#but from tragic sunday -> present

[luvnakaharas]

once this whole mess is over (and like OVER over, no new twists or anything like that) i wanna see everyone come back to the agency and everything’s back to normal.

but it’s not normal if that makes sense.

atsushi might not be dead but he’s still seen all of that and was ready to die if it meant he could be with everyone and just never could relax. whenever he thought things were going to be okay it all just gets ripped away. he cannot let himself relax and finally settle in.

dazai didn’t die in meursault but it was so tough on him anyways, he injured himself so much which is something he HATES, as well as having to plan against fyodor over and over and over and OVER. is he still going to be on edge even if they’ve dealt with him?

like maybe the agency has been put back together but there is NO denying the effect everything from tragic sunday onwards has left a horrible mark on everyone at the agency.

from yosano having to confront her past with mori to ranpo having to go against someone he thought he could trust so well. so much has happened (in so little time) and it’s been awful, literally no one in the agency is the same after this. i really hope asagiri explores that <3

[slowd1ving]

IWAUSBTIDAWRIANWATSIARHNAFTFTWOADP ✦ . SUNDAY

I was an underpaid salaryman but then I died and was reincarnated into a new world as the strongest in a reverse-harem novel and forced to follow the whims of a deranged pope??? headcanon/drabble thing idk before I recommit to my baby pendulum art creds: noredemptionarc on x pairing: pope sunday + male reincarnator reader warnings: none, just some obsessiveness ig and violence wc: 4k

HONKAI STAR RAIL MASTERLIST

MASTERLIST ・゜・NAVIGATION

✦ . Each person has their own unrealistic daydreams about things they want to experience: a day with unlimited money, exacting revenge on a particularly insufferable coworker, or perhaps the advent of superpowers. Paltry things, naturally, in response to the endless mundanity and strife present in a vast world.

✦ . Naturally, you’re no different: an overworked corporate pawn that fits uncomfortably in the statistical median. Each ambition of yours is imprisoned in a charcoal suit, and your only solace is escaping to other worlds to forget this one. That’s your daydream, wrapped neatly in a bound volume of novels and the cracked screen of your phone.

✦ . Apocalypse, martial arts, romance—you devour each and every genre. Horridly predictable clichés, trash storylines and badly written characters: they pile up, catalogued in your reading history with carefully curated reviews. There are gems that you wouldn’t mind ending up in; with those, you plan cautiously your ascent to a comfortable, entertaining life—an office worker versus the pixels on your phone. 

✦ . Alas, you wind up in a cliché of your own: entering an eternal slumber from overwork and reincarnating as a side character in the shitty b-rated romance novel your coworker recommended. Scratch that—not even a side character but an extra. It’s a karmic jab at the scathing vitriol you left buried in the comments, engaging with the work only to argue with people beneath each chapter about the god-awful plot devices and utter vapidity behind the character choices. Like, come on, a harem based on how ‘interesting’ the female lead is? Seriously? 

✦ . Except, the situation is very serious now. Shoved into the body of one of the male leads? You could’ve dealt with that hand. Reborn as the villain responsible for the situations that inevitably ended with each male lead getting closer to the heroine? Sure, you’ve read enough of those that you have a comprehensive, cited manual on how to turn around your fate. But… being born as a commoner in a fantasy setting, a good twenty years before the story actually starts, in a village that would likely be stricken by the plague or wiped off the map as a plot device? You’re screwed. 

✦ . Or that’s what you might’ve thought, if the plot wasn’t so predictable. 

✦ . You’ll set yourself up for life if you play your cards right—following each cliché like a trail of breadcrumbs to find each magical artifact or whatever, unlocking a magical core probably along the way, finding every obvious foreshadowing Chekhov’s gun style. Training to be the underdog knight who ends up as a second male lead? Pshh—that’s amateur stuff. You’ll make a name for yourself, journeying through the lands of Argo to steal the main characters’ glory. 

✦ . It’s simple. You wait for an inevitable war with demonic hordes that probably contributed to a tragic backstory in the main cast, and do your best to get recruited by the grizzled veteran who conveniently spots you training with a stick in one of the fields. Either you die and leave this stupid world, or you get lucky and rise up in the ranks—a win-win situation, really.

✦ . It hurts. The magic sword that you found located suspiciously in the forest looks into your soul and determines you are not in fact pure of heart and will wallop you until you are, thus the golden-haired Southern Duke’s heir Gepard Landau misses his opportunity to acquire the legendary Harpe, and you get to be beaten up in his stead. You don’t complain though—this is all part of the convoluted process that is mentioned once (never in detail) that creates a stupidly overpowered character. 

✦ . It hurts. The veteran who noticed your far-too-enthusiastic movements knows his stuff—in true cliché fashion—and you are molded into the perfect little soldier, bruised within an inch of your life. You learn various footwork techniques and the basics that shape your swordwork into something to be feared, that cuts down demons like wheat under a sickle. 

✦ . It hurts. Magic circles brand the tender walls of your heart when you’re thinking about the physics degree you started but never managed to complete, and you pass out a few times as they stabilise—but it’s fine. Pain is temporary; those sweet gains will be your plot armour. 

✦ . Guilt might have wracked your heart if you were one of those irritating protagonists that firmly believed they should stick to the plotline no matter what, but you aren’t. If it’s truly a fictional world you are in, then your actions won’t matter; and if it’s a real world, then your actions merely represent a parallel divergence in this universe, and the world actually doesn’t revolve around the main cast. 

✦ . You are the first to find the demonic stone that is meant to be absorbed by the Duke of the North, Yingxing—one of the more disturbing male leads—and consume it to catalyse the formation of additional magic circles around your body. He’s just some guy whose demonic heritage and extensive training created a ridiculously strong and edgy lead who is fixed or whatever by the sunny protagonist. 

✦ . It is when you accidentally-on-purpose stumble across the statue of an old goddess Idrila that your ripples culminate into a tidal wave of change. Within the subtle planes of the stone, a mythical being slumbers—meant to be the driving force behind the knight-turned-second-lead Argenti’s actions, yet will now be used to your full advantage as you drip your blood into the offering plate. No, she doesn’t grant wishes, but she does give him a pretty neat technique that creates a water-tight defense.

✦ . You may have gone too far. The paltry details you’ve robbed from the story—mere plot devices that only accelerate the male leads’ growth—have forged you into a war hero, practically capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Demon Queen herself. Well, not really. You won’t push your luck, even as you’re being awarded a medal of honour and a title for turning the tides. It’s a viscounty—far more than you expected, but you’ll take it, even with the whispers in high society about you. A commoner turned noble. Oh, the scandal—the horror. Truly, you could not care less as you return to the battlefield to find even more spoils—except, you almost crash into a herald on your way and stare incredulously as he delivers the king’s edict. 

✦ . Guard His Holiness. 

✦ . You were fine dealing with the murderous stare garnered from the Northern Duke as you politely bowed to the protagonist, fine with interacting with the two more rational male leads (though it was a controversial case when it came to Sir Argenti, if you were totally being honest), but His Holiness? Now, this wasn’t a plotline you could have predicted. If memory serves you correctly, mad dogs of the battlefield are, you know, kept in the battlefield slaughtering demons—not, you know, on guard duty. Is the king being for real?

✦ . He is, in fact, being for real. Part of you wants to take the rolled up parchment from the herald and bash it over your head, but another part of you appreciates the unexpected nature of the request. Or perhaps it’s expected, as the natural enemy of demons is the Church of Order, and they will likely be targeted by the hordes next. Except, you’re not quite sure why the most dangerous of the male leads, Sunday, needs protection. Of the unfortunate quartet, he is the most obsessive—the papal figure of Ena the Order, with his deluded faith coming only second to his absolute devotion to the heroine. 

✦ . Though, on second thoughts, heading to the church might be the only plausible course of action—you know, consult with whatever god is running this place, get some answers to the questions that have really been bugging you, like the logistics of this world, and perhaps why this feels far too like an easy mode on a video game with all the clues laid in front of you. You want a real head scratcher, now that everything’s fallen neatly into place: your wealth, title, and sick powers. 

✦ . Except, as you’re kneeling before a statue of Ena and fervently wishing for some explanations and perhaps an answer for why things continue to be easy mode, a sickening chill spreads over your body—almost as if THEY are laughing at you. Easy mode? THEY seem to scoff, before the feeling fades away and you stand up, feeling dread pool in your stomach. 

✦ . You’re just some guy. You took this job and didn’t run away to the neighbouring kingdom, purely for the reason that your soul is about as clean as pond water—much like all the other people who frequent the temple—and Sunday views these ordinary people, these sinners, with a benevolent sort of sympathy. Nobles and commoners alike are lumped in together as the ‘lambs’ who require salvation—including you, of course. The pure-hearted main character is a general exception to this rule—somebody who in his eyes, absolutely embodies light. She’s far purer than he is, which ironically serves as the sun to his wax-adhered wings—catalysing his imminent destruction and advent as someone who’d do anything for her. The Sunday you’d read about with mild fascination will inevitably grow distant to the plight of people—which is perfect for you, either way, as you will be reduced to white noise, befitting of a mere guard. 

✦ . Well, it’s not like he needs a guard, regardless. If you had to pick one positive of that novel, it would be evenly distributing the power levels of each male lead—meaning that Sunday was comparable to the other three in his own right (or he might even be slightly stronger, considering your hijacking of key level-up materials of the other three). And in true novel fashion, he’d likely just dismiss you as soon as you announced yourself. 

✦ . Which he does. He’s not necessarily a tall man, but the way he dresses pristinely and talks in that clipped manner makes him exude a certain type of presence that makes you wary of numerous facets of his character: the almost-too-angelic image he presents himself with, the dark expression he wears when nobody can see him, and finally, the uncanny way he spots lies within someone’s words. Of course, you’re not necessarily important enough to exchange words with, therefore it’s not like he can glean lies from your brief greetings when you come to fulfill your duties each day and are promptly dismissed from your post. 

✦ . You’d be pretty annoyed about this blatant waste of time if it weren’t for the fact that it gives you access to the theological works located in the library—ample time to research the exact cliché that led you here. Though you’d wished for such a reincarnation to take you from Earth, it feels artificial almost, when you’re pre-cognisant of what will happen based on the tried and true arcs of each repetitive novel you’ve read. 

✦ . There’s no way of telling what point of the story you’re in. With how many things you’ve screwed over, it could be over for all you know—or there could be a parallel story culminating from all the butterfly effects you’ve unleashed. Ah, whatever. You’re strolling through the well-maintained courtyard with a divine treatise in one hand and the constant droning of Harpe in one ear, attempting to find a nice little shady nook to lurk and read in, when you see it—the protagonist, presumably meeting the papal figure of the Order for the first time. The slight flutter of the wings by his face that denote him as part of an angelic race confirms it, and you turn on your heel abruptly, leaving them to talk. 

✦ . Except, the protagonist is far too friendly for her own good—and hasn’t in fact forgotten about a commoner-turned-viscount who met her properly like once. She waves at you cheerfully, calling out your name, and you turn around slowly—like you’re in some horror movie, which you probably are. 

✦ . “I didn’t know you got transferred here!” Each time you see her, you’re reminded of the interns at your company—friendly, not yet crushed by the depressing reality of corporate life. It makes you feel bad for her, but then you’re reminded of who exactly stands next to her when you politely take her hand and bow your head over it in a perfunctory greeting. 

✦ . “Yes, as per His Majesty’s orders.” You’re laconic in your usual state, which seems to cut you some slack with Sunday, who observes each miniscule shift of your emotions like some damn psychologist—the general apathy you feel to the both of them, the yearning to go somewhere else (anywhere but here). You can feel the intrusion, and it’s a double-edged sword. If you succeed with this, you can successfully convince him you’re not a threat. 

✦ . “What are you reading?” She spotted the book you’re half-heartedly keeping tucked by your side, and you can feel the intensity of Sunday’s stare increase. Shit. 

✦ . “Some of the interpretations made by the Prophets.” You mutter truthfully, feeling as though you’re being interrogated. You hesitantly show the worn cover—wanting to be anywhere but here, under the Pope’s intense scrutiny of his guard.

✦ . “Oh, really? That’s—”  “The manuscripts in the library aren’t meant to be taken out of the building.” Sunday’s cool voice interrupts her, and you practically wither. 

✦ . “My apologies, sir. I was unaware of that.” It’s best to smooth things over instantly: pathetically bowing your head to the Pope. “It’s Your Holiness, viscount. And it’s unseemly for a guard of mine to be unaware of two such crucial pieces of knowledge.” As expected, he’s meticulous about everything pertaining to his image—so unbelievably fastidious that it might’ve irritated you had you not had so many years of working under irritating superiors. 

✦ . “Yes, Your Holiness. Then, I’ll excuse myself to return the treatise.” There’s not a trace of annoyance in you—rather, a profound relief at him providing the convenient excuse for you to exit. It was probably on purpose that he did so, hoping you’d take the hint and leave, but it works very well for you. 

✦ . “Wait— is that the ancient language of ◼◼◼◼◼?” There’s a brief pause, before you stare at the book again, prompted by her curious words. It’s not in the fictional language of this place, but the ancient tongue had always been denoted in the novel as square brackets around the original English of the text for convenience, which indirectly manifested it as English when you reincarnated here. 

✦ . “I suppose,” you mutter. It’s rare to find clergy who can both read and speak it well, and even rarer for a regular layperson to do so. It’s far too time-consuming to learn with the current alphabet of this place, and the pronunciation isn’t intuitive at all based on how the words are constructed, considering the language here. It makes you wonder at the sloppy linguistic developments of this world, further supporting the hypothesis that you’re still in a fictional world. 

✦ . [You’re fluent and not just loitering about to waste time?] Sunday speaks, maintaining his even tone and crisp cadence—though they’re tinged with some Argonian ways of speaking. The protagonist’s head swivels between the two of you, and you sigh internally at the prolonged disruption.

✦ . [Yes, Your Holiness. If I wanted to waste time, I’d beat up your knights templar. But as it stands, it’s not like you’re letting me perform my job regardless, therefore I am in a state of loitering perpetually.] You bow your head once more, feeling a strange sense of vindication. [Now, if you’ll excuse me.] Then, you leave—particularly refreshed after the little spat. 

✦ . That is your first mistake. 

✦ . The second comes from having befriended the Saint, Robin. Though formally, she’s meant to be in isolation—guarded in her tower save for days where she descends to the realm of mortals—you’ve felt sorry for the faceless girl and her quiet complaints, so you’ve taken to spiriting away sweet foods from the outside and leaving them on her windowsill—using the special footwork arts you’ve trained in for such paltry purposes. As it turns out, Templar knights are more than willing to leave guard duty to a war hero, which means you become more or less a constant in her terribly lonely life. You feel horrible. Her voice has been blessed by the gods, and thus she’s been reduced to a songbird—shackled to a birdcage by the corrupted elders of the church. 

✦ . Yet, she can’t even escape, for the hold they have over her brother makes her unable to leave. 

✦ . You only realise what a horrible mistake it is when the two of you end up bonding over literature—on one side of the table, a veiled Saint eats some of the strawberry cheesecake that you baked after sneaking into the Temple kitchens at night, while on the other, you sit with a cup of hard coffee to knock some energy back into you. Well—it’s not exactly then that you realise you fucked up. After all, you’re enjoying a pleasant conversation on the most mundane of things: the birds that fly past her window and occasionally stop by to bring her flowers, the weird sort of stiffness that the priests move with outside, and the unique taste of the cakes the pâtissier in the village makes. 

✦ . You don’t bring up your past, nor her situation. It’s the only respite she gets from her solitude, and it’s the only respite you get from your own—two misfits within a strict hierarchy. 

✦ . Yet…

✦ . “Explain exactly what you are doing here.” Cold fury vibrates through Sunday’s voice as he stands in the stone doorway leading into the Saint room. You freeze under his yellow-eyed, boreal glare; every second stretches into an infinity, and the cake on your fork wobbles in tandem with your hand. 

✦ . Shit, isn’t this breaking some kind of taboo? The veiled Saint pauses, then places down her fork too—yet, she’s not shaking in her boots like you are. 

✦ . “Don’t yell at him.” You’re staring at her incredulously, and your fork clatters against your plate as you drop it. Sunday’s gaze swivels to her, and his brows furrow. 

✦ . “And you—what have I told you about being careful?” It’s not exasperation in his voice, but something else that you can’t quite put your finger on. Concern? Nah—can’t be. 

✦ . “She’s not at fault,” you argue. But upon reflection… “Neither am I, actually. I’m fulfilling guard duty whilst being her friend.”

✦ . Friend. You can tell her eyes are fixed upon you from beneath her veil—though you can’t tell they’re brimming with some emotion. Sunday only scoffs at your words—his unmoved mask wavers in the face of the Saint, it seems. “Guard duty? You’re flagrantly disobeying protocol, again, while being a bad influence on the Saint. What are you doing here in the first place?” 

✦ . “Stop it, Brother!” Her words send a shocked shiver down your spine—and she’s pulling off her veil, showing you a face and wings that are practically a carbon copy of her brother’s. All angry and red and yelling, and you’re left staring at two siblings squabbling over you. “He’s one of the only things that have been keeping me sane in this misery. I’m old enough to distinguish who I can trust and befriend—” 

✦ . “Robin…” he murmurs, wings agitated and flattened against his face. His lips part and close once more, before his eyes swivel to yours in a renewed glare. “And you—”

✦ . [Follow me.] His icy tone clearly translates into the tongue he switches to, and you’re essentially marched out by the ear. You haplessly look back at Robin, but all she mouths is ‘I’ll see you later’. It’s barely an assurance that you’ll survive the encounter, but at this point, you’ll take any assurance you can get. 

✦ . You get your answer when he practically slams you down into a chair in his office, wiping his dove-grey gloves off as if you’re dirt reincarnate, and you scowl. 

✦ . “Answer me honestly,” he demands, and you nod with a swallow. You can feel the familiar intrusion rooting around in your mind, drinking in every change in emotion. “Are you seeking to harm Robin?”

✦ . “No, I’m not.” You hold his gaze. There are two sides to his personality—the apathy he feels towards everyone, and the care that he bequeaths onto those close to him. It’s been like that in the novel throughout the duration of his arc—this new, irritated side to him is one you’ve never seen.

✦ . “I would’ve thought a war hero would have a spine, but you’re far more pathetic than I thought.” It’s a cutting remark, but honestly, you’re marvelling at the change. 

✦ . “All due respect, Your Holiness, but you’re my employer and this is a feudal system,” you reply neutrally, gazing at the floor as if it’s captivating you. The glare focused on you intensifies. 

✦ . “I changed my mind. Report to me each morning—I’ll put you to work.”

✦ . He lives up to his words. Rather than guarding him, you’re entrusted with translating manuscripts into this world’s tongue—a task that had previously been split between him and two other cardinals, yet has now been unceremoniously delegated to you. You’re paid, naturally, yet not for the damn job that you were meant to do. 

✦ . “Pour me some tea.” It’s another flippant side to him that you only ever witness when you’re alone with him. If anyone walked in, all they’d see after politely knocking would be a paragon of hard work—Sunday—and his aide. That’s what you’ve been reduced to from a mad dog of the battlefield. 

✦ . “What am I, a maid?” you mutter under your breath, and his yellow eyes hone in on you in the precise glare that makes your spine prickle. 

✦ . He only softens when he sees his sister—inviting himself to the designated ‘tea times’ the Saint has set for you, and merely staring at you whenever you speak, never deigning to reply to you but only Robin when she speaks to him directly. 

✦ . “I think you’re the closest to a friend that he’s ever had,” she tells you one time, when he’s busy with the inevitable duties that come with being the pope. You don’t say anything, laughing off her words internally. You? A friend? To Sunday? The maniac obsessed with divinity, the Order, and the protagonist? It’s ridiculous. He challenges you to a duel that very night—and you think it’s over. He’s never shown his hand like this in the novel; those who witness him fight might as well be dead.

✦ . His divine power manifests itself as thorns—looping and weaving in dangerous ways you barely manage to block with Harpe and Idrila’s defense, crashing into the secluded ground of the Templar knights’ training hall. 

✦ . “What’s wrong?” he taunts. “Didn’t you say you could beat templar knights? And here you are, struggling before a mere member of the clergy?”

✦ . You don’t fall for his provocations. No, actually, you do. A magic circle activates. Another halo appears around his head.

✦ . It’s a narrow victory, you think, but he’d claim it as his—two bodies lie heaving in the sand, surrounded by the rubble of a training hall. 

✦ . “You know magic. Fix it,” he pants, looking down at his sweaty body in mild disgust. To be in such a state—you read his thoughts amongst the affronted flutter of his wings.

✦ . “Isn’t divine power better for repairing things?” you comment sardonically. “I think I’m all spent.”

✦ . “Should I report you to the king for lapsing in your duty?” he glares, sitting up. 

✦ . “You could,” you settle your hands beneath your neck contentedly. “If anything, I’d simply be fired and sent back to the battlefield. I’ve got armies to command, don’t I?”

✦ . There’s a crack, before a pillar (that had been precariously canted at an angle) comes crashing down against the billowing grime of the hall. You startle, and whip your head to gaze at Sunday, who merely looks at you placidly. 

✦ . “Is that so?” he murmurs. There’s something buried deep in his eyes—something implacable, as though he was the one that caused the pillar to snap in a fit of anger. Anger over your impudent words, most likely, and nothing else—right? Right?

[wrathofrats]

Mushy May Day 2: morning routine

Prompts by @forlorn-crows! Sfw 600 words

Read under cut or find all my mushy may on ao3

Zephrit gets ready for Sunday service <3

Zephyr shoved their face further into ifrits chest as his alarm blared through the room. Cinnamon and vanilla woven into a faded t shirt that they’re sure has more than a couple holes in it. They could feel the fire ghoul raise his arms from around zephyrs shoulders and stretch, popping his back before running his fingers through their hair.

“Time to get up moth”

They groaned in annoyance, somehow hoping that if they simply got deeper under the blankets that ifrit would leave them alone. This however was contested by ifrit standing up, leaving zephyrs side cold. Cruelty, is what it was.

“We have mass my love. I promise we can sleep the rest of the day afterwards” ifrit gently pulled the covers down to at least show zephyrs face. A warm flush from sleeping against ifrits body heat, hair askew. They were cute in the mornings, much clingier than usual that ifrit usually couldn’t stand to give up.

“Tell papa I died. Tragic plane accident. You need to stay here and mourn” they mumbled, pulling the blanket back up over them.

“If my pretty bird is dead then how will I cuddle them and make sure they’re warm and loved when we get back?”

There was a loud groan from under the blanket before it was dramatically kicked off, a grumpy looking zephyr revealed from beneath it. Ifrit smiled and held out his hand, pulling them up and leading them to the bathroom to get ready. Usually things were quick, a simple 10 minutes to do the basics and throw on whatever in order to either do different tasks around the abbey or stay in with the other ghouls. Sundays were different however, needing to look nice and presentable in uniform for papa and the siblings. A pillar of obedience and a stellar image for the clergy.

Still didn’t prevent any of them from complaining about all of it needing to be done at a truly ungodly hour.

Ifrit had the shower on and turned to just the place zephyr liked (neatly marked on the faucet just in case either of them forgot) before zeph was even finished undressing. They stepped in and relaxed into the spray, ifrit slotting behind them to pull their hair out of the bun they had slept in. It was a quick enough routine once they had gotten a hang of it, ifrit washing their hair while they ran a washcloth over his body, and switching once zephyr had conditioner in their hair so it could sit.

“Remind me to buy you real shampoo” zephyr mumbled, pouring the almost offensively neon blue liquid into their hands. Some generic 3 in 1 that was vaguely “fresh” scented, but smelled mostly like cheap cologne. Nothing that couldn’t be covered up by body wash and ifrits regular cologne but still made zephyr roll their eyes.

“This is real shampoo! It says it on the bottle”

“It’s also $2, who’s money are you trying to save??? We use papas credit card”

“I like the color, fancy shampoo is always like … white. I like the blue”

Zeph pulled ifrits head back into the stream of water, raking their hands through to get rid of the suds. They sighed when he stood up straight to look down at them with a stupid smile. He was lucky he was cute they guess, the dumb decision didn’t stop them from pinching his butt with a snort.

“You’re lucky I think you’re pretty firefly”

“You think I’m pretty???” Ifrit laughed

[ironunderstands]

Here’s my comparison of Acheron, Aventurine and Ratio that I made in 2.1 which I forgot to upload here lol, I would like you to know my thoughts then because OH BOY HAS THIS AGED WELL

Aventurine, Acheron, Ratio and what the Nihility means to them

(Inspired by a convo I had with @aoxizu on Tumblr!)

The ending scene of the 2.1 update (the one featuring the black hole) is perhaps one of my favorite in all of fiction. I genuinely adore the way it was done and what it says about both the characters and life itself. This game has THEMES and by god did they come through then. So, I want to go over why I love it so much, and why it’s such a vital moment for Acheron, Aventurine and Ratios characters.

First, some context. Prior to Aventurine’s and Acheron’s conversation, Aventurine was taking the riskiest gamble of his life. Prior to the confrontation between him, Acheron and the Astral Express, Aventurine set up a plan to try and get to the secret at the heart of Penacony, as well as provide a ruse for Topaz and Jade to do, well whatever they planned on doing, the ending scene says they came there to “harvest”, so in 2.2 I assume we will find out what exactly that entails.

In order for this plan to work, Aventurine needed his cornerstone and to trick Sunday, so pre-2.0 he went to Dr. Ratio to include him in this plan, and set up a fake betrayal to fool Sunday and allow him to keep the Aventurine stone, with the Jade and Topaz stones also being acquired pre-Penacony. We know this because of Aventurine’s conversation with Topaz post 1.4 Belabog mission in which he requests her help in Penacony, something which we didn’t get confirmation on whether or not she accepted until 2.1, in which it’s revealed that one of the Cornerstones in the box is Topaz, meaning when they got confiscated in 2.0 she had already accepted his offer (we can assume a similar situation for Jade). 

Essentially, everything had been going according to plan for IPC (even if Aventurine was absolutely not having a fun time during it), Ratio even says as much, stating that the IPC is pleased to hear of his death sentence, so that part of the confrontation was already predetermined. This leaves Aventurine with one final gamble, hoping the Astral Express and Acheron take the bait, and that they will try and stop him from destroying the entire dreamscape, which if Acheron acts on it, he could entire the true dreamscape to find the truth, as only an emanator could break through the power of the harmony. 

Luckily for Aventurine, the gamble pays off and Aventurine does indeed draw her blade, both stopping him and sending them both into another plane entirely, it’s there in which one if my favorite scenes in fiction ever occurs. 

You see, even if Aventurine planned this all from the start, he hasn’t exactly been having a fun time while doing it. Being sentenced to death and then slowly hallucinating on Harmony sh1t until the manifestations of your past self and your present doubt and insecurities come to haunt you isn’t exactly fun for anyone, especially Aventurine. 1) Because his backstory is horrifically tragic and being faced with a reminder that you will never feel secure or valued or truly happy would be enough to erode away the psyche of anyone 2) A version of himself which claims to be his future, but is more like a personification of how much Aventurine doubts and hates himself. It’s even more telling that this isn’t the first time he has talked to this version of him, in fact it saved his life several times, meaning one of Aventurine’s driving motivations is his own self loathing. 

A trait that on the surface you don’t think he would have, Aventurine plays the role of the confident, unflappable gambler who always wins, when in reality his other hand is under the table, clutching his chips for dear life (something I quite literally paraphrased from the game). 

Therefore, going into this conversation, Aventurine is more relieved than anything, yet another one of his gambles paid off, but now he will have to see how to go from there, and that’s when Acheron’s advice comes in. She’s not stupid, and immediately recognizes that he won (or at least got what she wanted), and that killing him is meaningless, it’s not his time yet. However, what Aventurine is really focused on is the fact that out of all the emanators he could have come across, the one he faces now is an emanator of nihility.

And well, in the face of overwhelming nihility, one’s own value comes into question yet again, and that’s something Aventurine doesn’t even need the aeon for to ask. So, he talks to Acheron, as IX isn’t exactly going to answer, but she might know. Now, I’m just going to lay out the dialogue (then explain it obviously) because it’s genuinely amazing. 

Aventurine starts out by asking Acheron if she is an emanator of nihility, and I find her response to be really interesting. She doesn’t view herself as someone chosen by IX, as nihilism (the feeling of meaningless) envelops everyone equally, but she has simply walked in their shadow longer, tainted on the feeling. This leads Aventurine to question if this is the end, as if life has lost all meaning, in the face of overwhelming nihility, would that mean he’s dead?

Luckily Acheron immediately disagrees, stating that this is merely a manifestation of IX, not the end (he’s not dead guys idk how anyone can think that). However Aventurine still questions if his death has been determined, but Acheron doesn’t promise it. She mulls over his plan and and Aventurine asks her why she thinks he did it, and Acheron believes it was to find a secret deeper than the dream “deaths: the Real Penacony. He wonders how she found out, and Acheron says it’s the trailblazer’s identity which allowed her (and Aventurine) to come to this conclusion (we don’t yet know how this happened for either of them yet, but 2.2 should give answers).

They continue, Aventurine reveals that he believes the barrier the family built using the power of the harmony was not just to keep death out but the nightmare that is the real dreamscape. That the Memory Zone is simply a vast island built atop a violent ocean with the barrier keeping whatever nightmarish secrets from washing ashore. In order to break through this barrier and find the real dreamscape, which is why he kept killing himself earlier in the dream, but to no  avail. When Sparkle gave him the hint, he realized it was referring to Firefly, someone who had seen the other side and survived it, even if she was unable to let others know if it. It wasn’t proof of the families wrongdoing, but it was suspicious enough for him to try and get Acheron to kill him, rather than try and find the Meme to recreate Firefly’s death. 

Acheron points out just how insane this plan was, that if he hadn’t gotten lucky and crossed path with her, it wouldn’t have succeeded. Then, she commends him for playing it perfectly, pitting her perfectly against him and creating a plan that would be beneficial for the IPC no matter what happened, as even if he dies that would be great leverage. However, Aventurine disagrees with that last point, he truly can’t guarantee the IPCs success or even his own survival, that if she hadn’t drawn her blade it would have all be pointless. 

She’s doesn’t let him continue along this line of thought, what-ifs are pointless and he earned his ticket to the dreamscape. What matters now is what happens next, and Acheron asks him if he can return from the abyss (Childe reference?), but more importantly, she questioned if he has ever wavered, as even a gamble as seemingly insane as the one Aventurine just did seems to have not shaken him (from her POV, we know how terrified Aven was but everyone else minus maybe Ratio does). 

Aventurine tells her perhaps the most fundamental aspect of his character; he gambles simply because he has no other choice, betting on everything because he has nothing else to lose. Acheron tells him to wake up from this “dream” (aka find the true dreamscape), and she presumably goes to leave.

However (and this is my favorite part of the scene), he asks her one more question before she leaves, thinking she might know the answer as a pathstrider of nihility, “Why are we born in this world if it’s just to die?”

Her response is the best possible way you could answer this question. Acheron is an emanator of nihility, but she doesn’t think life is meaningless. The feeling of emptiness and pointlessness envelops everyone equally and that’s exactly why the nihility is pointless. It doesn’t matter that nothing matters, and we aren’t born into this world just to die. 

Aventurine still worries though, after all if the dice of fate will always roll to the same conclusion, then destiny is predetermined, so why struggle? Why does it matter?

Her answer again is not one he would expect, but one that absolutely makes sense. Acheron says the answer has been with Aventurine throughout his entire life and journey on Penacony, and that he’s already somewhat realized it. Aventurine said himself that sleep is a rehearsal of death, but people aren’t ready to welcome death, which is why they sleep to get a taste of it. Sleep is much like death, a realm of unreality in which anything might be possible within the dreams that define its existence. Death itself is an unreality, and nobody truly knows what it’s like to die, but dreams are the closest we might ever get before the end. Like Acheron says, in a way, dreams are just a preparation for death, a practice before it can be welcomed. 

However, much like how dreams can contain anything, even if we cannot choose to experience them or not, life itself is full of choices, regardless of if the ending is determined or not. Acheron understands that there are an infinite amount of things people cannot change before the end, but there are choices you can make up until it. Death is inevitable, but the life you live before it isn’t. This is what the words in red mean, both here and in my opinion, in general. 

Acheron reminds the trailblazer to make the right choice when time comes for it, in our first meeting with her. However, I don’t think the path we choose matters, but rather the the fact that we chose at all. Now the next paragraph will include a minor discussion of 2.2 leaks, so skip to the next slide if you don’t want to hear it. 

Sunday is getting a bossfight in 2.2, and it’s highly theorized that he works/believes in Ena the Order, especially because it looks like it’s their hand he’s touching in that one animation of the bossfight. Now here’s the thing, Order as a concept Chooses For You. I think the trailblazer making a decision is the thing that will save them and the rest of the gang, as within the face of an entity defined by limiting choice and free will, choosing to well, choose will save them (us?) and perhaps be the thing that gets the trailblazer acknowledged by the Harmony, a concept greater than Order. 

Anyways, after she says that, Acheron leaves Aventurine, saying the answer to his question was from his friend.

And Aventurine pulls out the vial from Dr. Ratio

The vial telling him that the only impossible thing in the dreamscape is dormancy (meaning the secrets from before are destined to rise and destroy the “island” that is Penacony.

The vial telling him to stay alive and wishing him the best of luck, which in the Chinese version is: 

Ratio answered both of Aventurine’s questions. The physical one, the one that pertains to Aventurines goals in Penacony, informing him of a vital aspect of the dreamscape that will help him win his gamble. But more importantly, he also answered Aventurine’s emotional one. What is the point of living? There is no real deeper meaning but to stay alive, survive and keep on living, because at the end of the day, that’s the only choice Aventurine can make, and that’s the one Ratio wants him to make.

Ratio Gives Aventurine A Reason To Live. 

Aventurine says that he has nothing left, his family is gone and he has nobody and nothing to fall back on which is why he gambles. But Acheron proves him wrong, he isn’t alone, she calls Ratio his “friend”, says that he’s the solution to his doubt. Someone caring about Aventurine is what saves his life, he walks into the massive black hole unafraid not because he holds some secret power or technique or trick, but because someone cares about him, and that someone taught him that caring about himself is enough. Aventurine didn’t need the power of an emanator to survive the true dreamscape, he only needed a friend, and the will to keep going that he realized from them. 

This is the true meaning of nihility, not that  Aventurine says that he has nothing left, his family is gone and he has nobody and nothing to fall back on which is why he gambles. But Acheron proves him wrong, he isn’t alone, she calls Ratio his “friend”, says that he’s the solution to his doubt. Someone caring about Aventurine is what saves his life, he walks into the massive black hole unafraid not because he holds some secret power or technique or trick, but because someone cares about him, and that someone taught him that caring about himself is enough. Aventurine didn’t need the power of an emanator to survive the true dreamscape, he only needed a friend, and the will to keep going that he realized from them. the universe is meaningless, but that regardless of if it has one or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s this realization that saves Acheron from losing herself like other emanators, it’s this realization that allows Aventurine to cross the event horizon of that manifestation of IX, and it’s this realization that I believe is why Dr. Ratio was never acknowledged by Nous: he was already treading the path of nihility without even realizing it. 

Now this is where my conversation with @aoxizu comes in, and I’m just gonna paste directly what they said because I think it’s amazing and everyone should read it, more importantly it’s what inspired this slideshow in the first place.

Ratio tells Aventurine to live despite everything because that’s the only thing he can do. It doesn’t matter how absurd life is, or how meaningless it all seems, choose to live anyways, because all you have are choices, and it doesn’t matter if they lead to some grand outcome or future or whatnot. To Ratio, life doesn’t, and shouldn’t care about that. Existence doesn’t need to make sense to be worth it, and that’s a sentiment both me, the characters and the og poster share.

Acheron is a lot like Ratio, she chooses to live despite having discovered the meaninglessness of the universe. In an existence seemingly black and white she chooses to paint the world red with her choices, accepting its reality and choosing to forge her own path rather than succumb to the madness. That’s why she says in her trailer, “there is no other choice but to move forward” and that’s because there really is no other choice, the universe doesn’t have some grand plan for anyone and you can’t turn back time to change anything, so all you can do is move forward.

My contribution! I’ve already kinda started but I do want to talk about how Ratio could be treading the path of nihility, but I’ll let this amazing post finish.

So yeah, amazing post, and I don’t think I could reword what they said in a better way than they did. Bringing up the philosophical aspects of this scene makes me really happy because they are so prominent, but most people aren’t really aware enough to notice. Absurdism is one of the driving inspirations behind the dreamscape, and it’s nice to see someone else besides you (see: my slideshow about Penacony and its American influences for an elaboration on this) bring it up. Honestly I think that philosophy fits Ratio far better than any of the Ancient Greek stuff you try to slap on him. Sure he obviously has the inspirations, but he’s closer in spirit to philosophers from the 1700s to now than them, a reinterpretation of Greek scholars rather than a copy of them. 

And this is where my idea that Ratio is a pathstrider of nihility (and he doesn’t even know it yet) comes in. He doesn’t view knowledge in the same way that pathstriders of Erudition do; knowledge for knowledges sake has never been something Ratio has cared about. Knowledge means something to Ratio because it allows people to better themselves, not because it has some sort of inherent value. That’s why he’s so determined to spread it, he wants everyone to reach their fullest potential, and dedicates his life to doing so. Regardless of if the universe has meaning or not, that doesn’t mean people can’t try and live their best lives, and that’s the philosophy Ratio truly believes in.

Moreover, this is why it’s so meaningful that Ratio is the one to help Aventurine, he’s teaching him something Ratio himself learned long ago when he got rejected by the Genius Society. Despite all of Ratio’s intellect and qualifications, he will never be good enough for them because he simply doesn’t view knowledge in the way they do. But instead of this meaninglessness (nihility) consuming him, Ratio dedicated his life to doing what brought him meaning and validation rather than searching for some hidden answers from the universe (specifically Nous).

And it’s not like he just accepted it happily. Ratio still wants their acknowledgement, and it still hurt (and hurts) him a lot to not have it, which is why I think he unknowingly strides the path of nihility. To Ratio, his view on knowledge is simply how knowledge is, and the fact that Nous will never perceive it in that way because his philosophy is more nihilistic than it is erudite is something Ratio might never come to terms with. But that’s ok. The point is that it’s ok, Ratio doesn’t need to be acknowledged or to understand the truth of the universe to be happy or do well for himself. Our universe might mean nothing and yeah that can and will suck, but existence is more valuable than some grand cosmic plan, and even if you don’t realize it, choosing to live is enough.

Continually, this reminds me of the conversation Aventurine had with his hallucination self, in which he told real Aventurine that him and Ratio are very similar. In a way, they are, both struggling to find meaning in their lives, and Ratio helps Aventurine find meaning in his without really even knowing how. Sure the note was meant to keep Aventurine going, but Ratio caused Aventurine to come to a conclusion that probably won’t find Ratio for a while. He helped Aventurine overcome nihility without even knowing it, without Ratio even realizing that THAT is the thing he has been struggling with, and the path he has been walking the whole time.

I really hope we get to see Ratio again, and at the very least I want a story quest for him because I want to analyze his brain under a microscope. Him and Acheron need to meet asap I want more Ratio content idc if everyone else in the fandom hates him I love him and he’s my pookie bear and I will write 3039493494 things about him when it comes to me UGHHHH. Anyways I didn’t know how end this so this is the ending yaaayyy! I hope you liked it and if you have any thoughts let me know! 

_________________________________________

Og post over! That was a long ass read and past me was absolutely cooking up a storm, oh god did this age well and I was right about or close to right about a lot of shit haha. Anyways I really do hope you enjoyed reading this, and this will hopefully provide some needed context for my next posts on this subject. Also feel free to repost this onto other sites I’m very proud of it

[muzansfangs]

Can you please do possessive/ jealous souske hc with female humans reader please?

Possessive and jealous Aizen with a female human reader.

Starring: Aizen Sosuke x f!reader;

Format: head canons;

Warnings: jealousy and slight yandere behavior, possessiveness, marking the partner, mention to sexual intercourse but nothing descriptive, mention to murder, kind of toxic relationship, slight choking.

Plot: how would a possesive and jealous Aizen act with his female human girlfriend?

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

• The moment his eyes landed on you, he knew he would have never let you go. Why? Not only you are the most beautiful woman he has ever seen in his whole life, but your human nature makes you vulnerable. What kind of man would he be if he let his little doe all alone, where other men and his enemies could harm you or simply look at you?

• Aizen is the kind of man who wants everyone to know who you belong to. He does not think that resting his hand on the small of your back as two walk together is a sign of weakness. A powerful man, a god, always has a sweet, lovely girl by his side anyway. He therefore tends to show you off and makes it loud and clear that you are his property. If his arm is not settled on the small of you back, he grasps your hand and gently brushes his thumb on the back of yours.

• If he needs to call a reunion with his underlings, you are obviously going to attend it too. Do not expect to have a chair and sit on it comfortably. His lap is your chair and his hands will constantly hold your hips as you sit on him.

• If he catches a human man, a shinigami or a mere arrancar staring at you for way too long, approximately five seconds, there is a high possibility you are never going to see them ever again. Forever. Maybe in a cemetery.

• “I trust you blindly, my dear. You see, it’s them I don’t trust” he whispers, sipping on his tea on a lazy sunday morning, as you start to question him about what is wrong. You can see his jealousy and the urge to touch you, to hold you close and own you are dripping from his words.

• Intimacy is hellfire with him. He is an attentive lover and would never hurt you, unless you want him to. Yet, bitemarks and hickeys are now a permanent tattoo on your cleavage and neck. He loves to stare at them in the aftermath and watching people react to them as you walk around is absolutely delightful. The shit-eating grin on his face seems to scream “Yes, I did them”.

• He is not very fond in visiting the world of the livings and he would rather have you in Las Noches all the time. However, he knows you have a life. Working and studying to fulfill your duties and persue a career are valuable things to him too and he does not mind you spending your time in those activies. But he is your shadow. A colleague talks to you way too much? Oh, dear, he won’t even bother calling Gin to take care of him. He personally cuts him into smithereens, pieces too small to be put back together. A man buys you a coffee? Ah, some venom is going to be poured into his one.

• He does not forbid you to talk to people, but he loathes it when you talk to Kisuke Urahara. Do not even glance in his direction.

• He loves you genuinely, there is not denying it, but once he might have scared you a little bit. He was in the world of the livings with you, when he heard the local theatre would have hosted a company of shakespearean actors. The tragedy of “Othello” would have been presented and he bought two tickets for you.

• Throughout the time, he had his eyes on you. You were already pretty shocked as the play unraveled under your wary eyes, until his fingers glided over your throat and wrapped around it in a firm grip. It was tight but not enough to hurt you. Your breath hitched in your throat, his breath fanning your earlobe as your eyes were transfixed on the tragic scene before you. Othello had strangled his loyal wife, Desdemona, out of jealousy.

• “I do believe you got the message, darling. You are mine. The last thing I want is having to strangle you in our bed out of a rumor about your loyalty” he darkly whispered, making you gulp down nervously.

• Regarding the way you sleep, he usually wraps his arm around your waist and buries his face onto the crook of your neck. This way you cannot escape his grip. You are his, how many times does he have to remind you of that?

• Going to the beach is kind of a problem. He does not forbid you to wear bikinis, but he definitely glares at every male around you through his sunglasses. Man on a mission: the real shark is on the beach, not in the ocean.

Tags: @stygianoir

Author note.

Hello there! Woah, I took care of a request and I am kind of proud of this piece. I will probably take care of Urahara’s NSFW ALPHABET next. If you want to be tagged, comment below.

Likes, comments and re-posts are appreciated❤️

[justforbooks]

British Library to reinstate Oscar Wilde’s reader card 130 years after it was revoked

Exclusive: Pass to be presented to playwright’s grandson after original cancelled over conviction for gross indecency

The British Library is to symbolically reinstate Oscar Wilde’s reader pass, 130 years after its trustees cancelled it following his conviction for gross indecency.

A contemporary pass bearing the name of the Irish author and playwright will be officially presented to his grandson, Merlin Holland, at an event in October, it will be announced on Sunday.

Rupert Everett, who wrote, directed and starred as Wilde in The Happy Prince – the acclaimed 2018 film about the writer’s tragic final years in exile – will play a part in the ceremony.

Holland is an expert on Wilde whose publications include The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde. Asked how his grandfather might have reacted to the pass being reinstated, he said: “He’d probably say ‘about time too’.”

The decision to revoke the pass is recorded in board minutes in 1895, when homosexuality was illegal: “The Trustees directed that Mr Oscar Wilde, admitted as a reader in 1879 and sentenced at the Central Criminal Court on 25th May to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour, be excluded from future use of the Museum’s Reading Room.”

Wilde’s downfall followed his decision to sue Lord Queensberry, who had accused him of being a “sodomite” after discovering that his son, Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas, was Wilde’s lover. It led to Wilde being sentenced to two years of hard labour.

Having been the toast of London society, Wilde died in abject poverty in Paris in 1900, aged 46. After his disgrace and imprisonment, his wife, Constance, fled to Europe with their two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan, and changed their surname to Holland, an ancestral family name.

Holland said: “Oscar had been in Pentonville prison for three weeks when his [pass] to the British Museum Reading Room [now the British Library] was cancelled, so he wouldn’t have known about it, which was probably as well … It would have just added to his misery to feel that one of the world’s great libraries had banned him from books just as the law had banned him from daily life. But the restitution of his ticket is a lovely gesture of forgiveness and I’m sure his spirit will be touched.”

In 2017, Wilde was assumed to be among more than 50,000 gay and bisexual men who were posthumously pardoned, although the Ministry of Justice said no individuals would be named.

Holland said: “Oscar didn’t think there was anything wrong in same-sex love … I’m not absolutely certain he has been pardoned … If I had to ask for a pardon, I wouldn’t, because all it would do is make the British establishment feel better about itself … History’s history, and you can’t start rewriting it.”

The British Library boasts arguably the world’s most significant collection of Wilde manuscripts, including drafts of his major plays, Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest.

Laura Walker, the British Library’s lead curator of modern archives and manuscripts, said this extraordinary collection makes Wilde’s pass all the more meaningful: “We really want to honour Wilde now and acknowledge what happened to him. Section 11 of the law, which related to the criminalisation of homosexuality, was unjust.”

In 1973, the British Library officially separated from the British Museum, although it continued to be housed in the Reading Room until 1997, when the new British Library building opened in St Pancras.

Wilde’s long relationship with the British Museum started while he was still a student and, after moving to London in 1879, he applied for a reader pass. But he was not afraid to criticise the institution. When he published his long poem The Sphinx, he was asked why he had printed only a few copies. He replied: “My first idea was to print only three copies: one for myself, one for the British Museum, and one for Heaven. I had some doubt about the British Museum.”

Holland joked that Wilde was “setting heaven and himself above the British Museum in a teasingly arrogant way” – a “slightly naughty throwaway remark about a very august institute, exactly the sort of thing that he would have regarded as being slightly stuffy and conventional”.

He added: “He probably would [be] obliged now to make an apology … on … his rude remark … once they’d given him his pass back.”

The British Library event – on 16 October, Wilde’s birthday – will include a public talk by Everett and Holland, launching the latter’s new book, After Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal, an account of Wilde’s posthumous life.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[talonabraxas]

Surya Talon Abraxas

Lord Surya is the chief of the Navagraha, the nine Indian Classical planets and important elements of Hindu astrology. He is often depicted riding a chariot harnessed by seven horses which might represent the seven colors of the rainbow or the seven chakras in the human body. He is also the presiding deity of Sunday. Surya is regarded as the Supreme Deity by Saura sect and Smartas worship him as one of the five primary forms of God.

Surya or the sun, often identified with Aditya, Savitr and Pusan, is another important Vedic deity. He is compared to a bird that flies in the sky and is described as the jewel of the sky. He gives light, produces day and night, gives power and strength to the living beings, makes them active and destroys their laziness and disease.

Surya had three wives, namely, Sharanya (also called Saraniya, Saranyu, Sanjana or Sangya), Ragyi and Prabha. Saranyu was the mother of Vaivasvata Manu (the seventh, i.e., present Manu) and the twins Yama (the Lord of Death) and his sister Yami. She also bore him the twins known as the Ashvins, divine horsemen and physicians to the Devas. Saranyu, being unable to bear the extreme radiance of Surya, created a superficial entity from her shadow called Chhaya and instructed her to act as Surya’s wife in her absence. Chhaya mothered two sons Savarni Manu (the eighth, i.e., next Manu) and Shani (the planet Saturn), and two daughters, Tapti and Vishti. He has two more sons, Revanta or Raivata with Ragyi, and Prabhata with Prabha. Surya is the father of the famous tragic hero Karna, described in the Indian epic Mahabharata, by a human princess named Kunti.

Surya’s sons, Shani and Yama, are responsible for the judgment of human life. Shani provides the results of one’s deeds during one’s life through appropriate punishments and rewards while Yama grants the results of one’s deeds after death.

Karna from the Mahabharata is also believed to be a son of Lord Surya.

Different Names Of Lord Surya

Lord Surya is hailed by 108 names – Surya Ashtottara Shatnamavali. The commonest among them are Aditya, Adideva, Angaraka, Arka, Bhaga, Brahma, Dhanwantari, Dharmadhwaja, Dhatri, Dhumaketu, Indra, Jaya, Maitreya, Prabhakara, Ravi, Rudra, Savitri, Soma, Teja, Vaisravana, Vanhi, Varun and Vishnu.

Lord Surya in Hindu Scriptures

In the Ramayana, Surya is described as father of the King Sugriva, who helped Rama and Lakshmana in defeating the demon king Ravana. He also trains Hanuman. The Suryavanshi dynasty of kings, Rama being one of them, also claims descent from Surya.

In the Mahabharata, Princess Kunti receives instruction for a mantra from the sage Durvasa; by reciting which, she would be able to summon any god and bear a child by him. Incredulous of the power of this mantra, Kunti unwittingly tests it on Surya, but when Surya appears, she gets scared and requests him to go back. However, Surya has an obligation to fulfill the mantra before returning. Surya miraculously causes Kunti to bear the child immediately whilst retaining her virginity so that she, as an unmarried princess, need not face any embarrassment or be subjected to questions from society. Kunti feels compelled to abandon the child, Karna, who grows up to become one of the central characters in the great battle of Kurukshetra.

In astrology

In Vedic astrology Surya is considered a mild malefic on account of his hot, dry nature. Surya represents soul, will-power, fame, the eyes, general vitality, courage, kingship, father, highly placed persons and authority. He is exalted in the sign Mesha, is in mulatrikona in the sign Simha and is in debilitation in the sign Tula. Surya is lord of three nakshatras or lunar mansions: Krittika, Uttara Phalguni and Uttara Ashadha. Surya has the following associations: the colors – copper or red, the metals – gold or brass, the gemstone – ruby, the direction – east and the season of summer. The food grain associated with him is wheat.

Surya Mantra

Surya mantra in Vedic astrology is the ultimate mantra to please Surya Deva. It helps people get rid of all kinds of diseases and gain mental and physical strength along with happiness and well-being. Chanting Surya Mantra daily shall also help the people attain prosperity and abundance. Not only does it develop a sense of assurance in the people, but also, helps overcome self-doubts and other mental distress.

The Surya mantra is:

।। नमः सूर्याय शान्ताय सर्वरोग निवारिणे आयुररोग्य मैस्वैर्यं देहि देवः जगत्पते ।।

Namah Suryaya Shantaya Sarvaroga Nivaarine, Ayurarogya Maisvairyam Dehi Devah Jagatpate

Meaning- Surya Deva, ruler of the Universe, you are the remover of all diseases, the repository of peace. I bow to you, and please bless your devotees with long life, health, and wealth.

[wonderlandsakura]

Everlasting trio but Ellie is their daughter and Dan is their estranged adult son that they're trying to build a relationship back up with and Danny and Vlad have a weird divorced-but-still-co-parenting relationship over both children where Vlad pays maintenance and takes the kids on weekends and holidays.

That is to say, Everlasting trio move to crime alley in Gotham and set up a family restaurant with their kids that are much to old to be their kids and enough money to throw around to and give to street kids and create boarding towns and generally revitalize the area they live in like mob bosses without the need for protection money or bank robbing and it's enough to flag them, even with Sam's family money.

Also Danny is the Ghost King, so more random money.

People ask where the kids are and they say they're with their other father and everyone is weirded the fuck out and it's wonderful chaos :3

More Random Ideas below the cut

Ellie lives with them most of the time but Dan has a job at the Daily Planet and lives in metropolis.

However he's known to come by for the sole purpose of messing with Black Mask for some unknown reason (that I also don't know, maybe it's courting, maybe it's revenge) and often rolls up to the shop with him tossed over his shoulder gagged up or with a bag of his left socks or mentions having to leave soon to steal X item he just replaced and Everlasting trio don't blink an eye.

Jason is a regular and he and the goon union (cause Sam gave them the presentation and set them up with the representative) love and protect the place and it's owners (though they don't need it).

Ellie goes to Gotham U and terrorizes Dami and Jon and also confuses them with her tales of traveling and hints at her Tragic Backstory TM.

Jazz lives nearby and works at Arkham and works with her sister-in-law to try and get the higher ups to start the Rogue Rehabilitation Program where rogues like the Riddler, Poison Ivy and Harley can feed their obsessions in a healthier way that doesn't harm society.

Sam also has tea and cakes and bitching at the industrialisation time on the second Sunday of every month (or once a fortnight when something especially shitty crops up).

Tucker may or may not moonlight as the tech support guy for some of the rogues.

Danny doesn't patrol, he's retired for a reason, but he became the part-time caretaker of the Gotham Observatory, which is right next to the Gotham Cemetery which he is also the part-time caretaker for and he has a reputation as that crazy, creepy but also genuinely kind and helpful dude that runs that restaurant in Crime Alley.

Maybe he also converses with Lady Gotham from time to time and just walks into endless silent shadows and walks right back out.

Vlad visits occasionally and he and Danny tend to end up in a shouting match that often leads to a brawl which always ends with them injured and holed up in a corner booth of the restaurant with their respective drinks quietly, furtively and civilly discussing something as if the fight had never happened. (The adult Fenton-Manson-Foleys just ignore it and if you ask, say "bonding" and move on)

The Fenton Parents sometimes... visit. It's Chaos.

Danny has very publicly brawled with Killer Croc at least once and can be seen bringing down food into the sewers for Grundy every evening after the shop closes.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Work, Not YouTube (9) Masterlist

part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight

A Game of Life (ao3) - Koolhotsweetloveberries

Summary: Daniel Howell, an honorable member of the King's Knighthood, does not expect much from his time at court. All changes when the court jester, Philip Lester, enters.

A Pharm for Christmas (ao3) - gaydreaming

Summary: Workaholic corporate lawyer Dan Howell is drowning in the details of a case that's particularly hard to rationalize when his grandmother invites him to spend Christmas with her in the picturesque suburban town of Rawtenstall. While begrudgingly visiting, Dan stumbles into a laidback farmhand who catches his eye and his heart.

Also, he discovers the meaning of Christmas. As one does.

Between The Lines (ao3) - Koolhotsweetloveberries

Summary: Attorney Dan Howell is faced with winning an impossible case or loosing his job.

All evidence points towards his client being guilty. Except for critical evidence provided by Forensic Linguist, Phil Lester.

The man Dan turned down a year ago.

blown again into instant flame (ao3) - jonsaremembers

Summary: Dan reappears in the corner of Phil’s vision, wearing the green suit.

I’m fucked, is all Phil can think.

Because Dan is awfully fit for someone stuffed bodily into a green morph suit. Even the way the hood squashes his curls down and out over his forehead is kind of adorable.

Broken Like You (ao3) - TearDrop1234

Summary: Dan and Phil meet at a theater in a nowhere town. Their friendship is instant, but the rest not so much.

Dad Wars (ao3) - SylvesterLester

Summary: Or, 5 times Dan and Phil fought over one dramatic school year, and one final battle that would change them forever. Probably.

Deeper (ao3) - Scuddleduck

Summary: Inspired by the idea of "Pass Around Party Bottom Dan."

Don't Blame Me (ao3) - ForeverJustAnEmoKidAtHeart

Summary: When Phil gets a new job at the Tops Only Bar, he's just looking to make ends meet over the holiday period. He doesn't expect how he'll feel about one of the performers or how hard that'll make his job.

DreamCasts Presents (ao3) - SummerFlingsAndThings (QueenJunoTheGreat)

Summary: Phil's son is obsessed with the faceless man who narrates audiobooks.

Dan's daughter is obsessed with the brightly dressed librarian in charge of the children's department.

And Dan and Phil? Well, they're a little obsessed with one another.

give this thing a try (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Dan is a cashier at a grocery store, and Phil is his supervisor. One evening at work, Phil surprises Dan by asking him out on a date, and of course Dan, who's had a crush on Phil since forever, says yes. Cue, the freaking out and comfort ensues.

HOT TO GO! (ao3) - ae121

Summary: Dan loves his roller skating job where he gets to sing and be silly.

He loves his boyfriend Phil, even more.

I try to picture me without you but I can't (ao3) - solarpower21

Summary: After Dan's tragic death, Phil starts having a bunch of strange dreams where he is still alive. But are they really just dreams?

Or: Phil's soul consciousness can't cope with Dan's death, so he starts hopping between different universes, trying to look for him.

i will never know a sunday (how slow the moments go) (ao3) - beaniebopbaby

Summary: The man hunched over the piano, and Phil felt like he couldn’t breath. He looked around the room, to see if anyone else noticed this shift, when he finally realized they were alone. The notes grew slower and slower as Phil stood, drifting closer to the man playing the piano. The pianist looked as mesmerized as Phil, absorbed in his playing.

Impressions (ao3) - ottertrashpalace

Summary: Art museum guard who knows obsessive amounts about art history x nepo baby curator who has never read a book but keeps knocking it out of the park on vibes alone

Interrupted By Sirens (ao3) - llama_sidekick

Summary: Dan is part of a mission leaving earth with destination of some far away galaxy. He doesn't mind really, leaving earth and all his friends behin. It's his job and he's happy to do it.

But one day they pass an inhabited asteroid field and the inhabitants cause a little trouble in his relationship to his fellow crew member Phil Lester. And, why did this space siren turn into HIM trying to seduce Phil?

Kitchen Nightmares (ao3) - serenity_sky

Summary: Phil has a midlife crisis and spontaneously gets a job as a waiter at a nearby restaurant. Everything is going well until the restaurant’s owner Gordon Ramsay arrives to check in on things. He is shocked to see novice Phil working at the establishment. When he begins to yell, Dan rushes into the kitchen to defend Phil.

last disco (ao3) - possumdnp

Summary: Two ridiculously-dressed guys meet on a night out.

(An AU where Dan gets dragged to the club and meets Phil, who’s dressed as the world’s gayest cowboy.)

Like a Bowl of Oranges (ao3) - cloej88

Summary: Dan has built a solid career for himself as a ghostwriter. He safely hides behind other people’s words, crafting their tales and pocketing the cash without any threat of notoriety. But lately he has been working on a book of his own, itching for a change.

Phil is an indie filmmaker who happened into some huge breaks over the last few years. He wants to use his influence to uplift queer stories for the screen, so he puts out an open call for story submissions. At his agent’s behest, Dan submits his story.

The writer!Dan and director!Phil friends/co-workers to lovers AU that we never knew we needed.

Lost in translation (and words) (ao3) - Maybeimyours

Summary: Dan, in his second year of Law school, getting to work with a small team and for work more in the sense of work for them. He doesn’t mind much, yet meeting Phil, a Forensic Linguistic expert, somehow makes him question all his own boundaries and have a crash out on the daily basics, on the verge of quitting and spending time with Phil Dan has to make a decision.

My Sanctuary, You're Holy to Me (ao3) - skygremlin

Summary: Sister Daniel isn't very good at being a nun, but she's stuck living in a convent because she's got no other plans. The church needs a new priest for Sunday mass, and the responsibility falls on her to meet him for the first time. Will he see through her false devotion?

On That Note (ao3) - Marranje

Summary: As far as Phil knew, he did not have a single musical bone in his body. All of that went to his brother, as with most of the other Talent genes, which left Phil with all the awkwardness and introversion, and none of the eye-hand coordination. So why, you ask, had Phil signed up for piano lessons?

or, the one were phil decides to try something new, but is more interested in his handsome piano teacher than the piano

Poundland (ao3) - ottertrashpalace

Summary: billionaire ceo who works at the discount store on the side bc he’s bored x kindergarten teacher who came in to buy absurd amounts of crayons

Scrape me (ao3) - Frog910

Summary: Dan goes for his check up at the dentist, with his dentist. Phil Lester. It's not his fault Dan is weird. That he finds going to the dentist hot, and he gets bothered by the commands.

the metaphors of desire (ao3) - cityofphanchester

Summary: The elbow of Dan’s jacket is smooth leather, stitched on, an unexpected contrast from the woolly fabric around it. His mouth is soft and his body is warm and Phil breaks away with a choked gasp of air.

“Shit,” Dan says, and his big warm hand drops away from Phil’s jaw, and he’s gone.

(in which they're both english professors)

the quiet of our home (ao3) - wednesday_ukiru

Summary: A quiet Saturday morning in the Howell-Lester residence.

The River (ao3) - Portia331

Summary: Dan arrived in Melbourne two weeks ago with just one suitcase crammed with running gear, psychology textbooks, and a mere fraction of his wardrobe especially curated to fit both his aesthetic and the Melbourne weather.

He's about to start in the role of a lifetime on a 12 month contract, but he's barely ready for the Australian summer heat, let alone what the world is about to throw at him.

This was never going to end well. (ao3) - Loganator5001

Summary: When Daniel Howell, lawyer, husband, father, wakes up next to a man, in a flat that isn't his own, he knows exactly how it happened. And Daniel knows how it will end if he comes back. Dan almost doesn't care.

Undercover (ao3) - phansauce97

Summary: After recovering from tragedy, Phil does his best to get back on his feet. He still had his mom, his brother, his friends, and a good future to look forward to. So, continuing to put one foot in front of the other, he pushes on.

Things turn upside down though when a new student arrives at school one day; tall, mysterious, and wearing all black.

"Dan Howell," or Agent Ten, as he's known, is a master assassin and secret agent. His mission? Go undercover to befriend, study, and ultimately - kill Phil Lester.

Yet despite his best efforts, this mission ends up being much more challenging than Dan would have previously expected, especially when he begins to fall hopelessly in love with his target.

what, like it's hard? (ao3) - jonsaremembers

Summary: title, obviously, from legally blonde

Working it Out (ao3) - SylvesterLester

Summary: Dan Howell is 32 years old and just coming to terms with the fact that he's a man, despite what his body might say. Luckily, he has some help from his eccentric physical trainer to help him feel more confident.

you bewitched me (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: dan is a waiter at a restaurant that often serves a regular customer, phil. as their flirty exchanges continue and become more steamy, dan shoots his shot through a post it inviting phil to a nearby cafe.

little does phil know dan works at that cafe as well.

[beardedmrbean]

They survived Hitler and the Holocaust – but these Jewish New Yorkers never imagined they’d witness images evoking the horrors they experienced 80 years after liberation.

Aron Krell, a 97-year-old survivor of Auschwitz and other camps who was liberated nearly 80 years ago at 18, said the images of the three Israeli male hostages released from Hamas’s clutches looking weak and malnourished after 491 days in captivity, evoked painful memories.

“You could have lifted me up with one finger,” Krell told The Post on Sunday of his own liberation as a “weak” and “feeble” survivor from the “warehouse of the living dead.”

The chilling footage of the three released hostages, Or Levy, Ohad Ben Ami and Eli Sharabi, revealed their dangerously gaunt and hallowed features.

For Krell, their photos brought rushing back painful memories of the darkest days of his life and moved him to tears.

“When I saw their pictures coming out of captivity, they looked so emaciated and so sick,” he said. “And the world doesn’t care. I can’t understand — where is the outrage?”

“It breaks your heart to see how Jews are being treated today. And no one says a word,” blasted Krell, echoing the cries of Jews who took to social media to lambast the apparent apathy.

“It’s a sorry sight to look at, and even sorrier we have to discuss it. It evokes so many things when you think about it,” he added. “It brings back the memories you try to forget, but you can’t forget.”

Another point of connection the Holocaust survivor shares with the liberated men is the bitter reality they came home to — as each improbably survived hell not knowing the fate of their loved ones.  

“It’s a tragic moment when you find out you have no one — no mother, father, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins. Everybody is gone,” said Krell, noting that Sharabi only learned that his wife and two teenage daughters were brutally murdered during the October 7 Hamas attacks upon his release on Saturday.

“What kept me alive was being an optimist — thinking that one day that things will end and we’ll come out free,” Krell said, hoping he would see his remaining family after the separation.

“It’s the only thing left — maybe I’ll meet somebody again,” he recalled some 80 years later of his mindset to stay alive.

Though 6 million Jews were killed in the camps, antisemitism has survived — and mutated all these decades later.

“We thought of what had been done to our people – that was supposed to be history,” lamented 91-year-old Lucy Lipiner, a longtime Upper West Side resident who’s lived in New York City since she was 16 when she arrived as a stricken, 90-pound Holocaust survivor from Poland in 1949.

“The horrible images of the hostages pale and starved that were released yesterday brought me back to a very dark time in my life,” Lipiner wrote on X.

The emaciated hostages held captive in tunnels, looking listless and lifeless, evoke classic Holocaust imagery.

“The three men look like they came out from Auschwitz,” she said.

“It breaks your heart — how can this be happening in 2025, 80 years after the vow, ‘Never again’?” Lipiner asked incredulously.

The images of the three Israeli hostages looking like shells of their former selves, having reportedly lost some 30 percent of their overall weight, pierced Lipiner to her core.

“I saw almost skeletal men walking. The worst thing about them was the depression that was written on their faces – the hollowed cheeks, sunken-in faces… can you imagine this emotional torture, on top of physical torture?” she said of the painful parallels between past and present.

President Trump also pointed out the disturbing resemblance between the hostages and victims of the Holocaust.

“They literally look like the old pictures of Holocaust survivors. The same thing,” he said on Sunday.

For Krell, the fresh images evoking Holocaust survivors put a modern color patina on what should have remained in black and white.

“The whole world doesn’t really care. When it comes to the Jews, the Jewish question, everything is moot,” said the survivor of Poland’s Lodz Ghetto, followed by multiple camps – including Mauthausen in Austria and Auschwitz.

The Upper East Sider, who has accused leaders failing to condemn antisemitism of having “a case of laryngitis,” admitted that when tearing up over Saturday’s images, he thought to himself, “It’s a sorry thing, but history does repeat itself. It’s not very pleasant to revisit.”

After living in a German DP camp for displaced persons after the war and learning that one-third of the world’s Jewish population was annihilated, Krell said wearily, “I didn’t expect antisemitism to exist to such a high degree again — I figured the world has learned something.”

“And it’s like nothing happened.”

The deafening silence since the three hostages were released, is a bitter pill to swallow for Krell.

“There’s very little hope — you can see that the world is ambivalent.”

Lipiner, who moved to Tel Aviv weeks before October 7, summed it up: “After the Holocaust, we always said, ‘Never again.’ And I believed that.

“I never believed there was something like a Holocaust. But this was.”

[k1ttenblood]

Pride and Pretentiousness Part 2

Content Disclaimer: Slice of life, fluff, very platonic, revenge plot, enemies to lovers, cheating, backstabbing. No physical description of reader but I do primarily write for black readers so cultural things may eventually come up.

✨️Side note: I'm not a fandom blog, I'm primarily an aesthetic blog. Probably don't follow me if you're not into that ✨️

Gentle sunlight nudges its way into your cozy little apartment. It’s a lot more charming when you’re not trying to sleep in on your days off. You cat-stretch before rolling over and checking your phone for the time. 7:30AM. You flop onto your back and stare at your ceiling, listening to the early city ambience outside as you mentally prepare yourself to get ready for the day. Nearly an hour’s worth of dogs barking, cars honking, and birds chirping went by before you finally decided to get moving. You groggily stumble towards the bathroom to freshen up, then head straight for the kitchen to start making breakfast. You shiver at the crisp fridge air as you start taking out the ingredients for your usual first meal, fruits and a cheesy omelette. The movements are more than familiar, washing, slicing, mixing and flipping. The plates make a twinkly clinking noise as you set them down on the open counter space, and the electric kettle begins to rumble. Waiting for it to boil gives you just enough time to check your plants soil for water before you plop back down to eat. 

One bored glance at your phone lets you know that your friends are all still asleep, considering the lack of reels and banter going on in your notifs bar. Jesse and Dina won’t wake up for another couple of hours, and Ellie would never willingly wake up til it’s past noon. Soundly deciding to take in the rest of your peaceful morning, you curl up on your couch and listen to the radio. “No country… No Sunday jazz… How many early bird talk shows are there?? Oh?” 

“All my instincts, they return

And the grand facade, so soon will burn

Without a noise, without my pride

I reach out from the inside”

“Wish I could’ve gone to concerts back then, the lineups must’ve been insane. I would totally dance on a car with my tits out to Van Halen or something-” You turn onto your other side to reach for a book and stumble over the hidden TV remote in the couch. “-Okay maybe not… still though.” You crack open the hefty hardcover and fan over the collection of stories, looking for one that catches your eye. The Dark Knight: An elven princess sets out on her own to avenge her father’s death, taking up the disguise of a knight. She travels under the moonlight, preparing to face the monster who brought her nation such agony, and worst of all, the monsters within herself. Will she restore her family’s honor and take the throne? Or will she spark an unlikely romance with an even more unlikely partner? “Tragic and cheesy, hell yeah.”

Apparently hours had passed by, your phone had officially begun ringing for the day. The visions of angst and bloodied silver swords began to vanish. “Honestly, I think I’d just hire someone to hunt the guy down and bring them to me, but I guess that’s too short for a book. And who falls for the enemy anyway?” you muse to yourself as you check your messages. 

The perfect group of goobers, what more could you ask for?

*ding!*

*BZZRT* *BZZRT*

Your phone vibrates, Ellie’s waiting outside. You grab your stuff and the tote bag and make your way downstairs. 

“Yo”

“You ready?”

“Ya, let’s go”

She’s uncharacteristically relaxed for a secret keeper. She’s never even kept a birthday present a secret from you, but somehow she’s walking up the stairs to the turnstiles like she didn’t just imply that she was going to drop a big bomb on you later. You’ll have to check for a zipper on her nape later, clearly this is some weird alternate universe Ellie with tightly sealed lips. You take seats next to each other on the hard plastic seating. Ellie stares into space listening to what sounds like Chingy. Boomer tastes. She unplugs one earbud. 

“Stop staring at me like that!”

“Like what?”

“Like you wanna burn a hole into my skull, weirdo.”

“Ellie, just tell me!”

“Hmm… Y’know what? Because you look so pathetic and desperate… No.”

Your face twists into a childish scowl. She snickers as she puts her earbuds back in. She’s having entirely too much fun with this. Soon enough the muffled voice of the train conductor announces your stop and you both make your way to the exit gate. Thankfully, Jesse and Dina live just a short block away from the station. You enter the lobby and text them to buzz you in and only wait a minute before the staircase door unlocks. Ellie bolts up the 3 flights of stairs, only stopping to lean over the railing and mock you. 

“Lazy ass.”

“I’m not running.”

“I’ve seen dying snails with more stamina.”

“Still not running.”

“Alright! I’m telling Jesse and Dina about what happened to you during 8th grade prom.”

“ELLIE!”

“Oh noooow you wanna run. I’m still telling!”

You slide into her backside as she knocks on the door. Jesse opens the door to Ellie’s smug face and you panting like a madman.

“Uhhh-”

“Sup.”

 Ellie fist bumps him before she glides in and tosses herself onto their couch. Still catching your breath, you manage to mutter something about chasing the feral animal up the stairs.

“Poor little lazy bones.” You scoff and enter the living room with him. He sits on the end corner of the couch, and you take the throw pillow, place it on his legs and finally take a rest.

“Are you seriously that out of shape?”

“I haven’t run like that since high school! My personal being was at stake.” 

As quickly as you come inside, Dina had already dragged out a box of her newest plushy addiction. You’re lazily laying with your legs in Ellie’s lap as she and Dina excitedly babble about the Labubus she got. As much as Ellie complains about shopping, if there was a plushy x merch mega mall, she and Dina would put themselves into debt trying to buy half of the inventory. She’d nearly done backflips when you got her a Star Wars limited edition lamp. It’s not your style, but you’re more than happy to watch them excitedly yap with each other about… whatever those little monsters are. 

Jesse flicks the TV on. Dina’s gone to the kitchen to get drinks for everyone, and Ellie is still sorting through the box of plushies. 

“What are we watching?” he asks.

“Avatar? We haven’t finished the second season yet.” Ellie snaps her attention back.

“True,” he responds. “Which episode again?”

“Season 2 episode 2.” you recall, pulling up your notes from the last dinner hangout. One night of bickering over where you all left off was more than enough, now you keep tabs. Dina pops back into the room, rests the drinks on the table and sits on the floor, her head resting on your legs. 

I still can’t believe Ellie hasn’t cracked yet. What’s she waiting for?? Your not-at-all obsessive thoughts start crawling back into your mind, briefly taking your attention away from the screen. I mean it can’t be that great if she still hasn’t said anything? Should I text her? 

“What’s wrong?” Jesse whispers under the final chorus of Secret Tunnel.

“Huh? Nothing.”

“You’re just staring into my nostrils for funsies then?”

“...Routine inspection, ignore me.”

“Riiight.” he replies with a chuckle. 

Ellie shifts comfortably into the couch, now laying down and tangling her legs into yours. I have half a mind to rip her socks off if she doesn’t start talking. Your train of thought is interrupted by the devil herself.

“Guys, what are we ordering? I’m starving.”

Dina pauses the show. “We can order from that chinese takeout spot, the one by the hair salon downtown?”

“Hell yeah, they gave me like 10 fortune cookies the last time I asked for extra.”

“Yeahhh, they pack food like they’re gonna throw it away. I’ll get the menus.”

She makes a quick roundtrip to the kitchen cabinet, then passes around the menus. She and Ellie are resting against the coffee table while you write on top of your thigh. Dina orders whatever she wants and Jesse eats from that, which isn’t nearly as sappy as you’d think. At least they don’t feed each other in front of you anymore. Shortly after, Dina calls the restaurant and places the order. 

The food arrives halfway through a flashback of Kyoshi wrecking Chin the Conqueror’s shit. You all groan and stand like a bunch of senior citizens after having sat down for too long, then shuffle your way to the dining room, Jesse following behind the 3 of you with bags in hand. 

Everyone peaks into each unlabeled bag, checking to see which one is theirs. Honestly the food is so good you’d eat whatever was in front of you. You sit next to Dina, who’s sat across from Ellie, who’s sat next to Jesse. The foil plates are out, and you pick up your first piece of general tso’s chicken. 

“Okay I can’t do this anymore! GUYS SHE HAD AN AFFAIR!!!”

Ellie Williams, had cracked.

“Uhhhh????” Jesse looked like he’d been slapped on the back on the head, immediately putting his fork down.

Dina had nearly choked on her sesame noodles. “W-wait!! Wait! WHAT??” She coughs to clear her throat.

“Ellie what the hell?? Who??” you squawk.

“The chick from the event!! Abby! She had an affair. On a yacht, 2 years ago, with her ex, he was engaged, fiancee was pregnant, it was crazy. Oh my god, it felt good to finally say it.” She sighs a huge breath of relief and slumps into her chair. “That’s not all. I found another report that said she screwed over that guy Winston about a year ago. He tried to branch out some new services and supplies to a children’s charity, and Abby tried to have him blackballed.” Ellie looks twenty pounds lighter after her confession, meanwhile the rest of you sit in total silence. 

“How… How did you find all this out?” Dina finally speaks up. “Where-”

“I did a little digging last night, some deep dives, a little hacking on some blacked out sites, the usual.” Ellie crosses a leg over her knee, a half-assed attempt at nonchalance.

“Dude if this is the usual, I’d hate to see rare.” Jesse snickers, now leaning back into his seat.

You and Dina exchange brief looks of silent disbelief, though hers melts into amused giggling. 

“Wow… So I guess the charity act is more an act of repentance…” You finally say.

“How’s she gonna get past all the babies she’s screwed over? That’s a hell of a lot of karma.” Dina says back.

“Wait, who’s the guy?” Jesse asks.

“One of the Greensville town council kids, Moore something? I’ll send you guys the link in the group chat.” Ellie says as she pulls her phone from her sweater pocket.

MOORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: Owen Moore, only son of our very own town council members, was caught having a late night rendezvous on his family’s personal yacht with ex-girlfriend Abigail Anderson. The couple was first spotted hurrying to their respective vehicles, desperately trying to hide the physical signs of their steamy night out. Moore was last seen hastily driving back to his nearby home that he shares with his fiancee, who has yet to offer any comment on the state of her pregnancy or marriage. Anderson, who usually keeps a low profile, also declined to offer any comments and began assaulting the reporters that were stationed near her car. Local witnesses confessed that the pair had spent the evening walking on the beach, smiling, giggling and exchanging coquettish glances. The duo had been sporting the finest–”

“And I’ll send you guys the business report.” Ellie adds.

You’re all met with a legal website, detailing the “turf wars” between Abby and Winston’s respective teams. Skimming over 3 pages of legal jargon, you read the final line:

"Ultimately Redline Health Source’s proposal to the Copper Spoon Foundation, a regional children’s fund for low income families, was blocked by Anderson’s company, Cardinal Medicorp, who both financially and socially blocked out her competitor’s offer and professional standing."

“Oh, of course. She just tramples over everything she can. How soulless could you be??” You say, rolling your eyes.

“I think we lucked out that she didn’t wanna talk to us, man.” Ellie says, finally taking a bite of her lo mein. “We’d be royally fucked if she actually made us an offer.”

“Y’know what? We should follow up with Winston. Give him a little revenge boost. We’re at the most popular public library in the city anyway, right?”

“I’ll follow up with him tomorrow, then.” Dina says, finally taking back her fork from the pile of food.

Dinner had never tasted better.

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

I know we have a canonically (most likely) Paul and Linda song but also sometimes I think about renegade with them too.

That makes sense!

Kind of interesting how the obvious reading is to have Renegade be from Linda's perspective, while most PaulandLinda-coded Taylor songs feel like they're from Paul's, and this is a song a lot of people jumped to assuming was from Joe's perspective upon release.

tbh, even with how things turned out, I still think a lot of Taylor's Joe songs really work as PaulandLinda songs (peace, Delicate, King Of My Heart tbh, Paris [settle down, McLennons], Call It What You Want, Daylight, etc etc) due to the strong parallels in how those relationships began.*

You can also read some of the semi-red flags present in those songs in light of Paul and Linda's tragically cut short time :/ (I like thinking of cowboy like me this way, and have done since before the breakup because people have always read ambiguity into the whole "Forever is the sweetest con" thing; I like the idea that it is true love, but it still ends. Very much in the vain of Heaven On A Sunday. Same with confirmed Plinda song Sweet Nothing "They said the end is coming" even if that song feels more early 70s than mid 90s in the timeline.)

*also, I love Paul and Linda as a couple, but they had a shitton of red flags in their early years if we're being so for real and are in a sense very lucky to have made it out of that

[northlt03]

James had never been much of a reader, not as a child, not as a teenager in school or even in college. He worked hard when he had to and read textbooks but that was the extent of his reading.

His friend Remus had always loved to read and did so well into adulthood. It was he who introduced James to the author who changed his life.

It started out innocently enough. Remus showing up to their Sunday dinner at James' place with Sirius in tow of course. Peter had been helping James bake the dessert when the couple entered. Remus with a stack of books in his hand as always and Sirius with his hair disshelved like they'd just been kissing outside James' apartment like teenagers.

Remus talked about a new book he had received for his book shop, a recently published one by a new author he had never heard of. The name sounded too fake to be true, so it was probably a pseudonym.

James did not much care for reading, but he and the others listened to Remus talk about his excitement about the book. He certainly seemed charmed by it.

But it wasn't that night that James read it. Or the morning when he saw Remus had forgotten it behind. Or the next week when he forgot to give it back to Remus. But rather a few weeks later when bored out of his mind, James finally decided to give it a try.

It wasn't a very complex story, but incredibly well written. James had never been so taken with just words. Every word, every quote and every sentence spoke to him as if the author had known him personally and written the book for him.

James could see himself in the characters, in their mannerisms and their silly jokes as they solved a mystery at a boarding school.

Within the year, James had read the book over and over again, annotating it, underlining the parts he liked, dog earing the pages, making a home in the book.

He tried reading different books, even ones Remus insisted were similar to the one he loved. But none of them had the same appeal. None of them wrote like the mystery author.

Then one Sunday Remus entered his flat with another book by the same author, the first copy he'd gotten for his bookshop. But he had given it to James instead, because he'd seen this author inspire a love for reading in James of all people.

Sirius teased him for it, but he was also the first to shush people if they interrupter Remus' book rants, so he had no right to.

The second book was even better in James' opinion. Fast paced, a heist novel this time with a band of misfits. The detail, the descriptions, the characters, James had never felt more understood than what the author made him feel.

No one on the internet seemed to have a clue who it was. James scoured and searched but to no avail. He tried to look for book signings or publishers who would seem to know the author's identity, but none of them did.

It wasn't like James to get entirely swept up in literature or obsession, but this author with just their words had changed something inside James forever. The mystery of their identity ate at him from the inside.

He needed to find out who it was, how they wrote so personally, as if every single word was a love letter to James specifically.

The third book took longer to publish. It was nearly two and a half years later when James had collected several copies of the first two books. He had one of each to annotate and write his thoughts in and the other copies because he liked seeing them on his shelf.

This time, the book was about a tragic love. The narrator, doomed to be in love with someone who would never love them back. It followed the narrator's story from his school days to adulthood, the ache of longing just as present years later.

James never shut up about the book. It was the best thing he had ever read. Every time he though the author had reached their limit, they surpassed it and blew James' mind.

He talked about it almost as obsessively as Remus with his bookshop.

He talked about it with his parents, with his friends, at his own birthday, at the party Sirius dragged him to (which was apparently for his younger brother).

The first person who seemed genuinely interested in hearing James talk about the three books of the mystery author to his heart's content was Regulus Black. A bit of an odd choice, perhaps, but James didn't mind as long as Regulus heard his theories and views about the stories and added some of his own.

That is how James and Regulus first started talking, about books no one else talked to James about.

They messaged back and forth, random epiphanies in the middle of the night they absolutely had to tell each other, small inside jokes, all lost in their own worlds.

It soon blew out of proportion, James being taken to Regulus' friends' wedding, Regulus being dragged to Christmas with James' parents since Sirius was already invited, James being taken to bookshops to try reading some other books (which he never liked), Regulus being dragged to theme parks, James following Regulus to art galleries and museums, Regulus following James to sports matches and his friend's parties.

Then one day, James opened his mailbox to see a single parcel with brown packing, the writing on it belonging to Regulus.

This one's for you. They've all been for you.

The fourth book of the mystery author.

And this time it's a love story with a happy ending.

[unitedbydevils]

Match Review: Manchester United 0-2 Newcastle United

Shit defending, shit chance creation, shit energy... but thank god for Kobbie Mainoo and Leny Yoro.

United started the game dreadfully and just FOUR MINUTES IN a Newcastle attack down their left flank with Lewis Hall let the left back free to cross inch-perfect into the box for Isak to nod home. Top finish, top assist, but the fault lies with United rather than being excellence from Newcastle.

Why was Mazraoui tucked in as RWB towards the RCB position when United tracked back? Go to the man!

Why did Maguire not jump for the ball?

If Maguire didn't because he felt there was no pressure, why did Martinez not call out that Isak was there?

15 minutes later and more of the same nonsense happened: Antony Gordon down the left flank, unpressured by Mazraoui til too late, swings a lovely cross into the middle of the box for Joelinton to tuck into the net, with a scrambling Martinez clinging on to his shoulder trying to wrestle in on the leap for the ball. Poor. Poor awareness, poor positioning, poor result.

United had their moments, with Mainoo putting Casemiro through unchallenged to hit an awful attempt on goal. Hojlund also came close to scoring at the far post, Leny Yoro nodded just wide off a corner shortly after he was subbed on, and Harry Maguire headed off the post to the despair of United fans with our one shot on target for the night. Tragic.

The frustration is that even playing so poorly to start with, United didn't look out of the game. The problem was that we didn't look like scoring either, and that stalemate was down to Newcastle relaxing than them having "been lucky" for their goals.

In the 33rd minute, manager Ruben Amorim substituted Joshua Zirkzee for Kobbie Mainoo - a move that made a huge difference to United's ability to hold the ball and to win it back. Kobbie has been a little off the boil of late but this was a very solid performance; not a worldie or a great showing, but a good performance in the face of nearly everyone else being abjectly shit. Same goes for Leny Yoro and kind of Andre Onana. That's it. Everyone else was bloody useless.

Rasmus Hojlund in particular was poor, which is why I feel sorry for Zirkzee. One is meant to be a goalscorer, one is a creator type. I can see why Zirkzee was benched for Mainoo, but Rasmus could have been taken another day. He was clumsy in duels when trying to be strong, and generally outwitted by Schar. He couldn't barge past with athletic prowess but his movement was poor and his control was so-so. He'd benefit from being backup to a more prolific CF to learn from their game and develop his own over time. He's very promising, but at present I worry he'll be another Elanga; ran into the ground, judged too harshly, sold on, and then allowed to flourish elsewhere at our expense. He's too expensive to do that with. We must work with him.

Tangentially, I also didn't like the booing/cheering shit as the Dutchman left (rumoured to have cried down the tunnel and returned after he composed himself). We're playing shit and he's part of that, it's true, but we don't single out individuals unless they do something truly bad (ala Greenwood).

The positives then (a short section unsurprisingly).

Mainoo brought a lot of control to midfield, and composure to our tempo.

Yoro was a lot better than Martinez, and should start versus Liverpool on Sunday.

Onana didn't fuck up, even though he conceded twice.

No injuries.

United actually had better possession and passing accuracy than Newcastle, we just can't attack or defend aside that lmao.

The misery continues. A cack December, and we start 2025 with away trips to Liverpool in the league and Arsenal in the FA Cup. The only vague positive is that both Bruno and Ugarte are back from suspension, and if Kobbie's refound his form... maybe midfield fires back. Maybe.

Still, stock up on biscuits, booze, feel good films... loan a friend's pet dog... just look after yourselves, because it'll get worse before it gets better.

[apinchofm]

Fic Rec Round Up 2024

Enjoy this round-up of some fics I have loved this year!

Gifts and Blessings by phantomlunars - @sukibenders

Oomf has posted their first fic on ao3 and it's so lovely!! Mary Sharma deserves all the love!!

child with a child pretending by @emilybrontay

never knew how much i needed mom!sydney but i absolutely adore this fic and carmy being the dad who stepped up!! I always come back to it!! sydcarymy, fluff and found family

sunday waiting by @phantomphaeton

This fic!! Sophie and Benedict are electric and very mysterious in this brilliant fic.

Peregrinus Animus, Peregrinus Anima, Peregrinus Cor by TheModernTypewriter

This series continues to have me in my feels and Addison is back and this time in Inquisition Spain and we have someone in the present curious about her. adow, gallowglass x oc, angst, fluff and time travel

so you were eavesdropping by lauryssamilkshakes (@habibialkaysani)

This fic is so wonderful and gives me all the family and couply-ly feels I needed. kathony, sharma family feels, M

long past the limerence by @phantomphaeton

ugh this fic pops up in my mind and tears me apart and i love it so much. unrated, fredwina, longing and angst

Never In My Wildest Dreams by ElleannaQ (@little-engineer-who-cant)

Another brilliant fic that is complete! I love how Edwina and her relationships with the people she loves are developed in the aftermath of such a messy season. Ugh, this fic is so wonderful!

A White Lily by justviwriting (@justviwriting)

beautiful introspective one shots - this author is so good at writing introspective stories and these drabbles for kate week are so beautiful!

learning to grow (old with you) by askthearcher (@lucindabridgerton

one of my favourite writers and moots has a one shot series on the twelve years of gregory and lucy’s marriage and it’s already wonderful!! grucy, t, one shot collection, fluff and angst

pandora’s jar by pjoseries (divineauthor) (@merlinemrys)

poseidon and sally are my roman empire and this is such such a lovely, angsty exploration of their relationship (poseidon is basically sitting by the phone) posally, t, tragic romance

Meet Me at Midnight series by @dreamstone28737

It’s the anniversary of this beautiful and brilliant series!! Have a read or endure a curse of a thousand years! Kanthony, Angst & Fluff, Modern Era

my stomach's all in knots (you got the one thing that i want) by sunflowerayo

such a cute, angsty but of sydcarmy and the tragedy of being in love with someone who is in love with someone else.

All I Want is You by @waterlilyrose

This fic is darn cute!! such a joy to read my two favourite oblivious idiots not realise they are in love - despite there being a song about you!!

Curtain Story 2: “Bee” is for Billionaires by @orangepeelshortbreadcookies

the adventures of miles and charles and the brains they clearly got from their fathers. this is such a sweet au!! g, modern bridgerton babies.

london boulevard by @phantomphaeton

I adore this mad, wonderful fic that delves into the chaos of money, existing as women, insecurity, love and female friendship by one of my favourite people!!

The Water Between Us by sensira (@goldoriole)

I have been obsessed with this fic and it is complete so I can read it over and over again!

[open-hearth-rpg]

The TTRPG Year So Far

I’ve been away from the blog for a couple of weeks, mostly because I’ve actually had a burst of productive energy. This week I released Danger! Unexploded Spell, a series playset for Girl By Moonlight: “Unacceptable mages drafted by the authorities protect their city from damage wrought by arcane air raids and bombings while trying to survive and create a community.”

Before that I finally cracked down and finished writing up Numberless Secrets, my Hearts of Wulin sourcebook for running mysteries. That came in at about 110 pages, and includes six sample mysteries. I’m really happy with the end results. Of course leading up to that I posted the draft of the new Celestial playbook for HoW on the blog and a tweaked version of the Villain playbook. 

Then in early April ago I put out Veil: Iterations, my version 1.5 rules for The Veil. I’ve had some feedback, but it is a pretty niche release (like all of my stuff). I have to make a couple of tweaks to that. 

Assuming I get this next GBM playtest written up, I have several other things in the queue: a couple new cases for Apocalypse Keys, my fantasy/samurai hack of Free from the Yoke, Hearts of Yokai (PbtA inspired by Changeling the Lost), and maybe more campaign frames for Hearts of Wulin. I’m sure there’s a couple of other things I’m forgetting. 

ACTUAL GAMING

All of that has been in parallel to all of the games which I’ve been running online and locally. Here’s what I’ve done so far this year, 87 sessions total with nine as a player. I have links to actual plays where they’re available. You can also listen to these in podcast format on our Open Hearth site:

Before the Sith: My hack of Before the Storm for the Star Wars minicon. I’d run another hack of this for superheroes before and realized that a four hour block just didn’t work. So I ran this as two three-hour blocks with an hour break in the middle. That helped and gave us room to let the scenes breathe. Even with that, we still ended up cutting out one of the rounds to make sure we had enough time for the ending. 

My Star Wars framing worked, but I think particularly because we had three Jedi and one non-Jedi character. That created a really solid set of tensions and questions. In the end two of the four characters had tragic/heroic deaths in the final battle. The core game’s mechanic for the cards works really well and would be worth adapting for other games. (one session)

Bounty of the Week: We just started this as a stand-in for the Veil: Iterations game I’ve been running on alt-Sundays. I managed to over pack my schedule so I asked if someone else could step in to run something. We did our session zero and I’m looking forward to playing. I’ve played vanilla MotW a couple of times in both editions and dug it. However I found it tough going when I ran it, I think because I have a different approach to structuring mysteries. (not recorded, one session)

Dreams and Machines: Oof. I ran a couple of sessions of D&M from the starter set last year, and even wrote up my impressions. I picked up the physical boxed set afterwards. So when someone asked for a series to see how 2d20 worked, I volunteered to run the full game complete with character creation. It crashed and burned.

I don’t want to go too far into this here- it deserves a full write up. But I only remember canceling one other series in mid-run because the game itself just didn’t work for us (that would be Dangerous Times: Muckrakers and Magic in Old New York). I like 2d20– I have two other series using it on this list. But Dreams and Machines has some serious problems. After the second play session, the group talked about our frustrations. I switched over to a Hearts of Wulin series, to help cleanse my palate. (two sessions)

Dune (not recorded): This remains probably my favorite implementation of 2d20. It has its issues (move as an action, spatial duel set up, slow advancement) but I dig the presentation, resources, and the mechanics generally. We’ve gotten fairly deep in our story. The world our PC house has taken possession of has developed nicely– with interesting ideas about society and ecology. Plus we’ve had some fun interactions with rival houses. We will be hitting a stopping point for this soon. That’s because the group’s schedule can be uncertain and we want to do some short-run things we can likely finish. (six sessions)

Fearful Symmetries: The Second Aethyr: We did a full three-month campaign arc of this Trail of Cthulhu series at the beginning of 2023. I loved Fearful Symmetries' combination of magicians, folk horror, and a specific historical place. Towards the end of that series it became clear we could easily do another arc. 

We took up that story a year later real and in-game time, checking in with our characters and how they’d recovered from the conflict at the end of the last series. Despite the break, everyone fell right back in. We ended up with three “mysteries” (including a country house murder) plus some transitional sessions, and an action-packed coda. I loved it the whole way through. It has renewed my faith in simple, streamlined Gumshoe. 

We decided we would do a third and final arc, even talking in the final session about the framing for the start of the next campaign. We might do this later this year or at the beginning of next. I’ve done some pipelaying already for the campaign, and have been thinking about how to integrate the Bookhounds of London material with it. (twelve sessions)

Girl by Moonlight: On a Sea of Stars: Another one we started last year, though right at the end. It became one of my favorite series; I dig GBM’s approach and mechanics. The group enjoyed it, though I think one of the players significantly less so than the others. We decided to do a two-month series to finish out the campaign this year. I imagined it as a mid-season break for a prestige TV show. On Wednesday we hit our 14th session, playing out the final, world-breaking mission. Next session we will do role-play and epilogues to finish out these stories. 

I really like GbM. The mechanics drive an interactivity which feels right with the genre. Any action can be from the individual, but becomes stronger when you wrap in the other characters. It may be the rpg with the strongest support-class mechanics I’ve ever seen. (four sessions)

Godbound: Sundered Cycles:We finally ran the third and final quarterly arc of this series. I really enjoy Godbound. I love how the wild powers combined with an OSR adjacent system make people think carefully about how to solve problems. It has some wonky bits– and the problem of the flat OSR combat, but overall it works. 

I really enjoyed returning to this because we’d built up the characters and world so fully in the previous two quarterlies. Going back made me a little nervous but– as I mentioned in an earlier post– I’ve found it's much easier to go back to previous games when playing online. We also added a fifth, new player which added a great dimension to the play. They had a unique perspective on divinity and the characters’ role in that. 

Had a great set of epilogues and we tied the finale into events from the Mountain Home game. I like the world we’ve built and will probably go back there again. I used some of the Thousand Thousand Island bits early on, but there’s still a ton of that I could integrate.  (ten sessions)

Hearts of Wulin: Ageless Sin (not recorded): A solid four-part HoW series using the supernatural set up. I ran for three folks I hadn’t before which was great– and everyone really leaned into the genre. Big, hot tragic ending in the last session. (four sessions)

Hearts of Wulin: 3 Mountains, 1 Heart: A great series. This is what we transitioned into when Dreams and Machines collapsed. We used the fantastical materials, even doing an initial playtest of the Celestial playbook (which needs some proofing and tweaking). We had some great characters, including our Celestial. The Fox-spirit PC from Ageless Sin returned and I integrated several elements from that story into this one. We also had a really fun take on the Aware and a PC who used music in a unique way. I’ve had players run musician characters, but I don’t ever think I’ve seen someone lean into performance and musicality like they did. (five sessions)

The Hunted: I need to write up a review of this. It’s one of the best one-shot frameworks I’ve ever played. It uses Forged in the Dark to create an amazing, tense, and propulsive game of characters being hunted by something terrible. Great play structure, dynamite tools for collaboration, and just dripping with atmosphere. Highly recommended. (one session)

Imperium Maledictum: 3 Cycles from Retirement and Plausible Deniability: So I have been running this to justify buying the core book (and the GM screen as it turns out). This is a newish 40K game, clearly intended to be a kind of follow up to Rogue Trader– though it is both narrower and broader than that. It uses the same mechanics as the latest version of Warhammer Fantasy, creating some consistency between the games. 

I’ve enjoyed both series– despite the tradness of the system. There’s enough interesting flexible choices for success and combat to make it really interesting. But it's abstract in a lot of places (like zones for movement and influence as a resource). I originally planned to just run one series during the day, but I had enough interest that I put another on the calendar for the same day in the evening. I’d always planned to do different adventures for the two groups, but having one player in both confirmed that for me. I’ll admit I had some worries going in, but I’m having a great time running this and leaning into slightly-satirical grimdark combined with the 40K elements which attract me. (seven sessions)

Mecha Hack: The only rpg I played besides the newly starting Bounty of the Week campaign. I thoroughly enjoyed this OSR game which combined a dynamite GM with a great group. I had some of the most tense moments I think I ever have. The combat clicked, exploration merged tension with narrative, and the final fully role-play session tied everything together. Plus I learned about Owlbear Rodeo which I’ve been using in a couple of campaigns. (nine sessions)

Murder in the Jedi Temple: I ran this one shot for our Star Wars mini-con. I’d playtested the scenario with a group which helped me trim and fix a couple of things for play. While the playtest went OK (pretty clear one player hated it), the game went well at the table and we managed to get a full, rich story done in four hours. (two sessions)

Pressure: One of the two newish Osprey rpgs I did a two-shot of. I found it decidedly mid but I had a really good time with the two adventures I ran. In particular I dug my set up for the second session and how wild things got. You can check out my review of it here. (two sessions)

Pulp Cthulhu: I did a short series of this by way of justifying my purchase of the Humble Bundle for Call of Cthulhu 7e. I enjoyed the play which adapted and drastically changed an adventure from the book. Pulp Cthulhu is pretty much CoC 7e with a few talents and more ability to spend luck. It’s a minor adaptation. It reinforced for me that if I’m going to do trad-ish Cthulhu I’m pretty off running Trail. 

It’s probably the last time I run CoC, given that Chaosium decided that their best move was to hire an unapologetic shitheel who doxxed folks who were already subject to harassment. After this, despite my love for Glorantha, I’m done with their stuff. (three sessions)

Star Trek Adventures: We wrapped our multi-year 13th Age campaign in 2023– we’d started it well before the pandemic. I pitched out several concepts and this one tied for first. Since I’d already invested in the books I cast the tie-breaking vote. We have a big table (six players). I was worried about that originally but it has been fine. We’ve done four “episodes” so far, each split over two sessions. I’ve encouraged them to keep thinking of this as a TV show– with that kind of dramatic logic. 

One of the challenges has been that we have two people who really know Star Trek, two who know Star Trek, and two who don’t know Star Trek.

Of course shortly after I started (and picked up the last of the physical books) Modiphius announced Star Trek Adventures 2nd Edition. I don’t think I’ll switch over– in part because I spent a bunch of money buying sets of Effect Dice which the new edition doesn’t use. (face to face, ten sessions)

Tomb Raider: The Last Guardians: I ran a short playtest of this last year, but only a few sessions. This time I’m running in the Open Playtest with more room, trying out a new adventure and team playbook. I continue to dig the mechanics here– and the character interactions work throughout. I’m hoping that after the playtest period I’ll be able to post the videos. (three sessions)

Tomorrow City:The other Osprey RPG I ran. I did a two shot of this (you can see the review here). I liked the system and the setting’s solid. It’s not a bad start for something simple and dieselpunk. But it is one of those cases where you have to decide if the setting’s something you really want to lean into and learn. If not, then the evaluation’s really on the strength of the system. (two sessions)

Veil: Iterations: This is our every other Sunday game. I started this last year to playtest some of the new elements. However we had a bunch of bumps in 2024 and only got in a few sessions. Right now it is on hiatus until after our Bounty of the Week game, when my time frees up a little bit. (not recorded, three sessions)