#as it's another reference to a mythological horse

[transingthoseformers]

I have vague and conflicting notes about an OC being a beastformer based on "hoofed carnivores" but I have not a goddamn clue which I meant so I'm just going to. Smash Mesonyx (real but extinct) and the Mares of Diomedes (mythological) together and see where I go from there

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Hi, so i writing a book based in the 1800s like the cowboy eras can you please tell me somethings I should keep in mind about the society and stuff also I need a little motivation I have been loosing it all please and thankyou <<<333

Writing Notes: Cowboys

Cowboy

In the western United States: a horseman skilled at handling cattle, an indispensable laborer in the cattle industry of the trans-Mississippi west, and a romantic figure in American folklore.

Pioneers from the United States encountered Mexican vaqueros (Spanish, literally, “cowboys”; English “buckaroos”) on ranches in Texas about 1820, and soon adopted their masterful skills and equipment—the use of lariat, saddle, spurs, and branding iron.

But cattle were only a small part of the economy of Texas until after the Civil War.

The development of a profitable market for beef in northern cities after 1865 prompted many Texans, including many formerly enslaved African Americans, to go into cattle raising. (Though they have been almost entirely excluded from the mythology of the American cowboy, it is estimated that Black cowboys accounted for nearly a quarter of all cattle workers in the nascent American West during the latter half of the 19th century.)

By the late 1800s, the lucrative cattle industry had spread across the Great Plains from Texas to Canada and westward to the Rocky Mountains.

Vaqueros

In 1519, shortly after the Spanish arrived in the Americas, they began to build ranches to raise cattle and other livestock. Horses were imported from Spain and put to work on the ranches.

Mexico’s native cowboys were called vaqueros, which comes from the Spanish word vaca (cow). Vaqueros were hired by ranchers to tend to the livestock and were known for their superior roping, riding and herding skills.

By the early 1700s, ranching made its way to present-day Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and as far south as Argentina. When the California missions started in 1769, livestock practices were introduced to more areas in the West.

During the early 1800s, many English-speaking settlers migrated to the West and adopted aspects of the vaquero culture, including their clothing style and cattle-driving methods.

Cowboys came from diverse backgrounds and included African-Americans, Native Americans, Mexicans and settlers from the eastern United States and Europe.

Cowboy Life

Cowboys were mostly young men who needed cash. The average cowboy in the West made about $25 to $40 a month.

In addition to herding cattle, they also helped care for horses, repaired fences and buildings, worked cattle drives and in some cases helped establish frontier towns.

Cowboys occasionally developed a bad reputation for being lawless, and some were banned from certain establishments.

They typically wore large hats with wide brims to protect them from the sun, boots to help them ride horses and bandanas to guard them from dust. Some wore chaps on the outsides of their trousers to protect their legs from sharp cactus needles and rocky terrain.

When they lived on a ranch, they shared a bunkhouse with each other. For entertainment, some sang songs, played the guitar or harmonica & wrote poetry.

Cowboys were referred to as cowpokes, buckaroos, cowhands and cowpunchers.

The most experienced cowboy was called the Segundo (Spanish for “second”) and rode squarely with the trail boss.

Everyday work was difficult and laborious for cowboys. Workdays lasted about 15 hours, and much of that time was spent on a horse or doing other physical labor.

Rodeo Cowboys

Some cowboys tested their skills against one another by performing in rodeos—competitions that were based on the daily tasks of a cowboy.

Rodeo activities included bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, bareback bronco riding and barrel racing.

The first professional rodeo was held in Prescott, Arizona, in 1888. Since then, rodeos became—and continue to be—popular entertainment events in the United States, Mexico and elsewhere.

Joseph G. McCoy offered the wealthy cattleman's vision of the cowboy. He recorded a reasonably balanced, if slightly condescending, views in his 1874 treatise on the cattle trade.

He lives hard, works hard, has but few comforts and fewer necessities. He has but little, if any, taste for reading. He enjoys a coarse practical joke or a smutty story; loves danger but abhors labor of the common kind; never tires riding, never wants to walk, no matter how short the distance he desires to go. He would rather fight with pistols than pray; loves tobacco, liquor and women better than any other trinity. His life borders nearly upon that of an Indian. If he reads anything, it is in most cases a blood and thunder story of a sensational style. He enjoys his pipe, and relishes a practical joke on his comrades, or a corrupt tale, wherein abounds much vulgarity and animal propensity.

Black Cowboys

African American horsemen who wrangled cattle in the western United States in the late 1800s and beyond.

Though they were almost entirely excluded from the mythology of the American cowboy, it is estimated that Black men accounted for nearly a quarter of all cattle workers in the nascent American West during the latter half of the 19th century.

In the years following the Civil War (1861–65) and emancipation from slavery, a budding ranching industry promised freedom and prosperity unknown to most Black Americans, many of whom were formerly enslaved themselves or were the children of enslaved parents.

Texas became part of the United States in 1845, and, by 1860, enslaved people accounted for 30 percent of the state’s population. Among them were some of the first Black cowboys: skilled laborers with experience in breaking horses and herding stock. Many were given the autonomy to work unsupervised, and some even carried guns.

The cowboy lifestyle came into its own in Texas, which had been cattle country since it was colonized by Spain in the 1500s. But cattle farming did not become the bountiful economic and cultural phenomenon recognized today until the late 1800s, when millions of cattle grazed in Texas.

White Americans seeking cheap land—and sometimes evading debt in the United States—began moving to the Spanish (and, later, Mexican) territory of Texas during the first half of the 19th century.

Though the Mexican government opposed slavery, Americans brought slaves with them as they settled the frontier and established cotton farms and cattle ranches.

By 1825, slaves accounted for nearly 25 percent of the Texas settler population.

By 1860, fifteen years after it became part of the Union, that number had risen to over 30 percent—that year’s census reported 182,566 slaves living in Texas.

As an increasingly significant new slave state, Texas joined the Confederacy in 1861. Though the Civil War hardly reached Texas soil, many white Texans took up arms to fight alongside their brethren in the East.

While Texas ranchers fought in the war, they depended on their slaves to maintain their land and cattle herds.

In doing so, the slaves developed the skills of cattle tending (breaking horses, pulling calves out of mud and releasing longhorns caught in the brush, to name a few) that would render them invaluable to the Texas cattle industry in the post-war era. But with a combination of a lack of effective containment— barbed wire was not yet invented—and too few cowhands, the cattle population ran wild.

Ranchers returning from the war discovered that their herds were lost or out of control. They tried to round up the cattle and rebuild their herds with slave labor, but eventually the Emancipation Proclamation left them without the free workers on which they were so dependent.

Desperate for help rounding up maverick cattle, ranchers were compelled to hire now-free, skilled African-Americans as paid cowhands.

Freed blacks skilled in herding cattle found themselves in even greater demand when ranchers began selling their livestock in northern states, where beef was nearly ten times more valuable than it was in cattle-inundated Texas.

The lack of significant railroads in the state meant that enormous herds of cattle needed to be physically moved to shipping points in Kansas, Colorado and Missouri. Rounding up herds on horseback, cowboys traversed unforgiving trails fraught with harsh environmental conditions and attacks from Native Americans defending their lands.

African-American cowboys faced discrimination in the towns they passed through—they were barred from eating at certain restaurants or staying in certain hotels, for example—but within their crews, they found respect and a level of equality unknown to other African-Americans of the era.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Writing occasionally makes me feel like I'm losing it too! I find that taking a step back can be good. That time away from being a writer can be used to being the reader again, and to research your topic. And when your head's clear enough, you can go back & see if the story flows more freely, armed with information you collected to incorporate in your writing. Hope this helps <3

[niteshade925]

April 20, Beijing, China, National Museum of China/中国国家博物馆 (Part 4 – Chinese Historical Fashion Exhibition continued):

Alrighty, Ming and Qing dynasty fashion, here we go! Sit tight because this is an extra long post that took me a long time to research

First is this marvel, a replica of the phoenix crown/fengguan/凤冠 of Empress Xiaoduanxian of Ming (明孝端显皇后). The real artifact is in this museum, but it's probably not exhibited much for conservation reasons.

Phoenix crowns are the formal headwear for empresses, which according to etiquette rules set at the beginning of Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), must have 9 dragons and 4 phoenixes (btw the original Chinese term is fenghuang/凤凰, which is a different mythological creature from the phoenix, but "phoenix" is the commonly used translation now), but this crown has 9 dragons and 9 phoenixes, indicating that etiquette rules have loosened and shifted by late Ming.

The phoenixes on this crown are blue because they were actually made with the iridescent feathers of kingfishers in a process called diancui/点翠. All species of kingfishers are now legally protected animals in China, so when buying hanfu accessories, you may come across "imitation diancui"/仿点翠, these are usually either made with enamel or dyed chicken or goose feathers. Another thing to note is the appearance of the jewels on this crown. Ming-era people liked keeping the jewels in a "natural look", so these jewels had no facets.

Recreations of Ming-era hanfu. Left is the semi-formal outfit of aristocrat women in mid to late Ming dynasty. Right is the casual outfit of late Ming scholars and literati. The woman's cone-shaped hairstyle is called a diji/䯼髻, and the set of hairpins that goes on a diji is called toumian/头面. She's wearing a type of top called an ao/袄 and a skirt aka qun/裙, specifically a mamianqun/马面裙, or "horse face skirt". Note that the bottom hem of an ao is not tucked into the skirt. The man is wearing a square-ish hat called a fangjin/方巾 and should also be wearing a wangjin/网巾 underneath (can be understood as a hairnet). He's wearing a daopao/道袍 and a hechang/鹤氅 on the outside.

Also I did make a mistake while dividing up the pictures for these two posts, some of the following artifacts are from earlier dynasties. Ugh if only I had time to take pictures of all the placards.

A pair of mojie/摩竭 shaped gold earrings from Liao dynasty (916 - 1125). Note that the placard says it's "摩羯形" or "Capricorn-shaped", but this apparently is sort of a misnomer? Sort of, because this representation should be of the makara (मकर; translated as 摩竭 in Chinese), a sea creature from Hindu mythology, but at the same time it is the equivalent of Capricorn in Hindu astrology. However since the name "Capricorn" stuck, it's now commonly referred to as "摩羯". 摩竭 and 摩羯 have the exact same pronunciation though.

A pair of phoenix (fenghuang) shaped gold hairpins from Liao dynasty:

After a lot of pulling my hair out researching, I finally found what time period this gold belt buckle came from. It's from Eastern Han dynasty (25 - 220 AD). The gold filigree and beads form the pattern known as panchiwen/蟠螭纹, where pan/蟠 and chi/螭 are both types of loong dragon in Chinese mythology.

The gold decoration on a xiapei/霞帔 (the V-shaped wide band in the diagram on the right) from Liao dynasty. Xiapei originated in Song dynasty (960 - 1279) as part of the formal attire of consorts, but later developed into a part of the formal attire for women in general. Xiapei also looked different at different time periods in history, but from Song-era to Ming-era, its structure didn't change by much.

Finally back to Ming dynasty. This is a gold cap inlaid with gems and pearls. From the size of this cap and the included hairpins, we can deduce that this cap is meant to encase the bun on the top of the head (the hairpins that go through the cap would hold it in place).

Like the gold cap above, the next few are all from the same tomb of a Ming dynasty noble, and they are all themed similarly--they all depict scenes in a heavenly palace. Of these, the first three that has miniature architecture in gold are parts of the toumian worn on a diji hairstyle. This first one is a pair of yanbin/掩鬓 (lit. "covering temples"), so called because they are worn on the sides, close to the temples.

This next one has some confusion regarding the naming. According to an article by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Archaeology, the top artifact is a fenxin/分心 and the bottom artifact is a tiaoxin/挑心, but according to 撷芳主人 (if you are a hanfu enthusiast you have probably heard of this person or seen their works, they are the one who drew the cute illustrations of Ming-era fashion), the top one may be a manguan/满冠, and the bottom one should be called fenxin/分心. Note that 撷芳主人's conclusion is mostly based on Ming-era records and novels. Regardless of the naming, the top one here should be worn on the base of the diji, and the bottom one should be worn at the front center of the diji.

This one also has some confusion in the naming, the Institute of Archaeology calls it a dingzan/顶簪, while 撷芳主人 calls it a tiaoxin/挑心. Again, regardless of the naming, this one is worn on the very top of the diji, so the hairstick portion goes straight down through the diji. If you look closely, you can even see people and animals in the details.

Left: a pair of gold phoenix (fenghuang) hairpins made in the 22nd year of the Yongle Emperor of Ming. Right: gold filigree bracelets inlaid with gemstones.

Ming-era portrait of a scholar official. Before cameras were introduced in late-Qing dynasty, portrait paintings were the most realistic depictions of what people looked like back then. Such portrait paintings mostly began in Song dynasty and continued through to Qing dynasty.

Illustrations of the different buzi/补子 (also known as "mandarin square") used by different ranks of officials in Ming dynasty. All ranks are organized from highest on the left to lowest on the right, top row is for civil officials, bottom row is for military officials, and bottom right is for nobility. All illustrations here come from the Ming-era illustrated encyclopedia Sancai Tuhui (《三才图会》). For those who are interested, a scan of Sancai Tuhui is available on Internet Archive for free (link goes to first chapter, most chapters are available).

Also from Sancai Tuhui Chapter 62 (all pictures here come from Ch. 62-64), illustrations of the twelve ornaments (called shierzhang/十二章) on a mianfu/冕服, which is the highest level of formal attire for an emperor in Ming dynasty. These twelve ornaments depict things including celestial bodies (note that sun contains the three-footed sun crow, and moon contains the moon rabbit), elements of nature, mythical creatures, and representations of life, and are supposed to represent the values and traits that an emperor should possess:

And wrapping up the section on Ming-era hanfu, here are the headwear of different classes of people in Ming dynasty, from commoners to the literati to important government officials.

Note the net-like hair accessory on the left. This is a wangjin/网巾 during Ming dynasty (illustration from Sancai Tuhui), and is worn by all men regardless of social class. However, wangjin is worn almost like an "undergarment", so it's almost always covered by something else. Which means all those historical cdramas set in Ming dynasty that have their characters wear only a wangjin in public are, in fact, inaccurate.

Some hats of commoners and scholars in Ming dynasty. Note the left one on the second row, that is the same hat worn by the Fox Scholar in the episode Goose Mountain of the animated series Yao Chinese Folktales (《中国奇谭》).

Some of the formal headwear of government officials in Ming dynasty. These are called liangguan/梁冠, lit. "beam crown", where the liang/"beam" refers to the metal arches that go over the top. The more liang there are on the hat, the higher the rank of the official.

And last but not least, Qing dynasty (1616 - 1911) fashion. Left is Qing-era men's outfit for horseback archery and hunting, called xingfu/行服. His hat is composed of two parts, the actual hat called dingdai/顶戴 (here it's specifically the winter version) and the back decoration made of horsehair and feathers that signifies status is called hualing/花翎. Back is the casual outfit of late-Qing Manchu noblewomen, with the characteristic hairstyle called dalachi/大拉翅, a vest called kanjian/坎肩, and a robe beneath called chenyi/衬衣. These are all considered part of qizhuang/旗装, or traditional Manchu clothing. On the right is the late-Qing casual outfit of upper class Han women, with an ao/袄 top and a langanqun/阑干裙 skirt (a type of mamianqun/马面裙), and a headband decorated with pearls called mo'e/抹额. Note that although the exact origin of the modern qipao/旗袍 is disputed, it definitely has elements from at least one of the following: the Manchu chenyi, the Han ao, and the late Qing and early Republic era men's changshan/长衫.

A little historical background on why this particular display is arranged in this way. In early Qing dynasty, the Manchu ruling class enforced the policy of 剃发易服 (lit. "shaving hair and changing clothing") specifically on Han men in order to force conformity to Manchu traditions in terms of hairstyle and clothing, but Han women were not included in this policy. So in early Qing, Han women still wore the same clothing as they did prior in late Ming, but over the time the fashion of Han women absorbed many elements of Manchu fashion. However, this wasn't a one-way influence. By late Qing, many elements of Han fashion were adopted by Manchu fashion as well, so this influence really went both ways. Today, Manchu people is one of the 56 officially recognized ethnicities in China (4th largest ethnicity by population), and the traditional fashion of Manchu people is a part of the diverse culture of modern China.

Below is a real example of a chenyi, chenyi were popular among Qing dynasty imperial consorts as informal dress:

The hairstyle of Manchu women (called qitou/旗头) at different times during Qing dynasty. The one at the far right was what early qitou looked like, while the one on the far left appeared in late-Qing. The two hairstyles on the left frequently appear in period dramas set in Qing dynasty.

A belt called jifudai/吉服带 with pouches and decorations. Jifudai is so named because it's supposed to be worn with the semi-formal jifu/吉服 outfit. This particular jifudai is yellow, a color reserved for the emperor.

Real examples of Qing-era Han women's outfit, with an ao on the left, and a langanqun on the right. Langanqun is a type of mamianqun, but the construction is different from Ming-era mamianqun, in that langanqun is made from numerous rectangular and trapezoidal pieces of fabric sewn together into two larger pieces, whereas Ming-era mamianqun are simply two large pleated pieces of fabric. The way these skirts are decorated are also somewhat different. Visually speaking, Qing-era langanqun have woven and/or embroidered patterns that are arranged vertically, creating a "paneled" look, whereas Ming-era mamianqun have woven and/or embroidered patterns that repeat and extend horizontally as to wrap around the entire skirt.

Aaaaand that's it for this exhibition! Phew. I highly recommend everyone go visit the free virtual exhibition (link here), partly because when I visited the National Museum of China, I was in a huge hurry (I only had one day to see everything), and so the task of taking pictures of the exhibition was split between me and a family member, but I'm not sure they understood how many pictures I wanted....so what's in my posts here are only a very small portion of the actual exhibition. The actual exhibition doesn't just have artifacts and replicas of artifacts, but also have paintings and real articles of clothing from Qing dynasty, which were all amazing to look at.

[comradeboyhalo]

Now that I've been thinking about Bad's mission from God (or possible chance of redemption) to be him enacting divine judgement, I want to revisit the desert openings from QSMP, and the imagery he used there.

The poisoned water was previously theorized to be Lethe river water, which would explain his memory loss, but now I wonder if it was instead a reference to Wormwood, which is the star that will fall during the apocalypse, and poison the water. And this is, again, mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

Bad then finds a zombie horse and says "Nope, it's not time yet", which is likely a reference to the fourth horseman of the apocalypse, Death, who rides a pale green horse. Bad has referred himself as Death before, so this is possibly his horse to ride out during the Apocalypse.

This could be a reach, but the shot of Bad sitting with four others could be a reference to the four angels chained under the Euphrates, and the four horsemen. I'm lost on the cauldron in the middle - it could be the poisoned water from before, or it's another piece of symbolism I'm missing.

Finally, there's the storm that Bad walks through, which, like the desert, is commonly symbolic of God (specifically, his judgement). The open door to Heaven leads to God's throne, which is stated in Revelation to open after the rapture (and there's more storm imagery surrounding the throne of God). Bad finds the gateway unlocked after he dies, and it's been confirmed that Bad has been to Heaven, has met his children there, and is now back on Earth. So I'm theorizing that, yes, TRSMP Bad does remember Heaven and its values, whereas QSMP and DSMP Bad did not.

Anyways, this is just rehashing theories we've already discussed, but I do wonder if Bad is going to be able to carry out this ordained mission. Is it necessarily a good thing that Bad's values align with Heaven? Is Heaven quote-un-quote good? Bad seems content knowing Late Night Trio are safe in Heaven, but he has to successfully carry out God's will to return to them, doesn't he? Or maybe all of this is completely off and I should go back to looking at Greek mythology....

[lotusloong]

Love of a Flower

Relationship: Sun Wukong X Female LoongDragon!Reader

AN: Alrighty, I've been working on this for a bit now, hope y'all like it! I originally got the idea when playing Black Myth and reading the OG books and it kinda spiraled from there. I have mentioned Loong!Reader in another fic I have, this is the birth place of her! It just so happened that she could seamlessly fit into the world of New Gods as well so I used her there. See y'all at the end!

Seriously tho, heed the gore and body mod tag. I tried to make it descriptive while not going too crazy with it, but it can still intense to some.

Tags: Fluff, Romance, Soulmates, Fast Burn, I mean - really fast burn, its real sappy too, Fairytale Elements, Mythology Elements, Listen if mythology can get weird and freaky with it then so can I, speaking of, Slight Freak4Freak, Wukong does some weird ass stuff to help Reader who is into it, Slight Gore, Blood, Body Modification, No Smut, References to Smut, this thing is nearly 10k words I do not have the strength to add smut right now, Casual Nudity, for just a moment tho, LoongDragon!Reader, I don't care if Reader is a dragon - she has tits when smaller, if I missed any tags let me know

Summary: You have never left your pond. It's safe, protected, tranquil.

A bit lonely…

A group passing by changes all that.

Tag List: @mythicallystupid

Read it on AO3!

It was the promise of a safe place to rest for the night that drew him to your home. 

Your spot was a humble one, some would say too humble for a mighty dragon, but most days you didn't feel ‘mighty’. You just felt like yourself. It wasn't anything grand, but a gentle waterfall flowed into your pound, where the water swirled and settled before leaving you in the form of a modest creek. Animals, yaoguai, and even the occasional human could find peace at your pond. Your presence would prevent any fights or attacks, and in return the travelers left small offerings at the water's edge and cleaned up after themselves. 

So long as they didn't try to pluck the closed budding lotus in the center of your lake, you were happy to see others pass through.

One morning you woke up and pulled yourself from the water to see a thin trail of smoke creeping above the treeline. With a gentle push you lifted yourself into the air and glided with the wind, glancing over your shoulder briefly at the lotus flower in the center of your pond, petals still closed where it floated across the surface of the crystal clear water. Satisfied it would be safe without your dutiful eye for a moment, you made your way to the smoke stack. A quick glance down showed a campsite in the morning light and you sighed to yourself as relief settled your mind. 

You would rather have new visitors near your home than a wildfire. You hide yourself among the clouds, shivering at the chill as water immediately buds along your scales from the cloud. Your pond is so temperate compared to this, and you already miss its depths. 

You shake yourself, time to focus. You peer down at the campsite to make out the different figures still sleeping away. A brilliant white horse that was surrounded by magic had a monk leaning against its side as they slept, a bedroll with some kind of pig yaoguai curled up, and an ogre sleeping against a tree, bags of luggage surrounding him. An odd group to be certain, but if they were traveling with a monk you were certain they would be friendly enough. 

Satisfied, you were just about to fly back to your pond when a flash of brilliant red shone from the trees. Your own eyes narrow at the sight, twisting your long coils in the air to keep yourself afloat. The details of what you were looking at came to you, and you realized you were looking at the face of a monkey. Glowing red eyes surrounded by soft fur, a gold fillet sitting above their brow. The rest of them was hidden in the tree but you didn't need to see more to know that you were looking at some type of monkey yaoguai. You could sense the power of those eyes.

Under your gaze, the eyes lost their glow, turning to a brilliant gold, and you were left staring at each other. You gave a respectful nod, and were pleased to have it returned. Satisfied with what you had seen, you flew back home.

~~~~~~~

They came by your pond the next day.

You had heard them walking, the sound of the horse’s hooves on the dirt, the pig shuffling and jumping, the ogre’s steady thumping. You didn't hear the monkey's footsteps, not without straining your ears to catch the soft pitter-patter of his steps. You shifted into your human form where you sat by your waterfall, the wind carrying their conversation to you.

“I would not lie about such things. What could I possibly gain by claiming to see a dragon?”

“I don't know! You always have some kind of trick for me monkey! How do we know you aren't trying to trick Bai Long Ma!” 

“Because unlike you, pig, Bai Long Ma is reliable and helpful. I wouldn't want to drive him away.” You could hear indignant screeching in response.

“Whaa-! Master! Master, you see how he bullies me-!”

“What colors did this dragon have?” A deep baritone interrupted the sputtering, and the layered voice was the familiar sound of your own kind. A fellow dragon was traveling with this group.

“White with a black belly. I didn't see much detail, they were too high up.”

“Hmmm, I am not familiar with them personally. Must be a young river guardian.”

“Aha! You see! A dragon prince doesn't recognize them, how do you know it was even a dragon? Could have been a shapeshifter.” As the words were spoken the magnificent white horse from the camp stepped out of the treeline, power coursing underneath the layers of muscle. Deep sea green eyes immediately locked with yours, kin recognizing kin despite your transformed states. Your fellow dragon stopped in his tracks, much to the concern of the being sitting on his back. The monk you had seen the day before followed the gaze of his mount, eyebrows raising in surprise to see you sitting in the water.

“I know because of my truth seeing eyes you idiot-” Another figure stepped out, the one you saw hiding in the trees. A monkey yaoguai like you had thought, his frame sleek but muscular under the rags he wore. The pig walking next to him snarled.

“So what then!? If it was a dragon we should expect heavy rain? Flooding?” His tusks peaked from his lips, and the monkey snarled in turn. His massive canines were far more impressive and intimidating. The sight of them made your heart race. You hardly noticed the ogre silently stopping behind them. 

“If there is to be a flood I welcome it, if only for the chance that you'll be washed away! Taken far, far from here and never to be seen again!” The pig yaoguai practically screeched his anger, and you couldn't help the giggle that escaped you at the monkey's sharp tongue.

The sound had the last three party members snapping their gaze to you, the feud put on hold. You brought the sleeves of your hanfu up to cover your embarrassed grin from their sudden attention. 

“I don't plan to flood this forest anytime soon, but I'll be sure to give you a warning if I change my mind.” You spoke.

“For that, we would be grateful.” The monk smiled at you, giving a polite bow you returned. You stood from your mossy rock and stepped closer to the group.

“This is my home, but you are welcome to camp here as long as you wish. All I ask in return is for my pond to be respected, and for you to not touch my lotus flowers. They’re precious to me, I hate to see them plucked.” While not a total lie - you did love the plants growing in your home - it was the same excuse you gave to all travelers who passed by. You couldn’t take the chance of someone plucking your heart. “You are free to take from any of the plants and herbs along the shoreline though! Just let me know which ones you pluck so I can tend to them after.”

The dragon acting as a horse bowed his head low.

“We are grateful, sister. Your generosity knows no bounds.” He rumbled. You waved him off.

“Oh please, consider it payment for keeping me company while you rest. Most stay away once they realize a dragon lives here.” You look away with a wistful sigh. It was nice living in your pond, but it did get rather lonely…

The dragon horse turned to the other members of the party with a sharp glare, sea green eyes intense. “You two will behave yourselves while we are camped here, understand? I won’t allow rudeness to one of my own who opens her home up so kindly.” 

The pig yaoguai looked surprised at the stern tone, but nodded eagerly. 

The monkey’s eyes darted your way before he gave an over exaggerated bow to the horse, his tail going high in the air to keep his balance as he bent so far forward.

“I vow to you, Bai Long Ma, Third Son of the Dragon King of the West Sea, as the Handsome King of the Monkeys, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the Famed Stone Monkey, Lord of Gold and Metal-”

“Enough with the titles, get on with it.” The dragon interrupted with a roll of his eyes and a nicker of annoyance. 

“...I would never dream of causing trouble.” The smirk on his lips said otherwise. You couldn’t resist giggling at his words, or the way the others around him looked unconvinced. What a cheeky monkey.

~~~~~~~

It was that same afternoon you saw the pig demon, Bajie they called him, running into your pond with a fearful scream. The monkey floated above him on a cloud, grin smug. You were back in your true form just under the surface of the water, peaking only your head out to see what all the commotion was. Bajie jumped and nearly screamed again at the sight of you, but stopped himself with a hand over his pounding heart.

“What happened?” You asked, looking between the two of them.

“He-!” Bajie pointed an accusing finger at the monkey above you both, “transformed into a giant scorpion in my bedroll and chased me here!” You raised a questioning eyebrow at the other demon who merely shrugged in response. You covered your snout with your claws. It wasn’t polite to laugh at your guests. Bajie didn’t seem to notice your amusement, moving closer to you in the water.

“He torments me! Day in and day out!”

“He sounds rather cruel.” You snicker, the monkey grinning back at you utterly shameless.

“He is! But something that always helps is a kiss from a beautiful maiden! Good lady would you mind-” Shock rips through you at Bajie’s sudden words, and the sudden close proximity he had to you in the water. One of his hands reached up to your muzzle, about to touch a long whisker, one of the most sensitive parts of your body, and you froze. Your mind scrambled to get you to swim away from the stranger taking up your personal space but your muscles remained locked stiff.

A sudden dull ‘thunk’ sounded through the clearing and the pig fell back from you and into the water, unconscious as he floated in the current. A staff with intricate gold patterns was extended in the air right where Bajie’s head had been moments ago. Your eyes follow the staff up to the monkey demon, who was scowling at the unconscious form of his companion.

“Talking like that is what made me chase him in the first place. He never learns.” He ‘tsked’ and shook his head before looking back at you. His golden eyes had an unusual sense of seriousness to them. “Pay no mind to him. He talks too much and may push boundaries, but he’d never try anything.”

You nod your head, tension leaving your frame as you relaxed back into the cool water of your pond.

“Th-thank you. I wasn’t expecting him to…to…” You wave a claw at the pig’s snoring form which was currently making a lazy circle as the water swirled around him. The monkey snorted and lowered his cloud closer to you.

“Yeah, he’s an idiot but he’s harmless. Mostly. Sometimes he can be useful in a scuffle.” The monkey shrugged and you snorted at his words. There was a gleam of pride in his golden eyes at the sound of your laughter.

“I don’t believe I caught your name earlier.” You said after finding your composure. “You claimed to be the king of monkeys this morning, don’t tell me you are the same Monkey King, Sun Wukong?” The smile you received in response was answer enough.

“I am! Heard of me and my greatness have you? What’s your favorite story?” Wukong’s tail had a pleased curl to it, rising up behind him as he preened under your gaze. The late afternoon sun gave his russet fur a golden glow and you couldn’t help but think he looked rather pretty. 

“Would it be biased to say when you came to visit the Dragon King of the East? I wasn’t there, but I wish I had been just so I could have seen the antics you started!” The Monkey King is delighted by your response, and he stays hovering over the water of your pond to chat with you more.

The conversation flows like the stream leading away from your pond, gentle but consistent. Tales about his past, mixed in with gossip about the many gods and demons he met and small details about fights and pranks that aren’t included in the common versions of the stories, then discussions about the journey he’s on now, then your river and the small shrine resting at the shore. As much as he boasts about himself, he asks for details about you just as eagerly.

“So, you tend to the plants that grow around here?” The Great Sage asks, his head cocked in curiosity as he watches you. His cloud has lowered significantly during your talk, the white puff resting gently on the surface of the water to meld into a light fog before dissipating. It’s a convenient distraction to focus on so you don’t get lost in the golden depths of his eyes.

“Yes! It’s not the same as a proper garden but…I work with what I have. I learned everything about plant care from my grandfather…” You gave a wistful sigh, remembering your time as a hatchling. Things had been so simple…

“Someday, maybe, I’ll get a proper set up to care for them and grow other types of plants too. I would love to grow fruit trees and berry bushes-”

“Peach trees!?” Wukong interrupts you, leaning in very close to your personal space. He almost looks like he’s about to fall off his nimbus cloud, he’s so far forward. Unlike with the pig demon, you don’t feel the same uncomfortable urge to run. Your heart beats a little faster in your ribs and you feel heat climb to your cheeks, but you don’t move away.

“Of course! I’d love a whole orchard of different fruits, peaches would have to be there as well.” The Monkey King’s smile is as bright as the sun at your words, his grin eager as he speaks.

“Would you save some for me? I’ll come back and visit every day if it means I get free peaches.”

“Only the best for the Great Sage.” Your cheeks ache from how long you’ve been smiling. Suddenly, Wukong pulls away from you, eyes lighting up.

“Oh! What if you came to live on my mountain!? Mount Huaguo used to have so many different plants and fruits growing all over the place! If we could have an actual garden set up to take care of them, it would be so much easier! Then you could pick all the best peaches for me and my monkeys, and we’d sit and talk with you all day!”

The offer shocked you. Your mouth hung open for a few moments as you gathered your thoughts, staring at the wild, beautiful demon before you. 

Floating in the still water behind you, the budding lotus flower unfurled ever so slowly, the delicate center still hidden by soft white and pink petals. The outer petals cupped themselves towards the sky, tips a vivid pink as if to entice someone to pluck the bloom despite its half opened state. 

“Wh-...that would be-”

“I am happy to see you two getting along. My worry was misplaced.” A soothing voice interrupts your words. You look up, startled, to see the monk step out from the treeline, fidgeting with a ring of prayer beads. As you greet him, Sun Wukong tenses up where he sits on his cloud. His tail goes stiff, hovering in a curved position behind your head. This does not go unnoticed by you, or the monk. 

“Apologies, I was speaking in jest.” Tang Sanzang murmurs, his smile soft but strained. Wukong doesn't meet his eyes, looking off to the distant horizon. 

“Of course Master. Excuse me, I need to patrol.” You stare after the monkey with wide eyes as he jumps into the trees, the emotional whiplash of the situation startling you to silence. Just a moment before he looked so happy and eager…

The monk comes close to you. 

“Do you mind?” He looks pointedly at a spot of soft grass next to the shore you lounge on, and you gesture for him to settle down. He sits with his back straight, eyes slipping closed as he gathers his thoughts. You idle away by making small bubbles in the water, popping the biggest ones with a claw.

“...I apologize for ruining your talk. It was not my intention.” He eventually speaks. You look at him, your whiskers settling and curling idly in the air around his still form.

“It's alright monk, it's a pleasure to speak with any of you.” You tried to reassure him. His face remained unchanged. 

“...He no longer trusts me.” You straighten, a pitying frown forming on your muzzle. Your ear flicks at the sound of a tree rustling. Wukong is there, hiding and listening. You don't bring attention to him. 

“I'm sorry to hear that. May I ask what happened?” While you're curious to know, this is also an opportunity for Wukong. If he didn't want you to hear about the issues between him and his Master, now would be the time to interrupt. The only sound you hear is Bajie’s distant snoring as he washes up on the opposite shore of the pond. 

Tang Sanzang opens his eyes. 

“There was…a yaoguai. She was a trickster, and managed to deceive myself and my disciples. The only one to see through her tricks was Sun Wukong. He tried to kill her multiple times, and each time I…I punished him for it. I had thought he was killing innocents. I don't like when he kills at all, truthfully.”

You cocked your head to the side, resting your chin on one clawed hand as you leaned your elbow onto the shoreline. Your ear flicks again at the rustling of leaves. 

“I had banished him from our party, after Zhu Bajie convinced me Sun Wukong was playing another trick to avoid consequences. Not only was I wrong, but my disciple had to travel all the way to Mount Huaguo to convince our protector to come back. We apologized and he…he said he forgave us but he's been…different ever since.”

You hummed, a pain in your heart at the thought of Wukong being discarded so easily. Why did it bother you so much? You had only known the monkey for such a short time…

“Well,” you started, “he most likely needs time. You broke his trust.” The monk looked to you with wide eyes, surprised but not angry. You swallowed, uncertain if you should be weighing in on such a situation when you were nothing but an outsider. Wukong did not move from his hiding place. 

“He worked hard to protect you, and instead of trusting his instincts, trusting him, you punished him. That's not an easy thing to overcome, even if he has forgiven you.” A lotus flower, small and budding, grew in the water next to your elbow. You scooped a claw under it, lifting it as far into the air as its stem would allow. 

“Trust needs to be nurtured and cared for. When broken, it can grow back, under the right circumstances. With time and effort put into its care.” With a small burst of magic, you made the flower bloom in your palm. Sanzang looked between you and the lotus, a small smile forming on his soft face. 

“You speak wise words.” A smile twitched at the corners of your muzzle. You weren't finished yet.

“However monk,” you snapped the lotus off of its stem, holding it close to your chest. “When the land has been salted, the soil can no longer bear seeds. Even just once is enough that an entire plot can no longer grow anything. Be grateful then, if you manage to see progress. Even if it's a small, pitiful bulb.”

The smile fell from his face once more. 

“Again, you speak true. I will take your words to heart, lotus dragon.” You gave him a bow of your mighty head, careful not to poke him with your antlers. 

“He is with you now, and clearly cares for your wellbeing. That means more than you might realize.” The monk returns your head bow with one of his own, a thoughtful look on his face at your words. The silence between you lasts for only a few moments.

“You know a great deal about plants, it seems.”

“My grandfather taught me about them from the very beginning. He adores them, and I like to think I inherited that love. His teachings taught me about more than just how to care for plants.” 

“He sounds very wise indeed.”

The monk sat with you for a few moments more, before rising to his feet, excusing himself to meditate in peace. You are not surprised when Wukong silently lands on the pond bank, his smell of wood, stone, and fruit surrounding you.

“Thank you.” He says.

You smile and nod.

~~~~~~~

Days pass and the group continues to rest near your water.

After another long night of conversation between you and the Monkey King, you get only a few hours of sleep before rising.

You fly away from your pond to hunt for something suitable to eat. Before the dawn truly breaks over the horizon you glide away, focusing your senses on the trees below you for any sign of prey. A padded down spot of grass is proof a deer slept there during the night, and when you land you follow the scent and tracks through the thick underbrush. The kill itself is quick and easy, and you soon find yourself gliding across the sky back to your water with breakfast in your mighty jaws.

There is an odd fluttering in your chest as you move, like your heart is fluttering where it rests in your pond. It’s slightly different from the fluttering feeling you’ve been feeling when talking with Sun Wukong, but it’s not a bad one. You’ll be sure to check on the bloom when you get back.

When the sight of your pond comes into view, a shiver of excitement jolts down your spine. In the center of the water, Ruyi Jingu Bang sits perfectly straight like a pillar from the surface, the water not even disturbed enough by the pole to ripple around its base. Sun Wukong sits on its top, his feet gripping the pole and his impeccable balance keeping him upright. You land in the water with a gentle ripple, setting your kill down on the shoreline. The excitement you feel at seeing Wukong awake and waiting for you has you feeling giddy, and you open your bloodied mouth to ask if he’d like to join you for breakfast-

When the blood in your veins turns into ice.

In his hands, sits your lotus flower.

Your breath catches in your throat, whiskers quivering in the air around you. Your scales lift from your body in a fear response, claws digging deep into the wet soil beneath you. Wukong turns and flips the flower, exceedingly gentle wherever he touches it. Not one petal is plucked, not one leaf is bent out of shape. He meets your eyes with a curious glance before going back to his examination.

“It’s this one right? Something about it is tied to you, but I can’t figure out what. It must be important though, I can sense the magic coming off of it.” Over the days you’ve been talking with the monkey it bloomed further, nearly entirely open to reveal the yellow and pink center.

You think you’re going to vomit where you stand.

“P-pl…please…” You whisper. Wukong looks back at you, an eyebrow raised in concern at your apparent fear. His shoulders straighten, senses on high alert for what could have you so upset. “Please…put it back…” Your voice sounds wispy and faint to your own ears, but the sound of your blood pumping through your veins isn’t helping. Wukong hears you anyways, looking down at the innocent flower in his hands to your frozen form. With a nod he slinks down the length of Ruyi Jingu Bang and gracefully puts the flower back on top of the water’s surface, like it never left.

He flips himself up and out of the water, landing on the shore where you put your food. You don’t feel like eating any more.

You stare at the flower as it floats along the surface, terrified that if you look away it’ll be picked up again and taken far, far away from you. It glides unbothered across the water.

Wukong coughs into his fist beside you.

“I didn’t realize it was that important to you. I’m sorry.” The words pull your attention back to him, but you can’t help the double take to make sure the flower still rests on the water.

“I…it’s alright. You didn’t know.” You shudder and take a deep breath, shaking yourself before shifting into a smaller dragon form. Your tail curls around your legs protectively as you sit on the shoreline. Wukong looks uncertain for once, as if he would like to sit with you but doesn’t know if he would be welcome. You have mercy on the poor monkey, patting the ground next you as you drag the deer carcass closer.

“You enjoy your meat raw, yes? I do too, as a special treat every once in a while.” As the tension in the air dissipates, you see his shoulders relax, his tail drooping to a pleased curl knowing that you’re not upset with him. You use your claws to tear off slivers of meat, cutting away fur and handing pieces over to your monkey friend. He thanks you before taking a bite, blood dripping into the fur of his wrists and down his chin as he eats.

You follow suit, slicing a piece of venison and swallowing it whole with your large maw. A single rivulet of blood leaks out the corner of your jaw and follows the trail of your scales, beading at the tip of a small bony protrusion along your jawline and falling to the ground below. When you lower your head back down, intending to tear off another piece, you feel Wukong’s eyes on you.

You look to him, his eyes wide where they stare at you, following the single trail of blood. His eyes move lower, over the long winding curve of your neck to your shoulders, where your modest robes wrap tight around your shoulders and chest. His breathing is heavy, and you catch the faint smell of something spicy coming from him. The smell is musky and reminds you of smoke, of metal burning red in fire, of heat.

A blush burns your cheeks.

“Is…everything okay?” Your voice comes out meek.

His golden eyes look back to yours, the red sclera looks like it's burning, like his eyes are glowing, while his pupils contract and dilate at the sight of you.

“Of course…” He mutters. When he says nothing else you try to smile, feeling self-conscious under his gaze but…enjoying the way his eyes seem to burn into you. It makes your chest feel tight, like your flower heart was being squeezed in a way you didn’t want to stop. He eventually turns back to his own slivers of meat before speaking again.

“I really would like you to come live on my mountain. It’s not the same after the 500 years I’ve been gone, but I can’t stay and rebuild until my mission to the west is complete. I think…I think you would be very helpful…my monkeys would love you, I know. And…and I want you there.” If your cheeks felt warm before, they feel scorching now. Your tail gives a pleased ‘thump’ against the ground. 

“I…I really think I would love that…” Wukong’s chest swells at your words, a pleased grin stretching across his muzzle as he bites into another piece of meat. You pause. 

“...But I sadly can’t.” The look Wukong gives you is so pained you feel like you just slapped him. 

“W-...why not?” You fidgeted with the carcass in front of you, biting your tongue. Did you dare risk telling him? He already held your flower in his hands and put it back when asked…you felt safe around him, you enjoyed his company. You take a deep breath, steeling yourself.

“The flower…it’s my heart.” His brow furrows at your words, his confusion clear. “It’s my actual heart, taken from me by a curse. My grandfather did what he could to save me, but to do so he had to remove my heart from my chest and he turned it into a flower. The curse keeps me from…putting it back.” 

The Monkey King sat up straighter, looking from you to the flower he had been holding, to his own hands in shock and back at you again. You gave him a small, unsure smile.

“Flowers need to be cared for. I can’t just leave it…what if a traveler plucked it? If I try to leave with it, how will I keep it alive? It needs water and loose, wet soil to stay strong, or at least some sort of magical artifact to keep it alive. What if while travelling it gets crushed and I…and I die?” The more you spoke, the higher Wukong’s eyebrows rose, a dawning realization on his face.

“That’s why you’ve never left…” He muttered. You nodded, curling in on yourself.

“Grandfather comes to visit me often, when he’s not busy with his duties at least. But this pond is peaceful and safe, and hardly anyone has ever tried to start trouble here, so I’ve never really…asked him to help me move somewhere else.” Sun Wukong jumped to his feet, pacing around where you still sat. You followed his movements, your long neck twisting and turning to keep up with his agitated pace. His tail flicked and twitched behind him, bloody claws flexing and fidgeting.

“I could carry your flower to Mount Huaguo. I fly fast, I know where all the deepest and calmest rivers and ponds are. I could place your heart right outside Water Curtain Cave! And if for whatever reason you don’t like it, I can change it! I can make you an entire new river on the mountain if you wanted!” He cried, looking to you as he spoke. You shook your head, flattered at his want to help you but knowing it wasn’t meant to be.

“And what of your quest? You can’t stay with me on your mountain while I adjust and learn the rivers. You have responsibilities with your Master. Maybe…maybe after your quest I could move. If you still remember me…” The sadness you felt at the idea of being forgotten by him nearly choked you, and you took another deep breath to center yourself.

Wukong’s arms dropped to his sides like dead weight, his tail falling and curling sadly against the ground. He knew you were right.

“I could never forget you…” He muttered. His eyes found yours again, and a fluttering erupted in your stomach at the sincerity in his gaze. “Something about you…I know I’m supposed to have you in my life.” 

“H-how can you be so certain-?” You gasped. The weight of his words, the way he spoke so certainly…it stole your breath.

“When I came into the world my people were there and waiting for me already. When we frolicked and played our great Water Curtain Cave was waiting for us. Inside was my palace, empty but fully furnished and filled to the brim with wonderful wine and foods and clothes. It had been made and left there for me. For my people to call home. I was always meant to be their king, and I was always meant to leave to become the Great Sage. You are meant to stay with me. I feel it. I know it.” 

As he spoke the Monkey King grew more confident, more assured about the words he spoke. He stood before you, back straight and shoulders squared, his gaze fierce and burning with his resolve. Behind you in the water, your heart fully bloomed.

“You really…feel that way for me?” Wukong gave you a firm nod.

“Yes.”

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes, and you brought a bloody claw up to your muzzle as if it would help stifle the sound that escaped your throat. Wukong, concerned, stepped closer to you, his own bloody claws cupping your scaled cheeks. Your eyes fluttered closed as he held you.

“I was…I feel the same, that…that tugging inside me to be with you. I keep dreading the day you have to leave, I know it’s coming soon, I know you have to keep moving for the scriptures and yet-!” You shuddered, “I don’t want you to go. I want to stay with you…”

Wukong tilted your head up to him, and without hesitation, his lips were suddenly on yours. You squeaked into the kiss, eyes wide and body frozen. It was only for a moment before you all but melted into his hold again, kissing him back as best you could. Your fangs clicked against each other’s, his fingers were so close to the sensitive whiskers on your snout, his smell filling your mind and wiping away every thought except for him.

Wukong pulled back, and a soft sound of protest left you. A new fiery determination was in his eyes, and his voice was firm and husky as he spoke.

“I promise you, I will find a way. I won’t leave you here, not forever.” His claws traced over your scales and the bony spines on your jaw with a gentleness that made your heart ache. You wanted to hold him and be held back for eternity by him. You nuzzled into his neck and breathed his smell, grounding yourself. Everything felt like a dream.

Wukong held you for a moment longer before letting go, stepping back and summoning his cloud. You watched with confusion as he stepped on it, and he gave you a reassuring look.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, a few days at most. Watch over my Master, would you? Tell him I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?” You asked. Your tail curled anxiously around your feet,

“I have an idea of what to do but I need to confirm it. If it works…then you can come with us. If it doesn't, I’ll find something else.” You nodded, uncertain but trusting Wukong.

“O-okay…See you soon, my love…” You stepped back from his cloud, clasping your clawed hands tight to stop yourself from reaching out and pulling him back into your arms. The Monkey King smiled at you, sharp canines on display.

“Goodbye my flower.” 

And then he was gone.

~~~~~~~

You’re surprised by how accepting the pilgrims are when you tell them Sun Wukong left. Bajie shrugs and goes back to eating his lunch, a pile of dried meats and vegetables, uncaring. Wujing stares at you long and hard for a few moments, his narrowed eyes suspicious. You meet his gaze with an unwavering one of your own and after a few moments he nods, satisfied. He turns and settles down next to the campfire to sharpen his bident.

Your fellow dragon, still transformed as a horse, simply blinks at your words before laying down his head and resuming his early morning nap. The only one with questions for you is the monk.

“Is everything alright?” He asks. 

“I hope so.” You respond. “He wanted to help me and said he might know a way. He’s supposed to be back soon…” The worry you feel must be obvious because the monk doesn’t hesitate to put his hand on your shoulder in a show of comfort. 

“He will be back. He always comes back.” His words soothe you, even if only a little bit.

The days continue to pass and you continue to watch the sky for any sign of your monkey. Any cloudy speck, any glints of gold, just…something to reassure you he’s on his way back. Your days are spent meditating with the monk and his disciples, watching the horizon for Wukong, and your nights are spent curled in the water of your pond, wondering if he’s safe.

Relief comes just a few days after, like he promised.

The full moon hangs high in the sky and reflects on the clear surface of your water. You’re lying along the shore, tracing a claw over the ripples in the surface and watching the stars twinkle in the distorted reflection to distract yourself from the listless feeling in your gut. One particular star catches your eye, its glint shining brighter, closer, than the other stars. You lift yourself up to stare at the water, and realize that yes, the star is growing bigger in size. 

Your head snaps up to look at the heavens, looking frantically for the golden glint you were watching in the water. There, you see it! A speck of light shooting across the sky, coming closer and closer to your pond. You shift from your true form to your smaller one, standing on the tips of your clawed feet to watch the light, hoping with every part of your being its Wukong on his way back to you.

As it grows closer, you see him.

The Monkey King stands crouched on his cloud, a fierce and determined look on his face as he moves closer. Your tail lifts behind you as you wave a clawed hand in the air, a smile stretching wide across your muzzle at the sight of him. He sees you, and a smile stretches across his own face at the sight of you happy and healthy to greet him. His cloud lowers closer to the treetops, rustling leaves and low hanging clouds with the force of his own wind.

When he lowers closer to your pond he doesn’t even bother landing properly, jumping from his cloud and straight into your waiting arms with a wild screech of joy. You catch him happily, staggering from his weight and falling over into a pile as you laugh together.

His fur feels so soft under your claws, his musky smell of wood and stone more pungent than ever from his days of travel. Your tails entwine as you pull each other closer and nuzzle your faces together. You press soft kisses to his lips, delighted that they still taste the same after that first one you had too many days ago. His weight settles on top of you, his smaller form cushioned by yours as his hands and feet grip every part of your scaly body he can cling to. Your long neck lets you wind yourself around him as you sit back up from the cool grass, midnight dew coating your scales, his fur, and both your clothes.

“I missed you.” He chirps, little squeaks of delight leaving his throat in a way you think might not be conscious. 

“I missed you too…so much…” You’re purring in response to his touches, your scales feeling warm everywhere his claws graze you. “Your Master is safe, they all are. We were all waiting for you.”

Wukong pulls away from you just enough to meet your gaze with his own, sitting back comfortably on your lap. The smile he gives you is radiant.

“Thank you, my love. I…I’m hoping it was worth it. I think it will be.” He fully climbs off your lap, kneeling next to you in the soft grass. “I found a spell, a ritual really. We can do it now, but it's uhm…it’s intense.”

“What do you mean? Is it safe?” You ask. You watch with curiosity as Wukong starts to disrobe, pulling his arms from his sleeves and letting his tiger sash hold his clothing tight around his waist. You swallow, eyes drawn to the muscle and fur making up his chest. Your claws itch to reach out and touch.

“It’s safe, it's just…there’s blood. It’s a ritual to…well, to place your heart in a new vessel.” Your brow furrowed in confusion, not fully understanding his meaning. Wukong leaned forward, pressing a kiss to your cheek and trailing down along your jawline to your ear. You shiver in response. 

“Just bear with me, love.” He cooed in your ear, pulling back from your arms. “It'll look painful, but it's worth it if it's for you.” 

Before you could ask what he meant, his sharp claws were tracing lines over the rippling muscle of his left pectoral. With a sharp, deep inhale his claws sunk into his own flesh and pulled. Your own claws came up to cover your mouth in shock, eyes wide as you watched your lover dig into the meat of his chest. His golden eyes were narrowed in focus, sharp canine sticking out over his bottom lip as he bit it. A single bead of red grew and spilled over his lip and down his chin to his throat, soaking the fur and skin and joining the growing red spot of his chest. Speckles of blood sprayed onto your robes, but you didn't even register it as you watched Sun Wukong.

The slick sound of muscle being cut into jolted you back to the present, and you whimpered in shock and concern. 

“Wh-what are you doing!? Wukong, stop-!” You cried, your hands reaching for his own, still tearing into himself and bleeding red, so much red everywhere, it was going to kill him-!

He grunted, his claws not leaving his chest no matter how hard you pulled at him. His eyes met yours, and the fierce determination staring back at you made you freeze again. 

“Its-Its already started-...Let me finish-” You choked, letting your claws fall away from his as a vague sense of horror settled into you. You didn't want this. You didn't want to see your mate so in pain, it didn't matter that your bond was so fresh and new. It hurt you to see him like this.

The pain didn't stop him however, Sun Wukong’s fingers digging deeper and deeper into himself. Just when you thought you couldn't stand it any longer, the urge to beg and plead for him to stop almost overflowing out of you like a tidal wave, you heard a sickening ‘shthrack!’ as his shoulders jerked hard. The force of the motion had the Monkey King folding over on himself, hands still buried in his chest. Your hands raised once more to touch him, grab him, do something, but ended up hovering uselessly over his trembling shoulders. 

“W-Wukong? My love, please, I can't stand this any longer-” He took a deep breath, his whole body going lax as he straightened before you again. 

In his hands, still trembling with aftershocks, was a stone.

Your eyes move to his chest where a cavernous opening now sits, hollow and still bleeding profusely. Sinews and nerves curve in a tangled mesh that used to hold the object he cups in his hands.

Your gaze goes further up to see his golden eyes, filled with pain but overshadowed by love and devotion that makes heat rise to your own cheeks. 

“If you carry it with you,” he begins, voice only holding a slight tremble, “then I can carry yours with me.” He turns his gaze to the surface of your pond, eyes watching your lotus flower heart as it sits serene on the still surface. Your eyes widen in realization, looking back at the object he currently holds.

Slick with blood, you could barely make out the deep stone grey color of the object itself. In shock and not thinking properly, you let him place it into your waiting hands. The weight of it surprises you, heavy and hard, it has the rough texture of stone itself. Hard jagged edges dig into your palms while deep grooves sit under your fingertips. Sun Wukong’s own bloody hands cup yours and help you hold its weight. You could drop it, but knowing what it is, the significance of this act, you think you would rather spend eternity in Laozi’s furnace than drop the bloody organ currently beating in your palms.

Sun Wukong - the Monkey King, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Stone Monkey, the love of your life, has just made room in his very own chest to house and hold your own heart where it would be safe from everything. 

Has just placed his own literal heart in your hands.

It's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen.

Tears gather in the corner of your eyes, slipping down your scaled cheeks. 

“Y-you…” Your voice fails you. Sun Wukong smiles, his cheeky grin that always makes your tummy flutter, but you can see in his eyes as doubt and self-consciousness creeps into his thoughts. 

“It's an option. I understand if it's too big of a decision right now, I shouldn't have-” He moves his hands back to his heart, about to pick it up, to take it away from you-

Your claws close around the beating stone and pull it close to your own chest before he can take it. You're panting, looking between his surprised expression and the precious gift you now hold. 

“I…I want it. I want it so bad Wukong.” You whisper. “I'll take good care of it. So good. It's so beautiful~” You bring it up to your muzzle, your long whiskers rising and gently stroking along his heart’s details, helping you memorize every crack and crevice and sharp edge. Uncaring of the blood still on it you press your lips to a smooth patch. It beats faster.

You press more gentle kisses to it, your eyes locking with those of your king. His gaze burns into you, liquid golden fire watching your every move, every press of your soft lips to the most vulnerable part of him. His breathing quickens, his throat bobs as he swallows, his cheeks turn warm and pink. You feel his tail circle around your waist and trail down to tangle with your own.

“I…I know you will.” He rumbles, voice thick and raspy. His hands cup yours again, and you let them push your own hands towards your chest. Blood stains your hanfu, but you simply push the fabric out of the way, unravelling it from your torso to reveal your chest. Your breasts rise and fall at a rapid pace with your breathing, the smell of blood and your mate filling your nose and overwhelming your senses. Wukong’s eyes widen at the sight of your bare chest, and that sharp smell from days before comes back.

The smell of musk, burning metal and wood, sharp and addicting.

You blush at his obvious attraction to your body, shyly meeting his eyes as you hold his heart close to your own empty chest. You give him a single nod, sharp and confident, and he nods back. He begins muttering phrases in a language you’re not familiar with, and the heart in your claws begins to glow. You watch as it presses against the scales of your body, leaving your hands and slowly…merging with you.

Within moments it’s gone, and a sudden weight you haven’t felt since you were a hatchling settles inside you. You gasp, claws gripping your chest with shock as you feel the ‘thum-thump’ of a heart inside you once more.

Wukong’s heart. 

It’s so warm…so solid and real where it beats frantically behind your breast. You shudder, eyes fluttering closed as you bask in the feeling.

When you open them again, Wukong is staring at you, his shoulders rising and falling with the force of his breaths. The opening in his own chest doesn’t seem to phase him, his pupils are dilating and contracting as he watches you with heated focus. You want to kiss him again, but the hole in his chest bothers you, despite his lack of concern.

You stand, wobbling slightly at the added weight to your top. Your lover moves as if to catch you, but you wave him off. The heavy weight of his heart feels incredible as you step into your pond. With a delicate claw motion, you pull your heart from the center of the pond to you, the petals wide and welcoming, blooming with love for the demon behind you. When it comes to your feet, you bend and scoop it up, carefully snapping the long stem, uncaring of the twinge you feel in response. The cutting will reroot in its new home.

You turn and settle back down next to Wukong, holding the flower out for him to take. The monkey’s hands cradle the bloom just as reverently as you did his heart, and your hands move to cup the backs of his as he brings it to his chest. As he moves he recites the same mantra from before, and your heart starts to glow the same way his did. A tingling shoots down your spine at the sensation, and you feel hyper aware of everything around you.

You both place the bloom into his chest cavity, blood soaking your claws but not the glowing flower. The cut stem immediately grows and lengthens into a root system and you watch as those roots connect with the sinews and nerves lining Wukong’s chest cavity. His body tenses, eyes wide as it settles inside him. The petals fold and bend into place as his body heals rapidly, roots twisting and winding through the muscle surrounding it. The last thing you see is the petals collectively beating before his chest fully heals and swallows your heart whole.

You can still feel it. 

It’s warm and healthy and safe, tying itself to Wukong permanently. You are suddenly aware of more than just yourself. You can feel your lover, the immense strength at rest in his smaller form, the vitality and determination that make up his spirit. You can feel the beat of his heart, his sturdy breath, the boundless energy inside him ready to be unleashed. Looking at him, you know he feels the same for you as well. The quiet sturdiness of your resolve, the calming and gentle care that makes up your spirit. 

Your claws let the other’s go, moving to wrap around each other in a desperate embrace. Kisses are shared and taken, your whiskers wrapping tight around different parts of his form and his teeth nipping at your lips and jawline. 

“Thank you, thank you, I love you-” Is a mantra you can’t stop repeating, desperate to thank him for the freedom he’s granted you on this night. It’s not even just freedom to finally leave, it’s everything else he’s given you. Sun Wukong is your mate now, officially and for eternity. You have no plans to let him go.

“I love you too, so much. Thank you for accepting it, for accepting me-” Is his response to your words, his claws clutching at you just as desperately. You can feel it inside you, his fiery, steadfast resolve to stay by your side, to not ever let you go.

Neither of you gets much sleep that night.

~~~~~~~

When dawn breaks, the creeping sunlight is shielded from you by the dense thicket of trees you and your mate hid away in. Your long, serpentine form is coiled tightly around the monkey, his head hidden in the cushion of your breasts and tummy. Bite marks litter you both, standing out more starkly on your white scales, most of the ones you left on him covered by thick russet fur.

When your eyes peak open, the first instinct you have is to reach to your chest where Wukong’s head lay, feeling under your scales for the steady beat of his heart against your ribs. It soothes you, and you relax back into the grass surrounding your bodies. Wukong twitches in your hold, tiny snores leaving him as he nuzzles further into your warmth. You shift, ever so slightly, to get a better look at him.

One clawed hand cups his soft cheek, rubbing the spot under his eye as you watch him. Said eye peaks open in response, gold glinting in the shade of the early morning.

“Good morning…” You whisper. Wukong shifts, stretching his arms around your coils and yawing wide. The sight of his sharp teeth has excitement stirring in your belly once more. You know very intimately how sharp those teeth are, how gentle they can be…

“Hmm…morning…” He mumbles in return, rolling his neck until a satisfying ‘crack’ could be heard. You giggle as he stands and does a full body stretch, his fur matted and flat in some areas from sleep. Your eyes roam down the length of his body, on full nude display in the light.

“Something you like my flower?” He purrs at you over his shoulder, completely confident.

“Oh yes,” you start, “It’s a lovely sunrise. If only there wasn’t a monkey blocking the view.” you tease. He gives you a playful growl in response, turning to face you with a dramatic swish of his tail. Your bravado leaves you quickly at that, the sight of his soft cock surrounded by fur stained from the night before too much for you. He laughs at your rising blush.

“Cheeky dragon, losing your nerve, hmm?” He kneels back down next to you and presses a quick, casual kiss to your lips. You give a pleased hum, your embarrassment fading at his touch. When he pulls back, you sigh.

“We should probably get ready.” He groans in response to your words, but does help you stand on your own feet. 

“Yes, yes, you’re right. We’ve spent too much time camped here.” He lets you lead the way to your pond for the two of you to clean up, but you suspect his reasoning is so he can watch your knees tremble with every step you take. The smug grin on his face confirms your thoughts.

By the time the two of you are cleaned and ready for the day, the others of your group have woken up. They greet Wukong with smiles and teasing remarks, everyone but the monk able to smell the evidence of your night together. Despite your blushing, Wujing helps you gather from the different herbs growing around your pond as Bajie collects water in gourds for the journey ahead. Wukong helps Sanzang load some of the camp supplies onto Bai Long Ma’s back and pack everything else up for Wujing to carry.

“I am glad you have found someone who makes you happy, my student.” The monk says. Wukong freezes, uncertain.

“...Thank you Master.” He says. The monk reaches a hand out, but hesitates. Wukong stares, before finally caving in. He leans forward, letting Snazang’s hand rest on his fluffy head and ruffle his fur. The monk smiles, patting him gently before pulling away.

Feeling oddly vulnerable, Wukong turns and walks towards the pond, where you’re finishing up wrapping all the herbs and berries Wujing helped you harvest.

“Everything ready over here?” Wujing nods, standing and adding the refilled bags of supplies to the stuff he normally carries on his back. The others gather in the treeline, ready and waiting to go.

Wukong steps up behind your still form, his arms wrapping tight around your waist. 

“Are you ready?” He asks.

You stare out over the still water, taking in the view. This has been your home for decades now, centuries even. It’s safe water is all you’ve known for your adult life. The flowers and plants along the shoreline, the small stone shrine at the edge of the shore shaded by a growing tree. The waterfall you would play and dance under, the many many memories attached to each spot.

You look to the surface of the pond, and the sight of your flower missing still feels alien and strange. You can feel it beating in Wukong’s chest. You take a deep breath, filling your lungs with the familiar smells and releasing them with a sigh.

“Yes.”

You turn and walk away, hand in hand with your love.

~~~~~~~

And that's that! I do have ideas that I’d like to add to this story in the future, but I’m still figuring them out and the details around them, so for now this is a one off. I do have an idea for an alternative storyline that's more angsty and ties into the lore of Black Myth Wukong, and I'd like to get that out eventually too! Hope y’all enjoyed ♥♥♥

[whencyclopedia]

Amazon Women

In Greek mythology, the Amazons were a race of warlike women noted for their riding skills, courage, and pride, who lived at the outer limits of the known world, sometimes specifically mentioned as the city of Themiskyra on the Black Sea. Their queen was Hippolyte, and although Homer tells us they were 'the equal of men', they most famously fought and lost separate battles against three Greek heroes: Hercules, Theseus, and Bellerophon. Scenes from these battles were popular in Greek art, especially on pottery and in monumental sculpture adorning some of the most important buildings in the Greek world, including the Parthenon of Athens. Intriguingly, archaeological investigation of tombs across Eurasia has shown conclusively that many women of nomadic steppe tribes were indeed warriors, particularly around the Black Sea area.

Origins & Name

In mythology, the Amazons were daughters of Ares, the god of war. They were members of a women-only society where men were welcomed only for breeding purposes and all male infants were killed. They were thought to dwell at the edge of what the Greeks considered their 'civilized' world and were most often associated with the area around the southern coast of the Black Sea, particularly the city-state of Themiskyra. Another Anatolian connection was at Ephesus, where it was thought Amazons had sacrificed to the goddess of hunting Artemis at her temple there and performed war dances, a ceremony repeated annually thereafter. Indeed, the foundation of many settlements in Asia Minor was credited to Amazons, notably Ephesus, Cyme, Sinope, Priene, Myrina, Smyrna, and Mytilene on Lesbos.

Herodotus (c. 484 – 425/413 BCE), writing in his Histories (Bk. 4, 110-117), gives a lengthy description of a meeting between Amazons and Scythians. Young warriors of the latter group persuaded a number of visiting Amazons to set up a new society together, with the women insisting neither they nor their offspring would change their lifestyles at all. This new race was considered the origins of the Sarmatians in southern Russia, appropriately enough, a people famous for their horses and military aggression.

Essentially, the society of the Amazons was thought of as Greek male-society in reverse and so they pursued such traditional male-dominated activities as horse-riding, hunting, and warfare. In legend (with no supporting historical evidence), the Amazons burnt off their right breast in order to better use a bow and throw a spear, indeed, the term a-mazon was popularly understood as meaning 'breastless', although alternative meanings include 'one breast' or 'not breast-fed.' Another alternative origin of the name is that it comes from Persian and means simply 'warrior.' One final interpretation is that the name derives from the Armenian, meaning 'Moon-goddess', and refers to priestesses of the Moon on the southern shores of the Black Sea who did, on occasion, bear arms. Interestingly, Amazons are not depicted in ancient Greek art with a missing breast. The historian Adrienne Mayor suggests that the literary confusion, therefore, comes from the similarity between mazon and the Greek word for breast mastos. In art, Amazons are most often depicted wearing hoplite armour and they frequently ride a horse. The most common weapons are the bow and spear, but there are also examples where Amazons carry axes. They were not only regarded as capable warriors but also particular experts at ambush and cavalry charges.

Continue reading...

[princessofghosts-posts]

I kinda wished we saw the demigods more in the mortal world than the mythological one. Most of them go to school and some of them live with their parents in the winter,but other than a couple of moments with Percy at the start of a school year (that goes wrong) we never saw anything. I'm not talking about the time he got attacked while in school or in pubblich places,I'm referring to seeing them having mortal friends and everything,while trying not to blow up half of their existence to them.

Percy during lunch period: So,do you guys have plans for this summer?

Dude n.1: Me and my family are going to the beach,mom rented an house for a bit there.

Dude n.2: Cool! I'm going to travel for a couple of days in Europe,dad wanted to see some monuments there so we are all going together.

Dude n.1: Remember to buy souvenirs for us too! Percy,what about you? What are you plans?

Percy: I'm going to my usual summer camp this year too. Hoping it will go better than the others time.

Dude n2: Why? Something bad happened last time you went?

Percy: Not really. One of my acquaintances there pushed me off the climbing wall last time,my arm kinda....broke? But another guy fixed my bones right after so it wasn't a problem. I just hope she doesn't try to do that again,it's starting to get annoying.

Dude n.1:....Did you just say that she pushed you off a wall? And did that multiple times-?

Dude n.2: And that a guy fixed your bones? You need a surgery for a broken arm–

Percy: Nah don't worry,he got it covered,trust me. You know how a summer camps are.

Dude n1: I went to those a couple of times and I don't remember ever having a climbing wall?? You sure it's safe?

Percy: Pretty much,beside,the climbing wall isn't that bad. We also have horse stables,an arena and–

Dude n.2: A what now–

Percy: An arena. You know,those where you go and– *stopping abruptly because he realized he started to say to much*

You can't tell me this didn't happend at least twice,and not only for Percy. They are so immersed in their demigods life that sometimes they forgot that there are normal mortals (not like Rachel that can see through the mist or think/know that something is up) too and they can't talk too much and freely around them.

I can totally see Percy and Annabeth hanging out with some non-demigod friends and while they are all in the middle of a conversation those two start to to divert from the main topic,totally forgetting about their friends and talking about the time they were in trouble. And those people are concerned and a bit spoken because they can't understand and didn't know half of what they are talking about.

Annabeth did you just said you got stabbed a couple of weeks before school? Percy,did you just said that a crazy aunt of your kidnapped you for almost the whole summer? And you had amnesia half of the time?? What do you mean your mother sent you on a trip in Rome's undergrounds?? And she also disowned you??

There is so much potential here that's hilarious. And this can be applied to any demigod in the books.

[monsterbrush]

It’s good to see you active again. Hope life treats you well.

Been wondering, what do you think of their tattoos? Especially Modi’s. I think there is an interesting meaning behind his chest tattoo and can open up his character a little more. My personal headcanon (shared by some), it’s Modi has a fancy for smithing and do his armour and weapons himself and maybe for his brother? His tattoo depict two man, one that look like him and the one that look like Odin. He care about his craft quite a lot and ask for a blessing of his creations from nobody but All father himself?

Magni's tattoos, I've gotta be honest, don't have much depth going on. The wiki claims they reference Thor's belt of strength, a magical item in Norse mythology called Megingjörð that doubles his strength and when paired with a pair of gauntlets, enables Thor to lift Mjölnir with ease. I speculate this trivia is referencing the tattoo on Magni's back specifically, as it feels very belt shaped.

Magni is the god of strength, Megingjörð is a belt that increases strength. In some prose, it is often said Magni is even stronger than Thor, and does not need the belt or gauntlets to lift Mjölnir, he can do it on his own. Makes sense. Looks cool. Nuff said. I can also see the faint resemblance of either horse heads at the ends of his chest tattoo/face tattoo, or possibly serpent heads, which could be referencing either his horse Gullfaxi or Jormundgandr, the beast that will kill his father. I've drawn em enough times (sloppily albeit, it's fuckin hard to do all that detail over and over and over).

Modi's tattoo however...

Two figures facing one another. They grip their beards, which are entwined. Their opposite arms are raised and similarly bound by knotwork. The rightmost figure has only a beard and holds a hammer (Mjölnir possibly?). The Leftmost figure has a mustache and a beard, and holds what I interpret to be a knife.

I propose that Modi's tattoo is depicting himself locked in battle, fighting his brother Magni over Mjölnir, which Magni has already inherited. You could even interpret this as Modi going so far as to kill his brother for it. It really says everything that needs to be said about his relationship with his brother, and even in his little fantasy Magni gets the hammer first.

Intense stuff. I wonder how Magni feels seeing that on his little brother's chest every day.

[lu-is-not-ok]

Regarding Hong Lu's Lasso EGO. The abno of Rose Hunter in its MD event actually has two 'parts', of the apple and the hunter. Given how he shares this one with Faust of all people, I do think it may be referencing how they are both the one forcing the story to go on and the one being forced to go along with it. This is about Hong Lu I swear its just the more you dig the more he somewhat parallels her. One vs two blue eyes I guess.

For Faust this is via the Gesellschaft. Her as the apple in the way she must bend to the will of the collective Faust as one with a defined role to play. And as the hunter with how she - for the sake of someone else just the abno has its 'client' (there's a few who could fit this description, like Limbus Company as a whole, whomever is financing the whole operation, the Gesellschaft again) - ensures via various methods like keeping certain things from the sinners that things go according to plan.

Her passive is 'sprawling lasso' is possibly a reference to just how many she has, must, encircle for things to keep going. Plus this EGO is Fatal to Wrath and Gloom. This Wrath as her weakness ties into how this is the first time her voiceline, for corrosion, has expressed proper anger and desperation in her voice as far as I remeber. And Gloom I don't quite have a real reason for, perhaps her lament at not doing things of her own will? At being ensared as all others were?

But to loop lasso it back to Hong Lu, for one his awakening voiceline says to 'run along the flow' which has been causing me normal reactions for several weeks now. Regardless, this does tie into a mini theory of mine that the 'flow' followed by Vergillius is in fact one of the subterranean rivers, though I don't have the mythological knowledge to try and pinpoint which one.

And if we do take the stretch of a river = the flow then it connects to what Xichun was doing in Canto 7 and is yet another reference to water, just like in his base ego and in his promo image. This EGO is also weak to Gloom, funnily enough. Sloth too, though I have never had solid thoughts on that sin past it representing acceptance of sorts, typically to a status quo that hurts them. The corrosion line is presumably a reference to him probably just running away from his family the first chance he got, which was probably Faust.

Onto my thoughts on the illustrations, which was meant to be a minor note but we all know how these go. The thorns in Faust’s EGO illust are thinner and look more like rose branches, with one notably going over her leg as she looks up, seemingly about to get on the horse.

Whilst Hong Lu's has much thicker brambles around the edges - though the rose branches do appear near the bottom - striking me as similar to barbed wire, though thicker than in the base EGO illusts (speaking of, in his the wire seems much fuzzier than say, Yi Sang's). He's already saddled the horse and is looking down(?) At something that has already been entangled in thorns, the abno looking over him and who/what has been ensnared in a way that reminds me of judgement.

Ensnared itself, mind, seemingly lacking an arm, having another mangled and literally no legs to speak of, and no rose on its scarf. A drastic departure to how it was in Faust’s EGO, laying traps on the ground with all its limbs freed and intact, with a sunray to its side and a rose placed neatly upon itself, much more alike its MD self. Hong Lu's awakening is not lacking in the scarf rose, though.

Other rapid-fire thoughts: (corrosion) the rose petals on the horses look like it's bleeding as if being slashed from the stomach. (corrosion) Faust still has the reigns and very much uses them which provides her a degree of separation and control over this. Hong Lu does not. Most notable in both of their hurt sprites, Faust’s horse stands on its hind legs on her (or the Gesellschaft's, depending on how you think on it) command, Hong Lu's horse wants to run away and it turning to do so. (corrosion) Hong Lu's noose/lasso arms both have 2 loops each, unlike the one round his neck that has 3. Faust has red laces.

To close this off: I have been switching between their lasso sprites on the wiki and have one question: is Hong Lu smaller on his horse or had my brain made that up, thank you.

Hilarious thing to see before scrolling down and seeing all of this. Anyway. Let's pick this apart a little.

First things - the apple might not actually be a part of the Abnormality itself.

We know from Ebony Queen's Apple's Observation Log that Abnormalities that are conceptually connected through what they represent are in some way able to be aware of each other's existence - Ebony Queen being aware of 'Snow White', aka LobCorp's Snow White's Apple.

Considering that Rose Hunter is seemingly likely connected to the same fable of Snow White as Ebony Queen's Apple and Snow White's Apple are, specifically in that he represents the huntsman sent to kill Snow White on the Queen's orders, and that the way Rose Hunter describes the apple perfectly matches Snow White's Apple ("an apple that will become a princess, not knowing its rightful place"), it's possible that the apple in question *is* just straight up Snow White's Apple, or a representation of it.

I do agree that it's important to keep it in mind when interpreting Lasso, but I believe it's pretty clear that the apple itself might not inherently be a part of Rose Hunter itself.

After all, Lasso isn't the first E.G.O we've seen where the Sinner is shown to be both the victim and the perpetrator. See AEDD and Capote as the major stars of this trend.

I don't have much to comment on regarding your interpretation of Lasso for Faust - I think that works pretty well with what we know. Faust has to follow what the Gesselschaft and Limbus Company tell her to do, and she herself is responsible for keeping the Sinners on track - keeping them ensnared and following the predetermined path of their stories.

I'll touch upon the points you bring up with regards to Sin Weaknesses (and also bring up Sin Resource Costs, which I believe are a bit more important to E.G.O) a bit later.

Because, here's the thing about the Flow Vergilius talks about - we already kinda know what it is. We see it in Leviathan Book 16.

Vergilius's narration describes the Flow as a "shadow hovering over his back". A sort of insight, or pressure that drives him to make specific choices or move in a specific direction.

He also explains how the Flow isn't one singular force - in fact, he explicitly mentions seeing at least two Flows during this chapter. One brightly colored but slow moving Flow that he could see ahead (which he feels would lead him to actually changing the City), and one darker but faster moving Flow that clung to his back. Every time he tries to avoid following the bright Flow, the shadowy Flow always leads him to ruin, to a point where he's inevitably forced to come back to the bright Flow, as all shadows naturally come from light.

It reminds me a lot of "Gravity" from JJBA, in a way. A supernatural force that drives extraordinary people towards each other and towards their inevitable fates, and every attempt to counteract it ends up making things worse for them when it finally catches up to them.

It's also, like, Heavily implied that Carmen is in some way directly involved with what direction the bright Flow takes, as there's an implication that it's trying to direct Vergilius to his inevitable meeting with Carmen that happens in Book 18, considering how much her trying to get Vergilius to distort is telling him how it would give him the ability to change the world to how he sees fit, matching what he believed the bright Flow was leading him towards.

So like. Flow isn't exactly directly related to the Rivers. But it's also not not related, considering the Carmen -> Light -> Cogito -> Rivers chain.

I don't think the "flow" Hong Lu is referring to is the exact same Flow that Vergilius can see and talks about, at least not entirely. I believe it's also meant to be a reflection of the reason why he's initially willing to follow his story, similarly to how Faust's awakening line does for her.

While Faust wholeheartedly believes that following the story laid out before her and the Sinners is the "correct" thing to do, Hong Lu simply follows along because he just Goes Along With Whatever He's Told. He figuratively goes with the flow, just agrees and follows until things turn out okay in the end. To quote one of his Base Identity's voice lines: "When you’re distraught, simply remember that life goes on even if what you’re doing now doesn’t work out. Then, you’ll be free of worries." As long as he just keeps moving forward, things will be fine in the end.

So, if the Awakening lines are a reflection of why Faust and Hong Lu would feel like they should follow along the path their story is taking, then I believe the Corrosion is a reflection of the "punishment" that awaits them if they are to stray from it. To quote Rose Hunter's MD event, "Ah... If, however, the course was derailed by your actions, you will be held accountable."

Hong Lu's Corrosion line here is the easier one to read - it's meant to be a reflection of his Family's reaction when they catch up to him after he runs away. Outright calling out that he ran away, calling him a fugitive, and the very clear threat of punishment.

For Faust it's actually a lot more interesting, because she clearly brings up the apple and the idea that whoever she caught is hiding it, rather than implying that whoever she caught is the one she was looking for. Perhaps because that's a reflection of how Faust will disobey the Gesselschaft. While Hong Lu disobeys his fate by running away from his Family, Faust would disobey her fate by hiding something from the Gesselschaft. A Golden Bough, perhaps? Instead of bringing one back to the Company, she could keep it hidden for herself, effectively disobeying her orders and the path she was put on. And an act like that would Anger Them Severely.

The thing you point out about the differences in how the Rose Hunter itself is depicted is fascinating. The one depicted in Faust's illustration seems like a direct parallel to how Faust has acted towards Sinners - she's been trapping them with Limbus Company, using their own wishes as bait and the contracts they sign as the snares.

But then there's Hong Lu's Rose Hunter, itself trapped by the snares and mangled to the point it seems there's only half of it clearly there. Half destroyed... I don't have an exact thought in my head regarding that, but you could definitely interpret it with a Two in One angle. How whoever is resonating with Rose Hunter is only Half There, and how that half is inherently trapped within themself, as the vines ensnaring it are also its own snares. Hong Lu is, in part, trapping himself, specifically Baoyu and Daiyu are unwillingly keeping each other trapped by the circumstance of their current situation.

Now. Let's talk Sin Resistances. I'm going to be using the names for the Floor Theme Packs based around the relevant Sin Weaknesses as a base here, since that's the closest thing we have to a canon confirmation of what the Resistances could mean.

The Gloom-weak floor is called Emotional Flood, the Sloth-weak floor is called Emotional Indolence, and the Wrath-weak floor is called Emotional Repression.

Both Lassos being Gloom weak could imply that whatever experiences Hong Lu and Faust have to recall to use it are heavily emotionally charged, making them susceptible to "Flooding" with negative feelings. It could be a reflection of the anxiety it causes both of them to think about - after all a major part of Rose Hunter is the punishment for not following one's path. Having to actively keep those consequences in mind to use the E.G.O would likely leave them shaken up and weak to such negative reminders.

Indolence means the avoidance of exertion or activity, and it's a close synonym to laziness. Hong Lu's Lasso being Sloth weak could reflect how emotionally numb recalling the relevant experiences leaves him. For him, following the path of the story is all about simply letting things happen and not reacting, just trying to reach the end. He's forced to become avoidant of emotional reactions through being too "lazy" to react. It's not like trying to say anything would change things for him, so why even bother trying? He'll reach the end one way or another. And so, being given even more reasons to not care and become more numb hurts all the more, ridding him of whatever little resolve he might have been holding onto.

As such, Faust's Lasso being weak to Wrath is made all the more interesting - it implies there's a level of intense emotion that the experiences bring out within her that she feels the need to repress and hide. This is different to Hong Lu's Sloth weakness, in that while Hong Lu is just straight up numb and passively avoiding feeling anything, Faust is very much feeling some sort of strong frustration that she has to actively silence. Thus it makes it far more painful to her when she's given more reasons to be annoyed - she's already struggling to keep it contained. Something about having to follow her path leaves her deeply frustrated in a way she feels she cannot let herself express, likely due to the consequences of complaining about it.

I also want to make a quick note on the Sin Resources needed to use the E.G.O, specifically the ones that differ between the two.

While both Lassos require Gluttony and Lust, Faust's Lasso requires Envy, while Hong Lu's requires Pride. This, I think, is actually reflected in their Awakening lines and thus the attitudes they have.

Faust sees following the path as something "correct", as something "right". Her own feelings and thoughts don't matter because the opinion of the story she's following is more important than hers. She's expressing Inferiority - aka, Envy.

On the other hand Hong Lu follows the path because it's something he himself believes to be the best option. He doesn't think there are better options, so he just ignores all the shit he has to go through along the way because in the end, he'll be fine. A very Pride thing to believe.

And yes, Hong Lu for whatever reason is notably smaller on the horse in the awakening sprite. No I don't know why either. It honestly might have been an oversight LMAO.

[kaccvcate]

I recently added some things to my recommended reading list (in my pinned post.) I read a lot of things but only add what I find really life changing, mind opening, or feel is easily accessible to the uninitiate (for example, I've enjoyed many works by Aleister Crowley, but for someone interested in approaching his work for the first time I would probably recommend Magick in Theory and in Practice, or perhaps his "autohagiography.")

Zulu Shaman by Vusumazulu Credo Mutwa is partly autobiographical about the holy man who wrote it, and partly traditional folk stories. I had no idea that pre-Christian African religion was so similar to the native religion I was raised with. Some stories are extraordinarily similar. The way it's written most reminded me of Creek Indian Medicine Ways by David Lewis Jr., which I read a while ago, but my mind was too blown to write about it (I was always taught not to talk about religion publicly, so it also felt weirdly private, which is silly because the book was published a minute ago.)

The last book I just finished is Tell My Horse by Zora Neale Hurston, which is about the lives of voodoo practitioners Haiti and Jamaica (published in 1938). This is one of the most intense books I've ever read, her voice is so incredible, and her descriptions are so vivid. It was like being transported to another world (for me anyway.) her descriptions of race relations in Jamaica reminded me strongly of my experiences among mestizos in Mississippi, and her descriptions of rituals she witnessed are untouchably badass.

Today I picked up Voices of Our Ancestors by Dhyani Ywahoo, which is about the practices of the traditional (pre-Christian) Tsalagi/Cherokee priesthood. So far it is really far out and groovy, I'm only a few pages in. More than anything her writing reminds me of Dr. Timothy Leary or Robert Anton Wilson, or even Crowley. It has the same pervasive tone of consciousness expansion that those cats have, and she describes meditation and rituals in a similar way. I think it would be best to read this one after Myths and Tales of the Southeastern Indians by John Swanton (or similar) because she makes a lot of references to traditional mythology without telling the stories she's expanding on - maybe she gets to that later, though.

Tell My Horse I bought online at a friend's recommendation, the other two I picked up at McKay's, a used book and record store in Greensboro, North Carolina that had one of the most interesting occult sections I've ever seen.

[talonabraxas]

“The difference between a good life and a bad life is how well you walk through the fire.” — C.G. Jung

Ouroboros - Fiery Serpent Talon Abraxas

2025: Year of the Wood Snake

Interestingly, the metaphors and meaning of the Snake in Chinese literature and mythology are polar opposites. On the one hand, the snake belongs to the yin, associated with darkness, dampness and femininity. Poisonous snakes are often associated with evil women who seduce men and suck their yang to nourish their yin.

However, snakes also have positive symbolism. For example, they are regarded as little dragons (xiaolong 小龍), and the skin snakes shed is referred to as the dragon’s coat (longyi 龍衣), symbolising good luck, rebirth and regality. The snake also symbolises the pursuit of love and happiness, a theme beautifully illustrated in the traditional folk tale, ‘The Legend of the White Snake’. The snake can also represent wealth and wisdom, and in traditional Chinese culture, they are often grouped with the turtle and the crane as a symbol of longevity

Why is the 2025 Lunar New Year called Year of the Wood Snake?

The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle that links each year to an animal sign. The 12 animal signs are Rat (shu 鼠), Ox (niu 牛), Tiger (hu 虎), Rabbit (tu 兔), Dragon (long 龍), Snake (she 蛇), Horse (ma 馬), Sheep (yang 羊), Monkey (hou 猴), Rooster (ji 雞), Dog (gou 狗) and Pig (zhu 豬). The order of the animal signs is fixed, with the Snake being sixth in the cycle, hence the Year of the Snake (shennian 蛇年) in 2025. Last year, 2024, was the Year of the Dragon (longnian 龍年) and 2026 is the Year of the Horse (manian 馬年). Each year also corresponds to one of the five basic elements (wuxing 五行) in Chinese cosmology, namely Metal (jin 金), Wood (mu 木), Water (shui 水), Fire (huo 火) or Earth (tu 土), creating a 60-year cycle.

Also forming the sexagenary cycle are the ten Heavenly Stems (tiangan 天干) and twelve Earthly Branches (dizhi 地支), each possessing different attributes. In 2025, the Heavenly Stem is Yi 乙, representing Wood, while the Earthly Branch is Si 巳, representing Fire, thus establishing the year of Yisi 乙巳. Therefore, individuals born in 2025 may be called ‘Wood Snake’ or ‘Fire Snake’ or ‘Wood Fire Snake’. The five elements interact with one another in a cyclical manner; as a result, Wood gives rise to Fire. This interconnectedness results in the Wood Snake exhibiting a notably complex personality, embodying traits of both Wood and Fire.

What are people born in the Year of the Snake like?

Wood symbolises growth, flexibility and tolerance, while Fire represents passion, vitality and brightness in Chinese culture. With this dual influence, Wood Snake individuals tend to exhibit resilient, courageous and positive personalities, allowing them to maintain the drive and confidence to persevere in the face of adversity. Possessing excellent interpersonal and social skills, they often emerge as leaders within their circles of friends. However, they may appear idealistic when confronted with pressure and challenges and can easily feel lost and confused, requiring the support and encouragement of those around them to regain their strength.

Wood Snake individuals are recognised for their keen insight and extraordinary intelligence. They can swiftly grasp the key points when addressing problems and make prudent decisions. This quality makes them comfortable in both the workplace and social situations, as they excel at creating opportunities and paving the way for themselves and others.

That said, the Snake is the most tenacious of the 12 zodiac animals, so those born in the Year of the Snake are also believed to be particularly enigmatic and uncanny. Some people perceive the Snake as sinister and intimidating due to their elusiveness. Traditionally, the Chinese regard people born in the spring and summer of a Snake year as the most powerful and positive, while those born in winter are seen as relatively quiet and submissive, as winter is the time for snakes to hibernate. Additionally, those born during good weather in a Snake year tend to be more optimistic and easily satisfied than those born in poor weather.

The years of the snake include: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2025.

[lightsoutletsgo]

i told the stars about you — op.81 (royalty au)

pairing: prince!oscar piastri x lady-in-waiting!reader

word count: 1.5k

warnings: angst? heartbreak, slightly inaccurate and semi-confusing greek mythology references, a spot-the-princess-diaries quote just bc i can

I actually wrote this listening to the bridgerton soundtrack... it's not what I usually write so I hope it's okay! please lmk what you think and if you'd like to see more like this. for extra heartbreak, listen to "love is a choice" from the bridgerton soundtrack on repeat while reading happy reading! love mimi 🤍

It was an accident really. Well, less of an accident and more of a cruel twist of fate if you had to summarise it. After all, such a cliche thing to happen. The lady-in-waiting to the Princess falls in love with the visiting Prince her future ruler is tied to in an arranged marriage.

Had any sensible person heard the predicament you were in they may have sympathised but still scoffed at how foolishly the two of you were behaving. Desperately entangling yourselves with one another despite the inevitable heartbreak that was bound to come any day now.

“Did I ever tell you how much I love the stars?” You led on your back on the grass underneath the night’s sky, delicately raising a hand to trace invisible lines between each star above you. Oscar chuckled next to you as his hand slid over yours, joining you in your night sky tracing, “I believe you may have mentioned it once or twice before…” You gave a faint smile as your arm grew tired, choosing to link your hand with his and rest them by your sides. “Have I ever told you why?” Oscar rolled onto his side, facing you as his eyes searched yours, smiling at the way they reflected the moonlight,

“Actually, I don’t think you have told me that.” You sat up quickly, always excited to share the story with someone. 

Oscar sat up before he moved to sit behind you, pulling you to lean back into his chest as his arms encircled your body, head gently resting on your shoulder. “See that star up there?” You pointed to almost directly above you, “That’s the North Star isn’t it?” You nodded and turned your head to reward his correct answer with a soft kiss to the cheek. “Mmhmm! When I was a child, my mother used to tell me stories of the stars every night…” You sighed happily at the memories, “There was one story that I loved far more than any others. The story of Perseus and Andromeda.” “I think I learned about that a long time ago… During my classical classes…” “Show off…” You reached one hand up to gently flick his nose. “Well, the story goes that Princess Andromeda was a very beautiful woman. Her mother, Queen Cassiopeia, claimed her daughter was more beautiful than Poseidon’s daughters. As punishment for her vanity, Poseidon sent the sea monster Cetus. Andromeda’s father, King Cepheus, trusted the sea monster to disappear if they were to sacrifice her. Just before she was devoured by the sea monster, Perseus came by on his flying horse Pegasus. He was on his way home after one of his great adventures. Perseus fell in love with the beautiful Andromeda and struck a deal with her parents. Perseus would save their daughter by killing the sea monster and in return he would be allowed to marry her. Andromeda however, was already promised to marry another man, Phineus. A fight arose between the two which Perseus eventually won. And so Perseus and Andromeda lived happily ever after.” 

Oscar smiled at the sight of your eyes lighting up as you told the story. He nuzzled his nose into your neck making you giggle as you carried on, “All of the people in the story were placed in the sky by the gods, so their story would never be lost. Perseus and Andromeda are still positioned close together in the sky, where they rotate around the North Star, see?” Oscar’s eyes followed to where you were pointing once more. He kissed your cheek as you gave a happy contented little hum.“Mother always used to say that lovers who needed advice or guidance would talk to the stars… And that those confessions of lovers to the stars meant that their love would last forever, just like Perseus and Andromeda…” You reached for the bouquet of daisies you’d picked earlier that evening.

“You know..." Slowly, you plucked each petal off of the daisies you carefully held. "I told the stars about you." Oscar chuckled, not expecting to hear such words from the lady sitting with him. "What did you tell them?" You turned to look at him and smiled, staring at his brown eyes. "I told them you have your own constellations on your cheeks." Your stare landed on the faint few freckles dotted on his face. He laughed, "What? What does that even mean?" 

You showed him a half smile before looking down at the daisies and plucking the petals again. "I told the stars you have more stars in your eyes than there are stars in the sky"

His smile slowly faded, instead he looked almost like he was holding his breath, like he didn’t dare breath incase it ruined the moment, "I told them that you are the moon that shines brightest in my eyes when I'm surrounded by darkness. I told them I always wish for you on a shooting star." You gave him the daisies you had been holding since you’d sat next to him. All petals now plucked. Oscar looked confused as he took the flowers, about to open his mouth.

"Do you want to know why?” You cut him off with a sweet smile before he could even open his mouth to answer, “Because I got tired of asking the flowers if you love me or not." “Y/N…” Oscar’s voice was barely above a whisper. You spoke softly, "Do you know what the stars replied?"

"W-what?" He thought he’d lost his voice for a moment. 

You smiled.

"Go after him."  

Silence. “So will you…” “I'm in love with the King-to-be, and I'm inquiring if he loves me too…” Oscar’s eyes lit up and in that moment, you felt as if all the air had been taken from you. One of your hands gently cupped his face as your thumb rubbed over his cheekbone, “You really do have stars in your eyes.” “And your eyes hold the whole galaxy, my love.” Oscar pulled you close to him and sighed in contentment as you shyly buried your face into his shoulder, the stars twinkling at you both from above, as if centuries of lovers were sprinkling their blessing on the two of you. In hindsight you supposed it might have been a warning, that heartbreak would ensue no matter how much you loved him 　 ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆　　　

“I told the stars about you!” Oscar cried out. 

You stopped. “I told the stars about you,” he repeated, trying and failing to hold back tears that were already falling, “I told them that I would never let you become one and end up so far away from me, I told them how you said you would always stay by my side, and...” Oscar looked back at you, where you were now facing him.

“I told them I loved you.” Your eyes widened slightly before your face fell again.

“...We always knew this was going to happen. We cannot change what our fate is, Oscar, I mean…” You looked back down at the ground, clenching your fists tightly before you spoke again. “Your Highness-”

“Don’t call me that, Y/N.” Oscar said immediately, rushing up to you. “Y-you’re not a lady-in-waiting. I'm not a Prince. We’re just Oscar and Y/N, two people who fell in love the instant they saw one another.” He stared at you, not fighting the tears anymore. “Two people who fell in love under the stars… I want that Y/N back.” Your heart broke as his voice cracked, overcome with emotion. “Please my love…”

But still you said nothing

“Where’s the Y/N who would tell me she loved me, the Y/N who vowed to be by my side forever, and… the Y/N who would tell the stars about me?” You finally looked up at him, and Oscar searched your eyes desperately for a shred of his Y/N in you. A lone tear spilt over and fell down your cheek. Sparkling in the moonlight, it almost looked like a shooting star. ‘How ironic.’ He thought to himself bitterly. You wiped the tear away and as quickly as it had appeared it was gone.

Oscar’s eyes darkened, and he wiped his face, his expression hardening, “My apologies, Lady Y/N.” He said, his voice cold. “This has been rather inappropriate. I believe you must have somewhere to be?” “My apologies, your Highness. Permission to leave?” It was time to accept that the old Y/N was gone, leaving a stranger in front of him. And if his Y/N was gone, there was no reason to keep taking up a stranger’s time.

“...Granted.” You began to move before you hesitated, leaned into his side, whispered something, and left. Oscar’s eyes widened once again, and a tear fell down his cheek. 

“I never stopped telling the stars about you.”

Oscar quickly turned around to watch you leave. A pained smile slowly spread across his face. He didn’t try to stop you. You wore a similar smile as you forced your feet to walk away. You wanted nothing more than to kiss him once again, but that was a dream you couldn’t have anymore. It was a dream you’d have to tell the stars about.

[connorsnothereeither]

“And now it’s time for a breakdown…” /ref

Welcome to my (fairly long lol) breakdown of the thought process behind the Ulysses CMV background!! ✨ I’m gonna go through it shelf by shelf because I think that’s easiest, so… buckle up! :D

TOP SHELF:

On the far left, we have an Assassins Creed Apple of Eden! Most of the soundtracks to the Ulysses vods came from AC: Odyssey, and AC: Origins! The Ancient Greek and Egyptian music fit him perfectly, who’d have thought. Including the main song from Ulysses epilogue, “Reunited” from AC: Odyssey. Behind that is of course my hand-bound copy of On the Brink of Scientific Discovery. I had to work out a way to get my earliest entry into the Fable Fandom in there somewhere. Beside it is the skull, and a copy of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly, which I’ve spoken about being an inspiration for Ulysses. Along with, of course, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and Herodotus’ Histories (Herodotus being the main inspiration for epilogue Ulysses and who he became towards the end)! And naturally, James Joyce's Ulysses. I had to. Besides that again is another copy of Frankenstein, along with more Ancient Greek works, specifically Euripides’ Medea and the works of the poet Sappho! And a copy of Moby Dick, since Ahab and Ishmael were both concept names for Ulysses during character creation! Besides those, the smaller penguin books, are some of my favourite details but some of the harder to spot because they’re so small. One is another poem by Sappho, Come Close. But the OTHER is The Fall of Icarus by Ovid, which I absolutely had to put in there. Impossible to see, but I know it’s there, and it makes me happy. Of course, once again on the theme of writers is a bust of Shakespeare, but behind him, is actually the set of D&D dice I bought inspired by Ulysses, which are made to look like they have kelp and seaweed inside them! ✨ and finally on the top shelf is a ship, in reference to his sailing and ship in the epilogue art, and a mini Greek style amphora.

MIDDLE SHELF:

On the far right, at the bottom, is the black knight chess piece, the same as Ulysses tattoo!! A reference to both the Trojan horse and him being a piece in the Telchin’s game. Behind it, the tiki mug, is a somewhat vague reference to the Sea Dragon Tavern! It’s never explicitly stated that they serve tiki drinks, but it certainly feels like a place that would. Tucked in, barely noticeable, is the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Both a reference to more ancient mythology, but also, in a little way, a reference to Lenarius. A book on the treatment and care of the dead. I think it would suit him. Make Len happy. More Greek texts (the Iliad and Odyssey again) this time including Ovid’s Metamorphosis, and Virgil’s Aeneid, a reference to both the mythological epic itself and to my little guy Virgil, from SkyBound SMP. Propped against those are a boatswain’s whistle, which I like to think is a little gift from Vorago and Casus. A captain’s call, to get someone’s attention no matter where you are on the sea, along with a small canon, which is actually from St Augustine Lighthouse, and felt very nautical. Behind those is a set of tarot cards, displaying the Magician, a symbol of manifesting and living to your true potential, which is fitting for Ulysses. All of that is of course propped on ANOTHER copy of the Odyssey. The full moon, as a little reference to his bestie Fenris, and a bear statue, which is a little nod to the fact I also voiced Deltavera (and the statue was actually a gift Jamie got me one of the times we met up)! Beside that is a handful of little bottles! The dice inside are mostly just because… that’s what I keep in those little potion bottles, but maybe they’re a reference to Wheel Not Fake or something too, who knows lol- and a little white axolotl plush. My son. My own personal little Perseus, I bought him the second I saw him akgsksgs ✨🫶

BOTTOM SHELF:

Almost done lol. The globe on the end, both a reference to the cartography/travel, and the fact that it’s turned to just show the ocean, rather than any countries. The sea is his home, after all. Another axolotl plush, peeking out from behind yet ANOTHER copy of the Iliad and Odyssey, which is balanced on a copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy, as another little reference to Virgil from Bound SMP. Behind that is a whisky bottle, which is empty in the photo but not in the CMV, as a reference to the Kelpin’ alcohol! And finally, the stack of books in the corner. The folio society set of The Greek Myths are some of my favourite books I own, and I had to include them, along with a few more potion bottles, which actually include the dice from various Cantripped One Shots (I have special dice for characters and one shots when I can)! The stack of books behind the scrolls and lanterns also include Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles (one of the inspirations behind Ulysses & Vesperae’s relationship) and Circe (more Odyssey references), along with world myths and Icelandic Sagas, and The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon, which was an early and incredibly influential historical text about the Roman’s (which somewhat inspired the structure and lore of the broader Telchin society!), on top of which is more mythology like the Welsh Mabinogion, the Norse Poetic Edda, and a horror anthology titled The Great God Pan and Other Horror Stories, many of which inspired Brink!! The lantern is, in all honesty, the only there not there for a specific reason… I just thought it looked cool :)

So yeah! That was my overly long analysis of my overly detailed Ulysses set background! Barely any of it is visible in the CMV, but for my little farewell to the character and world I had spent so long falling in love with, I wanted to make the background something special 🫶

[alaskan-wallflower]

things i loved on my second reread of the outsiders since eighth grade (mostly the curtis bros because i love them)

ponyboy is fucking hilarious

darry looks ‘just like the curtis’ dad but acts the exact opposite’

darry instantly regretted smacking ponyboy

darry likes being teased by soda

soda ‘looks like a greek god’ (greek mythology hyperfixation went off + new art refs!!)

soda thoroughly enjoys the feeling of being in love

pony is the heaviest smoker out of the curtis brothers, soda only smokes to look tuff and darry is too proud of his body to smoke

darry is 6’2’’ and his muscles are like ‘oversized baseballs’ according to pony

soda’s nickname used to be pepsicola

soda calls ponyboy honey and darry calls him baby (i swear if i get an anon saying this is anything but platonic im gonna jump off a building)

soda had a horse named mickey mouse that he had to give away

pony and soda both cried at their parents funeral but darry just stuffed his hands in his pockets and wore a ‘helpless pleading look’

the gang refers to darry as superman

darry works two jobs and makes good at both

all three curtis’ have gigantic appetites and darry cooked two chickens before the rumble because of it

soda hates when his brothers fight

darry used to be super close to his dad

when darry saw ponyboy it was (supposedly) the first time pony had seen him cry in ages

the end of chapter 6 where pony got reunited with his brothers ohmygosh that was my favorite part of the whole book

even darry wouldn’t wanna get into a fight with dally

darry would be a soc if it weren’t for the gang

darry was voted boy of the year and was on a football scholarship

darry checks all of pony boy’s math assignments to make sure he’s doing them right

darry full naming pony when he caught him smoking in bed made me laugh

pony has almost red hair (another reason why i like the musical pony over movie pony)

pony hates most people with green eyes

soda has warm brown eyes that can go from happy and cheerful to blazing with anger in a second

darry would be really good looking if it wasn’t for his cold eyes

johnny’s scar goes from his cheek to his temple and it’s really hard to look at

darry is harder on pony than his parents were out of fear that pony’s gonna throw away the same opportunities that he had before his parents died

pony is a grammar police

soda is really bad at spelling

dally’s death was actually an assisted suicide (i didn’t catch into this when i was in eighth grade)

darry doesn’t like movies

two bit and steve got kicked out a church for horsing around once (i think it was them, idk)

darry and paul used to be best friends

ponyboy felt really bad because he didn’t think he asked for darry enough when he was sick

it was kind of implied darry feels that pony favors soda and vice versa

soda and darry tickle ponyboy out of bed in the morning

[oxyintelligent]

Some misconceptions about Greek mythology that I’ve been seeing a lot lately and I’d like to clear up

Disclaimer: I’m not a classicist, if there is any source backing up these claims, please let me know.

1. The idea of Medusa being a beautiful maiden who was raped and cursed was invented by Ovid. In the greek version, she was born a hideous monster

This one has a kernel of truth. There is a shit ton of misinformation about Medusa on tumblr and it’s great that more people are becoming aware of Hesiod’s Medusa and the archaic art about her- however, some people are overcorrecting.

Ovid did not invent the idea of the beautiful Medusa. Pindar, a greek lyricist from the C5th B.C, describes the gorgon as “fair-cheeked Medusa”. Around this time, we start seeing artwork depicting Medusa as someone who looks like a normal, even good-looking, woman.

2. The roman Minerva cursed Medusa, the greek Athena didn’t do anything to her

I’ve seen this claim so many times and it perplexes me. Athena helped Perseus kill Medusa and desecrate her body. In some versions, she even kills Medusa herself. And, even though it’s not a curse like in Ovid’s tale, we do have an ancient greek source where Athena punishes Medusa with death for an act of hubris.

3. Medusa was a priestess of Minerva/Athena (This is the last Medusa one, I swear)

There is no ancient text claiming this. None. Not even Ovid’s. The closest thing comes from Servius’ Commentary on Virgil's Aeneid (C5th A.D):

“But another story says that Medusa was a virgin of remarkable modesty, and because of this, she was accepted by Minerva. After being violated by Neptune, she is said to have brought forth the horse Pegasus. When Minerva discovered this, it is said that she cut off Medusa’s head and affixed it to her own breast, granting it the power to turn anything it saw into stone.”

4. Odysseus never cheated on Penelope in the greek sources, the romans invented that

I’ve had multiple people say this to me, where does it even come from? No, even if you label his encounters with Circe and Calypso in The Odyssey as non-consensual, there are still countless greek sources where he cheats on Penelope, the oldest being the Theogony. And, yes, there are also greek sources where Penelope cheats back.

5. Ariadne and Dionysus are the wholesome version of Hades and Persephone

Mmm… not really? This is a myth that has multiple versions. In a lot of them, Dionysus kidnaps, rapes and/or kills Ariadne- and these are not obscure variations, he kills her in The Odyssey!

6. Aphrodite’s appearance changes depending on the eye of the beholder

This was invented by Rick Riordan for his Percy Jackson series. It’s not actual greek mythology.

7. Circe turned Scylla from a beautiful nymph into a monster

Again, this is a myth that has many versions. In the earliest sources, Scylla was born a monster and her mother was Ceto. The first account that we have of Circe changing Scylla comes from Ovid, but there are also some obscure texts where Amphitrite is the one who transforms her.

8. Psyche was just a fictional character, not a real goddess who was worshipped

She was! Psyche is invoked in the greek magical papyri alongside Aphrodite and Eros. She is also depicted in art dating back to the 4th century BCE.

9. There are no myths where Ares rapes someone

The myth of Rhea Silvia was told amongst the greeks as well, who called the god that raped her Ares.

10. Eris is the daughter of Zeus and Hera

This comes from Homer and Quintus referring to her as the “sister of Ares”. However, they were being symbolical- strife is the sister of war. They didn’t literally mean that Zeus and Hera are her parents.

[beatingdrumspouringwine]

Dionysos Loves His Mom(s), a very long essay

Going to just preface this by saying that I may/may not have gone a bit overboard, but I hope everyone enjoys reading my rambles on how amazing it is that we still have this message even through to day, how important this is for our understanding of Dionysos, and also just a little bit of (what I hope will come across as) Semele appreciation :) Also, I did write this during finals week, so if it seems rambly, please bear with me ;-;

And for clarification, I'll be referring to Semele with capitalized pronouns because even though She was human, mythologically, while carrying Dionysos, She was also deified by Him after He brought Her up from the Underworld.

The first interesting thing is that we get our description of Dionysos, as well as the love he shows for His Mother, in Greek mythology. While myths are usually pretty good resources for understanding the Gods, they are also usually written by the people who are in power at the time - which would be specifically older men who were not slaves. Because of this, a lot of myths tend to trend towards the "male" perspective of the Athenians. Also because of this, women are frequently represented in a very negative light, or at least as being relatively unimportant.

There are no Gods who have quite a relationship with Their Mothers like Dionysos has of His. Some of the Gods technically have no mother, like Aphrodite and Athena, and others just... don't seem to have much of a relationship at all. And this isn't necessarily to say that the Gods that we worship don't love Their Mothers, but more that the popular attitude of Greek society was simply to push women off to the side, and let the men take the glory.

And then, strangely, we have Dionysos, He Who Takes No Shit When It Comes to Women, as well as Him Who Has Two Moms. He's already something of an anti-Athena in Greek mythology, for while She was born of Zeus's head, and Metis was a sort of mother-base, Dionysos was born of two mothers, and from Zeus, in a way that echoes an intimate, "maternal" sort of birth, instead of the detached birth of Athena. And we know full well that Dionysos did not forget about either of His first two mothers. Persephone and Him famously get along well enough that they shared a rite in the form of the Eleusinian Mysteries, and it is to Persephone that initiates go, telling Her that the Bakkhic One Himself has freed us!

And we haven't even touched on Semele! It's one thing to have a divine Mother to welcome us to the afterlife. It's another thing to have a once-human-become-Goddess Mother in the form of Semele-Thyone. And Dionysos loves Her as well, very much so as well! Even though He never met Her as a child, He still very clearly has a lot of love for Her. At the start of the Bacchae, when Dionysos first arrives in Thebes, you will notice that one of the very first things He mentions in His monologue is that His mother is being disrespected by King Pentheus, and that this disrespect is part of the reason why He has driven the women of the city mad, as well as the sisters of Semele, who also were disrespecting Her.

This loyalty is only further emphasized by the fact that even though Semele is dead at the time of the Bacchae (and obviously after it as well, as the myth of Dionysos traveling to the underworld is an entirely separate story). And yet we must once again emphasize that this was written in a time where mothers were so often thrown under the bus (or horse-drawn chariot), and all of these myths were notably written by men, as far as we know. It seems that there is an inherent thread which ties Dionysos to the world of women, or at least has Him incredibly sympathetic to it, and one which could not be broken with all of the hyper-patriarchal nonsense that was woven deep into the cultural fabric of ancient Greece, especially Athens.

And to finish this fun little rant off, I want to offer two significantly longer ideas than the initial thing that I wrote! One for reflection on how we relate to Dionysos (and how He relates to us), and another as a reflection on Semele-Thyone and how She relates to us, and how we should relate to Her.

To start, this sympathy that Dionysos shows with women does, in some ways, hits culturally closer to a sisterhood than to the way that a man would have been encouraged to act towards women in ancient Greece. Dionysos as God understands His band of madwomen's own self-worth, and does not question their autonomy. Instead, he seems to encourage it, especially with all of the sassing he gives Pentheus while being grilled by him. This is such a good thing for all of us. Not only is Dionysos a friend of humanity, but He is specifically a friend for the marginalized. Whoever finds themselves marginalized in society will be His "favorites", so to speak, because that is where He truly finds His followers. It's almost as if He naturally finds where there is a power imbalance, and jumps on the other side to even things out, even if it is a little bit. I also think that this same "purposeful marginalization" is something which adds further theological credence to Dionysos being also validly a trans woman and nonbinary, as He does not sit within a patriarchal "Him"-ness, but rather within a "Him"-ness that refers to a more equal world.

Moving on to Semele-Thyone, we have a wonderful ally in a divine woman, sympathetic to humans, who knows full well not only the sufferings of humanity, and the pain in disrespect, but also the importance of kindness and respect towards others. In Greek mythological and religious canon, Semele-Thyone became the Goddess of the Bacchic revel, which, if you really think about it, isn't just about the Bacchic revel (it's never "just about the Bacchic revels"). This also tells us that Thyone, like Her Son, is also a God of the marginalized. Like Dionysos, She oversees the safety and wellbeing of the community which Her Son has founded. In some way, Thyone has become a Mom to all of us, through Her assistance with the divine inspiration that strikes frenzied devotees. It's a caring thing, too!

Anyways, the long and short of this is - Dionysos loves His Mom, Semele-Thyone is an incredibly underrated Goddess, and Mother's Day was yesterday. So hug your mom if you've got a good relationship with her, and if not, we can all borrow Dionysos' Mom :)