#he essentially was like 'some of you may die but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make' not because he's evil but because he's incompetent

[toknowthatimatter]

My personal headcanon is that since Viren obviously didn't grew up very privileged, if not straight up poor, he might actually know what real hunger feels like. Which is why Viren (unlike Harrow for some reason??) knows/keeps track of how much food Katolis has, why - according to the novel - he's disgusted that Harrow refuses to not let the people of Katolis suffer from hunger instead of protecting them from it and why, after consulting Harrow about it and being shut down, he's apparently the only person who's actually dead set on ensuring no one has to starve at all, while everyone else is just like "welp, we tried nothing and we're all out of ideas". Because, let's be real, a) he was never tasked with finding a solution to all of this, it's not his job and b) neither he nor his children would have to starve, just like Harrow and his family wouldn't have to. Viren doesn't have to do any of this. Don't get me wrong, I think he would have at least tried to find a solution regardless of his past, but the entire thing seems more personal to me. Like, look at him :C

[fenharael]

Top 5/10 Soulsborne characters~?

In no particular order I present to you:

1. Mohg

Fucking badass monster with an impeccable sense of style. But aside from the purely aesthetic love for everything Mohg, he's probably the soulsborne character I feel most emotionally invested in. Others have said it better than me, but Mohg is complex and tragic. He's the son of the Golden Order, seen as cursed and defiled by his own mother and sent to live in the shadows essentially to carry the burden of her sins. He, like Morgott and everyone else, carry the consequences of Marika's actions on his body and in his behavior. His twisted sense of love is borne of his treatment and he unleashes it on the world in the form of blood and violence. The mother he choose for himself and the path he walks is a giant "fuck you" to everything that shunned him, all the while still trying desperately to emulate it and carve out a holy and divine place for himself. The fact that he chooses Miquella, the demigod most likely to succeed Marika and who bears her likeness (that we can tell), the demigod who makes a haven for the forlorn and mistreated, is so fucking sad. He literally takes what he never had by force and says "you WILL love me". He does this in a sense to everyone he encounters. Whether it's his intended consort or his followers. They are all compelled by bloodlust or force or some twisted love of their own to keep his company even as it destroys them. The fact that he transforms the Mausoleum complex into a sewer/swamp reminiscent of the shunning grounds is just salt in the wound. He's legitimately and desperately trying to create a world he believes is good and right (for him) (and possibly other shunned creatures) based on the only world he even knew and the only love he ever received. All of this sadness and tragedy and pain result in a DEEPLY screwed up individual who is quite literally a monster in every sense of the word, but at his core he's just a sad, scared child who wants to be loved.

2. White Maks Varré

Someone at Fromsoftware tailor made this horrible, disgusting man exactly to my tastes and every day I thank god for that. Ethically dubious doctor? Check. Bride vibes? Check. Gender? Check. Murdered? Check. Condescending and insulting but in a sexy way? Check. Violence but it's obviously a stand in for something sexual? Check. Pathetic, prideful, tries to kill you but is played by his own hubris? Check. COURTLY LOVE???? CHeck. I adore the contrasts in Varré's character and design. He was a man of medicine and healing before being corrupted by his own dark nature. He values love but it's sadistic and violent. He craves power, gave up EVERYTHING for the promise of it, all for it to amount to nothing at the end. He insults you by saying you'll die nameless and without ceremony, and at the end of it all he bleeds out alone and abandoned in a forgotten tomb to a dead god. Absolutely merciless Fromsoft 10/10. I'm obsessed.

3. Marika

I don't even know where to begin with Marika but I have a lot of emotions about her.

4. Ringfinger Leonhard

I'm a simple man. Sexy voice, mask, insults me, I'm all in. I love his design and I'm just a sucker for knight's devoted to their duty despite it ending in tragedy.

5. Fausefka/Imposter Iosefka

I debated this spot with Solaire because he gives me a LOT of emotions but I think I'm gonna go with Iosefka. Again, predictably she's a questionable doctor who experiments on her patients. But I'm just so curious about her? And I admire her in a way, she's uncompromising in her quest for answers, she needs to ascend, she needs to understand, and she'll do anything to find out. She may sacrifice countless innocents to understand the Eldritch Truth but hey, when it comes down to it, she's willing to go under the knife herself.

6. Solaire

7. Valtr

8. Ebrietas

9. Yorshka

10. Anri

[mindmeltonabun-blog]

Doom At Your Service: Analysis & Theories for EPs 9-10

Anyone mentally exhausted from watching DAYS? Well, you’ve come to the right place where I do the thinking for you, so you don’t have to! As always, if you have any questions, feel free to click on the ask question button! Happy Readings !

The Contract Revisited

While reviewing the contract, I realized there was something major that I had completely missed! Anyways let’s go over the contract again to clear up some confusion.

The Contract is as follows:

1) Dong Kyung must ask for Myul Mang to destroy the world before she dies (It could be rephrased as Dong Kyung must ask for Myul Mang to destroy the world before her tentative expiration date)

2) During Dong Kyung’s last 100 days, Myul Mang will prevent her from feeling any pain

3) Myul Mang has to grant her one real wish

4) If Dong Kyung breaks the contract (does not wish for the world to be destroyed) then the person she loves the most will die

If Dong Kyung does not violate the contract as in she wishes for the world to be destroyed, the person she loves dies anyways because you know.... the world is non existent. If Dong Kyung does violate the contract, meaning she does not wish for the world to be destroyed, the person she loves dies too because her doom is transferred to them. Some have also wondered whether she can has to ask for the world to be destroyed in order to get her one real wish to be granted. In my opinion, I don't think so. I think she can still get her one real wish to be granted regardless of whether she wishes for doom upon the world or not. Other things to note is that nothing will happen to Myul Mang if he does not stick to the terms of the contract (i.e keeps Dong Kyung pain free and granting her one real wish) because as Dong Kyung said "If I violate" not "If either you or I violate".

Now something to pay close attention to is #4. In Ep 2, Myul Mang had said he would take Dong Kyung’s doom (brain cancer) and transfer it to someone she loves. This is the part I missed! I’d thought that all Myul Mang was doing was transferring the death that was meant for her, not that he was actually removing her source of death which was her brain cancer. Therefore, if Dong Kyung breaks the contract, she will live because her brain cancer is removed and is subsequently transferred into the person she loves, causing them to die instead. I feel incredibly stupid for missing this important piece of info. In light of this new info, I will therefore retract my previous theory that Dong Kyung’s one wish will be to cure her brain cancer.

For those who were confused by that scene of Dong Kyung going to the beach and staying away from everyone, here are my thoughts on that. Dong Kyung was trying to find a loophole. The loophole was that she was planning on violating the contract while protecting the people she loves. This means that Dong Kyung was planning on ending herself at the beach (you can't wish for doom upon the world if you're already dead) and accepting her doom (her doom can't be transferred to anyone else because she accepts it in herself).

Who’s Going to Get Dong Kyung’s Brain Cancer and Die?

I recently had a eureka moment a few days ago before Eps 9-10 aired that led me to formulating a new theory -- it's actually Dora who will inherit Dong Kyung’s brain cancer and die. Let’s think through some things first, “the person you love the most will die”. The most obvious choice is Myul Mang. However, if you think about that statement in a more abstract way, you can see that if Dong Kyung loves her life, then the person who will die is Dora. Remember that Dora is basically the personification of life.

To further add evidence that supports this theory, I present to you Exhibit A, Dora’s massive nosebleed. We know Dong Kyung has a rare type of brain cancer and it’s located in her frontal lobe. As days pass, the brain tumor is growing or metastasizing. In theory, the tumor could grow into nearby areas such as her nasal cavity and cause Dong Kyung to have nose bleeds (FYI: In real life, I’m a scientist with experience in the field of oncology and most of the time brain tumors don’t grow outside of the brain. It can happen, but it is very rare!). Now, think about the events that occurred before Dora's nose bleed. For example, Dong Kyung was out and about enjoying her time with Myul Mang and her family and friends. Essentially, Dong Kyung was beginning to love her life. This causes Dora to suffer because she is taking in Dong Kyung's illness into herself. Subsequently, this leads to Dora experiencing some of the symptoms of Dong Kyung's brain cancer (e.g nose bleed). Thus, as Dong Kyung is beginning to live, Dora is beginning to die.

Exhibit B: Adventures of Pinocchio. At the end of the story, the Fairy (Dora) heals an ailing Geppetto (Dong Kyung) as a reward for Pinocchio (Myul Mang) becoming a good boy. Following this, we don’t hear much about what happens to the Fairy except that she’s in laying in a hospital on the verge of death. It is implied that in order to heal Geppetto, the Fairy had to take his illness into herself. Afterall, nothing is without consequences, someone must pay so that others can be happy. Much like the story of Pinocchio, Dora is doing the same thing as the Fairy. Dora is taking in Dong Kyung’s illness so that Dong Kyung can freely love her son, Myul Mang, without consequences (e.g Myul Mang dying).

Exhibit C: Dong Kyung walking around like she didn’t have brain cancer while in seclusion. You would think that since she didn’t see Myul Mang to recharge, she would be experiencing some severe symptoms, but nope she was walking around as if she was cured! I wonder where her cancer went.......DORA!

Exhibit D: Dora telling Dong Kyung to be madly in love and live. Basically Dora saying, "Love my son and live, don't worry about your brain cancer or him dying because I'm taking care of it."

Why Dora Didn't Want Myul Mang To See Her

For those wondering why Dora didn’t want Myul Mang to see her, here are my two cents. One explanation is that Dora probably didn’t want him to figure out that she was inheriting Dong Kyung’s brain cancer. It would’ve made him feel guilty to see that his mother was willing to take on even more pain just so he could be happy. Another explanation is that Myul Mang still has a lot of growing up to do (to become human). Dora didn’t want him to get the idea that he’s out of the clear just yet. Meaning if Myul Mang had found out that Dora was doing this for him then he would’ve thought life was a breeze now and have no further motivations to want to grow, thus ruining Dora’s plan for him (to grow up to become a good human). There’s no better motivation to make someone grow than the thought of their love ones dying.

Final Theory on Dong Kyung’s Wish

In my previous post, I had discussed that without knowing the limits of what one could or could not wish for, it was difficult for me to accurately predict what Dong Kyung’s wish would be. However, in this week’s episode, I was finally given the limits: the wish must be a wish that is doom in nature. I thought to myself, what could be a good thing to end? Oh, that’s right, Myul Mang’s immorality. Dong Kyung must say “I wish for your immortal life to end” or something along those lines. The combination of Dong Kyung’s wish + Myul Mang’s willingness to sacrifice himself for her + Dora’s plant = the rebirth of Myul Mang into a real boy....oops I mean real hu-man.

The Ending of DAYS

So, what kind of ending will DAYS have? Prepare yourselves. I think it’s going to be a bittersweet ending because it goes with the one of the main themes DAYS which is dualism. I think Myul Mang will be reborn as a human, but still have his doom responsibilities (so more like a fake human). He will probably end up becoming like Dora in the sense that he gets to experience the cycle of life and death over an infinite amount of time. Dong Kyung won’t be reborn in his next life cycle (remember Myul Mang tells that crazy lady there’s no afterlife; humans only have this one life). I guess the notion that the love he and Dong Kyung share will always be with him and forever serve as a shining beacon even in his loneliest days is sweet, but still I want a happy ending!!!

Now excuse my language, but to hell with dualism and what is logical! I want a happy ending where Myul Mang becomes human, lives with Dong Kyung, and when he dies that’s it. No coming back to doing his doom job in a different life. Dora can create another herald of doom. Dora did it once before and she could do it again lol. Or if Myul Mang must come back in a different life, at least allow Dong Kyung to be reborn at the same time. I mean you can grow the same plant again…. EVER HEARD OF PROPROGATION DORA?!! Metaphorically speaking, if Dong Kyung is a sunflower, then wait until she dies, harvest her seeds and grow her again…. it’s that simple Dora!!!

Some Thoughts on the Writer of DAYS

The writer (Im Meari) of DAYS is at best, pretentious and at worst, derivative. She’s more or less just rehashing the works of other great philosophers (Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Deleuze, etc). She presents DAYS as a collection of major philosophical concepts with the intention to differentiate herself from that of other kdramas writers. She goes onto placing great stress on the idea that in order to innovate or bring about a new beginning, one must deviate from the norm, yet she herself does not diverge from the ideas of other philosophers. She does not present any philosophy of her own. In this aspect, she is a hypocrite to the very ideas she tries to preach. Oh well, to each their own. Who knows, maybe my opinion of Im Meari will change by the end of the series. Anyways, I’m still here for the romance between the actors and actresses and solving mysteries!

Ep 11 Preview Predictions

Here are my predictions for Ep 11 based off of the preview, they may or may not be correct !

Dong Kyung takes back the bracelet from Myul Mang after their conversation on the beach. Honestly, I’m growing tired of this whole giving/taking the bracelet type situation lol.

Dong Kyung enjoys a nice vacation with Myul Mang on Jeju island.

Dong Kyung returns from the vacation because she finds out that her aunt is sick (probably from worrying about Dong Kyung). Dong Kyung beats herself up about it.

Dong Kyung is sick again (probably from hating life...remember that I had theorized that the more Dong Kyung loves her life, the sicker Dora will be become) and Myul Mang in his desperation pleads with Dora to help him, but Dora’s version of helping him is to …. surprise surprise… teach him another lesson. The lesson is that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and that Myul Mang and Dong Kyung complete each other for the better. Dora shows Myul Mang what their lives would've been like if they had never existed in each other’s lives.

Dong Kyung having never experience any kind of suffering would live a healthy life but become the most unappreciative and spoiled person ever. She may go on to finding that life was pretty meaningless and would want to put an end to it all. And Myul Mang having never met Dong Kyung wouldn't have any motivation or desire to grow as a person and so he would remain stagnant. And who knows… maybe at some point, that Myul would’ve became so angry with humans that he would personally go around killing every last one of them.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

The Thief and the Tinker, Part 4: Circles and Cycles

part 3

Part 4

Viren: *smirks and plinks Runaan's coin to Ethari*

Ethari, furious: You throw another Moonshadow at me and I'm gonna lose it.

Circles and Cycles

Angst rating: 8/10

Back to Ethari, because we're not done with him yet. Ethari is soft, but he isn't weak. He won't be a willing pawn for Viren. He loves Runaan to the point of invention, and his devotion is more constant than the moon itself. He'll agree to do what Viren says, and he'll be Very Sad. But his spirit is in no way broken. Viren bribing him with the coins containing his family will only have the opposite effect. It'll give Ethari something to fight for.

We could get Focused Chaos Ethari. We could get Angery Trickster Ethari. We could get Rules, What Rules? Ethari. Let him try to steal the coins, try to break them, try to kill Viren, and be stymied at every turn, until he settles and seems cowed. And then all he does is craft his way out of the problem.

What if we are gifted with Iron Man Elf Ethari, who pretends to build a fake Key for Viren, but meanwhile he's really building a coinbuster with whatever he can get his hands on - primal stones, magically imbued gemstones, stolen artifacts, his own arcanum, his own reputation as the Master Craftsman of the Silvergrove. He'll use almost - almost - anything, to stop Viren and free his family.

Ethari may have to choose between those two things, though. And he's a hero, deep down, just like his family, just like his daughter. If he has to choose, he'll choose to stop Viren and save Xadia. He'll pay the same price as his family has if he must.

He'd let Viren think he was motivated purely by wanting his family back, but Ethari is far too steeped in the illusion and sacrifice for that to be all there is to his motives. It's a so-close-and-yet-so-far thing, how he and Viren almost embody the same ideals. Almost. Ethari would take one look at Viren, who just burnt down his whole Forest, he'd see the biggest threat in Xadia, and he'd say anything to get a chance to stop this juggernaut of destruction from getting his hands on whatever that ultimate power really is, locked behind that missing key. If he has to abandon his people and bawl his eyes out to convince Viren he's in, then he will.

And Viren wouldn't make it easy for him. He knows clever when he sees it. He went through all this trouble to persuade Ethari to work with him. He would need to keep Ethari as off-balance as possible to ensure that he keeps working as he should.

Angsty jewelry, anyone?

Viren giving Ethari his husband in pendant form to remind him what he's working for, when Viren and Ethari both know full well that only dark magic can open the hellcoins. Ethari wearing another pendant of his love, except it's not a metaphor this time. It's literally his love, in a coin around his neck.

Viren would love making Ethari stay close to him of his own free will if he ever hoped to free Runaan. Making people bind themselves to you is a big power flex. Remember that TDP stream future-season teaser note about Bait being in a creepy restraint in a future season?

This card is written on in all-caps, so that really could be "Bait" or "bait," or--knowing this show--both. Viren's been using Runaan as bait for Ethari all along. Putting his coin in a dark magic pendant casing for Ethari to wear would be a great parallel for that. Oh god. Oh man.

Maybe he'll stab the coin's scary casing right through that circle on Ethari's chest, right over his heart, make that Iron Man reference really obvious. Ethari also losing his shirt at some point, for angsty Viren-related reasons? It's more likely than you think. I mean... Ethari is literally involved in both forms of forging at this point. Shirt's gotta come off for uhhhh work reasons. And because he's hot. Because of all the forging. Mmhmm. I mean how else are we finally going to discover what his markings look like this is research I swear

I mentioned that I liked god-tier villains, right? Yeah, this is amazing. I haven't wanted to die and ascend over an idea for quite a while, but Ethari vs Viren in a drawn-out battle of wills would kill me in the best way. Especially since, while it looks like they're essentially fighting for who gets Runaan, they're truly fighting a much larger battle with much higher stakes. They're fighting for the future itself. It's an epic struggle between the Narrative of Strength and the Narrative of Love. And we've seen what happens, over and over, when the Narrative of Strength gets to call the shots.

On a meta note: If Ruthari's story arc isn't a love letter from one trauma survivor to another, and on a broader scope to all survivors who see it, I don't know what is. Sometimes life just chews us up and spits us out and we can't stop it and it breaks us. But sometimes we can reach out and grasp the chance to help each other, even after that, even when it hurts a lot, because we know what it means to be loved, and to love, and to want a safer future for each other and for people we'll never meet. The future is worth standing together for, helping each other back up for, fighting side by side for, even if you can't see how it'll end, or even how to begin. We are stronger together, and sometimes we need to fight for our "together" before we can fight for anything else. And that's worth it, every time.

This is glorious, it's beautiful, it's tragic, it's amazing, it makes me want to dance, it makes me want to scream into the void, it makes me want to slap someone with a semi truck. No, someone specific, don't worry, and he super deserves it.

Because Ethari is going to win. He was always going to win. He's soft, and he's clever, and he hasn't forgotten what love means. It's what he's fighting for. Not power, not control. Love. He doesn't want to dictate Runaan's future or anyone else's. He just wants his husband--and everyone else--to have one at all.

So he's going to win.

What thwarting Viren looks like, I couldn't possibly guess. TDP is no stranger to angst, so there will probably be a high cost involved in outwitting the dark mage. Maybe not everyone can be rescued from the coins. Maybe Ethari will lose his life, or his soul, or his vision, or something else really angsty. Viren could even kill him and resurrect him as a smoky craftsman, or a zombie craftsman, or something equally biddable but horrible. The only thing I'm sure of is that Ethari would never willingly make a working Key of Aaravos Ethari as long as there's a chance Viren could possess it. But I do believe that if he gets the right opportunity while he's busy saving the world from Viren's dark intentions, he'll break his husband's hellcoin open somehow and set him free, even if he has to smile at the devil to do it.

Ethari understands the difference between "you can" and "therefore you should." He might sacrifice his own world to save his husband, but he'd never sacrifice someone else's world. That's one of the Moonshadow cultural limits I've noticed: they accept boundaries when it comes to other people's autonomous rights, especially regarding life and death.

These limits could get pushed. Ethari will be under great duress and emotional strain if he goes through this kind of interaction with Viren. And maybe he will choose some dark things. Everyone else has. But I'm placing all my eggs in the basket labeled "Saved By Love." Either I'm right, or I'll get the best angst omelets in the universe. And I do love omelets. A villain invented them, you know. ;)

Another support for Ethari not making the key for Viren: the real Key exists!

Callum has it right now. The plot doesn't need Ethari's key (yet? ever?), but it does need Ethari to learn what he's made of, to stand up for something, or against something, or both at once. And once he learns what he will and won't do and the universe has rewarded his discovery with the return of his beloved husband then Ethari will be ready to take on whatever else the plot has in mind for him.

Depending on the plan, all of these events could happen in S4, as a setup for even bigger things to follow. Viren's wishes can be thwarted here and the show's overall tension will only continue to rise. It would let Ethari flex yes pls his skills so we know who he is, it would show how driven Viren can be for a long-term goal, it would let Claudia saunter further downwards, it would reveal some human/Moonshadow history, and it would resolve the seasons-long tension regarding Runaan's fate, allowing for the cycle of speculation, feels, angst, and Ruthari fanart to begin again. ;) Viren would need to find another way to pursue his long-term goal. And Callum's Key will get a little more clarity on just how important it is to the fate of the world - which will make everything he does, and everyone he talks to, and anyone who knows what he's carrying, intensely important.

Nyx is gonna steal it isn't she, omg chaos birb

To Viren, Ethari was a main course, meant to be devoured and consumed in his lifelong quest for something that will finally satisfy. But to Ethari, Viren was just empty calories to be passed over in favor of ordering his perennial favorite dish, one more time.

Once Ethari escapes Viren's clutches with as much of his family as he can rescue, Viren may turn back to looking for the real Key, especially if someone's seen it recently. Hunting a kid probably seems easier than hunting a full-grown Moonshadow craftsman who just outsmarted him. okay so maybe Nyx stealing it would be a good thing and save Callum's life

Ethari could go on to help repair the Sunforge, or rebuild the Moonhenge, or work on constructing Moonshadow villages in Katolis if he hasn't been ghosted for abandoning everyone after the forest fire. He might build magical devices for any number of reasons, to help all kinds of characters. Hopefully, wherever he goes, he'll have Runaan with him, in some way, for at least a little while. Cycles be like, and I feel like Runaan will not want to remain still for long, for whatever reason. Does he need revenge, atonement, justice, a new body, to find Rayla, to find Ezran? He'll be back in action as soon as he can, I think.

Okay, but, I'm so soft at the thought of a scene where Runaan and Ethari come before King Ezran. The husbands tried to save their people Runaan's way, the old way, and it only continued to endanger them. Following the cycle, as Moonshadows do, was the wrong move. But the son of the last human Runaan killed reached out with mercy and broke a thousand years of suffering and sorrow and hatred. Ezran did what Runaan couldn't: he saved the Moonshadow elves from total destruction. And that, more than anything else in the world, could soften one very broody assassin's heart toward humans again.

What would Runaan do, if his heart truly changed toward humans? What would he say to Ezran? I could see him struggling for a long moment before dropping to one knee to pledge his heart as he once had to do before the Dragon Throne. He doesn't know any other way but to serve. Ezran, reading the whole room and everyone's feelings before he tells Runaan that No, we don't do that here. That he's free, and free means free. No chains, no oaths. Just trust and friendship. He should get to make his own decisions for a change, even though that can be hard and scary sometimes. Runaan being genuinely scared, because that's too much freedom. But he's not alone. He has Ethari, and Ezran, and Rayla, and Callum, and their people, and their allies. And no matter what else happens, the people of Katolis - elven and human - will find a way forward. Together.

part 5

[lightdancer1]

Working on aspects of the Unification Wars in my Storm of Iron verse as I intend to do a few stories set in that timeframe

And in particular with the major despotic figures of Kalagann of Ursh and Narthan Dume, as well as Dalmoth Kyn of Hy Brasil. My basic take on Unification-age Terra is that the Emperor is the ultimate blend of unstoppable force and immovable object for his opponents, that in relative terms as vicious and tyrannical as the Emperor's vision is and as shamelessly Orwellian as the Imperial Truth is when Kalagann is spamming Chaos sorcery all over the place, when it's the Golden Boy versus the lord of the PanPac Empire or Ursh it's not really that much of a choice.

Kalagann's equivalent of the Thunder Warriors are straight up prototypes of Unburdened and other such Warp-saturated nasties that the later Imperium faces on a grander Galactic scale. He's one of the very few people who makes minimal use of straight up gene-forging due to the relative technological impoverishment of Ursh. Instead he presides over a Chaos theocracy adopting a very particular cyclical view of Chaos that's unlike the variants used by the later Traitor Legions.

Dume OTOH develops very powerful gene-forged who in the short term have massive advantages over Thunder Warriors minus a 6:1 advantage with the main drawback that his gene-forged cannot prove nearly as sustainable....but since he's Narthan Dume he doesn't bother with a pretense of 'volunteering.' Dume's Empire is also the most rigidly genetically stratified into a twisted blend of Gattaca and the generic Krypton-like scenario of engineered human subspecies meant for particular roles. The more Dume gets into wars with the Emperor and his Thunder Warriors and allies, the more the military caste begins to override the rest.

Ursh and the PanPacs are the main rivals to the Imperium for the vision of a unified Terra, one representing humanity given over completely into Warp power instead of the rigidly controlled vision adopted by the Emperor, the PanPacs a surviving enclave of everything bad about the Age of Technology.

Narthan Dume is also the man who singlehandedly accounts for much of Terra's loss of its past, and includes a few elements of my takes on the Fire Nation from the Avatar series, aided by the PanPacs essentially being the result of 40K's 'fuck you physics' dissolution of the oceans and thus encompassing the bulk of what was once the Pacific Ocean and its landmasses in territorial terms.

His character incorporates aspects also used in my takes on Fire Lords Sozin and Azulon, where Kalagann is straight up an expy of Archaon the Everchosen blended with all the worst and most boorish aspects of Russian Tsars given the geography.

As for Dalmoth Kyn he's basically far future Francisco Solano Lopez down to the 'some of you may die but it's a sacrifice I'm quite willing to make' attitude.

[taskforcebug]

Komorebi and Omega's story is a long one! I'm afraid I can't fit it all into one single tumblr post, so I'll grace you with their meeting instead!

Komorebi, shortly after prematurely ascending to godhood and leaving his world behind, began actively seeking out worlds that would soon fall to ruin. In doing this, one of the very first world's he came across was Omega's! The fabric of this world was slowly coming undone, the government had long since become corrupted, and its people were suffering — all while placing the blame on a single demon!

This "Oni" was sealed away at the peak of the highest mountain in the center of this world, and was surrounded by miles and miles of beautiful shrines and residential areas. Everyone living in this area would be in some way affiliated with the shrines and with the people that tended to the seals keeping the demon at bay. The stories of this demon are for a separate post if anyone's interested, but essentially the public version of events is told in such a way that this demon was evil through and through, and wished for revenge for being put to death; so the world was cursed.

Komorebi visited this world with only one goal: to free the demon from its confines.

Long passed was the time where any actual wrongdoing on this spirit's part affected the world. The demon was simply a scapegoat for the world's evils, the world's corruption, and was thus stopping any progress that might save the world from complete destruction. If this world's youths were to have any chance of recovering from this great corruption, the demon needed to be freed and the people liberated from the lies that deflected blame onto it.

During this trip, a commotion broke out. Finally, after years upon years of waiting, a child had finally received their first vision and would take the place as Seer of the temple.

Of course, this piqued Komorebi's interests, and in forfeit of a bit of time, he diverted from the group to speak with this so-called Seer. He used his status as a god to alert the boy to the fact that he was not from this world, and that they should talk immediately, if he was so willing. The Seer agreed.

Once they made their way to his room, the new Seer relented to Komorebi his story, and his qualms with life on this world. He resented the people of his world for torturing him all these years. Though he hadn't received his visions until this day, he was kept in the temple as someone who was likely to bear fruit of the power of the next Seer. Then, after, of course, was given all the details of his life from here on out: death by the age of 25, but it's for a good cause of course, if there's any refusal to share what the visions hold he will be made a sacrifice to the demon that curses their land in stead, so that some use may come of him.

Obviously the boy wanted none of this. Plus...

His first vision was filled with nothing but agony. A darkened sky, the screams of this world's inhabitants, a large, red moon pulling all too close, fire raining down upon them—! Komorebi offered him a deal, upon learning of this. It was clear this world would be doomed whether Komorebi had come or otherwise. Now, all that's left was to shepherd it to its end in some act of mercy. If the Seer agreed to join him on his endeavors, and lend him his power, he would take him away from this world rather than leaving him to die in it. However, he would be forever indebted to Komorebi, and he would still die young as Komorebi would not remove the curse of the Seer from him. But if he agreed, Komorebi would promise to make his life one free of pain and torment, as much as he would be able. And in the end, if the Seer was still alive by the time Komorebi reached his ultimate goal, then he, too, would be included in the paradise that would be his ultimate world. Komorebi promised him this, and the Seer, with a bout of sass, agreed. "By the way," Komorebi mused, fixing his gaze on the Seer. "While I certainly don't mind calling you by your occupation, might I know your name?" His smile stretched, "Or, would you rather I appoint you one, to commemorate your—" he thought. "...Rebirth?"

"Oh, my name...I didn't really think about that since I was so preoccupied with getting out of this hellhole. I guess...it would only be right to give me a new one now that I'll be working alongside you. As long as it's not demeaning, I'll accept whatever you come up with."

"Omega, then."

[fedonciadale]

Hi 👋 I was wondering if you know of any meta comparing Daenerys and Stannis?

Hi there!

I know that we talked a lot about similarities and differences between Stannis and Dany before season 8 aired. But I must admit that I don't know about a meta.

I'm not a particular fan of Stannis tbh and the book fandom can be excessively protective of him. Therefore I tend to avoid Stannis discourse.

I think that he is a well written character and that he is in many ways the ideal of a just king. But the thing is that he tends to put his claim first - and in this he possibly is a foil for Dany. Some people think that Stannis does not know that Mel killed Renky with his shadow, but I'm quite sure that he is in heavy denial about that. Deep down, in his heart, he knows he shares in the guilt of his brother's death if only because he wanted him out of the way. This is a very interesting parallel to Dany. Khal Drogo, who is in a relationship with Dany kills her brother who has a claim. Dany is the catalyst for that (and I won't delve into the fact, that Viserys was an asshole). Mel, who has sex with Stannis kills Renly who may not have the better claim, but who has more support.

So, in pursuing his claim, Stannis does not know many scruples. Yes, he is the rightful ruler of Westeros, but he is ready to wage war for his claim. He is ready to kill a man who does nothing but resist handing a castle and a bastard over. He is ready to destroy objects of religious devotion and is prepared for human sacrifice 'for the cause'. He may not stoop as low as Tywin with his breach of guest right, but I think that he is essentially a hypocrite and I don't know what the fandom sees in him. He and his overzealous righteousness tend to be merciless and that spells disaster. The fandom thinks that Stannis will only sacrifice Shireen as a last resort in a fight against the Others. I don't think so. I think Shireen will die like in the show: an innocent victim of Stannis' will to get what he thinks he is owed. He 'll probably see it as a sacrifice he has to make. Davos who values life will probably despair.

So, Stannis and Dany are both hypocrites who are prepared to do quite a lot of things for their 'rightful' claim, for their legacy.

I suppose we are meant to compare one particular action. Stannis who is at least partly guilty of killing his brother does one thing right - after Davos gives him counsel: when the Night's Watch calls upon him as the king he does his fucking duty and comes to their aid regardless of the fact that they did not decide on him as a king. And this wasn't even agsinst the WW, but against the Wildlings.

Dany - counselled by Tyrion - is not willing to do her duty. It is all 'bend the knee', and in her case the situation is much more dire than with the Wildlings because the WW will become a problem of the South as well at some point. So denying the North help is not only neglecting her duty it is also stupid in the long run. Stannis does look better in comparison...

So, there is plenty of potential for a meta and I think I only scratched the surface. I think I'll probably do a proper meta at some time!

Thanks for the ask!

[timelessoldier]

i've only followed you for a short time, but i've seen you refer to steve as a rebel a lot in that time already. i would love to hear some more of your thoughts on that, if you don't mind? because i've never thought of him like that, he seems very rigid to me, so i'm very curious to hear what makes you see him as a rebel. thank you!

THIS IS GOING TO BE LONG LMAO. i would be happy to share my thoughts on this, nonny! i’ve been meaning to address this in a meta post for a while anyway, and this seems a great opportunity to do so. so thank you for that! okay, here goes.

from the very first second we see steve in first avenger, he’s acting rebelliously. we literally meet him when he is in the middle of an act of rebellion ( not accepting a military assignment and position on the home front but instead trying to cheat his way onto the battlefield so he can make what he believes to be a real difference, just like any other young man his age is ).

but when he’s then finally allowed to serve on said battlefield, he doesn’t just do so by blindly obeying orders. it would be natural to assume that anyone who finally gets to be where they want to be tries their best not to risk their position. steve rogers doesn’t give a damn about any of that. the first time steve sees action and is given direct orders by his commanding officers, he disobeys them. and these officers are playing everything perfectly by the book here! they’re looking at the big picture and their resources, and making the hard calls, because that’s what you do as a CO. it may seem unsettlingly practical, but from a military standpoint it makes perfect sense. this is how wars are won. this is what it means to achieve victory. 

“ not my kind of victory, ” steve’s morality says. you don’t abandon your men. practicality and resources be damned. if there are people to be saved, you go and save them. yes, you could die, but to not even try is worse in steve’s book. so he goes directly against the orders his commanding officers have given him. he doesn’t even hesitate. there’s no painful conflict of morals here. he knows what he has to do, and he does it. rules be damned.

because in steve rogers’ world, people are worth the risk. whatever the risk may be. and no one - no one - is beyond saving.

but systems aren’t people. and from the moment we meet steve in first avenger to the moment he says no to the accords, he’s been moving further and further away from institutional power that operates in a centralized way. it really starts when his commanding officers in first avenger are so willing to sacrifice human life for the sake of the greater good, leaving steve to feel more than a little disillusioned about any kind of system that wields a lot of authority, control, and power. that feeling gets even further cemented when he discovers hydra has compromised shield in winter soldier.

i’m always amused when people buy into the image of steve as a heroic icon and patriotic legend. because all it means is that the marketing team back in wwii did a damn good job of establishing the character of captain america in the households and minds of people, to the point where it lives on to this day. i doubt the exhibition in the museum mentions steve’s many acts of disobedience during the war. i doubt they speak of his inherent rebelliousness. the irony here is that what may seem as an unpatriotic characteristic is essentially steve’s most patriotic trait : time and time again, he resists the control of governments and systems that are too far removed from the needs and wishes of the people. 

when it comes to moral accountability, steve rogers keeps everyone, especially the systems that are meant to uphold liberty and protect its people, to the highest possible standard. and in some cases that means the system shouldn’t have as much power as it does. sometimes the people know what is best for the people. this is exactly why steve pushes back so hard against the accords. he truly believes this is just another system trying to take control of something that is better left to the individuals in the know, and he fears a repeat of what he saw happen during the war: that, when it comes down to it, the UN will decide who and what matters based on their current agenda. and, as steve points out, “ agendas change ”. steve doesn’t have an agenda. he has a belief, and it’s the same one i spoke of just before: people are worth the risk. no one is beyond saving.

no one is going to tell him who he gets to save and who he doesn’t get to save. not based on resources, or agendas. not based on anything. and it’s this kind of belief that more often than not puts steve in direct conflict with the very government he represents. in rebellion steve finds grace, he finds the morals he stands for, and it’s where he becomes a hero for the people, not the government.

and i fucking love him for that.