#i didnt mean this to be an essay

[skywarpie]

I've been chewing on a thought for a couple a days now, and like I know we all (myself included) more often than not see Imperator portrayed as an absent parent. but if we go off the theory that in KTGG music video she is pregnant with Copia and then in the MOAC music video we see her leaving the church, more than likely fed up with Nihil.

Which then there's not much after that to go on, but what if she was gone for like a year, having Copia someplace else and then everytime she tried to hand him over to the ministry orphanage she kept stalling bc her baby is perfect and look at him! 1 year turned into 2 years until finally she did hand him over to the orphanage, thinking that it was probably the best option for him. Nihil obviously would not be a good dad and she couldn't just show back up with a baby. So the best option was to sever the ties even though it eats her alive.

And when he does return to their branch of the church, I feel like she would hope that maybe he would remember her from their short time together but he doesn't so she never mentions it 🤷

[menuliso]

i actually think i have some sort of brain damage from chapter 403 because now ive taken my bkdk obsession to a whole new degree. like, i was insane before, but now i feel as if i should be genuinely put into an asylum.

ive gone through a full on awakening.

before this chapter i refused to believe that bkdk would become canon/hinted bc like its wishful thinking. but now? ive fallen into the fucking deep end. i am of full belief that bkdk will become canon or at least be hinted bc horikoshi is cooking something and im so glad im not the only one to see it.

there is no way that man doesnt know what hes doing. bkdks entire arc has been fucking perfect and this man just keeps BUILDING UP. like all this talk about feelings, and how bkdk have never really spoken about them to eachother before??? this is like, building up to a fucking love confession i swear, because katsuki DIED for izuku, and izuku cant control his heart when it comes to katsuki, and like… what other explaination is there? atp i consider it canon that theyre in love with each other.

and the other most likely ship that i thought was gonna be canon, izuocha, just is not feasible. its not like i dislike the ship, no hate to it at all, but making it canon would be so fucking harmful to izuku and ochakos characters and we dont talk about that enough. it would a dissapointing, flat conclusion with barely any build up and itd be the bland, predictable formula. like, ochako has already basically wrapped up her thing with izuku with that entire fight with toga. shes admitted herself that her crush on izuku was more admiration than anything of massive substance. and dont even get me started on izuku. barring some fluster and embarrassed blushing in the early seasons, this boy has NOT reciprocated AT ALL. its actually ridiculous. izuku has been focused on like, two things only: hero work, and kacchan. izuku does not show ANY romantic feeling to ochako whatsoever.

surely, surely if horikoshi were to make this canon, he’d put in a little more effort? add some more chemistry, more development, more than just ‘boy meets girl. blush and get shy. little crush. get married. the end’?

that is bad storytelling, and horikoshi is anything but a bad storyteller. this guy adds foreshadowing YEARS before the chapter. horikoshi is INSANE when it comes to character + relationship + plot development. if horikoshi throws all that out the way, and makes izuocha canon, id be extremely, extremely disappointed. not because i hate the ship, but because itd be out of nowhere, disregard practically ALL development, and be nauseatingly dissatisfying.

talking of which, for the entire day ive been thinking about the foreshadowing for bkdk.

there. is. so. fucking. much. it feels like everytime i read like a new section of the manga, their relationship is described in the most frutti tutti rainbow gay way. im sorry, shigafo, did you just say that katsuki is closer to izuku than ANYONE else? excuse me, aizawa, did you just describe them as pair, a pair that the class revolves around? dont even mention the shit that izuku and katsuki say referring to each other. i cant even choose one to add in here, but every out of context bkdk quote has like these SEVERE more-than-platonic undertones, especially when you consider their past and their development. i feel like horikoshi has been doing some fucking insane foreshadowing for something MORE.

yk, i keep on thinking about how in the double spread in 403, the words ‘the beginning’ are displayed right over bkdk, as they find each other. call me delusional, but that has to be on purpose. i also keep on thinking about izukus green and orange gloves in so many official arts, and the light in both their eyes when they see each other, and the way theyre both always observing the other, never speaking about how they feel directly.

their relationship is just so, so……. and i feel like the only next step is for them to talk. just. fucking. talk. its been hinted at for so long, and horikoshi is doing SOMETHING.

them simply being together would be the most satisfying, developed, beautiful ending.

if they arent canon, i will die. ill say it now. bkdk canon. there is too much proof. as a writer, i know for a fact that i write everything for a REASON. why would horikoshi write this, if he wasn’t going to do anything with it?

bkdk will be canon. i dont care if i sound insane, or get proved entirely wrong. i now fully believe that the last page of the manga will be bkdk at a theme park eating crepes.

thank you chapter 403 for driving me off the rails.

[seaweedstarshine]

“They engineered a psychopath to kill you.” “Totally married her. I'd never have made it here alive without River Song.”

Sources: Let's Kill Hitler, Diary of River Song: My Dinner With Andrew, Closing Time, The Husbands of River Song, Diary of River Song: The Furies, Diary of River Song: Animal Instinct, The Ruby's Curse, Time of the Doctor

[acklesgotsnackles]

i love wilson so much for a multitude of reasons, but the main reason is because of the dynamic between him and house.

wilson is an unpredictable yet predictable mess. he'll have the same morning routine for three years but will watch house destroy himself and when he finally has enough he’ll snap, but never in the way anyone expects. he gets angry and yells and slams doors like the rest of us but isnt afraid to lace houses drink with antidepressants. he sees house breaking boundaries and breaks them along with him.

this is why house cares so much. hes the biggest asshole on the planet but wilson stays with him despite that. he knows why house does the things that he does and is willing to put up with it because he cant stand the idea of leaving someone so pitiful behind. because thats exactly what house is. hes pitiful, and wilson cant help himself when it comes to people in need. and because house never allows himself to get better, wilson is able to feed off him like a leach.

but house needs him too. he needs the feeling of having someone who can stand his sarcasm while allowing himself to keep his little sense of superiority, even if he isnt in a superior position to begin with. theyre on equal ground yet they each think they have the upper hand. house can read wilson like the back of his palm, but can never tell how far wilson is willing to go. wilson knows the defenses that house puts up and is able to read him just as well, but hes unaware half the time house is manipulating him. they keep each other on their toes, and its enough of an adrenaline rush for house and enough of a pity party for wilson to keep them satisfied.

[casmick-consequences]

Black Pete, my beloved

This is just gonna be a post where I talk about Black Pete from 'Our Flag Means Death' and his arc on the show (so far!!!!), as well as what he means to me. (And by post, I mean essay, lol. I'm passionate.)

So right from the get-go, you immediately see the kind of character Pete is set up to be. Stereotypical rugged pirate, very much "I live to loot and plunder and I eat danger and bloodshed for breakfast". He's immediately set up to be someone who is very unlikeable, and someone who you would get annoyed with fast. An overly confident macho character that thinks he's better than everyone else, yet has nothing to prove it. Think characters like Nelson Muntz from 'The Simpsons' or Eric Cartman from 'South Park'.

In episode 1, you see him being the character to effectively try to start a mutiny because he thinks the captain, Stede Bonnet, is incompetent and unfit to be a captain, even confidently stating that he'd take over in his stead because 'he's the most experienced'.

If there was one character trait to shadow all of this, though, it is undoubtedly his idolization and admiration for the dreaded and feared pirate; Captain Blackbeard. He makes up stories of him having been on his crew, and this being the reason as to why he is so skilled and great. Whether these stories are true is never mentioned, but nonetheless not a single person (except the quite gullible captain Stede) believes a word he says.

What is SO interesting about his character, however, is that all of this is just a first look into his character. It's a first impression. Yes, throughout the show he shall always have his little moments of "being a dick", but the further you get into the show, the more you see the layers of him.

We've established he's kind of a dick, he's self-centered, delusional... but under all this there's actually the sweetest core you could imagine. Whenever he does something wrong, or he offends someone, he's the first to apologize as soon as he can.

Accidentally stab Frenchie's flag during an ambitious attempt to start a mutiny? Show remorse and say I'm sorry immediately. Your captain makes someone cry? Tell him that that wasn't okay and console the crying person as soon as possible. Your captain wants to put a cursed suit onto other innocent people, just to lift the curse from themselves? Question it because it makes you feel like a horrible person.

And even to Stede himself. In Season 1, it was pretty clear that Pete did not think anything of Stede. He thought he was dumb, incompetent etc etc and loved NOTHING more than the idea to get rid of him. But then in Season 2, where a very offensive comment is made towards Stede by the newly-back-from-the-sorta-dead scribe, Lucius Spriggs, who now holds a vendetta against Stede because he's indirectly the reason Lucius had to come sorta back from the dead in the first place, you see him like this:

He is visibly uncomfortable here, while in season 1, he would've jumped on the Anti-Stede train in a SECOND. But here, he just sits and tries to kind of get rid of the thick tension of that moment, and get the negative attention away from Stede. GROWTH.

Not only that, but (and this is gonna be an insanely weird opinion of mine but hear me out): out of all the crewmembers on Stede's ship, I might say that none of them are as much like Stede than Pete is. Stede is quite dumb, quite gullible, obsessed with Blackbeard, very much wants to be a "big, strong pirate" and despite all of this still manages to be kind to the people around him and makes sure to take care of others just like he takes care of himself. To me, that sounds just like Pete.

And, maybe one of his most redeeming qualities:

He is the sweetest, most loving and most caring partner on the ship.

Lucius is pretty much what you think of when you hear the words "sassy gay sidekick". He's sassy, he's queer, he's confident, he's very flirtatious and basically the LAST person you'd think to pair with Pete. He's also immediately portrayed as likeable, and is understandably one of the absolute favorites in the entire fandom.

They sound like the crackiest pair of them all. And yet somehow, they work perfectly together. They balance eachother out like two sides of the same coin. What Pete lacks in self-awareness, Lucius got enough for the both of them. What Lucius lacks in pirate skills, Pete has heaps to keep them both safe. And so on and so forth.

Throughout the show, Pete has learned to put someone else before him for once. It used to always be him as number one, but it becomes very clear that he now has a new number one. His number one.

There are lots of reasons why this relationship in particular means a lot to me. The main one being the way that they are perceived in the show.

Pete has a cleft lip, a bit of a lisp, a bald head, and overall just isn't what you'd normally expect from a TV show that depicts gay characters. He's average-looking. He's just some guy. And despite all of this, he gets to be in a sweet and loving relationship with his cute boyfriend who loves him, adores him, and looks at Pete like he's the most beautiful thing in the world.

Lucius himself isn't really that conventionally attractive either, but this fandom definitely perceives him better than they do Pete. Which is apparent in the way they pair him up with other, more conventionally attractive people, which is upsetting but hey. That's how the world works, I guess.

But it's the way these two are not perfect in any way, they're just two dudes on a ship who happen to be in the most beautiful relationship imaginable. Their relationship isn't perfect either, but it's perfect enough. They're just like a regular couple you'd see anywhere in real life. Nothing too fabricated, and it all just feels so real. Which is also why they remind me so much of my personal relationship with my beautiful, amazing partner whom I love more than anything in the world. The Lucius to my Pete.

Pete means a lot to me because, aside from having the best oneliners in the show and making me want to study him in a lab, in a way I see a lot of myself in him. I like to think I'm not nearly as delusional or self-centered as him, but the way he engages with the world around him feels just so familiar to me.

He's a bit dumb most of the time, and he's prone to make mistakes, but he always means well. He keeps up a hard, rough exterior to be able to protect his loved ones and look tough to others, yet in his core he is so incredibly sensitive and caring He found love in a place and time where it pretty much could've been impossible, and he spreads that love as far as his bare, sleeveless arms can reach.

He's a dick, but he's my dick. He whittled his boyfriend a damn finger, he deserves to be a little obnoxious every now and again as a treat.

So yeah. Black Pete does not NEARLY get the appreciation and recognition he deserves. And neither does his relationship with Lucius. And I wanna thank Matthew Maher for his incredible performance of this incredible character. Thank you!

(Also he's trans because I'm trans and I said so <3 ok bye)

[notafraidtodissapear]

i could literally talk abt quotes from thg for HOURS like im not even kidding (i have) ....however, it has come to my attention that some people GENUINELY agree with the quote haymitch says in catching fire "you know, you could live a thousand lifetimes and not deserve him." which could not be more false. i believe they both deserve each other EQUALLY like there is no "one deserves the other more" type of thing going on. its like. they have both gone through the hunger games TWICE, peeta has been taken and hijacked, and katniss (a 17 year old keep in mind) is basically forced to become the head of this revolution. the worthiness of the other ones love should NOT be the first thing on their mind. "but she was literally soooo mean to him!" 1) womp womp 2) stfu. like i do NOT want anyone to ever call this girl mean. like ever. ESPECIALLY not to peeta. lets keep in mind what this girl literally said about peeta before "what i need is the dandelion in the spring. the bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. the promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. that it can be good again." hm does that sound remotely mean to u? or how abt "no one has held me like this in such a long time. since my father died and I stopped trusting my mother, no one else's arms have made me feel this safe." or maybe "i realize only one person will be damaged beyond repair if peeta dies. me." does any. ANY. of that sound like someone who is "being mean" to peeta rn???? like i could go on for HOURS abt how much katniss was in love with that boy. however. i feel like the people saying mean stuff abt katniss isnt actually made abt her actions towards him, but more the fact that she didn't really show HEAVY romantic feelings towards him until the quarter quell. which is first of all, unfair. u want this 16 year old girl who was just thrown into a DEATH ARENA have her first thoughts be "hm i wanna kiss peeta" like NO. she was much more focused on trying not to die thank u very much. AND THEN. as soon as she finds out that she can save peeta, she YELLS HIS FREAKING NAME AND GOES TO FIND HIM. like girly didnt have to do that! BUT. SHE. DID. anways.... if u agree with that quote ur wrong. have a nice day!

[moomeecore]

i found a book abt the anti lawn movement at the library & decided to sit out in my yard & read it. but ironically there was a neverending barage of power tool noises making it difficult to focus. so i walked to a nature park near me in order to escape the dreaded sounds. almost stopped at the mowed picnic table area bc i hate walking but fortunately pushed forward and made myself walk up an annoying hill to an area that is a preservation of a native oak savanna & sat down against a tree near the edge of the path & did my reading there. and honest to god that was a 100/10 experience. there was something so powerful abt being in a preserve for a locally native habitat while reading abt the impacts homeowners can have on native plant preservation! it powered up my energy towards my life mission (evangelize abt enviormentally sustainable gardening to every single person who comes within a 10 ft radius of me) by like. 15 points. also a deer walked up to me and that was super cool

[orangesodaliker]

I see ‘father figure’ I see ‘mentor’ and I close my eyes. That’s all well and good, but istg if I see one more person say “this proves edizzy is all fanon and not present in the show!1!1!!” one more time I will rip my eyes out. Media interpretation is SUBJECTIVE. There’s no way for interpretation to be wrong because there’s no ‘right way’ to interpret media. Edizzy WAS in the show because thousands of people were able to interpret it FROM THE SHOW.

[skateisawesome]

i literally love sprolden so much i could write an essay about it . . .

welcome to my essay about sprolden!!

tori and michael might come across as opposites who should in theory have no similar interests and not have a chance together. they seem like the exact type of person to hate the other one. but tori is not unlikable and michael is not perfect. and for these exact reasons, they work together. not necessarily as a couple but as two people who were made to be a whole.

the idea that tori is fundamentally unlikable comes from this very cliché thought of people needing to be happy all the time, laughing every day and just generally feeling no bad emotions. not only is this literally not something that a human can do but it's also very outdated. sad people can be good people.

michael is most definitely a ray of sunshine. he lights up every room he's in and warms the people that he loves. but the man has made several mistakes; he's full of anger and resentment at so many things i don't think theres any way to not make mistakes while feeling all of that.

this isn't a case of opposites attract, this is a case of: these two people could find eachother in any universe, under any conditions. they were made to go together, like two puzzle pieces or two notes in a chord. this doesn't mean romance. finding your person doesn't mean love.

ANYWAY i love sprolden!!

[milkbreadtoast]

(random) ngl before i started learning korean i felt like the worst failure of a korean but now i feel like the best failure of a korean (/j) HAHA

like im struggling to speak but least im speaking..!! I feel like I've restored an essential piece of myself that was missing...

[moonlit-orchid]

Sitting here wishing my ADHD was more severe just so people could realise I actually have a problem-

[ur-local-remy-kinnie]

wowzers akane the goober!! (submission for @mari-lair’s dtiys)

[pigeonxp]

also it is canon that the federation is sending lovejoy out on tour, so they r CANONICALLY the reason why q!wilbur is gone. ALSO, i do 100% think that tallulah has every right to be mad and upset by the situation (because lets be honest, its an incredibly shitty position to be in), but the fandom getting mad for her is beyond annoying, especially because in the beginning, q!wil TOLD HER OUTRIGHT (audience included!!!!) that he was not going to be there for a very long time. he made it crystal clear to everyone that he was going to be gone, so much so that he was unsure if he wanted to adopt tallulah because he knew he couldnt provide for her what she needed, and tallulah understood and still wanted him to be her father and adopt her. EVERYONE was aware of what was going to happen, so even though he has not been able to physically be there for her, it is unfair to say that he is a deadbeat and a shit dad because he literally explicitly stated that he wasnt going to be around much. also, in his last stream he confirmed that q!wilbur has canonically been sending monthly letters to her even tho him as cc!wilbur isnt able to physically write letters so the idea that hes been zero contact with her is also fucking stupid (i wish that they mentioned this in the lore more tbh because it is continuing the narrative that hes a horrible parent). ALSO the narrative that he doesnt provide is stupid anyway because he literally provides for the entire island which is why he is away in the first place (canonically). its not even that he doesnt log on in canon, its that he is literally being SENT AWAY. like omfg STOP VILLAINIZING HIM JFC

[pyrriax]

your centurion anatomy sounds really cool :0! can you describe more in detail about them?

in your screenshot it stated they have a crystalline star in their hearts, does this have something to do with the seraphim? also by "tainted by gold" does that mean centurion blood or do seraphim also have gold blood? what are the different colors of centurion blood and are they all some matter of metallic? how do centurions connect to their seraphim?

you can also talk about seraphim anatomy if you want :3 (im also very curious about why they went extinct but im guessing thats spoilers)

also who are the other centurions and seraphim aside from clown and branzy? do they have some kind of hierarchal system? how do seraphim give their souls to creations since im assuming its literal? and what is the exact purpose of soul-sharing?

no need to answer all or any of these ofc just curious :3

Hello hello yes of course! I'm happy to elaborate more on them ^_^ I'll be pulling pieces from my notes, some screenshots of writing I've done relating to it, and just going into some Details.

(Fair warning this is going to be a LOT of words and a lot of this is subject to change, this project and world is a work in progress and I've been shifting things around as I start actually writing things!)

Preface (A quick rundown of the World itself)

Divided into two parts, the main one I'll be focusing on is The Vesper, Vesper is the name of the main Seraph city, and is also used to refer to the floating islands which are the main home of the Seraphs.

The other part of the world, The Fray, is the actual planet. This is the ground, and was once a lush place, but is currently... Not so much. Once upon a time, it had a handful of different names, but now it's nothing more than ruin.

So, Seraph anatomy (What the hell even is a Seraph?)

Seraphs are an organic bipedal species which are humanoid in nature but tend toward being less human in appearance; though one of the main differences is their many (varying number) of wings, along with having anywhere from two to four eyes. Though, all of these things variy from Seraph to Seraph! In general, they're a bit bird-ish, and though the main two that I'll be talking about look relatively similar, Seraphs have a wide variety of colors and patterns, along with the fact they're known to dye feathers the same as people dye their hair!

(Note: this is an older sketch, before I'd really fleshed out the exact origin of Seraphs. The halo isn't a standard thing, but this does somewhat convey general anatomy! This is a Seraph which is basically showing off what it is, and taking a less strictly humanoid appearance, though it remains bipedal. As well, this is a four-winged example, although its ears are feathered, which can give the appearance of an additional set of wings, depending on the Seraph!)

Generally speaking, Seraphim anatomy isn't too out of the ordinary, although one thing to note is their speech is much more adapted toward chirping and trilling for vocalizations, and most of what I write for the dialogue is more... A transcript of the conversation, than the literal things being said (since I'm already in deep with a worldbuilding project and I don't need to add a conlang on top of that, lol). Well, that's all bar the star in the room, but we'll circle around to that in the next section!

Long before they were known as the Seraphim, Seraphs were a flying creature, and have retained a few key aspects of that, specifically the wings themselves, and a lighter skeleton. This does lead to the high potential of bones breaking, and general injuries, but there are things that circumvent that from being such an issue, which is tied to magic in the world itself.

also by "tainted by gold" does that mean centurion blood or do seraphim also have gold blood?

That line is referring to Seraphim blood! Seraphs have a varied blood color, but the most common one is gold/brass-like, which is usually vibrant but when dried it's much more weathered looking (taking on a greenish hue).

Seraphs are one of two sentient species in their world, and are revered as Gods both for their appearance, and for their abilities. Although, this doesn't mean that they are peaceful, and they often will partake in bloody fights, often to perceived death. Though, these are frowned upon, it isn't outright disallowed, for reasons I'll be getting into! (I swear I'm not dragging this out on purpose I just want to explain what the fuck a Centurion is before we get into magic)

Okay, so what is a Centurion, then? (Centurion Anatomy)

Centurions are primarily humanoid in appearance, but an important distinction to make is that Centurions are not organic. In place of faces, Centurions have masks, which are typically undecorated, left blank to ensure they aren't viewed as expressive or of having emotions. There are few exceptions to this. As well, they typically will have all of their body completely covered, for similar reasons. It's established already in the screenshot you mentioned that Centurions are constructs, and generally speaking, they are made for temporary usage, rather than anything long term. This comes with the nature of their primary purpose, but let's put a pin in that for now.

Despite their status as constructs, they are given pieces which function much like their organs, which primarily exist to be like a siphon for energy and the magic which fuels them. Over time, these pieces wear down, and they will cease to function properly after their designated time is up. This time can be extended, if these pieces are replaced or maintained, but this is something that they cannot do themselves. It was a limitation put into place by their creators to keep them from self-perpetuating and as well to keep them from outliving their usefulness.

These organs appear like they've been made of wood, metal, and wool. This isn't exactly the case, as much of what makes them up is organic material, specifically that of grown stars. (There's worldbuilding and flora explanation I'm not going to drag this out with, but if you're curious I can talk about it more ^_^)

Centurions are nothing more than machines. Or, at least, that's how they were supposed to be, but this isn't how it always remains.

what are the different colors of centurion blood and are they all some matter of metallic?

Centurions have blood much more like humans, though not always. Being variably red or gold, depending on their function. While they are constructs and don't have so much of a need for a circulatory system, this is a bit more... Cosmetic. Centurions with gold blood are more often than not the ones that are made for jobs within Seraphim cities, though this doesn't mean that they always remain there. Although, in rare cases, Centurions may be made without any blood, and instead their organs will be made to replace the few functions it does have.

But, focusing on if all of their blood is metallic, it isn't always the case. Centurions are much more varied, and even from one to another major pieces of anatomy can be wildly different. So, it isn't a far stretch to say there's quite possibly a handful of Centurions with non-metallic blood out there.

Centurion Origins & Purpose (With a little sprinkling of magic!)

So, if you hadn't already guessed it, Centurions were created by the Seraphim! At the beginning, Centurions were made to fill in odd jobs, taking care of things which were necessary and being generally a stand in for workers as the Seraphs progressed. They were modeled after the other sentient species, which are functionally humans but not quite. This was something which caused a fair bit of outrage from them, but the Seraphs didn't exactly care.

Eventually, though, the Centurions took on a much different, and much more... Important role. They took the place of Seraphs in slaughter, in petty squabbles or fights which would've otherwise been an inconvenience. This turned into Centurions no longer being made for small jobs, and instead they were being made as machines of war. They were mindless and soulless soldiers, following orders without a doubt or question.

Although, some Centurions are different from the others: they have a soul, one of the stars. These are the main leaders, and they are the ones which remain for the longest. (This is what Clown is, which is the reason he is the way he is!)

Centurions made for fighting are the only remaining residents of the Fray, and have been the reason for its destruction, after the fall of the Seraphs.

Stars, Magic, all those little things (An some creature details)

Magic in Seraphim is an innate thing, something that everything in the world possesses, but uses in different ways. Some creatures use it for shapeshifting to quickly adapt, others will use it to hunt, meanwhile a handful of species will consume it rather than hunting or scavenging. Although, creatures which consume magic are known to be short lived, and reproduce a lot like how puffball mushrooms do. It's a little horrifying when all of the sudden there are sharp spores flying everywhere, but it's the reason most avoid the main pools of the magic. Seraphs are a species which primarily consume magic, but, unlike the much more nudibranch-esque creatures which are prone to exploding due to the magic they consume, Seraphs have harnessed it for their own purposes.

The Vesper are floating islands which are suspended above vast lakes (which are almost oceanic) and have been held there by the Seraphim. As a means of storing the excess energy they've taken in, they developed a way to use it to continue to suspend the Vesper. These stores could last for several thousand years, assuming they're properly maintained.

But, onto the burning question of the night: what are those stars?

in your screenshot it stated they have a crystalline star in their hearts, does this have something to do with the seraphim?

The star is a key part of the Seraph's anatomy, and is the place where magic tends to remain within their bodies. This is a piece of their heart, the place where their soul resides, and is also their tie to this Godhood they have. Much of the reason they're revered as gods it due to the fact that if the star remains in place, and remains unbroken, it can make them... Somewhat immortal. It greatly heightens their ability to heal, a little like a regeneration potion, if you think about it.

Seraphs are notoriously hard to kill for this reason, given the fact that if given enough time, they're known to be able to sort of regenerate limbs. Not perfectly, and not without several years of time and a high risk of infection, but it's possible. And that's because of the stars. They're almost entities in and of themselves, keeping the Seraphs alive to not die themselves. Although, these stars can survive in other bodies, most notably being placed into Centurions.

So how do you kill the supposedly unkillable, then? What could cause such a mass-dying if they can regenerate?

The easiest and most straightforward way to kill a Seraph is to rip out their star. Although, that involves incapacitating them to some degree (usually via fatally wounding them, as that's generally the most accepted method. This is why it's so greatly frowned upon, as that leaves the Seraph who's been wounded to most likely be killed.) It's recognizable for its shape, which is the origin of its name (for a more visual reference, they're a little like konpeitō, but with a spikier appearance), and though they have varying tones, they're more often than not a pearlescent white. At least, that's when they've been cleaned of blood.

Without their star, the Seraph will die. Even if they we're fatally wounded prior, they will only survive a handful of months at most.

So, this mass dying. While I won't go into all of the details, since that definitely spoils some things, but magic is a finite resource, but even more, Seraphim stars became... Valuable as a weapon. Without the proper maintenance and constant in and out flow of magic, they'll accumulate energy, storing more and more until finally they just explode. Much like the nudibranchs, an excess of this magical energy leads to explosive properties.

This also means that Seraph corpses are dangerous if the stars haven't been removed, which is why in the carnage, there aren't many bodies left to lie and rot. The few Centurions remaining in places like the Vesper cleaned the place of these bodies, and some even took the stars for themselves.

So what do the stars have to do with souls?

In an earlier draft of a concept, I detailed a Seraph getting decapitated and surviving due to its star. The stars are a place where the Seraph's memory, personage, and in the most fantastical sense, their soul, is stored. This Seraph lives, and while it never quite has the same senses as it did before, it is still fundamentally the same person, as its star wasn't harmed in the process.

So; for a Seraph to give a Centurion its soul, that is an act like giving up itself to that Centurion. The Seraph will not exist in the same sense, and as shown with Clown and Branzy, even that will diminish over time.

Although, there is one thing I've avoided mentioning: the humans. Our outliers, as one of the least magically inclined species, they've tried to get ahold of this magic, as well as attempting to use the Seraph's stars for their own. This lead to a few people who've remained, but aren't quite human anymore.

how do seraphim give their souls to creations since im assuming its literal? and what is the exact purpose of soul-sharing?

Seraphim can take out their own star, an act which is painful but to be done for another is a little bit of a profession of love. To give their star to a Centurion, under regular circumstances, it is a way of prolonging the life of their soul. The star is "consumed", a thing which is looked down upon by Centurions, as it's viewed as becoming one with those who've condemned them to their hellish lives.

There are two things that can come of a Seraph's soul being placed into a Centurion, and they go as follows, with few exceptions:

The Centurion is Soulless / a Husk: The soul will continue to live on, but they will start again. It removes all but a few traces of the Seraph's memories, and they will learn to live as they now are. [Example: Ro, who we'll learn more about in the next section]

The Centurion has a Soul / Star (Even if it is one that was grown / artificial): The pre-existing soul will be slowly consumed by the Seraph's, a process which results in one or both of the stars shattering. This can only happen is the Centurion has agreed to it, and it is a thing which became more common as more Seraphs died. [Example: Clown, whose visions of shattering stars are that of his own, and not Branzy's]

Last but not least, an incomplete list of character I've given story to for this AU

Starting with our Seraphim:

Branzy is the most notable as he's the only Seraph who remains a Seraph for his entire existence, even after giving his soul to Clown. Although he's used his magic for shapeshifting purposes, appearing much more akin to the Centurions, as he's been enthralled by them since he was young. Roshambo, although I'll be elaborating more on him in the Centurion section for a few reasons. He was one of the first Seraphs to give his soul to a Centurion, and it had some... Interesting effects.

Onto the Centurions:

Clown is the obvious one, being one of the most perfect example of what makes a Centurion, and being one of the "leaders", his star (his soul) is artificial, one of the ones which was grown, and thus, he's a bit different from Seraph-souled (or, star-eating) Centurions. [Appears a lot like his typical canon appearance, as he was one of the few Centurions who were directly associated with a Seraph, and despite the fact of his origin, he doesn't have the blank mask which is typical of these Centurions. His mask is also carved into a shape which is much more like a horned owl, a little heart-ish; this doesn't affect him.] Zam, a lovely odd case who shows up long after the fall of the Seraphs, but before the Vesper as a whole collapses, who becomes one of the residents of the Vesper's grand library [At least at his introduction, Zam is much like the typical soldier Centurion, dressed in a way which is very impersonal. This changes as he spends time in the library, and by the time of the fall, he's adopted a palette of darker amber hues and white, along with the occasional gold or brass accent. While his mask remained generic for a long time, he eventually allowed Ro to help with adorning it, ending up with a smile and some filigree which matches Ro's own mask.] Roshambo is the last on this list as of currently; although he's fully convinced he isn't a Centurion at all, having been around the other residents of the library since his creation and not knowing himself to be any different from them [Previously being one of the few Centurions who was designated to a space where he would be viewed, Ro is dressed in a way which is almost painfully fancy for him. Unlike the typical blank white, the base color of Ro's mask is an iridescent black, adorned with lavender stripes and laurel patterns. His appearance is a little less decided, compared to the others.]

And last but not least, our... Humans?:

Mapicc is the closest to a normal human of those given one of the Seraph-souls in order to grant him the almost-immortality, this has lead to him having several inhuman traits, including the appearance of seasonally shed feathers, which he's more annoyed by than anything. Spoke is about the furthest from human someone can get while still being so, and this is because of the fact of the star he was given. He was given one of the artificial stars, as a part of a test. He's only become more... Bizarre as time goes on, body twisting and morphing as the magic doesn't know where to go, and he can't fully contain or control it.

The roster is pretty small, since I've been focusing on two different eras, and these two sets don't interact much. Clown and Branzy exist long before the extinction of Seraphs, but Branzy's giving up of his heart does mark the true beginning of the end. Roshambo, Mapicc, and Spoke (later as well including Zam) are the last living beings on the Vesper after the fall of the Seraphs, and are there until the day the sun doesn't set, and the Vesper itself falls from the sky.

... So that's the world of Seraphim, from relative start to end, with much of the fluff, character centric pieces and a bit of the more out-there magical elements cut out to save my damn hands because this is almost 3k words 👍 There are things I'm not sure will remain canon, more proper worldbuilding and flora / fauna exploration I need to work on, and some things I most definitely missed, but hopefully this answers some questions and raises others! there is a lot more to explore post-fall but i have to leave a couple of mysteries, as a treat.

[disgustinggf]

for someone claiming to hate SWers some of u spend too much time stalking us lmfao i cant imagine seeing boobs online and getting so mad

[mochiwrites]

(tma) From a fanon standpoint, I completely understand why people ship jonmartin, but from a canon standpoint they don't really have many moments together? I'll admit I'm not completely through season 5, but the ship wiki didn't even mention season 5, so I'm just curious how the ship got so much hype?

anon in the nicest way possible... did we listen to the same podcast?

because holy FUCK there's a ton of important moments that they have together?? excluding s5. I won't touch on that season all that much since a) you're still in the middle of it and b) we're talking early game jmart.

we're gonna start with the Q&A bits. also I feel like I should preface. I'm still relatively new to the fandom (have only been here since end of september) and I may not know as much as someone who's been here longer. but with that out of the way, let's discuss jmart! putting this under a read more because this is gonna be an essay! (spoilers ahead for seasons 1-4)

the first thing we need to make explicitly clear is that the magnus archives is not a romance. it is a horror first and foremost.

but also in the same breath, we need to talk about how jmart even came to be. martin's crush on jon was planned from the very start, and through the series we start to see jon reciprocate martin's feelings. this was specifically addressed for the first time in the season 4 Q&A. to quote jonny exactly, "yes he reciprocates it -- it's a romance -- at least I have written it as a romance."

the incredibly important thing to note with tma is that the romance (with the exception of s5) is going to take a back seat in the story, because as said before, fundamentally tma is a horror podcast.

HOWEVER -- this doesn't mean that jon and martin don't have important scenes together. because they do. it isn't so much about the number of scenes they have together but more so the quality and importance of moments they have.

SEASON ONE

take for example the first real interaction we see between jon and martin. martin has just experienced a traumatic event and brought the physical evidence of said event right to his boss' face (the same boss that ridicules him and bashes his work). he fully expects jon to disregard everything that martin has just told him. but then. but then! jon is surprisingly understanding and almost soft with him. it's a reaction martin certainly wasn't expecting and you can hear it in his voice.

and then we get to the prentiss attack and we see jon and martin on the same level. we see them having this heart to heart discussion about why they're at the institute etc etc.

it's the first time we see them actually understanding one another, the first time we see jon and martin as themselves and not just the archivist and his assistant. we see them as human beings rather than their professions. they're put on the same level and I think that's incredibly important to high light here.

to finally top it all of with season one, we have the interview between jon and martin. jon is trying to slip back into his role, back into the position of the archivist, but martin isn't letting him. not entirely. one of the first few things out of his mouth are the words "are you okay?" and he's the ONLY one to ask jon about this. I checked. and then you see martin apologizing to jon for leaving him, and you can hear the struggle in jon's voice as he tries for something soft before attempting to slip into something more professional.

but the biggest piece to take away from these interactions is how martin cares. it's how he views jon right from the start and deems him someone to worry about. and when we end season one we find that there is no longer a a hierarchy between the two of them (besides occupational titles ofc), they are on the same level.

SEASON TWO

so we end season with jon and martin landing on the same level of respect for one another. they're fresh out of a traumatizing situation and back to work! aaaaand jon falls into a very deep pit of paranoia.

we have martin attempting to steer jon toward taking care of himself, inviting him to lunch, making him tea, etc etc. we see jon questioning if it's just a ploy for martin to get jon to lower his guard so he can kill him. but we see jon start to look at martin in a new light, which is important to note. we know that they begin to spend more time together as other characters comment on it.

this is most likely the point where jon started to develop a bit of his own crush really. because a) he's seeing martin in a completely different way than he did previously and b) martin is something consistent in how he never stops caring about jon, pushing him to take care of himself. it's kind of the point in the story where martin begins to take his place as jon's anchor.

and then jon finds martin's lovely little note. and he freaks out. he reads this note from martin that says "they can't find out I'm lying" and it's not. something jon wants to believe. he doesn't want to think that martin has been lying to him.

and when it comes time for him to confront martin about his lying, he doesn't handle it well. he finds out that trevor herbert is alive and oh would you look at that! martin was the one who told him that trevor was dead! and oh. martin lied to him.

and jon takes it personally! he finds out from martin that it was misunderstanding, and when martin calls him out, he snaps, "because you keep lying to me, martin!" it rings almost like jon is telling martin that he trusted him.

he forces the truth about martin's CV from him, and when he finds out that that's what martin was talking about in his note, he's relieved. he's so relieved that he smiles. martin is trustworthy. martin is safe. martin secures his position as jon's anchor.

SEASON THREE & FOUR

season 3 is the season that I like to call the pining season. it's pretty much the middle of the story, where both jon and martin are fully aware of their feelings. sure they may not have many scenes together, it's the fact that the scenes they do have together are important. and you can feel jmart's presence through both s3 & s4 whether they're in the same scene together or not. they're always thinking about one another.

martin's biggest thing throughout both seasons is a plea for jon to be safe.

jon's in need of an anchor to keep him connected to humanity in s3. and he is encouraged to seek out martin. in s4, jon echoes martin in his pleas for martin to be alright.

and of course you have a big moment in s3 where jon first returns to the archives after being kidnapped by the circus and martin is the one he runs into. and they have this conversation, one that is almost shy but still very much genuine. jon expresses concern for martin after hearing he's been reading statements, and martin worries over jon after his kidnapping.

then we get to season 4!!!!! and GOD WHAT A SEASON FOR JMART. obviously I don't have to touch on the whole scene with the two of them in the lonely. I don't have to touch on jon running to martin right after he finds a way to escape the institute so he could suggest that they run away together.

what I AM going to touch on is their presence in the season. season 4 is probably the season we see the least of jon and martin interacting with one another. HOWEVER, their presence is very strongly felt. martin is basically always on jon's mind in one way or another, and the same with martin. we may not see much of martin but his presence is absolutely there through jon. it feels like he's there because jon is always reaching for him in some way.

season 4 is where we see jon at his most vulnerable with martin. and we know for a fact that jon is martin's main motivator to accept peter's deal.

and then we have the coffin scene. jon thinks "ah yes my rib is a good anchor for finding my way out of the buried. this cannot go wrong in any way whatsoever." but the only reason daisy and jon even get out of the coffin is because of martin. he piles those tapes on top to pull jon out and it works. it was never the rib. it was the tapes. it was martin.

so admittedly, no jmart may not have as many moments as a canon couple would in say a tv show. but the magnus archives is a podcast. and it is a horror podcast. the romance between jon and martin has always taken a back seat for the main storyline. think of it as an A plot and B plot. the A plot is the main story, the B plot is jmart's relationship.

it's the fact that the scenes they have together are impactful on their characters and the trajectory of their character arcs. we as the listeners don't get the privilege to see every moment of their day to day life. so we need to make inferences, we need to fill in the gaps. it's on us to read between the lines and find the answer based on what's given to us in canon. canon does give us quite a bit to latch onto with jmart, we just have to pick it apart to find it.

and it’s not about the number of moments. it’s the quality of them.

but to answer your question in a simple matter, I think jmart gets so much hype because well... not to sound like a broken record, but tma is a horror story. it is a tragedy. yet despite that, there is love. there is love within a story of death and loss and the worst of "humanity". jon and martin's relationship is such a fundamental part of the story (even if it isn't the main focus). it's the fact that their love transcends the horrors and despite what jon and martin go through, they find some kind of comfort within one another.

I think they get a lot of hype because in the face of death and grief humans reach for love. for hope. and that is what jmart is in the story. they are each other's anchors, they are each other's reasons. and while it may not be at the forefront of the story line, we as the listeners know that their love for each other is the driving force behind their actions.

they get a lot of hype because they are human. and they love. sure they started off in a rocky way, but they grew close -- they learned about each other, began to care about each other. and through all of the horror they became each other's reasons for carrying on.

in a story full of despair and death, why wouldn't you latch on to that little spark of hope? of love?