#so it needs to be something weaker but functionally similar

[idl3dr3ams]

wow the later episodes are like way more amusing to me now bc its all lies

I'm going through my storyboard and making sure I can still realistically do what I was planning

and i can. i definitely can. but there is not an ounce of truth in anything she says until the one episode that i won't talk about anymore than this

[citygirlyuno305]

Haruka

Yikes. Poor kid. I never “liked” Haruka as a character (by which I mean I was not extraordinarily invested in his character, not that I disliked him or anything like that) but I do feel sad reading the recent release.

Sometimes a parent can do everything right and still their child ends up doing something horrible. Sometimes its genuinely not the parents’ fault. but I’ve found that’s honestly a less common scenario; most children that commit extremely violent offenses are like Haruka in a way, where their parents materially failed them in some capacity. I’d say 95% of any juvenile defendant I see had parents who perpetrated, ignored, or encouraged some very serious problems that led to the crime itself.

Its not to say that a child has NO agency; they are capable of moving, thinking, talking, breathing, killing on their own without any influence by their parents or in spite of a parent’s attempts to curtail bad behavior. But, it’s overly myopic to assume a child’s misconduct MUST, categorically, be because of their own intrinsic traits. Haruka’s killing of animals in secret was stated to be because he was happy to find something inferior to himself- but that inferiority complex stemmed from the way he was mistreated. In that way, Haruka’s parents had given him attention after the pet killings, it likely wouldnt have changed anything, because he was excited by the newfound attention; it is their original lack of interest which spurred his self loathing and desire to regain their attention. If they had put him somewhere where he could seek targeted therapy, maybe that girl would still be alive. Nurture can be more powerful than nature. It is entirely possible that he could have been a normal child with a normal life absent that neglect, and that he’d just need targeted help for whatever developmental disability he suffered from.

Having parents neglect to address or flat out ignore a developmental disability is not a novel idea even in the USA. Actually, if you look at cases that are similar to Gabriel Fernandez or Anthony Avalos, you’ll find many people abuse/torture one child to death because of a special hatred for just one of their children based on something trivial- for those two it was perceived homosexuality, but once you dive deeper, you find parents doing the same for children who have developmental delays. So although Harukas treatment seems cabined to neglect, and not physical beatings (unless I misread), he does remind me of those cases in a roundabout way. To discard or reject a child because of a perceived negative trait.

I feel very sad for the parents of his first victim as well, to never know who killed my child; or if they did, eventually, to know my child was murdered by another child who promptly murdered a second victim because neither the system nor Haruka’s parents were willing to accept the reality of Haruka’s situation. Killing animals is a warning sign that cannot be ignored. But, once again, at that point he needed more than just corrected behavior by his parents. He needed true and genuine psychological help.

It is very sad all around. While I cannot stand the thought of a child murdering my pet just because my screams of anguish made him feel connected to the world, and while I cannot myself fathom how someone can feel even temporary joy that they murdered someone they knew was weaker and less physically able, I can simultaneously feel sad that Haruka was so monumentally failed by his parents.

He was on his way to becoming a serial killer, and he could’ve been a perfectly functioning member of society.

To that end, his reaction during T2 and his ultimatum parallel, to me, his excitement when he was getting attention from his parents after being caught killing animals in his neighborhood. Giving him T1 innocent and then T2 guilty was basically us neglecting to address his psychological issues in T1 and then only turning to give him that attention in T2, like how his parents neglected him until he was brought in by police. Hindsight is 20/20. Maybe if he were guilty T1 it would have been better. Then again, it would perhaps affirm his belief that he is inferior and he maybe would have attempted to kill a physically inferior inmate.

It’s unclear. In any case, its sad and feels somewhat preventable. Were I prosecuting Haruka, though I’d have to argue he be put in prison for the safety of others, I would nonetheless seek simultaneous and required therapeutic treatment as well as targeted educational support. Because I think if he had that in the first place, he wouldnt be the danger to society that he is at all.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Gryffindor's Sword

This isn't really a theory for the books, but this really bothered me, so it's more like a little rant, I guess.

See, I love historical weapons (and historical fashion, but that's not what we're talking about now), and I hate the design of Godric Gryffindor's sword in the movies. And I want to rant a little about what Gryffindor's sword would actually look like if anyone bothered to do a quick Google search.

This ornate little thing:

Is not a sword, it's a toothpick. No way would a self-respecting English wizard-warrior of the 11th century use something that looks anything like that. Not only does the blade look pathetic, this sword isn't remotely functional. Here is a summary of some of my complaints about the design (without talking about historical accuracy):

This thing is tiny. Swords shouldn't be this dainty, they need to have some weight behind them so blows would actually do damage. This so-called "sword" is barely better than fighting with a knitting needle.

The hilt is too ornate, it looks purely ceremonial and not functional. Battle-made swords would usually be simpler. All the ornate details on the hilt make it so it'll be incredibly uncomfortable to hold in your hand, which is the last thing you want in a fight.

Additionally, the all-metal hilt would have a very weak grip with little to no friction. It means that in the middle of a duel, you could find the sword slipping out of your hand if your opponent strikes it hard enough.

The blade profile is atrocious. The edge should thin out gradually to improve the cutting, here we see the edge just, thins out really quickly at the end, without gradual tempering. Even kitchen knives have this gradual thinning. But not this sword, I guess no one needed to cut with it.

And it won't be good for stabbing either, as the point is barely pointy (even in other photos). And even if we assume it's pointy, a blade designed for trusting would be thinner at the point than this one (on all planes). That said, thrusting swords in this period would still be better at cutting than the above atrocity.

This sword lacks a fuller (the sort of cave-in in the middle of the blade). The fuller helps reduce weight and strengthen the rigidity of a sword. Magic can help with both these issues, but, the lack of fuller is a mark of a poorly designed sword.

Well-made swords would usually have what's called a "distal taper", which is that the blade gradually thins on the horizontal plane to reduce weight at the point. This is good for balance and stabbing. This is an example of a distal taper on a knife:

The design from the movies does not have a distal taper and I can guarantee no goblin would look at the abomination the movies called a sword and think it's remotely passable.

So, if we want to talk about what Godric Gryffindor's sword would actually look like?

It'll be something like this:

(11th-century Viking Sword, got popularised in Britain by the Viking invasions)

Or this:

(11th-century Anglo-Saxon Broadsword, existed in Britain since the 5th century in slightly different designs. Yes it is very similar to a Viking sword, it was a common design at the time)

Or even an arming sword that rose in popularity around the mid-11th-century:

(Early 11th century English Arming Sword)

As an 11th-century English wizard, Godric could've had either of the three.

As for the design described in the book and how it could work with this kind of blade:

A gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the hat, its hilt glittering with rubies the size of eggs.

(CoS, 295)

For the metal, there are two possibilities here:

Harry doesn't know much about swords or metals, I think he could mistake polished steel for silver. Silver is way weaker than steel and depending on forging, another steel sword could cut through it. Pure silver would also not hold its form as much as steel, so a sword design like that of older bronze swords (another softer metal) could be better for it than what was typical for steel swords in the 11th century. Even if the silver is hardened to keep it in shape (which can be done) it would become brittle and break easily. Basically, regular silver is a really bad metal for these kinds of swords, especially if your opponents wield steel. Which brings me to the second option...

The other possibility is that Goblin-forged silver is just magically very strong so it won't break under pressure (like regular hardened silver). Steel swords solve the issue by having some yield to bend instead of snapping, if goblin silver is just magically strong enough that the sword won't snap or the sword is enchanted unbreakable, this would work too.

As for the egg-sized rubies, well, maybe the size of fish eggs? I honestly don't know what JKR was on about here... The sword could have one egg-sized ruby on the pommel (the metal piece at the end of the hilt), but that's it.

If I were to get more specific with the design, I did like that the movies wrote Godric's name on the sword, which is very much possible with a more historically accurate functional sword. Like these Viking/Anglo-Saxon swords from the early 10th century with gold and silver inlay on the blade and hilt (The sword is damaged but it's real):

So his name and maybe some other patterns could be written on the sword in silver and gold, which would look really cool, in my opinion.

Also, you could get even decorative on the pommel and crossguard while keeping it functional, including the addition of more precious metals like silver beyond just inlaying it.

Like this replica of 10th-century bronze Viking sword hilt:

Ceremonial swords (not meant for battle) could get even more ornate on the hilt. Like the Essen Sword gifted in 993 A.D that actually has precious stones decorating its pommel and crossguard:

My vision for Gryffindor's sword

Steel blade or magical goblin-forged silver (doesn't really matter) that is shaped like the blades above. Personally, I'm leaning towards an arming sword design, with blade inlays of silver and gold that write the name Gryffindor along with some other magical imagery of lions or dragons.

The hilt would be made of silver (or covered in silver) and have one large ruby on the pommel and/or multiple rubies like in the sword pictured above along with gold inlays. I also imagine the crossguard ending with little lion heads, kinda like the little dragons on this crossguard (The date on this sword is debated to be anywhere between the 8th century to the 13th century, but they could create hilts like this in the 11th century):

The hilt would have a wrap of leather so there would be a better grip for fighting. No way is Gryffindor carrying a ceremonial sword that he can't use. I think said leather should be painted red.

[melverie]

⸺ LESSON 1 ⸺

unregistered

Solomon

Solomon & Barbatos

MC's magic

situation in the Devildom

demons & angels (& humans)

strange feelings & soup

misc

- lesson 2 || all posts so far -

1. As you might have seen, I'm trying to connect some plot points atm and have decided to just go through the lessons again in hopes of untangling this mess. Depending on my motivation I might do this for all 40 lessons All of them will be tagged under #mel's descend into madness because that's honestly what it feels like lol 2. This is a mix of gathering facts from the game as well as me trying to make sense of everything. I'll add the lesson references to all things actually stated in the game. That being said, I'll only add them to moments that happen in lesson 1 since that's less work for me lol 3. I'd love to hear your thoughts!! Add stuff, dispute some of my points, theorize, bring up story points that don't make add up to you--idc what it is but I'd love to hear it all!! Either share it directly on here or send me an ask if you'd rather share them as anon 4. General spoiler warning for all of Obey Me Nightbringer, as well as for the original Obey Me

⸺ UNREGISTERED ⸺

most likely Nightbringer, so I'll just call him that -> 'Nightbringer' fits into the amount of characters in their name, and just like the unregistered number, NB later in the story talks about taking MC to a place where they will be happy [1-1//chat 'Untitled' with Unregistered; both pics below]

Fun fact: "lightbringer" (aka the meaning of Lucifer's name) also fits :)

NB knows MC's name because they told him recently from NB's perspective, and a long time ago from MC's perspective [1-1//chat 'Untitled' with Unregistered]

Nightbringer talks about how nothing remains hidden from him and that they see everything (-> Barbatos, Michael, Father?) [1-1//chat 'Untitled' with Unregistered]

this is how NB describes how he sees time [1-1//chat 'Untitled' with Unregistered; pic below]. It's similar to how Solomon claims Barbatos once described time to him

⸺ SOLOMON ⸺

definitely Solomon and not some imposter because his cooking is still the same inedible mess we know him for 💖 [1-17]

he's casting some spell when MC calls him and claims it's for jumping through spacetime [phone call 'Untitled' with Solomon] -> at the very least it doesn't have anything to do with influencing the memories of the others because they already didn't remember MC before their phone call

Solomon is the one who tells us we are in the past [1-12]. I have no reason to doubt him there -> he also says that MC "just disappeared" [1-12]. No mention of anyone's reaction to this though

Solomon is also the one that tells us that we need to reforge our pacts with the brothers if we want to make it back to the [1-12; pic below]

⸺ SOLOMON & BARBATOS ⸺

had (OG) Barbatos lend him his power to come to the past [1-12]

when choosing the option that implies that MC and Solomon are dating, Diavolo response with this [1-9; pic below]. That doesn't sound like there's any bad blood between them yet, at least not from Diavolo's point of view which, in turn, makes Barbatos' behavior toward Solomon so much stranger

⸺ MC'S MAGIC ⸺

Solomon explains that MC's magic is much weaker because their pacts with the brothers aren't functioning properly since they are in the past [1-12] -> the OG already established that MC's magic is tied to their pacts with the brothers (OG's season 2 plot literally revolved around that), so it makes sense -> since they need magic to return to the present, MC is essentially trapped in the past [1-12]

MC isn't able to use the pacts at all at first [1-2, non-amnesia route], however the pacts aren't completely severed as evidenced by MC being able to use the 'Stay!' command [1-5] -> once overcome by a warm light inside them, MC is able to use the pact commands again [1-5]. Imo it somewhat plays out similarly to MC being revived during the lesson 16 incident in the OG (which was Lilith's doing)

something about Solomon's reaction to being told MC used stay bothers me. Idk what though. Then again, maybe he was just worried about MC's safety, so it could also just be nothing [1-9; pic below]

⸺ SITUATION IN THE DEVILDOM ⸺

the Great Celestial War was about a year ago [1-2] -> Mammon mentiond that it felt more like a century to him [1-14; pic below]. Probably nothing but I'm critical of every little detail at this point lol

the demon king is already out of commission, but he was still around to give the brothers their titles as avatars [1-5]

the brothers' arrival threw the Devildom in disarray [1-7]

⸺ DEMONS & ANGELS (& HUMANS) ⸺

both Asmodeus and Diavolo talk about how angels and demons technically aren't enemies anymore, yet both parties are still clinging to what happened in the past [Asmo in 1-15, Dia in 1-18; both pics below]

Diavolo says that the goal of building the school is to bring the Devildom and the Celestial Realm closer together. He generally talks about just the "two realms", completely leaving the humans out of all this [1-18; pic below]

⸺ STRANGE FEELINGS & SOUP ⸺

Diavolo says that he feels like he and MC already share a strong bond [1-18; pic below]

Lucifer indirectly expresses his concern for MC, and is honest about his feelings and worries with them (only to immediately downplay it and snap at MC, thanks Luci 💖) [lesson 1 hard mode]

⸺ MISC ⸺

the House of Lamentation has just been rebuilt in the Devildom. They also once again tell the story of what happened in that house when it was still in the human world and say that it might be cursed [1-7]. Not really all that relevant tbh

Diavolo first talks about building a school [1-17]. RIP 'The Glory Days' devilgram ;-;

Lucifer says that he doesn't trust demons [1-18; pic below]. Will be slightly relevant again in lesson 12 iirc

[rjthirsty]

Sharing a Hug

Gilbert & Roderic

Words: 700

Tags: Gilbert Route Spoilers, Pre-Canon, Non-sexual Intimacy

Roderic moved through the shadows of the hidden passages leading through the castle in complete silence. These were the hallways he walked, being Gilbert’s closest confidant, assassin, and someday Gilbert himself if the real prince were to succumb to his lifelong illness. The cramped corridor saw no use save for himself these days - another reflection on the lonely life he had accepted a long time ago when Gil had saved him from a fate much worse.

Slipping from behind the false bookcase at his destination, he hadn’t made it two steps inside Gilbert’s room before a curt and flat voice greeted him from somewhere he couldn’t yet see. “I’m in a foul mood today.”

Roderic paused. The words were meant for him, and while they expressed the temperament of the first prince of Obsidian, they also indicated so much more that Roderic had learned throughout the years. He waited for further instruction, but Gil said nothing. The lack of follow-up also indicated what sorts of actions were acceptable in this instant.

He moved further into the room, judging from the pressure in the air where he’d find the Obsidian prince whose bloodlust was palpable. It was a feeling he knew well, and while it was never comfortable being subjected to the seething waves of hatred that exuded from Gilbert, he had grown able to easily function despite the way it overwhelmed him on an instinctual level.

Gilbert stood between the aisles of literature that dominated the large room, holding a book in his hand, his single red eye trained on the page as he flipped through it. Roderic observed him from the end of the row. Conditioned to see the subtleties that often went unnoticed by others, Roderic took in the differences of Gil’s current state, attempting to deduce what sort of ‘foul mood’ he was experiencing.

Like a shadow returning to its owner, Roderic slowly approached Gil, his form fitting almost identically behind the other man. Gilbert didn’t move as Roderic pressed against his back, Roderic’s arms encircling him and bringing with his proximity a warmth Gil severely lacked.

To anyone else, the scene would seem incomprehensible - a hooded assassin embracing a monstrous beast who appeared to be solely focused on the book in his hand, radiating malice that would send weaker men to their knees in sobs. Yet the two stood quietly, unmoving except for Gil turning the pages of his book, the silence surrounding them proving this was not an unusual encounter for them.

Something shifted inside the agitated beast, the tension in the air laggardly thinned as it creeped back to the source - back to Gilbert. His leather-gloved fingers ceased their practiced turning of the pages and he eased the book closed before returning it to the shelf he was standing in front of. None of Gil’s movements were hampered by Roderic’s hold on him. Roderic functioned almost like an extension of Gil’s own body, adapting and adjusting as needed without prompting.

Gil turned in Roderic’s arms, and brushed back Roderic’s hood, bringing him face to face with his mirror. The two men, hair the color of charcoal and eyes the color of blood, regarded one another in similar fashion - the same purse of their lips and intense stare leveled at each other. The concern etched in Roderic’s red gaze, however, was uniquely his; Gilbert rarely looked concerned, and never for another person - his gaze was apathetic at the best of times, and murderous at the worst.

Breaking eye contact, Gil buried his face in the crook of Roderic’s neck, weaving his arms around Roderic in an attempt to make contact as much as he could to take on some of the heat the other man was sharing. Gilbert had a bad heart, and because of it he was always chilly. Roderic was the only person who he would allow close enough to him to share his warmth. In Gil’s mind, after all, Roderic was him - or at least would one day be him.

[lodien]

DD:BA SPOILERS!!!

I am going to complain in a numbered list now, because that's what I need to do. Oh my GOD dude 😭😭 also I didn't proofread this so it might be crazy mb

The opening. Oh my god, the opening? Why is it like that?? It REALLY feels like they wanted to sell people on the OG cast and Bullseye, but didn't want to do the legwork to actually make it work. Five minutes in and you don't get to see anything of the life Matt's built, what he's been up to, how a law firm with two lawyers and one reporter works, or anything. You just see some basic, kinda awkward (imo) banter, and then... bam.

Foggy and Karen. I don't think Foggy is dead-dead, because it doesn't make sense for him to be, but still. His death had no impact for me--emotionally--because I was just kinda confused. Who is Benny? Why is Bullseye back? Where is Marci? Why is Bullseye going for Foggy, of all people? I cared, obviously, but that emotion was hindered by my genuine confusion. Karen is a problem because, like... why? Why is she leaving? Didn't she have a whole thing about never abandoning Matt? WHERE did that go? Also, what is the "friend rule"? Why are they STILL romantic after seven or eight years? If this show wanted to cover more of the comic's bases, why not have Karen move to LA to be some kind of internet personality or morning show host? (In the comics she moves to LA to be a radio host, so something to a similar effect.) It's weird.

KIRSTEN. Kirsten is one of my favorite DD girlfriends. She's tied with Elektra ONLY because Zdarsky did Elektra so well in 2019-2022's run... but, functionally, Kirsten and Matt being friends doesn't really... work. Their relationship was built upon playful flirting and romantic feelings, they were NEVER friends. I don't think that the show shouldn't let them be friends, that stage of pre-romance is important, but by introducing fucking HEATHER GLENN, their has romance to curbed for a while. It's just weird. Also, all of Kirsten's lines feel like Foggy lines. It's like they wanted the fun, friendly, meddling best friend character but didn't want Foggy for whatever reason. It just feels unnecessary to kill Foggy and the law firm, just to rush to re-establish a weaker form of Foggy and the law firm.

Retiring DD. Why? Matt has literally no reason to?? Foggy died, yes, but wouldn't that make him move faster? Does he blame himself for Foggy's death? Does Karen not try to convince him that isn't the solution? We see people on the street (through the weird interview segments, which I think are stupid, but whatever) ask for daredevil back. Why wouldn't he bring it back? In the comics, he does it because he kills a man. Because he isn't sure if he can keep it up. There's a genuine reason for it that doesn't feel contrived. Here, there's like... nothing? Hypothetically there's an explanation, but not really.

HECTOR AYALA. The whole point... of this character's arc... is to make a statement about vigilantes and how they interact with the public while in the suit. I was actually so excited! Before the show, it sounded like they were blending the Zdarsky run with the Mayor Fisk plotline and the Hector Ayala plotline! What a nice, easy way to explore the limits and rights of vigilantes, and how the law applies to them. These three would mix perfectly into something that would have something to SAY. But then they went and immediately just... burnt the Hector plot. He wasn't in the suit when it happened, there's nothing really about him being a vigilante, it's just kinda... eh. They had all the pieces and they just... didn't do it?

The pacing. Holy shit. Let me breathe. In five minutes they introduce Kirsten, introduce weird tension between Matt and Karen, establish that Marci and Foggy are broken up, un-paralyze Bullseye, kill Foggy, paralyze Bullseye, and retire Daredevil. Jesus fucking Christ. The rest of the episode does the same thing! It's almost manic? The OG show had so many moments where you get to feel the way the characters interact, you actually get to learn how they feel and exist in the world. In this one, you're just trying to keep up with the basic facts of who they are. "Oh Kirsten is funny and teases Matt--oh! Fisk is back, he... broke up with Vanessa? Wait, wait who's this? Heather Glenn? She's- okay, now we're back to street interviews."

Fisk and Vanessa. None of the MCU shows have addressed how Fisk got out of jail, and I really think they should. It's confusing. It's weird. Matt said he would jail Vanessa if Fisk ever got out, but now BOTH of them are out and Matt's like... retired? What? Why? Did he forget?

The look. The CGI is bad. The sets are weird (why does Matt's law office look like a tech startup?) and the camera is so hi-def everybody looks edited into the scene. There's a couple cool shots but that's about it.

This show is such a letdown I can't even laugh at how bad it is. I'm genuinely baffled how they fucked up the plots they're following, especially because they're so simple. Every plot point and character beat is IN THE COMICS. Just rip the parts that would adapt well. I've read every run this show claims to be taking from, and somehow they're managing to butcher it. I can only hope the Spider-man Noir show is worse than this, so I can be more sympathetic.

[disabledwhumphurtcomfort]

If we're writing fantasy, are magical disabilities that don't exist in the real world but are still treated as disabling allowed? What about disabilities that are magical in nature but have similar physical symptoms to real-world disabilities - say, chronic pain?

Both of those are OK (per event rules)! The only parameter is that the thing is disabling to the character in some manner, so if someone has chronic pain caused by a magical curse or something like that, it’s definitely welcome :)

Some examples I can think of off the top of my head that I’ve seen in media:

- Incurable (magical) poisoning causing a variety of physical symptoms which functionally amounted to chronic illness

- A curse which causes chronic pain in the form of someone feeling like they’re being stabbed at all times which they’ve learned to mask because of how constant it is

- A character losing a type of power which sustains their physical body and everyone else around them has, rendering them weaker and more physically-vulnerable than everyone else (eg, most people are relatively immune to illness and physically heal faster than them so they get sick and injured more easily, and because they literally have less life-force now, they will live a shorter life than everyone else)

- A character losing a hand because a monster which doesn’t exist IRL bit it off, and a healing spell was used to stop them from bleeding out (they still are left down one hand and need to adjust to living with that!)

These are just some examples (specifically ones I’ve written fanfic about). So the point is less the cause than the effect: is it either disabling in a ‘real world’ way (chronic pain, limb difference, etc), or one which is analogous (something bodily which separates them from others in society and leaves them at a disadvantage as a result).

Think, if this was an English class could you look at the fantasy thing and argue “this is a metaphor for disability”? If the answer is yes, then it fits the parameters!

And if you’re nervous about it being understood, you can always put a little explainer before your story about how you interpret/write it as fitting the framework of disability within your secondary world.

Happy writing!

— Mod K

[shallowseeker]

Hey shall, what's your favourite/fun headcanons on why cas keeps getting resurrected at first I tought it was cause god/chuck liked him (like remember when ppl in the destiel fandom talked about how chuck ships them... good times) Then yea, that just didn't turn out to be true lol

Ohh, this is fun. I have some nice uplifting ones and one very evil one. I could probably come up with a ton of these, and I'm not feeling super eloquent this week, but have my mental popcorn instead:

CHUCK/NETWORK NEEDED CAS -> Popularity ...and it bit Chuck in the ass because he accidentally allowed Cas to grow more and more powerful, even when he (and the writers) worked so hard to weaken him and kill him off. I don't have the exact quotes, but I know there are numerous instances that imply the writers worked hard to weaken Cas.

When the writers have to work to make Cas weaker, and to make Dean and Sam stronger, it shows that Cas is the bigger threat, in terms of cosmic power.

Emotional consequences: Because Cas is important to Dean, Cas is often resurrected specifically because Dean loses hope without him. After his first death, Cas literarily functions as The Lost Husband/The Animal Bridegroom/The Artificial Husband for Dean specifically. Unlike characters like Sam's Amelia (season 8), Dean is obsessed with clinging to his loved ones, saying to CAS: "I did not leave you!" and to NAOMI through CAS: "Take it! But you're gonna have to kill me first. Come on, you coward. Do it. Do it!" In his insistance to look for Cas in Purgatory and keep not giving up on Cas, he sets himself apart from his many mirrors. He's a lot like the human consort in many of the “supernatural spouse” tales, brave and insistent in his trials, even when death separates him from his lover. NOTE: Amelia Novak also becomes a heroine in this regard when she decided to go looking for her "lost husband," Jimmy Novak but becoming ensnared and dies in season 10. ANYWAY, Dean and Cas tend to die when the other isn't around, and they both get so depressed it makes for pretty abysmal watching. Chuck doesn't like Cas, but he needs Cas because Dean needs Cas. Dean won't behave unless he has Cas with him. DEAN from 13x03: "This life, hunting, monsters, there’s no joy in it. There’s nothing but pain, horror and death." And DEAN from 13x05: BILLIE: Maybe you’re not that guy anymore, they guy who saves the world, the guy who always thinks he’ll win no matter what. You have changed. And you tell people it’s not a big deal. You tell people you’ll work through it but you know you won’t, you can’t and that scares the hell out of you. Or… am I wrong? DEAN: What do you want me to say? Doesn’t matter. I don’t matter.

///

TETHERED TO A BROTHER or TWIN -> Functions as a thrown lifeline; i.e. one shield must fall before the other can

Not Cas-specific, but so long as your "tethered" twin is alive you cannot die. We see this with Amara and Chuck, that taking out Chuck requires killing Amara. This appears often in SPN, like with Charlie and There's No Place Like Home and the Wizard. It makes you wonder if Michael and Lucifer are similar. If you squint, Chuck does not seem able to kill Michael in 15x19 until after Lucifer has been killed. Makes you wonder if that was his intent on having them kill each other all along. That by having one kill the other, he could finally take out the son-rivals, as in the style of archetypical God-father who, because of their immortality, sees sons as threat to power. So what does that mean for Cas? Not sure, but he could be tethered to an angel that's still living. Maybe jack himself? (Or Dean's soul, for that matter.) It's assumed that Jack wakes up Cas, but there's juicy potential for it to have been Dean doing it all along, something Jack tapped into when Dean was screaming in grief during the Sam fight: DEAN: He manipulated him, he made him promises, said, ‘paradise on earth’ and Cas bought it and you know what that got him? It got him dead! Now you might be able to forget about that, but I can’t! [JACK looks distressed outside the room.] JACK: Castiel. [JACK’S eyes glow gold.]

///

MANY OF CHUCK'S REBELLIOUS CHILDREN ARE ACTUALLY CURSED TO BE RISING-AND-DYING GODS

As to quote Gabriel, "they are like cancer," he has to eradicate them, as they represent wars of old which are no longer needed. I know the rising-and-dying deity motif is something of a modern configuration, but since it appears in Remember the Titans, you have to wonder if this is a nature intrinsic to Cas himself. As angels are unable to sleep, they are unable to die. From 8x16: ZEUS: Tell me, has Prometheus experienced the child's death yet? [HAYLEY gives a nod.] How did he take it? Did he hurt? [HAYLEY nods again.] Good. ...I never get tired of watching you die. [ZEUS, holding SHANE up, says it right into his ear.] Your boy is going on the mountain. (Interestingly, the mountain forward-references to the episode Moriah.) From 14x08: COSMIC ENTITY: Stop interrupting! Start paying attention. I'm taking him. And where I'm taking you is worse than Hell… because at least Hell is something. Ohh. Ohh, God, they look scared. Does that hurt you? Good… because I want it to. In this interpretation, the Shadow is a higher God, and it has cursed Castiel for helping humanity the same way Prometheus helped humanity. It uses similar linguistics!

///

EVIL CAS/SHADOW MEANING -> God's most trusted double agent

Cas is resurrected by Chuck because he's secretly an intractable agent of Chuck, God's most trusted, analogues to how Ruby was "the best of those sons of bitches." This would take on a Christian overtone, that Chuck and Jack are the same person. Evil interpretation where Cas having been an agent of Fate all along. With this shadow meaning, "Cas helped" from 15x20 becomes especially ominous. But there's also "it's not the bait, it's the fish, I think they're beginning to anticipate me" from 15x06 right after Dean accuses him of being "the something that always goes wrong." There's something eerie in the idea that Chuck and Jack are in fact the same person, and Castiel is loyal to Him above all. "This lie won't hurt them," from Gimme Shelter etc etc. This would make Dean, like Sally in "Last Call" the real symbolic fish. If hunting is recklessness, fishing is patience, and Cas/God/Jack were being patient and fishing Dean's soul all along, baiting him with Love. Cas as a honey trap is a frightening thought, honestly, and although I don't prefer this shadow interpretation, it IS scary if someone wanted to explore it or have Dean simply fear this possibility, you know? Dean has an inherent fear of large powers, like Godstiel, and Jack's power, and he's right to fear it. At the end of the story, Cas and Jack are the only main characters still alive, so there's a real possibility that it is Cas who won the long game, not Chuck.

edit - there’s also cas has a soul theory, that he cannot sleep in the empty the sand way jack becomes aware of heaven in byzantium

[totem-but-shark]

When you “use” a totem (die with it in your hand), what do think happens? It doesn’t break. The animation just makes it spin around in front of your face, and then disappear. Do you think it feeds on your death and gets stronger? Or do you feed on it, and it gets weaker/dies? Or is resurrecting you so innate that it’s inconsequential, like gut bacteria feeding on your digestive system?

I hadn't ever thought about how it just disappears, I always assumed the popping sound accompanying the revival effect upon a totems use was it breaking in some way however I suppose that could just be an explosion of the particles bursting from it which doesn't necessarily equal it breaking. I have my own theories for what exactly happens but this is making me rethink everything. There is clearly some kind of transfer between the totem and user, the user gains life and is revived obviously but there's nothing to say the totem couldn't also gain something in the exchange. I don't see the classic inanimate totems as sentient so if there is a mutual exchange it isn't anything intentional, on the totems behalf at least. It isn't some kind of living organism needing to feed off of the user to survive or grow stronger. In my eyes they're more of a vessel for some kind of magical life force that can be stored and transferred, one that cannot "die" but could break.

It being physical biological process is a fascinating thought but i've always considered it more as a supernatural concept, something intangible that doesn't follow natural law. It's power over life and death after all, so outside of the boundaries of sense and logic. However if I were to compare it to something it would be the equivalent of a magical defibrillator shocking you back to life upon the point of death, though about 1000 times more powerful considering that a totem doesn't just revive you but floods your life force with excess energy (hp).

My interpretation revolves around this previously mentioned life force, this being something that exists in all living things. When you die the vacuum of life force/energy within you upon death is what causes the totem to pop and fill that void, like oxygen rushing into a vacuum chamber. With this life force refuelled the user is revived, again similar to a defibrillator as seen below in this handy dandy diagram I made because I love a good diagram

Perhaps after revival the user might face extreme exhaustion or sickness after the initial buffs wear off considering that they died and then were violently jolted back to life in an instant, or that people aren't like totems and can't function as well as a vessel for raw magical energy that then has to be replaced over time by their own through natural processes. Either way it likely wouldn't be super healthy for a person.

[mechanical-hearth]

Vengeance of the All-Devourer: Viridian City Attack

//ooc: Transcript of a Discord RP with the mun of @moonlit-faller.

Kaladin Sylphrena Dr. Ratio

As Kaladin is traveling through Viridian City, they hear a commotion outside the resturant they were in next to the Trainer House. When they look out the window, they see the entire sky has turned an evil purple color, with fast-moving red clouds - wait, those aren't clouds... those are body segments. The concern of the citizens swiftly turns to panic, as black and purple monsters drop from the sky and begin attacking the city mercilessly, going after person and pokemon alike

Looks like it's gonna be one of those days

The clouds reminded him of the Everstorm. That was strange, that wasn't supposed to be outside of Roshar... His gaze dropped to the monsters, taking no time to get into combat.

Syl! I need a spear! On it!

The spren transformed into its Sylspear form. She had no idea what was going on, and to be frank, neither did Kaladin. But they swore oaths to protect, and that wasn't limted to Roshar. A powerful opponent like Kaladin is sure to attract the monsters' attentions, which has benefits and drawbacks. Fortunately they seem, as a rule, less intelligent than the V-Corp forces and Wily robots that attacked this world earlier. He was immensely grateful for that, the spear tearing through them at the soul level. The only question was the amount of them. He could fly up, but that beast was just too big for a direct attack like that. he biggest issue near him seems to be one in the center of a group of sword wielders that's firing off triple-element beams (like tri-attack) at everything it can see

Well. That's a fun one. The biggest issue here was conserving Light. Thunderstones weren't nearly as prevalent as Stormlight was (he was missing the Highstorms of his home world at this point), and without access to the other Spren, he was functionally at the same strength as his Third Ideal, just with stronger Surges and an easier time holding the Light. Obviously, this meant flight was less of an option, though he could use Gravitation on something else. He cut a large chunk of stone from the ground, Lashing it to make it almost weightless. It was a terrible shield, but it was the best option he had at the moment. This would at least protect him from the attacks (though he could heal the damage with Light, but that would drain his reserves). The Shadowglass Gaze notices he takes a bit longer to be destroyed than most of what else it's been shooting, and it seems annoyed about that. Thanks to the earthy shield, its beams don't work as well as it would like, so instead it must be opting for claws, and it's faster than it looked.

The stone shield shattered under the strength of the claws, but that was enough time to stab the damn thing. A stab with a Shardblade wasn't nearly as lethal as a slice, unfortunately, which made using it as a spear a bit less useful. Poking a hole in something's soul was less effective than just severing it at the spinal cord (if it even had one). This thing had the weirdest soul he had ever stabbed, the closest comparison would be some spirit version of antimatter (so like an anti-soul?), but regardless, whatever the technics of it were, Kaladin's attack did something, as the Gaze sharply recoiled. Kaladin has only a moment to get his bearings before a pillar falls from the sky and topples toward him. Kaladin didn't expect the pillar, but he knew what to do. He Lashed himself leftwards, and suddenly "East" became "Up," dragging him out of the way of the toppling stone tower. The pillar apparently didn't come from a Shadowglass, but a Faller (or similar) - Dr. Ratio of the Unseen Shield. He looks around, apparently not seeing Kal, before blasting a few weaker Shadowglass with chalk laced in some kind of Light-element energy. Kaladin speared a couple monsters getting closer to them. He didn't know exactly who this person was, but to be honest, he wasn't going to reject the extra help.

You nearly crushed me

But I did not, and I believe we both have more pressing issues to see to

Ratio goes back to blasting Shadowglass. Kaladin couldn't say he much liked this one's attitude, but desperation made for strange bedfellows. He could work with this at least.

Just watch where you're dropping those things, alright? Also, do we know anything about what these are, or where they came from?

Hmph. A critical thinker would likely reason that they followed in the wake of Quantuvour, as under normal circumstances these entities self-contain to the Maze of Gates.

No idea what either of those are, but if someone does, that's all that matters right now.

Kaladin shrugged, felling another creature. None of those sounded familiar, but then again he was from Roshar. Nothing here sounded familiar. The Dr. hmphs, but any retort is blocked by a massive THUD!!!!!! as a huge spike drops from Quantuvour and embeds in the road away from the Trainer House. Kaladin approached the spike, laying a hand on it. He imbued it with Stormlight, and "Up" became "Down," flipping the spike over and sending it back into the sky. With how big the spike is, it takes a LOT of Stormlight, but it works. The spike rushes up, and in short order the whole sky shudders. Looks like these things are only meant to go one way when shooting down (perhaps they regrow after a planet is eaten?). Kaladin smiled slightly. It was a lot bigger than even a Thunderclast, but it could definitely take damage. That was good. More spikes drop. They seem to be falling in a circle - trying to ring in the Trainer House. Kaladin rushed the spikes, cutting them with the Sylspear. He needed to conserve Light, but he could cut them at least.

If I had enough Stormlight I could fly up there and cut through it. Guess you don't have any way to open a Perpendicularity, do you? If we did, do you not think we would have tried that? Unless you have other Radiants in your group, the Light would be useless to you. Hence why we do not possess such means

Dr. Ratio was likely about to make another snide comment but was instead punched in the jaw by a flying hand-shaped Shadowglass

If not for the fact that this was trying to kill them, he would have thanked the hand. This man's tone was insufferable. He ignored the hands for now, focusing more on the spikes. They wouldn't be dropping if they weren't important. Just because he didn't know what they did didn't mean he wanted to let them be. To make matters worse, the spikes, which more were hitting, seemed to be blocking means of escape, and the Shadowglass seemed to be spawning from them. The hand that punched Ratio turns and starts blasting at Kaladin. Seeing that they were spawning the monsters, he expedited cutting them down (or at least trying to), using them as cover to avoid getting hit by the blasts But .the spikes keep falling, and little Kaladin does mars them (aside from that one gravity trick).

Eventually they form a ring around the area, trapping everyone who hadn't already escaped in the area. A purple glow then starts to fill the area. A tremendous cracking is heard, and the tower lifts into the air, ground it's on and all. Kaladin couldn’t save the house, but the people he could. He took out a Thunderstone, breathing in the Light. This would be enough. He Lashed himself upwards, into the ring, Lashing others out and landing them on the ground. That was almost all of his Light, though. He had to be increasingly sparing until he could get more. Thanks to Kaladin, most people caught in the ascent are ferried off, but there does come a point where the journey down and up becomes too great on his light, and he has to stop on the rising mote of earth. Up, up, and up the area around the Trainer House goes. Into the sky, into orbit, into space, up to a massive hole that opened in the Worm's mass. The House is taken into it as it closes, eventually coming to rest in a dark, cavernous space that fluctuates ominously, slowly moving toward a dark mote at the far (and I mean FAR) end - which all present hope against hope isn't some kind of crusher, black hole, or other harmful apparatus of digestion. The sad part was that this wasn’t the first time that he had jumped inside a large arthropod’s mouth that was trying to kill him. There wasn’t much he could do from his current position, but he raised his Shardblade up, ready to fight off anything else that came along.

Well done. You not only couldn't save everyone here, but are now in a hostile environment with, if your demeanor is to be read as accurate, an important resource at a dangerous premium

I will protect those who can’t protect themselves. An oath means nothing if you forget about it when it’s easy.

Ratio was going to retort but suddenly erupted a bright green light, a stark contrast from the dark purple of everywhere else in here. It seems to promise safety, so those in the area Kaladin couldn't save start going toward it. He looked to Ratio, raising an eyebrow.

Friends of yours?

Potentially... the glow is familiar...

[eldritchtouched]

Outer Gods and contact

Mohg is quite unusual, in that he's got direct contact with an explicitly stated Outer God in the text of Elden Ring. Nobody else does, and I find that deeply interesting.

Again, Outer Gods, in works that understand the larger implications of the concept, are fundamentally tied into the very nature of reality. You can't actually get rid of them and have shit function normally in the world. It'd be like if you could turn gravity off for a planet and the inevitable disaster that would follow. There's a whole thing where they have periods of being directly active and perceptible on a human scale, and periods where their influence is not obvious, but that's not them not being there at all. They're still there.

Being in direct contact with one in stories that utilize the concept (and don't just make Outer Gods Discount Satan) is notably rare and the same holds true for Elden Ring and its various larger-scale divinities.

Marika's situation is very interesting because the Greater Will both seems weaker than the term Outer God would imply, by needing a vassal to even have the ability to get to the world in the first place (which is more like a Great Old One like Cthulhu and the various normal aliens with such advanced knowledge that they appear like gods to randos, if speaking of the Cthulhu Mythos), and who the direct contact is with. It's the Elden Beast as a vassal with Marika, and the various pairs of Two Fingers, that everyone's contacting.

The Lord of the Frenzied Flame does not make direct contact, either. You have the representatives of it, Shabriri and Hyetta, and the Three Fingers. But not the Flame itself. And it has to be summoned to a world to begin with, which implies it is not natural to that world from the start.

Malenia is deeply tied to the Scarlet Rot, but the Scarlet Rot is not directly, actively bothering her. Gowry might be a Kindred of Rot, but the description on their ashes implies that they were born of Malenia being divine and seek her despite her rejecting them because they are part of what the hates about herself.

But the Scarlet Rot god merely is, underground, and influencing the world. It has the power to influence the world while its body might be sealed away, unlike the Frenzied Flame or Greater Will (implying the other two are much weaker/younger/not Outer Gods). Though perhaps it is a situation where Malenia actively loathing that aspect of herself and Mohg doesn't loathe that he's an Omen, means Malenia doesn't draw on the Scarlet Rot for power like Mohg does, and could perhaps do something similar if she wanted...

Placidusax's deity left, which becomes a question of whether or not that leaving is of the implied lack of perception found in Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos works (which is more like 'they're simply perceived not to be there, but they're still there in some weird interdimensional thing), or from actively leaving entirely (which implies being a smaller scale being/not an Outer God).

The Twinbird's god, likewise, has no direct connection. The Deathbirds are children of the Twinbird, and we deal with the Deathbirds, but that's still not direct contact with the Outer God tied to it. And there's how there's overlapping things going on, where spiritflame/ghostflame/blackflame are slightly different though also tied to the same stuff.

(And the Gloam-Eyed Queen is implied to be a character akin to Marika or Placidusax, so that's also not direct contact.)

The same can be said of the Dark Moon. Aside from its ambiguity/question of if it's even a being at all or if Ranni was merely inspired by the implications of the dark moon as a concept, Ranni is not in direct contact with it, either.

Eiglay is also something closer to a Great Old One in terms of ability and power and overall nature, as opposed to some cosmic scale entity.

But Mohg is in direct contact with an Outer God. Bloodboon and its ritual variant on his spear are explicitly the user of the magic stabbing into her essence and drawing out the bloodflame to use in battle.

Between that and the fact that he has no dual identity (he doesn't go under a different name or identity like Morgott, Miquella, Marika, Godfrey, Godrick...), I think the whole 'mother of truth' title with the Formless Mother might have more merit than people seem to think... Something is going on in the background, between that and how Miquella also has his own ties to blood magic, and also with Miquella's needles being as they are (inserted into flesh).

Which means that I think he's probably more important than how he's gotten written off by the fandom as insane and pure evil. (And the characterization of him being "insane" comes from Gideon, whose motives are deeply suspect. And, like, Rykard's plan is actually the insane one...)

[m--rtyr]

You started talking about prosthetic limbs and I was summoned like a bat from hell. Here are some extra knowledge or ideas, I just really like prosthetics, robotics, and sci-fi

So, a fun fact about prosthetic limbs, especially since he is missing (at least) a leg and an arm from what I have gathered is the fact that, his punches will actually be rather weak. It is impossible to throw a full proper punch if you are missing a leg due to the fact that it is a FULL BODY MOVEMENT. (This has actually been studied)

From your head to your toes, everything goes into proper hand to hand combat, so it creates an interesting dynamic for Aaron if you so choose to use this. A great mech warrior with all the augmentation one needs throws just a shitty punch. Get him without his sword he is significantly weaker than one would imagine, making the robot limbs more for intimidation than actual fighting themselves. Still strong as fuck but less of a raging boar and more of an angry pig, if you catch my drift.

Another thing I would like to suggest is Aaron having to be on anti-rejection medication. Since a lot of his stuff seems to be full-on implant, he needs to take something to combat rejection lest his body shutdowns or goes into overdrive. Could take inspiration from Shimmer (Arcane) in that regards, an anti rejection and pain medication that has side effects since its black market. (Cause I am assuming he wouldn't get an actual prescription medication)

You are also right on the money on the weight and exhaustion issue. He will be dead tired all the time

(All of these facts are brought to you by my studying of prosthetics, helping people acclimate to prosthetics, and my hyperfixation on MMA I had as a child)

If you want more, I have an idea for Shadow Knights, though it is very cyberpunk and less mecha.

Ooo yay thank you.

I have heard of the punch stuff before because of a HTTYD tiktok, funnily enough.

Tw, injury

Aaron’s punches still hurt, but maybe not as much as they could. Against someone else with a similar level of mods, he’d probably not win a brawl, but most people (besides people like the jury) don’t get modded this much anyway, and the cyber leg can compensate a little. Even if his mods aren’t perfect. Ro’Meave tech would give him a leg that’s properly functional but he’d rather struggle.

This also makes me think of Aaron only getting access to safe medication and such when he starts hanging around PD. He refuses to take it at first because he’s stubborn and doesn’t want to have to rely on anyone, but Nekoette sees him struggling with side effects of the stuff he takes and he gives in, he doesn’t want to worry her, or make any of the kids feel like cybernetics are a death sentence. If they need them, he doesn’t want them to refuse them out of worry they’ll turn out like him. He’s not anti-modifications, just anti-Ro’Meave, who have a monopoly on the business. It’s why he teaches them to modify pre-existing parts. So they can help each other.

I’m feeling Nekoette having a cyber limb now, and that’s why she follows him around so much. He’s like her. Hers probably has issues like being too small because she got it when she was younger and they’re too broke to replace it or something. Despite how he treats himself, he always checks up that she’s doing what she needs to do to take care of it, especially since it causes her a lot of issues.

BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HESR YOUR SK IDEAS. My sci-fi thing is very cyberpunk, the mecha stuff is kind of secondary. One of the core ideas of cyberpunk is ‘hey having to be reliant on mega corps to live is bad’ and the ‘how human are you if all of your parts can be bought’ ideas came secondary.

[void-rainbow]

It's 6 am and I haven't slept; time for some Collector headcanons

Mostly about the workings of its mind

(let's see if I complete this or sleep first)

The kingsmoulds are made from void and spells. The void itself, as the sea in the Abyss, has something like mind, but fragmented. Echoes of thought, ununified, from the original sources of that void, and any subsequent influences upon it. When the Pale King molded void into a body, there was nothing in particular to make the void a single coherent mind. Such a thing was part of the spells put upon it.

The spells were never meant to give it a true mind. The Pale King didn't expect such a thing from void. He only expected for it to function according to orders, and that took some doing. Spells to make it able to process language, understand orders, have a base knowledge of things it might need to know, the ability to fight and other functions of a guard, etc. All things for an unthinking construct.

At first this would be the dominant part of it, just a bundle of spells for a mind, leaving it aware but pretty blank. But the void was always capable of thought. With the spells as a helpful scaffold, the void of its being could form a more coherent, unified mind.

The kingsmould who would become the Collector has always had adult-level cognitive ability. But it's still not like a "normal" adult. Adulthood would typically imply having a childhood beforehand...something not really available for a construct. It does not have anywhere near the level of experience of an adult, and is lacking a lot of knowledge of the world too.

It gained some experience in the palace, in a limited fashion. Mostly in observation.

It did a fair amount of thinking too, as it gained experience. Even though my Collector doesn't....doesn't really reflect as much as it should XD It had the time to think. Time to think that its role as a kingsmould was not well-suited for what was most important to it.

My Collector was something of an experiment by the Pale King in kingsmould design. (Thought at first to make it the first kingsmould, but for my fic at least...fits better in the timeline to be some later design modification). Rather than being made with "SERVE" as the most primary command on it, imparted in the spells at its creation, it was imbued with "PROTECT"...and thus, it assesses everything around it with this in mind.

It left the palace. No great deliberation on consequences--the moment it decided the palace could not fit its role as protector, it just left.

I've wondered if perhaps other kingsmoulds could do so. Could they ever break away from their role? With "SERVE" imprinted on them, it would be very hard to do so. Perhaps only if their role became impossible for some reason. And even then, they may try to fall into a similar role if possible.

The Collector was able to leave and gain more experiences. But it had never really had to make any choices or figure things out. It. Makes a lot of mistakes. Still. It's able to learn.

And more than that, it's able to develop as a person. It always had emotions. But emotions confused it. Unlike someone like hollow though, it never had any reason to suppress emotions. So it will learn.

In all this, the Collector is rather lucky when compared to the other kingsmoulds. The kingsmoulds have minds and emotions. But with such limited life experience (and again, the overwhelming drive to serve)...they are a bit mentally weaker in some senses. Not for lacking a mind, but...mmm.

The spells never leave the Collector. It is always driven to protect. But the more experiences it gets, the stronger its mind becomes. It does not fight the great drive it has. But it's able to choose how to go about it. Go beyond whatever simple form of protection someone without choices would make, or what kind of protection the Pale King had in mind for it in the first place. Even if the Collector makes some really questionable choices. It also learns about what others need, and learns to...understand its own needs better. As a person. Learns about emotions. Learns what love means. It becomes able to incorporate these things into what protection means to it and alter its outlook.

All that is not something afforded the other kingsmoulds. Their lives are not conducive to learning other ways to serve. They are not given room to develop themselves.

I've wondered if perhaps the spells could ever be removed from the Collector. Though I don't think so. Even if its mind became strong enough to persist, its body could not. It would likely just die. And modification of the spells would take a lot of knowledge on someone's part with high risk of failure.

It will always be driven to protect. But that's okay to it.

I've been developing my fic, which has. Uh. Inadvertently become a bit of a fix-it au. But for something more canon...

The world is still falling apart, with the infection. It's bad for anyone's mental health. For the Collector, in some ways it never has to become more "normal", as society is crumbling around it. It doesn't have to worry about fitting in. It also doesn't have to rein in some of its worse impulses.

And yes...by the time we see Collector in the game, it's been a very very long time. It's had to deal with death, and isolation, and betrayal (being locked in the Tower of Love ._.), and failure. It's not doing so well. It's not coping. It doesn't know how to fix things.

It tries to stay strong, in its own way. It tries to keep loving. And it does. But it doesn't really have anyone else to help with its emotions. And it's just slowly breaking down. Just laugh away all the stress. (It can't ever laugh enough for that)

Even when the world and its life were in better times, it would always come off as weird and obsessed. Mmm, still seeing how my fic will turn out in the end. But some things are consistent.

(but as far as endings....hey, I did make it without falling asleep) (now to succumb)

[shardssystem]

Lore24 Compilation - January

From the beginning of the year, I felt an interest in doing a writing challenge of some sort, but a NaNoWriMo is a bit of a tall ask considering work schedule and everything. I’d seen people doing the #Dungeon23 challenge, and that was interesting, but outside my area of expertise. And then I found a blog post about #Lore24, and shared it with a friend in a similar situation.

The idea is, that for each day of the year, you write something about a TTRPG setting (or similar), in order to help expand on concepts. Doesn’t need to be exceptionally detailed, but the idea is to work on vague ideas and solidify things for worldbuilding. I chose Matea, a D&D homebrew setting that had been kicking around in my head for a while. A post-apocalyptic world that was previously as advanced, if not more so, than real life 21st century Earth. When the magic sustaining their technology failed, the world fell into ruin and had to rebuild the hard way.

I thought it would be handy to keep every entry compiled in one place, so here are the entries for January. Original posts can be seen on our Mastodon.

Let me know if there’s anything that you like or even if it inspired something of your own!

1 - Matea, as we encounter it, is a world on the brink of change. What was once a world of technological marvel and magical prowess now finds itself with one of the primary rules of the universe fading. Where both schools of arcane and divine magics helped create a utopia, its wielders struggle to achieve even a fraction of the same skills. If a spell works at all, it is drastically weaker than in history. A worldwide collapse of magitech left the survivors in ruins, unable to adapt.

2 - In the beginning, the Father tried to make the world alone, every attempt failing. The Mother came to him, offering her aid, and so Matea was born. When the first of their creations died, neither could cope, so the Daughter was born to handle the grief and anger. Seeing her good work, the Mother and Father birthed a Sister. Without a domain of her own, she engineered a war to fight against her family; tearing open a rift for devils to pass the barrier and lay waste to creation. Seeing the potential for their work to be undone, the family fought back by creating the angels. The war raged, until the Brother was born to guide a peaceful resolution; quelling the Sister’s rage by suggesting domains she would take over, while he would take the load of the more civil aspects that grew from a progressing society that his elders had not foreseen. The Sister acquiesced, having a duty at last. And so a harmony was established.

3 - Dwarves (name pending) are the progenitor race/species/ancestry (specifically to spite the endless fantasy worlds that start with elves), and are hatched from eggs. Not conventional eggs; more a cocoon of mud and other related materials. They can have a minimum of one parent, and no functional maximum, though after 20, some serious identity issues arise. Prospective parents will start rolling their egg like people do with snow, while performing a ritual of offering to the Father.

4 - Dwarven children are born with a full grown beard, regardless of their future gender presentation. This assists with the development of musculature, though hinders their growth. You can typically tell the age or experience of a dwarf by how worn/damaged their beards are, as they are made of stone. Though some choose to damage their beards personally, for their own reasons, the effects are no less permanent. Some view their beards as a sign of a pact made for their creation.

5 - Elves (name pending) evolved from dwarves when (the story goes) one wished for the ability to fly, being jealous of birds. More long of limb than their traditional counterparts, the elves of Matea are feathered, have the ability to glide until their elder years where they achieve full flight, and prefer to make their nest homes atop the mountain peaks of the world. They still hatch from eggs, but their material choices are less earthy; more grasses and scrub.

6 - Perhaps the hardest hit by the loss of magitech, the Gnomes (name pending) of #Matea seek immortality through their creations, owing to their nature of existence. In their original development, a flaw in the process led to them being primarily formed from sand. This resulted in their lifespan averaging three years before they almost literally fall apart. The Warforged and Autognomes (names pending) are their primary legacies; though they seek further.

7 - Though they do not know it, Tabaxi are among the most powerful beings of #Matea, as they are connected to the universe through some strange magic unknown to others. The first Tabaxi dreamt itself into existence after people began telling made up stories. From there, they dreamt their family into existence, and opened a gate into the realm of the Fey. As they unknowingly created more and more however, their ability to do so dispersed and diluted among each of their number.

8 - During the Family War, the need for frontline forces presented itself to the then-forming nations of the world. Pressed for time, they hurried the process and took shortcuts, incorporating living beings into the mix instead of asking spirits. Thus, Goblins (name pending) were born. With a lower half reminiscent of arachnids and other insects, their quick deployment and ability to traverse a variety of surfaces without issue was key to victory in a number of skirmishes.

9 - Tortles (name pending) once held political sway over the seas and ports of Matea. Unfortunately, during an exceptionally tough harvest year and dire situations, they were discovered to be delicious. Following a terrible, bloody uprising, they are now extinct, remembered only through archaeological evidence and museum pieces.

10 - Tieflings and Aasimar (names pending) are the descendants of the devils and angels left behind after the war, closed off from their home realms. Comparing to their multiversal counterparts however, on the whole, it is tieflings that are respected, and aasimar that are viewed with suspicion. This comes from the direct aftermath of the rift being sealed. Cut off from the influence of the hells, the remaining devils felt remorse (natural or otherwise; scholars don’t know) and vowed to repent for their misdeeds, which carried through to their descendants. Tieflings tend towards contemplation and helpfulness. On the other side, the angels were mournful and angry about the loss of their divine grace, traits that modern aasimar bear. As such, they tend towards fits of rage and melancholy in equal, unpredictable measure.

11 - The world of Matea is in a binary star system. Thaus, the Star of Wonder, and Flaun, the Star of Hope dance around each other in an eternal 3-beat waltz leading religious scholars to point to it as evidence of the Father and Mother’s joint efforts in making the world. The stars eclipse three times during the day, two hours after sunrise, midday, and two hours before sunset. These hours are marked by the religious orders and observed in all variety of different ways.

12 - To contrast the twin suns, Matea has a single moon, which is home to the Elemental Plane of Earth. Once upon a time, spellcasters could simply travel to Pio but with magic fading, the only remaining path is via Sou’dare, the great geyser. Travellers are to bathe themselves in its waters, and perform a specific ritual to activate the latent magic in the spring; firing them towards the moon in a dramatic jetstream of water.

13 - The Elemental Plane of Air has no fixed location, and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. One must be EXTREMELY precise with the incantation however, as the ritual is centered around collecting fruit oils, anointing yourself with it, and setting yourself on fire. A successful ritual will transform your body temporarily and painlessly to ash, to be carried into the planar winds. An unsuccessful ritual just turns your body to ash the painful way.

14 - The path to the Elemental Plane of Fire was once sealed, but is now open to all, though perhaps not the most accessible. Rakhada’s Folly, also referred to as The Fall, created a spiraling crater that intersected with planar boundaries. The journey must be undertaken on foot, to acclimate to the heat over a timeframe of six weeks. Those wishing to expedite their journey must be immune to flame and possess the power of full flight, or face the firestorm at the crater’s centre.

15 - Getting to the Elemental Plane of Water is all about timing, but otherwise simple. It’s merely a little absolutely terrifying. During the Second Step, or the second of the three eclipses per day, the winds at the top of Mt. Sanmaya (the tallest peak on Matea) pick up and become almost unbearably strong. One must align themselves to the correct direction and jump from the mountain, fighting the winds. If successful, they will be blown off the peak, plummeting into the waters below, and transferring the planar boundaries. If unsuccessful, the same thing occurs, but without the transfer, dashing the bodies of prospective adventurers on the rocks among the waves.

16 - Though magic is weakened and fading throughout Matea, the island of Paana-Dûl is abundant with mana crystals, allowing magic to work not only as it used to, but in some cases better. Because of this, the use of magic on the island is reserved exclusively for healing. The crystals feed on the remains of one of the great dragons, Ibu the Profaned, spreading slowly like a fungus, though they are more easily formed nearer the corpse.

17 - The magitech age of Matea kicked off with the discovery of manasteel: metal pulled from the earth with magic, weaving into it and reinforcing its strength. Known for being hard to work with, skilled smiths wasted little time in using it for all manner of inventions. From buildings and bridges, trains and aircraft, even personal devices of all kinds, manasteel was the backbone of a dawning golden age.

18 - At some point during The Fall, the prison island of Dosoga was lost; taken by an impenetrable bank of mist and fog. An entire population of inmates, their guards, and even a number of small villages designed to support the facility, spirited away. There are reports recently of fog that drifts across the oceans, seeming never to settle in one place for long. People have investigated, only to come back, changed in a number of ways. Those that return (as not everyone does) undergo a complete behavioural overhaul. Their personalities become wildly different, they do not respond to their own names, and some seem confused to the point of madness at their own bodies. Information to the reasoning behind this change is lacking, save for a single report that claims that one returning adventurer, declared herself to be a convicted man historically to be executed, and noted as inappropriately touching her own skin.

19 - Historical records state that the last known Warden of Dosoga Penitentiary was infamous for his brutally strict adherence to the law, but fairness in administering the applicable penalties. Inmates were suitably cared for, unless they broke the rules, in which case punishment was swift and hard, though only as to the letter of the law. People of the time saw it as an acceptable alternative to capital punishment, though not much is known about their rehabilitation success.

20 - Though unimportant at the time, the once-small town of Dun has claimed the title of nation capital city, primarily due to its fate during and immediately following The Fall. No one remembers the original name of the settlement, but records show how it got its current name: When the great floating cities began their final, disastrous descent, the town was written off by people in power; declared not worth the time to evacuate. Done for.

21 - What elevates Dun above other towns and villages is that the floating citadel of Silwa’na crashed directly on top. Though obviously devastating for those unable or unwilling to attempt to leave, the survivors inherited a treasure trove of remnants from the citadel, greatly accelerating their rebuilding efforts and post-Fall discovery.

22 - The gods serve several domains, each with their own rituals and rites.

Father: Life, Light, and Nature.

Mother: Arcana, Knowledge, and Order.

Daughter: Death, Grave, Tempest, and Twilight.

Sister: Trickery, War, Blood, and Fate.

Brother: Forge, Peace, and City.

Each is referred to by their title; you would, for example, pray to the Father of Light, or the Daughter of the Tempest. While you could offer a generic prayer and ritual, you would get better results by being specific.

23 - The day of Rakhada’s Folly is remembered as the day when the great citadels fell from the sky, when airships dropped suddenly, when buildings of all kinds collapsed without warning. But all these events are due to a single, common cause: The unweaving of manasteel. The backbone of society, industry, and technology on Matea drained itself of magic, literally unravelling from any shape it had been forged into, ushering in a terrifying new dark age.

24 - Many of the great citadels had the misfortune of falling while over land, resulting in catastrophic injuries and damage. However, the city of Gunsul fell while over the deepest part of the oceans, and sunk to the bottom. People claim that due to this, the inhabitants survived, though altered, and the city became corrupted by the depths. Children are cautioned with tales of the Gunsul Deep Dwellers, who will come and kidnap them for their mischief.

25 - With magic weakened, the people of Matea sometimes turn to alternate sources for power. And while they are also subject to the fundamental rules of the universe, there are those that answer. The One Below is an entity that has been named by various cults as someone or something to serve in return for magical abilities. Many rumours exist about the true identity of The One Below, but none have proved factual to date.

26 - Counter to The One Below, there are also groups dedicated to The Watcher On High, another unidentifiable source of power. Whereas the cults of The One Below are recorded as committing crimes of varying magnitudes, those pledging to The Watcher On High appear at least to be involved with charitable endeavours and community involvement. While not officially sanctioned, many places will turn a blind eye to the actions of Watcher pledges.

27 - The Brightfields, analogous to the Feywild in other parts of the multiverse, is the domain of fanciful creatures of all shapes and sizes, including the Eladrin and Fairies (names pending). Ruling over the land, atop a golden throne of pure majesty is the Bright Lord, Colin McDaniel. Claiming to be from an unknown village known as “New York”, he has made a name with his experience as an “electrician” to introduce a number of ideas to the Brightfolk. But there is a downside…

28 - When night falls in the Brightfields, unpredictable and inconsistent though it be, the land and its inhabitants change, becoming dark reflections. This is The Nowhere Between. The Absent King awakens, and Colin becomes imprisoned, as per his (potentially unwise) pact. Travellers from Matea who find themselves Between at nightfall are also altered to suit the darkness. From palace to ruin, from garden to grave, from throne to cage, from light to dark. Such is The Nowhere Between.

29 - Though the Great Rift is long sealed, there still exists the vestiges of strength in the Northern Reaches, for those brave, reckless, or desperate enough to seek it. Ta’terra, the source of infernal energy, and the ancestral home of the Tieflings (name pending), is ruled by Maag, Mistress of Pain. Though her influence is waning, rumours persist of promises of riches beyond dreams for those who wish to bend a knee.

30 - Not all adventure promises reward, monetary or otherwise. Hard to find, and harder to leave, the Endless Asylum tempts you to stay within its labyrinthine halls, rooms containing the damaged and lost, taking more and more of you until you join them. Not a place to be taken lightly, or without thorough preparation, very few explorers have ever returned to tell of it, and none of them remotely whole of mind.

31 - While you can, of course, attempt to cast spells, construct sigils, or otherwise use magic in any fashion you desire, you run the risk of it failing. The weave of mana literally unraveling before your eyes, if one could visually distinguish it. Not so with a mana crystal. By crushing one in your hand during the casting, you unleash the dormant magic within to supplement and amplify your efforts. Be warned though, there is no way to ration the crystals’ power. It’s all or nothing.

[crystalelemental]

I remember reading about you saying something about the lack of IVs and EVs in Nexomon but now I can't find the post;;

Would you say it's a bad or a good thing?

That's correct! Nexomon does not have EVs or IVs or natures. Essentially, two of the same species of Nexomon at the same level have the same stats and access to the same moves. They are functionally identical. Whether that's good or bad depends on your stance on things. I'll go over it bit by bit under the cut:

In Pokemon, if you pick your Bulbasaur starter, you have to immediately contend with both a nature and the set IVs in each stat. Depending on what's rolled, your Bulbasaur may perform better or worse throughout the run. Those starting factors can have an impact on how it operates. Having this variance means no two playthroughs are exactly the same, because your stats are going to change how well certain options will work.

By contrast, if you pick Petril in Nexomon 1, it is the same every time. You know exactly what you picked, and every playthrough you use it, it will perform the same. There's no variance. This could be seen as kinda limiting to replayability, depending on your stance on its importance. It also means there's no reason not to just trade out something you have for a later catch at a higher level if it's the same species. Which can make it less about cherishing your specific monsters, in a way.

But on the other hand, depending on the Pokemon, variance is a huge problem. Bulbasaur can kinda get away with deciding between Adamant or Modest, you know what I mean? Hell, it can operate with Bold or Impish, or even Timid or Jolly. Flatlined stats worked in its favor. But something like Abra? Roll an Adamant and experience something that's just objectively worse for no reason. IVs are similar. Very little in the games really necessitates 31s in each stat, but rolling 0s? I had a Platinum run with a Piplup that had 0 in both offenses and speed. It was constantly outsped, and couldn't OHKO a Geodude two levels below it at the start of the game with Bubble.

While you never strictly need to concern yourself with the factors involved in Pokemon, I personally argue that most of them exist to be more of a burden than a boon, especially as new generations introduce more and more min-maxing of base stats. IVs only hinder when they roll too low. Natures effectively have four beneficial options, and at least eight that are devastating. Statistically, things are more likely to go badly for the player than positively.

I think there's something to be said for standardization. You don't even have to consider things beyond catching what you want to catch. It does mean that there's no way to power up weaker options that way...at least in the first game. Extinction has cores, which can be used to increase stats, and those are pretty flexible to use with whoever. They're percentage-based, so it's kind of a "rich get richer" situation like Z-moves were, but I didn't encounter much in Extinction that felt like...unusable, you know? That's a whole other post, but your moveset is just what you learn naturally, and as a result, type matchup is wildly more significant, and every tool operates well if you're using it where it can function. In comparison to Pokemon, where movepool bloat through TMs and egg moves have resulted in it being borderline impossible to work a type resistance in your favor.

Anyway, the short answer is I prefer it. It makes the game a lot more streamlined for me. But I'm also a lunatic who resets for Pokeon natures I want regardless of the game's difficulty.

[cutekittenlady]

Tumblr Plays Pokemon?

I have a sudden urge to play more pokemon.

Why?

Probably because I love pokemon. And also because I'm returning to some big time Faves. I'm rereading and rewatching One Piece, I've returned to writing a Voltron fanfic I started 3 years ago, and I am (once again) relistening to Discworld (I'm trying to pick something new up okay! But its hard, so very hard, to top Pratchett.)

With that in mind though I wanted to make this playthrough more interesting.

And so I want to try playing pokemon in a new way by exploiting Tumblrs polling system. Essentially I am going to leave it up to YOU to decide things like what starter I use and what pokemon I catch in each route/area. I'll do this by making a series of polls up to the point in which I have to fight a gym leader, rival battle, etc.

I'll have some control over this given I'll be making the poll, and obviously the results will rarely be unanimous given the nature of how the polls themselves function. After all there is a limit of 8 options per poll, so in later games when there are multiple pokemon available on each route, multiple polls may need to be created to narrow down a choice.

And this isn't including the fact that you all may vote for me to abstain from capturing any pokemon on a certain route until later. Some routes in some pokemon games, after all, can hide deceptively good pokemon that you can only obtain by returning there after obtaining an essential HM.

So thats it right? Tumblr gets to decide what pokemon I can catch and who will be on my team?

Oh but tumblr. Dear sweet Tumblr. My wonderful followers.

I want to make it more interesting than that.

You see the thing I looove about pokemon are the stories you can tell. All the different team compositions, all the little characters your pokemon can become as you play, and all the little ways you can make the game potentially more difficult, yet oh so very interesting at the same time.

With that in mind I propose a set of... RULES.

I can only catch a single pokemon from every route (otherwise the polling is just pointless)

I can only catch a single member of every evolutionary family (no armies of eeveelutions, Sorry gang, I like them but thats been done to death.) So no owning multiple members of the same evolutionary family.

I can only attempt to catch a pokemon ONCE and if I fail I can never catch a member of that species again. Fail to catch Pidgey on route 1? Well too bad, looks like I dont get Pidgey, Pidgeotto, or Pidgeot for the WHOLE GAME. (This is to make the catches more memorable/meaningful and consequential.)

I can only have a single pokemon from every type. This makes every team member essential and meaningful and consequential. No bulking myself up with a team of only psychic types.

The team can have no repeat natures. Our team needs varied personalities after all! Personalities that are too similar will clash and mess with team synergy!

If we have to have a dedicated team member for HMs, then they're going to be a full member of the team and count towards the typing AND nature rules. No mules or slaves on this team. If we have a Bibarel for the HMs then they're GONNA be a member of the team.

All these rules are rather restrictive, BUT they will make the polls you guys vote in more consequential!

Do you vote to skip a route to try and get a better pokemon later? Do you vote for a weaker earlier route pokemon for early type advantage while passing up on bigger powerhouses down the line? Do you sacrifice having dedicated type coverage in favor of having a reliable HM user to access more areas, items, tms, etc? Do you vote for a pokemon with a lower easily achievable catch rate, or risk your vote on a higher stronger catch?

Do you vote for the popular pokemon you know everyone will vote for? Orrr do you decide to make the voting, and subsequent results, more interesting by voting for an underdog?

I'm certainly interested in finding out.

But before that, a decision needs to be made.

((I still have an active save for ScarVio and I'm still iffy on how to adjust certain rules for its open world setting which is also why I'm leaving SwSh out for now. If this turns out successful, we could maybe hash out how to apply the ruleset to those games down the line but for now I'm just putting in the limitations for my own convenience XD))