#Vergilius is standing over her

[idflli]

ЧТО ТЫ НАДЕЛАЛА

(серьёзно, Дон, хватит творить всякую фигню, ты меня порой пугаешь..)

[mythicalwatch101]

reading through the main story again and man now i have some thoughts™ about Dante & their characterization

in canto 3 when they were talking to Vergilius near the beginning, he referred to pre-clock Dante as a “bigwig”. and when they were being attacked in the prologue, lion said something about not getting a second chance to kill someone of this caliber. so. it’s obvious they used to be someone important

they were probably mean!! an asshole!!! i wouldn’t be surprised, with what Faust said in canto 4 about wondering how they would react once they had their memories back, after they told the sinners to suppress the brazen bull

also these lines, when they were talking to Lion, Wolf, and Panther in the prologue:

“You dare… interrupt me just as I was engraving the ■■■■■■… You must be out of your…”

“Kngh… Just wait ‘til I get the ■■■■■■… You’ll be no match for my…”

makes them sound kind of full of themselves. VERY confident in whatever plan is being enacted here. they’re hot shit and they know it

this city is Fucked Up and i’m sure, regardless of what kind of position Dante had before, they had to climb over a few shoulders to get there

and then post-clock Dante. complete blank slate. they don’t know shit about fuck. the “nurture” of their personality has been wiped clean, free of the city’s influence, all that’s left is the “nature”, who Dante is at their core

and they’re NICE

at the end of canto 3, everyone is dead, Dante themselves is dying, and what they decide to do in what could’ve been their last moments is to comfort Sinclair, to tell him that even if everything that happened was his fault, he shouldn’t beat himself up about it

and then in canto 4 when the sinners are talking about how convenient the healing ampules are, they mention that Dante only heals them after they’ve died. “scared of a little hurting”, as Ryoshu put it. and then when Ishmael gets hit by that decay ampule they’re, understandably, worried about her. everyone standing around talking about how fucked up it all is and they’re the only one who really gives a shit about Ishmael melting to death

Outis is like “Ah, apologies for my negligence, Executive Manager. I failed to consider the suffering you must endure when you turn the clock” and then Dante is like. that’s not what i’m talking about. and the moment Ishmael shows fear they immediately rewind the clock to heal her even though no one’s died yet

anyway. all that to say—i love you, dante. i love you, choosing to be kind. i love you, inherent kindness of human beings

[azaenya]

For you, angels have fallen

COLUMBINA ROLAND COLUMBINA ROLAND COLUMBINA IN A SUIT *awakens Telepole EGO* BARK BARK BARK BARK AWOOOO

But yeah, I think Columbina would be a great choice for a mirror world Roland/the Black Silence. Lots of people would probably choose Capitano because he's strong and cool and... Yeah, that's about it. But LoR Roland, part of his deal is he doesn't seem like the mythical Black Silence. He rolls up in a basic black suit and tie, and he seems like just a guy, and that's what I like to imagine Columbina doing too because her thing too is appearing innocent while being one of the strongest characters.

It also fits in with my headcanon with what I believe she should wear, because Genshin characters fall into the Jojo dilemma of "Golly, I wonder who the Stand User is" *looks at your over-designed ass*

Her just wearing simple dresses or a suit accomplishes both the innocuous facade and others her from the rest of the cast. In a sea of extravagant costumes, you know you're fucked when the girl in the basic suit is walking towards you.

Hoyo's probably not going to do this. Their designs don't really try to go for subtlety because they are trying to sell you on the character. Welt is probably the closest they'll get, and Genshin is not Star Rail.

I do really want an Arlecchino as Vergilius because both are orphanage directors with characteristic red eyes, buttt I'm probably not going to draw it, too much to do, so go forth artists!

Anyway, go play Library of Ruina and Limbus Company, please. Become absorbed into the Project Moon fandom

[limbuscompanysituations]

scenario where the gang visits a well known bakery in one of the nest that is owned by reader? i thought itd be really cute for the secretly sweet-toothed sinners to snag a few more and chatter with bakery owner reader! (3

( specifically where little charon gets to talk about her insight about the sweets ? )

A little bit longer than my usual so it goes under the cut

It's rare for the bus crew to stop by at pleasant places. When they do, one can assume that misfortune is soon to befall the location where they're parked by. This time, it isn't like that. It's an opportunity of a lifetime.

They stop by a bakery that's become famous all across the city recently. The lines outside are lengthy and so are the wait times. For today though, they're getting VIP treatment for having dealt with a distortion in that same district.

Rodion stuffs her cheeks full of cupcakes, while Don Quixote eats as many brownies as she can. The other sinners are busy with pies, pastries and cakes of all types and flavors. The inside of the shop looks like a mess.

Vergilius stands besides a happy Charon, who has a box full of donuts of different colors.

"Soft and chewy... Charon quite likes these." She says. "Charon wants the brownies next, Vergie.

Even Vergilius, who always looks annoyed or angry at something or another, seems to be relaxed.

"Prepare your best sweets." Vergilius commands to the shop owner, and then says to Charon, "If you like these donuts, then we'll take a few more boxes."

"You're sharing these with us, right Vergie?" Rodion playfully asks from the other side of the shop.

Vergilius ignores her.

"These are almost the same quality as the gold-sprinkles cake my family commissioned once!" Hong Lu chirps as he chews on a piece of cake, "Although there is no gold over the frosting, I think that's what makes it so delectable!"

"Thank you...?" The owner smiles politely at him.

"I don't know what you put in this cream puff but it tastes great." Gregor comments.

"Ah that's actually a family recipe-" The owner begins to say, but Don Quixote's shrill voice interrupts them.

"This is a meal worthy of heroes!" She begins to speak, "Much like- mhmmph?!"

Rodion stuffs her mouth with another cupcake.

"You have to try these, chiquita!" She giggles then winks at the shop owner.

Yi Sang and Faust are locked in a conversation that is barely understandable, nodding along as they try different pastries. Sinclair is not too far from Ryoshu, who's quietly enjoying her desserts. They both seem to be in good spirits. Heathcliff and Ishmael are farther from the group, happy to stay out of trouble for the moment. Meursault browses the selection of pies with a thoughtful expression, while Outis checks the menu and takes notes in a notepad.

The shop owner did say they could take whatever they wanted, but now they start worrying that their stock will be completely depleted. They feel a soft tap on their shoulder and look around to see themself face to face with a person who had an unusual head prosthetic. They heard that was the group's manager.

They handed them a handwritten note. The shop owner took it and read what it said.

< Thank you for your generosity. My subordinates are quite lively at times, and they eat a lot. Please send the bill to the company. >

"Ah, no problem!" They reply with a shy smile, "I made these with love and care, so it's nice seeing others enjoy my food this much! Besides, you're all heroes. I wanted to show my gratitude."

The manager writes another note and hands it over to them.

< You are very kind, thank you. >

They nod with a bright smile.

[average-limbus-fan]

Pt4 of Limbus Speed Dating?

Ishmael

You awoke the next morning still sore from the amount of walking you had done the night before, only to walk out and be met with with an angry looking Heathcliff and a disappointed looking Ishmael and Charon. “The rest of the names disappeared from Charon’s hat this morning” she said as Vergilius stared daggers into Heathcliff. “So the last three sinners will pick straws” Charon said, “damn it” Heathcliff muttered, “what was that Heathcliff, do you have something you’d like to share with the rest of us…” Vergilius said threateningly, quickly causing Heathcliff to go silent. The remaining three sinners then gathered around Charon to pick a straw, shortest had to take you out next, you then noticed Ishmael sported a very bashful look as you saw her straw and looked to the others, “whatever let’s just get this over with” she said quickly as her face reddened. “Meursault I think it’d be best if you headed back to your quarters” Vergilius said “I need to have a word with Heathcliff… alone” you heard him say as you and Ishmael stepped off the bus… you didn’t even need to turn around to picture the terrified expression on Heathcliff’s face. Although you did notice Ishmael sported a rather satisfied look, “serves him right” she says under her breath… you decide not to ask. “So where are we headed” you asked Ishmael, “…hmm your in a pretty chipper mood… don’t expect me to do whatever the others had though” she retorted angrily, her face quickly reddening. What did she think the others had done…? You wondered to yourself as Ishmael stopped at a small stand buying two ice cream cones before hurriedly shoving one into your hands “here” she said quietly, “thank you Ishmael” you replied happily, this seemed to improve her mood a bit, as you followed her to the edge of the railing on the peer. “So do you want to talk about your time out at sea or something” you said trying to start up a conversation with the quiet redhead, “your seriously going to ask me that after all we’ve just been through” she said emotionlessly, …good point you thought. “Besides I kinda wanna finish this up quickly” “if we get back soon enough we may be able to catch the end of Heathcliff’s punishment” she said with a smirk, “ISHMAEL” you said horrified. Your words however left her unperturbed… you spent the rest of the “date” silently staring off into the ocean… and a considerable distance away from Ishmael. The two of you then made your way back to the bus where Heathcliff was nowhere to be found, much to Ishmael’s dismay… you simply decide to make your way back to your room as you still had one more “date” for the day.

Meursault

You however would be disturbed only a few hours later when Charon and Meursault came knocking on your door. “Meursault has volunteered to go next as his planned destination has time restraints” she stated. You looked up to Meursault “yes we can only attend at night” he said curtly …where exactly did he plan to take you? You figured the robotic seeming man would simply take you out to some restaurant but it seemed he had other plans as you reluctantly followed him off the bus and to an upscale part of town. The two of you would then approach a loud building with a bouncer …it seemed Meursault knew the guy. Although come to think of it you did remember something about him dancing a lot in his youth. Your thought’s would promptly be cut off however as the blaring music filled your non-existent ears, you could barely hear yourself think as you watched Meursault head to the dance floor before gesturing for you to follow him. You would then spend the rest of the night dancing while noticing a few snickers being thrown your way… no doubt at your pathetic excuse for dancing but you decided to ignore them. You then practically had to be carried back to the bus as you were throughly exhausted once again, you however were able to make your way back to your room with the help of Meursault.

Heathcliff

You left your quarters the next morning to see Heathcliff sitting on the floor, “oi, clockhead your finally up” you looked down at him questioningly “well it’s time to get this over with” he said standing and grabbing your arm to lead you off the bus. The blinding light of the early morning filled your non-existent eyes as you were dragged along somewhere. You would finally be let go of in front of an old looking building… it seemed to be the cities library. You looked at Heathcliff in confusion “Ishmael said this was a good place to go on a date and stuff…” he trailed off, oh dear… you thought to yourself. Ishmael’s intentions definitely hasn’t been good and you could only hope Heathcliff wouldn’t start some sort of scene… lest he be punished again. You walked inside to be greeted with silence and the smell of old books. “So are we just supposed to like look at the books or something” Heathcliff asked rather loudly earning him a stern look from the librarian, he seemed annoyed by that and quickly walked into one of the other sections of the library with you in tow. He picked out a book randomly, it seemed to be some sort of romance novel “do you like books like that” you asked him, “of course not” he said angrily putting the book away. “So what kinds books do you like” you asked again trying to start up some sort of quiet conversation, “…none of them” he responded. You spent the rest of your “date” following Heathcliff around the library as he looked around at the titles but never picked any of them up …you had the feeling he was just trying to pass time so it could look like he did something to Vergilius, you didn’t mention that thought though. “Hey I know we didn’t do much but I enjoyed getting to hang out with you” you said, “yeah whatever don’t make it weird” he replied as you left the library to head back to the bus.

[art-blogge]

FGO/PM Mirror-World

Master Candidate number 48. The young man stood in the hallway of Chaldea, almost pouting, having been kicked out of orientation by the Ms. Director. He'd barely gotten to meet one of the other candidates before passing out, and he was being punished for it. That wasn't how things were supposed to go for his first day, but something about it also felt oddly right. The Flow, as he called it, called for him to go elsewhere. The other candidate- What was their name? Dante?- Had suggested he go lay down for a while with a sneer, so he may as well. He could always catch up on the orientation later.

He'd barely gotten to meet Doctor Garnet before alarms blared. Central Command had caught fire, and the Doctor had already run off. Then and there, the young candidate decided to go with him. The Flow be damned. People needed help!

There! In the rubble, Dante's body!

He tried his best to push it off of them, but it was no use. Their head was probably crushed, but they were still moving. As the computer continued to read off scripts, he grabbed Dante's hand. He could at least be there for them, even as everything went black.

--

He heard a clock in his ear, yet didn't. He heard words, but no voice.

<"Wake up! Do I use the official title?? Master Vergilius?? Wake up before I kill you!">

That woke him up quickly.

"What?"

Dante had a bright red clock for a head with flames completely dissimilar to the fires surrounding them. He forgot what they looked like before, but it wasn't that! The ticking was new, too.

<"Uhm. Sorry, I don't know where that came from!">

They rubbed their neck and turned their entire head to look at the ground. They hadn't been in combat garb earlier… Just lab gear. And were they being… Nicer than before?

<"Please work with me! We have threats coming in!">

--

According to Dante, they had fused with a Servant at the last moment, but they didn't recall much prior to that. In exchange for their memory, they'd been granted the power of a Servant. Servants needed a Master to survive, and they'd chosen him for their Master.

Him, a Master… A real, proper Master! The things he could change as a Master were countless, to say the least!

--

They survived, and he was the last Master alive. The fate of the City was on him, now. Him, and the rest of the staff. Doctor Garnet was promoted to Temporary Director, there being almost no one else alive. Despite his cowardice and inexperience, he had the makings of a good leader.

There was Caster Lapis, who he hadn't met before this point. She was brutally honest with him, and he liked that. She was now Second-in-Command, despite being a Servant.

And then there was Dante, who had been following him around like a lost puppy since they'd gotten back. There was nothing anyone was able to do about the memory loss- That'd been their own decision- But they seemed to retain faculties just fine despite the clock.

The Flow didn't stop. It would be followed until it ended.

----

"We're going to settle this now, Dragon Witch!" Ruler Faust cried.

"Shut up! Let's fight!" yelled Faust Alter, "Will despair win, or will hope win? Will murderous intent win, or will pity win? Let's see if you can surpass me, Me who gave up everything!"

Hope would win, of course. Vergilius was certain of that, and Dante resolutely stood by his side. They would win. The Flow continued on."

----

Are you going to stand in my way?" the opposition named Jia Huan calmly asked, staring Vergilius straight in the eyes.

"That's why we're here."

"I'll stand in your way as well," the still-living Hong Lu agreed, brandishing his spear. "The world is brimming with beauty. Flowers, songs, jade, love… And you'd destroy it all? Isn't that wasteful?"

Dante was still by his side, chained shield at the ready. They would win. The Flow continued on.

----

The enemy mage, the crazed Captain Ahab, had overwritten her last crewmate with the Identity of a Demon, and it now towered over them all with its hundreds of eyes on it's pallid body. Queequeg was no more, replaced with the monstrosity of the sea.

"If it can be hit, it can be defeated!," Captain Ishmael (Rider) declared, reloading her pistol. She could see it's heart, and she knew that it was her true target- Not the pathetic mage that summoned it.

"Come, Dante! This is our last battle together!"

She clapped her free hand on Dante's armored shoulder, a wide grin on her face.

"This is it! Be brave! Laugh those fears away! "

"Let's go, Dante!" Vergilius announced, pointing at their enemies.

<"Yes, Master! Commencing correction!">

They would win. The Flow continued on.

----

"Something is manifesting!" Dr. Garnet warned, "Something" is coming! It's an unknown phenomenon! Not a Servant manifestation! Unknown? No, it's actually more like a Rayshift? But that's impossible. Only we have that technology!"

Next to Vergilius, Dante shivered despite their coat.

<"Senpai, something's wrong here. I can't detect anything, but I'm freezing.">

Before them, the true enemy approached, wrapped in shadow. Vergil's companions of the Singularity all flinched away… And moments later, a branch had beheaded the nearest one.

Beside them, Saber Gregor cried out and threw himself at the manifestation that had named itself "Solomon". A single entity swatted him aside as easily as one would a fly.

"The only one that interests me here is the one with the clock," Solomon stated plainly. "Out of respect for your pure heart, I'll only bring four of them here with me. Show me everything you can do."

They wouldn't win, but they would survive. The Flow continued on.

----

"Let's get it started," the Effloresced man stated, his scythe at the ready.

"You don't intend to hand over the Bough, do you?" Assassin Yi Sang asked, already knowing the answer. His knife was already prepared for combat.

"Of course not. It's time to harvest the rewards I've rightfully earned. The past will be replaced."

Vergilius didn't need to be told that this was the final battle of the Singularity. Beside him, Dante stood as always.

<"Let's go, Vergil! Bring us victory again!">

They would win. The Flow continued on.

----

"I have this duty to stop you!" yelled out Heathcliff, brandishing the sword that would soon end his life. "As the Heathcliff that will end this accursed cycle! You won't take my Catherine from me, you fake deity twat!"

The opposing Catherine in white simply tilted her head as if she didn't understand. She didn't understand why Heathcliff had tears running down his face, or why she was being opposed. This was for everyone, wasn't it?

"Give me your final orders, Sir Vergilius! Let us end this. No one else should have to go through this."

Vergil looked at the ground briefly, then back to Heathcliff. Neither of them knew that Heathcliff would become a Servant after this by the will of the river deity, but this had to be done.

"If that's what you want to do, we're with you."

<"I'll do anything to help you, my Heathcliff!"> Dante chimed in, holding the burnt Holy Bough like a weapon, <"Our final enemy here is Ever'y Catherine! Let's finish correcting this mansion, Master!">

They would win. The Flow continued on.

----

"From the fiery abyss, I come, and only death do I bring. My name is Ryoshu, and you will be part of my canvas."

"I can't believe this!," Dr. Garnet chimed in from communications, pushing Lapis off screen entirely, "It's able to be killed now! Now, now! Vergilius, now is the time!"

"We've found the weakness!" Lapis announced offscreen, "It's the head! That Abnormality's weak point is in it's head!

"And now that she knows that she is mortal, she is fleeing," Grand Caster Meursault added, the tiniest smile gracing his usually stone-cold face. "Now is the time. This is the last chance we get. The storm is closing in. We can speak later. Prepare to fight."

<"Of course, Sir! This is the final battle of the Seventh Singularity! This is for all our friends who believed in us, and for King Outis! Let's do whatever's necessary to defeat that ALEPH!">

"Of course!"

On the sidelines, Mistress Rodion had finally regained control over her icy underworld. She willingly gave full permission to fight for the first, and possibly last time. Humanity would survive this.

They would win. The Flow continued on.

----

"Be careful, Vergilius! He's right in front of you!" crowed Lapis over the comms, panicked.

"I know," Vergilius responded, watching the false Solomon approach. "Solomon", true name Jumsoon, slowly strode up to him despite the failure of his lab, fully Distorted.

"We've both lost everything here," Vergilius plainly stated, holding Dante's shield at the ready. Garnet had sacrificed himself moments before to foil Hermann's plot, and Dante had been incinerated saving Vergilius' life. He barely had any reason to want to go on, but failing to would be a waste of the sacrifices.

"Everything here has been a waste, yes," Jumsoon agreed, his tail irritibly flicking about.

"I am all that remains here. There's nothing left but for one of us to be hung on the portrait wall, and the other to live. …My sworn enemy. My hatred. My destiny. I want you to witness this. This brief moment is now my story. This brief but precious time has given the creature called Jumsoon true life."

With all he wanted said, Jumsoon Effloresced.

--

Of course he won, and the Flow directed Vergilius to the Rayshift point. He wasn't going to make it-

<"Master, take my hand!!">

They both survived. They had won, and yet… The Flow did not stop.

--

Oh. OH.

--

With one success, a new threat emerged, wiping all progress and the City with it. The only survivors were "The Red-Gaze" Vergilius, Shielder Dante, and a few crew members. All Servants had been wiped away. Lapis had been killed in combat.

She'd predicted this and left a clone of herself to act in her stead, codenamed Charon. Charon's job was to drive New Chaldea's transportation- Named the Mephistopheles by Faust- to clear this new threat.

"This drags," Lancer Rodion complained from her seat, filing her axe.

<"HOW ARE YOU HERE?!"> Dante screamed, jumping so high that they nearly escaped their bandages.

"A bunch of us are," Rodion laughed, gesturing to the door at the back.

As Vergilius threw it open, a bunch of Servants they'd befriended poured out and ganged around him.

"Sir Vergilius! Tis fortunate to see you again!" yelled the Lancer Don Quixote of the second Sub-Singularity. She was so loud he couldn't hear anyone else.

<"You guys made it!!"> Dante cheerfully rang over her, and the Servants started to gang them instead.

Vergilius sighed in relief. Not everything was lost yet. It had come very close, but there was still some hope. They would win. The Flow continued on.

----

It was so, so hard. Millions of people killed just to restore the City they knew. The deaths were on Vergilius' hands. It didn't feel worth it to be a Grand Master with a title anymore. He never wanted this, but the Flow never stopped. He had to, they all had to Sin to get back the world they knew.

Next to him as always, Dante rested their head against his shoulder. They didn't need to speak. Vergilius knew what they were going to say. That they could do it. That everything would be right in the end.

Vergilius was so, so jaded compared to when he'd started, and yet… He knew they were right. It would end eventually. The Flow hadn't stopped, so they would win. They would survive, no matter what.

[compassmili]

Answering this right now since I'm still working on the first part of the ask + Long post under cut because I talk a lot I LOVE MY OCS. Also I'd directly tag you Kay but I'm shy

I think her base EGO would be a Gloom (Possibly even Pride?) one titled something like "Unsinkable Truth." The passive would potentially be that if she is afflicted by Sinking, she deals extra damage (Representation of her desperation to live after the sinking of the Titan.) "Unsinkable Truth" is sort of a reference to how John WARNED the crew of the iceberg, but was gaslight and told she was insane and it wasn't real (It was 😭.) She would look heavily frostbitten in it, probably with the iceberg in the background of the art? Her weapon in it may either be a harpoon gun (To just relate to her being a sailor), or an icicle resembling a knife.

Moving onto her Canto, I've been struggling a bit with it. I haven't been able to come up with a title... But maybe plot wise, she'd have to face her old office and/or crew? Thematically it'd probably revolve around her issues finally coming back around and her having to face how these things in her past led to her current hatred and spite. After her Canto she would maybe be a bit less bitchy and more cooperative- Probably drink a bit less, as well.

As far as interactions go she wants Outis so fucking bad. Also, she tries her best to be friendly to Rodya, but she stumbles over all of it because friendship and kindness is not something she really practices. John likes Rodya, and would like to be on good terms with her, but Rodya can't stand her. I can imagine John awkwardly trying to make conversation, fumbling and saying something wrong, and Rodya just being very blunt and harsh with her. Rodya really isn't a kind person, and she wouldn't play nice with John.

John has an idolization/hatred relationship with Vergilius. She adores him as a Fixer, yearning to gain her own status back, but that adoration leads to bitter jealousy and envy. Vergilius represents what she lost and she hates him for it.

[fivveweeks]

hi its me it's verdante angst anon (angstnon? idk) again

shaking ur hand SHAKING UR HAND you get me you get me you fuciigndnsn get me

"They're a tragedy, the both of them. Dante's fine with that. (They have to be, they have no choice in this) Given enough time a tragedy turns into a comedy. Maybe they'll be able to laugh about this in the end. Maybe it'll even be divine."

you don't undertsysnds how feral i am about these two. i am firm staunch zealous believer in verg not seeing himself being worthy of like anything good not until he has payed for his sins or wtvr he wants that to mean. i think he exercises a lot of self control to make sure he has like an arm and a leg and several bodies worth of space between him and anyone trying to get close to him (xcept Charon ofc). actively turns and runs from that shit bc 1. he doesn't deserve it. 2. he literally does not have the time for that shit

dnate on the other hand— chronic workaholic, to the point they can and will push personal feelings aside for the sake of their job. if u look up the word professionalism you WILL see Dante Limbus Company as a synonym. they keep their feelings in check (under several locks and keys) in the back of their mind aging like fine wine. they're aware they're not a choice and they're okay with it. it's their fault anyway, they're such a silly little fool.

it has always been doomed from the start. do you understand? it has always been hopeless. it was never meant to be.

dante knew/knows/accepts this, they do not have a choice. (but then again when do they ever?)

ANON YOU'RE SO FUCKING INSANE I NEED TO TWIRL U AROUND LIKE HOLY SHIT U GET IT!!!

YOU HAVE NO IDEA how much of a firm believer i am about Dante being a chronic workaholic. NOBODY FUCKING TALKS ABOUT IT YET BUT literally i do not think they need to sleep/they cannot sleep/gets little to no sleep at all and instead spends all their time up night reviewing battle plans and rewatching past battles on their little PDA. its a combination of anxiety and wanting to step up as a better manager (if we take into account of limbus players dissecting the gameplay meta of EGOs and ids we can literally translate that into Dante pouring over how to better manage the sinners). god forbid them from stepping out of line due to personal feelings bc they a) do not want to piss off vergilius and risk his wrath b) do not want to piss off vergilius bc they respect him (and like him) as a coworker, a boss, a color fixer and their guide too much. they are the EPITOME of professionalism. their work and responsibilities as a manager COMES FIRST

Vergilius too, you put it into words on him as a person. Literally he doesnt think he deserves it AND he doesnt have the time for that shit (for real verg in canon seems to really hate ppl wasting his time over trivial shit). i think even theres some distance between him and charon but he mostly crosses the space bc he's too guilt bound to deny charon some form of connection (bc it is his fault in the first place), so he is soft to her and her only.

it's like watching two parallel lines running along each other and no matter how close they get they will NEVER touch ever. ISNT THAT A TRAGEDY???

but its not all angst, they at least find a little light in the situation. verg would come to appreciate how dante respects him and his circumstances and would be pleased that they are like-minded enough to keep things professional between them, so he is comfortable in confiding in dante on certain topics (in canto 2 where verg and dante stands together by the side to watch the sinners get their ass peeled and verg telling dante why they should experience it for once lives rent free in my head bc he actually bothered to explain to dante wauhgshfh). he admits that dante is the only sinner that he can have a convo with. he fucking told dante to not befriend him after sharing a little history on charon. dante would appreciate the little moments they get to spend with him

just brief pockets of time with each other, despite everything. i like to think they are both the kind of ppl who would accept that things are just not meant to be, so they will take what little they can (what little they're allowed).

in the grand scheme of lcb and the city they are both nothing but a pair of pawns trying to make the best of their situation without getting in the way. they have no choice.

and to come across another who understands this is a rare, rare gem in their crapsack world, so how can we blame them for having a little bit of pining among the acceptance. mutual respect blooming into requited love that is unable to be acted upon. a divine comedy in its own right. im going to kms

[bigkickguy]

After reading a few summaries of the untranslated chapters of leviathan and playing the story content in limbus i have like 3 theories of 'who' dante is but i will write out one of them at least because it makes me sound insane and i think its funny spoilers for limbus + leviathan bellow!

(dante accidental spoiler saver - if you don't want spoilers get out of here!!! also bolded text at the bottom for a kind of tldr on the theory...) ok so supposedly at the end of the last leviathan chapter after vergilius is done manifesting his own ego and kicking the shit out of [redacted] one of the pods opens and lapis is inside! But she is calling herself charon and doesn't remember Anything. I always assumed lapis was charon but I wasn't sure how they found her so now we know! Also [redacted] shattered Garnet's cocoon towards the end of the fight so everyone is incredibly upset (it's me I'm incredibly upset) but as charon is getting out of the pod and standing up she picks up a piece of garnet's shattered crystal cocoon / self! Vergilius gets a call and we discover that the lab was in N corp this whole time which is really ligning up to set them up as the primary antagonist force of the first part of limbus. The footage of the lab with all the orphanage kids in it was from N corp and apparently seeing the inside of a N corp lab is taboo so N corp raided Vergilius' base of operations and gathered up his remaining allies. Unclear on if they were killed immediately or taken but rip either way. Then faust and the lccb show up in the lab and faust tells dante if he works with limbus company she can save both lapis and garnet???? so he goes with them and takes charon and the shard with him???? (which also means limbus potentially takes place shortly after leviathan making these the Worst few months vergilius has had in probably a long time) So we know from Limbus that Vergilius and Faust want Dante to find the star in their head and are using some kind of activation phrase 'engraving an aspect' or something to try and motivate Dante. I think that Faust created all of Dante (not just their head + the bus) and that they are a homunculus that was made to house a consciousness from another refraction? I also think Limbus company and Faust have their own goals and are maybe not being 100% honest about Reviving Garnet We know Garnet was the best at opening windows to other refractions or whatever it was called from leviathan. I think its likely they specifically wanted some part of him in order to get what they want. I also assume the golden boughs are a reference to the aeneid where you have to kind of trade them in order to get to hell if you want to go there by choice. We also know that the golden boughs are manifesting the original lobotomy corp rooms around them - you can look at the images especially from chapter 3 backrounds and they are very intentionally lobotomy corporation rooms. We have been to 3 different districts so far and will probably go to many more. I don't think the original lobotomy corp would have stretched so far as to go into other districts and not sure if other corps would even be ok with that so I assume the original lab did not actually do that and only sections of it are manifesting in these 'dungeons' around the golden boughs. Putting this all together I think Limbus company is stringing vergilius along as a bodyguard and need Garnet's original talent for searching through refractions to find a specific refraction they are looking for and engraving the aspect is taking their consciousness / knowledge / personality and copying it onto themselves. Given the aeneid angle about going to hell and how much limbus likes to bring it up and how going to hell is somehow meaning literally going to lobotomy corporation.... I think that Limbus Company wants to 'revive' either ayin or carmen via reflecting them over Dante and 'engraving the aspect' means to make that a permanent change. (or both of them)! I think Vergilius wants to 'engrave' Garnet over Dante instead because he wants to save him + lapis.

They're possibly utilizing the sinners to grow a personality inside Dante that will want to get motivated to start resisting the city. Maybe the closer in personality they get to their projection target the more likely the success of the engraving. Anyone they can find a suitably tragic story for and can motivate to sign on would work on that angle...? I also think that is maybe why Vergilius treats Dante differently from the other sinners. Regardless of Dante's identity it really seems like Vergilus is not mad at them or annoyed with them like he is with many of the other sinners. I also think its possible purple tear lined up events to make sure vergilius and garnet and faust all met in that lab because she needs this Limbus plan to start so that she can find her lost son. And if I want to sound EVEN MORE INSANE!!! I think its possible Ayin is Purple Tear's son. Which would explain why she needed someone from the orphanage of kids who were all children from that syndicate and were all used in the experiments to open windows and refract. Regardless of who her son actually is - I think purple tear is planning on using Dante to engrave the aspect of her son as a way to 'find' him. iirc someone mentioned in ruina that her son died years before that point so I assume she is actually trying to revive him. Also its interesting Dante + Mephi's designs are so similar to Express Train to Hell from lobotomy corp because they fit the theme and have similar effects on ticket holders! When Express Train gets tickets it heals the hp and sp of the employees or even their entire department up until it is time to depart (for hell presumably) and the train starts running through the lab and causing damage. I think its cute that is similar into Dante's ability to 'heal' their teammates - though they seem to be different since dante's power is also themed around time.

[silvyavan]

thoughts on the julius is the 4th zogratis theory ( youtuber called broku made a vid on it )

OK, I ended up letting this sit in the inbox for a while but here's my 2 cents

It's pure bullshit for two main reasons:

1) Julius is not the 4th sibling because it doesn't make sense via his character arc/written character

And

2) We already know/can guess who the 4th Zogratis Sibling is

We know for a fact that the Zogratis sibs all have magic that is connected to the human body. Julius' time magic fits nowhere in that. It's likely that the 4th sibling has some form of mind/soul magic to complete that.

With Julius, we have canon evidence of him getting a clover grimoire and him living in Clover, which contradicts how he could be in 2 places at the same time. Not just that, but the thing about us not knowing a lot about the Novachrono house? Same goes with the Roselei, Legolant and Gravorka houses but nobody's pointing fingers there for some reason.

(Ie he was likely around 27 when the Spade Coup happened, and, if we think about it, he would have likely been even younger when we first see the Zogratis 4th sib).

It also wouldn't make sense if Julius had managed to become a Grey Deer and the magic King when he wasn't in a register. We saw how they treated Nero with it, and as you can tell it would have been a lot worse back in the past. Pretty sure Clover has some unwritten "must be clover Nobility to apply for Wizard King position", since there haven't been any talks of a commoner/peasant Wizard king until Asta and Yuno crashed teh political party.

The mark on his forehead? The swallowtail magic tool is literally that.

Him having time magic which means he's devil contracted? literally doesnt need to be a zogratis for julius to be possessed by a devil, if he even was possessed and somehow managed to hide it for over 30 years (especially with Damnatio poking his nose everywhere)

All that, and the main thing that disproves this?

We already know who the 4th Zogratis sibling is.

It's Vergil Zogratis.

Dante's name is inspired by the Divine Comedy, where Dante Aligheri travels through hell.

Here's the thing, he doesn't travel alone. The one that takes him on the trip to Inferno, is Vergilius.

Vergil, who he looks up to and has encyclopedic knowledge of hell, who literally walks Dante through hell and explains everything to him. We LITERALLY see that his first pieces of dialogue is about Zenon being prime devil host material.

It's already kind of obvious that Vergil is dead (number 4 meaning death, he was already dying when Zenon was baby,) by the time of the coup. But the fact still stands that Vergil was undeniably the one to pull the Zogratis family into demonology.

Vergil likely was pushy for Zenon, prime subject, to become devil host and may have orchestrated Allen's death. All of the siblings obviously look up to Vergil. Zenon for being kindest to him, Vanica because he likely brought lots of strong people and power her way via devil contract and Dante by instilling his philosophy to him and letting him carry on his message.

Virgillius was a poet who wrote the Aenaeid and one who Dante Alighieri VERY much adored. Wouldn't be off for Dante to to look up to Vergil Zogratis if he was basically raised by him.

Another thing, we can guess that Vergil would be contracted to Astaroth, the time devil. Astaroth's main powers include knowledge of all that is time (Past, Present, Future) and has a foul breath that you needed an amulet for to repell.

Would it be a stretch that Vergil made a contract with Astaroth for Knowledge but the more he was told, the sicker he would get? I'm betting my left ass cheek on it.

[sibutum]

Prompt #2 - Silenced

Vergilius allows a long moment of silence to pass as he collected his thoughts, standing apart from her, disheartening her. Made aware of his evident death in the other world - the past timeline, and to overhear her talk of a crystal she’d obtained from their struggles in such a place only solidified what he’d heard. “Myr’at.” He finally spoke out, her true name drawing her full attention. “We’ve spoken of a... different time. A time where I was killed by him.” He sighs with bated breath, his hands raising to come to a cross.

”And yet thou chose to follow him,” he pointed out, small bitterness in his throat. Crimson, serpentine gaze leers from his towering stature, pale skin balling into fists and she can only recoil with shamed guilt, her head falling and her glance with it towards the carpeted floor. “Why? Why wouldst thou side with a traitor? A kinslayer?”

“..I-” “Myr’at,” he intrudes, providing no chance for an excuse.

There was no need. There was no excuse to consider. No justification to siding with Siegfried. And she hated it, glance lowering with a kept hang of her head. Her lips twisted and contorted as a child being scolded, view casting off to the lower left. To use her name as though a tip held against her vulnerable heart.. “I...” she shakily begins again, piecing her words together to explain herself for what she viewed as a sinful deed. Three painstakingly long years of hatred towards Ishgard for a crime equal to the one truly carried out by their hand. No, she was not there with them in that time. Her eyes weren’t there to witness it, and for a silent mercy, she was thankful for it. The prospect alone of losing her consort and their father upon the same day? That alone was ruinous enough. It HAD ruined her, laying dormant but pressing as though a daily method of torture, rummaging over her thoughts, her very dreams. 

This. This was the effect of a lost consort, damned to plague the survivor for the rest of their days.

“..All this time, I thought..” An arm raises, brushing a sleeve sidelong across her features while an unusual sniffle grows past raspy breath. “..I thought the Temple Knights and their Warrior thine downfall as they were father’s... I thought you gone, forevermore. I thought you a cruel dream when we reunited..” a step, careful and cautious but needing, was taken to nearer her distance from him. She missed him, desperately so, but so too knew his temper and felt this miasmic power that enveloped him. She can’t stand the thought of losing him. It shatters her heart, pricks at her mind, torments her day and night with wrecking nightmares. “Never had I thought that he.. that our own broodbrother..” her head raises to finally meet his glance, claws trailing against the digits of scale hide, her palm meeting with their standstill. “Vergil, I...!”She wants to scream. She wants to hold him. All she wants is for him to look at her. Just him. Only him... but her head sways again, a silencing draw of breath dismissing her words entirely, the topic already grown overspoken and left her vulnerable for long enough. Public to the lord of the castle’s eyes and ears to see and listen, this was not the time for pleasant reunions. Still, she can’t help herself but leave her silent confession upon his cheek and pull away. And thus returns the learned, cold-hearted youngest of the three, returning to his prompted question. “My allegiance is to my own.” And you. “It will always be to my own.” Always you. Enough.

He scoffed, seemingly satisfied with an answer as that, nodding his head and brushing his cheek with the flat of his thumb before reaching over and prodding her on her forehead with enough merit to draw her back a step, refinding that space. Another of their own small quips, which drew a faint smile from her. One she knew translated as forgiveness. “Then you have grown wiser than him and I,” He spoke, turning on his feet and deciding to take one last flight around the castle. So many questions, and none have yet to be answered. 

[mew-mew-mothertrucker]

Cold Storms - Chapter 1

Hello everyone! So this is my first fanfiction I’m posting anywhere in a few years. I used to write a lot but then some stuff came up but now I want to do it again. So here is the first chapter of my first multi-chapter fic in like 3 years. I present to you chapter 1 of Cold Storms

Chapter - 1

Word count - 10793

TW - Mentions of child abuse

Summary - Virgil is the new kid at Summerville Elementary school in Mr. Sander’s 3rd-grade class.

Fun Facts about the chapter - Virgil’s last name is the short form of the Greek name Thanatos, meaning "death." Also, All facts about New Mexico are true

Virgil looked up at the building. Red brick, a flagpole in front of the school surrounded by a beautiful garden that was fenced off from the kids. A few park benches and two main entrances. It was the first day of school, and around him were mothers and fathers saying goodbye to their little ones.

Don’t think about mom he internally said to himself.

He walked up to the door and found his name on the slip of paper that assigned kids to the classrooms of the small elementary school

Virgil Than - Room 301 Teacher - Thomas Sanders

Virgil adjusted his usual black and purple hoodie he wore to cover the bruises from his father and walked into the cool building outside of the warm sun. He gripped his hands on the straps of his backpack as he walked past the office and into the hall that was labeled “3rd Grade” with a cheesy kid’s sign, bright yellow and covered in small people that were any shade of skin and dancing. He found room 301 and sat outside of the room. The bell rang and he stood up, waiting for other students. The first kid to come up and stand next to him was in a pair of jeans and a black polo shirt. He had on a pair of glasses and was holding a rather large book for an 8-year-old to be reading. The kid leaned on the wall next to Virgil and didn't say anything to him. The next kid to come up was wearing a bright blue t-shirt with a cat on it and a pair of glasses.

“Logan! You’re in Mr. Sander’s class too?”

“Yes, it would appear that was, Patton,” The kid with the large book said.

The kid in the blue shirt-Patton- looked at Virgil. “Oh, are you new here?”

Virgil nodded, feeling his heartbeat quicken. “I-I just moved here”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you! I’m Patton, and this is Logan!”

“M-My name is Virgil,” he said the last part quietly.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that,” Patton said.

“V-Virgil,” he said a bit louder.

“Oh, like Publius Vergilius Maro?” Logan asked.

“Wh-who?”

“Nevermind,” he said, looking back into his book. Virgil looked at the cover, it was covered with Gladiators and the book was clearly about Roman history.

Another kid walked down the hallway, a shirt from The Lion King on. “Patton! Are you in Mr. Sander’s class?”

“Yeah, wow looks like all three of us have the same class this year!” Patton said to the new kid. “Oh Roman, this is Virgil, he’s new!”

Roman looked at Virgil, clearly unimpressed by his tattered hoodie and ripped jeans. “How...nice,” he said before getting in line behind Patton. Virgil sighed. A teacher walked up to the door and opened it, gesturing for the students to come in.

“Hello, you four seem to be the first ones in, I have organized you all into groups of four, so find your name tag and get out all the required materials out of your backpack and place them in the desks, you bags can go over there in some cubbies” The teacher said, pointing at some cubbies that had a large green sign with “Bags” on it, decorated with small cartoon backpacks. Virgil got out his items and went to look for his name, finding himself sat next to the three students he had just met.

“Wowie guys, look at this, we are all together!” Patton said.

“This seat is...suitable enough,” Logan said.

“Well at least I’m next to you two,” Roman said.

Virgil sat own, next to him Patton and across from him Logan. Roman sat in the fourth seat, and slowly more kids trickled in until the last bell rang. The teacher closed the door and walked to the front of the class.

“Hello students, I am Mr. Sanders, but you can call me Mr. S if you want to, and let me personally welcome you all to this 3rd-grade class! This year we will be going over how to become a better reader by looking at context clues how to read and write in cursive,, multiplication and division, food changes and state history! Now, how about we start off with a game of getting to know each other!”

Virgil felt his heart rate increase and his palms became sweaty. “We are all going to write 10 facts about ourselves on a piece of paper that I will read out loud to the class with the student next to me, even I will be answering this question! Now we will be answering a few questions that I will put on the board. While I write them out, could you all please get out a piece of paper and a pencil?”

Virgil lifted the top of his desk with the other students, getting a pencil and a piece of paper. While some students let the desk close in a crash, Virgil gently let his down and looked up at the neat handwriting on the board.

What is your name?

What is your birthday?

Do you have any pets? If so, describe them

Who do you live with?

What is your favorite movie?

What is your favorite holiday?

What is your favorite toy?

Do you have a favorite book? If so, what is it?

What is your favorite color?

Do you have a best friend? If so, who is it?

Virgil looked at the questions then back at the paper.

Virgil Than

April 24th

No

My dad

The Black Cauldron

Halloween

When Virgil got to number 7, he didn’t know what to say. His father had never gotten him any toys. The only toy he had was a stuffed animal that his mother had gotten him before the incident and he couldn’t stand to look at it. He just decided to go with the toys he saw on TV when his father was at work

Hot Wheels

Yes, Alice In Wonderland

Purple

No

When Virgil was done, he flipped the paper over glanced around at the rest of the class. Girls in dresses, boys in t-shirts and jeans, he was the only one in a jacket.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped, looking up to see Mr. Sanders looking down at him. The teacher seemed to be concerned with Virgil jumping but brushed it off.

“Hey there, you done?” he asked. Virgil nodded and he took the piece of paper. Soon, everyone was finished and Mr. Sanders walked up to the board.

“Okay class, I will read out by answers now. My name is Mr. Sanders, my birthday is April 24th, I have no pets, unfortunately, I live with my husband, Terrence, my favorite movie is the Lion King, I love Christmas, I have this stuffed animal that one of my dearest friends gave me a few years back that I hold close to my heart, My favorite book is actually in the Harry Potter series, my favorite color is red and my best friend’s name is Joan.“

Roman Patton and Logan all looked at each other when Mr. Sanders said his name and something unspoken passed between the three. Virgil was curious, the 24th of April was also his birthday, why did they all look like that?

“Now, I will select a random piece of paper from the pile let’s see Uh can Virgil please come up here?”

Virgil got up and shuffled over to the front of the classroom, feeling all eyes on him. He stood nervously next to the teacher's side as he read out the answers and when the teacher was done, he shuffled back over to his seat.

Now the other three kids at his table were all looking at him weirdly. Mr. Sanders called on a girl named Amber to come up and read her answers. Next, to him, Patton wrote something on a paper and passed it to Roman. Roman read it and wrote something then passed it to Logan, who read it over and passed it back to Romac who passed it to Patton. Amber’s paper was done and a girl who looked exactly like Amber walked up after Mr. Sanders called out the name Rosanna.

Patton quickly wrote something back and passed it to Roman. The paper went through the three as Virgil tried to pay attention to the other students.

“Can Patton please come up?” Patton got up and walked over to the front of the room and stood next to Mr. Sanders, smiling at the class.

“Okay buddy let’s see, you were also born on April 24th wow that’s 3 of us now, aw you have a large husky dog, okay you live with your parents and a baby brother, your favorite movie is Winnie the Pooh, your favorite toy is a Winnie the pooh stuffed animal, you love the book Highway Cats, your favorite color is blue and your best friends are Logan and Roman, awe that’s so sweet.”

Slowly the pieces clicked together in Virgil’s head. It was confirmed after roman and Logan had been called up. All of them had the same birthday.

Mr. Sanders asked the class who was buying lunch what they wanted and sent the order to the cafeteria. Virgil did his work, writing out cursive A’s until lunchtime, where him and the rest of his class got in line and walked to the cafeteria. Virgil had a brown bag filled with a sandwich he made himself and some chips, along with a water bottle. He sat at a table, all alone. The only other students were all in the third grade as well, but he didn’t know anyone, so he sat and ate the ham and cheese sandwich slowly, watching what other students did. Soon, everyone who had ordered lunches were sitting at table and Patton walked over.

“Hey, Virgil! Mind if me, Roman and Logan si with you?”

Virgil shrugged and gestured to the seats, due to his mouth being full. Patton smiled and sat down, Logan with the same book next and Roman last, sitting as far away from Virgil as possible.

“So Virgil, where did you move from?” Patton asked.

“New Mexico”

“Ah yes, New Mexico, land of enchantment. Hatch green Chile is grown there and is very popular among locals. The state capital is Santa Fe and the largest cities are Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Rio Rancho. It is the background of many movies and T.V shows and has oil in the southern parts of the state. Turquoise is found there a lot, as well, being one of the most common gems in jewelry there” Logan recited as if he had been waiting for that to be Virgil’s answer.

“Uh...yeah”

“Well, that’s interesting,” Patton said.

Roman had yet to say a word, just poked at his pizza that looked more like cardboard painted red and covered in paper.

“Anyhow, we were wondering if you would like to be our friend,” Patton said.

“Why?”

“Well, you have the same birthday as us silly! We’re all friends because of that!”

“So you want to be my friend because I happened to be born on April 24th?”

“Well of course!”

“No, thank you”

Patton frowned.

“Well, if you don’t want to…”

Roman was the first to leave and go sit at another empty table. Logan went after and Patton looked at Virgil sadly before getting up and joining the other two. Virgil almost regretted it but then the voice in the back of his mind came up. You shouldn’t get close to people when you do they get hurt. And besides, they would soon learn how messed up you are

Virgil finished his sandwich and threw away his trash before spending all of the recess after lunch sitting against the school, alone, watching as a pair of twins from his class played foursquare with three other kids who weren’t in his class, boys from other classes and a few from his class playing basketball, and finally his eyes landed on Patton Roman and Logan, all playing on some of the equipment, laughing and yelling at each other, Logan’s book neatly placed next to the steps leading up to some slides. Virgil got up and spent the rest of the recess in the classroom, alone.

[aradeia]

Tiberius Gracchus or Gaius Gracchus?

I’m officially on winter break as of yesterday, so I can now focus on answering your questions, anon!

Between Tiberius and Gaius, I’ll choose Gaius because he seems to have unapologetically gone further than his brother. I also appreciate his dramatic tendencies.

Wall builder edition: Publius Aelius Hadrianus Augustus, or Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius?

If I must limit myself literally to their abilities to build walls, then of course I must choose Hadrian. Antoninus’s wall in Scotland was abandoned, whereas Hadrian’s remains to this day. If I get to broaden the scope of your question, however, then I think the evidence suggests that Antoninus Pius was a better person than Hadrian was. Still, we’re missing a lot of information about Antoninus Pius, unfortunately. I’d love to know more about him. 

Scylax of Caryanda or Pytheas of Massalia?

Just learning about these explorers now. It’s too bad that neither of their works survive. I'd choose Scylax over Pytheas because I think it’s interesting that Scylax was an associate of Darius I of Persia, and I’d be more interested to read his account of 6th century BCE India than Pytheas’s account of 4th century BCE Europe.

Homer or Hesiod?

Homer over Hesiod. Homer tells a better story.

Sophocles or Euripides?

Can you believe that I have yet to be assigned any Sophokles for any of my classes? It’s so weird. I’ll choose Euripides because I’m more familiar with his works, and his Medea was really interesting. Also Euripides’s Orestes has the Phyrgian slave character who is so incredibly funny. Also, his Dionysus in the Bacchae and the Bacchae itself are so interesting. My answer may change as I get to read more Sophokles in depth, though.

Publius Vergilius Maro or Titus Livius?

Definitely Vergil. Reading Livy makes me bored sometimes. Also, I find most of Livy’s “history” highly suspicious...

Attend the Platonic Academy, or attend the Aristotelian Peripatetic school at the Lyceum?

I’m not a big fan of either of their philosophies, but at least Plato’s Academy is known to have had some women “enrolled” in the 4th century BCE. I think I’d go crazy talking about forms though...

Katherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn?

This question hurts me :( I don’t know if I can really choose between them. Both queens are so incredible. Catherine for standing up to Henry VIII and refusing to compromise her beliefs or her rights, even though she faced horrible penalties for doing so. Anne for being so vocal and for persevering, and for displaying so much courage her whole life. I can’t imagine being so hated and yet refusing to be intimidated by it. Both women’s love for their daughters also moves me. Sorry, anon, I don’t think I can answer this question. It’s too difficult :(

[vigilancesaga]

The following is chapter one of the first work of Faustina Vitrus modernly known as Faustina Stoicae.  She was born in the town of Ardea just outside Ostia in the 332nd year of the Second Age to a potter and a scribe.  She spent her late teens and early adulthood assisting both her mother and father with their jobs and listening to the famous philosopher Vergilius Maro speak in the streets.  When she was 22 she wrote her first philosophical treatise which she published under the pseudonym Orator Tacere meaning ‘silent speaker’ to indicate her status as a woman in Ostia.  Uniuersum Esse (meaning The Universality of Being) covers the beginning of her beliefs concerning religion, society, class relation, and a concept she refers to as the “dangers of feeling.”  She introduces the concepts of Caecus Quaerere, Sive Fluens Socialis, Decipiat Eadem Unio, Neutralitatis in se, and Universae Contradictio.  She wrote two more books adding on to her concepts introduced in Uniuersum Esse (Labor Est under the name Nullus Clarisimi and Absurdum Rationalitate under the name Tenebris Lucet), but the concepts introduced in Uniuersum Esse entirely reshaped the culture of Ostia and eventually Lacus as well as established the state ‘religion’ Stoicorum.   

Uniuersum Esse

By Orator Tacere (Faustina Vitrus Stoicae)

Primo Capitulo

While I write this I hear the traders in the market calling out their products while the working class clamor for wages so as to provide for self and family.  I can hear the upper class in their towers in Ostia setting in motion the machinations through which the cockroaches they call peasants will scramble and turn to them for aid, guidance, and  providence.  I can hear the wealthy politicians in the public squares and the poison they disseminate as beneficial when it truly serves wealth masters in keeping these cockroaches under the boot.  I can hear the wealthy high priests professing matters of divine will that serve to keep the cockroach content with the bootheel, never seeking a lot in life free of such despotism.  The social and capital hierarchy is a food chain but those at the bottom do not realize  that they are the prey nor that the predator even exists.  The upper strata of society know that they are staring into the eyes of a great beast and have established extensive and powerful stratagems to ensure the beast does not awaken.  I seek to awaken that beast, the working class.

When Mankind was born they instinctively looked to the sky and searched for a higher being to guide them, a higher power that would provide and explain the numerous unexplainable phenomena.  Mankind inherently seeks deity and faith, a being or beings that will aid them in the unbearability that were their lives.  When a child is born they look to a parent to provide guidance, but an adult has similar inclinations but no tangible figure akin to a parent.  Therefore, they turn to intangibility to provide explanation for the Sun, the animals, and their own behavior.  It has been forgotten who established the religion practiced in Ostia and the Palus Swamp, but it is clear that these deities were specifically established to explain surrounding phenomena: Tin the patriarch and god of the sky was strong and powerful and his exploits as a cad mark many of his stories, which have often been seen as a reason and justifying factor in seeing woman as a vessel for bloodline continuation.  Uni the matriarch, marked in theological texts as an emotional, jealous woman and often seen as an antagonist against Tin and his mistresses carrying his spawn.  Cel the goddess of the earth is mentioned once in holy texts as the being that birthed the earth and is specifically never mentioned again, perpetuating the idea that women serve only to act as vestibules for man’s seed and nothing more.  Many other deities are marked in Ostian religion but none are more interesting than Turms.  With the other deities it is obvious that they are meant to explain tangible phenomena such as the sun, sky, moon, and earth or intangible concepts such as war, love, death, or motherhood but Turms is the god of trade and currency.  Turms is the manifestation of upper class manipulations of working class faithful by having them actively worship the greed and capital they provide the wealthy through their labors.

Turms is not the only example of such a phenomena nor is he the first or last example, Turms is merely to most blatant example of manipulation of the working class population via religious means.  The ethics and moralities espoused by the high priests are justifications for upper class manipulations and oppression such as the idea that suffering and toiling amongst the working class is a positive development that will be rewarded in an afterlife.  Religious officials are claiming to provide solace from the suffering people are experiencing but, rather than alleviating such suffering, they are making promises on which they never need deliver.  They are providing people with a sense of security while the world burns down around them.  Disease, famine, and poverty plague these communities that are propped up with the ideas that their suffering will be rewarded while those that make their suffering possible and continued reap the benefits of medicine, education, and wealth.  The high priests, however, do not seek to pull the teeth from the great beast for the patricius but merely redirect its attention.  The high priest in the Alta Semita region of Ostia, Gnaeus Pacuvius, regularly advocates to temple attendees that the gods and goddesses disavow violence in its many forms.  However, Gnaeus Pacuvius has publicly absolved many wealthy politicians of their sins of violence against women as well as his advocation for the many wars the empire wages.  Therefore, the morality of violence in Ostian religion is that it is unethical to commit acts of violence unless the offender is wealthy or sanctioned by the state.

 The ruling classes use religion and deities as an auspice to convince the working class that they answer to a higher power, that through faith and worship they are equal in a cosmic sense.  In the holy text Verborum Dierum, Tin tells the prophet Cato Priscus “The blind seeking of wealth is the sign of a weak mind and an unworthy soul.  The rich will stand by my side when the mountains to the west bow to the wind.”  However, during readings of the holy text this line is never read instead reading lines from Laran the god of war justifying the nobility and honor in specific forms of violence.  The ruling classes have homologized religious teachings and dogma to become a tool for maintaining their hold over society.  They maintain the facade that they answer to a force above themselves when in fact they occupy the highest orders of societal strata and acting as if they answer to the same forces and rules as the working class establishes and entrenches the idea that the classes are equal on a cosmic scale.  

This leads to my next observation: the use of religion and  to establish culture and traditions by upper classes.  When the wealthy cannot feasibly create laws to collar the great beast without being obvious, they introduce norms into society so that they do not have to enforce the standards they created, such standards are maintained by society itself.  But to create such norms without alerting the populace is a nearly impossible task, unless an institution that thrives on blindness and faith already is used to undertake such a task.  In Ostia and its surrounding fiefs, women are largely regarded as property and have minimal rights to property, work that may result in legitimate capital, or political representation.  These oppressive policies against women may be traced back to wealthy political figures with strong ties to the religious community.  High Priest Gnaeus Pacuvius regularly discusses these oppressive societal norms, claiming they are not tyrannical or unjust in nature, but serve to value women as beautiful beings that should not concern themselves with trivial or trying ideas such as politics or business.  He justifies this position by quoting a passage from the religious leader and student of Cato Priscus, Porcius Cotta “Moreover, those of the female sex shall not teach nor usurp over a man but will  exist in a subservient silence.  For the Father of All created man to do his bidding both in toiling in the fields and articulating in council chambers and the Father of All created women to create beauty in the world, a world made ugly by men, a world made for men.  That considered, women must dress with modesty.  A woman must show her beauty with her abilities as a wife and ripeness for childbirth.”   Due to this quote and the pervasive nature of religion and the wealthy’s hold over its teachings, women in the Ostia region are treated as mere objects and property.  Women are seen in society as a vase: they must be beautiful to find worth and they are only used as a container for seed.  In order for the lower class to successfully cast off their chains they will require the help of women, such a revolution will not occur until social norms designed to be oppressive of women are abolished.

In order for religion and society to evolve naturally, both must be controlled by the general masses rather than the wealthy few.  Religion shapes society, culture, and norms but if religion is shaped by those that stand high above society then society itself becomes little more than a stage on which these individuals can feign godhood.  However, in the hands of the people, then society becomes a place where all may live in a harmony to a point where the religious aspect of society is no longer needed as a catalyzing agent for social change.  With the upper strata of society pulling on the puppet strings of religious institutions, such institutions have become a method of resisting change and stagnating society as a whole.  When these institutions become an arm of political forces, they lose the ability to legitimately advise people how to live their lives.  As a result, the current religious institutions of Ostia must be abolished and rebuilt from the ashes.

The new religion of Ostia must be one based on logic and rationality rather than beliefs based on faith and unfounded metaphysics.  When people can question an action’s rationale and its consequences, then the people will have the necessary education to govern themselves.  When a mysterious metaphysical figure commands physical beings to behave in a certain way, then people are not learning the consequences of that behavior’s antithesis, they are merely following hollow commands blindly.  When a glassblower tells an apprentice to place the pontil on the base of a bottle being blown but provides no explanation why they must do this then the apprentice has learned nothing and the glassblower has failed as a teacher.  Similarly, when a society follows the laws and rules of metaphysical beings that have provided no explanation thereof then society has learned nothing and that religious institution has failed as a teacher.  Logic is the greatest of teachers as it drives society forward in an eternal quest for the truth in all things.

[limbuscompanysituations]

Dante and reader scenario where... They both are just- very very touchstarved (like I am ? Naaaah. Seriously, I'll never have enough of this clock)

(also I should stop sending ask at 1am while I'm vegetating in my bed, there is always... So much typos)

- Dante anon (yes that's my name now, I like it)

Hello Dante anon! Here's some clock loving for all your needs!

They've been tiptoeing around each other the whole day, and even now that the company's business are paused for the nightly rest, they are still doing this little dance. Vergilius looked at both of them and then gave an extra tired sigh and walked away. It took Rodion grabbing them by the wrist and forcefully making them hold hands for something to happen.

"Now that's better. Why don't you go rest together?" She winked at the blushy duo (if it's possible for a metallic clock head to blush) and went into her room.

Both Dante and their partner are completely glued to the spot, their joined hands feel like they might spontaneously combust at any second. In spite of Rodion's extra help, they were still stuck in the bus corridor.

A door opens ahead, and Vergilius' voice can be heard.

"You two better not be standing in the corridor when I walk out..." He warns and it's all it takes for them to bolt towards Dante's room.

It's only when the door is safely closed behind them that they can breathe easy again. They sit on the floor, backs leaning on the door, and look at one another; then they laugh. Dante's laughter is a clicking metallic noise, like bells chiming. It's quite cute.

"Why's he so scary...?" They ask Dante, who shakes their head. They both realize their shoulders are touching and immediately turn their heads away in embarrassment.

A minute passes and they realize this is no good. They really want to be with one another, so why fret? Dante's partner takes a deep, calming breath and carefully leans their head on the manager's shoulder. Dante startles slightly, but after a moment they remove the glove from one hand and brush their fingers slightly over their lover's cheek. Their lover closes their eyes and sighs.

Dante places their still gloved hand over theirs and squeezes lightly, cupping their cheek and rubbing small circles with their thumb.

"We should stop being so silly about this..." Their partner mutters. Dante nods carefully, then pats their cheek twice. They open their eyes and sit straight again.

< Do you want to- > Dante starts signaling with their hands, then after a pause, they finish, < Do you want to cuddle? >

Their lover blushes, but nods enthusiastically.

[average-limbus-fan]

Pt 2 of Limbus Speed Dating?

Sinclair

You awoke the next morning with a pounding headache however your pain never deterred company business, as such Vergilius once again stood at the front of the bus with Charon and a very flustered Sinclair, it seemed your sinner of the hour had already been chosen. He barely spoke to you as he led you to a small coffee shop, you stepped inside to the welcoming smell of freshly brewed coffee and pastries as the two of you sat down at a small table in the corner of the shop. “Uhm I think I’m supposed to give you a gift right…” he asked while looking down at his hands. “You can if you’d like it’s not required or anything though” you answered trying to calm his obvious nerves. “Ah…” he said “well I uh… made this for you” he quickly handed you a small intricately knitted clock plush. You looked down at the adorable miniature plush in your hands and asked where he has learned to knit, “ah… my grandmother taught me a bit and I learned how to do the rest at the liberal arts college…” he trailed off as you encouraged him to keep talking by asking him about his studies which seemed to work. He spent the rest of the “date” speaking about his time at college and his family… before Kromer of course, a continued sore spot for him. As the two of you finished your coffee and walked out you noticed Sinclair had a light blush covering his face, even though this hadn’t been an actual date it was nice to see him a bit more lively for once. His reddened face however would earn him a heavy teasing from Rodion as he boarded the bus.

Outis

You however would not get the few hours of downtime expected as Outis rushed out and tightly gripped your hand “manager it’s finally time for you to have a proper outing” she loudly exclaimed as you looked behind her to see Vergilius and Charon standing “she wouldn’t let us wait any longer” Charon said, so you reluctantly followed her into a taxi. It seemed to be quite a long ride… “Outis where exactly are we going” you asked? She just smirked “don’t worry manager once we arrive all the other places you’ve been to will pail in comparison” she said excitedly, …you really hoped all of this wasn’t coming out of Vergilius’s pockets. You stepped out slowly into a patch of mud… it seemed like Outis had taken you to some sort of ranch. You looked at her questioningly, “I bet none of the others have thought to take you anywhere but some boring restaurants but I actually planned out a whole activity for you” she beamed with pride as you looked over to see horses and a bunch of other farm animals, when you looked back Outis had retrieved two saddles “come on manager I’ll show you how it’s done” she said as she led you to the stables. “No you’re supposed to lean forward” Outis yelled as you desperately tried to keep your balance while the horse trotted along the dirt path. “ Here manager allow me to demonstrate” Outis said as she led her horse over a high bar… you have the feeling she just wanted show off to impress you but you keep that thought to yourself. “See manager there’s nothing to it” she says as she lets out a confident huff. You spent the next few hours holding onto the horse’s reigns for dear life as Outis showed you all the tricks she’s learned. You then end up back in the taxi with an incredibly sore rear end as Outis tells you about the gifts she’s prepared, “none of the other sinners gifts could come close I’m sure” she proudly exclaimed… well now you were very worried for Vergilius’s pockets. You entered your quarters to be be greeted by bunch’s of flowers placed in your room along with portraits of yourself… you weren’t sure how Outis had the time to obtain them all but you figured at least some of them had to have been created before this whole speed dating thing… better not to think about it you concluded as you headed to bed.

Faust

You had gotten somewhat used to the routine by now, two “dates” a day and barely any time to rest. Today was no different as you headed straight up to Vergilius and Charon the latter of which held the hat up towards you as you looked at her in confusion. “Charon doesn’t want to pick a name today” she said, so you dug through the hat and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Faust” you said slowly before jumping as the white haired women suddenly appeared behind you “It appears to be Faust’s turn now” she exclaimed in her usual monotone voice. You were then led off the bus and to a flower shop where you were promptly bought a large bouquet of white roses “Faust has read that flowers are an appropriate gift for a date” she states. Embarrassed, you quickly remind her that it wasn’t an actual “date” and just company business to which she then begins to give the largely accepted definition and characteristics of a “date”. This would be a 2 hour long explanation, if you had any hair it would’ve surely been pulled out by now but thankfully your head is a clock. Eventually it seemed your time was up and although you weren’t sure if Faust had planned to take you anywhere else or if the flower shop was the planned location you didn’t mind as Faust’s “lesson” was finally over. Faust then looked at you as the two of you headed back “Faust enjoyed our time out” she said curtly, …you didn’t have the heart to tell her you had zoned out during more then half of her impromptu language lesson but you guessed she could somehow tell anyways.