#Coils of the Serpent

[skribeworks]

The MCs from Coils of the Serpent

[hyenafu]

I think we all know someone who could use a big hug from a big friend 💕🐍

[naffeclipse]

Btw looking at the little naga multiverse that’s going on. I love it sm lol Into the Naga!Clip-Verse am I right??

How would a BH!Eclipse fit as a naga? And how would he interact with the others? :0

Ahahah, it really is! And tossing the bounty hunter into the mix? Oh man

Bounty Hunter!Eclipse as a naga takes after the Rainbow Boa. He possesses deep red scales with black saddle-shaped markings along his tail, and his sun rays are made of black and orange frills. He's nocturnal and sticks to the trees, preferring solitude and avoiding anything that walks along the ground, except for, of course, our lovely Y/N. He does not interact with the others. The reason is if he's compelled, he will act violently, horribly, and it will end will blood everywhere. So, he's better off alone while he struggles with his urges.

He carries a captivating rainbow iridescent sheen to his scales that is rarely seen, but Y/N manages to snap a picture of it, mistaking BH!Eclipse for only a snake and not a naga. Oops.

BH!Eclipse is none too pleased to be photographed and as such gives Y/N a warning with some terrifying hissing and threats to crush them. He looms over them and the brush of his coils gives Y/N shivers of death but ultimately, he refrains from his impulse to smother them. He orders them to show him the picture. When Y/N reveals the photo with shaking hands, he's stunned by how nicely Y/N captured him. As if he's not entirely violent and deadly. It stirs something deep in his cold heart.

He orders Y/N to leave. They bolt out of there like a gazelle but little do they know the impression they just left.

BH!Eclipse wants to see them again (he wants to see how nicely they bruise, how pretty their sanguine blood is—no, no, no) he wants to see if they'll take more pictures. He wonders how well they can handle seeing him again after he scared them.

What's one more thing to try and get right?

[mrs-gauche]

I wonder if the sword and the eye symbol on the new artbook cover are a reference to DA2 and DAI (as in, it looks exactly like Meredith's sword Certainty and the eye on the Inquisition's symbol?) since we had both Meredith and Corypheus on the 2020 teaser mural, too... but how exactly do they tie into the narrative of Veilguard? 🤔

Like the 2020 mural, is it another hint at both the red lyrium idol and the orb, maybe? Both of these artifacts did kinda set the events of each game in motion (less so in DA2 but it was still a big plot device). AND they both belong to Solas after all... 👀👀 Also....

There is the flippin dagger again. 😂 I've seen people speculating that maybe our choices might have an influence on the dagger somehow and that it could become corrupted (again? Since there's still a chance that this is the red lyrium idol but "purified". So maybe Solas cleansed it somehow, but without him, it transforms again?).

To me, the dagger on the artbook cover looks almost like it's covered in vines or roots? And that in turn reminds me of the vinyl cover with the tree branches and the dragon (Mythal?) and how Mythal's vallaslin looks also like tree branches and all that mention of vegetation and flora in the visions about Mythal's war against the Titans in Trespasser..

Or, speaking of "roots", Titans and Mythal, we might as well look at all these "lyrium veins" in The Descent again (the dagger is likely made of lyrium after all)...

And doesn't THAT in turn remind you of the new design of the demons we've seen so far in DA4 and that "nervous system", and how the devs just recently confirmed that there's a lore reason for that redesign?? 👀👀👀

"They made bodies from the Earth, and the Earth was afraid."

Hmmmmmm. 👀👀👀👀👀

[weirdlookindog]

Margaret Brundage (1900-1976) - Coils of the Silver Serpent

cover art from Weird Tales, February 1936

[quo-usque-tandem]

Coiled serpent - Aztec, 15 century

[5ecardaday]

Monster Popularity Contest– Kaldheim

Esika, God of the Tree Inga Rune-Eyes Koma, Cosmos Serpent

Alright, after a quick and easy month-long break to decompress after Arcanatober, I’m back at it again. On my Patreon, I do weekly patron-exclusive polls, and the first poll of each month is the Monster Popularity Contest. This month, to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Winter, I’m also doing exclusively winter-themed homebrews! This, of course, means a visit to the coldest MtG plane of all, Kaldheim

[astarab1aze]

"You know, Asuka - I heard from Cedric. He's sold nearly all your paintings. It sounds to me like you may have to paint something new for him; You can't always and only ever take up mural work. I know it pays well, but your success is important to me, sweetheart, and I don't want you to fall behind in your best work."

"Oh, did he? Good fer him - and 'm gonna have to agree to disagree, mom. My murals pay the bills an' get posted on instagram. My boyfriend is a photographer--"

"Mm, don't remind me. Unless you want a lecture."

"You're already lecturin' me. Go crazy, have fun with it. Throw some confetti. I'll call your boyfriend an' we can throw a whole shindig about it since he'll jus' lecture me too."

"Boyfriend? Is that what you think he is? Your sarcasm is adorable, my love, but one little dance does hardly a romance make, delightfully charming as he was-- Oh, very clever, chickadee. I see what you're doing."

"Woop- Ya caught me! But it's only because you're so damn obvious. Ya put on the dress when ya invited him to that work thing - the really nice, lacy one that made ya look so elegant and soft but also terrifyin' 'cause ya kinda are... Hehe, everyone was impressed. Hani and I thought we mighta had to scrape his jaw off the floor when he saw you. Even sent that picture I took to Ed and Viri and those two were just as hopeless."

"Oh, stop it, sweetheart - You're just trying to get out of having a serious conversation with me by buttering me up with obvious statements. I see right through you and I cannot be fooled twice."

"Ya say that, but no one knows ya like I do - you already have the next work party marked on your calendar, and I know you're gonna ask him next time ya see him. Jokes on you, momma, guess who can't be fooled either? You raised me, after all."

"What a cheeky little shit you've turned out to be."

"Pfft, please. As if ya weren't fifty-times worse when ya were my age. Tsubasa told me allllllll your stories, dad too. You were diabolical. Worse than Hanma. Worse than Tsubasa. How many times didja sucker what's-his-face into doin' your dirty work, huh?"

"Asuka--"

"--WAIT A MINUTE. Ya cursed just now. Ya never curse."

"My darling baby bird--"

"Now I know, beyond a shadow o' a doubt - you're really into him. I can't believe how easy ya are to figure out! Does he know? Oh, I bet he does, if you're this transparent. Man, if I'da known ya liked 'em grumpy and stinkin' of horse, I'da set ya up with my history professor--"

"...I came to talk to you about your work, check in with you, adoringly lecture you, and here you are, making assumptions about the nature of my professional relationship with the Witcher who protects you from mortal harm when your boyfriend cannot--"

"Whatever, mom, don't bring Hani into this jus' 'cause you're-- Jus' go on your dates with him. He's ever so slightly less grumpy after spendin' time with ya, and now ya've got a lil extra pep in your step! An' that's sayin' somethin', since you're all doom an' gloom, but nice an' delicate like a moonflower--"

"You're lucky you're my favorite, chickadee, but if it's as you say...then our Geralt might stand to dethrone you."

"Read. My. Lips. Mom: Good."

"...You are most definitely mine."

"Ya can't help but love me!"

"More than anything in this world and the next - and that's precisely why you ought to whip up some fresh paintings and sketches for Cedric to look over and sell for you! Your future is vitally important, my love, and I won't always be around to pick up the slack when work is slow--"

"Godsdammit, mother! Ya got me..."

"This is my house...and the house always wins, sweetheart."

"Jus' you wait till me an' the stooges start droppin' hints for Geralt..."

"What was that, dear? I couldn't hear you over you having to be responsible for your own finances and maintaining the potency of your talents."

[tomoleary]

Eduardo Barreto “Sinbad, The Coils of the Serpent” concept art for unpublished graphic novel

[cannonfullofcanons]

This is here to clarify that my Gin Ichimaru portrayal is largely divergent from canon, and very much headcanon-based. I know my take on him differs from most. If my portrayal’s a bit odd, this is why!

Spoiler warning! Don't hit the read more if you don't want spoilers regarding Gin!

Gin’s motivations are seemingly shrouded in mystery. Between his shifty demeanor and his expression of seemingly constant amusement, he’s incredibly difficult to read. He has the BEST poker face in the Seireitei. But his motivations are actually much more simple than they appear. He’s not truly evil - but he does commit evil acts, for his own causes. A means to an end. His strongest motivations amount to only three things: one, to protect his oldest (and perceivably ONLY) friend, Rangiku Matsumoto; two, to amuse himself; and three, to survive. Gin is very easily bored, and boredom invites self-reflection. He doesn’t enjoy that. He’s not very fond of thinking on the past, and only does so on rare occasions, when he’s in the mood for it. He much prefers to live in the moment, to have a bit of fun.

Largely going off of what I gathered from his portrayal in the anime, from my best attempt at studying his character, I view & treat him as a jester archetype. Very morally grey. His motivations are as unclear as his loyalties, he himself is the center of his universe. Fun is his biggest motivator, and if something doesn’t interest him, he likely won’t have anything to do with it. He could betray someone at a moment’s notice, or he could put his life on the line for someone he barely knows. He’s unpredictable. And it all boils down to whatever path pulls him the most; normally, the one he perceives as the most enjoyable. But sometimes, especially where Rangiku is involved, he’ll take a more responsible road.

This was why he joined Aizen. This was why he betrayed the Soul Society. To protect Rangiku. To learn Aizen’s true plans, and stop him. Did he do a lot of terrible things along the way? He sure did. And he regrets some of it. But in the end? He puts those ‘useless emotions’ aside. Killing people, following orders, heeding requests from ‘friends’ - all of this is secondary in his mind. Unnecessary, but sometimes fun. They are not top priority, and never have been. Gin is a man who fights under no banner but his own. He may act otherwise...but t’is just that. An act.

The one woman - the only person he’s EVER been truly loyal to, is one Rangiku Matsumoto of Squad 10. Gin would do anything for her if she truly asked. Anything except leave her in danger. Everyone else, to him, is trivial. Either cannon fodder or someone for him to mess with. He does so enjoy pranks. Hence why he so enjoys getting the dumber arrancars hopelessly lost in Hueco Mundo.

Now, with all this in mind? Gin is not a threat inherent. He’s more than happy to keep his blade sheathed and hang out with other Soul Reapers. Be it simple chats, pranks, maybe even going out for drinks - he isn’t against this. He won’t draw his blade if he doesn’t feel provoked, or if he isn’t ordered. He bears no true hatred for anyone except one Sosuke Aizen, whom he has loathed for a long, long time. He’s been playing one very long con, and he’d like nothing more than to leave. But he can’t. And so he keeps that mask on, that sly smile with squinted eyes. Much like a snake, waiting for the opportune time...to strike.

In the end, Gin did survive his attempted assassination of Aizen, if only just. The wound nearly killed him, but left him instead in a catatonic state, not unlike a coma. Squad 4, with a little extra help from Mayuri Kurotsuchi, kept him alive long enough to make it to trial back in the Seireitei; he was sentenced to death, but Yamamoto overturned this decree, given Gin's intentions in his betrayal. Gin was instead left in the jails under Squad 1's supervision for several months. Over time, he was gradually returned a few freedoms, and was allowed to wander, with supervision. Eventually he was permitted to return to active duty, but with serious limitations placed upon him; officially, he acts in an advisory capacity exclusively, but he insists on joining the fray when Squad 3 is in battle. With the restrictions in place, he's now at Lieutenant level in terms of power. He isn't trusted by any in the 13 Divisions - not by a long shot - but he's trying to redeem himself. He's not trying especially hard, but he is trying.

[skribeworks]

Coils of the Serpent – 10k Views

In comparison, it’s not much, but recently my novel Coils of the Serpent crossed the 10,000 views mark on Royal Road. The more popular works receive that many in a day, but it is almost two years to the day since I posted the first chapter there. Add in the few thousand views the novel has received on other sites (plus the three views it got on Wattpad before I deleted it), and that’s a substantial number of readers. Far more than I expected when I began.

[thysia]

Children of the Sun - Ren Escar

[moonyandrice]

Rain by Sleep Token Moodboard

[gilnoruil]

// Character Inspiration - Gilnoruil, all verses

Daemon Targaryen - House of the Dragon

Dexter Morgan - Dexter

Alhaitham - Genshin Impact

Thranduil - The Hobbit

Corrado Martini - Model, Face/body claim

Vessel - Musician, Sleep Token, voice claim

[ereborne]

Song of the Day: August 14

“Rain" by Sleep Token

[holyeater]

looking into esoteric snake symbolism lately and i found it really striking and bizarre that jesus is compared directly to a serpent (traditionally associated with evil) in john 3:14 “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” this is in reference to a story in numbers where god releases a plague of flaming serpents upon a group of israelites as punishment for rebelling against him, and many are bitten and die. the people ask moses to pray to god to take away the curse and god tells moses to erect a pole with a fiery serpent coiled around it and everyone who has been bitten and looks upon it will be healed and live.

the image of the curse is the cure for the curse itself. much to think about