#faust image is because in faust part two

[knoxise]

some (trojan) smoke war character designs to go with my other ocs 😌 helen + hector and a cameo faust

[lyranova]

Hi can you write a college au + coffee shop au fic of delinquent Nacht x f!reader where the dynamic is NOT bad boy x good girl but bad boy x dense girl. Where both of them are college students and reader works part time as a barista. Please include Morgen and Yami as side characters.

Hiya anon, I apologize for the wait! Of course I can, and I did my best to work in Morgen and Yami as side characters. Also this isn’t really as fluffy as most other fics, this is more…neutral I guess? But I still hope you enjoy~!

Taglist: @loosesodamarble

Word Count: 1,315

Warnings: None

————

You watched as your newest co-worker, Nacht Faust, struggled with the coffee maker. He cursed and glared as it made a very unsettling hiss, and you couldn’t help but shake your head.

This guy…why on earth did he lie and say he had experience when he clearly did not?!

As you watched him continue to struggle, you couldn’t help but recall the day he had come up to you at school and asked if your parent’s coffee shop still needed another employee. You had told him that they did, and all he did was nod in response and walk away.

It had been really weird; but then again Nacht had always been weird ever since you two were kids, so it wasn’t really a surprise. But after he came up to you the next day and announced that you two were co-workers now as well as classmates you had been surprised!

You sighed and shook your head, you couldn’t believe that your parents had agreed to hire one of the most well known delinquents in town. But at the same time, you knew that your parents had a soft spot for him…

And so did you.

“ Good morning you two!” Morgen Faust greeted happily as he walked into the shop.

“ I wouldn’t say their morning is ‘good’ if that sound is any indication.” Yami Sukehiro, the other delinquent in town and Nacht’s friend, said as he winced at the awful hissing sound.

“ And I wouldn’t say your morning will be good if you don’t shut up.” Nacht muttered in irritation as he glanced at his chuckling friend.

You rolled your eyes before quickly greeting Morgen, ignoring Yami, and walking over to Nacht.

“ Here,” You began as you walked up behind him. “ You gotta do it like this.” You instructed as you reached around, grabbed his hands, and began to show him how the coffee machine worked.

“ I’ve got it,” He muttered, his voice quiet but as he turned away you swore you saw his cheeks were now bright pink.

You tilted your head, why was his face red? Did he maybe get too warm working with the coffee machine?

“ You sure?” You asked, and when he gave you a nod you released his hands and stepped away from him, walked out from behind the counter, and walked towards Morgen and Yami.

“ I take it that training isn’t going well?” Morgen asked you with a nervous laugh, and you shook your head.

“ Nope, not at all,” You sighed as more cursing and a loud crash could be heard from Nacht.

“ It could be worse,” Yami began as he leaned back in his seat. “ He could’ve burnt down the coffee shop already.”

“ Don’t say that, or he just might!” You exclaimed in panic, an image of the coffee shop burning down flashing in your mind. Yami laughed while Morgen just shook his head.

“ To be honest, I really don’t understand why he applied here,” You admitted after a moment. “ I mean, I know he needed a job…but why did he apply here of all places?”

“ Hm, I wonder,” Morgen hummed mysteriously, his eyes telling you he knew exactly why his twin had applied there.

But lucky you didn’t have to wait very long to hear the reason.

“ He applied here because he likes you, you idiot,” Yami explained as he crossed his arms.

You stared at the pair for a moment, your eyes blinking rapidly as you tried to process what he had just said, but then you laughed.

“ That’s a good one Yami, you should make jokes like that more often!” You laughed as you patted his shoulder.

Morgen and Yami exchanged a look.

“ He…isn’t joking,” Morgen admitted hesitantly, his eyes now holding a serious look in them. “ That was the sole reason he applied here.”

“ That punk wanted to find an excuse to spend more time with you outside of school,” Yami added.

“ You…really didn’t know?” Morgen asked softly, and you shook your head slowly.

That didn’t make sense; Nacht, your childhood friend, liked you?! There was no way that was true…

But as you began to put all the pieces together, everything made sense. He would act hot and cold with you, he would say and do things that felt a little out of character for him, and whenever you got too close or held his hands like you did a moment ago his face would turn red and he would look nervous.

He liked you…

“ Why?” You muttered in confusion, you brows furrowing.

“ Why what?” Morgen and Yami asked in equal confusion.

“ Why does he like me? Out of all people?” You asked them in disbelief, and Yami shrugged.

“ I dunno, why don’t you go ask him?” Yami suggested, with Morgen nodding in agreement.

But you just stood there; your mind going a mile a minute as you tried to decide what to do, when suddenly another loud crash rang out through the coffee shop as a couple of mugs broke.

“ I…I-I need to get back to work,” You muttered as you walked away from your friends and went back behind the counter.

And for the rest of the day your mind was completely filled with nothing but Nacht and this new revelation.

“ You okay? You’ve been acting weird since this morning.” Nacht asked as the two of you stood outside the now closed coffee shop. He always walked you home after work, claiming that it was dangerous for you to walk home by yourself late at night.

You had laughed, saying that you could handle yourself, and he agreed but said that it didn’t hurt to have someone watching your back just in case.

But now that entire memory looked completely different than it had before…

“ Yeah, I’m fine.” You told him softly as you finished locking the shop and turned around to face the street.

Nacht’s eyes narrowed, not believing you for a second, and just as he was about to tell you so you spoke up.

“ Do you like me?”

He felt his heart stop dead in his chest at your question, and as he slowly turned to face you he noticed you were still staring out at the street.

“ Where did you hear that from?”

“ Yami and Morgen.”

“ Tsk, those two...” He muttered in irritation as he also turned to face the street. When he got back to the dorms he was definitely going to give them an earful, especially Yami!

The air quickly became thick and awkward as you and Nacht stood there, but eventually he sighed.

“ Yeah, I like you,” He admitted softly, his gaze drifting towards the ground.

You hummed.

“ Do…you also like me?” He asked you hesitantly, his voice even softer than before. The tone sounded nervous, and slightly afraid.

“ I don’t know,” You admitted softly as your gaze also drifted towards the ground. “ Everything feels…different now between us.”

Nacht nodded slowly.

“ A good different, or a bad different?” He asked as he looked over at you, trying to gauge your emotions through your expressions, but you weren’t giving anything away.

“ I think…it’s a good different,” You admitted softly, your brows furrowing in thought. Nacht let out a soft breath he hadn’t realized that he was holding.

It wasn’t a direct confirmation, but it wasn’t an outright rejection either.

“ I think we’ll have to spend more time together for me to figure it out,” You told him as you finally looked up and turned to face him. “ Is that alright?”

Nacht’s eyes widened and his brows raised in surprise, but he quickly composed himself and he looked away shyly.

“ I think I can work you into my schedule,” He said with a small grin.

“ Great! So should we have dinner tomorrow after work?”

Nacht turned to face you again, his grin widening, and his head nodding in agreement.

“ I think I can make that work.”

————

Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you all have a good day~!

[limbuscompanysituations]

I want to ask the opposite of the distortion reader x sinners, the sinners react to the reader manifesting their EGO in a desperate moment, and the reader attributing the manifestation to the corresponding advice given by each sinner

Look, when I started writing this I thought "hey this is going to be fun!" and although it was incredibly fun, my wrist also hurts omg. So anyway I once again commit to my insanity and write a very long post. Enjoy!

Faust:

"It is possible to manifest EGO from one's own experiences, as well as when they are overcome with emotions. Whether they be positive or negative, the end result stays the same." It was the beginning of one of Faust's long, wordy explanations.

They were curious after witnessing her manifest her EGO in combat before. It was such an oddity to manifest power beyond imagination that they couldn't help but ask. Most of the explanation was lost to them once she finished it, but the initial part was simple enough to remember.

Faust leans on her weapon for support. The tips of her pale hair are stained red with her own blood. She pants, gasping for air while trying to keep her eyes open. They've been fighting together for hours now, trying to hold the line long enough for the other sinners to come to their aid. It seems to be fruitless, the enemy hasn't given them any space to breathe. They are almost as exhausted as Faust, but she's been taking the worst of the beating on purpose.

She may look cold and aloof but they know that deep down, she has done so for their own sake. They were angry at her, but mostly at themself for being this weak. If they could do more, they could protect her.

Her explanation on EGO echoed in their mind, and for a split second they had a flash of hope. If only they could draw that out of themself, then they could get out of this. They close their eyes and take a deep breath.

Memories and emotions, then. This is all of me, for all of you, Faust.

It's a promise they make to themself, and in that moment they change the flow of combat. One by one, those enemies that threatened to bring them down are swept away by a wave of power unlike any other.

Faust's eyes widen and she realizes what is happening in front of herself. This is her beloved's EGO, manifested when they need it the most. A faint blush spreads across her cheeks, realizing many things at once. Dying did not matter to her, as sinners always have Dante who can rewind, but perhaps it was the possibility of witnessing her death that made them do it. She's flattered, exhilarated and excited. There are endless instances of Faust all across the universe, yet this Faust ended up being the one who matters the most to them.

When the enemies are wiped out she falls to her knees with a light chuckle. Her vision is blurry and starting to fade out. She is grateful not only for them to have saved her life, but also because their existence makes hers feel more important.

No longer resigned to be one in a million, but one Faust who is loved and cherished.

_____

Yi Sang:

They fight back to back, gritting their teeth and keeping their opponents at bay just barely. Yi Sang can seem frail but he's a skilled combatant, and so are they. However, there's still a limit to how much two people can do against an endless number of foes. Yi Sang's resolve is beginning to fail, and so is his body.

They help him stay on his feet, supporting him with a hand around his waist while they brandish their weapon with their other hand. It seems to be impossible to turn this around. They are done for.

"The same shards of broken glass that bring you nothing but pain... Can be put back together, piece by piece, and build a window through which you can witness a better, colorful and more hopeful word."

His words come back to mind. They remember vaguely asking him how he could manifest his EGO during combat once. It was so impressive back then that the image was still burnt in their mind.

It's what I need now: the power to build a window to a better world.

They grit their teeth and hiss out a heavy breath. If there's nothing but hope left for them, then they will grab that opportunity. Willing their entire body and mind to cooperate, they push their own heart to its limit and climb that window.

Yi Sang is barely conscious but he can see it all happening. One minute his body and mind are so weary he knows he will faint soon, and then the next minute a figure so bright takes over his every thought. Their EGO wipes out their enemies one by one, and even though it is a terrifying power to witness, he feels elated. Their pain and their hopes are all bare before him, pieced together in a beautiful mosaic that bleeds hope through it. In the middle of this mosaic they stand, terrifyingly beautiful, their power uncontested.

It takes him a moment to realize they are no longer holding him and that he's fallen on his knees. It doesn't matter, however. His body has never felt any lighter. He calls out their name in a whisper and his consciousness gives in to the darkness.

____

Don Quixote:

Even the brave aspiring fixer will find a situation impossible to turn around. Her beloved squire did everything they could to support her, but she's heavily wounded and can barely take another step. In this moment of desperation they can still hear her energetic voice calling for her heroic steed. Except right now she can't muster up the strength to call upon it.

"Tis an unjust world, and I, Don Quixote, swear to battle evildoers to the end!" It wasn't really an explanation on how exactly she used her EGO, rather a proud exclamation of her own power.

Still it's better than nothing.

They focus on this sliver of hope and grab it with their hand. It is an unfair world, and Don Quixote should not fall here. She is the heroine of this tale, and she will fight until the end. In this moment her squire promises the same.

I will fight injustice by her side, so neither of us can fall here!

They hold this newfound power in their hands and charge forth, dashing past a wounded Don Quixote and crashing into their enemies with ruthless strength. They're crushed into bloody pulps before they can even blink.

By the back lines, Don Quixote stares at her lover, eyes wide and teary. She will lose consciousness soon, but witnessing the power of their resolve manifested in such a way makes her heart beat faster. She wants to kiss them; she wants to commend them; she wants to be the one who protects them to the end, while also being the one to fight all evils in this world by their side. Don Quixote is proud of her dearest squire beyond words, still she is capable of speech.

"Hark, squire!" She exclaims, "Thy power is most-!" and before she can utter the word "magnificent", she collapses.

____

Ryoshu:

When they asked Ryoshu what it meant to cast her EGO, the sinner stared off into the distance and muttered the words "It is my soul, bared to the world."

They nodded then, knowing that this was as precise of an explanation as possible, while remarking that that could mean pretty much anything.

Then they found themselves cut off from the rest and fighting for their lives against a foe so persistent it could take the smirk off of Ryoshu's face. The wounds that piled on her body grew to be almost unbearable. For Ryoshu, who was a competent assassin capable of ending most conflicts with a single move, it meant that they were both in trouble of the deadly kind.

Still they hoped to be able to do something, anything.

Ryoshu dashed forward once more, putting all of her strength into a single strike that could tear apart anything, but the monster not only deflected her hit, it also threw her back against a wall with force so immense that a sickening crunching sound echoed around them. Ryoshu fell limp to the ground, still breathing but with some of her limbs twisted in an unnatural manner.

They ran to her side, with tears in their eyes while they recognized the impossibility of the fight they found themselves in. Then they remembered her words and everything made sense suddenly.

"My soul, bared like my teeth." They whispered and held her body gently in their arms. Her dazed eyes rolled back and forth, then they found their face. Ryoshu smiled in pain, and if she could, she would have cupped their face in a hand.

"T.I." She whispered back.

They nodded and let go. Facing the monster with the fury of a legion, ready to bare their teeth. The power that came from their very core lashed out in a focused manner. The creature had no chance, the moment they left Ryoshu's side, it was already dead and sliced to a thousand pieces.

Ryoshu's eyes are wide and bloodshot, her bloody, crazed grin splitting her face ear to ear. If she wasn't choking on her own blood she would've laughed upon seeing that asshole being torn apart. Her eyes glimmer with barely contained admiration. She already knew they were capable of something like manifesting EGO, but seeing it first-hand is much more intense than anything she ever imagined.

She witnesses a soul that is vibrant, mesmerizing, deadly and indomitable all the same.

____

Meursault:

"To wield my EGO is to hold everything that weighs me down in my hands and then put that weight on that which hinders me." Meursault's explanations are usually more thorough and less abstract. The oddity of hearing him describe his EGO in such a way stuck with them.

When the tide of the fight turned against them and there seemed to be no hope to find, they remembered those words. He tanked all the hits he could, trusting that his large, trained body would be enough to shield them all the way through. But even if Meursault is a force to be reckoned with, the foes they face are much more than they can handle.

He's bloodied, battered and bruised, barely able of standing on his own feet. His knees tremble and he's breathing heavy, hands shaking while he tries to keep his eyes trained on the enemy. They circle them, and in spite of trying to keep them safe, the moment this wave strikes again, they both will be done.

"It's a bit foolish, isn't it?" They laugh nervously, "To carry all that weight all by yourself."

Meursault's eyes drift towards them briefly, and they can hear his response in their mind. Something along the lines of "it's what must be done."

You don't need to do it all by yourself, you idiot.

They clench their hands in fists and close their eyes, concentrating in how heavy their heart feels knowing that he is so hurt because they aren't stronger. Their jaw clenches and the tears that threaten to come out never do. Instead a power that they didn't know they had in themself surges and overflows. Suddenly they are the tide, and the battle doesn't matter anymore.

They become the force that they need to be for him; they become the one to bear the weight of the world. This weight is unbearable for those around, and they are knocked out uncoscious without even realizing it.

In the middle of the silent battlefield stand Meursault and his lover. While they look proud and surprised with themself, Meursault looks dumbfounded. He has always expected to be the one to carry them both forward, and he was always fine with it. He didn't want to burden them too much, what he wanted was to protect them all along. It is clear that being stuck on that has hindered himself from growing to trust them more.

"Ah..." He mutters, "You were correct all along."

They glare at him, as if to say "I told you so!" A slightly proud smile on their lips. They collapse a few seconds later and Meursault sighs.

____

Hong Lu:

He isn't built for prolonged fights. Although he was pushed to unimaginable limits by his family, there's only so far he can go in combat. They're both on their own, and the situation is dire.

His dominant hand is incapacitated and he's doing what he can with his other free hand, but it's not enough. Soon the spear is flung from his grasp and he has nothing but his own body to fight with. Still he keeps his flawless combat stance, taunting the enemy with a serene smile. He's not ready to surrender, not yet.

More than keeping appearances, Hong Lu can't let go because he's not alone. He hates the pain, but they are with him and he cannot let them be hurt in his presence. This is something they know, because they've asked him before.

Instead of recalling that answer, the words that come to their mind are different.

"There is a place where nightmares and dreamscapes meet, in my mind. If I close my eyes for a brief moment, I can almost touch it. If I reach my hand out, I can feel the taste of my own salty tears on my tongue... And then I open my eyes, and find that I cannot distinguish that from this."

When they asked him about his EGO, the answer they got was quite worrying. They tried to comfort him then, but he smiled and said he was fine.

Even now he's trying to keep that appearance. It's not fair.

Their hands close into fists, and they see the enemy lunge forward again. Hong Lu stands on their way, his still serene smile building a wall between that pain and themself.

He will let himself be hurt and maimed if it means they will stay safe, but if he dies, then who will protect them?

No, rather, the thought that occupies their mind is different. What they think in that split second before the enemy's weapon connects with Hong Lu's flesh is that for them, this is that place. The world that connects dreams and nightmares unfolds before them, and their own grief floods it.

They flutter across the battlefield gracefully and deflect the strike that would've killed Hong Lu, now being the one standing between him and danger. They unleash their madness on their enemy over and over again, taking out those who still have a will to fight and frightening those who don't into falling unconscious.

Hong Lu, who stood there serenely guarding them, seems to finally crumble down. He falls to his knees, smile vanishing from his features and replaced by a look of complete shock. His lips are parted, and tears fill his eyes. He wanted to protect them to the end, but he finally realized how weak he still is. In this power vaccuum, they grew to be the one to outshine him. Turbulent emotions swirl inside him: anger, helplessness, pride, hopefulness, grief, joy. He can't pick one.

Still, even if he feels embarrassed he couldn't do what he promised, he is taken by relief. The smile that comes to his face is not one he forces, but one he welcomes.

____

Heathcliff:

He's the stubborn kind, even when he shouldn't be. They know this, and they accept it, but when it comes to fighting together he's always trying to outdo himself. As if they will think he's cooler if he tries to look all manly and imposing. They could give less of a fuck about that.

Maybe it's not because he's proud and stubborn, maybe he's been shoving himself in front of every attack aimed at them this whole time because he's genuinely concerned. They know he's got a good heart, even if his words are harsh and crude. Heathcliff can paint himself as a thug, but he's a genuinely good man.

"Bloody hell..." He groans, barely capable of holding his bat in his two hands. Their enemies scowl at him, grinning with glee at his pain, and that pisses them off.

"Ah, the EGO thing? I dunno, I just think about something that makes me really pissed and go from there." That was Heathcliff's explanation when he was inquired about his EGO once. It was short, clear and it made sense. When he cast his EGO, he really did look angry.

It's the same anger they feel now. How dare these cunts think they can take him down in front of them?

They hold their weapon in both hands so tight their knuckles have gone white. Between their gritted teeth, they growl curses at their enemies. The anger that takes their heart pours out and every blow and strike they deliver becomes deadly. They maim and break and pound their enemies into a bloody pulp, still cursing at them the whole time.

This righteous anger makes Heathcliff pause and look at the scene with wide eyes. A second ago they were cornered and hopeless of making a comeback. He had already accepted the fact he was going to get a good rewind from Dante in no time. What bothered him the most was allowing them to get hurt in the process. Turns out he worried for nothing.

But then, he stopped to think for one second and realized something.

They have an EGO?!

Whether they had already used EGO before or they just manifested it, he didn't know. The only thought that crossed his mind was that he wouldn't want to be on their bad side after witnessing this storm.

____

Ishmael:

"I spent so much time sharpening this harpoon that I just... Wanted to feel like it was taking me somewhere." She paused, then she corrected herself, "No, I wanted to feel like it was bringing me something. Whether it be the guts of a whale or the one I hate the most."

She gritted her teeth when she finished explaining exactly what she thought about her EGO. They nodded and quietly listened to her.

They could never ask the exact details of Ishmael's time at the sea. Whenever she told them about it, it was all out of her own volition. It didn't seem fair to pry on her life like that, even if they were already dating.

It's strange how random memories always come up when you're at your worst.

Ishmael is still trying to push back a monster so hideous it is beyond imagination. One of her eyes is shut and bleeding, while her other is wide open. She grits her teeth, sinking her feet into the ground and trying to hold the position as best as she can. Her mace has fallen somewhere and is out of sight. She has no hopes of fighting back, so she puts all her focus into defending.

Even if she cannot see it, her shield is starting to crack.

They can see it, and they can understand it. It's because they got wounded first, and now she has to fight all alone. There isn't much else to do, though, the battle is already over. In a matter of seconds her shield will be shattered into pieces and right after it's her turn.

Kneeling on the floor and observing the scene unfold before them, they are taken by an intense, undescribable feeling.

Where am I going...? What am I doing...?

They can't even protect themself, much less her, but still they want to do something.

I want to do what it takes to get us out of here.

It's nothing but a simple thought. They have no harpoon to sharpen or shield to wield, they only have themself and this feeling to show. They rise to their feet in spite of their pain and blindly walk towards the monster.

Ishmael notices it from the corner of her vision and yells at them to stop and stand back but they are incapable of doing so. They walk until they are shoulder to shoulder with her, then they slide their arm into her shield's handle and bury their feet into the ground.

"I don't care what happens to me but..." They push the shield forward and the monster stumbles one step back, "I want its guts."

They grit their teeth and breathe out. The power that flows into Ishmael's shield is enough to throw the monster off balance. When it falls back, they let go of the shield and pounce on the creature. They rip it apart with their bare hands, eyes dull through the whole process.

Ishmael falls to her knees, exhausted and in pain, and watches the spectable before herself. This sensation is the same when the other sinners use their EGO, so could it be...? Yes, yes it probably is. She watches with morbid admiration as her lover tears apart the creature that almost killed them both, suddenly realizing what their words meant. She doesn't mean to, but yet she smiles at the scene.

____

Rodion:

She laughs and jokes, but their situation is dire. They find thelselves in a inhospitable area, but the worst part is that one of the factions of the place decided they didn't like the Limbus crew. While most of the sinners managed to take Dante to a safer spot, Rodion and themself ended up stranded from the rest of the bunch.

The situation wouldn't be so bad if their enemies could just stop coming up with backups. It's like fighting against an endless swarm of foes. Both of them are exhausted and paying for their carelessness. Rodion has one limp arm, and she tries to wield her axe with the other but a blow to her shoulder makes it impossible to swing the weapon without turning her whole body around. They know she's past her breaking point, but still she makes time to look at them and smile. Only to receive a blow right after and spit out blood.

"Isn't it ironic? Sometimes you think you see the situation ahead better than everyone else." Rodion once said, "You think you know what you have to do. You think you know how you can do it... But then it turns out that it's all wrong, and you accomplished nothing. And you're left out in the cold, alone, with only a bloody axe to show for it."

They only asked her about her EGO. When she gave this explanation of sorts, she had an unexpected regretful expression on her face. They remember having raised a hand, about to pat her shoulder and thinking of a way to comfort her, when she smiled and laughed her own words off, playfully winking at them and excusing herself.

Even now, her smile is but a facade, hiding how much she regrets being there.

Isn't it okay to make mistakes sometimes, though? To err is not a sin, but rather what makes us human.

Is what they wanted to say to her back then, but now that they missed their chance, there's only one thing they can do.

They leap forward and shatter the flow of combat. The temperature drops and the enemies are scrambling to understand what happened. When they walk past Rodion, their eyes lock briefly. They disappear within the mass of enemies and an unnatural silence takes over the battlefield.

Blood splatters on the floor and on the wall, Rodion cannot see what is happening but she instinctively feels a shiver run down her spine. The feeling is familiar, something like what she feels when either Ryoshu or Yi Sang cast their EGO. For some unknown reason, she doesn't worry about her partner. She tries to see past the confused foes in front of her, and only has a split second to step aside before a body flies her way. She dodges it in time and what once was a person becomes a blood splatter on the wall behind her.

Within the corridor that this body's path opened, she once again locks eyes with her partner. Panting and with a bloodied face, they stare at her with dull eyes. They don't seem to be wounded, which is a relief, but at the same time...

Suddenly the silence breaks and the formation of their enemies is in disarray. A couple more bodies are flung into the air and splatter against the floor and walls. Rodion didn't expect them to have an EGO so interesting. Actually she has no idea what kind of EGO it is. She can only classify it as terrifyingly hot. Yeah, she will kiss and pamper them a lot when the fight is over, but first they have to survive it.

She grins and swings her axe towards a distracted enemy, slicing his skull in half.

____

Sinclair:

"How do you manifest EGO?" Was a simple enough question. They were expecting a textbook answer, something that would take a while to understand, but still understandable.

"EGO..." Sinclair repeated, eyes growing distant as he silently pondered.

"It's okay if it's supposed to be a secret..."

He smiled at them and shook his head, "It's not, as far as I know, it's just..." He pressed his lips into a thin line, "I think about everything I could never do in my life, and then I... If only I can will myself into doing it..."

Sinclair didn't say anything much after that, and they didn't press him. Sometimes curiosity was about to take over and they felt like asking again, but they always held back. If it was something he couldn't say, then no need to be pushy.

Sinclair was gentle and easy to get along with, but when it came to battling he seemed to change completely. That bright boy who's prone to being anxious is no longer, instead there stands a bloodthirsty man, desperate to claim the lives of his enemies.

There's only a couple of them left, but there's also one wounded Sinclair, barely able to hold his weapon, left. They sit on the floor, back leaning against the wall and holding their bloody stomach. It's really embarrassing, especially after they told him they could handle a fight. Because they are incapable of keeping their promise, Sinclair has to push himself past his limit to keep them safe.

They sigh and look at the heavens above. The wound is not severe, they can probably survive it. The main problem here is that Sinclair will die, and other than that, the wounds on their pride are deeper than the one on their stomach.

Isn't it pathetic that I sit here and pity myself, instead of doing something?

They can't shake that feeling. They stare at Sinclair once again, with his trembling hands and knees, fighting off two enemies at once. He barely blocks a hit and fails to parry the other. The slice goes through his hand and he has three fingers severed at once.

Anger bubbles up their throat and they clench their jaw. Whether they are angry at their enemies or at the world for putting them in such a situation, they don't know, but when they rise to their feet that anger makes them feel lighter than ever. They dash back into the fight and swear to whatever is hearing that they won't live in regret like this anymore.

Sinclair is astounded when the weapon he clung to with all his might is snatched from his hand and then used to slice one of the two enemies in half. The person didn't have a second to realize it, their armor and flesh are sliced clean as if made of clay. The other enemy gives a step back and yells a threat. It's no use.

His partner follows up and slashes at the armored enemy, which barely blocks the blow in time. Sinclair watches as his spear's shape changes and his beloved growls unintelligible words at their common foe. Even the pitch of their voice seems off.

Then it finally hits him what's happening is that they manifested their EGO for the first time. He falls on his knees, heart racing while he watches the enemy lose ground and have all the damage they've inflicted being inflicted back at them. His partner moves with grace and malice, and even though they're clearly hurt they don't seem to show any sign of pain.

He blushes and licks his lips. He never thought his usually peaceful lover would be capable of such carnage, much less of reveling in it. It's an unexpected, but not unwelcome development.

____

Outis:

She's strict with herself more than she is with others, and few can recognize this; her lover being one of them. They wanted to find better ways of helping her so once they asked her how did she manifest her EGO.

"Sometimes you say 'the Odyssey had a purpose'," They explained, "I was wondering if you do it by saying that."

"Just the words aren't enough." Outis looked down at the floor, "It's much more than that." She sighed.

"I want to understand it." They pressed.

"If you really want to know, I think about the path that's ahead of me, and how much I still have to accomplish. I think of all the missed opportunities in the past, how many more I'll miss in the future and..." Her voice drifted away, "It doesn't matter what I have to do. I see an opportunity I cannot miss, and I seize it."

They were expecting more of a textbook explanation of it, but this one was clear enough and made sense. Outis seemed just as happy to let go of the subject, instead talking about something lighter.

Maybe she thought they'd forget about it, but she wasn't aware that they commit everything she says to mind. It's because Outis is devoted to them that they can give everything they have in return.

Even now, when the fight is pretty much lost, with one of her arms on the floor and barely able of wielding her weapon in the other hand, she's giving everything she has to keep them out of harm's way. They bitterly watch her throw her life away for somebody as incompetent as them.

The mindless creature that charges at Outis is uncaring of the outcome of this battle either way. They just happen to be on its way. They knew that this job was going to be dangerous, but they never thought they would end up being so unfitting for it. In exchange, Outis has to fight for two to compensate.

They bitterly stare at the beast who wobbles its way towards their lover and bites into the air. When its maw opens, its limbs flail strangely. They squint and watch an organ pulse underneath something that's either a wing or a tentacle. It looks soft, vulnerable.

It looks like an opportunity.

In that moment, everything clicks into place.

It doesn't matter that they can barely lift their own body or walk, this is something they cannot miss. They push themself off the ground, wincing and wobbling like the creature they fight. They push their feet forward, one after the other, counting the seconds it takes for the creature to show its weakness again. Five, four, three, two, one...

There.

They dash across the battlefield weightlessly and claim the monster's life, like a bullet that has found its target. Outis, who was bracing herself for the curtain call, freezes in place. The creature let out a shriek, its form starting to explode- no, it's like it's imploding. It folds in on itself, body twisting in an unnatural manner until it is nothing but a bundle of twisted flesh and bones.

Standing over the creature's remains is Outis' lover. A sinister smile graces their features and Outis can't help but to smile back. It seems they remembered what she had once told them. Of course, she knew her lessons would one day get through and help them but... She wasn't expecting to see them manifest such a destructive EGO of their own.

She feels overwhelmed with pride and wants to embrace them. She wants to tell them how incredible they look and how amazing of an accomplishment this is but she's already falling to the ground. She doesn't have more than a minute left to live, but it's enough.

"Well... done..." She whispers with her last breath.

____

Gregor:

They'd seen many of the sinners manifest their EGOs before in battle, and Gregor's always seemed to be the most unique out of them. Half of that fascination came from his prosthetic, and the other half from being in love with him. One day when they couldn't hold the curiosity anymore, they asked him about it.

He looked upset at first, and they almost took back their question but then he shrugged.

"It can hurt." He explained, "But if I will it to, it can also protect. If I want it to protect, I need to be stronger. I need to get over how much I hate it and make it useful."

He waved his insect arm a little, as if to illustrate his point.

"I don't know how it works, bud." He smiled awkwardly at them, "I just... I just want it to."

Such a simple explanation fit him. They knew how much grief having the arm gave him, yet he was trying to make something good out of a bad situation.

They hope they can say the same of themself, but...

Gregor is on the floor, a massive armored person has a foot on his neck while pulling his insect arm back at a painful angle. Gregor's struggle to free himself is meaningless. They fought hard, they fought well, but they've ultimately lost. The person who threatens to crush his throat with their ironclad foot instead seems more interested in pulling that arm off his shoulder. He's screamed so much his voice is hoarse. He's writhing on the floor, kicking and screaming to the top of his lungs but he can do nothing.

They're alone, and theyre weak. He tried to protect them, and in turn this is the outcome. They lay on the floor, unhindered by any armored soldier, but incapable of doing a thing. Their broken leg hurts like hell, but not as much as their heart does upon seeing him like that.

In this absolute hopeless moment, they go back to his words and his bittersweet smile.

I want to protect, so I will myself to.

They push their upper body off the ground, only to fall on their face again. They grit their teeth and clench their jaw. Gregor let out another bloodcurdling scream and they shut their eyes tight, fighting back the tears that threaten to spill.

I want to protect. This is not fair.

They can hear the sound of fabric ripping. Something inside them breaks and a switch is flipped. It doesn't matter how much it hurts, they stand on their feet and grab their weapon in their hands. The armored giant turns around, glances briefly at them and goes back to what they were doing. Oh, what a bad decision.

They lift their weapon, eyes locked on the pained image of Gregor on the ground, tortured even after defeat, and then lower it in a swift motion. A shockwave closes the gap between them and their enemy, the armored giant sways and lifts their foot off of Gregor's throat. They take another step closer and wince in pain, but swing their weapon again. The force of the shockwave this time is strong enough to make the giant let go of Gregor. The veteran is kicked to the side while the knight is forced to focus on them.

Gregor watches his lover approach the giant knight menacingly while he curls in on himself. He knows they are more hurt than himself, but somehow he feels more terrified for the canned giant. When his partner raises their weapon again, he knows it's over. He's not very educated on the science of it, but he's fought in enough battles to pick up on its flow. When this combat started, he knew the knight was way out of their league. He knew they would get severely wounded, and knew that winning was an impossible scenario here.

He couldn't tell them, because he barely had any time to, but his plan was to take most of the beating until the others could arrive and save them. Now it's clear that somehow his plan worked, but in an unexpected way. When he was hurt the most, when it felt like his tendons and muscles would get ripped apart by the knight's sadistic pulling on his arm, they reached a breaking point and manifested their own EGO.

Their weapon lowers and the tip connects with the metal on the giant's armor, and in that split second where the world stays still, Gregor blinks. The knight's armor is smashed in and blood and flesh gush out of its gaps. It's a gruesome scene, and the sound it makes is nauseating. His lover pants and gasps for air, then falls to the ground unconscious.

In spite of his pain he is not only proud, but also glad. He crawls all the way to their side, smearing some stray blood and guts over his clothes on the way. Everything hurts, but he manages to reach them. He embraces them with his still good arm, shedding tears of relief.

He's so sorry he's put them through all of this, but he's so unashamedly proud and in love with them.

"You did good, bud." He whispers into their hair, "You did so good...

[atamascolily]

Okay, so after staring at these two images together, I'm more convinced than ever that these are the same place, with one being "real" and the other illusion (inasmuch as such a distinction is possible in Homura's world). The arches on top of the school have the same shape as the arches of the gate (?) surrounding Homura and her orrery; even if they are not the same place, they are certainly meant to parallel and contrast with each other.

The gate (for the lack of a better word) also has shield-shaped pieces, as well as these elongate glass… I'm not sure what the right term for them is, but the long rectangular ones are vials containing spinal columns, and the round glass bulbs with red sand(?) remind me of simple sand timers and/or alchemical equipment. Together, they make up part of the gate, and their overall shape reminds me of knitting needles, which is in keeping with Homura's association with sewing imagery.

Given Homura's whole relationship with time, I think these are sand timers here, but the alchemical vibes are not a coincidence. Combined with the Tarot symbolism and the mechanical orrery (also a timekeeping device) in this shot, it suggests to me that this movie will draw heavily on Western esotericism for aesthetic and themes, which also includes alchemy.

The original Madoka Magica TV series was inspired by Goethe's Faust, with Homura as Faust, Kyubey as Mephistopheles, and Madoka as Gretchen. Now Homura has taken on Kyubey's role as Mephistopheles, but she is also still Faust, and her tinkering appears to be what's keeping the system working (for now, at least). This juxtaposition works in part because the two are not so different after all--one thing that both Faust and the Devil have in common is their hubris, which in turn is what leads directly to their respective tragedies and suffering.

Faust was also an alchemist, and alchemists, were, as a general rule, obsessed with the perfection of the human soul. Their physical experiments to transform lead into gold and the creation of a philosopher's stone were not merely literal, they were also spiritual pursuits. This is why I suspect that the "new girl" in the trailer is a homunculus (pun intended)--an artificial being created by Homura or her double, which would likely tie into the movie's larger themes of creation (i.e., "playing God"), replication, and individual personhood.

This is also why I suspect that Walpurgisnacht will be revealed to be a metaphorical and/or literal alchemical crucible--an attempt to reach the pinnacle of human power and perfection--though how much of this was intentional, and how much of it was the accidental result of Homura's meddling remains to be seen.

[literallys-illiteracy]

oh hey, thanks! tbh given that i'd already gone down two separate rabbit holes for both the odyssey and der freischütz shortly before magic bullet outis came out, it is genuinely fun just to talk about her. not sure what i'd request for an in-depth writeup, but given that you're really into faust, might i trouble you for your thoughts on the council of fausts, carmen-coded female characters, and the eternal feminine? i have the sliiightest inklings of a possible link along those lines, but it's been a while since i've read faust and i'm currently too deep into fighting fish (reading moby dick) to pick it up again just yet, so your opinion would be invaluable. pls don't feel pressured to do so though! i understand if there'd be too much conjecture in it to do (especially since we're still only getting crumbs abt the council of fausts as is)

also, if you're still looking for english versions of weber's der freischütz, i mostly get by via the 1961 rudolf kempe english production (libretto by edward j. dent) and a subbed version of the 1968 film, both of which can be found on youtube. the one thing i havent found yet is a translation of the original tale though, so you'd definitely know better than i would on that haha

Okay wow ive been procrastinating on this one for a while huh.

At first it was on purpose because of the implications that we would get some more information relating to the Council of Faust in the WARP event, which we did, but after that it was just because I was lazy.

As an additional note, I am currently in the process of reading “Man and His Symbols”, a book about Jungian psychology, which is the lens I personally primarily prefer to view the following concepts on. Following that on my reading list is another of Jung’s books, titled “The Psychology of the Transference”, which I have been told mentions the eternal feminine much more directly, not to mention the bakers dozen journal articles i have saved on the topic — I mention this to state that this is almost certainly not going to be my last essay regarding these topics. I already had the vague idea of connecting Carmen to the archetypes of the collective unconscious, and now I have more material to work with regarding this. Thank you Freischutz anon. - Literally's note

This is going to be the first of at the very least 3 essays on this request, just for you <3, also for my wife Carmen.

Moving on, here we go.

To begin, I want to establish what we already know, or what some reading might not already know, regarding the titular topics of this essay:

The Gesellschaft is the newly canonised name of the “Council of Faust’s” revealed in the WARP event — Gesellchaft is a German word meaning society, or a relationship/community built on non-interpersonal ties and relations.

I do not remember exactly when the theory of the council began, however at the same time I do remember more people mentioning it surrounding N corp Faust, however for reasons I will not discuss, there is reason to believe that she is not part of this society.

Carmen-Coded Characters, alongside the Eternal Feminine, are linked together with the concept of the Jungian archetypes — The Eternal Feminine is the divine, culturally transcendent, ideality of femininity. A Jungian Archetype is a similar concept, first posed by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, of the universal concepts and images which exist in humanities collective unconscious. A notable and omnipresent archetype is known as the “Anima”, which acts as the internalised, primarily unconscious, feminine traits within a man, the counterpart is known as “Animus”.

Relating back to this concept of psychology (I am so sorry, half of all the essay topics I write about circle back to this topic), the Gesellschaft may act as a literal representation of this eternal feminine, a collective trait shared across mirror worlds, a communal sisterhood of the best traits of each and every Faust.

The council acting as a mass collective, similar to a discord server, of individuals who are independent from one another, may relate back to the Anima and Animus, with the final stage often being described in the image of Sophia, a representation of divine wisdom, which is a major trait present in Geothe’s depiction of the eternal feminine through Helen.

This final manifestation of the Animus is often considered a guide of sorts, acting as a messenger, as the highest level of harmony between the conscious and unconscious mind.

The primary flaw that one may direct to this explanation is in respect to the character of Faust herself, as, as is mentioned above, the Anima and Animus are manifestations of the Feminine in man and the masculine in woman — The argument may be made that the Gesellschaft may act as the Animus, the masculine, rather than the eternal feminine as is the supposed link.

To this I pose that, though you would not be incorrect, the council itself is “Faust” as a whole, acting, in a way, as the conscious mind of the sinner, having, up until recently, been the primary decision maker. Though Faust, the sinner (God this is going to be confusing after a while if I keep writing like this), is a member of the greater “Faust”, she does not act as the primary agent of decisions — Faust, the sinner, and the greater Faust, are both representative of the Feminine in their nature.

I have also seen it posed that our sinner is in fact Gretchen, and hence is why they refer to the knowledge as “Faust’s” knowledge, however I am extremely far from convinced for this.

It is important to note that, while I do attempt to read papers and literature on these kinds of topics, I am still extremely far from an expert in this field — Though I attempt to make sure that I thoroughly understand a topic before writing about it, it is important to note that there is inevitably nuance on this topic which may be overlooked, for that I apologise.

Moving on, there is additionally a link that one may make between the ego (Freudian, not PM), the conscious mind, your “Self” focused on the current moment alongside considerations of the future, and the Gesselschaft, once again placing the greater Faust as the primary ego within Faust’s body.

This can explain the fact that Faust’s base EGO line does not change during the most recent WARP event, the statement “Faust knows all outcomes” is not referring to our Faust but rather the council, the sinner’s primary ego.

It is additionally possible that, through one means or another, it was the council of Faust’s at large which manifested the Representation Emitter EGO, however this is simple conjecture.

This is the first topic that will be discussed in this series of essays, the next will likely be the relation of the ID and the Shadow to Carmen,

also if you dont mind Freischutz anon, it would be helpful if you could elaborate on what you mean by “Carmen Coded” characters, as if you dont, I will assuredly start rambling about half related notes because I am the biggest Carmen simp. - also Literally's note

[azureaqua]

Final Showdown! (a.k.a Last of the Ikemen artbreeder series, the Ikesen guys - Pt. 1)

Yay, I'm not dead! Or I have just risen from the dead.

After nearly 2 months I've made the Ikesen guys too. Let me tell you, this was the hardest & longest one tbh. I had to make asian portraits only and there were 17 guys in total, so yeah, it took some time.

(It's also kind of funny how - unintentionally - I did my 3 main Ikemen games in a certain order; the way the suitors' number grow each time lol.)

I'm not sure if I'm as satisfied with this batch as I want to be, despite the time and effort, but all together they look nice! So let's get into it!

↓

Part 2 here!

• Maeda Keiji

(So, at first Keiji was Shingen's prototype, if you will. Mainly because of the hair and its color. Also his basic features were good; like the smokey, smouldering eyes, nicely curved eyebrows and mouth, and stronger cheekbones and jaw. (Idk, I always imagined Shingen having really nice and defined cheekbones in real life haha.) But in the end, he looked a bit too young, I guess? Shingen - historically - but even in the game IS one of the older guys, so I wanted to make him even more mature. And then I looked at this prototype and because of the hair's shape Keiji came to mind and in the end, I think I did the right thing.)

• Kennyo

(I admit it, he was - surprisingly - one of the easiest ones. I was genuinely worried that he'll be hard to recapture because of the harsh scar and grimace on his face, and again; the older-man look. I guess I just got lucky with the bases? Other than his scar that I had to draw on, I didn't touch up anything. His design is the most Asian-like in my opinion with the 'everything black' theme going on with his hair and eyes lol.)

• Tokugawa Ieyasu

(He wasn't as hard either, than some of my other edits, but I couldn't get him right the first time. He was okay, but really, not the best effort. His face was just off - it was way too soft. Ieyasu is young, perhaps one of the youngest of them all, but he has an uninterested scowling expression on him almost all the time, so I guess that makes him appear more mature in general. But I'm definitely satisfied with him, and his emerald green eyes look super nice!)

• Uesugi Kenshin

(Well, he's one of those that I'm not exactly sure about. At one point he seems accurate, but then just so off-track of his game avatar so I genuinely don't know what to think. He has a harder stare and more grown-up look and features than Ieyasu, so they are not the same base. Although, while making them, I was thinking of using them for each other, since they are very similar with the blonde hair and cold, uninterested stares. But he came out pretty and kind of unreachable, noble-like! And they definitely describe him as so in the game so it's a win?!)

• Sarutobi Sasuke

(It was a two-part thing again, since he's that ONE character who wears glasses lol. Editing on specs in a way that looks good AND appropriate for the character is hard. Although for Faust, I think I really did a good job and probably won a lotto or something that it came out so good. But I think Sasuke isn't as bad either! His eyes and hair are fairly simple, but achieving that stoic, blank expression was the real deal in the end. But it worked, he looks smart, like a real moderately awesome ninja!)

• Date Masamune

(He was difficult, especially since I had to imagine the eyepatch on him every time. It makes a big difference, trust me. This isn't the original edit of him, on second tries I always do a better job to be honest. By then I realized that his cheerful and reckless expression was missing and tried to give him a wider smile and sharper eyes and he indeed came out super handsome with those plus touches! His eyepatch is drawn on by me again, but even that can't ruin this image!)

• Mori Ranmaru

(I struggled with him the most, I feel like? His baby-like features, overly cheerful smile and big eyes was hard to achieve... Somewhat. I don't think I did him justice. Also, I admit that I mixed female prototypes into him, mainly because of the hair, but also since in the game they mention it a lot of times that he's considered really beautiful and feminine. All-in-all, I think he's precious nonetheless!)

• Akechi Mitsuhide

(I'm also not quite satisfied with him, because I think at some point I had a better base for his face and hair, but in the end when I tried mixing with that one or just reconstructing it, it didn't come out so well. And in itself that piece wasn't good enough, so yeah, that's why we ended up here. He could use some more work, but I wasn't exactly sure where? From a close up he feels decent though, so maybe it's some kind of black magic. I also like his expression and his floofy white hair, I'm happy that I could achieve such a nice, pure color!)

What do you guys think so far? How did I do?

(Don't forget to look at Part 2, with the other guys in it!)

[flovverworks]

rereading sunflower etude with the va thumbs up emoji ch1-4 talk cuz im unable to shut up

Faust: ....I’m not suited for teaching. You should guide them instead. Nero:��Me? I’m even less suited for the job. Faust: Why do you say that? Nero: Because I’m not kind.

incredible convo of two of the nicest ppl

I can’t bring myself to agree right away, because I’m reluctant to assign a role to someone who has suffered so much. I remember what Oz once told me: do not get crushed by your role.

;_;

the nero & shino convo where nero compares shinos relationship with heath to his & brads mkaes me even more dizzy voiced. lord. heavens. 1) saying all this makes me think of the time sandal was venting to a 12yo<333 2) its SOOOOO.......(if anything i think if this convo was between nero & heath instead id feel ill). thinks of nero & heaths convo in pt2. god.

Nero: That’s how you feel the first ten times or so. But after the eleventh time, you start to get uneasy. After the twentieth time, you begin to think, "If you wanna die so badly, I’ll kill you myself." Shino: ......... What about after the thirtieth time? Nero: You realize you can no longer be together.

this is so damn good ive always loved neros feelings toward brad....i lov this pov of someone being in danger all the time. 'ill protect you' into 'i have to leave you' because you just feel bad and anxious around them all the time is ssooooooo damn good

FAUST AND LEEENNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX....he made it easy to breathe...im gonna collapse. leno's voice lines.... fausts role as a teacher.......'How many people died because I trusted that traitor and his fellow humans?' faust...

Faust laughs, clutching the lunchbox in his arms. His brows are turned downward, as if he’s lost this battle. I like how they laugh. Even if they can’t reach out to hold each other’s hands.... They slowly, carefully turn towards each other and try to ascertain where they belong within the other person: that’s how they smile.

HEAD IN HANDS....AKIRAAAAAAA

bianca was mentioned. it is officially over for me

If Lennox calls her a comrade, then maybe Faust and Figaro know about her too. But Faust’s gaze is fixed downwards and his fingers are locked together, while Figaro pretends he doesn’t know a thing.

i have nothing this say this part just makes me. scream. figaro.....also his voice lines when he finally speaks? bro why r u so cheery. am i imaging things. OHHHHHH HIS DIALOGUE I FORGOT HE SAID THESE THINGS FIGARROOOO U R SO INFURIATING (figaro fan)

. also forgot lennox was so close to saving her oh lennox. u...first faust then.........huh..ah..leno...............oh uve had it real bad....................everyone was within reach and yet.....and then theres faust too.............alec.....

ANYWAY THATS IT FOR TODAY. ILL CONTINUE TOMORROW. OUGHH I LOVE BIANCA SO MUCH MHYK HAS SUCH LOVELY WITCHES (i say as im crying for all of them) i should reread 1.5 within the year too................my beloved...........both akiras for anime and then put them ingame so the 'dont hurt my wizards anymore' can be va'd. please coly id do anything

[agirlattea]

Sincerely, a Rainbow of stories for you: 

Please Tell me the story of the rainbow: Part 1

(Location: ???)

???:  Even if the sky above me isn’t one that has fully cleared of rain, I can still see the rainbow, painted in gentle colors.

The sound of the wind flowing. The faint ringing of a bell. I engrave the images into my mind and draw the impressions they leave behind. 

A story that began with a bundle of tattered parchment.

…Hey, Roxy. You were the only one who ever stuck by my side. 

I don’t want to lose anything else. That rainbow color, the sound of the bell… because this place is my own special world. 

Please, please don’t disappear. Because you’re the only one…

(Location: Magic Manor’s Foyer, Central Kingdom, Daytime) 

It was a sunny afternoon, and we were all gathered in the Magic Manor’s foyer. 

Snow and White: Sage

Akira: Snow, White. Is there something you’ve gathered us all here for?

Snow: Yes, but before we explain, let us do a roll call. 

White: First the Central Wizards!

Cain: Alright. Arthur is away on official business, but everyone else is here.

Riquet: I went to see him with Cain, and Oz came with us too.

Oz: ……..

Snow: I see. Next, the eastern Wizards.

Faust: We’re all here. Did something happen? Why have we all gathered?

Heathcliff: Maybe it’s a group mission… 

Nero: I hope it isn’t anything annoying. 

Shino: Is it a big task? If so, leave the combat to me. 

White: Hohoho, rest assured that there is nothing to worry about. 

Snow: Next up are the Western Wizards… but I don’t see enough people.

Shylock: Everyone was here but a moment ago. 

Chloe: Wait, Rustica? Rustica is gone! He was right next to me just now though… 

Murr: Maybe he left on a whim, or maybe he’s playing hide and seek. I love hide and seek! 

Rutile: No matter the job, we will do our best! Right, Mitile?

Mitile: Yes! It’s so exciting for everyone to finally get to work together! 

Snow: It seems the Southern Wizards are already motivated. 

White: How reliable.

Figaro: Yes, and as their teacher I suppose I also have to meet those high standards.

Lennox: I will help as well. If we encounter a difficult task, please leave it to me. 

…By the way, does anyone else smell something burning? 

Mithra, Owen, and Bradley: ……..

Akira: Umm… the three of you… your clothes are singed… are you all okay? 

White: It looks like you got in some good shots, Oz. You must have had a hard time.

Oz: There were no difficulties. 

Bradley: Huh…

Mithra: Hmph…

Owen: Is that so… 

Akira: (Somehow, the air seems to have gotten heavier. I’m getting a little anxious…)

White: They’re all hot-blooded guys, after all. 

Snow: Well then, let’s announce today’s challenge!

The drifting bloodlust in the room, stemming from the Northern Wizards who seem to have just lost a fight against Oz, seemed to focus on the twins. 

Snow and White: Today we are cleaning the Magic Manor! 

Heathcliff: Housecleaning…? 

Chloe: …Together?

Snow: Yes. 

White: That’s right. 

Snow and White: <Noscomnia> ! 

The twins cast their spell, and suddenly cleaning tools appeared in everyone’s hands, accompanied by cute popping sounds. 

Mops, brushes, and brooms. Before I knew it, I was holding a dishcloth. 

Owen: What? We gathered here for something like this? 

Mithra: Did you not just say that this was an important mission? 

Oz: I heard him say that as well. 

Bradley: Generally speaking, it doesn’t make sense to dedicate a day to cleaning. If you’re a wizard, it’s only natural to keep your surroundings neat. 

It’s careless to even leave a single hair around, since you don’t know what it could be used for. 

In any case, there should be nothing to clean. 

Snow: Well, you are right. However, that's besides the point! What’s important is that we join forces and work together towards a common goal! 

White: The two of us have determined that what the Sage’s Wizards lack is harmony. 

Snow: Cooperation. 

White: Since we’re living together, once in a while we have to cherish our interactions. 

Rutile: That’s right! If we all work together, not only will we finish our tasks faster, but we’ll be able to clean every nook and cranny that we wouldn't be able to reach on our own. 

Shino: I’m disappointed it's not a battle, but I’m good at cleaning. Leave the garden to me. 

Nero: Then I’ll take care of the kitchen. I’ve been waiting for a chance to reorganize the pantry anyways. 

Murr: I want to be in the kitchen too! 

Nero: Huh? 

Shylock: Oh? That’s an unusual request. Are you expecting spills?

Murr: There’s that too, but mostly I want to try the recipe for a new potion that I found the other day. 

Blackened, mushy, magma-like bubbly stuff made with blackened newt and mandragora! 

Shylock: That… sounds like a troublesome dish. 

Please obey Nero and behave. Don’t make too much of a mess. 

Nero: What….

Owen: I don’t really care what you do, but don’t touch the pot used for making sweets. I don’t like it when smells are transferred between dishes.

Cain: Nice try, but that pot still might not be safe… 

Mitile: Nii-Sama, why don’t the two of us clean the library? 

Rutile: Right, everyone has brought in more books lately, haven’t they. 

Riquet: I’ll help too, as I often use the library. 

Familiar places should be kept clean, and lately I’ve felt like the shelf in the back has been getting messy. 

Mithra: It’s best not to get too close to that place. I put a magic book that I couldn’t keep in my room there. 

It bites when it’s in a bad mood. It may suddenly run out and attack you. 

Riquet: What?! 

Mitile: Please don’t leave dangerous things in a space everyone uses. 

Rutile: But I am a little interested in Mr. Mithra’s book. 

Snow: Everyone is motivated.

White: Sage, we’d like you to give the starting signal. 

Akira: The starting signal? 

Snow: Something like “Let’s go! We can do it, everyone!” 

White: A chant can boost morale! Or at least, that’s what the previous Sage said. 

Snow: He also said that if you can get people to laugh at your speech, then you can be considered a fully-fledged leader.

Akira: Wait..!

Pushed forward by the twins, I stepped in front of everyone. 

Akira: Umm, it may be difficult, but in order to deepen our friendships, we should work to clean the manor together. To that end, I ask that you try to avoid using magic as much as possible… 

Mithra: &lt;Arthim> 

Mithra languidly spun around. Following the sound of him chanting his spell, we heard a small explosion somewhere else in the manor. 

Akira: Umm, did you… 

Mithra: Yes. I’m done cleaning up. 

I’ve eliminated all the nuisances, so please be grateful. 

Mithra grumbled as he sat on the stairs, crossing his legs lazily. 

Bradley: Over in 5 seconds. 

Figaro: It’s over, is it? 

Owen: You should’ve done this from the beginning. 

Shylock: I would have prefered it to be a little less fleeting… 

Oz: Sigh

Light footsteps echoed in the midst of the awkward silence. Despite the tension, the air in the hall was soft and bright. 

Rustica: By the way, did everyone receive a party invitation? 

Chloe: Rustica! Where were you?

Rustica: I was strolling through the courtyard. The marigolds in the garden were very beautiful. 

As I watched them sway in the wind, music filled my head and I couldn’t look away. Chloe, next time I’ll bring you with me. 

Chloe: Jeez, I was worried because you suddenly disappeared. You always do things at your own pace! 

Cain: …By the way does anyone smell smoke?

Nero: Yeah, like the smell is drifting in from outside… 

Rustica: Now that you mention it, there were some ribbons of flame here and there in the courtyard. 

I erased some of them so they wouldn’t spread to the flowerbeds, is that a game someone is playing? 

Chloe: Ribbons of flame…? 

Akira: You mean  the garden was on fire?!

Rustica: Yes. Watching the crackling sparks was interesting, but it might be a little dangerous. 

Akira: Umm, Mithra’s magic just now… 

Mithra: I just turned everything that got in my way to ash, right? 

Snow and White: That way of cleaning is way too extreme! 

Mithra: Thank you. 

Bradley: No, you’re not being praised. 

Figaro: In other words, is it okay to say that our mission has changed from general cleaning to extinguishing fires? 

Cain: A fire in the manor is a big deal! We need to hurry up and put it out! 

Riquet: O-okay! The garden isn’t the only place that’s on fire, is it? 

Heathcliff: Let’s split up! Does anyone have a bucket…

Mitile: I do! 

Chloe: Me too! 

Shino: Use the water from the fountain. There’s always water flowing there. 

Lennox: Master Sage, please stay here. We will extinguish the fire immediately. 

Akira: Thank you but… 

Cain: What’s wrong? 

Akira: I think right now it’d be okay to use magic…

The wizards who were running around stopped moving. 

Rutile: …Yes, you’re right about that. 

Nero: Sorry… I guess the timing confused me. 

Faust: Me too. 

Snow: I was overwhelmed by the vigor of the young people. 

White: I as well. 

Behind the younger wizards who looked at each other and smiled sheepishly, I saw Oz holding up his staff. 

Oz: <Vox Nox>

In the blink of an eye, dark clouds covered the sky and large drops of rain soaked the Magic Manor. 

Back to Event Masterlist

[haywire-hetfield]

Ack one very busy day later.

I love everyone’s look of judgment during that scene, thank you so much for those photos I have saved all of them for reaction images.

The movie definitely feels like there are some missing scenes. Unfortunately a big part of any movie/video project is having to cut things due to budget or time so we’ll never know what it could have been.

Duuude the first time I watched the movie it was like my third or fourth date with my boyfriend and I made him pause the movie because I was so caught off guard by that man’s bare booty. I went into that movie knowing it was a telling of the black metal scene and that most people found the inaccurate moments too much. No one told me there would so much nudity 😂😂. - 🐈‍⬛

You're so welcome! I'm glad you liked them as much as I do haha. That scene gives me the same vibe as the one where Euro and Varg are telling Fenriz, Occultus, and Hellhammer that Faust killed someone. Where they're clearly so proud of him and nobody else in that circle was reacting the same way as them. Like not a single one of them was having the reaction I imagine Euro and Varg wanted

Varg is 0 for 3 in correctly judging the vibe of the group. (The third time is him asking Euro on a date to burn down a church with him and Hellhammer straight up just leaves which is one of two times he just walks away from those two. That man cannot catch a break.)

Varg 🤝 Pelle

Ass out for the world to see

I watched the movie with a friend of mine who knew NOTHING about the movie, black metal, Mayhem, etc. going into it and that was a hilarious experience. If you have a friend like this, I definitely recommend showing them the movie to get their first reactions.

I was also very caught off guard by how much nudity there was. Pelle stripping down in the forest? Caught me a little off guard, but I get it. Euro with his speedo that did NOT cover his little booty cheeks at all? Okay, whatever. Surprising, but two times is still fine. Varg bare as the day he was born in multiple shots?? Okay, well now this is just softcore.

[vollmond-laboratory]

The Enigmatic Tale of the Flowers and the Moon — In-Depth Character Introduction Profiles

Riquet: A kitsune who awoke to divine powers at a young age, he was treated as a child prodigy in the village where he was born and raised. He met Murr just as he was beginning to desire the freedom to help as many yōkai as possible in the wider world, who then introduced him to Shylock. Now renting his own space in Shylock’s bar, Riquet uses his powers to help bring guidance to any troubled yōkai who hear rumour of his existence.

Faust: A tengu who lives a secluded life on the mountain. Though he used to live in Ōun-gai, as time went by the population grew and he left for the mountain instead, possibly because he felt as though it’d be too uninhabitable for anyone else. It is rumoured that Faust was once the student of a certain knowledgeable yōkai, skilled in the art of magic. He usually spends his time making medicine out of herbs.

Oz: One of the dragons living in the castle, he is the strongest yōkai in all of Ōun-gai. Having been in possession of this power from a young age, he was taken in by the castle residents and taught the ways of the world, including how to harness his magic. The twins, who wish to retire, are planning on forcing Oz to take on their role as leader of the dragon clan.

Shylock: A kitsune, and the owner of a bar in Ōun-gai. Incredibly smart and well-connected, he was introduced to Riquet through Murr, one of his oldest acquaintances. Though Shylock rents out a part of his bar for Riquet to use, he only allows people he personally approves of to see the young fox, not wanting Riquet’s powers to be taken advantage of.

Mitile: A young kitsune who lives on Nagaya-dōri with his brother Rutile. Though he spends most of his time in lessons at the local temple school, he also makes the effort to take care of the cherry blossom trees and help Rutile with his work, wanting to be useful to the people around him. Once when he was very young, Mitile fell ill and was taken care of by Lennox, who carried him to the local town doctor. He met and befriended Riquet on a visit to Shylock’s bar while helping Lennox with his job.

Lennox: A tengu who lives in Ōun-gai. When he was young, his life was saved by a certain other yōkai. Now that this benefactor has secluded himself away up on the mountain, Lennox worries after and attempts to take care of him. He also watches over the Flores brothers, two kitsune who live on Nagaya-dōri like he does. Though he usually uses his ability to fly to work as a mailman, he’s so naturally caring and sincere that he’ll take on almost any job if asked to do so.

White: A dragon who lives in the castle with his twin, Snow. Although he looks young, he’s actually one of the oldest of his kind, and it is said even the most powerful of the dragons find it difficult to disobey him. He wants Oz, the strongest dragon in Ōun-gai, to be his and Snow’s successor after they retire as leaders, but White can’t help but be worried about his communication skills. It is rumoured that he has no reflection when passing by surfaces of water.

Figaro: One of the dragons living in the castle. The twins are both his teachers and leaders. A long time ago, he watched over and took care of a certain yōkai as his student. Though he’d been planning on living the rest of his life at a leisurely pace, he keeps getting questioned on his potential as the next leader of the dragon clan, forcing him to continually find ways to dodge the issue. Figaro is also rather skilled when it comes to shapeshifting, a rare talent for dragons to have.

Heathcliff: A kitsune and the only son of the Blanchett family, who run Ōun-gai’s largest medicine wholesaler. It’s rumoured that just having him smile at you will bring you happiness, so many customers come for that reason alone. He has a talent for handicrafts, particularly when it comes to making karakuri puppets. As a test, Heathcliff once made one of these puppets in Shino’s image, though he’s been embarrassed about it ever since because Shino takes it out almost every day to brag to whoever will listen.

Shino: A young kamaitachi who works as both an apprentice and bodyguard at the Blanchett wholesaler. Upon being separated from his pack, he was determined to survive on his own somehow before being found by Heathcliff’s family. Currently, he’s trying to come up with a title people will recognise him by, while still sounding cool and kamaitachi-esque. He keeps trying to get Cain, another bodyguard who is older than Shino but has been working at the wholesaler’s for less than a year, to call him “Shino-senpai”, but the likelihood of that is never very high.

Cain: A kitsune who works as a bodyguard at the Blanchett wholesaler. Before settling down where he is now, he served apprenticeships in a variety of different places while travelling the world as part of his warrior training, even once working as a bodyguard for the head of a tengu clan. Cain's heterochromia is a genetic trait, though rarely he’ll see flashes of an unfamiliar forest, and even more rarely flashes of a far more familiar townscape – almost as though he’s seeing through someone else’s eyes…

Rutile: A kitsune who works as a children’s kawaraban journalist. An enjoyable read, his cheerful and relaxed reporting style is popular with yōkai of all ages and species. When he was a child, he attempted to scale the mountain without telling anyone where he was going, rescued by a certain dragon when he ended up getting caught in a trap – a story he’s now summarised in a picture scroll of his own design. A regular at Shylock’s bar, Rutile loves to listen to Murr tell his outlandish stories, hoping to one day get an interview with him.

Chloe: A tanuki currently travelling around with his teacher, Rustica, who he happened to meet after finding it difficult to fit in with his friends due to their love for playing tricks on others. Spending time with him has helped Chloe realise that pranks don’t always need to be malicious and can even make people happy, reconciling his relationship with his fellow tanuki. He loves fashionable kimonos and kanzashi, and was even the one who made Rustica’s outfit.

Rustica: A tanuki currently travelling around with his apprentice, Chloe. He often does various types of street performances in order to be able to fund their travels. Whenever he transforms into another type of yōkai, Chloe is often the one who has to point out that he forgot to hide his obvious tanuki tail. Having quickly grown fond of Ōun-gai, the two of them have taken up temporary residence in the town. Rustica believes it would be nice to open a tea shop with Chloe someday, under the name of… Bunbuku Chagama.

Bradley: A tengu who was once the leader of his own gang of bandits. After spending a consecutive three days and nights fistfighting with Nero, they ended up opening a restaurant together. At Bradley’s suggestion, the concept of fast food delivery quickly became popular in Ōun-gai thanks to the characteristic speed of tengu flight. He gets to enjoy Nero’s meals day in and day out, which is likely why he’s always getting in trouble for pinching food when he isn’t supposed to. Despite claiming to have given up on the bandit lifestyle, sometimes he disappears at night to help with thefts without Nero’s knowledge.

Nero: A tengu, and a former bandit. After spending a consecutive three days and nights fistfighting with Bradley, they ended up opening a restaurant together. Despite how pleased he is with Bradley’s proficiency in running a business, he’s desperate to hire some new employees as he’s currently the only one capable enough to work in the kitchen. Nero gives second helpings of food to any of the younger yōkai free of charge, showing them a little more generosity compared to his usual service. The bodyguards who work for Blanchett wholesaler are frequent patrons to the restaurant.

Snow: A dragon who lives in the castle with his twin, White. Although he looks young, he’s actually the oldest of his kind, and it is said even the most powerful of the dragons find it difficult to disobey him. He’s having a hard time deciding on a true successor, and believes Arthur would be a good choice… if he were a dragon, that is. He and White have a habit of fighting bitterly with each other every 150 years or so, leaving the castle together in a huff. A few months later they always make up and return, though they refuse to share the details of how or why with anyone else.

Arthur: The son of a tengu clan chief. As a young child, he once ran too far away from home while chasing after a rabbit he had spotted, only managing to avoid getting lost forever when Oz found him and returned him to his parents. With his father’s permission, Arthur now lives with Oz in the dragons’ castle while also keeping in touch with his family. He loves to hear Oz tell stories of the outside world, and hopes to someday befriend someone from an alternate universe himself.

Mithra: A dragon who lives alone by a river, deep in the mountain. Formerly one of the castle dragons, he was excommunicated from the clan for his poor cooperation skills and lack of respect for anyone who wasn’t himself. Despite this, the twins and Figaro have a habit of secretly paying him to subjugate anything they can’t deal with themselves, though Mithra won’t accept these requests without being given considerable compensation in return. A long time ago he rescued a young kitsune from a trap he himself had set up, doing it mostly on a whim.

Owen: A kitsune who lives alone in the forest, and has a habit of appearing and disappearing as he pleases. His specialty is illusion magic, and although his power is incomparable to that of a dragon, he’s grown skilful in the art of making a quick escape. Occasionally he’ll come into town to visit the local bookstore, and the protagonist of the picture scroll he recently bought reminds Owen of an old acquaintance of his… if he squints and tilts his head, at least. Though his heterochromia is a genetic trait, occasionally he’ll see flashes of a familiar townscape – almost as though he’s seeing through someone else’s eyes…

Murr: A yōkai rumoured to be a prodigy in the art of shapeshifting. He created a bell for Shylock's bar, which alerts him when troublesome customers have arrived. He’s a vagabond at heart, and when he happened to meet Riquet while wandering around told him that "I can see a future where you are taken care of by a kitsune I know", bringing him to Shylock shortly afterward. Though Murr usually appears to others as a kitsune, whether or not that’s his true form is a mystery. Only Shylock knows what he really looks like.

---

Glossary

-gai – Town

-dōri – Street

Karakuri puppets – Traditional Japanese mechanical dolls.

Kawaraban – A type of Japanese newspaper common in the Edo period, that reported on interesting events through artwork as well as text. They were known for being cheap and easy to make, more for getting interesting stories out fast and being entertaining than genuinely reporting on news. Kind of like an early tabloid.

Kanzashi – A traditional type of ornamental hairpin.

Bunbuku Chagama – An old Japanese folktale about a tanuki who uses its shapeshifting powers to transform into a tea kettle, doing street performances for its master in exchange for warm food and care, eventually bringing wealth to the man.

[mahdithemagician]

Why We Tell Stories

AND WHY WE LISTEN

The first of a series on what Joseph Campbell called the "one great story" of humanity.

The following are excerpts from The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories by Christopher Booker cut together and highlighted to create a dialogue between the reader and the text.

At any given moment, all over the world, hundreds of millions of people will be engaged in what is one of the most familiar of all forms of human activity. In one way or another they will have their attention focused on one of those strange sequences of mental images which we call a story. 

We spend a phenomenal amount of our lives following stories:

telling them;

listening to them;

reading them;

watching them being acted out on the television screen or in films or on a stage.

They are far and away one of the most important features of our everyday existence. Not only do fictional stories play such a significant role in our lives, as novels or plays, films or operas, comic strips or TV ‘soaps’. Through newspapers or television, our news is presented to us in the form of ‘stories’. Our history books are largely made up of stories. Even much of our conversation is taken up with recounting the events of everyday life in the form of stories.

These structured sequences of imagery are in fact the most natural way we know to describe almost everything which happens in our lives. 

But it is obviously in their fictional form that we most usually think of stories. So deep and so instinctive is our need for them that, as small children, we have no sooner learned to speak than we begin demanding to be told stories, as evidence of an appetite likely to continue to our dying day. So central a part have stories played in every society in history that we take it for granted that the great storytellers, such as Homer or Shakespeare, should be among the most famous people who ever lived.

In modern times we have not thought it odd that certain men and women, such as Charlie Chaplin or Marilyn Monroe, should come to be regarded as among the best-known figures in the world, simply because they acted out the characters from stories on the cinema screen. Even when we look out from our own world into space, we find we have named many of the most conspicuous heavenly bodies – Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Orion, Perseus, Andromeda – after characters from stories.

YET WHAT IS ASTONISHING IS HOW INCURIOUS WE ARE AS TO WHY WE INDULGE IN THIS STRANGE FORM OF ACTIVITY.

WHAT REAL PURPOSE DOES IT SERVE?

So much do we take our need to tell stories for granted that such questions scarcely even occur to us. In fact what we are looking at here is really one mystery built upon another, because our passion for storytelling begins from another faculty which is itself so much part of our lives that we fail to see just how strange it is: our ability to ‘imagine’,

TO BRING UP TO OUR CONSCIOUS PERCEPTION

THE IMAGES OF THINGS

WHICH ARE NOT ACTUALLY IN FRONT OF OUR EYES. 

While writing a book on a quite different subject, I found my attention focusing on a small number of particular stories. They included a Shakespeare play, Macbeth; Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita; a 1960s French film, Truffaut’s Jules et Jim; the Greek myth of Icarus; and the German legend of Faust. On the face of it, these stories might not seem to have much in common.

Luke Skywalker takes the first step into the unknown, Star Wars (1977)

BUT WHAT HAUNTED ME WAS THE WAY THAT,

AT A DEEPER LEVEL,

THEY ALL SEEMED TO UNFOLD ROUND THE SAME GENERAL PATTERN.

EACH BEGINS WITH A HERO, OR HEROES, IN SOME WAY UNFULFILLED.

THE MOOD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY IS ONE OF ANTICIPATION, AS THE HERO SEEMS TO BE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF SOME GREAT ADVENTURE OR EXPERIENCE.

IN EACH CASE HE FINDS A FOCUS FOR HIS AMBITIONS OR DESIRES, AND FOR A TIME SEEMS TO ENJOY ALMOST

DREAM-LIKE SUCCESS.

Macbeth becomes king; Humbert embarks on his affair with the bewitching Lolita; Jules and Jim, two young men in pre-First World War Paris, meet the girl of their dreams; Icarus discovers that he can fly; Faust is given access by the devil to all sorts of magical experiences.

BUT GRADUALLY THE MOOD OF THE STORY DARKENS.

THE HERO EXPERIENCES AN INCREASING SENSE OF FRUSTRATION.

There is something about the course he has chosen which makes it appear doomed, unable to resolve happily. More and more he runs into difficulty; everything goes wrong; until that original dream has turned into a nightmare.

FINALLY, SEEMINGLY INEXORABLY, THE STORY WORKS UP TO A CLIMAX OF VIOLENT SELF-DESTRUCTION.

THE DREAM ENDS IN DEATH. 

So consistent was the pattern underlying each of these stories that it was possible to track it in a series of five identifiable stages:

FROM THE INITIAL MOOD OF ANTICIPATION,

THROUGH A ‘DREAM STAGE’ WHEN ALL SEEMS TO BE GOING UNBELIEVABLY WELL,

TO THE ‘FRUSTRATION STAGE’ WHEN THINGS BEGIN TO GO MYSTERIOUSLY WRONG,

TO THE ‘NIGHTMARE STAGE’ WHERE EVERYTHING GOES HORRENDOUSLY WRONG,

ENDING IN THAT FINAL MOMENT OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.

No sooner had I become aware of this pattern than many other well-known stories began to suggest themselves as following the same general shape. Not surprisingly, these included a good many dramatic and operatic tragedies, such as Romeo and Juliet or Carmen. They included myths and legends, such as that of Don Juan; novels, such as the dreams turned to nightmare of those two unhappy heroines, Emma Bovary and Anna Karenina, both ending in suicide; or films such as Bonnie and Clyde, describing the two young lovers who lightheartedly embark on a career as bank robbers and end up riddled with a hail of bullets. Again and again through the history of storytelling it was possible to see this same theme, of a hero or heroine being drawn into a course of action which leads initially to some kind of hectic gratification and dream-like success, but which then darkens inexorably to a climax of nightmare and destruction.

AND AT THIS POINT TWO QUESTIONS BEGAN TO INTRUDE.

FIRSTLY,

WHY WAS THIS SO?

WHY HAS THE IMAGINATION OF STORYTELLERS SEEMED TO FORM SO READILY AND REGULARLY ROUND THIS THEME?

WHY DO WE RECOGNIZE IT AS SUCH A SATISFACTORY SHAPE TO A STORY? 

SECONDLY,

WERE THERE OTHER PATTERNS LIKE THIS UNDERLYING STORIES, SHAPING THEM IN QUITE DIFFERENT WAYS?

After all, this cycle of self-destruction only describes a certain type of story, with an ‘unhappy ending’. What about all those stories which have ‘happy endings’? Were there any similar basic patterns underlying these too?

- END OF EXCERPT

Note: The presented model for stories is bleak because the author is referring to stories in which the main characters stray from the correct path. They are not able to overcome their fatal flaws and fully develop into who they are meant to become, which is why their stories end in despair and death. As Booker writes later on in the book, "There are... a great many stor[ies in which] somehow ‘going wrong’, in terms of failing fully to realize the basic plot... lies behind [an unhappy ending]. As we shall see, the question of how and why stories can go wrong in this way, usually leaving us, the audience, with a dissatisfied sense that something has somewhere gone adrift, provides some of the most significant clues of all as to how stories work and what they are really about." We'll be exploring the duality of light and dark stories in later posts.

I first became interested in stories by accident. As a teenager I would watch the hit television show, Supernatural. The creator, Eric Kripke would always reference the The Hero's Journey as a blueprint to the series' story (first five seasons). The way he talked about this "Hero's Journey" and it's importance fascinated me so I started researched it. The concept of The Hero's Journey was introduced by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). Campbell, through his studies of the world religions and mythologies kept identifying the same themes and structures in stories all over the world at different times. His research led him to believe that these stories were part of one larger story, humanity's story and that these stories exist to make sense of and guide us through life. 

As I read more and more about stories I became very interested in where they came from and the role they play in people's lives today.

Join my journey to explore why we need stories.

PRAISE FOR

THE SEVEN BASIC PLOTS

WHY WE TELL STORIES

"This is the most extraordinary, exhilarating book. It always seemed to me that 'the story' was God's way of giving meaning to crude creation. Booker now interprets the mind of God, and analyses not just the novel – which will never to me be quite the same again – but puts the narrative of contemporary human affairs into a new perspective. If it took its author a lifetime to write, one can only feel gratitude that he did it." - Fay Weldon

[xaracosmia]

ꕥ — WELCOME TO NEFE COSMIA, MIKOTO KAYANO. 🌓

ꕥ  — OOC INFORMATION;

name/alias:     october. age:     27 years old. pronouns:   anything is fine! please alternate 🫶 ooc contact:     mikotologist @ twt. other characters in xc:     faust lavinia.

ꕥ  — IC INFORMATION;

name:     kayano, mikoto. age:   24 years old. pronouns:     they/them > anything & none. series:   MILGRAM. canon point:     end of trial 2, after results.

CW:   child abuse & workplace abuse, ableism, brief suicide ideation, dehumanization, prison, murder, unhealthy thought patterns.

personality:

— a patchwork imperfection, made up of all the different people that he’s met. kayano is someone frayed at the edges and trying to hold together all the pieces of themself to make one picture perfect whole.

equal parts consideration for others, and so that things work out in his favor, mikoto is a social butterfly who harmonizes with others well. naturally adaptable, they take whatever life throws at them and laugh it off with a smile. she likes being included and viewed positively, an image conscious person who will even do things they don’t want to, with a smile, just to please others. just to avoid pain and escape stress as easily as possible. self preservation easily turns to self destruction for someone like mikoto.

hypervigilant, they’re always watching others and nearly all of his actions stem from a place of trauma, struggling to balance his life while remaining palatable, carefree, friendly, and reliable to anyone who would look at him. happily dressing herself up to look like the best version of the person that she isn’t. truthfully, mikoto is quite dysfunctional and has a habit of keeping everything to themself until they inevitably break down … unwilling to share her burdens.

on the other hand is john, mikoto’s protector. straightforward, blunt, stubborn ;  john has no issues standing up for herself like mikoto does. she’s shameless, simple, and has low patience for bullshit — becoming frustrated or irritated easily. her trust issues run deep, and trauma responses often lead her to jump to violence and threats before anything else. john will gladly demonize itself, and do awful terrible things against mikoto’s wishes, just to keep them safe. whatever safe means to her.

despite it all though, john is just a person. he’s rational about things he understands, and can be calm, chill, cocky, and surprisingly very genuine. making a false assumption is shockingly easy with the way he carries himself, but one thing that’s for sure is how devoted and unquestionably loyal he is to the people who matter.

something your muse struggles with: caring for himself, his memory, understanding himself, forming meaningful relationships, self esteem, self sabotage.

your muse’s greatest strength:   being efficient, pleasing people & getting along, adapting to any situation, extreme ambition, communicating with others, caring for other people.

background:

if you can’t remember something, did it ever really happen? if you can’t remember someone, did they ever really exist?

reflected in steely blue eyes is always a fist, a raised hand, a raised voice — there’s always blood and eyes watching. a horror that began so early, your house is haunted by something alive. something more dangerous than any monster or creature, their face remains the same, looks too much like yours, and you think he’s in your blood — and he is, because he’s your father.

it’s heavier now, the burden, once a younger sister is brought into the world, once the father ( who only exists as a terrifying concept you can’t comprehend, a rip in the fabric with edges you wouldn’t dare touch ) leaves the world — did he even exist at all? a tumultuous upbringing and things get better, but they get worse too. mikoto tries to hold the parts of herself together, growing up is hard. hard when two parents failed you ( at least she tried though, right? your mother? ), hard when you’re expected to do so much as the oldest sibling, and hard when you’ve never really felt like a person at all.

then: when he moves to tokyo, he tastes what it’s like to finally be free. mikoto reinvents themself, changes their shape to fit the mold of someone likeable, someone loveable, someone worth more than whatever they used to be. they graduate, they celebrate, get hired fresh-faced at a high-end advertising company for graphic design. she wants to visit home, let her family know how she’s doing. but there’s no time.

mikoto can’t take any days off right now, sorry. there’s no time for that. amidst harassment, suicidal thoughts, and abuse from co-workers he still praises the company though, that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? they can’t ask for help either, responsible adults don’t need help .. if he just keeps going, working hard enough, it has to get better eventually, right?

he doesn’t remember what happens next, only that he’s in milgram, in jail. and there’s a million pointing fingers / voices calling him awful things ;  dangerous, a faker, a liar … a murderer.

powers/abilities:   n/a.

inherent abilities:

physical strength— despite never being trained properly, kayano has an unusual amount of raw strength. if he put everything into it, he can contend extremely well with even trained fighters & beat them in at least a tie. john is generally stronger than mikoto is, but they are just a normal human at the end of it all.

items/weapons:    n/a. starting ability:   n/a. starting item:     n/a.

extra:

mikoto is the host of a did system and i don’t soften this part of their narrative, as it’s very important to their character. it’s handled with care as i’m a system myself!

aside from mikoto, the most prominent alter is john, her protector. if other names crop up in relation to them, it’s likely another alters name! i’ll occasionally refer to them collectively as kayano, or nine / 09, but most of the alters will respond to mikoto or john regardless. please treat this respectfully, and ask me before having muses mention it to other people!

has so many co-morbid disorders .. most prominently is a sleep related dissociative disorder. due to this sometimes he’ll be caught sleepwalking, or become violent in his sleep.

discord id:   prisoner009

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Cards to Spells

This is gonna be a long post on how I turn Magic: The Gathering cards into pop culture magic spells, so sit down, get some water, and prepare to deal with a lot. If you're not interested in this post, press "J" on your keyboard and it'll take you to the next post. If you're on mobile, sucks to be you. I will not be tucking this under a "read more" on my blog because I don't want it to be completely lost if the post or my blog is deleted in the future.

This post is part of my ever-growing MTG pop culture series. Remember to check out the MTG wiki to get familiar with the Colors and the lore. Take what resonates and works for your practice.

Big thanks and appreciation to my buddy @kaosmage, sole proprietor of the @strixhaven-biblioplex, another MTG mage who is helping me carry this niche ass magical practice. Thanks, Faust, my dear brother in magic.

My other two bits of frantic thanking go to Rabbit of @will-o-the-witch and @jumblr-protector-golem fame and to Bree of @breelandwalker and published author fame. Their stuff really helped me in the Planeswalker section.

Please note: While the in-game term is "mana", I use the term "energy" in my magical practice.

Selecting Your Card

For the purposes of this post, I challenged my follower discord server to give me colors for each primary card type: Artifact, Creature (I asked for two, actually), Enchantment, Instant, Land, Planeswalker, and Sorcery. I then took these and headed to Scryfall, one of the most complete MTG card searches available to me, to select cards from three of the four most recent sets (Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, and Streets of New Capenna).

As a personal flex, I mostly utilize Common and Uncommon cards, especially those usually overlooked in my collection because of their...unfortunately sub-par gameplay in our house rules. You aren't restricted in any card you might use as the basis for a spell or working.

There are two exceptions to the rarity and set rules I put in place, but that's because I was given a challenge mode for my planeswalker card and my land card.

Artifact: Hedgewitch's Mask (Innistrad: Midnight Hunt)

Image description begin: A digital scan of the "Hedgewitch's Mask" card from Magic: The Gathering. It is an Artifact: Equipment card for 1 White mana. It gives the equipped creature plus one power and plus one toughness. It makes it so the equipped creature can't be blocked by other creatures that have power four or greater. It costs two of any mana to equip. The flavor text reads "In Kessig, even celebration wears a fearsome face." It depicts a young human witch wearing a bone mask with antlers and twigs on her face. The twigs bear many small orange candles that are burning brightly. She stands among orange leaves as part of the Harvesttide celebrations. End image description.

My challenge for this card's development was for a White card. Originally I was going to use the Lion Sash from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, however that's a Rare card and I'm sticking to mostly Commons and Uncommons. (The Lion's Sash would make a great protection enchantment for a scarf or headscarf of any sort.)

After studying this card and musing over the concept of a protection tool, I will be deciding to create a protection enchantment to go on a face mask, because we are STILL in a fucking pandemic and it's only gotten worse in my local area. Faust also recommended that it could boost confidence and intimidation for those seeking to fight injustice. Both of these things - seeking justice and protection - fall neatly into White's philosophy, so we're all set to keep going!

Our next step is to gather our tools. For this spell, I would use the Hedgewitch's Mask card itself, my enchanting board (which I've talked about before in this series), a facemask (likely a white one), a White-aligned crystal associated with protection (for energy; I would likely use snow quartz, selenite, or moonstone), a chant or sigil meaning "protect me while I fight for justice", and possibly a marker if I would go the sigil route.

If you don't feel connected to crystals, you can draw on your own energy if you find yourself aligned with White energy or you can figure out what plants, locations, or other tools are White-aligned. Common alternatives may include casting the spell on a plain or small hill, using air- or earth-aligned things, or using foods like rice or rosemary.

Regardless, we only need one White source, so we're ready to go! I would place the energy source on the board, then put the mask and card down below it. Then I would channel energy from the source to the mask, repeating the chant (if that's my route). After that, if I wanted to do more, I would draw the sigil on the corner of the face mask, away from where I would be breathing it directly.

And with all that said and done, then you have an artifact of your own - a facemask for protection and to help you stand against injustice.

This casting pattern is one of my default go-to's when I need to cast an MTG spell - enchanting board, energy sources, energy moving, chant. I've generally found that telling the energy what it's supposed to do works very well in my magic.

Creature (Servitor/Thoughtform): Mage's Attendant (Streets of New Capenna)

Image description begin: A low-quality digital scan of the "Mage's Attendant" card from Magic: The Gathering. It is a Creature: Cat Rogue card for two generic mana and one White mana. It has a power of three and a toughness of two. When it enters the battlefield, the caster creates a Blue Creature: Wizard token with one power, one toughness, and the ability to pay one mana and sacrifice the Wizard to counter a non-creature spell unless the caster pays one mana themself. The flavor text of the card reads "Crime sometimes makes unlikely allies into lifelong friends." The image depicts a cat humanoid woman in an expensive-looking red jacket and white pants with a sword resting on her shoulder. Behind her is an archway with people coming down to join her. The closest one is likely the Wizard. End image description.

As someone who loves creating thoughtforms and servitors, I figured I would share my approach to that when I do one based off of a card. As I call myself a Wizard, this card makes perfect sense to me as a protection servitor.

Now, the difference between a servitor and a thoughtform as I understand it is sentience. A thoughtform may have a mind of their own, with their own thoughts and feelings, but a servitor may not. So what we're doing here is getting two servitors for the price of one - one that will go down first, and then the second to continue to protect as the first one goes down.

So for this one, I would opt for a White energy source associated with protection (again, snow quartz is usually my go-to), a Blue energy source associated with protection (which would be my beloved sodalite; this one is for the bonus Wizard), and a third energy source of any color. It could be my own energy (I associate myself most with Blue, Black, and Red energy in my magical workings) or it could be another source with a color I want to draw in - another White source to double down on the protection, a Blue source to help boost the Wizard, a Black source for a ruthless streak, a Red source for more power, or a Green source to double down on the community aspect of having several servitors in place for one job.

The first thing I do is design the activation and dismissal phrase, usually along the lines of the flavor text of the card. Since these two are tied together, I would give them the same phrases: "Unlikely allies, I call you for aid." for activation and "Lifelong friends, thank you for your help." for dismissal. I would give them their job in no uncertain terms and close any loopholes I could find with the wording that would make it backfire.

Since I'm not actually casting this, I won't go through the whole process of me dramatically laying across the table like an exhausted lawyer while between one and nine deities just watch in the background. But closing all of the loopholes can get so, so tiring.

Following that, I would then decide what things help them gain power. Repeated use? Leaving the card in the sunlight or moonlight? There are many, many methods available.

Finally, I would pump as much energy into the creation of the servitors as possible, bringing them into being.

Creature (Spell): Forge Boss (Streets of New Capenna)

Image description begin: A low-quality digital scan of the "Forge Boss" card from Magic: The Gathering. He is a Creature: Human Warrior for two generic mana, one Black mana, and one Red mana. He has a power of three and a toughness of four. Whenever you sacrifice one or more other creatures, he deals two damage to each opponent, but this ability only triggers once per turn. The flavor text is a quote that reads "Big furnace like this can reduce anything to ash. You got something you need reduced to ash?" He is a well-beareded man with a partially-shaven head and he's ominously holding a shovel as though he intends to use it as a weapon. He is dressed in a very dapper manner with a white button-up shirt, black trousers, a striped vest, and leather work gloves. End image description.

Yeah I used a multicolored card instead of a monoRed one. Sue me (please don't actually, I'm small and don't have much money but I WILL cry and that's a threat).

Anyway, I've decided that this card is perfect for a banishing where you've tried everything else you possibly could and none of it seems to be working fast enough. This is the full "make an effigy, burn it, scatter the ashes, SHIT UPON THE ASHES" song and dance.

So how are we gonna do this? Well, I happen to be the lucky type that lives in a house with a functioning wood stove, and also I'm a pyromaniac (you may be surprised to hear that many firefighters are). I also happen to have index cards. With that in mind, look at that, we have a Colorless source (the taglock, the future human-shaped index card), a Red source (fire), and a Black source (seething hatred). We could round the fourth one out with your own energy (provided that you're more energetic when you're pissed, like me) or through the invocation of another entity on your side (while religion and angels are typically White-aligned, demons Black-aligned, and fae Blue-aligned, individual entities may vary; always talk to them first and figure out if they even want to be involved with casting this spell).

The most important component of a spell like this is fire safety, so make sure you have a proper class fire extinguisher (the NFPA recommends at least a class A extinguisher for wood and paper), fire-resistant gloves, and other tools for working with a wood stove or other fire source.

Doodle your little human figure on the index card. Write as much information about the target as you possibly can manage.

Now, using tongs or fire-resistant gloves, pick up that index card and light that fucker up! Set it down safely in the wood stove and chant or repeatedly think something to the effect of "I am the Forge Boss. Fuck outta my life. Eat shit and die. Leave me the fuck alone. Go fuck yourself."

Watch it burn, and just let the energy leave to fuck up the person's life until they leave yours.

This is great on a psychological level as well, because by burning something representing the person you want to get rid of, it helps you release your anger and channel it into something destructive that doesn't involve physically hurting yourself or anyone/anything you care about. It's great for relief is what I'm saying.

Enchantment: Witness Protection (Streets of New Capenna)

Image description begin: A low-quality digital scan of the "Witness Protection" card from Magic: The Gathering. It's an Enchantment: Aura card for one Blue mana that enchants a creature. Enchanted creature loses all abilities and is a Green and White Creature: Citizen with base power one and base toughness one named Legitimate Businessperson. The enchanted creature loses all other colors, card types, creature types, and names. The image shows a cephalid, which is a squid person not unlike Cthulhu, with various white magical masks floating around their face. They're turned to the right, looking down at their hat and cane. The crowd around them is going to the left, none the wiser to the cephalid's machinations. End image description.

Can you tell that SNC has a chokehold on me? That was a rhetorical question.

Looking at this card, the first thing that came to mind for me was a personal ward that makes you an energy vampire. This would be an offensive protection, draining others to reinvigorate you. Yep, we're going the baneful magic route.

So what we're looking for are Blue energy sources that can be used for baneful and beneficial magic. And lucky for us, there are two that stick right out to me: blueberry thorns and amethyst.

There have been way too many spells in these examples that require speaking, so let's switch it up and make this a nonverbal enchantment. We're gonna sit down with our tool in question (if you're using blueberry thorns, you may want to seal them in a small jar with a corkscrew lid instead of unleashing them in your pockets; they're easier to clean up and move that way) and focus on them. Focus on how they're going to help us draw energy from around us into ourselves to keep us going through the day. Once the energy has felt properly spun around and around (or whatever a properly enchanted item feels like to you, if you feel energy) or you're just tired of sitting, put your little energy straw into your pocket and go about your day.

Naturally, this will draw ANY energy into you. The rancid vibes of your shitty boss. The weird backrooms of your work where three people have gone missing. Your creepy coworker. But hey, we're here to make an energy vampire enchantment, not to actually cast it. We're just here to see how I'd make the card work.

Instant: Season of Renewal (Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty)

Image description begin: A digital scan of the "Season of Renewal" card from Magic: The Gathering. It's an Instant card for two generic mana and one Green mana. You can choose one of two effects. The first returns a creature card from your graveyard to your hand. The second returns an enchantment card from your graveyard to your hand. The flavor text reads "Pavement ripped like paper as the ancient kami awoke from her long slumber beneath the city." It depicts a spirits that looks like a human woman, if not for the repeating faces going down her chest and turning into what appears to be a centipede-like body. She is unburying herself from concrete and reaching up to hold large bird-like entities that have come to join her. End image description.

The image is a little freaky of this card, not gonna lie, but that's kind of the point of the kami in Kamigawa.

Faust and I went back and forth over this card for a good ten minutes before we finally settled on a spell for reconnecting to one's roots. The thing is, the two abilities of this card? Very anti-Green. The returning an enchantment thing is very Blue, which is one of Green's enemies, while the returning a creature thing is Black, which is Green's other enemy. We tossed several ideas, like an infinite magical feedback loop or a spell to reconnect with nature in the city (which I am very not qualified to write as a wizard in bumfuck nowhere), back and forth until I settled on the reconnecting one.

And if you ask me, the first thing that comes to mind as an energy source for this is rosemary, which has often been used in rememberance and memory spells. It's Green-aligned by virtue of being a plant, but also brings in a note of White, useful for nostalgia.

Faust then pitched to me the idea of something mossy, leading to me frantically typing moss agate in all caps in our Direct Messages, because I love me some rocks. But you could also use literal, actual moss if you happen to have that. I don't know if people just fucking...collect moss, but I live in fear of the thought. Moss and moss agate would both also be Green-aligned.

Okay, point being, we now have two Green sources (though one is Green-White) out of the way. So now we need the third source, which is going to be another fucking taglock! This is going to be one for you, something that helps one connect with their roots; whether that's the roots of their craft, their childhood, their land, or their ancestors.

So if I were casting this, my next step would be to channel energy from the rosemary and moss agate/actual moss to the taglock. Then, I would keep the taglock around me while I researched or thought deeply about my roots. (I'm not gonna say meditate because I am in the anti-meditation squad on account of "that doesn't work worth a shit to me".) This spell would basically become a focuser for me - it would give me something to focus on when I have too much energy and need to spend it somehow.

Where instants differ from sorceries is that instants are "cast ahead, activate later" while sorceries are "sit down and do the whole spell in one place". Instant spells I make will often serve like activated enchantments, while my sorceries tend to lean heavier on things like divination.

Land: Gingerbread Cabin (Throne of Eldraine)

Image description begin: A slightly grainy digital scan of the "Gingerbread Cabin" card from Magic: The Gathering. It's a Land: Forest card that you can tap to add one Green mana to your mana pool. It enters the battlefield tapped unless you control three or more other Forests. When it enters untapped, you create a Food token. A Food token is an Artifact token where you can pay two generic mana, tap it, and sacrifice it in order to gain three life. The image shows a candy house made mostly of gingerbread and lit up in a few places by lanterns. It's held up in a forest with huge trees by some roots that create a platform for it. More candy serves as mushrooms and foliage around the cabin itself. End image description.

Lands are a little trickier to design spells for. In my practice, they're mostly used for storing energy. But because this is a non-Basic Land (it's not named Forest and it doesn't have the Basic supertype), we have a little more play and give.

And I dunno about y'all, but a gingerbread house in the woods makes me think of making food tastier. Home cooking (hopefully without an evil witch trying to eat children) and happiness around the hearth. Food-based magic and the act of cooking itself are both already Green-aligned, so we're in business to jump in!

What we're looking for here is a small chant or thing to repeat in one's head, like "As I turn this house into a home, I cook blessings into this food." Something to help you get in the mindset of making the food more pleasant, something you can build up over time in the same kitchen, something short and to the point.

And, well, my theory is that the more you cast a spell or say a chant the same way, the more it'll stick and the less it'll take out of you because it's already built up. Like laying down bricks for a basement.

Planeswalker: Karn Liberated (New Phyrexia)

Image description begin: A slightly grainy digital scan of the "Karn Liberated" card from Magic: The Gathering. He is a Legendary Planeswalker: Karn card for seven generic mana. He starts with six loyalty counters. His plus four loyalty counter ability is that target player exiles a card from their hand. His minus three loyalty counter ability is that he exiles target permanent. His minus fourteen loyalty counter ability is to restart the game, leaving all non-Enchantment: Aura permanents exiled. Then Karn's controller puts those cards onto the battlefield under their control. Karn is a large metal humanoid that looks to be in very rough shape. His metal is dull and covered in bumps. He's non-gendered but prefers he/him pronouns for convenience. End image description.

Okay, firstly, FUCKING HELL. All of the Colorless planeswalker cards at this point (three Karns and two Ugins) are rare or mythical, so no actual card to work with here because I ain't shilling out twenty-four to sixty-eight United States dollars for a card I'll only use for magic instead of play, no thank you!

Secondly, let's address the golem thing. On account of video games not understanding that golems come from Jewish folklore and religious history, they tend to just use the word "golem" for any metallic humanoid. You're lucky if they maintain the protective connotations of the word. So despite Golem being a Creature type and Karn being a Golem in canon, I just refer to them as Constructs (which is another Creature type so I don't understand why it's so fucking hard to not be a dick). Rabbit, a most lovely Jewish witch in my circle of the Internet, recommended this article from My Jewish Learning if you're interested in learning more about golems.

Okay, now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's address Karn himself. And yeah, he uses he/him pronouns, mostly for convenience, so we're gonna honor that. Anyway, this card is from after he got away from the Phyrexians and got back to his right mind. While it wasn't an abuse situation (try mind control and evil oil), this card could be a basis for a spell to aid in escape from such a situation.

On account of Karn not getting away on his own (it took at least one planeswalker's self-sacrifice, rest in peace Venser), this spell would likely be for helping someone else escape an abusive situation and calling for outside aid. We've got seven energy points we need to fill up, so let's get to work!

Let's crack open some other folks' spells for inspiration. Bree has two interesting ones of note in her book "The Sisters Grimmoire volume 1": The Bear (from Snow-White and Rose-Red) and The Glass Coffin (from the fairy tale of the same name). The Bear is for protecting yourself from harm and abuse and calls for a small cloth bag, a bear figurine, and five different herbs. The Glass Coffin is to bring opportunities for escape or rescue to someone trapped in a bad situation and calls for a red apple, a bucket or pitcher of water, an empty bucket, and whole cloves.

There's a note that Bree wrote in The Glass Coffin spell that I want to reiterate:

It must also be said that practical advice and emotional support do just as much, if not more, for people in difficult situations than spells do. Help them however you can without putting either of you in danger. ~Bree NicGarran, The Sisters Grimmoire volume 1

So now we've got an idea of where spells like this tend to go. I'm thinking of a aiding prayer, something to open up opportunities, and protection out the wazoo. Since any color of energy can be used in this spell, we're not limited by that.

Let's see, I have a few correspondences written in my grimoires from my own research. Basil is easy to get a hold of and is used for moving forward, opportunity, and protection and is aligned with Green. Oregano is protective and boosts or enhances spells and is also Green-aligned. Your energy can account for any color or even Colorless itself. A prayer to another entity for aid will line up with the color or colors most closely related to that entity.

But that still only leaves us with four of the seven energy sources we need. And no matter how much energy you personally pump into it, you're still only going to count as one energy source in a spell like this. So I recommend making the last three energy sources into individual taglocks that will double as your spell focus. The more closely related these are to the person you're opening up opportunities to, the better.

And I'm predictable, so I would be using my enchanting board to help direct the energy to the taglocks. As I direct energy, I like to have a chant or order I repeat, so I might go "escape, be safe, escape, be safe" over and over again.

My prayer may read something like "Lady Athena, protector of the city, please help [insert friend name] get out of their abusive situation without bringing them to harm" or "Lord Apollo and Lady Artemis, protector of children, please help [insert child name] remain safe in their abusive household and guide them to ways of escape". It will inevitably vary based on who I'm asking and what I'm asking for.

Overall, this would be a very energy-intensive spell and would require a lot of moving parts.

Sorcery: Winterthorn Blessing (Innistrad: Midnight Hunt)

Image description begin: A digital scan of the "Winterthorn Blessing" card from Magic: The Gathering. It's a Sorcery for one Green mana and one Blue mana with the Flashback cost of one generic mana, one Green mana, and one Blue mana. It puts a plus one power and plus one toughness counter on up to one target creature you control. Then you tap up to one target creature you don't control, which doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step. Flashback means that you can cast the spell from your graveyard for a little more mana, then you exile the card. The picture shows several spirits inhabiting a tree-like creature with a deer skull and antlers on top. They are wandering through the trees together.

As I said up in the instant section, what separates an instant from a sorcery in my practice is that instants have a spell, and then an activation later, while sorceries are spells that you sit down and do all at once.

And yes, I did opt for a multicolored card instead of a monoBlue one, deal with it. We're doing a strength spell for this one! Not pictured is me sending a picture of this card to my buddy Faust yelling "What the fuck do I do about the flashback cost?"

So, strength spell. Green is great about strength, especially communal strength. And Blue is here for...some reason, this honestly does not feel like Blue's wheelhouse. Counters are usually a White thing, and instants and sorceries are spread across all of the colors. Anyway, let's just move on.

There aren't many things I'd associate with Blue that can cover strength - Green's got plants out the wazoo for it (basil, cinnamon, oregano, parsley, sweet pea) but Blue ain't got jack diddly dip squat shit. What Blue DOES have, however, is tea. That's right, we've got a tea spell! You thought I was just gonna use the enchanting board this whole time, didn't you? Well, uh...you're mostly right, bUT STILL-

Anyway, if you've been here a hot minute, you may remember the Tea Discourse that started because I admitted that I microwave the water for my tea. I'm sorry to tell you all that I have since gotten a kettle yet haven't drank anything but water and milk since then.

What we're gonna want is a tea that tastes good when you add cinnamon to it, because I am unhinged and cannot be stopped. My go-to tea of choice is honey vanilla chamomile herbal tea because black teas launch me into orbit and my resting heartbeat already registers as a heart attack.

So what we've got here is the base tea for Blue and then the cinnamon for Green (and also Red, which is also good for strength), so now we just make up that tea and focus on strengthening ourselves.

But wait, what about that Flashback cost? After all, the graveyard is where things go after they're done for.

Well, if you make your tea in a tea bag, you now have a strength-focused used bag of tea that you can use in another magical working. If you don't drink all of the liquid, I guess you can save some of the tea for later strength magic? I dunno man, it fucked me up to think about reusing tea.

In Conclusion

What have we learned here today? Well, a few things:

The way I break down spells is complicated and will give you a headache if you try to follow my exact methods because even I don't know what I'm doing.

I will shamelessly shill for other people's books. I am once again reminding you to go get The Sisters Grimmoire volume 1 from Bree's shop and keep your eye out for when volume 2 drops.

Colors go brrr.

Working on pumping out eight spells across two days will give you a migraine like you wouldn't believe, and I didn't even technically finish writing these spells! These are just notes and ideas, most of 'em aren't complete!

Streets of New Capenna went off on the 1920's aesthetic, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty went off on the cyberpunk aesthetic, and the two Innistrad sets went off on the spooky aesthetic.

Karn deserved better.

[loosesodamarble]

Captain Faust AU Trivia

Some thoughts about my Captain Faust AU which is part of these two fics.

Morgen and Nacht genuinely are known as the Ivory and Ebony Deers in this au.

Guardian Angel and Hell's Gatekeeper are other nicknames for the two of them. You can probably guess who is which.

Morgen is on good terms with Fuegoleon and Dorothy.

Fuegoleon and Morgen are righteous hearts who can see the potential in every person when given the time to and want to inspire hope in the populace.

Morgen and Dorothy (when she's awake) are both optimistic and friendly individuals. They are the friendliest of the captains and try to get the others to socialize more.

I see Morgen, Fuegoleon, and Dorothy being a good friend group in this au. They casually hang out as well as encourage cooperation between their squads.

Morgen is also close to Owen, having taken lessons in healing from him. Thanks to years of training, Morgen is known as one of Clover's greatest healers.

Nacht and Finral are friendly due to being equally tired with Yami's antics. Nacht still gives Finral grief for being a flirt though. Mostly because Finral has flirted with both Morgen and Nacht, mistaking them for women during their initial introductions.

Nacht still hangs out with Yami plenty. They handle some of the "dirtier" jobs that are above usual Magic Knight work. They've made people "disappear" from the public. But they also drink and gamble together.

There is tension between Nacht and Jack as to who is the better rival for Yami. It could be a three-way rivalry for the guys but no. Yami can only have one true rival apparently.

Morgen and Yami had a brawl over whose squad Nacht would be the vice captain of. It ended in a draw and Nacht just ended up picking Morgen.

Yami looks back on that day fondly because he loves a good brawl. Morgen cries over it because he'd never been so violent in his life and he fought his friend!

Morgen is a very sweet and protective captain. He's been called both "mom" and "dad" by various squad members. That makes Nacht the squad's weird but endearing uncle.

The only thing working against his perfectly pure and innocent image is how Nacht disciplines unruly squad members while posing as Morgen.

How does Nacht not get caught based on the mana he puts out? People are stupid when they're afraid, that's all.

Nacht is largely dismissed as useless by most of the squad. But for those who know how competent he can be, he's greatly feared and admired.

Part of Nacht's diligence as a vice captain is him making up for lost time when it comes to having Morgen's back. Another part is not wanting people to go down the path he almost wandered down (only living for pleasure and not caring for morality).

While their parents have been arrested for their work for devils, the public is still debating whether or not Nacht might be using it.

Nozel and Nacht would have some kind of rapport as Nozel seeks his advice regarding how to handle devils and curses. They're not exactly friends but when Nozel found out Nacht was indeed a devil host, he didn't even bat an eye. Forbidden Magic or not, Nacht was a good ally and Nozel wasn't going to lose him.

After the elf reincarnation incident, Morgen and Patry have a tense friendship. Morgen wants to see Patry repent for his crimes but is also pissed that Patry's Light Magic made Morgen the #1 suspect as the traitor.

Morgen regularly cuddles with the devil quartet. Sometimes in his own office.

This has led to many incidents where a squad member will walk in and note the small "plushies" their captain keeps in a corner.

Nacht is still working undercover in Spade while being the Aqua Deer's vice captain.

Knowing of the devil activity in Spade, he would definitely want to help Asta bring out Liebe's full power as soon as possible.

Morgen actually has contracts with the devil quartet as well. How very unexpected of the picture perfect, angel of a man Morgen.

Using the power of all four devils, Morgen and Nacht have a combo spell called "Sacred Hell."

Here's how it works: a world of shadows rises from the ground in a maze. There are spots of light scattered throughout that people will think lead to a way out but instead just further disorient them. Nacht has full access to the space through the shadows and Morgen can zip through the passages of light. The shadows can grow and distort depending on how strong Morgen makes the lights, meaning that the maze of darkness can just change on a whim. The four devils' power fortifies the space making it near impossible for someone to break in or out. The twins' attacks are stronger within the area as well.

[pandemoniclucio]

The Arcana HC's #2

MC is a mechanic & is the owner of their own auto-repair shop. They're well off because they do work for high clientele that's why they're far away from civilization and in the forest. They also have pet food lying around.

Scenario: Modern AU Main 6 cars break down but they manage to stop by a small but well-kept auto-repair shop owned by a mysterious & good-looking mechanic. They brought their pets with them because they have a cottage/cabin in the woods.

What Type Of Cars Do They Have?

https://thosevesuvianthots.tumblr.com/post/612318217497690112/please-if-you-can-i-need-the-main-6s-cars-in#

Asra

They'll wander around your shop with Faust and maybe meditate for a while. They're surprised that you're not afraid of Faust or worried when she starts wrapping herself around your arm when you take a break.

While you're working, they'll ask you to explain what you are going to do which surprises you.

They love exchanging stories with you while sipping some of the tea you made in your kitchenette.

They'll help you fix the car by handing you various tools so that they can make up for inconveniencing you with more work.

They pay you half the amount you would have usually charged, they pay the other half in three sorts of crystals

They'll subtly ask you out once you've exchanged numbers with them.

Nadia

She'll compliment the interior of your shop and give you some advice on how to improve it.

She explores the shop and checks your qualifications whilst reading the car blueprints on your coffee desk.

She's shocked when Chandra lands on your shoulder and you aren't bothered but instead feed her some owl pellets, and stroke her head gently.

She shows general interest in you and tries her best to pay attention to your advice on cars and be useful by offering you water as a refreshment.

She's impressed by your business, mechanical, physical, and pet skills when you chat with her over some of the tea you made.

She'll insist on paying you more than what you think you deserve and then proceeds to ask you out on a coffee date later that day.

Julian

He waits around you on stand-by just in case you get hurt and because he wants to be of use to you.

He's surprised that you haven't tried to shut Malak once but instead gave him some bird treats.

He blushes when you take off the top part of your now dirtied jumpsuit and reveal your muscular build, almost making him forget to hand you over the snacks and water.

You both exchange stories on the weirdest clients you've ever had over a bottle of beer.

He'll pay you, he'll pay you more than what you need because you really saved him.

After you gave him your number, he became surprised and even blushed a bit when you asked him out on a date as extra payment for feeding and keeping, Malak quiet.

Muriel

He does know his way around a car quite a bit, so he does help you with the car.

He apologizes profusely for inconveniencing you and blushes when you give him a kind smile saying that it's not a problem.

He found it adorable that, when you were done, you started to play with Innana.

He tries to get you to accept his payment even if you say it's free, so you just give him a good discount.

He enjoys listening to your voice and how you're so calm about the whole ordeal and about some info on his car so he doesn't inconvenience you, even if your only giving him basic info.

He thought you giving him your number was for business purposes, but you asked him out so he blushed furiously.

Portia

She'll keep a keen eye on what you are doing and take down notes so that she can try to fix the problem if it happens again.

She's in awe of your beauty, muscles, and work ethic including the tea you're able to brew.

She will ask you various questions on auto-bodies and will eventually ask why you chose the career.

If you're getting tired or a bit exhausted she's right on standby with her own delicious home-baked goods and water.

She takes a photo of Pepi cuddling up to you while you two are chatting and her heart melts that you happen to have pet food around.

She's a bit surprised at the small blush on your face when she gives you her phone number and tells you to call, she's even more surprised when you give her your number and tell her that the work is free, she pays you anyway and asks you out for a picnic.

Lucio

He asks a few general questions on the process his car is going to take to be fixed including how long it'll take.

He tries not to get bored and ask you something he'll regret so he either plays with his pets or watches you work.

He admires how calm and relaxed you are when fixing his car and can't help but wonder how he would feel in your arms. To makes sure this image becomes a regular thing he even considers inviting you to fix his other cars.

He is genuinely confused when Melchoir, Mercedes, and even Camio begin to play with you once you're done with the car and giving them high-quality pet food.

The sight of his pets trusting you is enough to get him to exchange numbers with you and ask you out for a date the next day.

He pays you more than you need and insists on it, so you just don't object.

Who else got a starter 5 star on Baal's Banner? I got Mona, she ruined my pity, but I'm going to continue trying.

[apprentice-maliya]

the things you don’t say, i’ll make them mine

pairing: asra/mali’ya cw: none, just some pre-plague, light angst and fluff because i am self-indulgent and i missed them. also stargazing (kinda). enjoy ! word count: 2.2k song(s): lover and the archer by taylor swift

With a snap of Asra’s fingers, the candles in the shop lit up all at once. The sudden light was almost blinding in their eyes, still used to the dark shades of the storm hovering above the city that merged into the soft, pink and orange hues of sundown. Behind him, Mali’ya sealed the door with a spell so that the rain wouldn’t get in, leaving at least the shop alone and dry.

The golden mark was still glowing on the wooden surface when she turned to her friend, pleased to see that he had already put the bags in a corner where they wouldn’t bother them. In the meantime, Faust had slowly emerged from the worn-out scarf he was wearing, and was now taking a careful peek at her surroundings.

Asra laughed, shaking his head to let the raindrops fall away from his white curls. “That was close.”

“Please don’t do that,” Mali’ya said, though she was soon betrayed by her own amusement when a small smile appeared on her lips. She gladly accepted Asra’s hands holding hers, shivering when the heat coming from his warming spell dried out any trace of damp in her clothes and her hair as well. Once he was done, Mali’ya sighed in relief.

“We should clean up,” she suggested, taking off her shoes since, in the hurry of getting inside and taking refuge from the storm, she’d forgotten to. “I’m sure we left some mud when we walked in.”

Asra waved a hand as to dismiss the option. “Or we could get away with it with little to no effort,” he suggested before the stains disappeared from the blue-coloured tiles with another snap of fingers, as if they’d never been there in the first place.

He rubbed his hands one against the other, giving her a satisfied look. “Easy peasy, right?” Asra grinned. “Now, let’s set up camp for the night.”

Mali’ya stared at the floor—she still wasn’t that accustomed to using magic to solve even the smallest inconvenience, and it showed—but upon hearing that, she glanced at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Rummaging in their bags as he was probably searching for their blankets, Asra shrugged. “Seems like a waste of a lovely night to me, don’t you think?”

She could tell he was smiling while saying that, still Mali’ya hesitated. It wasn’t like she didn’t appreciate the idea; on the contrary, she was eager to see what Asra had in store for her with that change of plans. After all, aside from the couple of nights she’d slept in the wild, on the run to Vesuvia with her aunt and her girlfriend, Mali’ya had no idea what camping really implied: Asra had told her about gathering your own food, sharing stories around the fireplace and stargazing as though it was nothing out of the ordinary for him, and, in hindsight, Mali’ya now realised that wasn’t but his everyday life. The life of someone who had nothing else in the world but himself.

In comparison, the years she’d spent in Venterre were a walk in the park.

Would you like to come live with me?

Her lips parted without her thinking. Once, almost a year back from that moment―a lifetime, really―her aunt had asked her that same, exact question. For the first time someone had brought up the possibility for her to dream, provided the instruments for her to make her own choices, and there she was, months later, living her happiest days in a place she’d learnt to call home.

All of that because at some point, someone cared.

It was truly that simple.

I could ask him now.

“Besides,” Asra added, silently commanding one end of a jute string to tie itself around the knob of the backroom door, before he pointed his digits towards the entrance handle for the other end to do the same, “I wanted to show you some cool tricks.”

Mali’ya watched as he tossed a sheet over the tensed thread, thinking that they definitely needed something heavy to secure the cloth on the floor if they wanted something close to a tent-shaped, homemade fort, or even one of her bedsheets so it would be easier to make it wider and more comfortable for the two of them.

All things considered, there was enough space in her room for another bed.

Finally, she spoke. “We should ask aunt—”

A voice coming down from the stairs interrupted her mid-sentence, before the thin silhouette of her tutor, neatly wrapped up in her frilly pink housecoat, appeared on the landing. “Ask me what?” She inquired, throwing them an inquisitive though sleepy glance.

“Sorry for waking you.” Mali’ya immediately apologised, bending down the string to approach her. “We were on the way to the clearing you showed us last time when the storm hit, and then we...”

In that moment, as to prove the truth in her words, a thunder echoed above them, followed by the even more violent sloshing of rainpour against the rooftop. Heralia looked up with a sigh, not at all impressed with the tantrums of summer, then noticed the blanket hanging sideways on the jute thread. “And I get that you don’t intend to give up on your stargazing, is that right?”

“That was my idea,” Asra stepped in, kneeling down to place one of the doorstops on the hem of the blanket. “You suggested that we studied the constellations in detail since the sky is clearer and it’s meteor shower season. Shall we perhaps postpone our lesson?” he challenged her, staring at his mentor with an innocent smile and a cunning glint in the eyes.

Heralia scoffed. “Do as you please, I don’t care.” A yawn ran past her lips, so she turned around with a shrug to climb up the stairs and go back to the comfort of her bed. “Just make sure you fall asleep at a reasonable hour and put everything back in place before opening, tomorrow.”

“We will, I promise.” Mali’ya nodded, surprised at how easily her aunt had given in this time. “Thank you, and goodnight.” Heralia hummed something in return that she didn’t quite catch, but since her mentor didn’t repeat herself Mali’ya supposed it was nothing important.

Clasping her hands together, she looked down at Faust, who was slithering around freely on the floor now that her aunt was gone. “Wait,” she told Asra, “Let’s use my bedsheets for the tent.”

- - -

Half an hour later, sitting comfortably amongst soft pillows and a couple of warm blankets, Mali’ya traced carefully each word printed on the astronomy book that lied open on her lap.

“What is…” she started, squinting in the dim glow of the small ball of light floating just above Asra’s hand. “What is an ‘Equinox’?”

“That’s when day and night have more or less the same duration,” he explained, stretching his limbs by her side like a cat that just woke up after a long nap. He couldn’t help a yawn. “Equinoxes mark the start of spring and autumn, so they happen twice a year.”

At that, something in Mali’ya’s chest fluttered with triumph. “Oh! I think I got it.”

With half-lidded eyes, Asra followed the movements of the quill in her personal journal as she wrote down the definition. “You want me to spell it out for you?”

“Yes, please.” Her voice was nothing but a bashful whisper.

A hand ran up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she nodded again, jade eyes steady on every letter in fear of messing them up. He couldn't really see it, but a hint of blush painted her cheeks with something akin to shame; there was still so much she had to learn after all, and since Asra was way ahead of her in terms of magic knowledge, she always felt like she was only slowing him down.

“How do you say that in Venterrean?”

She didn’t even lift her eyes from the page. “Rivnodennya.”

Her handwriting was still unsure, he noticed from where he was lying, almost childlike and adorned with ink stains and spelling mistakes; but despite that, a pleased little smile had come to grace her lips, together with a quiet satisfaction that danced in her eyes every time she made some progress. Shyly, a pair of small dimples also appeared on her freckled cheeks, matching his own.

Pretty.

“And Solstice?”

Mali’ya still wasn’t looking at him, and a moment passed before she was done writing. Finally, she closed her handwritten dictionary with a soft thud. “Sorry, I don’t know what that means.”

Asra smiled, shaking his head with a light huff, before eventually giving up on lying on the blanket so he could sit up and borrow the astronomy book from her.

“I told you, you don’t have to apologise for every word you don’t know.” He flipped a couple of pages like he meant to find a specific chapter or image; peeking at him, Mali’ya couldn’t help but notice how the words slid under his eyes without him even noticing them. Just how much did he know on the matter? And who taught him all that, given that he was only a year and a half older than her?

Asra was such a mystery, she thought. He possessed extraordinary talent and a unique predisposition for magic, was resourceful and clever, but nobody seemed to have acknowledged that yet. In her modest opinion, his shine would only have gone to waste, had him kept busying himself with their lessons.

In the end, Mali’ya saw him settle for a star chart.

If only I wasn’t such a slow learner. Mother always said I―

To her surprise, Asra set the book aside and reached for one of their bags. “Solstice marks the first day of winter and summer, by the way.”

She was still lost in thought when she answered, “That’s sontsestoyannya.”

“Oh,” was all he managed to say as he handed her a smaller bag, the one filled with the berries they’d picked on their way to the woods just the other day. “Sounds complicated. Vesuvian is pretty different from Venterrean, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Mali’ya agreed, taking out a single blueberry from the sack. It was soft and full between her digits and the rind was just the perfect nuance of indigo any ripe fruit should be. It would’ve taken a single, light squeeze to smash it.

“So is Zadithi.”

It was a statement so soft, a whisper so nostalgic, she almost didn’t catch it.

Asra had his eyes fixed before him, though he didn’t seem to be actually seeing whichever thing he was looking at. Faust, who’d been napping among the creases in the blankets, had probably sensed his discomfort since immediately, though ever so gently, she slithered up around his arm as to console him.

Arms around his knees to make himself smaller, a stare that spoke to none―he looked much older than his fifteen years of age, but also somewhat younger, the way when a self-made teen grows up too fast; an inner child whose heart, she was sure, ached for something he would hardly get back.

In the silence of the night, Mali’ya began to understand. Why she’d been drawn to him since that morning at the market. Why she always felt so at ease around him, even though she’d only known him for a few months. She had never been able to notice that before, because both of them were just dancing around the other; trying to see if they could really let their guards down.

They really weren’t that different, then.

Wait.

All of sudden, a realisation―raw hope―pushed anything else aside.

Silence?

“Asra,” she called, her tone urgent and bright all the same. Hurriedly, but as not to startle him, her hand ghosted on his forearm. “The rain. It stopped.”

Not minding the sheets rustling under her knees after her eagerness, Mali’ya crawled out of their makeshift tent but stopped half-way, turning to Asra with an outstretched hand.

“Come,” she smiled, in a way she hoped it said I see you. You don’t have to be alone. “Let’s go see the stars!”

The cold, humid air that followed storms was pleasing on her skin as she unlocked the seal, letting the breeze in while Asra handed her one end of the blanket. Still on the doorstep, Mali’ya watched as her breath formed uneven clouds of steam.

“The sky’s clearing up,” Asra whispered beside her.

The holiness of it all, of the dead of a midsummer’s night, was enough to keep their voices low.  Everything was painted in delicate shades of black and blue, and as they huddled close to one another, Mali’ya and Asra waited for the stars to show up.

Little by little, on the dark, empty canvas around the moon, a faint white dot appeared. Alone at first, it was soon followed by another, and another again, while the wind gently pushed the clouds aside to offer the city, and the few bystanders still wandering around―or standing on a threshold with their hands so close they almost touched―a sky so wide and mighty.

ao3 link