#I like the fire thing bc of it being symbolic of “cleansing” so having a beast on fire is like haha. points finger.

[catgirlmissy]

I like the deer flame imagery for laurence in the nightmare but there is something so incredibly upsetting about the bloodletting beast, idk despite the fact that his legs melt off in phase 2 in the dlc, there is still something regal about the deer demon his conciseness formed, while the thing with the bloodletting beast is like. What a cruel fate for someone who had been researching evolution and desired to rise above humanity, to regress into a horrid monkey-looking thing. I can see how badly damaged his back is on this version too, no wonder he was so desperate

[meetmeatthecoda]

What would you perfect TBL finale look like?

Anon!! ❤️ Omg... what a steller - albeit loaded AF - question 😂😭🥲 *adopts The Thinker pose whilst pondering* WELL, simply put?? My perfect TBL finale would look, um, nothing like what we got 🫠 Either 8.22 or 10.22, of course, they were both dumpster fires of radioactive waste, imho, not that I've seen a millisecond of the latter, ofc, but hearing about it was more than enough 🤷‍♀️ In TV finales - which are difficult for me to watch anyway bc I'm saddened by definitive endings of things lolz - I always prefer symmetry, symbolism, & a happy ending for my preferred ship. That being said, I try to remain open-minded... but I still generally like it when the main character achieves the main goal of the series & survives... preferably both & in that order. I'm a simple girl with simple needs, what can I say?? 🙃 In terms of TBL, of course, I know the general fandom/ship-consensus is that 3.11 is the "real" series finale & that would definitely be acceptable to me!! But if I were to write my own (LOL dangerous) it would probably definitely include Red & Liz having defeated their enemies, gotten their answers, & made their peace with each other & everyone else, living a lovely life together in retirement somewhere with Agnes, any other kids they might have, & Dembe not too far away, probably near the water somewhere, since Red always wanted to be a ship captain (*chokes back a sob*) & idk, water just seems so cleansing & reforming, which would be perfect for them... so yeah idk, some variation of all that with a beautiful, love-filled, fade-to-black of them smiling at one another, having found their way home to each other... but hey, I'm an incurable romantic, plus I would imagine that's far too picture-perfect, cookie-cutter, boring for network TV, so woe is me, I guess 🥹 BUT it's always fun (& sort of torturous haha) to contemplate, so thank you for this ask, anon, I wonder what YOUR perfect TBL finale would look like, & much love to you, friend!! ❤️

[irrealisms]

two for flinching! liner notes

fic here if you haven't read it!

the title for this one was hard. the one i ended up on comes from this comic by a softer sea (& this crimeboys version by @iidalus); it's also the name of a game of chicken where you're trying to get the other person to flinch, which i think works well also, but honestly that's secondary to the comic. you're my brother and i love you. that's it. no punchline.

lythraceae ranboo5 sometimes says "all fic is meta". some of my fic is only sort of meta; frex under these smothering waves is trying very hard to be a missing scene that fits as closely into canon as possible. two for flinching! is very very much meta. specifically: it's my entry into the Crimeboys Abuse Discourse.

i was really unsure about it for this reason, honestly; it's got a lot of tags going "the author likes cwilbur! the author sympathizes with cwilbur! this fic is about cwilbur being loved and forgiven!" and those are, like. disclaimers.

i've had this fic idea since july 2022. i started actually writing it earlier this month. this... might be the longest i've ever gone between "had fic idea" and "actually wrote it".

the dream & wilbur scene came to me months before the wilbur & tommy scene. i had the concept of "okay, so, wilbur post-revival is so insistent that dream's a good guy who has Been Punished and Redeemed Himself because he wants to believe he's a good guy who has Been Punished and Redeemed Himself, right? what happens if you bring those parallels back up after wilbur no longer thinks dream's a good guy?" but then i didn't really have a way to resolve it that wasn't "wilbur kills himself" and i didn't want to write that fic

and of course the way i ended up resolving it was "let the crimeboys demons win". ultimately, tommy loves wilbur; wilbur's attempts to leave or punish himself or get tommy to stop loving him, ignoring tommy's actual opinions on the matter, are themselves a way in which wilbur hurts tommy. for that matter, wilbur's attempt to get revenge on dream for tommy hurts tommy! tommy is not a revenge-oriented person! the dance party on the beach did more for tommy than the confrontation in the prison did. acknowledgement of the things wilbur did to hurt tommy is important, but so is the fact that... tommy is going to keep loving wilbur and wanting wilbur to be happy, and that's not a bad thing, it's just who tommy is. if wilbur wants to make things right, he has to do that not by taking revenge but by listening to what his victim wants.

a quote by Eve Tushnet that shaped my theology and that kept coming into my mind while writing this: "We think God sends our bad things to chastise us and cleanse us—we think Purgatory is full of bad things. Fire, cancer, rats, what's bad... raccoons are bad. Unjust wages! But what chastises us is the good things in life. Love—if you've ever loved so much it hurts, or if you've ever been loved by somebody, maybe your mother, so much that it hurts you to think about it—that's the fires of Purgatory. In this life and the next."

the hardest and most painful thing of all for wilbur isn't tommy's hate, like he thinks it is at first; it's tommy's unconditional love. but it's also that same love that gives him the strength to keep living, to move on and do better, after the fear of tommy's hatred had pushed him to plan both murder & suicide.

the first draft of this fic was almost entirely dialogue. it was ... fine? it was written. almost all of the images that i'm proud of, the recurring symbols, etc., came through in editing. my beta @erstwhilesparrow helped so much. this is pretty unusual for me, i usually do much less editing than this one needed, but i'm proud of how it ended up.

parts of the beginning of the wilbur & tommy scene are from the wilbur finale/Boundless Sands, but most of it isn't.

i don't know how obvious this came through in the writing, but it's tagged with wilbur having BPD bc that does in fact inform my characterization here: i read cwilbur as splitting white on dream post-revival, and then black during inconsolable differences. (he tends to split on tommy & on himself as well.)

crimeboys are so fun to write. i really, really want to write them more, because they're just such a joy to write. probably the most fun part of the entire fic for me was the few lines of banter they get near the end about long words.

EDIT: also ! this fic is nonzero inspired by peel the scars from off my back by squareupgod. not in a directly-inspired way, i had the basic premise before i read it, but in the way where i read that fic and it just kind of lives in my brain whenever i think about c!crime now. if you're a c!crime fan go read that fic. or reread it if you already have read it. whichever. and then cry. you do have to cry.

[spidey-bie]

So glad I didn't miss this

What is OC bringing:Quante is bringing a loud ass speaker, her guitar, various southern cooked foods, and those things that make fire change colors bc chemistry exists

What are they burning:Letters. Holly wasn't really in a position where they could go to therapy so writing was his only escape. While they aren't burning all of the letters, they're burning the one they wrote they day she accidentally killed her parents. He already has the memory clearly, xe don't need another physical reminder

How do they feel while watching the fire: At peace. Fire is something that has always fascinated Q. It's so powerful and chaotic but it c also be beautiful and peaceful

Are they nervous around the fire: nopes

Do they have any past memories around fire: not really just occasionally burning candles to make the house smell good. He hopes his "parents" remember

How many marshmallows are they gonna roast: at least 5

Do they like smores: absofreakinglutely

Do they roast anything besides marshmallows: nopes

Do they prefer to sit closer of further away: kind of in the middle because too close is too hot and too far you can't see the details in the fire. Also they don't wanna burn their guitar

Is there a specific reason why: see 9

Where are they chilling for most of the party: in front of the fire. They've never been this close to one is its a new experience

Do they know anyone: just hobie and a friend q brought who knows abt the spiderpeople

Have they been to a bonfire before: also nopes

What are they wearing: we're gonna assume it's cold so this sweater that's not too thick and some fleece lined pants

Fave campfire activity: scary stories, playing songs, and watching things burn

Do they know any scary stories: not really but he's great at coming up with some

Do they know any campfire songs: also no

What games are they playing: just whatever's being played at the time. Q's never been to a bonfire so she's just kinda going with the flow

Do they have to be watched around an open flame: no not really

Are they having fun: absolutely this is some of the most fun xe've had in a while

I'm glad that this could be your first bonfire experience. Ditto about the whole letter thing. I too burned some things from my past that carried some.... unpleasant memories 🙂. But today is a day of fun so we're not gonna get into that.

Isn't it funny how fire can be a symbol of destruction but also a means of purification? Symbolism is such an interesting thing. I know I feel a bit cleansed mentally after burning some stuff tho.

I'm so glad that you stopped by and had fun. Thanks for dropping by 🤗

[cinnaminsvga]

stuff i noticed in the “on” mv

this is by no means a theory post, but i just wanted to point out some things that caught my eye when i was watching the mv... and also, please note that bighit is notorious for using imagery from a myriad of media, so most of these references might not even be right!! i’m just utilizing my own stock knowledge of literature/history and connecting them with the mv that i think closely associates with them!!

the drummer boy in jimin’s scene: in war, there were people known as “drummer boys.” they are usually (but not always) young boys who played the drum to serve as military music. it was also used to help the soldiers communicate with one another, as well as to keep them marching in sync. the number of drums behind jimin could very well mean the death of dozens of drummer boys, as only one boy remains with him. the boy is also wearing striped pants, and this is only interesting to me because it might mean that he was, well... in a concentration camp. (if you’ve ever watched/read the book “the boy in the striped pajamas,” you’ll understand what i mean.) might be a bit of stretch, but it’s there lmao

in relation to that, seokjin’s opening scene: clearly, a war or battle had taken place just before the scene. casualties lie around him, with one other person in the bg, possibly another survivor. the dead dove shot by an arrow could represent the death of hope. in many forms of literature, doves have often been used to symbolize love, peace, messengers, and hope. it’s death is poignant in this scene, as it represents seokjin’s hope having been killed along with the death of his friends. 

jungkook running with his thorn restraints: this... was a little trickier. what struck me the most was the short second where the camera pans (0:48) and you can see the walled city behind jungkook. this could mean he had been a prisoner of war, or perhaps just a jailed citizens who managed to escape. thorns are very notable in catholic imagery, as jesus had been crowned with them during his death and crucifixation. jungkook might have been on the brink of being sentenced to death and had managed to escape. 

the blindfolded girl and taehyung: this is the one i’m not as sure of. it could be related to lazarus and his resurrection. when lazarus had been raised from the dead, he was still covered in his bindings, but that doesn’t really explain her being “blind.” the other association they could be making is with plato’s famous “cave”

“Plato has Socrates describe a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall from objects passing in front of a fire behind them, and give names to these shadows. The shadows are the prisoners' reality.”

BIG BRAIN EXPLOSION AWOOOO LMAO

this also explains the wall that they are in. this walled society is where they know as their reality. when jungkook escapes, he is the first person out of that “cave” and he finally sees the world outside of their little wall. but then....

jungkook faints (GASP!): but notice that when the camera changes to hoseok, he is no longer in the same place. note the lack of trees in the first photo versus the second photo. what could that mean?

jin has rewound time: aaaaand we’re back to that hyyh bullshit LMFAO jin still has time powers!! amazing!! and this is even more apparent by the dead dove he had caught in his cage. the dove, which had been killed previously, suddenly moves in the cage (covered in cloth by the way... in lazarus’ resurrection, no one actually sees Jesus resurrect him. he just comes out of his grave by himself) and you can also see in 1:47 that jin looks out of the window, possibly bc he sees that the world outside has changed

namjoon and his ark: i think everyone knows this one... noah who?? namjoon is standing in front of a wrecked ship, surrounded by animals. the ship looks pretty old, so perhaps this signifies the time waaay after the great flood, but then why would the animals be there? inch resting

yoongi and the church: the first thought that came to mind immediately was that this was a funeral service. the candles are a big giveaway... and then notice the crowd he’s with. they’re all women. way back during war, there was no place for women except to stay at home and wait for their husbands, brothers, and fathers to return home. these women are the remaining survivors, holding vigil for their fallen brethren.

BACK TO TAEHYUNG AND HIS LIL GIRL: i also need to mention this little screenshot as well...

when the girl stands, staring ahead as if “seeing,” this could signify that taehyung’s eyes have “opened” as well. in the beginning of the mv, he had been casually laying about, perhaps okay with the way he was living despite being literally trapped inside a cage. but what strikes me is the way taehyung follows the girl’s line of sight, as if noticing the wall for the first time. and when he removes her blindfolds... it turns out she was never even blind in the first place. she had blinded herself for no reason at all.

jungkook and his conch shell: WELL OKAY THIS ONE GOT ME EXCITED BECAUSE!! THE WATER!! okay water has always been a symbol of “cleansing” right? in catholic imagery, john the baptist used the river to cleanse people of their sin... if jungkook had “escaped” the prison and found himself in, say, paradise... he sinks his hands into the water while bound by thorns, and pulls up a... conch shell. he’s free, and he has a conch shell!! A CONCH SHELL

conch shell: i first thought about lord of the flies... how it represented civilization, power, authority... but i could also represent courage, truth, and reawakening. RESURRECTION. he escapes his prison, and so... why would he need resurrection? unless, of course...

jin returns... with a crowd of people: JIN REALLY ACTUALLY TURNED BACK TIME THE ABSOLUTE MADMAN... they head to the wall, where they find the wall open. there is a whole world out there.

jungkook blows the conch shell: the trees regrow. the mountain burns, just like in the bible when the bushes burn when moses is given a revelation by God on the mountain. jin releases the dove, just like how noah released a dove as a messenger to see if it’s safe. 

namjoon leads the way... to this new world that has been opened to them... jungkook rushes to the apex, excited. they’ve been reborn, now filled with a dream to live fully. 

[blookmallow]

some observations about suspiria mostly about set design/symbolism. lots of me rambling about colors

im probably looking too far into things w/ a lot of this i just like speculating. this ended up being like an entire fuckign essay i am sorry this is so much :’ )

- WATER KEEPS SHOWING UP as i mentioned before and i am nOT sure why,

the film begins and ends with massive amounts of rain

madam markos supposedly died in a fire, fire is the opposite of water

we also see this shot at the end where suzy escapes into the rain while the witches are being burnt up inside

my guess is just. the usage of water/fire bc water is a cold, purifying substance; water cleanses, washes away, puts out flame, while fire is destructive, produces smoke, kills

but then we also have these little demon things spitting out water and the building itself soaked in water too

so i think theres a lil bit of water as distortion/blurred senses/confused perception / water as mystical as well as water as purifying/cleansing 

- blood. horror films do tons of things with blood but whenever blood shows up in suspiria it tends to be like.... very, very bright, which draws your attention strongly to it and gives it a kind of otherworldly sense - might just be an aesthetic thing, or like. how people say witnessing horrific violence in real life feels surreal and impossible so they’ve accentuated it here to heighten that feeling

the distortion of visuals/sound/etc tends to get the most intense/the highest level of surreal dreamstate feeling when something mysterious/something violent/something otherworldly is happening so that might be related 

- shifting perspectives- a lot of the time when someone was afraid or the music was doing the Danger thing the camera angle would suddenly move and swoop around like a ghost which. again i dont know if that Means Something or is just an aesthetic thing but for me it gave the impression that something was watching them/something unseen was present in the space and it was a rly neat thing

- sound becomes Very Loud and chaotic and overwhelming when characters are scared; really good use of sound to create anxiety, i also could never quite tell whether the characters could hear the sounds or not (there was one instance where sara heard something and was looking around fearfully, i heard the raspy singing/loud theme music thing going on but then she reveals she heard snoring which was lost under the soundtrack so i didnt hear that. so its sort of implying when that sound happens she’s hearing something but not the same thing im hearing)

the main theme plays over and over and over so it gets stuck in your head, im guessing maybe that theme is supposed to signify magic/the witches/Weird Shit is Happening/Someone’s Gonna Die like. the jaws theme/the halloween theme/etc but this one seemed particularly. persistent to the point that its kinda making my head spin at this point 

though repetitive sound/melodies also heightens anxiety and the whole fever dream aesthetic too 

- pink, red, blue, and white. color is huge in this film but i cant tell if any particular color is supposed to have any particular significance (theres also a lot of green and yellow but i didnt notice anything significant enough to connect those to) 

the outside of the building itself is red (except in one shot it looked suddenly really pink, i think that was right before the dog attack??) red usually symbolizes blood, violence, rage, sometimes passion, etc 

i ended up with a ton of shots of this hallway just bc its.....so good,

the “red room” was where suzy was told to go practice (i dont remember it actually ever being shown though? unless i just forgot or it wasnt actually colored red), the stern teacher lady was shown in a mirror with a red wall behind her and like. red showing up behind her happened a lot (they all turn out to be witches so im not sure why it was specifically her) (coulda been to make the audience suspect her In Particular when in reality its all of them)

the girls are all dressed in white, which usually symbolizes innocence and/or purity- they become drenched in red/pink when they die (suzy also threw a blanket over the bat before she killed it, im not sure if the blanket was white or pink bc of lighting but red seeped through it from the dead bat) 

there’s also the white sheets in the temporary dorm hall that suddenly turn red when the lights go out 

white seems to be a kind of canvas for other colors to be shown against 

pink shows up a lot but i couldnt quite figure that one out, mostly red/blue seemed to be the main colors playing against the white 

im not sure what building this was but this was where i noticed Pink kept happening 

water washing away red 

im not sure what this was?? because i thought it was wine but. the color and consistency was super weird when she poured it out 

n then sara goes out into the hallway, which is flooded with red light that seems to follow her as she leaves

she becomes practically drowned in red just before her death

then we have this neat shot where she moves from the red hallway to the blue room and the shift in colors is projected onto her body because of the white dress

into complete blue light

the sound is also LOUD and frantic when she’s in red light, and the sudden cut to blue here also completely cuts the sound to total silence; i noticed red/LOUD, blue/silence happened several times after that (maybe it also was before, i didnt notice)

every time she smashes a window there’s a sudden violent flash of red light that illuminates her (red could also = pain and mental distress) 

im not sure what blue signifies though, blue in contrast to red is cool and pleasing, comforting, calm, but this place isn’t safe or comforting nor does she feel calm or safe in this moment so i have. no idea 

the window above her appears pink or maybe light purple, it looks like a way out but ends up being the window to her death so maybe the mixture of red/blue danger/safety could be there but. again i dont think blue = safe either

i noticed death-via-window happening a lot too

but like. this side is also blue. so. i have No Idea

blue and red blending together over white after the bat scene

leaving a still/quiet/blue room to go into the red/chaotic noise (i think the sound started at the exact same moment the light became visible too)

red and blue seem to be at war with each other over the set after this point 

red hallway with blue stained glass panes (and there was a lightning flash here too that flooded the room with blue light for a second)

this time the still/quiet room has red glow in it, the first color we see in the mystery door into the witches’ chamber is blue (and it was the blue iris that opened it) 

flashing red and blue on the witches themselves, i took screenshots so id remember what i was gonna say but now i forget if it was rapidly flashing between colors or if there was specifically a blue flash when she drank from the cup 

escaping into rain but surrounded in red 

i dunno. im not a film major im just a person who likes movies and colors :’) i could be totally off on all of this, maybe none of it means anything and its all just aesthetics, maybe it does mean something and i missed it entirely, i hav no idea but. anyway. there’s my accidental 15 page essay on suspiria and colors thank u goodnight

[steelmistsrp]

Congratulations && welcome, Divya !!  You have been accepted for the role of The Devout: Nalini Harms.  Please be sure to make a separate blog for your character&& send it into the main within 48 hours !!  Once that is submitted we will invite you to join the OOC blog && an option to join our skype chat if you should so choose !! Any triggers you (and other applicants) have submitted have been added to our trigger list.  Please be sure to read our Welcome Checklist as you begin to get started.  The Follow List && OOC page will also be updated for you once your blog has been submitted.  Thanks again for you application && we look forward to writing with you !!

Div, I knew when I was writing this skeleton you would jump at the chance, and you really developed Nalini into a great character beyond everything I’d hoped.  Every group (evil or not) needs the overly righteous voice, and you’ve nailed exactly what we were hoping to get out of The Devout.  We can’t wait to see what havoc she wrecks alongside her companions and as always we are fully prepared for the angst you’ll bring along.  Thanks && Welcome !!

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

Name: glittersatan Divya Age: 20 Pronouns: She/Her Timezone: EST in school, PST when not Activity Level: idk i’m not constantly online or talking to you or anything ;;;;;;;;   A lot

IN CHARACTER INFORMATION

Skeleton Name: The Devout Character’s Full Name: literally the hardest part of this app

Nalini – lotus, sweet nectar (so very deceptive of who she really is don’t u think? and also pretty funny bc she wants everyone to drink the kell cool aid)

Faceclaim: Deepika Padukone, who else Gender and Pronouns: female (cis), she/her Sexuality: uhhhhhh demiromantic pansexual? maybe? idk does it matter are priests allowed to get up to bedroom shenanigans in survivorism? wejustdon’tknow.gif Age and DOB: 30, born on the 30th of Marshinil in 522 (the most important part of this is for us she’s a sagittarius js) Education Level:  finished primary school and then continued with a religious education

Biography:  tw for drowning and also for muuuuuuuurder

It is the Survivor’s way to purge the world of rot and ruin with blessed fire—Nalini is living proof. As a child charmed with the fortune of the Harmed family, they were carefree and charismatic, wanting for nothing. Then, the stories of the Survivor of Hathsin and His Heir were little more than just that, stories. It was easy to both respect the doctrine of Survivorism and to put it out of her mind when more engaging things could take its place. All it took to change that was a single misstep and mere minutes of suspension.

Crossing the bridge between the Sixth and Seventh Octants while pursuing childish whims, Nalini had only just grown tall enough to peer over the bridge wall and out across the blue, blue bay. Her curiosity tugged her further—she wanted to look down into the river’s depths, but even when stretching on her toes, she wasn’t quite tall enough, so… What kid wouldn’t heave themselves up, oblivious to any danger bigger than knees and elbows scraped against rough stone? Little more than a passing biker speeding by broke her attention and offset her balance, sending her toppling over the edge. Icy water hit her so sharply she almost shrieked with the shock of it. A current yanked her down, flinging her toward the sea, the tumbling making her dizzy; the instinctual panic that froze her lungs was so strong her jaw ached from the effort of keeping it clamped shut. Then everything else ached from the effort of not breathing, but she couldn’t figure out which direction the surface was, and the entire river seemed to be darkening, her world shrinking before her very eyes. It felt odd to drown. Just before she could no longer hold her breath, Nalini thought Mother will be so disappointed if I don’t make it to church tomorrow.

The jolt of frigid water flooding her lungs was her last conscious moment underwater, her vision fading to just a pinprick of light, and then nothingness. Lucky as she was, a fisherman hauled her out of the bay onto the pier, and as she heaved up water she tried frantically to convey what she had experienced—she heard a voice, she was sure of it, soothing her and promising that everything would be alright. Only one explanation made sense to her: the Survivor Himself had spoken to her. He chose her. He saved her. He purged with fire but made believers with water. Against the odds she, too, had survived.

From then on, no argument could convince her that the Church of the Survivor’s gospel was not the unwavering truth. She lived by the Church’s teachings, studied their doctrine night and day, practically breathed stories of the Survivor and Ascendant Warrior’s triumphs. If only she could be as noble as they had, and not simply part of the pretending nobility. At twelve years old she was so enraptured by her prophets that she got her hands on each metal she could in turn, hoping her one moment of near-ascendance had at least left her Snapped and an Allomancer, as her heroes had been. Lucky as she was, though not without some painstaking trial and error, she discovered her affinity for chromium and considered it a carefully-selected divine gift; now she had the power to render all people equal.

Symbolically she was satisfied, but in reality? Injustice was everywhere, and soon she couldn’t stop seeing it. Children starved on the streets while families like her own not only feasted to their hearts’ content, but wasted just as shamelessly. Those with power and connections thought they could get away with abuses of the worst kinds, and all it took to prove them correct was trading a few Doxins with the right constable. The very fact that some could still afford servants while others lived without basic necessities! Worse still, some of those who thought themselves superior still looked down on those not at lucky as them, as her, to be blessed with an innate ability to kindle metal deep within them. Could they not see that those were gifts bestowed by the Survivor? Privileges meant to be used for the greater good, not for selfish gain?

She was unable to control herself one day on the street, just another teenager loitering around Tekiel Tower, when she saw such an atrocity unfold before her very eyes. A man chased a young child down the road with the enhanced speed of a Pewterarm, snatching the boy into the air by his collar and threatening him openly, all for a mere fistful of pilfered bills. Plenty gathered to watch, but not a single person moved to interfere, some afraid to match Pewter strength, others merely cowards. Swallowing a pinch of her metal and darting forward, all it took was her palm laid against his arm to render the man powerless against anyone his own natural strength. The kid ran free and a few emboldened onlookers kept him from turning his threats on their young heroine. She heard later that he had ended up in the hospital, but it hardly affected her. Lord Kelsier would have gone further. She was only doing as He would have done—as He blessed her to do in His stead. She was His equalizer.

Barely weeks later, she denounced her family name and fortune, joining the Church on her sixteenth birthday—an auspicious number, therefore a glorious day—and taking to its teachings as naturally as if she had been born to them. If she had been asked, she’d have claimed she was.

Still, no matter how much good the Church did sharing its doctrine with the world, those who sought to reach the top by trampling the downtrodden beneath them still existed. They appeared to multiply as the years went on, coming out of the woodwork when the world seemed a more accepting place for their greed. Sins of the past began to reemerge so appallingly quickly that Nalini feared—

No, not feared. Knew. Hoped—

—that a new rebellion needed to rise as well. The Survivor would never have stood for all His work being undone by sinning ingrates who had forgotten the past. That was what He had chosen His Heir to prevent before the Great Catacendre.

Perhaps some of the Ascendant Warrior’s spirit was present in her—she could pray it was so, anyway—but she did not doubt the special role the one who organized their modern rebellion had been given. The Lekal heir saw what she had seen, and did what she knew needed to be done. That was why she chose to support The Burning Word—it was the purest form of the doctrine in action. Take down those opposed to equality by any means necessary, exactly as the Survivor had once done. How could she resist?

Her devotion to the cause is only outweighed by her devotion to their Lord, but both work in tandem to make her a vital component of the group. She provides the proof that their leader is following a righteous path lit by the Survivor Himself; thus every maneuver The Burning Word takes is justified by her knowledge of the religion. By day she preaches and works to convert those lucky enough to know empathy and equity to the Church’s ranks, and when the sun sets and the sacred mists come out to play, she takes the fight on herself and carries out the Survivor’s message. He lights her path with His cleansing flames, she who Survived in this new age.

Personality: 

+ Confident – Nalini knows who she is, what she believes, and what needs to be done. This makes her an excellent priest and an excellent extremist; she’s all but fanatical in her devotion and more than willing to share that passion with those who wish to learn (and many who don’t), as well as capable of excusing any harsh action if it is taken in the name of her God. She knows she deserves to be equal to all other people, and just as no one is allowed to suppress her, so too will she not allow anyone to oppress the less fortunate.

+ Idealistic – Extremism is okay in the name of the greater good, isn’t it? Fanaticism is fine if your religion is righteous, right? Nalini wants equality for all people regardless of class, race, gender, abilities, so on and so forth until the list exhausts itself. Seems good in theory, doesn’t it?

- Ruthless – Particularly when paired with the above, Nalini’s penchant for excusing even the most abhorrent of behaviors if they serve her idea of the path toward righteousness is worrying at best and downright deadly at worst. If the entire noble class has to be purged to satisfy her Lord’s doctrine, she will find a way to carry it out and still sleep calmly at night.

- Ambitious – This trait added on makes everything Nalini does twice as terrible, because sometimes she does have the slightest of selfish reasons: it’s possible she hopes to be the Survivor’s next Heir, His tool on the ground to make sure all his hard work isn’t unraveled. She truly believes she was saved by her God so that she could fulfill a higher purpose.

~ Impulsive – Though she does a good job of keeping a level-head while teaching others about the Church and its scripture, Nalini is sometimes prone to restlessness and the hot temper of a radical who feels stuck in a rut. She wants so badly to help the oppressed that occasionally her heart gets the better of her head and she jumps into action where she would be wiser to wait for instruction or aid.

Western Zodiac: Sagittarius

Moral alignment (as she sees herself): Neutral good

Moral alignment to onlookers: Chaotic evil

MBTI: ENTP (tho i totally winged this bc hell no i’m not taking the test at 6am)

Enneagram: Type I, the Reformer

Temperament: Choleric

Admin Questions: um yeah i have a question, how ready are you for me to kick your asses with pain? No, no we aren’t but we’ll take it anyway ;)