#god I never considered using that for dragon designs

[paintedkinzy-88]

Oh man you will not BELIEVE the designs I've made, some of them are really out there! I'm so glad we're on the same wavelength, because a lot of your art is actually what's helped me develop mine! I was terrible at figuring out how to draw dragons how I wanted for a while, but then you posted your how-to's and it's helped me figure out what I wanted SO much- and since then I've even expanded into buggy types like 404 here!

And yes, he's bigger than a castle!

Ooooooo BIG boi!! That's super cool!! Omg I love him so mucchhhhh, those wingsssss, and that face, goddamn!! I don't usually do bug drawings, but I used to have a few creepy buggy critter designs in a sketchbook somewhere (for the same kinda world those plant cats were gonna be a part of, oof). Their faces and bodies are just- ahhh so strange but so satisfying once you get it down XD

Ahhhh thank you for sharing! ;w; I'm glad to have helped in any way haha!

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Maybe a drabble in which our Lamb meets Chimaera Reader, the maker of all crowns? Like, he stumbles upon their lair, and sees all types of the crowns, big and small, black and white, one-eyed and two-eyed, etc.? Maybe even a little inter actions between the Reader and the Red Crown in which it recognises them as their maker?

Sorry for my English, it is not my native language-

Also sorry if this request repeats, tumblr May have doubled it-

I swear I'm gonna turn this into an OC one day because I LOVE the concept of a crown maker in the COTL universe

........

'Where am I now..?' Lamb pondered as they stepped into a cavern--one most unfamiliar to them.

It was strange, considering they've scoured nearly every corner of the Old Faith for resources, potential rival cult activity, and even martyrs for the Bishops.

But this area was entirely new to them.

With their weapon drawn, they cautiously ventured further inward, eventually arriving into a larger room that was almost entirely cloaked in darkness. They could barely see a thing even with the few torches scattered around lighting the way.

Then suddenly, they saw a bunch of eyes opening up on all sides of them, varying in shape, size, color, and number. And they just stared down at the little sheep.

While they were accustomed to having so many eyes on them, this was completely different.

These eyes certainly didn't belong to any follower of theirs.

What if this was a trap?

What if-?

"Welcome, little Lamb! Promised liberator of the Old Faith!"

Looking upwards, they could see you descending from the darkness. You looked like a tradition chimera: a lion, goat, dragon, and snake all mixed into one. Both of your heads smiled as you took a seat upon your throne, although you frowned a bit upon realizing how poor the lighting must have been.

"Oh forgive me, it is awful dim in here, isn't it? Hold on one moment." Your lion head breathed out a small blast of fire, aimed towards a nearby candle that lit up.

That set off a chain reaction which lit up dozens of other candles around your lair, and burned the torches bright enough for Lamb to see what all those eyes belonged to:

Crowns.

So many crowns.

Big and small, black and white, one-eyed and two-eyed..and even multi-eyed; some sported horns and some did not. Others had bare surfaces while others were decorated with jewels or marred with scars from time.

It was an astonishing sight, and when Lamb looked back up at you, they could see a crown on each of your heads--snake tail included.

Not to mention your seat was adorned with four familiar ones...

"So you..take crowns from fallen gods?"

"Do I take them?" You repeated, before laughing uproariously. "No, but I can see why you'd assume that. I'm [y/n], Maker of the Crowns."

They blinked. "You created the crowns?"

"I have since the first gods ruled over these lands." You chuckled, taking the Green Crown into your paw. "I mold them into a design of my liking, give them life, and then send them off into the world to find a worthy host. They're like my children, so I do get sentimental at times...but I know they'll do great things."

'Huh...Leshy did say the crown found him..' Lamb mused.

"Of all the ones I've created, though, I never thought to see the Bishops' crowns again. But they were in such terrible condition...falling apart, barely able to keep their eyes open....I couldn't believe it." Your gaze shifted down to the sheep. "You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"

They tensed. "...well...um-"

"Haha! I only jest, Lamb. I know everything." You smiled reassuringly. "I've sensed strong spikes in their energy, and I'm well aware they've been used as aids for the bishops after Narinder's betrayal. Speaking of whom...."

Pausing, you outstretched your paws towards them. "I see the Red Crown has found a new master."

"It's a long story, but--hey!!" All of the sudden, the Red Crown slipped out of their hands, morphing back into its normal form as it began floating up to you. They were shocked and angered, feeling extremely vulnerable without it. "What are you doing?!"

"Nothing, little one. It came to me all on its own. Welcome home, my darling." With the crown nestled into your paw, your smile grew as its eye stared back up at you with happiness. You sighed and brought it closer to your cheek, allowing it to nuzzle up to you. "Oh how I've missed you, mighty crown of Death. I'm glad you have not forgotten me."

"Give it back!!" Lamb snarled, baring their sharp teeth as they tried storming up to your throne. But their little hooves kept slipping on the skull pile that served as its foundation, and they eventually tumbled downwards, landing on their rear. "I need it back right now!"

"...are they always like this?" You muttered to the Red Crown, who just rolled its pupil in response. "Huh, I thought so. Arrogant, entitled, paranoid....just like your first master-"

"Don't compare us." They scowled. "Narinder was worse than arrogant...he would have destroyed this entire world, along with you and all these crowns if I returned it to him! We are NOTHING alike."

"Hm, I see I've touched a nerve. My apologies. I just wanted to take care of this little chip in its horn." Smiling, you manifested some black ichor to seal the crack you discovered on the crown, before sharpening up its horns a little bit. "There. Much better."

"....thank you. Now may I have it back?" Lamb put their hand out, growing more anxious with each passing second they were separated from it. 'Why isn't it returning to me?"

"It doesn't see why it has to right at this very moment...and quite frankly, I don't either. It's not connected to your lifeforce. You're still standing without it-"

"Because I'm its new master! I gave it new purpose. I gave it freedom...and it should be obeying me unconditionally and I don't understand why it's being so stubborn. That crown wouldn't be anywhere NEAR as powerful if it weren't for-!!"

"Choose your next words carefully," you tutted, shaking your head as you gestured to the walls. "My children do not look it, but they too have ears."

Falling silent, they looked all around, noticing that the crowns were now glaring at them. They tensed up, a feeling of heavy discomfort and embarrassment washing over them as they slowly realized how childish they were acting.

And in front of the crown creator, of all people?

"Tell me..do you see the crown as nothing without you? Or perhaps you feel like you are nothing without the crown?"

"........"

"Your mistake, little lamb, is that you see crowns as simple tools to do your bidding. A conduit for your godhood. But do not forget, they are also living breathing creatures like you and I." You chastised. "As such, they deserve respect. I figured you would've been more grateful to meet their maker...such few have the privilege to enter my lair and receive such a warm welcome."

The Red Crown bobbed up and down in agreement, before it scowled down at Lamb, as though to say "you better listen to them and treat me better".

They just looked at the ground, unable to form words as shame creeped up their spine.

You sighed softly. "I understand your worries as a new god. The mere thought of separation from it drives you to rage, especially after what happened between you and Narinder. But I have no desire to take it from you. Not when you've fought so hard for it. All I wish is that you continue caring for it."

"....I'm sorry, Great Crown Maker.." Lamb muttered, finally letting themselves be humbled. "I don't mean to act like I did. It's just...he's been annoying me all day today, shouting about "divine right" and making my life a living hell. He still can't accept that it chose me over him.."

They felt the familiar and comforting weight of the Red Crown returning to the wool atop their head, but they only looked up at you with respect. "Thank you."

"Of course, young one." You nodded, smiling once more. "Narinder has possessed that crown since he was a wee little kit, so it's going to be quite a long time before he lets that grudge go. Perhaps in a hundred years, give or take."

"I understand...so.." Lamb looked around. "Do you have any wares?"

"Oh, plenty!" You clapped your paws together. "Feel free to take a gander! Since this is your first visit, you may have one of the tarot cards over there on the house. But just know that the crowns aren't for sale."

[cdragons]

Bound by Embroidered Chains - Aemond Targaryen x Seamstress!OC x Jacaerys Velaryon - Prologue

Next chapter

Summary: Dragons have a habit in hoarding the prettiest of jewels, and pearls are of no exceptions.

Warnings- MDNI 18+ Future NSFW, Obsessive Behavior (we all knew this was coming), Childbirth, Future Sexism & Misogyny (this is Westeros), Political Struggles, Future Deaths, Dark Themes, etc. etc. Also translations for Valyrian will be added at the bottom!

Author's Note: WHO ELSE SCREAMED AT THE HOTD SEASON 2 TEASER TRAILER????? The costumes, the cinematography, the set design, FUCKING BAELA ON MOONDANCER???? But this idea was something that had been on my mind for a while, and I am really excited to share it with all of you! Shoutout to @valeskafics whose works served as a HUGE inspiration to this idea! If you liked reading this work, reblog and comment if you want to be tagged in future installments of this work! Also I apologize for any grammatical errors, I wanted to post this as soon as possible.

“PUSH!” yelled the midwife to the soon-to-be mother. “Lady Doreah, I can almost see the head!”

“Almost?” the poor woman cried out; her body had grown weary after experiencing a day’s worth of labour. Her hair clung to the sweat on her brow as the rest of her skin was soaked in perspiration from the pain. She cried out in agony as a gentle kiss from above attempted to soothe her from the torment that came with bringing new life into the world. Normally she would preen at such affection, but considering the circumstances she was in, she was in no mood for soft affections. “Ao nādrēsy! You did this to me!”

“Yes, my love,” agreed the man beside her. Unlike most husbands, Hotho Pyke refused to not remain by his beloved wife’s side during the birth of their child. He wanted to welcome the product of their love into the world with open arms. He was desperate to hold this new tiny babe in his arms as his fingers would trace over the features given to them by both their mother and father.

“You speak true my darling; I am a bastard. But if memory serves me right, it was my bastard birth that finally made you look my way after months of me begging for your attention. Well, that and a bit of my bastard tongue.” He tried to hide the wince that almost spilled from his lips at the furious grip on his hands in response of his wife. Even at the worst times, the man would never stop in his attempts to make her laugh. It was a most excellent quality in a husband in any other time but now.

“Gods help me Hotho – if this child does not come out of me soon, I will take my shears and cut out that bastard tongue of yours myself!” Doreah let out another scream as she continued to push her child out – although the pain was intense, the longing to hear the newest member of their family was greater than anything else she had felt in her lifetime.

“The baby is crowning!” exclaimed the midwife, who stood forgotten by the couple. “You are so close my lady, a few more pushes and you and your husband can welcome the newborn!”

This news filled Doreah with a newfound determination. Using every bit of her strength, she grasped her Hotho for support as she let out a furious yell as her body clenched to push out the newborn.

And after what seemed to both a lifetime and no time at all, powerful and shrill cries filled out every corner of the room. Not bothering to lean back against the pillows to rest, Doreah reached forward and demanded to hold her baby. She didn’t even care if you were a son or a daughter- you could have been a goat for all she cared. All she wanted to was to hold whomever had been growing inside her for the past nine months. She wanted to breathe in the scent of their skin and kiss their tiny faces. She wanted to love her child- her new world and her greatest love. Son, daughter, goat- Doreah knew that this child would forever be perfect in her eyes.

And perfect this child was indeed, and perfection suited their daughter.

Ten toes and ten fingers covered in blood, and kicking as hard an airborne goat, Doreah and Hotho wept as loudy as their newborn girl. It was only when the midwife insisted that she have the baby cleaned and wrapped in blankets were the two able to part with her. When you were returned to your mother’s arms, all felt right with the world as they continued to weep at the sight of the newest member of their small and strange family.

“Ziry's kesīr, īlva tala,” whispered Doreah with tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked up to gaze at her husband. “Gaomagon ao ūndegon zirȳla, ñuha jorrāelagon? Jurnegon rȳ zirȳla! Iksis ziry daor se olvie precious riña emā mirre ūndegīon!”

“I see her my coral,” whispered out her husband, whose face was soaked in tears in response to the overwhelming joy flowing within him. “Our pearl is beautiful. But most importantly, she is healthy and she is loved.”

He traced a finger across his daughter’s delicate features. Although you were currently sleeping, he knew that your eyes would take after hers, and he was ecstatic. There was a time when he believed that he would never love anything or anyone more than he loved the sea, only now there were two women in his life whom his love was consumed by entirely.

As the world slipped away into the background, the love from the new parents was so great it formed an almost impenetrable barrier surrounding them. But all peaceful things reach an end and theirs came from the knocking of a serving girl.

“My Lord and Lady…Pyke,” came a new voice, clearly disgusted by the act of referring a bastard as a lord, “if the Lady is presentable, the Queen Alicent would like to come in to see the child.”

“Oh yes!” exclaimed Doreah. “Please let her in! I would be most honored to have Alicent meet my sweet pearl!”

“My brightest coral, are you sure? You just went through birth. Queen or not, shouldn’t you recover before she asks your attention?”

Hotho Pyke was an impoverished bastard born from the Iron Islands. He knew how to predict wind patterns and navigate with the stars before he could write. His skills as a seafarer were so great that he caught the attention of Lord Corlys of House Velaryon who sat on the Driftwood Throne. But however impressive his skills were with a sail, there was still much to be desired with his knowledge of etiquette appropriate for the Royal Court of the Red Keep in the Crownlands. His raised brow and confused tone suggested that he believed his question to be one borne of common sense despite the horrified expressions on everyone else’s faces save for his wife.

“Hotho, ñuha jorrāelagon,” Doreah tiredly chuckled as she shook her head, “there is still so much for you to learn about the Red Keep. Please Jeyne, let the Queen enter. I want her to meet our pearl!”

Almost immediately, a heavily pregnant figure in resplendent green and gold came dashing into the room in hopes to be the first to reach the bedridden woman and greet the child.

“Doreah!” exclaimed out the queen, relieved that her dearest friend had survived the trials of birth with the result of a healthy child. “Let me see you! How are you? Are you sure you are well? Do you need anything for the pain?”

Doreah couldn’t help but laugh at the onslaught of questioning from her fretful childhood friend. Since they were still just young girls, Alicent Targaryen nee Hightower always worried about the seamstress’ health and wellbeing despite being a few years younger. She fondly looked back on the days when she and her would peacefully discuss about their days as they worked on their embroidery or took lessons from the Head Septa. Handing their daughter to her husband to hold, she reached out to her friend in attempt to soothe her worries.

“Alicent, I am fine. Truly, there is no need to fret so much.” Doreah reassured her friend before looking back to the love of her life. “Besides, I was never in any danger. Not with my brave Iron Knight by my side the entire time.”

Still holding their radiant babe, Hotho Pyke beamed at his wife’s tender words before laying kisses on her hands, her fingers, the top of her hairline, before eventually stopping at her lips.

Alicent, however, was less than pleased at the shameless display of affection shared between the couple.

“Ser Pyke,” – she refused to refer a bastard of all things as a lord – “surely you know that men are not permitted in the birthing room during the delivery. I thought that this was made clear to you when you first learned of your wife’s pregnancy.”

Not recognizing the insult in being referred as “Ser” as opposed to “Lord,” Hotho only took the queen’s words as a sign of worry for her favored companion.

“My mother would rise from her watery grave to string me by my feet and call me a cunt if she knew that I left my wife alone in bringing our child into the world. Besides, had I not been in the room, she would have let her vicious tongue loose on another unfortunate soul.”

“In any case, are you sure you should not be resting? You are carrying the King’s child, surely that takes priority over seeing me.” Doreah knew that this pregnancy had been particularly difficult for Alicent, recalling the many times she walked in on her kneeling before her chamber pots in emptying out the contents of her stomach.

“Nonsense,” replied Alicent, who shook her head at the statement, “there is no one more important to me at this moment than you, sweet Doreah. I just hope that your husband’s brash tongue does not influence such a young innocent.”

“Ah, no worries my Queen. The brashness of my tongue is no match for that of my wife. She proved that many a time in our quarters.”

The Iron Island-born bastard was promptly cut off by a swift slap on the arm from his wife.

Before Alicent could respond to such vulgarity, she was interrupted by the presence of another figure dressed in a gorgeous red and black dress patterned with masterful gold embroidery.

“Rhaenyra!” Doreah exclaimed in excitement, happy to have not one but two of her closest friends greet her daughter. “You did not have to come! Are you sure you are not currently preoccupied with your duties?”

“Oh, please,” the princess uttered, “what could possibly be more important at this moment than to greet the firstborn of Laenor and I’s closest friends?”

Walking over to Hotho’s side, Rhaenyra was entranced by the sight of the newly arrived babe. She could already see how you would grow to be the spitting image of your mother.

“May I hold her?” she asked with arms already reaching toward your father.

Looking back to his wife to make sure she approved of it, he carefully handed you to Rhaenyra – but not before he laid a dozen kisses on your face.

“Oh Doreah,” Rhaenyra softly cooed, “she is absolutely perfect. I can tell that she will grow up to be as kind and beautiful as her mother.”

“Oh, Rhaenyra,” tears filled your mother’s eyes at her friend’s kind words, “kirimvose.” She turned to Alicent, who was currently sitting beside the bed in a chair brought to her to ease the stress on her body from her third pregnancy. Your mother reached one arm to each of her friends as a way to show solidarity. “Thank you to the both of you. I would not be where I am now – so happy and full of love – without the both of you here to guide me through the Red Keep. I owe you two everything. I only hope that our children can remain as friends so that they will never know loneliness.”

If your mother knew of the cruel fate she thrust onto you with that wish, she would have given everything to the gods in hopes to free you.

Your father took you back into his arms before handing you once more to your mother. Although you had woken from your slumber, you made no noise. You only gazed at the figures surrounding you with wide and eager eyes. Ever so slightly, you reached out your hand to paw at the green fabric of the queen.

So young, and you already seemed to recognize the beauty in the custom-made garment.

Alicent laughed in a way that was so genuine that it seemed unfamiliar, fascinated by the fervent grabbing of her dress on your end.

“It seems that this little one will be a seamstress as well,” she stated as she reached forward to let you pull and tug at her sleeve in enraptured delight, “I can only imagine what talent she will possess.”

“What will you name her?” Rhaenyra asked, hoping that you will be blessed with a name with Valyrian roots.

But a shared glance between your parents showed that they had already decided a name for you far before this day.

“Ashirri, Ashirri Pyke” your mother confidently stated, “in honor of both our cultures.”

Your father grasped his wife’s shoulder in agreement. “We will never let our child feel she must restrict herself to one background. As her parents, we want to let her know that her world will be one of endless possibilities.”

On this day, Doreah Pyke gave birth to a child for her and her husband to raise. This child will be raised with so much love that it will not matter that you were born from two bastard parents, one from Essos and the other from the Iron Islands. No, you were born as a result of the love from two people from opposite sides of the world who miraculously found one another, and that was all that would matter in the end. Doreah would teach you an art that could only be made through masterfully crafted embroidery and needlework, while Hotho will teach you how to use the stars to navigate waters and open their horizons to an endless sea of possibilities.

And if you did not wish to become either a seamstress or a sailor, it made no difference to them. Westeros, Essos, the Red Keep, the Iron Islands – the world was your oyster, and you were the miraculous pearl.

Their child will not be like the close-minded fools of their homelands, but someone whose mind will be open to new opportunities and will never stop seeing the joy in discovering the unknown. And they would always be there to help guide you in any way the could. Nothing would ever come between the love your parents held for you.

If only the gods could allow for such happiness to last forever.

But dragons have a tendency to burn rather than create, especially ones with sapphire for eyes and strong blood in their veins.

Translations:

"Ao nādrēsy!" - You Bastard!

"Ziry's kesīr, īlva tala... Gaomagon ao ūndegon zirȳla, ñuha jorrāelagon? Jurnegon rȳ zirȳla! Iksis ziry daor se olvie precious riña emā mirre ūndegīon!" - She's here, our daughter. Do you see her, my love? Look at her! Is she not the most precious child you have ever seen?

"ñuha jorrāelagon" - my love

kirimvose - Thank you

Tagging: @valeskafics, @dreaming-for-an-escape, @asa-do-your-thing, @arcielee, @aphroditesmoon, @nighttwingg, @marvelescvpe, @nellychick, @its-actually-minicika, @biancaweasley

[kidcapes]

I don't actively use Tumblr, so I'm a bit late to say it here, but R.I.P. Akira Toriyama. His passing is nothing short of a catastrophic loss, imo he genuinely had a strong argument for being one of the most influential artists alive. It feels surreal to think that in just two years, two of my three favorite mangaka are gone (R.I.P. Kazuki Takahashi), I thought those guys were gods when I was a kid I never even considered something could happen to them. In his memory, here's some stuff about his influence on MegaTen. In Kazuma Kaneko Works I, Kaneko described Chaos Hero's design from the latter half of SMT1 as being reminiscent of Piccolo's outfit with the vibe of Goku. In specific, his hairstyle was said to have been explicitly based off of super saiyan.

As for Dragon Quest, in Digital Devil Apocalypse, when asked about how he felt about cute designs, the first thing that came to Kaneko's mind was Slime. Kaneko even made this little comic about how he was frustrated trying to design a mascot as perfect as the Dragon Quest Slime.

[belindarimbi13]

my thoughts on the color version of mitsuya's design.

For a long time, I always had the impression that the dress is in black and white colors.

Like, I've written enough Doramitsu fics to emphasize these colors.

... The renowned dragon soars up to the heavens in light cashmere, and the other dragon falls to earth, draped in heavy velvet seeking for love ...

For anyone asking why, it never occurred to me that the color could be in any spectrum of red, because I regarded the velvet in the sentence as the type of fabric Mitsuya used, rather than the color of the dress.

Before the fan translation came out, since I cannot speak Japanese, I somehow thought that the darker one would represent Draken and the light one would represent Mitsuya. I remember seeing the design and thought to myself about how it resembled Draken in volume 25. So the darker one must be Draken's!

But the description throws me off because one seemed to symbolize someone's going to heaven and the other fell onto earth, seeking for love. Considering the story behind Mitsuya's design, of course I would think that:

Light = Draken

Dark = Mitsuya

I used this formula for years. God knows, I'm writing enough coda/post-canon for chapter 238-239 using that formula.

But who would have fucking known that I was actually wrong right all along?

Now, let's talk about this official confirmed color version of the manga.

The darker one apparently consisted of red color with a gold accent. While the light one as you can see, is all white.

And we definitely could not ignore the fact that the model of each design is having a certain someone's hair right?

It looked a lot like Draken here.

And Mitsuya here.

And don't tell me that those color compositions didn't remind us of them?

Now, I know that sometimes the colored version didn't match the anime. Like here's Draken's hoodie was black, not red.

But take a closer look at these designs and tell me that this is not the representation of Draken

and that this is not the representation of Mitsuya

The color version caught me off guard, especially since Wakui decided to give the model's hair, Draken and Mitsuya's hair colors. This is a fucking representation of them at the finest, Mitsuya reinvent Twin Dragons through his design. In every sense.

I just found out, how far he went for that.

Those designs could be interpreted in many ways, but one thing is for sure.

Don't. Tell. Me. Mitsuya. Didn't. Love. Draken.

Because he did, he does, and he will always do.

[teaberrii]

Year of the Dragon

You and Dan Heng are a match made in heaven until fate takes him away from you too soon. Years later, you think you moved on with a mutual friend who shared your grief and stuck with you during tough times until you meet a mysterious man with a striking resemblance to your past lover and a hidden motive. You’re determined to get rid of him, but how are you going to get rid of a god?

Dan Feng/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail crossover

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Support my writing

Chapter 1: Take Me Home

The strapless, white dress with light, gold sparkles all around hugs your bodice and flares out at your hips and thighs, creating a dramatic silhouette that makes you look ethereal. Yet, the happiness reflected in your eyes is far from what should be present in a wife-to-be. You step off the small stool and leave the changing room, where your friends are waiting for you.

"This is the one!" March exclaims. Then, with a teasing smile: "Looks like a dress he'll want to get his hands on if you know what I mean."

Stelle sighs. “Is there no limit to your inappropriate innuendos?”

March puts her arm around you. “You know I’m right, Stelle. They’re taking the next step together as blissful newlyweds where intimacy is at its finest.” She winks at you. “You gotta take advantage of those golden years.”

“Gotcha,” you say. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

March puts her hands on her hips. “Hey! I’m serious!”

Stelle has a hand on her chin, looking you up and down. “I agree with March. It’s a beautiful dress, but most importantly, it fits you very well.”

“Oh my! You look absolutely gorgeous!” You hear the heels of a woman working at the high-end boutique. She's already behind you, admiring the dress, by the time you turn around. “It’s like it was made for you.”

“...It’s like it was made for you.”

You were standing in front of a mirror with him behind you. His hug was warm and comforting, and when he put his chin on your shoulder and smiled, you felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

“It’s beautiful,” you said.

“You really like it?”

You turned around. “Of course!”

“Then, it’s yours.”

“Wh—What? Just like that?”

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. “I… designed it for you. It was my first time, and I wasn’t sure if you’d—”

You cut him off with a kiss on his soft lips. “...I love it, Dan Heng.”

“Would you like to see some accessories that’ll go perfectly with this dress?”

“Oh, yes, of course she would,” March answers for you.

Soon enough, you, Stelle, and March are following the worker toward another part of the boutique. You’re walking up the stairs when she looks over her shoulder and asks:

“So, who’s the lucky man?”

There’s a brief pause before you answer her. “We were high school friends.”

She gasps. “Oh! High school sweethearts? That’s adorable! I adore those kinds of stories. It’s so rare for a relationship after high school to work out, and… ”

The rest of her rambling falls on deaf ears. It’s something you’re used to hearing when you tell people the simple basics about your “fairytale relationship” with your fiancé. You met in high school and were friends for a very long time before you got together. As soon as people heard that, you never had to explain how you got together as most people were enamoured by the "high school sweetheart love story." You never want to explain anyway, considering how you ended up with your fiancé is as beautiful as it is painful.

If you never lost the love of your life, you and he never would've happened.

“Is there anything you have in mind?” the woman asks as soon as you reach an area filled with expensive but stunning wedding accessories for women.

“Not anything in particular, but—"

Elegantly displayed on the neck of a female mannequin is a crescent moon necklace made out of pure gold. As soon as the woman notices what you're looking at, she says:

“Oh, good eye! That design is new! It’s…”

Again, her explanation falls on deaf ears when you’re once again reminded of him.

“Can I look now?”

“Patience.”

You were standing on the balcony of Dan Heng’s room, facing the view of his family’s garden with his eyes closed. You had a hunch that Dan Heng had a surprise for you, but nothing could’ve prepared you for what you were about to see.

“...Okay. Open your eyes.”

You were speechless upon seeing an elegant, golden necklace in the shape of a crescent moon where your initials are engraved. Dan Heng unclipped the necklace and put it around your neck. His hug was warm and comforting, and you could feel his heartbeat.

“Happy birthday.”

“Hey!” You turn at the sound of March’s voice. She and Stelle are looking at some headpieces in a glass case. March gestures for you to come. You come up beside her just when she says: “This would look great with your dress.”

“Mind the pricetag,” Stelle cautions.

March takes a breath. “Ooh, okay, never mind… This might be a little out of our budget.”

You look back at the necklace. Stelle, noticing that you’re a little distracted, turns and sees the beautiful necklace in the other corner of the room. She looks back at you but says nothing.

Eventually, you wander toward a different corner of the room, looking at earrings and bracelets when you hear Stelle’s voice.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” you say. “Why do you ask?”

“You keep staring at that necklace.”

“Oh, well… It looks just like the one I have.” You force a little smile. "I guess I was a little surprised."

You turn back to look at a new collection of earrings, but Stelle knows what’s on your mind. And like you, she’s reminded of the loss of a friend. She’s seen it all. Your ups and downs with Dan Heng, the man who went from a childhood friend to a lover with the evolution lasting for close to a whole decade.

“This is… truly amazing,” Stelle said, looking closely at the necklace Dan Heng had got you for your birthday. “Rich kid’s… riching.”

“Is that even a word?”

“Probably not.” She stood upright. “But I expected nothing less.” Just then, a large advertisement of a high-end fashion brand introducing their latest fall collection flashed on a tall building. “You never would’ve thought by looking at him.”

You looked in the direction she was looking and saw models with perfect skin and fits on the screen. Then, an elegant-looking logo in the shape of an L appeared on the screen. Seconds later, the name ‘Lunae’ appeared underneath the logo.

Stelle was right. You never would’ve thought Dan Heng would be the heir to one of the biggest and most luxurious fashion companies in the world. When you first met, he was a scrawny, stubborn kid who ruined your sandcastle. And now, he was someone you loved with all your heart.

March stretches as soon as the three of you leave the boutique. The only thing you bought was the dress.

“Gosh, that was exhausting. I’m starved.”

“Isn’t there a Cultural Festival going on right now?” Stelle asks. “We could go there for some food.”

“Oh, you’re right!” March takes out her phone. “Today’s the second day… I think? There’s supposed to be some awesome performances happening.”

You’re on the way there with your friends when your phone goes off. You slow down and take the call as it’s from your fiancé.

“Miss me?”

“Oh, of course. It’s…” You look at your watch. “It’s only been an afternoon.”

“That’s too long without you.”

“Okay, okay. What’s the real reason you called, huh?”

“On my way to drop things off at the pawn shop, and then I’m going to grab some groceries for tonight. Anything you want for dinner?”

March looks back and sees you smiling and talking about something. Then, when you get off the phone and join her and Stelle, she asks:

“Was that your man?”

“He has a name, you know,” you say. “But yes, that was. Nothing exciting. Just syncing up for what we’re going to have for dinner.”

“Should’ve flustered him and said—”

“March,” Stelle deadpans.

“What? You don’t even know what I was going to say!”

Your fiancé had been a friend of yours, Stelle’s, and later Dan Heng's in high school. He’d confessed his feelings after knowing that your life was on the road to normalcy after the terrible, horrific accident that left you as an empty shell. Because of him, your days became brighter, but there was never a day where you didn’t think of Dan Heng and… what could’ve been. But, you love your fiancé, and that’s all that matters.

It’s late afternoon by the time you reach the Cultural Festival, which is bustling with visitors from all walks of life. You got to do some wine tasting from the Mondstadt booth—where you also heard the not-so-subtle gossip about how “hot” the bartender was—and showed off your calligraphy skills at the Inazuma booth. As the Year of the Dragon is right around the corner, you also enjoy a memorable lion dance performance with people from your hometown, Xianzhou, and the neighbouring region, Liyue.

“Oi, Haitham! Where’s my wallet?”

You and your friends walk by a pretty male who’s searching for something inside his bag while not too far away another handsome blonde is showcasing his swordsmanship with a blue-haired male on stage.

“Ooh, there’s also a fortune-telling booth,” March says. The map she’s holding is so big, it covers her entire upper body as she holds it. “Wanna check it out?”

“Lead the way.”

You and Stelle follow March past a popular circus show by the Cirque de Fontaine. You almost bump into a tall man with long dark blue hair with red tips and his friend, a man with long blonde hair and green eyes, as you’re distracted by the cheers for a young man and woman who look nearly identical on stage.

"Careful."

Is it silly that you remind yourself you're getting married when you look into the eyes of the man with the long, dark blue hair? He's handsome, you admit, and his gentle demeanour is reminiscent of Dan Heng. In the end, you quickly apologize and continue on your way.

“We’re here.”

Stelle looks around. “Are you sure this is the right place?”

Unlike the lively atmosphere at the other booths, the one a short distance away is a little… cold. There are no visitors around the dark green tent; the only occupant is a person sitting inside wearing a dark green, brown, and red robe. The hood is up, so you can’t see the person’s face.

“...This looks sus as hell,” March whispers. “Maybe we should go.”

Stelle takes another look at the map. “It’s a registered booth, though.”

“Hello, lovelies.” You and your friends turn toward the person—who you believe is an elderly woman from her voice—inside the tent. She puts her hands together and slightly bows. “Happy New Year… Would you like a free fortune prediction for the upcoming year?”

You and your friends glance at each other, and Stelle says:

“Sure. Why not?”

March grabs her friend’s arm just as Stelle steps forward. “...Girl, are you sure?”

“Ah… the one in pink,” the woman says, and March points to herself. “I see a raise… and possibly a promotion in your future this year. Would you like to learn more?”

March immediately sits in front of her.

“Well, that was fast,” you say.

Stelle sighs. “That’s March for you, I guess.”

You aren’t surprised that your friends are getting such great predictions for the upcoming Year of the Dragon. You assume it’s a business strategy, so you’re expecting to hear how you’ll also thrive and prosper this year. Once you sit in front of her and the woman takes your hand, she immediately looks at you, whereas her head has always been tilted down when reading Stelle and March’s fortunes.

“My child… A wedding is in your near future..." Well, that’s not creepy at all. If you recall, no one has mentioned your wedding, nor are you wearing your engagement ring. “...But, you will walk a path of uncertainty, and only when you walk with the man in the shadows, you will see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“...Did you… understand any of that?” March whispers.

“No,” Stelle answers flatly. “Not at all.”

“...Man in the shadows?” you ask.

“I cannot see who it is,” the woman says. “...His presence is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.” Her head tilts downwards, and you assume she’s looking at your palm. “My dear… You’ve suffered a great loss in your past." Your heart freezes over, and your eyes widen. "Fire, destruction… Their bodies were never—”

“Stop!”

You didn’t mean to sound so anxious. But the short cry is clear that time does not heal all wounds. March has a comforting hand on your shoulder while Stelle is baffled and intrigued, though she does not show it. Just who is this woman?

You take back your hand. "Sorry... I... I think that's enough for today."

Then, you stand, but before you can leave with your friends, the woman says:

“...It’s up to you, my child.” You look over your shoulder. “Your Year of the Dragon will be the most exciting yet. Reap its rewards or fall further into darkness.”

“C'mon.” Stelle grabs your arm. "Let's go.”

The woman’s voice is quiet, but you hear:

“Be very careful, my dear.”

◆◆◆

The large golden gates creak open, revealing a spacious room where small, floating lights flicker until they settle on a glowing honey yellow. A tall, slender young man with fair skin, black hair, and green eyes walks with an air of confidence over a gold, dragon-shaped bridge. Statues of dragons are situated around the room—where endless, liquid gold pours from their mouths—into a small river that runs underneath the bridge and into crevices of the walls. If one looks up, it will remind you of a cathedral with large arched windows… except if you look out, you’ll be looking straight into the galaxy.

The footsteps stop just before a set of wide stairs. Two men are sitting across from each other on golden thrones in the shape of a dragon.

“You’re looking well for not having shown your face for weeks, Dan Feng.”

The one with pale skin and waist-length show white hair doesn’t spare Dan Feng a glance. Instead, he’s focused on the chess board in front of him where all the pieces are dragons.

It’s his playing partner, a man with yellow, diamond-shaped pupils and short brown hair with a long fringe on the side of his face, who says:

“Yes. Where have you been? We were quite worried.”

“Worried is a stretch, Zhongli,” the white-haired man says. With a snap of his fingers, one of the chess pieces moves to a different spot and suddenly takes out a weapon and smashes the other piece to smithereens. “I’m sure Dan Feng is capable of taking care of himself. He is one of us, after all.”

“Yes, well, before you two can continue talking as if I’m not here… The Aeons have escaped to the human realm.” Now, Dan Feng knows he has their full attention.

“How do you know this?”

“Not sure if you’ll like it, Neuvi, but a dead, little birdie told me all about it.”

“Sampo?”

Dan Feng nods.

"Did you confirm he was telling the truth?"

"Always the careful one, aren't you?" Dan Feng asks. "But, I did. Went down to the dank dungeons of death myself. Honestly, can't blame them. Their quality of life must've been horrendous."

Zhongli puts a hand underneath his chin. “...The Aeons have been locked up for centuries. How in the world could this happen?"

"Someone must have helped them," Neuvilette says, “why would they do that? And… What would the Aeons want with the humans?” Neuvilette looks at Dan Feng—”Why did Sampo tell you this now?”

“Well, my water dragon friend," Dan Feng says, "Sampo wants us to do something about it. The Year of the Dragon is coming, which means the gates to the human realm will open again. Assuming the Aeons left during the last Year of the Dragon, then they've been causing chaos for over a decade down there. We need to haul their asses back up because this is where they belong."

Suddenly, thunder rumbles in the distance, but no one is fazed. Then, a disembodied, cheerful voice sounds throughout the room:

“Happyyy Year of the Dragon!”

Lightning strikes a spot between Neuvilette and Zhongli, and when the smoke clears, there’s a young girl with mint-green eyes and long purple hair.

“It’s our year once again, my brothers!” She makes a fist and gently hits her heart. “How are we going to celebrate this year?”

“Work, Bailu,” Dan Feng answers flatly. “We have work to do.”

Bailu looks at him incredulously. “What do you mean we have work?” After Zhongli tells her about the conversation earlier, Bailu puts her hands on her hips. “So, you’re telling me that we have to spend the year cleaning up someone else’s mess? We won’t get to go down and party with the humans for another twelve years!”

“We aren’t supposed to get involved with humans in the first place, Bailu,” Neuvilette says. “You know that.”

“Well, yeah… I know. But, I’ve been seeing all the cool technology they’ve been coming up with. Like, did you know they have robots that’ll create art and write for you now? It’s literal magic!”

“It always baffles me how you can get so excited about human technology,” Dan Feng says. He snaps his fingers, and parchment and a quill appear in midair, where the quill writes what’s on Dan Feng’s mind:

We’re Gods.

“But, the fact that humans aren’t and can develop all these cool gadgets makes them so much more interesting!” Bailu looks at the disinterested faces of her dragon brothers. Only Zhongli seems to show mild interest. “Just wait until we get down there and we lose all of our godly powers. You’ll be forced to adapt to human technology just to survive.”

“...We lose our powers?”

“Guess you weren’t expecting that plot twist, huh, Neuvi? You would know if you visit every dragon year. The longer we stay down there, the more human we become. But, as soon as we poof back here, we slowly gain our powers back.”

Neuvilette almost looks disgusted.

“If the Aeons left during the last Year of the Dragon, they would’ve stayed in the human realm for twelve years…" Zhongli says. "At least, they'll be weakened, but we cannot underestimate them."

“We have one whole year!” Bailu whines. “Can’t this Aeon hunting mission wait until after we celebrate? It’s literally our year!”

“I guess it can’t hurt.” Everyone looks at Dan Feng. “It’ll be interesting to see the foolishness of humans during this time.”

“Woo! That’s one for Brother Moon!”

“Brother Moon?” Neuvilette asks.

“He’s the Dragon of the Moon, isn’t he?"

“Anyways,” Zhongli says, “looks like we’ll have no choice but to go to the human realm this year. Make sure you’re prepared.”

Neuvilette sighs. "And if we refuse?"

"Oh, come now, Neuvi," Dan Feng says. "Show some camaraderie. We have a traitor out there... At least the cronies of death know that we're innocent."

Only Bailu is beaming with excitement.

Later that evening, Dan Feng is in his room, looking out at the galaxy when he senses a presence. He doesn’t need to turn around to know who it is.

“Need something, Brother Earth?”

“I’m sure Bailu would be thrilled to hear you’re catching on to her nicknames,” Zhongli says.

“It’ll be our little secret.”

Zhongli is beside him just as an asteroid flies by. “...Sampo is neither friend nor foe." Dan Feng glances at him. “Call me curious, but I just find it strange he would go out of his way to tell you that the Aeons have escaped. How would he know? He’s the Reaper. The Aeons are none of his business.”

“...Sampo may act on his own interests, but even he is afraid of what the Aeons are capable of. Considering if they were to interfere with the natural order of things, it would be disrupting his work.”

“Natural order of things… Are you saying they’d interfere with the afterlife?”

Dan Feng briefly closes his eyes. “Sampo was the one who approached me first.”

The star-covered skies were different shades of purple and pink, and occasionally one would see shooting stars or meteoroids fly by. A tall, muscular man with tufted dark blue hair stood on a cliff, overlooking a long bridge where small, floating lights were bobbing their way across. They were the souls of the deceased, crossing the bridge that would erase their memories of their past life and toward an unknown realm, and only Sampo, the Reaper, could see what they looked like before they died.

“That bored, huh?”

Sampo turned around. “Let’s just say I saw something quite… intriguing. I can’t stop thinking about it, which is why I called you here.”

“Okay,” Dan Feng says, not interested in the slightest. “And what would that be?”

Sampo walked a few steps toward him. “...Did you know you have a doppelganger? A man who looked exactly like you in the human realm. Honestly, I thought it was you but with a better haircut.” He smiled upon seeing the hard look in Dan Feng’s eyes. “...Is it just me, or did you already know about him?”

So, he reincarnated, and if he looked like him, then his life was cut short once again… Dan Feng clenched his fists as he saw his brother’s face. What had happened to him this time? Was it because of a woman… again?

“Your silence is telling me a lot of things,” Sampo said.

“How did he die? You know, don’t you?”

“I do. I had a front-row seat to his untimely death so to speak. Very exhilarating, however.”

“...Untimely? Are you saying it wasn’t time for him to die?”

That cat-like smile was even more annoying than usual.

“I’ll tell you what you want to know. But, in exchange, I need a favour from you and your dragon friends.”

“...That’s when he told me he senses there's something strange going on in the human realm," Dan Feng says. "Over the last decade, he gradually noticed people are dying... when they aren't supposed to."

"And that led to the discovery that the Aeons have escaped?"

"Not directly. It was a fleeting thought, but someone went down to check anyway, and"—Dan Feng slightly smiles—"'lo-and-behold... our big, bad gods are gone. Apparently, there was an investigation without alerting everyone else, and while they couldn’t find our dirty, little traitor, they’re sure it wasn’t anyone from Castle of Dragons.”

“That explains why they entrusted this task to us.” Zhongli glances at his friend. “But it sounds like it worked in your favour. Sampo probably wouldn’t have told you about your doppelganger if he couldn’t get anything in return.”

“He would've baited me for as long as he can,” Dan Feng says flatly.

“...Who is this doppelganger of yours, if I may ask?”

Dan Feng closes his eyes for a brief moment and mutters a name that hasn’t left his lips in centuries.

“Dan Heng, my brother.”

◆◆◆

Over the next couple of days, you and your fiancé are settling nicely in your new home. But, you never told him about the strange encounter with the fortune teller at the Cultural Festival, even though it’s been on your mind. You already know what he’ll say:

“It’s just a creepy coincidence… Don’t let it bother you.”

You’ve never asked, but you gradually noticed how he’d change the topic or brush it aside when it’s about Dan Heng. Perhaps the wound hasn’t fully healed.

Your fiancé is cooking a special dinner for New Year’s Eve when you go to the kitchen to find him.

“Have you seen my necklace?”

“Necklace?” he asks, looking at you. “What necklace?”

“The one Dan Heng gave me. I've been looking for it over the past few days, but—”

“...Oh, that. I… I pawned it.”

“You… what?”

He turns off the stove. “I told you I was dropping some things off at the pawn shop the other day.”

“Why would you do that?!”

“You never wore it anymore. I just…" He walks up to you and attempts to put his hands on your shoulders. But, you step away. "I thought you didn’t want it anymore.”

“Didn’t want it anymore?” You clench your fists. “You should've asked! That wasn’t for you to decide!”

“I’m sorry. I…” He takes a small breath. “You’re right. I should’ve asked instead of making that choice for you. But… It’s about time we move on.”

“...What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you think keeping that necklace is hurting you? Hurting us?” Is it just you, or do you have no idea what he’s talking about? “It’s been years since the accident. Keeping something like that… It’ll only remind you of the past.”

“So, according to your logic, I should also get rid of all the things my parents got me as well.”

“No! Of course not! That’s not what I meant.” You walk out of the kitchen with him following you. “Dan Heng wasn’t just a friend.”

You turn around with a hard look in your eyes. “I’m getting my necklace back.” Then, you walk to the closet near the door to grab your jacket.

“It’s late.” His tone isn’t so kind anymore. “Is it really that important?” You don’t bother answering that question but instead, ask for the address of the pawn shop. He hesitates, and it isn’t until you ask for it again that he finally tells you. You grab your car keys and are about to open the garage door when he grabs your arm. “...It’s my fault, I admit. But, can’t you wait until tomorrow? It’s going to rain.”

Even if it can, you still want to get out of the house anyway.

By the time you arrive at the pawn shop, it’s already raining. The vintage-looking pawn shop looks as if it popped out of a fantasy novel. As soon as you step inside, you smell the scent of fresh wood. The place is lit entirely out of oil lamps. Some are hanging from the ceiling. Some sit on small stands. Old paintings and shelves with books and other knicknacks populate the walls. You walk past a glass case with old journals, compasses, and objects you’ve never seen before—not in Xianzhou, at least. Just when you reach the counter, a young woman pushes the beaded curtain aside.

“Hello.” She steps out. “Can I help you?”

“I’m here for a necklace.”

After describing it to her, she looks almost apologetic. “Oh, I’m sorry… Not too long after that young man dropped it off, someone bought it.” Your heart immediately sinks to the pit of your stomach. “Were you interested in buying it?”

“Buying it? That belonged to me," you say, trying but failing to let your emotions get the better of you. “...Do you know who bought it?”

“A woman. A very pretty one, at that. Long blonde hair and gray eyes. I didn’t get a name, though.”

Well… That really narrows it down.

“I’m sorry," the woman continues. "I wish I could be more helpful.”

You look around, checking the store for any CCTV cameras. When you finally find one, you point to it. “Could you check and see if you can identify her?”

“I can try, but… it's quite old, so I hope I can get some clear footage. Could you come back tomorrow morning?"

What other choice do you have?

By the time you leave the shop, it’s pouring. You quickly get in the car and take a glance at your phone.

Are you coming home? Are you okay? I’m sorry… Please forgive me.

You don’t want to forgive him, but a part of you still hopes that you can talk things out. You shoot a quick reply, telling him that you’ll be back at the shop tomorrow. As soon as you toss your phone in the passenger seat, it buzzes, but you don’t bother looking at it again.

You’re driving slower than usual as it’s getting difficult to see the road in front of you and your only companion is the heavy sound of rain against your car.

The one day you forgot your umbrella was the one day it rained. You were standing awkwardly at the bus stop, noticing that you were the only one to take public transportation while everyone else left in cars or had someone to drive them home. A bunch of your classmates drove past you, but you weren’t too surprised that they ignored you. You were like the black sheep of the school. You weren’t rich; you didn’t have connections. But, you did have good grades and loving parents who encouraged you to apply to this private school as it’d “look good on college applications.” There wasn’t any evidence that it’d truly help you, but it was an elite school with good programs. So, why not?

It wasn’t until a week in that you realized everyone knew each other. Or, at least they knew of each other. The community was small, and some people had asked about you and your background. You quickly caught on that telling the truth was a mistake. Some of your classmates made fun of you; others avoided you. The better ones were those who gave you a polite nod and smile. But the best one was Dan Heng, a boy who you met at a park almost a decade ago. A quiet, calm kid who made an effort to sit with you at lunch and unknowingly drew attention to you by giving you his.

You took a breath. Okay. Maybe you can run home. Twenty kilometres isn’t that bad. You ran 5 kilometres and survived. Then you’d have a fun story to tell your parents who were currently overseas. Just as you finished tightening your shoelaces, thunder rumbled in the distance, but it was the sudden calm, male voice that startled you.

“...Hey.”

You turned and almost gasped. “D-Dan Heng? What are you doing here?”

“...Practice got cut short.” He was still in his track uniform. “You don’t have an umbrella?”

“It’s refreshing to run in the rain, don’t you think?” Dan Heng continued staring at you until you finally sighed. “No, I forgot mine.”

“...You’re not running in this weather.”

“Yeah, well, if I continue waiting, it’ll be midnight.”

Dan Heng moved closer to you until you were under his umbrella. “I’ll take you home…”

Suddenly, the truck, speeding in the opposite lane, starts swerving. 

Tires squealed.

The incoming headlights come as fast as the speed of light.

You swerve.

A crash. A bang. And soon, you’re plunging into total darkness.

…

…

…

You want to open your eyes but can’t. But you know you’re still alive. You taste the fresh blood that runs from your head to your mouth. You feel the pain of a million needles stabbing you from all angles. You want to cry, speak, or move. But, you’ve become a vegetable. In the darkness, you see the silhouette of a man. Who is he? You have no idea. So, with the last of your strength, you mutter the name of the person you wish to see:

“...Dan Heng.”

And then the silhouette disappears. Now, you hear a calm, male voice.

"...Save her."

A chuckle.

“And here I thought you didn’t like getting involved with humans.”

Then, you hear someone snap their fingers, and then everything goes completely silent.

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15

End notes:

I don't think anyone can be more excited about this story than me lolol This began as a little seed of an idea a few months ago, and it wouldn't leave my head. At the time, I was thinking of just posting it as a one-shot. But after finding out it's the Year of the Dragon, I kept getting more ideas about it, and what better time to post than, well, now? lmao

There will be a little bit of Blade/You but I've yet to decide if it'll turn into a love triangle... Regardless, I'm determined to make this an epic crossover with fun character interactions between the two worlds. LET'S GOO.

Tag list (open): @lunavixia @aerithsthingss @boomie-123 @sunsethw4

[fortheloveofarchons]

Been playing Love and Deepspace for the past few days and here's my take on this.....

Content warning though, it's gonna be a long post! And this is just coming from someone who only played the game a few days ago so this is just my first impression!

Let me just say this, algorithm...

It's your fault for making me download the game.

You knew I like hot attractive fictional men. You knew I like bratty boyfailures. You knew I like older, stoic yet kind men. You knew I like mysterious softboys.

YOU KNEW.

So you bombarded me with L&DS content on my socials, my home, my walls, and even my grass!!! I won't forgive you for dragging me into another gacha hole, especially when you knew that I promise myself to never spend a dime on any of these games!!! (I'm an f2p player)

Anyways-- Here's my take on this game as a newbie.

The VAs and character designs?

Amazing. I love the boys (including Caleb) and the MC customisation is really detailed. Though, I wish we could have short hair MC permanently but I'm glad we get to experience it on photoshoots. I do wish we get to explore more of the boys on the main plot cause it feels a bit underwhelming. Then again I just finished chapter 3 so we'll see!

I love the dates and the playtime mode since it gives us time to get closer to the boys and understand more about their past and their characteristics. (I'm convinced the claw machine gacha is so random cause one day Xavier won a lot and the next it was Zayne)

I will say tho for now I feel like Rafayel is more developed and interesting compared to the other two. I like Zayne in terms of how much he really cares about his patients and how he was closer to MC back then, but I wish we get more of him soon. For Xavier he's such a mystique as well and I really like him too! Overall, I wish we get more events dedicated to Zayne and Xavier.

The fluidity of the animation and graphics?

Really good considering that I'm playing it on mobile, I set it to medium and its runs pretty smoothly without any low pixelated quality. I love how detailed the backgrounds and designs are, and I really love some of the cinematic shots the developers added during the date scenes. I can't wait to pull for more dates for the characters!

Combat wise?

It's fine for now ,and I really appreciate the proceed 10x button when farming for materuals considering that I'm more of a casual player rather than a combat one.

Though I'm still frustrated that one of the requirements of getting 3 stars for extra diamonds would be to win the combat within 90 secs and I'm like-- boy if that dragon didn't have that short animation I would've gotten it faster!!! If it had been 120 secs I would have gotten it easier... I know that the whole combat system will get a bit complicated the more you ascend your hunter level so I'll just farm for materials just to prepare the inevitable.

Also I wish there were more ways to gain more exps for your hunter level instead of doing the daily tasks. Imagine you are about to head to the next chapter get some main content and yet you can't bc your hunter level is just two level away so you have to wait for the next day...

The plot?

I would say its okay for now since I'm about to head to chapter 4 and even though I finished chapter 3 it still feels like the beginning. The worldbuilding is really interesting but I'm still a bit confused on some aspects of the story. Overall, I can't wait to finally see Caleb on screen (I already saw him on Youtube and I wish he's playable he's so pretty sksksksks)

Edit: I just finished chapter 4.... what in the sweet metaflux world... CALEEEBBBBBB!!!!!

So yeah this is my impression on the game as someone who only joined after a few days! I hope to see more contents for the boys and I can't wait for more chapters (I spoiled myself at chapter 4 and my god... I want Caleb to be playable plzzzzz)

I'm aware that as a newbie my opinions are probably flawed considering that it's barely even a week since I joined, I would love to hear some advices from you guys just so I can prepare myself in terms of combat and to understand more about the characters if I missed anything about them!

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

OC questionnaire

Thanks to @drchenquill here, @somethingclevermahogony here and here, @mk-writes-stuff here, @elsie-writes here, and @dyrewrites here!

My last questionnaires:

Robbie, Gwen, Maddie, Noelle, Jedi, and Kelsey here.

Carmen, George, Akash, Sam, Lexi, and Ash here.

Gabriel, Carla, Parker, Rose, Alex, and Ewan here!

Below the cut I'll do: Liam, Hye-Jin, Wendy, Wade, Issa, and CJ!

#1- Liam

Which color do you hate?

“Beige. Oh my God, it's just a boring color. I thought that we were past this. Different shades of beige and brown are being used to be the ~aesthetic~ of so many people on Tiktok. Ma'am, where are you from, Boringsville??? I'm not dissing brown. Brown is a great color. But beige??? Who thought this would look nice on anything, much less everything? Why are all of your walls beige--you look like you live in a sandcastle. Man, I feel bad for Hye-Jin. Her powers appear beige! You poor thing. I have brown. An awesome color, remember. So earthly. Anyway, beige can go die with the sand in the Yukon River Basin for all I care. If I go into your house and see one beige wall, I'm leaving. A rainbow is weeping. You disgraced the rainbow. How dare you.”

If all the sounds in the world would cease to exist, which sound would you miss the most?

“I don't see the point in making me choose a favorite sound. Also, how do you know sound stopped? Ceased to exist? Sound exists as a vibration through matter. Why would that vibration suddenly stop? How do you know we didn't all just go deaf? That's a significantly more logical explanation than sound disappearing. And if you think I don't have an answer and am just avoiding the question, you're very mistaken. I'd miss people's voices. For a variety of reasons. Connection, analyzing tone, nuances of emotion or thought, even my own voice. Sure, I'd be able to learn a gesture-based language--I am not saying voice is the most important thing to hear. But considering I like a good oral debate, I would still miss it, even if it would take me time to adjust to the new mode of speaking. Next!”

What is the first rule you learned as a child?

“You are going to have to rebel and argue your way out of everything. You may or may not be able to tell, but I am a strongly opinionated person. I can make an argument out of everything. Knowing how to back stuff up with logic and facts to get your way. Push and push and push. Know your shit. If you're wondering how this was the first rule I learned, one of my first memories is refusing to eat my carrots because they were bad. I was...three and a half maybe. And I told my mom, 'if I eat these carrots, I will throw up, and then I'd have to eat more food, and you get mad when food is wasted'. I then ate carrots and threw up. Never had to eat them again.”

#2- Hye-Jin

What is one embarassing memory from your childhood that you can't shake?

“Oh, oh no. First day of class, kindergarten. I had to introduce myself in front of the class. I was so excited for my first day of class. I wore this cute little dress, my hair in high pigtails and bows. But when I stood in front of everyone else, I got so sick I threw up. I think I ate something like prune juice in the morning. My dress was ruined. Had to be walked to the nurse to change. Wore that the rest of the day.”

What would you take with you if you were trapped on a desert island for one week?

“Food, water, and shelter. Sunscreen. I'm not pale, but that doesn't mean I'll be protected from UV rays. I would like a change of clothes just so I feel clean. I wouldn't mind bringing one person along with me, but you said what, so that may not be an option. But I really think I could do it.”

What is your favorite animal?

“I actually really like snakes. They're super cool in terms of design. Love reading about them, and I have a snake themed room!”

#3- Wendy

What is your favourite animal?

“Changes depending on the day. Yesterday it was tigersharks. Today it's a water dragon. Tomorrow it may be a capybara.”

Do you have any obscure skills? What are they?

“I can basket weave. Some people think that's obscure.”

If you could change one thing about the world you live in, what would it be?

“More hours in the day so I can do what I want to do.”

#4- Wade

What is your favorite song?

“Rasputin. How can you not love that song? Mr. Brightside is up there, too.”

Do you like consuming happy, positive media, or sadder, more thought-provoking media?

“I like both. You need a balance in life. But thought-provoking in general. I like thinking about things, analyzing them. Not necessarily sadder stories, but thought-provoking.”

What is your favorite type of weather?

“I like it warm and sunny, but enough cloud coverage. The kind of weather where everything is greener, that makes you say out loud, 'it sure is a beautiful day.'”

#5- Issa

When is the last time you were afraid?

“Last week, I was staying up late working on an essay. I was home alone--something I rarely am with six siblings. It was eerily quiet. I already felt uncomfortable. I was on the phone with Alex, multitasking, so I could have someone to talk to to ease my nerves. She got up to pee, which left me alone in my living room for a few minutes. In that time, I heard a banging on our garage door. It was harsh, constant. I thought someone was trying to break in. Then as quickly as it came, it was gone. Alex got back on the line then. I would've felt much better if whatever that was happened any other time.”

Does the fear haunt you still?

“Not really. It was only a minute, maybe two. Took about an hour talking to Alex. But I stopped working on my essay for the rest of the night. Not that I didn't try, but Alex convinced me to stop when I couldn't concentrate due to my heart pounding.”

What do you do when you're afraid?

“What's with all the fear questions? Well, I usually stand my ground. I yelped a bit when that happened. I was frozen for a bit, but I actually was about to get up to check what the banging was when it stopped.”

#6- CJ

What was your favorite toy as a child?

“I had little mini figurines of a bunch of Puppets* characters. I liked them because most of my playtime consisted of me ordering them based on height. After I lined them up, I would play. I also liked burying a bunch of rubber balls in the yard, leaving them there for, like, a week, then digging them up again. My shovels were definitely a favorite. There was also some cool Alii tech thing that simulated growth of a plant. The entire life cycle, in fact. Man, that was awesome.”

What makes you laugh every time you see it?

“Issa and Alex invite us to their improv shows each Friday. Issa is the best at anything they give her. I could watch her all day. She loves putting inside jokes in her skits for me, and is great at linking back previous gags. And then Alex wins Can You Ask a Question? each time. But it's hilarious how she and Issa interact. One time, Wendy laughed harder than I'd ever seen, and she spit out her drink. Then this one asshole Ellie slipped on it during her turn. So yeah, the improv shows.”

Who is the most annoying person you know?

“Issa is annoyingly optimistic sometimes, but that's why I love her. Parker is also a bit annoying at times, but he's funny as shit, so I don't care. Gabriel is quite annoying. Everyone tells me that we're very similar, but I don't see it. Honestly, yeah, it's Ellie. I didn't want to say she was annoying cause she's mainly rude. She's constantly making fun of me for everything I do. Like she doesn't like how organized and specific I am for some reason. She asked for a pencil once, and I told her no, I have my pencils for a very specific reason, and don't let anyone else use them. I think she's hated me ever since. It's probably not as petty as that, unless it is. I don't know. Thankfully, I don't know her well enough to answer that question.”

*this universe's Muppets

TSP intro

I'll tag @gracehosborn @little-peril-stories @willtheweaver @willowiswriting @rickie-the-storyteller @mysticstarlightduck @badluck990 @unrepentantcheeseaddict @winterandwords @oh-no-another-idea @awritingcaitlin @cwritesfiction + anyone else who would like to play!

EDIT: I DID NOT GIVE YOU QUESTIONS OH MY GODDDDDD I'm so sorry

What's something that was horrible in the moment, but in hindsight is hilarious?

Do you often get lost in thought? Where does your mind go? How do you focus?

Who do you worry about the most?

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

[tsuchinokoroyale]

I’d love to hear more about your thoughts on JJK. Admittedly, I’m not well versed in shonen, so I never even considered that it was trying to subvert the genre.

P.S. Thank you for the consistently thoughtful takes and hot ass 😘

Ooooo boy I hope you’re ready for a whole ass essay 😎😎😎

Shonen as a genre has changed over time as any art form does, but it is still mired in tropes that can be traced back to the classics. The shonen genre is thus named bc its target demographic is boys to young men, for our discussion we’ll say teenage boys. While it obviously has big appeal for other demographics, it is mainly designed to both appeal AND communicate life lessons to that crowd of impressionable kids.

Because of this dual function you get this really odd genre full of super powerful special boys who love their friends but have no qualms about slaughtering their enemies. They typically espouse lessons about the merits of hard work, sticking to your beliefs ((so long as your beliefs are beneficial to society at large)), of goodness and friendship triumphing over evil. Look no further than DBZ and Naruto which can broadly be divided into Battle Arcs and Training Arcs, upping the ante for our special boy main protagonists until we literally have them fighting gods as the logical extreme of continuous escalation.

The Standard™ Shonen formula has a boy main protagonist who’s got some sort of motivation that is so ideologically pure that he’s basically impossible to defeat. Goku loves to fight, Naruto wants to be hokage, Tanjiro wants to cure his sister and slayer all the demons, etc. He forms/joins a band of merry outcasts with their own tragic backstories and sets out to defeat whatever villain appears for that arc. If they win, arc is over move onto training arc, if they lose, they train, fight and win, then train some more. The fun of the genre comes from the colorful side characters, and the little twists that come with each battle system, which brings us to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.

At the time JJBA was being published, the big influence on manga was big beefy male led 80s action movies and Fist of the North Star, a manga about a beefy martial artist named Kenshiro going around beating baddies in a post apocalyptic world. Battle systems in Shonen were usually incredibly soft, most tied to physical combat enhanced by some poorly defined life force energy that could be called upon to even out fights and give big climactic finishes, like Ki from dragon ball and their iconic kamehamehas. Even JJBA starts off this way, with our beefy boys learning Hamon/Ripple and duking it out with vampires, til my man Hirohiko Araki was like “mmmm this is kind of limiting. Time to Change Everything~” and he came up with the concept of Stands, incredibly limited psychic/magic abilities that manifest as furries or sexy robots or a Lego version of the White House (?). You can see this idea really grow and expand within the part it’s introduced, going from “fire furry” and “robot knight with sword” to “guy whose stand turns into a ball that immediately erases anything it runs into but he can’t really see what he’s attacking since he has to be inside his stand in order for it to work also his name is Vanilla Ice and he’s a vampire in a thong.”

You can FEEL the impact this had even to this day. Stands became Jutsus in Naruto, quirks in MHA, Nen in HxH, Cursed Techniques in JJK. And part of what made it fun was that it added strategy to the mix! Str8 physical fights are hard to strategize bc it’s basically just a numbers game, right? Like bc his power level is over 9000, it’s going to be a tough time until some plot contrivance and/or training occurs to drive *my* power level over 9000. But now there is an additional layer of *how* these powers interact.

My ability is to blow bubbles and his ability is to turn a single person who comes into contact with bodily fluids into a mindless zombie? Create bubble shields so they can’t splash blood on you. My ability is to fold anything into origami and if you touch the origami you begin to see one object as something else and his ability is an automatic tracking stand that hunts me down by creating face shredding tornados when I breathe? Make a city bus look like my dad ((part 8 is fucking nuts)).

As you can tell, JJBA really burst open the dam on creativity, but as per the examples I’ve given they can often feel very… silly and contrived. The Serious Anime Fan™ will complain and say those fights are full of asspulls, which they are, but that’s very much part of the fun of the series. BUT because diversity is the spice of life, you also get artists who are less interested in adhering to the Rule of Cool and more interested in making things explicitly “logical” which is how we get Hunter x Hunter.

While JJBA dabbles in using stands for characterization, HxH goes HARD into it. Nen abilities are ((usually)) manifestation of their user’s idea of power, creating a direct link between who that person is and what they can do as a result. This is balanced by people having innate Nen types which means the kinds of abilities they can use are limited, though there are rules restrictions and exceptions to this as well. We know all of this bc mangaka Togashi literally gives a college level lecture on Nen in the story, describing how it manifests, how it works, what it can and can’t do, and how individual rules can supersede the basic set of rules and the rules for doing that. I call this style Erudite Shonen, bc bitches be TALKING. In erudite Shonen, powers usually fall on the complex side, even Bungee Gum, which has the properties of both rubber and gum, can be used in insane ways like ricocheting bullets, gluing minors together, and/or cheesing a game of dodgeball and it’s all both shown AND told.

Now where does JJK fall into all this? Listifying the common Shonen tropes we have A Special Boy main protagonist with a pure motive, a crew, goodness triumphing over evil, prioritizing bonds and community over selfish gain, and the winning power of hard work.

Early JJK fits the mold pretty well. Yuji Itadori starts off the series special, with superhuman fitness before he ingests sukuna’s finger at which point he becomes a Naruto analog, where he is strong because he has a powerful spirit trapped inside him. He has the rather off kilter but still acceptable goal of “dying a proper death”. His squad of mentor Gojo, Fushiguro, and Kugisaki is established by episode 3. The villains are cursed spirits who want to eradicate humanity, the good guys are the jujutsu sorcerers who say “no u” to that. Yuji wants to gain power to protect others instead of just becoming powerful himself. And there’s a training arc! Sure, it happens after Yuji gets his heart ripped out, but he’s not even dead that long. Even the powers in early JJK present themselves as pretty simple, Fushiguro does shadow summoning, Kugisaki does hammer and nail resonance, panda, Inumaki does cursed speech.

It wears its darkness on its sleeve however, presenting Junpei as a potential future team member only to shockingly kill him. The whole star plasma vessel incident casts an unflattering light on Jujutsu society. But none of that COMPARES to the shitshow that happens in Shibuya, where JJK finally shows its real hand.

Over the course of the Shibuya arc, we watch our protagonist mount an offense against the villains that have been building themselves up over the course of the show, sacrificing so so much just to ultimately… lose. The Shibuya arc subverts not just idiosyncratic plot beats but story telling traditions as well. “The strongest” loses, multiple fan favorite characters are either taken out of commission or outright killed, the story progression slams the fast forward button as Yuji goes from having ingested 4 out of 20 fingers to 15/20 resulting in mass civilian casualties because his version of the 9 tailed fox is an actual monster, and ((meta-narratively)) worst of all, Yuji doesn’t even get to defeat his arch-rival, Mahito. Instead Mahito is unceremoniously absorbed by other big bad Geto/Kenjaku. It’s supremely unsatisfying and the weight of the tragedy is so immense you wonder how our heroes are gonna come back from this.

And thus begins the “deconstruction” phase of JJK. Cuz they just… don’t. As dark as Shibuya got, a standard Shonen would then go on to give the heroes a big fat W, some sort of come back after all that. But not JJK! Bc JJK is subversive 😏 this means the fact that the story is super unsatisfying is like, the point mannnn. This isn’t the worst thing that can happen. Chainsawman is also a story of major L’s and minor W’s and it’s my #1 favorite modern manga series. The difference is in intent, however. Chainsawman works as well as it does bc at its core, it loves Denji. He REALLY goes through the ringer, but it’s all in service of understanding what life is like for someone trapped on the hedonic treadmill and how one can ((attempt anyways)) to break out of it.

And then there’s JJK. It truly feels like the manga is designed to tear Yuji’s self sacrificial mindset to shreds for the sake of making him suffer and for the reader to feel bad for ever feeling like good has to triumph over evil. The real problem is, it feels as if the series is bending over backwards to make this shit happen.

Part of the change over is what was a previously simple-ish battle system goes full Erudite Shonen. There were hints that cursed energy could get more complicated, what with domain completion competition and guaranteed hits and simple domains and that one guys FPS ability I can’t explain. But we go FULL HxH level afterwards. All of a sudden oxygen delivery to the brain becomes important to cursed technique, there’s domain range and boundary fidelity and incomplete domain properties, disruption of somatic components becomes a factor, and… it honestly feels like utter nonsense at times.

Complexity isn’t bad, like I mentioned I LOVE HxH and could probably explain the chrollo-hisoka fight if you gave me a few hours to study, but I could not tell you all the new rules for cursed energy that seem just kind of invented on the spot in random chapters during this back half of JJK. Bc they involve concepts never really mentioned before, it feels like an asspull, like this was something made up to force the situation at hand. Thing is, more of those situations only benefit the villains. You get shit like a character winning a battle at the end of one chapter and then starting the next one to find they were killed off screen moments later, actually. It’s just like yeah it’s subversive, but the reason stories aren’t told like this is bc this shit sucks lmao. I think out of all the plans the heroes make like only a handful of them are actually successful, and even then they get so unwound by the next step in the plan that they may as well have not happened. It doesn’t help that the abilities are so complicated now you’ll get a chapter dedicated to explaining what one guy can do just to have him wiped off the face of the earth the next one.

So the crew is gone, our special boy is actually the most disempowered guy ever except for the fact that he can’t be killed for some reason, the good guys are NOT doing a great job standing up to evil since like 86% of their plans fail or have bad results, a gag character wins one of the most important fights in the story and it’s unironically the best thing JJK has done in a while, and it’s all just a very confusing slog to read. This is the danger of writing subversion for the sake of subversion with intent for contempt, kids 😮‍💨

Granted we aren’t at the end of the story yet so maybe I’ll be wrong and there’ll be like a reset button that fixes everything (( which would also suck )), but yeah. JJK wants what HxH did in the chimera ant arc but forgot that that story was possible bc it was fundamentally about humanity and love, not just the parts about how people suck and goodness can fail.

If you made it this far congratulations you’re entitled to one big kissy on ur forehead from me and barnaby 😚😚😚

[th3b4dk1dzz]

The Just Dancers as a DnD Party

Designs created by me on Hero Forge

Sara as a Fighter (Champion)

With Sara being new to the Danceverses. I considered what the DnD equivalent to this, which I settled on champion Fighter (I think my first character was one). The simplicity of the build works for Sara as a character due to her being the player insert coach of JD23.

Wanderlust as a Sorcerer (Divine Soul)

Given that Wanderlust is described as a Sorcerer in canon, it seemed obvious what class should be. I chose Divine Soul as Favoured by the Gods ties in with him being The Chosen One. Also I think I like the idea of Wanderlust having healing magic, although we've never seen him use it in game.

Brezziana as a Paladin (Oath of Glory)/Fighter (Banneret)

I think there's a lot of abilities in a Paladin's tool kit that could be flavoured to Brezziana's build. For instance, the flow that radiates off her in Stronger could either be her aura of protection or her divine smites, and her helping people up in the bridge to Physical could be her casting Lay on Hands. As for her subclass, Oath of Glory paladins are all about honing the body and being at your physical peak to overcome challenges, if that's not perfect for her as a fitness trainer I don't know what is.

I also gave her a fighter multiclass to tie into the lyric, "What doesn't kill you, makes a fighter." The features of Banneret fighters, also known as Purple Dragon Knights (like her hair colour) have a lot of supportive capabilities, thus tying more to her Paladin features of keeping her allies up in the fight.

Mihaly as a Monk (Way of the Astral Self)

Mihaly fits into the Monk class like a singular coloured glove. Their dance style is quick, fluid, and controlled, which ties into the high dexterity wisdom monks need. They have a strong spiritual connection to the flow, which mechanically would be their ki.

As @halfratsalready said in their own Just Dance & Dragons posts, Way of the Astral Self is a reflavour of Mihaly's panda form, stemming from years of honing their monk abilities connection to the world around them

Jack Rose as a Bard (College of Eloquence)/Rogue (Swashbuckler)

I mean, he is a performer, and bards do have a feat called jack of all trades.

I gave him the College of Eloquence as they're geared around holding the attention of the crowd and charming people. Additionally, I added a Swashbuckler rogue multiclass because rogues have a lot of tools to get out of the way, evade damage, and swashbucklers have a lot of charisma based abilities, thus suiting his spell casting modifier.

Mostly, I think he would be doing support spellcasting from range, but from having the rogue sneak attack, he would just be able to do a lot more damage if an enemy got too close.

Bonus: Fairy!Discoball

In this universe Discoball is Wanderlust's familiar/protector/younger sibling (they're really tiny). Think the Tinkerbell to his Peter Pan or the Navi to his Link.

[cabinetsecurity]

Re: the Crowley is Lucifer thing

I’m having thoughts

firstly. Crowley being Lucifer would definitively mean that Satan ≠ Lucifer, which, I’ll get back to.

So for starters: Crowley IS the snake in the garden of eden. That is a commonly accepted fact. the serpent of eden is generally considered to have been satan. Revelation directly describes satan as a snake: “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Rev 12:9 KJV. This also describes the falling of a third of the heavenly host, who would become demons.

next we have Crowley’s line during Jesus’ execution minisode. “Seemed a very bright young man. I showed him all the kingdoms of the world.” Good Omens Se1:Ep3 3.21. Crowley and Aziraphale go back a forth a bit here about Jesus but this line in particular is a reference to another biblical passage. Specifically Mathew 4:8-9 says:

“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Mathew 4:8-9 KJV

It is clear that Crowley is referencing this story during the minisode where he is playing a role explicit in being about satan.

in season two we see a lot more to lend credence to Crowley having been an extremely powerful figure in heaven prior to the fall. Lucifer is generally considered to have been an extremely powerful angel. When the archangels are talking about an “Institutional Problem” Se2:Ep6, they are referring to the fall of Lucifer and loss of a third of the heavenly hosts.

Crowley is shown to have been a powerful angel (“they never change their passwords”)(working closely with the designer (God?) on the nebula). But despite seeming to remember some of his time in heaven its unclear if he remembers it all (not recognizing Aziraphale in Eden)(not recognizing Furfur at all)(He seems to know exactly how to bring memories out of Jim). While this could be a sideeffect of falling, it is not something any other demon references.

If its something specific to Crowley that would lead one to think that special care was put into making sure he wouldn’t be causing trouble down the road when he fell. If Crowley was Lucifer, it would make sense for heaven to take that special care. An extremely powerful archangel would make an extremely dangerous enemy, especially with an army at his disposal.

deconstructing the fall a bit; Crowley says on multiple occasions that he never intended to fall, that he was only asking questions, that he just hung out with the wrong crowd. In se2:ep1 we get an idea of exactly what that looked like when he protests to the destruction of the universe after a measly 6,000 years. This scene strongly implies (esp. with Aziraphale’s reaction to his discontent) that this particular issue is what resolved with him falling. But given how early on this questioning was, it may not be unreasonable if he was the first angel to actually question the Great Plan. revising season 1, Crowley expresses a similar opinion in the garden when he comments that “I can’t see what’s so bad about knowing the difference between good and evil, anyway.” Se1:ep1.

Crowley consistently supports and expresses free will. Other people have made longer posts deconstructing the role free will plays in GO so I will keep it short. Season two shows multiple times that both angels and demons aren’t incapable of free will but, because of the bureaucracy and looming Great Plan (as well as lack of access to actual options) they typically do not exercise this ability. Aziraphale expresses that free will is for humans and not within the realm of angels, yet uses free will constantly.

Isiah 14:13-14 KJV says: “For thou [Lucifer] hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Compare this to the Genesis tempting of Eve and Adam: “You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it vour eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." In both passages the stated goal is to be as God, in wisdom or power.

Crowley declares that he wants to register a complaint in the holy suggestion box and goes on to say that if He were God, he would Want people to make suggestions. This dabbles dangerously close to a precipice we know he goes over. He’s exercising and encouraging free will well before humans got the chance. Its implied in the Job minisode that Crowley was never successful in actually asking God his questions. “Is God actually talking to him?….But just to be able to ask the question.” Se2:ep2.

This leads back into memory wiping.

Crowley gives two reasons why he fell. A) Hanging around the wrong people and B) asking too many/the wrong questions. Season two shows that the real reason was probably related more to the questions than the crowd. Hanging in the wrong crowd was brought up once in season one but never really touched on again.

my proposed timeline would look something like this: Crowley (Lucifer) begins to question -> he starts stirring up some lower angels with the particular questions -> some more extreme plans start getting discussed -> Crowley (Lucifer) gets brought in and memory wiped and sent to a lower station, like they were planning to do with Gabriel -> another powerful angel takes control and launches a rebellion -> Crowley gets swept up in it and falls as a result -> he regains his memory over time post fall.

this would explain Lucifer and Satan being separate beings, especially if Satan started claiming to be Lucifer.

anyways, thanks for coming to my TedTalk

[ganymedesclock]

What are your thoughts on TotK so far?

[spoiler alert obviously don't keep reading if you don't want this]

-Gloom hands are the absolute best I love them so much never stop being horrible

-Gleeoks are nice. good to see them again. like the new look.

-Admittedly not completely wild about the fuse system but Kohga attacks you with a car and it's fun to watch people build all the looney tunes contraptions people make

-Can't believe they finally dropped Zelda's fursona only to make it a dimension of torment for her. I love the light dragon but can't Zelda have a dragon break rather than a dragon breakdown.

-In seriousness with the fake Zelda running around it could be an interesting twist if everyone believes the light dragon is hostile because it keeps randomly dive-bombing people while a Zelda who is lucid but unable to communicate is trying to chase people away from her impostor.

-Related to a prior point I like to think the Koroks kind of enjoy being yeeted. they're prankster forest spirits. this has to be at least a little bit fun.

-I'm not keen on Kilton in the first place and I don't think we needed Kilton 2: Worse Kilton. I don't like how every NPC in TLOZ that doesn't look completely conventionally attractive is increasingly signaled as either an evil overlord or a funny idiot you shouldn't respect or take seriously. I do not want to watch these clowns dance for me as a reminder to not take any sort of interest in monsters seriously. This is a vibes based thing and is not limited to the designs. I feel like you could keep those designs as-is and salvage the vibes but I'm not quite sure how.

-Narratively, Tears of the Kingdom feels suffused with a specific kind of old man sadness that he is No Longer Hip With The Kids (and this is not gender-specific but the predominant gender of the mouthpieces it is given ingame must be noted) without making any concessions to what The Kids actually care about so Rauru is here because they heard you didn't like Rhoam so now there's a super cool hip with-it dad who never yells at Zelda but also just like Rhoam his actions amount to failing her at a critical moment, leaving her alone to suffer, and then coming back as a ghost to implicitly give Link Daddy's Blessing to marry Zelda.

I want to like Rauru way more than I do because the Zonai's designs are fantastic, but I feel like the depiction of these "Sky Gods" and their role in history ends up patronizing the hell out of both the Zonai and everybody else, but especially the non-hyrulean vassal states where the Zonai are made out to be needless fairy godmothers when they have all the hallmarks of a dying people 10,000 years ago, we can only imagine Rauru's legacy was whitewashed to hell and back considering how central Hyrule positions its non-Hylian allies, But Then Also the Zonai are so beautiful and smart they created everything with their inherent superiority and if the gerudo, zora, gorons, or rito have any meaningful cultural legacy no they didn't the Zonai did this for/with them.

Also can we please not physically put the arm of the king with its power to command things and space on Link's body. This feels like a twofer desecrating Rauru even further by disembodying him down to only the useful part of him and also literally making Link just a bodily platform for the King's Authority. no we're not gonna empower YOUR hand we're gonna hack it off while you're unresponsive to make room for the real kingly authority. We've been doing this since Wind Waker and the quiet part feels like it's getting louder.

-I love Gloom I love the Depths. on the one hand yes they could afford to be a little more Actual Cave Like but as it is it kind of sends the vibe of like, a prior surface that sunk downward into the earth. The idea of moving up as well as down, this sort of heaven-and-hell motifs, are kinda great.

-As afraid as I was of this version of Ganondorf being made out to be a puppet/pawn/disciple of Demise I was actually very, very pleased to see the man just straight up eat Demise's lunch in every conceivable way. Even his demon king form which feels the closest to aping Demise replaces the primal pyroclast vibes with that saturated blood color. Demise feels like a primal titan- Ganondorf feels like a Persephone stained with the fruits of the underworld. I love his designs I love his vibes I love what they did with him. This is SUCH a good return to 'letting Ganondorf be a person rather than a screaming rage cloud'.

Literally the only thing I don't like is I think his tiny dinky oni horns are silly and he didn't need them. that's it.

-I mentioned Kohga but I'm so glad Kohga just decided that since he fell down a hole he Lives There Now.

-the like likes are excellent. If you are sensing a pattern here it's that I'm very fond of the creature design. You begin to see why I'm frustrated with Kilton and Kilton 2: Worse Kilton. Just let me hang out with the horriblins. have you seen them.

-Ok I don't really like that they had a "here, idiot, this is how you make a functional weapon" angle to giving Conspicuously Weapon Shaped horns on all the main monsters so you can just harvest them to make spears or hammers or such. This is part of the part of Fuse I'm not keen on.

-did we really need zonai device gachapons. they were not being at all subtle about how toyetic this new mechanic was, to the point of it feeling kinda immersion breaking. how seriously are we supposed to take this. Zelda is over there doing the anime fisheye stare. This is the last surviving legacy of a dead people. We are capable of recreating the Guardian Massacre from BOTW onto random blins now. But whee. Car go brrrr.

-TLOZ Please Stop Adding Gimmick Robot Characters That Obviously Have Feelings But Are Also Slavishly Bound To A Purpose Long After It's Useful To Anyone And Were Made That Way By Heroic Guys We Are Supposed To Root For And This Isn't Framed As A Problem, and other songs by Fall Out Boy,

-Yona is a good character and I like her, Sidon is allowed to be bisexual

-this isn't unique to TOTK or originating there but I have a little petty rage in my heart that goron rock food is just... comedy cartoon meat but made of rocks. I hate it. expose us to an entirely alien concept of cuisine. Make me yearn to eat bismuth knowing my human limitations would fail me. I was thinking about this the entire Marbled Rock Roast plot.

WHAT IS THERE TO ROAST

IT'S ROCKS

HEAT CANNOT ALTER THE PROPERTIES OF ROCKS WITHOUT EITHER MELTING THEM OR TURNING THEM INTO A WHOLE DIFFERENT ROCK

-I think Evermeans are good and we should live in fear of resource-useful setpieces more often. there should be hostile jar mimics next. Wind Waker had enemies popping out of jars but also you could get the drop on them by breaking the jar like normal, and that fails the mimic test of "am I now afraid to perform Ordinary Actions in places I'm not sure are safe"

[ryin-silverfish]

So, in summary, the Jie sect was more accepting of the Yaoguai, while the Chan sect did not have a single Yaoguai in their group (except for Shen but that's more like a HC) and they also did not like the idea of Yaoguai as students but also these Yaoguai of the Jie sect may have committed bad deeds before the events.

Could we say that the Yaoguai in fsyy cannot have redemption and are seen more as monsters, while in Jttw they, in some cases, can be redeemed and not necessarily be evil?

Apart from the questionable case of "Does White Crane Boy turning into a white crane on the Old Man of the South Pole's order means that's his true form?", the Chan Sect did have one Yaoguai, the Dragon-bearded Tiger(龙须虎), who was duped into go after Jiang Ziya by Shen Gongbao, but surrendered and became his disciple.

An ancient hybrid of a dragon and a leopard, born in the time of the mystical emperor Shao Hao, he looks incredibly bizarre, with the head of a camel, neck of a goose, whiskers like a shrimp's, body of a fish, taloned hands and a single tiger-like foot. His power is boulder magic——yeah, just throwing large rocks at people.

Unfortunately, he died to Wu Wenhua in Chapter 91 and got deified as the Nine Ugly Star(九丑星). But his existence does suggest that the Chan Sect doesn't refuse yaoguai as disciples on principle, they are just a lot more rare and don't occupy senior positions like the Jie Sect ones.

Also, I wouldn't exactly say that yaoguais don't have redemption in FSYY; even though deification through death is considered the inferior route to godhood, most of them did become gods of the Celestial Realm——at least in the most commonly read Chinese version.

Like the 28 Lunar Mansions(kinda similar to WCB, they were never called yaoguais outright, except they did have some sort of 妖氛, "demonic aura") who all died in the Ten Thousand Immortal Formation, the Seven Monsters of Plum Mountain, and even Lady Rock Demoness, who died to Taiyi before the War of the Investiture began, becomes the Wandering Moon Star(月游星).

The catch is that, well, the names on the Investiture do not stay consistent between editions, and the Ming dynasty version of the Investiture didn't have a lot of the yaoguais that were deified in the "common version". It also has a bunch of inconsistencies that suggest this list might be inherited from an older, now lost version, where yaoguais and non-humans were not considered legitimate candidates for deification.

However, a lot of yaoguais are destined to be taken in by the "Western Sect"——predecessor of Buddhism led by Sage Cundi/Zhunti(准提道人) and Sage Jieyin(接引道人).

The former, apart from defeating Kong Xuan the seriously OP peacock general and making him into Mahamayuri, would also use a bamboo as fishing pole to catch the Black Cloud Immortal(乌云仙), revert him to his turtle form, and take him to the West.

Oh, also, he basically just opened his magical Qiankun Sack during the Ten Thousand Immortal Formation arc and...well, grabbed every nameless opponent who's "destined to end up in the Western Sect" like ancient China's most opportunistic Pokemon trainer.

Apart from the three future Bodhisattvas, Sage Randeng(Daoist-ized Dipamkara) of the Chan Sect would also subdue and take in the Winged Immortal(a golden-winged peng eagle), as well as the flame spirit of Vulture Peak's crystal lamp, Ma Shan.

So even in the version where yaoguais were not supposed to be deified, I'd say the novel still designated a way for them to be "redeemed" through the Western Sect.

But because FSYY has a serious character inflation problem due to the need to fill in The List, characterization for pretty much everyone was on the lacking side.

As a result, its yaoguais are far less memorable than the humorous, lively and more "human" yaoguais of JTTW, but honestly, so do most of its human characters whose sole purpose of existence was to die and be deified.

[zodarii-dae]

Just finished watching 3rd Life!!!! I was a bit busy so I couldn't do it as quickly as I wanted to but I made it.

I watched Grian's pov as you suggested and holy fuck was that a ride. I have Thoughts.

Grian and Scar. Scar and Grian. Those two shared a braincell and Grian had it for most of the series.

Grian I think had the most kills out of anyone by the end of it??? Guy really thought he could use Scar as an excuse to satiate his bloodlust without losing any lives. He was 100% correct.

Scar had a lot of kills too, didn't he? Especially in the Dogwarts war. Even if he is the goofy boss to Grian's competent right-hand man, it was nice to see him get down to business as well.

"Your Honor, he pleads /j."

I'm focusing a lot on Scar and Grian here, but I would also like to give a shoutout to Jimmy for being the first person out. From what I hear it's pretty on-brand for him and it makes me think Scott was his Grian. For a second I thought it was Cleo tho.

The Battle of the Red Desert was painful to watch lmfao.... Scar pulled the lever, Grian. Wrong time tho.

Can't be good at building without being good at demolition. Grian really likes TNT, doesn't he. Just pray he never improves at redstone, I think it's best his traps stay broken.

I learned from a comment section that Impulse was killed for a clock that belonged to him in the first place. Rough going, buddy.

Scar's second death had me wheezing.... that's how you know he had some sort of plot armor on, no matter what Grian might say, cuz no way in hell did that guy become the first red name and stay alive for 2nd place.

That was the most Canadian fistfight I ever did see. Scar's muscles did not help.

Grian I see is associated with a bird sometimes? I don't know the reason for that but I find it interesting considering he killed himself by jumping off a cliff.

All in all....... yeah I really liked it!!! I have only watched Grian's pov tho, so if you recommend checking out any other POVs, I could do so. Not sure if I'll be able to watch any of the other Life seasons soon, as I might start dipping into, y'know, Hermitcraft/Empires (thanks to you, really!), but we'll see.

This was long. Yeah. Uhhhh Wings of Fire: A Guide To The Dragon World is coming out October I think I read the excerpt I'm excited ok bye-

nice! glad to see you again :D.

desert duo my beloved. absolutely they are two halves of a whole idiot. grian is the designated braincell holder.

grian kills and maims and we love him for it. i love his maniacal laugh whenever he gets a good kill. like a cartoon villain.

scar is goofy and silly and also bloodthirsty. he's so much fun. he can go from himbo to terrifying red life so fast.

yup, very on brand. poor jimmy. scott is kind of his grian? he's definitely the green to his red, and smart to his stupid, but their vibes are pretty different from grian and scar. they're husbands rather than boss and right hand.

i cannot physically express how disappointed i was when the explosion didn't kill anyone.

the real best duo, grian and tnt.

impulse's death... oh i feel so bad for him. you could hear him starting to say bdubs' name as he died. i had to stare at the wall for like five minutes after that scene.

the only reason scar lasted so long was because of grian. if they hadn't teamed up, he would have died much quicker lmao.

oh the fist fight. oh the cactus ring. oh god.

grian is usually depicted as a parrot hybrid. i'm not sure why, i think it started as a hermitcraft fandom thing that bled into his other stuff. people often fannonized as birds falling to death is one of my favorite things. i can't get enough of it.

if you want to watch more povs, i would recommend martyn or scott. martyn's is good if you want to understand the dogwarts side of things, and scott's is just one of my favorites.

i haven't watched any hermitcraft myself, but i plan to one of these days. empires is one of my favorite smps, and really what got me back into mcyt. if you ever do get around to watching the other life series, i think you'd enjoy them!

i'm also very excited for the guidebook! i haven't read the excerpt though.

[lairofdragonagelore]

Brecilian Ruins - DAO

[Remade post, originally from here] 

I don't know what to make of Brecilian Ruins. Can we truly trust DAO design with its statues? Spoiler answer: no.

[This is part of the series “Playing DA like an archaeologist”]

The following post contains

Tevinter architecture filled with Elven traps

Iconography

The Well of Sorrows: DAO version

The Tevinter Artefacts

Extra minor details

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore]

Tevinter architecture filled with Elven traps

The first thing we have when entering these Ruins is Morrigan telling us that, despite seeing the whole place with the same architecture we saw in the Ruins of Dalish origin, this is Tevinter. Sure, we can assume that the Dalish hunters know nothing of Elvhenan Architecture or Tevinter Architecture, so their opinion about those ruins being elven could be wrong from the first moment. They are, after all, extremely unreliable beholders of the reality. 

Anyways, let's assume Morrigan is right and we see Tevinter arquitecture with Elven traps. This is quite different of what we usually find in Thedas: which is elven structures appropriated by Tevinter humans. This makes sense when you think that the elves were the first creatures in this world, and humans came later, in addition to Tevinter always co-opting any knowledge or techniques from the Elvhenan. 

However in Brecilian forest the order of the events seems to be on the other way around. Historically speaking, it can be explained in the following way:  we know that Tevinter invaded Ferelden and built many structures with defensive purposes, like Ostagar [which was built to contain the “danger” of the Chasind in the far South]. 

We also know in the DLC: Witch Hunt, that slaved elves ran away from the North to the South years later after the fall of Arlathan. We know they hid for a while in a Thaig, but maybe some could have reached these forest and inhabit the ancient human structures, protecting themselves with elven traps to keep Tevinter slavers away from them.

Another possibility is that Tevinter simply co-opted the Elven traps and used them in their own buildings. It would not be the first time doing this.

Iconography

The Ruin corridors and chambers are filled with statues. They are the same statues we saw in Zathrian's camp: Sylaise (woman with a vessel), Andruil (woman with a sword. Why? Should not be a bow?), and Ghilan'nain (woman without head and hands). 

These are the same exact statues we find in any Chantry, Circle of Magi, or human town, so this is exactly why I never trusted DAO design in general. I don't know if the engine and its lack of resources made them reuse a lot of background details, or there is a real intention in them [I incline to the former]. Considering that DAO had almost 10 years of development, I want to believe that this is not by chance... but maybe the limitations of the engine forced them to remove most of the potential that environmental telling has to offer... I don't know.

In any case, inside the Brecilian Ruins we see a symbol or figure we also saw in the Dalish origin: a kind of dragon-head like figure, accompanied many times by one of those figures that we believe, it represents Andruil (the goddess of Hunt). This could also represent Andraste [who always has a sword or a shield in her representations] beside two figures that look like dragon heads. This would link Andraste with Dragons too, which has been a repeated association that we are not stranger to. 

In DAO we see that the dalish are deeply related to Dragons too if we pay attention to the enviromental details that are not repeated anytwhere else:  in Zathrian's clan we see many aravels with masks that are dragon-like skulls, and when you click on them, you find out it's a representation of one of their elven pantheon. 

We see the concept art of these in the credits of the game.

By now it's quite difficult to say if this is an obvious link of the Elven Pantheon with dragons or maybe Old Gods, or it's just a vestige of former slave elves whose masters may have forced them to worship the Old Gods. It is not strange that a slaved group takes the religious symbols of their slavers and worship them in the name of their own (forbidden) gods. We know that we can't trust in Dalish tales as reliable sources of History, because it's extremely fragmented and lost (thanks to DAI we are truly aware of how false they are containing barely a pinch of truth in them, twisted and romanticed).

On the other hand, I am inclined to think that this is just a representation of how the Elvhenan had, originally, a religion based on Dragons. We know that they venerated a “divine” shape that was meant for their gods and their chosen ones that implied Wings, and due to Mythal’s shape, we associate this Divine Shape with the form of a Dragon. Additional material that can support this speculation can be found in the first three comics of DA comics [The Silent Grove , Those Who Speak, Until We Sleep] where we are informed that the Dragons were the ones who controlled the skies originally, possibly had a broad power over the Fade [Dreamer-like, so from the Fade they could alter reality], and they may have been related to an original non-fragmented “song” that everythign and everyone in the world sang.  Also, Dragon Blood is “the blood of the World”, placing the Titans in a confusing position within the lore.

In these Ruins we find a codex of Falon'Din. Which is the same god that Talem told us about when we asked him if he could identify that strange winged statue. So... the confusions gets worse here: it's a Tevinter Ruin, with elven traps, and Elven God statues. 

It’s impossible to overlook the fact that this statue of Falon’Din has strong resemblance to the Old God statue of Urthemiel. As if Falon’Din wanted to have the shape of Urthemiel.

The chamber with the fire traps displays “Sylaise” and “Andruil” statues. Which in terms of Dalish Elven lore makes little sense. Andruil? Sure, she is the hunter goddess, though in these statues she is not in a aggressive stance. So is she chasing after you?. And what about Sylaise? The goddess of the domestic arts? Trying to kill you? Protecting the home of the elves? In a Tevinter structure? This makes a bit of more sense if we keep in mind what we know about Andruil from DAI and the little bit of Sylaise [read their sections in Evanuris]; Sylaise is a very agressive, envious goddes of Fire, who is described top have fire breath [like a dragon?], as powerful as Andruil’s spear [a very dangerous and brutal weapon so far we know]. Andruil is presented to us in DAI as the goddess of Sacrifice, brutal and merciless so far we can gather from the codices. So both goddesses seem to fit a bit better in a deadly trap room if we keep in mind the interpretation we had from DAI.

The Well of Sorrows: DAO version

Then we reach to our first "Well of Sorrows". Or more like "Puddle of Sorrows", lol. Once again, we find a wall covered with that Dragon-like skull statues of “Andruil” and “Sylaise” [I keep the quotation mark because we know we can’t trust little these representations]. We also find the codex of an ancient elven tablet explaining the ritual which, after DAI, makes more sense. You drink from the water of the pool, taking the knowledge left by other elves, and then you put the rest of the water in it, leaving your knowledge there [it works similar to what Abelas explained about the Well of Sorrows]. It seems to be corrupted or empty since you don’t have any whispers or sudden knowledge inside your head, and many Shades are summoned if you fail in the procedure. This chamber unlocks the following one where we find the Uthenera chamber.

Since the only Elven god codex we found in these ruins is Falon'Din’s, it could be fair to believe that this may be interpreted like a "Well of Falon'din" which gathers all the knowledge of those elves that want to stop living and go to Uthenera. 

This is consistent with the info provided in The Masked Empire, when Felassan explains that powerful mages went into Uthenera in underground tombs beneath Orlais and their servants had to take care of their bodies until they rebelled to them and slit their throats. This part of the Ruins are deep down underground. It is also reasonable in its location: Mythal’s Temple is located in the Arbor Wilds, South of Orlais, while this potential ruin in the depth of the Brecilian Forest. What’s a bit inconsistent is that some chars [Morrigan] said that this place was a Tevinter building [not an elvhenan one], but we can’t take Morrigan’s words as reliable either. She has been wrong many times along the series. 

The one thing that deeply disturbed me was that there were two spirits, a little boy and a woman, clearly humans, talking in elven. We could assume they were elf-blooded, but there is no assurance in this. I want to believe this is not a mistake, there is purpose in them being humans since this game has elven models. There is no “engine” limitations there. Now, about the meaning of it, it’s another thing entirely.

The ghost human woman is beside the altar where you find the codex of Uthenera, some elven remains, and a piece of the Juggernaut (a lot of these Ruins History can be scratched via the rare items you find, so sometimes finding a particular item in a particular place is not minor).

Another detail that annoyed me is that the platform where the elven burial lays is surrounded by Alamarri/Tevinter statues. It’s not clear the story of this building: was it originally elvhen? retaken by Tevinter and later taken by elves again? Or this was an Elvhenan ruin, taken by the Avvar or Alamarri of any tribe, and then taken by Tevinter when they invaded the South? It’s not clear neither the original construction of this building nor the succesive invations and appropiations of it, 

So the elven chamber dedicated to Uthenera is surrounded by dragon skull-like figures, there are Sylaise and Andruil statues on the outside ring and Alamarri/Tevinter statues with spears in the inner ring. Clearly this shows that we can’t truly trust much the enviromental telling of DAO due to the restriction of resources. 

The Tevinter Artefacts

Finally, when you head to the deepest bottom of the ruins, you find a big statue I can't establish to what culture belongs yet; I speculate it's Tevinter due to the places where I found it most of the time. It has a similar flavor to the ones found in Kirkwall. 

Behind it, an instrument with two tables filled with research stuff. The instrument is something that I can't decide if it is the same artefact we use in DAI to strengthen the Veil, those elven artefacts, or it's a prototype version of the Tevinter artefact to see the stars: the astrarium [which would make NO sense in the deep bottom of the Ruins, lol. What stars are you looking at?]. 

In any case, after this part you find a big chamber with a quincunx. Probably the first time we see this organisation. Which makes us remember Solas Tarot Card: the thing we find in a quincunx’s centre tends to be of great importance.

So, this disposition makes a quincunx inside another one, since each of them is also a  quincunx, but its centre must be.... a person? a sacrifice? 

 And if this symbol were not crazy enough already, the squares have a Chantry symbol in each corner. Not the Imperial Chantry (which won’t be a big fuss) but the Standard Chantry! I can’t believe this is a lack of resources... the sunburst symbol is extremelly important in DA series.

In the centre of this big chamber, once again, we found another artefact that may be an Astrarium or an Elven Artefact. We are sure it's Tevinter, since the same object can be found in the basement of the Circle of Magi. We have no idea what it does, or if it's related to any other artefact we found in DAI. (But it’s related to the one found close to the tables full of research stuff. They look the same, one only has a spherical glass around it while the other is more like the skeleton of the first one, with some missing part)

Anyway, returning to the quincunx Chamber: Here we fight an Arcane Horror. I always found these creatures with a design preeeetty close to the Sidereal Magisters. I don’t know if this means something, but in this context, it hints that a Tevinter experiment went wrong in this chamber and corrupted the mage performing it. It’s not by chance that Arcane Horrors are a product of a Pride demon taking control of a mage corpse. It has a big symbolism.

So, we can speculate that some Tevinter experiment happened here, there is no doubt. Not by chance Zathrian and the Oak tree tell us that the Brecilian Forest has a particular thin Veil, and rage demons possess the trees around. We also find a lot of revenants here (pride or desire demons bound by blood magic, explained in the codex The Black Vials). In short,  Brecilian forest has similar symptoms to Kirkwall. Tevinter made experiments here, but it’s not sure if they were performed before or after the slave elves lived here.

Extra minor details

In these ruins is where we found a soul trapped (or bound?) to a gem that will teach us the ancient arts of the Arcane Warrior. It says that it is the last of their kind, implying that if you don’t acquire this knowledge, it will be lost forever and would make no sense for Viviene to have this knowledge in DAI. 

All over the Ruins there are some rugs with a symbol that can be interpreted as an oversimplification of the Tevinter Imperium heraldry.

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore ]

[soleminisanction]

I have seen the new Knights of the Zodiac movie and must now scream into the void about this fandom no other English-speakers care about. General thoughts above the cut, spoiler-y thoughts below it.

In general: it's fine. Fun even. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you it's a masterpiece, but I'd watch sequels. I'd be interested to see how they interpret other stories in the series given what they've set up here.

It's basically a reworked, movie-original origin story designed to give Seiya and Sienna actual character arcs, and it does that. Pretty much all the weirdness comes from the fact that they're clearly using the Netflix series as the basis of deviation, not the original manga or anime.

Despite the multinational cast, being filmed in English, and everybody trying to talk it up as a "Hollywood" take on the franchise, I honestly don't think it felt like a Hollywood movie. Something about the pacing, editing and special effects reminded me way more of Japanese cinema, specifically high-budget tokusatsu productions like Gatchaman and Shin Ultraman. Which is honestly what I wanted so I was perfectly happy.

The central cast is great. I'd like to see them come back.

I liked the special effects and designs, personally.

They made some great use of music that was either based on, remixed from, or just completely new orchestral arrangements of the music from the original anime.

Sean Bean made it to the second-act climax before his inevitable death.

The choice to make Guraad, the military leader from the Netflix series, a woman, and also Kido's ex-wife, was a fascinating choice. But hey, it meant the movie passes the Bechdel test, because she and Sienna have this interesting, antagonist mother/daughter relationship that has absolutely nothing to do with the men in their lives and everything to do with the existential horror of humanity confronting the gods so. That's fun.

Marin was appropriately badass. I really liked her chemistry with Seiya's actor.

Honestly in general Mackenyu was a real highlight of the film? Him and Diego Tinoco both, they were great. Madison Iseman and Mark Dacasos were both more Hollywood-y, but they put in good performances, and once Sienna went full Athena the effects and performance were pretty spot-on.

Cassios shows up as a henchgoon and jobber. He's got an Ophiuchus tattoo, which was an interesting little detail.

But speaking of little details -- unsurprisingly, Nero is the one with the most interesting potential for sequels. He's the only other Knight besides Seiya and Marin that we get to see and acts as Guraad's "dragon" and mystical-stuff advisor throughout the film. They don't really explain what his deal is, aside from wanting to kill Athena and steal the Gold Cloth, so he could be there on Sanctuary's behalf. But at one point during their fight he says to Seiya, "Humans don't need any gods." And throughout the movie, he's wearing an earring that is super obviously Shun/Shaun's triangle chain. That has some really interesting potential for sequels, particularly in parallel with what they do with Seika/Patricia protecting Seiya.

Oh, and it ended with both Seiya and Nero shirtless and showing off their very nice abs so hey, kudos for remembering the secondary fanbase that's kept this franchise alive.

So yeah, overall: I see why it only got a limited release, but it'd sure be nice if it was popular enough in Latin America to fund a sequel. I've seen worse movies. This is a cheesy-ass franchise, I never get my hopes up too high, if it entertains me for the length of the film I consider it a success.

Still think it's hilarious that Sean Bean wound up here. How the hell did that happen.