#it was like poison apple themed

[sonic-adventure-3]

i just woke up and had a dream about nonexistent cutscenes to a nonexistent sonic game and i’m so mad it’s not real it was so cute. the cast was sonic, knuckles, rouge, and shadow, but there was also these two old human guys and one of their daughters, or both their daughter idk. the plot was the two old human guys were business partners and best friends but then they were going through a divorce era cause they each screwed each other over in business or something and hated each other so fucking much. and they built an absurdist non-euclidian abstract torture labyrinth as representation of their divorce. years later they’re for real trying to kill each other so the daughter asks sonic and co for help unraveling the secrets of the labyrinth.

idk why it was those 4 specific characters but knuckles and shadow both had dope outfits and were interacting way more than they ever have. shadow had a spiked leather jacket, shades, and platform combat boots. knuckles had his ova hat and a poncho, and his spines were pulled back into a ponytail. sonic and rouge were normal though. the artstyle of the game was like, pseudo low-poly, but they were textured like they were made of like clay or gummies and the lighting was really incredible, like rtx bullshit nice, subsurface scattering up the wazoo. but the humans were flat animated pngs in the 3d environments. like smile for me but like stock photo businessmen and teenage girl.

anyway the first area of the absurdist torture labyrinth was a airport lounge buffet that was entirely shades of beige. the window outside had no airplane or airport it was a perpetual sunset over water. the outside of the building they’re in can’t be seen from any angle. the buffet only served this one chocolate raspberry cream tart, but every time the camera looked away and looked back there was more of it. there was just one plate at first and then plates of the tart covered every single surface. sonic and rouge were talking about how all of this is definitely not normal in any way. the girl was just eating a slice of the tart the entire time

the scene cuts to one of the businessmen standing on some steps leading up to a nice apartment building carrying a briefcase and a bottle of wine. he speaks directly to the camera and says he’s bringing a bottle of wine made by the same company as the tart to the other guy’s apartment to smooth things over. then we follow him walking up like 6 flights of stairs and walking down hallways for like 3 minutes straight with no music no talking just the sounds of him walking and his clothes shuffling. he reaches a door and unlocks it, steps in and heads straight for the floor to ceiling window. immediately the the sound of the shower running is evident from when the apartment door was opened, and a woman’s voice coming from the shower says “hello?! who are you? why are you in my apartment? please leave. please leave” and etc. the guy ignores all this and from his briefcase he starts pulling out parts and setting up a sniper rifle.

about there i woke up

[liquidstar]

hiii everyone i finished my newest oc batch :) the dragon tree guild members. Their guild puts a special emphasis on nature, plants and animals and all that. their guildhall is also built inside a huge tree in the forest (the dragon tree!) which has earned them the explanatory title of “the greenwood guild.” but for more info about each character itll be under the cut as usual!

Name: Uranus

Name Origin: The planet whose name means “sky”

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 83

Guild rank: Guildmaster

Weapon: Censer staff

Ethos (Power): Daze. Creation of a dark fog that robs those within it of their senses

Flaw power is based on: Her dark and arcane persona, though as she’s aged it’s faded which has allowed her power to evolve in a way that allows her allies to retain their senses in the fog.

Notes: Ongoing beef with guildmaster Venus for that one time she said “I’m not too old to be a guildmaster if Uranus is still at it” old lady fights ensue

Name: Anthe

Name Origin: A moon of Saturn, the name means “Flowery” or “Blooming”

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 31

Guild rank: 5 star

Weapon: Ahlspiess

Ethos (Power): Efflorescence. control of plants

Flaw power is based on: Her unduly gentile and sentimental nature

Notes: I swear the name relation is incidental

Name: Lesath

Name Origin: The star that makes the “stinger“ of the Scorpio constellation, it’s name means “bite of a poisonous animal”

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 20

Guild rank: 4 star

Weapon: Poison-laced karambit knives

Ethos (Power): Venom. The poison itself is similar to that of a belladonna flower.

Flaw power is based on: Her mischievous streak which can sometimes become ill-natured

Notes: She could bite to transfer her poison but the knives make it easier and less awkward.

Name: Crux

Name Origin: The southern cross constellation

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 25

Guild rank: 4 star

Weapon: Cross

Ethos (Power): Austere. The ability to turn his body into stone.

Flaw power is based on: His hard-headed stubbornness.

Notes: He doesn’t really talk much

Name: Patella

Name Origin: A former constellation, the limpet, a type of sea snail.

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 7

Guild rank: no star

Weapon: None yet on account of she is 7.

Ethos (Power): Lag. She can make things around her move in what seems like slow-motion.

Flaw power is based on: Her sluggish and lackadaisical attitude

Notes: That backpack functions on absolute cartoon logic, what DOESN’T she have in there?

Name: Diphda

Name Origin: The brightest star in Cetus, it’s name means frog (Or second frog more accurately)

Pronouns: They/them

Age: 14

Guild rank: 2 star

Weapon: Slungshot

Ethos (Power): Flying-frog. They can hop super high

Flaw power is based on: Their extreme hyperness and impulsiveness

Notes: Could use some adderal maybe

Name: Ramus

Name Origin: From the former constellation ramus pomifer, which means apple branch

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 21

Guild rank: 3 star

Weapon: Bo shurikens

Ethos (Power): Point-slice. If he throws two or more of his weapons at once, he can make a clean slice manifest in between the two points where they land

Flaw power is based on: His incredibly direct and consequentialist approach to life

Notes: There’s a joke here but it might be low-hanging fruit

Name: Musca

Name Origin: A small constellation, Latin for “the fly”

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 19

Guild rank: 2 star

Weapon: Anelace dagger

Ethos (Power): Diminutive. The ability to shrink himself down.

Flaw power is based on: His shyness leading to the tenancy to make himself “smaller” around other people

Notes: The flight is really just a bonus power that came with the wings

[geekwiththegoggles]

Uh oh someone is back on their bullshit

Needs another coat of green, but hot damn, pretty good for freehanding with a glue gun!

[nyanbinarification]

in my heart and soul i would be purple-coded if i existed as a character in any media but ever since my march pre-batman goodwill shopping spree of Only Green Shirts ive forced myself to become green-coded. all in the name of self indulgent shitty riddler closet cosplay

[unmarlou]

i’m your man.

pairings. luke castellan x fem!reader.

summary. you believe him like a god, he’ll betray you like a man.

cw. religious themes.

lacy says. cannot get this man out of my head.

· · ౨ৎ · ·

luke was the fallen angel.

his face was so hard, so harsh, so mean you could barely bring yourself to believe this was once the godlikeness you’d given all your love to.

he was unfazed, unconcerned with his actions. and he couldn’t, for the life of him, understand why you were. what was it to you that he was leaving that little boy to rot in the forest? couldn’t you see the bigger picture, the one he’d taken his time to meticulously paint for you?

the way he’d hush his voice in the nights, hold you close, and recite stories of the horrors your parentage had rained on those just like him, just like you.

when you’d push him away, tell him to stop, he’d only come back again, gentler this time in hopes of regaining your innocent curiosity.

why are you hungry if you’re the gods daughter?

you’d be committing great sin if you said his few and far between whispers in your ear didn’t permeate your thoughts when begging for recognition, an ounce of praise from that of your own half.

his white knuckled grip on his blade wasn’t scary. you knew the real terror in your heart, throat, and stomach came from his mind, his words, when his lovely fingertips were caressing your cheek.

he’d take you aside, offering secret knowledge and unending reward, all on the pretenses of love. unwavering, all consuming love. a lie that is partly the truth is a harder matter to fight.

if you don’t come with me, he’d say, you’ll die.

how were you to fear death if you’ve never known it?

his eyes were so dark, even under the light of distant fireworks. was he really the source of these bruises on your knees, from years of complete devotion at his alter?

these were the final moments of decision. would you believe him, take his word as gospel? drink the poison he’d been slipping into your goblet? accept his divinity as the all powerful?

luke was the fallen angel, the serpent. and the hand he’d extended held the worlds ripest apple.

· · ౨ৎ · ·

navigation.

[prince-kallisto]

Dire Crowley: The Serpent and the “gift” of the Forbidden Fruit

I’ve been seeing a lot of interesting comparisons about Crowley’s repeated mention of apple trees in his new vignette to the “forbidden fruit” from Biblical lore. I had a bit of a lightbulb moment the more I thought about it! Σ੧(❛□❛✿) My take on the idea is certainly far from perfect haha, there’s a lot of gaps in the technicalities of it all, but I do think there is a connection between Crowley, the serpent, and the Forbidden Fruit 👀

Apples have been a repeated (although subtle) motif of Crowley’s for quite some time. The courtyard at NRC is riddled with apple trees, his vacation shirt depicts them as well, and it’s been heavily implied long before his vignette that he is the one who takes care of these trees. Additionally, the ever-so ominous opening animation depicts quick flashes of a bitten apple on the ground, much like the scene in Snow White when she takes a bite of the Poisoned Apple and falls into a death-like sleep.

In Crowley’s new vignette, it first begins with him making a whole speech about how the apple trees in the courtyard thrive no matter the hardships and seasons, and how they’ve grown before he knew it- much like his students! The students are oblivious to what he actually means by this, repeatedly mocking him and messing up what fruit he’s talking about because they didn’t pay attention to his speech. But later, the vignette ends with the ominous Dire Crowley theme playing (same one as in the opening prologue), as he says “because you are all…my precious, precious apple trees.” His story begins and ends with apples! 🍎

The opening animation depicting the apple feels very symbolic- I don’t think it’s a representation of Book 5, aka the Pomefiore book at all! Neige and the themes of an apple’s temptation played a surprisingly meager role in that book, and he was given apple juice instead of an actual apple. And in the opening animation, there’s shots of a book, spilled ink, the bitten apple, the spindle, and Crowley sitting in Pomefiore’s (a replica of the Evil Queen’s) throne.

For a long time now, we have believed Crowley sitting in this throne meant his ties to the Evil Queen, like him being twisted from her crow. Which I am not discounting that idea by the way! 👀 But what if…this scene is meant to hint that Crowley is taking on the symbolic ROLE of the Evil Queen herself- and also the serpent from the Bible? The novel gives more details of his whip weaving and constricting like a snake, as if it were alive…

Because when thinking about the story of Snow White- she is an innocent maiden who is tempted by a fruit that is dyed with beauty and promise of good, while underneath it lies a creation that will harm her IF she eats it. Despite the dwarves warning Snow White to never take anything from strangers, the Evil Queen disguised in her crone form tempts her with the apple, and her biting the apple puts her in a death-like sleep. Isn’t this just a loose retelling/allusion to what happened with Eve and the serpent, and how the serpent reassured her the Forbidden Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil wouldn’t harm her, despite God strictly forbidding her and Adam from eating it?

Side note, I’d like to mention how Crowley keeps saying how “kind,” how “magnanimous,” how “generous” he is. And in Twisted Wonderland, the Evil Queen is now called the FAIREST Queen

Apples symbolize knowledge, fertility, love, wisdom, and immortality (soon I will specifically talk about the apple symbolism in general for Crowley)! Serpents/snakes symbolize can symbolize evil, mischief, trickery, but there’s also a lot of potential positive associations in them as well. They can symbolize rebirth, wisdom, and fertility. This is post that goes more into a bit more detail about the snake imagery at NRC but the edges of the Dark Mirror and NRC logo depict the caudeceus- two serpents together that also represent negotiation/diplomacy and eloquence.

And going back to the novel description of Crowley’s binding Whip of Love, Lian mentioned that Crowley’s Whip of Love literally binds the students together in his vignette much like these threads do on the spinning wheel with the Diasomnia characters in the Book 7 trailer animation🤔 And I feel like when looking at all these images of the spinning wheel together, there is threads and thorns “weaving” and “binding,” much like Crowley’s whip of love. And in the novel, Grim also mistakes Crowley’s whip for a “string” 👀

So after ALL of this ANDJSJJD, the long story short is that I believe Crowley is the serpent, which the Evil Queen also plays a similar role of. I made a much more detailed analysis here going through every Book, but I feel like Crowley is secretly guiding the Overblots to happen. There is always a weakness each Overblotter has that Crowley manages to exploit. Even though I think Crowley’s potential end-game plans are meant for the good of everyone, there’s a lot of bad things and suffering that must be caused for even the possibility of a happy ending. In the Bible, the Serpent was said to be the most “subtle”, aka the most cunning of God’s creations, convinced Eve that the Forbidden Fruit would not kill her and Adam if they ate the fruit unlike what God claimed, and said that Eve would have the knowledge of everything.

And going back to the vignette, Crowley seems to almost lament how naive and sometimes foolish his students can be. They certainly have much to learn under him. They completely missed and disregarded his speech about the apple trees and their growth, and then the NPC students and Grim call him weak and try to taunt him- but then he comments on how they know so very little before whipping them into shape 🤣

Additionally, in that same vignette, he says that hard work and experience is what makes life so much sweeter instead of doing what just comes easy to you- apparently he even pops into Special Lessons all the time to purposefully frighten the students and get them to work harder! 🤣 And another a new voiceline also reveals he does not intervene with the student’s shenanigans because he wants them to grow as individuals and have their own autonomy. It’s as if Crowley desires his students to have freedom in every sense of the word- but not to have everything just given to them on a silver platter.

And if Crowley is indeed involved with causing the Overblots as I think he is, then it even furthers this idea. The students never actually died despite their magestone being tainted and Overblotting. They were certainly forced to realize the deeper pains and issues inside them, but they didn’t die. What Crowley is doing is not because he wants to hurt them, but for the growth they experience afterwards! Directly confronting these horrible things is what triggered a change in many, and we even get to see the core reasons at how they led to their Overblots.

What the Serpent essentially did was the same- it technically never lied, much like how Crowley is always telling half-truths. Adam and Eve discovered shame and fear, but they technically gained a lot more freedom and knowledge of everything, both good and evil, once cast out of Eden for how they disobeyed God.

What’s interesting to me is that this philosophy Crowley has directly contradicts Malleus’ philosophy when he Overblots in Book 7. Malleus practically quotes Revelation 21:4 of the Bible, saying he will create a world without pain, sorrow, and loss. Practically orchestrating everyone’s individual “Garden of Eden” in their dreams. And as we see in the peeks of Idia’s and Sebek’s dream, everything is so ideal that everything changes. As we see in Idia’s dream specifically, we presume that the “original” Ortho is alive and well, and has grown up and is attending RSA.

AND this is where Lilia becomes so fascinating in this book. Lilia’s dream is full of hardships- his life as a General, the hardships of war, the loss of Levan and Meleanor, the cruelty he received outside Briar Valley. But ALL of this was a necessary part of Lilia’s journey in adopting and raising Malleus. It was a harsh journey, but his life became so much sweeter by the end of it, where he even bursts into tears from how happy he is to have hatched Malleus. Earlier in the dream, we see him complain how he’d probably be responsible for babysitting Levan and Meleanor’s kid- but now he’s begging Malleus to hatch, saying he’ll do anything as long as Malleus can live, even sacrifice his own magic and lifespan to do so. (Credit to Otome Ayui on YouTube for the translations!)

I think it’s interesting how the events of Lilia’s dream is essentially Crowley’s philosophy. That pain and hard work is necessary to achieve one’s true potential- an idea that Malleus is not emotionally ready to comprehend yet. I wonder if Crowley will play a role in Book 7 to lure everyone out from their “Gardens of Eden” that Malleus has created? 🤔 Because now that I’m thinking about it more, the whole Garden of Eden think represents the loss of innocence and bliss in exchange for the knowledge of death and hardship- Twisted Wonderland starts with us essentially having schoolboy squabbles, and now in Book 7 we have witnessed literal war and the death of loved ones! Is it because we as the player took Crowley’s hand (or someone’s) in the opening on the game, slowly leading us down this story? 🤔

Birds are not the sort to coddle their young forever. Eventually, the fledgling gets pushed out the nest by their own parent to learn how to fly- this is Crowley’s “tough love” and the results of his forbidden fruits. Even if the fall is frightening, seemingly cruel and potentially deadly, fledglings learn how to use their own wings regardless! Crowley is giving that push to help his students fly, even if they can’t ever understand his admittedly tough yet well-meaning motives.

But if Crowley is the serpent AND the nurturer of the Forbidden Fruit, who IS the Eve, and who/what is the Forbidden Apple? 🤔 After all, the role of the serpent relates to temptation- there must be someone he has to tempt in the first place.

This is where I get stuck, in all honesty! 🤣 There is so much about Crowley that we don’t know about yet, that his odd connections to apple trees are unknown. The apple symbolism aspects are quite interesting, especially for the Levan theory, so I will hopefully cover that tomorrow 🤔 But the literal concept of what the “forbidden fruit” could be is unknown to me.

…But I would like to add that the likely reason why the Forbidden Fruit became commonly known as an apple (the original text makes no mention of an apple at all) is because of either a misunderstanding or a pun of the Latin text. “Mâlum” is the Latin noun for Apple, and “Mālum” is the Latin noun which means Evil- and is derived from the adjective “malus.”

Evil…Meleanor…Maleficent…Maleficia…Mālum…Malus…MALLEUS???

…Isn’t it interesting that in the first part of his vignette, Crowley speaks of how an adolescent apple tree suddenly grew without him realizing despite its hardships…a speech where Malleus conveniently wasn’t invited to and never got to hear how proud Crowley was for his apple tree? And in Glorious Masquerade, Crowley speaks of being the one to “nurture” Malleus into the great and powerful mage he is today. Just like the apple trees Crowley frets over so much? 🤔🍎 I suppose in “original sin” terms of the forbidden fruit, Meleanor did “bless” Malleus to be a malevolent star to humankind???

And…another new voiceline has Crowley being concerned that Yuu seems to know no fear when they ask him about the extent of his powers. Yuu being seen as an almost naive figure that Crowley is worried about…Malleus and mâlum…I’m not sure anymore 😭🤣 Because it can go both ways as well!

I feel like I went all over the place with this theory! 😭 My brain is still trying to process everything that happened with Crowley today…I hope the general idea of what I’m trying to say made sense though! 😭 Everything I said is just a loose interpretation ^_^ I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts, as I felt like I kept confusing myself trying to figure this out 🤣🤣 I @moonlightequin1 made notes on a super interesting theory of Grim and Yuu being the Forbidden Fruit!! It makes me think of the headcanon/theory that if Crowley was Levan, he “gifted” Yuu to Malleus. Like a forbidden fruit of knowledge for Malleus?

[selfishdoll]

࣪ ִֶ　𝜗𝜚　‧ MANI’S GRIMM RETELLINGS !

ㅤ 𐔌᭥ᩙ༉ㅤ through an era of frog princes & poisoned apples, witness the many stories starring reader and jjk men that take twists that range between innocent and quite deadly. each retelling is based off the grimm brother’s fairy tales (except greymist fair which is based off of francesca zappia) & will share elements.

AUTHOR’S NOTE. these fics are in celebration of 1k followers! thank you very much for the support & while it it a little overwhelming i’m extremely happy you all enjoy my works and much more. i’ve been wanting to do this for a while & decided now was the perfect time. with that being said if there is a character & fairy tale you’d like to request— please let me know! i would love to write for you.

WARNINGS BEFORE ENTERING THE FAIRY TAIL(s). while i am not one that typically writes dark content, i believe only one will have it (it’ll be obvious who). & when i say dark content i do not mean incest or stepest or rape. i mean killing, gaslighting, etc. such warnings will be properly tagged both here and on the actual fic. thank you. and these fics will have smut so please be wary.

✦ᣞ ⊹ ݁ GREYMIST FAIR ✶ ˖ ࣪

STARRING: RYOMEN SUKUNA

WARNING(S): strangers to lover(s) | reader is quite fearless & a little stupid | true form sukuna | double penetration | stomach riding | oral sex (f. recieving) | sukuna is amused by reader fr fr | rough sex | manhandling | minimal amounts of praise & degradation | overstimulation | spanking | cum denial | dacryphilia | etc

greymist fair was a simple village, known for the dangerous woods seated at the edge of the town. no one dared to enter in fear of what resided in them. yet the ever-curious and humble tailor known as [name] didn’t know the meaning of fear. she always teetered on the line of the forest, struggling not to enter. the older villagers would dissuade her, even shouting at her at times when she got far too close.

she was so tempted.. so.. desperate to see what was inside the forest. something was holding her back.

well that something dissipated the moment a body was found infront of the tree-line, causing the ever so curious, ever so nosy [name] to enter.

✦ᣞ ⊹ ݁ BLUEBEARD ✶ ˖ ࣪

STARRING: KENJAKU

WARNING(S): slightly dark themes | gaslighting | fear | horror | mentions of death & murder | porn with plot | kenjaku is a sweet husband.. on the surface | he’s possessive | praise | rough sex | manhandling | major & minor character death | etc.

being married off to the widowed kenjaku was supposed to be simple. he was a caring man, sweet and attentive to your needs— always listening, always there for you. you believed all was perfect, you were settled for life; surely.

things, however, take a dark turn when you noticed a foul odor from the basement within your lovely home. you ask kenjaku about it countlessly times yet he assures you it is nothing.

and well, your adoring, loving husband had no reason to lie— right?

✦ᣞ ⊹ ݁ ROBIN HOOD ✶ ˖ ࣪

STARRING: NANAMI KENTO

WARNING(S): enemies to enemies with benefits(?) | buzzed sex | rough sex | nanami taking his frustration out in reader and she is 100% okay with it | praise & degradation | pet names (minx, brat, etc) | hair-pulling | cervix fucking | dumbification | dacryphilia | semi-public sex | etc.

constantly chasing a person was exhausting, wasn’t it? being right on their heels only to fail to capture them for the millionth time. that’s how nanami kento felt when it came to you, his town’s own little robin hood. he knew your identity, your cause, everything and yet— he never succeeded in capturing you. the frustration was clear with each step he took, with each visit to the tavern nestled in the corner of the town.

today was like any other, nanami failing to stop the weekly heist you conducted. he was tired, annoyed, and ready to drown his concerns in alcohol.

until he sees you, in his favorite spot.

✦ᣞ ⊹ ݁ RAPUNZEL ✶ ˖ ࣪

STARRING: TAKUMA INO

WARNING(S): strangers to friends to lovers | unrealistic hair length | reader’s hair is kinky & in braids to make it easier for me | porn w/minimal amounts of plot | slight breeding kink | pet names [beautiful, princess, etc] | praise | pussy drunk! ino | oral sex (f. recieving) | mf rambles so much | etc.

a sheltered young woman by the name of [name] resided inside a tower, kept in a hidden place within the vast forest. for years she longed for a visit besides her mother that only ever returned to brush and braid the beautiful locks that protruded from her head. she would spend days at the window, singing pleasantly in hopes of something, someone to hear. & her prayers are answered, one day.

✦ᣞ ⊹ ݁ CINDERELLA ✶ ˖ ࣪

STARRING: GOJO SATORU

WARNING(S): familial abuse | reader is treated as a maid | discrimination | fat shaming (from stepmother & step siblings) | ooc gojo | love at first sight | gojo is a prince | magic & what not | porn with plot(?) | praise | reader is chubby & curvy | pet names (beautiful, princess, sweetheart, mine, etc) | pussy drunk! gojo | he loves eye contact & talking | slight whiney gojo | etc.

your life was hell the moment your father was buried. you went from a loving family to a grueling partnership; forced to work to the bone to appease your step-mother and step-sisters. you hated it, hated them, and hated the life you were destined for. you wished for a night away from it all, to be a normal girl for once. of course, you would never get such a thing.

you weren’t even invited to the ball.

however, all hope isn’t as lost as you think the moment a woman sprouting wings appears infront of you and declares she will make sure you make it to that ball.

MORE CHARACTERS TO BE ADDED

[triflesandparsnips]

Lot of takes going around the internets about certain "deaths" in the ofmd season finale, so, uh-- guess it's time for me to try and lose some followers on tumblr dot com with

Some Thoughts on Why I Am Not Particularly Bothered or Concerned about Izzy's Apparent "Death"

Laying the groundwork first...

1. Narratively speaking, Izzy's been a dead man walking since the start of the season. Babe shot himself and got a rebirth-- but he still definitely intended to die. Every minute he was still around was borrowed time.

Did he have to die? Maybe not. I know I could've written a version of the show where he didn't. But then that would be my show-- not theirs. I can't know exactly what themes, bugbears, bête noires, catharsis, or artistic Vibes are driving that writers' room, and until the credits run on the finale of the third season, none of the rest of us can either.

2. Izzy spent the season being in a liminal state-- and there's nothing in the story saying that he can't continue doing that. Izzy spent the season having one foot in one space, one hoof in the other, and himself halfway through the door, a chimera of mirrored things right up to his "death": pirate and ship, hard and soft, old ways and new, etc etc. But "the gravy basket" is a weird little liminal space between life and death, a place that both Ed and Buttons have found (and returned from) before. We don't know where Izzy "is" right now-- he could be there.

(tbh, I wonder how much poor feeling we'd be having about all this if we'd gotten a final tag of a blue-washed Izzy staring down at a bowl of soup while helplessly saying "but this isn't gravy, what the fu--")

3. I think there is an unfortunate belief that "it's not real unless you see the body" is a universal -- or perhaps inarguable -- "fact" of storytelling. But it's not. It's just a bit of narrative shorthand that got popular, and now we're too ready to fall into the trap of believing the inverse is true too-- that if there is a body, then there must therefore have been a "real" death.

This season has spent quite a lot of narrative time and effort telling us that its story is using a different model, with different shorthands; specifically, that magic is real, that there is at least some kind of existence after death, and that the dead can be resurrected.

And that brings me to the meat of why I'm not particularly bothered or concerned about what, at this stage of the story, could still very well be just a minor setback--

4. This whole show, and particularly this season, is a fairy tale. It's a story that works with fairy tale logic and tropes, and it's in conversation with other fairy tales too, ones that the OFMD audience is likely to know well enough to spot their narrative beats in action. So "Pinocchio" gets mentioned a lot? Cool-- the audience applies what is commonly known of that story to this one ("a real boy", the mirror-opposite being a puppet with no nose, etc), and finds some Cool Shit. Then they're primed to keep looking for fairy tales, even unnamed ones, in case there's another little nugget of reward-dopamine for finding a connection.

So the fact that we saw a mermaid? Suddenly, I personally am noticing "Little Mermaid" motifs all over the place. That Ed was in a "sleep like death" -- after fucking around with a spinning wheel -- until his prince came to wake him? Well fuck, man, that's Blackbeard playing "Sleeping Beauty" for us all.

And bringing it all back to a "dead" Izzy Hands... when I add up a "dead" body surrounded by a bunch of laborers mourning the person who nominally kept their living space nice AND who was wanted dead by an authority figure for the crime of being the "better" version of what that figure wanted to be...

...well fuck, idk about the rest of you, but to me that all adds up to Izzy's story being Snow fucking White. Waiting for someone to come pull the bullet poisoned apple from his body so he can live again.

5. This is a second season. Of three. And Izzy Hands is the writer's favorite chewtoy, so there is lots of time, space, and incentive to bring him back. If there's a third season, we have a pile of ways he could be brought back over the course of hours of literal viewing time and possibly months of in-narrative time. That's ages.

And the solutions don't have to be difficult! For instance, we still have canonical hallucinations from Stede-- that's one route. Or fuck it, we could have Izzy's (very solid-looking) ghost be the embodiment of their being haunted by the Sea, that would work too.

And even barring all that-- his grave is right there with our heroes. The ship is out there hunting down his murderer. Even if you're happy he's dead... bad news, friend. He's all over the third season landscape. (uh oh, it's GNU Izzy Hands)

But those are just a few options that leave his body rotting but his character still alive. I happen to think we could all dream a little bigger, darlings. For instance:

A. You cannot tell me that these writers, on this show, with these actors, would not absolutely go all in on a zombie-esque hand thrusting out of the dirt mere hours after burial. Look me in the eyes and tell me Con O'Neill wouldn't pull off an entire digging-out scene only to end with himself panting beside the hole, looking around, hearing Ed and Stede being weird in their haunted hut, and wearily say, "Are you fucking kidding me."

B. Don't like zombies? Want to stay closer to the Snow White vibe AND introduce a love interest for him? One hyphenated word: body-snatcher. Gotta dig those bodies up fresh for the Definitely Historically Accurate anatomists of the time! But oh, says this New Guy, this corpse is-- wow, it's weird that they buried him with a rose and really amazing makeup and a truly extraordinary number of whittled whales, plus what's with that horsey leg grave marker, this guy must've been fucking fascinating, man, I wish I could've met him-- --at which point Izzy's hand shoots out and chokes the guy half to death and the lads come tumbling out of the house and ta da, mission accomplished, Izzy resurrected in 5 minutes or less with his horsey leg conveniently beside him and an entire season for himself and everyone else to Deal With It, amazing, fantastic, no notes from me.

C. Come to think of it, there is genuinely a non-zero chance that the crew just. Fucked up the burial. I mean... even though I was just arguing why we shouldn't see it as Law, we didn't actually see the body. We saw a grave. What did they bury him in? Was it a box? Was it some canvas? Did they definitely pick up the right one when it was time to bury him? Or did they maybe carefully make him an ahistorical safety coffin just in case a cat demon came to bother him and his corpse wanted to make a fuss about it, y'know, very common, could happen to anyone, and Frenchie just so happens to have Blackbeard's old collar bell right here--

6. Here's the bottom line, imo: The only thing that would keep Izzy really actually dead and completely removed from the story is a lack of narrative time and space-- and we have plenty of both. Stories are like Lego. If you've got enough time and you're willing to play with pieces from a whole lotta different sets, it's not hard to put the same elements together in different ways to get new, exciting configurations. It's why I'm actually rubbish at predicting exact details of stuff-- there are a lot of ways something could go, there are infinite doors out of problems the narrative seems to throw at us, and no two people will come up with the same thing because we're all different.

That, to me, is one of the big ways I personally enjoy and engage with stories. And it's why I genuinely can't be fussed about Izzy's death, not when we're only two-thirds through the story as a whole; observing someone setup and then try and execute a complicated narrative trick is my jam.

But my way of engaging with all this is by no means the best or only way. How we all interact with art, and what speaks to us, is extremely personal. If how this season and Izzy's death went just didn't work for you, that's okay. I'm sorry it wasn't the story you wanted it to be. That blows.

I just know I can't say yet that it didn't work for me. I won't know until I can take in the entire picture, just as I can't judge a finished Lego set by the one piece I step on midway through construction. I can see different ways Izzy's death/rebirth could absolutely work, but will the writer manage it? I dunno.

But I'm willing to wait and see if the stupid puppet can pull it off.

[writingforatwistedworld]

Could I request a self aware neige reacting to us being the definition of a Disney princess? Thanks and have a good day

Self-aware au

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, obsession, possessive behavior, manipulation, poison, unhealthy relationship

Player is the definition of a Disney princess

Neige is already pretty naive (if you ask me) but even he had to do a double take when he witnessed you first hand

Animal magnet? Yes. Sunlight that hits you softly from the side like a well-meant cushion thrown by a passive-aggressive friend? Mhm. Choirs of angels in his head? They are living in there without paying rent

Even Neige is somewhere deep down like “mum, easy to abduct, just need sum cookies”

But we don't talk about his darker thoughts here (or at least not yet, point eight should start to get not do cuddly)

I wouldn't be surprised if RSA had something like “save the maiden in danger”-classes

Even if they don't, he will still somehow end up with you on a white horse riding into the sunset

I mean, hello? You thought he will leave alone? Just like that? (He hit you on the head or what??!)

When he saw you for the first time he was weary

Why did you seem so familiar... OH F-*insert un-princely vocabulary* YOU ARE THE OVERSEER!

But then again, how could you not be?

Just look at all the animals. The world is literally fighting for your attention!

So after mister “not so innocent innocence” finally decided that you are the one he always wants to be with he might do some things not so good for his reputation if his fans ever were to find out... unknowingly of course (does that make things better or worse?)

All I can say is, you, the innocent somehow seen as almighty cinnamon roll, believes every word he wipers into your ear

How ironic, Snow White is poisoning you this time... just without the apple and more with words

Before you know it you think that your friends are actually laughing all the gone about you and only see you as a fool

But no need to worry! He is here! Just for you! All you need to do is take his hand and follow him! I just don't know if you will ever see another human soul beside his own after that

[museofthepyre]

MAJOR CHNT FILE 33/34 SPOILERS. LIKE MAJOR MAJOR.

Sydney’s mode of death has been wracking my brain lately. So I’m here to ramble off my thoughts. I think the biggest clue is this line from Elijah.

“Died tenderly on the clean sheets it was gifted”… I was a fan of the drowning theory, but this is pretty solid evidence against it. Drowning is messy, whatever Jedidiah did was discrete and clean— also, possibly in some sort of hospital bed? Cabin… bed? Gifted clean sheets… whatever that means. Anyways drowning or not, the respiratory distress/ hypoxia themes are HUGE and INCREDIBLY RE-OCCURRENT so I cannot overlook them. The theory that Jedidiah may have just pulled the plug is also enticing, but I’ts not as directly linked to those specific “can’t breathe” themes… so.

There is a certain discrete and rapidly lethal poison which causes tissue hypoxia... and that is Cyanide. I found these tidbits interesting.

Sounds kinda similar to a certain someone’s current “mystery condition”. Anyways

Most important things here: Cyanide poisoning presents as respiratory distress/ hypoxia/ “trouble breathing”. longer exposures can result in a coma, long-term neurological issues, and obviously death. Exposure can be through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal routes. No mess. It’s often used in murders/ su!cides for these reasons.

So. That is! Certainly something! Just a theory, but very interesting! I also find it funny that most people think of apple seeds when they think of cyanide. Boy oh boy, I sure hope there isn’t anything dangerous inside this here apple. Like a teensy bit of cyanide… or a centipede.

To the drowning theory’s credit. Hypoxia, again. Themes of not being able to breathe. Sydney’s first described dream with Adam being set under water. Jedidiah throwing the necromancy’d rabbit into the lake after disassembling it. Sydney’s hydrophobia (though that may stem back to childhood). Jedidiah being averse to this years lake day all of a sudden (which is noted as uncharacteristic). Probably some other things that I’m forgetting… but that “died tenderly on the clean sheets it was gifted” line is pretty hard to refute.

Also also I think regardless of where Sydney DIED, he was RESURRECTED on the camp grounds. I could speculate on how he got to the campgrounds in the first place… but I’m almost wondering if… so yknow how when treatments are failing and it looks like a patient is going to die, they’re given the option to a) stay in hospital and keep going with the treatment, despite the risk of dying there… or b) embrace fate and spend their remaining days comfortable, at home and with loved ones? Sydney had fond memories of the camp. Sydney didn’t have a home to return to (besides maybe Lucille’s house but I doubt he’d choose that). So I wonder if, in that scenario, he would’ve chosen the camp. If he’d been gifted a room to stay in for however long (they thought) he had left. Which would be why Elijah knew where to go interrogate Lucille later on… if he’d followed them there initially. This bit is entirely speculation btw, major guess. The timelines are hard to string together atp so take this with a grain of salt.

This is driving me to madness

[blackbutlerfandomnerddomain]

TWISTED WONDERLAND BETA DESIGNS:

SO MUCH TO UNPACT

First: Dorms are such different vibes besides Octavinelle, Scarabia (not much), Savannaclaw, and Ignihyde. Like Heartslabyul feels different, Pomfiore is all "what is happening", Diasmonia is hotter somehow, and Scarabia is different in a sense cause Kalim seemed to maybe have been a TWST Aladdin than the Sultan he is Second: THE COLOR THEMESE ARE MORE OR LESS THE SAME BUT WHAT IS MALLEUS'-

Third: MALLEUS FUCKING DRACONIA LOOKS WAY DIFFERENT WHAT THE HELL DISNEY WHY DOES HE HAVE A WHIP, WHY DOES HE LOOK LIKE HE'S A SASSY BRAT, WHY DOES HE LOOK BETTER???

Riddle is guess was supposed to be more "spoiled and bratty" like the Disney Queen of Hearts while Pomfiore feels more they're maybe different in themes

This song is playing so this makes this somehow better

Anyway, Pomfiore feels like Epel was either a girl or a trap which adds a layer of the whole poison apple thing he has, and I kind of sense Rook (who's wearing a mask btw) maybe is more based off the magic mirror which would work if his personality of obsession on beauty and being lowkey in love to Vil was still canon than

Deuce looks done with shit

Heartslabyul lowkey makes me think of a idol group

Ignihyde seems to just be Idia or is it Ortho I dunno, also he tiny bean TwT

Savannaclaw feels more like Greasers which makes me think of the Lion King sequel no one talks about unless it's to say Kovu was their first furry crush if it wasn't Lola Bunny or Nahla

Diasmona lowkey scares me cause of how hot they are like bro what-

Octavinelle is different in looks, like Azul has more Usula's hair and it makes a large forehead, I wonder if the bond he has with the Tweels would still be canon in this

I wish I can see more like original designs of the dorms and the staff besides Crowley

[merakiui]

Overblot brainrot be hitting different after that midnight coffee. Overblot boys. Just all of them. So many possibilities. There's just so much potential there. Also can I be 🫐 Anon?

Overblot Azul is so OTL OTL OTL but this is also because I'm extremely, immensely biased. >_< I just think his entire breakdown is so delicious. The build-up and the laughter and that SLOW BREATH HE TAKES. THE TAKO TEARS. HIS "AA AAAA AAAAAAA MOU YADA." OTL OTL OTL OTL OTL it drives me so crazy. His overblot theme is also such a BANGER???????? The piano.......... thank you to Leona for destroying his contracts because we were granted such a great scene. >w< I need to replay book three.

I love the other overblots as well!!! I think Vil's overblot was also so great. The nail-biting tension in the lead-up to when he almost poisons Neige with the apple juice, but Rook steps in........ the breakdown that follows suit. :O too good... and Riddle's overblot will always have a special place in my heart. T^T his backstory is so sad. I always become emotional when I see his overblot scene. Those chapters in the manga just made the emotions become even stronger uuwaaaa!!!!!!

Idia's overblot.............. all of book six feels like such a fever dream. I need to replay it at some point, but then those dreadful towers.......... ;;;;; I'm just so fascinated with STYX. Research labs in fiction will always be my weakness, and I really enjoyed getting to see all of the characters interact in their respective towers. Also, the STYX bgm is another banger. orz orz

I'm rambling a lot, but there's so much I could say about the overblots. So much potential indeed!!!! (And you can definitely be 🫐 anon!! :D)

[itsbubbleteataro]

Hi, I've got a Hazbin Hotel request !! Was wondering if you could do some headcanons (and maybe a little drabble if you can) for Lucifer with an Overlord!S/O who has the appearance of a spider and a mannequin? Sorry if this is too specific 😅

Sure! No problem! I hope I did him justice, I do love me some Lucifer!

2, 4, 6, 8 I think it's time for a date~

Lucifer x Overlord!Reader

Warnings: ooc Alastor

You died quite a long time ago as an owner of a bakery

What ended you here in hell? Well your affinity to poison random people did

What? It wasn't your fault you liked to read about how people parished

It wasn't as fun for you however, who somehow mixed up a batch of your own baked goods, and bit into a poisonous cookie

That brings us here to the present, you again owning a many bakery after becoming an overlord

The bell above your door chiming taking you out of your thoughts

The Bell above your door chimed as a sinner on the smaller side walked into your establishment. You turn around to look at him, your movements sharp due to the fact that your joints had been replaced with ball joints. Your skin had turned a shade of grey and you now had a grand total of eight arms. You dust your apron off as you take a look at his attire, an apple themed ring master suit. "Hello and welcome to (y/n)'s bakery, what can I get for you?" You chime as you tilt your head to the side. You quickly learn that the sinner is in fact Lucifer, the king of hell. Quickly you allow him to taste test any baked goods to his little heart's content, watching as his look turns from one of sheer boredom to one of joy as he eats one of your apple turnovers. After introducing yourself the two of you hit it off.

Ever since Lucifer has started to come to your bakery more and more, sometimes bringing his daughter Charlie, showing off how proud of her he is

He even gifted you one of his ducks, that sit proudly on your display case much to his pride

The two of you continue on for this for months, that is until you have had enough

"Two" you say as you lean over your counter, supporting yourself on two of your arms. "Four" you continue as you hand him his usual apple turnover. "Six" You stand up straight, as your third pair of arms crosses across your torso. "Eight" you finish as you extend one of your hands to Lucifer, who's staring with a slight look of disbelief. "I think it's time for a date"

It's your turn to be shocked as he kisses your knuckles and agrees

That's the story of how you and Lucifer ended up together

After that your bakery had many a rubber duck sitting on its display cases

Lucifer even took you to the hotel, that is after it was rebuilt, showing you around

You were quite surprised seeing Alastor a fellow overlord. The two of you ended up pointing at each other, much like the spiderman meme

Speaking of spiders, you did have control over them, the souls in your contracts often taking the form of spiders. Lucifer was never alone

The first time he found of your spiders, it was sitting on his hat, gave him quite a fright

He soon became quite comfortable with them, not minding them in the slightest

Your little spiders could give you all kinds of information, mostly on Lucifer's mood

You knew he has depression, and thanks to your spiders, you knew exactly when his depression would spike

During his depressive episodes, you stuck right by his side, taking time away from your bakery to give him all that the king of hell could want

It was usually cuddles, snuggles and a nice hot apple pie

It was quite a surprise when the two of you broke the news to Charlie, who ended up welcoming you with open arms

[crimson-kisses]

Yandere Allies and Axis with a nymph darling that doesn't wanna be with them. Because anyone that the Gods have been with that isn't a God as well has ended in tragedy, something the darling is trying their absolute best to avoid so they don't meet an early demise. So as soon as the darling has found out that they are the Apple to not only one but multiple gods eyes, they ghosted all them. It was like they never existed. However the darling's sisters does know where she's hiding...........

Do what you will with this. ( Gods AU )

Ah yes, my long forgotten abandoned au ;-; I tried to keep this rather simple and short! I like the tragic undertones this ask has 🐝✨

Warning: contains usual yandere themes, toxic relationships and violence.

Fleeting wings

The evidence of it all remained etched on the walls, arts hidden in cave paintings and harsh whispered tales in the dark recounting and retelling the warnings.

The beings were aware of the tragic history that had occurred and unfolded before them, most carried the resilience of their broken ancestors, determined to survive against all odds.

Your mother had been one of them, a being born from the marrows of nature itself, she reminded you of the unfortunate women who gripped the hearts of the deities’ only to end up in a tragedy that wrote the end of them.

And so, you had always threaded carefully when it came to love- the most powerful, corrupted thing which once shattered entire worlds.

It was a solemn warning, when an old cherry tree, rooted atop the ancient mountains had beckoned you closer with it’s thorny branches, entangling in your dress. Hundreds of whispers echoed in your mind as it told you of the events that were bound to repeat if the deities’ so willed if they didn’t get their hands on their beloved sooner.

Their beloved being a lovely maiden, born from the very essence of untamed nature.

That maiden was you, a nymph.

After realizing the horrifying fate that could befall after their corrupted sense of love poisoned their divinity, the only thing that could help you or even delay the horrifying outcome was for you to conceal yourself into the depth of the fragile earth.

Following the long faded away paths of your ancestors, deep down into the abyssal caverns, you had found solace and refuge.

Months had passed, when not even the sunlight had the privilege of kissing your skin with its warm rays, and the wind had to squeeze in through the cracks as you lay in a slumber with the nature curling itself around you, moss covering your entirety and roots cradling your body as a womb of a woman protecting a child.

Unbeknownst to you, the world shifted and groaned, while the winds howled relentlessly and clouds descended, unleashing a torrent of icy hailstones upon the land.

On what appeared to be a tranquil morning, the deities withdrew their feeble mercy and fragile loyalty.

A gentle curl of foam unfurled, its seams unraveling, and soon it overflowed, submerging the islands under its weight.

Inhabitants desperately sought higher ground, mothers cradling their sobbing infants, sons and daughters salvaging remnants of their homes, and fathers striving to protect and guide their loved ones to safety, though their efforts seemed futile.

Sooner or later, things turned sour.

A foreboding realization gripped the hearts of some, understanding that this calamity would escalate to an unimaginable extent. The echoes of their ancestors' experiences were about to resurface, and no one possessed the strength to appease the ferocity of the deities' unleashed wrath. The very structure of the worlds trembled under the weight of their fury, threatening to shatter the boundaries that held everything together.

With a mere curl of their fingers, the sisters, torn from their deeply rooted abodes, were forcefully brought before the imposing throne of the deities. None dared to defy their commands, for chaos ravaged the worlds, teetering on the brink of unleashing something tremendous and catastrophic.

"Speak, for we demand your answers,"

A deep grumble reverberates through the chamber, while gentle droplets of dew caress the roots of the sisters, nurturing their well-being. The deity presiding over the fourteen oceans, the overseer of every movement of the water, fixes them with a stern gaze, awaiting their response.

"We shall not forsake our inherent nature, our lineage, or the vows we have made. Do as you will to punish us, but we implore you, if your divinity is true, grant us mercy," the sisters speak with unwavering determination, remaining steadfast in their convictions.

A heavy silence descends upon the room, mirroring the intense tension and seething wrath that soak through the atmosphere. The skies above darken, as if reflecting the turmoil reaching its breaking point.

A mirror materializes, its surface transforming into a silver portal that shimmers with an ethereal glow. As the portal opens, writhing green flames dance and flicker within, creating a mesmerizing spiral that beckons with an otherworldly allure.

"We shall bestow mercy!" a smooth voice exclaims, resonating with an uncanny clarity.

Chaotic visions envelop the room, casting a hazy, disorienting hue that distorts reality. Horrifying and incomprehensible images swirl around the sisters, accompanied by series of unsettling sounds.

The deity, his figure is surrounded by the flickering green flames, same glow as his eyes, the flames unleash a thunderous roar filled with hunger and echoes the agonized screams of the unfortunate. The atmosphere becomes suffused with terror and despair.

But of course, he wasn’t the only visitor.

Suddenly, amidst the shadows shrouding the room, another dreadful figure emerges, emanating an oppressive presence that drains the very essence of the sisters.

Overwhelmed by the malevolent presences, the sisters stagger, their bodies weakened, as if being crushed beneath an invisible force. They feel trapped, as if buried deep within the earth itself.

The terrifying figure wears skeletal armor that glistens ominously in the sunlight, exuding an aura of darkness and ink-like malevolence. Burning red eyes and searing green eyes fix upon the sisters, both feigning interest while concealing a deep-seated disdain.

"Death is often the pathway towards mercy," the other figure declares, his voice laced with a chilling resonance.

"And even after that, mercy is not always guaranteed in my domain".

The sisters huddle closer together, their trembling bodies consumed by an overwhelming fear that courses through their veins.

A brief moment passes, air heavy with anticipation.

The figure of the deity of Wisdom and Wealth rises from his throne, moving with a measured calmness toward the center of the room, standing before the sisters.

He offers a gentle smile, though it fails to reach his vacant eyes. Slowly, he begins to speak in a voice dripping with honeyed richness.

"Our mercy shall be our forgiveness", he utters, each word laced with authority and concealed threat.

"Speak, unless you wish to endure eternal suffering. Your loyalty is admirable but misguided in the eyes of us deities. Do not test our patience, for our wrath knows no bounds."

No other deity stirs or makes any demands. The room is enveloped in an eerie stillness, as if time itself has come to a stop, casting a frozen stupor over the surroundings.

Silence reigns supreme, leaving everyone in a suspended state of uncertainty.

The sisters gasp for breath, their chests heaving with fear. Is this their end?

Will they suffer mercilessly and face a fate devoid of peace, even after death?

Uncertainty grips their hearts, as they ponder the grim fate that looms before them.

The silence is soon broken, when the king of the deities gives off an amused smile, sky eyes glinting with a newfound excitement.

𖣊𖡛𖣥𖡗𑗋𖣙𖥟𖢅𖢌𖥠

You supposed the elderly forces had exerted all they could, using their waning strength to shield and protect you, but their ancient power could no longer unleash its full potential.

Within the depths of your enclosed casket, a steady flow of essence awakens you from your deep slumber. Weakened vines and branches still try to hold you protectively, cradling your form.

A towering figure, adorned in gleaming metallic armor and wielding mighty weapons, enters the cavern. With a single swipe of his resplendent sword, he shatters the feeble attempts of the cavern to shield you.

The deity of War and Vengeance.

His helmet conceals most of his visage, revealing only a pair of glowing violet eyes fixed upon your captivating figure. Swiftly, the deity tears away the remaining vines and branches, careful not to cause you harm.

You knew deep down that this moment was inevitable. The ancient times did not truly capture the full extent of reality. Those days were long gone, as the world order had changed since those bygone eras.

It was different now. Their attention, once scattered among their own darlings and the allure of their beautiful women, was solely focused on you. It wouldn't have taken much longer for them to claim their beloved treasure. The powers that had thrived in ancient times could not withstand their might, or perhaps they chose not to.

Above you, the air opened up like a celestial maw, its glimmering teeth of stars welcoming you to your tragic fate.

[egosweetheart]

hi, this isnt an actual art post, i just wanna share a thing i did recently. so hazbin hotel came out. i have mixed feelings on it, but the important thing for this post is, i wanted to redesign some of the characters.

i did angeldust, alastor, lucifer, and husk, because those seemed like they needed the biggest push design wise.

i've seen a lot of redesigns that come for the shows entire design ethos rather than just addressing individual issues, which are all cool and good, but i really wanted to meet vivzie where she's at and focus on improving what's already there with the lore that's available.

i will not be doing any actual fanart for the show or talking about it beyond this post. which, btw, is going to be long as fuck.

tdlr: i did some paint-overs. theyre under the cut next to the original design.

alright, so this one is the most different. why? idk i think alastor could be really cool, but none of the things in his original design speak to his themes or personality at all. if he's a deer, why are his horns hidden? if he's half creole, why is he beige? if he cares about his suit enough to take it to a tailor over one rip, why are there rips in his design?

this is also the start of my crusade against bowties.

so i get the idea behind lucifers design. hes the ringmaster, the rest of the sins are his circus, it makes sense, its very cute. it just needed editing. there's so much white in his costume, it all clutters together visually, you dont know where to focus, and the pops of red just make it even more confusing. by moving all the white up, it keeps the focus on his face. i also gave him a beard because he looks like charlies brother and i'm not allergic to facial hair. i also removed the apple from the hat because it seemed redundant.

i dont know if im 100% happy with how husk turned out, but i am happy he's more readable now. he was so cluttered before, but i removed a lot of it in favor of leaning into the disaster ex-magician angle, and making his vibe slightly more 70's. also, cats with mustaches are adorable, and i like how disheveled he looks in comparison to alastor. alastor is ruining this mans life and i think it should be a little more obvious in his design.

ok this one is personal for 1 reason and 1 reason only: he does not need a fucking bowtie. it just floats there with no visual anchor, right underneath a choker that's essentially doing the same visual footwork and thematically says so much more about angel dusts situation. i also noticed he has like, a feather bustle in the poison musical sequence? so. thats staying to make him more Spider Like. he deserves extra fluff.

the show is overall very whatever to me. i just wanted to see if i could tweak these to make myself happier with them, and i succeeded, and that's all that matters.thank u if you read all this, i wrote it at 1am. MWAH i love you

[hauntedgrin]

An unnecessarily thorough analysis of the Tarot imagery in Merlin Season One by an amateur tarot reader

(who is also a hopeless romantic and is currently very affected by the disaster that is BBC Merlin)

I started watching Merlin around two months ago. I fell in love with the show instantly, even if I technically haven't finished it yet because of time reasons (though I did spoil myself everything right to the ending and I’m devastated. Still trying to find courage to start season 5. But that’s beside the point)

There was something in the first season that caught my eye and hasn't let me go since. In fact, I was thinking about it today, went on a search for discussions about it, fully under the assumption that this is something the fandom noticed long beforehand is a well-known fact. To my endless surprise, I’ve found no mention! Nada! Not a single one. That won’t do, I thought. I have to share with the people. It's something that fueled my conviction in Merlin the Show being a love story between Merlin and Arthur (whatever the nature of that love may be, I love both the platonic and romantic interpretation equally, though this specific instance could be leaning towards romance somewhat more, I'll explain it in a second) and here it is.

It's this scene.

It is Merlin and Arthur, facing each other with two cups in between them, trying to decide who is going to drink the poison, sacrifice himself and save the other. And I thought Oh my god, tarot symbolism.

That's the card, the Two of Cups. The similarities are obvious (and, in my opinion, very intentional. I’d like to kiss whoever came up with this specific creative decision)

Slight disclaimer: Tarot reading can be very subjective, meanings shift depending on the reader and their perception of the card. I’ll try to be objective with the main aspects of the cards, but there is a lot of subjective opinions too. It’s okay if you disagree)

The main meanings of this card are partnerships, loving relationships, mutual attraction, unity, harmony and, you guessed it!, soulmates. It’s not hard to see why that card would have been chosen to represent them. I think that’s the most outright the show’s ever been about calling them soulmates, without hiding behind labels such as ‘each other’s destiny’ and ‘two sides of one coin’ as if those are any less gay. There is also themes of equality and becoming one, mutual respect and, in certain cases passion and sexual attraction (though it’s not a definition that is applicable in all cases, and can absolutely be ignored for platonic or asexual relationships, it’s still one of the main aspects, given that its represented by, you know, the big red head of a lion with wings right at the top of the card. Can’t exactly forget about it.)

Personally I've always preferred the Two of Cups to The Lovers tarot card (which looks very similar and has some intersections in themes, also concerning love, intimacy, passion). Plus, The Lovers is part of the Major Arcana, so technically it should be more impactful, ‘epic’, someone said, divine. While doing some research into that distinction I've found why exactly it makes me a bit queasy. The Lovers are not always a card about love, in fact, more often it isn’t. And The Lovers aren't made for each other. That is to say, they obviously are, considering the entirety transparent Adam and Eve imagery (and this also makes it a more conservative card, with clear molds for a ‘traditional relationship’). The Lovers are brought together by a higher power, made for a purpose. It serves something. It is a message. It is a lesson. It's a choice between what you want and what you need. It is a partnership, often intense, out of this world, but it’s also about all the factors in between, the things that unite them, the snake, the temptation, the apple, the garden. It can be also about soulmates, and happy relationships, of course, about fated lovers… and mortal enemies. It actually is more in line with Merlin’s and Morgana’s relationship. Out of this world fated connection? Absolutely, guaranteed. Do you want that kind of connection though, really?

How is this relevant, you might be thinking?

Well, there is no such divine power pushing the couple portrayed by the Two of Cups. In fact, they are choosing each other. It’s only them and their union. That’s why I like it so much. They are only the way they are, not the way they are meant to be, not specifically made for each other and yet they are right for each other anyway. And, somehow, just being them is enough. Is that not love?

In Merlin we are told that Merlin and Arthur are a part of each other’s destiny. The Once and Future King and Emrys, his protector, uniting Albion, prophesized by some unnamed seer(s). Does not seem very much like a choice, does it? I guess it depends on the way you view the prophecy and destiny in the show. Is it really all inevitable, and destiny is set in stone, unable to be changed, all leading to the same end, no matter what you do? Or is it the choices themselves that are the constants, fixed in place by the prophecy fulfilling itself? I think the answers to those questions are entirely up to each viewer, and that we can only speculate on it, and never know for sure which was it. Maybe there isn’t a right answer at all. But what I do know is there was a choice Merlin and Arthur made. Let’s return to the imagery on the card..

The couple is exchanging the cups. They are not just toasting – they are performing a ritual, a ceremony. Like exchanging rings, like giving vows. It’s a promise, it’s a connection, it’s a new step, it’s a commitment. And the parallels of the scene in 1x11 don’t end with just imagery. Merlin and Arthur complete the ritual! In the show!

In the episode 1x04, The Poisoned Chalice, Merlin starts the ritual by drinking from Arthur’s poisoned goblet, which he does to protect him. I would also like to add that this is the first time Two Cups appear that season (that's twice they used the imagery), notably, two ceremonial goblets that are supposed to symbolize peace and partnership between two kingdoms. Even if it doesn’t represent the actual state of the two kingdoms, it definitely shows King Bayard’s genuine desire for a peaceful alliance. And Merlin drinks from one of them!

Merlin drinks poison for Arthur and in Labyrinth of Gedref, Arthur drinks ‘poison’ for Merlin in turn. Very unconventional way to get married, I must say, but it’s remarkable that they do it in the same way (even if not at the same time).

So. What does all of that tell us about Merlin and Arthur?

We’ve established that the card signifies a very close, strong and significant relationship, chosen by both parties. Again, I like that it emphasizes the choice, that they didn’t just fall into the friendship because of destiny (even if it aided them). The Two of Cups is a part of the Minor Arcana, which deals with the every day matters, earthly lives. Is that not fitting? Merlin didn’t choose The Once and Future King, he chose Arthur, and Arthur didn’t choose Emrys, he chose Merlin.

Merlin’s who been promised a peaceful future. A land where magic is free. Merlin, who knows what’s supposed to happen: The Once and Future King brings that future. The King dies. Merlin, who has a choice to bring that future. To save Mordred. To remove the ban on magic. He doesn’t choose that, he chooses to essentially destroy that future entirely, just so he can have Arthur.

Arthur, who values Merlin’s opinion above everyone else’s, Arthur on his deathbed, finally seeing Merlin for who he is, says, “I don’t want you to change, I want you to always be you,” Arthur, who is dying, a few steps from the chance being saved, (still too far, not enough time), decides to stop because in his last moments he just wants to be held by Merlin.

They chose each other.

And that’s, dare I say it, love.