#(i.e. the sort of thing that's fun to do for fun but should never be put in production code)

[sufficientlylargen]

#Excel is actually a decent editor for writing Java#it makes it very difficult to make some of the most common Java mistakes#like writing code in Java

"Lol"

"Lmao" even.

Is this an "I have written too much Java" emotion or an "I refuse to touch Java" emotion?

I am, perhaps, overstating my aversion to the language - I don't really hate Java, I just don't find it terribly fun to work in (although it's been years since the last time I had to, so maybe IDE advances have made it more palatable now). I've worked on some Java projects that were quite well put together, but I've also seen my share of code with types like ProducerFactory<FactoryProducer, IGatewayFactoryFactory>.

In general if speed is not an essential part of a project I prefer to write in Python for its terseness and extremely effective syntactic sugar (context managers, generators, etc.), and if speed IS essential then various C variants, Rust, or even Go will almost certainly outperform Java. So it's not entirely clear to me why Java is still used outside of legacy code.

[yeonban]

Honestly tragic that Light went down the path he did in the 2nd half bc in the beginning Tobias would've really liked him. He wholeheartedly agrees that the only way to bring REAL "justice" is by making sure the perpetrator will never be able to do evil again, which will never be achievable through lawful means like incarceration (especially in cases where they're connected to a bigshot who can bail them out) so the only way to truly get rid of evil is, like Light figured, through kiIIing them all

[krysmcscience]

It’s finally done, guys – five whole pages of Narilamb AU comic AND MORE be upon you! (If you have trouble reading any of the text, view the full-size! These pages are huge!)

Yeesh, this took forever. <:)

There’s probably a ton of inconsistencies and anatomy/perspective wonkeries, but this was mostly just comic practice, so Oh Hekkin Well, Lol <:D

(Yes, I am aware the Gateway’s door isn’t present in the Afterlife, and the actual way in is just a pentagram portal. Yes, I put the door in there anyway because Artistic License, i.e. it felt more impactful for there to be a prison door of sorts to walk through to freedom, rather than just a bland boring portal on the ground. 😠)

anyway, i hate backgrounds so much lmao

Alternate ending and a buttload of bonus art under the cut, followed by goofy AU rambles and headcanon stuff:

I’m calling it the Revival AU. It’s not all that creative a title, and someone else has probably used it already, but I am too lazy to really care, LOL

Alternate ending page, which you will Definitely need to view the full-size for, Whoopsie Daisy:

The alternate ending was actually the first ending I finished things off with, because I had a brief badbrain moment where I forgot the emotional beat I initially wanted the comic to end on, and I tend to write comedy, anyway. I later remembered and drew out the proper ending, but I preserved and finished this one, too, because it still makes me giggle.

They had to go back for the followers off-screen in the AU’s real ending. And by ‘they’ I mean just the Lamb, because they weren’t about to ask three newly freed cats to go back into what used to be their prison. The Lamb DID spend some time watching Narinder and the bois enjoying the outdoors first, though:

In other news, here’s the Lamb and me making fun of my anatomy-drawing ‘skills’:

Meanwhile, if you’re wondering why the Lamb is just a-okay with how things went down vis a vis Their Murder, this bonus comic should answer at least some of your questions:

Ah, yes, also this is how they get engaged outside of the alternate ending. Forgot to mention that bit. XD (I already refuse to believe that Narinder is capable of flirting normally, so why would his initial marriage proposal be any better???)

Oh, and before any of them get a chance to actually head back to the cult grounds, there is one potential problem:

And by ‘problem’ I mean something Narinder intends to ignore for At Minimum a thousand years. Cuz he’s a petty bitch like that. :D

what do you mean i drew the lamb too tall compared to the background? clearly they’re standing on top of baal and aym lmao, why else would you think those two aren’t in this one??? (aym and baal got way too excited about finally being outside, you see, and their silly modes are nothing to sneeze at)

And, speaking of heading back to the cult grounds, I’m sure y’all would love to know how the Lamb’s followers felt about the brand new change in management:

It all went better than expected. <:D Tiny ramble now, feel free to skip down to the next comic.

Before you ask, no, the Lamb does not have any actual powers anymore, other than the immortality Narinder definitely grants them. The Red Crown just thinks it’s funny to suggest otherwise, and Narinder does nothing to discourage this. Also, the Lamb and Narinder aren’t actually married here yet, but, uh. Pretty safe to say that particular ritual directly follows the events of this comic. XD

Given how quickly he mellows out in canon, Narinder probably chills out a lot in this AU once he’s in charge of the cult, too, if only because 1.) He’s finally free, and 2.) He’s equally smitten with and distracted by the Lamb. He’s definitely in charge at least 95% of the time, though, because the Lamb never actually wanted to be a cult leader and, now that their time as a vessel is done, they just want to be a normal(ish) sheep who’s wholly devoted to their hot new divine husband.

Some followers do still have some valid concerns about these two being together, though, which I’m sure at least a few of you might share…

Unfortunately for any such concerns, the Lamb is a bonafide masochist in this AU. :D

They’re also 100% a sub, obviously

Anyone at all: Your relationship is problematic and potentially toxic

The Lamb: fuck yeah it is, it’s so hot~ OuO

Here’s just the last panel, made transparent for whatever nefarious purposes y’all might have for it:

Additional exchange Narinder and the Lamb have at some point, probably after the Lamb does a fatal whoopsie while out on a mission trip or in response to things getting a little too sadistic in the bedroom, ahaha:

Look, there is a very important distinction between life and death, and if you don’t understand that, then you’re probably not worthy of being the God of Death, anyway. (At least, according to Narinder, and ONLY Narinder.)

Last but not least, have these shittens:

~Such creative naming conventions I have utilized, lololol~ :D Anyway, there's a few deets on them in the rambles down below.

The rest is all ramble, so before I get to that, I’ll just say – likes and especially reblogs are very much appreciated!!! :D If you happen to really really REALLY like my stuff, meanwhile, I do have a link in my bio to my ko-fi page, where I’m accepting commissions and donations if you’re especially generous… ÓuÒ

Now, BE FREE IF YOU AIN’T DOWN FOR READING MY GOOFY RAMBLES

First ramble is re: Baal’s question of ‘Did it really work?’, since I didn’t feel like expanding on it in the comic proper, and it’s arguably pretty vague? He doesn’t ask because he doubts Narinder or his capabilities, exactly, but because neither Baal nor Aym have ever actually seen their god at full power before (he’s still technically not at full power here, either). It’s not expressly stated how soon the brothers were brought to Narinder after his imprisonment, but whether it was early on or after a length of time for Shamura to (somewhat) recover from his attack, he must have already been weakened, since I have no doubts that there was a huge battle that accompanied the Bishops working together to trap him. So, between that fight with all four of his siblings, sharing his power with a variety of vessels over time, and being chained immobile for a thousand years, he must have been severely weakened by the time he lent the Red Crown out to the Lamb, which would have only weakened him further.

I like to think this is how the Lamb is able to defeat him if they refuse to be sacrificed, despite how it took all four Bishops working together to subdue and chain Narinder in the first place.

All that aside, the three cats have been trapped in the Afterlife for so long that Baal also wanted verbal reassurance that they are all, indeed, actually able to leave it now – something that I headcanon isn’t possible without a significant amount of power (i.e. the Red Crown’s cooperation with its bearer/vessel).

(On a semi-related note, I don’t headcanon Aym and Baal as twins. I like sweetheart big bro Baal and snarky little goth bro Aym too much to have them be that close in age.)

Ah, teeny thing: If you noticed I switched up the art style for Narinder on the second page, that was intentional. It's sort of a visual indicator that there has been a Big Change for him - that being, how much power he has after sacrificing the Lamb. As for why I changed up his arms in the grass rollin' pic, I don't really subscribe to the notion that his arms are spooky bones because they're horrifically injured (beyond chain-chafing scars, that is), but rather just because he's the Bishop of Death, so he can change how normal-to-spooky they look at will. At some point I might doodle out how I imagine his appearance to range between least to most eldritch... 🤔

Next ramble, regarding Narinder’s feelings towards the Lamb...he was initially too focused on being freed from his imprisonment to form any real attachment to them. They were a tool for his use, first and foremost, but he did notice their intense devotion towards him. It was impossible not to notice, because the Lamb was always very happy to see him, even if it was because they died during a crusade (yet again). He wasn’t originally planning to revive them once he was freed, either, because he saw no real point to it – after all, they were already dead when they first met him, just as any other mortal would be when meeting him in the Afterlife, so death has very little real consequence in his eyes. But, once the chains were off, and it really sank in that he stood to lose the most devoted follower he’s ever had, he decided…why put their soul to rest for good or leave them stuck in the Afterlife when he could just as easily revive them again? And why not reward them for their hard work, anyway? Not only would it cost him nothing by comparison, but the future devotion that could come of it would surely make up for his (bare minimum) effort in reviving them.

He wasn’t expecting to get a full dose of that devotion and a smiling face so soon after killing them, though~ :3c (because the Lamb is a bonafide freak, and not-so-secretly into the fucked up power dynamics going on here, lol)

I should mention here that I am firmly of the belief that any non-god/vessel who crosses through the Gateway and into the Afterlife just straight up dies. So, Aym and Baal? Also straight up dead, from the second Shamura brought them through. Their souls were just never put to rest so that Narinder could have some company – if only according to Shamura. Narinder kept the two around mostly out of bewilderment, because honestly, who are these kittens, and what is Shamura’s game here, anyway??? They never even explained anything, they just tossed these kittens into the Afterlife and LEFT!!! At any rate, Aym and Baal being dead is how I explain why their souls apparently become lost in the void if they’re killed, along with the added complications required to revive the two because of it.

So, with those deets in mind, and given a bit of time, if Narinder hadn’t chosen to revive the Lamb, and also hadn’t chosen to put their soul to rest, they still would have woken up at some point, despite being as straight up dead as Aym and Baal. Who, don’t worry, were also properly revived while Narinder was waiting for the Lamb to wake up. Because I am also firmly of the belief that, first, the dead cannot leave the Afterlife without the use of a ritual/relic (and can't stay in the living world for long regardless), and second, dead followers’ devotion isn’t anywhere near as potent as that of the living, given how much more the living stand to lose.

Final ramble, regarding the Lamb’s feelings towards Narinder, and why they’re so devoted to him…

Well, you don’t spend most of your life on the run with your steadily-dwindling herd, trying to evade the ongoing genocide of your species, without becoming a little fucked up in the head. Maybe a lot fucked up in the head. Life is suffering, so might as well have fun with it, right? Maybe start finding death and pain to be kind of hilarious, even a little bit hot, once everyone you know and love is dead and gone, leaving you all alone? And maybe after that, there’s something comforting in how, despite the cold, cruel uncertainties of life, at least you can always count on the inevitability of death, patiently waiting for you until your very last breath? Who knows. Either way, as soon as the Lamb was killed, and they learned that the literal God of Death was offering them a second chance at life and vengeance via effective immortality, they were 100% ride-or-die-devoted all at once. Turns out death is kinder than life – go figure. (Of course, it helps that Narinder is 100% their type.)

They weren’t put off by Narinder’s thinly-veiled sadism or manipulations, either – they’re not too different in those regards, albeit opting for vastly different methods. It’s a very ‘two sides of the same coin’ sort of deal. In order to stay alive once they were made the last of their kind, the Lamb had no qualms with using others to their advantage, and that did not change once they were revived and expected to run a cult. They didn’t care for the position of authority, though – being a sheep and all, they’re much more of a follower than a leader, and thus greatly appreciated Narinder’s need for control. With how they had to keep on their toes for so long, the Lamb was also pretty good at reading people by the time they died, so they could recognize that a lot of Narinder’s posturing was just that – posturing. Dude’s 95% bluster and only 5% bite. He could obviously be vicious when he wanted or needed to (the Bishops' injuries were clear proof of that), but underneath his outer layer of cruelty was a generous layer of tsundere, and underneath all THAT was a soft squishy middle sibling velcro cat in desperate need of attention and affection.

(Which, for the record, he Did Not feel comfortable getting from Aym and Baal – Narinder still has no idea why the fuck Shamura sent them to him, beyond acting as keepers at best or trying to sabotage his attempts to escape at worst. Which, he thought HE sabotaged in turn, by guiding the kittens into being his devoted disciples instead. He thought he was very clever for it. ‘I outsmarted Shamura!’ he thought, despite that there was never anything there to outsmart. ‘What do you mean, Shamura sent your kittens to me for company?’ he demands of Forneus later. It may or may not lead him to pull Shamura out of Purgatory just so he can shake them and scream about how they should have Fucking Explained that!!!)

But, getting back on track as to why the Lamb was so willing to be sacrificed, I cannot stress this enough – if you pay even a minimal amount of attention to what he’s saying, Narinder is REALLY NOT SUBTLE about his intentions. ‘Death is of little consequence.’ ‘Followers are for you to use to your advantage.’ ‘Sacrifice a follower to absorb more power.’ So, yeah, the Lamb knew exactly what would be expected of them once the other Bishops were dead. They knew Narinder would expect them to die for him one last time. But, after all, death is of little consequence (not to mention hot), so when the time came, they wanted to see him freed, even if it meant oblivion for them in the end.

He’d given them a second life, and the ability to avenge their kin, and they felt indebted to him for that – so, while they were still pretty glum about the possibility that they might not get to see him free of his chains, nothing beyond their devotion and debt to him mattered. They never wanted all the drama and expectations that came with the Red Crown’s power, anyway, so, better for Narinder to have it back so that he could deal with it. What he did with the Lamb afterward would be up to him, and seeing as he was their god, they’d accept his decision gladly.

Were they in love with him by that point? Oh, obsessively so, but only in the devotional sense – romance was nowhere on their mind nor radar. That is, until he unexpectedly revived them again, told them he still needed them, and then offered down his hand to help them up.

The Lamb fell HARD for him in that moment. :3c

And now, a tiny shitten ramble. Lu and Li are twins, because sheep tend to have those a lot, and are conceived not long after the Lamb and Narinder’s marriage ceremony. Lu is the minutes older one, but Li is much more mature. I have put no further thought into these two, other than that they are utter menaces, birthed by the Lamb, cling hard to both their parents but especially Narinder (who spoils them rotten), and they are both genderfluid, using whichever pronouns/names they feel like at any given time. They are also both intersex, same as the Lamb, who was initially infertile up until Something Something Vague Magic, which I have also put no further thought into ¯\_(シ)_/¯

oh, and before anyone tries to suggest i headcanon this AU’s lamb as trending more female due to them giving birth or whatever, no, no, a thousand times no, they might have a vag, but they've also got a dick, and even if it's not as big as they'd like, they still know how to use it

Finally, the very tentative name for the Lamb in this AU is Yazdi, which is really just another name for the Baluchi breed of sheep XD (Not that the Lamb is this specific breed, I just didn’t like any of the other sheep-related names I found, ahaha...)

THAT’S ALL FOR NOW (collapses into an exhausted pile of goopy limbs)

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

Sorry: I thought of another Makima comment/question. But before I bring that up, I am very excited to see that you are writing something for JJK!!!! I know it's going to be so perfect and give me all the feels!!!

Okay so I read your response to my question, (I'm the one who asked about character study), and I just wanted your thoughts/opinions on the jealously issue that arises with Himeno. I know you mentioned Makima being jealous of Himeno's relationship with reader, and I want to know how much of that you think is nature or nurture. It's obvious she is possessive of reader due to her nature as the Control Devil, but do you think that is equally due to nurture? i.e. what she has learned from movies or from other humans' interactions with their significant others? I love the moment when she catches Himeno with her arms around reader's shoulders. I cannot imagine the range of intense emotions and inner turmoil she felt seeing that!!! And do you think that was a recurring feeling she experienced when someone got a little too close to her beloved? I feel that is a trait that will carry on to Nayuta and all other reincarnations (as possessiveness does in the Canon!)

Thank you so much for your time once again!

Hi again, I love talking about character studies and motivations so keep 'em coming if you ever have another question \^o^/

(As for that JJK fic... it is certainly going to be a grand ride and it is going to be a bit of stray from what I typically write. I'm having fun working on the draft, it's going to come with a surprise I hope people appreciate when it's finally up and posted!)

I think that as far as Makima's jealousy though, it's a mixture of both. It's in her nature to be possessive as one who is the physical embodiment of the fear of being controlled but I attribute her behavior to nurture as well. If you're someone who has been deprived of affection your whole life, you're bound to be possessive of whatever affection you receive. That's essentially how Makima's jealousy works as far as my fics goes.

When she has a shift in how she views the reader and their relationship changes, that affection is something she prefers to have to herself. But Makima is someone very patient and we see in the canon, she has no problem playing the long game to get what she wants. She won't lash out out of her emotions even if she wants to. So during the moment where she saw the extent of the reader's friendship with Himeno, there were quite a bit of ideas she had concerning Himeno and making her disappear entirely.

But at that point in time, Makima views the reader a beacon of light for the sort of relationship she can hope to have with someone one day. The reader has, at this point, never succumbed to Makima's abilities. The reader has recognized Makima's loneliness and reached out to comfort her even though at that point, the reader's opinion of Makima was quite low. Add to the fact that Makima and Reader's relationship has improved exponentially by that point, it's something she doesn't want anyone impeding on. Not even someone who was there first as "your friend".

And yet, Makima doesn't lash out despite how much she would like to. Because the key thing Makima has always desired is being able to have a relationship with someone built on equity rather than fear and control. She doesn't want to mess that up having a jealous fit. She is afraid of losing that affection she receives from the reader, but she is more afraid of there being a day the reader succumbs to the influence of Makima's powers.

So she relies on intimidation in the moment Himeno encroaches on someone Makima claims as her own. And when she feels that is failing, she decides to rely on good old-fashioned communication when the reader prompts her to be honest as to why she is upset during their date.

But when their relationship is solidified as a couple, I see Makima making it more apparent when she is feeling jealous or needy. Lovers should be honest with one another, after all. Especially after she reveals her true identity and it didn't scare the reader off. They have their contract, marriage in Makima's eyes. It's the ultimate insurance of their relationship. So it does increase a bit from then on.

Kishibe encroaching on their peaceful life.

The reader's death at the hand of the Rat Devil, destroying precious life Makima held so dearly to her heart. It's an unforgivable crime to take that away from her.

I feel that jealousy would even extend to your family as well. Your family is her family now, something she's always desired. A family that she didn't need to make her own through force. So I feel if the reader has any siblings or close family childhood friends, Makima would feel some type of way about it.

It never makes it into the final draft, but there was a small joke in my outline about how Makima would view the reader making a contract with another devil as cheating. It was something I was only planning on being some sort of gag, but I don't think it would be too far from the truth. Makima would prefer to be the only devil the reader ever has a contract with.

And when it comes to her future incarnations, they definitely have varying degrees of possessiveness regardless of the quality of their lives. Nayuta doesn't showcase it during the sequel mostly due to the fact that for an indiscernible amount of time, it's only ever been just her and the reincarnated reader. So I imagine that when the two of them begin interacting with other people on the regular from schoolmates to even Power, it begins to come out more.

But Himeno, fun as she is, is strict about that. So Nayuta isn't allowed to let those feelings run rampant no matter how much she would like to.

[kiefbowl]

so as you may know GRRM had a little bit of influence on the game Elden Ring and I specifically remember someone pointing out that he had to be the one to introduce the "unreliable narrator" element to the game's story/trickles of lore and that stuck with me a lot it's not something I explicitly realized myself until it was pointed out...george is all about that stuff like something he does really well and not to boomerpost but I think...like.......modern readers(?) have a problem that they have to take everything really really literally and that's why there's "problematic media" discourse

yeah, he did contribute to Elden Ring. My BF played it twice through and is now playing the DLC, and he's also reading AGOT for the first time, and he points out stuff he reads in the books that he says is "very Elden Ring" i.e. obviously GRRM's influence in the game :) it's cute.

Yes, GRRM's whole ASOIAF series is written 100% with unreliable narrators, bc it is constantly switching from different limited third-person perspectives. GRRM also uses, rarely, an omniscient narrator, for lines that are actually meant to be factual. He uses this with great success, imo (as a fan lol). A good AGOT example is ending a Daenerys' chapter where she learns she's pregnant with "It was her fourteenth nameday" which reminds the reader of Daenerys' reality (as oppose to her perceptions) and retroactively recolors the chapter. Or at least it should.

Not to boomerpost with you, I am truly not sure what is going on with many, many, many people engaging with HOTD online. It seems absolutely detached from reality at times. It's a bizarre way to engage with a tv show, it's a bizarre way to engage with Fire & Blood, it's a bizarre way to engage with GRRM's themes and writing. I truly have seen nothing like it, and I've seen a lot of bad hot takes in my time about all sorts of books and movies and tv shows. I don't know why these people don't just stop watching it! Maybe it's a generational thing? I'm just not sure. It seems like people are actually rooting for a side...in a fantasy fictional political drama that is already pre-written. And then they get mad when anything happens that is nuanced or even wrong doing...it's like they want the show to be conflictless. They want the conflict to be the war only, and they don't want characters to have interpersonal conflict. When the only way to adapt a history book is to ground it, and invent the interpersonal drama. I just do not know what people expected, and I never knew so many people loved Fire & Blood bc I thought it was kinda...whatever. It was fine. These are my favorite books, I don't think I've reread anything more times, and I still am happy to say Fire & Blood is just kinda fun, it's a bit silly and interesting. It's like a lore dump. So they could have done almost anything with the tv show, and I'd probably been like "sure, why not," but I find the tv show good and makes several good creative choices based on the unreliable text narration (and also some dumb ones, which like I've said in a previous post, is a grand tradition for tv shows so it's fine lol).

It's also not done, I have never seen a fanbase so eager to have a tv show be just a climax at every moment, and very impatient at scenes that are clearly setting up stuff for later. Weird ass people are watching and hating this show man, idk.

[teecupangel]

Just binge watched Lucifer on Netflix and now I present to you:

Desmond Miles survives 2012 (Desmond Miles Lives truthers, where ya at?), gets the hell outta dodge from the temple with new POE powers, and gets hired to work at Lux in LA. Meets his new boss and both of them are like, "!"

Lucifer instantly knows this boy is hella special because, damn does his soul reek of Isu Bullfuckery. (Headcanoned God and his Angels are sort of a rival interdimensional species to Isu, and God is the one who supposedly gave humans free will... idk I never paid attention to bible study anyway.)

Does the whole, "what do you desire?" schtick and Desmond, due to POE powers and Isu Bullshittery, wonders 'why the fuck is actual Satan here in LA?'

I imagine a platonic bromance relationship between these two. Y'know? 'Cause on the one hand we have the Reluctant Ruler of Hell and on the other hand the Reluctant Savior/Sacrificial Lamb of Humankind.

Lucifer could offer safety and protection from whoever Desmond is hiding from, while Des can be his bartender/bouncer/very much-needed BFF. And come on, I betcha good ole Lucy boy (and Maze) would absolutely enjoy dragging a couple a lot of Abstergo people Vidic down to Hell for multiple crimes against humanity(i.e. kidnapping and unethical human experimentation which results in mental instability.)

I’m all in for this idea. Desmond and Lucifer being bash brothers, yes please. Just imagine the chaos these two would get to because they're both morally dubious? XD

Also, just imagine how much faster Chloe would be finishing her cases with Desmond’s Eagle Vision? She would have two cheat codes with her this time.

Anyway, I’m going to focus on how we can integrate Lucifer into AC more in this one.

Before anything, just a sorta fun trivia: Lucifer has a little cameo in Crisis on Infinite Earths and he talks to John Constantine, implying they have some sort of history together. John Constantine is played by Matt Ryan who voiced and mocap’ed Edward Kenway XD

We will be keeping this contained to Lucifer though but you can totally add a John Constantine cameo and set it during the time Desmond is working in Lux (and you can totally add Desmond feeling some sort of longing and sorrow because John Constantine sounds and looks familiar to his Bleed of Haytham Kenway)

Alright, with that little trivia out of my system, let’s talk about how we can push Lucifer into AC canon.

(You might not have paid attention to bible study but my religion teacher was so boring he had to implement a rule that there should be no other notebook/books related to other subjects on our table during class because we kept doing other subjects when he’s lecturing us soooooo I was bored enough to read the bible he made us bring every class. I'm sure he'll be proud I'm using what I learned in his class for fic related things XD)

Let’s talk about God in Lucifer’s show. He’s obviously based on the Judeo-Christian God. Now, we have no confirmation if that said God does exist as an Isu in Assassin’s Creed BUT we do have a leeway we can use to make it easier to integrate the characters from Lucifer into Assassin’s Creed.

The Templar Order uses the phrase “May the Father of Understanding guide you”. Now, this is based on the Isu triad that pops up a bit.

The one we’re more familiar with is the Capitoline Triad where Tinia is known as the “Father of Understanding”.

However, there is an earlier iteration of this triad.

The Isus who created humans.

And the one to hold the title of ‘Father of Understanding’ during that time is Yaldabaoth.

From Wikipedia

Gnosticism presents a distinction between the highest, unknowable God, and the Demiurge, "creator" of the material universe.

Gnostic Christians considered the Hebrew God of the Old Testament as the evil, false god and creator of the material universe, and the Unknown God of the Gospel, the father of Jesus Christ and creator of the spiritual world, as the true, good God.

If we use the statements above and the fact that Yaldabaoth is considered one of the creators of mankind, we can set up God as another Isu scientist who had an alternate idea of a workforce but his idea was pushed aside and Yaldabaoth’s project with the other two Isu scientists moved forward.

God, in anger, created his ‘children’ together with the Goddess. And, to complete the triad, we’ll add Lilith as an Isu as well instead of Adam’s first wife. The three of them (although Lilith has a more advisory role to this entire thing and is actually working on her own workforce idea) created the ‘Angels’, trying to one-up all the data they could get from Yaldabaoth’s project to make them better than humans.

They are. Unfortunately, that meant they were also… shall we say… ‘freer’ than humans as well. God knew that the Isus would see them as defective and, not only that, many would find what they have done as some form of betrayal and being stripped of their rank and status would be the lightest sentence the Isu would give them. So God and Goddess kept the Angels a secret, and passed them off as human slaves while Lilith went her merry way and continued to work on her personal workforce.

And now we come to the whole ‘gave mankind freewill’.

So many like to point at Lucifer as being the serpent that gave Eve the forbidden fruit. Let’s use it. Lucifer, being one of God’s first children, takes an Apple of Eden and presented it to Eve who used it to start the Human-Isu war. Lucifer takes up arms to join the humans.

Things get super messy when they find out about the impending Solar Flare and God and Goddess decided to add their consciousness to a device called ‘Heaven’. (In this setup, Goddess!Charlotte would be like a more ‘questionable’ setup of an Isu consciousness overwriting a human’s consciousness). Their children (who did have the kind of body that would survive a solar flare and were more or less immortal) were tasked with guarding ‘Heaven’.

Except Lucifer who, as punishment for starting the whole Human-Isu war, was tasked to guard a device called ‘Hell’. He guarded it together with Lilith’s ‘children’, the demons.

What these two devices do will be a mystery but they are connected to the Gray in some way and to the Calculations. Perhaps it’s even the actual database of all the Calculations and, by that very definition, it housed all the knowledge, memories and emotions of every living thing in the world.

What defines them as a person.

What defines their soul.

And, from there, we can just integrate all Celestial things in the show as this entirely more advanced workforce’s ‘code words’. (And the devices are connected and that’s why God could boot the Goddess into hell)

By the time 2013 rolls around, Lucifer already owned Lux for a few years now and Desmond applies as a bartender as he’s had enough of all these Assassin-Templar BS to last him a lifetime. He saved the world, this is his damn retirement plan.

Lucifer sees him and goes ‘how interesting, an actual human-POE hybrid.’ while Desmond sees him and goes ‘why does he feel… familiar?’ because his Isu genes and POE-hybridness is giving him signals that Lucifer is definitely not human BUT he ain’t an Isu too.

He’s… Isu-adjacent.

Like Maze.

So Desmond continues to work there and Lucifer finds the perfect time to do the whole “what do you desire?” and Desmond’s POE-hybridness just kicked in.

We’ll make it in this fic that all the Apples are connected to one another and they have a ‘shared memory space’ so Desmond ‘remembers’ that this is the smug bastard who gave the Apple to Eve.

And, because of his limited knowledge of religion, he goes “Why the fuck is actual Satan here in LA?!”

(side note: some count Satan and Lucifer as two different beings but, in this case, we’ll just make Satan another name for Lucifer)

So now they both showed their hands. Lucifer just blatantly showed he wasn’t human and Desmond just showed he has Isu-related knowledge.

Cue an entire night of trying to get drunk while talking about what the fuck happened to them (with special mention to their daddy issues and the whole reluctant ruler of hell and the ‘more-or-less pushed into it’ savior/sacrifice)

At the end of their heart-to-heart, Desmond becomes Lucifer’s main confidant and slowly becomes his BFF. Lucifer uses his mojos to keep Desmond hidden from both Assassins and Templars.

Also… it’s not just Abstergo’s that in his shitlist. William Miles is there as well, that’s for damn sure.

Another subplot we can add is that Lucifer ‘asking’ Chloe to look into Abstergo just so he can, you know… ask them… what they desire?

Other unorganized notes:

What do we do with Juno? I set it to 2013 so Desmond dealt with Juno before peacing out to be a random bartender. Hey, if Ubisoft can do it in the comics, we can take out Juno with one paragraph… maybe even one sentence.

Desmond could see through Maze’s shapeshifting. Whenever he uses Eagle Vision, he sees Maze’s true form.

Actually, Desmond’s Eagle Vision has been powered up by his POE-hybridness that he sees EVERYONE’s true form. His only description of Lucifer’s form? “Bright as fuck.” (this also means Desmond knows Michael by 'sight')

Also, Amenadiel? He looovvveess Desmond’s Shirley Templars.

Lucifer’s deals? He has a connection to Hell and, because of that connection, he’s connected to the Calculations as well. In this case, any deal he makes impacts the Calculations slightly so the person making the deal would get what they want.

Also, this:

[hearthouses]

hello!! happy wincest wednesday! I'm not great at coming up with questions but-- are there any aspects of wincest or any tropes or angles you've been thinking about recently that are making you go particularly nuts???

This is a good and fun question!

So... I'm kind of an intense nerd who has people pleasing syndrome as well as fun traits like issues with choice paralysis, so picking one of my many many many ideas is very difficult, so in order to keep track of things I am interested for me, I have a document that is called "iddy ideas" which are essentially concepts that speak directly to my id. I'm gonna use the headers as way to answer this because otherwise I will forget something and it'll bug me, so things that live in my psyche re: Winchesters are:

→ DEAN & GENDER: I have a few asks in drafts that need answering about this topic, so I will keep this sort of brief—I am really into how Dean and his relationship to gender, and how the roles he plays in life force him into one box or another. I tend to headcanon him on the nonbinary/genderfluid spectrum, even if he’d never personally identify as either. I love exploring how he often uses toxic masculinity as a shield and how he uses it to cover up the more vulnerable aspects of his desires and identity. As for the Sam/Dean angle, I really love Sam figuring it out and using lingerie kink and feminization kink as a way for Dean to explore in a way that doesn’t completely freak him out. There’s a long fic in my head that I’ve been too nervous to write about this.

→ OMEGAVERSE & PREGNANCY: I have come up with so many ways to get Dean pregnant because I think about this topic so often. I won’t bore you with the list. I am unfortunately a sucker for pregnancy and kid fics as a trope. I don’t often read them because I prefer realism in the sense that the kid has to feel like an actual kid to me and not a symbol of happiness and completeness. For Sam/Dean, I enjoy the fucked up aspects of having a kid with your brother and how they would be so into that because it’s combining themselves into another living being, that they made together, ultimate symbol of their intense incestuous love. I also think Dean very much wants kids, but didn’t think he could have them with Sam, while I think Sam would really only want to have kids with Dean. I have many AUs where it is also the worst possible time for this to happen because I live for the melodrama. I also like post-pregnancy and seeing the kids grow up to be fucked up in their own special and unique ways.

→ DOMESTICITY & DISABILITY: I am simple and sometimes I want to force Sam and Dean to retire and live in a little cabin or cottage in the woods somewhere so they can grow old. Often, I think for the only way that makes sense for them to do so is if one or both were physically incapable of hunting anymore. I love them being forced to slow down and take care of one another. Given their lives, permenent injury is pretty likely and I love exploring the ways in which they'd have to grow and adjust to their new realities. Also, I kind of just want certain ideas presented in canon explored? Like Sam's issues with his sense of reality and hallucinations, or both of them having chronic pain. Plus, there should be more finale AUs where Dean lives, but he has mobility issues now.

→ WINCHESTERS & RAPE RECOVERY: Both Sam and Dean are rape survivors who repeatedly are sexually assaulted throughout the narrative, but they both react so differently to similar traumas and I would like to have this explored since the show wouldn't. Hell trauma also goes under this umbrella. I am fascinated by the ways in which Sam and Dean are mirrors and foils, and would like to explore the interiority of that. I’m also very into concepts and ideas that explore how their respective trauma informs some of their kinks i.e. I think post-s7 Sam especially wants more pain kink and D/s where he submits to get out of his own head and Dean struggling with the dom role due to his trauma from hell where he was put into the position of torturer and rapist, and them having to figure out to make that work without sending Dean into a tailspin.

→ CONSENT ISSUES: I love fuck or die, sex pollen, curses, and all related tropes. I also like "dark" versions of Sam or Dean (Demon!Dean, Soulless!Sam, Shapeshifters, Leviathans, etc.) menacing and putting the other in situations. I will never tire of this.

→ BOY KING SAM & MAGIC: Sam should be able to always have his powers as a treat. He should be able to be a little evil as a treat. Sam should get to go full on witchy as a treat. I love the demon blood arc, I love psychic wonder Sam, I love Sam who puts hex bags in witches mouthes and tells them he learned from the best. I am from the ancient times and watched the season three finale live, so my formative years were shaped by so many Sam becomes The Boy King and rescues Dean from hell fix it fics and AUs, and so it's always a favorite. I am currently writing one that is very slow going, but as a general vibe check I am calling it Sam's Moving Castle and "suiteverse but nice".

→ WEREWOLVES & MONSTER WINCHESTERS: I love werewolves and I want Sam and Dean to be werewolves and be a pack of two. But I'm not picky and would like them to be any sort of monster. I think the show was too scared of upsetting the status quo and permanently transforming them into monsters, which is a shame, but now it is now my hyperfixation when it comes to fic for them.

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 1 – STONY FAVORITES

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Annie D (scaramouche)

Annie D is a fandom treasure, honestly. Not only is their writing style amazing, but the stories they come up with make me want to just roll around in their brain and soak up the creativity. In a completely chill way, of course.

Here's some of their work that I think you should check out:

The Love Spell

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 16,054 Tags: Getting Together, Light-Hearted, Humor

Summary: Tony wakes up in love with Steve. This is an alarming turn of events, because he wasn’t in love with Steve when he fell asleep the night before. That said, it’s sort of nice? To be in love? He’s enjoying it, anyway.

Reasons why I love it: Tony just tears at my heart-strings in this one. Not because the fic is especially angsty or sad, but because he's so goddamn relatable. I love the way Steve is portrayed in this too, how supportive and caring he is. This fic encompasses a lot of the reasons why I love Stony so much. Definitely give this one a read!

Not a Breakup

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 33,531 Tags: Friends With Benefits, Feelings Realization, Miscommunication

Summary: Tony knew it was a bad idea to start sleeping with Steve. It could mess up team dynamics, make things even more awkward between them in the future, or just plain get in the way of their trying to save the world. Tony foresaw all of the above but not the advent of feelings, and at the most inopportune moment.

Reasons why I love it: I really, really love how Annie D manages to make the smut in this incredibly hot, hilarious and sweet, all at the same time. Sleep-deprived Tony is so much fun, and his exhaustion being the catalyst for this whole thing with Steve? Love it. Miscommunication is one of my favorite tropes, and the way it's done in this fic feels very natural. All in all an amazing fic that you don't want to miss!

A Late-Night Snack, and Other Good Ideas

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 12,117 Tags: A/B/O, Heat Cycles, Alpha Steve / Omega Tony

Summary: Steve's heightened senses means that he always knows when Tony's in heat. One night, he finally does something about it.

Reasons why I love it: Their banter in this is just fucking amazing. And I could cut the sexual tension with a knife, which makes it all the more satisfying when it finally implodes. Plus, I'm always a fan of Steve Rogers Is Not A Virgin, so yeah, this ticks a lot of boxes. Definitely give this one a read if you like A/B/O.

Overhaul

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 18,783 Tags: Getting Together, Unrequited to Requited, Character Study

Summary: Steve knows that Tony has feelings for him and, since he doesn’t return those feelings, has been mildly dreading the day that Tony decides to do something about it. When that day finally arrives, Steve discovers that Tony’s wooing strategy isn’t anything at all like he’d expected.

Reasons why I love it: This story gave me so many Tony feels, and then hit me out of nowhere with an equal amount of Steve feels. It's such a fantastic take on their characters, with truly amazing dialogue. If I could take a pen and underline all my favorite parts, every second sentence would be underlined. It's that good. Definitely a must-read!

There's an App for That

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 17,439 Tags: No Powers, Romantic Comedy, Mild Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary: Thanks to the modern gig economy, Steve is the successful owner of a break-up service, i.e. people pay him to break up with their partners for them. One day, he gets the first break-up request for Tony Stark.

Reasons why I love it: The concept for this is honestly so cool. I've never read another fic quite like it, and I don't think anyone could do it better than Annie D does it here. It's fun and light-hearted for the most part, but when it hits deep, it hits hard. I love all of it, the happy getting-to-know-each-other parts as well as the angsty-punch-in-the-gut parts. The way they end up together feels so natural, it's all really well written. Definitely check this one out!

Stuck in a...

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 13,005 Tags: A/B/O, Mating Cycles, Alpha Steve / Omega Tony

Summary: Steve gets into a serum-enhanced rut. Tony figures that there’d be a long list of people who’d volunteer to help Steve out, but there’s only one person Steve wants.

Reasons why I love it: Steve almost losing his mind because he wants Tony so much but holding himself back to protect him? Um, yes, please. This fic executes the hormone-riddled alpha trope flawlessly, and the conclusion is hot as hell. Plus, omega Tony is a complete delight. I'd recommend this fic to anyone who likes A/B/O.

[zozo-01]

"i want it to last forever. (all the magic and fun at sea.)"

This was supposed to be a prompt fill for our lovely @autisticempathydaemon, but alas! School and work caught up to me and I couldn't finish it, but I am making up for it know! As always, all the thanks to our lovely @gingerbreadmonsters to making sure that even if I can't get an Aussie accent right, I can at least get the British one accurate! There will definitely a sequel of sorts where I explain the lore and magic of this world, as well as expose everyone's dark past!

CW: Alternate Universe, My beloved Siren/Mermaid AU, Alexis and Christian are so stupid and in love, Sam and Darlin' being Mother Hens separately, The Pack is here but they are not important (as of right now) I.E. Darlin' is a Solaire, Christian feeling guilty over Darlin' (not romantic), Light Mentions to Darlin's past (Specifically Quinn but he is not mentioned by name), This is small fries compared to my actual Siren Fic, Eventual Sam and Darlin' but that's not why we are here!!!

click here for the ao3 link!!!

--

Press your shirt flat, comb your hair down and check your breath. Daily things that Christian should be doing to maintain his appearance, but never found any reason to. He’s a special breed, one can argue a dumb breed, of humans who don’t care about what others think of him. Given that fact, he doesn’t need to maintain his looks. Who gives a shit about what others say?

But she wasn’t just anyone and he needed to treat her as such. And he’ll try his best with his limited abilities.

He doubles, and triples and quadruple checks himself in the mirror. Ok, so far so good. He doesn’t look like he just rolled out of bed which is a general improvement from his status quo. It wasn’t like simple improvements were good enough for her. Although, if she asked him out while looking like a drowned rat, then maybe she didn’t care for his looks.

(Or at least he thinks that's what she said. To be quite frank, he hasn’t even heard this girl speak. She could definitely understand him, so it wasn’t a language barrier on her end, she just refuses to open her mouth. So far, they have only been able to communicate with nods and what he thinks was sign language. It looked more like flailing hands to him, but it got the job done. Now all he needs to do is not get stood up by the most ethereal woman he’s ever laid his eyes on.)

(Cool. Absolutely no pressure at all.)

He grabs his keys and walks out the door with the nonchalant attitude that has gotten him this far in life. Surely if he treats this tangible Venus like she was a normal girl, then she’ll fall in love with him in no time!

Or punch him in the face and spit on his grave. Either or work.

The rest of the drive was silent. He didn’t bother to come up with creative nicknames or smooth pick up lines because why should he? She decided to ask him out for him, not some casanova. This is what she asked for and this is what she’ll get.

He parked his car by the bridge, and waited for her signal that she’d be on the bridge. She said that when he sees a bright blue light, that will be his que to get on the bridge. A weird signal if you asked him, but hey who was he to judge-

A flash of blue erupted from below the bridge, followed by the sounds of rapid waves. Was Christian going to question the near mystical light? Not by the seven oceans he wasn’t. All he knew was that’s probably his signal so he exited the car and walked onto the bridge.

And low and behold, there she was in her glory.

(Christian did compare her to Venus earlier, and it is his nickname for her, so you can see how much horseshit his earlier thoughts were. But it bears remembering now. There was seafoam under the part of the bridge where she stands. Her midnight hair flows in the wind, moving the same way waves ebb and flow in the ocean. Even her dress had something otherworldly about it, from the way it hugged her body like wet fabric, despite it looking dry as a bone, and the shells and gems that adorned it. There was something off about her in the most tantalizing way possible.)

He cleared his throat, blessing her with his presence as much as she’s blessing him with hers and causing the young woman to snap out of her daze. “Hello, Venus. Excited to see me?” Confidence and borderline cockiness were dripping from his voice. It all came from a place of genuine care, whether she knew it or not was up to her.

Venus smiled at the arrogant boy, moving her hands to sign to him. It still looked like gibberish to him, although if he stared hard enough and paid enough attention, he’ll be able to understand her…

The girl shook her head, not in disgust or apathy, but in amusement. Like she found the miscommunication on his end cute. She pulled out a notebook and a pen from her pocket and began to write down what she was trying to say. Quite a large book from a small dress, but he’s seen weirder.

She flips the notebook over to reveal the message. Thank you for meeting me here.

Christian puffed his chest up, pride filling his tanned body. He ran a hand through his golden hair, replying, “I’m just doing a favour for you.” Please don’t focus on how fast his heart is beating or how he wiped his shirt to get rid of the excess sweat.

Or the strange feeling of being watched from a distance.

She rolled her eyes, and usually it would insult Christian. Lord knows he doesn’t like being made into a joke, but if making himself a fool is what keeps Venus smiling, then he’ll become the butt of every joke from here on till the day she dies. (A long time away that day is.)

Venus opened up her notebook and continued to write in it. How has your day been, Christian?

Ah ha! An excuse to talk about himself. It’s what he excels at the most! He opened his mouth, ready to go on about his day. “Well the waves and weather were nice today, so I went surfing. Taught some assholes what it really means to shred it on the water. Like, seriously, do you want to know what these little shits did!” He then went on a tirade about these teenagers and how they wouldn’t listen to any of his warnings as to why not to ride a monster wave. Lo and behold, Fred and Bright wiped out hard and he has no sympathy for them.

She covered her mouth, muffling the angelic laugh that Christian was convinced she had. It’s a little weird that he’s never heard a sound from her, at least he thinks it is. Even non-verbal people let out sounds, heavy breaths or quiet sighs, to prove that they’re alive. But Venus hadn’t done any of that. He wonders what’s preventing her from letting out any sounds. He's known about how trauma can cause people to go mute, he's seen it happen with Bright. But dare he be crass, Venus seems quite well adjusted to society.

(The two bodies in the water with scales down their bodies say otherwise. Neither of them wanted to be there, but what the Ocean demands, the Ocean receives.)

"Let me guess, you're into surfer boys?" Brash and overconfident was unbecoming of most men, at least that's what Darlin' used to say. But they're dead and therefore, their advice and words don't matter anymore. Somehow it works for him and it's working on her so he won't lead the dead dictate his actions.

Returning to her notebook, Venus scribbled down some words. She turned it over, revealing the words she wrote down. I've never spoken to a 'surfer boy' before. Are they all as haughty as you?

Ouch, that was personal. She didn't have to call him out on his attitude like this. She didn't need to mimic the ghosts he lives with all that accurately.

Ignoring the accidental jab to his heart, he rolls his eyes and lets her words leave quiet wounds on his body. "Well I'm sure that you'll be begging for me later, princess." Assuming that Venus would ever beg. Voice aside, she doesn't seem like the type to beg.

Christian dropped his bravado and leaned back against the bridge. "How about you? How's your day been?"

Venus looked back at her notebook, taking her time to write down every detail of her day. Once she was done writing, she flipped her notebook back to Christian.

It's been good. I went out with my brother, his partner and one of my friends to get some food. We had some beignets and they were really good! I haven't had good ones in quite some time. Plus, my brother got powder sugar all over himself and he looked like he failed to smoke some cocaine, so that was amusing.

"An eventful day," he chuckled. He tried to picture a younger, male version of Alexis covered in powdered sugar to make himself feel better for the fact that he'd be the fool doing the same thing. "Maybe you can take me there one day? I've never had a beignet before."

Venus smiled and nodded her head, and he's planning to message Milo about a styling intervention. It would be worth it to look good for her.

The same blue light from earlier flashed again, and Venus's eyes widened. She frantically looked between the ocean and Christian, her face puzzled and brain working to come up with an excuse. Realizing that she was looking for an excuse, he decided to free her of that burden.

"Look, I get if you need to go." He watched her face relax and kept going. "I have work the next day, anyways." He fiddled with his car keys, trying to find a way to stretch these seconds into eons. "It was nice seeing you again. I hope it won't be the last time?"

She shook her head while writing in her notebook. We can grab some beignets tomorrow if you're free? Meet me here again at noon and we can go together.

"Perfect!" His smile bloomed at the thought of spending more time with his girl. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

He turned back to go to his car, not paying attention to the large splash from behind him. Heart lighter than air, he danced his way back to his car. There was no person worth more sleepless nights and tired mornings than Venus and he can't wait for more time with her.

The drive back home seemed shorter while he was lost in his head. But the minute he parked in his garage, he knew he had to focus in order to stay silent. While Sam never cared about what Christian did with his time, the fact that he came back later than what he promised was all he needed to fear the coming of the Southern Mothern Hen.

Creeping his way inside, he was relieved that the lights were turned off and not a soul was in the living room.

Until a single lamp was turned on and Sam was sitting on the couch.

"Mate-"

"Do you know what time it is, young man?" He didn't give Christian any time to respond. "I'll tell you what time it is. It's damn near midnight, when you said you'd be back by 10 PM." The southern man got up and started pacing around. "I thought, 'you're a grown man, you don't need me to follow you like a mama duck, even after you're meetin' some mysterious woman.'"

Sam stopped in the middle of the room and gave Christian a death glare. "But nooo, you had to stay out longer and make all of us worry over your sorry ass!"

"Uh, who is us-"

"Not the point, Christian!" He rubbed his temples and let out a fatherly sigh. "I know you love this girl, but seein' her on a random night by a bridge? I'm just worried that you're going to get caught up in some stupid shit."

Despite only being three or so years older than him, Sam always spoke with the wisdom of a man who's lived a thousand lifetimes. He should really listen to his advice before he does end up like Darlin'.

(He can't help but think of the parallels between his situation and Darlin's. Guilt still fills his body when he thinks of them, and he's left to wonder what would happen if they had a Sam in their life to step in. Sometimes he feels unworthy for Sam's care because he doesn't deserve it. They did. But they'll never get that help because they're gone and it's no thanks to him.)

Christian sighed, letting go of his defensive guard. "Alright, I'll be more careful. But like, fuck…" He fell onto the couch in desperation. "I really like this girl, Sam. I don't want to mess it up."

"And you won't." Sam sat down to pat Christian's back. "I'm just askin' you to exercise a level of caution. I mean, last time you mentioned her, you didn't even get her name."

"..."

"You got her name this time, right Christian?"

"I'll get it tomorrow?"

"Oh my Lord, you love sick fool."

–

Thank God Christian turned his back to Alexis just in time for him to not see three figures appear from the water onto the bridge. Bless his oblivious heart for missing every sign.

"Chrissy? The mysterious human man was Christian? Alexis Solaire, you are better than this." Of course Darlin' was the first one to speak. It made sense, they knew him back from when they were human, so they had the most opinion. Which is exactly why she didn't want to tell them about her little date.

"Oh come on, he's not that bad. He's… interesting." Interesting was code for an asshole that has caught her attention. But it wasn't her fault that they were both assholes who gravitated towards each other.

"He's interesting alright! Interesting enough to shove a knife into!" They paced up and down the bridge, the waves beneath them moving wherever they did. "Oh my lord, now I know why William made us follow you. I thought it was because he was just being a worried bitch but no! He had actual reason to worry!"

Finally she found an opening to speak her piece. "Great point, why on Earth are all three of you here? And what gave William the right to send three of his sirens to follow me?" She couldn't help but feel patronized. She was a grown woman, older than the three in front of her in both human and siren years. If there were any of them who can take care of herself, it's her.

Vincent yawned and rubbed his eyes. "None of us want to be here, so William said that if we didn't, he's going to station us in the Drake Passage to sink some ships." He shivered at the thought, and Alexis couldn't blame him. The last time she was there, her human skin matched the blue shade of her scales.

"And like, I would send an army after my daughter if I knew her man was Christian," they shuddered. She wonders if Darlin's hatred was because of an unfinished past with him, anger and resentment brewing inside her friend over how they died.

"Oh, don't be so ridiculous, Darlin'," Porter chuckled. She was waiting for him to pipe up with some smart comment. "He's... quite the character, certainly, but if that's what it takes to get Alexis's head out of her arse, then..." He crossed his arms and laughed at the dark glare she gave him.

Darlin' smacked the backside of his head, ignoring the faux pout on his face. "Porter there are better men to teach that lesson." They all raised their eyes at Darlin', wondering who would be a 'better lesson' for their dear princess.

Not appreciating the confused yet amused stares from their friends, Darlin' just mumbled about how she could have learned from their mistakes rather than making her own. It was fair game, but that was assuming that Darlin's 'mistakes' were their fault. They were not.

"Can we go home? Me and Lovely have reservations at a restaurant and I need to go." He yawned, a telltale sign that Vincent was tired and needed to recharge with Lovely. It was sickeningly adorable, and she was happy that he found someone to spend his eternity with.

Darlin' wasn't having any of it. "Shut up, Vincent! Some of us have actual problems like making sure our friends don't end up with mediocre men." Harsh words aside, it was clear that they didn't mean to sound rude, they were just angry over the situation.

"Well, at least this 'Christian' won't be able to kill her," Porter mused. He made a dramatic turn towards Darlin', ready to push them to their absolute limit. "That was why you came, wasn't it?"

For fuck's sakes Porter, that was low blow. Even for her.

Rightfully so, Darlin's claws and fangs appeared, eyes sharpening like a shark. "You absolute fucking asshole!" They tackled Porter back into the water, and thankfully, Porter's head hadn't floated back to the surface. Yet at least.

"Do you really like him?" Vincent asked from beside her.

She thought about it. Christian was definitely the man who's made her feel more… she didn't what he made her feel. Alexis Solaire (formerly known as Alexis Getty) didn't feel love. For as long as she could remember, the most she would feel was a strong 'like'. But love? She wasn't sure she was capable of that feeling.

But that was until William and Vincent sparked the familial love she didn't have towards her own biological family. Or how Porter and Darlin' bonded over the platonic love they all share for each other.

Maybe Christian would be the person to teach her romantic love.

"I don't know Vince, but I think we should check on Darlin' and make sure they haven't mauled Porter by now."

Vincent's demeanour perked up with realization. "Shit- We can't have them rip his arm off again!" He jumped back into the water, trying to stop the coastal line from becoming shark-infested again.

Alexis looked up at the moon. She still doesn't believe she deserves this chance of a beautiful second life. All of her mistakes and regrets always prevented her from living in the present. But with how Christian carries himself, being able to let things bounce off him, it inspires her that maybe she can do the same thing.

She smiled. She can't wait to see Christian messy with powder sugar all over his mouth.

[rohirric-hunter]

Tagged by @a-lonely-dunedain to plug OC names into this heacanon generator and see if it fits.

Léonys:

Léonys doesn't own a single pair of matching socks.

Okay, so in actuality no, Léonys has lots of pairs of matching socks and is actually pretty neat about her clothes and stuff when she's at home. BUT I can see this becoming one of those annoying widely-accepted fanon headcanons in direct contradiction to canon because 95% of the time the reader is exposed to her in a, "Has been living in the woods for 3-8 business days, has not spoken to another human being in almost a week, ate bark that was still attached to the tree, laid flat on her back with her mouth open while it was raining to get a drink (for fun)," kind of state, or the many stages of breakdown I dragged her through in Léonys of Rohan. I think if my stuff had a bigger following a lot of people would have trouble reconciling that Léonys with the way she acts when she's, like, in a house.

Léonys does not know what sleep is.

She really does not LMAO. Take a nap, girl

Léonys is smart but also very stupid.

I mean this one's vague enough that it could apply to basically anyone I think. Which means it's a winner! Léonys figured out, on her own, within a few days of properly meeting him, that Aragorn was the heir of the old kings. She also got involved in all that because she saw brigands with hostages and was like, "Go and get help? Tell the town guard? Involve the other hunters? Nah! I'll just follow them! :) and take care of it myself :)."

Léonys crashed a riding lawn mower into their fence.

Absolutely not the ride-on lawnmower goes nowhere except where she told it to go. The ✨🌟🤗🐎💖bond ✨🌟🤗🐎💖 that exists between the Rohirrim and their horses ride-on lawnmowers

Hathellang:

Hathellang is a cry baby.

I mean I guess it depends on what about. This also sort of sounds like a headcanon made up by someone who doesn't actually like the character, so, you know. Subjective. I don't think so. But there's not a lot I would label crybaby anyway.

Hathellang has a roblox account.

Disclaimer: I've never played Roblox. But yeah, I feel like he has one. He used to play a lot more than he does now. But that was years ago. These days no one knows he has it except for Léonys. But sometimes when one of the other kids complains that someone was too mean to them on Roblox he logs on and, well, see,,, if the offender didn't have bannable offenses to work with already then suddenly,,,,, mysteriously,,,,,,,,, they start committing bannable offenses. For literally no reason whatsoever, they must have just felt like it, suddenly. Who knows! Anyway, reported.

(I.E. Hathellang would be a holy terror on the internet, somehow able to talk the trolls into getting themselves banned while only barely toeing the line himself. A power that could be used for good or evil. He uses it to back up his kid siblings on disagreements over the Walmartland makeup obby.)

Hathellang believes in Santa.

He does not! But he's really dedicated to keeping the Santa Experience alive for the younger kids. Also I feel like in a modern AU he'd be super into the Santa Clause movies.

Belharen:

Belharen is afraid of doing anything without their parent's permission.

Belharen is involved in the plot because she ran away from home. Without her parents' permission. That doesn't mean she's not afraid of doing things without her parents' permission. But she still does them.

Ferelin:

Ferelin is tumblr famous.

Oh my god yes. Spot on. IDK what I can add. His shitposts are legendary. Made a new friend. Have informed him that I do not know what a roof is. Think he has little enough knowledge of the Shire that this should fly with him. Eager to see how this plays out. Update: Friend in question visiting my house right now as we speak. Made comment about the roof. Think he remembers what I told him when we first met. Except funnier, probably, IDK. I wonder what his URL would be. He casually refers to his improbable and near-miraculous ability to heal basically anything by singing to it very stubbornly and people think it's some kind of extended bit. He lets them think so because they started to come up with theories about it and it's kind of funny.

Dahlia:

Dahlia knows fnaf lore.

Probably, lol. I feel like she wouldn't play the games, though. I've never played them, this is vibes-based. She just knows the lore. For some reason. Maybe she watches hour-long YouTube videos breaking it down to relax.

And because I've been thinking about her recently some Pegweneth:

Pegweneth instinctively cleans messes in their own house as well as other peoples.

Pegweneth judges people for having messes in their houses TBH. Privately. In her head. She does not clean them. Her house is not clean.

Pegweneth knocks people over by hugging them.

If she knows them very well and is confident they're okay with it.

Pegweneth is not good with social cues.

She knows what they are. She just thinks they're stupid she's above them she responded to them appropriately when she really didn't.

Hmmm, seems like a lot of people I would normally tag in these things have been tagged already. I know many people with OCs and I know that many of them dislike this sort of fandom/headcanon stuff. Open invitation to do it if you want to?

[donnerpartyofone]

Going to church with absolutely no religious training, context, political alignment, or social obligation is fun because I get to ask these questions that have seemingly never occurred to anyone who takes Catholicism for granted. My latest question is, does transubstantiation take place AT the Last Supper? Or does it only happen later, after the Ascension? i.e. When the alive Jesus says "This is my body/blood," is that metaphorical, and just a training session for when the Eucharist is instituted by humans, during which transubstantiation really happens? This has completely stumped several Catholics I have asked. The understandable gut feeling is that transubstantiation only happens after Jesus leaves the Earth, but nobody really knows; nobody wants to assume too much about Jesus speaking figuratively while describing a miracle.

There's a lot of argument in general about what it means when Jesus takes part in what will become the sacraments. Like obviously it's sort of alarming that the eternally pure Jesus gets baptized, it alarms John the Baptist who seems sort of embarrassed by the whole thing. I looked this up and found that there is a surprising resistance among a lot of scholars to just say that Jesus is demonstrating what his followers should do later on, there has to be more to it somehow; one thing said something along the lines of "Jesus says he came to fulfill all righteousness and baptism is the righteous thing to do," which is like...yeah, I guess, but what's the actual point? Are you saying getting baptized, even when he doesn't need it, is somehow just in his nature? A lot of religious commentary is confusing, perhaps deliberately so. My interpretation of the baptism of Jesus is that when you tag somebody for a job--when you give them an important responsibility--it validates them and infuses their actions with meaning. That can give their life and choices meaning, and they can involve other people in those meaningful actions, which spreads a sense of purpose and worth. Of course this is my natural projection because I want someone to give me a fucking job, preferably a good job where I'm not exploited and I don't exploit others. But that's my problem.

I also have an interpretation of the Last Supper, I think it does involve transubstantiation. I have this fantasy that it's like GHOST IN THE SHELL; Jesus is spreading his essence out through natural elements like grapes and wheat, to be integrated with all human bodies, so when his singular body is destroyed in the Crucifixion it doesn't destroy Christ himself because he has already escaped into everything.

I like my idea, but it does kind of break down when you start to think about how Jesus is God and God is infinite and eternal, so really they are already in everything, prefacing every object and event in the world. Which is actually why I have a hard time with causal narratives in scripture, like the basic premise seems like a pretty clear recipe for predestination and everything being simultaneously extant...but I'm just a poor heathen, what do I know.

[breelandwalker]

not sure if anyone else has asked this recently but my internet is too slow to do a deep dive in the archives rn so - do you have any advice for avoiding/preventing/dealing with a lot of 'backsnap' from spells? i.e. the wave of exhaustion/general physical and emotional crumminess after doing some heavy work. it's entirely possible that this specific instance i'm experiencing could be allergies or an oncoming cold, but since it hit me right after i spent an evening doing the first serious amount of spell-casting i've expended effort on in months, i'm inclined to connect it at least a little bit. now i'm wondering how best to bounce back or prevent it from hitting so hard in the future (aside from obvious health-boosting things like rest, water, vitamin c, etc). is it just a matter of exercise makes the muscle stronger or should i really not be neglecting to ward up first in my impatience to get to the fun part?

Good question!

This is something I hear about frequently enough that I feel comfortable calling it a common occurrence. Doing heavy, involved, or prolonged spellwork is taxing in the same way that any other task requiring a lot of focus or mental or emotional energy might be. I don't know that there's a way of wholesale avoiding it, per se, but you can mitigate it in a few ways with a little bit of preparation. You've got the right idea here, so allow me to offer just a few additional tips.

Set up your workspace ahead of time and make sure you have all your materials ready to go and within easy reach. Try to eliminate distractions and as many potentials for interruption as you can. The less frustration, distractions, or derailment you have during a casting, the easier it is and the less exhausted you'll be afterward.

Make sure you're rested, hydrated, and not running on empty or heading for a caffeine crash or the tail end of a medication cycle if you take dailies. Take a few minutes to calm yourself and focus on the task at hand before you begin. If you have any preferred grounding and centering techniques, definitely employ those. I've found that just taking a moment to bring myself into the present and sort of zoom in on what I'm doing has helped more than casting extra wards just for the sake of one spell.

If you're feeling ill or overtired or like you're on your last spoon, maybe do your spell another day. I know magical timing is a thing some witches rely upon, but there's almost always a way to spin timing to your benefit, and spellcasting should NEVER take precedence over your health.

Keep in mind, all of this is to MITIGATE the post-casting crash, not prevent it. It's still a good idea to rest afterward, maybe have a snack and hydrate again. Just make sure you clean up anything that needs cleaning, extinguish all fire hazards, and put up any materials that you don't want kids or pets getting into or that might be a trip hazard. (You do NOT want to skip this step and end up cracking a toe on your cauldron the next morning, TRUST ME.)

It does get easier as you go on. There's a reason we call witchcraft a practice - it takes PRACTICE. Doing small-to-medium spells and periodic exercises may help things go more smoothly, since you don't have to think about it as much once you've got the hang of things. (I try to do a little something every day and I have easy charms built into my schedule for this purpose.) Large, involved castings will still wear you out, not much to be done about that.

I have some other tips for battling inspirational slumps and blockages and helpful hints for your spellwork here:

My Intuitive Spark Feels Low - How Do I Get It Back?

I’m In A Slump - How Do I Get Out Of It?

I’ve Reached A Stopping Point - What Do I Do Next?

How Do I Make A Magic Circle For Spellcasting?

What Happens If I Get Interrupted While Casting A Spell?

Do I Need To Maintain Positive Vibes For My Spells To Work?

Hope this helps! 😊

[notmoreflippingelves]

It suddenly occurs to me that although "Island of Youth" seems at first a relatively innocuous fun little adventure on the surface, it's actually one of the more quietly devastating Elena of Avalor episodes when you consider it in the context of Esteban's backstory and stop to think about its wider implications. I'm going to put the rest below the cut as it got VERY long and because I do briefly touch on some character headcanons that may be triggering for some people. (warning for some discussion of abusive power dynamics especially as they relate to sexual harassment/coercion).

The episode is set on Esteban's birthday but even though the show does not explicitly remind us of this, this isn't just any old birthday for Esteban. This is specifically during the first birthday that he's had since the liberation of Avalor. It's set during the first birthday in forty-one years (!) that Esteban will be able to celebrate with his family again.

And while Esteban himself is acutely aware of its special significance, the rest of his family is probably not. Because from their perspective, they celebrated Esteban's birthday with him only last year--even if they did so with an Esteban who looks and acts distinctly different from this one. (Elena is the only probable exception as she was the only one besides Esteban to really feel the passage of those long years, even as they did not physically age her as they did him. It's probably why she organizes the surprise party in the first place and charges herself to keep Esteban company while"distracting" him from the surprise).

And though it's only just-barely alluded to in the show itself, this is also the first birthday Esteban's had since he was a teenager--the first birthday in over four decades--where he wasn't eking out a miserable existence trapped under Shuriki's thumb.

His decision to look for the fountain of youth is not the rather pathetic wish of a vain, bitter older man wants to relive some of the glory days of his youth. It's the very understandable wish of a tired, jaded (if also admittedly vain) older man who who never got have a proper youth in the first place--let alone any glory days to cling to.

He did not have the opportunity to squander his own youth, because that youth was taken from him by Shuriki--just as she took Esteban's family, country, and innocence away from him. (And yeah, I know he is partially to blame for his own bad situation, but in Esteban's defense, he was an insecure, frightened and stupid teenager at the time and as a result made the same sort of bad decisions that insecure, frightened, stupid teenagers are wont to make.)

In order to survive--not thrive, merely to survive--under Shuriki's thumb, Esteban was forced to grow up and grow up fast. And grow up in ways that no one should ever have to.

This is true in general but especially true if one tends toward the interpretation that Shuriki may have abused her power over Esteban to take advantage of him in other ways (i.e. sexually) .

In which case, his vanity throughout the show might also have this underlying Freudian excuse undertone to it that Esteban himself may not be consciously aware of. Over the years of Shuriki's reign, Esteban learned to view his looks as perhaps the only thing keeping him alive. So he learned to meticulously maintain his appearance, because as long as he remained handsome, virile and charming, Shuriki would be less likely to have him executed.

And I highly doubt that Esteban would be able to break out of this conditioning--that losing his looks might mean losing his life-- even after Shuriki's defeat. In Esteban's paranoid mind, finding the Fountain of Youth is just another way of protecting himself in the event that Shuriki should return (because there's no way he's not going to be looking over his shoulder for her the rest of his life).

All of which frames his ultimate decision--his choosing to save Elena rather than the canteen of youth-restoring water in a much more complex and noble light.

He's not giving up on a second chance on a youth that he'd voluntarily squandered; he's sacrificing his last opportunity at a real "first chance" of youth on his own terms. Because he recognizes that Elena's life is worth more than the life Esteban never got to have.

He's not reluctantly conceding that his cousin's life is worth more than Esteban's own vanity. He's conceding that his cousin's life is worth more than his own means of survival. In a small, understated way, he's making the choice that he should've made decades earlier: putting his family's safety before his own.

Although the show really doesn't dwell too much on the meaning of this (unsurprisingly), this episode provides a really interesting parallel with the finale. We see early signs that when it really comes down to it, Esteban can be much braver and much more selfless than even he realizes.

[yakuzacanons]

Akiyama specific request because bro is EEPY. But how would he react to his s/o having odd sleeping habits? (Sleep walking etc, this is coming from a person who's been caught singing in their slee 😭😭)

Also welcome back!!

Bringing it back to the RGG side of things, it's been so long since my Akiyama baby boy. He's so sleepy just like me (I don't sleepwalk or talk or anything but I do be sleeping!)

First of all, Akiyama can't help it when he gets sleepy. He is working so harrrddd, he's just a little guyyy. Honk schnoo. Plus, once he starts laying down, he ain't getting up till he's had his nap so you may as well let him.

Akiyama doesn't really "sleep" in a traditional sense, he just naps a lot. Like he goes to lay down whenever he feels tired, which is quite often, much to the anger of Hana. In a relationship, he'll develop something similar to a proper sleep "schedule", i.e. he'll come home to lay down in bed with you. However, that won't stop him from also laying down in the office. Again, much to Hana's anger.

Man sleeps a lot on his stomach. Passes out like a rock at first, but can be pretty easily stirred either by noise or just by him feeling that "I gotta do something" in which case he wakes up and gets work done.

Since usually he's just sleeping alone, having a partner sleeping next to him is already a new experience. But sleepwalking? Man's flabbergasted. He'll wake up to the sound of you moving around and when he notices you're not in bed, he'll sit up wondering where you are only to see you absentmindely shuffling around the bathroom with your eyes closed. And he'll just sort of look at you.

He's got no clue what any of it means other than he should probably get you to go back to laying down? Right? Turns out, that is actually kind of true, he finds out. Eventually, he'll get used to having to guide you back to bed.

The sleeptalking is what he cannot get used to! The sound of you bumping into kitchen counter is one thing. You suddenly yelling garbled nonsense is another thing entirely! Every single time it happens, he sits straight up and is immediately wide awake. It never fails to scare him.

The first few times either of these things happen, he won't say anything. It isn't till the third or fourth time that he's like "Hey, did you know you uh...". If you do already know, he'll just be like "Ah. Well, now I know too."

If you did NOT know, Akiyama will get a bit of a chuckle out of it. However, he'd never blatantly make fun of you or be rude about it. We're talking about a man who's allergic to not taking a nap during work hours. He is not in a place to judge.

If you were to ask him to show proof of you sleepwalking or sleeptalking, he'd do it. Otherwise, you won't catch him recording you or taking a video of you for any particular reason. Man just wants to make sure you don't somehow sleepwalk outside or wake up the neighbors.

Lastly, if you're someone with a super weird sleep schedule, like being nocturnal or insomniac, there will be lots of times where you're going to bed while he's getting up and vice versa. It'll basically be like those Spider-Man memes. You'll both kinda point at each other and be like "Ah hah!"

[wolfnanaki]

Greetings. During my various interactions with the fandoms of GVH and Snoot Game, a common anti-trans argument I frequently saw was that trans people don't need to change their gender to have expressions incongruent with their assigned gender at birth. i.e. Someone can do traditionally male-oriented things without actually being a man. Therefore, they say being trans is pointless because there is never a reason to change one's gender as anyone of any gender can do anything. Personally I can't really come up with a good retort for this without sounding like I support gender stereotypes, so I want to ask, if it's okay with you: What do you usually say in response to people who say that sort of thing?

It's a silly argument that anti-trans people make, because here's an important question: why are these activities being grouped with genders? Why do certain things need to be forced into binary gender roles?

The "trad" crowd would have you believe that things like sports, breadwinning, fighting, etc. are all things that define masculinity, while femininity is all about being a homemaker, servitude, baking, cleaning, stuff like that. But we know that's all bunk because we see people doing the opposite all the damn time. Women who love boxing and chopping down trees. Men who feel at home at bakeries and teaching.

None of these activities have any bearing on your gender because, despite what conservatives will tell you, they aren't gender-exclusive. The way this gets framed by transphobes is insisting trans men are forcing themselves to do more traditionally manly things to prove their masculinity, and the opposite for trans women.

In this framing, they see transness as a performance. As in, they see it as a fake act done by delusional people trying to be something they're not. It is part of what informs their whole worldview about trans and nonbinary people.

Here's my point, short and sweet. Your activities aren't your gender. Your gender, how you find it, how you come to express it, is all you. You define you for your own self. Sometimes that leads you to changing the way you dress, or taking medications, or changing your pronouns, or other things. But it's your gender and your body. No fucker on the internet has any right to tell you what you are or aren't. And they sure as fuck have no right to tell you what hobbies you should/shouldn't have.

On the topic of Goodbye Volcano High, we can actually talk about a character that fits perfectly into this discussion. Sage is a trans man (assigned female at birth). When he was young and living as a girl, his parents pressured him into acting, presenting, and performing traditionally feminine roles, and he couldn't stand it. But after coming out as a trans man and beginning his social transition, he came to enjoy looking and presenting in a feminine way, now that it was a choice he could make instead of an obligation. And like Fang, he doesn't want to have to perform more "masculine" to prove his gender; he's happy as he is.

Sage does not make sense in the rhetorical world espoused by transphobes. And there are many trans and nonbinary people like Sage too; trans men who like being girly, trans women who like being manly, and nonbinary and genderfluid people who can have a whole variety of gender presentation preferences.

There are as many ways to express gender as there are people in the world.

Anyway, shorter version: gender is a much deeper and personal thing that just the hobbies you do. I hope this helps. 🏳️‍⚧️

Sorry if this ended up being longer than what you're looking for, I just find stuff like gender and gender expression fun to think about!

[bandicoot88]

Good Omens 2 ending was perfect, actually, and I'm gonna talk why, cos I got a lot to say.

Naturally, massive spoilers ahead!

The finale ended in a way that makes total sense to me. I hear y'all being like "this isn't canon, no, let them be happy, I hate this!" *proceeds to write a fix-it fanfic that's all fluff and kittens*, but just... listen to me for a moment.

Don't get me wrong, keep writing alternative endings for that temporary fix, but in terms of canon, I believe what Neil wrote is better than anything else that's gonna get create, more or less. Remember, it's important characters stay in-character.

Sure, I sobbed at 5am with a broken mind, heart, and hated everything in the moment, but letting it digest... it actually works very well. People want their "happiliy ever after", and I do too, eventually. But that time isn't now.

Also, side note, to anyone who sent Neil hate mail because of said ending, fuck you. Don't be a sensitive little shit and just accept that stories don't always have to be happy to still be good.

Here we have a 6000+ year relationship/friendship of two non-humans that don't know how to act around each other. THEY DON'T TALK, as Nina said. For them to suddenly get the talking bit down correctly was never going to happen. Which makes the ending so much worse. A quick kick up the backside from 2 people isn't the sudden fix-it to everything. They continued to STILL not talk, not taking even a single day to communicate, think of a plan, anything! I.e "Good luck", "Then there's nothing more to say." The Metatron told Aziraphale to take all the time he needed, and yet Az was gone within 15 mins. Crowley could've said something more, but instead chose to kiss Aziraphale.

Which while it was long overdue, I think it was still too fast. Aziraphale realized his love for Crowley in 1941, according to Michael, which is VERY late to the game, and in the 60s, he said Crowley moved too fast for him. I assume this is still the case, as the 60s wasn't that long ago in angel/demon years. The kiss probably frightened him, because we know what Aziraphale is like, has always BEEN like. He's cautious and jittery and incredibly soft. He's the emodiment of a kitten, and you need to treat him as such.

Had Crowely taken his time with Aziraphale instead, things might've been different. The outcome also might've remained the same, but there would at least be some communication, and probably much less heartbreak. In that moment, Crowley could've really poured his heart out into words, but he didn't. Even during the confession, he ended rather nonchalantly with a "you and me, what do you say?" This is after hearing Aziraphale's news. It's hardly romantic, and gives the same vibe as "let's shack up".

He should be using every ounce of his power to get Aziraphale to stay, but he doesn't. He says his piece, begins to walk off, rubs the non-relationship in Aziraphale's face, kisses him, and then leaves. All this sets up pefectly for a s3 to sort their shit out. I like that it wasn't just a fluffy arc where everything's suddenly perfect, because where would s3 go then? It would be less fun.

I like the angst. I want to enjoy a good show with conflict and difficulty and confusion and anger and whatever else. I want to watch this angel and demon evolve and go through it and realize and learn and love.

What happened at the end of s2; it was ineffable.