collapse Aekhite Empire and I love the additional look into Lynette's head via all the Event Decisions that come up during your 'Conquest for their own Good' of the world. The 'Political Maneuvering' minigame might've gotten cut from Stars Rising, but this is a very suitable replacement.

=*=*=

Monster Kingdom Builder (1997) [Fantacon/PlayStation/N64/PC/Gameboy/Game Gear] [Fantastico]

[[The American box art of Monster Kingdom Builder. If there's been any memes photoshopped in, they're too subtle to notice.]]

No, this is completely canonical! Look at the state of the Moonrise Kingdom at the end of Stars Rising Infinite. Now look at how the Moonrise Kingdom looks the next time we see it in (spoilers) Legend of the Starlight Hero I. Going from wooden "Ewok meets Art Deco" stylings to Silver-veined Marble columns and big crystal stain-glass windows?

Sounds like someone took Lynette's whole "Savage Kingdom of Sticks and Stones" speech a little personally and spent the next few decades playing an adorable city builder with perky chiptunes and chibi-Turial loading icons in order to spruce the place up for when she got back. "See, Lynette?", he'd ask, "I spent forty hours arranging all the construction bridges just right so I could get marble from the furthest quarry to the palace without loosing a single Rex to a canyon crossing! And the pathway spells out 'Please love me, Lynette" in Old Astian!'"

Pity Needle was too much of an asshole to notice all the hard work Karzarul had put in to spruce the place up for them. But what else can you expect from the guy?

=*=*=

Black Drakonis I-IV (1984-1990) [Nintendo/Atari/Sega Master/Fantacon/Others] [Itokoto]

[[Super Mario Brothers screenshot with The Hero pasted over Mario. Toad's text has been altered to "Thank you HERO! But our BLACK DRAKONIS HAS TAKEN another castle!]]

The third pillar of the the Metrokonisvania genre. Also known as Lair of the Ebon Dragon, Lair of the Black Drakon, or Drakonis' Castle depending on who was in charge of translating for each system. It wasn't until Black Drakonis II made enough American sales that Itokoto cared enough to ensure there was a single title across all systems. The Black Drakonis games have continued after the fourth, but the rights were bought by a different company, and the cross-continuity that'd developed between it and Astielle was (mostly) broken off. White Drakonis remains ones of Karzarul's iconic forms, and Black Drakonis was a surprise major character in Stars Rising Infinite, not only giving us some truly amazing/hilarious moments, but tying the original four BD games in even tighter with the Astiellian timeline.

The Black Drakonis games are relatively straightforward (storywise). A giant not!Dragon has taken over a local castle, and whatever poor sap who appears on the cover has been recruited to go deal with that... somehow. It was noteworthy at the time for having Black Drakonis be a force of nature to drive off as opposed to a Final Boss to deplete the health bar of. This was the series that got Itokoto known in the west, and paved the way for Legend of the Starlight Hero to perform as well as it did.

When White Drakonis appeared as Karzarul's final form in LotSH III, it was mostly an issue of reusing existing assets as part of the legendarily rushed and penny-pinching creation process. But Ito Makoto ran with it, bringing Black Drakonis herself into LotSH IV and officially tying the series together. And while everything from Black Drakonis V and onward is in its own unconnected universe, the first four slot in neatly in the early days of the Reincarnation Cycle as Black Drakonis continuously seeks out and claims poorly guarded (by her standards) castles/spires/megadungeons to guard until such time as some unnamed protagonist arrives to drive her back off.

=*=*=

Legend of the Starlight Hero III - Return to Monster Mountain (1987) [Nintendo/Sega Master/Fantacon] [Itokoto]

[[Box art of LotSH III with giant OSHA Violation tape draped over everything]]

This is what happens when you push for a sequel to come out eight months after the previous game, people. So, Black Drakonis II hit America in 1986 and was a huge hit out of nowhere. Then when LotSH II dropped six months later, it became one of the holiday season's biggest sellers. Itokoto management saw the sales figures and sent the orders down that they needed the next LotSH game ready for Christmas 1987 Or. Else.

They sent this order down in April, 1987. Some things in game development never change.

Under an unexpected time crunch, the team got "creative". A half-completed side-scroller with the working titles Crystal Warriors of the Underground got a bunch of Starlight Hero sprites thrown in, the backgrounds turned from weird magitech caverns into Monster Mountain, combat was changed from the time honored 'Jump on their heads' to 'hit it with a sword', and someone took Black Drakonis, painted her white, and dropped that sprite set in as Karzarul's final form.

Not that anyone got to see it.

This game was brooo~oooken. This wasn't broken as in the Nintendo Hard style of the first two games. At least with those, it's possible to get all the timing right to actually beat Karzarul into a puddle. With Return to Monster Mountain, however, it's impossible to even get to the final stage. Level 8 sees Starlight Hero having to navigate increasingly narrow platforms over the standard bottomless pits, all the while getting arrows shot at him by an offscreen Karzarul which push you back whenever you get hit. People have had AIs run this level. There is no pattern of movement that can take you successfully through the level. The Itokoto playtesters never had a chance to give the game a proper go-over before its release, and it never got taken care of. "Fortunately", most players just assumed they weren't good enough to get past it, assuming they even got that far in the first place.

Still, it's canonical that at some point before Needle, some poor-assed sap went to retrieve his birthright weapon and got shot off a cliff by Karzarul, who was probably feeling pretty damned crabby about all these Not Vaelons that kept coming around for the sword by this point.

RIP nameless Starlight Hero. Watch the first step. It's a doozy.

All this and we're not at Needle yet? Stars above! Let's continue this conversation another day, child. Next time: We -finally- get to Needle. And hopefully the other Needle. Maybe even Jonys! Hoboy, Jonys.