#Mystery Circle

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

idk how other people define peak comedy, but for me it's visiting someone else's home and noticing a faint-but-distinguishable cat paw print on the ceiling. Events have Occurred here

[webdiggerxxx]

꧁★꧂

[vox-anglosphere]

Sunrise at 4:51 am illuminates the ancient megaliths of Stonehenge

[icewindandboringhorror]

I made a few new wax seal stamps out of clay (like the ones I did for my worldbuilding stuff forever ago), this time just of random symbols that I thought might look good done in the style of painting over the raised part of the wax or etc. :0c Some of them aren't carved deep enough to really show up that well, but overall they worked okay for being clay lol

[noelements-setempty]

Nice, a bigger number!

I chose to put the three digits touching, but it still means the same thing if they're slightly apart.

[radiantcircle-if]

The Radiant Circle

The Radiant Circle is a work-in-progress contemporary fantasy interactive novel with elemental magic, a heavy hand of romance, and a salt-sprinkle of mystery. The story is rated 18+ and may contain triggering content for some.

↪ introduction (updated 7/22/24) ⟢ demo (upcoming fall/winter)

You were born without any magic into a long lineage of sorcerers who serve the Night Circle—a division of the Radiant Circle, the central governing body that maintains order among sorcerers. Even now when you live outside of the magical community, you’re still required to report to the local leadership about the magic you still don’t have.

Of course, only after having accepted a life without magic, you awaken a latent magical power too great to be yours. Myths speak of such a sorcerer, a Resonant Soul capable of mastering all four elements, reincarnated throughout history to bring balance to the magic community. So little is truly known, but that can’t be you.

But what if it is?

Thankfully, as an investigative journalist, what you do best is hunt for the truth. To unravel the secrets of your soul, you’re forced back into the world of sorcery to navigate ancient rivalries and contend with those who may fear your newfound power and seek to bury it for good. 

Because while most didn't believe the myths to be true, others have been preparing for your return. Most of all? You four souls bonded to yours for eternity.

Play as the main character ⟢

Choose your name, appearance, gender, and sexuality.

Develop your personality as a harmonizer or disruptor—will you bring unity or will you bring destruction?

Gain mastery over elemental magic as the Resonant Soul—how much mastery in each element is up to you.

Travel the world while earning or losing influence through your decisions—will your reputation precede you or will you remain unknown?

Five romance options ⟢

Two pansexual men, one lesbian, and two gender-selectable romance options... and a hidden sixth romance option... with the potential for more to unlock later.

Four soulmates who will be revealed over the course of the story—your bonds, whether platonic or romantic, are yours to develop.

And if you don’t like romance, you can improve your friendships instead.

Or if you’re a misanthrope, deteriorate all your relationships to your liking.

Good endings? Check. Bad endings? Also check.

You ✦ 26-year-old journalist from Seattle, USA (ℹ) Rejected by the magical community because your magic never awakened, you once sought to understand why before later turning to a career of journalism to attempt to uncover truths that don’t have to do with magic. Your dissertation was titled “Unveiling the Hidden: A Comparative Study of Secret Societies and Their Influence on Modern Media." After landing your dream job as an investigative journalist, you're returning home to Seattle for your assignment.

⟡ tropes include main character (surprise! you're the main character), insider/outsider, the most wanted (because you are a…), person of mass destruction, (possible) living legend, (possible) lust object, (seemingly) cosmic plaything…

Arseau Nassiet ⟡ High Justicar 31-year-old water sorcerer (he/him) from Seattle, USA (ℹ) A talented water sorcerer, your older brother Arseau is well loved within the Night Circle's upper echelons, but he'd never brag about it. He has been away from home for over a decade, raising ranks within the circle alongside his best friend. He coordinates his visit home with yours during the holidays so he can see his favorite younger sibling (never mind that he has only one sibling—you).

⟡ tropes include protective older brother, brainless beauty (yeah, he's a himbo), the caregiver/caretaker, the confidant (if you want), the informant, nice guy (someone has to keep the peace between the Pico brothers), the reliable one...

César Pico (RO) ⟡ Archumbricar 31-year-old earth sorcerer (he/him) from Tijuana, MX (ℹ) One of the highest ranking earth sorcerers in the world, César is seen as the unofficial heir of the current Night Luminary—and he takes the role seriously. As your brother's best friend, he has been a permanent fixture in your life as far as you remember—another persistent reminder of the magic that has remained inaccessible to you and the community that left you behind. He's at least an attractive reminder, even if it's unfortunate that his rare smirk proves that he knows it.

⟡ tropes include the hero, the cold & brooding heir, older brother's best friend/forbidden love, age gap, opposites attract, danger deadpan, glory hound, tall dark & handsome (obviously) ⟡ solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), borderline enemies to lovers, (possible first love), forced proximity, maybe the slowest burn

Rafa Pico (RO) ⟡ High Justicar 27-year-old fire sorcerer (he/him) from Tijuana, MX (ℹ) The younger brother of César....and also his left hand man even though he doesn't take his position within the Night Circle very seriously. He doesn't take anything very seriously except his freedom. Especially his freedom to flirt his way into anyone's good graces.

⟡ tropes include the explorer, the charming playboy, childhood/long time friend, (his) unrequited crush (on you), the (horny) bard, speed demon, hell seeker, elegant classical musician... ⟡ solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), friends to lovers but he never really saw you as a friend, forced proximity, slow burn

Gazi Gharib (RO) ⟡ Photojournalist 28-year-old (she/her or he/him) from New York City, USA (ℹ) Your roommate and best friend ever since you moved to NYC, they're always ready to help you investigate something new and dangerous.

⟡ tropes include the innocent, the best friend, the encouraging charmer, the serial romeo, the casanova, agent mulder (the believer), empathetic communicator, spirited competitor, the klutz ⟡ solo-route or poly-route with Deniz, besties to lovers (and you can start at the lover bit if you'd like cause this one is a...), faaaaaast burn

Deniz Yılmaz (RO) ⟡ Private Investigator 26-year-old (he/him or she/her) from Istanbul, TR (ℹ) Your next-door-neighbor and childhood best friend. You haven't kept in close contact, but they're the first person you think of seeing when you visit home.

⟡ tropes include the jester, agent scully (the skeptic), street-smart investigator, hardboiled detective, erudite stoner, literal-minded/snark knight combo, childhood friends, loyal supporter, gadgeteer genius ⟡ solo-route or poly-route with Gazi, childhood friends (or was it more?) to lovers, (possible second chance romance...), somewhere between slow and fast burn

Dr. Noel Sung (RO) ⟡ Journalist 41-year-old (she/her) from London, UK (ℹ) Your graduate school mentor who you credit for preparing you to land a job at The New York Times as prestigious as it is. She's now your direct supervisor, and she has quite the assignment for you.

⟡ tropes include the magician, high-powered career woman, absent-minded professor(/former forbidden love?), age gap, charismatic intellectual, intuitive leader, pragmatic idealist, deadpan snarker, determinator, shrinking violet, (your possible unrequited crush on her goes here)… ⟡ solo-route, workplace romance (technically; she's your boss now), slow burn

An ancient, hidden society of sorcerers ⟢

The Radiant Circle is the central governing body that maintains harmony and order among sorcerers, as well as keep their community secret. It was originally formed and led by the Resonant Soul (called the High Guardian—this is you) and the most powerful elemental sorcerers of the time (called the Founding Guardians—these are the four souls bonded to you) as an alliance of sorcerers from across the New Kingdom of Egypt.

After its formation, the magical community grew, and eventually, the Radiant Circle was divided into four smaller regional circles called the Ephemeral Circles: the Night Circle (you know the most about this one), the Dawn Circle, the Day Circle, and the Dusk Circle. These four circles, also called luminariates, are the main governing bodies of the current world of sorcery. Every known family of sorcerers lives under the eye of the Radiant Circle and one of the four Ephemeral Circles.

Only the Resonant Soul can be the High Guardian of the Radiant Circle. Only the four souls bonded with Resonant Soul can be the Founding Guardians. During periods where the Resonant Soul or the Guardians aren’t alive, these positions are left vacant and the Ephemeral Circles meet as the Radiant Council annually instead. Unfortunately, it's been so long since there has been a Resonant Soul that there aren't many people left who remember who sits at the top of the hierarchy.

You live as a Threshold—an uninitiated sorcerer, typically a child who can't use magic yet—within the luminariate called the Night Circle. You sit at the bottom of the hierarchy, but every other sorcerer you know? César is an Archumbricar, the right hand of the Night Luminary and leader of the Night Circle. Arseau and Rafa are César's High Justicars, his right and left hands. Your dads even play a role, advising the Luminary from their position in the Night Weave.

A single soul that can control all four elements, reincarnated once again—you ⟢

Before you became the Resonant Soul, you were a child born without magic to two prominent sorcerers sometime before recorded human history begins. Back then, it was common to put the child of every sorcerer through a resonance ritual, even children of sorcerers born without magic who always died in the process. But where there's a will, there's a way, and someone really wanted you to live and created circumstances that bound your souls together—one into endless reincarnation and the other into endless immortality.

You meet the four original Guardians over the course of hundreds of years. Your bonds are unique and have chained the fate of their souls with yours so that they are reincarnated in an endless cycle by your side. Even so, you've lived more lives without them than with them, lived more lives without magic than with it. Almost as if you're fighting a losing battle against knowing your true soul.

Only the Resonant Soul can resonate with all four types of elemental magic, but your magic remains locked away until you regain your memories (how're you supposed to regain memories you don't remember you need to regain? then again, how safe would it be to give you all that power and no recollection of all the mistakes you've made?). The Guardians are known for their extraordinary abilities in one element; their magic isn't sealed away, only their memories (which still isn't convenient—how are you supposed to know who they are if they don't know who they are?).

⟢ retweets & asks are welcome! there is no better writing motivation ♡

〉 Sections: Profiles, Editorials, Articles, Ask Me, Answers, Quotes

[tilseptemberends]

Actually insane that Kallias was comfortable with bringing his pregnant wife anywhere NEAR the Night Court after Rhys gave him NO ONE to hold accountable for the deaths of all those Winter Court children.

Like I'm all for repairing relationships and moving forward but in what world is that something you just get over without someone to hold accountable for it?

[doritodemon13]

What’s it like in the Theraprism?

What can I say…

They forced wanted me to wear some stupid orange suit with my name on it. :(

(Orange isn't even my colour)

They also banned me from the only activity that I enjoyed.

(I only painted me torturing the pines family three times, and the other two were drawings of me killing Stanley)

So, I had to switch to group therapy circle…

Which means I'm sitting in a circle with a bunch of idiots.

(Note to self: get yourself banned from that and go to solo yoga)

That's why I started this Blog

(because the axolotl said it would help)

☝️I'm also doing this in my room when I'm bored

(It helps more than the stupid group therapy circle)

At least I have my stanford plush :)

(The only great thing here beside my blog)

[salmonsaur]

you may not look directly at god. (July 2023)

[shepscapades]

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

part two of an odd textual mystery analysis (haikaveh focus)

(part one of my thoughts can be found here!)

immediately after wrapping things up at the house of daena, kaveh takes to finding alhaitham solely in order to tell him what went down regarding the book (i've heard that in the CN, kaveh apparently looked for alhaitham for half a day??? help. the dedication)

alhaitham is shown to leave his perusing of a book stall to approach kaveh when called, which is an extra animation? (for me this is similar to the extra animations in the flashback scene within their house in cyno's story quest ii, with alhaitham putting the book down when interacting with kaveh)

kaveh teases alhaitham, making him guess what he has in his bag - to which alhaitham goes along with, with his own dry sense of humour, guessing that it's the book, to which kaveh counters, but actually confirms by telling him that it's The Book

kaveh tells alhaitham about the circling of names being due to him as an inadvertent instigator, to which alhaitham replies that he knew something like this would happen, ever since he saw Kaveh having circled the murderer's name - to which kaveh questions, because kaveh recalls returning the book to the house of daena after doing so?

only for alhaitham to reveal that he read the book (previously?/after?) in the house of daena.. and that kaveh left the book in the study, after he circled the name of the killer. meaning that alhaitham saw the book that kaveh took out of the library, and was comfortable enough to open it, because he knew kaveh would be fine with it, because the study is their shared space??

(this reminds me a parade of providence where kaveh stresses that it's fine to look through documents that alhaitham has left out, since alhaitham wanted kaveh to look through them, but now it seems that the study is canonically their shared place? im thinking of kaveh's birthday letter calling it 'my' study, due to him being so comfortable with his residency with alhaitham... oh :D)

kaveh being embarrassed about being caught out, but not annoyed with alhaitham looking through the book. they really are at so much more ease with each other!!

kaveh then asking if alhaitham if circled a name, to which alhaitham confirms, saying that the second one (green ink... being the complimentary colour to kaveh's red ink okay...) is his, all in order to signal a red herring to throw off the people checking out the book after kaveh, in order to avoid kaveh spoiling the killer

kaveh then questions why alhaitham only circled one, in contrast to other people, to which alhaitham rationalises by saying that circling two names is more than enough to avoid a spoiler, considering that kaveh used permanent ink when creating the spoiler

kaveh pulls alhaitham up on this and says that alhaitham only circled one name on the first page, too, because he thought it would be funny - to which alhaitham agrees, saying it's more fun that reading the book, and kaveh agrees!

in the line with their new rapport in bickering in cyno's story quest 2, this truly is just inconsequential bickering, they're enjoying each other's responses and chasing it, not misunderstanding the other and actively getting hurt. they've improved so much!!

alhaitham congratulating kaveh on officially owning the book, to which kaveh dismisses dejectedly - the camera pans out onto the traveller and paimon, but we see alhaitham say something to kaveh, continuing their banter outside of the player's knowledge

this quest essentially happened because alhaitham and kaveh are that comfortable in sharing things with each other, and believing the other to want to share things, such as alhaitham perusing through a book that kaveh checked out from the house of daena, and feeling comfortable enough to interfere with one of kaveh's actions - using permanent ink to spoil the killer, in order to avoid spoilers for the next person, and, perhaps dually, repercussions on kaveh's part. kaveh shows no upset with this action, nor alhaitham looking through the book he left in the study

it nicely ties together the beginning and the end - kaveh and alhaitham dually act as the catalyst for the quest in their actions regarding the book, and we immediately cut to kaveh going to tell alhaitham about it when the problem is sorted. we start with alhaitham and kaveh, although we don't know it at first, and we end with them? it's an inconsequential quest, v fun, and v silly, but i love how we get lil insights into haikaveh's life in their home outside of the player <333

[ramuneda5149]

Red Boots Franca, Lumian and Little Minx/Showy Diva Jenna.

[ryunchanstuffsblog]

The fact that Hugh Grant, icon of romance movies from 90 to mid 2000, played a house baker gay husband is insanely genius and whoever came up with that cast choose is a freaking genius.

[destiel-wings]

HOW are the circles always so perfect the superior spn mystery

[laiqualaurelote]

“Welcome,” cries Donna Noble, “to the Sad Time Lords Drinking Society!”

The beach stretches as far as the eye can see. There seems to be nobody else on it. The sand is black; Jack has discovered it is rough beneath the toes, like gravel. The sea is a rich and iridescent blue; the sky above it clear and serene. A breeze ruffles the thatched roof of the bar at which they are all seated. From the radio behind the counter issue the tinny strains of a zither.

“I move to rename the society,” says the Doctor. He’s a tall, skinny man in a pin-striped suit and an outlandish pair of shoes, who looks like he stuck his fingers in a plug socket and still hasn’t burned off the energy. He and Donna emerged from a blue edifice labelled POLICE BOX, which is now sitting modestly on the beach next to Miss Fisher’s TARDIS, once more a Hispano-Suiza. Miss Fisher has introduced the Doctor as “my oldest friend, literally, he’s got a century or so on me”. 

“Quite,” says Miss Fisher, “we are hardly sad - I am always merry, for one - and only one of us identifies as a Time Lord at present.”

“And he is not sad,” puts in the Doctor.

“Rubbish,” says Donna. “Get a couple of drinks in you and you’ll be all mopey again.” 

“Anyway,” says the Doctor. He is sipping a complex cocktail out of a coconut, too violently coloured to actually be from the coconut, through a twisty straw. “To business. Present: the Doctor, tenth incarnation; the Fisher, third - honestly, how are you only on your third one?”

“Clean and virtuous living,” says Miss Fisher demurely over her sidecar.

Mac snorts into her glass. “Hallelujah.”

“Companions,” the Doctor continues dictating minutes to an invisible secretary, “Donna Noble - ” Donna makes a mock-bow “ - Dr MacMillan, good-looking, ginger and an actual doctor, I hope my future regenerations are taking note - ”

“I’m flattered,” says Mac. “I think.”

“ - and Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, whose first time it is at the Drinking Society of Time Persons of Various Moods and Genders.” The Doctor beams at him. “When did she pick you up from, then?”

“The 1920s,” says Jack.

“Oh, we just went, didn’t we, Donna? Lovely time.”

“I mean, there was a murder,” says Donna. “Quite a few murders, actually. Also, a giant wasp. Oh, and the Doctor got poisoned.”

“And we met Agatha Christie!” exclaims the Doctor. “Great stuff.”

“Yes,” says Jack. “That sounds exactly like what goes on in the 1920s.”

- from World Enough and Time, a Doctor Who/Miss Fisher crossover

[completeoveranalysis]

[2]

EXCUSE ME I only got to the first panel and had to scream

HELLO! YUKITO AND TOUYA HELLO!! PEAK COUPLE SPOTTED. EXCITEMENT MAXIMUM.

But I suppose I should actually read the page too.

UPDATE. IT IS EVEN MORE WILD THAN BEFORE SOMEHOW.

WHAT DO I EVEN DO WITH THIS?!

Where do we even start.

Yuuko’s talking about the Jam Jar and explains that it was “entrusted to me by the flesh and blood relations of the two of them.”

And the [two of them] seems to be referring to Lava Lamp’s parents, judging by the rest of the page (unless there are even MORE Syaorans and Sakuras floating around but I'm not even considering that yet). But immediately PULL THE BREAK. PULL EVERY BREAK. LET’S STOP RIGHT HERE. 

The panel that mentions the “blood relations” of [the two of them] shows Touya and Yukito from behind. Touya and Yukito specifically in regular, modern clothes. 

And I completely lose it.

BECAUSE LIKE

THAT IS 100% THEIR CARDCAPTOR SAKURA VERSIONS IS IT NOT?!

AND LIKE OK.

OK OK OK

We’ve done this dance before.

Lava Lamp’s backstory was FULL of references that seemed to imply (on purpose) that Cardcaptor Sakura was the origin of his parents, with JUST enough small inconsistencies to show that that’s PROBABLY not actually who they are, YET THEY CONTINUED to tease it as the real answer.

And EVEN HERE they're doing it again. 

They show us a Touya and Yukito who 1 to 1 look like their Cardcaptor Sakura counterparts, in modern clothing - but FROM BEHIND, to add a little bit of doubt. The story is lining up all the pieces so that once again it looks like CCS Touya and Yukito gave Yuuko the Jam Jar - and that it's potentially CCS Sakura and Syaoran in the Jam Jar, who have never met Yuuko, but still turned back time, even if it meant “distancing themselves from their own children”. 

AND THEY EVEN SHOW YOU THEM, SAKURA AND SYAORAN as Lava Lamp’s parents BUT FROM A DISTANCE, SO YOU CAN’T POSSIBLY TELL FOR SURE EXACTLY IF THEY’RE WHO YOU THINK THEY ARE OR NOT. 

MORE - THEY SHOW US THE MAGIC CIRCLES. Sakura stands on Syaoran’s magic circle and Syaoran stands on CARDCAPTOR SAKURA’S MAGIC CIRCLE. And even though people argue with me over this I will stand by the fact that we have canonically only seen this magic circle for Cardcaptor Sakura at this point in the story. It is her UNIQUE magic circle she created on her own. That’s the only place we have seen it. 

And, yes! From a wider universe perspective it’s possible that Sakura’s Unique Magic Circle is Actually Not Unique and Other Sakura’s Also Have The Same Magic Circle, but we don’t know that yet. We've seen Xing Huo, for example, using the Reed magic circle. Which could be for many many reasons, but on the simplest level it's an example of Another Sakura using a magic circle that is Not the one implied to be unique to Cardcaptor Sakura.

And do I think Lava Lamp's mother is Cardcaptor Sakura? No!

But what we do know is that Clamp are having the TIME OF THEIR LIVES showing us glimpses of symbols and characters KNOWING That it all points directly towards Cardcaptor Sakura

 EVEN THOUGH IT COULDN’T REALISTICALLY BE HER. But with enough doubt in place for the thoughts of "OR COULD IT?" to be just as valid at this point.

EVERY PIECE OF THIS IS ON PURPOSE AND I AM GOING RABID OVER IT. 

AND JUST. Even though I know it’s most likely not actually them, is just genuinely so much fun to see them that I don’t even mind. 

Lie to me Clamp! Lead me to the wrong conclusion! I will have a fantastic time even if I don’t actually believe you. 

Also I am absolutely not receiving any comments that clarify who they are at this time thank you.