#are given the artifact? Steal the artifact? Break the artifact?

[amtrak12]

Okay I still don't know what the pocket watches are in Pushing Daisies, but I learned grave robbers who stole bodies for anatomists to dissect were called 'resurrectionists' and um... I feel that's relevant to Ned and his powers.

[limerental]

everything yen does on skellige in tw3 gives me the strongest she would not fuckin say that feelings imaginable

especially given her motivation in both the books and games is "desperately need to find ciri" and yet she acts wildly, viscerally different.

book yen on skellige: drops to her knees to help a stranger who's miscarrying, doubts the existence of any goddess but tries to acquire a magical artifact needed to find ciri by visiting a temple and agreeing to pray with the priestesses, literally earns the blessing of a goddess through her self-sacrifice and is freely given the magical artifact,

game yen on skellige: pisses everyone off, breaks in and steals a magical artifact needed to find ciri and then proceeds to blindly use it despite warnings, has no sympathy for a dead kid who literally died so ciri could escape, feels no remorse about her dead kid necromancy destroying the sacred garden of the same goddess who she literally was supposed to have earned the blessing of on this same island under the same circumstances and and--

[nightmarist]

my mad ravings about raphael, gortash, the crown, mephistopheles, orpheus, the emperor....... everything......

vlaakith originally tried and failed to make a pact with dispater, ruler of the second hell called dis, but it didn't go well. instead she had mother gith go instead and gith was captured by tiamat, supposedly imprisoned in dis, and tiamat gave vlaakith red dragons.

vlaakith (well, voss actually) bested orpheus and orpheus became imprisoned by infernal chains.

there's no real timeline for the gith and mindflayers and the like, it's pretty much Older Than Nigh Anything Else in dnd lore.

that said, i wonder how early raphael made the orphic hammer. we dont Really know how old he is, at the very least hes 1500~2000 years old if we go by the fact he Saw netheril fall. its Called the orphic hammer and his note says it can break any infernal chain, but it's very obviously made for Orpheus himself. I wonder when raphael had it made, how many chess pieces ahead he saw, or if he was able to get it forged in the short timeline of the Absolute cult's ascension.

At some point, whether he knew it would be Gortash or not that would lead to the Crown in his hands, he had "a warlock" (Korrilla I assume) buy Gortash as a child to serve as his personal servent, severely abuse him, make him live in the dungeons tortured by Nubaldin, and thus likely how Gortash learned to speak and talk the way he does - his outfit even looks like it has the same aesthetic as the House of Hope.

And from there through association with Raphael, directly or indirectly, a "misplaced" note or an overheard whisper Gortash could have learned about the Crown of Karsus enough to try and take it for himself. It's Power but it's also Power that Raphael wants very badly. What better than to steal the one thing your warden wants that would happen to give you power over even him?

Mephistopheles had the "Accelerated Grand Design" plans in his vault that just so happened to be next to the Crown of Karsus, where Gortash just so happened to see.

The Accelerated Grand Design (AGD) was written by a "mad alhoon" according to Gortash, which is a type of Illithid Lich.

I wonder if Raphael had any particular curation involved with Mephisto's vault, especially as his son - the Canian archives probably wouldn't bat an eye at the son of their Archdevil who has a penchant for theatrics and an eye for art and presentation ordering certain things be put in certain places.

So Gortash re-establishes the cult of Bane, then he happens upon the Bhaal cult led by Durge. They exchange letters and plan to heist the Crown together, obtaining the AGD as well.

After the heist, they are given dreams of being Bhaal and Bane's Chosen and need to find Myrkul's Chosen.

Upon finding Ketheric, they learn Moonrise Towers has a mindflayer colony inside of it (which is where the Emperor was tadpoled). Gortash realizes he can make the AGD.

After making use of the AGD Gortash just so happened to have a dream about gith being in the way of his plans, and that dream was enough to push him to research the gith to find out about the Astral Prism.

I wonder if the dream was sent by the Emperor, who had broken free before but at the same time was still under the Elder brain's control at this time. I don't think Raphael is one to send prophetic dreams, I feel like his choice of theatrics is much more obvious, and his choice of chess-play is much more subtle.

That dream led Gortash to send the Emperor on its quest to the Nautiloid to find the Artifact, which was then learned about by Viconia and the Sharrans who were researching the Absolute cult.

Thus, Shadowheart was also sent to the Nautiloid where she obtained the artefact with the Emperor and thus Orpheus in it.

Orpheus of course being key to the ruination of the Absolute via Raphael producing the Orphic Hammer to free him, which would allow him to acquire of the Crown of Karsus after likely gently guiding Gortash unknowingly into using the Crown to create a Netherbrain as per the Accelerated Grand Design being next to the Crown in the Vault.

As far as I'm aware (I haven't found notes or dialogue about it), Gortash didn't have an actual Plan for the Crown, which makes me think he wanted it for a) power in general, and b) to piss off Raphael.

There's quite a lot in the middle I don't think Raphael himself made happen, but I'm sure he was giddy with excitement to see everything was leading to the Crown being taken to the Material Plane and thus closer to his claws, and all he has to do is find a way to corner the happenstance adventurers who are holding the Astral Prism a way to defeat the Brain: Orpheus. From the Orphic Hammer he personally commissioned.

Mephistopheles doesn't seem to bother doing anything about the Crown. Usually, Meph is plotting how to rule other places, take over Baator/The Hells, and the like. Granted, he did send Haarlep to "distract" and spy on Raphael, who of course showed interest in the Crown and possibly was known by his father to want to be Archdevil Supreme (and perhaps.... learned to wan that sort of thing from Mephistopheles,and ironically passed on similar to Gortash while "raising" him)

It is noted that Meph gets obsessive with a particular fixation, so the Crown could have been something he didn't care about at the moment versus Raphael's obsession with it.

Also, I like the irony that Raph basically has the same obsessive attitude Meph does, a cool and collected facade hiding a wildly vitriolic and vengeful personality.

The Crown is very powerful, but it could also be that Meph wouldn't care what mortals would do with it as long as it doesn't mess with him. Or, potentially, if BG3 considers Neverwinter Nights canons, Meph in potential endings for it means he could have been banished to stay in Cania or otherwise banished from stepping foot on Toril (and thus Faerun).

[ghostofskywalker]

You Would Have Thought This Heist Would Have Been Slightly More Thought Out, Given The Circumstances

The Bad Batch & Reader (Platonic)

Words: 2,161

Summary: Hunter has to sit out on an assignment because of an injury, and it becomes remarkably clear to everyone else that the position of "voice of reason" is not something that can be replaced, especially not when you're there.

Requested By: anonymous

@clonexreaderbingo square: "let me do the talking"

Note: i hope this fulfills your request for "shenanigans, tomfoolery, japes, [and] mischief" anon!!

Clone Troopers Masterlist

You should have known things would go wrong the second Wrecker accidentally stepped on the ceramic tooka that sat outside the house you had to try and break into. The shattering of the delicate material cut through the silence of the night, and the entire team stopped in their tracks, wondering if this was going to be the thing that ruined the entire operation.

But it seemed that the man you were tasked to steal from was slumbering on, so you were safe for now.

Actually, you should have known something was up when Cid’s intel was incorrect. This assignment was all because of her, as you were being tasked to steal an artifact from a rival of hers here on Ord Mantell. Rel Fastom was a brute and a cheat, so you had no qualms about doing something that was less than legal (even though Ord Mantell was not a perfect upstanding society).

There was just two issues.

One was that along with being a brute and a cheat, this man was incredibly paranoid. Whatever you were being tasked to steal must be incredibly valuable, because when Tech managed to crack the code on his casino, the artifact was not where Cid said Fastom would be displaying it.

“Are we sure it’s not somewhere here and we’re just missing something?” Echo asked as the team began to search the building.

“I’m sure,” Crosshair had said, annoyed. He was still getting used to the way that things were were now, and you didn’t think he trusted Cid as much as the rest of you (and you didn’t even trust her that much). “What the hell is thing thing anyway?”

“Apparently, it is a jeweled scepter,” Tech said. “The central stone is said to have been formed from kyber, though it doesn’t have the same properties as what powers a Jedi’s lightsaber.”

You raised your eyebrows. “A jeweled scepter? What is this guy, a character in a bad holofilm? And why does Cid want it anyway?”

“Apparently she was supposed to buy it, but Fastom beat her out at the last second by doubling his offer.”

“That’s great, but we need to focus on the real issue here,” Wrecker said. “The fact that it’s not where we were told it would be.”

And of course, the other issue was that you did not have a full team for this heist. Hunter had been shot been injured on a team mission about a week ago, and was in no way healthy enough to be here. It was both a blessing and a curse that he was currently sleeping soundly and not taking part in a clandestine heist with the rest of you. The good part was that he was actually healing and wouldn’t prolong his injuries by going with you, but on the other hand, the team was now severely lacking in impulse control. You were just thankful that Omega had agreed to stay back and hadn’t come along, because you knew that if something went wrong, Hunter would be much angrier with you if Omega was accidentally put in harm’s way.

“I have an idea of where we might find what we’re looking for, but it won’t be easy,” Tech said as he recalibrated the lock on the nightclub that you had just broken into and the five of you stepped back into the night air. “If this man is as paranoid as I believe he is, then it’s likely the scepter we’re looking for can be found in his personal residence.”

“So what do we do?” Echo asked. “Breaking into someone’s house wasn’t in the job description, and it’s much more dangerous if we get caught.”

Crosshair shrugged. “It’s the middle of the night, I say we at least try to get it,” he drawled. “And then we can force Cid to double the pay.”

The sniper’s suggestion got Echo to pause. It seemed that the rest of the team was at least willing to give this crazy idea a shot, but Echo was the one most likely to have some reservations. Although their debt had been wiped out by Omega’s surprising skills, they still needed all the money they could get. The goal was to eventually be able to settle down somewhere and not have to live out the rest of your lives as muscle for hire, and those extra credits would go a long way in helping make that dream a little more attainable. “Fine,” he said. “But if we get caught, let me do the talking.”

***

Even though the house was now one ceramic tooka down, at least Tech was able to work his magic on the lock, and you didn’t have to resort to breaking down the door. Now you were faced with a new problem: finding the thing you came for (and of course, stealing it without being caught).

Both of those things would be easier if there was actually a plan in place, but this had been a decision made on a whim and a half-hearted hope, none of you actually knew what to when you made it here. It was now that you were starting to regret not having Hunter here, because things would be way easier if he suddenly started handing out orders and always listening for the sounds of a stirring casino owner. Tech signaled that you should all split up, and a group nod meant that everyone understood.

The first place you looked was the kitchen, which was (predictably) well stocked with wine and other liquors. You were staring at a particularly expensive bottle and wondering if you could fit it in your bag without the fear of it leaking all over the place when Crosshair walked in. “You had the same idea I see,” he said quietly. “I can’t find this thing anywhere.”

You shrugged. “I figure that either Tech or Echo will find it. Wanna raid this guy’s chiller in the meantime?”

Crosshair nodded, and he kept watch while you rooted through the high-quality food that was sitting unguarded in the chiller. Some of this stuff you’d only heard about in stories because of its rarity, and yet here it was, in copious amounts and ripe for the taking. You took a few round fruits out of a package and tossed one to Crosshair, both of you taking a bite at the same time.

“Where can we get these?” you wondered aloud, absolutely enamored with the sweet and slightly tart sphere you were holding.

“I don’t think we would be able to afford these,” was Crosshair’s response. You nodded, knowing that this man probably had access to things you could only ever dream of. Even before the end of the war and the collapse of the Republic, luxuries like this were never something you had access to. “Is there anything else in there?” Crosshair asked as you put away the container of fruit.

You had were just about to suggest that the two of you indulge in pieces of the rather large cake that was currently residing in the chiller, but the sound of your comm device crackling to life cut you off. “Where are you?” Echo asked, his voice slightly crackly through the channel.

“Crosshair and I are in the kitchen,” you said. “You guys should come check it out, this guy has great taste in food.”

“I thought you were supposed to be looking for the artifact!”

“What? it seemed like the rest of you had things under control.”

Echo sighed, and you could almost feel the waves of disappointment coming from him, despite the fact that you weren’t even in the same room. “We found the artifact,” he said, not responding to your statement (but proving its validity all the same).

“Great, so we can get out of here?” Crosshair asked, walking over to speak into your comm device.

“Not exactly.”

“So what’s the holdup?”

“You’ll see, come on.”

Echo directed you to the stairs, where he, Tech, and Wrecker had gathered about halfway up. Crosshair broke the silence first. “What’s the big deal?”

Tech pointed at the door, and you pushed it slightly open to see Rel Fastom’s sleeping form, clutching what looked suspiciously like what you were supposed to be here for. “Oh,” you said, as you and Crosshair turned around to face the rest of the team. “That’s certainly a wrinkle in the plan.”

Wrecker nodded. “How are we going to get it?” he asked.

Now, here’s where you probably should have stepped back and returned home. No one would fault you for knowing your limits, and a new plan could be devised if Cid still wanted to move forward.

But of course that’s not what happened, because you had an idea.

In your head it was an idea that was just crazy enough it might work, but in reality “might” was probably a generous estimation there. Either way, you didn’t even take the time to explain, telling the rest of the team that they needed to have the ship ready to take off. The idea was that once you got the signal, you would gently remove the scepter from Falstom’s arms and just hope he didn’t wake up until after the Marauder had returned to hyperspace. But you didn’t tell them the whole plan, specifically so no one tried to talk you out of it.

Like most of the half-baked plans you came up with when traveling with the Bad Batch, this one seemed like it was going to work for the first minute it was taking place. The rest of the team headed out to the ship, and once you heard the sound of the engine powering up through the comms you creeped into the bedroom, trying not to think about how much you didn’t want to be there.

If you were being honest, the scepter was an ugly thing, and in no way worth this kind of trouble. But you, like the rest of the Bad Batch, had no money of your own and were faced with nothing but consistent struggle in the cruel reality that had taken shape in the days since the fall of the Republic, so you had no choice if you wanted the money.

And of course, the galaxy was never going to be kind enough to let you get away with this unscathed. Fastom did not take long to start throwing punches when he woke up and realized what was going on. You were thankful that the room was dark and it was highly unlikely that your identity would be at risk, but this was still not how you wanted to spend your time right now.

He might have been taller, but you had a small advantage in your sheer desire to get the kriff out of this situation. It wasn’t much though, because even after you threw the man against the wall, he hadn’t yet yielded the artifact (or been knocked unconscious).

Or, at least not until a stun bolt flew through the air behind you and sent your opponent careening to the ground.

You turned around, shocked to see Crosshair standing in the doorway. “Your plan wasn’t very good,” he said. “Get the thing and let’s get out of here.” Grabbing the scepter off the ground, you followed Crosshair out to the ship, and soon you were basking in the relative safety of hyperspace. Bypassing a lecture from Echo, you hid away in your bunk, pretending to tend to an injury you didn’t have.

You had no regrets in your decision. If the situation came down to it, you would put yourself in harms way every single time if it meant that you would be helping the rest of the crew. Because even though you’ve sometimes helped to save them from harm, they saved you in a more meaningful way by simply allowing you to travel with them (and becoming the closest thing you had to a family), and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Cid didn’t question your ambiguous story about why the assignment took you longer than expected, but it seemed that Hunter did. When your employer left to put the new prize on display in her office, and Tech, Wrecker, and Echo left to get some rest, he stared at you and Crosshair with a questioning expression. “You just had to stop and refuel, huh? There wasn’t any trouble with the assignment?”

“Of course not!” you jumped in, knowing that Crosshair wasn’t going to contradict your statement. “Did you really not trust us to do something so simple?”

The sergeant’s expression shifted, and it was clear that he didn’t seem to believe you, but he didn’t push the topic. Next time you did an assignment like this, you decided, it would probably be better if the whole team was present.

Even if you knew Hunter would never let you raid someone’s chiller in the middle of a stealth operation. 

- the end -

i no longer have a taglist! if you're interested in being notified when i post, you can follow my library blog @ghostofskywalker-library and turn on notifications!

[cerealboxlore]

I'm Rewatching the Justice League series cartoon because I can, and I have a need to scream 🗣

Y'all remember that episode where Task Force X gets recruited and has to pull off a legendary heist at the Justice League Watch Tower? That was honestly so cool, and it had me on the edge of my seat 💺 ya girl had her eyes glued to the screen the entire time. But what I want to talk about is an idea. Obviously, y'all know that this is a Billy Batson appreciation corner, so hear me out:

What if Task Force X was given a mission to pull off a heist at the Rock of Eternity. The RoE is the center of reality, all magic, and a prison to ungodly monsters and powerful ancient artifacts, who's to say that someone wouldn't want to get in there and steal some important stuff? Or break someone out. With the dangers that lurk in an unknown area and further magical threats that risk their lives if anyone goes in, it does sound like a su*c*de mission.

It's just a late night thought for now. If anyone wants to discuss this, I'm more than happy to speak about it 💃

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

The Emperor’s Relics: Artifacts Of A Lost Time

Among the many positives of “The Owl House” is its rich setting. Though many - including myself - might say we were not given enough detail about the Boiling Isles, there is no denying that the show’s setting is rich and fascinating. Why else would we want to know more?

One such example of worldbuilding that was established but never elaborated on is the relics in the castle’s Relic Room. The artifacts, said to be incredibly powerful, are only seen in “Agony of a Witch,” in which (HA!) Luz tries to steal one to help Eda and Willow and Gus use a few for fun. Though described by Kikimora as “reminders of our great Emperor’s overwhelming power,” Lilith refers to them as “decrepit” and “useless,” implying that they have vastly declined in power over the years and are now used as propaganda. 

Curiously, though seeming to intend to have a relic for each major coven, only eight are depicted, and only three of them elaborated upon:

The Green-Thumb Gauntlet: A glove carved of wood, the gauntlet is described as allowing the wearer to grow any plant they can imagine. Willow herself uses the glove to grow trees with fists to knock down an armored door. 

The Oracle Sphere: Described by Gus as telling the user how to become their best self, he uses it to conjure a purple-tinted illusion of himself that merely tells him,” You’re always your best self.”

The Healing Hat: Written as able to heal any disease or break any curse, Luz attempts to steal the hat to cure Eda. The hat is destroyed in a confrontation with Lilith, but given her description of the “decrepit” relics and bizarre nature of Eda’s curse as non-native to the Boiling Isles, it is probable that the hat would not have cured her - else Lilith might have tried long ago.

After these, the relics are only shown visually, but it was a fun thought experiment to wonder about each:

Golden Harp: Presumably tied to the Bard Coven. *I like to imagine that the harp intuitively plays music to cast any spell the user might imagine without having to know how to play the harp. 

Globe of Abomination Clay: Presumably tied to the Abomination Coven. I imagine it contains an incredibly ancient and very strong Abomination, likely holding far more clay than it seems. 

Golden Vial: Presumably tied to the Potions Coven. I like to think that the phial can produce large or infinite amounts of any potion that is poured into it. (This was admittedly based on the White Phial from “Skyrim.”)

Silver Mirror: Presumably tied to the Illusion Coven. I imagine the mirror can capture minute details of whatever it sees, and so aid the user in creating far more specific illusions. 

Golden Bell: Presumably tied to the Beastkeeping Coven. I imagine the bell can be rung to influence any beasts within its audible range. Specifically, it can summon them to the user, calm them down and put them to sleep, or enrage them into a frenzy. 

These all seem to exclude the relic of the Construction Coven, though there is a faint possibility we see this relic later. Mason, head of the Constriction Coven, is seen wielding a hammer emblazoned with the fist sigil of the coven. Assuming this is the Construction Reic, I like to think it can break down and then reshape any solid material it strikes, in the image of alchemy from “Fullmetal Alchemist” or Overhaul from “My Hero Academia.”

Even a year after the series’s conclusion, it is beyond evident that the setting of the Boiling Isles, with all of the rich details that often act as a framework with more than enough space for us to fill in the gaps ourselves, continues to be a rich mine of creativity in worldbuilding. Who knows what else is waiting to be conceived of that patchwork of glorious setting?

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[garugakiller262]

Metal Clouds (Yorozu x Takako)

.Yorozu loves making random things for Takako using her technique they can range from small inexpensive jewelry to things like glass blown dolls or full blown artifacts that she can remember, it’s also something that Yorozu does to see Takako smile.

.Takako worries about Yorozu ALOT especially her mental state ever since the two reincarnated into the modern era Takako hasn’t been far from Yorozu while her lover’s been more concerned with keeping both of them safe. Yorozu often throws herself into dangerous situations during fights: ensuring that they get the most points, changing the rules to benefit only them; and keeping their score up. Takako knows that the culling games won’t end but she no longer wants to see Yorozu in pain and stressing herself out, Takako just wants to escape…but not without Yorozu

.Both of them drink each other’s blood in a weird and intimate way only unique to them; and it also serves as a…motivator. Takako thought it was weird (it still is) but Yorozu sees it as normal (it’s FUCKING not) but these two still taste each other’s blood-as to have a part of each other inside them.

whenever Yorozu sees Takako’s blood she gets worried-but also excited because the taste of Takako’s blood often drives her to make more things! More complicated inventions! Yorozu often tells Takako that she is her biggest muse and Takako more often than not gets flustered, but doesn’t fight the smile

(Modern AU)

.Yorozu works as a inventor and an entomologist considering that she loves making things go BOOM! And that as a kid she used to try and eat the bugs, which led her onto the path of studying insects and other animals. But Yorozu’s love for creating is her biggest source of happiness.

.Takako is a spy for the Japanese government serving under a secret sect and is the leader of her own unit that followed the orders of any official they were given; every task from assassination to blending into a country to steal data there wasn’t anything that Takako’s unit wouldn’t take on. But the unit functions almost like a secret police.

.Takako has never introduced Yorozu to her family all in fear that they would get along TOO well and she would have to deal with both Yorozu and her family basically being in the same hyper energy, one Yorozu is enough!

.Only time Yorozu is ever quiet is when she’s in their bedroom on her orkbench making a new invention or playing in Takako’s jewelry box, usually their apartment is filled with noise; provided by Yorozu making something or playing a video game…or just being…Yorozu

.They both watch movies and hold bets to see who can get the ending right

.Takao does not trust Yorozu in the kitchen with anything! EVER! But she does let Yorozu watch her cook and taste test the food before she serves it

.Yorozu SNORES and Takako makes no effort to stop her as she had gotten used to her lover snoring directly in her face/ears

.One of Takako’s hobbies is playing tennis and Yorozu makes posters for Takako whenever she goes out to play in order to show support, the poster includes the following:

MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF GLITTER

A RISQUE PICTURE OF TAKAKO

GO! TAKA GO! IN BIG BOLD LETTERS

YOROZU WEARING A “I LOVE MY GF” SHIRT

.Takako takes being there for Yorozu in all aspects very seriously, whenever Yorozu forgets to eat, bathe or is in a depressive slump; Takako takes it upon herself to help Yorozu in any way that she can.

.Yorozu in return helps Takako by trying to do the same things that Takako would do whenever she was depressed when Takako becomes sullen, although it isn’t perfect Yorozu still enjoys doing it.

.They hate arguing with one another but things do often come to a head with both of then having fiery tempers, but Yorozu does have a rule Takako cannot break: you can be mad but still sleep next to me

.Both of them love animals

[kudzuoath]

No one asked for this but I’m writing about Temperance/Odette

• Her given name is in fact Odette. When she joined the Dawning Star Temple, she took the name Temperance. It’s the name she prefers.

• abandoned at six in Baldur’s Gate by her mother. Born in Elturel and lived the first six years of her life there. Was in Baldur’s Gate because it was a stop on the way to Neverwinter where her mother was traveling in order to marry her second husband.

• Kell Corners — or “Kell of the Corner” found and tried to take care of her. Was human, a conman, and an alcoholic. Genuinely liked kids and tried to do right by them where he could but was also not above using them, especially to fund his addictions. Ran a sort of small time thieving ring and paid lip service the actual thieves guild.

• Through Kell, she met Eldrey, another tiefling living on the streets who was two years older and extremely charismatic. Eldrey very quickly became her best friend, and both girls eventually broke from Kell and started running their own cons.

•Until, at 13, she tried to rob a drow woman named Saraid who served in the Dawning Star Temple. Rather than alert the guards, she brought her back to the Temple and had her work there to pay off her debt. Whilst in the temple, she found solace for the first time in her life — and discovered a genuine talent for herbalism and alchemy. So much so, Saraid petitioned to take her on as an apprentice and she became a ward of the temple.

•whilst working there she met a half-drow her age named Sage who was skilled with herbalism and medicine, as well as a very, VERY tall tiefling boy named Shepherd, who worked in the kitchens twice a week and had a bafflingly loving and large family. They became a very close knit group.

• Eldrey and Temperance still remain friends through all of this, and even mange to stay close. Close enough that Eldrey is her first kiss and first relationship when Temperance is sixteen. Though this fractures fairly quickly as Eldrey makes no secret of how much she resents Temperance taking up with the people on the Temple and leaving her to run her cons alone. Accuses her of putting on airs and looking down on her despite this not being true. The resulting argument end with Eldrey completely vanishing from her life.

• until three years later, at nineteen, Eldrey returns and asks for Temperance’s help. She claims to have messed up bad and to need a place to hide. Convinces Temperance to let her stay in the temple in secret.

•only Eldrey is lying. And one night a week after being allowed to stay, she lets in more people, who then break into the inner sanctum of the temple — where an artifact known as Lathander’s Litany was kept. A phylactery containing a tiny piece of the soul from hundreds of years worth of his followers who earned the honor of immortalizing their power and knowledge within it. In times of strife, one could attune to it and be granted divine power akin to an aasimar (of the scourge variety).

• Temperance discovers this plot to steal it and charges in to try and stop Eldrey — thinking she can stop her oldest friend before she makes a terrible mistake. Only she’s discovered by the head of the Temple as well as Saraid. Chaos ensues. the phylactery breaks in Temperance’s hands and all those soul fragments wind up in the closest container they can find — her. Naturally this knocks her the fuck out.

• when she wakes up she’s already in a cell in Wyrms Rock and learns both Saraid and the head of the temple are dead. As well as several other clergy members. Discovered as she was in the inner sanctum she was blamed for the deaths and the missing artifact — something not helped by the event being very blurry in her mind and the myriad whispers of the extra souls in her head. Not to mention the grief and the fact that Sage comes to visit to scream at her for her betrayal.

• Temperance spends eight years in prison. During which she discovers what happened to the Phylactery, and to her. It’s in prison she makes her Oath of Vengeance, which is upheld not by a god, but by the myriad souls from the phylactery. Something that allows her a modicum of temperance (lol) over the righteous fury she holds inside her.

• at the end of the eighth year, Temperance manages to break out of prison and seeks help from Shepherd. Who surprisingly believes her when she tells him she didn’t know what Eldrey was planning and does t know who killed Saraid and the head of the Temple. He helps her get out of the city, and suggests she go by a new name if she doesn’t want to get caught. He also gifts her with a pair of earrings enchanted to work like an amulet of non-detection.

•so she is Odette again. And she wants to find Eldrey. Her oath as much as demands it. For three years she searches — righting wrongs and putting down the wicked as she goes

•then she’s found by bounty hunters, and being dragged back to Baldur’s Gate. Only she has the good luck to be zapped aboard the nautiloid instead.

[lady-moriel]

Part 47

beginning / previous / next

Моя группа ВК, история на русском.

Text under cut.

Hawthorne: Your Majesty, Prince Axel has arrived at your command. A raven arrived this morning with a report from Memphis. He awaits further instructions. Would you like to check it out now? Melanth: Not now. First of all, I long to see my son. Call him. Hawthorne: It will be done, Your Grace. Axel: Your Majesty. What can I serve? Melanth: Glad to see you safe and sound. We will discuss the details of your expedition later. Come closer, look closely, my son. The lands of Ardinthal have belonged to the elves for more than ten thousand years. We are one with them, with every tree, with every flower and grain of sand. As long as the elves love and respect nature, it will favor us in return. For ten generations, the Philanderis family has ruled our people, raising them to prosperity. Fate decreed that you will face one of the most difficult trials that no king or queen has had before you since the First Coming. Alone, I can not cope with the consequences of the Cataclysm, no one can cope. That is why your training began at an early age. Every year, your responsibilities grow. From a young age, you replaced the palace manager. Your first diplomatic mission came before the age of majority, and now you understand the internal affairs of the kingdom on a par with my advisers. At the same time, I've given you enough freedom to wander around, for the sake of gaining important experience about the structure of the outside world. However, some events that may seem insignificant to you require my intervention. And the first thing I will do is remind you that the queen is not only a titled privileged person, but also a support for her husband and an ally who will share all the hardships of government.

I hope you haven't forgotten that you're engaged?

Axel: Your intelligence, as always, works at altitude. The idea of proposing to Seilana was just beginning to form in my mind. grin Melanth: This is not about your temporary passions, but about an alliance that was concluded a century ago. With the house of Sianodel. Axel: Sianodel girl? This immature sprout should be my support? She, even in the outside world, was never without the retinue and supervision of her father. The only thing she controlled was a magic wand. Melanth: Axel, you don't seem to grasp the gravity of the situation. This is a royal command that is non-negotiable. Go. Think things through properly and take action. We will discuss the result of the expedition to the Cataclysm zone tomorrow morning. Axel: As you wish, Your Majesty.

Melanth: Hmm, bad news. Terfintum is trying to stealthily enter the cataclysmic lands of Ardinthal. They must be looking for a way to break through the magical storm in order to steal our artifacts. This cannot be allowed. The council needs to be assembled.

Axel: I didn't expect what my father said a hundred years ago to be a serious statement in the future. We were at a feast to celebrate the birth of the heiress of the House of Sianodele… It seemed like it sounded like a joke. It could be assumed that she would become just a candidate, but not an unconditional chosen one. Damn… I have to come up with something, find a way out of the situation. It won't be easy to convince your father. I should visit Selina.

[crossovershipstournament]

SIDE 2C: ROUND 1: Selina Kyle (Catwoman) (DC Comics)/Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe) VS Apollo (Percy Jackson)/Clark Kent (Superman) (Superman)

Propaganda for Selina Kyle (Catwoman)/Loki:

Two not quite villains who will never be content as heroes despite how much their friends and family would like them to be. They can sass each other and steal things together. In fact, Loki, being old as most artifacts, can claim that anything they steal technically belongs to him through some convoluted story that may or may not be true. So they've got this game going on with Batman. If he catches them, the museum can keep the object. Otherwise, Loki gets to keep "his stuff" and no one bothers them to avoid an incident with Asgard. It drives Batman up the wall. Loki and Selina are two beautiful Neutrals with a dash of chaos. He adores her and she loves his mystery and pizzazz. They bring out the best in each other. The Joker is dead and Loki has taken over his turf as the Crown Prince of Crime Alley. He sits on his ice throne with his darling Selina, finding new and vicious nonfatal ways of dealing with those who try to usurp them. They might intervene if they hear someone is doing something evil enough, so if you want to get rid of your enemies, feel free to snitch. Selina and Loki both think the other is sexy. Selina loves that Loki isn't quite evil but she doesn't feel bad for stealing when she's with him. He makes it fun. Loki loves that Selina has given him a chance and doesn't have grand expectations of heroics from him. That he doesn't need power to keep her.

Propaganda for Apollo/Clark Kent (Superman):

almost accidentally submitted in the other tournament form😅 :

at first I was just like "Apollo gets a crush on Superman and tries unsuccessfully to flirt with him multiple times" but then I started shipping it accidentally so now it's "casually dating -> friends"

I was reading some DC fic and it mentioned the god Apollo (who also exists in DC but is not relevant he is different) not liking Superman and I immediately was like "what? no. apollo is a simp and would totally crush on superman" because I have pjo!Apollo brainrot and I started planning a fic and a whole DC/PJO fusion universe to go with it. Superman is powered by the sun, and he is hot, and his motto includes the word "truth", these are all the reasons Apollo tells himself he should date Superman, maybe superman mentioned once in an interview that he knows to play the harmonica or something too (Apollo is a god of many things including the sun, music, and truth)

anyway I wasn't planning on seriously shipping them, I don't think Clark would be into Apollo, not exactly his type. just wanted to write some crossover shenanigans and Apollo being a loser(affectionate <3) but while planning the fic, I didn't know how I want to end it , and started thinking "what if they did date, though?", and settled on the setup of Clark being hopelessly in love with Batman, who is really not in a mental place to date/ Clark is too afraid of rejection or something to ask him, and Lois encourages Clark to try going out with new people to get over Batman, so when Apollo starts flirting with Superman, it's at the right timing and Clark decides to give it a chance and they get to know each other

anyway they get together and I have some scenes written exploring what they could have in common, and other characters from both canons reacting to this relationship, but I don't want sum up alll of it here because it's a lot. eventually they break up but remain friends because I don't see them as an endgame ship (Apollo being immortal and stuff I don't think they would date for more than a year), I think Apollo would encourage Clark to act on his crush on Batman.

Art Credit: Catwoman/Loki art by @/kannra-orhara Superman/Apollo Art by @/verdantik* *(The Superman drawn by 0boywonder0 on Deviantart, and colored by @/thebrunox)

[dnangelic]

dark has a comedic relief aspect bc he generally comes off as capricious/vulgar and is farrrr from any sort of all-knowing, infallible character, but at the same time. he's forever deeply, deeply, deeply possessive and can thereby become vengeful and flat out scary. it comes from his VERY FIRST newborn existential experience with manisumea (a hikari artwork that helped him escape the circumstances of his initial creation, then was unjustly broken for it, leading up to his overall 'betrayal' against his creators) alongside his own empty existence: because he has so little, he always clings even tighter to what he does have.

if dark claims someone or something as his, then it's his. he never throws his things away or abandons them. quite literally the only times dark has come this close to successfully killing or utterly destroying someone/someone else, they've all been times where something under his care n protection was antagonized or injured first (and it's always daisuke who holds him back and keeps him from crossing that line!) dark and dark alone, however, doesn't have any sympathy for these sorts of people. it doesn't matter their circumstances, whether or not they're pitiful and could be helped by someone like daisuke if given the opportunity: dark by himself doesn't, and to an extent, quite literally CAN'T care. he WILL be selfish and rub it in others' faces that he has what they don't, and that they can't have it, because it's his. he's also very aware of his circumstances as the half of the kokuyoku that can't heal or restore the likes of magical artifacts or artworks. he can only steal away to protect and preserve them before they're broken, or break things himself.

overall dark really has no problem passing a blind eye to a lot of 'villains' (being a troublemaker and criminal himself) but the moment they ever injure or damage his things, he's not just going to let it go. do not touch daisuke or dark's favorites, (those that trust him) or else. anybody can do whatever they want forever as long as it doesn't encroach into dark's possessions!

[thenationaltreasuregazette]

Occasional musings on Disney’s accidental masterpiece

Issue 1 | Issue 2

Timeline, Part 2

Last time, we discussed the timeline of National Treasure from the explosion of the Charlotte to the night of the gala. Our conclusion: Ben, Riley, and Abigail were probably all tired before the adventure even began.

Heist & Car Chase

Then of course we have the heist and subsequent car chase. The key word here is adrenaline.

It’s clear from Ben and Riley’s behavior heading into the heist that they’re both on edge about it. Ben cuts off Riley’s last attempt to talk him out of it as he gets out of the van, and can’t bring himself to talk over the earpiece for a moment, seemingly because if he does, this is really happening. He’s really going to attempt to steal the Declaration of Independence.

Then of course we have Ben’s iconically weird toast. While the rest of the movie doesn’t exactly suggest Benjamin Franklin Gates is a Super Normal Chill Guy™ on an average day, here he’s baaaaaarely keeping it together.

Abigail, for her part, doesn’t seem to be having a great time either. When we first see her before Ben shows up, she’s wandering around by herself looking around and holding her coat over her arms.

She even lets out an exasperated sigh. While not high stress in the same way as stealing a priceless, highly secure artifact, we can infer that she might not enjoy socializing in a big crowd like this. That in itself is draining. She’s also probably avoiding Dr. Herbert. This subplot is much more pronounced in the early script, but we’ll discuss that later.

And then there’s the shooting! Ben, Riley, and Abigail are all shot at in the span of maybe twenty minutes? Abigail is also kidnapped, held at gunpoint, and flung out on the door of a speeding van.

Then it’s the stop in the park and the drive to wherever in Virginia or Maryland Patrick lives. Ben and Riley know they’re being hunted by the FBI, and Abigail has been semi-kidnapped by (as far as she knows) a pair of unhinged theives-slash-conspiracy-theorists.

I would already need a nap is all I’m saying.

Patrick’s House

Before they process the Declaration, Ben says, “Dad, it’s really late. Why don’t you get some rest?”

Now, it’s unclear exactly how late it is, but assuming it was after 9pm when Ben and Riley arrived (people are still entering, but most of the guests seem to already be inside) it has to at least be a few hours later, perhaps 11 or 12 by the time they show up on Patrick’s doorstep.

Patrick seems like a night owl given how unfazed he seems by the hour, but it’s clearly late enough that Ben is at least able to use the hour as a plausible reason to shoo his father away, if not actually concerned about his father’s sleep schedule. And that’s before they find the cypher.

Acidifying, heating, and recording the numbers off of the Declaration isn’t a small project. When they pull up to the house, Ben guesses that they have “a couple of hours at least. I hope.”

Road to Philly

If it takes them an hour or two to fully reveal the Ottendorf cypher, that puts them on the road to Philadelphia no earlier than 1 or 2am. 

And to the three of them it probably feels much later. The adrenaline of the heist and the thrill of discovering the cypher both have to be coming down by now. Against the lull of the highway, the knowledge that they’re being chased by the FBI can probably compete less and less with the lure of sleep.

Riley, we know, at least dozes in the back seat. Ben and Abigail don’t seem to be considering sleep. Does Ben drive all the way there or does one of the others take over at some point? I’ve always assumed that Ben is exhausted but too on edge to consider taking a break. This was his heist based on his belief in the treasure. He’s responsible for whatever happens next, and I don’t see him being able to relinquish control of the drivers’ seat or anything else until well after the adventure is over. And the driving at least helps keep his mind occupied. (Have any fic recs set during this part? Send ‘em my way!)

The gang is seen arriving in Philadelphia in the early morning. Sunrise in was at 5:30am on June 19, 2004. (As discussed in part 1, this is likely the date the movie is set) It’s about a three hour drive from Washington DC to Philadelphia (give or take their exact starting and ending positions). If they arrive at 6am, half an hour after sunrise, they would have left Patrick’s closer to 3am.

If it is indeed later in the fall, as I tend to believe based on everyone’s clothing choices, sunrise would be closer to 6:45 or 7am, putting them on the road closer to 4am.

What were they doing all day?

There are currently two Urban Outfitters stores nearby the Franklin Institute, the earlier of which opens at 10am. Hard to say if this was the case twenty years ago, and while I find all of this digging incredibly fun, that’s a bit too far down the rabbit hole for me.

However, they clearly didn’t go straight there because, famously, it is “almost three” by the time Ben and Abigail are buying their clothes. This is necessitated by the narrative, because the time on the back of a $100 bill really is 2:22.

Or is it?

Some sources say the time is actually 4:10 (the inverse of 2:22 by switching the hour and minute hands).

That’s on the $100 bills in circulation at the time National Treasure was filmed, from 1996-2013. After the 2013 redesign, newer $100 bills show the time 10:30. Either way you read the 1996-2013 bill, the gang was going to have to wait until the afternoon to see the shadow.

But as I said, this isn’t about plot holes. This is about taking what the narrative gives us and examining what it means for the characters involved. (Y’all ever heard Harry Potter and the Sacred Text? Even (especially?) if you’re done with HP I really recommend it.)

So…what were they doing during those missing hours? Maybe they slept in the car for a little while, trading off who was on watch. I have to assume that at some point they went into a coffee shop or fast food restaurant for food and to use the bathroom. Of course, since at this point Ben and Abigail are still in their gala clothes, they probably weren’t out in public too much.

These quiet hours are one of my favorite not-seen-on-screen things to think about regarding this movie. I also tend to think they stopped at a 24 hour Burger King in the middle of the night, but that’s just a personal headcanon.

The Intrepid

While Ben is in FBI custody, Ian calls and tells him to meet on the deck on the USS Intrepid at “10 am tomorrow morning.”  That means that between the evening of the Philadelphia portion of the adventure and the next morning, all parties have to get to New York—that’s Ben and the FBI, Ian’s crew, and Abigail and Riley. Although they might have had to travel with Ian’s crew because they don’t have a car or much remaining money??

The meet at the Intrepid seems to be right on schedule. It had to be, both because the FBI wouldn’t dilly dally and put the Declaration at risk, and because Ian’s plan was pretty dependent on accurate timing.

Then it’s a 25 minute drive from Weehawken, New Jersey—which is what’s directly across from the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum—and that’s assuming reasonable traffic.

I get that this was like a decade before Alexander Hamilton got cool, but we’re not gonna talk about how the movie goes from the place he was shot to the place he’s buried??

So let’s say by the time they get to the church, it has to be at least 11am.

Trinity Church

If we continue with our assumption that the National Archives gala was on a Friday night, then the Philadelphia leg happened on Saturday, and the New York stretch on Sunday. That poses an additional obstacle: now it’s Sunday and we’re doing light demolition in a clearly empty church.

At present, there are masses held at Trinity Church at 8am, 9am, and 11:15am. It’s likely that the schedule was similar in 2004. Between masses there would be people coming in and out preparing for the next service, so I suspect that if it is Sunday, the gang doesn’t enter until after the final service has cleared out.

If the gala was on Saturday, though this doesn’t explain why Ben was sure Abigail would be at work, it would place the New York leg on Monday. There are currently also daily services held at 12:05pm.

In either case Team Treasure wouldn’t be able to enter the church inconspicuously until after about 1pm, when the final service was over (The 11:15 Sunday service is a longer one that runs until 12:30.)

Trinity Church is open to the public daily from 8:30-6pm.

Finale

Since the rest of the adventure takes place underground, the next indicator we have of time is the light streaming into Trinity Church when Ben is turning himself and the treasure over to Agent Sadusky. The high cathedral windows make it hard to get a sense of when this might be happening.

In any case it is still clearly daytime. By the time the characters “go down the creepy tunnel inside the tomb” and embark on the doomed walk down the staircase, the movie is playing out in more-or less real time. The whole sequence takes about twenty minutes, plus the time it would have taken them to gawk at the treasure for however long, then climb back up Riley’s precious second staircase. So it’s likely sometime in the afternoon.

 However, it is dark by the time Sadusky and Ben catch Ian in Boston.

It’s a 30 minute helicopter flight from New York to Boston, plus travel time to and from wherever they landed, etc. Sunset was at 8:30pm on June 19, 2004, so Ian’s arrest happens well into the evening.

If this is accurate, then it’s been about 48 hours since the adventure-proper began at the gala.

Conclusion

The conclusion here is that they’re tired. I’m talking bone-deep, don’t-remember-hitting-the-pillow, I-need-to-sleep-for-a-week-tired.

Yes they had a bit of downtime, but how much could they really have rested? Our three heroes have maybe gotten a few hours of fitful sleep between them. It’s the first time in a full forty-eight hours that they haven’t been running for their lives, and that is on top of the long week they’d already had.

There’s not really a point to all this other than 1. It’s fun, and 2. Every time I watch National Treasure now I’m struck by how exhausting this whole whirlwind must have been, and how tired they all must be. Relieved and excited and satisfied, yes, but t i r e d. Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect that the time on the $100 bill is debated and changes by edition, and that the Intrepid meeting takes place at 10am.

[amtrak12]

Possible Ending for Pushing Daisies

Thesis Notes:

Apologies, but this will not include screencaps to demonstrate my theories. I have other things I want to devote my energy to today, but still needed to get these thoughts out.

I will be using the word "artifact" in the Warehouse 13 sense of the word, aka: an object of human construction that has been imbued with unexplainable, and thus treated as magical, abilities. These abilities typically include an inconvenient or even dangerous downside.

Literally no idea what Bryan Fuller, et all ever said about their intentions for the show if it hadn't been canceled or if they ever said anything post-cancellation. I am working entirely off the canon text here.

Introduction:

Obviously, Pushing Daisies ended before it could reveal what its long term goals for the story were. Did they want to solve Ned and Chuck's issues with touch? Did they want to explain where Ned's powers came from? Were they ever going to explicitly admit to what they implied about the people (and animals) Ned kept alive being immortal???

Absolutely no idea and we can never know for sure. However, they did leave clues and untied plot strings, primarily with the history of Dwight Dixon, Charles Charles, and Ned's father (who was never given a name) and the pocket watches Dwight desperately wanted to find.

Now given the slow roll of these plot points and the deliberate mystery surrounding them, I suspect whatever that trio got up to was the long term plot. And for it to be the long term plot of Pushing Daisies, then presumably it would address the premise of the show, aka Ned's powers to wake the dead.

Foundation Theory:

Dwight, Charles, and Ned's father came across some valuable artifact during their time in the UN Peace Corp, stole it, and divided it up into three equal pieces that they hid in the pocket watches. (Alternatively, they hid the artifact somewhere and divided the map to the hidden location up into three equal pieces.) This artifact is responsible for Ned's powers.

Evidence:

The picture of the three men in the Blue Berets shows them on camels in the desert. This doesn't have to mean Egypt, however Egyptian curses are a very common motif, and Pushing Daisies loved taking story cliches and putting an exaggerated fantasy spin on them. The camels and desert was absolutely chosen on purpose which means it's relevant which means it shows where the men were when they at least bought the pocket watches.

So we have pocket watches and some version of an Egyptian curse. We also have Ned's father leaving after Ned's mother and Charles Charles died, which is important, not only for Ned's backstory, but as insight into his father's motivations.

Detailed Theory:

I posit that the three men knew of the dangerous repercussions when they took this artifact. Maybe it came with a written warning, maybe there was a legend about it, etc. Did the men understand the details of this danger? No. Did they even believe the warning? Well, certainly not enough to stop them from stealing it.

I don't believe they stole this artifact for power. I don't think they believed it was magical in any way. There was not one minuscule hint at any of these men having or tying to obtain magical powers, and Dwight was genuinely shocked at Ned bringing Charles back to life. I think the men were after money. Dwight would certainly be after money most after spending twenty years in jail, so his actions support this theory. Sell one piece of the artifact? Make a nice chunk of change. Sell the entire artifact at once? Make a fortune.

Ned's Powers:

Two ways this can go. Option A: Stealing the artifact, triggered the "curse" to go into effect. Like how the replacement victim when Ned keeps a dead person alive longer than a minute is a random proximity thing, the curse was a random proximity thing and landed on Ned. Option B: Breaking the artifact into three pieces, separated its powers from the object and -- again through random proximity -- the powers landed on Ned. I personally like option B, but I'm a WH13 girlie and your mileage may vary.

Ned's Father:

I think Ned's father knew about his powers. Maybe not before Ned's mother and Chuck's father died (most likely not before), but certainly after. When it happened, he remembered the warning about the artifact, put that information together, felt guilty, and then shipped Ned off to boarding school to try and forget it ever happened (hence the second family).

But it did happen and his father could never really put that guilt behind him. So, he abandoned his second family to dig into the artifact and figure out the curse, while also keeping a distant eye on Ned.

End Game of the Show:

Taking all of this to be true, then the end game would be for Ned and Chuck to learn about what their fathers stole and learn what Ned's dad has dug up about the artifact and curse. Then comes the decision: Do they collect the pieces and restore the artifact to its rightful place? It seems like an easy decision, but it does bring up the following hiccups. Would returning the artifact take away Ned's powers? Does he want his powers to be gone when he's just started to accept them as a super power? It's one thing to choose not to use them and another to not have them at all. Would he be able to touch Chuck if he didn't have his powers anymore or is that something already set into motion and his second touch would still kill her no matter what? Or, worse yet, would Chuck die the instant they returned the artifact?

Adding to the conflict is Ned's father who has done all this research and still sees Ned's powers as a clear-cut upside. A gift, ultimately, and not a curse at all. He doesn't want to return the artifact and isn't willing to handle over his piece of it in the pocket watch. "Look at all the people you've helped! The victims you got justice for, the families you helped find closure. You were able to bring Chuck back to life! You're going to risk throwing that away?" The words just fuel Ned's doubts and guilt. Because there has been good from it. He has helped people, and what if Chuck did die again?

But it was built on something wrong. So he and Chuck ultimately decide (together, of course, as always) that they don't want to live with that and choose to return the artifact. Again, you have two options here: they could convince Ned's father it's the right thing to do and he hands over his piece of the artifact OR he continues to disagree with them and they have to steal his piece from him and go behind his back to return it. It depends on whether you want to give Ned's father a redemption arc or not. Personally, I do not. :P Leave redemption to shows like Lucifer and The Good Place. I am here for technicolor spite.

Happy Ending:

Returning the artifact takes away Ned's powers, but it does not undo anything he did with those powers. The people who died (the funeral director, Dwight) are still dead. The people who are alive again (Chuck, Digby, Charles), are still alive.

But no longer immortal. The immortality was an extension of Ned's powers. No powers, no immortality. Both Digby and Chuck will now age again.

And both can be touched by Ned without dying. :) Relief! Happy ending! But earned, I feel. Even when I was watching it brand new, I definitely wanted them to be able to touch again because it ached so much, but I also didn't want it to be for random reasons, like the consequences wore off after 'x' amount of time. The journey I listed above is indeed a journey, and thus doesn't feel random to me.

Closing Thoughts:

I like how this integrates the loose threads in the show. I like what it says about the damage and trauma parents can pass on to their children and how it doesn't have to be intentional to leave lasting scars. Depending on how you frame the artifact theft, you can even do commentary on colonization, land back, and reparations.

And no, I don't think Chuck's father will suddenly start decaying the moment they return the artifact. This show uses the cartoon logic of a wagon of hay being enough to avoid injury after falling multiple stories out of a bell tower. So, even though Charles was dead and buried for twenty years and presumably has no internal organs because they would've done an autopsy at the time of his mysterious death, he will continue to live and age like normal, just with a permanent corpse face. :P

[aqueeracademic]

morse being queer (and other commentary) pt 6:

season 2, episode 2, “Nocturne”:

TW: discusses d*ath of a child

- this episode is all kinds of fucked up so brace yourselves for what i’m about to say

- little kids are creepy as shit don’t come for me

- jakes sitting in the chair closest to morse

- no shot he’s actually paying attention to the sports game

- i missed this show aww

- lucy boynton AND anya taylor joy in this episode is so wild

- i understand he’s dying but there was no reason to mess up priceless artifacts w his blood tbh

- once again NO SUBTITLES so i have 0 clue what thursday is saying

- morse’s panic™️ when joan jokes about going on a date

- morse doesn’t know anything about sports which means he’s gay

- but he DOES recognize indian style daggers

- morse likes bugs (i, too, am autistic)

- strange <33333333333

- i feel really bad for this girl given that her uncle is dead and all but she really needs to reconsider her dye job

- i love lucy boynton but this character makes me want to pull my hair out

- morse connecting w the Weird™️ girl at the school is smth that can be so personal

- “this is a very happy school” girl r u tryna be suspicious?????

- i know that this is a serious tv show but i was rooting for it to be an actual ghost the entire time

- them talking about morse is so 😐

- like they’re RIGHT but they shouldn’t say it

- “snuggle down spit spot” ok didn’t realize mary poppins was present in this episode

- lowkey this episode is scary as shit and i’m tired of pretending it isn’t

- don’t try and tell me u weren’t scared watching this

- debryn and morse!

- perfectly unbroken eye contact this entire scene

- try and name and single person morse is more comfortable around you can’t

- this museum curator is sooooooooooo

- if i speak.

- morse lying about being interested in football just to please jakes is so crazy to me

- literally the definition of pretending to like something for a crush

- frazil supremacy

- “a feeling of” -dramatic ass pause- “dread.”

- brother? just say it?

- monica 🥰🥰🥰

- every girl in this episode has absolutely atrocious hair i’m living for it (not u martha ur perfect)

- opening a girls school in a mansion famed for a gruesome and unsolved murder is perhaps a terrible idea and they should have thought twice about it

- thursdays tie is so tight wtf is he doing

- morse is obviously gorgeous but there are some angles where he’s so stunning it makes me sick

- the county police are so 🤮

- morse guessing immediately it was a prank and being shot down despite being right is 😐😐😐

- thursday will defend morse to the ends of the earth

- lady has a cane AND a broken arm she needs to catch a break

- morse just stealing the book is wild i would be so mad

- this lady telling him about the ghost and leading him to where she saw it and then insisting he don’t go there is so weird

- like don’t talk about potential evidence of an intruder and then tell the COP to not go up there

- can u guess whether i believe in ghosts yet?

- PLOT TWIST I DO

- the face he made when he saw it was a bible was so fucking funny

- bro was 🫤

- PLEASE why is this episode so scary

- had to turn all the damn lights on in my room

- “morse says he saw a child u can take him at his word”

- GO THURSDAY GO

- morse in a wife beater

- why tf didn’t he close his door all the way if he was gonna start taking clothes off

- look at his freckles i’m so sick

- “i got a mate over at county says u saw something”

- this translates directly to “i have a friend at the department you were teamed up with today and i asked him about you because i’m in love with you”

- i forgot how long these episodes are

- these americans are so fucking sweet i want justice for them asap

- it’s time for me to confess that i actually don’t understand a single case in this show

- i never understand the solution tbh

- i’m j watching bc it’s pretty

- thursday’s son asking morse if they were “going to do it tonight” and morse getting absolutely terrified

- “gonna do what” 😨😨

- babe calm down

- had to switch to the tv bc i cannot understand a word thursday is saying

- need the captioning

- jakes just smiling at morse while watching him walk away is so 💅

- this girl using the word “breeding” when referring to building a family definitely suggests a little fruitiness i fear

- sexy curator taking his glasses off seductively to look at morse™️

- the one thing this episode got right was how shit morse is with women

- them realizing it’s joan on the date is so fucking funny

- “where would you like your ashes scattered?” (morse doesn’t believe in burials?????)

- it is so bizarre to me that this teacher would be showering anywhere near a classroom and even more bizarre that she’s walking the hallway in a nightie and barefoot

- how does she think gently tapping the window is gonna get his attention when he’s already halfway across the field???

- this is why all the women die in horror movies

- joan literally saying they should kiss and him being like “that would never happen bc coffee is gross” is so real of him

- her lashing out insanely at the girl playing the piano and then being like “what’s happening to us” like you fucking psychopath that was ALL YOU who is “us”????

- “they were of their time” = racist

- “all women together? it’s against nature” sir what the fuck do u mean by that

- this episode is not nearly gay enough for my tastes 🫤

- STOP WHY AM I SCARED

- him thinking it was bunty and being upset about it makes me physically sick

- if you pay attention to jakes during the scene they’re discussing how the little girl got killed you’ll cry just like i did!

- his reaction to it is so visceral

- “gently, please” FINAL STRAW

- debryn fully relying on morse to solve the case is so personal

- the way that morse is spurred by debryn’s faith in him???

- morse has been awake for more than 36 hours how is that even possible

- morse is so good for telling bunty it wasn’t her fault and insisting she believe him

- morse absolutely LOVES it when the heterosexuals are at fault for something

- “haven’t you ever been lonely?” and then the camera focusing on morse ILL BE SICK

- jakes also absolutely loves blaming the hets

- “and you didn’t think to offer that up before now?” 😑

- get him!

- an entire phone call to a police station was MISSED because morse had an Epiphany™️ and never answered

- the way shaun evans has to deliver the explanation monologue 4-5 times in a row perfectly?? THATS acting

- they are driving WAYYYYY TOOOOO SLOWWWWWWW

- guys there is a murderer in the house RIGHT. NOW.

- go faster.

- ok i lied earlier this episode makes sense

- but most of the time i have 0 clue what’s going on

- i also lied when i said the curator was sexy he’s a murderer so i hate him and he’s gross

- maud being the only child who didn’t know who he was and also the only child who was a victim of him is so fucking sickening

- “don’t mind me, just make sure the girls are alright.” jakes i love you

- how did that fall take Black out but not kill morse??? is morse indestructible?

- i’m never gonna recover from the knowledge that the surviving child was blamed for the muders and hidden away because she had Down syndrome

- episode gets a 7/10 from me for being really good but not gay at all

[wixhavenwizes]

JAN LUIS CASTELLANOS, HOMOSEXUAL, CISMALE + HE/HIM →» RAFAEL CRUZ? they’ve been spotted around the CROSS common room. i hear they’re 24, and a THIRD YEAR at wixhaven, with an interest in SPELLCRAFTING AND MAGI TECHNOLOGY. they’re originally from PHOENIX, ARIZONA. rafael is gifted in ANIMAGUS, LEGILIMENCY, OCCLUMENCY, WANDLESS, NONVERBAL MAGIC, APPARATION/DISAPPARATION. they seem to be creative & intelligent & idealistic, but also impulsive & proud & vindictive.

name: Rafael Cruz nicknames: Rafe or Rafa date of birth: December 3rd height: 5'11 dominant hand: Right

parents: Sophia Cruz (mother), Gabriel Valencia (father) siblings: ---- cruz pets: Mirabel (Mimi) Owl

astrological sign: sagitarius (sun), libra (moon), gemini (ascending) positive traits: adventurous, nurturing, loyal, courageous negative traits: chaotic, brash, self-centered, spiteful habits: Cracks his knuckles when he's deep in thought or anxious, eats incredibly fast, will try to pet every dog or cat he comes across, bounces on the balls of his feet when he's feeling impatient or anxious. quirks: Has a very short attention span if he's not directly engaged, makes inappropriate jokes to ease tension, takes on more jobs and responsibilities than he can handle, hates saying no to people when they ask for help. The way to his heart is absolutely his belly, you cook for or feed him and he will be your #1 fan. Because of a broom accident when he was 14, he's terrified of heights, and can't fly on a broom for shit. pet peeves: People saying or insinuating he isn't capable of doing something. Having to be vulnerable or "weak" in front of people. Being pitied or coddled. hobbies: Reading, Hiking, watching Quidditch, Partying, scamming poor sweet 1st years, slaying. animagus: black cat sexuality: homosexual position: bottom verse

clothing style: He tends to lean more toward the sporty side, gym shorts, sweatpants, hoodies, tank tops. If he's dressing up, he tends to lean toward fitted button ups with a few buttons undone up top, skinny slacks (if they aren't too tight around the ass, then what's the point?). If he's really feeling himself, he will bust out the tailored three pieced suit. prominent features: His very prominent jawline, his nose, and his big brown eyes. Bio:

In any other world, Rafe should not be at Wixhaven. Born in a lower class non-magical family, or at least what he assumed was non-magical, he had always figured he was destined for mediocrity at best. His father was out of the picture before he was even born, and his mother, with two kids, was... not meant to be a mother. Her chronic drug abuse made caring for herself, let alone her family next to impossible. Needless to say, him and his brother entered the foster care system at a very young age, and if it wasn't for the letter inviting him to magic school, he probably would have been stuck.

Being introduced to magic as a kid was what fundamentally changed Rafe's life. He'd always been surprisingly bright given his roots. School came so easy to him it actually bored him, so when he was asked to leave a mundane school to become a wizard, it was as if he'd won the lottery.

As easy and normal school had been for Rafe, magic school seemed to come just as naturally. The difference was, he found himself actually passionate about it. Learning about charms, potions, spells to transform objects and even himself into other things, was fascinating to him. Granted, he did garner a reputation at his school for abusing his affinity for spells. Sneaking off campus, sneaking into other boys' dormitories passed curfew, breaking into other houses common rooms to prank them, figuring out how to concoct potions to inebriate you without needing to use or obtain alcohol. Yeah he was incredibly smart, but had knack for being problematically chaotic. It had gotten to the point where he'd almost gotten himself and his friends expelled from school for trying to steal an artifact from his headmaster's office. Luckily he was given grace by the professor who caught him, and was only punished through chores and school labor.

As great as magic school was, it was only nine months out of the year. Every summer, after school, Rafe was forced to go back to the mundane world, and since he had no blood family to take him, he was always forced into another foster home, another family to "care" for him while he waited to return to his real life. As either a blessing or a curse, he very rarely returned to the same home twice, and as time went by it only solidified his attachment to the people he knew in the wizarding world. Even still, he tried to hide the fact that he was essentially homeless from his friends at school. He didn't want them to pity him, or to think that magic was his only means of survival. Still, despite his insecurities, his friends from school were his family, his brother was his everything, and as time went on he only felt connected to those people even more.

Graduating from school was not so much of an accomplishment as it was a right of passage. He was a wizard as far as society saw it, but he wanted more. He needed more. He couldn't go back to the mundane world knowing what he knew. When he was given the opportunity to go further with his education, when Wixhaven invited him to study, of course he accepted on the spot. The first few years have been a blur for him. He's still found a love for spell work, for arcane deconstruction and then reconstruction. That being said, he's still as chaotic as he was as a teenager at times, and just wants to have fun.

[virovac]

Moguera as a robot "monster" rather than a mecha?

I probably stated this before, but I feel Moguera could be interesting used as a mysterious ancient mechanism rather than a government-built robot or alien invader. After being found and reactivated by humans, it could be studied and kept as a resident in the chain of islands including Monster Island, where they experiment with how to command it using similar technology found with it (and the reverse engineered copies they make).

(Destroy All Monsters originally in drafts had an idea of the chain of islands they called Monsterland being home to other science projects not directly related to the kaiju, such as experiments in aquaculture, but worldbuilding got trimmed for time )

I know this might sound weird, but robots used to arguably be more often a type of monster rather than their own thing as they came to be in Kaiju stuff. A mysterious artificial entity that can malfunction or be given unwisely worded orders in a way that causes great destruction.

(Having flashbacks to children's books where someone steals a magic artifact and did not realize that the magic words to activate it were not the same as those needed to make it deactivate, and it goes out of control)

This take on Moguera , being mysterious and barely controlled by humans who run tests and learn to reverse engineer how to give it orders, and let it run free on an island while they fiddle with settings.

In a way Moguera would fulfill a monster role similar to some stories of living constructs as useful but dangerous, and add more variety to the denizens.

And has story potential of Moguera being used to renovate parts of islands for enrichment of newly arrived kaiju, attempt to use it to help break up fights between kaiju, and of course threats to have funding of the Moguera research project pulled or to have the research put under new management.

This was inspired by the Godzilland line of merchandise and VHS tapes where Moguera was just another resident of the island the monsters live on.