#ineffable harvest

[leon-swedfinqs]

Harvest Omens -- AKA Mari is going insane

I should be doing my school work right now (disregarding the fact that it is almost 2 in the morning as I start writing this), however I have a lot of thoughts in regards to my partner and I's Good Omens Stardew Valley AU -- while I still love and regard my d&d au with my whole entire soul, this is currently our hyperfixation/idea fixation so a lot of the stuff we are doing/thinking about is in regards to this idea in particular and i am vibrating with so many thoughts and ideas that i cannot necessarily easily translate to the page or to a drawing and its driving me NUTS -- If you want to listen to the mad ramblings of frankly an insane individual /j in regards to their stardew valley x good omens crossover au of madness youre welcome to keep reading

To start, here are some portraits of the two main idiots I made using this portrait maker. It was a ton of fun to translate them into something more tangible to look at -- they do not exactly look like this, however, but this is the closest I could get with the maker so that is what I am working with. The main crux of why this idea came in the first place is because I started playing the stardew valley 1.6 update (which i cant do much of anymore THANKS UNIVERSITY :D) and subsequently playing this new update with the existing Stardew Omens mod, or well, the updated one by @counterklock (hi if you see this sorry for tagging just wanted to credit) which can be found HERE

So what exactly is the deal with these two? What is their place in the overall story???? I will say that there may be some similarities with the existing popular crossover fic "Untitled Stardew Omens Fic", however we generally have been trying to keep things purely original in this instance in order to keep these ideas purely separate. Don't want to step on any toes!!! (both the mod and the other au fic)

Start off with (at least in our writing so far) who I suppose is the main protagonist and who's perspective we get the most of -- Crowley.

Crowley in this story does work for the Joja Corporation, or as it can be interpreted, Hell (not that working for a capitalist organization wasn't already hell to begin with). The corporation wants to expand their business into new untapped markets, one of the most glaring ones being tight-knit rural communities much like Pelican Town. While there is a Joja Mart there, it doesn't earn enough of a profit as they would like. The biggest hurdle in this instance is the loyalty the members of the community have to each other and to their local businesses. This is where Crowley comes in, as he is the key player in their ultimate plan: the Rural Reliance and Trust-Establishment Initiative. What's the main goal? To infiltrate these communities, carefully gain their trust, and slowly dismantle their reliance on more local businesses and encourage them to utilize Joja products instead. In order to fully implement this initiative, they had to do a test run, with Crowley as their guinea pig.

Under the falsely made person as "the grandson of a well-loved community member who has since long past", Crowley is sent to live on a piece of property Joja secretly bought for this project and implement himself as a member of the local community. By acting as a community member and local farmer, he slowly shifts the townsfolks' reliance to be towards Joja products. Crowley, being a city person for practically his entire life, has a lot of reservations about "going up there and making some trouble" in the small rural community -- however, it does not seem that he has much of a choice in the matter.

It's safe to say that Crowley...fumbles his way through this assignment. And as a cherry on top, the assignment so far has been doing the complete opposite of what it was supposed to do. Instead of shifting the townsfolk to start using Joja more often, slowly yet surely this project has been drawing their employee (Crowley) away from them, their products, and their practices, as he gets a taste of life outside of that, and truly sees the extent of their malicious practices outside of a city setting. He struggles to farm at first, making a mess out of his first set of crops and desperately trying to grow at least one batch of flowers (because that is what he really wanted to grow in the first place), and often fails at being a consistent social presence within the community. Overtime, he starts to grow into a farmer that rants and vents to his crops, he develops a mysterious aura as he "becomes linked with the forest" and starts to befriend the local witch, and he finds himself falling head first into a crush on the self-imposed isolated, old-fashioned, overly kind librarian. He's a city kid that finally allows himself to relax, and through this allows himself time for self-reflection and personal growth (you can pry genderfluid!crowley from my cold dead fingers -- you thought this au crowley was cis/ Sike!!! he doesn't know that he is until later so its a surprise for him too)

Meanwhile, Aziraphale has been a member of Pelican Town for as long as anyone could remember. He grew up in this community, this place is truly his home. As a baby/young child, Aziraphale did live with his "mother" (a placement for god essentially), but one day she just...disappeared, and he was considered abandoned/orphaned. The saying "it takes a village" does truly apply to Azi in this case -- he grew up with the members of the community, being parents by nearly all of the adults, and experiencing his childhood with all of the local kids as his family. The community center, library, and local farm were his sanctuary, his true home. As members of the community he grew up in moved away and/or died over time, and the community facilities (such as the CC) slowly became decrepit and broken, Aziraphale started to lose those stable parts of his life. As he lost more and more of his support network, Azi became more isolated, a self-imposed social recluse. He made a home within the library, and isn't seen outside of it for long periods of time since.

He can be found outside every now and then, of course. Twice every season (except for Winter), Azi would go to the bus stop and have a quiet picnic with himself. Grandpa (or "crowley's gramps") was like a father/grandfather-figure to Azi -- he was the one who raised him the most, who taught him and actively took care of him. His death impacted Azi the hardest, as it was his last close personal connection that was finally lost. Having that picnic lets him feel close to the one who truly considered him family. Along with that, once a week in the late evenings (right before the store is to close), Azi can be found in Pierre's buying groceries. More often than not, this trip is on a sunday to allow him to pray to Yoba in the personal chapel. He could also be found, roughly once a month, in Gus's saloon purely because of the fact that the menu has "maki rolls" on the list.

Whether it was truly because he couldn't see that it was half buried in the dark, or the fates decided that these two should properly meet, regardless Crowley ultimately found Aziraphale through a lost book. "Anyone could've returned this book, surely?", "why didn't he even bother to go check to find the book?" -- is what many may be asking. For that, I present the following response: "They're gay and they can do whatever they want"

They're both complete idiots, but they're my idiots. I have thoughts about many of the other characters too and how they fit in this world (anathema -- witch, new -- previous walmart id, works with adventurers guild right now. adam and the Them just casually living in the valley), etc.etc. for other charcters, but I will not get into them now due to time and my own mental sanity. I want to make sure everything fits within the current lore as much as possible, while also not leaving specific people out and making them upset.

I have so much more I could say about this au, but alas I am tired LOL you may either ask or ill expand upon this post later teehee

[ineffable-suffering]

Trauma-Dumping on your plants: The Anthony J. Crowley Chronicles

This has been living in my silly head rent free for so long, I finally decided to slap it on here in hopes of thinking about it a little less (than three times a day. It's been years. I need to get over it.)

Also, I'm absolutely certain I'm not even remotely the first person to realize or post about this, since it's not the hardest of parallels to figure out. Alas, I still shall, because out of mind, out of sight and all that. So:

Let's talk about how Crowley is using his houseplants to work through his own Trauma of the Fall. Or, well, maybe not work through it per se, but more so roleplay it to give it somewhat of an an outlet because he never got over it. Lol.

It's not rocket science to figure it out and God Herself actually gives us a pretty spot-on explanation of it in her own narration.

Crowley's plants are perfect. They're, as God Herself tells us, the most luxurious and beautiful in all of London. He takes great care of them, waters them, mists them. Does any and everything to give them the perfect conditions so they won't have a worry in the world.

And yet, we're immediately shown that despite the seemingly perfect conditions they're living in, Crowley's plants still get *gasps quietly* spots. And we all know how Crowley feels about that:

It seems like such an unnecessary tiny thing to get upset about, right? Like, plants get spots all the time. They're not perfect, they're part of nature and nothing is ever perfect in nature. Crowley would know that by now. Imperfection is the whole point of nature. If everything had stayed exactly the way it always was, nothing would have ever changed or evolved.

Besides, Crowley is a demon. If it were merely about aesthetics to him, he could easily miracle away any spot with a blink of his serpent eyes. But he gets so angry about it, it's almost comical. At first we think it's just to show us, the audience, that, in contrast to Aziraphale, who cares very dearly and lovingly for his books, Crowley is a mean, mean demon who, instead of being outwardly nice to the things he loves (like Aziraphale does), yells at his plants because he's a mean meanie.

But! If you look at the whole scene and what God says, it's pretty obvious what he's actually doing is something else entirely: "What Crowley does is he puts the fear of God in them. Or, the fear of Crowley. The plants are the most luxurious and beautiful in London. Also the most scared."

Folks, this man dude serpent is literally roleplaying the concept of God/Heaven threatening angels with their Fall in order to keep them obedient ... with his houseplants.

Have I mentioned yet that I am absolutely obsessed with him and also desperately wanna get him a therapy voucher?

Because what does he do once he sees a plant disobeying his rules of perfection and acting out? The same thing God did to her questioning, equally disobedient angels (including Crowley): Parade it in front of the very scared rest, making an example of it ...

... only to then, well ...

... quite literally chuck it out.

To anyone else, this seems like a completely ridiculous thing to do over a tiny, minuscule spot. There would have been a bunch of other ways to go about fixing that spot.

Figuring out what it was the plant needed that might not have been given to it yet.

Taking care of it in a different, individual way so it would have been able to thrive again.

Listening to the plant and letting it tell you why its spot appeared in the first place.

Telling the plant, that loves and relies on you entirely, you love it too, despite it not being without fault, despite of it not fully living up to your unreachable standards of perfection.

Caring for the plant not because you want it to be perfect, but because you're okay with it being imperfect.

(We're no longer talking about plants here, as you are probably aware.)

Alas, this isn't what Crowley does. Because it wasn't what God did, either. We still know very little about Crowley's actual Fall and the Fall of Lucifer and the rest. But we do know that Crowley was never like or even with them.

All he did was ask some questions. A tiny spot. A seemingly insignificant blemish in the luxurious, beautiful flora of Heaven.

And yet, before he knew it, he did a "million lightyear freestyle dive into a boiling pool of sulfur". Cast out, chucked away, just like his little spotty plant. And for what? Well ...

... to keep the others angels plants check, for the rest of time.

***

(Addendum from the comments: If we go by what the book tells us, Crowley doesn’t actually end up violently throwing out the ‚bad‘ plants. He just finds a different place for them and makes sure they‘re looked after. So much to him being a big, bad, meanie-mean demon.)

[azultecnicolor]

Anyone remembers the classic old Hollywood film Good Omens 1942???

[wanton-votaress]

Me gazing upon my rapidly growing collection of traumatized homosexual middle aged men like a farmer admiring my crops

[elizabugz]

[bowtiepastabitch]

Historical Analysis: class and injustice in 'The Ressurrectionists' minisode

Alternate title: why we're tempted to be upset with Aziraphale and why that's only halfway fair

Okay so first off huge thanks to @makewayforbigcrossducks for asking the question (and follow-up questions lol) that brought me to put these thoughts all together into a little history nerd ramble. That question being, Why is Aziraphale so clueless? Obviously, from a plot perspective, we know we need to learn some lessons about human moral dilemmas and injustices. But from a character perspective? A lot of this minisode is about Aziraphale being forced to confront the flaws of heavenly logic. This whole idea that "poverty is ineffable" basically boils down to 'yeah some people are poor, but their souls can be saved just as if not more easily that way, so it's not our problem and they probably deserve it anyway for not working hard enough,' a perspective that persists in many modern religious circles. Aziraphale isn't looking at the human factor here, he's pretty much purely concerned about the dichotomy of good and wicked human behavior and the spiritual consequences thereof, because that's what he's been told to believe. His whole goal is to "show her the error of her ways." He believes, quite wholeheartedly, that he's helping her in the long run.

"the lower you start, the more opportunities you have"

So here's what we're asking ourselves: Why did it take him so bloody long to realize how stupid that is? Sure, he's willing to excuse all kinds of things in the name of ineffability, but if someone in the year of our lord 2023 told me he was just now realizing that homelessness was bad after experiencing the past two centuries, I'd be resisting the urge to get violent even if he WAS played by Michael Sheen.

Historical context: a new type of poverty

Prior to the 19th century (1800s), poverty was a very different animal from what we deal with now. The lowest classes went through a dynamic change leading up to the industrial revolution, with proto-industrialization already moving people into more manufacture-focused tasks and rapid urbanization as a result of increasingly unlivable conditions for rural peasantry. The enclosure of common lands and tennancies by wealthy landowners for the more profitable sheep raising displaced lots of families, and in combination with poor harvests and rising rents, many people were driven to cities to seek out new ways of eeking out a living.

Before this, your ability to eat largely would have depended on the harvest in your local area. This can, for our purposes, be read as: you're really only a miracle away from being able to survive the winter. Juxtapose this, then, with the relatively new conundrum of an unhoused urban poor population. Now if you want to eat, you need money itself, no exceptions, unless you want to steal food. Charity at the time was often just as much harm as good, nearly always tied deeply up in religious attitudes and a stronger desire to proselytize than improve quality of lie. As a young woman, finding work in a city is going to be incredibly difficult, especially if you're not clean and proper enough to present as a housemaid or other service laborer. As such, Elspeth turns to body snatching to try to make a better life for herself and Wee Morag. She's out of options and she knows it.

You know who doesn't know that? Aziraphale.

The rise of capitalism

The biggest piece of the puzzle which Aziraphale is missing here is that he hasn't quite caught onto the concept of capitalism yet. To him, human professions are just silly little tasks, and she should be able to support herself if she just tried. Bookselling, weaving, farming, these are all just things humans do, in his mind. He suggests these things as options because it hasn't occurred to him yet that Elspeth is doing this out of desperation, but he also just doesn't grasp the concept of capital. Crowley does, he thinks it's hilarious, but Aziraphale is just confused as to why these occupations aren't genuine options. Farming in particular, as briefly touched on above, was formerly carried out largely on common land, tennancies, or on family plots, and land-as-capital is an emerging concept in this period of time (previously, landowners acted more like local lords than modern landlords). Aziraphale just isn't picking up on the fact that money itself is the root issue.

Even when he realizes that he fucked up by soup-ifying the corpse, he doesn't offer to give them money but rather to help dig up another body. He still isn't processing the systemic issues at play (poverty) merely what's been immediately presented to him (corpses), and this is, from my perspective, half a result of his tunnel-vision on morality and half of his inability to process this new mode of human suffering.

Half a conclusion and other thoughts

So we bring ourselves back around to the question of Aziraphale's cluelessness. Aziraphale is, as an individual, consistently behind on the times. He likes doing things a certain way and rarely changes his methodology unless someone forces his hand. Even with the best intentions, his ability to help in this minisode is hindered by two points: 1)his continued adherance to heavenly dogma 2)his inability to process the changing nature of human society. His strongest desire at any point is to ensure that good is carried out, an objective good as defined by heavenly values, and while I think it's one of his biggest character hangups, I also can't totally blame him for clinging to the only identity given to him or for worrying about something that is, as an ethereal being, a very real concern. Unfortunately, he also lacks an understanding of the actual human needs that present themselves. Where Elspeth knows that what she needs is money, Aziraphale doesn't seem to process that money is the only solution to the immediate problem. This is in part probably because a century prior the needs of the poor were much simpler, and thus miraculous assistance would never have interfered with 'the virtues of poverty'. (You can make someone's crops grow, and they'll eat well, but giving someone money actually changes their economic status.) Thus, his actions in this episode illustrate the intersection of heavenly guidelines with a weak understanding of modern structures.

This especially makes sense with his response to being told to give her money. Our angel is many things, but I would never peg him as having any attachment to his money. He's not hesitant because he doesn't want to part with it, he's hesitant because he's still scared it's the wrong thing to do in this scenario. He really is trying to be good and helpful. So yes, we're justifiably pretty miffed to see him so blatantly unaware and damaging. He definitely holds a lot of responsibility for the genuine tragedy of this minisode, and I think Crowley pointing out that it's 'different when you knew them' is an extremely important moment for Aziraphale's relationship with humanity. Up until now, he's done a pretty good job insulating himself from the capacity of humans for nastiness, his seeming naivity at the Bastille being case in point.

In the end, I think Aziraphale's role in this minisode is incredibly complex, especially within its historical context. He's obstinate and clueless but also deeply concerned with spiritual wellbeing (which is, to Aziraphale, simply wellbeing) and doing the right thing to be helpful. While it's easy to allow tiny Crowley (my beloved) to eclipse the tragic nature and moral complexity of this minisode, I think in the end it's just as important to long-term character development as 'A Companion to Owls'. We saw him make the right choice with Job's children, and now we see him make the wrong choice. And that's a thing people do sometimes, a thing humans do.

~~~

also tagging @ineffabildaddy, @kimberellaroo, and @raining-stars-somewhere-else whose comments on the original post were invaluable in helping me organize my thoughts and feelings about this topic. They also provided great insight that, in my opinion, is worth going and reading for yourself, even if it didn't factor into my final analysis/judgement.

If I missed anything or you have additional thoughts, please please share!!! <3

[bildad-the-shuhite-official]

Autumn-themed fic recs! (good omens)

Blueberry Muffins by Ina_Sirena G, 883 words, fluff, baking, cuddling, blueberry muffins, south downs cottage Aziraphale and Crowley spend a cozy autumn afternoon in their cottage and enjoy some blueberry muffins.

Books and Trees by Lunasong365, sous_le_saule G, 1.5k, cozy, autumn, forest walks, reading together, ponds, discussion of a shared future, bookverse In short, this is a humble declaration of love to trees, that sometimes in their second lives are lucky enough to become pages in books that tell stories as good as Good Omens.

An Ineffable Halloween by The_Space_Pirate T, 1.6k, halloween, fluff, bookshop, movies, pumpkins, pumpkin carving It's Halloween and the Ineffable Husbands are carving pumpkins and watching movies in a fic so self indulgent you'd think someone else wrote it.

stay inside our rosy-minded fuzz by unwholesome_gay T, 1.9k, cozy evening, fluff, recreational drug use, weed, domestic fluff Crowley has a gift of sorts for Aziraphale. They spend a cozy evening together in the bookshop.

Gold in the Air by nutmeag83 G, 2.3k, autumn festival, pumpkins, cider, popcorn, pre-slash, fluff Aziraphale coos all over autumn and Crowley tries to pretend he doesn't find it adorable.

Autumn Leaves by VennVidici G, 2.7k, ineffable wives, autumn, walks, vibes, character study In a breezy autumn day Aziraphale finally learns why autumn is loved by humans despite it being a fleeting moment in time.

The Pumpkin Patch by AppleSeeds T, 6.5k, meet-cute, autumn, pumpkin carving, farmer!crowley, fluff, its toothrotting, terrible pick up lines, (terrible) flirting, implied sexual content, kissing Aziraphale visits a pumpkin patch and meets Crowley, a farmer with a fondness for cheesy seasonal pick-up lines. After a while, he starts to get the impression that Crowley might actually be flirting with him, and tries to work up the courage to reciprocate.

Anthony of Arcadia by Azira_Amane E, 19k, 19th century, human AU, farmer!Crowley, scholar!Aziraphale, tadfield, kidfic, disability, chronic pain, autumn, harvest Anthony Crowley is a farm owner with an old injury, a prickly temper, and a young new farmhand to raise alongside his flock. Ezra Fell is a former Oxford scholar who retired far sooner than he would have liked, finding himself in the idyllic village of Taddesfild. After a tense first meeting, they soon discover they are more alike than different. An English countryside AU, set very loosely somewhere around the 1800s.

++++++

Hey guys! Autumn is here (at least in continental Europe) so I decided to share a bunch of autumn-themed fics I enjoyed/written hehe. I may post another part since I am really deep in this rabbit hole.

[laluvliduvz]

✦ 𝐓𝐇𝐄.

.𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 ✦

✦ 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐍.

.𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 ✦

✦ 𝐈𝐌.

.𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 ✦

✦ 𝐘𝐎𝐔.

𝑨𝑰𝑲𝑨 𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑨𝑴𝑨𝑹𝑰 ⎯ 𝘚𝘏𝘌/𝘏𝘌𝘙

hi, hello, heyo!

a stranger amongst many. sincerest of greetings from me to you!

a teen astray the infinite void, aimlessly adrift the tremous journey of studying ⎯ a newfound author, honoured to make your acquaintance.

have you ever felt that hefty feeling, so overbearing that you wonder as to endeavour a charade ⎯ a deceitful escapade from reality?

why, darling, fret not!

please, if you may ⎯ i humbly encourage you ought solitude within my abode ⎯ now a shared sanctuary ⎯ to ensure a tapestry for us through a mutual desire of a longing to infinitely be enveloped in a mesmerizing reverie, by the means of our limitless imaginary.

despite a majority of society potentially deeming it all a mere delusion — i yearn to grant me and you boundless indulgence in our false reality.

seek refuge in our fantastical daydreams. manifested as I weave mine to words, laid to the utmost flare of my capabilities, to gift a safe haven for you and me.

in this station specifically, i’ll be primarily concentrating on short stories.

such as scenarios, oneshots, hcs, etc…

i tend to harvest in the realm of many themes.

yet even still, i’d prefer to keep mine mature—pardon, not in that explicit way, however.

it is merely themes centering with ones such as gore, violence, harsh language, etc…

nonetheless, i am open with engaging in multiple fandoms.

ɴᴀᴍᴇʟʏ…

tdlosk/sknpn.

tbhk/jshk.

╰ var. (requested)

╰ m. teru (requested)

ds/kny.

var. (crossover)

var. (isekai)

t. muichiro (short story)

╰ t. giyuu (oneshot)

╰ t. muichiro (ramble)

╰ t. muichiro (oneshot)

╰ t.muichiro (requested)

thh & sdr2 & drv3.

jjk.

╰ g. satoru (oneshot)

gi & hi & hsr.

var. (crossover)

╰ scaramouche // gi. (drabble)

bsd/lsd.

pjsk/cs.

snjc.

kcc.

aot/snk.

fbje/snf.

onk.

hazbin hotel.

soe/ons.

sxf.

sec . acc (do check it out! this is where i post my artworks and stuff)

any of you’re radiant displays of endless support,

evokes a heavenly bliss within me.

kindling a whimsical jubilation,

i had not fathomed remained.

as serendipity intertwines our paths,

my fervent aspiration is to adorn you

with even the most delicate semblences,

of that ineffable warmth.

[celestialholz]

The Celestialholz meta masterpost.

Hassius/Ephemeralartshipping

TM20 is gay.

TM20 is seriously gay actually...

Flapple? Even more gay than you thought.

The path to Artazon is suspiciously adorable...

There's 34 Surrendering Sunflora in Artazon. They're all gay.

The Harvest isn't any less gay, in case you were wondering...

Art class, in the art room. Because the art room's gay.

Hassius and the number two

Sun and moon men in a game not called Sun and Moon

Why is there a goddamn heart shape on the Sunflora Lawn, just why Game Freak

THAT ANIME EP THOUGH HUH

No hold up, Surrendering Sunflora wasn't quite gay enough

Hands up boys, we're in your walls

Motherfuckin' DIPPLIN.

Core-wyrms and fore-wyrms because why not am I right

So they have fields of apples now...

Shiny Dipplin is Hassel. I'm so done.

The saga of Hydrapple.

The bravest little Sunflora.

General Paldea

Larry's secretly a showman, the funky little businessman

Larry is a fucking gift to us all, and here's what's beneath the giftwrap

A small case of vanillacupcakes symbolism

The Treasures of Ruin are an AU Elite Four

Geeta's not evil, but if she ever heel-turns, here's why

Qcard

The heart, the brain and the saviour, or why Q is the sun

The doorway to meaning

What the fucking hell is this outfit are you kidding me Paramount

Ineffable Husbands

An alternative coffee theory, featuring the official colour of the universe

We need narrative balance, so Aziraphale's going to resurrect Crowley

Of fucking course he can speak every language except French...

[coraniaid]

🔥 honestly just let loose with controversial btvs opinions I’m ready

So ... I think I've probably said this before, but at the risk of repeating myself: I don't like the way the show treats the idea of Harmony as a vampire.  In particular, I really don't like the way the show depicts Buffy Summers finding out that Harmony is a vampire (in Season 4's The Harsh Light Of Day).  I don't think it's consistent with her character as established to this point, and I don't think it makes much sense logistically either.

Before Season 4, I think the show is actually pretty consistent in how it treats the idea of 'becoming' a vampire.  Yes, a vampire remembers their past life: we see that with Jesse as early as Season 1's second episode, The Harvest. And yes, a vampire's personality is heavily influenced by the person they were when they were alive: again, see Jesse's continuing obsession with Cordelia, and also what Angel (almost) says in Season 3's Doppelgangland about Willow.

(Indeed, this is really the only excuse for Giles repeatedly telling Buffy about the crimes various vampires she faces in the first three seasons committed while they were alive: which he does for Andrew Borba in Season 1's Never Kill A Boy On The First Date, for the Gorch brothers in Season 2's Bad Eggs and for Zachary Kralik in Season 3's Helpless.  Why bother doing that unless it tells her something about the vampires she'll now be fighting?) 

So yes, a vampire remembers being human and (at least sometimes) retains a lot of their former personality.

But equally, the show has also been consistent up to this point -- and, more importantly, it has consistently shown that the characters in the show believe it to be true -- that the human does die when turned into a vampire.  The vampire retains the memories and something of the personality, but something ineffable -- call it a soul, continuity of self, whatever -- is lost.  As Buffy tells Ford in Lie To Me, you categorically do not "become" a vampire:

"... that's not how it works.  You die, and a demon sets up shop in your old house.  And it walks, and it talks, and it remembers your life, but it's not you."

-- Buffy Summers, Lie To Me

This is why Buffy can't just let vampires turn people into more vampires, even if (as in Lie To Me) those people are willing for them to do so.  Because it's murder.  Because it's wrong.  It's something that's pretty much central to the premise of the show.  Not that it is necessarily a true belief about the world -- the show is fiction, after all, there is no objective truth to be found -- but that Buffy herself believes it.

And, at least for the first three-and-a-bit seasons of the show, she does believe it.  Ford gets turned by Spike, and -- just as she promised him she would while he was alive-- Buffy waits up by his grave that night and she stakes the vampire he has become.  She doesn't congratulate him on his plan to beat cancer succeeding because -- as far as she's concerned -- it did not succeed, it could never have succeeded, and her old friend Ford is already dead.  In Doppelgangland, after meeting the alternate reality vampire Willow, the gang all react as if their Willow has died: they speak of her in the past tense, they offer up eulogies for her.  They don't wonder why Willow has decided to 'become' a vampire.  They mourn.  Buffy blames herself, because (she thinks) her best friend has just died.

That's the other thing the show is consistent about.  By Season 2, if not earlier, Buffy has deeply internalized the notion that she personally has a duty to protect her friends and her classmates from harm.  And when she fails in that duty she blames herself.  Willow's a vampire?  Well, that must be because Buffy called her "reliable".  Angelus turned Theresa into a vampire?  Well, of course that's Buffy's fault: she's to blame for everyone Angelus kills, isn't she?  Buffy's new college friend Eddie's a vampire now?  Well, that's definitely her fault too, so she'll apologize to him even as she readies herself to stake him.

But then there's Harmony.

Granted, Harmony Kendall is not a particularly admirable person in life.  She's a bully, she's shallow, she's fickle.  She does not treat Willow or Marcie Ross or Cordelia kindly or well.  And when Buffy Summers, Class Protector, asks her to, she risks her life, just like all of the graduating class of 1999 - without powers, without destiny, without training -- to try to stop the Mayor's Ascension.  And we see on the screen how it ends.  One of the vampires she's fighting gets close enough to bite her; and that's the last we ever see of the human girl called Harmony.

Harmony is not a good person, but she dies a hero. She dies fighting to save the world.

And how does Buffy react to finding out that Harmony has been turned into a vampire?  Does she mourn her?  She's known her for over two years, by this point, far longer than she'd known Eddie.  Longer than she'd known Theresa or Jesse as well. We first see her in The Harvest, as part of Cordelia's clique, and so -- since Buffy tried befriending Cordelia when she arrived in town -- it's possible that Harmony was one of the first people Buffy ever met in Sunnydale.

Does Buffy blame herself?  It was her plan, after all, to have her fellow classmates arm themselves and fight the Mayor and his vampires.  She had to have known there would be casualties.  None of them have superpowers.  They'd just given her an award for protecting them.  This isn't like Theresa or (as she mistakenly thought) Willow.  There's no complex, convoluted chain of reasoning required here.  Harmony is dead because Buffy decided her best option was to ask her to risk her life.  Most of the time Buffy is wrong to assume it's her fault people have died, but this time I think she might have a point.

Just how does Buffy react to finding out that Harmony is a vampire?  Well, she says this:

"Harmony's a vampire?  She must be dying without a reflection."

-- Buffy Summers, The Harsh Light Of Day

She makes a joke of it. And ... uh, that's it. Although Buffy will run into Harmony again (and again, and again...) that's the most reaction we ever see.  We never see any suggestion that Buffy blames herself for Harmony's death: we don't even see her acknowledge the fact that Harmony is dead. There's no apology for Harmony.  At best, she's a punchline.  The fact that Harmony's dead is funny.

So yeah, I think that kind of sucks, frankly, and I don't think it's consistent with how Buffy was acting as recently as two episodes earlier.

But also ... how, exactly, can Buffy only be finding out that Harmony is a vampire now?  Graduation Day was months ago.  Buffy stayed up by Ford's grave in case he'd been turned.  Did she not bother to do that for the kids she talked into dying in a fight against the Mayor?  For that matter, how does Willow not instantly know that the 'Harmony' she runs into must be a vampire?  Did she not even bother to find out which of her fellow students died in the battle?

(Or, maybe, is the point meant to be that Harmony got bitten in the battle, didn't actually die at all, but then somehow got bitten again later that summer? Everything I've read online suggests Harmony was meant to have died in the Season 3 finale, but I guess it's not explicitly stated in the show that she did...)

More generally ... well, I think having one of Buffy's old classmates come back as a vampire is a solid writing choice.  I don't think it would have been a good idea to have it be one of the regulars -- that would have been far too depressing -- so a minor recurring character makes a lot of sense. Personally I'd have liked to see School Hard's Sheila come back in a later episode, but failing that Harmony is as good a choice as any.  And -- since the show has already established that a vampire's personality owes a lot to the human they were in life -- it makes sense (albeit it's a bit mean-spirited) to have Harmony as a vampire be vapid and self-absorbed.

I don't think it's quite as funny a joke as the writers obviously did though.  Funny enough for one episode, maybe two.  Not twenty-eight (across the full runs of both Buffy and Angel).

[leon-swedfinqs]

[dialux]

If you really think about it, treating the whole Elendili vs King’s Men issue as a dichotomy is SO stupid. There wouldn’t have been two schools of thought alone, much less two schools that don’t even address Eru. There surely would have been far, far more philosophies in Numenor than we can imagine. To name a few:

Eru is the only real god; the Valar are his messengers come to Earth, with flawed but benevolent goals

Eru is the only real god; the Valar are his messengers come to Earth, with flawed and malicious goals

Eru is the only real god; the Valar are his messengers come to Earth, with flawed and specifically anti-Numenor goals

Eru is the only real god; the Valar are his children and hold a seed of his ineffable greatness in them and therefore merit worship

Eru is the only real god; the Valar are his children and have clearly achieved great and terrible things in the past and therefore merit worship

Eru is the only real god; the Valar are his children and have clearly achieved great and terrible things in the past but this does not erase their mistakes, of which there are not a few, and therefore merit no worship

Eru is the only real god; the Valar are his children and therefore are not him, and should not be worshipped when there’s a real live god right fucking there

Are we really certain Eru exists?

Maybe Eru exists, maybe he doesn’t; we’ve got some pretty good sheep harvests this year though

Maybe the real Eru was inside all of us all along!

Are we really certain the Valar even exist?

Maybe the elves are hallucinations brought on by sunstroke (and all of the claims of elf-sightings is a plot by Andunie to keep their fishing quotas artificially low (because surely nobody needs that many feasts every year))

[ludi-cerealia]

Spring! Sprang! Sprung! Spring Forecast 2023 (PAC)

Collective energy: This spring season the collective is coming into their own power as Aries itself would have it; embracing the compass of one's inner wisdom as one steers one's own destiny, divinely guided towards inspired action. The collective will have no more illusions about where their power lies, the time has come to wield one's power as one sees fit, without fear. Pick a deck for your spring cycle forecast! Take what resonates and leave the rest. Piles are left to right : Pile 1, Pile 2, and Pile 3. Channeled songs: Lana Del Rey - Lust for Life // Qveen Herby - On God // Smoke Season - Opaque// Lapsley- Silverlake Collective Bottom(s) of decks (s): Seven of Swords, Athena~ Knowledge, The King Decks used: Wild Unknown Archetypes, Children of Litha Tarot, Goddess Power Oracle

Pile 1

(Cards: 7 of cups, The Star, The Hermit, The Comic, Nyx ~ Secrets)

This pile may be in a place of indecision for having too many options, such that you are at a pivotal crossroads as to how you're moving forward in life. The seed you've sown this spring season is one of many hopes and dreams, you are investing in joy and embracing whatever form bears fruit come harvest time. You're realizing regardless of what you choose you will make the best of your circumstances and overcome whatever obstacles come your way— No one is getting between you and yourself ever again. You are nursing this seed by trusting in the divine (I heard 'ineffable plan', so Good Omens may be significant or have messages for you) because you are beginning to see its vision unravel before your very eyes. This spring season is about you discovering who you are, a union of shadow and light married by radical honesty. Come summertime you will begin to love how every version of you has become who you are now; each a spark your own lighting your way out the woods into the clear. You'll look back and see that the monsters were just trees (Taylor Swift's Out of the Woods started playing in my head), and your laugh will be lighter and brighter than the morning breeze. Arm in arm with your inner child, now what they always hoped to be.

Pile 2

(Cards: 6 of Pentacles, King of Cups,Judgement, The Box, Mother Gaia ~ Earth)

For a select few of you, this spring is about embracing parenthood in all of its highs and lows; the cards flew out explosively as if with uncontainable excitement. You’re rising to a long-awaited occasion that will irrevocably change life as you know it. You’ll be looking back wistfully at your past trepidation realizing how far you’ve come and how much more life has to offer you on your journey ahead. Something here is eager to blossom and break out of its shell, I heard a spring return. For those of you who have lost a child before, this may be the emotional redemption you’ve been waiting for.

For most of you, however, you may have recently been thrust into a more nurturing role in life, taking something vulnerable under your wing (eg plants, pets, or juniors at work/school). You’re feeling overwhelmed and even a little weary accepting this responsibility. Despite your deeper knowing that you’re more than prepared and that there’s no better time than now, emotionally you fear making the same old mistake of getting ahead of yourself at the cost of something dear; for others of you this pertains to getting too attached to let something grow apart or away from you. Come Gemini season you’ll realize you’re more than supported in this undertaking, if you had pets or plants before, they remember you fondly in their heart of hearts. Call on them for support when you feel small, they’re just a beacon away. (I had a lot of frustrating false starts using my usual browser to finish this pile, until I switched to a different one. Perhaps that alludes to the perspective change you need to see this commitment through, you won't regret it Pile 2!)

Pile 3

(Cards: The Emperor, Ace of Pentacles, Knight of Pentacles, Benzaiten ~ Beauty, I forgot to record your Archetype card Pile 3 :,) Apologies)

You're manifesting a glow-up, Pile 3; it's happening and coming in hot for you this spring! You're glowing up body, mind, and soul, I heard; be prepared! You may have only recently cemented your resolve to fully commit yourself to your best interests: standing in your power without letting pride get in your way again. You may be restarting a fitness journey, or even getting back into creative pursuits like drawing or dancing; but this time allowing yourself to truly begin again as a novice. You're allowing yourself to be curious with grounded expectations, affirming to yourself that what you know won't hurt you as long as you keep your head down and mind open. You're grounding this summer shred into reality, if it's the last thing you do, I heard; take what applies! You're letting yourself take things slow and steady, because this is a change you want to make last; as you mold a version of yourself that will see the next summer and many more to follow, even if its not ready by this particular summer. You'll see the fruits of your labor by the end of spring season, and it will not be just a single bud.

I hope you enjoyed this PAC! I’d really love to hear how it resonates for you. Any and all feedback is welcome. If you liked my work, do consider tipping me .

[randomwriteronline]

Across the perpetual twilight skies of the archipelago of Okoto streak six shooting stars: the Toa, ancient warriors imbued with elemental powers, crash upon the islands to reawaken the Great Spirit from the slumber imposed upon him by the jealousy of his brother Makuta. But much is buried within the prowling shadows, drowning in a forgotten past...

WELCOME TO MY BIONICLE G3 CONCEPT.

The idea was to keep G2's idea of a simpler universe while including as much G1 stuff I like as possible. Thanks to @cantankerouscanuck and @legend-as-old-as-time for letting me spitball ideas at them and figuring out stuff. As you can see from the inconsistent calligraphy THIS IS STILL A DRAFT, BUT I HOPE YOU CAN ENJOY.

Includes setting, characters, and a rough timeline of events.

For slightly more specific ramblings, check out this thread here.

SETTING:

Okoto - Archipelago connected by strands of land/sand/reef/etc. used to be a singular island/continent before a large chunk of it sunk into the ocean. total of 7 islands connected by strands of land/sand/reef/etc, six forming a sort of circle with one in the middle, each with a different environment. submerged but still inhabitable chunks make up the parts of a ring-shaped village.

Taisl - used to be a super volcano that blew up, many ground level pools opening onto magma. lava is harvested to make safe terrain for planting crops or building structures; occasionally cooled plots are sent off to other islands to facilitate farming.

Gaisl - huge seaside swamp, divided in many ponds and gulches. villages are built on stilts or mangroves; the waters go from shallow to extremely deep in only few steps, caution is needed. diving and rice farming main sources of food.

Onuisl - completely uninhabitable above ground, lush underground flora. bioluminescent funghi and stones provide plenty of light; diet consists of bugs and tubers. villages are split off in large caves connected by ever expanding tunnels.

Leisl - massive jungle, the archipelago's breathing lung. trees big and sturdy enough to build villages on them; underbrush too lush to walk through. mostly hunters and gatherers. flying lemurs are the main alternative means of transport.

Poisl - rocky canyons containing a large desert. villages carved into the sides of mountains; even with the twilight can't go around at midday for excess of heat. main means of transport are horned lizards, agriculture happens in carved out oasis.

Koisl - mountain range diving straight into the sea with jagged cliffs. sparce vegetation, southern position; villages have high snow walls for insulation and mostly hunt to survive. snow moles aid with foraging and transportation even in blizzards.

Voisl - aka Island of the Mask Makers. religious center of Okoto. the city of the mask makers mostly survived the cataclysm, though a further off portion of it was left in ruins - people from all villages can be found here. temperate climate.

Iniri - underwater city. inhabitants are partially amphibious: they can breathe underwater but the salt damages their lungs so they need prolonged exposure to fresh air. some portions are set up in air pockets within cliffs or undersea caves, or in artificially created air bubbles - mostly for specific cultivations.

CHARACTERS:

Great Spirit (Ma Ui? Takamu? Nameless?) - god of the sky, light, world. fairly "human", feels emotions very deeply and understands living beings very well. generally sympathetic to the struggles of mortals despite being so distant from them and with a gentle demeanor. ineffable body, unpercievable under normal circumstances. mask like in this post

Bohrok: iridescent beetles associated with the Great Spirit, carriers of departed souls - wings shaped like a G1 Hau. they can act as the GS's "body". their gentle buzz lulls Manas Crabs to sleep

Makuta - god of the shadows, animals, plants. based on G1 Makuta from books 1-3. more properly a "spirit", not alive, doesn't understand sapient living beings as a result. puts GS into a coma - allegedly out of envy (wants to be worshipped like his brother, villagers are ingrates), in truth out of love (cannot feel pain but knows GS does, wants to protect him). loves his family so so much

Manas crabs: enormous crustaceans associated with Makuta, nature's best shields and weapons. usually hibernating. can be incredibly gentle despite their terrible appearance and strength

Ekimu - mask maker and protector of the Mysteries of the Stars (reads both the future in them and the past in the fires of his forge), main religious figure of Okoto. mask makers are capable of ascending villagers to Toa by bestowing masks of power, which are made by infusing one or two elemental powers into the mask. reading the coming on the Toa [Mata] in the stars and the great dangers they would face, Ekimu made the golden masks for them and hid them. is a guide and mentor to them

Lhikan - previous protector of the Mysteries of the Stars, lead the Toa [Metru] much like Ekimu does for the [Mata]. several characters including Ekimu look up to her and try to live by her example. read the coming of a few catastrophes in the stars and attempted to call the Toa [Mata] to no avail, thus bestowing masks of power upon six the [Metru] and leading them to find a way to handle the coming crisis. mother of Jaller and Vakama (adopted) and bonded with Krika, daughter of Makuta. Dies to protect Vakama

Takua - Ekimu's apprentice mask maker/protector of the Mysteries, currently struggling with both, and leader of the Chronicler's company. more interested in current tales, often runs off to the other islands to meet up with his friends. the toa [Mata] keep finding him places he is NOT supposed to be and need to save him all the time

Pewku - "mascot" of the mask makers and the Chronicler's company. incomprehensibly old crab who likes to help: carries around tools for the mask makers, brings letters across the island, and accompanies Takua and friends on adventures. best girl no questions asked

Toa [Mata] - fall from the stars, G1 personality/powers/genders. the original Toa team, with a vast mythology to accompany them. answer to Ekimu. unclear how many times they've been summoned - their memory is erased when each crisis is handled and they get sent back up to the stars. they become aware of this twice and absolutely hate it. designs based on Mata. Protectors of the Sky/Great Spirit

Tahu: Mask of Shielding - same power as G1.

Gali: Mask of Breathing - can breathe through anything, be that water, smoke, or other.

Onua: Mask of Strength - same power as G1.

Lewa: Mask of Levitation - same power as G1.

Pohatu: Mask of Speed - same power as G1.

Kopaka: Mask of Vision - same power as G1.

Toa [Metru] - turn from normal villagers to Toa, masks bestowed by Lhikan. answer to Lhikan and Krika (adopted by her). older friends of the Toa [Inika]. enter a trance on Voisl from which they contact and later train the Toa [Mata] - end up sealed in statues during it, aging slower. turned werebestial by Chirox, giving them a werebeast transformation on command later on (design middle ground?). possible gender changes. Protectors of the Continent

Vakama: Mask of Invisibility - same power as G1. apprentice mask maker and chosen successor of Lhikan - his masks will later be bestowed upon the Toa [Inika].

Nokama: Mask of Translation - same power as G1. apprentice translator, studied in secret the language of the Great Spirit.

Whenua: Mask of Brightness - same power as G1. apprentice record keeper, studied in secret all of the Toa-adjacent mythos.

Matau: Mask of Illusion - same power as G1. athlete and racer, known for his successes in the arena's games.

Onewa: Mask of Coercion - same power as G1. sculptor and carver, known for the care for details in all of his works.

Nuju: Mask of Telekinesis - same power as G1. apprentice astrologer, slowly abandoned fortune-telling in order to try and understand the Great Spirit's inner machinations instead.

Toa [Inika] - turn from normal villagers to Toa, masks bestowed by the [Mata]. Jaller is Lhikan's child - gets her mask. during the cataclysm managed to unite their elemental powers to allow Iniri villagers to survive and became amphibious themselves. trained by the Toa [Mata], who disappeared* when they were needed - Jaller, Kongu and Nuparu still sulk about it. designs mostly based on Mahri. possible gender changes. Protectors of the Ocean

Jaller: Mask of Sonar - same power as G1.

Hahli: Mask of Adaptation - same power as G1.

Nuparu: Mask of Stealth - same power as G1.

Kongu: Mask of Linking - connects to other minds, reading them and sending simple messages.

Hewkii: Mask of Gravity - same power as G1.

Matoro: Mask of Resurrection - same power as G1.

Hannah: Jaller's crab rescued from Pridak ages ago, has since grown much larger than G1 to the point where the [Inika] can ride her into battle. she and Pewku will have a summer wedding. i make the rules and the rules say the domesticated crabs are lesbians.

*trying to use their powers to save the continent triggered a "reset protocol", sending them back to the stars. They became aware of their coming amnesia and tried to fight to remain, but in vain.

The Chronicler's Company - the weirdest kids available. often left on their own or thrown to the Children of Makuta. bond with the Toa [Mata] as they are the ones to first find them and are often saved by/guiding/helping/following them, growing fond of the [Metru] and [Inika] as well. their masks were made by Takua to help them with things they struggled with. {could become Toa after a proper bestowing of the masks by Takua once he becomes a mask maker himself. Protectors of the Archipelago}

Kapura: Mask of Need - {Magnetism powers: attracts and/or repells anything horizontally.} male.

Macku: Mask of Focus - {Lightning powers: creates lightning bolts from residual electricity.} female.

Taipu: Mask of Thought - {Psionic powers: reads and influences minds, creates psychic blasts.} female.

Tamaru: Mask of Botany - {Jungle powers: controls all plantlife, influencing growth and decay.} female.

Hafu: Mask of Welding - {Iron powers: manipulates iron and steel, even in tiny percentages.} female.

Kopeke: Mask of Volume - {Sonics powers: quiets and/or amplifies any sound on command.} male.

The Children of Makuta (concept by @cantankerouscanuck) - main minor villains, one for each island + one wandering "pup". not evil, necessity makes them act otherwise. genuine family dynamic, love their parent very much - though Krika has been ostracized due to apparenly deserting them in favor of the [Metru], Lhikan, and Jaller. based on the G1 Makuta specimens: appearances based on mixes of animal species (which ones pending), all embody different aspects of animal nature cranked to the max and distorted

Antroz - dominance, territoriality, leadership. female. Taisl

Mutran - constant evolution, perfectionism. male. Gaisl

Icarax - raw strength, muscle power. female. Onuisl

Chirox - poison, vampire/werewolf infective bite. male. Leisl

Gorast - loyalty to the pack, rejection of all else. female. Poisl

Vamprah - hunting, starvation driving to madness. female. Koisl

Spiriah - indiscriminate destruction, aggression, fear. male. wandering "pup"

Krika - rearing young, protection. female. Voisl

Nidhiki - incarnation of disease, born of residual energy from an ancient supernatural storm. an artificially pure being - oozes possible imperfections out of his body which turn toxic for "imperfect" things and creatures such as Literally Everything Else. gender irrelevant. formed in the bowels of the continent, essentially on Makuta's lap: since the god couldnt feel pain he began reaching upwards to seek things that could react to him and infected the entirety of the continent as well as the Great Spirit. a Schopenauerian will-to-live type of character - mindlessly pursues his own continuation for no reason other than perpetrating his existence

The Barraki - a small group of highly intelligent sea creatures. once prowling alone along the coasts of Okoto, now bother Iniri and are constantly fought off by the Toa [Inika]. brutal and cunning but honestly just trying to live. genders irrelevant. in an Honest To God Polyromantic Relationship - get really mushy with each other even in combat situations. it's both sweet and weird

Pridak - mix of various shark breeds. leader of the bunch, most aggressive and protective. so many sets of teeth that its frankly overkill. his first concern is always protecting the pack and providing enough food for his mates, but also he holds a grudge on Jaller for once adopting his lunch

Kalmah - mix of octopus and squid. tactician of the bunch, awaits the right moment to strike. naturally produces lots of offsprings/clones asexually. usually sends the little ones to charge first and intervenes then if the going gets tough, sometimes attacking but also dragging the others to safety

Ehlek - mix of various eel breeds. berserker of the bunch, fast and anxiously unpredictable. can generate electric shocks from his spikes. a complete and total mess: lashes out in a frenzy but then retreats fearfully under bigger mates

Mantax - mix of stonefish and manta ray. Trap-setter of the bunch, patient and with fast reflexes. lays in wait on the ground before snapping upward. his ability to camouflage makes him hard to spot and leaves many enemies unprepared

Takadox - mix of shrimp and anglerfish. hypnotist of the bunch, the smallest and nimblest. changes colors in hypnotic patterns and glows in the dark. being so tiny makes him extremely fragile, so he tends to hang out on the others backs

Carapar - mix of various crab breeds. muscle of the bunch, near indestructible and terribly strong. claw power second only to Manas crabs. very jealous, beating any other crab-like being that appears as a potential mate-stealer

Fabled Mask Maker - a figure of legend, generally considered a hoax; Voisl is said to be named after him. the only mask maker known to try ascending to Toa via the Mask of Energy, which he made by combining only the purest parts of all six elements (a la G2 Mask of Ultimate Power): was a fine hero for a short time but ended up unable to withstand his own power, causing a supernatural storm which dug huge craters all over Okoto and whisked him away. his full name was cancelled from all records so he could not be idolized and mask makers made it sacrilegious for themselves to ascend to Toa (avoidable via a loophole found by Lhikan to allow Vakama's ascension - since he is still an apprentice he can technically be considered not a mask maker, thus regularizing the process). {appears to Takua in forge visions; Takua will refine his craft and make the Mask of Light, successfully becoming a Toa}

(Any similarities with fan-character Voriki are to be considered coincidences in order to preserve Voriki's status as "collectively owned" character of the community, free from claims.)

TIMELINE

Ages past but not forgotten: basically mythological times. Includes creation of the universe, first coming of the Toa, the Fabled Mask Maker, tales about the children of Makuta, and subsequent tales of the Toa. might also include tales of non-[Mata] Toa teams

Nidhiki is born: trickles of raw energy from the Fabled Mask Maker's last storm create him, and begins slowly rising from within the unfeeling entrails of the continent to infect the Great Spirit

Lhikan becomes Protector of the Mysteries

Anguish in the stars: the Great Spirit, in pain from the disease, reaches out to Lhikan through the stars to warn her and ask for help; she attempts to call the Toa [Mata] but is unsuccessful

The disease spreads to Okotans as well, infecting the [Inika]

Choice and ascension of the Toa [Metru]

Travels across the Continent: Lhikan and the [Metru] set out to investigate the threat to Okoto and figure out how to call the [Mata]. Along the way the injured [Metru] are turned werebeastial by Chirox in order to survive Nidhiki's disease and taken in by Krika, who joins their quest after Lhikan is unable to dissuade her from following them

Nidhiki's defeat: the [Metru] manage to snuff him out, but his final attack towards Vakama leads to Lhikan's sacrifice

The disease ebbs away; the [Metru] and Krika look after the City of the Mask Makers

The Plan: Makuta, learning of the pain his brother went through, begins thinking of how to prevent him from going through it ever again - coming to the idea of putting him in an eternal sleep and starting to enact his plan with his children, minus Krika

Imminent catastrophe: the [Metru] read in the stars that signs of a natural cataclysm that will strike the continent are slowly becoming more and more prominent. Still reeling from Lhikan's loss and doubting their abilities, they decide to attempt the Calling of the Toa [Mata]

The Calling: the [Metru] manage to reach the [Mata] in their slumber via trance. It becomes however apparent that, while extremely powerful, the Toa are unprepared for life: the [Metru] thus train them, slowly being encased in a strange material the longer they spend within the trance. Realizing their situation, they accept their fate and instruct the [Mata] to handle the current crisis first and free them only afterwards

Mild success: properly trained, the [Mata] - with help from Krika and the [Inika] - manage to contain most of the disasters Makuta is trying cause a distraction with in order to put his brother to sleep. As their violence and danger increases, the [Inika] are bestowed masks of power and become Toa

The Cataclysm: in an ultimate effort to enact his plan, Makuta causes Okoto's super volcano to explode, triggering a chain reaction that shatters the continent and sinks entire chunks of it into the sea. Overwhelmed by the sheer size of the situation the [Mata] attempt to contact and free the [Metru] through the Calling ritual, but their intentions are misinterpreted and they are whisked away to the stars again: alone and with no chances of keeping Iniri afloat, the [Inika] use all of their elemental powers to turn themselves and the inhabitants amphibious and disappear into the ocean. The site in which the [Metru] wait as statues is buried by the rubble of Voisl being cut off from the continent

Makuta manages to put the Great Spirit to sleep; the sky becomes a perpetual twilight

Adjustment: in a period of roughly one hundred or more years the archipelago of Okoto and the city of Iniri slowly reach a tentative stability, although the Children of Makuta become more hostile and the Barraki begin their relationship and attacks. Krika continues to search inconsolably for her children

Ekimu becomes Protector of the Mysteries

Contact and preparations: fighting through his slumber, the Great Spirit reaches out to warn that he will attempt sending the [Mata] so they can awake him. Ekimu thus creates their Golden Masks and hides them across the archipelago for them to find, but the Children of Makuta break them apart and hide the pieces all across the different islands

The Coming of the Toa: season 1. The [Mata] crashland on their respective islands, meet the various characters, fight off the Children, form a proper group dynamic, and recompose their golden masks. Ends with Mutran dragging Gali into the ocean in an attempt to have the water pressure crush her, but she is saved by Hewkii, Hahli and Matoro

The Underwater Citadel: season 2. on land the [Mata] split, with Tahu and Pohatu going in the sea to try and find Gali. She has been taken by the [Inika], who explain to her and her brothers their shared past and shed light on their amnesia - while also fighting off the Barraki. Ends with all nine Toa and the inhabitants of Iniri finding a way back to the surface

The Tale of the Continent: season 3. meanwhile, Kopaka, Lewa and Onua return to Ekimu for guidance: he and Takua direct them to the ruined part of the City, now sacred ground prowled by Krika, where they manage to find and free the [Metru]. They too shed light on Okoto's past and the [Mata]'s amnesia with their stories. Ends with the nine of them and Krika reuniting with the other [Mata] and the [Inika]

Final plan: with all the Toa reunited, the [Mata] decide to face Makuta and defeat him to reawaken the Great Spirit - hoping to bargain the possibility of staying in Okoto instead of being sent away again - in the main temple of Okoto. The Children of Makuta catch wind of this and rush over to stop them, bringing with them a number of Manas crabs

Confrontation: while the [Metru], the [Inika], Krika and the Chronicler's Company (and later a Bohrok swarm) fight off the Children of Makuta and the Manas crabs, the [Mata] struggle against Makuta himself. Uniting their powers they manage to wound him, prompting them to almost kill him much to the panic of his children and the danger of Okoto at large - only the just awakened Great Spirit is able to stop them, knocking them out just before they can start delivering the fatal blow

Bargaining: the [Mata] awaken in a dream, for the first time mask-to-mask with the Great Spirit. After a moment of awe and confusion (in which the Great Spirit explains the need for balance, and so for Makuta to live - though he won't forgive him for all of this, not yet), the [Mata] defensively tell him that they refuse to lose their memories and loved ones again, willing to fight him for it. The Great Spirit simply smiles kindly at them, and the dream slowly fades away

Respite: Tahu awakens with a start near the Mask Maker's forge, his worries soothed when Ekimu reassures him it's only been a few days. The Children of Makuta have left to tend to their parent, Iniri has started a reintegration with the archipelago, the [Inika] and the [Metru] are listening to the [Mata]'s tales from the Chronicler's Company, and Tahu's siblings are likely waiting for him by the beach. When the Toa expresses anxiety about the future Ekimu calms him again ("To live is to struggle, but that does not mean that we must spend each second in strife. For now, let's enjoy this peace as though it were endless") and sends him off to the rest of the [Mata] with a smile. Ends with the [Mata] having a nap cuddle pile on the sand, enjoying the sun shining upon the shores of Okoto once again.

[auburniivenus]

Forebodings of consequence flit cold and rabid across a nightmare-ravaged mind—but are ultimately ignored—as his black shadow covers her somnolent form, fangs bared, sweet jugular his aim… @estarion

ANGELS   NEVER   DIE.   In   the   sinuous   embrace   of   a   resplendent   summer's   night,   a   languorous   breeze   pervaded   the   scene,   much   like   the   satin-like   curtains   draping   the   cosmic   canopy.   Stellar   pearls   adorned   the   firmament's   vast   tapestry,   radiating   an   aerial   radiance   upon   an   indigo   cloak   bespangled   with   diamond-like   stars.   Dulcet   murmurs   of   a   zephyr   uttered   sweet   nothings   to   the   swaying   boughs   adorned   with   floral   coronets.   The   aromatic   air,   redolent   with   jasmine   and   lilacs'   captivating   breath,   was   as   intoxicating   as   golden   nectar   imbibed   by   starry   beings.   Caressed   by   the   tender   ephemeral   fingers   of   recumbent   beams   bathed   in   argent   moonlight,   every   verdant   leaf   and   petal   shimmered   like   gemstones   of   emerald   and   ruby.

An   ELYSIAN   symphony   resonated   through   that   arcadian   landscape;   the   elusive   music   weaved   by   hidden   nocturnal   creatures   wove   enchanting   harmonies   upon   the   silence.   The   somnolent   murmur   of   the   brook   dancing   over   pebbles   served   as   the   constant   rhythmic   anchor   to   nature's   grand   orchestra.   As   velvet   shadows   draped   their   rarefied   tendrils   around,   emotions   billowed   like   flocks   of   exquisite   birds   woven   from   dreams   and   desires,   find   solace   in   celestial   realms.

PRINCESS   OF   LUMINESCENCE   lay   in   repose,   enveloped   by   the   sanctified   company   of   shadows.   Her   tresses,   a   string   quartet   of   auburn   strands,   interwove   with   the   rich   loam   beneath   her.   Illuminated   by   argent   moonbeams,   her   lithely   slumbering   silhouette   was   traced   in   celestial   chiaroscuro,   lending   a   touch   of   iridescence   to   her   pristine   facial   features.   As   she   slept,   her   breath   issued   forth   as   ebony   silk-wrapped   whispers,   its   lullaby   testament   to   the   depths   of   her   somnolence.   Unbeknownst   to   her   dreaming   spirit,   the   air   shimmered   and   twisted,   crimson   cantrips   hidden   amongst   the   perfumes   of   summer's   sweet   evening   respiration.   In   mid-dream's   embrace,   she   adjusted   position;   a   seraphim   adjusting   its   wings.   Thus,   exposed   like   a   gleaming   alabaster   kissed   by   twilight's   sighs,   her   porcelain   neck   invited   ASTARION   predacious   regard.   A   vulnerable   nymph   lying   prone   and   unsullied.   The   target,   beloved   upon   first   sight,   was   laid   bare   for   his   indulgence,   her   tender   nape   ripe   for   harvest   like   an   AMBROSIAL   FRUIT.

A   sigh   escaped   the   fissure   of   her   margins   tinted   with   the   hue   of   a   blooming   rose,   as   a   singular   and   mysterious   aroma,   akin   to   the   metallic   tang   of   blood,   caressed   her   unsuspecting   nostrils   with   unwavering   persistence.   "Astarion."   Whispered   she,   her   voice   resonating   with   an   ineffable   sweetness   mired   in   languor.   Her   orbs   fluttered   agape,   and   in   that   serendipitous   moment,   her   delicate   hands   found   his   stalwart   shoulders,   expelling   him   from   their   intimate   embrace.   “Are   you   insane?”   Queried,   her   tremulous   timbre   melodic   in   their   anxiety-ridden   inquiry.   Her   gaze   of   molten   caramel   collided   with   his   crimson   pools   reflecting   relentless   BLOOD   LUST.

[laikacore]

august

you are back

to back

nightmare to nightmare

revelation over again

as the tail nears the mouth

and the coil

twists

tighter.

could anyone harvest

the light cream of my body

so i can let go?

i am not of this

i am not of this

here nor there,

i coil the bright

long line

around both wrists

and into the lake

i go.

someday i'll believe

it was ineffably

not my fault.

august once more by laika wallace