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laika290 · 1 year ago

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ever wonder why spotify/discord/teams desktop apps kind of suck?

i don't do a lot of long form posts but. I realized that so many people aren't aware that a lot of the enshittification of using computers in the past decade or so has a lot to do with embedded webapps becoming so frequently used instead of creating native programs. and boy do i have some thoughts about this.

for those who are not blessed/cursed with computers knowledge Basically most (graphical) programs used to be native programs (ever since we started widely using a graphical interface instead of just a text-based terminal). these are apps that feel like when you open up the settings on your computer, and one of the factors that make windows and mac programs look different (bc they use a different design language!) this was the standard for a long long time - your emails were served to you in a special email application like thunderbird or outlook, your documents were processed in something like microsoft word (again. On your own computer!). same goes for calendars, calculators, spreadsheets, and a whole bunch more - crucially, your computer didn't depend on the internet to do basic things, but being connected to the web was very much an appreciated luxury!

that leads us to the eventual rise of webapps that we are all so painfully familiar with today - gmail dot com/outlook, google docs, google/microsoft calendar, and so on. as html/css/js technology grew beyond just displaying text images and such, it became clear that it could be a lot more convenient to just run programs on some server somewhere, and serve the front end on a web interface for anyone to use. this is really very convenient!!!! it Also means a huge concentration of power (notice how suddenly google is one company providing you the SERVICE) - you're renting instead of owning. which means google is your landlord - the services you use every day are first and foremost means of hitting the year over year profit quota. its a pretty sweet deal to have a free email account in exchange for ads! email accounts used to be paid (simply because the provider had to store your emails somewhere. which takes up storage space which is physical hard drives), but now the standard as of hotmail/yahoo/gmail is to just provide a free service and shove ads in as much as you need to.

webapps can do a lot of things, but they didn't immediately replace software like skype or code editors or music players - software that requires more heavy system interaction or snappy audio/visual responses. in 2013, the electron framework came out - a way of packaging up a bundle of html/css/js into a neat little crossplatform application that could be downloaded and run like any other native application. there were significant upsides to this - web developers could suddenly use their webapp skills to build desktop applications that ran on any computer as long as it could support chrome*! the first applications to be built on electron were the late code editor atom (rest in peace), but soon a whole lot of companies took note! some notable contemporary applications that use electron, or a similar webapp-embedded-in-a-little-chrome as a base are:

microsoft teams

notion

vscode

discord

spotify

anyone! who has paid even a little bit of attention to their computer - especially when using older/budget computers - know just how much having chrome open can slow down your computer (firefox as well to a lesser extent. because its just built better <3)

whenever you have one of these programs open on your computer, it's running in a one-tab chrome browser. there is a whole extra chrome open just to run your discord. if you have discord, spotify, and notion open all at once, along with chrome itself, that's four chromes. needless to say, this uses a LOT of resources to deliver applications that are often much less polished and less integrated with the rest of the operating system. it also means that if you have no internet connection, sometimes the apps straight up do not work, since much of them rely heavily on being connected to their servers, where the heavy lifting is done.

taking this idea to the very furthest is the concept of chromebooks - dinky little laptops that were created to only run a web browser and webapps - simply a vessel to access the google dot com mothership. they have gotten better at running offline android/linux applications, but often the $200 chromebooks that are bought in bulk have almost no processing power of their own - why would you even need it? you have everything you could possibly need in the warm embrace of google!

all in all the average person in the modern age, using computers in the mainstream way, owns very little of their means of computing.

i started this post as a rant about the electron/webapp framework because i think that it sucks and it displaces proper programs. and now ive swiveled into getting pissed off at software services which is in honestly the core issue. and i think things can be better!!!!!!!!!!! but to think about better computing culture one has to imagine living outside of capitalism.

i'm not the one to try to explain permacomputing specifically because there's already wonderful literature ^ but if anything here interested you, read this!!!!!!!!!! there is a beautiful world where computers live for decades and do less but do it well. and you just own it. come frolic with me Okay ? :]

*when i say chrome i technically mean chromium. but functionally it's same thing

#txt #long post #permacomputing #sustainability

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galaxysupreme17 · 7 months ago

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Dreamcatcher Crafting Night

Y/n = Your Name

AgathaRio x daughter!reader!

Y/n’s restless nights had been following her for over a week now. She brushed off the worry when her mothers asked about her sleep, saying it was nothing. But the truth was that something dark seemed to lurk just beyond her reach, pulling her from sleep repeatedly. So tonight, when she shuffled into the living room with another yawn, she wasn’t surprised to see her moms exchanging concerned glances over her tired face.

“Couldn’t sleep again, sweet girl?” Agatha asked softly, her eyes filled with understanding as she wrapped an arm around Y/n’s shoulders.

Y/n leaned into her mother’s warmth, nodding. “It’s just…every time I close my eyes, it’s like there’s something there. Like I can’t shake it off.”

Rio’s brow furrowed as she brushed a gentle hand along Y/n’s arm. “Then we’re going to help you. Together.”

Agatha’s eyes lit up as an idea formed. “How about a little crafting session?” she said warmly. “We’ll make some dreamcatchers and fill them with some magic.”

Y/n’s eyes brightened with curiosity. “Dreamcatchers? I haven’t made one since I was little.”

“Not just any dreamcatchers,” Agatha replied with a wink. “We’ll add protective spells. It’ll be something special, just for you.”

Rio smiled and stood up, heading toward the storage closet. “I think I have the perfect materials in here,” she said, gathering an assortment of hoops, threads, beads, and feathers from the shelves. The supplies, organized in neat rows, felt like they were waiting for this very night. She placed them all on the coffee table, which quickly transformed into a crafting station under the cozy glow of the living room lights.

As they started, Agatha sat beside Y/n, gently guiding her daughter’s hands through the steps of creating the dreamcatcher’s web. “Start with the hoop and thread,” she said softly, looping the thread through the frame with expert hands. “Each knot you make is a promise of peace. Every thread connects to the next, like a spider’s web. Imagine it catching anything harmful before it can reach you.”

Y/n looped the thread carefully through the hoop, her brow furrowing in concentration as she tied the first knot. Agatha watched with a warm smile, occasionally reaching over to adjust a thread here or there, blessing each movement with quiet words of protection.

Rio picked up the delicate feathers and beads as they worked, adding them to the dreamcatcher with a practiced touch. She threaded in a small blue feather, tying it gently in place as she murmured, “Feathers to guide good dreams toward you, mi amor.”

The rhythmic act of crafting filled Y/n with a quiet peace. Each gentle instruction from her mothers and each touch of their hands reassured her. Little by little, the feeling of safety settled into her, filling her heart with warmth.

After a moment, Rio carefully added a silver moon charm to the hoop, brushing her thumb over it before passing it to Y/n. “This will help light up the darkness,” she whispered, placing it in her daughter’s hand. “Just remember that nothing can reach you here. We’re here to protect you.”

Y/n nodded, watching Agatha reach for a tiny crystal that glowed faintly in the soft light. “And this little one,” Agatha murmured, threading it into the web, “will catch anything that doesn’t belong and send it right back where it came from. A little ward, just for you.”

Feeling their shared care in every twist of thread and every added charm, Y/n’s heart filled with gratitude. The simplicity of creating something so meaningful together was a quiet, grounding reminder that she was loved and protected.

When the dreamcatchers were finally finished, Rio held one up, inspecting it with a proud smile. “Perfect, cariño,” she said, brushing a hand along Y/n’s cheek. “You made something beautiful, and it’ll protect you. Nothing will get through this.”

Y/n smiled, admiring the intricate design of her own handiwork, guided and shaped by her mother’s care. Y/n walked back upstairs to her room, and both her mothers followed after they cleaned everything up. Y/n carefully hung it above her bed, watching the delicate feathers and beads sway softly in the dim light.

After it was set, Agatha and Rio stayed close by her side, watching her settle under the covers. Y/n felt a warmth spread through her as she lay back, watching the dreamcatcher cast faint shadows on the walls. Agatha sat beside her, smoothing her hair back, her eyes warm with love. “Just close your eyes, sweet girl. Nothing will hurt you,” she murmured, her voice like a lullaby.

Rio sat on the other side, taking Y/n’s hand in hers, her thumb rubbing gentle circles over her knuckles. “We’re right here, my love,” she said, her words soft but steady. “Just let yourself rest.”

Y/n’s heart settled into a gentle rhythm as she closed her eyes, surrounded by the gentle presence of both her mothers. She felt Agatha’s hand gently brushing through her hair as Rio leaned over to press a kiss to the top of her head, grounding her in their warmth. With each soft word of reassurance, the tension in her body finally melted away.

Gradually, Y/n’s breathing evened out as sleep pulled her in. But her mothers stayed by her side, watching over her with tender patience until they drifted off. Eventually, Rio and Agatha lay on either side of Y/n, their hands intertwined across her, forming a shield of warmth and love.

The dreamcatcher above them swayed softly in the dark, casting its gentle, protective spell over the family. For the first time in weeks, Y/n’s dreams were filled with nothing but light and warmth, and her heart rested, deeply and fully, in the safe haven created by her mother’s love.

#x reader #reader insert #agatha x daughter! reader #agatha all along #agatha x rio #agathario x daughter!reader #rio vidal #agatha harkness #agatha all along season 1 #agatha harkness x daughter!reader

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infinite-hearts-333 · 1 day ago

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Cordylidae System 1190: Karoo

Hello and Welcome to Karoo! May you be blessed with rain, Space Riders.

Au belongs to @onyxonline

The Planet.

Karoo is one of 8 planet's of the Cordylidae System, the others being; Fynbos, Savalands, Alban-Thicket, Darkvine, Nama-Karoo, The Plain's, and Oceastal Belt-02.

These eight planets share a sun they orbit; and all have intelligent life forms that dominate the planet. All planets have discovered or been introduced to space travel, and trading is a common and regular thing between the neighboring planets.

Karoo, in particular, is a planet mostly covered in a flat or undulating plain, broken up by hilly area's and a few canyons. The altitude of this planet ranges between 800 m - 1500 m. Karoo shares many similarities to it's twin planet, Nama-Karoo, both the planets being lime-rich, and having weakly developed soils over rocks. Due to this, not a lot of plant life grows on Karoo- mostly being shrubbery that has evolved for harsh climates like succulents, cacti, and various types of air plants. Grass is exceptionally rare on this planet, only found in areas of deep sand.

There are few oasis’s and rivers, due to the planets low winter rainfall and extreme summer aridity, with rainfall varying between 20 and 290 mm per year. During the summer, the average temperature of 40°C is frequent. Fog often is found near any large bodies of water. It is also common for Karoo to have desiccating, hot Berg Winds throughout the year.

Karoo is well known for its trading in mining— the planet being well resourced in large amounts of minerals and ores which are then turned into metals or fuel, and as well as pigmented clays, which are commonly used in paints, or makeup. Karoo is also visited for their spring mass flowering displays (their most common flower being the Daisies Asteraceae) that bring a new life to the degraded or fallow lands on the surface— as well as the temple of Ikággen which is fortold to look as if it was made entirely from pearls.

Extremely adapted wildlife; evolved to survive harsh sun thrive on this planet, mostly in forms of nocturnal, insects, arachnids, rodents and small mammals.

The Peoples.

Karoo is home to one variant of intelligent life form— large Armadillo lizards, which are affectionately nicknamed as “Shell’s” by the other planets of the Cordylidae System.

These critters were one of the first in the system to achieve space travel, though they haven’t found the need to explore beyond their solar system. They are identified by their sandy or rocky competition- varying between varieties of yellows, oranges, to even dark reds or browns, with grey undertones. They carry a set of thick horns (with a thicker skull which could be used for fighting if they weren’t so passive) long quills between 3 - 4 depending on gender, and a spiny armored back and tail. All Shell’s have thick eyelashes to deal with the sand and wind of their planet, and thick scales and skin to prevent sun burn, as well as large hooved feet to allow easy walking over sand.

Families can be identified through a Shell’s paw pad— with the child having a blended mix of their parents paw pad’s, and siblings having matching paw pads.

They are well known to be friendly; welcoming most to all critters regardless of appearance.

Shell’s live within the many canyons of the planet, creating large infrastructure and bridges across the canyons into a almost web like design to allow free passage to all— living in carved pods, often towards the bottom of the canyons, were it is cooler. Markets are massive part of the lizard’s culture; as well as bartering. It’s one of two of the eight planets that don’t have a set curancy, everything is is based off of necessity and need.

Shell’s often pair up in poly’s; often having groups of 2 - 5 partners that they will live out the rest of their life with, and raise their young with. Females can laid between 1 - 3 eggs per season.

Powers are not common on Karoo— with majority of the male population having these gifts, though it isn’t unheard for females to have powers.

Shell’s commonly wear a badge to match their power; or their for lack off for most of the population. Where powers are not common, having this badge works as akin to a official document; and allows others to identify, and offer aid in ways to help the other, or provide discounts if the purchase is tied to their power; as now it’s more of a necessity.

The Guardian.

The most prominent gift within Karoo is The Guardian, which allows for the holder to transform into Ikággen, a divine protector that takes the form of a massive Lindworm which watches over the land and the people, overlooking them and guiding them.

This gentle giant was rumored to be born from a brave soul in the face of threat towards their community, facing an out of control danger that no one could prevent, gifting them the power and strength to protect their home. This gift is now passed down through that generation; and with each egg, a new guardian is born.

The Guardian can sense when something is wrong with the ecosystem; and will track it down to mend it if it can’t be resolved. The Guardian also cares and looks over the people; protecting them from larger threats like predators or natural disasters. They can also track and locate water; due to its scarcity on the planet.

The habitants of Karoo created a temple— just for Ikággen, as a place for it to rest outside of its duties to their people; and a place for the Shell’s to bring gifts and offerings as a thanks to Ikággen’s care and aid.

In a horrible tragedy, the people of Karoo not only lost their older divine protector, but also the next heir to this generation was stolen as a egg. Since then, things have gotten a lot quieter within the trade for the normally eager and chatty planet.

#smiling critters #smiling critters oc #oc #space riders au #oura thorn #space riders oc #oc space riders au #SR! Oura Thorn #Karoo

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skyward-current · 1 year ago

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(tarot) cards v. penacony symbols

beware, HSR 2.1 spoilers ahead

i just saw somebody on formerly the bird site comparing Gallagher's "I'm Thirteen" voice line to the thirteenth tarot card (that is "Death", more on this below, which was SENDING me–), so bear with me as i walked the rest of this brainrot pipeline because reading too much into media when nobody asks is my favorite pastimes.

so, a major pointer of this theory has to be how the first character and web event (where we had to suspiciously collect 13 cards to obtain the special one) we were introduced to on penacony is Black Swan, a tarot reader. what's more, she also refers to them as "fate cards".

therefore, when gallagher says,

notice how "Thirteen" is capitalized, signifying its importance beyond just a number. apparently, the thirteenth major arcana is

"Death", that's started enveloping penacony. but considering Sunday refers to him as a "servant of the Enigmata" who wishes to undo absolute truth or order, this "Death" may not be literal, as some tarot decks opt to title the thirteenth card as "Rebirth" or "Death-Rebirth." i'm going to work off the assumption that Gallagher's role is breaking cycles to start anew. as Acheron deduces, "as people immerse their souls...where consequences and pain cease to exist...they draw closer to necrosis. regardless of the perceived bliss, death looms as the inevitable conclusion", Gallagher may bring about these fake "deaths" to encourage people to wake up from dreams and challenge The Family over all their stubborn means to uphold the dreamscape as it is since it's always been giving into human vices and sinking back into the memoria.

another explanation i've come up with is how thirteen also foreshadows Gallagher's "assassination" of Sunday (if you count that as assassination), since there are 12 dreamscapes The Family oversees = 12 apostles, and Sunday is the day of god (plus everything about his character design), who is betrayed by gallagher as judas, the thirteenth disciple.

then of course, not my interpretation but i've also seen a theory worth mentioning where, say, Gallagher was born on februrary 29th and it's only been 13 leap years since his birth. a leap year occurs every 4 years, a number pronounced closely to death in most asian cultures, and 13*4=52, the number of "loyal" Family members he stole his features from.

moving on, the second character i've gathered with a connection to tarot, or cards in general, is our beloved suicidal gambler, Aventurine. when he was under the penalty from The Harmony, he had 17 hours to prove his case. the seventeenth major arcana is

taken literally, Aventurine is the lucky star, blessed by Gaithra Triclops – as the card also signifies hope, which fits the narrative when Acheron helps free him from the curse and proposes him a way out of the dreamscape and the IPC. when reversed, however, the card spells loss and abandonment, sometimes even impotence, all of which Aventurine used to be helpless against. this interpretation aligns with the Ace of Spades on his character, as it's not only the most valuable card in poker, but is also historically linked with death and war. From WWII where soldiers of an American airborne division were marked with the spades symbol on their helmets to bring about good luck, to the Vietnam War where the ace of spades was a tool of psychological warfare when US soldiers would leave the ace on bodies of their victims. they thought the card's connections to past French colonial rule of Vietnam would demoralize them from putting up a resistance, and what Aventurine's homeland Signonia went through was pretty much a colonization.

The Star also immediately follows the sixteenth major arcana – The Tower, which leads to my next point

this one is more familiar to HSR so far, as it quite literally inspires the logo of the Path of Destruction. it is often associated with disruptive revelation, misery, and unforeseen catastrophe, which as I said, Aventurine must've also suffered through to prevail as he is today. but imo it also befits the shady dealings we have with Misha – a Destruction character on penacony so far. we know "Mikhail" is the Watchmaker, and Misha is a common diminutive of the name "Mikhail". the trailblazer seems to be the only one aware of his presence, he stands guard at an alternative entrance when we first try to visit the golden hour, clock details on his outfit plus the "room" in A Child's Dream, and he can also see other dreamville characters like clockie, which are heavily hinted to be inspired from historical rebel figures. i wouldn't say it's a stretch to imagine Misha having something to do with the Watchmaker's Legacy that may be a calamity later "revealed" to him.

finally, i'll give some honorary mentions a shoutout, as every key player on penacony so far all has a tarot card relating to them.

the wild card "The Fool" that spells folly, mania, and delirium of the likes for Sparkle's Masked Fools

and Acheron, as the Emanator of Nihility, the ninth (IX) card of The Hermit – which sometimes indicates dissimulation, roguery, corruption – that may be the aeon's namesake

that's it for me. if i miss anything of value, i'd love to hear your thoughts in the reblog.

and, tagging my bsf @cheezyharu here because my swiftie braincell jumpstarted so now you're liable to read this rant and blow your own mind with me.

#hsr #honkai star rail #character analysis #gallagher #aventurine #misha #penacony

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qingyingpocketlirary · 4 months ago

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Silken History Part 1

This is a post that has Key information for my Snaphots and Tea Collection serises and also for information inportent to the back story for The Spider Web Story.

It also contains some HEAD CANNONS. Please take note they are head cannon's not Orginal to the Book JTTW or considered Cannon to the Lego Monkie Kid fandom while reading. Thank you!

Spider Demons are Matriarchal in nature. Meaning only the women would be considered heirs to the throne, not sons, but this does not mean sons are ill treated or unwanted, they are given the titles of Prince and treated as equal to their sisters, but never given the right to rule the Spiders, they instead are taught the ways of war and battle, how to hunt, prepare feasts, and become a Queen’s Guard if their sister became Queen.

If a Spider Prince sires a daughter of their own and that daughter becomes a Queen, they would be given the title of ‘Royal Father’, the closest rank to a King a Male Spider Demon can get, and a role that is highly respected amongst the males of Spider Demon culture because of its rarity.

The First Queen of the Spider Clan was given her title after earning it through combat. Her rule was long, and allowed the Spider Clan to establish both a stable and unshakable empire over Silk trade and wears, and a solid rule over all other spiders within her domain. After fully securing her place as a powerful force to be reckoned with, she took a mate and birthed twin daughters and one son.

The children grew well under her schooling, and when they came of age, the son requested permission to go and explore the world, seeking to learn new things and bring back new ideas and designs for the silk wears. The daughters asked to leave so that they might seek lessons from the silkworm clan and learn more about weaving, sewing and the ways of trading. The First Queen agreed and gave her blessing to them all.

After six years the daughters returned and with them, a letter from the Silkworm clan, asking if they might send their Princess, who wished to study under the Queen so that she might learn from her in return, to them in the coming weeks. A show of good faith and strong relations between the two sides so the silk trade. However shortly thereafter, news reached the First Queen of her son’s death via a handwritten letter, sent from a small village only two days' travel from their home.

The letter claimed that the son had been ambushed on the road home by a group of men, strangers to the land, eager to try and impress a young lady of the village with their kill, only to be immediately arrested and held for their crime. The Queen and her daughters grieved privately, and after four days, the Queen herself descended upon the village, finding offerings of all kinds at every door. Clearly, this village had known very well who this spider was and they feared her anger would be placed upon them without proper appeasement.

A further attempt to soothe her anger as she walked the empty streets towards the stocks where the guilty men were held, was that the body of her son had been placed within a coffin and covered with a silk blanket, and two guards of the Village stood close by, their heads low as she approached. When she’d asked why they were out so late in the chilled evening, one had explained that they had been chosen that night to protect the body of the Spider Prince from any scavengers that might come by.

From that day onwards, that village was considered a part of the Queen’s domain, and from it, the women folk were able to slowly learn the ways of silk weaving and earn more to better provide for their families.

The First Queen lived many years more, before passing on the Crown to her eldest daughters, who had slowly earnt their own reputations as the Crimson and Violet Queens, and passing of old age peacefully, surrounded by her children and clan.

For a time, things were peaceful.

Until Heaven, worried about the amount of influence and power the Queens held over the humans because of their control over the Silk Trade, came down and attempted to enforce its rule over the Spider clan, resulting in a short but brutal war. The war’s climax battle took the lives of the Crimson Queen, her four elder sons and her two daughters, but her youngest son was spared and taken in by the Violet Queen, who after the loss of her sister unleashed a powerful venom that turned many of the Heavenly soldiers into mindless puppets her her command.

To end the conflict, Heaven placed down a powerful array that kept the Spider Queen and her kin from leaving the area, from that day on, the area known marked on maps as Silk Web Hollow.

No one knows who fathered the daughters of the Violet Queen during her time as the sole ruler of the Spider clan, only that each daughter was powerful in their own ways and were able to establish their own rule within the Hollow. Despite the array keeping them within the Hollow, the Spider clan continued to thrive thanks to the help of the human villages within the array who continued to trade and work on the Spider’s behalf in exchange for protection from Heaven and other threats. Many attempts were made by Heaven to cut off the silk trade from the Hollow, none were successful, and during this time, the Spider Queen and her daughters continued to thrive and form new alliances with other powerful Demons.

Then came the Tang Monk and his faithful pilgrims.

The conflict was brief, only a few days at most, and yet, it was this meeting that seemed to spark the end of the Hollow, for only a week after the Tang Monk and his pilgrims escaped, the Hollow was assaulted.

No one, to this day, knows who did it, some say Heaven, others say humans, some whisper of it being another Demon, but one thing is sure.

The Emerald Queen, youngest of the seven heiresses and barely old enough to lay her first clutch of eggs became the sole ruler over all Spider Demons, and with the Hollow destroyed, she and the ruins of her clan fled into the underground to heal and recover.

The Silk trade survived, but no one has ever discovered how or who was controlling it, and over the years, Heaven has chosen to ignore the Spider Clan, feeling it will never again return to such a powerful state.

What neither Heaven, nor the Emerald Queen knew at the time, was that there was another who survived and fled.

Head Cannon and story Lore below!!!!

The events we see in the show happen, but for the sake of the story there is a gap between Syntax’s turning and New Years, at most a month and a half, and during that time;

~ Change begins to happen inside Syntax later than the external change, it's painful at worst and uncomfortable at best. The Queen, Goliath and Huntsman take this time to help him adjust and cope.

~ The Queen teached Syntax the history of the Spider Clan and their culture, while helping to explain what each change is and how it will affect him. She also makes him tonics to help sooth the internal pains of his changes.

~ Goliath is given the bulk of the task to help Syntax adjust to his new limbs and instincts, both because Syntax is completely at a loss on how to use his new limbs and his new abilities, and because teaching is something Goliath longs to do for little ones.

~ Syntax may be an adult in his own mind, but to the Spiders, he is about the age of a toddler and as such, Goliath and Huntsman make a habit of carrying him around when they need to move fast, and will continue to do so until Syntax can keep up with them on his own.

~ The Queen, Huntsman and Goliath call Syntax ‘kid/kiddo’. Syntax wasn’t sure about it at first, but after the Queen explains Goliath’s nature and his instincts to teach young ones, he allows it because it helps Goliath feel that he is being of better use to the Clan.

~ Huntsman makes adjustments to their meals to help Syntax’s stomach during the change, mixing animal and human meat into stews and coaxing him to eat with obvious word play, but it helps so he doesn’t argue.

~ Not all demons eat human flesh, however Spider Demons keep some in their diet, they are natural hunters, and humans make for a good challenge to hunt.

~ Huntsman and Syntax’s rivalry is pointless, they both know it but still play it up because it amuses the Queen, especially when at points where the ‘fighting’ gets ‘too much’ Goliath will just grab Huntsman and Syntax by the back of their necks and lift them both up like cats by the scruffs and just hold them up off the ground until they ‘run out of steam’.

~ Syntax has figured out that hanging limp when this happens means Goliath will put him down faster, but also means that he looks more like a helpless kitten.

~ Huntsman will fight, trying to squirm free, until the Queen 'scolds’ him for setting a bad example for Syntax, then he’ll stop and apologise.

~ They will be right back at it the next day.

During this time, the Queen is not aware of who the little girl is, as she is more focused on Syntax and the work he does to create the Spider Mech, more drones for the venom and so, she does not at first notice the chill around the lair because the quick construction and work on the mech and drones keeps the heat level up.

By the time New Years come around, Syntax is mostly past the worst of the changes, but still has moments and days when his body aches or he is bed ridden with hot/cold flashes that keep him from working. These days are rare but are difficult for him to cope with, as on these days not even the Queen’s tonics help soothe the pain away and he can only bear through it.

During New Years, Demon Bull King and the Monkey King speak (read as the Monkey King talks, Demon Bull King snaps and growls in response) and through the webbing, the Queen overhears talk of the Lady Bone Demon’s possession of the Demon Bull King being the reason he was so easily captured, and that while all trace of her was lost thanks to the Monkie Kid’s efforts to free him, there is always a chance that she might have escaped, as the Demon Bull King can still feel the faintest chills under his skin from her brief time controlling him. They agree (reluctantly on Demon Bull King’s part) that the Lady Bone Demon will be looking to gain power quickly and that she was a threat far greater than their squabble to be dealt with as soon as they were out of the Spider Queen’s hold.

After New Years, the mech is unable to produce heat due to its damage and that is when the chill becomes more noticeable and then unbearable for the Spiders, the Queen recalls the conversation she heard through the webbing between the captured Kings. She only realises that the Girl claiming to be a Human Seer wanting to aid her is the Lady Bone Demon after she notices two key facts about the girl.

First off, there are two heart beats within the girl’s chest. One is a slower, calm heart beat, the heartbeat of an old demon, and it is the loudest beat, easily heard and felt though the webs whenever the girl walks over them. But the second one is faster, more akin to a human’s heartbeat, and there are times when that heart moves faster, as if panicked and in pain. It is masked by the other heart beat so the Queen didn’t hear it often, but the fact that she could was a bad sign.

The second point that led to the Queen to realise who the girl was came when the Queen caught a look at the girl in the reflective surface of the furnace. The reflection doesn’t match.

The girl before the Queen was dressed in a modern style white and blue qixiong ruqun, her black hair styled so that the top layer was rolled up around a jade green bun holder that curved up into sharp tips on its ends. The reflection bore the same face and hair colour, but wore completely modern attire, a beige long-sleeved jacket over a white shirt and a pink skirt, her hair was not styled, but instead sporting a simple pink hairband.

Both these things tell the Queen that the girl is not a Seerer, but a possessed host, and the reflection is the true appearance. Meaning that the one in control of the girl is a Demon capable of possession and given all that she heard and what she remembers from the past, the Queen realised who she’s invited into her home and thus begins The Spider’s Web story.

Below is a brief summary of The Spider Queen’s relationship to her clansmen and minor Head Cannons about the group.

Syntax;

Formerly a strictly employer and employee relationship now a Queen and loyal servant relationship. She is fond of him, as despite the terrible start, Syntax does not resent her for turning him.

~ Syntax was turned into a half demon due to both the potency of the venom used, and because the first drone was affected by the potion used by the Lady Bone Demon. He should have been no more than a drone controlled zombie.

~ The drone’s programing, already a delicate mix of magic and technology, was corrupted by the potion, and so, after it injected Syntax, instead of remaining attached and acting as a conduit to the Queen’s will, it broke itself down through magic and jointed with him in a similar way to a parasite taking over a host.

~ It is due to the potent venom from the Queen that the magic of the potion was stopped and instead, Syntax became a half demon, the first to be turned in many years.

~ This is why the cure didn’t work on him. He’s changed, not controlled, he’d need a direct, continued and potent dose of the cure directly into his body to undo the change.

~ Syntax is hyper sensitive to temperature changes, this is just one of the side effects of his change that is permanent and means that Syntax is at risk of both hypothermia and hyperthermia. His wrist device helps him keep track of his own body temperature.

~ Syntax’s spider limbs can be ‘dead legged’ with a firm jab or knock to his spine where the limbs extend from. Huntsman uses this to his advantage in the story to make Syntax leave his work and eat something.

~ Syntax does have venom glands, but doesn’t yet have the fangs to properly inject it if he bites someone, so the venom is in his saliva.

~ Huntsman has taught him how to use his saliva to create venomous darts to use until his fangs grow in.

~ Goliath is trying to teach him how to walk upside down, but it's taking a while to get the hang of because Syntax isn’t used to being upside down for extended periods of time and gets dizzy.

Goliath;

Queen and warrior/servant relationship, Goliath will follow her leadership and has earnt her trust over the years he’d been with her, he is content in his role and enjoys things as they are, even if he does long for the days when children will be about the lair.

~ As a nursery guard, Goliath is very protective of children and little ones in general, he refuses to do harm to them and will instead web them up and place them in a location where they will not come to harm or be harmed by others.

~ Goliath is overjoyed at having Syntax around, because it helps him feel like he is actually of use to his Queen the way he should be, rather than just being the muscle of their clan.

~ Goliath does have human legs, but rarely uses them because he prefers his spider limbs and also because he feels more comfortable hanging from a web than standing upright.

~ This is partly because when guarding the nursery in the Hollow, he and other guards would hang down while the children and little ones would run about and play on the floor and partly because Goliath uses ambush tactics in battle and being high up gives him an advantage.

~ Goliath is naturally taller and bigger than the rest of the Clan, including the Queen, and so he deliberately slumps and slouches to make himself appear smaller.

~ He does have venom, but it is slow to take effect and not as potent as Huntsman’s or Syntax’s, because of this, Goliath tries to get a bite in early during any hunt or fight he gets into, so that his opponent speeds up the spread of the venom during the fight meaning the effect of the venom takes old faster.

SPOILERS FOR THE SPIDER’S WEB STORY BELOW!!! DO NOT READ THIS PART UNTIL AFTER YOU READ THE SPIDER’S WEB PART 4!!!!!!!!

Huntsman;

Siblings, brother and sister. Huntsman is the surviving son of the Crimson Queen, and being so much older than the daughters of the Violet Queen, they called him their older brother.

~ Huntsman is the fastest and most brutal of the male male spiders because he is technically a Spider Prince. Only he and the Queen know this.

~ He can inject a similar type of venom to the Queen’s into someone if he bites them with his fangs, and like the Queen he can control the potency and dosage.

~ A large dose will kill in moments, whereas a smaller dose will cause a painful temporary paralysis to a victim.

~ Anything between that will induce a bout of painful convulsions and nausea, rather than a turning as a Queen’s venom would, it's painful, but only sometimes fatal if the victim is not given quick treatment and assistance.

~ Huntsman’s hair is long because he was not old enough to begin his training when his mother and siblings were killed. Traditionally, his hair would have been cut by his mother in a small ritual to initiate him into his training. But because of her death, his hair was not cut and instead, the Violet Queen braided it into its signature style as a memory to how the Crimson Queen styled her own hair beneath her crown.

~ He doesn’t like human food very much, but as long as it fills him, he’ll eat almost anything. He prefers to hunt for his food, and while he doesn’t often show it, he has great respect for those who live off the land, and makes a point not to take livestock from smaller farms unless he absolutely has to.

~ He’s firm but fair when he’s trying to teach Syntax, but often forgets the Syntax’s mind is still human in nature and doesn’t use trick words and obvious lies. He’s not used to censoring himself, so sometimes unintentionally sets Syntax back a little in his progress.

~ He’s trying, and he knows Syntax is thankful for his attempts.

~ Huntsman is the only one in the clan who is permitted to use the Queen’s name, not just her title, but he only uses it when he is sure that the two are alone and won’t be overheard.

That’s all you get for now, the rest will come after there are a few less spoilers.

#lego monkie kid #lmk #lmk snapshots #lmk tea collection #lmk spider demons #lmk spider queen #lmk the spider's web #lmk sun wukong #lmk huntsman #lmk goliath

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narcoticwriter · 2 years ago

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Primogems & How They Predicted the Most Devastating Plot Twist of the Game

This item may be the bane of every F2P player's existence and the whale's minor inconvenience to acquire, but I believe that in terms of lore and what the future of the story holds, it can possibly be one of the most blatant warning flags in the game.

Before I go into this specifically, I would like to show you where this post is coming from in earnest.

The one on the left was the beta version of the primogem icon and I have the current one adjacent to it as a comparison.

This? This right here? This is just a slap to the face, a true insult, dare I say a gauntlet thrown on the ground in front of me.

You don't know me if you think I'm going to take that shit, so of course, I'm picking it up and I'll have my pistols. Tell me where and when because I'll be there with receipts.

Not only will I argue that the beta design was quite pointed and intentional with how often this specific shape shows up with characters, lore, and the game at large, I will blatantly declare that it is the key to figuring out where this story is going to end.

If you've been here before, you know what to expect from this, and if you're new? Strap in with some snacks and a healthy appetite for questioning the lore because on this blog, we go ham or we go home.

What is a Primogem Anyway?

According to the wiki, the description of a primogem is as such:

"A primordial crystalline gem that's beyond the mundane world. Shines with the condensed hopes and dreams of universes that once were."

The information here is already intriguing in the sense that the words 'hopes' and 'dreams' are used in relation to their appearance as well as the word 'primordial', which roughly means 'from the beginning of time'.

So with that, we have to ask ourselves one question: how do you even get something like that in the first place?

How Do You Acquire Primogems?

Before I go into this, the ways that I am providing are (in my opinion) the only canonical ways that make sense to acquire primogems at all as they have lore, in-game quotes, and things that point to what I believe will tie into primogems either through other topics or their uses.

Genesis Crystals

To start off, the description of a Genesis Crystal is as follows:

"An energy crystal from the very origin of the universe. Formed from within nothingness out of pure potential and hope, it contains enough energy to create a newborn star."

If one looks at the definition of a primogem, one can see that this Genesis Crystal is used to make primogems. This is evident by the in-game application of the '1:1 Ratio' conversion of Genesis Crystals to Primogems.

It should also be of note that the distinct shape of the crystal is defined as the 'triquetra'. This symbol has a relation to infinity and interconnectedness, which is interesting as the crystal is used as a source to create a condensed byproduct in primogems, something decidedly 'star shaped'. So with that, you also have to ask how one could acquire such a thing in the first place.

The Blessing of the Welkin Moon - New Moon

Please note that this is not in reference to the product that you can buy in the game, but instead, the new moon variant that one can get in web events. This, however, doesn't mean that the lore is not inclusive of the said products either.

I have an ask that went into some more detail about this in a more speculative nature, but for the sake of this, I will put the description of this object below:

"A ritual prayer, recited on the rising of the first new moon, to ask for the moon's blessing in the form of wealth and good fortune. For your purposes, the new moon you shall pray to is the first-ever new moon in Teyvat, since it's the first one you've seen here."

So, with this, we can assume that:

There is a 'prayer' one must make to acquire both primogems and Genesis Crystals

The moon plays a significant role in this process as the said object only last 30 days (roughly the same length as the moon cycle)

Something else of note that I would like to point out is that the new moon is when the cycle starts specifically. Over these 30 days, one can acquire a total of 2,700 primogems and 300 Genesis Crystals, the same as the standard Blessing of the Welkin Moon you can buy.

This image of The Welkin Moon shows a few symbols that we've already seen, such as the primogems themselves as well as the triquetra, so we can firmly establish that this is indeed a valid way of getting these things. But in relation to the moon cycles and lore that incorporates that as well, one must stumble into places you wouldn't typically expect to find those or primogems at all.

Spiral Abyss - Moment of Syzygy

Primogems? In my Sprial Abyss? It's more likely than you think.

The Spiral Abyss is split into two distinct sections, the Abyss Corridor (Floors 1-8) and the Abyss Spire (Floors 9-12) and as such, I'm only going to go over The Abyss Spire in-depth as they replenish their primogems every cycle (15 days).

A physical description of the Spiral Abyss states plainly:

"A grand underground corridor which leads to an unknown spiral constructed by a great empire that has long gone. What treasures await deep in the palace, and what monsters lurk in the shadow..."

"Surrounded by mysteries, the inverse tower is now known as- Spiral Abyss."

With this description, I believe that this 'great empire' is not Khaenri'ah, but something affiliated with the 'Lunar Palace', something that existed and fell into ruination long before the game is set.

With this context in mind, one can see why the snippet called 'Moment of Syzygy' would say:

"The cycles of the moon elucidate the turning points of fate, and as the gears turn at the beginning and middle of the month, the treasures hidden at the end of the spire shows itself."

From Moment of Syzygy, one acquires 600 primogems per cycle of the Abyss, so given the presence of 'treasure' and the heavy emphasis on the moon, one can assume that you would absolutely find primogems even in such a place and if you don't think so, there is proof.

For example, the word 'syzygy' is defined as 'a conjunction or opposition, especially of the moon with the sun'. This is another term for an eclipse, a phenomenon that also includes three celestial bodies (the moon, the sun, and the earth).

Another example of this is something called 'Blessing of the Abyssal Moon'. These come in distinct phases (every 15 days) and are labeled as the 'Waxing Phase' and 'Waning Phase' respectively, granting boons to any characters fighting in the Spiral Abyss, this imagery is further emphasized by the accompanying images of the Corridor and the Spire respectively:

Further on, this Abyssal Moon seems to be a variant of the 'Blessing of the Welkin Moon' as the word 'welkin' means 'the sky or heaven'. So now we have the Heavenly Moon and the Abyssal Moon, two direct opposites in terms of definition and distinct as to what is granted as a blessing.

So yes, you could acquire primogems here with some difficulty. There is, however, another way to do so, though this one might be the most interesting one of all.

Batte Pass - Gnostic Chorus

Please note that I am only referencing the 'Gnostic Chorus' in the teaser trailer and not the purchasable one in the game, although like I've said before, the content in each can be inclusive to each other.

I had some back and forth in my mind concerning the addition of the Gnostic Chorus in this classification, but after looking at the provided dialogue from Venti, I believe it has its place as where one could acquire primogems. The said dialogue is as such below:

"Once, there was a glorious kingdom established among the heavens. From that kingdom came a crowned heir, tasked with seeking out the Genesis Pearl from the Kingdom of Darkness."

"The first crowned heir began her journey of seeking the pearl. But she was deceived, and the memory of her noble origins faded. She now believed that she was the queen of the Kingdom of Darkness."

"But take heart, a second crowned heir had already taken up the path where the first had stumbled. This is the story of your journey, of your tale to be told."

Immediately, one can clock the term 'Genesis Pearl' and can relate that to 'Genesis Crystal', which we have already defined as something essential to how one can acquire primogems as well as going into what it is in its core.

There is also the imagery of the star-like things on top of the city in the heavens and this mountain specifically, which also lends credence to the presence of stars.

This 'Kingdom of Darkness', however, is up for some debate, as it could be Khaneri'ah, the Spiral Abyss, the Abyss itself, Teyvat itself, or something that we haven't come across yet, so I don't have anything conclusive to say about this particular matter.

From the Gnostic Chorus, you can get 680 primogems per pass acquired. As to why I chose to include this boils down to the fact that the story being told in the dialogue is the Traveler's. The story at large can easily be applied to the Traveler as the way the canonical story goes is that Aether is the one to pick up the task. While there are many theorists that think this isn't the case, for the purposes of this and how this will relate later, I will stick with this view.

Why Does All of This Matter?

To summarize what we've gone over, you can get primogems from

Genesis Crystals

The Blessing of the Welkin Moon (New Moon)

Spiral Abyss (Moment of Syzygy)

Battle Pass (Gnostic Chorus)

And the reasons why you can get them from there specifically is because:

A tie to the essences present at the beginning of the universe and frequently emphasized to be from beyond Teyvat

The frequent allusions to the moon and its cycles

The presence of hopes and dreams as material as opposed to abstract ideas

Symbols and lore that coincide with the topics already established

So in this sense, Primogems are not to be understated in any way as they can all be canonically acquired from this.

However, one thing that I haven't gone over until now is what one can do with Primogems after they've got them.

What to do With Primogems?

A primogem's uses are described and laid as such:

Replenish Resin

Unlock levels of the Battle Pass

Acquire Fates (Wishes)

While at first, this may seem like a system in which the game itself operates, the lore that I've also provided points to more of what to expect in the future as well as how the main character (Traveler) interacts with Teyvat at large as there are certain objects only primogems can make:

Original Resin

Acquiant Fates

Intertwined Fates

All of these things have importance to the lore due to how they influence the world around them and how they are used, the original resin being one that brings many things into question.

Original Resin

The uses of original resin are for ley line outcrops, domains, normal bosses, and weekly bosses. However, I will only really be focusing on ley line outcroppings as they are related to the ley lines themselves.

The description provided for original resin is as stated:

"It is said that the roots of all the Irminsul trees and blossoms in the world are intertwined at the deepest, most hidden place in the earth, and that the pattern the root system makes defines the Ley Lines of the world."

It is also necessary to define Ley Lines and the respective outcroppings (also called Blossoms), which are:

"A mysterious network that links the whole world together, within which flow the elements..."

"A flower blossom known as "Revelation" which grows from the Ley Lines in response to someone's desire for battle. Perhaps the treasures within it can help one recall the perils that they have experienced once before..."

"A flower blossom known as "Wealth" which grows from the Ley Lines in response to someone's desires. Perhaps the treasures within it can satisfy a person's monetary desires, for now..."

So to clarify, the original resin would naturally be a part of these as well as the outcroppings and as such, I do find it quite interesting that a certain number of primogems can replenish the Traveler's supply of it at any time it's acquired. This is important because the implication suggests that in theory, the Traveler can do this whenever they'd like.

This original resin can also be used to make something called condensed resin, which is described as:

"Crystal filled with immense energy. The silver-white Irminsul trees and blossoms are connected to ley lines that have become blocked over time. The energy contained in tree resin can purify the obstructing substance."

This implies that with enough of this resin, one could purify (enhance the bounty from the ley line blossom) any unnatural thing that could be obstructing the ley lines, something that primogems could expedite quite speedily in decent amounts. This, however, is nothing compared to what comes next.

Fates

There are no words that can describe how absolutely broken this is in terms of lore and implication, but I can give it a shot.

In short, wishes are the gacha system in the game, but as I've broken down the lore for every item in the game that I have here, it's only natural that acquaint fates and intertwined fates will have some lore of their own as well.

So to start off, the acquaint fates are used on the permanent standard banner. There's a brief description provided here:

"A seed that lights up the night. No matter the distance apart, guided by the stone's glimmer, the fated will meet under the stars."

This likely indicates that this certain type of fate is meant for the standard characters on the banner which will come regardless of the time that passes.

However, one must also take into consideration that the design of the acquaint fate was different from the CBT yet again.

As a result of this, I can no longer believe that the triquetra design is simply a coincidence. Primogems are naturally going to be used to make acquaint fates in this instance as the Genesis Crystals have this motif of infinite interconnectedness and primogems are a part of that cycle.

The intertwined fate lends credence to this statement as its description state:

"A fateful stone that connects dreams. Its glimmers can entwine fates and connect dreams, just as how its glimmer links stars into the shapes of a heart's desires."

This is painful to me. As if it could not be more obvious than this. We get it. Crystals = Primogems as Triquetra = Infinity. I suppose it had to be changed for that reason, then.

So this description is obviously calling people out every time they pull for the character they want, but a fateful stone that connects dreams? At this point, I'm being handed the motifs and themes within the story without even having to work that hard for them.

As I've stated before, dreams are described within the crystals and the primogems and as such, they are going to have to do with the intertwined fates. However, I will also make the point that this is the first time that it has blatantly said anything about the stars. As the primogem is meant to resemble that shape a bit, the connection is also there.

It is also interesting that the act of using these is typically described as wishes, so in the sense that primogems are described as condensed hopes and dreams, that isn't as far from the truth as one would think.

Byproducts

Speaking of stars, the byproducts of using these fates manifest in objects called masterless starglitter and masterless stardust. These are the remnants of fates and are described as such within the wiki except a point of note would be that they are referred to as a 'surplus of destiny'. This likely refers to the characters and objects acquired.

The descriptions are also more akin to off-hand comments such as 'perhaps it can create new destinies when in large enough quantities' or 'perhaps it can light up other corners of the universe.'

It should be noted that these objects can be used to buy more fates, but it takes a somewhat substantial amount to do so. Depending on which characters are acquired, you can get a decent amount of these, which can be used to buy things from 'Paimon's Bargains', which segues almost perfectly into this final section.

The Bottom Line (+ My Theory)

After taking into consideration everything I have gone over in the eight hours I have hyperfixated on this theory of mine, I have one conclusion and one conclusion only. This starts with a question. A small one, a seemingly innocent one. One that you wouldn't usually pay attention to but with all of this? You have to now.

Why is Paimon, of all people, able to convert starglitter and stardust into fates?

Well, I believe it is because of what has been established over and over again in the entirety of this post. Take a moment to look at her for a second or two.

What do you see? Is it familiar? With all that you know now, does it strike a chord within you?

It should, as Paimon is the only character in the game to have both the four-pointed star and the triquetra on their person and character design, and if the 'genesis crystal=primogem' ratio is to be made manifest within the speculation, this means that this little person may be unaware that they are a segment of the universe itself.

People have been saying that Paimon is the Unknown God. People have been saying that Paimon is the final boss of the game. People have been saying that Paimon will betray the Traveler in the end.

Well, I believe that every single one of them is wrong.

Ladies and gentlemen of the viewing party, I submit to you that Paimon is none of those things at all. I submit to you that such petty labels and titles mean absolutely nothing to her in the grand scheme of things. I submit to you that she is simply above them all.

We can discuss Teyvat, Celestia, the Abyss all we want but if this information brought forward is right and primogems really are the established way in which it can manipulate the world for our dearest Traveler and his flying companion? Then who are we to stand against it?

I, Narky, submit to you, the reader, that Paimon is, without a shadow of a doubt, the First Descender.

Do I think that I'm reaching a little bit? Maybe. But does the evidence lie? No, I don't think it does.

To clarify further, no I do not think that the Unknown God and the First Descender are the same people nor do I think that they are on the best of terms. So with that in mind, the theory will make a bit more sense.

Final Notes + Commentary

I've been scouring the internet and the wiki for over eight hours now, so I think I'll end this here.

So . . . what do you think? Will this entire theory be retconned in a future update? Will people much more observant than I pick it to pieces? Am I simply off my rocker and not medicated enough? Pick your poison! As I've said before, we go ham or we go home and I'm sitting in my house.

I would like to thank the Genshin Impact Wiki for having all of this stuff available to scrutinize and read to enable me to do this. All images and quotes I use are from there. I would also like to thank @scalpel-mom-mori for sending me an ask about Khaenri'ahn lore, as this is what got me started on this.

Leave your thoughts, questions, and commentary if you'd like. I'll get to them when I get to them.

Thanks for taking the time to read all of this and maybehaps you took something from it that you can utilize somehow.

Until next time, I see you when I see you.

#narky thinks #going ham #genshin impact #genshin analysis #genshin lore #genshin theory #genshin worldbuilding #AKA: i saw ONE thing and suddenly i'm in the wiki trenches fighting for my life

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the-cat-and-the-birdie · 2 years ago

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Hobie's Boathouse

The S.S Anne Ark

[Headcanon Concept]

Here it is in all it's Grungy Glory. [Mentions of OCs below - Including my girl Disco-Spider Diane]

About Anne Ark:

The S.S Anne Ark is a modified wide-beam canal boat. Completely off-the-grid, and DIY'd by him, it's Hobie's pride and joy. The Anne Ark is three levels tall - a 'ground' floor, and upstairs, and a locked basement below the deck. The Anne Ark has two 'bedrooms' and one 'bathroom'. Hobie's bedroom is what was once the control room, gutted and converted and the second bedroom was once a small equipment space. Hobie has had Anne for four years, and after years of homelessness as a street kid, he happily calls it his forever home.

The Rooms:

The Living Room - [ Read more about Hobie's Living Room HERE ]

Hobie's make-shift art studio/recording booth/library/cat play area, the Living Room is where Hobie spends most of his time. It features his ratty old couch from Tower Hamlets, a ceiling mic for recording, and Hobie's pride and joy - his jukebox.

Hobie's Workshop

To the left of the jukebox is a hallway that leads to Hobie's workshop, and the staircase down to his locked basement.

Hobie's workshop if full of rubbish and metal that he'll tinker away with for hours. In fact, he made every prototype of his watch in that workshop (and there were many prototypes). Despite what one may assume, it's impeccable in there. He also keeps some gear for protests, as well as somethings he's working on for Spider-punk (barbed wire webs anyone?) OCs: Diane hardly goes in there, blessed with organic webs and cursed with technological incompetence. But sometimes he does invite people like Angel and Ale in.

Outdoor Back Deck

The 1st floor Back Deck houses the main parts of the engine. Hobie maintains and upgrades it regularly, trying out things like clean energy, and emission free designs. ________________________________________________

Behind the cat tree in the photo of the living room, there is a staircase that leads up to the second floor. The stairs open to: Hobie's Bedroom

Covered in army green shag carpet and a king size bed, Hobie's bedroom is nowhere near as put together as his workshop. I mean, the guy uses an amp as a nightstand.

There's usually clothes everywhere, thrifted or hand-made, but there's also a set of bean-bag chairs, dozens of posters, and an old busted-up (but working) TV.

His room as a large window facing his bed, what was once the main window of the boat's control room. The second floor stairs open up into his room, with a glass sliding door to the left that leads to the hallway.

Gwen's Bedroom

Gwen's bedroom is barely that - but she still appreciates it more than anything in the world. Hobie understands how important it is to have your own space when housing insecure, so he wanted her to have somewhere cozy, especially know that sometimes Gwen just wants to be alone. Most of Gwen's stuff his here, and she only keeps her clothes at the Society dorms.

The Decks

Front A hot spot Diane is known to throw raging parties after the band plays, and if you're looking for an encore, head down to Floor 1 and look up - Hobie is known to drop the red banner and play a show or two up there. Or night's off, it's a great place to have a smoke. Back The best place to be. During parties, this is dancefloor. Plus, it's a good place for snogging and looking out on the water. When not in party mode, Hobie cooks most of his food on the outdoor stove and grill. Having dinner out while watching the waves. ____________________________________________ The Colors:

Like Hobie, Anne has a whole spectrum of colors - and it's affected by a whole number of things.

Ranging from black and white to full on rainbow (on one rare occasion - now THAT was trippy), Anne Ark changes color the moment Hobie, or someone else, steps on board.

Sometimes, it can even adopt the art style of those inside - running watercolor when Gwen is upset, or going full harsh-shadow when Noir comes aboard.

Every person has a different color, ranging from yellow for people like Percy and Sacha or pink for Angel.

The Cats:

(pictured are Moto (left), and Pierogi (right)) [Read more about The BoatCats HERE] Other cats he has are: Acid & Viper (siblings), Creampuff (named by Diane) _______________________________________________

FAQ:

What's in Hobie's locked basement?

I don't know. He won't tell me. But it's something that means a lot to him. The basement spans the entirety of the lower-level of the boat.

How many cats does Hobie own?

If you ask, he'll say he doesn't own any. They're free to come and go as they please, and none of them have collars. All of his cats are adopted street cats - either too old, or too weak, or those who just wanted to live with him.

But if you ask Diane, she'll say 5. He's been mentioning bringing aboard a 6th.

Does Diane live on the houseboat?

No. Diane has her own Barbie Dreamhouse - a.k.a an all pink apartment back home in 1294's Harlem. She divides most of her time either there, or at the Black Panther Chapter House she was raised in a block or two away. She rarely stays with Hobie (maybe once or twice a month), and since Hobie messes up her throw pillows and always takes something from her closet, he hardly stays with her either.

Does Gwen live on the houseboat?

Mostly, yes. She has a dorm back at Society, and she sleeps there about 3 days a week. But the rest (including all weekends) is at the houseboat. Does Hobie sail/fish?

Yes, he does both.

What are Hobie's favorite colors?

He hates consistency. But Green, Pink, and Orange.

____________________________________

Yeahhhhh so that's the houseboat. Whenever I mention Diane being on the boat, it's this I'm seeing :) And I just added in the favorite colors thing because why not

Welcome to my incredibly detailed mind palace of Hobie's house boat that does even look anything like the actual concept art lol

Stay as long as you like. Take your shoes off, make yourself comfortable. Hobie's grilling out back and Diane's making the Kool-Aid (sweet as hell for no reason smh).

Now per usual, take this photo of Hobie, and if the police ask about a boat or sumn tell em u aint seen shit ok

Bye.

_______________________ OCs mentioned:

Disco-Spider Diane @mothmothmothmothmothmoth 's Sacha

@thewolfsoul 's Percy

@onmyownside1 's Angel

@spidey-bie 's Ansi

@suchholydebauchery 's Asa

anon's Alejandro

(i think that all I mentioned lol)

#no proofread as usu #hobie brown #spiderpunk #spider punk #atsv #across the spiderverse #across the spider verse #gwen stacy #spider gwen #spiderman #spider man #marvel #hobie brown x oc #spidersonas #spidersona #at the houseboat #spidergwen #pavitr prabhakar #miles morales

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loonarii · 1 year ago

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Idolizing Imperfection: The Ancient Allusions of 'Midas Touch' - KISS OF LIFE (an essay)

I have missed writing kpop essays so much and after watching the new Kiss of Life MV, I couldn't resist doing a scene by scene (with some lyrics) breakdown of the allusions to ancient mythology - (there are lots of other modern references, especially to Britney Spears, but the ancient ones are what I will be focusing on here, believe me there is more than enough to talk about.) I don't have any official qualifications surrounding this field (yet), but I am studying classical civilization and roman literature for a qualification, and I have a long time obsession with Greek mythology especially. Obviously all of these are my interpretations, this is not a definite guide to what exactly the creative direction team at S2 Ent. were thinking about for this comeback, and if you think I missed something or have a different interpretation of one of the scenes, please let me know in the reblogs/comments.

Let’s begin with the title of the track, ‘Midas Touch’. It references the Greek myth of King Midas, who (according to Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’) after winning the favour of the god Dionysus, was granted any wish he desired. Midas chose the ability to make everything he touched turn into gold, a wish driven by greed. Midas revelled in his new found powers, but the problems arose when he realised that all food he touched would be turned to gold too - he had condemned himself to starve to death. The myth is essentially a cautionary tale about the effects of greed; Midas is a tragic hero that brought about his own suffering due to his hamartia (tragic flaw) - his blessing becomes his curse. Today, having a ‘midas touch’ means that everything you are involved with is successful, but the main association of Midas with greed still remains. In the context of the song, KOL are saying that a relationship with them, although destined to end in tragedy, would be worth it for the ‘gold’ they can bring - “위험할수록 재밌잖아” (“The more dangerous it is, the more fun it is”). Midas may have died a tragic death, but his time alive was quite literally golden. Still, it feels slightly odd that KOL are associating themselves with someone so flawed - an idol should be the image of perfection, and in this way, the meaning of the song becomes quite subversive on a meta level. Keep this interpretation in the back of your mind, we will return to it later.

Within the music video itself, each of the four members are given solo scenes that I believe allude to different women of Greek mythology. Julie is first, depicted lying on a blush pink velvet heart with gold embellishments, shell and heart shaped boxes littered around her. The composition of the framing, as well as the beach imagery seems to allude to Boticelli’s ‘The Birth of Venus’, linking Julie with Aphrodite/Venus, the goddess of love. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is seen as beautiful beyond compare, but is also often characterised as highly vain and self absorbed. After hearing that some Greeks had begun to worship the ludicrously beautiful mortal woman Psyche instead of her, (and also out of protection of her son Eros to whom Psyche was married), she sent Psyche on a series of impossible trials designed to kill her, so she could remain the most beautiful. Once again, KOL compare themselves to people in the ancient world who were famously flawed.

Natty is seen next, intertwined with glittering spider webs. This is perhaps a reference to the tale of Arachne, a mortal woman who was highly skilled at weaving. She boasted that her skills were greater than Athena herself, the goddess of handicraft (and many other things), and Athena transformed her into a spider as punishment for her hubris (excessive pride). Like the tale of King Midas, Arachne’s story also centres around a fatal flaw bringing your own downfall, and like Midas and Aphrodite, Arachne is not typically remembered fondly within Greek Mythology canon.

Perched on a half dress, half throne that resembles a peacock, Belle is seen next. Originally I wasn’t certain who was being referenced here, but after some research I believe it may be Hera, although if you have another interpretation here I would love to hear it. Hera, the goddess of marriage and fertility, queen of the gods, and wife to Zeus, is affiliated with peacocks as they are one of her sacred animals, and are said to pull her chariot like horses. Hera is also, like Aphrodite, a goddess often portrayed in a negative light in mythology, repeatedly characterised as jealous and spiteful. A famous example of this is when Hera sent two snakes to strangle Heracles/Hercules, the illegitimate son of her husband Zeus, out of spite and jealousy for the boy’s mortal mother. Whether Hera had a right to be annoyed at her husband’s repeated adultery is another discussion, but generally speaking, when Hera is in a myth, she is often the villain.

Finally, we see Haneul, perched upon a corinthian style column (we love a greek column) surrounded by severed heads on spikes, a clearly war ridden scene. This is the allusion I am the least confident about, but I think perhaps she is supposed to be Helen of Troy? Helen is famous for being the catalyst for the Trojan War (perhaps this is the war scene she sits within?), she is the ‘face that launched a thousand ships’. Depending on the source, Helen is either a victim, kidnapped by the Trojan prince Paris, or she was seduced and went willingly, abandoning her Greek husband King Menelaus. The second seems to be the accepted narrative among many Roman authors, with writers such as Martial (in Epigrams 1.62) portraying her as the polar opposite of Penelope, who was seen as the image of loyalty. As a result, Helen is commonly portrayed as disloyal and unfaithful, the opposite of what an ideal woman in the ancient world was supposed to act like.

In their group scenes, there is also SO MUCH Medusa imagery - with snakes crawling all over their faces and hissing at the camera, and half broken stone statues littered here and there. As I am sure you are probably aware, Medusa is very much a villain in the myths she is depicted in, and despite modern reevaluations of her story (that I agree with) portraying her as a victim, in the primary sources, she is essentially an evil monster for Perseus to destroy - her death marks Perseus’s ascension to hero status.

So why oh why are KOL comparing themselves to figures so flawed? In their previous releases, especially their first comeback with ‘Bad News’, the girls are depicted trying to fix injustices in society - they expose corruption in corporations, they combat casual misogyny and sexual harassment, and they call out bullying and abuse. In ‘Midas Touch’ I believe they continue their addressing of injustices and double standards, this time with a focus on the idol industry, their own stomping ground. In the kpop industry, idols are expected to be perfect in every way - beautiful, highly skilled, never controversial, and loyal to their fans. Should an idol fail to uphold these impossible standards, they are relentlessly punished, especially if the idol is a woman. Last month, Karina’s earnest apology to ‘fans’ for falling in love exposed how ludicrous the standards are to the world, and other idols like Sakura, Wonyoung, and Jennie, continue to get bullied on a daily basis for not meeting all of the bars the industry sets them. A kpop idol should be talented, but never show off, they should be beautiful and care about their looks but never be vain, confident but never egotistical, and driven by passion, not the desire for fame and money. It’s all fucking impossible, especially when what constitutes being called the second traits is utterly arbitrary and depends on how many people woke up on stan twitter and decided they didn’t like you that day. In ‘Midas Touch’ KOL calls this out by openly depicting themselves with the traits that kpop stans hate - Julie is Aphrodite, beautiful but vain, Natty is Arachne, talented but boastful, Belle is Hera, confident but jealous, Haneul is Helen, influential but disloyal, and they all are Midas, spurred on by greed instead of passion. They recognise that these accusations are unavoidable, and by reclaiming the imagery of these symbols of undesirable traits, they call out and reject the standards the idol industry places upon them. Like Medusa, they may be seen by many fans as a villain, a hurdle for their favourite groups that have more promotion and budget to overcome on their way to the top, but in actuality, they are victims of an industry desperate to mould them into products to be bought and sold. I’ve seen lots of discussion online about what KISS OF LIFE’s concept is, as it seems to vary every comeback, but after ‘Midas Touch’ I am led to believe that their concept is rebellion, against society, idol culture, and the things they deem as wrong in the world. Other groups have done concepts similar in the past, such as LOONA in ‘Butterfly’ (you really thought I wasn’t going to bring them up at some point?? Are you new here??) but KOL is doing it explicitly, and consistently, and to me, that's very exciting. The kpop industry is ever changing, and with the foundations of the new 5th generation being established as we speak, perhaps KOL could cause it to change for the better. In summary, I am SO excited to see what they do next.

That honestly took a turn I wasn’t fully expecting at the end, but I hope you enjoyed regardless - I didn’t really talk about the actual song here, but I fucking loved it, and my full review will be part of my April monthly roundup - see previous installments on my masterlist. I encourage all of you to listen to ‘Midas Touch’ if you haven’t already, congratulations KISS OF LIFE for graduating nugudom, stream Birth by ARTMS, stan loona, and prepare for the loossemble comeback - lmk if you have any thoughts on my analysis or any other interpretations, or any topics you want me to write an essay on. cya next time ~ ari

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scoutofmymind · 3 months ago

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Hello! I just discovered I’m Your Man, and I’m so full of fondness for this story, I mean this is incredible. I read the lore and saw the visuals as well, this story is so so special to me. I was wondering (and hoping) if you were planning to write for this story again? Sending my love and appreciation your way <3

Hey darling! Thank you so much for reading, and asking me about it! I loved writing for that piece, it was a lot of fun, and I conjured up a lot of lore for it — I can’t promise I’ll finish, or that I’ll do an official second part, but under the cut I’m just giving you what I have that I never published (or finished) of a part 2.

Fair warning, I didn’t take the time to proof read too much or edit. This is essentially a kind-of first draft, so it might be messy, or worse, has plot holes. 💋

Evenings were easiest, though that was rather like saying drowning was preferable to burning.

They brought the blessed relief of shadows, of carefully maintained distances, of words swallowed behind silver spoons and crystal glasses. The gilded dining hall stretched endless between you and your father, though the space never felt quite vast enough. The table itself was a battlefield dressed in finery —every elaborate centerpiece a fortress, every candle flame a warning signal, every piece of silverware a potential weapon or witness.

Almost ironically — or perhaps deliberately, knowing your father's appetite for subtle cruelties — he'd begun stationing Luigi among the dinner guards.

The Grims stood like living statuary, paired in perfect symmetry along the walls, their muzzles gleaming dully in the candlelight.

Your father had always appreciated aesthetic suffering.

Each guard was positioned precisely, their shadows stretching across the imported marble in careful geometry.

Luigi stood sixth from the left, and though his stance matched his fellow Grims perfectly, you could read entire sonnets in the minute differences — the slightly looser grip on his weapon, the barely perceptible shift of weight when your father spoke too sharply, the way his eyes tracked the servants' movements with concern rather than suspicion.

Keeping your gaze from finding him had become an exquisite form of torture.

You'd developed an entire language of not-looking; studying the ornate ceiling frescos until you'd memorized every painted cloud, counting the crystalline drops on the chandeliers, examining your reflection in the soup as though it held state secrets. But your eyes were treacherous things, drawn to him like compass needles to true north.

The worst part was knowing your father watched you not-watching.

He sat at the table's far end, a spider in his web of calculated ceremony, measuring the space between your glances with the same precision he used to measure the kingdom's borders.

Each time your eyes skipped too close to Luigi's position, your father's wine glass would pause halfway to his lips — a gesture that carried more threat than any spoken warning.

Still, there was a bitter comfort in these evening performances.

At least in the dining hall, everyone wore their masks openly — your father's benevolent tyrant, your own dutiful daughter, Luigi's obedient hound.

The honesty of pretense, served alongside each carefully plated course.

"Father, why do we need the hounds here whilst we eat dinner?" You ask, letting sweetness drip from each syllable. The question is crafted with the same delicate precision as the sugar sculptures adorning tonight's dessert course — beautiful, fragile things designed to shatter.

Despite his perpetual softness toward you — or perhaps because of it — you'd seen what lurks beneath your father's facade.

Since your mother's death, you've watched him transform like iron in a forge, folding and refolding into something harder, sharper. The man who once read you bedtime stories now reads execution orders with the same cadence.

Your father's hand stills, fork hovering above his plate, and the silence stretches long enough that the candle flames seem to hold their breath.

"Tell me," he says finally, his voice carrying the same tone he uses when addressing servants who've broken valuable items, "would you question why we keep shields mounted on our walls? Or why the castle keeps its gates?" He sets his fork down with a loud precision that makes you flinch. "These creatures serve their purpose. Nothing more."

You cast your gaze upward to catch his, and the temperature in the room seems to drop as he continues, "They may walk on two legs, but make no mistake — they are tools, not beings for contemplation. The muzzles aren't decorative, they’re necessary. Like chains on a door."

You feel Luigi's presence across the dining room, steady as heartbeat, though you dare not turn, your fathers gaze flicking past your shoulder, and his lip curls slightly — the same expression he wears when discovering rats in the grain stores, a hand reaching for his pistol.

"Perhaps," he says, "you've spent too much time in the gardens. Your mother's softness speaks through you, and while it was charming in her, it has no place in our current Kingdom."

The mention of your mother falls like an executioner's axe, and he knows it.

Later, you find yourself shivering in the east hall, the long stretch of marble flooring illuminated by candelabras lining the ornate wall, their flames cast dancing shadows across centuries-old tapestries, each flicker a potential betrayal of this stolen moment. "Miss you," Luigi whispers earnestly, his voice barely stirring the air between you.

The winter's chill seeps through the very foundation beneath him, but even this bone-deep cold is preferable to his former post — outside the vacant North Tower where a new pup now stands, facing the harshest winds winter could devise, just as Luigi once did.

The east wing's bustling nature should have made it impossible to pluck Luigi from his duties, each passing shadow a potential witness, but like all obstacles your father erected between you, it only stood for a night or so — after all, you'd learned long ago that the busiest places often held the best hiding spots, and that most eyes saw only what they expected to see.

The castle's rhythms were as predictable as tides.

Every third hour, like clockwork, the kitchen staff would parade through the east hall with their thunderous carts of dishes and linens, and the noise would draw the attention of even the most disciplined guards, and the temporary chaos of bodies and movement provided perfect cover.

You'd learned this during your childhood wanderings, watching from hidden corners as the entire wing transformed into organized mayhem, and more importantly, you'd noticed how the guard stationed closest to the kitchens would habitually step aside, pressing against the wall to allow the procession through.

Luigi, being the newest addition to this post, had been stationed precisely there — a placement likely meant as another punishment, subjecting him to the constant disruption.

It was almost too easy to time your requests for his escort to these moments, when his temporary step away from his post would go unquestioned. After all, what guard would refuse a princess seeking protection during such chaos?

And if your chosen paths happened to lead away from the bustle rather than through it, well — that was simply a matter of comfort and propriety, wasn't it?

The library's defunct servant passages would be perfect — specifically, the narrow maintenance corridor behind the east wing's reading room, originally designed to allow servants quick access for tending fires and delivering books, it had fallen into disuse once the castle modernized its heating systems.

Few remembered these passages existed, their entrances cleverly disguised as decorative panels in the library's ornate woodwork.

What made it ideal was its location between the library's outer wall and inner chambers — the thick stone masking any sound, while the regular creaking of the building's ancient architecture provided perfect cover for any subtle movements.

Your fingers tremble with practiced urgency as you undo the cruel leather straps, each movement gentle despite your haste. The muzzle comes away with a wet sound that makes your chest ache, revealing the constellation of puncture wounds across his cheeks — fresh rivulets of blood trace familiar paths down his jaw, marking today as one where he couldn't hold his tongue.

"My stubborn boy," you breathe, already dabbing at the wounds with your handkerchief. The white silk comes away crimson, like all the others hidden away in your chambers. “Can’t keep anything to yourself.”

Luigi catches your wrist, stilling your ministrations.

Even in the dim light of your hidden corner, his eyes hold that same burning intensity that first drew you — not the dutiful blank stare of a Grimguard, but something wild and unbreakably human.

You lean forward, pressing your forehead to his, breathing in the metallic tang of blood and leather and him. This close, you can feel the slight tremor in his frame — exhaustion from standing at attention for so long, “Will you ever forgive me for putting you in this danger?” You whisper, your nose nudging his.

Despite the fresh wounds, a crooked smile tugs at his bloodied lips — the same reckless grin that gets him in trouble during training, as he reaches up with scarred knuckles to touch your face, his calloused fingers impossibly gentle for someone who's been trained to kill.

"Not your fault," he murmurs, wiping away a tear you hadn't noticed falling. His smile turns sharp, almost proud. "They tried to grab my collar and I caught his hand." He chomps his teeth dramatically at you, the bright white enamel bloodstained from the wounds on his cheeks.

You've seen him in the training yard, snarling defiance even as they force the muzzle on him.

Watched him stand proud with blood running down his chin because he refused to stay silent when ordered.

But here, with you, his fierce edges soften, even as he bears his bloody teeth in a playful grin — like a wolf pup showing off its first kill, eager for praise rather than fear. The same smile that terrorizes the guards transforms into something almost innocent when directed at you, even as he growls, "Let them hurt me. I hurt them back worse."

You reach out to trace the fresh thorn marks on his neck, each puncture a reminder of how close they come to going too deep. "Luigi, please," you whisper, voice catching. "They'll kill you if you keep this up. Father already talks about how you're more trouble than you're worth."

His playful grin falters for just a moment, something vulnerable flickering in his eyes before the wildness returns. "Let them." he says, but his voice lacks its usual bravado. His hand catches yours where it rests against his wounds. "I can't-I can't just submit like the others." He struggles with the words, frustration evident in his clenched jaw. "Rather die standing than live on my knees."

"You don't understand," you plead, gripping his forearms. "There are worse things than the thorns. I've seen what they do to the ones they decide to break. The ones that disappear into the lower chambers." Your voice drops to a horrified whisper. "Sometimes we can hear them screaming for days."

Luigi goes very still at that, his breathing shallow.

For a moment, real fear crosses his face — not for himself, you realize, but something else.

Or someone else.

But he only allows himself a heartbeat to sit with that grief before he's pressing his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply. This part of his ritual is as familiar as breathing — marking you with his scent, erasing any trace of the suitor who dared stand too close today.

The gesture should seem animal, primitive, and perhaps it is.

After all, that's how they raised him.

Chained and muzzled, trained with thorns and pain until human and beast blurred together; yet, there's something achingly human in the way his hands tremble against your back, in how he breathes your name like a prayer against your skin.

Flesh and bone and something wilder — something they couldn't beat out of him no matter how hard they tried.

You could feel the heat radiating off of him, wild hearts beating in tandem, hands roaming two bodies that ache for each other but have been kept apart for far too long. "How much longer?" he murmurs against your neck, the words half-growl, half-plea. His fingers trace idle patterns on your back, but there's tension in every line of his body. "Until we can stop hiding?"

You know what he's asking — about the plans you've whispered in the dark, about the ship waiting in the southern harbor and the loyal Grimguards who've agreed to look the other way, about the small fortune in jewels you've slowly been converting to untraceable coin.

Three more weeks until the spring festival, when security will be distracted and the crowds will provide cover. Three more weeks of watching him bleed, of forcing yourself to smile at what your father has called the Destined Suitor.

"Soon," you promise, running your fingers through his hair, careful of the fresh bruise at his temple. "Just a little longer.” You pull back just enough to cup his face in your hands, forcing him to meet your eyes. "Three weeks," you whisper. "Then we'll be free. No more thorns, no more hiding. Just us."

The wild hope that flares in his eyes makes your chest ache. It's the same look he had when you first suggested running away together — like he couldn't quite believe someone would choose him, choose freedom with a broken weapon over a crown and a kingdom.

“Just us.” Luigi echoes, a nod following an earnest hum. He transfers his trust to you, not just in this very moment but in all of them. In every moment he leaves his post to be with you, in every moment he ‘s vulnerable, the whimpering pup who snarls and spits and makes itself as big as possible when threatened.

"Are you scared?" you whisper, Your fingers trace the raw edges where metal has worn his skin thin. His slight head shake carries a practiced indifference, but you notice how his throat tightens, how his fingers curl against your dress. You've seen what happens in that arena — watched pups tear into each other with desperate fury, their humanity unraveling thread by bloody thread as the crowd cheers.

"No," Luigi says, but the scars around his cheeks tell a different story. They're deeper now, darker — a map of defiance etched into flesh. Each time you remove his muzzle, each precious moment he claims his face as his own, the wounds carve themselves deeper.

His attention drifts to your face, and something in his expression softens. There's still a boy beneath the scars, beneath the kingdom's attempts to forge him into steel. "Are you worried for me?" His hand lifts, catching a strand of your hair between callused fingers. Even now, with hands trained to break bone, he touches you like you're made of gossamer.

Like he's afraid his violence might stain you.

"The Teething doesn’t hold a match to the Muzzling.” He recalls the sparring he’d done with his first muzzle, even before it’d been thorned — heavy metal weighing his head, obscuring most of his sight, meant to train him for endurance before his permanent one.

"What's any of it good for?" The wonder slips out before you can catch it, fragile as a dying breath. Your fingers trace the cruel architecture of his muzzle laid off to the side, and you remember a different kingdom.

You'd grown up believing in fairy tales — in a land where the castle's shadow meant protection, where your father's crown symbolized wisdom rather than power. You remember running through meadows that bloomed eternal, your shoes stained green from grass that seemed to stretch into forever, and how the gardeners would weave you crowns of daffodils, the air always smelling of spring's promise.

Now those same fields lie buried under sheets of unforgiving ice.

The flowers have long since withered, their graves marked by frost. Even the earth itself seems to have hardened, frozen to its core like your father's heart. Sometimes you wonder if you dreamed that gentler kingdom, if it ever truly existed beyond your childhood memories — or perhaps this is what kingdoms always become, when kings forget that crowns should weigh heavy with responsibility rather than pride.

You watch his eyes drift back to the crystal chandelier above, searching for wisdom in its scattered light. "I think-“ His tongue clicks softly against his teeth, followed by that drowsy habit of his, lips parting in a yawn he'd normally have to suppress. Without the muzzle, he can indulge in these small freedoms.

"I think it is necessary."

The words hang in the stillness between you, and your fingers weave through his dark waves, each curl a small rebellion against the military precision they demand of him, but you don't interrupt this rare moment of vulnerability. He's still learning to trust his voice, to remember that language can be wielded as skillfully as teeth and claws.

"I think," he continues, each word carefully chosen, "the kingdom needs teeth." His eyes hold a wisdom that makes him seem ancient despite his youth, although he struggles still to find the words. "Without the Teething, they might forget what power looks like. And when they forget-" He pauses, and you see him wrestling with memories he hasn’t shared yet. “That's when real monsters want to play. At least with us, with the hounds, everyone knows where the danger lies."

The terrible logic of it makes your chest ache.

He's learned to see his own subjugation as a form of protection — a controlled violence to prevent unchecked chaos. The clear-eyed understanding of a young man who's seen too much of the world's darkness.

"When they know what we can do — what we're made to do-“ his voice grows softer, almost gentle, "they stay in line. They don't hurt each other in the streets. They watch us fight instead." His fingers tighten in your dress, betraying the conviction in his words. "Before the hounds, before the muzzles. There was so much blood. At least now-“ he swallows hard, "there are rules."

You hear what he won't say, that he'd rather bear the thorns himself than watch the kingdom tear itself apart — that somewhere he's accepted his role as both warning and sacrifice, carrying the weight of controlled brutality to ward off something he fears would be far worse.

It's the logic of someone who's been taught that peace can only exist in the shadow of power — and perhaps has seen enough to believe it.

Still, it would never stop him from pushing the envelope.

His acceptance of necessity didn't breed docility.

He’d always bite the hand that fed him.

But to show him kindness without permanence would have been a cruelty worse than leaving him.

Furthermore, Luigi was devastatingly easy to love.

He was rough around the edges that needed it — calloused hands, scarred knuckles, the way he'd bare his teeth when startled; but he was soft in all the ways that mattered.

How he'd fold your blankets in the morning, the gentle way he'd test bath water with his wrist, how he hummed old lullabies while he clung to you in your sleep, always mindful of your feelings, still, despite years of being trained as a demonic pet rather than human.

Against all odds, against the leather and steel they'd forced between his teeth, against every lash and command, Luigi had clung to his humanity like a drowning man to driftwood. It lived in his laugh — starting rusty, as if remembering how, then building to something wild and free. It showed in his breathing — no longer the measured pants of a trained beast, but deep and steady and sure.

If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them in terms of lore or where I planned on going with the story. Like I said, I loved writing for it! I just can’t promise a continuation beyond this and I apologize! But that’s also not to say I never will.

#req #💌#luigi mangione fanfic #luigi mangione x reader

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evolutionsvoid · 9 months ago

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With its grip on the land and its influence over all, it is obvious that the Church of Divine Wealth is a massive organization. Their reach is far and their power great, having ruled over all as the dominate religion for an era. At such a size, it is only natural that smaller pieces would be found within. Like the divine bodies they worship, any single entity is built upon multiple parts that function in unison to make it all work. As the blessed organa within our own flesh makes us who we are, the Church has a similar arrangement. Sects within their great folds that serve to bolster their numbers, influence and reach. Some were built within the Church itself, while others were absorbed and repurposed, as the Church found use for them while the outsiders chose assimilation over annihilation. Of the many parts and pieces that thrive in the Church in their own special way, there are four who stand out above all. Four pillars that support the Church of Divine Wealth, four organa whose fluids and faith allow this massive system to thrive. How perfect it all seemed back then...

One of the great sects within the Church is the Emerald Court of Eudaia, an organization of wisdom, learning and philosophy. Here was where the mysteries and conundrums of the world were discussed and debated, where brilliant minds came to puzzle and practice. All throughout the kingdoms held by the Church, courtrooms and debate parlors could be found where folk could learn and witness. Those who wished to meditate upon the secrets of the world, or the turmoils of their own existence would find a home here. The popular saying was that the Emerald Court was the Church's trap for those who considered themselves "too smart for religion." Those who debated about the gods, humors and all of existence would wind up here, fueling the Church even as they question faith. With this freedom to discuss and wonder, it painted the entire organization in a favorable light, giving the impression of open mindedness. And with such wisdom and delving into the mind, what better organization to represent Phlegm? A visit to the actual Court of Eudaia will show this beyond the shadow of a doubt.

The Court of Eudaia is in itself an entire academy, a great fortress of the mind. Beyond the walls lies the grand dome of the court, split and lobed like a divine brain. Within lies countless libraries, parlors and meditation chambers, all so one may better explore the mind. Court rooms and meeting chambers designed to hold debates and discussions, where folk may bring their ideas and theories for scrutiny. And in the center of the two halves lies the one and only Emerald Court, where the high philosophers hang in their web of endless discussion and musing. Here is where the brightest and greatest meet and speak, and where it is said the stances and futures of the Church are mulled over. Even the highest members of the Church would send their ideas and problems to this court, to see what these minds would discover. Folk eager for enlightenment would travel entire kingdoms to gain access, so that they could expand their own wisdom. Those with promise would be seen and eventually invited into the fold, so that they too could become a philosopher.

The most common members of the Court are the Philosophers, those who have devoted their lives to the art of discussion and moral quandaries. They take on the robes of green, and spend every waking moment reading, learning and puzzling over certain topics. As their time in the Court continues, they will begin to focus their sights on a scant few topics, putting all their energy into answering these questions. This niche study is what will give them an identity and purpose, and they will aim to be the master of it. Of course, others may choose this same subject, and they are welcome to, as this is where the great debates begin. Any theory, any idea, must be thoroughly discussed and scrutinized. Debate is necessary to find the truth, to cut through personal bias and foolish assumptions. It is expected for all philosophers to go to battle in the parlor, to be ready to be run through the wringer as they present their ideas. All wannabe students are forced to sit through several precedings, so that they may witness what these debates entail. Naturally, many drop their idea of joining the Court once they see these brutal defenses, as it is too much pressure to bear. This is meant to weed out the weak, as those who cannot take criticism or admit being wrong have no place here.

Philosophers start out as any other folk, but as their studies continue and their imbibing of Phlegm grows more and more to clear their minds, they begin to change. Neglect in eating and personal care causes most to grow gaunt and emaciated, eventually fueling themselves purely through hasty broths and Phlegm. Reclusive in studies and dusty libraries make them pale or even gray in appearance, as the dust and malnutrition shrivels them. In time, growing philosophers will see that they have reached the limit the basic human form can attain, and thus must open their minds further. The use of trepanning is the sign of evolution in a philosopher, literally opening one's mind to new possibilities and ways of thinking. It starts with a hole in the forehead, as if carving a third eye, and eventually calls for the removal of the entire skull cap. Outsiders can easily identify the rank of philosophers by noting how much of their green brains are exposed, as these are those who have expanded their minds beyond normal means. Yet, this is still not the end of their growth.

When one truly becomes a famed philosopher of the Emerald Court, their entire head will be cast aside. As it is found out, the senses and mortal wants simply distract from true enlightenment. A mouth only hungers, the ears are bombarded by distractions and wandering eyes take in details that are superfluous to advancement. Thus, a philosopher will eventually reduce their head to a brain, held within a clear orb filled with brilliant Phlegm. Awash in this calming and wise humor, they can truly be in the right state of mind to puzzle out the mysteries of the universe. The only need they must partake in now is the refreshment of their humor, which is needed when it grows cloudy and confused. Not only does this transformation allow for better thinking, it allows for the truest form of debate and conversation. Now they are no longer hindered by meaty tongues that tire and mortal nerves that scramble and fail. By using clearvein, they can hook up their spheres to other philosophers and swap fluids to partake in deep debate. To outsiders, not a single word is said, yet entire libraries worth of musings are released in mere minutes. Entire networks may be linked up as the arguments grow, taking in more and more perspectives. Some rooms may be reduced to a web of orbs and brains, locked in a ceaseless discussion.

The act of linking brains is a crucial one, as the philosophers warn about getting lost in your own dome and ideas. If one only listens to the sloshings of their own brain, then they will easily fall down the path of bias, blindness and assumption. They must connect with others to discover their own faults and get fresh perspectives. Thus, it is considered taboo if a philosopher has not linked up with anyone for an extended period of time, and word will travel that they have succumbed to ego. If they cannot get their ideas

approved by at least three other brains, then the highest levels of court will refuse to even let them present. Many take the logical route of opening discussion with others, but some crooked philosophers, consumed by ego and the want to be right, will go through shadier routes. They will find weaker minds and simpler folk to take under their wing, and then steal their brains. These will be placed in orbs and given Phlegm, but their minds are far from ideal philosopher material. This is fine for the cheater, who wants strawmen to dominate with their arguments and mind. These naive brains will cave to their superior, and become mere yes men to bolster their image and presence. Inside these halls, it is not uncommon to have posses of philosophers who group together and detract foes who "cheat" or undertake topics seen as unworthy. Though physical violence in heated debates between these unofficial factions is rare, the mental warfare going between them could reduce a man to a mindless husk.

When civil war broke out within the Church of Divine Wealth, the Court of Eudaia was quick to separate itself from the violence. This sect wanted nothing to do with the whole affair, and sealed their gates and halls to all. As philosophers, such brutish battles were beneath them and an utter waste of their talents. However, the crumbling of the Church and the ever growing war provided ample fruits of debate and discussion. Now there were new topics to present to the court, and all minds were eager to be the ones to solve these new conundrums. So now, as the war destroys the lands and leave the people fighting for survival, the great court of Eudaia spends its time and resources to prattle on about war, power and what it all means. Many outsiders wonder if there will even be a world left by the time they settle upon a decision.

Those who have climbed their walls and survived their defenses in hopes of gaining audience are never seen from again. In time, folk have abandoned the idea of rousing the high philosophers from their solitude. With the Emerald Court now fully severed from the outside world, they must be hungering for new ideas and perspectives. No doubt those who break in are seen as fresh tomes, ripe for the reading. Rumors are abound that those who enter are taken apart at the seams by the hungering debaters, eager for more fuel to their debates.

Due to the closure of the court and their defenses, many traveling philosophers were locked out, with no way to get back in. Thus they are forced to wander the war torn lands. However, they have taken this turn of events as an opportunity to learn more about the subject and find real juicy debate points out here in the ashes. With the chaos around them and the abandonment by their own institute, some have gone off the deep end. They would believe that if they find the right subject or philosophical view, that they would be allowed back into their home. And sometimes these different points of view come from others, and they know exactly how to get a hold of these new perspectives. And after all, what they are doing is a favor to the common folk. To be shed of all worries and pain, now allowed to join an enlightened conversation! Who wouldn't welcome such a chance? Thus, reports of mad philosophers in the wilds have begun to circulate, leaving behind the empty skulls of those who proved to be "fascinating conversationalists." It should be remembered that while these crazed folk may be physically frail, their mental abilities and mastery over Phlegm can make them deceptive opponents. Armor and weapons are useless when a wave of Phlegm makes you forget how to even use your muscles.

#orb #sphere #brain #philosopher #art #drawing #fall of ichor

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