#Masks and Maladies

[inkribbon796]

Egotober 2023 Day 1: I Just Want to Help

Summary: Silver wouldn’t go as far to say that he has a “biggest fan” just that he has someone who sees him as a “biggest inspiration”. Which normally wouldn’t be a problem, however Silver is a superhero with two dangerous supervillain enemies who run a massive criminal organization.

Prompt: Cape

A/N: Been a while, dealing with some serious writer’s block brain rot. Hoped to return early but didn’t happen. So I’m dropping off some Egotober stuff and hopefully some other stuff but I make no promises. This Egotober I’m going with an additional theme that was highlighted in: Six Ate Seven. So for some people it’s been a while but this works in that former reality. Where Patton is still a Lost One and deals with those characters. This is in the timeframe where they’re all still kids (teenagers to be exact). So you might see teen Ethan running around too.

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

Over the city streets of Egoton, Silver was keeping a watch on the town.

While he was conducting a sky patrol he heard someone calling out to him on the top of a fire escape.

“Hey, Silver!”

Silver looked over and saw the rather common sight of what looked like a kid wearing a mask. They were maybe a teenager in bright blues, a sweater and a pair of jeans, and a black domino mask that looked like it’d been brought at Spirit Halloween. A bright blue cape on and a shock of dyed blue hair.

A kid looking like a superhero was common. He and the rest of the Coalition saw it all the time. What was uncommon was one standing on top of the fire escape.

“H-Hello?” Silver said, coming to a stop to float mid air.

“I’m here to help,” he had a huge smile on his face as he half jumped up on the top of the rail and balanced on it.

“I don’t think the Coalition can legally add minors,” Silver tried to say. He didn’t wanna just crush this kid’s dreams right out the gate. Maybe in ten years they could set something up, but not now.

“No, I can fight bad guys, I can do this,” he said with a huge smile.

Silver floated over closer.

“Come on, kid,” Silver said. “This stuff is really dangerous. You can’t just be running around in a domino mask and a sweater. Wilford shots people on a whim. Dark flays people apart with his shadow aura.”

“And I have powers,” the young man said. “I can do this and I’ll do it with or without you.”

“You’re like what? Ten?” Silver asked.

“I am fourteen,” the young man boasted. “I’m a man.”

“Oh yeah, fourteen, that’s so much better,” Silver said. “You know what I was doing when I was fourteen? Playing video games and being too chickenshit to talk to girls. That’s what I was doing.”

“Yeah, because you were wasting your powers, I have them and I’m going to use them,” Ethan said.

And then he ran off and Silver’s heart was beating a little too fast. This kid was going to be the death of him. Either this kid was going to kill himself, or Mark was going to do it for him.

Silver tried to catch up with him but the kid had disappeared. Which was probably the most terrifying thing. He had to get this kid home safe and he couldn’t find him.

Silver hit his communicator. “SAM, we got a teenager running around trying to fight villains.”

“Seems like a you problem, Silver,” an automated voice said.

“No, no it’s us problem, you ass. He can turn invisible.” Silver began flying around.

Silver wished this had happened last week when Marvin had been in town. They had absolutely no one in the Egoton branch who could follow aura trails. Maybe he could get Marvin over stateside for a while, or they could find someone who could see aura trails. He’d take anything at this point.

While he was flying around, starting with the fire escape and radiating out from there. He called his entire team out to track down one fourteen-year-old kid.

“APB, we have a fourteen-year-old punk running around and trying to be a superhero. I need help finding him before Wilford kills him. He turns invisible.”

“I hear you,” Wade said, he sounded like he was in the middle of a crowd or his mic was broken again. “Why are you chasing a child?”

“In-vis-ible, invisible, dipshit,” Silver said. “Is there some toy or tool that the Septics left last week that we can use?”

“I think I have something,” Bob said. “Marvin was testing some weird shit out when he and Average were in town.”

Silver began a mad chase through the city, which unfortunately eventually led him to the Warehouses. The superhero hoped desperately that the kid wouldn’t be here. He could be in and out and that he’d just gone home.

Silver tried being stealthy, and for a second he caught sight of the teenager he’d been chasing. And Silver’s heart sank as he started following him.

In front of one of the warehouses in the cluster was Wilford.

Silver’s literal worst case scenario.

There was someone, maybe a teenager, with him in a tweed suit. With a matching dark green hat on his head. They seemed to be talking about something, Wilford talking with his hands rather animatedly.

Then Wilford’s eyes were tracking something and Silver’s heart managed to beat even faster.

“Oh, ho,” Wilford smiled as he reached out and grabbed something. “What have we here?”

A few things happened at once. One was the teenage hero turned visible again as he fought for air against the grip on his throat. Silver flew closer, trying to get to them before Wilford shot the teenager. And then there was the far more worrying thing to happen: Dark showed up.

The kid in tweed was pulled through a portal, worrying Silver, and Dark emerged in their place. Oozing purple, blue, and a little bit of red aura, dripping off of him like toxic waste.

His eyes met Silver’s mask and he looked braced to attack.

Then his eyes tracked over to the kid. “Wilford, what are you doing?”

“Little tyke has a neat party trick, I only plucked him out of thin air,” Wilford smiled.

“Hmm, release him,” Dark said and to Silver’s amazement the madman did so.

“No fun, Darky,” Wilford frowned.

The teenager began backpedaling towards Silver, who was all too happy to push him behind him but kept a hold of his arm.

“Who’s your friend, Shepherd?” Dark’s head tilted.

“Not my friend, I’ll be escorting him back home,” Silver said.

Dark’s eyes moved between Silver and the teen behind him. His head tilted and he looked a little smug. “Is that yours, Silver?”

“No, I’d have to have been ten, if he was mine,” Silver said.

“Interesting, I would have thought you were older, but now that I think about it, you do sound twenty-four,” Dark smiled at him.

“Nope,” Silver tried to sound casual. “Not that young, I’ll take him, and we’ll be out. Forget you saw either of us. Just go back to doing illegal shit.”

“Oh, we will,” Dark smiled at him. “Now run off. And take your little child with you.”

Silver did just that, dragging the young man along but keeping an eye on Dark and Wilford.

Bob and Wade were waiting for them in costume.

“Gatling, Drowned,” Silver greeted stiffly and lifted the young man’s arm up.

Within seconds a bubble enclosed around the young man.

“Hey!” He shouted.

Bob was looking at the teenager beating his fists against the bubble.

“So this is your little Syndrome, huh?” Bob said.

“If this kid turns into a supervillain, I think you deserve it,” Wade smiled at him.

“I’m going to be a superhero and you can’t stop me,” Ethan said. “I don’t need you three to do it.”

“I don’t know, Silv, I like this kid’s moxie,” Wade said. “Maybe we can keep him around.”

The young man smiled at Wade.

“Absolutely not,” Mark said, flying up with a careful but firm grip.

He signaled and Bob made a handle grow out of the top of the bubble. Silver grabbed it and began flying off. “C’mon, before Dark follows us back to the kid’s place.” 

“Not a kid!” The young man shouted.

“You’re four-fucking-teen,” Silver shouted. Which reminded Silver. Dark had seemed to know that. But . . . That sounded off.

How did Dark know what a fourteen-year-old even looked like? As opposed to a thirteen-year-old or a ten-year-old. Dark hated kids, always looked at them with some kind of disgust.

It took some time to get both the kid’s name and his address from him. Mostly under threat of demasking and scanning his face and start calling up different schools to figure out who he was.

They arrived in front of a house in some suburban neighborhood. Not the biggest house, but no one could compete with Dark’s Hilltop Manor.

Silver knocked on the door as he popped the bubble barrier and grabbed Ethan Nestor by the arm.

“I just want to help,” Ethan glared at him. Still in his mask and costume.

“We can talk when you’re eighteen,” Silver said. “This isn’t a game. Just because I can get thrown against the wall and keep on ticking doesn’t mean everyone should be doing it.

Ethan was about to respond when the door opened and a worried looking woman opened the door.

“There you are,” she said.

Silver held up Ethan’s arm. “Ma’am, I believe this is yours.”

Ethan pulled his arm away. “I’m not going to stop.”

“You should,” Silver said. “If this was anything else I’d say follow your dreams, but Wilford is a madman and a murderer, and so is Dark.”

Ethan took off his mask and stormed inside.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”

“Just try and talk some sense into him,” Silver said. “Have a good night, ma’am.”

She said goodbye and the door was closed and Silver flew off, going back to scanning the city and hoping he wouldn’t run into Ethan again.

He was wrong of course. He’d see Ethan several times over the next couple of weeks, and then more often over the next couple of years.

In the Manor, however, Dark was chewing Wilford out.

“What was that?” Dark held Wilford against the wall, his arm barred across his chest.

Wilford smiled at him.

“No,” Dark cut him off. “You had Illinois with you, within sight of the heroes.”

“It wasn’t that bad, Darky,” Wilford said.

“Only because I was watching,” Dark said.

“At best, I’m one of your enforcers,” Illinois said.

“Don’t, or I’ll just let Arthur and Kay be enforcers and you can stay behind.” Dark gave him a look and turned back to Wilford.

“J.J is the single biggest threat the heroes have against us, and I need that time traveling bastard to stay in England dealing with Anti and not in our city.”

“Jay is fun, Darkling, come on,” Wilford smiled.

“No, and that’s final, if I see J.J in town anytime soon, you will regret it,” Dark said.

Then he let Wilford go and steered Illinois back to the living room where the rest of the Lost Ones were playing games. 

Both Ethan and Illinois returned safely home.

[ellipsesandawkwardpauses]

hey, @donammy!

you asked for Zelda oc post. you get Zelda oc post.

i decided to just. post about both of them. Polli and the other one.

!! TW: MENTIONS OF ABUSE AND RAPE!! IT'S ONLY MENTIONED BRIEFLY IN POLLI'S SECTION, BUT STILL !!

Polli

Age: [REDACTED] Sex: Female Height: 5'8" Ethnicity: German Disabilities?: Yes, mute Place of Birth: [REDACTED] Era: Ocarina of Time Role: Servant of Ganondorf Enemies: Link (who also turns out to be her love interest...) Allies: Ganondorf, Ganondorf's troops, and eventually Link

▽ ⁠▽⁠ ▽⁠ ▽⁠ ▽ ⁠▽⁠ ▽ ⁠▽ ⁠▽ ⁠▽⁠ ▽⁠ ▽ ⁠▽ Polli is a servant of Ganondorf. She specializes in the making of potions, and is an excellent brewer. As a young child, merely the age of seven years old, Polli's family was killed by the Bubonic Plague. She was the only one that survived, though she was left with a terrible illness that caused her skin to be a pale, moldy color, with dark red marks scattered across her face and body. One day, Ganondorf found her. She was wandering the streets of her village, dead bodies stacked up around her. No one had survived the Plague. But suddenly, a tall man approaches her, offering her a home and all the care she could wish for. She accepted his offer. All of that was a lie. Polli was abused by Ganondorf and used for his pleasure. Take that how you will. Polli's main goal is to get rid of Link. And she tries to do so. But... there's just... something so captivating about him... Polli wears a dark cloak that reaches down to her knees. The rest of her legs are covered by tall, black boots. On her face is a Bubonic Plague mask, which is rusted and worn down from years of wearing it constantly. Through the holes, glowing green dots are visible, which are presumably her eyes. Communication is very difficult for Polli. She only speaks (or rather think) German, and doesn't know sign language. It's nearly impossible for her to understand others, and others to understand her.

Mallory

Age: ??? Sex: Female Height: 6'2" Ethnicity: Terminian Disabilities?: Nope! Place of Birth: ??? Era: Majora's Mask Role: Goddess from the Underworld who watches over Clock Town Enemies: Hylia, the Golden Godesses Allies: Majora, Fierce Deity (her crush...)

☆⁠ ☆⁠ ☆⁠ ☆⁠ ☆⁠ ☆ ⁠☆ ⁠☆⁠ ☆⁠ ☆⁠ ☆ ⁠☆ ⁠☆⁠ ☆ Mallory is one of the Underworld Goddesses that resides in Clock Town. She's quite the prankster (much like Majora), and the main target of her pranks is the Fierce Deity. Mallory does not get along well with Hylia. Hylia and the Fierce Deity clearly have a very special bond, and Mallory is jealous of them. She wants the Fierce Deity all to herself. She should be the only one he thinks about. Mallory doesn't have an entirely finished form. Her limbs aren't attached to her body, and she can move them as far away from her body as she wants. Ever seen ENA? Mallory looks a lot like her. Mallory also has short, spiky pastel pink hair, with dark magenta accents. She tends to favor eye makeup (for unknown reasons). She wears a light and airy outfit, perfect for moving around quickly and with ease. A small, white tunic with a gold sash, and tall sandals, the same color as her sash, that wind up her leg. She wears lots of jewelry as well.

oh oh btw i have ship names for them

Polli x Link = Malady

Mallory x Fierce Deity = Devilment (maybe)

ok anyways sorry for the yapping i'll leave you alone now

[yaminahsaini]

Ces derniers jours furent compliqués, d’où mon inactivité depuis maintenant une semaine. J’avais une migraine qui ne s’arrêtait plus, bien ciblée à l’arrière de la tête. Ça perdurait non-stop pendant environ 5 jours. Je passais donc mes journées à dormir, car une fatigue intense s’en accompagnait, ainsi que des acouphènes. La nuit, j’étais souvent réveillée par cette douleur… L’oxygène pouvait calmer légèrement, mais ça persistait. J’ai tout essayé pour atténuer cette douleur : évidemment l’oxygène, les médicaments prescrits pour ce genre de situation, patch antidouleur, bouillotte chaude sur la douleur, etc… Rien n’aidait… Je n’en pouvais vraiment plus, mais depuis hier, ça se calme enfin ! Par contre, c’est encore fragile, car ça part et revient un peu par moments… Je ne suis donc pas au meilleur de ma forme, mais déjà beaucoup mieux que les jours précédents. J’espère juste que ça ne reviendra pas et, si c’est le cas, que si ça persiste vraiment trop, alors j’irai voir en urgence mon neurologue… Cela faisait très longtemps que je n’avais pas eu de migraine qui dure jour et nuit pendant plusieurs jours… C’est fou à quel point l’oxygénothérapie hyperbare était beaucoup plus efficace que l’oxygène en bouteille ! En ayant fait un an de séances de façon quasi quotidienne, je n’avais quasiment plus du tout de crises de migraine ! Avec les bouteilles actuelles, c’est aléatoire : soit ça atténue bien la migraine, soit ça la stoppe, ou au contraire, ça ne fait rien du tout… Les crises sont de plus en plus fréquentes… À l’époque où je n’avais pas du tout d’oxygène, les crises pouvaient durer une semaine non-stop, et je vous laisse imaginer l’horreur que c’était au quotidien. J’ai donc vraiment peur qu’au fur et à mesure, les migraines durent plus longtemps, au point que ça redevienne ainsi… Cet état me bloque énormément à faire quoi que ce soit… Au passage, j’ai rendez-vous avec le spécialiste en mai et je vous tiendrai informés comme d’habitude.

[friendlycursedspaceotter]

honestly, dyspraxia would explain a lot. why i randomly fall and trip when there is literally nothing to fall or trip on. time blindness (that could just be the adhd, but you never know). why i hate driving with a burning passion and only do it because america is stupid about public transit. and also why autocorrect must save me and why i don't type with my thumbs and probably why my handwriting looks the way it does. and i can't catch things except when all the physics aligns and-- wait, did i have difficulty learning how to ride a bike? does this explain my dance issues?

was i just masking YET ANOTHER DISABILITY? HOW MANY DISABILITIES IN A TRENCH COAT AM I? AND HOW DID I NOT PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER UNTIL LITERALLY THIS WEEK?

and just so you don't beat me to it:

[peoplesgraves]

Imagine being a Royal who can’t escape obsession

Yandere Knight who’s been trained for the honor of protecting the royals their entire life. Who’s had any semblance of self beaten out of them instead being filled with nothing but reverence for their favorite. At first their obsession is devoid of romance, solely based on their divine duty to protect you. They’re happy just to stay by your side and content with forgoing their own life in favor of yours. That would all change the moment they actually get hurt protecting you. They expect to be broken just like when they were a kid, destroyed and remade stronger, better for you. Instead you are gentle and kind, you help nurse their wounds and their obsession transitions from one of duty to one of love. No longer content to die for you, now they must live for you, their beloved royal. No matter how many people they have to cut down your knight will never forsake their love.

Yandere Advisor a few years older than you but much much younger than your other advisors. They were a prodigy, groomed from a simple stable hand to the person they were today. Their incredible intelligence, tactical mind and people skills make them invaluable to the kingdom but they find themself laying awake night after night. Not worrying for the people but for you instead. They care not for the opinion of other royals or their peers but only of yours. They view everyone as below them, sure their friendly and compassionate on the surface but below the skin lies a bubbling darkness. Every meeting with you that’s interrupted by some silly problem or royal ball they’re forced to miss due to work, they find their facade cracking. They contemplate abandoning the wretched kingdom you loved, whisking you far far away so they can finally have what they love. For now though they’ll wear their cracked mask and guide you as gently as they can, both in your role as a royal and towards your devoted advisor.

Your families resident Yandere Wizard is a strange creature. Equally out of their mind as they are terrifyingly cunning. They slip between the two states so easily that it’s not quite clear which is their true self, maybe they’re both just hiding what truly lurks below their calculating eyes and outrageous outfits. Despite being perfectly capable of turning whatever enemy crossed their path into nothing more than a pile of dust, they prefer to use their magic in more…joyful ways. Turning your dress into whatever color you fancied at the moment or making flowers appears out of thin air whenever you seemed down. Some may call it a waste of their gift but they knew the truth, knew that nothing was a waste if it was done for love. They turn their tower into an inviting place for you and makes sure you know you’re always welcome, that they’ll always have time for their royal. They contemplate keeping you up in their tower forever and using their magic to bring you bliss until the end of days. They would give you whatever you wanted because all they wanted was you.

A Yandere Witch who’d started as a simple forest witch. Content to live in her small cabin among the trees and animals, only ever going into the royal city when they needed supplies or to sell off potions at the marketplace. Sometimes people would come to them for help with their maladies or to try and observe their strange skills for themselves and usually they’d abide before sending them on their way and going back to their solitude. Lately though their solitude wasn’t the great comfort it had once been. Something was missing or rather someone. They found themself going into the royal city more and more, not just flitting in and out of the market place but becoming a frequent fixture. So frequent in fact that under cover of night and a cloak you’d come to seek them, hearing of their skills on one of your visits to greet the subjects. They indulged you, allowing you to watch their work until the sun starts to peak through the horizon and to their joy you keep coming back whenever you can. They becomes so fond of your company that they consider getting rid of that pesky wizard of yours and offering themself for the royal court instead.

A Yandere Maid and your closest confidant, a fact they very much likes to rub in to anyone who will listen. They’d been raised for this since birth, the knight was raised to protect you sure but they were raised to serve. To handle every tedious, boring or undesirable aspect of your life so you’d never be anything less than content. It was a job they took very seriously, keeping detailed lists of what you liked and didn’t like, paying the shadiest people to vet any new people you came into contact with before you ever met them and of course helping in more normal ways too. Because you trust them so implicitly it’s startlingly easy to get rid of any favors of affection from anyone else, after all you didn’t need anyone else. Only they could take care of you the way you needed, it was their purpose, you were their purpose.

The Yandere Jester is perhaps the least assuming of yanderes. Always joking and smiling and laughing and prodding oh so subtly. Telling you stories of when they were sent to the gallows and their escape even fantastical tales of robbed royals, mysterious murders and other various crimes and misfortunes. Ultimately these were assumed to be humorous fibs from a misguided jester but still some nobles would whisper theories while looking at the jester fearfully, saying they were an escaped madman or perhaps a demon in human form. Truthfully no one but you seemed to like them much, always acting as if they were a rabid bloodthirsty beast and they were, to anyone else at least. To you they were a lapdog, hungry only for your laughter and joy. Eventually their stories get to be less about the past and more about the future, talks of how funny it’d be to steal away their beloved and leave all these silly nobles heads spinning. They don’t sound quite as funny telling that one, but still you smile politely and they love you even more for it.

Yandere Suitors sent from other kingdoms, mostly weaker ones seeking to form an alliance but also a few from stronger kingdoms, even empires who simply had a spare and figured it couldn’t hurt or needed agreements on something specific from your kingdom such as a rare resource. Eventually as more and more suitors came and then refused to return home even after rejection, they ended up as more of an unwanted harem situation. Constantly making and breaking alliances with each other to try and gain favor, flitting around the palace ordering servants around to make sure everything perfect all the time for you. Each trying to be seen as the best spouse for you, dreaming of the day you pick them and send the rest home, in pieces if required. Always whispering gossip in your ear, offering to warm your bed or accompany you out of the palace. Theyd do anything to be your favorite, just one step closer.

Throngs of adoring, Yandere Royal Subjects, even people from the far away villages and outer edge territories make their way to the royal city when you make a grand appearance in town. Cheering and waving colorful flags made from scrap, some huddled in groups giving blessings for your safety and health hoping they’d be extra effective with you so close. Parents hold up their kids as high up as they can hoping you’d bless them through the carriage window as they’d seen you do before. People insist on giving gifts and offering, although not to you directly once the royal entourage passes many march to the castles gates and leave them there, in place for your return. While many have negative views on other royals or monarchy in general, none ever seem to extend to you, their beloved royal. Any citizen led attacks or rebellions to the crown always seem to happen when you’re away and never touch your preferred parts of the castle or castle grounds, the very worst that’d ever happened to you was when a small outlier group raided your room and stole a few things. Those same outliers were later found bled out in the middle of town,in the middle of the day, with absolutely no witnesses. Everyone in town knows what happened of course, justice was served.

Yandere Assassin who was the best, never once caught or suspected for the hundred deaths they’d directly caused, so disconnected from themself and from the world that every new identity and culture they found themself ingratiated in felt just as much like home as anywhere else, nothing felt real or right so what did it matter who they were or who they killed. Not until they were assigned to your kingdom, to your family, did they finally start to understand what it meant to be alive and just how precious life was. Years of blood on their hands hadn’t taught them to live but a week with you and their heart was beating for the first time. They mostly watched from the sidelines, acting as just another servant. They watched how the other royals misuse their power to mistreat the people, each other and most egregiously, you. They watch as the others ignore and placate you, watches as they lie and cheat and subjugate the masses and they’re disgusted. It’s amazingly easy to poison their wine, everyone who could possibly be a threat to your ascension. They know you’ll be upset for a while at the loss of your ‘family’ but they promise to be there for you and now that they’ve taken a permanent position in the castle they’ll have all the time in the world to look out for you.

A local Yandere Dragon who kidnaps you every few weeks or so. Of course the first time you’d been terrified, a huge thundering monster snatches you from your visit to the courtyard and just flies off, with you in its talons. Though once back at their surprisingly not horrible cave, you come to understand them a bit. At least more than any other human had ever bothered to. Some knights from your kingdom had stolen from their horde and they wanted whatever it was back, sure being kidnapped wasn’t great but at least they were negotiating instead of just destroying the place in revenge. They are gruff and unpracticed but ultimately harmless to you and after a guarantee of their stolen treasures return you too are returned home. Though every few weeks the dragon seems to have some new grievance that requires the beloved royal as collateral and in that time they grow to be more and more comfortable around you, their little human. Should your kingdom ever wise up to their trick and try to fight against the dragon for you it wouldn’t be pretty. Last time someone stole from their horde they negotiated, that time, they’d burn the kingdom to the ground and take what was theirs, permanently.

[ramlightly]

Would you ever consider making an art tutorial regarding how you draw white line art on a black silhouette? (Specifically Malady) My brain can't comprehend how you make it look so perfect 🥲

Sure! It's honestly pretty simple, I just use a clipping mask to color all the lines white. But for those who don't know how to do that, here's a quick tutorial on how to do it in Clip Studio Paint.

Hope that helps!

[whencyclopedia]

A Gallery of Mesopotamian Religion

Mesopotamian religion was informed by the belief that humans were co-workers with the gods in maintaining the order created at the beginning of time and so religious expression was integral to daily life in ancient Mesopotamia in how they chose to perform tasks on the job, behave toward others, and honor those gods.

Among the most common displays of respect for the divine was Mesopotamian art and architecture in which the deity's depiction emphasized some defining characteristic. The terracotta plaque, Ishtar Standing on a Lion, for example, shows the goddess armed above a subdued lion, symbolizing her role as a powerful war deity. The stamp-seal of Gula, goddess of healing, depicts her in the presence of one of her dogs – also associated with healing – welcoming a supplicant, in keeping with her primary role.

The gods of ancient Mesopotamia were not only venerated through formal artwork like plaques or reliefs, however, but through everyday objects – amulets, charms, figurines – one would carry or keep around the home to court a certain deity's favor or ward off the threats from evil spirits or demonic energies. This was also true of temples where foundation figures, in the form of the king who commissioned the building, were ritually buried to mark off the sacred from the common areas.

Since the world was understood as alive with spiritual energies – positive and negative – it was considered prudent to take measures to attract the bright energies and defend against the dark through sacred objects used to ward off bad luck, ghosts, the schemes of sorcerers, and the physical maladies that were recognized as either a spiritual attack or the result of one's own sins and a god's displeasure.

The following gallery presents a sampling of the stele, amulets, statuary, figurines, and temples, which developed from Mesopotamian religious belief. Among these are some of the most famous works from the region such as the Code of Hammurabi, the Mask of Warka, the Warka Vase, and the Nimrud Dogs along with lesser-known pieces including the votive figures, stamp seals, cylinder seals, spells, and reliefs.

Continue reading...

[cursed-40k-thoughts]

Dante fell into the Red Thirst? I always forget, but is that as final a malady as the Black Rage is?

Nah. Every Blood Angel suffers from the Red Thirst. The Red Thirst is the hunger for blood. It's plagued them since their inception, and is a direct result of Sanguinius' DNA. Sang himself admits that the Red Thirst didn't just magically appear in his sons; it's a direct result of Sanguinius' nature. His Primarch novel goes into it and is very interesting. Basically, Sanguinius is far more bestial and monstrous than people think he is, and his "fixing" of the Revenants wasn't actually changing them; it was teaching them to mask and push down their natures in the same way he does. Smother it with nobility, art, civility.

Really cannot recommend Sang's novel enough. Anyway.

The Black Rage is the condition with finality. It's the psy-genetic echo of Sanguinius' death that randomly sends you insane before or during a battle. Once you have it (unless you're Lemartes or Mephiston) your goose is cooked. You get put in a death company and die in combat, or you get locked up to mutate and die in unhinged solitude.

[whizzing-fizzbee]

Something Blue

Summary: Anne Sallow hasn't spoken to her brother Sebastian in five years, since that fateful day in the Feldcroft Catacomb. She has no plans on reconciling with him... until she receives an invitation to his wedding.

Rating: General (just a little bit of angst) Words: ~4,700

Notes: Hi! I am so sorry for my absence -- I know I keep saying I'll be back soon, but I recently received a promotion at work that has kept me busy as hell. Annnnyway, I have no idea what this is -- it's a bit different from my usual Seb smut, but it just sort of spilled itself into a Google Doc and here we are. And have no fear, I'm slowly but surely writing more of my usual work. I love you all, and hope to engage with everyone more soon!

Read below the cut. (Might throw on Ao3 later if people like it.)

The Janus Thickey Ward of St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries was still. It was always quiet compared to the hospital’s other floors, which brimmed with all the chaos that accompanies magical misfortunes.

Anne Sallow thumbed through the morning’s Daily Prophet, her eyes scanning its pages for something interesting to read. Another quidditch scandal involving the Wimbourne Wasps, wedding announcements, some story about a witch who survived a kelpie attack. All mundane, if you asked Anne.

Finally, a photo just below the fold on the front page caught Anne’s eye. She froze as she recognized one of its subjects, her eyes staring at the familiar freckled face. Her brother. 

A headline that read, “Ministry Auror Makes Major Arrests in Muggle Murders” was just below the photo, in which Sebastian Sallow could be seen accompanying two figures robed in dark cloaks. Sebastian’s wand was out, pointed between the two wizards, as he smirked proudly. Anne’s eyes fell to the article that accompanied the photo. 

LONDON – Two notorious wizards are behind bars Tuesday after a months-long tracking operation. Wolfgang Muller, 34, and Lina Antunovic, 29, were taken into custody Monday night, according to the Ministry of Magic.

Officials said the pair were wanted for the murders of 13 muggles that occurred in London over a six-month span. They were also allegedly an integral part of the international illegal poaching operation that was disbanded in Munich last month.

Officer Sebastian Sallow, who arrested other leaders of the poaching ring, apprehended Muller and Antunovic inside an abandoned church outside of Chiswick. No serious injuries were reported.

“The Ministry of Magic is relieved to announce the arrests of two of the wizarding world’s most dangerous criminals,” Minister of Magic Faris Spavin said in a statement issued Monday. “The Ministry is particularly grateful for Officer Sallow and his exceptional work and dedication to keeping the wizarding community safe.”

Muller and Antunovic will be tried separately in the Wizengamot next month.

Anne’s lips thinned. Another remarkable achievement by her estranged brother. Her chest swelled with pride for him, but her heart ached because she couldn’t tell him so.

Anne hadn’t seen or spoken with her brother in five years; not since that fateful day when his descent into dark magic drove him to commit the ultimate unforgivable crime. He’d killed their Uncle Solomon and altered their lives forever.

Though Ominis Gaunt eventually convinced Anne to keep quiet about Sebastian’s actions, she ultimately decided the only fair trade for such a sinister secret was to shun Sebastian for life.

She left Feldcroft and checked into St. Mungo’s as a long-term patient. They kept her comfortable there. The alchemists even offered to work on an elixir that could someday cure her curse. Anne accepted with masked apprehension. But as soon as Sebastian found out she was staying there, he tried to reach her. She had his name added to the hospital’s security list, banning him from visiting her. She also refused all of his letters.

Anne wasn’t sure she’d ever forgive her brother for what he’d done. She had begged him to stop his pursuit for her cure and insisted she had come to terms with her fate. But Sebastian, ever the stubborn one, didn’t know when to stop.

Even his letters showed up for years, arriving on a monthly basis that Anne soon learned to expect. She turned them all away and told the Healers to have them destroyed. Instead, she kept tabs on her brother from afar, whenever an article about his achievements popped up in the newspaper.

So as Anne gazed at the photo of her brother, looking so honorable, so impressive, her heartstrings twisted in agony, torn between his efforts at redemption and his inexcusable past. 

She folded the paper and shuffled it into the top drawer of her nightstand.

Two days later, an elegant envelope arrived at her bedside. Anne didn’t recognize the handwriting and there was no return address. Curiously, she peeled the seal apart and removed a sheet of thick, cream-colored cardstock printed with distinguished gold, glimmering letters.

Miss Madeline Gaines & Mr. Sebastian Sallow kindly request your attendance for their upcoming nuptials. Saturday, June 9, 3 o’clock in the afternoon. St. James’s Church, Piccadilly, London.

Anne didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until her lungs began to burn. She inhaled sharply to relieve them, her eyes scanning the invitation for a second, then a third time. There was no note with the invitation but Anne knew it was Madeline’s doing.

Sebastian was getting married. Her twin brother was getting married, and it was to the pretty little Ravenclaw Anne had met a few times during their fifth year.

Anne would be lying if she said she liked the girl. Not that she’d concealed her disdain very well. In her defense, everything unraveled when that girl entered their lives.

Anne could tell Sebastian was smitten with Madeline from the start. When he visited Anne in Feldcroft one afternoon, his eyes lit up the moment he began to talk about Madeline. He raved about her brilliance, how she demolished him during a duel on the first day of classes, and how she had taken down a troll in Hogsmeade. He spoke of her like she possessed some sort of captivating power he’d never seen before. As it turned out, that power was love.

When Madeline came to Feldcroft, she was kind and curious about the Sallow family. At first, Anne thought it might be good for Sebastian to have another friend. Her decline in health and absence from Hogwarts weighed heavily on her brother, leaving him with only Ominis Gaunt to confide in.

But Anne’s faith in Sebastian’s new friend quickly faltered. First, it became clear that Madeline was Anne’s replacement. When Anne found out from Ominis that Sebastian had shown the new girl the Undercroft, she was irate. And then, Ominis’ stance on Madeline also began to soften. He also found her intriguing, much to Anne’s annoyance. So as stories of Madeline spending time with Sebastian and Ominis became more commonplace during their Feldcroft visits, Anne developed a dislike toward Madeline.

Of course, her dislike morphed to something much more loathsome when it became clear that Madeline was a bad influence on Sebastian. The closer they became, the lower Sebastian sank toward the bottom of his moral being. And then Madeline helped him steal that stupid spellbook and wicked relic, which became the catalyst for Sebastian’s worst moment. 

So no, Anne wasn’t too fond of Madeline Gaines. And now they’d be sisters-in-law.

Still, Anne chewed at her bottom lip, the invitation still in hand. It was clear she was missing out on her brother’s life. What if she someday grew to regret that? Surely Sebastian would soon have a family of his own. Anne wouldn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to be an aunt. And to be utterly, excruciatingly honest, Sebastian was obviously living a much more productive life than she was. He had a flourishing career and a bride-to-be. Anne spent her days in a quiet hospital ward with fellow patients who didn’t even remember their own names.

What if she did attend the wedding? Was she ready to forgive Sebastian for what he’d done? Was she ready to reopen those old wounds that had never fully healed, but merely scabbed over?

But what if Sebastian hadn’t actually changed? What if his career and happy nuptials were merely a performative mask, meant to shield outsiders from learning the truth? What if he and Madeline were just as reckless, just as dangerous as they’d been five years ago? There was a chance Anne would regret reuniting with her brother. But there was an even bigger chance she’d regret missing out on any more of his life’s monumental moments.

—

June 9 arrived and so did Anne. She showed up to the church nearly an hour before the ceremony was set to start. She didn’t know why. Perhaps it was nerves, or the excitement of seeing Sebastian after five years. But as she approached the grand cathedral, its stained glass windows sparkling in the summer sun, she hesitated at the front gate. 

What if she wasn’t meant to show up that day? What if Sebastian didn’t want her there? What if Madeline had been misguided in her decision to send that invitation? After all, this was their day, not Anne’s. Though she still held ill feelings toward Sebastian and Madeline, she didn’t want to dampen their wedding day.

Soon, guests started to arrive and Anne realized she’d been lingering in front of the church for a good 20 minutes. She swallowed and filed inside, its heavy oak doors creaking open to admit her.

The church was quiet, save for the sounds of chatty guests and an abrasive bridesmaid who was barking orders as a string quartet set up near the front of the church. It took a moment for Anne to realize it was Imelda Reyes. 

The sight of her former housemate sent a surge of panic through Anne’s nerves. She’d spent weeks thinking about how it’d feel to reconnect with Sebastian. She hadn’t considered how it would feel to see her old friends and classmates again. What if they were cross with her? What if they judged her for abandoning her brother? Anne assumed that was how the tale was spun, given that no one but Ominis knew the truth about the nature of her sudden departure.

Still, Anne was struck by a wave of nostalgia as she watched Imelda tease a man with red hair that had to be none other than Garreth Weasley. She realized she had missed these people. They’d once been a part of her daily life and she never even said goodbye.

Perhaps they all thought she was dead. Perhaps they hadn’t given Anne another thought.

Unsure how to handle the inevitable entrance into the nave of the church, Anne hovered in the front hall until a shriek of laughter echoed from a nearby corridor. Curiosity got the best of Anne, who was still stalling her entry toward the pews anyway. She wandered into the corridor, where a trio of doors stood open. 

The sounds of giggles and gushing voices carried from the first door on the right. Anne wandered toward it, creeping quietly to avoid drawing any attention to herself. She peeked around the doorframe and stilled.

Madeline stood at the center of the room as she gazed into a floor-length mirror. Her lace gown draped from her hips to the floor, where a modest train pooled at her feet. Her dark hair was pinned up and her lips were a soft shade of coral. Anne had always thought she was pretty but now, she was positively stunning. 

To Madeline’s right, Anne recognized Natsai Onai and Poppy Sweeting wearing matching champagne-colored gowns. The trio were laughing over Madeline’s veil, which clung to her behind rather than draping delicately over her frame as intended.

Anne couldn’t help but smile to herself at the warmth and energy within the room. She wondered if she would have been a part of this moment had she stayed in Sebastian’s life. Would she and Madeline have become friends? Would she have been the first to know when Sebastian and Madeline were engaged? Would Sebastian have asked Anne for her opinion on an engagement ring? Would Anne have been the one to help Madeline pick out a wedding dress?

There was no use dwelling on what could have been, but the notion left a sharp pang in Anne’s chest. Maybe writing Madeline off and missing out on these important moments had been a mistake.

“Oh Maddie,” Poppy sighed. “Seb is going to die when he sees you. I’ve never seen a more stunning bride.”

“You don’t think the dress is too much?” Madeline wondered. “It’s a bit ostentatious compared to my usual style.”

“Maddie, it’s your wedding day,” Natsai noted. “If there were ever a day to dress up, this is it. Poppy’s right, Sebastian’s going to keel over.”

Anne smirked at the thought of her brother seeing his bride. Something made her chest swell with pride. Maybe her brother really had changed, and maybe his commitment to Madeline was another indication of the reparations he’d made for his past.

Still, Anne had always been the careful and calculated one. That hadn’t changed over the years and she was still apprehensive. Just because Sebastian and Madeline were getting married didn’t mean their crimes would be erased, nor did it even mean they’d moved past them. What if they were still dabbling with dark magic? What if Solomon’s death had merely been a gateway to more egregious acts?

As Anne mulled over all the possibilities, she suddenly realized Madeline’s wide eyes were staring into the mirror straight back at her. Anne froze, her entire body unable to make sense of what was happening. Her tongue became heavy, leaving her void of any words.

“Anne?” Madeline breathed. Anne swallowed and nodded silently, stepping into the room as Poppy and Natsai’s eyes grew wide. “You came,” Madeline said in disbelief. 

“I… I thought I might regret missing such a big moment in my brother’s life,” Anne managed. Her mouth was still cotton and her heart was still closed. She wanted to exude warmth, to embrace Madeline as her sister-in-law, but years of resentment don’t disintegrate in one mere moment.

“I’m glad you came.” Madeline seemed to have a mutual understanding of Anne’s hesitant behavior. After all, she’d dealt with a similar reception from Ominis at first. She had to earn his trust – and then his forgiveness. But she’d never had Anne’s trust to begin with.

“You look beautiful,” Anne offered. 

“Oh! Thank you,” Madeline beamed. “You look great yourself. That shade of blue suits you so well. It’s lovely, really.”

Anne smiled. It was a thin smile, but it was genuine. No one had complimented her appearance in years, and the pale blue dress she’d found for the occasion made her feel pretty for once. 

“Thank you,” she said.

An unwieldy pause settled over the room. Poppy and Natsai had been watching the exchange with bated breath, as if it were live theater. Madeline’s lips thinned for a moment as she mulled over her next words.

“Poppy, Natty, can you give us a minute?” she asked kindly. “Maybe you could check and make sure Imelda hasn’t hexed anyone?”

The two bridesmaids nodded, both flashing reassuring smiles at Anne before they filed from the room. 

Madeline moved from the mirror to sit on a sofa that had been shoved against a wall. She motioned for Anne to sit next to her and inhaled audibly.

“How… how are you?” Madeline asked cautiously, her eyes unable to meet Anne’s.

“I’m well,” Anne replied. She hoped her tone sounded civil. She didn’t want to be a cloud over Madeline’s wedding day, but she also found it difficult to simply cast the painful past from memory. “Still at St. Mungo’s,” Anne added. “No change in my condition, but I’m feeling okay most days.”

“That’s good to hear,” Madeline said. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Thank you for inviting me,” Anne said politely.

Anne shifted uncomfortably in her seat as a silence fell over them. She decided she should have planned better, should have rehearsed her words. She had intended to demand answers from Madeline, but as she sat and stared at the bride, she couldn’t help but soften her stance. 

Perhaps now wasn’t the time to discuss their turbulent past, Anne decided. But before she could ask Madeline how she was doing, Madeline looked up to catch her gaze.

“I’m so sorry for everything,” Madeline said quietly, her eyes unable to meet Anne’s. “I swear, I never wanted any of that to happen. I tried to stop Sebastian, tried to reason with him, but that relic… it held magic that was far too powerful and sinister. I had no idea it was affecting him like that.”

Anne nodded silently in acknowledgement, torn over her emotions. Part of her was still angry, still bitter. She still wanted to blame Madeline for Sebastian’s downward spiral. But she knew that wasn’t true. Sebastian made his own decisions, including the one to steal that stupid relic. And even if all that dark magic had spurred him to kill Solomon, it had still been his choice to venture into that realm in the first place. Sure, Madeline could have done more to stop him, or could have been more forthcoming with Anne and Ominis about Sebastian’s actions, but Anne knew Madeline had been way in over her head.

It wasn’t fair to keep blaming Madeline, Anne realized.

“Sebastian really is remorseful for everything,” Madeline continued. “He’s worked so hard to do all the right things. He hasn’t touched dark magic since fifth year. He’s a good man. He’s an Auror now-”

“I know,” Anne interjected gently. “I read The Prophet and I see him. I see all of the articles about his arrests and his work, and how respected he is at The Ministry.” Madeline smiled at the revelation, as if it confirmed that Anne still cared about her brother. “I’m proud of him,” Anne continued. “I’m proud of him but I’m still angry at him, if that makes sense.”

“I understand,” Madeline said. “I was angry with him for a long time, too. But I’ve seen how hard he’s worked, how sorry he is.” She shifted to face Anne more directly, her dress bunching around her in a pile of fabric. “I can’t tell you to forgive him and let him back in,” she continued. “I wouldn’t do that, because I respect your feelings. So all I’ll say is I’m sorry for my part in it. And I hope you’ll see the same man I do now. He’s a good person – a great person – and I’m so proud of who he’s become, Anne. He’s brilliant and he’s so deserving of the good things he has going in his life now. The only thing missing is his sister.” Madeline paused to study Anne carefully. “Nothing fills your void.”

Tears welled in Anne’s eyes. She hated crying. She’d hoped years of bitterness would have drained her internal well of tears, especially when it came to Sebastian, but she couldn’t help herself. Everyone else had grown and moved on from Solomon’s death. She was the only one who had allowed it to take root and twist itself into her heart.

Madeline smiled gently at Anne and offered her a handkerchief. “Sebastian’s getting ready with the groomsmen in a room off the far corridor,” she said. “I don’t mind making our guests wait a little longer if you’d like to go see him.”

Anne returned the smile in gratitude. “Thank you,” she said, rising to her feet but Madeline shook her head.

“No, thank you for coming,” she said as she also stood. “I know you didn’t do it for me, but I’m glad you did it for Sebastian.”

Anne paused to consider her words briefly. “It was for you, too. You make Sebastian happy,” she finally said. “And he deserves to be happy.”

Anne had never been one for hugs, but she welcomed Madeline’s embrace. Madeline felt like warm, welcome change from the cool, jaded veil Anne had adopted over the years. Anne decided she was happy to call her a sister-in-law.

The pair swapped one final smile before Anne retreated from the room in search of her brother.

But the warm feeling from her reconciliation with Madeline quickly evaporated as Anne strolled toward the opposite side of the church. What if Sebastian didn’t want her there? What if he had decided he didn’t need her in his life? What could she possibly say to him?

After all, the last time Anne saw her brother, he had just killed their uncle.

A chorus of male voices echoed from a room as Anne found another corridor. Her breathing became quicker and shorter, her heart threatening to slam against her ribcage as she lingered outside the door. 

A bout of laughter erupted from within the room, causing Anne to still. Was it really fair of her to interrupt her brother’s wedding day? But before she could make any decisions, the door swung open and Anne found herself face-to-face with Ominis Gaunt.

He froze immediately as the crimson tip of his wand alerted him to her presence. She didn’t need to announce herself. He recognized her instantly.

“You came,” he breathed, snapping the door shut behind himself.

“I… hi,” Anne managed. Ominis didn’t seem to have words, and it became clear to Anne that she had abandoned him, too. Worse, she had punished him for Sebastian’s actions.

“It’s great to see you,” Ominis finally said. The warmth in his features shredded the curtain of uncertainty between them and Anne couldn’t help but wrangle him into a hug, relieved to be in his presence again.

“I missed you,” she admitted once she released him. “And I’m sorry for not keeping in touch.”

“I understand,” Ominis said. “Things were… heavy.” 

Anne nodded in quiet agreement. Ominis turned back to the door and creaked it open. “Oi,” he called into the room. “Sebastian, can you come out here?”

“Are we starting already?” Sebastian’s voice asked.

“No, just come out here.”

Anne held her breath as the familiar tread of Sebastian’s footsteps could be heard across the wood floor, clunking in a rhythmic pace toward the door. Each step seemed to spike Anne’s pulse until she could feel it ringing in her head. The door creaked open wider and Sebastian appeared. “Ominis, if this is about Poppy, I told you to just man up and ask her to-”

Sebastian’s face paled as his gaze landed on Anne. He blinked in disbelief, shutting the door behind himself as his brain scrambled for a reaction.

“I’ll see you two in a bit,” Ominis said softly as he ducked back into the room. 

“You’re here,” Sebastian croaked. Anne’s guard was waning, sinking with every moment that Sebastian’s wide eyes stared back at her. But his sad puppy dog expression was reminiscent of that fateful day in the Feldcroft catacombs, right after he killed Solomon. It rocked her with the memories – the trauma – from that cataclysmic moment; the stench of death in the air, the light leaving Solomon’s eyes, the hope for a better future vacating Anne’s body. 

Her mouth filled with cotton. “I… how did you…” Sebastian stumbled.

“Madeline invited me,” Anne rasped.

“Oh. I didn’t know. I-”

“It’s okay, Sebastian.”

The twins stared at each for a beat that seemed to stretch for hours, taking in the other’s appearance as they both scrambled for the right words. Sebastian noticed that some color had returned to Anne’s complexion, in spite of the curse. Anne noticed that Sebastian had grown taller, his facial features now sharper as he had shed some of his boyish baby weight.

Anne decided she needed to be the first to speak. After all, she was the one who had appeared out of the blue to crash his wedding after years of cold silence.

“You look so handsome,” she said, smiling as she admired his suit.

“You look great, too. That shade of blue is nice,” Sebastian said. “St. Mungo’s… have they…”

“The alchemists are working on a cure,” Anne answered knowingly. “But there are, of course, no promises. But I’m comfortable there. And the more time I spend there, the more they can learn about me… about my curse, which brings them closer to a cure.”

Sebastian nodded in silence as he absorbed her words. He’d hoped she was going to reveal that she’d been cured. But to simply see her standing before him – alive – was enough.

“I… can’t believe you’re here,” he said, tears stinging his eyes. 

“Honestly, neither can I.”

Five years of unspoken words loomed over them. Both shouldered a cloud of clashing emotions; Sebastian, full of guilt, sorrow and shame; Anne, full of resentment, fear and apprehension. But Anne also carried her own guilt for punishing Sebastian for so long. They were only 15 when he killed Solomon, and he’d been driven by an adolescent desperation that could only be explained by a deep love and devotion to his twin. 

Another silence. And then, Anne took a deep, slow breath.

“Sebastian, I’m sorry,” she exhaled. Her twin blinked back at her.

“You’re sorry?” he repeated stupidly. “But… you didn’t do anything.”

“Yes, I did,” Anne said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I shut you out.”

“You had every reason to.”

“I did at first,” Anne agreed. “But I should’ve heard you out, should have considered how things change… how you’d change.”

“Anne, I’m so sorry for everything,” Sebastian said quickly. It felt eerily similar to Madeline’s apology, and had the context been lighter, Anne might have smiled at their similarity. Instead, Sebastian’s eyes shone with sorrow. “If I could go back and undo everything, I would. I never meant for things to get so out of hand.”

“I know.”

“I just… just wanted to help you, to take your pain away.”

“I know, Sebastian.”

“But that doesn’t excuse what I did. But I swear, I’ve done everything I can to make up for it. And I see things more clearly now. I would never, ever do anything like that again. And Madeline, she’s been there for me every step of the way. She’s so good for me, Anne, and-”

“Sebastian, I know.” Now Anne couldn’t help but smile at him. “I know. And I’m so proud of you.”

Sebastian crumbled at her words. A sob escaped his throat and the twins quickly embraced, Sebastian burying his face in Anne’s shoulder as five years of despair dissipated. He went limp in his sister’s arms, clinging to her to ensure she was real.

“I’ve missed you so much, Anne,” he sobbed. “So much has happened and all I’ve wanted was to share it all with you.”

That marked Anne’s turn to break. Her resentment toward her brother and his bad decisions was replaced with grief for the years she allowed them to lose. She was shredded by the guilt of denying her brother her precious time, especially when it could be cut short by life’s razor at any moment.

Anne was hit with the sharp clarity that life wasn’t black and white. Sebastian wasn’t black, marked by evil and malice, and Anne wasn’t white, innocent and pure simply because she’d never killed anyone. 

She realized her judgment of her brother had gone on long enough. They were still one in the same, despite their decisions to sin differently.

“I’m here now, Sebastian,” Anne said soothingly, though her own tears were streaming warm, stinging trails down her cheeks. “I never should have left you. I was hurt by what happened but I didn’t consider how hurt you were, too. Instead, I hurt us both.”

“Please don’t leave me again, Anne,” Sebastian begged. 

“I won’t, I promise.” Anne’s arms tightened around Sebastian and he did the same. Both were terrified to let go in case fate decided to insert itself between them again. But this time, Anne was determined to be there for her brother in all the ways he’d been for her.

Finally, the door behind them could be heard creaking open and Ominis reappeared. 

“Alright, you two?” he asked. Sebastian sniffled and Anne choked a laugh. 

“We’re fine,” she mused, her own nose running. “We just need to get a grip.”

“Better get it soon,” Ominis warned, though the smile across his lips revealed his elation at the reunion in front of him. “The ceremony was supposed to start 10 minutes ago. Lucky the bride is an understanding woman.”

“Even the most understanding has her limits,” Sebastian noted. “Best get going.” He turned to face Anne, his eyes still wet and his heart still swelling with happiness. “Thank you for coming,” he said. “It means everything.”

“I couldn’t miss it,” Anne answered. “I’ve missed enough these past five years. But most of all, I missed you.”

[inkribbon796]

Egotober 2023 Day 10: Territorial

Summary: Anti finds out about Marvin moving oversees, and is not too thrilled he’s losing a toy.

A/N: Happy Birthday to Anti, he gets separation anxiety and feels for his birthday.

Prompt: Glitch

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

A lot of people thought Anti was an idiot.

Sometimes the glitch demon liked it that way. If someone thought he was stupid or weak they didn’t react fast enough before he cut their throat out. He’d made Dark bleed a lot of his rotten gunk blood before he treated Anti like the threat he was.

But he knew when the Septics were planning something. And they were planning something big. Not the fun kind either where it would be a fight and maybe they’d trap Anti into a bricked up phone, or a necklace, or that one time they forced him to be in a music box. This wasn’t the fun type of planning.

In fact, Anti suspected it had less to do with Anti, and everything to do with Dark.

Which always boiled Anti’s blood.

So Anti did what he always did best. He waited for Marvin to take one of his many walks around town. And set a car on fire right next to him.

“Hey!” Marvin called out, after getting spooked by it as a couple people screamed. His magic spun around him. “What the hell?”

Anti didn’t say a word, he just turned into a glitchy mess of aura and anger.

Magic began humming along Marvin’s skin. “Fine, asshat, let’s go.”

Anti’s latent aura got staticky as Marvin could only see malice and fury in his eyes as they clashed. Glitchy green aura mixing with the vibrant purples and silvers of Marvin’s magic.

Marvin was used to the quips and the threats, but whatever had set Anti off had him absolutely furious. “Did Dark come to town and no one told us? Did Rumble set your dick on fire?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Anti said as he kept trying to go for Marvin’s throat.

It took Marvin a while to tire Anti out and he started slowing down after destroying someone’s car.

“So, you gonna actually tell me what happened?” Marvin asked.

“You and the others are up to something and I don’t like it,” Anti said.

“Oh, because I’m probably moving to the States, at least for a little bit,” Marvin said, not thinking why that would be a problem.

Anti stiffened, so furious and angry that he looked calm. “To Egoton?”

“Yeah, well, no one in Egoton can see aura and they—”

Marvin didn’t get to finish, Anti lunged at him with renewed anger. Thankfully Jackie ran in to help him and being outnumbered and tired made Anti run off to sulk before they discorporated him.

The glitch demon would be back to fight with them another day, today he stewed in his anger. In his indignant fury.

Dark was not getting Marvin to play with. All the Septics belonged to Anti. They belonged to him. If Anti had to drill that into Dark and the Septics heads he would do that.  If the magician wanted to fuck off to a different country, Marvin would make him leave an arm when he did it.

Marvin sent out a random text to Anti. “It’s not personal, they’re just all blind as shit when it comes to aura.”

Anti sent a response of a phone virus over to Marvin’s phone just out of spite. Then he went to Egoton to get into a fight with Dark. The glitch demon used his aura to phase through every warehouse wall until he found the demonic mob boss in his office minding his own business.

The glitch demon got a couple scratches in and ripped Dark’s suit up but wound up getting discorporated in the end. He’d been fighting for a while and Dark discorporated him, unsure what exactly had set Anti off and not caring enough to ask.

The glitch demon was unpredictable and Dark changed into a new outfit and was left to deal with Anti after he’d reformed in a couple weeks.

[earhartsease]

*tips plague doctor mask* malady...

[rei-ismyname]

Yung Cyke Vs the Danger Room

Chuck is pretending he's lost his powers so the teenage X-Men are on their own (until the end of the next issue when he reveals his cunning plan.) The first thing they have to handle alone is a visit from Jean's parents. Scott orders them to act normal and they scatter to hide all the shit The Greys would 100% object to.

Bobby defrosts, Warren uses a binder, Hank changes into civilian clothes, and Scott dresses like a speed dealing accountant. I find it interesting that they consider their codenames separate identities. Beast in particular doesn't care for his - his vocabulary and tone change completely, suggesting that the performance is exhausting. Now that I think about it, The Beast is a terrible name for a masked mutant outreach representative. I'd think it would make people feel fear but he's ironically the most successful in integrating into the broader superhero world.

The Greys are over the fucking moon about the school and have a suspiciously positive view of Xavier. Classified courses recommended directly by the government... values have shifted enough that I don't see many parents accepting that uncritically. In fact, it sounds sinister as fuck. Chuck made some interesting choices in the specific brainwashing he chose here, assuming he didn't just completely override their will. I'm picturing him sitting outside knowing he didn't convince them, calling his boys in the FBI to vouch for him. After they've been shown out, poor Scott gets locked in the Danger Room. 'Automatic danger apparatus' sounds incredibly, well, dangerous.

Don't touch people's disability aids, please

Even the captions highlight that this is a mutant army, and the '... students' is the act. Hiding your true self or identity from family is a relatable experience, though this whole secrecy production is enforced by Xavier as a necessary thing for their safety and mission. That aspect twists the metaphor into something a little more sinister, with an allegedly well-meaning parent figure insisting they hide their true nature for their safety and the comfort of others.

It lives up to its name as shit starts trying to kill him. Mysterious gases fill the room, random spurts of fire come from nowhere and anywhere, and lethal objects hurl themselves around at speed. This death trap test is built for someone with superhuman agility and strength. Alas, Scott has neither. The trapeze is built to snap so Scott falls as a ton of steel comes barrelling towards him.

Unable to get out of the way or survive impact, Scott blows it the fuck up with his POWER BEAM. The heavy or sharp pieces of metal start to overwhelm him as the program increases in difficulty. Scott is desperate to survive but is simultaneously wishing he didn't have to destroy all this shit to do so.

He sticks to what works, blasting the death trap to bits while hoping he doesn't pass out before the test ends. Luckily he doesn't, but it's a close thing. Remember, Chuck is faking his malady here AND keeping track of everything yet if Scott did pass out or make a mistake he'd be dead. Not cool, old man. If your safety protocols were as good as the death traps this kind of thing wouldn't happen. Knowing him it was probably intentional.

Scott and the Danger Room enter a pretty toxic relationship at this point, but it never succeeds in killing him. Yay?

[tobiasdrake]

Watching episode 2 of Ranma reboot and it remains like a blast from the past.

Gonna be posting spoilers and screencaps to talk about it, so all of that's after the jump.

I'm sorry that I didn't appreciate the slapstick of the original manga because Rumiko Takahashi is kind of brilliant at it.

This gag sets you up to think Akane's about to hit him for yelling misogyny at her early in the morning, but then out of absolutely nowhere his fucking dad erupts from the aether and clocks him for it instead.

That's fantastic. It uses the familiar language not just of Ranma and Akane's established dynamic but of tsundere romances in general to set the gag up, and then hits it with a startling and unexpected swerve that still pays it off but in a way the audience didn't see coming.

Speaking of Genma, bits like this:

Ranma defeats Genma using the "Look, a distraction!" technique and it's funny because he won with what most martial arts anime would consider a cowardly tactic.

But it's funnier when you know the actual art he practices, 無差別格闘流 musabetsu kakutou-ryuu. Separately translated as either "Anything Goes Style of Martial Arts" or "Indiscriminate Grappling". The latter of which is hilariously specific, as 格闘 kakutou can mean wrestling or grappling but simply refers to weaponless styles of hand-to-hand fighting.

He's a fisticuffs brawler by trade, contrasting the various adversaries he faces throughout the series who are mostly tool- or weapon-based fighters, to varying degrees of esoteric oddity.

But what makes this so funny in hindsight is the "indiscriminate" part. Ranma's martial art is built around the idea that there are no rules and whatever gets you to the finish line is fine. This distraction isn't Ranma being cowardly; It's actually part of his martial art. This is how he was trained to fight. XD

You know, I actually forgot that Dr. Tofu... existed.

But setting that aside, once I remembered who this guy is, I forgot that he's implied to be an exceptionally talented martial artist. Capable of masking his presence so thoroughly that even Ranma can't detect his movements.

That's really interesting. To my recollection, Dr. Tofu never has a single fight in the entire series. Instead, his expertise simply serves as an explanation for his familiarity with all the wild and bizarre mystical maladies that come his way.

It lets him be like, "Oh yeah, the reason you're deathly ill is because someone hit you with the 5,000 year old forbidden Chinese Slow Death Syphilitic Pressure Point technique. Here, let me apply the three-step acupressure reversal technique that was lost to history."

But now I.

I kinda.

Want to see him fight.

(Has this dude been like the DBZA Popo of Ranma 1/2 this entire time?)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA She clocks him with the water kettle to make him respectfully bow.

I did not have the cultural context to understand that joke when I was young.

Rumiko Takahashi is so good at slapstick.

Yeah, okay, I don't remember half of what I said about Akane when I was young but I recant all of it. She is so fucking cool.

Imagine if you had to do this every single morning. Every morning. No exception. Just to get to school. At sixteen.

And keep in mind that this is sexualized violence. These guys are trying to overpower her because they think she'll have to be their girlfriend if they beat her up. Every single one of them is sexually harassing her. With violence.

Fuck this entire situation, y'all. I hope she gives them all life-ruining physical injuries that ruin their ability to get scouted as professional athletes at this critical age and turn them into bitter and misanthropic thirty-somethings whining on the couch about how they peaked in high school.

That's probably not how it actually works in Japan. My American is showing. But nonetheless!

She said "Kuno-senpai". She addresses him formally using his last name because that's a normal thing to do in Japan.

Subtitles, why are you changing the way characters speak to each other? The show is released with a dub and a sub alongside one another. If people are choosing to watching the sub, they don't need you to hold their hand and Americanize it for them.

She correctly calls him Kuno in the dub here. The dub is more accurate than the sub about this line. Don't. Do that.

This guy is such a dweeb he makes Jou-senpai look cool. They nailed Kuno, King Dipshit of the Jackass Mountain Akane has to climb each morning.

This is the guy who came up with the whole "Whoever beats the shit out of Akane may claim her as their trophy" thing. He probably watches Andrew Tate videos and writes internet screeds asking why women don't respect his authority and strength. Fuck this guy.

Seriously. He just. Said this. About some girl in another class. And the boys in the school were all like, "Oh, yeah, that sounds reasonable. First one to break her leg gets the girl! Thanks for showing me the best way to express my masculinity, bruh!"

A wacky setup for Akane's personal background but also a chillingly accurate metaphor for how the Manosphere functions.

For his part, it's pretty clear that what Kuno is attracted to is martial strength. He becomes interested in the "Mystery Girl" that appeared after Ranma "fled" pretty much right after she beats his ass.

He's kind of an interesting parallel to Shampoo in that regard. I never really thought of that before, but both of their interests are predicated on how strong Ranma is.

He also makes for an interesting dynamic for Ranma, from a gender perspective. Ranma's curse and the constant menace of Kuno forces Ranma to endure firsthand the kind of harassment that Akane has to undergo in her day-to-day life.

Of course, this being Ranma 1/2, Ranma's going to be getting that from both genders throughout the series. Rumiko Takahashi created a harem dodecahedron for her story, with Ranma and Akane being beset not just by rival suitors but also by rival suitors for their rival suitors trying to kill them and win the rival suitors' love.

Kuno's just one of the crowd.

But it was nonetheless an interesting choice to give Ranma a toxic male harasser as one of his suitors, that speaks to the interesting gender dynamics at play in the series.

One last thing. Something I really love about Ranma 1/2 is the way it uniquely changes the experience of just. Being around water. Like, the ever-presence of water especially in an island nation such as Japan is a constant threat.

You really don't think about how much water there is in everyday life until you have a Jusenkyou curse.

[laurierthefox]

Hello everyone!

One of my patrons on #Patreon, who has taken out the Arbre Vénérable subscription, ordered this illustration of #autodéfensesanitaires.

We've seen quite a few Olympics athletes masked, and some have even had to cancel their appearance because of covid. It's the perfect time to remember that covid still hasn't gone away (unfortunately) and that the more you contract it, the more likely you are to catch a long-lasting covid.

In my case, as I'm at risk (Crohn's disease) and on immunosuppressive therapy, I never go out without it. Even outdoors, especially when it's crowded, and I get vaccinated every 3 months. And given how dangerous this disease is, it's exhausting to see the rest of the world behaving as if it didn't exist any more.

I hope you enjoy this illustration as much as this patron did! Take care of yourself if you can!

FR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bonjour à toustes ! Un de mes mécènes sur #Patreon qui à pris l'abonnement Arbre Vénérable, m'a passé commande de cette illustration d'#autodéfensesanitaire. On a vu pas mal de sportif'ves des JO être masquées, voir certain'es ont dû même annuler leur venue pour cause de covid. C'est le moment idéal pour rappeler que le covid n'a toujours pas disparu (malheureusement) et que plus vous le contractez, plus vous avez de chance d'attraper un covid long. Dans mon cas, comme je suis à risque (maladie de Crohn) et sous traitement immuno- suppresseur, je ne sors jamais sans. Même en extérieur, surtout quand il y a foule, et je me fais vacciner tous les 3 mois. Et vu la dangerosité de cette maladie, c'est épuisant de voir que le reste du monde se comporte comme si elle n'existait plus. J'espère que cette illustration vous plaira comme elle a plu à ce mécène ! Prenez soin de vous si vous pouvez ! https://www.patreon.com/LaurierTheFox

[see-arcane]

I do understand the need for a full-feature film or TV series or a sequel novel to have the main couple, even if they're a deeply loving one, not always be harmonious, to have a conflict, arguments, or even a huge fight. And it makes sense, especially with a couple going through hardship or after having survived a crisis. Especially when in Dracula they record only 1 fight which descalates quickly, and Nosferatu having none given it's a short silent film... The problem is whenever They try to give conflict for Jonathan and Mina during or after the events, it boils down to 'you don't give me the sex good/you could never live up to the hot vamp daddy/the three hot vamp women.' It's boring. And now it seems a similar case with the Hutters will happen. The issue is (aside from them in the original excitedly touching, kissing and him being enamored by her weirdness) such conflict is more suitable for a tv drama than for a horror. This is a long way to ask, can you think of a suitable interpersonal conflict for the Hutters? (not asking about the Harkers because it'd require a long answer as it's more complicated and it'd also depend on when it's set)

There is one in the 1922 film actually! It's just broken in half (front end and near climax) and is very quickly glazed over.

The conflict: Thomas denying Ellen's warnings concerning the Orlok business.

At the start, Ellen gets whacked with the psychic !!!DANGER!!!YOUR BELOVED DAMSEL DITZ MAN IS HEADING TO CERTAIN DOOM!!! alarm and begs/warns Thomas not to go where Knock means to send him. He laughs this off as mere worry at being separated or general anxiety and goes moseying his way off to Orlok. Strike One.

Strike Two is subtle. It relies on Thomas getting a dose of Jonathan Harker's original post-Transylvania malady: He assumes that his nightmarish nocturnal experiences with Orlok were not real. The text cards explicitly point out that he believes reading the little book of lore about Nosferatu from the inn influenced his nightmares/visions/madness/fever /[insert whatever makes Orlok being Nosferatu NOT REAL]. He tells Ellen to leave the book alone too, fearing the same will befall her.

She reads it. She and Thomas have a confrontation in the bedroom and she points out their window.

"That is what I look at--every night!"

Thomas looks out.

Orlok is there, staring at them from the ruined house he bought to lurk across from them. And Thomas tries to laugh it off--even as Ellen leaves the room--and he must look out the window again. Seeing Orlok. Seeing the truth.

Implying that he has been seeing Orlok all this time, and Ellen declaring she sees him too has burst the bubble of desperate disbelief that shielded him from acknowledging reality. He is not dreaming. He is not mad. He is sane and Ellen's warnings should have been heeded all along. Orlok and all his danger are real and present. Thomas collapses, hiding and weeping in his arms crossed upon the bed.

It is tragically a bit shaped like the classic 'supernatural-proof Guy does not believe Girl who says supernatural things are happening,' but I think something could be played with in a broader adaptation with not just Ellen, but Thomas being privy to Odd Supernatural Pings and just...ignoring it as a rule. There is good drama to harvest in the concept of

1) Someone who fears he's mad, but knows how to perform otherwise, who falls in love with

2) Someone who knows she isn't mad despite the supernatural pings and weirdness about her and does not hide it, followed by

3) Tweaking Eggers' clunky ugly marital spat into something in the vein of 'We are not in a society that is kind to the eccentric. I can mask myself. She either cannot or won't. This puts her in danger. If we wed, I can be a wall between her and those who would rather shove her into Dr. Sievers' care.'

[jellisdraws]

I tip my plague doctor mask to you,

“Malady” I say.

I am summarily eaten by a swarm of locusts