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#Clockwork’s provided explanation of
dragonofthedepths · 1 year
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Guardian Spirits 7.2.23
DP x DC. Clockwork, Danny, Pandora, Robin, Superboy, The Big Three, confused teachers. Clockwork is Kronos.
“That,” Diana says, sounding like she just got thrown face-first through a building and is struggling to regain her breath, “is Lord Kronos and Lady Pandora.”
Ah.
Clark would’ve said they don’t have any heartbeats.
Neither of them felt the need to play captain obvious and point out things like glowing, floating, blue skin, or Obviously Not Human.
Danny got away from his parents and Amity and is attending school under the name Phantom —because why be subtle when you don’t plan on showing anyone your ghost half. The same school Robin and Superboy are attending.
Some sort of parental advisory meeting or parents day or something— is called, and Bruce and Clark attend in their civvies, with Diana tagging along as the designated holder of the brain cell.
Clockwork and Pandora show up as Danny’s guardians, not making the slightest effort to hide anything at all.
Day (617/100) in my #∞daysofwriting @the-wip-project 7th of Feb
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xysidhequeen · 1 year
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The King and his Red Knight
DPxDC crossover fic
Part 1
Really sorry to everyone who suffered through the fact that I didn't know about the existence of readmore. I can't fix the thread now but the individual posts are better? Sorry I have like a very rough idea of how this site works 😭
Check the: The King and his Red Knight tag to find all the parts
"Go here, Danny. Go then, Danny. Go to a random cemetery in the middle of the night for no reason, Danny." A voice grumbled, accompanied by the sound of sneakers rhythmically tapping stone.
Danny Fenton, currently Phantom, sat on a gravestone, his white hair a beacon in the dark night. There were no stars in the sky for him to gaze upon, their light hidden behind swaths of smog and neon lights playing off the gray clouds.
Clockwork had dumped him here, with no explanation for why. Not that he ever really explained much when he sent Danny off on his tasks. He supposed he should be grateful, at least he was in the same when rather than being transported a thousand years into the past.
"Wait here King Phantom. You will understand in time." Danny mimicked his mentor's voice as he let himself float off the grave he'd been dumped on after Clockwork shoved him out of a portal. His body floated higher until he could flip around, his legs crossing. He sat upside down, his chin in his palm as he glared petulantly at the assembled gravestones surrounding him, his toxic green eyes glowing.
"So far all I've seen is a concerning amount of ecotplasm for a city without a ghost portal and some blob ghosts! How long am I supposed to wait here?" Danny asked the air, and the aforementioned blob ghosts who were hanging off his body, soaking in the ambient ecotoplasm he radiated at all times now.
Neither provided him with an answer to his question and Danny let out a frustrated groan as he lowered his still flipped body to look once more on the gravestone he'd been tasked with waiting on.
Jason Todd, the name read. The dates, too close together, made something in Danny squeeze painfully. He'd been young, barely older than Danny when he stepped into the portal. Only for this teenager there had been no ectoplasm to bind to his dying body and repair the damage of death and force him back into a semblance of life.
"Who were you and why did Clockwork send me to you?" Danny asked the gravestone, one clawed finger tracing the words before he pulled back with a sigh when the gravestone gave him no explanation. The dead didn't always speak, not even to their king.
Turning his body Danny looked over the rest of the cemetery. It was empty, as most usually were this time of night, of the living. There were a few shades wandering around, circling closer to him, drawn by his presence. No full ghosts though, but oddly enough there rarely were in cemeteries. This was where the dead came to rest. To remember, if they wanted to. Cemeteries were sacred spaces to the dead, much as a temple or a church would be for the living who were religious. Ghosts who still clung to life, to their obsessions, did not frequent cemeteries, did not dare trespass and disturb those who had already found their peace.
Danny himself was an oddity. He had never shied from cemeteries, enjoying the peace he found in them, the guarantee of safety offered. And perhaps, he mourned that he himself would never have a gravestone for the living to place their flowers and their tears at. Who would make a grave for someone who was both alive and dead? There would never be a body to bury for him. His human half would continue to live on so long as his ghost core remained and could fuel it.
Maybe that was why he found peace in cemeteries, for all his whining that Clockwork had dumped him here. Cemeteries were for the living and the dead, one of the only places both existed in harmony naturally. For someone who was as much dead as he was alive such a place held a certain degree of belonging for him.
Danny straightened out in the air, letting his body lie above the grave as he folded his arms behind his head and looked up at the covered sky. He complained and whined about this task, but he was secretly glad that Clockwork had given him something to do. Even if it was just 'hang out in a random cemetary'.
Ever since he'd graduated high-school, revealed himself to his parents and discovered how deep prejudice and hate could run, and he'd run away to the Infinite Realms for sanctuary while his friends moved forward with their lives, he'd felt unmoored. A ghost with no haunt. Bored was too light a word for the gaping emptiness he felt in his chest, for the loneliness clawing at him. Clockwork, Wulf, Pandora they could help chip at the ache inside of him but not banish it. Not now that his family, his friends, were spread so far apart and so distant from him.
Not that he resented their choices, their distance, in fact he'd fought for them to do just that, to get out of Amity Park, to go to college, to become more than overworked teen superheroes. Still he missed them, even if he could visit them whenever he wanted. It was becoming clear as time moved forward that the world they belonged to and the one he did were two different things.
Danny Fenton couldn't go to college when his parents had declared him dead. Danny Fenton didn't exist as far as the government was concerned. Danny Phantom couldn't return to Amity when those same parents were waiting to capture him and tear him apart 'molecule by molecule'. Danny Phantom couldn't go back when the GIW were crawling over the town like ants.
So neither Danny Fenton or Danny Phantom returned to Amity after that day. And he made sure they couldnt follow him when he ensured the portal that took his life to function never opened again. He didn't need the portal any longer to get in and out of the Infinite Realms, and it was safer for the ghosts, his subjects, if the temptation of the Fenton portal was gone.
The world of the living was not yet ready to accept that the dead didn't always stay dead. And Danny would keep his people safe until they were.
Danny jolted from his lazing state of reverie when a pulse of emotion rocked through him, the strength of it stealing his breath if he had any to take.
Fear/Trapped/Dark/Fear/Help/HELP pounded into him and Danny frantically flipped around, head swiveling, poisonous green eyes wide as he triedf to locate the source. The emotions, the plea for help, burned his core, his Obsession screamed at him.
Help/SomeonePlease/Dark/Trapped/CANTBREATHE/HELP another wave of messages, of emotions pushed themselves at Danny and this time underneath the onslaught he could hear a rhythmic thudding. Danny looked down, horror filling him when he realized the thudding was coming from under the ground. From the grave he'd been hovering over for an hour now.
Danny flew down, sending back a wave of I'mHere/HelpIsComing/I'mComing to the boy trapped in his own coffin, feeling the intense wave of relief and hope sent back before he dived into the earth as if it wasn't there. Danny paused for a moment when he passed the thick wooden coffin, seeing a boy in the dark with wide, panicked blue eyes and fingers tipped with shredded nails and fresh blood.
"Hey, I'm going to get you out of here, okay?" Danny told the boy, keeping his voice gentle, soft. The boy jolted, fixating on the only source of light, Danny's growing green eyes. Danny hoped his smile came off as calming instead of 'freaky AF' as Tucker liked to call it. He grabbed the boy, Jason, as carefully as he could and then let his intangibility wash over the terrified teen as he lifted them both out of the coffin.
When they emerged from the coffin and the ground Danny set the teen down, leaning him against the gravestone, his own gravestone, and pulled back a bit. The boy was gasping in air as if the fetid, polluted air was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted.
Danny tilted his head as he watched the boy ground himself. Now that the emotions were leveling out and his Obsession was purring in contentment rather than growling in a frenzy, Danny could feel something off about the boy.
Disregarding the fact that he'd just come back from the dead, of course. But that wasn't the oddest thing Danny had seen in his afterlife. No the boy felt... not like a normal, living human. Not even like an Amity Park resident, who all felt more than slightly liminal. No this boy, this Jason Todd, felt closer to liminal than even Jazz, Tucker or Sam, who were three of the most liminal humans Danny had ever been around.
Jason felt almost...like a ghost. But not. Danny could feel the tickle in his throat that proceeded his ghost sense but the tell-tale mist never emerged. It was as if Jason was...like him. But Danny couldn't sense a core either. Even halfas had cores.
"Who are you?" Jason spoke, breaking Danny from his thoughts and examination. Jason was looking at him with a mix of gratitude and suspicion. Which, fair. Danny had just pulled him from his own coffin and there were so many questions that could stem from all of this, disregarding all the weirdness that was just Danny himself.
"I'm Danny, Danny Phantom. Or just Phantom. I go by either. And you're Jason, right?" Danny asked, smiling at the teen and oops, yeah that was definitely his scary smile based on the slight flinch there. It wasn't his fault his teeth were too sharp now and his lips split a bit too wide.
"How did you know that?" Jason asked, blue eyes narrowing. Danny nodded at the gravestone the boy was leaning against with a raised brow. Jason turned and almost toppled over from the movement. Danny frowned as the boy caught himself on his gravestone. His skin was still pale, too pale, and as Danny watched Jason swayed again.
"Shit. You're fading. You didn't form a core and your body isn't stabilizing." Danny cursed, moving towards the boy who scrambled back, only to be stopped by his grave.
"What the hell are you doing?" Jason asked, hands fisting as he tried to rise only to fall back to the ground when his legs refused to hold his weight.
"Saving your life. The dead aren't supposed to come back. There's always a price to pay, a balance that is struck. Currently, as you are, if I don't get enough ectoplasm in you to form your core, you'll fade and turn into a brain-dead husk." Danny told Jason, tone stern and no nonsense as he grabbed him. Jason made an effort to break free, but it was weak, and even at full strength, he wouldn’t have been able to break Danny's hold. Few in this realm could.
If they had the time, Danny would've approached this situation in a far different manner, but this close he could hear Jason's heartbeat, a weak flutter in his chest, skipping beats as it tried to fuel a body that was past saving. Jason didn't have the time for Danny to approach this gently and kindly, to coax trust out of the teen like he would a feral cat.
Jason had minutes left before his ectoplasm starved body consumed itself trying to make a core and failed because while wherever they were had more ambient ectoplasm than most places, it was far from enough to sustain the birth of a halfa. Maybe if Jason had stayed dead for another year, he'd have naturally formed a core and risen as a proper ghost. But that wasn't what happened, somehow he'd gathered enough to fix his body of whatever wounds or illness had put him in that coffin to begin with and come back to 'life' but without a core to sustain his body he'd be dead, again, in minutes. And Danny was not about to watch while a teenager, another teenager, died.
"How do I know I can trust you?" Jason hissed as Danny pushed his arms down and laid his clawed hands on Jason's chest.
"You don't. But you don't have another choice." Danny said with a shrug. "Now are you going to let me save your life or not?" Danny asked, not moving his hands. He'd save Jason either way but this would be easier if Jason worked with him.
"Fine." Jason spat and Danny smirked as his hands began to glow a toxic green that matched his eyes.
Ectoplasm pooled out of his hands and rushed into Jason, filling him until the boy glowed bright enough to rival the neon lights of the city around them. The green light flared around him like an aura, slowly shrinking but getting impossibly brighter as the glow centralized around his chest until a small glowing ball of green, like a trapped star, blazed from his chest.
Jason gasped, back arching as Danny pulled his hands away and the light vanished under Jason's skin. For a moment Jason's blue eyes burned green and his hair flashed snow white before returning to black, with one single lock of unearthly white left above his forehead. Jason collapsed back against his grave, chest heaving. Danny watched, eyes full of a sad understanding.
"What the fuck was that?" Jason panted out.
"Welcome to the world of the half alive, half dead." Danny said with a smile. "Want to get a burger and talk about it?" He asked, standing up and dusting off his hands.
"Make it a chili dog and you've got a deal."
~~~~~
Fixed some typos added some lines
Maybe I'll continue this AU. Maybe not. This scene was in my head for days and I wanted to share
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dulcesiabits · 2 months
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plum blossom soliloquy.
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summary: ruan mei is the one person in the universe who can touch you.
notes: 3.6k words, author's notes, themes of codependency/worship, made-up science, loosely inspired by cardia from code realize
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Ruan Mei collects pieces of you everyday. 
With insulated gloves pulled up to her elbows and safety goggles perched on her nose, she extracts samples of your blood, strands of your hair, and biometric readings from her scanner. This is your daily ritual, and Ruan Mei’s visits mark the beginning of your day. She never fails to come in like clockwork, more consistent than the sun itself.
You don’t ask what she does with the samples; her explanations never make much sense, and your education is woefully limited. But Ruan Mei always hums as she works, delicate strands of music like peach blossoms waving in a spring breeze, and you can never take your eyes off of her as she carefully clips strands of your hair, head bent over in concentration. Close enough that you can smell the plum pastries still clinging to her, warm and sugary and fragrant. She must have had some for breakfast.
“How are your findings?” you ask. 
“The high toxicity level of your body remains stable,” she murmurs. “And yet, you still don’t feel any discomfort?”
When she says this, Ruan Mei looks at you with calculations and dreams swirling in her eyes like a galaxy. You flush at her evaluating gaze, as if she can stare past your skin into the hollows of your soul, everything stripped bare in front of her. 
“No, not at all,” you say softly. “I feel normal.”
“You’re a marvelous specimen,” Ruan Mei responds. 
You bite back a smile at her words, pressing your teeth down on your bottom lip. There’s a miniature sun in your chest, burning and bright, at her praise.
“Will I see you at the same time tomorrow?” you ask her. 
Ruan Mei stands, briskly arranging all her samples. “Yes, of course. Your meals will be delivered as per the usual time.” 
“Ruan Mei,” you say quickly, “May I make a request?” It’s audacious of you to ask. You’ve never voiced your thoughts to her before. You don’t dare to disturb her, and try to stay out of her way as much as you can. What is so different about today? Nothing, nothing at all, but the sight of her back to you makes you feel lonely. So, you offer your words to her like a worshiper to a god, hopeful for any acknowledgement.
She frowns thoughtfully at you. “Yes?”
“May we have today’s meal together?” 
“Together? I fail to see the point of such an endeavor,” she says. “We run on different schedules.”
“I’m sorry if it’s presumptuous,” you murmur. You should have known better than to bother her. “You can forget it if it’s too much.” 
Ruan Mei tilts her head at you, squinting as if you’re some particularly strange calculation. Your skin tingles under her gaze, and you fight to keep your own eyes locked on hers.
“I suppose I can,” she says at last, “if that’s what you wish.” 
“Thank you,” you say.
She nods, once, before exiting out of the lab. You let out an exhale, before hugging yourself at the unexpected clemency she has granted you. 
The two of you do not talk much outside of the scheduled appointments in which she, like clockwork, shows up at eight in the mornings per standard time to collect samples of your body. Though she has given you free reign of her lab, outside of a few forbidden zones in which she conducts delicate research, you mainly squirrel yourself away in the little room she’s provided for you. It’s comforting to burrow in your corner of her lab; the idea of disturbing her experiments with your carelessness worries you endlessly. You’re not used to having space to wander, either, and keeping your world small and limited is easier for you.
Some might call her cruel, but that’s only because they do not understand the nature of her work, so grand and all-consuming that you’re honored to have a role to play in it at all. You would gladly offer up every last piece of yourself if only to feel Ruan Mei’s touch once. After all, what other use would a body like yours have? Your body, which is toxic to the touch. Prolonged exposure to your skin is lethal. Flowers wilt. Birds choke up. Everything beautiful dies when it comes into contact with you.
But Ruan Mei, as lovely as a plum blossom, is the only beautiful thing who hasn’t. 
Your story before Ruan Mei was painfully dull. There was nothing to say about that time, which was filled only with a monotony of endlessly repeating days, of set meals and lessons and an empty manor, with its carefully preserved artifacts.
You didn’t remember your parents. Perhaps you had killed them, or they had abandoned you. Maybe you didn’t have any parents at all, and had simply sprung into existence by an aeon’s will. You had never learned the truth about your heritage, no matter who you asked. Not that there was anyone to ask. In your frozen wasteland of a home, you had grown up with only a few android servants for companions, who oversaw your education and general health. Outside of that, you were alone. You could only learn about the world through the books you read. 
“What’s this?” you pointed a finger at a picture of a tree, pink flowers blooming voraciously across its every limb. You must have been seven or eight, and had never seen anything so colorful before. 
“That is a plum blossom tree,” your android teacher said, its motors whirring. “It is a tree that can be found across the Xianzhou Luofu, and is a popular subject of art. It blooms during the spring, and the fruit has a variety of uses in cooking and medicine.”
“Plum blossoms…” You trace the brushstrokes of the petals with your fingers, as if you could feel the soft silk if you just tried hard enough. You knew what trees were, but you had never seen one in person. Nothing green could survive in the icy landscapes of your particular planet. “Do you think I’ll be able to see it one day?”
“Negative. It is too dangerous for you to venture away from your home. It is possible your body could contaminate the tree and sicken it, as well.”
“Oh.” 
It was just the way things were. You were dangerous. You could not leave. You would most likely stay in your isolated mansion, surrounded by drifts of snow and ice, until you died. 
There were no visitors. All you understood about the world came from the books the androids offered you. There was no advanced technology in your household, as if someone had forbidden all your contact with the outside world. The most you were allowed was a scratchy record-player, out of which poured music you had no context for.
That was your life. At least it was until Ruan Mei arrived.
Ruan Mei had not bothered to knock on your door. Instead, she had picked the lock and strode in as if the mansion belonged to her, even as the androids fruitlessly tried to get her to leave. She brought in swirls of snow, trekking ice across the floor, sending your servants into a panic. She was calm, even as they pushed her with their mechanical arms.
The commotion and the noise had driven you out of your room, where you hovered on the second floor, watching this strange woman. Slowly, you crept closer, down the stairs, to the first floor, to the source of the disruption of your average life. 
When Ruan Mei saw you, she strode towards you. Entranced, all you could do was watch her. This was the first human you had encountered in your entire life. Was she a dream? Or a ghost? It wasn’t until she was close enough to raise a gloved hand to brush against your cheek that you flinched back, skittering from her touch. 
Still, enough of the glove brushed against the edge of your cheek so that the silk sizzled and blackened against your corrosive skin, revealing her pale fingers.
“Curious,” she said, flicking the glove aside. “It seems the rumors weren’t wrong. You are a strange specimen.” 
“You shouldn’t do that,” you rasped, still edging backwards. “You shouldn’t touch me. You could get hurt. It’s— it’s dangerous.”
She tilted her head. “I’m a scientist. It’s part of the nature of the profession to do dangerous things.”
What a strange woman. Were all humans like her? You couldn’t tell, but there was a strange shine in her eyes, an endless hunger when she stared at you. It made something in you catch alight, sending trails of fire through your veins.
She was the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, who disrupted everything you thought you knew and understood. Where had she come from? From your dreams of companionship, like a fairy tale sprung to life? Or from the fervent wishes of your heart, answered at last by a star or an aeon?
“Who… who are you?” you finally brought yourself to ask. You couldn’t look away. 
“You can call me Ruan Mei,” she said calmly. She extended her ungloved hand to you, palm up, fingers spread. Pale skin, traced through with blue rivers of veins and valleys of creases. Nothing like the smooth, unblemished synthetic hands which nurtured you for years. “And I am going to take you out of here.” 
It was dangerous. You were trapped here for a reason. You couldn’t leave. If there was one thing you had been taught, it was that it was your duty to stay in your manor.
But she was so beautiful. Even if you didn’t take her hand and tried to chase her away, she had stolen something from you that you could never get back. 
There was only one choice for you now.
You learned more about Ruan Mei’s mission in her aircraft, where you were bundled up in a blanket you brought from home so you wouldn’t burn through the seats. You didn’t bring much with you, outside of a few objects that she wanted to examine.
Ruan Mei wanted to understand life. No, she wanted to create a perfect lifeform. It was her self-imposed mission, and when she had heard rumors of you from a colleague, she had immediately flown to your glacial planet to find you. 
“A human who is not a human is the closest thing to an aeon,” she explained calmly. 
The idea that someone like you could even be close to divine felt wrong, but the way Ruan Mei said it made you wonder if it could be true.
You learned more about her in the following months. She was diligent and articulate. She loved desserts, and enjoyed embroidery. She was a member of the Genius Society, and took tea every morning before she began work. 
From the meetings you overheard her conduct, her coworkers called her cold, and disinterested. But they couldn’t have been more wrong. She was the one who had found a way for you to live in her home without melting everything you touched. 
Ruan Mei hypothesized that the entire manor you had once lived in had somehow been treated so you could touch things without your poisonous skin corroding it. The fact you didn’t melt your own body was proof there could be a way to counteract your own poison, and that she could find a way to prevent you from doing the same to the things around you. It took her only a few days to collect samples of your blood and to use the blanket you brought back from the manor to create a solution she used to treat the entire area in which the two of you lived. Now, you could touch things with your bare hands without fear.
“It’s for the sake of my research. I can’t do work if you melt every beaker I try to use to collect samples,” she said, but you were grateful regardless. 
You had never been useful before. It wasn’t a possibility you were aware was possible. 
“So you’re the lab rat she’s dragged in,” one of her colleagues had told you dismissively. Dr. Ratio, that was his name, perhaps. He had visited to share lab results with Ruan Mei, and you had run into him by accident, jumping a mile in the air at the sight of the stranger. 
You had burned with emotion then, and it was only now, after replaying that scene in your head again and again, that you could finally come up with the proper words to refute him. 
“So what if I am? She needs me.”
Using you? Even if that was true, what did it matter? Love, affection, care… Those sorts of emotions were quick to fade and notoriously unreliable. You wouldn’t be able to trust them. But her experiments on you, each and every day? Those were real. Those were proof that you were important to her, more important than anyone else could ever be.
Your body’s condition was finally good for something. It had brought Ruan Mei to you.
The appointed time of dinner draws closer, and you still haven’t figured out how to prepare for her arrival. 
What should you wear? No, should you tidy up the area? There were automated bots who cleaned each room and made the meals, as Ruan Mei found such things a bother to tend to when she was busy. Ah, maybe you should have asked if it was okay to make something for her, perhaps a cake that she liked– not that you could cook. You couldn’t serve her terrible food. And it wouldn’t nearly be enough to repay her for everything she’s done for you.
A soft, elegant knock echoes against your door. The time has passed faster than you expected. You leap up, heart pounding, as Ruan Mei steps into your room, a bot trailing behind her, carrying a tray.
“Hello,” she says. “I’ve brought you your meal.”
You pull out a chair for her, and she slips into it with a word. Her every moment is precise, elegant, with no wasted movement. Every minute of her day must be carefully planned and executed. She could have a mathematical equation for the entire universe, hidden in the palm of her hand.
The bot lumbers over to your side and sets a stainless steel plate down in front of you. To your surprise, it’s not the usual mush, packed with, as Ruan Mei says, enough nutrients to keep you healthy, even if not the most favorable meal. Instead, it is a real dish: fragrant stir-fried vegetables and braised meat, steamed fish and two bowls of rice, set with a pair of chopsticks perched across each bowl. It’s food from Xiangzhou Luofu.
“Well?” Ruan Mei says, already plucking a piece of fish into her bowl. “Eat.”
Emotions choke your throat as you tentatively reach for the chopsticks, and poke at some of the vegetables. The poison in your body makes it hard to taste the food before it dissolves in your mouth, but to your surprise, you can taste every ounce of flavor in these vegetables, succulent and lightly-seasoned.
It’s delicious. Ruan Mei must have done something to your meal; had she poison-proofed it somehow? But for what end? So you could enjoy the meal? But why? It seems the sort of sentimental behavior she doesn’t tolerate.
There’s nothing but the clinking of chopsticks against porcelain plates as the two of you eat. You’ve never been with her for such an extended period of time. What can you talk about? Her papers for the Genius Society? No, you wouldn’t understand a word of it. You could mention the books you’ve read lately, but you don’t know if she would care about romance novels.
“How is your research progressing?” you ask timidly. That’s a safe subject, at least.
“It’s progressing smoothly with your assistance,” she says. She flicks a glance at you, scrutinizing. “How are your accommodations?”
“Perfect! The pillows are soft, and the temperature is always mild, so I never felt too hot or cold. And you’ve given me plenty of books, so I never feel bored,” you say. “Thank you, Ruan Mei.”
“It’s only natural,” she says. “A lack of stimulation might lead to a degradation in your condition. I’m only trying to keep your environment stable for my own research.”
“That’s extremely thoughtful of you.”
“So that’s how you see it,” she murmurs. You sneak a peek at her, but she’s focused on eating. Better not to comment, then. Maybe that’s a sentiment you aren’t supposed to respond to.
Silence falls again. The rice is dwindling, and only sauce is left on the plates. What can you do to make her stay? To engage her interest? This is a rare opportunity, one that might not come about again. 
Sometimes, you think about faking illness, if only to keep her by your side for longer. Any change in your condition would concern her. But most likely, she would just send in a medical bot to check on you, and your ruse would be easily discovered. A childish ploy for attention would never work on someone as intelligent as her.
She’s standing now, neatly folding her chopsticks over her plate. Why did she accept your invitation, again? Maybe that’s not for you to question. You’re fine with your relationship. You’re fine, so you shouldn’t get too greedy, and to want more than you are allowed.
“Ruan Mei,” you say again.
“Yes?”
“Am I helpful to you?” you ask plaintively. 
She doesn’t answer right away. Ruan Mei looks at you, really looks at you, her gaze luminous and all encompassing, like a lighthouse in a storm. Her gaze flays you open, excavating every last inch of you for her appraisal. Without her attention, you would revert back to who you were before, a lost person trapped in a glacial manor, all alone.
She walks over to where you still stay sitting. She reaches out one gloved hand and places it alongside the length of your cheek. There’s an emotion struggling to break out through the calm waters of her eyes. You can see it, floating right beneath, under her tranquil exterior.
You can’t breathe. You wait for the sizzle of acid, of melting flesh. You wait for her to recoil. You wait for the words you’ve always heard, the knowledge you’ve always known: your body is a curse. It’s dangerous. You aren’t meant for human connection, much less someone else’s touch.
But none of that happens. Ruan Mei’s touch is gentle, ghosting against your skin. You can almost feel her warmth through her glove, and can almost imagine how soft her hand must be, how lovely it would be for her to touch you, to really touch you.
You still remember the sight of her hand, the first time you met her. Flesh and bone and blood and nerves, all the delicate components that come together in a miraculous fusion of life.
“You are helpful,” she says curtly, pulling away. “I need you.”
“Okay,” you say smiling. “I’m glad.”
Raw, naked need. It’s more reliable than Ruan Mei saying she likes you, or cares about you. Need is hard and visceral, like plum seeds packed in fertile ground. 
The bot clears away the food, and your table is as clean as if you’ve never had a meal there in your life. You sit in your chair with your hands folded in your lap like a doll.
Ruan Mei is by the door when she pauses. “By the way. I have something for you. It followed me home, and since I have no need for it, I believe you may find better purpose out of it than I could.” As she speaks, a strange, furry creature darts between her ankles and into your room, a flash of gray fur and wide eyes.
It’s only when it comes to a stop that you see it’s some sort of… cat? A cat that looks like a cake, with its tail curled close to its body as it looks up at you, its head peeking out of its cake-like body. 
Wide-eyed. Scared. Needing.
You hug your arms around yourself. “What if I–”
“It can survive your touch,” she interrupts. “I made sure of that.”
“Ruan Mei,” you say breathlessly, holding out your arms. You say her name like you would say the name of a god. The creature scampers into your hold, but she’s stepped out, and the door is sliding closed, and still you add, “thank you.”
There’s no response. You hold the creature to your chest, and it is so, so warm. It’s alive and trembling and soft. This is the touch of another living being. This is what being alive means: to feel the touch of others. To hold them. To know you are real.
“What’s your name?” you coo, stroking the creature’s fur. It feels like velvet.
“Don’t have one,” it replies. You almost drop it; you haven’t expected it to actually reply. But Ruan Mei is a genius; of course her experiment has some measure of intelligence. 
“I’ll give you a name,” you say. “What about Plum?”
“Plum? It sounds nice,” the creature says, nuzzling into your grasp, finally relaxing in your grip.
“It’s because…” You remember that book about plum trees you read as a child. You remember the smell of Ruan Mei’s favorite plum cakes, clinging to her skin. You remember Ruan Mei, pulling you out of your dull existence. “It’s because plum blossoms are the most beautiful flowers in the universe.”
You hug Plum closer to you. Whether Ruan Mei is an angel who saves you, or a devil who pulls you into hell, or a cruel god who will destroy you, it doesn’t make any difference. As long as she is the one reaching out her hand to you, you will take it, no matter where she leads you.
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whats-it-mean · 5 months
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Mc eats jade’s mushrooms and chaos ensues ☆
Jade and floyd x reader (separate)
A/N - This is somewhat spicy?? Its got mentions of aphrodisiac but nothing explicit, just the teeniest bit off innuendo, i guess
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ─── Jade ver.
It was common knowledge among students of Night raven college that Jade spent plenty of his time out and about in the mountains, searching for his precious mushroom specimens.
Most people on campus found this odd, as they did everything to do with the so called fish mafia, but you had a certain interest around the young man (and whatever piqued his own interest).
That said, it was no surprise that when you waltzed into the kitchen of the empty Mostro lounge, hoping to catch Jade on the off chance he might be there, you found his most recently acquired mushrooms sitting bunched together along a counter in his absence.
As usual, there was a wide variety in shapes, sizes, and colors, each one containing its own propertied to tell it apart from the others, since he had no need to collect multiple of the same species unless it was for a recipe. That was what he had told you.
As you peered along the counter, simply admiring the small treasures Jade worked so hard to collect, you noticed a small clump set aside from the rest, with a note next to them.
You attempted to read said note, but it was unintelligible, and could only lead you to assume Jade had been in a rush when he wrote it. The only word you could make out in the rushed and slanted handwriting was…
Your own name…?
You stared, dumbfounded, at your name in his writing. Something in your stomach fluttered at the sight of it, but you pushed the thought aside as you began to question yourself.
Why had jade written a note about you over his mushrooms..? It was odd indeed, and you found yourself pacing around the kitchen for longer than you’d like to admit trying to figure it out.
Maybe they were set aside for him to give to you..?
Jade did prize his mushrooms, so it made sense that he might think it’d be some sort of compliment to gift them to you… But then again- what where you supposed to do with them, in that case..? You were everything short of a talented cook, and none of your typical recipes included mushrooms- And Jade knew this, since you had yet to try any of his recipes until he offered you some.
“Maybe they’re to eat on their own…?” You mumbled, reaching down and staring intently at the shrooms, which felt as though they stared expectantly at you. Some might think that overthinking something as trivial at this was odd for Jade or the prefect, but when something came from him, you couldn’t help but overthink it as you turned the fungi over in your hand.
Although, once coming to that conclusion, you wasted no time in popping one of said fungi into your mouth.
My my, prefect, not one of your smartest moments…
“If he was going to give it to me anyways, he wont mind me eating one now, so…” You said, words coming out garbled between chomps, your voice sounding as if you were trying to convince yourself of a lie.
And, just like clockwork, the door opened perfectly on cue, making you jolt as you reeled around to see the always-serene face of a certain merman.
“Ah, prefect! Sorry, I wasn’t aware you were here, pearl…” He said, trailing off as he noticed you chewing. He paused, taking a few steps towards you. “What are you- eating, pray tell..?”
You felt yourself begin to sweat as you tried desperately to swallow as quickly as time would allow you.
“U- Um-“ You coughed out, forcing a very unconvincing smile as you swallowed hard. “Just…. A mushroom-“ Oh, you could practically feel the doom that awaited you as Jade’s smile dropped just a bit. You had never seen him look so… nervous.
“…Pearl, what made you think—“
“I’mlikesupersorryIjustthoughtmaybetheywereformeand-“
Your words tripped on each other as thy tumbled out with incredible speed, you failing at providing an Explanation.
Jade only stared at you in an oh so uncomfortable silence as your words faded out.
“…The note I left…” He started, pausing as though deep in thought. “Was to remind me not to give them to you. That’s why your name was there.” He said, then flashing his familiar smile at you, eyes closed as though everything was fine. You blinked.
“Wh- Why-!? A- Am i gonna die-!? Was it poisonous- O- Or—“ This time, the words came out even faster than before in your panic, before Jade raised a hand to silence you, although doing nothing to stop the rising fear in your chest. Or, at least, you thought it was fear. It was an odd feeling, the way your heart was beating so rapidly- But, surely, you told yourself, that was fear. Of the mushrooms. And, obviously, had nothing to do with the man in front of you whom you couldn’t help but notice was handsome in a way you had never thought about before, which, for some reason, made the heat in your cheeks grow hotter, and—
“Prefect.” Jade interrupted you from your racing thoughts. 
You glanced up at him, only to find yourself unable to meet his eyes as your face grew even more warm.
“Those mushrooms were….” He paused, and you could just barely notice a faint blush on his cheeks as well. “A form of Aphrodisiac.”
You couldn’t stop the rapid-fire thoughts as you turned bright red, vaguely remembering Crewel mentioning that word… ‘Aphrodisiac’… A drug that brings about.. desires….? No, no- you thought, that had to be wrong- Jade was your friend! Your close friend- Your- Friend. Your friend who you… definitely.. did not.. have any sort of… desire.. for… 
But none of that mattered. the only thing occupying your mind was the fact that he was, in fact, kissing you.
You could barely register it but you were sure you felt something on your lips, something so sweet and perfect that smiled in a way that only Jade could when he kissed you with more force than you thought was possible, and in the back of your mind you knew you that in this moment you would go much further than kissing him as ‘just friends.’
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ─── Floyd ver.
You’d always known that Floyd despised mushrooms, so it made sense that Jade would end up offering them to you, stating that Azul was busy and he needed a taste tester for a new kind of soup he’d been trying.
However, he had a certain glint in his eye that made you think he just might have ill motives… and, knowing Jade, that wasn’t out of the question either. The most suspicious thing was that he had specifically asked you to eat when you were around Floyd- His excuse was “So that you may see his annoyed expression and enjoy it the way I do”, or something of the likes of that, but overall his smirk said otherwise.
However, the soup smelled really nice, and you were too insecure to refuse him, especially when he loomed over you, sharp teeth shining as he did so.
And so, here you were, sitting across from Floyd, a small bowl of mushroom soup in front of you, and Floyd’s face scrunched up in disgust just as Jade had said would happen.
“Ew.” He stated, eyes narrowing down at the bowl in front of you, a small spoon stirring through it in a feeble attempt at stalling from you. “Why shrooms? They’re so gross. And jade is always on about ‘em. Which makes them more gross.”
You stopped your stirring before lifting a small spoonful of your meal to your lips, hesitating slightly at the memory of Jade’s smirk, before gulping it down quickly.
“I like them.” You stated, trying to avoid conflict. “And jade offered, so…”
Floyd’s face only contorted further. “They’re Jade’s mushrooms? I don’t trust that…” His expression darkened. “He’d better not be plotting to hurt my Shrimpy, or…”
As Floyd went on about things he could potentially do to his brother, you felt an unfamiliar warmth creep up your cheeks at the word ‘My’. You were… his…?
You shook your head and gulped down another spoonful of soup to dismiss the thought.
“They’re just mushrooms.” You mumbled. “What’s the worst they could do..?” You breathed, bringing yet another spoonful to be swallowed.
Floyd deadpanned at you. “A. Lot.” He stated matter-of-factly.
“Well, then, smell it or something. You’d know if there was something bad, right? Then you can be sure.” The words left your lips carelessly, as you pushed the bowl over to him, just hoping he would stop talking about Jade. This wasn’t about Jade- You wanted him to talk about you, to think about you, to-
Since when had you been thinking thoughts like this…?
Once again, you brushed aside the though as you lifted your gaze to Floyd’s, his eyes trained on you as he sniffed the bowl just as you had absentmindedly asked, although his gaze on yours did nothing to stop the way your train of thought had been going.
After a moment’s thought, realization dawned on Floyd’s eyes and a blush crept up on his face as he slid the bowl aside- not back to you, but away from the both of you.
“Hm? Is it bad..?” You asked, genuinely surprised at his behavior.
“I…” He trailed off. You caught yourself going red again- Floyd at a loss for words was a rare sight to see, and the blush on his face made something in your chest tighten-
“I think he put an Aphrodisiac or some shit in there, Shrimpy—“ His voice stopped your thought, but only momentarily as that word rang out in your head. Aphrodisiac? Isn’t that-….?
The feeling in your chest only grew as you opened your mouth to speak.
“Wha…?” You mumbled, barely able to compute anything other than how good looking he seemed to be in that moment, the way his hair fell into his eyes… you couldn’t take your eyes off him.
“Shrimpy… I.. ah….” Similar thoughts ran through his mind to his own surprise. Why was your blush so damn cute!? And why did he want to get so close to you in that moment…!? He couldn’t understand, but without any warning he felt himself leaning in closer to you.
And, oh god, when your faces met it felt like nothing had ever tasted better, nothing had ever felt so good, the way his arms wrapped around your waist and how you couldn’t help yours from clinging to his neck as you leaned back until you could feel your back against the wall… As much as he hated to admit it, without Jade’s mushrooms, Floyd wouldn’t have had the courage to do this…
And now that he did, he wasn’t stopping any time soon.
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ─── End
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markrosewater · 6 months
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Artifact Creature vs. Construct Redux
The comments in my previous ask about the relevance of "Construct" tell me I could have been more clear. Cards on the table, obvious as they are, I believe the creature type was a mistake. I'm well aware that I'm in the minority, and that even if it were possible to reverse course my opinion wouldn't hold any weight.
"Beast" is often mentioned as a 'catchall' type similar to Construct. However it isn't just a catchall -- it adds its own flavor. When I say it refers to a subset of "wild animal" that isn't a negative -- that tells the player something.
Now, what does "Construct" tell us? It would tell us that the creature was artificial -- except we already know that due to the Artifact type. This makes "Construct" redundant unless it servers another purpose. To paraphrase a favorite saying of yours, anything not serving the set should be cut.
The heavy overlap between Artifact Creature and Construct results in a not-quite-parasitic environment where caring about Constructs means you inherently want to care about Artifacts; and caring about Artifact Creatures is going to push you into trying to make Construct work. This limits players' creative agency.
So does it serve the set? The other explanation I see given is that it serves as a catchall because every creature needs a creature type. The implication being that there's no possible way Design could create the same number of Artifact Creatures without having that stopgap... I call bull; even if the bar wasn't as low as Akroan Horse being a Horse, I have more faith in Magic Design than that. More Artifact Creatures that are Soldiers, Fish, or any other type wouldn't hurt their presentation as Artifacts -- but it would allow them to see play in non-Construct focused decks. And if it does provide a relevant Design challenge? Well, to quote a designer a greatly respect:
Restrictions breed creativity.
Let me explain the creation of the Construct creature type. When Magic first came out, artifact creatures didn’t have creature types. I felt that was wrong, so I campaigned to get them added. I was successful and we added the “every creature needs to have at least one creature type” rule to artifact creatures.
Some artifact creatures had simple solutions. They could have clear artifact unique creature types. Golems could be Golems and Gnomes could be Gnomes. Other creatures felt close enough to existing creature types that we could use those. Yotian Soldier could be a Soldier and Clockwork Avian could be a Bird.
There was a group of artifact creatures that didn’t have a clear creature type. For example, what exactly is a Su-Chi? We chose to pick a general creature type as a catch-all. It had to be pretty vague though because it has to work for any artifact creature that we couldn’t otherwise identify.
What you see as a bug is actually a feature of Construct. It needs to be vague, so that it can be flexible. If an artifact creature can have a better option, it won’t be a Construct.
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fuckyeahaudiodrama · 3 months
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REC: Clockwork Bird
“A philosophical horror podcast about a missing cyborg and the people looking for him. Robin Jaeger is the most synthetic man in the world. And he’s possibly been legally dead for over a decade. Shelly Croft is putting the pieces together, hoping the trail to Robin Jaeger will also lead to her finding her ex-girlfriend, who was obsessed with the company who made Robin’s limbs, and has also disappeared.” (x)
30 episodes / av. 15/25 mins apiece
this is genuinely one of my favorite audiodramas of all time. it truly makes the most of the medium, and the narrative is perfectly paced to allow each character to shine without distracting from the horizontal movement of the plot.
the overall balance of the story is admirable. robin is the fascinating center of the mystery, thoroughly haunting the narrative, but protagonist shelly really holds her own. she is not merely present as a means of unveiling someone else’s story; in fact, her personal drama is inextricably tangled in robin’s obscurity in a way that feels very natural — rather than forced — and provides a reasonable explanation for the risks that she continues to take. at no point should you find yourself skeptically asking “why is she bothering?” it’s clear there’s a compelling interest, and you will be dying to find out what it is.
additionally: my personal favorite part of listening to first-timer indie AD is when you get the chance to hear the technical skills of the creator improving over the course of the show. i find it so inspirational. this was a great example of that, and in fact, those improvements follow through to the creator’s next (unrelated) show, Spirit Box Radio!
the premise of this story alone raises a number of hairy ethical questions, and none of them are hand-waved away. to really appreciate this story you have to be willing to approach medical ethics including euthanasia, themes of suicide and self harm, and corporate usurpation of human bodily autonomy.
this story originated as a concept for a novel and you can tell just how gorgeously crafted it is. i for one cannot wait for creator eira to get published someday.
__
similar to: this story is unique in a very good way. other fragmented sci-fi mysteries like Janus Descending might tickle your fancy, or the ethical quandaries of Red Valley and BBC’s Body Horror. but i can’t think of another audiodrama that handles this brand of grief quite so poetically. feel free to point me to some.
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animationadventures · 8 months
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I am now a proud member of the A Glitch in Time club!
Reading the new Danny Phantom graphic novel was so much fun! The book fixed basically every problem people had with the Phantom Planet finale. Like Tucker randomly becoming mayor and Vlad being stuck in deep space.
So many wonderful callbacks to the show were included! Vlad being a Packers fan, Fright Knight and Pariah Dark's castle, Valerie knowing Vlad's secret.
I particularly liked the time jumps, which gave us fun new costumes for Danny. My favorite time jump was the Wild West, where Vlad was tied up and gagged on the back of Sam's horse.
The new lore about ghosts and their origins was very interesting. Most of them are manifestations of emotions and feed on them, which honestly makes a lot of sense considering Ember feeds on adoration and Spectra feeds on misery. Better than that Other Guy's explanation that ghosts are from another dimension despite evidence to the contrary shown extensively throughout the show.
Dark Danny's return was quite crazy. I wasn't sure how the gang was going to defeat him after he absorbed Clockwork's power. If there was ever a time for Danny and Vlad to team up, it was here. Not really keen on how they resolved things with him, but that's a personal hangup.
I'll be honest, I'm not really sold on Vlad's redemption arc here. Him admitting because of Dark Danny containing his ghost half what he truly feared was good, but I'm not entirely sold after everything he's done in the past.
Of course, I can't talk about A Glitch in Time without mentioning the incredible Owl House easter egg. Luz and Amity were in not one but TWO crowd shots! Amity was easily identifiable with her iconic green ponytail from season one, and Luz was wearing a hoodie and shorts like she does for most of the series. Canceled series too soon solidarity!
Overall, a satisfying addition to the Danny Phantom franchise that fixes problems, adds new lore that meshes well with the series, and provides fun ideas to explore.
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youzicha · 7 months
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It's late at night and I'm being paranoid, but guys, I'm starting to sense a vibe-shift away from the post-1950s consensus... Consider:
¶ Some recentish papers critical of split-brain patients, Libet experiment, which were approvingly cited by the usual free will/dualism mafia on rattumb. (I also think I saw someone quote this not-at-all recent deflationary account of blindsight?)
¶ This Tuesday someone called "a literal banana" posted a blogpost Against Automaticity which starts from the heuristics-and-biases field not replicating, says that we should instead think about "rational processes", and then jumps from there to saying that we should reject "the myth of the clockwork, the myth of mechanism ... the idea that you can explain every phenomenon causally", and instead turn to "Phenomenology" (which, banana assures us, "is not a woo model").
¶ But what is a rational process? I feel since Von Neumann and RAND the usual answer has been game theory, but that's also getting less popular? When Scott Alexander posted "Meditations on Moloch", Chris Hallquist wrote a reply saying that bad Nash equilibria is an excuse and the real problem is that the individual actors are bad people. And finally, both these strands join together neatly in this @raginrayguns post
 I think the appeal of the cog sci heuristics and biases stuff, as well as the game theory stuff and “moloch”, is substantially that they provide explanations in which bad things are nobody’s fault. 
I guess it's a bit risky to predict the course of intellectual history based on who I happen to follow on tumblr, but basically I foresee a return to Catholicism: an immaterial soul which can be good or bad and needs to individually cultivate virtue...
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octosan · 4 months
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Atelier Horloge
[by mothy]
If you should chance to hear, in the fog, a sound like the ticking of a clock
Don't be surprised to learn that's the sound of the white brick workshop of Horloge
Anyone who has troubles they're laboring on, may see the shop appear before their eyes
And then, soon enough when its job is done, like a phantom, suddenly it's gone
-
It's show window has a display of all the pieces that the owner's made
For example, a faded hand mirror, or, a flute of ominous design
From among these articles of their merchandise, they'll give only one of them to you to try
Choose what you want most carefully, they don't need you to pay a thing
-
Standing by his wife, in a mourning dress,
Is the owner in a robe of white, who only gives you a gentle smile
And know this, about his works
Using them will deliver salvation unto you for sure
-
So, come in, and welcome to Atelier Horloge
A shop of clockwork where the most wondrous things are bought
Using knowledge of alchemy learned from parallel worlds
These pieces of his will fill the emptiness in your heart up
-
With all of that said, nonetheless, there's something you should be wary of
By each inventory piece, is a piece of parchment to read
Read the explanation written there in full, take the greatest care not to miss a thing
For you see, the message that's written on it is, the rules the god of clockwork has provided
-
And if, for any reason
You are unable to follow the rules within and do just as you've been bid
Soon enough, it's certain
That the price you pay to compensate will be high indeed
-
So, come in, and welcome to Atelier Horloge
A shop of clockwork where the most wondrous things are bought
But still, out of all of them, the owner's greatest works
Were music boxes that, when wound up, played the most lovely songs...
-
Though you may have regrets, by then it's already too late
And even though, try as you may, to return to the shop again
You will not ever again find the way, as if it had disappeared without a trace
This workshop, by necessity, never lingers long in the same place
-
Go upon a journey, then
Just like the wicked restaurant did, overcoming even time itself
Come, then, you orphaned children
Take a look at our shop as well, and pick something out from the wares on this shelf
-
So, come in, and welcome to Atelier Horloge
Beneath every sweet story is a dark side, too
And if you never knew that that was how it was
In that case, that'd make you pretty stupid, huh?
-
So, come in, and welcome to Atelier Horloge
A shop of clockwork where the most wondrous things are bought
The music box left on the shelf that's still hidden away
To this day, the lullaby it's meant to play hasn't yet been made...
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stentoftmchugh25 · 3 months
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Things to Contemplate When Choosing a Movers
Planning a move is an exhausting endeavor that usually takes plenty of considerate scheduling. One of the most essential factors of organizing is deciding upon the ideal mover for your predicament. There are multitudes of corporations available to decide on from. Most people transfer sometimes, and therefore know very little about the business enterprise or its intricacies. A person very important detail to try to remember is that you Packers and Movers will be in possession and dependable for virtually the whole contents of your household in most scenarios. For this explanation, it is vital to pick a business that is trustworthy, and that has workers that are reliable. Not only is trustworthiness vital, but the amount ability that your enterprise gives you can prevent damages to your dwelling and contents. Securing this information and facts can be arduous and time consuming. It is wise to know that in concept it is easy to get into the transferring small business. 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jamesegan34 · 3 months
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Things to Take into account When Deciding upon a Movers
Arranging a shift is an exhausting endeavor that requires a great deal of thoughtful organizing. A single of the most vital features of organizing is picking out the very best mover for your situation. There are multitudes of firms offered to find from. Most people move infrequently, and as a result know very minor about the business or its intricacies. A single extremely significant detail to remember is that you Packers and Movers will be in possession and dependable for virtually the full contents of your dwelling in most instances. For this explanation, it is important to select a company that is trustworthy, and that has staff members that are trusted. Not only is trustworthiness vital, but the degree talent that your corporation offers you can avert damages to your property and contents. Securing this data can be arduous and time consuming. It is clever to know that in concept it is simple to get into the transferring company. 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Now the world-wide-web is a favorite for these hunting for companies, and the transferring enterprise is no exception. Numerous going corporations promote in quite a few diverse strategies on the net. Initially, they will have their individual website web page, and it is reasonable to take a look at these for data. In addition, there are providers providing to present the client with numerous shifting quotations from various businesses. Movers fork out a charge for those qualified prospects. Lots of of these quotation suppliers pre-display screen the movers they use, but there are some that do not. The gain to the purchaser is that they can fill out the sort one particular time for several quotations, rather than 1 for just about every business. While you could conveniently uncover a wonderful transferring company on the world wide web, be sure to beware. The anonymity of the world wide web gives risk-free haven to lots of corrupt providers. If you opt for to decide on from the net, it is intelligent to be diligent with your analysis and make sure you are contemplating a genuine business. Make guaranteed they have a verifiable handle and not just a PO Box. An additional thing to take into consideration when choosing a mover is the market that the corporation fills. Several providers will provide any shifting company that you have to have, but excel in specific regions. Some organizations target on interstate shifting, and although they may supply area provider, you could pay out them more than is needed for a regional transfer. Other companies may possibly be much more centered on place of work or professional going, and though they could deliver household support, you may well have a better shift with a organization focusing on household.
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cactushead42 · 2 years
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Facts to consider When Choosing some sort of Mover
Planning a move is surely an exhausting effort that takes a great deal of thoughtful arranging. One of the most important elements of planning will be selecting the greatest mover for the situation. There are countless of companies open to select from. Many folks move seldom, and consequently know very little about the business or perhaps its intricacies. A single very important point to remember is definitely that you emocionar will be in possession and accountable for almost the particular entire contents of your residence in most situations. For this explanation, it is critical to select some sort of company that is trustworthy, and that offers employees that are usually trustworthy. Not only is trustworthiness essential, but the stage skill that your own company provides an individual can prevent damage to your house and contents. Obtaining this information can be arduous and time consuming. It is definitely smart to know that in theory it truly is simple to get into the transferring business. Whatever you definitely need is some sort of truck, some dollies, several pads plus a number of strong backs. There are numerous companies starting up in this fashion just about every year, and so they appear and go like clockwork. In simple fact, to operate an expert moving company you need each of the over, but you in addition need highly trained plus skilled employees. A person also need to get authority to run, and minimum levels of insurance which in turn include worker's compensation, liability, and cargo. Finally, you need to understand and comply with the principles plus regulations governing the business on the particular federal and state levels, including producing and keeping the right paperwork and documents. And that is useful to be able to produce exact estimates of excess weight, packing, and time taken up produce techniques. Even as we see, right now there is considerably more to be able to the moving enterprise than at first meets the vision. It is easy to imagine all moving companies are identical, and that the particular best mover will be the cheapest. This kind of can be a new devastating mistake. Whilst there may end up being many people who properly usually do not really worry in case their goods are scratched or dented. However , it in addition important to understand that should a company send employees not really covered by workers reimbursement, the consumer can become held financially liable for injuries suffered on the work. It is effortless to observe how a new company can end up being cheap if that they are cutting edges on legally needed expenditures. In improvement, they could cut 4 corners by making use of inadequate, in maintained equipment in addition to by utilizing inexperienced and unskilled employees as cost slicing techniques. Naturally , price is an crucial factor in choosing a mover, as soon as you have founded that the companies an individual are considering will be reputable it makes sense to consider economics. So how perform you figure out exactly where to start? The first thing to think about is whether the firm is licensed by typically the appropriate agency managing the type regarding move you will be making. In Northern Carolina, there are really two agencies regulating residential moves. Intended for in state moves The North Carolina Utilities Commission provides jurisdiction over movers. You can check out this link with regard to a listing of licensed movers http://www.ncuc.net/consumer/ucconsum.htm. Under typically the transportation section in that page will be a link to be able to licensed movers. Throughout addition, movers operating legally under To the north Carolina Public Utilities authority must screen their license range on both cab doors and upon the rear cargo door of the trucks they run. For moves departing or entering Northern Carolina or vacationing amongst more states, the particular governing agency is The Federal Engine Carrier Safety Supervision. You can take a look at this site to verify that the valerse has interstate working authority: https://www.protectyourmove.gov/. Movers providing interstate services are required to display equally a DOT plus an MC quantity on both cab gates. When you have determined that will the companies you are considering are generally legal, the next step is in order to find out credit rating actually reputable. You are able to be completely legitimate, and still end up being less than stellar. There are ways to decipher it out. A single good gauge regarding a company's top quality is its capacity to survive in some sort of competitive market. Almost all moving companies providing inferior service carry out not survive lengthy. Find out just how long the organization has been in business, and whether or not operated by the same management. More time service is often better in the relocating business. But how will you begin the procedure of picking a mover? One very trustworthy method is by referral. Ask close to. Ask friends, associates, co-workers, club people. Most likely you will hear the same companies talked about by multiple sources, particularly if they have recently been around for quite a while. A lot of people look to the yellow pages for movers, plus many reputable companies advertise there. Yet , be aware of which the producers associated with the yellow pages are certainly not required to be able to verify the guard licensing and training of their advertisers. Legal companies will be required to post their DOT, MC, and even NCUC numbers on all their advertising, thus that is a good issue to watch. Additional resource you can easily use may be the Far better Business Bureau. These people keep records associated with length of service, ownership, contact people, and recent issue activity. An excessive variety of complaints may indicate a want for caution.
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Right now the internet is really a favorite for all those trying to find services, in addition to the moving company is no exemption. Many moving firms advertise in several different ways on the particular internet. First, they are going to have their very own site, and that is reasonable to look at these for data. Additionally , there are usually companies offering to be able to provide the buyer with multiple transferring quotes from diverse companies. Movers pay fees for individuals leads. Several quote providers prescreen the movers each uses, nevertheless there are a few which in turn not. local movers towards the consumer is that they can fill out there the form single time for multiple estimates, rather than 1 for each company. Despite the fact that you may easily find a great moving company on the net, please beware. The invisiblity of the website offers safe haven to several corrupt companies. If you opt to select coming from the internet, it truly is wise to always be diligent with your current research and ensure you are considering some sort of legitimate company. Help to make sure they have a verifiable deal with and not just simply a PO Package. Another thing to think about when picking out an ocasionar is the market that the organization fills. Many companies will provide any moving service that you require, but excel in a few areas. Some companies focus on interstate moving, and while they may supply local service, you might pay them more than is necessary for some sort of local move. Various other companies might be more focused on business office or commercial shifting, and while that they may provide home service, you might have a new better move using a company focusing on residential.
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damkar58 · 2 years
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CAESAR review
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Hello all friends.. Back again with me. In my article this time I will provide an explanation of a very unique project called CAESAR. The project has passive income with the best auto-staking protocol in crypto. To give you a very good idea of the project, Check out the Article I created below:
About CAESAR:
Decentralized finance eliminates mediators by enabling individuals, dealers, and organizations to manage monetary exchanges through emerging innovations. This is achieved through a distributed financial organization utilizing security conventions, networks, programming and tools. From wherever you have a web association, you can borrow, exchange and purchase related software that records and confirms financial activity in a distributed database of financial information. Appropriate data sets are exposed in different areas; it collects and collects information from all clients and uses the agreement component to check it.
Caesar was placed to lead the riots on DeFi with the Caesar Auto-staking Protocol or CAP, another monetary convention that makes betting simpler, and provides holders of the $CAESAR token the highest stable returns in crypto. The Caesar conventions are passionately pushed by TITANO and OlympusDAO which is why it joins and uses the highlights and best parts of each, while conveying extra candor and ease.
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How do I bet?
Caesar has created an inventive autostaking system that allows clients a direct method to bet and earn betting rewards. Basically hold $CAESAR in your wallet and you will naturally get the betting reward.
Stake:
CAP provides $CAESAR programmed staking and intensification elements, and APY remains the highest in the market at 153,617.5%, daily ROI (Return on Investment) just over 2%. Caesar is an engineer who puts together a development-centered organization that generates profits and incentives for Caesar token holders. Our CAP convention is given in Caesar tokens which gives it a special case benefit for $CAESAR holders:
Simple and Safe:
We put solid auto-staking in your wallet when you buy $CAESAR. Don't bother moving your tokens to our site. From the moment you get it, you are tagged, and set to earn a rebase reward. The least demanding auto bet on DeFi.
Fixed APY:
Changing APY implies you will never know the number of tokens you will get. Other DeFi conventions pay high APY which can oscillate by 90% in a day. CAP pays $CAESAR holders a decent loan fee of just over 2% day to day or by building 153,617.5% annually.
Quick Rebase Rewards:
Another well-known staking convention pays rebasing prizes like clockwork which means assuming you have to cancel the bet, you need to set the time to get the most extreme prizes. Caesar Auto-staking Protocol pays out regularly or multiple times consistently, making it the fastest auto-staking convention in crypto.
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CAP uses complex variable settings to help with its rebase costs and rewards. It also uses game hypotheses and human instincts to determine the most likely tendencies for people to buy tokens. Our repair group has facilitated these components so that they work consistently in the background. The result is a basic and beautiful betting and reward framework for $CAESAR holders. However the CAP is customizable as it seems robust and will be used as a stand for various Caesar products, administrations, and businesses to come. Each will change the alternative crypto area.
Autostaking Jobs:
The highlight of CAP Autostake is a simple yet sophisticated piece of art called Buy-Hold-Get, which provides definitive comfort for $CAESAR holders. Here's the secret: by simply buying $CAESAR and keeping the tokens in your wallet, you get rebase compensation straight to your wallet. Your token will be built like clockwork. It's just direct.
Leveraging the Positive Rebase equation, Caesar makes it feasible for daily symbolic dispersion directly according to the daily rebase reward, worth 2% of the symbolic inventory. Rebase rewards are distributed at each age (rebase period) to all $CAESAR holders. This means that without moving their tokens from their wallets, Caesar holders get an annual accumulated fund of 153,617.5%. Crazy.
Rebase Tokens:
Rebase tokens are tokens whose supply is extended or dwindled due to changes in symbolic fees. This increase or decrease in supply works by a system called rebasing. When a rebase occurs, the token inventory is algorithmically expanded or reduced, given the cost of each of these tokens. Caesar's CAP exploits the positive rebase equation that expands the symbolic stock allowing $CAESAR holders to continue growing their tokens, as in a regular staking convention.
How does rebase work?
Rebase activities allow tokens to work in such a way that the flowing supply expands or contracts due to changes in symbolic costs. This increase or decrease in supply works with an instrument called rebasing. Caesar uses a positive rebase equation that builds up the $CAESAR supply of each holder. Rebase occurs periodically and spreads 0.04189% of circular supply as Staking compensation to $CAESAR holders. To see when the following Rebase will occur, clients will actually want to check the hours on Caesar's staking dashboard or on our Discord.
$CAESAR Tokens:
$CAESAR is a versatile inventory ERC20 token that rewards its holders with a positive rebase equation, thereby creating the first autostaking and autocompounding token on Avalanche. Caesar has exchanged fee requests to support and understand the industry that drives APY.
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Tokenomics:
Programmed LP:
5% of the exchange fee goes back to liquidity which guarantees an increase in the price of the $CAESAR security.
Storage:
3% of purchase fees and 8% of transaction fees go directly to RFV-compliant storage.
Risk Free Value:
5% of the exchange fee is transferred to the RFV that supports and supports the bet rewards provided by the positive rebase.
CAESAR Buy and Sell Fees:
Caesar's exchange (trading) fees are an important part of the CAP. They provide funds to fill the basic role of the convention. Different conventions use offering bonds to assist in the same capacity as Caesar's issuance, but we accept that this approach is less secure because, in the case of bonds not being purchased, tokens can lose their favor and spin lower costs as we have seen with some of the convention-based this bond.
Selling bonds also costs token holders. This reduces how many APYs can be offered and eliminates the capacity to offer stable APYs. What fees (13% for purchases and 18% for sales) allow Caesar to provide $CAESAR holders of stable high returns of 153,617.5% annually. One of the added advantages of large fees is that Caesar is the main symbol who benefits when the Pope discards because the fees collected help the holders of $CAESAR.
Buy Link : https://app.bogged.finance/avax/swaptokenIn=AVAX&tokenOut=0xEDdeF578a930DDc6F8Ceef10f4B00829c54686C2
Conclusion:
As Titano's flagship branch on Avax, Caesar Finance redefines DeFi with the Caesar Auto-Staking Protocol (CAP) that delivers the highest fixed APY in the business, clockwork rebate rewards, and a basic buy hold framework that builds a portfolio in your wallet, fast. Join for Profit!
ACCURATE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Website: https://caesar.finance/
Document : https://docs.caesar.finance/overview/project-overview
Twitter : https://twitter.com/caesarfinance_
Telegram : https://t.me/caesarfin
Discord: https://discord.gg/Hqsmbn3b5m
Medium : https://medium.com/@caesar.finance
AUTHOR:
Username: Damkar58
Bitcointalk Profile Link: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1925168
AVAX (c-chain) Address: 0xFa468a5de2759AC15f1191d9A78240F2e7B137B0
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paradisoperdita · 3 years
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A Butler’s Greed
"Your very presence seems to bring out the greed within me." Barbatos
What is hidden underneath that façade of the immaculate butler? What would happen when that mask begins to slip? When you are the only thing on his mind, how will Barbatos encourage you to come closer?
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It started small. Barbatos stood on duty by Diavolo's side, his gaze would follow you as you traversed the courtyard. A slight quickening of his pulse as he recognised your gait; you carried yourself with an elegance that was uniquely yours. Your attention was rarely directed towards him. Barbatos was a mere butler after all. Far more pressing matters occupied your time: a meeting with the prince, attending to student council matters, and stopping Mammon from completely tanking the Devildom economy (again). Only the most noble of company was suitable for an esteemed guest such as yourself. Your happiness during your stay here was his to provide.
It was the end of the day and you were dashing off to a Student Council meeting. Barbatos had caught you in the corridor and started a polite conversation about your current living arrangements. There was a gentle lull in your speech, a reaching for a natural conclusion as you pivoted on your heel ready to leave. Not yet.
“You appeared to be in better spirits yesterday. May I ask what it was that delighted you so?” He inquired, although he already knew the answer.
The flare of activity he sparked in you was exactly what he had been seeking. He lit the firework behind your eyes and savoured the spectacle. Now he was the sole audience for the smile he had only seen you direct at Lucifer and his brothers. This smile was for him. A few more moments in your company. Minutes of stolen conversation that was completely his own. He had forgotten the last time something so mundane had caused his heart to flutter. He had forgotten the last time he had allowed himself to want.
The next invitation was veiled by polite social conventions. The request was made purely in his role as butler to the future King. As always, Barbatos was diligent and professional. The offer to accompany him on a shopping trip was given simply in the interests of furthering the relationship between your two realms. Diavolo seemed convinced by this explanation, and it also seemed to satisfy you, although the utterance left an acrid taste in his mouth. Is this what it meant to deny oneself?
A demonstration of perfect poise excused his rigid posture. His arms held beautifully behind his back as he escorted you through the kingdom’s streets. The only contact he permitted between you was of the eyes. Any more than that and...well, it was hardly worth dwelling upon.
A pendulum will always swing back to its starting point. Barbatos would pull you toward him, reduce the distance between you, then let you go. Like clockwork, you would swing away from him and back to the brothers, before returning to exactly where he had left you. Each time, that distance between you narrowed. He deigned to get closer to you still. The quickening heartbeat mutated into a gnawing at the emptiness in his chest. Something locked deep in the recesses of his being. A promise he had made to himself that he feared breaking above all else.
He never anticipated that you would have a key to unlock that within him.
The next set of invitations carried more significance. They were more personal and required you two to be alone together for an extended period of time: A private cooking lesson in the castle kitchen, a study session about Herbology and Potions, or a dance lesson.
He began with ballroom. It seemed only appropriate given your compulsory attendance to the Royal Ball. Barbatos insisted that he would be your teacher, much to the brothers’ chagrin. The Faustian Waltz was your first lesson. Barbatos took the leading role: his gloved hands nestled on your shoulder and your hip. His back arched taut like a bow, arrow set and aimed at your heart. You tried to imitate his stance, but it did not come to you as naturally. It was difficult to bend away from him, your face turned, left at the mercy of your peripheral vision as he guided you around the ballroom floor.
Rigidity and fluidity, feet glided without rise and fall, and the only sounds that filled the air was the capering music and Barbatos’s soft instructions. He lifted you gracefully and felt the weight of your life in his hands. A final flourish and your lesson was at an end. It was not time for you to leave him yet. He needed more of your time, your presence...your touch.
A single kiss was pressed to your cheek. Your warmth lingered on his lips and spread throughout his body. It fuelled the gilded desire within him, but did not satiate it. The gold-eyed monster within him reared its head, it had been centuries since Barbatos had heard its call. It edged closer. He had to stop now before he was consumed by it. He yearned for you. You did not move away, instead you awaited his next move. Your hands still clasped with perfect poise.
In unison, your lips found each other. At long last, he kissed you. It started small. Short lingering caresses. Fingers twirled into locks of hair. Chests pressed together, shared breaths as he finally found what he had been seeking all this time right here in your arms. Even if this was the only time you were his, it would be enough for him. He would live this single moment a thousand times: a shining beacon amongst the infinite timelines. Perhaps this is the first time he has kissed you? Perhaps this is the hundredth? Neither of you will ever know. A crescendo of desire built up within him, his thoughts concealed by a gold haze.
The door swung open.
You jumped back as Diavolo and Lucifer entered the room, seemingly unaware of what had transpired between you.
“Ah ha, so you were here after all! I take it your dance lesson went well. Barbatos is an excellent teacher.” Diavolo boomed proudly.
“A teacher is only as good as their student. Our valued exchange student was, as always, an impeccable study.” Barbatos said coolly as he refused to unclasp your hands.
Lucifer offered you his hand. He wore the proud smirk he reserved only for you. “I look forward to seeing the results of your hard work when you’re my date for—...”
“No!” Barbatos’s voice broke like a crash of lightning. Claws curled around your hand, seen but not felt. An insidious threat to any demon that dared take what he had marked as his own.
The Demon Prince and the Avatar of Pride winced.
“Excuse me, my Lord...” Barbatos wrenched himself away from you as he escaped the ballroom. His gold-eyed Greed had broken free of the self-made manacles Barbatos had forged deep within his soul. He was greedy for your time, your presence, and your love. He understood now. You were not the one who swung on the pendulum: it was him. It was him who was under your spell, not the contrary. He moved himself closer to you, before growing afraid of the greed inside and moving away. No matter how he may try to resist, he would always be back by your side.
Time moved according to his desires. It was inevitable. The hands of time will always bring him back to you.
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tittytania · 3 years
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Finding ChristBorg: A TED talk about what happened during the Coldharbour Compact.
Reposted from my tes reddit bc I want to see what y’all think.
I can't tell if I'm a genius, completely insane, or if I'm just late to the lore-party. Time to find out I guess. TL;DR at the bottom.
So it has never been explained what Sotha Sil did during the Coldharbour Compact to convince the daedric princes to not manifest on Nirn without an intermediary, and it probably never will be since the mystery of it all is far too cool. But that doesn't mean I can't read into it like literature and look for meaning in the other texts I can compare it to.
To start, Vivec is based off of the Shakta variation of the half female/half male Ardhanarishvara, where the gold-skinned female half is the right side. Both Vivec and Ardhanarishvara represent unity and duality, and looking at some images of Ardhanarishvara, it's kinda hard to argue that Vivec wasn't based off of them. Kirkbride even confirmed that Ardhanarishvara was the inspiration for Vivec in an AMA. Now, Vivec is part of the god trio the Almsivi Tribunal, along with Almalexia and Sotha Sil. Shiva, who Ardhanarishvara is the avatar of, is also part of a god trio, called the Trimurti in Hinduism. So it would make sense if the other members of the tribunal are also based off of one member of a real world religious triad. I have a shaky idea of who Almalexia could be, but my theory for her god-inspiration is nowhere near as solid as my theory for Sotha Sil, who I believe is based on Jesus Christ.
To start, their characterizations have multiple similarities. Both are one branch of a god-triad, with Sotha Sil as part of the Tribunal, and Jesus as The Son in the Holy Trinity. Both serve as a teacher, with Jesus being referred to as Teacher several times in the Bible, and Sotha Sil giving lessons on magic and Mysticism to the Psijic Monks. Also, both are characterized as wise, patient, and celibate. They both talk about moral and philosophical concepts with their followers, neither Jesus nor Sotha Sil are shown as having a temper or raising their voices, and neither of them are shown with a spouse or partner. Sotha Sil is specifically shown as not caring about the Night Mother's attempts to sexually manipulate him in book seven of 2920, The Last Year of the First Era. Now I know that 2920 is considered a work of historical fiction in-universe, but I don't think that matters in this situation since I'm approaching this as a person reading a text, not as a person living inside the lore world.
In terms of specific scenes that connect Sotha Sil and Jesus, the first I will mention is that they both use a makeshift whip to beat intruding wrongdoers and drive them away, while yelling about fathers. In the Truth in Sequence vol. 8 book, it says that "[t]hrough His will alone, Mighty Seht wound the veins (of metal ore) into god-bronze whips, and lashed the Prince pitilessly," saying "[b]ehold the wrath of lost Ald Sotha! Know death at my hands, false-son of a false-father!" In the Bible, Jesus found people doing sales in a place of worship, and then He "made a whip of cords, (and) He drove them all out of the temple," saying “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” (John 2 15-16).
Also, Jesus had close friends and followers who were called his apostles, and Sotha Sil has his own Clockwork Apostles. Sil's apostles reside in the Clockwork Basilica, and while basilica isn't an exclusively Christian term, it is frequently used to describe a type of church architecture, and is a term the pope uses to recognize distinguished churches.
Another similarity that I found was in the plot of Morrowind, where Sotha Sil's death was caused at the hands of Almalexia, who was someone he had once loved and trusted, much like with Jesus and Judas.
The most notable life similarity as it relates to the Coldharbour Compact is that both leave the earthly world in order to make a deal for the benefit of the souls on earth, and then return to the earthly world. This parallel is given extra weight with the descriptions of the scene in the book 2920, The Last Year of the First Era. Sotha Sil returns from Coldharbour by way of someone "rolling aside the great boulder that blocked the entrance to the Dreaming Cavern. This sounds a lot like the scene in the bible of the discovery that Jesus had risen from the dead, where "an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door" (Matthew 28:2). In addition, Jesus said "after He is killed, He will rise [on] the third day," (Matthew 17:23) and after Sotha Sil returned from Coldharbour, he "felt he had been away for months, years, but only a few days had transpired." Perhaps it had been 3?
In addition to the life and behavior similarities, there are similarities in dress. In the 2920 book, Sotha Sil is always described as wearing a white robe or cloak. In ESO, Sotha Sil is shown as barefoot, and wearing a blue sash over his long white robe. In medieval and renaissance art, Jesus is most always depicted as barefoot, and is frequently shown with a blue cloth over his shoulder. In most resurrection art, as well as in almost all 20th/21st century art, Jesus is depicted as dressed in white. While Jesus usually isn't usually shown wearing both the blue sash and the white robe at once like Sotha Sil is, I found one modern interpretation of Jesus that does dress him this way, and several depictions of him in Chinese art that also portray him like this.
I'm feeling almost conspiratorial here, but these similarities are far too many for me to think it's accidental, and therefore I have to think that all of this is meant to suggest that Sotha Sil serves a Christ-figure role in his story, i.e. in sacrificing own life like Jesus did in order to make his deal in the Coldharbour Compact. However I don't think Sil's sacrifice was quite so simple. After he is asked what he offered the Daedra in return for the deal, he states: "The deals we make with Daedra... [s]hould not be discussed with the innocent." This implies that in contrast to the Christ mythos, Sil's sacrifice was not blameless; he did not come out of the deal with his hands clean.
So, a Christ-like sacrifice that isn't quite as pure and selfless as it is in Christianity. What could that be?
My theory is that in order to make the Coldharbour Compact, he sold the lives of Vivec and Almalexia along with his own. Perhaps he told the princes that he knew the tribunal's godhood would end, and in exchange for their cooperation he promised not to tell the other tribunes or make any attempt to prevent his and his companions' demise. (After all, as far as I know he made the mechanical heart for keeping his city functional, not for recreating the divinity the heart of Lorkhan provided.) Or, maybe he offered to do something to assist in bringing the Tribunal down, and losing Sunder and Keening, the tools that helped them maintain their divinity, was intentional on his part. Sil deliberately sacrificing his own life appears to be reflected in Azura's statement after his death. She said "he shed his mortality long ago, and I am certain his death was no small relief to him." Of course she'd know that he let go of his life ages ago if he had willingly sold it to her. Of course she would be certain that he found his death to be a relief, if she'd heard him say so himself when he was explaining why a god would ever offer such a deal.
It would also make sense with Sotha Sil's character, since he allegedly loved the people on Nirn more than Almalexia or Vivec did, and the destruction of Gilverdale could have definitely been a traumatic enough reminder of the destruction of Ald Sotha for him to do something dramatic to prevent it ever happening again. And guilt over sacrificing his friends could have definitely been a contributing factor to the worsening self-isolation and intense depression in his later life. It would also be a definite explanation for why he apparently never met another soul in the 10 years between losing the tools and his death. Not only had he become extremely disillusioned with the imperfections of the world, he had now finalized the deal he made so long ago, and saw no point in continuing to interact with a deeply flawed world he was essentially finished with.
However, I do see some issues with this and how it would work in-universe. Namely the fact that Hermaeus Mora's seekers said the prince received something from every individual on Nirn as part of the deal, which is quite different from what I'm suggesting. A different deal for each prince would also explain why Sil was able to include Clavicus Vile and Mephala in the compact at a much later date. There would be no reason for Vile and Mephala to submit to a collective deal whose terms had already been decided. So if he offered the tribunal's lives as part of the deal, he would have needed to offer other things as well. But for me the most significant in-universe issue I struggled with was that using his death as a bargaining tool would create a massive problem for his ability to enforce the deal in the future. This could explain why both Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon manifested on Nirn after Sotha Sil's death, but since I think they were summoned by qualified mortals that could have been a loophole. Either way, making a deal that is meant to last forever by promising something that can never be taken back in the case of a breach of contract seems extremely short-sighted for someone who claims to be cursed with certainty. Especially considering how many of the princes there were known to be cheats and liars.
Unless, that is, you believe this theory I read about the reason why Sil was completely silent as he was killed. My original belief was that he was silent because he'd seen it coming long ago, and knew that nothing he could have said would have changed Almalexia's mind. And while that would be in character for him, now I'm starting to think that it was because he had already uploaded his consciousness elsewhere. This would fit in with the Christ-figure parallels, due to the Christian belief that Jesus is risen from the dead and very much alive. While Jesus returned to life at the same time he emerged from the cave, the completion of Sotha Sil's death sacrifice didn't happen until long after his return via the cave. While I have found no explicit evidence that he's still around, when you find his body in Morrowind he is shown hanging, with his arms outstretched at his sides, in a sort of crucifixion pose. And after the crucifixion comes the resurrection. Perhaps Sotha Sil is still around somewhere in the gears of his city, and he promised the princes he'd never be present or have any influence on Nirn so long as they kept up their end of the deal. Additionally, the 37th sermon of Vivec mentions Sotha Sil as holding "his swollen belly," carrying "[his] daughter." While Vivec's sermons are hardly ever literal, Kirkbride's comments suggest that maybe Vivec was being somewhat literal in this instance. Regarding this concept art, Kirkbride said "note the cosmic baby growing inside Sotha Sil. While Sotha Sil is dead as we saw in the add-on pack “Tribunal”, the child survived." Perhaps one of Sotha Sil's many body modifications made him able to carry and birth a child, and then he created a daughter through self-cloning or some other method that allows him to have enough influence to enforce the compact.
TL;DR - Sotha Sil has a lot of similarities with Jesus, so he's a Christ figure and therefore his sacrifice in the Coldharbour Compact was himself, and Almalexia and Vivec too, and that also means that he may still be around.
Anyways, thanks for reading and sorry if this sounds like I'm putting red strings on a wall as my application essay to the r/SothaSimps fan club. Also, lmk if I'm missing anything obvious. For me right now Reading Lore On The Bedroom Floor is a bit more manageable than playing the games, and there may be something I've just completely looked over.
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moonlitmeeks · 3 years
Text
༄ how's that broken heart for you?
pairing; richard cameron x gn!reader
summary; sometimes things don't work out the way you intend them to, and all you need is a shoulder to cry on
words; 986
warnings; breakups, swearing, i swear this is actually a lot more fluffy than it sounds
request; no
a/n; look. someone had to provide the cameron content here and i've taken it upon myself to be that someone. i hope you enjoy <33
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having a broken heart was never easy. trying to piece back together the two halves so rudely ripped from one another, desperate to be reunited with their other half, was no easy task; but it was harder still when it was shattered into dozens of jagged pieces that slipped between your fingers like sand every time you tried to gather them.
you felt foolish, scrubbing at the tears that rushed down your cheeks in the hopes that your pure spite would will the onslaught to stop. but they kept flowing, sure and fast as a stream and you knew you wouldn’t be free from their attack any time soon.
another side of you was desperate to cry, to scream and kick and hit and unleash all your anger onto the world that was so unfair and cruel to those smaller than it. balled into fists, your hands housed your head as you attempted to find a place of stability.
your partner of seven months had just broken up with you.
when you’d asked why, for an explanation of what you’d done wrong, they simply shrugged, unable to conjure up any form of excuse to satiate your curiosity. they couldn’t even give you a fucking reason. simply a half-assed apology and a pitiful smile as they patted your shoulder patronisingly.
no matter how determined you were to curl up into a ball until the world had forgotten about you, a small voice at the back of your mind promised you that wasn’t healthy, or that it would make you feel even remotely better. you cursed that hint of rational thinking and picked up your phone, dialling a number you could probably recite off by heart now.
“hello?”
“cam? it’s me.” you sniffled, chuckling bitterly at how pathetic you sounded. “i uh- can i come over? sorry if you’re busy, but i could kinda use some company right now.”
shuffling came from the other end of the line, soft thuds and clatters echoing as you waited for an answer.
“i’m not busy at all. of course you can.”
-
your knuckles rapped tentatively twice against the door. through the glass, you saw his blurry figure approaching, and then the door swung open to reveal a concerned looking cameron. his eyebrows were knitted tightly together, but relaxed when he saw you as he opened his arms slightly.
“c’mere.” he muttered, pulling you into his chest, your face buried in the wool of his white knit sweater as you began to sob once more. “shh, y/n. it’s alright, you’re okay.”
there was a slight fumble as he pushed the door shut with his foot, coaxing  you backwards and slowly moving both of your bodies towards the sofa only a few feet away. it was only when you sat down, sinking slightly into the plush seats, that you released him from your embrace.
you wiped again at your face, the motion like clockwork with how often you’d performed it in the past five hours, cheeks prickling with embarrassment. cameron seemed unphased, folding a leg beneath him before he began to speak.
“do you wanna tell me what happened?”
“i’m single now.” what was supposed to sound lighthearted came out choked, voice breaking slightly as the final word left your lips.
he gave you an undistinguishable look, a soothing cocktail of pity and understanding, yet some bitter undertones ran throughout that caught in your throat.
“god. i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to-“
“it’s fine.” you assured, running a hand down your face as you sighed. “it was bound to happen sooner or later.”
“don’t say that.”
“why not? it’s true.” rage began to bubble up once again, a red mist slowly taking over your vision. “i mean, they couldn’t even give me a reason as to why our relationship was impossible to fix, so i guess i’m just the fucked up one here.”
“hey.” cameron’s hand landed on your clasped ones, forcing you to look at him. “i said don’t say that. that’s not true, and we both know it.”
“look, cameron, i get you’re my friend and it’s your job to make me feel better or whatever, but it’s fine. i’ll just mope around for a few weeks and i’m sure i’ll be back to normal soon.”
cameron looked almost insulted, scoffing and shaking his head.
“y/n, i’m not just saying this because i think i have to. i’m saying it because i genuinely think that your ex is a huge asshole who has no idea what they’ve just given up on. i’m saying it because you deserve better than that. you deserve someone who’ll treat you right, not like shit. i-” he stopped abruptly. it seemed he hadn’t meant to go on such a rant, and finally managed to catch himself.
what he’d wanted to say was that he would never treat you like that. like you were just disposable. he could never pretend to ignore the light you gave off when you entered a room, or how the slightest touch from you sent sparks straight to his heart. he wanted to say that he actually had been busy, studying for a big test he had coming up in the next few weeks, but had gladly thrown all of his work aside for you.
but he couldn’t tell you that. not yet, at least. you needed time to heal, to find yourself again before diving back into another relationship. and he was more than happy to support you through it, even if you found someone else along the way.
he would always be there for you, waiting until the perfect moment. waiting for you.
and when you smiled at him, leaning to rest your head on his shoulder as your eyes slowly fluttered closed, exhausted from the tears, he had to bite his tongue to prevent the words from spilling out.
one day, he promised himself. but not today.
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not sure how i feel about the ending to this one, but i quite liked everything else. comments/feedback are much appreciated <3
taglist; @thesilverskull @pretentious-strikes @tall-my-beloved @yer-erster @caffeineconstellations @aesthetixxluv @star-dust-2317
dead poets society masterlist <3
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