#entity relationship model

[thedatachannel]

Data Modelling Master Class-Series | Introduction -Topic 1

https://youtu.be/L1x_BM9wWdQ

#theDataChannel @thedatachannel @datamodelling

[the-pigeon-queen]

Obsessed with your ghost takes. Give me more headcanons I beg. I’m on my knees. Let us see but a fraction of the beauty in your mind.

Truly I am honored and I'm happy to provide :]

Sorry for the delay, I had to cook these up

Again, per usual, these are just personal head cannons :0 And I got 10 for each papa and for ghouls!

Copia:

Grew up doing acrobatics and ballet to be more like his Auntie, Marika. He chose to focus on ballet pretty early on.

Referred to Markia as Auntie but Mr. Psaltarian as Mr. Psaltarian.

Has a complicated relationship with his emotionally distant father figure, Mr. Psaltarian, but an even more complicated one with his actual father, Nihil

Marika babied him - grew up a little spoiled

The 666 mark on his chest is a birthmark lol not a tattoo

Has a lot of mobile games on his phone, and he has used the company card to make microtransactions for them

Picked up boxing because he was a little insecure about his arms and to stay 'fit' as he says

Executive dysfunction - eventually the stress of doing a task trumps his procrastination. When he does work, he does it well - he did get 2nd best employee of the month, after all

Prefers sci-fi to fantasy, with Star Wars being his favorite. He has models of all the different space ships in Star Wars. And a lightsaber (canonically)

Has pet rats (this is cannon to me across all AU's, I can't help it)

Perpetua:

Raised as an orphan in the catholic church after being kidnapped as a baby (will it be cannon? 👀 we'll see)

They were convinced he was possessed by the devil, and they performed multiple exorcisms on him there. Each one was traumatic, for obvious reasons.

One common punishment was having his knuckles/hands smacked - that's why he wears gloves/metal gauntlets, it makes him feel safer.

The mask, too, is worn because its comforting to hide behind it. He only takes it off when he has to.

He's trans. He goes by he/him but still doesn't confirm to any gender roles, especially not when it comes to fashion. He wears anything he wants. This includes the claws.

Whereas Copia has issues maintaining eye contact, Perpetua is the opposite. He stares. A lot. It is unnerving after a while.

His natural smile just happens to be very toothy and very wide.

Genuinely desires familial connections, and desperately wants to meet and befriend his twin, who he looks up to.

Has not confronted how he feels about the Ministry only seeking him out when he was needed for something. Right now, he's just happy to be wanted.

Has a pet bat :) no, it doesn't have rabies. Probably.

Primo:

Hates Nihil the most out of any of the siblings. He really brings a 'kill your dad' energy to the function (or a kill your older brother energy, take your pick)

Collects ancient occult or 'cursed' books. He has a copy of the Necronomicon. One of his most precious treasures is a copy of the Codex Gigas. He is currently hunting down a copy of the 'King and Yellow' because it's not a cognito hazard, people just don't get it like he does.

His mother was a witch - it's where he picked up a flair for gardening and tea. And bones. And magic.

He's an alchemist. Self-taught, and good at it.

Definitely had a homunculus at some point

Made a deal with an undisclosed demonic entity to keep his hair into his advanced age (I just like long hair Primo,,,)

Also hates the executives that run the Ministry. He has a strict idea of how the cult should be run and is endlessly frustrated that he doesn't have more say in its activities.

The executives in the Ministry fear him - no one knows what is keeping him in line, because it's obvious he would and probably could unleash some real harm to them.

Loves Secondo and Terzo dearly. He cared for them as if they were his own children when they were younger and loves them still. Game night started at his request.

As soon as he met Copia and Perpetua, he knew they were related, and he does his best to make the two feel welcome.

For more Primo headcanons, check out a previous post: {Unhinged Primo}

Secondo:

Can and does make pasta from scratch. He bought an extruder and everything.

He's actually a good cook - the only one in the family

People think he's a big, scary dog guy, when he's actually a purse dog guy. (I was making a comic about this but) He adopted a small, fluffy dog, and it wears a spiked collar and a pink bow. He walks it with one of those big, fake chains. Her name is Psycho Killer and he's training her to attack Terzo's ankles.

He recognized the Ministry suffered from same corruption he criticized in the catholic church - but is unable to do anything about it.

Only grew bitter when he realized how powerless he actually was within the Clergy.

He partied so hard as Papa as a way to sort of get back at the Clergy - but it was also a coping mechanism.

Considers himself a fine connoisseur of whiskey, and he is. He's got fancy tasting glasses and everything.

Same with cigars.

He also enjoys a good cocktail, too, though, and can mix a good drink. He's a good bartender.

Actually pretty good at pool/Billiards and darts. He's terrible at UNO, though - absolutely terrible.

Terzo:

Actually an introvert.

After parties, he has to have quiet alone time (this alone time can include Omega)

Enjoys reading - everything from dense books about ethics to trashy romance novels.

Absolute cinephile. He will host viewings of historic/rare/obscure films, and he will provide a slideshow presentation before the viewing. There is a mandatory discussion after.

He's a very talented visual artist - prefers black and white charcoal and graphite work.

Genuinely wanted to take over the world with the Clergy and turn it into his idea of a utopia. Unfortunately, the Clergy didn't like his vision, didn't like how comfortable he was getting with them, and didn't like how ambitious he was.

Once removed from Papacy, he realized how powerless he actually was within the Clergy, and grew even more reclusive, for a time.

Was insecure about his height when he was younger, but came to accept it, and is now perfectly fine with being a "short king."

Thoroughly enjoys messing with Secondo. The two bicker and tease each other all the time.

Keeps in contact with his Polish mother :)

Ghouls:

A ghoul's mask is a physical representation of their contract, but it also helps them maintain a humanoid form.

They can remove the mask, but only for brief periods of time.

If they remove their mask for too long, their magic will begin to destabilize, and they will inevitably revert back into a feral, demonic monster.

They do not have to eat or sleep, nor do they reproduce sexually

However, their physical bodies are 'equipped' to experience all the pleasures of the mortal realm (food, sleep, pleasure) It's a perk of the job.

The physical upkeep of their corporeal forms is dependent on emotional/mental state (can only be injured when emotionally compromised, only show scars if there are negative memories associated with it, ect.)

Musical ability is directly linked to their magic, so it's linked to their element, so it's linked to their emotional state.

This incentivizes the ministry to keep them happy.

They are forbidden from sharing any knowledge of heaven/hell/life after death with humans.

Unlike demons, they don't have true 'names.' It's up to the summoner to give them one.

[vln-vibes]

Bright Hope, Mighty Will

The Green Lantern Corps have lost many members over its years— a risk that came with maintaining the peace as told by the Guardians. Most of the rings reassigned to a new member of its given sector but on occasion there would come those that were so attached to its wielder that they would not accept another unless they resonated with their predecessors ideals.

It’s one such ring that had been on Oa with no new lantern to wield it. Or it had been.

The Blue Lanterns were still a growing group with whom the Corps had a close alliance thanks to their symbiotic relationship; after all a Blue power ring was at its highest potential when near a Green power ring and vice versa. So why not look for users together?

The rings were set off as a pair in an attempt to create a powerful Union and birthing the most powerful duo either Corps had ever seen.

Meanwhile in Sector 2814, on the third planet from its star— Earth, a small family from the Midwest were camping out in the woods after their youngest begged to see the shooting stars where they’d be the most visible. The oldest child explained to their parents that it was a good way to channel the younger’s passion for space and science much like their own. Everything had been well until the elder duo’s sensors brought up a strange signature from deeper in the wood— Ecto-entities or ghosts as they’d called them. Before being able to drag the children with them the youngest stood his ground and refused to be taken away from his stars, the elder assured that she could take care of her younger brother and that they’d be fine alone (they were alone even when in the same house more often than not)

The sun had since set, the telescope set up, blanket had been laid with snacks for them to consume as they sat in wait with jackets to help with the night chill. The duo sat near the campfire as the younger's anticipation grew but the thought of their parent's absences did as well. They'd been left home alone before but they were only 8 and 10 years old, in the middle of the wilderness with no way to guide them back home or even find where their parent's ghost hunting led them.

"Don't worry little brother, I'm sure mom and dad will be back soon"

"Ye-yeah! Besides mom knows how to kick butt, they'll be fine"

"Look!"

The duo took their gazes to the skies as the twinkling night was accompanied by steaks of white dashing by. The older grabbed her slightly old model camera and took photos of the unsuspecting boy's awe filled gaze before he could complain. He stuck his tongue out at her before turning to his telescope, doing his best to follow the streaks in the sky until no longer visible to him. The girl just took to taking some more photos to show their parents once they'd returned. It'd go on for a while like that, the stars as their only witnesses as they joked around.

"Hey that one's green! And that one's blue!"

She lifted her head from looking at her camera's saved photos to find the twin streaks flying together, a quick click of her camera to save such a strange occasion. She wasn't an astronomy expert but she didn't think shooting stars came in those colors. Taking her gaze off of the small screen and looking back up she noted the bigger size.

"Are they getting closer?"

"Maybe they'll land near here. How cool would it be to see them up close?!"

It was as though those words triggered something as the two stars seemingly stopped flying and began their rapid descent. Straight for them.

"They're headed right for us!"

"Run!"

The duo quickly picked up their discarded flashlights and began running away from the clearing their parents had chosen. No matter how fast or further away they got the stars still trailed towards them. The numerous twists and turns never deterring the streaks of light, even as the elder held the younger's hand in an iron grip to prevent them from losing each other or as the younger turned them around and took haphazard turns in an effort to get them away.

"Everything's gonna be alright!"

She panted as they approached another clearing, no idea where their own was but still looking and seeing the stars much closer to them, the lights were blinding. She felt her body get pushed aside and the roll of cold grass on her back, hair getting tangled with small twigs and a familiar but smaller body land on top of hers.

"Look out!"

They closed their eyes and braced for impact feeling a sudden breeze and a slight shake but nothing else. Until they heard different voices echo. Looking gazes and noticing the glowing eyes the other had they sat up--- only to be met by glowing, floating ----rings?

[Sentience located]

[Daniel James Fenton of Earth, you have been chosen]

[Jasmine Dahlia Fenton of Earth, you have been chosen]

[You have the ability to Overcome great fear]

[You have the ability to instill great Hope]

[Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps]

[Welcome to the Blue Lantern Corps]

A bright flash of blue and green surrounded the duo, hands still clasped and feeling a tug on their unoccupied hands, the warmth traveling on their bodies before disappearing altogether.

"Jazz what are you wearing?"

"What am I wearing!? What are you wearing Danny? Is that your old astronaut costume?"

Jazz noted the blue ring on top of her opera gloved right hand, also clenching the handle of a blue lit lantern? She could feel her knee length puffy blue dress move with the night breeze but didn't feel cold. White boots with blue bottoms kicked a pebble to the side, hearing it hit the nearby lake. Given the full moon she took a gaze at her reflection, finding her usual teal ribbon replaced by a giant blue bow at the back of her head and her eyes glowing a brilliant blue.

Danny was busy looking at his green suit, looking much like the costume he wore in a near daily basis when he was five until he started school. His own white gloves had puffier cuffs which reminded him of the astronaut costumes he and Tucker had looked at online for Halloween the year before, green ring also on his right, shaking the green weird lamp in the process. He pulled at the black suspenders before joining Jazz at the lake. His raven locks now had a single green streak near his bangs and icy blues now a vivid green.

"Cool"

Jazz was panicking, wondering what this could mean; what was a Blue Lantern anyway? Why did it choose her? And why was Danny green?

"Whoa!" Her glowing eyes turned to Danny but couldn't find him, hearing the sudden clatter of something falling on the floor and seeing the lantern rolling on its side, had he fallen in the water?!

"Danny!"

"Up here!" her eyes widened as he little brother flew above her, laughing as he looped around in the air, "C'mon Jazz!"

"How did you do that?" her eyes never leaving the faintly green glowing boy, "Can I do that?"

[You can. Just have Hope]

Trusting the voice in her head she reassured herself that they would be fine before feeling the ground disappear from under her feet and got closer to Danny, dropping her own lantern next to Danny's. She felt her surprise turn into a smile before doing a cartwheel in the air and the giggles escape from her.

Neither took track of time as they flew above the clearing before Danny had the idea to race above the lake, streak of blue and green reflected on its surface as it rippled from their speed. It wasn't until they flew back to the clearing that they remembered--- they had no idea where they ran off to. There hadn't been a lake where they'd set up camp.

"Mo-mom and dad will find us Danny! We'll be okay" They had to be okay, they would be fine. The idea of flying above the trees to look for their clearing was tempting but she had no idea how long it would take; did these things run on batteries? Would the power run out soon? Can they even take off these outfits? It'd be weird to be stuck like this for forever. If mom and dad find them what will they think of the glowing? It reminded her a bit too much of how the ectoplasm in the basement glowed whenever she or Danny were dragged downstairs and the substance covered near all the surfaces (that's when they'd know dad was making them clean up)

Whilst Jazz marinated in her thoughts and worries Danny couldn't help but think if there was a way to ask for help, though even if they had phones he doubted they'd even have service or know how to guide help towards them.

[Activating Emergency Beacon for Sector 2814]

"Huh? Emergency beacon?"

"What was that Danny?" Jazz snapped out of her thoughts as she heard his confusion, noting the slight pulsing now coming from his ring.

"I-I think my ring asked for help?"

"...Let's hope that's a good thing "

The brother-sister duo took to sitting by the lake once more, still viewing the stars above and keeping an ear out for any sign of their parents--- they were never quiet for too long. Especially when 'ghost-hunting', not that ghosts actually existed.

They were starting to get hungry again, having not touched their assorted snacks before the whole fiasco began when a steak of green, followed by another, approached the horizon. The first stopped, the second following suit... Were they like them? It looked like two people flying now that they weren't moving so fast. They were too far to properly see but it looked like they were searching for something.

Danny's ring flared up in quick brilliant flash before going back to its blinking; it seemed that was the cue the two in the sky were looking for as they made their way towards them.

"I think that's our ride Jazzy"

The duo finally hovered above the lake shore, the surprise clear on their faces even as one had a mask on.

"Hello, I am Green Lantern John Stewart of Sector 2814" the first man with matching vivid green eyes like Danny elbowed the man next to him.

"Uhh and I'm Green Lantern Hal Jordan of Sector 2814" he said sheepishly, running his white gloved hand through brown locks of hair. "You're the ones who send the distress call, what sector are you from?"

"Sector?" the duo looked at each other confused before Jazz remembered what the rings had said. "I- I think they said 2814?"

The duo looked surprised, disbelief easily conveyed even though Mr. Jordan's mask, actually he seemed more surprised than Mr. Stewart. "I'm sorry but what planet are you from?"

"Earth? I mean its not like--- Are aliens real!?" Danny's wariness disappeared and hovered in the air as he said it, "That's so cool!"

"You two are Earth children then" Mr. Stewart's eyes gained a dark look as he said so, "How long have you had the rings?"

"Umm I'm not really sure" Danny turned to his sister for guidance only to find her rubbing her arm nervously "Maybe an hour or two?"

Mr. Jordan's look matched Mr. Stewart's, like they were mad but they didn't seem mad at them like the teachers would when they caught him and Tucker talking during class. It was like whenever mom and dad's inventions malfunction and they'd go to school with bruises. (Those days mom and dad would mention their teachers calling them, they were always busy with the portal and never answered)

"Do you know what those are?" Mr. Jordan bent down to Danny's level, pointing at the matching green ring. Danny looked at his and wiggled his fingers.

"Not really? The voice said welcome to the Green Lantern cops?"

"Close, little man" Mr. Jordan chuckled, "My friend and I are part of the Green Lantern Corps. We help protect the universe, pretty much space cops if ya ask me"

"You get to travel into space! Awesome!" Danny literally brightened as his green glow intensified. "But why isn't hers green?"

"Your friend is actually part of the Blue Lantern Corps. They're a little different from us but we work together from time to time. They like to spread hope throughout the universe"

"Hope. It said I had the power to instill great hope. But why me? And why did they choose him?" her voice wavered as she turned to Mr. Stewart with a grave lookin his eyes.

"That... That is something neither of us can answer for you" he admitted, a solemn lookin his eyes as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "But we'll do our best to help you two with this"

"Its unprecedented for either Corps to choose children" Mr.Jordan frowned before looking towards Danny again, "What are you two doing in the middle of the woods?"

"I wanted to see the stars" Danny admitted sheepishly, all of this started from his request to their parents. They wouldn't be in this mess if he just watched from home like always, heck Mr. and Mrs.Foley had offered to take Danny and Tucker camping once school let out if he wanted to (but no he couldn't wait a month, he needed them now). "So mom and dad brought us camping but then the stars--- the rings started chasing us and we got lost"

"That must of been scary huh guys?" Mr.Jordan gave a look to Mr.Stewart and the man walked away a bit, placing a finger into his ear and whispering. How weird.

"So you guys are siblings?" he turned to Jazz, she just nodded slowly, took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. She kept rubbing the blue ring on her hand as she did. "Do you guys mind telling me your name?'

Jazz still had that worried look in her eyes, like when she knew the turkey would come back to life in any second but mom kept saying it'd be fine. (Jazz was always right, it was always the same every Christmas). His sister liked to think she was a grown up and didn't get nervous talking with strangers but she was still a kid like him. He would be brave for Jazz!

"I'm Danny and that's my big sis Jazz"

"Its nice to meet you two, or well at least know your names now?"

"Jordan"

"Hold right there"

The two adults just kept talking in whispers, looking back at them every few seconds, Jazz wasn't sure what to make of them but they were the ones who knew the most about the situation. Danny also had a pretty good sense for people and they seemed friendly but she also knew better than to trust complete strangers. Stranger danger was very much ingrained to them at a young age. Jazz knew it was rude but couldn't help but hear Mr.Jordan's outburst of "Seriously, nothing? Its been hours"

It seemed like forever before the adults came back and gave them strained smiles in turn.

"Well kids we're going to help you guys find your camp and make sure you get back to your parents" Mr.Jordan winked.

"We'll also explain more about the rings and what they mean while we wait. Sounds like a plan?" Mr. Stewart made sure to look at them in the eyes and didn't move until they both nodded in agreement.

"Okay"

The brother-sister duo didn't know what they were getting into when they went camping that day but everything was in motion, a new path diverging in time to create a brilliant new future; tragedy, love, and courage would always be on their path no matter how much he'd tried to avoid, it was inevitable. He could only witness as they embarked on this journey together and bring about the Rebirth with allies at their sides.

And he couldn't wait to meet them again, in due time.

[felassan]

David Gaider on Flemeth, under a cut for length:

"I have a type. I admit it. There are certain wells I can return to repeatedly and always find something new to explore. One of them is older female characters. Mike used to rib me about it. Consider Wynne. Meredith. Genevieve. And, of course, the biggie: Flemeth. Why are they a type? I... don't know, honestly. I guess I have a feeling that older men fade, they strive to regain their youth or establish a legacy and we've seen that story a thousand times, but older women? They become free to become something new. I guess I see so many possibilities in that. I had a conception of who Flemeth was, and why, right from the very start. Her creation went hand in hand with Morrigan, as a being whose thirst for retribution hundreds of years ago attracted an entity (slight confession: I didn't know Mythal specifically, at the time, "an elven god" was enough). I also knew where Morrigan was right and very wrong about her. Misconceptions of the truth are built into DA's foundation, and they were fundamental to this mother-daughter relationship I was building. Like many seeds I'd put in the world, however, I had no idea whether I'd ever get to explore it. Knowing that she was a character of possible future importance, if not a major player in DAO, I wasn't much surprised when she was one of the first cuts the art team made in terms of getting a unique appearance. Thus the "batty old woman" players met in DAO. Not as hard a cut as the Qunari, though."

"Going into DA2, I wanted both Morrigan and Flemeth, but we could only have one. So I picked Flemeth. This was the game where she really got to come into her own. I remember the art team coming and asking if it was OK if she got a new model, as it'd be a retcon of sorts. I didn't care. I wanted it. I honestly don't remember whether Kate Mulgrew was cast before or after Claudia. After, I think? All I recall is that Cab came into my office one day and asked if Kate might be a good fit. Asked me, the dyed-in-the-wool Trekkie who had stuck with Voyager even through the admittedly lean years? The squeal I made was un-manly. Cab took that as a "yes". 😅 I didn't get to talk to Kate until DA2, however. Schedules being what they were, we had a tight window to record Flemeth... so I had to write all her scenes before almost anything else in DA2 was written, before I even had a team! Ack! It was OK, though, for the most part. I knew where I wanted to take her, and a big part of it was going to explain her transition - to set her up for the future. So I whipped up a script in, like, two days and off we went. Kate was a marvel in the booth. She adored Flemeth and you could really tell. I didn't get to meet Kate in person, however, until DAI. This came pretty late in its development, compared to when we recorded her for DA2, and we flew down to Virginia (to accommodate her schedule - she was writing her memoir at the time, I think) for a single session. It was going to be *tight*."

"I was a mess. I was finally going to meet Captain Janeway... and yes yes, I know she's also more than that. But come ON. When we sat down, I figured I'd have to talk her through the character all over again. It'd been years since that one session at the start of DA2, right? And even more since DAO. But, no. Kate remembered Flemeth perfectly. I remember sitting there as she told me how much she loved the character, how rare it was to get one with so much texture and possibility. She called out my writing - my writing! - and waxed poetic about how she viewed Flemeth's arc. I... I was floored. 🫠 Then we began recording. One issue that quickly reared its head was how Caroline had to speed through the lines if we hoped to finish. Kate was a trooper, and most takes she'd get it in one (which is rare), but I was alarmed because we weren't giving Kate time to read the VO comments on each line. I brought it up, as there were some lines (so much sarcasm) that required nuance - Kate was getting them, oddly, but I was worried. "Oh, it's fine," Kate said. "I read the comments as we go." "How could you? We're going so fast!" "I'm a speed reader." Oh. OK, then. That certainly explained it. 😁 We got to the confrontation scene with Morrigan and she nailed it. Over and over. More than once, Caroline would make a call and, before I could even interject and say "no, Kate had it right, actually" Kate would explain exactly why she did it that way and why it worked for Flemeth. I was in love. She did the "I will see her avenged!" section all in one go. I got chills. Then we got to the final scene. You know the one. With Solas. It was this beautiful moment. She took it somewhere quiet and sad... and when she got to that last line, we all felt it: Flemeth was dead. Everyone was in tears. I suppose I could talk more about the process. How she started off aligned with Morrigan's original Delirium inspiration, but I didn't pull back her loopy way of talking as much (bet you wondered). I still don't know why it was so easy to slip into her voice, but I'm grateful I got the chance. ❤️"

[source thread]

[ohagiyoo]

“In my heart there is a hole in the shape of you!” ── ♡

Summary ;; you fall in love with your muse! Contents ;; readers gender is never mentioned, artist reader, start is pre-bllk, pure fluff, slice of life-ish, yuki is used instead of yukimiya, NOT proofread, LAZY ending, no y/n only [Name], lower-case intended, otoya & karasu feature, oneshot, pre-relationship, no confession, post-u20 arc near the end and pre-bllk at the start! Word count ;; 1,707! Helpers ;; @airybcby!

one day yuki's agency hires you to work under them for cover art of him to appear on billboards and so the day u meet you have your canvas nd everything

he stays still and watches your concentrated face as you mix the paint to get the right color before laying it on the canvas, often looking back at him to compare your work to him to see if there's anything you need to fix.

this goes on for days. every week or so, yuki would sit down infront of you and you'd get your canvas, some paint and paint him. one day though, he decides to break the ice and starts talking to you about a few things, it started off with work related stuff but it became a little less corporate and more personal day by day.

you dont remember when it happened but you eventually started replying back after staying quiet for the longest time ever, believing that if you were to respond it'd result in more of a hassle than good.

the first time you responded, yuki felt himself get a little happier but decided to cling to the last bit of professionalism he had. that day was the first time you saw yuki's smile reach his eyes and maybe you blushed & decided to hide behind the canvas in hopes he didnt notice.

after that day, you two started being a lot friendlier to each other, most of the time he'd initiate interactions but on the rare occasions you got over your self-imposed """artistic""" isolation you'd approach him to have lunch together during his breaks and what not. nothing really that bad, you'd just chat for a bit during his breaks. you even exchanged numbers.

the first time you ever saw eachother outside of work was when yuki had to go to bllk and you tagged along till he had to get picked up. before he got on he gave you a smile and that'd be the 2nd time you saw him genuinely smile and not put on that fake polite small of his

(un)fortunately, there was no canvas to hide your face as you stared at him with a starstruck expression. he noticed and his smile got a little wider before he waved you goodbye and got on the bus.

it was getting boring without him, your clients were all boring yet nice people. not nice enough to start conversations with you but you appreciated their silence.

deciding to try to occupy yourself with something less boring while yukis gone you began painting him as best as you could from memory. attempting to replicate what you saw him as in your mind.

most of your pieces looked as if you were drawing a divine entity rather than a person, and maybe he was that to you. every painting of yuki had the feeling of fogginess imbued in it that got stronger every time you painted him.

the foggier it was, the more apparent it became that you're starting to forgot his features.

when the u-20 match was announced, you attended it in hopes that the object of your works would be there, and he was.

once you saw him only did you realize how off your paintings were. you didn't realize that you painted him so beautifully, from your perspective your painting were an accurate recreation of what he looked like.

the realization that you might be feeling something for him (causing all the paintings looking dreamy) struck you and you decided to test it out, doubtful of your underlying feelings for the model.

you started sketching him on the small commonplace book you had and compared it to one of the photos you took of your past paintings.

in your sketch, yukimiya seemed so much more accurate as to what he looks like right now. in your paintings, however...

well, that's not good. for all you know he could just see you as a painter or artist for him, someone he just has to be nice to but when you recall the moments he smiled genuinely— they were all directed at you or caused by you.

the cheers of the crowd snap you out of your thinking, putting away your phone and book, you decided o simply watch the match in hopes that it'd distract you from the realization you've made.

after blue locks win, you immediately leave the stadium, thoughts clouded with that dumb models face, one you werent supposed to be thinking or having romantic thoughts about.

the next day you get a text from yuki, asking if you'd like to meet up since he got a 2 week break from blue lock. you pretend you didn't see the text, not even daring to open up his contact in fear that he'll notice that you're scared to talk to him after your realization.

you power off your phone and decide to go to your favorite cafe in shibuya to paint, hoping that it'll calm you down instead of making you think about how yuki reached out to you. it probably means nothing! you should calm down.

you try to stuff your thoughts about yuki in the back of your head to focus on your painting, your attempts are unsuccessful at best and bring you back to thinking about him at worst.

you sigh and look out of the cafes window in hopes to find something to paint. there's some people cosplaying, others taking photos, most just minding their own business & going to wherever.

the sight looks a bit boring, nothing really stands out to you until you see a spike of purple-blackish hair peeking through the crowd. furrowing your eyebrows you stood up in your seat to get another glance at what that is.

that looks like one of the players in the blue lock eleven line up, tabito karasu was it? ah well, it's really nothing that interesting, you could get a photo of him online and use it as reference at home. for now you want to—

if karasus here then... shit.

when you realize it, it's already too late, yuki spotted you hiding your head in your arms while sitting at your isolated table when searching for a seat after his group entered the cafe.

thisishorriblethisishorriblethisis—

“[name]?” yuki cuts through your thoughts with a mall smile on his face, standing at your table. slowly you raise your head from the confines of your arms covering it.

“yes..?” you answer hesitantly, it's over. he knows you ignored his texts on purpose, he'll surely hate you now.

“thank goodness you're here, I was wondering if you were alright since you weren't answering my texts, but I suppose you were busy then, hm?” huh. it's not all that bad, maybe you should've thought about how nice he is to you so far before you thought all those things but whatever.

“oh. uhm, yeah, thanks.. sorry for not replying..” you mumbled awkwardly, rubbing the nape of your neck as you sat up in your seat, yuki laughed and you froze for a moment, it was so long that you havent heard him laugh— or talk, or really anything. and his friends seem to have noticed that considering that karasu tabito and the other guy next to him with a green streak in his hair are making kissy faces at the two of you after noticing the way you're looking at their friend.

yuki doesnt seem to notice considering they're behind him so you're suffering alone while attempting (and failing) to not get red in the face from their antics with yuki infront of you.

・・・

yukis gaze falls on the canvases infront of you, notably the one of him painted oh so dreamily and he halts. he wonders if you've always draw him like this but from the art hes seen when he was still there it doesn't seem like it. yuki feels the tips of his ears & face get warmer, he'd like to think he's just embarrassed but his rapid heart beat says otherwise.

you realize he's staring at the paintings of him when you were going based off memory and shove them in your bag hastily, standing up and mumbling something along the words of “sorry i have to go” before running out of the cafe in embarrassment at how big of a blunder you just made. who meets their muse, lets them see their dreamy paintings of THEMSELVES and then runs out?? oh you're so doomed, it's over.

・・・he'll understand. you hope.

after that frankly awkward and messy reunion you failed to try and get over it, honestly that was such a big mess up, how are you gonna be able to talk to him now? do you just go up to him and apologies? tell him you have a crush on him? or lie and say you were experimenting with different styles?

while you're pondering your next course of action you complete miss the way a shadow is looming over your sitting form during your lunch break at work, it's only when the figure clears their throat do you look up, ready to apologies only to be met with yuki himself. you're basically screwed now, might as well put the fries in the bag because NO way you're going to survive this one.

yuki sits down and hands you a cup of coffee, setting down a croissant & some pastries and begins talking to you as if he hadnt just seen strong evidence of you having a crush on him. for the first few minutes, you're silent— nodding along every few to let him know you were listening even though you really werent since you were internally freaking out and trying to keep it cool on the outside.

and then, by some miracle, you start responding verbally and going back and forth with him while having some of what he brought with him.

maybe this wouldn't be as bad as you thought, maybe you were just overthinking his tolerance/likeness for you. actually, you were definitely overthinking but whatever.

afterwards, the topic of your paintings of him never came up again, he's still your muse and you're still his artist and maybe it'll stay like that forever.

Farmers notes ;; sigh i love my yuki crazed moot!

© ohagiyoo 2025 — dividers — m.list

[blind-betrayal]

Paladin Danse, the Brotherhood, Autism, and not being a person

dragging myself back to my forgotten fallout blog to rant abt how people seem to talk abt Danse's whole deal (which means. a lot of things. he has a lot of deals going on), by which I mean the fact he is more of a tool and not a person to the Brotherhood who is largely taking advantage of him, and people talk abt Danse being autistic (which I fully and whole heartedly believe is completely unintentional by Bethesda, but nonetheless very well written and present, so much so I consider it vital to his character) but never how both of these work in combination.

Been getting really into ENA lately, and a lot of ENA Dream BBQ seems to focus on the fact ENA is not so much a person but an entity doomed to toil forever, to LITERALLY die and even give pieces of herself away (her arm to enter the purge event) to complete whatever job she's been assigned, and is functionally more a tool than someone with personhood. So of course I have to make this about my favorite fictional man, an action I realize would get me taken outside and shot but I digress.

Back when I was active I had some semi well received takes on his character (such being largely de-desensitized and much more worldly than he is often depicted by fans-- come the fuck on, bro lived in the CAPITAL WASTELAND. Arguably one of the most inhospitable locales we see in the series, from my understanding) so maybe I've talked about this before but I think Danse's character suffers from being confined to the affinity conversations, particularly in regards to Cutler, who I feel is much more vital to understanding why Danse is the way he is than we're allowed to get info about.

He and Danse ran a junk shop in the CW, Danse-- who is a synth, who came into this world as a full-grown adult, with fake memories of a fake childhood and fake backstory (possibly the Railroad's work?), and as such we know (and later, he knows) Cutler was, most likely, Danse's only relationship (whatever you interpret it as, friend or lover) and thus only tether to the world outside himself. The shop and Cutler was his place(tm), what keeps him from being any other wasteland drifter. Cutler is probably everything to him. Cutler wants to join the Brotherhood, Danse follows, Danse likes the structure and sense of purpose because he's autistic. Then Cutler is gone, and all that's left is the Brotherhood with an environment perfectly suited to his neurology and with no tethers to the outside to ever make him even think of leaving them. There's nowhere and nothing outside of the Brotherhood for him, of course it becomes his life. Of course they're happy to have him, their little soldier who listens to their dear leader and follows directions so so good and follows the rulebook to every minute word and will never ever think of leaving or questioning them. Why would he?

I fully believe Cutler was real, as I feel like if he wasn't, Danse would talk about how he had to beg (beg!!!!!! he had to fucking ASK for them to look for the missing team Cutler was a part of, as if we had any reason to doubt their soldiers are units, not people) to look for Cutler or just mention that missing team at all and would have his fellow soldiers be like what the fuck are you talking about dude that did not that happen. Like he'd totally know. As such, him being gone left Danse in the perfect position to be fully modeled into whatever the Brotherhood wanted of him. Notice how he (which he even later acknowledges!) fully expects you to just...follow in his footsteps and wholeheartedly believe in and follow the BOS's ideology? Like doesn't even question that there could be a reality where these guys are wrong? How he full send believes synths are just machines and struggles even when finding out he is one, and thus forced to face they are in fact people with memories and feelings and personalities and identities and relationships? The BOS is just his objective reality.

He views himself as a tool because they view him as a tool, he is a Paladin, he's his squad's leader, his feelings and wants don't matter, just the mission and keeping his people alive. Not that he doesn't care, if anything we're shown that he cares so SO much. He cares so much about Haylen, about you. If you romance him, he's nearly sick with worry about you getting hurt, you leaving, doing something wrong to you. He just doesn't really know what to do about it or how.

He doesn't even consider having wants or desires for himself, unaware he operates as an extension of the BOS, not as a person who merely sorta agrees with them or just wants 3 meals a day and a place to sleep in exchange for shooting some guys.

Hell, the only time we see him break out of this is once he knows he's a synth, and thus forcibly ejected from the BOS and all he knows and believes in. Only then does he go "wait? what the fuck? I'm a person?". Note his utter offense at Maxson implying he knew he was a synth and was a purposeful spy and traitor, how even worse to him than being sentenced to death is having his faith in them doubted, his usefulness to them doubted. He's happy to let the player kill him, because it would be a continuation of their ideals. But the second his servitude to the Brotherhood, which he values above all else, including his personhood, getting questioned? Now he's upset!

Hell, he's even dehumanized OUTSIDE of the Brotherhood! See this comment from Piper when Maxson reveals him being a synth:

(Girl what the fuck + you are not immune to propaganda + she is sometimes accidentally complacent or even actively participating in the same discrimination she is trying to stop btw and I love that yum yum yum writing so good sometimes)

Dehumanization of autistic people is nothing too, take this really good chunk of an article I found trying to gather my own thoughts together for this post:

"Here’s a classic by Ivar Lovaas, an early pioneer most associated with the current therapy most aggressively recommended for autistic kids, Applied Behavioral Analysis:

You see, you start pretty much from scratch when you work with an autistic child. You have a person in the physical sense—they have hair, a nose and a mouth—but they are not people in the psychological sense […] One way to look at the job of helping an autistic kid is to see it as a matter of constructing a person. You have the raw materials, but you have to build the person."

"You have a person in the physical sense—they have hair, a nose and a mouth—but they are not people in the psychological sense […]"

Hmm...sure sounds like something a commonwealther would say about a synth, huh?

Besides, identity confusion is very much a thing to those with autism: both in regards to themselves as a person, but also about themselves as part of society. Danse is very lost and listless after Blind Betrayal, and furthermore with the knowledge he's a synth, that he's artificial and thus inherently different from many people around him, despite looking and sounding like them. He's just different, a feeling likely not new if we assume him to be autistic, and when we consider the multiple times in canon he describes struggling with interacting with others and understanding their feelings and actions. Being a soldier gave him an easy, simple, digestible answer to this confusion: he's a soldier. A soldier's conduct gave him a playbook to interaction and his own actions, an objective, structured way of life. It was made to appeal to him in every way, and was probably almost therapeutic.

He is, in my opinion, the perfect victim.

My point in vomiting words isn't to like, try to exonerate him btw. Any sort of "hes actually an innocent cinnamon roll who did nothing wrong!!!!" Danse depictions equally piss me off. Regardless of BOS brainwashing (they're a cult to me and always will be) or victimhood or diagnosis, he IS an adult and responsible for his own actions, and his discrimination and violence against non-humans and participation in BOS acts...but I also think it's just as shallow to imply he just, is a normal well adapted adult who agreed with the BOS bc he's a discriminatory ass, and not due to being the exact type of person who is incredibly likely to be victimized by an entity such as the BOS, and what the isolation of a person can do to them. ESPECIALLY considering him being a synth-- he is (whether accidentally or not or both) an active participate in the discrimination of his own kind, of people like him...is that not kind of spectacular, very interesting (and considering it's Bethesda...possibly unintentional?) writing? Especially when I feel we get very few examples of synths who are anything except perfect victims until like, Far Harbor came out. I just think this is a very interesting chunk of his character that barely got explored but exists to at least some extent, and I'm disappointed to seemingly see largely unexplored or under explored in fandom materials.

[blush-and-books]

rant about jenny and buffy incoming!!!!

i just rewatched surprise (2x13) and innocence (2x14) because rhonda wilcox wrote a particular essay about those episodes, and i wanted the content fresh in my mind for it. but it REEEEEEEALLY got me thinking harder about the buffy and jenny dynamic, because it's such a rich and somehow highly tense relationship even though they seldom have many direct interactions before the reveal about jenny's character happens.

what i love about their relationship (or lack thereof) is that it isn't one of disdain, but it's a little awkward and uncomfortable. let me explain.

now, as we see in the beginning of season two, buffy IS encouraging of giles pursuing jenny. she's not overly excited about it, but she does her best to advise him on how to ask jenny out. at this beginning of the jenny/giles relationship story, she's very much an entity that exists outside of the scoobies and giles' work as a watcher.

while joyce summers is obviously fondly remembered for everything she's done for her daughters and her love for them, the beginning of the series is way more focused on how cut off she is from buffy's life. buffy cannot share really anything with joyce, and hank is uninvolved following the divorce. giles has started to become a paternal figure, and this is emphasized in how he navigates the news that buffy and angel had sex - buffy is distressed that he's disappointed in her actions, and giles only voices his support, which buffy has not received in honesty from a parental figure in a long time.

even though joyce is detached from buffy at this time, jenny is hardly a maternal figure or role model for buffy, despite her involvement with buffy's new father figure. jenny is caught at the crossroads of representing youth, vitality, and newness (her expertise in computers), but she often aligns with adult ideology in the way she treats the scoobies (ex. in 2x14 when she scolds rupert for panicking in front of "the kids," as she refers to them).

where i think she could have been a really interesting conduit for helping giles understand what buffy is going through, and she DEFINITELY could infer that buffy and angel had sex right before he lost his soul, we don't see jenny comforting or supporting buffy in any way. i wish we did, because i think it would have been golden, but it also speaks volumes to me about how jenny and buffy are so detached from each other, too. jenny is probably a little bit afraid of buffy - afraid of how giles prioritizes her, afraid of the power that buffy has.

additionally, buffy doesn't know how to feel about jenny because she's probably like a weird stepmom to buffy. will she distract giles from his responsibility as buffy's watcher? how will she handle magic and demons? buffy appears to be unsure of jenny's authority in various situations, and has very little to connect with jenny over. out of the scoobies, jenny has the best relationship with willow, because they share passions in computer tech and magic; while buffy is more aligned with giles in literature (we learn later how buffy enjoys poetry) and fight strategy. buffy also loves shopping, which the fashion-challenged willow definitely is not passionate about at this time, and jenny, being romani and likely a traveler/nomadic type, is deliberately outfitted to re-wear the same staple pieces in different styles.

when jenny's omission of the truth has been revealed, buffy blames it almost entirely on jenny. which is understandable. but her and jenny have zero closeness, so buffy's anger is easy!!! if her and jenny were tight, this would have been more of an emotional conflict, and buffy probably would NOT have tried to choke jenny out against her desk (this is one of my favorite scenes ever btw it's so crazy). there was always a tension between buffy and jenny, so when this reveal occurs, rage is a no-brainer!!! buffy is ready to say "see!! i was right in not opening up to her!!" and cut jenny out completely, an act in which giles follows suit and buffy does not gaf if it hurts him, too, because her father figure chooses her over his girlfriend.

i would also like to say that i LOVE how jenny does not bow to buffy's power in this scene where buffy confronts her. jenny does not beg for forgiveness or cry or plead, because she's not that girl. she's that bitch. between jenny, buffy, and giles, they ALL have been unwillingly forced into a position to uphold ancient generational powers/responsibilities. and jenny tells buffy as such - and straight-up says she can't fix it. she owns up to her lie, but is brutally honest about her position, and i LOVE THAT-

because jenny still tries to fix it, she understands in this moment how her mission is flawed, and takes agency to restore the relationships that she cares about. and buffy does not truly appreciate jenny until she is gone.

while i obviously bitch on this app every day about how brilliant jenny's character could have been if she'd only been kept in the series long-term, i really mourn the loss of watching a dynamic develop with buffy. in the same way that buffy inevitably accepts tara as family, i believe that she would have done the same with jenny, and that jenny would step into a role of comforting and supporting buffy in situations where giles was not equipped to do so, especially after joyce dies.

if you made it to the end of this rant i am giving you the biggest kiss ever

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Hi! I love your content! I’ve been curious about the different types of tardis models, type-40, type-1, type-90, etc. Seeing as they are living, with personalities, quirks and preferences, how does this vary from model to model? If a tardis is created for military use, how does that affect it’s personality?

How do TARDIS personalities vary model to model?

First of all: all TARDISes are individuals.

Their core sentience (in the Protyon Core) is shaped by their design, environment, pilot, and purpose. Model type does influence their personality, especially when you start comparing exploratory vessels to war-bred behemoths.

🕰️The Start of Sentience

TARDISes come in types, and the first known slither of half-sentience was in the Type 39. This was so scary to the early Time Lord pilots that a lot of Type 39s were sent for repairs or 'de-energised' for being disobedient.

🔧Basic Exploratory Models (Type 40-50)

Type 40s like the Doctor's TARDIS were built for exploration and observation. Their personalities tend to be:

Curious

Independent

Slightly grumpy when neglected

Prone to hijacking travel plans if they think you're being an idiot

They tend to be subtle, unarmed, and mildly sarcastic. Type 40s were the first models with complex symbiotic bonds to their Time Lords, and some (like the Doctor's TARDIS) evolved into expressive entities.

(But of course, she's special)

🧪 Deliberate Sentience Engineering (Type 51)

By the time of the Type 51s, Gallifreyans deliberately tried to engineer sentience using artificial intelligence. This didn't work, resulting in TARDISes that switched through moods and personalities at the slightest whim. Many pilots found this so irritating that a lot of Type 51s were abandoned in repair shops.

🕳️The Sentience Chasm (Type 51-89)

TARDIS tech improved. Personality design… did not. Technology progression made these TARDIS Types advanced to fly, but there are very few noted instances of these TARDISes having a particular personality or noted sentience.

💥 War TARDISes (Type 90-100)

It took a while for the Time Lords to commission a War TARDIS, simply because they were so afraid of giving war capabilities to an unpredictable sentient lifeform. Eventually, they relented, and starting with the Type 90s, TARDISes were bred for combat. Their personalities tend to reflect:

Hyperfocused on mission objectives

Strategically aggressive

Often suppressive of emotional nuance (though not always successfully)

Tendency toward protective, but controlling

Many War TARDISes are known to display enhanced aggression and paranoia. They're not emotionless – just more likely to vaporise threats before thinking about it.

The most interesting thing is starting with Type 90s, the link between pilot and ship started getting blurry as the pilots increasingly became more biologically linked with the hardware, suggesting that War TARDISes not only brought their own personalities, but also increasingly took on their pilot's.

Notably, by the Type 97, personality may have been considered inconvenient, or they just weren't able to express themselves. These models were designed without telepathic links. The Doctor described piloting one as feeling 'soulless'—no connection, no banter, just machinery.

🧍‍♀️Humanoid TARDISes (101, and the rest)

Then TARDISes started to become humanoid, both through Time Lords experimenting, and the biological rewriting of a human named Laura Tobin. This resulted in a plethora of TARDISes that:

Had complete self-awareness

Deep emotions and personalities, including rage and love

Increasingly more complex relationships with Time Lords (perhaps even romantic)

Ability to reproduce with each other

🎭 TL;DR Personality Cheat Sheet

39 = Just discovered feelings, confused

40–50 = Snarky librarian

51 = Drama queen AI experiment gone wrong

52–89 = Extremely competent accountant

90–96 = Battlefield tactician

97 = Toaster with missiles

101 = Abomination prototype. May be in your house right now.

102 = Mum, who's not taking any of your rubbish

103 = Flirty, fighty, confusingly touchy-feely ship people

105 = You're not the pilot, you're the companion

🏫 So ...

Every TARDIS has a personality – it's just that some quietly grumble, while others obliterate timelines and rewrite history. So yes, the model affects personality, but in the end, they all have preferences. They all have moods. A lot are loyal to their pilot. And a lot will not do what you ask them to.

Related:

🤔|🛸🧬The Life Cycle of a TARDIS: How TARDISes are born, grow, and die.

💬|🛸🧬Do we have any info on TARDIS biology?: Overview of TARDIS biological aspects.

💬|🛸👽Could a Time Lord and a TARDIS be in a relationship?: Potential relationships twixt Time Lord and TARDIS and the intimacy of the symbiotic connection.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →📢Announcements |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts → Features: ⭐Guest Posts | 🍜Chomp Chomp with Myishu →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[mask131]

Greek gossip time: The truth behind the worst marriage that ever was! HeraXZeus, the REVEALS ~

I tried to make the title like one of those gossip magazines.

I was just having a chat with @themousefromfantasyland about the character of Hera in Greek mythology, and so I decided for fun to collect below the many various theories trying to explain why Zeus and Hera have such a dysfunctional relationship. Because every fan of Greek mythology knows this: Hera and Zeus are renowned for their constant fighting and for being the worst match made in Heaven (he is constantly sleeping around and falling in love with everybody and seducing every girl and boy, she is mad wrathful and mad vain and mad jealous) and yet... And yet it is said that Zeus shall have no one else sit on the throne and hold the scepter but her, and he ferociously punishes anyone trying to touch his wife... And yet when Hera wanted to divorce Zeus and heard he had a new bride she ripped off the dress of the new bride in revenge... And yet their union was considered the ideal model of all marriages in the world, and the Moirai themselves sang at their wedding - probably to mean that Fate itself was agreeing with this... They cannot even agree on what sex feels like (Tiresias can testify)!

Mythology took back the religious teaching that Zeus and Hera absolutely love each other, are perfect equals, and will forever be united and return to each other... Yet mythology also delighted in depicting Zeus as a sleazy cheating husband, and Hera as being insulted and offended by every mistress and every bastard child, and Zeus basically being powerless to stop her from murdering everybody or driving people insane (except when he does act, which is rare but VERY spectular and VERY violent - see the "hanging from Olympus with FREAKIN' ANVILS" incident).

Scholars, academics and analysists of Ancient Greek mythology and culture have offered throughout the centuries MANY different explanations and theories. Some are very recent, some are very old. Some are widely enjoyed, others were completely discredited. Some are reasonable, others are a bit looney. I can't possibly include them all, but I want to offer a melting pot of the various views and thoughts on the matter, and why what is supposed to be the perfect, ideal, ultimate union in Greek religion ended up becoming the most dysfunctional and messy relationship of Greek poetry. [Note, I am focused here on Hera's behavior mainly. Zeus' own lust deserves its own post - but here I will start with the many explanations people came with for why Hera keeps loving and sticking by the side of Zeus despite absolutely loathing the way he behaves]

Hera and Zeus' couple is explicitely stated to be the "model" and the "example" on which all married couples and human unions between a man and woman are to be based upon. The sort of "core" of it all. So, while religion presents it in its most idealistic, positive format (yearly yet eternal union of absolute love between perfect entities equal in power), the storytellers and poets had much more awareness of reality and decided to depict what couples actually went through - ups and downs, feuds and reconciliations, stormy relationships - but mythology being mythology and gods being gods, it got magnified and amplified until we have the epic mess we know today.

Hera's main default is vanity, it has been proven many times, and so her getting so angry at Zeus whenever he loves someone else or "honors" another woman with a child is just another manifestation of her great vanity and pride - the same reason she punished those women claimed to be more beautiful than her. By extension, her many "revenges" against Zeus are also, literaly "vain" because every time she fails - again, highlighting how her flaw is "vanity" in all the senses of the term.

Hera has, throughout mythology but it is especially present in the texts by Homer, a rivalry with Aphrodite, which reflects the fundamental opposition between the wife and the lover ; the legal relationship, something purely institutional and official, versus the actual romance, something true desire and attraction. It is Hera losing to Aphrodite during the Judgement of Paris and then siding with the Greeks and the legitimate husband Menelas, against the Aphrodite-defended Troy with the lovers Paris and Helen. The same structure can be found implied in The Odyssey, where Odysseus, seeking to return home and wishing for Penelope and their couple being idealized, is the implicit champion of "Hera", and has to fight the many seductions and temptations trying to prevent his journey (the "Aphrodite" force). [Though it has been noted Homer likes to blur the lines, as for example to seduce Zeus Hera puts on Aphrodite's belt, and thus uses her enemy's own weapons for her personal gain] Hera's beauty is a chaste, majestic, "covered" one as opposed to the most sensual, nude beauty of Aphrodite.

The feuds of Zeus and Hera were just so beloved by poets and storytellers because it was a great way to create conflict, tensions, drama and epicness. And the Greeks loved drama ~

Depicting Zeus as an obsessive, frivolous seducer bordering on the rapist, and Hera as an irascible bully and jealous murderer might have been the Greeks expressing the dangers of wild emotions and the negativity of passions as a whole - as the Greeks promoted moderation, measure and reason in all things.

Her persecuting Zeus' bastard sons - aka heroes - is precisely what allow them to prove their greatness and manifest their heroism and earn their status as demigods. Thus, Hera is a sort of "necessary evil". It isn't so much that she hates these sons per se, or that she only wishe for their destructions - despite being the main enemy of Herakles and Dionysos, she still ends up welcoming them on Olympus and becoming their "adoptive mother". It is rather that she forces them to undergo the tests and trials by which they have to prove their worth and defend their existence, as a way for her to protect the official and legitimate nature of the "true" Olympian family, of which people like Dionysos or Herakles are "illegitimate children", "bastards" . (Also see how Hera doesn't seen to have any animosity or hatred towards Athena, the two of them being frequently allies or associates - usually against Aphrodite)

Hera is by nature an ambivalent, dual entity that offers the good and the bad. She gives birth to the beautiful and to the monstrous - Hebe and Ares, Hephaistos and Typhon... In the Iliad her role as the "queen" of Zeus is dual by nature, she is the faithful advisor of her husband, but also his scheming rival. She loves Zeus and reunites with him, but she also hates his behavior and tries to leave him many times - simply because Greek gods are dual by nature.

These legends simply highlight Hera's function as a goddess. As the goddess of the legitimate wife, of official marriages, of legitimate children, she hates and hunts down adulterous loves, extra-marital affairs and bastards children. It is her job and reason to be.

Hera and Zeus' relationship is messy because she is a goddess that exists in a constant cycle. It is attested that her wedding to Zeus was renewed every year through great processions, tied to the legend of when Hera isolated herself on an island and Zeus had her return by pretending to get married to another woman. Pausanias talks of how she regained her virginity every year. It can be linked to the three-appearances of Hera in Stymphal, as the child/wife/widow, which can also be interpreted as "the virgin", "the bride", "the separated/divorced woman". Thus, religiously, Hera, goddess of all women and embodiment of womanhood as the Greeks understood it, undergoes the cycle of a female lifetime every year. She regains her virginity, "marries" again Zeus by uniting with him in love, then separates from him out of dislike and anger, only to then love him again and return by his side.

This specific theory aboved is deeply connected to the common consideration that Hera used to be a goddess of nature connected to springtime and the cycle of seasons, back in her "early life". The divine marriage of Zeus and Hera celebrated every year was a ritual to regenerate fecundity and ensure the fertilization and peace o nature itself. Hera was said to have been raised by the Horae, and people saw her name as etymologically deriving from "year" or "springtime" ; and her wedding with Zeus is connected to the Garden of the Hesperides and its Golden Apples, symbols of eternal spring, eternal youth. Thus the stormy relationship of Hera and Zeus might be tied to an ancient, forgotten role of the goddess as representing the cycle of seasons, the coming and going of springtime.

That, or Zeus and Hera's quarrels were primitive ways to explain the storms, the violence of weather phenomenon, the disturbances in the air and other "celestial fights" - the disasters explained by the quarrel of the two main gods living in heaven.

Hera simply embodies the misogynistic view Ancient Greeks had of women, and as the "synthesis" and "embodiment" of all women, her greatest virtues are love and faithfulness, but her greatest flaws are anger and jealousy.

It was (and still is in some places) a strong theory that Hera used to be a "Great Goddess" or a "Mother Goddess" with a worship distinct from the one of Zeus, a more queen-and-matriarch focused cult that was in rivalry with the one of Zeus. Hera's cult ended up defeated and "absorbed" by the one of Zeus, the Great Goddess became submissive and "domesticated" by the Great God, from a natural deity became a moral and social one, but memories of the two cults' opposition remains by showing the bickering and feuding of the to deities. (Though we know Hera and Zeus were already together by Mycenaean Greece)

Hera only exists for and by Zeus, as she is the embodiment of the wife and the bride, more so than of the "mother" - in fact, legends paint Hera as not very motherly, as being uncaring, neglectful or abusive towards her legitimate children, despite being supposedly associated with maternity and childbirth. Her feminity seems to mainly manifest when it comes to Zeus, either to seduce him or to separate herself from him, and by extension she is only concerned, if not obsessed, with having her prerogatives as Zeus' queen respect and her honor as Zeus' bride defended. Thus she only lashes out and acts negatively when her positon or domain is threatened - by rivals for Zeus' affection, by bastards that could pretend to an inheritance, by Zeus himself when he produces offspring seemingly without a female presence. Some even add that Hera not being a very motherly goddess might be what causes the cycle of generational war in Greek mythology to end - as the previous kings of the gods always ended up overthrown because their wife-queen were concerned with and cared for their neglected or abused children (Gaia, Rhea), whereas with Hera she is mostly concerned with staying by Zeus' side and making sure Zeus still needs her, rather than by the fate of her offspring.

Speaking of which: some argue that the conflictual relationship between Zeus and Hera is a reflection of the ambiguity of Ancient Greece society when it come to gender relationships. Ancient Greece was a deeply patriarchal and misogynistic society seemingly working to reduce and reject women, and yet they also recognized women as deeply needed and essential, and idealized them heavily. Thus Hera and Zeus have a very ambivalent and tumultuous relationship, made of them growing apart from each other then joining again - in a similar way to the "necessary evil" theory above for heroes, Hera keeps challenging Zeus' authority and kingship, but never in a truly disastrous or dangerous way. She isn't trying to actually overthrow him, or only does so in temporary ways, because by her very defiance and constant challenges she allows Zeus to regain his authority in a more solid and efficient way than before. Every time she sends a monster or births a form of chaos, it is only for peace to return more strongly than before and for order to be restored in a more perenial way.

Not a theory per se, but in Homer's conception of Greek mythology (which is noted to be anterior to the one of Hesiod) the "equal yet rival" status of Hera and Zeus is notably due to their respective positions. Zeus is the king of the gods, and Hera's husband and brother - and thus has a domination over her... But Hera is (in Homeric tradition) the oldest of the daughters of Rhea and Kronos, and thus an elder Olympian compared to Zeus, his "big sister", giving her a form of domination over him.

"Appeasing Hera" is a deep part of the religiosity of Ancient Greece, where the wrath or anger of the goddess is seen as manifesting deep crisis and troubled times - usually linked to the apparition of monsters - and in this angle Hera becomes similar or tied to "eris" both as a goddess and a concept, and "appeasing Hera" by various means and rituals is a way to "calm the trouble", "solve the crisis", "deal with the disaster", symbolized by whatever monster or madness is born of the goddess' ire.

Also not a theory but a side-detail - as the queenly goddess and a deity of royalty, it is Hera's prerogative and place to determine the sovereignty of humans. This is why she offers to Paris to become the greatest king of the world as her gift - and by Dumezil's tri-function theory, during the Jugement of Paris Hera embodies the first function, political and religious sovereignty. And it is also one of the minor reasons Hera can enter in conflict with Zeus - such as the story of how Hera schemed against Zeus during the births of Herakles and Eurystheus, it was because it was also a matter of crowns and thrones.

And what is so nice with Greek mythology is that, if you wish, all of these theories and readings can co-exist together X3

As I said before, I focused heavily on Hera here, but I do intend on having a follow-up post talking about several theories about why Zeus is such a horny eagle, despite also being very clearly the most in love with Hera.

[Since Homer they talk of how Hera was Zeus' first love, well before his marriage to any other deity ; we also know how Hera was the last of Zeus' wives but as a result "concluded" his series of primary weddings, she became the "definitive" wife and queen of his, and all his ulterior loves are deemed as "infidelities" ; and in tales such as the Iliad Zeus keeps repeating how he loves Hera more than any other goddess or mortal he ever loved, and how he wants no one else but her on the throne by his side ; plus the story of how she decided to leave him he tried to regain her by all means, and succeeded with a wooden statue parading on a chariot...]

[kinnoth]

I'm just putting out into the world again that I don't think Dante&Vergil stop being brothers just bc they start fucking. Like, this isn't a thorki situation where they spent their whole lives wanting to be married and were prevented by the false pretense of brotherhood, and now that they are married, the brotherhood is integrated into the other, more precedent relations. DV specifically stay brothers. Soulmate stuff aside, king of hell & his prince consort stuff aside, lord & champion stuff aside, DV relate to one another primarily as brothers. They antagonize one another on purpose. They fight about petty shit for fun. They make their own decisions and they are selfish about their own priorities and they maintain separate lives even when they live together and sleep together and go slightly crazy if they go too long without touching one another.

They are simultaneously enraged by and obsessed with one another in a model that would make for an explicitly toxic romantic relationship. Like they don't move through the world as an "us". There is an "us", but it's a private "us"; it's a construct they use to define themselves to each other and themselves against the world outside. But in that outside world, they're separate entities. Dante and Vergil.

The fucking is just another thing they do.

Vergil wants adoration; Dante wants attention.

Dante takes care of Vergil and Vergil gives Dante what he needs.

They both have lived hard, violent, closed off lives. They want to be soft for each other.

Vergil needs to be cherished and be allowed to unselfconsciously express himself; he wants Dante's care and tenderness and sincerity. He wants to be allowed to be passive, to receive something without having to earn it. His sexual needs are actually fairly limited, but he wants to feel possessed, and this is the best way he has of getting that feeling.

Dante needs to feel needed; he wants access to Vergil's vulnerability; he needs to be deep inside Vergil's emotional expression as a groundwork for his own self expression. He wants his emotions to be indulged, to be allowed to be extravagant and effusive. He needs to possess more than he needs sexual gratification, but sex works as a way to get there.

Sex as communication tbh

[justanotherflemethstan]

this is not a drill, this is a thread on the creation of Flemeth from David Gaider!! as kind of the self professed Flemeth stan blog around here, I had to reshare

(alt text and full text transcript of the images included)

Link to the original post

Full text from the images below the cut:

CHARACTERS - DAY THREE: Flemeth

I have a type. I admit it. There are certain wells I can return to repeatedly and always find something new to explore.

One of them is older female characters. Mike used to rib me about it. Consider Wynne. Meredith. Genevieve. And, of course, the biggie: Flemeth.

Why are they a type? I... don't know, honestly.

I guess I have a feeling that older men fade, they strive to regain their youth or establish a legacy and we've seen that story a thousand times, but older women? They become free to become something new. I guess I see so many possibilities in that.

I had a conception of who Flemeth was, and why, right from the very start. Her creation went hand in hand with Morrigan, as a being whose thirst for retribution hundreds of years ago attracted an entity (slight confession: I didn't know Mythal specifically, at the time, "an elven god" was enough).

I also knew where Morrigan was right and very wrong about her. Misconceptions of the truth are built into DA's foundation, and they were fundamental to this mother-daughter relationship I was building.

Like many seeds I'd put in the world, however, I had no idea whether I'd ever get to explore it.

Knowing that she was a character of possible future importance, if not a major player in DAO, I wasn't much surprised when she was one of the first cuts the art team made in terms of getting a unique appearance. Thus the "batty old woman" players met in DAO. Not as hard a cut as the Qunari, though.

Going into DA2, I wanted both Morrigan and Flemeth, but we could only have one. So I picked Flemeth. This was the game where she really got to come into her own.

I remember the art team coming and asking if it was OK if she got a new model, as it'd be a retcon of sorts. I didn't care. I wanted it.

I honestly don't remember whether Kate Mulgrew was cast before or after Claudia. After, I think? All I recall is that Cab came into my office one day and asked if Kate might be a good fit

The squeal I made was un-manly. Cab took that as a "yes". 😅

I didn't get to talk to Kate until DA2, however. Schedules being what they were, we had a tight window to record Flemeth... so I had to write all her scenes before almost anything else in DA2 was written, before I even had a team! Ack!

It was OK, though, for the most part. I knew where I wanted to take her, and a big part of it was going to explain her transition - to set her up for the future. So I whipped up a script in, like, two days and off we went. Kate was a marvel in the booth. She adored Flemeth and you could really tell.

I didn't get to meet Kate in person, however, until DAI. This came pretty late in its development, compared to when we recorded her for DA2, and we flew down to Virginia (to accommodate her schedule - she was writing her memoir at the time, I think) for a single session. It was going to be *tight*.

I was a mess. I was finally going to meet Captain Janeway... and yes yes, I know she's also more than that. But come ON.

When we sat down, I figured I'd have to talk her through the character all over again. It'd been years since that one session at the start of DA2, right? And even more since DAO.

But, no. Kate remembered Flemeth perfectly.

I remember sitting there as she told me how much she loved the character, how rare it was to get one with so much texture and possibility. She called out my writing - my writing! - and waxed poetic about how she viewed Flemeth's arc. I... I was floored. 🫠

Then we began recording. One issue that quickly reared its head was how Caroline had to speed through the lines if we hoped to finish. Kate was a trooper, and most takes she'd get it in one (which is rare), but I was alarmed because we weren't giving Kate time to read the VO comments on each line.

I brought it up, as there were some lines (so much sarcasm) that required nuance - Kate was getting them, oddly, but I was worried.

"Oh, it's fine," Kate said. "I read the comments as we go."

"How could you? We're going so fast!"

"I'm a speed reader."

Oh. OK, then. That certainly explained it. 😁

We got to the confrontation scene with Morrigan and she nailed it. Over and over. More than once, Caroline would make a call and, before I could even interject and say "no, Kate had it right, actually" Kate would explain exactly why she did it that way and why it worked for Flemeth. I was in love.

She did the "I will see her avenged!" section all in one go. I got chills. Then we got to the final scene.

You know the one. With Solas.

It was this beautiful moment. She took it somewhere quiet and sad... and when she got to that last line, we all felt it: Flemeth was dead. Everyone was in tears.

I suppose I could talk more about the process. How she started off aligned with Morrigan's original Delirium inspiration, but I didn't pull back her loopy way of talking as much (bet you wondered).

I still don't know why it was so easy to slip into her voice, but I'm grateful I got the chance. ❤️

[willescrisis]

Wille's Crisis : an essay about Kris (1934) and Young Royals (2021)

While watching Young Royals’ third season, I couldn’t get Karin Boye’s novel Kris out of my head.  As a fan of Young Royals that feels very chill and very normal about it, I have hence written a five page brain-dump on how Malin Forst and Wilhelm’s characters and worlds are intertwined.  (Small disclamers : I’m quoting Amanda Doxtater’s 2020 english translation of the novel and I’m french-canadian, so english is my second language.)

Who is Karin Boye ? 

Karin Boye (1900-1940) was a leading figure in Swedish modernist literature and poetry. In 1920, at the age of 20, she studied one year in Stockholm to become a primary school teacher and after graduation, continued teaching, writing, militant engagement and several years of study in related fields. Among all of her works, the most explicitly autobiographical is her autofictive novel Kris (1934).  This powerful novel explores the homosexuality and crisis of religious faith of a young woman named Malin Forst.

Malin Forst & Wilhelm

During her studies in teaching, Karin’s 20-years-old alter-ego Malin goes through an existential crisis. She feels completely paralyzed by her guilt due to her selfish inaction in the face of universal suffering, her lack of trust in institutions (educational, medical, etc.) and, worst of all, her doubts about her relationship with God. Kris also deals with Malin’s relationship to her own sexuality with the meeting of a classmate, Siv, to whom she will become passionately obsessed without ever talking to her.

We meet 16-years-old Wilhelm as a first year student at Hillerska. His failures as a royal figure and his complicated relationships to his loved ones make him feel powerless and guilty. He is thrown off balance by his doubts of the monarchic system, but most importantly, by his doubts of his life’s role model, Erik. Young Royals also deals with Wilhelm’s relationship to his own sexuality with the meeting of a classmate, Simon… Are we seeing the parallels here ?

While Malin’s torments lead her to shut down, Wilhelm screams. But both feel paralysed and don’t know how to exist out of the system they grew up in. And it’s the meeting of a same-sex student that leads them to a freer path.

« I want to see Siv. I want to be where Siv is. » 

Previously, Malin considered the fusion of the will of the human with the will of God to be the most important of aspirations. Without this reference point, she has no will nor desire… until she meets another student, Siv. Her simple presence rekindles for the first time in the novel a desire, burning and forbidden: “I want to see Siv. I want to be where Siv is.” … And here is how this whole essay has come to exist. While watching season three, I joked endearingly with my friends about the way that Wille’s only hobby is to be with Simon, but I felt sad for him. Until I understood he’s on the first part of his self-discovery journey. His first true desire that stems from inside of him and wasn’t imposed by the system is “I want to see Simon. I want to be where Simon is.” 

Interestingly enough, Siv and Simon both become a new manifestation of something that Malin and Wilhelm have lost. We, the reader, meet Malin when she is ‘grieving’ her old relationship to God and deconstructing her understanding of God as a single entity. Amazed by Siv’s ‘perfection’, Malin raises her to a kind of divine position with great powers.  Wilhelm, for his part, feels at home with Simon because of the way he makes Wilhelm’s entire being comes alive, weightless and playful… A feeling of joy, innocence and safety he’s only ever felt with Erik before. 

Anxious and desperate, Malin and Wilhelm are latching to their comfort person, making them their whole word in a way that has to change for them to grow up. After realizing Siv’s feeling for a fellow male classmate, Malin is shaken : “Only now could she see that she had embarken upon the false path of mistaking a person for what is highest and most beautiful.” Not only does this quote mirror Wilhelm letting go of his idealised conception of Erik, it is also mirrorring his realisation that Simon is not a perfectly stable and unbreakable anchor on which he can blindly rely on : “I have to take responsibilities for my own problem. I can’t drag him down with me.”

Don’t give it a name

An important part of Malin’s journey is relinquishing the power she gives to words, especially regarding God and her sexuality.  Throughout the novel, she refuses to name the emotion she feels for Siv. On the day of her meeting with Siv, Malin thinks:   “You, lips, I implore you to clamp so hard upon the unsayable, that not a word slips out to assert its malicious pettiness and obfuscation ! Be still, thoughts, don’t interrupt, for you have no idea what this is ! (...) Don’t give it a name, let it be just as it is, here in my blood and my eyes, life and sap ! The wonder of new creation need not be named.” 

Wilhelm’s complicated relationship to words is shown in the way that he shouts his love for Simon from every rooftop, but does not wish to label his sexual orientation. In season three, he says the word queer for the first time and his voice is seeped with discomfort. He is not claiming this word as part of his identity and rather feels constricted by it, probably in the same way that every other label put on him has made him suffocate.

Furthermore, both Malin and Wilhelm wish to express themselves and experience the world, not through the restrictive lens of language, but through the sensory world. In Kris, after seeing Siv for the first time, Malin’s five senses awaken. A dialogue takes place between the sense of sight and hearing, reminding me of the way that Wilhelm and Simon’s intimacy is developped through the gentle touch of noses, the sounds of breathing, the glow of golden light and fingers lingering slightly above the other’s body… ‘Sight’ says “I’m confused. I no longer know whether I am sight or not. I envelop things and follow them as if I were touch, I hold my breath in quiet anticipation as if I were hearing, I breathe in, like one intoxicated, as if I were smell, and I drink in long, deep, draughts as if I were taste. (...) Could I be standing at threshold of some new creation ?” To which ‘hearing’ responds “ (...) Admit it - isn’t  revelation through the senses at the same time the revelation of what lies beyond the senses, of what creates the senses, of the limitless feelings of eternal love ? (...)” 

Checkmate

Kris’s narration drastically changes points of view in unexpected moments, moving from the pov of human characters to the pov of abstract entities. The two most important are BLACK and WHITE, two sources of cosmic powers playing a chess game whose game board is humanity. 

On the one hand, WHITE represents the norm, also illustrated by threats from nature such as stormy and dangerous waters, cold, humidity and darkness, but also under the traits of the dominant society, whose rules and norms protect human beings while maintaining them in a position of submission and obedience.  WHITE uses the anxious desire of his pawns (humans) as a weapon to subject them to the norm. And at first, Wille is WHITE’s perfect pawn : an anxious mess who becomes more and more obediant as season three progresses and whose ‘protectors’ are also the ones leading to his demise. Little (most likely accidental) nods to that parralel : Wille looses to Alexander while playing the white pieces in season two and interrupts his conversation with Simon to scream “The water is cold today !” at his guards on their first date.

One the other hand, BLACK is a chaotic power of life associated with desire, burning fire and passion destabilizing the established order. In the context of Kris, the norm is heterosexuality, while fire is the forbidden desire: homosexuality.  This parallel is evident when Malin describes in this way the physical sensations caused by Siv’s sight: “There was no holy, burning voice within her. All that burned within her was a thirst for the forbidden after a single look cast in that direction”  And based on that, I absolutely refuse to believe that Lisa put the hallway scene after a BONFIRE by accident. 

I also don’t think the placement of the chess game during August’s confession to his friends is a coincidence. First, the board is oriented in a way where August sits at the junction between the black and white pieces, showcasing how the character is in a crucial moment in his journey : will he stay in WHITE’s cruches for ever or will he find the strenght to save himself ? And second, August puts a black king on the edge of the table. Not only does it foreshadow that Kronprins Wille is on his way out, it also indicates that it was a rebel and homosexual ‘power’ that guided him in his quest for self-determination, just as it was for Malin Forst. 

I natt gick Gud under or how to make the lake scene destroy me even more

The poem in prose I natt gick Gud under (Last night God succumbed) stands out from the other chapters of the novel Kris, as it recounts the most decisive transformation of the main character Malin Forst.  BLACK places Malin naked and at peace on the shore of a sea where she throws the words she denies. Finally at a safe distance from WHITE’s icy waters, she liberates herself from her paralysis to embrace her true feelings.

Last night God succumbed. 

Perhaps it was just the hollow shell of name that went under.

But that shell of a name drew with it the power of death. I cast it off. 

I see objects as they are, unwitting of the name attributed to them. I cast off their names. 

I stand utterly new, on the shore of a sea. Conscience is no longer mine. I cast it off.

The will to life has made me naked. The will to life has made me see. I shall meet whatever comes with naked, open eyes. 

Lisa describes the lake scene as almost religious. As he’s swimming naked in the lake, Wilhelm is shedding his crown prince shell. Leaving the waters, he is reborn.  When he is standing on the shore of the lake in his white clothes, Lisa says “that is when Wilhelm grows up.”  And for me, he’s ready to meet whatever comes with naked, open eyes. 

Thank you ! Thank you to whoever read this far. Kris is a very complex book that, despite having read twice, I still don’t fully understand, so if you have anything new to add to this reflection, you are welcome to do so !

[mugenmcfugen]

On other hand, I can't for the love of God figure out where is Shiv going with his lore. I mean we get the bits here and there but what I've seen so far, majority of people are arguing if he's either vampire (because blood and hanging upside down) or werewolf (based on his unused ulti ability model which is just holy fuck kill it with fire). But I personally can't place him in either camp. One thing I've gotten so far is that he isn't evil or malevolent and has quite friendly vibe with couple of others, and Grey Talon chose him for the next leader of Baxter Society, which is there to hunt monsters and I get feeling that Grey Talon isn't THAT unwise to say the least. One thing that threw me off is this post from Reddit where someone picked up that his reliquary is almost perfect 1:1 of reliquary from old horror movie "Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight" and people keep saying he's similar to the antagonist, but I get vibe he's sort of mixture between both judging by the description of a movie?

One other thing my mind immediately went to is that Grey Talon and Shiv kinda remind me of Vesemir and Geralt from Witcher, both in relationship and well, job description wise. Witchers themselves are based on Vedmak which seems to fit Shiv's description, and Shiv has the line ''time to cull the herd'' when you level up his dash, Vedmaks were known to treat humans and animals. He could also fit Krsnik too, which is slavic version of vampire hunter. Or Dhampir, like Blade.

Now, question is, when Patron is glazing him before match, is he talking to Shiv or the entity within him? It's probably both, and it's just my mind is trying to attack every single angle of this and trying not to burn out at same time.

[windvexer]

Hi! This is the wisp spirit guide anon. I wanted to get back to you on an update. I followed your advice and placed a ward around my home being specific that no spirits or entities that would wish me harm could enter my home and then called my spirit guides. When I asked if each of them were there by name, I got yeses for the first two and a no for Wisp. Then I asked the first spirit guide about Wisp and he said he did know of them and that they did wish me harm. And that no, they were not present. I asked my second spirit guide, and she said she did not know Wisp and did not know if they wished me harm or not. And then once again, I asked if Wisp was present and I got another No. So I guess I’m down to two spirit guides?

Prior ask

I believe something like what follows is a useful thought exercise to map out how spirits can appear when they should not. When I follow this model I have better control over which spirits appear when I call out for them.

Imagine that spirits are far away, and must visit us on roads. Like a freeway, these roads may have multiple onramps and offramps - points of entry and exit, where spirits (or your spirit body!) can enter the road and travel to another offramp.

When you call out for spirits who might be far away, you might be activating an old spirit freeway, or creating your own through your own power.

Whatever kind of road you get, we should expect that it has an onramp right next to the kind of spirits you're calling, and an offramp right where you are in your house :)

However, these are not necessarily the only 'access' points. There could be lots of entry and exit points on this road. And once the road has been 'activated' due to your call, it's possible that not only do the spirits you want to call take an onramp to visit you, but random and unrelated spirits also see onramps and decide to visit.

Why not? Road trips are fun!

But how do you make sure random spirits don't visit you every time you call? Here are my solutions, I use more at once if I think I'm about to do something risky:

Always call spirits within a protected space. The protection should be designed specifically to keep out spirits you did not explicitly invite. (Of course your exact rules are up to personal preference) (Imagine your ward is like a security checkpoint on the freeway)

Casting circles is a form of temporary protective ward. As you cast the circle, dictate that it protects uninvited spirits from arriving.

If you also lay a compass or call the quarters, ask the elemental guardians, archangels, or whomever, to stand guard at that road and only allow through spirits whom you have called.

Enchant a stone and work with it as a helper guardian. Tell it to keep out spirits who are uninvited (or whatever your conditions are). When you call for spirits, dictate that if they choose to arrive, they may only arrive into the stone. And when choose to leave, they may only go back from where they came.

As you work with your own helper spirits and build up relationships, ask them to stand watch and A) prepare roads that only lead to the kind of spirits you want to call, but also B) prevent unwanted spirits from arriving.

Also, try wording your spirit calls very specifically so it also excludes uninvited spirits. Now we have to change our analogy a little bit. Imagine that there isn't a big wide freeway and onramps.

Instead, imagine that when you call spirits you are creating a special padlock. That padlock can only be open by keys that fit. A single padlock can be opened by different keys, as long as they press the right pins.

When you call for an extremely specific spirit - "Obelon the Fox-Man whom I met at Electric Daisy Carnival 2024" - then it's reasonable to assume that padlock can only be opened by a spirit who can fit that very specific description.

But you can also make a lock that a category of spirits could open. "I call on the healing spirits of the Buena Verde Pond who wish to assist me in an act of healing." A spirit has to hit a few pins to unlock this call - a spirit from that location, who has healing abilities, and who wants to help. Yet MANY spirits could still appear, each one different from the last.

However, it's easy to make very general calls that accidentally create a lock almost any spirit could pass through. "I call on my spirit guides." (And you've never met them before and this isn't referring to anyone specific you know yet). Well a bunch of spirits could say, hey - I'm capable of guiding. And I'm a spirit. I mean I can give advice if they ask me for some. I'll go check it out!

They are able to appear when you make a general call because they may not technically be excluded. On the other hand, if you were working in an unwarded space, this technicality doesn't matter - any spirit can just show up, which they're especially likely to do when they see something interesting is already happening.

My hypothesis would be that you are not down to 2 spirit guides, but rather that during your initial call another spirit showed up just to see what was up. When you warded, they may have decided they didn't want to bother with it, or they may have become concerned you could lash out if you became bothered. In either case it seems that perhaps they did not regard themselves as being "enough" of a guide to you that it was worth sticking around when you began to take basic precautions.

Just because a ward against harmful spirits keeps some spirits away, that doesn't mean they were necessarily planning harm. Wards are not invisible except to those whom they effect. A spirit who can pass through a ward may re-evaluate the situation and say, never mind.

As you've seen yourself, just because a random spirit ends up dropping by doesn't mean it's necessarily dangerous or aggressive - I don't think you mentioned that Wisp tried to manipulate you, demand things from you, or hurt/scare you. Any spirit worker might tell you that once spirits realize you can interact with them, they just show up all the time.

Basic protections are the best, everyone should get into them 👍

[geometrymatters]

Sir Roger Penrose

To me, the world of perfect forms is primary (as was Plato’s own belief) — its existence being almost a logical necessity — and both the other two worlds are its shadows.

Sir Roger Penrose, born on August 8, 1931, in Colchester, Essex, England, is a luminary in the realm of mathematical physics. His journey began with a Ph.D. in algebraic geometry from the University of Cambridge in 1957, and his career has spanned numerous prestigious posts at universities in both England and the United States. His work in the 1960s on the fundamental features of black holes, celestial bodies of such immense gravity that nothing, not even light, can escape, earned him the 2020 Nobel Prize for Physics.

Penrose’s work on black holes, in collaboration with Stephen Hawking, led to the ground-breaking discovery that all matter within a black hole collapses to a singularity, a point in space where mass is compressed to infinite density and zero volume. This revelation illuminated our understanding of these enigmatic cosmic entities.

His work did not stop at the theoretical; he also developed a method of mapping the regions of space-time surrounding a black hole, known as a Penrose diagram. This tool allows us to visualize the effects of gravitation upon an entity approaching a black hole, providing a window into the heart of these celestial mysteries.

Within Penrose’s chapter, “The Godelian Case” (from “The Road to Reality”) the profound implications of Kurt Gödel’s incompleteness theorems are examined in relation to the connection between mathematics and geometry. Specifically, Penrose’s attention centers on the model depicted in Figure 2.1, which portrays a cubic array of spheres. Through this visual representation, Penrose explores the intricate relationship between geometry and mathematical understanding.

By introducing the model of a cubic array of spheres, Penrose highlights the fundamental role of spatial arrangements in mathematical cognition. This geometrical structure serves as a metaphorical embodiment of mathematical concepts, illustrating how spatial configurations can stimulate cognitive processes and facilitate intuitive comprehension of mathematical truths. The intricate interplay between the arrangement of spheres within the model and the underlying principles of mathematics encourages contemplation on the deep-rooted connections between geometry, spatial reasoning, and abstract mathematical thought.

Penrose’s utilization of the cubic array of spheres underscores his broader philosophical framework, which challenges reductionist accounts of human cognition that rely solely on formal systems or computational models. Through this geometrical representation, he advocates for a more holistic understanding of mathematical insight, one that recognizes the essential role of geometric intuition in shaping human understanding.

By looking at the intricate connection between mathematics and geometry, Penrose prompts a re-evaluation of the mechanistic view of cognition, emphasizing the need to incorporate spatial reasoning and intuitive geometrical understanding into comprehensive models of human thought.

(E) Find a sum of successive hexagonal numbers, starting from 1 , that is not a cube. I am going to try to convince you that this computation will indeed continue for ever without stopping. First of all, a cube is called a cube because it is a number that can be represented as a cubic array of points as depicted in Fig. 2. 1 . I want you to try to think of such an array as built up successively, starting at one corner and then adding a succession of three-faced arrangements each consisting of a back wall, side wall, and ceiling, as depicted in Fig. 2.2. Now view this three-faced arrangement from a long way out, along the direction of the corner common to all three faces. What do we see? A hexagon as in Fig. 2.3. The marks that constitute these hexagons, successively increasing in size, when taken together, correspond to the marks that constitute the entire cube. This, then, establishes the fact that adding together successive hexagonal numbers, starting with 1 , will always give a cube. Accordingly, we have indeed ascertained that (E) will never stop.

Penrose’s work is characterized by a profound appreciation for geometry. His father, a biologist with a passion for mathematics, introduced him to the beauty of geometric shapes and patterns at a young age. This early exposure to geometry shaped Penrose’s unique approach to scientific problems, leading him to develop new mathematical notations and diagrams that have become indispensable tools in the field. His creation of the Penrose tiling, a method of covering a plane with a set of shapes without using a repeating pattern, is a testament to his innovative thinking and his deep understanding of geometric principles.

His fascination with geometry extended beyond the realm of mathematics and into the world of art. He was deeply influenced by the work of Dutch artist M.C. Escher, whose intricate drawings of impossible structures and infinite patterns captivated Penrose’s imagination. This encounter with Escher’s art led Penrose to explore the interplay between geometry and art, culminating in his own contributions to the field of mathematical art. His work in this area, like his scientific research, is characterized by a deep appreciation for the beauty and complexity of geometric forms.

In geometric cognition, Penrose’s work has the potential to make significant contributions. His unique perspective on the role of geometry in understanding the physical world, the mind, and even art, offers a fresh approach to this emerging field. His belief in the power of geometric thinking, as evidenced by his own ground-breaking work, suggests that a geometric approach to cognition could yield valuable insights into the nature of thought and consciousness.

Objective mathematical notions must be thought of as timeless entities and are not to be regarded as being conjured into existence at the moment that they are first humanly perceived.

I argue that the phenomenon of consciousness cannot be accommodated within the framework of present-day physical theory.

His Orch OR theory posits that consciousness arises from quantum computations within the brain’s neurons. This bold hypothesis, bridging the gap between the physical and the mental, has sparked intense debate and research in the scientific community.

Penrose’s work on twistor theory, a geometric framework that seeks to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity, is a testament to his belief in the primacy of geometric structures. This theory, which represents particles and fields in a way that emphasizes their geometric and topological properties, can be seen as a metaphor for his views on cognition. Just as twistor theory seeks to represent complex physical phenomena in terms of simpler geometric structures, Penrose suggests that human cognition may also be understood in terms of fundamental geometric and topological structures.

This perspective has significant implications for the field of cognitive geometry, which studies how humans and other animals understand and navigate the geometric properties of their environment. If Penrose’s ideas are correct, our ability to understand and manipulate geometric structures may be a fundamental aspect of consciousness, rooted in the quantum geometry of the brain itself.

The final conclusion of all this is rather alarming. For it suggests that we must seek a non-computable physical theory that reaches beyond every computable level of oracle machines (and perhaps beyond). — Roger Penrose, Shadows of the Mind: A Search for the Missing Science of Consciousness

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Jicarilla-Apache Creation Story & Origin of the Animals

The Jicarilla-Apache Creation Story and Origin of the Animals are two origin myths of the Jicarilla-Apache nation of modern-day New Mexico. The Apache people as a whole have many different creation tales, as do the Jicarilla, but all follow the same basic model of a supernatural entity creating the world from nothing.

Chiricahua-Apache Medicine Man in Traditional Wickiup with Family, 1883

Denver Public Library Special Collections (Public Domain)

The Jicarilla's Origin of the Animals shares similarities with the same sort of legend from many other Native peoples of North America. There are several origin myths that feature the detail of the first animals emerging from under the ground – just as there are many creation stories, involving humans coming up from below the earth, that follow that same paradigm – and this detail is so popular because it reminded the people of their ancient connection to the land they lived on. Their ancestors, and those of all the animals, had once come up from beneath the ground, and so the earth was viewed as the Great Mother and should be respected and cared for accordingly.

Apache Nation & Importance of Stories

The Apache people call themselves Dini (Dine), Tinde, Tinneh ("the people"), and the different bands are related by their shared Athapascan language. They are thought to have been given the name Apache ("enemy") by the Zuni nation, though this claim has been challenged. They are linguistically related to the Athabaskan-speaking Navajo, who also refer to themselves as Dine (pronounced DEE-Nay). In time, the Apache came to apply that name to themselves and inhabited the region of the Southwest and Southern Plains of modern-day USA. There are six bands which comprise the Apache nation and subbands within those:

Chiricahua

Jicarilla

Lipan

Mescalero

Plains Apache

Western Apache

Among the best-known Apache figures from Euro-American history are the resistance leaders Mangas Coloradas (l. c. 1793-1863), Cochise (l. c. 1805-1874), Victorio (l. c. 1825-1880), Victorio's sister, Lozen (l. c. 1840-1889), and Geronimo (l. 1829-1909).

Portrait of a Jicarilla-Apache Man

Edward S. Curtis (Public Domain)

The Apache first came into conflict with Europeans when the Spanish invaded their lands in the 1500s and, later, mounted resistance against the Euro-Americans before, and after, they seized control of Mexican lands in 1848. By 1900, the Apache had been forcibly relocated from their ancestral lands and confined to reservations by the US government. They have kept their culture alive through their language, practicing their religion, and observing traditional customs, including storytelling. The following two tales are among the best-known, relating the creation of the world and the establishment of the relationship between the people and animals.

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