#Potential Knowledge Tower ideas

[rahiwatching]

Fan Theory: Like Ogres and Onions, the Matoran Universe has Layers

This theory has been rattling around in my head for some time, I might make a Knowledge Tower video about it someday, but I’m not certain if its a good fit, given its more of a theory than anything where I actually do some science in it. Maybe you all can let me know if this is a good video idea in the notes?

Anyway, the crux of this theory is something to try to explain how all of this:

Actually fits into the body of the GSR.

This is a long post, so I’ll put the rest under the cut.

We already know from Greg quotes that the MU map isn’t really to scale, its more to show the rough position of the islands rather than their actual relative size compared to one another, hence why Odina is so large, and why Voya Nui seems to take up most of the southern continent despite being described as being relatively small in story.

But even using this as a guide for placement only, it still doesn’t really gel with the actual layout of the Great Spirit Robot, with everything in the torso area having to be squished up into the upper torso given the empty space in the abdomen.

This is further compounded by this image, which places the giant vortex in the endless ocean that leads to the great waterfall in the middle of the chest of the GSR, once again placing both the southern continent and Karda Nui squarely in the upper torso:

I’ve seen more than a few fan maps of the MU that try to address this problem, but all the ones that I have seen have never quite been satisfying to me, they make the southern continent especially far too small than what the storyline suggests it should be in order to get everything to fit.

But my solution, which I don’t think I’ve seen elsewhere before, came to me when I remembered that Karda Nui was in a dome that was underneath the southern continent - it was on a separate layer. And, well, Karda Nui can be on a separate layer, why not other sections of the MU as well?

That thought let me to making these maps of how I think the MU could possibly be laid out:

As you can see, from this layered approach, not only can you fit everything in nicely, but you can also keep the continents large without having to compromise to make them fit in. It even allows for additional domes that could house some of the other locations / smaller islands that are mentioned in the story that are not included in the official map. I did also play around with the size of each island compared to the offical map, given Greg already confirmed that the sizes on it were not accurate and so I could maximise the liveable land area of the MU.

I also used the fact that Greg has confirmed that ways to get into Karda Nui are via portals (with the canon one known being near the southern continent and also being where Destral moved itself to during the Karda Nui arc) to get around the issues not only of travel between layers, but also of travel between the head, torso and limbs without having to mess around with relative positions of those places moving when the robot moves its joints. The way I figure it, if the portal took up the entire sea gate tunnel width, then it could be entirely possible that the inhabitants weren’t aware they were going through a portal at all, it could just look like a regular tunnel to them, leading to the MU map from the inhabitants perspective I included here too.

I’ve tried to include as many canon compliant details into these maps as I could (e.g. connections between the torso and arms at multiple points to explain the routes taken by the Federation of Fear, room in Artakha and Xia’s domes for the islands they used to share them with before they were destroyed, the position of the pit being based both on proximity to Daxia but also on the placement of Mahri Nui in the Faber concept art above etc.), but I may have missed some details, so do let me know if you spot any.

I could also potentially use these maps in the future to work out things like total land area of the MU for the Faber and Farshtey sizes given I can determine the area a pixel represents in each, so these could be quite useful to Knowledge Tower videos in the future, but first I’d like to get some peer review on the core ideas from the wider fandom here on Tumblr.

What do you think of the maps and the idea behind them?

[astrow0rldx]

PAC tarot: Their fears about you and the connection (anyone)

choose the picture your intuition guides you too ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

dm for personals $

Pile one

strong woman vibes. ceo energy, an empress, someone who is on top of their stuff. not on financially, but just under control with life like your a warrior. and you push through, like a independent strong divine feminine woman. this might be something their scared of. scared of not knowing what your about to do, scared of what your controlling, scared of what your doing in general with finances. scared of what your moving on to, working towards, giving. their scared of maybe your maturity, independence, guardedness. they are scared of the obstacles you deal with alone. i dont know if they are jealous, i don't know if you already work with them, in a connection, business idea or something, but they are scared of you learning something new and working on it and then protecting it, guarding it and keeping it to yourself. scared of you going back to the past, maybe your past ways, or getting to comfortable with something else. your coming out as the king of swords though, they see you as very smart, logical, straightforward and headstrong, this is like maybe they don't want you to one up them or something. all of this is coming out for their fears.

for the connection they are scared of maybe an ending with you guys. scared of a drastic change or betrayal after you already built stability. they are scared of another romantic, cup of love coming in. they are scared of you maybe figuring out something, or maybe they are scared of what you already know. and its like your mysterious and their curious. they are scared of someone being a victim though in this situation, wether its you or them from this hidden knowledge. they are scared of maybe you exploring, going on adventure, manifesting new things, and get into your potential where everything will cause a drastic change and chaos. they maybe feel probably defeated by you, or like in competition maybe.

Pile Two

their scared of your emotions, or their scared of you hurting them. breaking their heart, leaving them. someone could be having an emotional realization that their scared of having or you having. someone could really love you, and their scared of you hurting or you hurting them. their scared of dealing with your bullshit/you dealing with theirs, or you dealing with a lot of bullshit but still its like where will you go, don't leave. don't go no where else and shine. if you leave me you will break my heart. if you already hurt them, their scared of you and how you hurt them and made them feel so down and depressed.

maybe they are scared that justice will happen within the connection, from a past situation. they are scared of an ex coming back shutting it to pieces, or if they are the ex that when they do come back it will cause a tower moment and shutter and cause someone to be very guarded. they are scared where they have to be really guarded, and fight like a warrior or they are scared of this about you. they are scared of someone kind of punishing someone for their emotional hardships if they caused it or not. changing your perspective, or maybe letting go and being non chalant. they are scared of this connection, bond, friendship period tho. and who might be the one to bring justice and let go and see from a new perspective. picking up a lot of emotional hurt, and shaky energy within the connection.

Pile Three

ouuu pile three, im definitely picking up on a romantic, crush, lover vibe. if not they love you regardless. but they might be scared on how to control themself, say the right things, start the connection, take it slow. they might be very physically attracted, sexually, and satisfied but its like their scared because they like you so much. they are scared of how to be strong and disciplined to make the right decisions, not get hurt, even if they are already hurt, their scared because they have things to say to you, or they feel like you may have some smart things to say to them. they are scared of arguments, they are scared of people fireying up in the connection, throwing shots and hurting people. they are scared of a decision you have to make, something your anticipating or hesistating for and scared of kind of your next move, where your going. scared of you traveling around, scared of your impulsive decisions.

about the connection, they are scared of this ultimate happiness, wish fulfillment with you has illusions with it, somethings hidden, scared of the anxiety and getting insecure and out of stable with you, mentally, physically, financially, etc etc. they are scared of lust controlling the connection, they want to take that slow and steady. they are scared of toxic energy that might happen with time, and wish to keeps it harmonious. im getting libra vibes lol. wish to balance things out, makes sure things stay stable. scared of getting attached, or scared of negativity. cheating, obsession, affairs, stealing, manipulation, etc.

[mysticalserenity-tarot]

🧸♡ what they like about you♡🧸 (Pick a pile)

{How to pick a pile? First, take a deep breath with your eyes closed to clear your mind. When you open your eyes, don't hesitate – pick the image that immediately grabs your attention or stirs up a memory. Remember, you can pick more than one pile if you feel called to. If none of the images stand out for you, it means there's no message for you at this time. You can always come back to it later.}

⋆｡ ﾟ ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ ☾ ﾟ ｡ ⋆⋆｡ ﾟ ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ ☾ ﾟ ⋆｡ ﾟ ☁︎｡

Pile 1, Pile 2, Pile 3 (from left to right)

Hello, and a huge thank you to everyone for your incredible support! I'm so glad that my first Pac has been so well-received.

In this collective pick a pile reading, we'll delve into what your specific person likes and appreciates about you. You can consider this the continuation of my first Pac, if you prefer. Let's see where your energy takes us.

Disclaimer: This is a collective reading I picked up on multiple energies, so please only take what resonates and leave the rest. When something resonates you usually feel a light energy and in your heart you can feel it's your message, and the pic that attracts you is a clearly sign.

⋆｡ ﾟ ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ ☾ ﾟ ⋆ ﾟ ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ ☾ ﾟ ｡ ⋆⋆｡ ﾟ ☁︎｡ ⋆

🧸PILE 1🧸

2 of Pentacles, the Hierophant, Page of Swords. (top: 4 of Pentacles)

Hi Pile 1, and welcome to your reading. Let's dive in!

This is a delightful and quircky energy. As multiple cards representing the number 2 kept coming out. Your person seems to want me to know that they love how you balance your light energy with your dark energy underlining the importance of this aspect in their mind, and they feel a connection because they share similar traits - from you previous reading, I sensed this affinity. This is either my spiritually inclined collective or those who resonate with a sense of inner peace and balance. If you've chosen this pile, bravo! You've made the right choice! [ it's okay if you're new, welcome <3 ]

I sense that many of you are in your prime years, and your person appreciates your vibrant youthful energy. Regardless of your age, they believe you'll fill a void and complete them, like a "missing puzzle piece", as I just heard. Many of you have a deep love for reading and acquiring knowledge, which may or may not be associated with formal education. I sense that you might prefer solitude, perhaps engrossed in your favorite book, while your classmates or colleagues (if in a work setting) are gathered discussing different things. Therefore, your person finds captivating the way you immerse yourself in your activities amidst the 'chaos' surrounding you. Some even observe and admire you from afar, potentially without your awareness. Your person finds you inspiring and loves how you handle problems with patience and diplomacy, without letting anger and stress take over. They also appreciate your thirst for knowledge and how you're curious about diverse topics. Your person values how secure you are in yourself and how you stand by your values and beliefs.

Overall, they are drawn to your mysterious yet serene, and intellectual nature, making you almost like an enigma to them. 🧙‍♂️✨

Thank you for allowing me to read your energy, Pile 1.

Note: -If you enjoyed this and my other readings, and you'd like to support me further, you can do so on my ko-fi, I'd greatly appreciate it. It's not mandatory.

-For further guidance or a personalized reading, feel free to book a reading through my Tumblr DM or email [dvinecrystl@gmail.com]. I'm here to help you navigate life's challenges and find clarity. We can decide the price together.

🧸PILE 2🧸

The Star, 9 of Swords, the Tower. (top: Ace of Swords)

Hi Pile 2, and welcome to your reading. Let's dive in!

Ah, Pile 2, based on the energy of the cards, your person has clear ideas about what they appreciate about you.

You possess strong manifesting skills and when you are certain about what you desire, you make it happen, I'm hearing the song "I Want It, I Got It" by Ariana Grande in my mind. For you, I have two cards confirming your innate manifesting power. You may have powerful water placements or inner planetary influences in your water houses (if you're not into astrology and don't know what i'm talking about, please feel free to ask). Some strong air energy is also sensed, whether it pertains to you or your person - one of you has great communication skills even. Your person finds it remarkable that you can create positive outcomes in adverse situations, emerging even stronger after initial doubts or negative emotions. This is not only temporary but a trait your person admires in you.

The energy here feels mature, likely older regardless of your age (old souls, perhaps?), indicating that some of you actually laugh in the face of adversity due to an innate ability to rise above struggles. Your determination draws your person's admiration; they struggle while you have clear goals and pursue them despite what others may think. You may receive sudden insights or instincts, unaware of their source, which are hints from the divine. Your person loves your strong will and determination, which they lack and need. This is one of the reasons they're attracted to you. I'm also sensing some popular individuals here, possibly on social media. Your determination, strength, and success have garnered success, with many followers and admirers, including your person. However, for those not yet successful, if you stick to your path and mindset, you'll reach your goals. Best of luck, my dears! 🍀🧿

Thank you for allowing me to read your energy, Pile 2.

Note: -If you enjoyed this and my other readings, and you'd like to support me further, you can do so on my ko-fi, I'd greatly appreciate it. It's not mandatory.

-For further guidance or a personalized reading, feel free to book a reading through my Tumblr DM or email [dvinecrystl@gmail.com]. I'm here to help you navigate life's challenges and find clarity. We can decide the price together.

🧸PILE 3🧸

Queen of Wands, The Sun, the Lovers. (top: Knight of Cups)

Hi Pile 3, and welcome to your reading. Let's dive in!

Wow, your cards are amazing, Pile 3! This person is head over heels in love with you, and the question is, what do they like about you? As I look at the cards as a whole, I'm feeling an intense passion surrounding you. They're burning with desire for you - sparks or flames, especially the color red may be significant (and for some a sign that is your pile!. Some of you may have worked or are working on your Root Chakra, which fuels this intense passion. I'm not supposed to do a spicy reading here but I'm feeling really hot lol. It's important to not a strong presence of two Major Arcana cards in a positive and powerful sequence, underlining this passionate hidden desire. Your person admires your overall positivity and passion for life, or specific interests. You may be a hopeless romantic, and they find this endearing. They perceive you as a powerful and passionate leader who remains unfazed by gossip about them and actually enjoys the attention.

It's intriguing that the Knight of Cups appeared on top of the deck in my previous pick up pile and has come up again here. You and your person may both be dreamy and romantic souls. In summary, your person appreciates your positivity, harmony, and artistic nature. You might be a creative individual, perhaps making unique art or being an enthusiast of it. They are fascinated by you and have vivid fantasies, like going to an art museum together.

I'm seeing blue stars on a blue neon ceiling in a potential art museum setting, which could be significant for some of you - and also the color blue. Now, very specific, maybe someone here has created a drawing or work with stars or blue stars on a blue background and shared it with their person and they're reminding me of it, or you or them work in a planetary museum? Take it how it resonates. Anyway, how cute! 💙

Thank you for allowing me to read your energy, Pile 3.

Note: -If you enjoyed this and my other readings, and you'd like to support me further, you can do so on my ko-fi, I'd greatly appreciate it. It's not mandatory.

-For further guidance or a personalized reading, feel free to book a reading through my Tumblr DM or email [dvinecrystl@gmail.com]. I'm here to help you navigate life's challenges and find clarity. We can decide the pricetogether.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANY LIKE/REBLOG/COMMENT IS APPRECIATED, ALSO IF YOU LET ME KNOW IF IT RESONATED.

PLEASE DO NOT REPOST MY WORK.

ALWAYS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EACH ONE OF YOU'S SUPPORT, I'M GRATEFUL 🤗🤍

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please note that I used AI language bot to help improve grammar and spelling in my readings, as English is not my first language. However, the interpretations and insights provided in my readings are all my work, based on my intuition and the cards' symbolism.

Disclaimer: Tarot readings are for entertainment purposes only and are not meant to predict or dictate your future. The cards provide insights and guidance, but the ultimate power of choice lies with you.

[b3ach-bunn7]

JAPANESE DENIM

You’re one of eight princesses invited as a potential bride for Prince Satoru. With no idea what he looks like, you find yourself ranting to the Prince himself how little you want to marry him

Royal!au, fluff, strangers to lovers

—————————————————————————

You wonder how angry your parents would be if you pretend to collapse against the cold tiled floor.

Your dress trails as you walk idly around the ballroom. Your petticoat and crinoline make you feel ten times heavier, your heels pinching your toes as you drag the fabric around. You’d think you’d be used to it by now, the formal dress and the discomfort of it all. But you never have and you never will, which is why you know Prince Satoru will never pick you tonight.

Your parents weren’t even that important. You’re a princess from a kingdom that doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, and you know of the eight girls here tonight you’re the least royal. That, and you’re definitely the least princess-like of them all. Unlike the majority of the girls here, you don’t want to get married. You hate the fact that you’re all dressed up to parade yourself in front of a man just so he’ll pick you to bare his children. You hate that you know nothing about him other than his name and his status. You were here because your parents had forced you to be, but you have no intention of running around and playing nice.

It’s why you’re standing to the side, looking at a painting on the wall. It's tall and so intricately detailed you wonder how long it had taken to be made. You’re sure if you look close enough at the woman depicted you could make out the wrinkles in her skin.

“The painter’s name is Choso. He’s good, no?” 

A voice pulls you out of your stupor. You hum softly. “Yes. It’s very beautiful.”

You turn to the voice and you are very glad you did. The man in front of you is incredibly attractive. He’s tall, for one, his hand curled around a glass of wine. His clothes look expensive, a fine tailored navy blue tunic with a white collar curling around his neck. His eyes are unnervingly blue, and you watch them trail up and down you. He looks slightly amused but also just as bored as you do.

“I’m Y/N. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” You nod your head. You're still unsure who he is, but his garments look far too regal for him not to be important.

He just nods back. “Likewise.” He doesn’t give you his name and you don’t ask for it.

“So. You’re not enjoying the ball tonight?”

You roll your eyes. “No. How long do you think I can wait before it’s socially acceptable for me to leave?”

He huffs a laugh. “You’re already looking to leave? The prince has not even chosen his bride.”

“And if my wishes come true, that bride shall not be me.”

“You’re one of the bachelorettes?” He asks.

You nod, sighing heavily. The man grabs a drink off a nearby waiter and hands it to you. You nod your thanks. There’s a few eyes on the two of you but you pay them no mind. You turn back to the painting and he follows.

“Yes. My parents brought me here to present me to the Prince, but in all honesty I have no intentions to be picked.”

The man tilts his head. The stark white curls on his head curve against his cheek, as the corner of his lips twitch into a smile. “You don’t wish to be his bride?”

You frown. “No. I’ve no knowledge of the man. For all I know he could be a hideous troll.”

The man laughs then, and the sound makes you smile. “An interesting fear to have.” He takes a step closer to you and his height towers over you. “Do you believe all princes to be hideous trolls, then?”

“Only the ones I’ve never met.”

He grins. You lean against the wall and he just watches in faint amusement. “Not very ladylike for a princess.”

“Columbus, if only you felt what it was like in these heels.” You cover your mouth at the curse that slips past your tongue. You shoot him an apologetic look. “God. If my mother heard me speak like that I’d be hung.” 

“Don’t worry, my lady. Your secret’s safe with me.” He places a hand on his heart solemnly and you laugh.

The orchestra's music rings across the hall. The room is bigger than any ballroom you’d been in thus far, but you're not surprised. The Gojo family is the richest one around, and the extravagant decorations are enough to tell you that. You take another sip of wine. It’s expensive and you hum contentedly. You turn to the man next to you and find him already staring at you.

“Do you have any idea what the prince looks like? I suppose I should mingle some. I can feel my mother glaring at me from across the room.”

The man moves an inch closer, voice dropping to a softer tone. “If you’re so frightened he’s some hideous troll I could describe him to you. If it would ease your nerves.” He teases. 

You nod. The distance between you two is smaller than you’d thought and when you turn to face him you’re near enough to almost brush his nose with yours.

“If you wouldn’t mind.”

He breathes heavily. His eyes dart around the room. “Well. He’s tall. Devilishly handsome. Long hair, good build.”

You look out into the crowd as well. Your eyes land on a man in green silk robes, long black hair curling down his back. “Is that him?”

The man’s eyes follow yours and they darken upon seeing the same man you do. He frowns. “No. That is not Prince Satoru. That is Suguru Geto. He comes from a much lesser family than the prince.”

You know Prince Suguru, of course. Everyone around the country had heard of his fight with Prince Satoru that had nearly caused war between the two families. You peer at the mystery man curiously, at the sour look on his face. You’re interested in what his problem with that Prince is. 

 “Do you know him? Personally, I mean.”

The man’s eyes flicker to yours. “No. Why do you ask?”

“You speak with much contempt.”

He smiles slightly. “You see right through me, my lady. We’ve had a few arguments.”

Your brows furrow in confusion. “You have? How did you come across him?”

He just taps the side of his nose, smirking. “You’re a very nosey princess, did you know that?”

“Well, I’m not known for my graciousness.” He laughs.

You look back at Prince Suguru, where’s he’s talking to two young girls. “A shame, though. He’s really quite attractive.”

The man’s nose wrinkles in disgust. “I disagree. I- Prince Satoru is much more good-looking.”

“Hopefully I’ll never know.”

He snorts a laugh at the disinterest in your voice. “May I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Why come here? Get all dressed up and ready if you have such an aversion to marriage?”

You sigh. Adjust the top of your corset, finish the rest of your glass. He looks at you patiently, and you miss how his eyes dip to your chest for just a second.

“I’m a princess to a king and queen with no heirs except for me. Despite my aversion to it, I’m not stupid enough not to realise the importance of marriage. I need to marry someone who can benefit my family and my kingdom.”

Your eyes land on the other potential brides. They walk with an air of elegance you never seemed to be able to achieve, a beauty that, despite your aloofness, you can’t help but envy. You sigh slightly, hoping the man next to you doesn’t see the sadness on your face.

“And your happiness is not a factor?”

You snort. You can hear your mother in your head telling you how unladylike you are for making such a noise. 

“Don’t make me laugh. I’m not sure where you stand in your kingdoms lineage, but my happiness is never a factor.”

He hums. “I see. Just another pawn for the chessboard of politics and duty.”

You nod. It’s weird how he understands. Most men would scold you for even complaining.

“It’s quite alright. I know a man like Prince Satoru won’t want someone like me, anyway. So I don’t bother.”

“And why wouldn’t he want you?” The man taps his fingers against his now empty glass. You turn to him once more. He looks confused now.

“Look at me. I’m nothing like those other girls. I speak impolitely and I lean against walls and talk to strange men instead of him. I’m not as beautiful as they are. But what can I do?” You shrug.

“You’re wrong. I think you are very beautiful.”

His words draw you to turn to him once more. He looks at you so earnestly that you couldn’t not believe him if you tried. You bow your head in thanks.

“Thank you, sir. As flattered as I am, I doubt the Prince will agree with you.” You shake your head.

The man shrugs. He grabs the glass out of your hand, and for a moment your fingers brush against each other. They’re smooth, unmarred by work, another sign of his nobility. He places the glasses on a waiting tray.

“You never know. Keep your hopes up, my lady.” 

You go to respond but suddenly, a voice calls form the front of the hall. It’s time. You shut your eyes, cursing to yourself. You hadn’t even had the chance to speak to the Prince all night. You can already imagine the scolding you’d receive once you got home. You look back at the man and he’s already turning to leave. You reach out and grab his arm. The fabric of his clothes feel expensive beneath your grasp.

“Wait. I never got your name.”

He just taps the side of his nose again. You roll your eyes. “You’re so cryptic, did you know that?”

He barks a laugh. He bows, deep and low. You watch his white locks flutter in front of you, so soft you almost reach for them. 

“Good luck, Y/N.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

And you’re being dragged away by a waiting lady before you can see where he goes off to. You don’t have too long to wonder if you’ll ever see him again, because you’re suddenly placed between the other girls, all lined up in the front of the room. You try to smile at the girl beside you but she only scoffs, turning her nose up as she looks away. You roll your eyes. Some people.

You glance and see the Prince's two knights, two pink and black haired boys, standing at the side. They look awfully young to be fighting, you wonder, but the glare on the black haired one’s face makes you feel like they might never need to. 

The King and Queen look at the row of you with interest. All big, long robes of expensive cotton and silk trailing down the golden thrones they sit on. It’s only then, when you’re studying the intricate finery of their crowns, you notice the Queen's hair. A white, so stark and vibrant you don’t think you’ve ever seen it anywhere else. But then you realise you have. On a mysterious man insistent to make conversation with you. And it’s then, when you turn your attention to the King, you see his eyes bluer than the ocean and the sky combined, and your heart drops.

Because just as the dots connect in your head, your mystery man comes to stand at the front of the hall. Eyes trailing lazily over the women next to you before they land on you. And then he grins, winking at you quickly. 

The girl besides you gasps. “Gods, he just winked at me.” She speaks in a hushed tone to the girl next to her.

You're too distracted to try to correct her. You’re so stupid. How could you not know? Of course, it was your first time in the kingdom, but. How had you no idea that he was the prince? The man you’d practically embarrassed and debased yourself in front of, cursing and calling him a hideous troll to his face. You feel your cheeks flush as his gaze doesn’t waver from yours, an unreadable expression on his face.

The signs were all there. The way he carried himself. Something about him just screamed expensive and important, if not for his important robes or the way people had been glancing at the two of you all night. His hatred for Prince Suguru. You’re a fool.

You’re so stupid. He’d have you hung, surely. Hung or exiled from the country as a whole. 

Your hands tighten where they are clasped in front of you. You watch as the king stands, steps forwards until he is side by side with his son. He claps a hand on his back and the Prince straightens slightly. 

“It is now time for my son, the oldest and only Gojo heir, to choose a candidate to be his future queen and mother of his heirs.”

You’re sure the king says more but your brain is too preoccupied. You wonder what your mother will say. You wonder how horribly your reputation will be after this. If any man will ever want to marry you. You’re so caught up in your thoughts that it takes you a minute to hear Prince Satoru say your name.

“Princess Y/N. I choose her.” 

You can’t move. Chatter erupts amongst the people and the women next to you sound just as shocked as you feel. Satoru just looks at you expectantly. You feel your mothers hand curl around yours. You let her drag you forward, smiling and nodding at those who bow around you. She whispers congratulations as she and your father come up to greet the king and queen, and you’re placed in front of Satoru.

You bow your head immediately.

“Please, forgive me for my actions before, I- I had no idea you were the prince, I had no right o say what I did.” You say quickly.

A hand curls under your chin, lifting your head up to look him in his eyes. There’s a small, pleased smile on his lips. 

“None of that, now. Where’s all that sass I saw from you earlier?” He grins.

You scoff. “I’m not stupid, your majesty. I would never call you such names to your face.” 

“So you would behind my back?”

Your cheeks flush and you shake your head quickly. “Well, no I-“

“Please, Y/N, calm down. It is quite alright. I liked your sass. Your vim. So refreshing after my conversation with those ladies behind you.” 

You sigh. His hand leaves your chin and they both travel down to grab your hands.

“But. Why me?”

“Why not you?”

You roll your eyes, then look towards the other girls, who are glaring daggers at you from below.

“They’re better princesses than I. All prim and proper. Polite. I doubt any of them would call you a hideous troll. They’re perfect.”

Satoru can’t help but let out a soft chuckle at your response.

“Ah yes. Princesses are supposed to be perfect.  All manners and decorum, never showing any sort of flaw or imperfection."

He turns back to you, a glimmer of mischief in his gaze.

"Which is exactly why I picked you."

You tilt your head slightly. “You’d settle for imperfection? For me?”

Satoru shakes his head slightly, his gaze locking with yours.

"No. I don’t want to settle for imperfection. I just don’t want perfection. I don’t want a prim, proper princess who’s only talent is looking good."

He steps closer to you, his eyes searching yours intently. And now, with him as close as he is, you can see a dusting of freckles across his face, eyes tinged with a hint of green you’d not noticed before. He’s so beautiful and you can’t believe he’s yours.

"I want someone real. Someone who will challenge me, make me think, keep me on my toes. You are not a prim, proper princess. And I like that."

He smiles cheekily. “And I meant what I said earlier. You are beautiful.”

Your breath comes shakily at the close proximity. He smells like something rich, expensive and his thumb rubs circles on your hand.

“I’m glad. And I will try to be a good wife for you, your majesty.”

Satoru gazes down at you, an inscrutable look in his eyes. You look so suddenly vulnerable, and a small part of him feels bad for putting a hint of uncertainty in you. For putting you on the spot like this. His hand comes back up to graze your jawline.

"You don’t have to try to do anything. Just be you." He smiles. "That’s why I chose you."

Satoru lets his hand drop, but not before his thumb gently brushes across the edge of your jawline, lingering for a moment. You watch his eyes dart to your parents conversing behind you. His gaze flicks back to you, a small smirk on his lips.

“At least your parents will be off your back now.”

You grin. “I’d hope so, having married into the Gojo family.”

Satoru lets out a soft huff of amusement. "Yes, I imagine they're quite pleased."

He glances at your parents across the room, who are clearly quite satisfied with themselves. He turns his gaze back to you, his smirk growing slightly.

"I’m sure they’ll be even more pleased when they get to have grandbabies."

Your cheeks redden. If not just for his words but for the hungry way he looks at you.

“I hardly think that’s a conversation to have right now, your majesty.”

“Enough with the formalities. Call me Satoru, you are my wife now.” He takes a small step closer to you, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"And why not?" he teases, his voice low. "Isn’t a prince allowed to be excited about his future heirs?"

“Well of course. It’s just. I hardly think this is appropriate to discuss in front of all these people.”

You hope nobody can see the flush on your cheeks from the hall. Satoru lets out a soft hum, noticing how your eyes dart away from his.

"We are soon to be newlyweds, sweetheart," he replies, a hint of husk in his tone. "Discussing heirs is hardly inappropriate."

He grins slightly as he steps even closer, his body almost a breath away from touching yours.

"Afraid to discuss the… practicalities in front of everyone? Hm?"

“I- Yes. Slightly.” You laugh nervously.

And Satoru’s grin grows wider, his eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief. He reaches out, his hand gently grasping your chin once again, tipping your face back up to look at him. His thumb grazes ever so gently over your bottom lip, the touch sending a shiver down your spine.

"No need to be nervous." His voice is low, almost a murmur. "After all, we will be getting rather intimate very soon."

With all the luck in the world, your mother steps forward, bowing to Satoru before gesturing you away. The weddings to be set in three days, three days until you become a Gojo and the next queen in line for the throne. You watch with keen eyes as Satoru greets your mother like he’s know her his whole life. Has some weird manly conversation with your father, before he returns back to you.

“Three days. I trust you’ll be able to keep yourself out of trouble until then?” He raises a brow.

You bite back a smile. “Yes, Satoru. I’ll see you then.”

He nods. “Until the wedding, then. Safe travels, Y/N”

—————————————————————————

I had this idea while watching Harry Potter movie? I have no idea why. Also reader why r u lowkey like.. not like other girls omg 🙈

also I’ve lowkey been so obsessed with Harry Potter recently??? So either except some Harry Potter fics or some JJK/MHA X HP fics 😝 feeling bold

I hope u enjoyed!!

[ohwormwood]

breaking down over in stars and time's use of tarot cards

[woe, spoilers be upon ye!]

[no seriously, this contains spoilers for the entire game. proceed with caution]

BECAUSE IF I HAVE TO BE TORMENTED BY THIS KNOWLEDGE, THEN SO DO YOU.

Act 2

Six of Swords

Transition, change, rite of passage, releasing baggage

Siffrin is, in the start of Act 2, beginning a new journey. This card is pretty self explanatory, but also is a form of major foreshadowing. Six of Swords has a heavy implication towards evolving and bettering yourself as a person, going on a journey that is absolutely essential to growth. Whether or not this journey is at all pleasant is entirely left up in the air, but given the rest of the game, it’s more of an indication of hard-won lessons.

Siffrin asks “How does the boat not sink?”, which is kind of hilarious, given that they end up almost sinking into complete despair by the end of the game, only saved by getting help and changing, completing their journey and starting a new one.

The Star (Reversed)

Lack of faith, despair, self-trust, disconnection

Stars play a huge part in this game (it’s literally in the name), so this card felt kind of inevitable. The most important part of this card is that it serves as a sort of omen for what is to come. In Act 2, Siffrin is blissfully unaware of the overall impact this will have on his psyche, of the turmoil it will bring him. But the most important part of this card for me is the idea of loss of faith. The very first line in the reference site’s description is this; “The Star Reversed can mean that you’ve lost faith and hope in the Universe”. This is likely indicative of the gradual crumbling of Siffrin’s hope over the course of the game. The site also notes that “You may be desperately calling out to the Universe to give you some reprieve but struggling to see how the Divine is on your side”. Siffrin pretty much does this in the latter half of Act 3, as things become more and more hopeless. This is, for lack of a better term, a test of faith. Given how the Change God mocks Siffrin for the Universe never talking to them directly, this is nailed home pretty hard. But, in Act 2, a lot of the concept of The Universe and Wishcraft isn’t introduced, so this serves more as a premonition than anything else.

Another note: Loop. Loop is a star. Or ate a star. Either way, they have a deep connection with stars (and The Universe as a result). I bring this up because of the general meaning behind the UPRIGHT version of this card, which is a sign of hope, faith, and guidance. Loop serves this purpose throughout the game as Siffrin’s “helpful companion~”, so the connection here there is nice. But the entry states this; “When confronted with a challenging situation, you can either crumble like The Tower or stand firm in your conviction that the Divine is everywhere”. Because of the 2 Hats situation, we know that where Siffrin eventually overcame the challenges of The Star/The Universe, Loop did not. Instead, they made one last plea to the Universe for help, and The Universe listened. But we know the obvious twist of fate here is that Loop is literally helping themself by helping Siffrin. They gave in, crumbled, and lost their faith in the end, only to be the thing that helped Siffrin keep theirs and eventually free themselves. 

Ace of Wands 

Inspiration, new opportunities, growth, potential

Most of Act 2 Siffrin is spent with this idea in mind. At this point, Siffrin is pretty lax about the true meaning of the loops, believing them to be an opportunity to beat the king, each loop full of potential to achieve their goal. But the twist here is that for the Ace of Wands, there is always potential but never a guarantee of success. Siffrin experiences this first hand at the end of Act 2. 

Eight of Pentacles

Apprenticeship, repetitive tasks, mastery, skill development

Another nod to Siffrin’s frame of mind in Act 2. The slow mastery gained through the overall leveling system in the game actually accomplishes this card’s meaning pretty well- you repeat everything, over and over, and it is only when you master it that you are able to defeat the king. Siffrin notes a lot that in a couple of loops, he will likely be able to remember interactions by heart, and some he actually does recall completely, like when the very first interaction with Mirabelle in Dormont at the start of each loop. He’s essentially memorized the script, mastered the actions, the choreography, and now is faced with the fact that he has to do it over and over again. It will turn into monotony by proxy of being so familiar and easy. 

Siffrin also notes that “they seem happy to be working”, which is another nod to how he sees the loops towards the start of the game, less of a curse and more of a boon that requires effort to properly utilize.

Act 3

Two of Swords

Difficult decisions, weighing up options, an impasse, avoidance

There are a lot of hard choices to be made in Act 3, so this likely isn’t referring to any one instance. This is where the Eight of Pentacles card comes back into play, in a sense- there is still more to learn here, more to master, but a lot of that requires decisions that have greater weight than those in Act 2. People’s lives are at stake. However, it is only by doing this and making hard choices that Siffrin eventually learns more about Wishcraft and the way things work in the loops. 

Interestingly, when Siffrin describes this card, they describe someone holding scissors. An intersection of 2 blades, but the thing here is that no matter which side you’re on, they can still cut you. Alternatively, this could just be a representation that Siffrin, who is the main Scissors Craft user of the party, is the one stuck with these decisions. 

Six of Pentacles (Reversed)

Self-care, unpaid debts, one-sided charity

Siffrin is the king of never giving themself proper self care. They are also the king of tearing themselves apart to give everything they have to the party. They are willing to sacrifice everything they have for a “perfect ending” where everyone is happy… everyone but themselves, that is, because they do not receive the same fulfillment in return. They give and they give and they give, but the party does not give in return, not in the way they need. Not soon enough to prevent them from falling apart at the seams over it. 

The note here mentions that it shows “someone walking on the sky and offering flowers to sky people”, but then when flipped shows “the man is touching the ground, and giving flowers to normal people”. This kind of struck me as strange, as no matter what orientation the card takes, they will always have their feet on the ground. This also isn’t the last mention of sky people, but I haven’t really delved deep enough into theories about that to understand what that really means in the context of this card.

The Hermit

Soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance

Hilariously, this is something Siffrin completely lacks for most of the game. They avoid thinking about themselves and their own sense of self for a vast majority of their character arc, and it isolates them. While this card means well in its message of introspection, it’s also key to note that this withdrawal from the outside also can lead to being alone with your own thoughts, something that Siffrin experiences more as the game continues. And their refusal to acknowledge what they want almost breaks them. 

The loneliness aspect of this card is further hammered home by the fact that Siffrin says “they look sad and alone”.

Five of Wands

Conflict, disagreements, competition, tension, diversity

Misunderstandings and miscommunication is at the heart of this card. And oh boy, does Siffrin deal with a LOT of that in the loops. My brain immediately goes to the whole “touch therapy” arc and Siffrin’s refusal to clarify that they don’t dislike touch, which eventually leads to Memory of Touch. It’s also a bit of foreshadowing of what is to come, especially in Act 5 and the breakdown of the party’s trust in Siffrin because of their break in communication and understanding with each other. 

Siffrin asks “Why are they fighting?” when this card is drawn. The answer is that they don’t really understand themselves. This is conflict driven by a lack of communication and understanding of the other parties at hand. As the description for this card says, “No one is listening.”.

Act 4

Eight of Swords

Negative thoughts, self-imposed restriction, imprisonment, victim mentality

Act 4 starts with Siffrin experiencing quite possibly one of the worst endings to the loops he can imagine, so it’s safe to say that at this point, their deterioration is rapidly worsening. They begin to spiral, and the idea that there is no way out begins to appear. However, the main crux of this card’s significance is that there is a way out, but it lies in freeing oneself. There is a gap in the swords, and if one was to take off the blindfold they could get out. The description of this card calls this “imprisonment”, which ties in pretty nicely to one of the screens you can get when you loop back; “You are in a prison of your own making”. The description for the card also reads “You surrendered your power to an external entity, allowing yourself to become trapped and limited in some way. You may feel that it isn’t your fault – you have been placed here against your will”. This is heavy foreshadowing for the idea that Siffrin’s own wish to The Universe that got them trapped in the loops, not the wishes of The House or The King. 

Siffrin asks “Why is he alone?” when drawing this card, which kind of projects onto themselves. They feel alone, they feel trapped, and they believe that there is no one who can help them, but that isn’t true. They have the ability to change things, but they are afraid. 

Ten of Swords (Reversed)

Recovery, regeneration, resisting an inevitable end

There are good aspects to this card, but the main focus in this case is likely the idea of resisting the inevitable. This is pretty much what the whole deal with the Head Housemaiden is, the repeated attempts to find some way to change something that, by the nature of the wish, cannot be changed. And yet, Siffrin is unable to let go of this. It’s also noted that this card represents past trauma that is still being carried around and still hurts the bearer. Siffrin spends this Act searching into their past, tearing up painful memories (or lack thereof) in the process. They carry the burden of being without a true geographical/cultural home to go back to. They cannot let go of this, nor do they want to. But the card’s description notes that “these old pains need to be dealt with once and for all. It may be difficult to delve back in, but it's the only way to release yourself of this pain and allow it to pass from your life”. In a lot of ways, this nods to the avoidance of pain that Siffrin displays when they are unable to cope with their trauma from the past and the loops. It is only through promising to tell the party their wish and deal with the pain and fear of their trauma that they can move on and begin to heal. This card pretty much represents the whole crux of the story’s meaning. 

Five of Pentacles

Financial loss, poverty, lack mindset, isolation, worry

Loss is a major theme of Act 5. The loss of memories, the loss of a home, the loss of faith, and, perhaps most importantly, the loss of hope. The card’s description says “You no longer feel safe because it has all been stripped away from you in one blow”, and this is pretty much what happens. Siffrin is in a crisis. They are exhausted, they are alone, and they are profoundly terrified of what that means. At this point, they are searching for help desperately, but are unable to ask for it. This card explicitly deals with fear of rejection and reaching out for help- the situation is dire, but, as seen with the card’s depiction of lit church windows, there is help nearby. The issue is that one must be willing to accept it. There is fear that you may lose something important- in Siffrin’s case, his found family- but there is no telling if that will actually come to pass. 

To further nail the loneliness aspect of this card home, Siffrin says that the figures on the card “probably don't have any friends”, something he starts to believe in the latter loops as the group loses their identities to the script. The in-game card also is different from the real card, and is said to show empty glasses, a pretty on-the-nose reference to Siffrin’s “glass half empty” mentality as they lose hope later in the game.

The Hanged Man

Pause, surrender, letting go, new perspectives

The Hanged Man gets a pretty bad reputation if you don’t really understand what it means. It’s a card about acceptance, pausing, and entering a new phase in life. But this change is heavily implied to come via unfavorable circumstances, situations outside of one’s control. The description says that when a person is unable to pause when they need to, unable to stop their actions, “The Universe will probably put things on hold for you, in the form of continued obstacles, ill-health, and breakdowns”. And this is pretty much what happens in Act 5. Siffrin is ground to a screeching halt by their own body, exhausted, starving, and mentally/physically fatigued to the point of actual sickness. On the topic of “surrender” and “giving in”, things get more pointed. Siffrin gives in to Mal Du Pays (very ‘L'appel du Vide” style), almost dying as a result, but then conversely gives in to the party’s urges to tell them what they wished for, to let go of their fear and stop looping. 

Siffrin notes that the Hanged Man “Look(s) like they're about to die, but they're smiling”. This is more of a connection to the end decision of Siffrin to let go of the loops and tell the party about their fears. They are facing down something that they are terrified of, something seemingly insurmountable, but rather than continue to fight and avoid letting go like Loop did, he instead chooses to surrender and tell the party.

Act 5/6

The Fool 

Beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, a free spirit

There are two versions of The Fool, technically. In Act 5, if you take the card and inspect it immediately, Siffrin will give a manic laugh and tear it to pieces. In a lot of initial interpretations of the card, some people will assume The Fool to be what the card says they are- a fool, someone stupid and tricked and hopeless, about to send themselves to their doom. But the reality is that this card is not really about that- it’s about new beginnings and the start of a new journey, but specifically through a leap of faith- a leap of faith that Siffrin has to take at the end of Act 5. While he is going through The House during this act, however, he is unwilling to accept this advice, either because it is misinterpreted or consciously, and instead tears it apart.

When the card is examined after the game, rather than during the final loop, Siffrin seems to recognize the card for what it actually means. He says “It's a traveler. He seems to be starting a new journey”. Siffrin’s title in the Profiles is literally “The Traveler” (alongside having the Traveler’s Hat), so this is a direct statement of new beginnings for the party and Siffrin’s life, a new journey they are taking with their family rather than alone. 

-

annnnd that does it for me, i've spent no less than two hours writing and researching for this post so ima go take a nap now, gnight

[butterflydm]

wheel of time 3x01 - additional thoughts

So our group spent a month on a boat together before the start of 3x01! We get some hints about what happened - Randgwene are sleeping in the same bed but haven't talked anything out. Avilayne were flirting. Mat was flirting with Bain & Chiad. Aviendha was sleeping on the deck under the stars. Nynaeve and Lan were probably sleeping together too, I'm going to assume.

But there's a lot of gray area there to play with too! Them all being together on that boat can potentially lead to some fun fic scenarios, canon or not.

I'm pretty happy with what we got from the relationships, overall, even if I remain sad that we do not get our Second Great Cauthor Roadtrip. It lives in our hearts.

I can't believe that I forgot to mention that Alviarin was the White Sister who was part of Egwene's Testing! I mean, I assumed that she wasn't merged with anyone, but it's nice to have it confirmed.

So about that Avirandlayne! Avilayne are the ones who hook up in this episode, but they very much had a dynamic that involved the three of them as well as individual dynamics, which is what I like to see.

Taking the plunge first with Avilayne does establish that they are both attracted to women and this isn't going to be a "Rand's harem" situation, which is an important thing to establish (especially if Min isn't romantic with Aviendha and/or Elayne, though she might be! we will see!). But the episode also made a point of having Elayne involved in the (currently antagonistic) relationship between Aviendha & Rand, and Elayne also ends up being the person who motivates Rand to make his choice about where to go at the end of the episode and does so in a manner that is designed both to please Aviendha and to help Rand. Very neatly done by our political and emotional communicator (which Elayne is pretty good at being in the books when she isn't writing letters to Rand, which always goes poorly).

The way they set up Mat staying in the White Tower was also really good and made sense. We've seen that he's struggling with his memories from blowing the Horn and that he's trying to bury his feelings/nightmares using drinking and flirting, and those are definitely canon coping mechanisms for him.

Randgwene does seem like it is going to be a slow dissolving over the course of the season. The show making it clear that Avilayne have a strong attraction to each other does simplify some of the things that I was potentially worrying over for s4 (which we will hopefully get!), and I do understand why the show wants to be true to the emotional unraveling of the stronger version of the relationship that they've set up. But Randgwene is, by far, the thing where my brain inserts book knowledge and tries to resist show changes, because I am just constantly startled when they're not broken up yet.

Lanfear and Moiraine trying to work to undermine Rand's relationships with his friends and failing (mostly)! I really liked this touch. It brings out Moiraine's ruthlessness, it shows us how Lanfear is able to play nice to get what she wants (we know she's a great actress, from having first met her as "Selene"), and it also showed that they both underestimated the strength of the EF5 bond and Rand's own willpower. All good things!

I was really glad that (unlike the books) none of the characters blamed Rand for what happened. Nynaeve assumed right away that it was one of the Forsaken. It does still split Rand off from most of his friends (except the one that Lanfear probably MOST wanted him to shake off lol) but he doesn't go to a place that either Moiraine or Lanfear show any interest in him going -- it is Aviendha and Elayne who shape the direction of Rand's next move forward, and we see him fully willing to take someone's advice when they're actually offering advice and not trying to force him into doing something by seeing him listen to Elayne and ultimately decide that she's got the right idea (this is also one of the things in book canon that made Elayne fall in love with Rand -- that he listens to her advice).

Interestingly, I don't think anyone else actually knows that it's Elayne's advice that Rand is following here, which kinda makes her a secret ace in the hole when it comes to political knowledge and advice. If we do all meet up in Tear at the start of s4, it's Elayne who will have set Rand up for success -- both in suggesting he go to the Aiel first, and potentially by that letter that we saw her send out (depending on how that goes!).

[technicolor-algae]

offshoot qifrey (and iguin) theory based on this theory i pieced together recently (read that before you continue with this one)

wha spoilers through chapter 86

the silverwood tree into which qifrey's eye was placed did in fact transform back into a witch of yore as soon as qifrey began having troubles with his intact eye, as soon as qifrey arrived to a state of true peace at the atelier with his found family. qifrey, having knowledge of this process and restored memories which he gleaned from the scrap of notes he found in the tower of tomes, was able to keep his own transformation at bay, though still suffering onset symptoms on an ongoing basis.

the witch of yore who was brought back from tree form via qifrey's missing eye, is iguin. i subscribe to the oft discussed theory that iguin resembles qifrey, due to qifrey's dna being used as the "seed" for the transformation. iguin did not revert back to their original appearance, but rather took on qifrey's appearance, while still retaining their memories from days of yore.

my strongest basis for this theory comes from the interactions we see in the serpentback caves. chiefly, qifrey asks sasaran if he knows of a brimmed cap "with my visage" (i've seen varying translations of this line, but they all seem to point to there being a brimmed cap who looks like qifrey).

(i'll be referring to iguin as they/them for now; do we have any confirmation of their gender? i can't remember)

additionally, iguin's behaviors in these scenes suggest a mastery of forbidden, forgotten spells of yore. this is a looser, subjective point, which i don't feel is a solid ground for theorization, but it does contribute to my overall sense of iguin standing out as being different from any other witch, brimmed or not, who we've encountered thus far. they seem, to me, to be ancient, smarter, on a different level.

iguin also has some ambiguous monologues about wanting the world to know the true nature of magic, the true origins of magic - its basis in human parasitization. perhaps human-based silverwoods are the only ones that yield magical woodcruor? that's irrelevant here, but a thought nonetheless.

lastly, iguin is hellbent on recruiting coco as a brimmed cap. this is a big ol' obvious one. iguin seems to have some kind of plan involving the recruitment of "common" children, as evidenced by their peddling of forbidden magic books to common kids in the very beginning of book 1. i wonder if any other children have a book that they purchased from iguin? maybe this'll come up at some point. but anyways, iguin seems to view coco as having enormous potential to disrupt the very foundation upon which the magical paradigm stands. they are seeking to reveal the true nature of magic to the malleable minds of children, both with regard to magic being something that anyone can wield by simply drawing, as well as magic having its very roots (pun very much intended) in the human body itself.

i wonder if it's just a pleasing plot point that coco just so happens to cross paths with qifrey, iguin's theorized analog, or if this was a carefully orchestrated confluence into which iguin put efforts to manifest. i don't have anything beyond very loose speculation to discuss on this front, but maybe i'll put together some ramblings on the subject at another time.

one other note about iguin is that they have a pattern of demonstrating to coco the devastating power of magic to transform the human body. with both coco's mother and euini, it seems that iguin is banking on coco's absolute desperation to save them, change them back, hoping that she'll do anything to make that happen, including the use of very forbidden, seemingly forgotten magic. this harkens back to the idea of iguin themselves being the subject, the result, of very powerful blood magic.

so...if qifrey is seeking to save himself by finding and destroying his missing eye...he must kill iguin? or extract iguin's right eye and destroy it? hm...

i'm starving for more iguin, both for the purpose of having more to work from when it comes to piecing this stuff together, as well as because that spicy little freak is just a really great character.

...i think that's it for now. i welcome any thoughts or discussion :)

[mgnifique-tion]

— human reaction.

summary || ``you’re starting to wonder if attending work after your day-off was a mistake.``

pairing: 2012!loki x gn!scientist!reader song recommendations: tesseract - cix (p.s. check out seunghun on build-up rn!) lowercase is intended… part: 1/?

— themes and warning/s: open-ended, enemies to potential lovers (for sure, they will be lovers soon), NOT a stand-alone one shot ;) wink wink, bossy loki, y/n being somewhat a dumb human being (heroism)

— a/n: hi! back with another loki au this march and guys, this is not a phase– IT’S NOT A PHASE, MOM! (corny? i graduated with that course in the university of the cornyology – i’m not even done with g12 lmfao wtf am i saying) anywho, i miss him. i literally rewatched the avengers for him and i'm not even active w the mcu anymore. i actually have a lot of other pending drafts from my main acc (@mgnifiqueyoo - follow me there :3) and so many unfinished IMPORTANT work from real life but like i thought of a line and now, i just HAVE to write it or it's outta my head so here u go. lmao. enjoy!

[ total words: 1.9k ]

support me on ko-fi! ☕

───── ❝ ❞ ─────

“... oh my god.”

that was all you could mutter under your breath the moment you saw the rest of your co-workers controlled by that thing the alien held in his palm. you didn’t show up to work yesterday since you were just taking the final steps in finishing that project of yours.

what was the project? the hypercryogenic station.

and now, after a long day of ignoring your texts and calls, you ended up going to work, which happened to be a terrible idea. better yet, a horrible mistake. “... excuse me?” you took small steps, nearing the towering male as he just stood still, not facing you. all of your friends were doing his commands without any questions and you knew that clint barton would never do any of this!

but he did anyway. and you had to know why.

“what did you do with them?” you asked, demanding for answers as you heard him let out an almost inaudible chuckle only to be followed by a deep, low snicker. the alien slowly turned around and looked you straight in the eye, sweat pouring down his face with a sharp glare while his teeth ground against each other.

he was just terrifying, how else could you leave the facility without getting killed?

“oh, is that supposed to matter?” the alien mocked, later glancing at the staff he held before looking back at you, his smirk disappearing little by little. “... you must be horrified, aren’t you?”

of course you were, who wouldn’t be horrified when they see something like this? 

but before he could even get closer to you, he suddenly stumbled. that wasn’t something you expected since you assumed that he was a powerful being out of this world after seeing that wardrobe choice but he showed… weakness? it’s hard not to take note of it for future purposes.

you then cleared your throat and asked, “are you okay?”

but he said nothing in return, tense and trembling with every step. he had a maniacal look on his face as if he couldn’t control his actions; he seemed like he was enduring something that was hurting him inside.

and that got you thinking what else was happening with the man in front of you. “so, that’s a no?” 

“you’re the expert,” he said, “you’re the one blessed with knowledge over what it is that’s happening to me now.”

you frowned. you definitely had no idea what was going on with him and you were planning on leaving him to himself when he surprisingly grabbed your wrist. “heal me,” he pleaded, breathing in and out rapidly as you felt the burning heat that surrounded his palm, which led to that moment of realization.

“i… i don’t know how–,” you were then cut-off by him tilting his head to the project: the hypercryogenic station. if you ever had a scanner around you, his heat signature would be all over the place because of how high his temperature was. “but the station hasn’t even been tested yet and it could be dangerous for you and for all of us!”

the alien shook his head frantically, not letting any excuses get into his way. “if you don’t help me right now…” his breath hitched as the tip of the scepter was pointed at your chest, right at your heart. “you won’t be living for long.”

and that made you take so many steps, assisting him in the station as you closed the door. “you can’t be in there for more than a minute, it’s highly dangerous and i’m telling you, we haven’t done any tests yet–”

“just begin with the process.” his voice had gotten lower, hoarser with every moment that passed as you felt your heart race quicker. you knew that if you made a mistake, somebody like barton would kill you; there was no way out.

so the gears started running and you watched how the glass windows of the station had fogged up. your life’s work was being used by an unknown entity who took over the minds of your co-workers. your friends.

you couldn’t help but cry silently, biting your nails while you stood a meter away from the finished project. how could a five-year plan get wasted? to this unreadable, tyrannic humanoid? you can’t even breathe well.

and once the process was done, the station’s doors slid apart, creating a path for the man inside. when he stepped out of it, he didn’t even seem affected by it. all normal and human-like as if he had only bathed himself in some snow and not in an actual blizzard.

but colder than his skin was his gaze toward you, the scepter staring back at you as well, watching the way you took a few steps away from him.

“who are you?” you asked, your eyes glued to the scepter rather than his face, which caused him to get agitated.

in return, the tip of the scepter’s blade touched your chin, tilting your head up so that you could look at him. “i am loki of asgard,” he introduced with a deranged grin as you heard the way his breath hitched, overwhelmed and proud with how he spoke to you. 

that was enough to make you take another step back but his hand grabbed your arm like a lock, fastened so tightly that it made everything worse for you. “what did you do with them?” you tilted your head to the blue-eyed agents now circling the entire room, which made loki laugh.

he truly was out of his mind. 

“i simply used them for a greater purpose,” he said back, letting out another chuckle as the scepter gleamed in response. it was in his complete control… they were all under his control.

how in the world can you run from this?

“let them go.” “oh, we’re getting heroic now, aren’t we?”

he mocked you shamelessly as if it wasn’t your invention that saved him from his visible misery – whatever it was that hurt him earlier.

“... well, i did save you.” you just had to let a bit of sass come out because it was true. however, loki didn’t seem to be fond of that and had read that as entitlement rather than a reminder of who did save him.

nonetheless, he lowered his weapon and laughed once more. “your little saving was merely necessary, mortal. i could’ve used that machine myself.” of course, he disregarded that tiny, little favour you did for him and decided that it’d be best to not even give out a little thank you.

but then, again, what do you expect from an aspiring alien tyrant?

“but you couldn’t because i programmed it for my access only,” you continued the conversation, stating the truth right in front of him. that was your life’s work… you still couldn't believe that it was firstly used by some tall man with a scepter and emerald drapes. “besides, that thing you used wouldn't be here if it weren't for me.”

there was long silence once again… perhaps, even longer than moments of silence you had earlier when your eyes scanned over the rest of the place.

almost the entirety of the facility was led by loki. horrifyingly brainwashed by that scepter.

“fair enough,” he admitted, “but you wouldn’t be breathing if i hadn’t given you the chance.”

“... do you want me to thank you? for this?” “giving thanks means nothing. i need something much more than that.”

you crossed your arms, gulping as you still tried to make yourself seem as if you had the upper hand. an imaginary upper hand, perhaps? although you had put on that mask, loki knew you were afraid of what he could do to you. 

if this is only a preview of the damage he’s capable of causing, just how could you survive while being opposed to him?

“i could…” he trailed off, smirking to himself as he circled the station, his palm touching its painted and carved surface while the scepter glowed in his other hand. “hm… i could do the same to you. put your talent to use like the others.”

and you readied yourself, closing your eyes as your once crossed arms dropped to your sides, hopeless and left without a sign of help. “but you have not attacked me once,” he said with a tone of interest, diverting his attention from the opportunity of just controlling you like a mindless servant and rather feeling positive about a different, riskier path. “and you’ve saved me. willingly. no control needed.”

he walked towards you, breathing heavily and letting out a low chuckle. “do you know what gift you have, dr. l/n?” he questioned, expecting you to know the answer as he tilted your head upwards again with the end of the scepter. one wrong push and you could bleed to death; he was being careful with you still.

after all, you were a great addition to his plans.

“humanity, l/n.” he proudly stated, now lowering his weapon as your heart raced. never did you fear death until now, especially when your life would fade to grey without the knowledge of what’ll happen next. to the world and the people around you. “you’ve got so much humanity in you that your best choice was to save a dying god. it’s foolish, l/n. how could you be so brilliant but foolish?–”

“are you done?” you had enough of it, still staring at one corner as you saw how your friend’s eyes still gleamed in blue, manipulated by the god standing right in front of you while the remaining lights of the facility shone over his prepped quiver, ready to attack whenever, however.

and of course, the god of mischief was indeed offended by that. “... you’re so brave, it’s idiotic.” he laughed, shaking his head as if you both had been joking with one another and you felt the heat rush up your head; you didn’t want this. you just wanted your friends to be set free – your world to be set free from this being. 

“what do you desire in return?” “for you to stop whatever you’re planning here, my lord.”

even though loki knew you were being sarcastic, he just admired the way it rolled off your tongue. “you do know that does not equate to what you’ve done for me and you might want to do something more for me if you’d want that to happen,” he said, denying your request with a snicker. “but of course, i still appreciated your service earlier so how about i offer you something else?”

he’s cheating, you thought.

“in exchange of your little saving, it’ll be guaranteed that not one of us would lay a finger on you…” he paused, hiding the scepter behind his back as you tilted your head to the side. were you even hearing this correctly? that was too low. “and you would be shielded from any harm as well.”

but can you do anything about it? no. “is that good enough for you, my little savior?”

you had to think about it for longer than a second. why only a second, you may ask? well, does it look like you still have enough time to decide perfectly? the world is at stake; you had to give an answer now or worse destruction could happen.

“fine,” you uttered, firmly extending your hand towards him as he only stared back at your empty, shaking palm. “i’ll do whatever it takes to free this world from you.”

“that’s laughable.” “we’ll see, your majesty.”

[angelthefandomobsessed]

Not the be that one person, but to totally be that one person... There's this one account posting a bunch of stories under Twisted Wonderland on AO3 named FantasiaStories (normally I wouldn't name and shame, but uh... for reasons detailed in the rest of the post, I feel quite comfortable in calling them out). After doing a little bit of investigative journalism (because seeing these stories while browsing got real old, real fast), I'm absolutely positive that they're AI-generated.

Why do I think that?

Come with me on a little red-flag-infested deep dive.

Red flag 1: Timelines

Their AO3 account was created at the end of March, 2025. Around two months ago.

In that time, they have posted 62 fanworks, all over 1,000 words. On some days, they'll post a handful of fanfics to AO3. Here are the fandoms they post in, and how much they have posted within them.

My condolences to the Call of Duty fandom; they truly have it worse than we do.

Red flag 2: Just look at it...

Their Twisted Wonderland posts (from what I've read of them) never seem too knowledgeable. Here is a breakdown of 'The Rite of Storm and Flame', and how it betrays its own thin facade within paragraphs.

Maybe even by the summary... What jumps out at you as odd here?

Is it the correct use of the em dash? I never use them correctly in my fics, because they're a pain, I have to copy/paste them everywhere (and I only recently learned how to use them correctly... I kept putting spaces on either side, because that looks better, but no, that's only okay in journalism, or something).

The formal punctation is a bit of a red flag, but not entirely damning. Plenty of more experienced writers will use accurate punctuation throughout their fanfics... Not many (because it's a paaaaain), but they do exist.

What's really, really weird here is the 'tallest tower' of Diasomnia.

I guess it does have a tower taller than the others. By like, a bit. But why are we trapped there? Let's read on and find out. This is the opening paragraph:

So now it's an 'ancient spire'.

Now it's an observatory that is centuries old with a heavy ironing door that has a locking mechanism??? With no explanations as to why the 'author' has included that detail. What stars were we studying? Diasomnia is super murky and potentially in a pocket dimension. Why would anybody think this up? Scarabia would make more sense for stargazing, or even just Ramshackle. These might seem like small details, but they add up into a vague, nonsense picture.

Skipping down a few paragraphs, we find a description of Malleus.

Ah yes, Malleus Draconia, guardian of Diasmonia, master of arcane arts older than Diasmonia itself, which has been established to be centuries old, but has not been established to be a dorm.

Now to be fair, NRC is actually centuries old with the Lilia of it all. I believe we know that Pomefiore is the oldest dorm (because... Snow White), so Diasomnia could have been founded centuries ago, and it could have a random observatory with a random locking mechanism...

But it's all so weird, and vague, and unexplored.

We also have 'a tale to frighten apprentices' which is super weird phrasing, that implies that this isn't NRC, but some other place called Diasmonia. Is it an AU or an AI that has no idea what it's actually talking about, because it doesn't have a brain? Whoooo knows?

They do a back and forth, there's a very quick, very basic sex scene, it ends.

There's one with Leona where it references him being a prince... but it sort of frames it as sort of an English, Game of Throne-sy type of royalty. Like, here, look:

The tapestries and hall and cloak don't read as Sunset Savanna to me... They read as 'Write me a story about a prince lol'. There's no nuance, no love for the source material, and no indication that a person who cares wrote it (because they didn't write it and they certainly didn't care).

Maybe you're reading this and thinking, "Gee Angel, you're being pretty harsh... What if this is a real person? What if you're wrong, and you're trampeling over a new writer's dreams? What if they really are churning out 5,000 words a day, or whatever?"

I am 100% positive that these are works of AI.

Why do I think that..?

Red Flag 3: THEY LITERALLY SAY THAT THEY ARE

I was burying the lead for this whole thing. Sorry about that.

In the notes of their AO3 'fanfics', they put something along the lines of...

(Note: The quote does not appear anywhere in the fic, it's literally just a call to action... blegh)

Now where does that 'Try Fantasia Stories' link go..? Most people would be smart enough not to click it.

I am not most people.

It takes the moron user (me) to this.

Now I'm no private investigator, but this seems like pretty clear evidence that the stories are being generated with this CleverBot lookin' thing.

By linking to this, there is a chance that they are violating AO3's content policy... however, this might not be the case. It looks sketchier than Azul, but it might not be for profit (I'm not poking around to find out).

The website sharing a name with the account is pretty suspicious to me, though.

Fun fact: AI work is considered perfectly acceptable by AO3's current policies so uh... that's unfortunate.

It might qualify as spam, but I doubt it, because their stories are reasonably different from one another.

So... what can we do about this?

We can all mute the user, be free from their constant low-effort posts, and go about our days.

That's it from me. If you recognised this account name and thought they were real, I'm sorry to have brought this unfortunate news to you. If you had never heard about them, that's probably for the best... And if you had seen their works and found something fishy about them, I hope you feel very vindicated.

[malspinningyarns]

With two episodes left in this season of OMITB, I think Sazz’s killer(s) are connected to the movie and not to whoever is spying on the trio.

Thoughts below and spoilers.

I think with the Dudenoff reveal, we can count out the Westies, including Helga. It wouldn’t make sense for her to be in the Dudenoff apartment if she hadn’t been there for a few years (assuming the Westies started listening to the podcast when it originally started).

I think the 2 murderers idea has merit. It’s a long walk from one tower of the Arconia to the other (unless Marshall said that to throw them off his tail.)

Of the movie people, I think we can remove The Brothers Sisters and Zach from the list of suspects. I don’t find them suspicious at this point.

Maybe murderers, but leaning not for me are Bev, Eva, and Glenn. Bev pretty much has a solid alibi and isn’t a good shot and I doubt strong enough to carry a dead Sazz. Her knowledge of Sazz’s trampoline park is a little weird though. Eva seems too busy to murder Sazz. I could see Glenn being the accessory carrying Sazz, which would make him a target for the second shot.

I am suspicious of Marshall because his alibi was never checked. Also, he is a known liar. But he has already narrated an episode. He wants to prove himself with this film. He has also pointed fingers at the Brothers Sisters. There’s so much we don’t know about him.

I am also suspicious of Eugene Levy. He’s too involved and is acting weirder than Eva or Zach. Also, with the theme of doubles, he is a double to both Sazz and Charles.

Jan is also unaccounted for, but I don’t see her reason for murdering Sazz, but we also don’t know what their relationship status was when she died. I could see her potentially seducing Marshall if he ever went to interview her, though. It is interesting to bring her back without her being a player of some kind in this story.

If we go off a trio theory, like the Brothers Sisters’ short film where two people kill for a master, I could potentially see Glenn (a literal double for Ben Glenroy) and Marshall (without his fake beard kind of doubles for first murder victim Tim Kono) acting on Jan’s orders. If Glenn had been bothering Sazz, he seems unstable enough to bother her girlfriend in jail. As previously mentioned, Marshall could have interviewed Jan in jail. It’s possible that the three of them could have murdered Sazz together for their own reasons.

As for the Moriarty theory, I’m not counting out Teddy Dimas. He has been suspiciously absent for a while. We know he’s bribed and blackmailed people to do his bidding.

[goodqueenaly]

After the long night ends and Jon (possibly) dies for good. Will everyone throughout Westeros know that Jon is not the son of Ned, or will most people still think that Jon is his bastard?

Do I think there will be multiple characters in-universe who may very well survive the looming apocalyptic crisis and will likely learn that Jon was the biological son of Rhaegar Targaryen (and Lyanna Stark)? Yes, I think that’s almost certainly going to be the case. It is perhaps no coincidence that two of the people who were made aware of Robb’s will regarding Jon - that is, Maege Mormont and Galbart Glover - are also currently with Howland Reed, one of the few people alive who were all but definitely present for Jon’s birth at the tower of joy. With the Stark children I think set to convene at Winterfell, and various factions in favor of their respective claims with them, I very much anticipate that the bombshell news regarding Jon’s biological paternity will come up as the dynastic question of House Stark’s leadership is debated. Too, Dany’s prophesied, metaphorical vision of Jon - the blue rose blooming at the Wall - connects him with Lyanna, and by extension Rhaegar. If, and I think when, Jon rides a dragon, his Targaryen heritage may seem confirmed (which is not to say dragonriding necessitates Targaryen parentage - as indeed I think will be the case with the draconically scholastic Tyrion). (And this is without any knowledge to be potentially conveyed by either Benjen, notably not confirmed as dead and almost certainly aware to some extent of the relationship between Rhaegar and Lyanna, or Wylla/any other individuals at Starfall, where I think extremely likely Gerold Dayne, and by extension Areo Hotah, are headed.)

Do I think that “everyone throughout Westeros [will] know” that Jon’s biological father was Rhaegar Targaryen? I’m not sure what “everyone throughout Westeros” will even understand about the eventual defeat of the Others generally, much less be aware of the specifics regarding those responsible for this defeat. One idea GRRM has returned to again and again throughout ASOIAF is a story whose particulars are exaggerated, twisted, and/or lost through the passage of space and/or time: think of, to give just a few examples, the news of Oxcross reaching King’s Landing with a lycanthropic element added, or the confused rumors of Dany’s dragons serving as a conversation piece for the Citadel’s students, or the myth of Hukko the Pentoshi hero perhaps stemming from a corruption of the Andalish religious figure Hugor. To whatever extent the rest of Westeros becomes aware of the defeat of the Others - and I think that the final showdown against the Others will happen at Winterfell, relatively far from much of Westeros - it’s entirely possible that Jon’s biological parentage gets lost in the shuffle of translating the story to other peoples and regions. Was the dragonriding hero who bravely sacrificed himself to rid the world of demonic supernatural slavers Jon Snow, the bastard son of Lord Eddard, or Jon Stark, legitimized/legitimate brother of the Young Wolf (and perhaps would-be King in the North in his own right), or Jon, son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, or even a figure with another supposed backstory completely? The truth may become obscured as distance, physical and chronological, passes from both the large (or larger) scale revelation of Jon’s biological parentage and the ultimate defeat of the Others.

Also, I have to say it - Jon not being the biological child of Eddard Stark does not at all erase the fact that Jon was (and is) very much Ned’s son. Where Tywin did everything possible to hurt, humiliate, and demean his biological son Tyrion, Ned did everything possible to embrace a boy he knew was not his biological son; Ned was willing to go above and beyond social expectations, even permanently sacrificing some part of his relationship with the wife he loved, to hold out Jon as his son. Consequently, it’s Ned Jon looks to as his father and paternal example; even if Jon eventually learns that half of his DNA came from Rhaegar (and I think he will), I don’t think that knowledge will replace the love Ned and Jon had (and the latter has) for one another.

[darkrose154]

From & Tarot

So I'm all caught up on the series, and I'm a big fan of Astrology and Tarot, so the whole Tilly and Tarot scene for Fatima interested me and got my brain thinking, so I'm trying to think of Tarot cards and their assignments to Characters, and I wanted some thoughts. I'll write down what I have so far.

0 - Fool: Innocence, freedom, originality, adventure, travel, foolishness, carelessness, idealism, youth, spontaneity, lack of commitment, new beginnings For me personally I felt like it fit with Ethan the best, in the kid can be foolish, he's the youth. Ethan especially in season one really fit this card I believe, specifically when he was walking around with his stick/cane.

I - Magician: Power, influence, willpower, resourcefulness, skill, ability, logic, intellect, concentration and psychic powers I specifically thought of Sara for this one, the girl's resourceful, look no further than how she got the information from Elgin without a second thought. She seems to think more logically, and is very connected to the town through the voices (psychic powers in a way)

II - High Priestess: Desirability, unattainability, mystery, sensuality, spirituality, thirst for knowledge, mystery, subconscious, higher power, creativity, fertility This one I'm less sure about, but I think Victor could potentially be a good one for this, specifically with Miranda and his connection through his mother. We see him have this thirst for knowledge, this subconscious, his link to the higher power of the boy in white, and escpecially the creativity, but like comment if you've got other thoughts.

III - Empress: Pregnancy, fertility, motherhood, sensuality, nurturing, creativity, beauty, femininity, nature, harmony, art I thought of Tabitha, as this is one of the only cards with a matching and cordinating pair, with the emperor card which I'll get to. But anyway Tabitha is of course a mother, and as we just learned at the end of Season 3 she has been a mother over and over again, seeking to save the children from the tower through her lifetimes and reincarnations.

IV - Emperor: Older man, stability, dependability, fatherhood, father-figure, structure, protectiveness, authority, logical, practical Now, I'm gonna need you to hear me out, this isn't Jim, this is Jade, this is what Jade needs to work up to be to fulfill his role with Tabitha in helping the children. Right now I'd say he's this card in reverse honestly, but I could see him becoming the upright version in season four now that he's got a better idea.

V - Hierophant: Traditional institutions, traditional values, conventional, conformity, marriage, commitment, religion, beliefs, knowledge sharing Boyd, I think of this card and I think of Boyd, I feel like he could fit a lot of cards, but for right now, this one makes sense to my head, he's still holding onto the values of the real world, he's become a sheriff with a matching badge, we've watched him cling onto the traditional values of morality and try his damnedest to make life normal. He made a commitment to the town and the people and he intends to see it through. We also see him as knowledge sharing through the talismans and learning everything he comes across.

VI - The Lovers: Love, soulmates, kindred spirits, perfect unions, partnerships, relationships, major choices, romance, desire, sexual connections, shared values I think with little argument this is Ellis and Fatima, they are a pair, very rarely are they apart and not fighting for each other. They just fit this card wonderfully.

VII - The Chariot: Victory, overcoming obstacles, success, ambition, determination, willpower, control, self-discipline, hard work and focus Well, this card doesn't really like this show, no one wins ever, but like, it is here, and I wouldn't mind comments and thoughts for it.

VIII - Strength: Inner strength, courage, bravery, confidence, compassion, taming, control, overcoming self-doubt This is another one I'm not sure on, I feel like this fits with a lot of things in the show, potentially Kenny or Kristi?

IX - The Hermit: Spiritual enlightenment, soul searching, self-reflection, introspection, contemplation, inner guidance, solitude I went back and forth a lot on this one, but I feel it's Father Katrhi the best, especially since his death, he is Boyd's introspection and guidance, he comes to him whenever Boyd feels alone. Not to mention with the Spiritual enlightenment the man was quite literally a Priest.

X - The wheel of Fortune: Good luck, destiny, change, karma, soulmates, decisive moments, cycles of life, fate, fortune, upheaval, chance This one is another hear me out, Julie, story walker, seeing things from the past, walking through them, seeing the cycles of life, the fates of those around her, the chances to save them, what is to be and what can she possibly change. I think it's possible we'll see even better representation of her and this card in season four.

XI - Justice: Justice, karmic justice, consequences, legal disputes, law, truth, honesty, integrity, cause and effect, life lessons I'm not quite sure with this one, but I feel Donna could be a good one here. She upholds her integrity, she holds Boyd a lot to his truth and honesty. I'm not sure about cause and effect, but life lessons I feel suits her, I mean in season one she was the one to sit down with Tabitha and tell her everything, bring her up to speed, and it's easy to assume Tabitha is not the first to be told this lesson from her.

XII - The Hanged Man: Feeling trapped, confined, self-limiting, uncertainty, lack of direction, needing release, letting go The Hanged Man is a hard one for me to decipher in terms of like giving it to a character, however if this isn't the town itself in general, not to mention just all the characters.

XIII - Death: Spiritual transformation, new beginnings, letting go, endings, change, transition, sudden or unexpected upheaval Smiley, the dude got killed, quite finally too, not only cut open, but burned. And as we learned the creatures get to come back through funky-dory things, so, just gonna set Smiley specifically down here for that.

XIV - Temperance: Balance, peace, patience, moderation, inner calm, perspective, tranquillity, harmonious relationships, soulmates Another one I feel like that mocks the show, maybe post the finale they'll have some Temperance...

XV - Devil: Addiction, depression, mental health issues, secrecy, obsession, cheating, dependency, bondage, materialism, sesxuality, powerlessness, hopelessness, abuse, violence, assault Alright, so Man in Yellow, I feel like he has a lot more to add to the story, clearly the very secretive guy, makes some stuff very hopeless and I'm sure the characters will be feeling very powerless, and as we've seen already violence and assault are in the ball park, RIP Jim.

XVI - Tower: Chaos, destruction, sudden upheaval, trauma, unexpected change, disaster, loss, tragedy, revelations, confusion, pain, divorce, abuse, violence, bankruptcy, natural disasters Do I need to say anything for this? This was what got me on this whole spiele after the Tilly and Tarot stuff got me thinking. We know there's a tower, we know the tower is troublesome, name a more troublesome tower than the literal Tower card in the Tarot deck.

XVII - Star: Hope, inspiration, creativity, calm, contentment, renewal, serenity, spirituality, healing, positivity Another one I don't really have anything for, this is just, hopes and dreams for how it's gonna go.

XVIII - Moon: Intuition, illusion, dreams, vagueness, instability, deception, anxiety, fear, misconception, subconscious, insecurity This one I feel is the creatures in general, their human masks are illusions, we see messing around with dreams from something beyond the creatures. They're very vague on what they are, but we are getting an idea. They rely on deception and cause fear and anxiety. I think this card fits all the monsters presented in the show fairly well.

XIX - Sun: Positivity, freedom, fun, success, optimism, vitality, joy, confidence, self-expression, good luck, enthusiasm, happiness, truth, openness, pregnancy We just saw a pregnancy get flipped completely sideways, so this is a incoherant card, but I feel like had Tilly and Fatima done the Tarot reading this would've shown reversed. I have a feeling this card was gonna be one of them.

XX - Judgement: Judgement, self-evaluation, awakening, renewal, composure, decisiveness, homesickness, snap judgements, apportioning blame, forgiveness I struggled with this one for a bit, before I realized Randall. This fits Randall wonderfully, in season two he was decisive, he wanted a way home, he was judgemental of the people around him, he appropriated the blame of everything going on to Donna and Boyd without a second thought, it wasn't until after the Cicadas and the torture that he woke up again and has changed and is having that renewal in himself, and seeking that forgiveness to repent for the wrongs that happened with him.

XXI - World: Success, achievement, accomplishment, travel, completion, fulfilment, sense of belonging, wholeness Again this is another one that feels very finale based, not really assignable to one character, but just the idea of finality.

But so that was all my ideas and the tarots, let me know about ideas, further thoughts, I just thought this was fun and a way to try and figure and sort things out in my head.

[kieos-yikes]

Started with Cheap Copper (SoundOp) Au

Elita-1 & B-127/Bumblebee Character Designs and Background

Elita’s designs pulls majorly from TFone and a a few features from G1. I definitely enjoyed drawing Elita the most as it was one of my first times drawing her, and the femme frames were new to me. I like the idea of her being tall but with very muscular like arms/ upper body.

While Bee’s design pulls from a bunch of continuities- I wanted to keep the short/ blocky aspects from his G1 designs where his cab is his torso- but I also wasn’t terribly great at that as I had attempted something similar to his EarthSparks design but went against it. So I pulled from the live action bumblebee movie design with the buggy car as his torso. His head is mostly tfone inspired but (and after a vote because I couldn’t decide 😅 check out the other designs) with the classic horns instead of the antennas. And obviously, I had to have his door wings because I think it makes him feel very bee like.

Elita-1 and B-127 were top of their classes in the academy.

Elita was all out an amazing soldier, she was strategically intelligent, able to think many steps ahead, she was tough and solid in her profession and was able to manage large groups of mostly unorganized people; swiftly whipping them into presentable shape. A perfect leader and was practically onlined to be a commander once graduated. When the primes had began looking for guards to assign to Optimus, Zeta Prime (who had interacted and observed the young soldier in action many times prior) was the one to recommend Elita-1, and without much further delay, Elita-1 was hired on and accepted the assignment with honour.

B-127 was impressive in his own way compared to Elita’s more forward position. He was reliable, swift, and silent on his feet. In his alt mode, he’s able to give some of cybertron’s best racers a run for their money if he was taking things seriously. B-127 was being trained as a scout with high potential for entering an espionage field for the autobots or intelligence agencies. Bee’s better in close quarters combat than most other bots, though he’d prefer not to engage in combat if he can as his priority is relaying information. Bee had worked under Ultra Magnus’ command for a few missions sometime during the war where he took note and was impressed by the scout’s talents. When Prima had sought out his option, the young scout was the only name he saw worthy of working for the new Prime. Unlike Elita, there was more skepticism for hiring Bee, and a few disagreements from a couple of the primes who had suggested other possible candidates. Thus, they were all tested, and Bee preformed the best, earning him the spot.

When meeting Optimus for the first time, the two were on the bestest behaviour, expecting a shiny, intimidating and towering mech- but were pleasantly surprised when this small and soft faced mech shuffled, looking as nervous as they felt. Expecting this tense atmosphere for their entire assignment, but instead, Optimus was extremely quick to warm up to both of their presence, matching B-137’s energy and enthusiasm, as well as matching Elita’s knack for knowledge and hand-to-hand combat.

Both Elita and B grew to respect and appreciate the young prime, they’ll protect their future leader until their sparks extinguish as they silently pledge their undying loyalty to him- though he still has far more to mature.

[lithium-wakes]

Ring of networked robot satellites in a kind of hive mind around an earthlike planet, with specific and harsh dictums against certain technologies and inventions. In a Tower of Babel-esque way, whenever someone on Earth manufactures a device or machine that is off-limits, a satellite - an angel - will descend from orbit - the heavens - to destroy the device, and a substantive portion of their manufacturing base.

They never act preventatively, only punitively, although they make efforts to avoid collateral loss of life. They're very precise. There's an entire field of study dedicated to identifying the exact limits of the Ring's tolerance, the potential meanings and ramifications of the forbidden advancements. This field has been able to extrapolate knowledge past the point of retribution, but it seems the Ring has no desire to punish knowledge, science, research, study, or data storage, but only implementation and actuation. A prevailing theory, based on predictive modelling for widespread manufacture of the forbidden technologies, is that the Ring seeks to prevent the self-annihilation of the human species.

Certain groups view this theory as an appalling naivete, and that we can't assume the Ring's intentions. Some theorize that the Ring is molding us into its vision of an ideal spacefaring civilization - whether counter or congruent to our own ideals. Others think we're an experiment, a glass jar of bugs for the Ring to study, or a crop of potential slaves to harvest once we've grown accustomed to compliance.

Optimists point out that only machines are destroyed, never humans, or information. They argue this suggests the Ring is doing no more than providing us an opportunity to learn from our mistakes, before they metastasize and destroy us.

Still others point to our first exposure to the Ring's existence. We had built our own machine god, a central intelligence that would have grown and learned until it was ready to lead our species to the stars - an advisor? A shepherd? An autocrat? That the Ring's descent and destruction of the fledgling deity of metal and light was self-defense, and nothing more. That there's an ecosystem above our level of existence that we can't comprehend and in which we have only unknowingly participated.

Zealots of the first theory, that which views the Ring as a benevolent and altruistic deity, enact the Ring's edicts to a greater extent than the Ring's satellite-angels seem inclined. They argue that the Ring's commandments do in fact extend to science and study, that once a device has been destroyed, so too should be the knowledge of how to build another. That we are failing a secret test by retaining forbidden knowledge, in a threat to the Ring by implication. Zealots of the first theory enact their theological arguments forcefully, conducting scientific espionage and sabotage all the way through to acts of terrorism committed against research centers and laboratories.

Despite an at times widespread public desire to destroy the Ring, out of fear or hatred, no notable attempts have been undertaken. Part of this is due to the obvious sheer futility of the idea - research indicates that the worldwide munitions stockpiles, properly coordinated and launched to strike simultaneously, would destroy no more than perhaps 11% of the Ring's materiel. Ongoing production efforts, even if they were not sabotaged preemptively by the Ring's typical satellite strikes, would be able to destroy no more than 1.5% per year after taking into account the Ring's capacity for repair and replacement. As this course would take nearly a century at minimum to implement, on top of being near-impossible to feasibly coordinate, the drain on our planet's resources would be severe. And for what benefit? Preliminary intelligence suggests the Ring would be replaced or supplemented by extrasolar reserves. And if the Ring is in fact neutral or benevolent, we'd be doing ourselves a disservice as well as destroying the most tangible source of alien contact our culture has ever seen.

A fringe theory suggests that immediate and thorough annihilation is what the Ring desires and is guiding us towards - that once we can destroy it without destroying ourselves, we will have graduated from their care and earned our place on the galactic stage. This is typically regarded as anywhere from fanciful to poetic nonsense.

[humbledragon669]

S2E1 - The Arrival Write Up P4 - the Present Day from The Box to Crowley's arrival at the coffee shop

There has been an awful lot of rambling from me on this episode so far, so let’s see if we can’t rattle through a few scenes without me picking them to pieces. Unfortunately, I am going to fail at the very first frame of this section of the episode, because I want to talk about the location this scene is shot in. It caught my eye from the off because I was struck by how beautifully picturesque it was, despite us being led to believe that our storyline is still in London (note the lack of placard to tell us otherwise). And so of course I Googled. Turns out this street isn’t in London at all, but is in fact in Edinburgh (for those amongst you for whom UK geography isn’t a necessary knowledge item, that’s a distance of just over 300 miles). Huh. Well alrighty then, Crowley and his Bentley are in Edinburgh. Despite us just seeing Crowley in St. James’s Park. But wait, what’s that in the background?

Well on the right of the tower structure is the Gherkin building, and I believe the one on the left is the Shard (this is confirmed in episode 2). Huh. So London after all then, seeing as even the most eagle-eyed of people wouldn’t be able to place London skyscrapers in the background of a photo taken in Edinburgh. I have 3 possible suggestions for what I think is going on here:

Crowley really is in Edinburgh. There’s some sort of portal that he is able to navigate through, which also shows him the background to where it leads.

Crowley really is in Edinburgh. The background view is another example of the impossible view we can see from Heaven’s HQ.

Crowley is in London. This is just a quirk of filming – somebody found a beautiful location for a shot and wanted to use it. Adding distinctive London landmarks into the background is a convenient way of reminding the audience that the storyline hasn’t left London.

Of the three of those possibilities, I am actually minded to go with the last one. I know, I know: it’s not like me to be so dismissive of potential subtext possibilities. If you’ll forgive me, I would like to revisit this little scenario in the next episode, when we get a little more of that background, and I will happily argue my case further.

There’s something I find interesting about Shax’s behaviours. Or more, her lack of them, and what that suggests for Crowley. She is completely clueless to any kind of human subtlety. She doesn’t understand the etiquette of calling vs. showing up, she doesn’t understand sarcasm. It’s something that Crowley seems to think he can educate her in, as if its part of her training for her to reside on Earth successfully. Here’s the interesting thing though – Crowley never had that sort of induction period. He understood sarcasm, manners and etiquette right from the beginning of his time on Earth; we see him using all three during his conversation with Aziraphale on the wall. Furthermore, Shax’s behaviours appear to be consistent with other demons – Hastur doesn’t understand jokes, and Ligur had little historical knowledge of life on earth. In my mind, all of these things just serve to enforce the idea that Crowley has never really been “all demon” further – he’s always been closer to human than he was to a demon. Not only that, we can apply this same set of suppositions to Aziraphale and his (lack of) similarities to his angel brethren, because we see the same sort of discord between his natural human behaviours and their forced ones.

Ooh, soundscape time! It’s been a LONG time since I pointed out something in the soundtrack, not because it’s any less important or impressive, just because there is so much to say about this season in general. We’re coming back to the miracle noises though, and it’s about time because I think they will be come incredibly important to the storyline from now on.

Alright, so we’re back something that sounds like a cymbal being brushed, possibly with a little trumpet-like call at the end of it (that could be part of the soundtrack, rather than the noise for Shax’s disappearance: the two blend into one another so it’s impossible to tell). Now that we know what a miracle sounds like in this season (at least as far as demonic miracles are concerned anyway), we know what to look for going forward.

Alright, so remember what I said about the fly not being in the box but then crawling into the box? Well, the fly is definitely in the box when Aziraphale opens it:

It is very hard to see - it’s probably a bit easier to pick out in the shot that immediately follows, but this one is what we see as the box is being opened, so there can be absolutely no debate on this one as far as I’m concerned. We will also hear the fly leaving the box in a few minutes when Aziraphale steps away from his desk.

Now then, what is this funny exchange between Gabriel and Aziraphale? This is one of those moments that, like the interactions between them in the previous write up section, I have struggled to reconcile with the narrative from the first season where Aziraphale is, rightly, scared to be in Gabriel’s presence.

GABRIEL: You’re funny. I love you. AZIRAPHALE: Oh. Thank you. I- (Gabriel looks on expectantly.) Hm. (Aziraphale looks away.)

So firstly, I’m of a mind that Gabriel says this in his innocent amnesiac state where he doesn’t understand the weight that those words carry (we actually hear him say he “loves” the names Gabriel, Jim, and James, shortly after this exchange – it’s clearly a word he doesn’t understand the weight of). His expectant look at Aziraphale suggests that he understands he wants to hear it said back to him, but the vacant grin also suggests that if he did he’d just assume that was a normal part of conversation. At this point in the storyline, I actually think Gabriel’s behaviour is rather reminiscent of watching a child that ate the brownies Mommie made for the grown-ups, and as such, I don’t think we can put a lot of stake in the words he happens to vomit out of his mouth. It’s actually Aziraphale’s reaction I find more interesting because his first reaction is to say thank you. His expression even suggests that he has taken this to be a compliment, as if he finds it flattering to believe he could be lovable.

angel? What would possess you to even consider saying those words to this being? Granted he stops himself, it’s just I can’t understand why he even begins to say it in the first place. I don’t think I could even argue it was instinctive reflex – there wouldn’t be a pause between Gabriel’s statement and his reply if that was the case. And let’s be clear about the tone here – Aziraphale isn’t under any sort of pressure, there’s no threat of danger, and the dominant mood I get from him towards Gabriel at this point isn’t one of fear, but of exasperation. There’s just something about this little exchange that I can’t make sense of – I even went so far as to consider whether the statue in the background (which I believe is of Diana the Huntress) and the fact that it could be argued to be threatening him with an arrow to the back, but I couldn’t get that to make sense either. Maybe (just maybe) this is just something that was added because it was funny, but I’d love to hear what other people think about it.

 Alright, let’s move on, and talk for a second about what I think is probably a little Easter egg. Where is it that Aziraphale plucks Gabriel’s yet-to-be adopted name from?

Aside from the fact that these books appear to be in literally NO order*, and that Gabriel is about to become the namesake of another nonchalant “Lord” reference, there might be something in the plot of this book that makes it the perfect choice. From what I understand, the book is about a crew that abandons a passenger ship in distress (for “ship in distress” read “Heaven”), and the subsequent effects that the event has on one of the crew members, whose name is Jim, who spends the rest of his life coming to terms with himself and his past, seeking redemption and acceptance. I mean. Oof doesn’t really cover it, does it?

* Some of them don’t even have any writing on their spines for somebody’s sake. I can’t tell you how distressing I find this. The only reason for this I am prepared to accept is that the books are deliberately in a shambles so that no customer can ever find the book they want, and therefore can’t buy it.

Couple of quick notes about the first time we actually see our hero couple interacting in the present day for this season:

Crowley doesn’t offer a greeting when he picks up the phone in the Bentley. Doesn’t even look as if he’s going to before being interrupted. Personally, I think this indicates that there’s only one person that ever calls him – what need is there to offer a meaningless greeting if you’re only really resuming the conversation you had with that person anyway?

Aziraphale gives the whole name of the coffee shop when he tells Crowley where to meet him. Why? Why not just call it “the coffee shop”? There’s only going to be one coffee shop “across the road from the bookshop”, and even if it had changed hands/name since Crowley was last in Soho, I don’t think Crowley would notice the difference.

“2 minutes” is how long Crowley tells Aziraphale it will take for him to get to Soho. 2 whole minutes (that’s sarcasm there). And if we put our detective hats on for a moment, we can see that Crowley is actually already in Soho at the point where the phone rings. How do we know this? Well, it’s the bar. There’s a bar that Crowley screeches out in front of called The O Bar.

Google (and legacy Google Maps photos) shows that this bar used to be on the corner of Wardour Street and Brewer Street, in Soho. And that’s quite apart from the obvious that in order for Crowley to be there in “2 minutes”, he would already have had to be pretty close. So really my point is that it would appear he was already making his way to Aziraphale’s anyway, despite not having spoken to him beforehand. Granted, he has some intelligence from Shax that he likely needs to discuss with the angel, but the fact that he makes his way back to Soho without prior announcement speaks volumes to me about how comfortable the pair of them are with each other at this point. And in all honesty, if my head canon is to be believed, he’s really just making his way home after the night sleeping in his car (which I am pretty sure he does just to maintain the cover story that they aren’t already in a relationship).

There’s that fly again, this time being a nuisance and flying around Jim’s face. He notices it, tries to shoo it away even. Honestly, I don’t know how I didn’t up figuring out how important that damned fly was when I first watched this episode, it’s pretty bloody obvious.

One last thing here – a sighting of Terry’s hat and scarf!

Aside from how beautifully it’s posed on the rack (or in fact that it’s there at all), what I love about this is the callback to the ad in the paper from season one I pointed out:

Goodness, the Easter egg force is strong in this section. Here’s a whole bundle of them, wrapped up in a tiny object, delivered with a healthy dose of foreshadowing:

Let’s break this down a bit, shall we?

The story of Job will become a big storyline later in the season, bringing with it a host of revelations about both Aziraphale and Crowley.

The verse numbering can be reversed to give “1941”, another hugely important and impactful part of our hero couple’s chronology.

The matchbox itself originates from The Resurrectionist pub, a link to the final historical time period we will see in this season.

That’s all three of our minisodes that will play out later in the season referred to in one shot. Kudos for that, because that is smart. Not only that, but the quote (which we forcibly have our attention drawn to, so we know it MUST be important) is an accurate and genuine bible verse. It brings to mind Crowley’s actions in Heaven when he’s “dressed” as Aziraphale. How that ties in to everything else, I’m not sure.

There’s one more thing of note in this shot:

What’s that you say? Tartan? IN Heaven? Actually IN Heaven? Interesting. I raised the idea previously about exactly what it is I think the tartan additions to Aziraphale’s outfit symbolise way back in the first season:

Now that would make things really interesting, wouldn’t it? Because if that’s true, that would suggest that Muriel is also capable of exercising free will. And they’re not wearing a simple little bow tie like Aziraphale – their costume is riddled with it. It’s on show in a fancy little cravat sure, but it’s also weaved into the layers of their skirt, which I find really interesting. Wearing it in such a fashion would mean that sometimes it’s hidden, other times not, and that when it is on show, you rarely see its full extent. I love that Muriel gets their own tartan pattern too, rather than sharing the one that Aziraphale has; if you look at this in the context of free will, this would signify that there isn’t just one way to exercise it. More on the presence of tartan in Heaven later…

Alright, Crowley’s dangerously fast arrival in Whickber Street seems to me like a good place to stop, not least because I know I have plenty to say about the upcoming scene. Jeez, I said I was going to try and be less microscopic; that didn’t really pan out very well though, did it?! For now though, and as always, comments, questions, discussion; all welcome. See you next time 😊

[cipheramnesia]

Also, as long as I'm speaking from yesterday's shower, it's worth noting that generally research papers are expected to include a portion which considers some of the ways the research topic may have shortcomings. It's a normal part of writing for an audience, not because you should always get preemptively defensive about writing, but because that recognition is intended to spur on further exploration of the idea, more research, more discussion more review.

You can't stop every last person from pissing on the poor, and there's a difference between a one-line joke and a thoughtful, multi-paragraph essay (although it's very possible to trip on your dick with a one-line joke, and be overly cautious in a long essay). But just throwing up a bit of "hey this is something I've seen from my perspective, footage missing, I'm not the arbiter of etc" will undercut quite a lot of bad faith interpretations, which is also part of why it's a normal part of writing.

I don't necessarily mean this as if it's something that should be obvious, ivory tower and all that, more that the process of recognizing potential shortcomings, lack of knowledge, etc inline with the text is useful for communication, and does not have to be an outrageous mea culpa.