#means. back up my two Unity projects

[manyblinkinglights]

oooogh the floor is again. So I can put back all the stuff I had to move when the floor wasn’t.

[plaguewind]

My theory is that the album, while jumbled, forms a linear narrative when listened to in the correct order. I really don't think it's cyclical, nor do I think it is missing two songs, or that we're getting another album very soon as a "second part". This is just the current state of my running theory, I know I am missing a lot, and I know it *will* change.

Personal experience, along with any other works we have ever consumed, will influence our interpretations of art. We are the screen onto which any work of art is projected, and also the theatre in which the screen exists.

Here we go..

1- Look To Windward: A prologue where Vessel, near the story’s climax, reflects on his journey with Sleep. Vessel stands at a precipice, looking back on his journey. The factions reflect the inner conflicts (fame, doubt, separation, whether or not splitting from Sleep was the right call) he’s faced, framing the album as his retelling of how he and Sleep reunited along with his last shreds of apprehension on fully giving himself over. Honestly just reminds me of the opening scene to the movie Fight Club.

2- Caramel: Begins the chronological story, showing Vessel’s post-Euclid emptiness where Vessel is lost in fame’s “beautiful nightmare.” Sleep’s absence leaves him hollow, sparking his longing for their past connection.

3- Damocles: Deepens Vessel’s fragility and regret, highlighting his fear of losing everything without Sleep. He questions his choice to break free, setting up introspection.

4- Gethsemane: In his lowest moment, Vessel confronts his addiction to an idealized Sleep, picking apart reality’s shortcomings and realising his own role in the collapse of their relationship. This self-awareness, coupled with shared accountability, opens the path to reconciliation.

5- Dangerous: A relapse "hook-up" between Vessel and Sleep. Indulgence in an old comfort leading to a raw confrontation between the two. I kind of feel that this song overlaps with the latter half of Gethsemane in the context of the confrontation. They air their grievances, reaching a mutual understanding of their shared failures, setting the stage for a healthier love.

6- Even In Arcadia: Vessel finally affirms his decision that he wants back in, Sleep will always be with him, and he feels that he can make right on his past mistakes. Still underlying doubt over the longevity of the relationship, but is willing to risk getting hurt.

7- Past Self: Vessel accepts moving on from his past self because "nothing is the same, and some things have to change now", embracing a rekindling of mutual infatuation with Sleep, now grounded in reality rather than idealised, and marking a new beginning.

8- Provider: this renewed infatuation combines with the muscle memory of their love and lust for one other. Vessel commits to the relationship with Sleep, certain now they can both be what the other needs.

9- Emergence: Vessel and Sleep deepen their partnership, emerging into a transformative reality. Their love transcends past tensions, preparing for the final surrender. Sleep beckons Vessel to resume the transformation under their guidance, but no longer as a simple tool or means to an end, but as Sleep's partner.

10- Infinite Baths: The climactic surrender, uniting Vessel and Sleep. Vessel surrenders fully to Sleep, realizing Sleep supported him even in separation. Vessel becomes a conduit for Sleep's divine will and power, their mutual love completing his evolution. The story ends hopeful, with their eternal unity.

My proposed song order: 1, 5, 8, 9, 4, 6, 3, 7, 2, 10

Side note: I believe Vessel became a demigod upon fully giving himself to the transformation under Sleep’s power and guidance in Infinite Baths. Teeth of god, blood of man. A grand unity. Sleep’s enemies are going to be decimated, when the battle continues. It's going to be a bloodbath..

[sunny-day-jack-official]

Sunny Day Jack Report 07/11/2023

Wednesday means it's time for our weekly development report, and this one's a nice big one for everyone to enjoy! Those of you who have been following us on Twitter may have noticed that we redesigned our logo for SDJ. The majority of the devlog will talk about our process behind that, so read it for free on Patreon or click the readmore for the important bits!

Unity Demo Version 0.03

Changelog:

Fixed video rendering while playing on the Steamdeck (via Windows Proton Compatibility)

Added missing CGs

Game extended slightly past the kissing on couch scene

Select narration from Y/N reworded for clarity

Macintosh OS compatible version has been added

Known bugs:

Certain voice lines may be missing or cut-off

This update was largely focused on ensuring stability before adding in more content. Those who backed the SDJ Kickstarter can access their beta testing keys via this link, while SnaccPop Patrons who pledge a minimum of $12/mo can access their beta testing key over here.

For our MacOS players, you may encounter issues launching the game due to Apple security, so please follow this tutorial to temporarily disable Gatekeeper (we recommend turning it back on afterwards). We're investigating ways to avoid Gatekeeper flagging the game, so please bear with us! As for our Linux/Steamdeck players, for the time being, please use the Windows version and use Proton Compatibility to play the game.

Logo Graphic Redesign

Like with the previous SnaccPop Studios logo, the SDJ logo was due for a makeover. For starters, the old logo was tiny.

Yes, that's literally the largest size we have on hand for the original SDJ logo source file, and everything else is just blown up bigger in size if need be. Astute viewers may also notice that the Something's Wrong With portion of the logo was also slightly off-center this entire time, as With was hanging off the edge a lot more than Something's. Another issue that came up as we continued working with our translators was the fact that we'd most likely need logos in the target language too; adapting the old logo was near impossible because all we had left of it was a .png file. At this point, making a new logo just made sense.

The new logo largely retains the important elements of the original one. Using the Buddy Belt motif as the background image and the use of two distinct fonts, a formal serif for SWW and a more bubbly sans-serif for the SDJ that essentially captures the essence of Jack's dual personality, were ideas Sauce carried over. Additionally, his signature primary colors palette is much more clear in the text, making this logo more easily identifiable. After nailing down a good foundation and centering the text, Sauce overlaid faint scanlines reminiscent of old CRT display monitors then splashed some blood here and there; all in all, the new logo is a nice visual of the ludonarrative dissonance the game itself aims to achieve.

We'll pass the mic to Gureii here when it comes to the localized logos!

Translation & Localization

Hey there! Gureii (she/her) here. You might know me from one of the previous devlogs posted here on Patreon not so long ago.

 I’ve been asked by BáiYù to present you a tiny (okay, not that tiny) little treat for both the Russian and the Japanese-speaking folks out there who are interested in our upcoming game, Something’s Wrong With Sunny Day Jack.

Let me introduce you to the new localized logos real quick:

One of the most interesting aspects of working on these was the brainstorming session behind both of them. As the Lead Russian translator of this project, one of my main concerns was to come up with the title translation that would be both both simplistic and catchy, hence the name change from a statement to a question. The localized version of the title - «Что с тобой, Джек?» - includes both the questions a player would ask to Jack himself: “What happened to you?” and “What’s wrong with you?”, either depending on their opinion towards him or both of these at the same time.

The Japanese translation team, on the other hand, opted for something much more laconic, to which I was happy to comply! They're only using Katakana to translate the commonly abbreviated title into【サニー・デー・ジャック】, which will be easy for Japanese speakers to read (it'd be pronounced "Sanī dē Jakku"). It's short and punchy, and it's not unusual for Japanese logos to have the English text as well.

Another aspect (a tricky one this time!) was looking up the Cyrillic and Kana fonts that would match the mood of the English logo we got: it gets quite tricky when we talk about anything but Latin fonts, and it gets even harder when we talk about something that is as bold, youthful and bright as it is. For example, with the katakana transcription the Japanese translation team and I had to search for something that would not scare the person interested in playing the game, something much more inviting than the crimson lettering used on the English logo. The bloody Buddy Belt portion of the logo will still indicate to potential players that this is a horror game, so it works out.

By the way, you might be asking yourself, "Why isn't there a Spanish version of the logo?" Both Pierre and Nana expressed that translating the title wouldn't sound nearly as good as the original English title (a literal Latin Spanish translation would be "Algo Malo Pasa Con Día Soleado Jack"). Luckily, both English and Spanish share similar alphabets, so it's as big of a difference compared to Russian or Japanese.

---

And that's all we got for this week. Thanks again for your continued support of SnaccPop Studios!

[themeaningthemeaningthe]

TLT Alecto the Ninth Tarot Reading

haven't done any tarot in a while and wanted to get back into it with something a little silly. i felt 9 cards was an appropriate number for this reading, but i'm tired now, so i'll just be including a phrase or two from my little book that popped out to me (because i don't have card meanings memorized, and i like the writing in the book that came with my deck), and maybe some initial thoughts. feel free to interpret more

What's up with the friendship bracelets?

page of coins: "eager to explore new creative or professional opportunities", " inexperienced, but great deal of potential -- hmmm jod's last lyctor standing and zombie daughter christening getting into the empire business via friendship bracelets?

More G1deon backstory?

reverse nine of wands: "your setbacks have proven to be too much, and you feel broken under the weight of your responsibilities. the journey has been long and unfulfilling, and you cannot remember the point of all the struggle" -- oh my poor saint of duty

Alectostasia perhaps?

reverse two of coins: "you have taken on too much, and you are beginning to let certain things fall through the cracks...you lack focus, and your attention, patience, and energies are spread too thin" -- i don't remember how much we know about the timeline of the lyctors ascending and when alecto was entombed, but i wonder if perhaps the reason anastasia failed to ascend was because shit was happening with alecto. or if anastasia's closeness with alecto was what allowed her and samael to almost figure it out, but the realization that john had let them all fail and kill their best friends was what distracted her

Will there be a chussy (chest hole) scene?

two of cups: "refers to a healthy and mutually beneficial unity. it indicates earnestness, and bodes well for partnerships of all kinds" -- ya know what, i'll take something hopeful where i can get it

Wake reappearance?

reverse six of cups: "memories of the past yield sorrow. long-buried regrets suddenly resurface to haunt you. you must make peace with your relationship with your past." -- well, if there's one woman i can count on to be vengeful enough to come back as a revenant more than once, it's wake. i sincerely doubt she's made peace with her past, so maybe she'll return

Colum Asht reappearance?

reverse six of swords: "unaddressed conflicts from the past keep catching up to you... old habits perpetuate old problems" -- also has a theme of the past returning, so i'm gonna take that as a yes for some sort of Colum Asht reappearance

something about paul, please?

reverse three of coins: " suggests that the quality of your collaborations is beginning to suffer. you must take some time to troubleshoot and figure out where the snags are in your complex network of projects. whose input is not heeded? whose contributions are overlooked? now it a good time to check in with your teammates and reasses your shared vision." -- my initial thought is uhoh, but also the way this book writes all the coins minor arcana feels so funnily like corporate or acadmeic?? that i just thought it was funny and had to include the whole thing bcuz yeah that does sound like how cam and pal might approach an issue

a card for the beginning of the book?

reverse 4 of wands: "the foundations you have built feel unsteady. there had been a breakdown in communication somewhere in your closer circles, and it makes everyone feel ill at ease. someone in your life might believe they are fully committed to something when they still have doubts. this could spell disaster down the line." -- my first thought about this was john's hands and fists- his foundations have crumbled and he's left with only one baby lyctor and his reanimated dead daughter. and perhaps ianthe is having doubts about whether she made the right decision saving him instead of augustine at the end of HtN

and one for the end?

the star in reverse: "as the dust settles and the Tower lies in ruin, you may find yourself alone in the dark. reversed, the star cautions that you have fallen deep in despair and cannot move forward. signs of hope seem too good to be true, and you feel more lost than ever"-- hey man hey man hey why

[mulberrymyrtle]

the life of second year, (name)

a series of one-shots where you, (name) (I.name) navigates their rather boring life as a seemingly 2nd year student at the prestigious Yuuei --pretty NPC-like, as your peers say.

(various! bnha x gn! reader x ocs)

reblogs are greatly appreciated ˙˚ʚ(´◡`)ɞ˚˙

• notes: some OCS are taken from other people, please message me if it's not okay - credits to @yoiquu on instagram for moritsuka segi, her art is amazing!

• extra note: if anyone wants their oc's added here, chat me! mwahahah. (you are also signing up to be a beta reader... teehee /j)

• extra extra note: is it bad thing all the x readers im creating rn have witch-based powers? sorry I just love witched based mcs, so more of them will be coming soonn... *evil laughs*

part two (coming soon) ° masterlist

ONE-SHOT #1: im an NPC in my own story.

WHEN the words "Yuuei" erupts from the tongue, it is often coming from prestige. A single word that lets the masses come into unity, countless excitement that bounces off the crowd.

It is a word held with respect, dignity, and admiration -- Japan's most beloved hero school. A institution that produces top-quality heroes -- the ones that shine brightly in holographic cards. The press punting their headlines with their strained smiles, when blood heroically draws down their temples -- those kinds.

The heroes that have all age groups gape their mouths and foam for an autograph.

The heroes that have the mass bust out in cheers when they come to the scene, the sign of hope that'll overthrow the darkness the lurks everywhere. They come to lift up the burdens the cruel word has placed on your shoulders, aiming to alleviate whatever strings your heart.

So ask every kindergartener their dreams, in hasty babbles the words "doctor" or "lawyer" do not emerge -- it is now hero. Eyes glittering with pride, a dream that explodes and follows them when they reach their teenager years.

Then, ask every teenager what their dream was. With a phone slammed down to the desk, and a passion that flurries through, this is what is heard.

"I want to study at U. A, obviously!"

It really is the naive dream, to save the people, to push through when hope has disappeared. To always have people gape their eyes at you, it is what every student dreams off when they stare off in the middle of math class. To join in the competitive roster filled with students who like you, have worked years off to join UA, is something short of special.

So when results come, and with your trembling hands -- the holographic Aizawa emerges and unenthusiastically informs you that UA was in your reach. You believed that this was the beginning of your life. The blooming start of an eventful journey. One you'd tell the noisy grandchildren when you lounge in the rocking chair.

But, that really was far from the damn truth.

Here you were, splattered across your desk -- the snores of a classmate beside you. The class is filled with the grating sound, a cacophony of tired, restless students that blends together.

It is far from exciting spars, showcasing of unique quirks, and the inspirational path of an aspiring hero. Instead, the days are filled with overdue performance tasks and group projects that have you staring at a screen.

"Do you feel like an NPC sometimes," a voice calls out, a pen tapping against your desk.

Lifting up to meet the gaze of the person, it flickers to the large horns adorned on the mop of brown hair. Reeling your gaze back to the sage eyes that bore into your being -- desperate for an answer.

"Moritsuka," you sigh, the grogginess invading your tone. "Can, can you let me sleep?"

Placing the pen to your forehead, he gives a light flick. "This is what you get for chugging 2 red bulls, didn't I say to get proper sleep?"

A groan is heard from you, pushing it away. "Just because you work under recovery girl doesn't mean you have to solve my health-related issues."

"I do try to lessen the workload in the infirmary, " he states, dragging the pen lightly. "Especially from students overdosing themselves on cheap energy drinks."

"Redbulls not cheap, not at all!"

He only stares at you, an awkward silence emerging from the gaze.

"Moritsuka is right though," another chimes in, their presence squeezing between your space.

"On the sleep schedule?" you mutter with a hint of annoyance, rising up from your nap.

"Nah," the girl lightly dusts off your shoulders, putting herself on your chair. "I mean the NPC stuff."

"This again?" a huff of exasperation emerges from your mouth, looking at Moritsuka. Who's gaze lingers on your long enough, before you sigh again.

"Come on Moritsuka. don't feed Miuna with vour bullshit theories again." you drawl out, a cheek to your palm.

"They're not theories if they can be proven," Moritsuka argues, but it's done in a cool collected way than the offensive tone, which makes you boil a bit.

"And I can definitely prove that!" Miuna butts in, her palm slapped onto your desk. Hearing more students groan and rise up from their quick naps. "I mean, we're in the damn hero course -- but it's so boring! We don't do any fun stuff compared to our seniors! No special treatment! Like some fodder that pops up..."

You turn to find Moritsuka nodding at every word Miuna pushes out, his horns weighing in -- your eyes wander over the visible neck strain. It causes you to shake your head, hands patting on the boy's shoulder.

"Miu," you say to your babbling friend. "Stop before Moritsuka here ends up with a neck injury."

"A neck injury means he supports and acknowledges that it is more than just bullshit!"

"Can't you wait til" lunch?" you plead, ushering the two away. "Free time is the only time I'm not being fried by school or with the illumati theories, have mercy." The two shrug in unison, their voice still bustling with absurd theories. Ranging from the miniscule "we are totally just fodder" to "man, what if we're in some anime!". You end up groaning, burying your face deep in the wooden chair. The voices increase in volume, as the heated discussion bounces off to other sleep-derived students who were seemingly engaged.

God, let this end.

A soft presence rubs itself on your ankles, looking down - your sour demeanor bursts and evaporates away. Fingers reaching over to brush over the soft fur of the familiar blasting affections to you.

"You're tired too, hm?" you smile with gentleness, scratching the back of its' ears. It hums back, slithering into your lap when it curls into contempt. The noises of chattering muffles out when you continue to pat it down -- a calm feeling surrounding your being.

"Besom," the tone of your voice is quiet, gentle when it perks her ears up. "You're not supposed to be... here until it's hero training right?" you question -- a small hiss to your concerned query.

"Man, calm down," you sighed, "just concerned, you might get hurt."

Besom only nuzzles itself deeper into your lap, the fuzzy creature putting on an affectionate display.

"You definitely just want food, don't you?" the deadpan in your tone serious, letting your tongue click from the disappointment. "Such palisman you are."

Just when you reach to your bag, the speakers boom with volumes loud enough that Besom jumps from her position. In a split second, she takes on a defensive stance when sparkles of energy starts to emerge.

There has been a Level 3 security breach.

You hear the monotone voice announces, reaching to every crevice of the room.

The blaring red lights flash over the classroom, the once heated discussion of theories now turned into questions of panic. The sleep-deprived students now fully aware when their hands curl into punches, their quirks sparking from their hands.

All students please evacuate outdoors promptly.

With urgency, the commanding voice of your class representative breaks through the alarms. Her voice slightly shakes yet you find her in the front lines, urging everyone to come out. She stays at the front, like a shield you bask in when crisis comes -- head turning back to make sure all is complete.

"Class 2B," voice filled with authority, "Stay close with one another! If someone gets lost use your phone or contact via Kokoro's telepathy!" she reminds over the packed crowd, her groans and struggles heard.

The hallways were dead filled, each and every student filling in every spot. They push, scream, hurdle and it's warm. The crowding and panics make you clutch onto Besom, her comforting nuzzle helps you navigate through overwhelming crowds.

Just then, she immediately detaches herself from your hold. Sifting through small gaps the crowd leaves, slithering through it with ease. With a gasp, you follow after her steps, saying sorry to every student you push. (and a quiet curse to some random blonde who angrily stepped on you.)

Besom seemingly is out of your sight, nowhere to be found. Yet, you only give a light pat and chant to your bracelet.

"Appare Vestigum," a glow emerges from you, a light flickering against the groups. It takes the form of Besom, her shape highlighted as it moves animatedly.

Her movements are erratic, the subtle glow switching from one to the next -- even leaping over the heads of even more confused students. Taking the opposite direction of the exit door. She successfully evades the crowded area, her direction turning to the stairs.

"W-wait up!" your breaths almost come to choke you, stopping yourself to atleast inhale some bit of air. "B-besom, where the hell are you going?" You slide over to the stairs, a gulp in your throat. But you find her glowing figure descend further and further, the rationale part of your mind wonders why you couldn't just summon her back to your arms. With a mental facepalm, you whip out your wand -- when a man's voice ripples through your bracelet. You look down, the crystal spurring in irregular patterns like a radio buffering.

A voice? The beat of your heart tells you to follow.

"Damn signal," you mutter, sighing when you find the light starting to fade -- a sign she may be too far. The lack of knowledge of where she was couldn't have you immediately teleport -- plus, the weird voice tells you it may not be wise. With a quick decision, you follow over her when you descend down.

After almost a workout, you find yourself in a familiar floor -- the faculty room.

Your face scrunches, the faculty room? The questions form in your head, you know the palisman wouldn't jump out of your arms to go to a room you both despised. Well, much less even have the energy to get out of your arms. (don't tell Besom that.)

Weirdly enough, the faculty is empty, the doors seem swung open in a hurry. Some paperwork still at the entrance, there you find her -- finally, hidden over the hinges. Her body slightly peeking over, then you hear it again -- the voice. The same one you heard earlier, now clearer and nearer.

With a shaking body, you slowly march over to her side. Eyes over the looking by the windows, holding onto her with care when you assess the room.

Then, there he was -- a... a student?

He walked around the faculty, almost clueless. Squinting slightly, you didn't recognize him, much less even see him from orientation. His foreign look should've given you a lasting impression, with shoulder length blond hair curled at the ends with his violet eyes desperately searching around.

Oh, a transfer student? You muse to yourself, the pieces coming together. He must've mistook this for some room, or whatever. Especially with the alarms or something.

With relief, you emerge from the hiding spot, alerting him of your presence.

He only jumps, scrambling to his feet -- sweat pouring down.

"Calm down," you strut up to him in a slow pace, showing you aren't of any harm.

"You new here?" looking at him with an akward gaze, shifting to english. "Are you a foreigner?"

He gulps, hands clasped together as it shakes. He nods, his body screams like he's been caught or something.

You only raise a brow at how he is, "Uh, from where are you?"

"F-france," he whispers, his accent slips through.

"Ah, no worries!" you lighten up, "I'll make it easier for you..."

Hovering your fingers to form a shape, a subtle light emerges from your fingertips. Words and symbols start to detach and form all over, swirling beautifully against your hands the warmth making you sweat. Then it condenses to a single point, before bursting -- the essence fluttering to your heart, a swallow of heaviness when you stomach the feeling in.

"You aren't in the correct room, sir," you say in his native tongue, his surprise evident as his eyes widen with glee.

"You speak French!" he cheers, a flamboyancy emerging -- like sparkles all over his being. "That is incredibly spectacular!"

You give a slight nod, "Well, kinda? My quirk does... anyways, you're lost?" You turn over to the faculty sign, rearranging the words to show a hologram of it in French. "We're in the faculty room, you're not meant to be here -- didn't orientation teach you that?"

He once again awes at the display, spouting all kinds of praises. "Oh my, that quirk of your is so dazzling I must say!"

You only cough, "Answer the question, please?"

"Uh, my class didn't go through orientation..."

"Huh?"

He gives an embarrassed gaze, "Can you help me first? I'll tell you on the way back, I'm still not used to all this..." You give a nod, guiding him back -- taking the elevator. "Well, since the alarms are gone, I'll help. But you have to tell me, okay?"

I mean, it's kinda suspicious. You think to yourself, the weird feeling of someone watching over the two of you makes your heart heavy.

So when your hand is on his shoulder, gently coaxing him back -- your eyes is caught on as shadow, it blends seamlessly, but it is enough to have your skin filled with goosebumps. With a quick look around, there is light dust collecting by the edge of the door -- where a piece of paper used to lay.

What? You gulp, heart raising, grip almost tightening.

"What made you come here?" the boy interrupts your subtle gaze, when you two were nearing the elevator.

You look at your side, whistling to have Besom curl up by your shoulders. "This guy kinda went crazy, must've been the alarms. She's scared of them."

He squeals at the creature,

"She really is the cutest! What is her name?"

You reply and all he does is coo and let out squeals of delight.

"What is yours?" You tilt your head, now in the elevator leaning against the wall. Hearing some 80's groove subtly playing in the background -- Present Mic, you figured. "You must be a junior aren't you? What course?"

In a flamboyant display, he poses like a model with wind swooping over his luscious hair. Different from his scared display from earlier.

"Refer to me as the sparkling Yuga Aoyama!"

As if on cue, sparkles seem to surround him. Then he switches to another pose, and you feel like a background of golden roses come next.

"And for my course! For someone as dazzling as I am, naturally it is the hero course!"

Again, he switches to another pose, "Class 1-A to be exact, hold the applause!"

You pause, the puzzle pieces shifting together. "1-A? Is Mr. Aizawa your adviser?"

He gulps, nervousness seeping once again. "Yes... it is him."

A light laugh emerges from your mouth, "Ah, that says alot! One of my classmates would be proud your his junior. He's got a lot to say about that man. Is that why you weren't at orientation, faced the dreaded physical test?"

His simple nod answers everything all at once.

That makes your worries lift, returning back to a chiller demeanor.

He stops for a second, eyeing you. "Are you also at the amazing hero course?" You give a tired sigh, playing with Besom. "If you could call it that..." you whisper before addressing his concerns. "Yep, I guess I'm your senior. But, not a Mr. Aizawa child."

He bows down in a split second, addressing you with an honorfic that has your insides slowly die.

"God, no please," you shush him down, waving him away to straighten up. "No honorfics. I'd rather you just call me by my name."

When he meekly meets your gaze, he asks for your name.

Then, the elevator door finally dings, opening slowly. You find a small group of students in front of the humongous 1-A door. Seeing how a girl with short mousey brown hair waves to your direction, calling out to him in familarity.

You usher him away, but he stands to look at you, unmoving; almost desperate for an answer.

"Oh, my name..." you remember, quickly pushing him outside the door. Another huff, when Besom affectionately puts herself in your arms.

When the doors slowly close, you meet to him eye-to-eye, his usual quirkiness shows sincerity, and who were you to say no?

"Just call me (Name) Momiji. See you, Aoyama."

[summersmithlatinxgyatt]

Yes, before we even START this blog, I kindly request that you reblog this. I request a reblog with questions and proof at the end, but reblog this if you see it PLEASE. This is a massive theory on the entirety of Rick and Morty as a show as well as C-137. This is not my usual kind of post, but I’ve been working on it for months. It recontextualizes the entire show and required a lot of proof and effort for it to stay together. If you could spread it around, I would appreciate that so much from the bottom of my heart. This is my passion project.

This is my ‘Rick Meta-Parasite’ theory.

-

There are many instances of parasitic entities across Rick and Morty that have a common theme. Each one will be explained here first, before I try to explain why they even appear.

There’s the Total Rickall parasites that latch onto the family to create false memories to anchor themselves. These parasites just barely resemble Previous Leon, a similar entity. They both create fake memories to flash back to and manifest themselves over and over, spreading out and multiplying. Previous Leon is more ‘meta’, which is going to be explained later on.

The Total Rickall parasitic aliens likely come from Unity’s planet. I say this because these two episodes are right next to each other. Beta-7 and Unity meet up constantly, meaning there is a hivemind alliance between MULTIPLE hiveminds out there. This is also going to be crucial to remember. Rick says that the parasitic aliens likely came from the bottom of someone’s shoe, so Summer or Morty might have accidentally stepped on this parasite from a hivemind source and brought it to their home as a result. That explains what these parasites are doing to begin with

There are other examples of parasitic entities in Rick and Morty. But these are targeting the mind and memories. We know that the Federation consists of bug-like aliens that created a device that allows them to enter the mind of Rick to extract the schematics of his portal gun, which was still shown to be false later on

So we have a galactic federation made up of bug aliens that targeted Rick and innovated technology to enter Rick’s mind for portal travel. Going back to the aforementioned hiveminds, we know that Unity and Rick had a relationship together. Unity literally tells Rick that he’s more of a parasite than she could ever be. The two relate to this sentiment, which will ALSO be explained soon. One thing at a time, I just have to keep these things in your mind

The fear hole is implied to be sentient, but it leeches off of fear. Although it was stated to go after Rick, I think this was a method used to just get the most fear out of Morty instead. It would allow him to dive deeper into his fears from this false statement that threw him off. It IS interesting that it appeared in a Denny’s. Rick loves Shoney’s, a place that exists as a parody of Denny’s. Instead, this parasitic hole manifested itself in the ORIGIN of this parody that Rick holds close. This will be the final thing to keep in mind before I dive into this theory one final time

Rick is a meta-fictional parasite.

We already know he IS a parasite. I mean come on, he came into another Beth’s life and travels through dimensions. Unity sees him as a literal bloodsucker. Morty tells Summer that Rick goes into people’s lives and just leaves them once he gets what he wants. It’s not a new idea that he’s a parasite, but this is a change of pace. Already, this is basing itself on the idea that Rick is a parasite in the NARRATIVE sense.

When we say Rick, we are referencing C-137, NOT Prime. That’s because Prime is the Rick of the Rick and Morty franchise. C-137 is pretending to be a Rick that eventually found this property to latch onto. There’s a few reasons as to why this happened at all. The first is that this parasite took the place of the scapegoat of Rick Prime, who would inevitably create portal travel

This portal travel method would allow him to escape his own dimension if necessary, not to mention it would create a container and franchise to exist in. This would be the border of the meta structure. But first, let’s explain the cosmology so far:

The Central Finite Curve is capped out at a certain point. The reason it curves is due to the deviations on every single dimension. The word dimension being used is very interesting, because it can be used to describe the features and aspects of an object. To ask the dimensions of a box is to ask how long, wide, and tall it is. To ask about the dimensions of the Central Finite Curve, you’d also be asking about what makes it up and causes it to curve. That would be the slight alteration to every single hypothetical Rick scenario

We end up seeing that dimensions can have sub-iterations added onto them from deviations OF DEVIATIONS that are specific enough to be noted. The D-716 Ricks are classed as B and C. They are minor divergent points from D176, which is already a branch from Prime’s dimension. And like how dimensions describe the shape of an object, the way it branches out would be literally spiraling out into a curve that is off by JUST a bit each time

The Central Finite Curve caps out at Rick being the smartest being several times over. The outside of the curve is chaotic because it has boundaries or shapes. There is nothing that centralizes and defines it, so it is a mess. And since Rick slowly becomes more and more irrelevant as the curve displaces each dimension by adding deviations, the point at which Rick no longer matters is the point where the multiverse actually begins. This explains both boundaries clearly. With that being said, there’s still more to explain

There is the edge of the canon itself and what was considered non-canon. This is the outside level of the continuity that is basically formless and desperate to find some format in any way. We know that the story train is circular. If it were to deviate, it would form a spiral, a CURVE. That describes the still state of the curve when it originally began as well.

Something important is that the outside of the train is referred to as the non-canon state of reality. But it’s also worthy of an explanation. Check this scene out

The outside of the non-canon isn’t just not canon. It’s formless as described before. It is ‘free floating’, so to speak. The Tickets, Please Guy is being submerged into countless narratives to try to anchor him. It spirals out of control. Every single non-canon instance we see is one that has no set narrative or format

That’s also why the self-proclaimed non-canon Rick and Morty series takes place in another medium entirely to try to anchor its narrative. It needs some way to anchor itself, so this outer shell also relies on trying to find the nearest location. That would be the multiverse, the Central Finite Curve at least. This explains how Story Lord already considered himself an enemy of Rick, someone who’s clearly able to travel through all of these spaces and saw Rick’s clear potential (which will be explained later in full detail as to why Story Lord is his nemesis)

That would also explain Previous Leon’s existence as someone who implants false memories and causes feedback loops through flashbacks. It’s to find some way to anchor themselves and tread through the multiverse. But why?

It seems that each parasitic entity is capable of finding their designated host. The entire point is that they can navigate through the non-canon or similar spaces to find a host for themselves. They’re mainly concerned about the meta-fictional parasite known as Rick C-137. That’s because this version managed to rebel against the usual Rick format. Being the ‘Rickest Rick’ despite not even being Rick is insane in this context now. Even LOOk at the dimension they assign him in:

C - 3, prime number

1 - prime

3 - prime

7 - prime

3,137 - prime

His assigned dimensionality is prime. Going back to what I said about the dimensions, we know that he and Rick Prime were the first ones to start this. A prime axis would be the very center of this ‘shape’ I keep describing, C-137 being a false prime as well but still as important

Finally cycling back to the original point I was making, Rick took this spot to be the other Rick who created portal travel. Where does the meta-fictional parasite part come in? Oh, that’s right

We need to talk about The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti first. That’s right, the thing that actually started Rick and Morty that’s never referenced. This is the part of the theory that goes crazy. If you just wanted an explanation of the Central Finite Curve and stuff, now would be a good time to leave. Otherwise, strap in.

The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti started as a Back To The Future parody. The actual source is crude and does include sexual scenes that won’t be explained here. It would lead to something disturbing, though. Back To The Future also literally has an incest subplot with Marty and his mother in the past. If these two became Rick and Morty, then yeah, it’s also gross shit between them. And we know this sadly became a theme in the show that popped up over time. But that…sadly matters to this theory and explains a lot

When I use this term, I am also referring to a self-parasitic method that Rick is initiating. He is surrounding himself with OTHER Ricks as well, despite them being deviations. It’s some universal sibling relationship, if you think about it. I mentioned that the non-canon system is free floating and allows any format to manifest. When this Doc and Mharti…you know, off-screen and shit, it created a deviation level that was not possible. It is detached from the parody on another level. It’s not related to the original source and parody anymore. As it passes, there is less satire and parody. It becomes its own thing. It creates an original character, just like how Rick and Morty is no longer tied to Back To The Future

We get Rick Sanchez, C-137.

That’s not where the theory ends, though.

If this parasite was born through that and was self-parasitic, it would anchor itself to a character that resembles him and Doc and Mharti. That would be Rick Prime

That explains how C-137 and Prime existed at different times despite being the ‘main characters’, so to speak. Think of it like this

Rick and Morty was ALREADY EXISTING with Rick Prime, until C-137’s parasitic form pushed through the non-canon and latched onto this host that resembled his ‘dad’ and himself to continue the cycle. Every now and then, these gross themes and parodies pop up as the literal lifeline of Rick C-137 to sustain him. He is also fueled with the resentment of Rick Prime for destroying Diane, which can also be explained in this context clearly

If Rick has to exist as an anchored character, that means he needs an in-universe anchor as well. He needs to blend in and exist in the narrative. That’s where Diane comes in

Diane kept Rick C-137 from leaving into the non-canon and actually existing in-universe. When she was unexpectedly killed, it threatened Rick and caused him to create portal travel. He kills two birds with one stone when he hunts down Rick Prime. That would also explain why portal travel, Operation Phoenix, and other lifelines are used. The theme of incest is also being used metaphorically like I said - it persists because it was the origin source. That’s also why parodies are so prominent across the show too, but are somewhat spread out. UNTIL it peaks around the time Rick Prime is killed

And Season 7, the season he’s killed, has no incest. There aren’t as many parodies either, because he is fully independent. He has removed all anchors from himself at this point by instead cementing his new purpose in-universe, not just through meta-fiction or non-canon instances

By the way, we still aren’t done. We have a lot more things to explain

If Doc and Mharti exist as a parody backstory, we can also explain Shoney’s easily

Shoney’s is a parody that also anchors Rick. It’s the first thing that we see in The Rickshank Rickdemption and Rick’s mind when these parasitic Federation soldiers try to extract the backstory from Rick’s memories. Shoney’s as a parody of Denny’s shows the idea that this is a lifeline. Ironically enough, there seems to be duality when it comes to…the whole Szechuan Sauce existing here as an extended reference that affected the real world. Why am I mentioning this?

Well, Rick is still using ways to contextualize himself in the world of Rick and Morty. Yet he’s using a parody instead of the real deal. The real Denny’s would be on the same plane as Doc and Mharti’s level of reality. That means it actually pierces through these layers, the fear hole is a hole drilled across all three layers of reality being shown here. Why do you think it was able to show Morty the TRUE nature of Rick??

It literally shows how Rick is unhealthy by exposing Morty through the ugly truth. You know how the hole has layers? That’s because Morty is passing through those layers of reality - the ONLY way to know Rick inside and out across every possible layer. He basically learned his origin and primary function during it

We also have Evil Morty to explain. How did he extract Rick’s backstory when The Citadel of Ricks couldn’t?

That’s easy

Evil Morty is basically a counter parasite

So I started this theory showing how there’s so many parasites, then explained that Rick was one. Even if that seems like a good segue, I didn’t actually explain how it works. But I can now!

Previous Leon is able to pass through the fourth wall, it’s shown to be a power early on that Rick SOMEHOW KNOWS ABOUT when he sees it happen before him. That’s because all of these parasites can pass through these layers of reality, mainly the meta and non-canon ones. Remember how I said the non-canon is basically formless like the multiverse? Previous Leon is one of many beings who can anchor themselves easily. If they use Rick’s origin source, they would be the only ones who could actually use that information meaningfully. The Federation extracting portal travel information means they can’t even have quick travel methods like Rick’s portal gun. Do you expect them to actually be able to travel through the meta and non-canon layers when, as shown before, it’s impossible to navigate and stay latched onto one narrative?

These are meta-fictional parasites because they are narrative parasites. They are the only ones capable of pulling this off. And just to prove a point, The Self-Referential Six are literally the same type of idea

-Flash Back enacts flashbacks, which has been shown before with Leon and the Total Rickall parasites

-Protago Nick, who would be establishing hosts before latching onto them with the weight of protagonism

They are literary devices that become real. They exist within these characters, because their named and designated designs are the Rick and Morty version of these characters. Of course they can travel through non-canon easily, they’re the sentient extensions of actual literary devices!!

Okay, this did derail a bit. I just explained how, technically, retcon itself exists in Rick and Morty. But let’s get back to my point after I explained why there’s parasites everywhere.

Evil Morty led Rick C-137 to kill Prime. This would be Rick killing his main host to leave him as an empty shell with no purpose and nothing to feed off. Evil Morty was also able to subvert the curve and leave it entirely. He denounces the name ‘Evil Morty’, which has an in-universe explanation. But also in the context of this theory, it’s because he is not just some deviation of a dimension. He transcends that, meaning he is a parasite and not a byproduct of this parasitic war. That also explains why he can eventually pass through the multiverse and outside the Central Finite Curve, a power I keep saying parasites hold

The reason he can actually get Rick’s backstory is because it’s more of a dissection device. He is aware of his own nature and was able to create a device that extracted the mind of a parasite. This would be identical technology to the one that Evil Morty implants in Rick Prime’s brain! He has anti-parasite measures because he knows about his nature! Don’t believe me?

This is the same Morty that located an Evil Rick who himself stated he was a few deviations off C-137. This is the same Morty that created an eyepatch that CONTROLS THE BRAIN.

What do all of these parasites do? GO AFTER THE BRAIN OF RICK.

So Evil Morty clearly has this technology in place to use, besides the fact that he was a parasite among Ricks by taking a place of power within The Citadel of Ricks. That enough is an explanation for continuing the fight between both Ricks and somehow being able to extract his backstory when everybody else failed. Remember - multiversal variants are deviations, the few beings I’ve been mentioning are parasites. And as the cherry on top, who does Story Lord allow to be the leader of an entire army of Ricks in the Story Train’s manifestation?

Evil Morty.

The parasite killer. The one thing Story Lord knew would stop this meta-fictional parasite right in his tracks.

There are still a few things I need to explain before I wrap this theory up

For one, I mentioned Operation Phoenix being a lifeline. Wouldn’t it be worse for Rick to go to a dimension other than his in another body? Even if it helps him come back?

Operation Phoenix would re-establish Rick’s place across the Central Finite Curve, even if he’s in another set of deviations. He already moved dimensions, so this is fine. He would also be spreading out his influence, which is what he did in The Rickshank Rickdemption and when he switched to other dimensions

What about Memory Rick?

At first, this actually stumped me. I felt like this was too important to dismiss but also had way too little information to its name. Until I realized that this is a manifestation of Rick in Birdperson’s memories that acts completely different

Kind of sounds like how I explained multiversal deviation off-sets or parody deviations that become their own character

That become SENTIENT.

Sentient enough to willingly cross minds and memories…

In a way, Memory Rick was dormant and became a willing parasite in Rick’s memories AS WELL. That can explain how Memory Rick works as well

This can also explain Slow Mobius’ wife AND my theory on Summer becoming Rick. I couldn’t hold back, I just had to mention Summer at some point. But the idea is how hunting after a host makes you a parasite. Again, this echoes a statement by Evil Morty about how if wanting Rick gone is bad, then it’s considered evil and is more of a demoting statement. They are classed as parasites hunting their host. Their lives were ruined and feel fulfilled AS they chase their target, but it leaves them meaningless once they actually kill their host.

I’m referring to how Slow Mobius went on a hunt for whoever killed her husband. I’m also referring to my theory about how if Rick left Summer’s life, she’d become just like him when HE was finding Rick Prime - taking the mantle of Rick without any of the glamor.

There’s also the theory I have that Summer is likely being turned into Diane. She can either be a parasite anchor and canonizer OR another Rick-esque parasite on the prowl. These deviations are being set AS WE SPEAK and Rick is fully aware of it in some way

This is the archetype of these parasites. That’s why Rick C-137 is so desired across these people who want his origin. His numbers are prime, he SEEMS prime, HE IS THE FALSE PRIME!! There cannot be an even number of primes though, that’s against logic, LITERALLY! Instead, he exists as the prime PARASITE archetype that they all come from. Meanwhile, Rick Prime is the prime HOST instead. Since one is native to the franchise first, one is seen as ‘actually prime’, while the outsider is not seen that way

So, for the recap of this entire theory that honestly, can hold way more information than shown:

Rick C-137 is the son of Doc and Mharti. This deviation of parodies and sources created an abomination parasite that sought out a host to leech onto. It found an existing franchise with a character similar to its dad and itself. As it settled, it became an in-universe being until its in-universe wife was killed. This would kickstart portal travel, a way to spread out its influence and to kill its host now. Even if this removed their purpose, this meta-fictional parasite would not care at ALL. Throughout the journey, we see similar beings who want to find the origin of this parasite for two reasons. One, it allows portal travel, and two, it allows them to dissect this current parasite that dismantled an entire franchise and remade it around itself - a ‘Rickest Rick’ more Rick than Rick Prime.

The themes of incest and parody exist as the metaphor for how the show satures itself WITH its own crude nature, like its father origin and itself. Over and over. A parasite feeding on itself because its host is gone. And this parasite then decides to critically examine itself when its host, show host, SHOW RUNNER, LEAVES THE PRODUCTION OF THE SHOW. Around the same time the SAME host known as Rick Prime also leaves the picture. This leaves the parasite purposeless without realizing how far they’ve come and become their own character - right until their companion runs into a hole plunged through all of this that exposes them.

Oh and for the record I do not endorse incest or it happening in the show or fandom. DO NOT HOLD THIS AGAINST ME. PROSHIPPERS, DO NOT USE THIS EITHER. This is a meta-fictional theory that also managed to involve that element into the narrative because that’s what this theory is all about, got it?

Please reblog and comment if you have any questions or any more proof to support this theory!

[cannibalovers]

Hannibal song of the day: song no. 8

a bit about the song:

"Parasite"(released in 2010) is a song by How To Destroy Angels(HTDA), a music project by Trent Reznor(NIN) featuring his wife, Mariqueen Maandig Reznor, Atticus Ross and Rob Sheridan. His wife has taken over his usual lead vocalist position, with him taking on the background vocals, although in this song, both of them sing all the lines are the same time (although Mariqueen's voice is still quite dominant). The song fits the experimental, eletronica and post-industrial genres, beginning with a building guitar noise, thick drums soon come in, followed by more discordant guitar screeches. All the guitars soon stop and the drums and a synth bass are left to play behind Trent Reznor's and Mariqueen Maandig Reznor's low, smooth vocals and dominant drums, with the screechy, haunting guitars coming back in later. The lyrics are quite intimate, presenting two subjects talking, maybe asking each other questions about each other and answering them. They are slowly becoming each other, infecting each other, like parasites.

ngl it was hard to find anything about the set meaning, only everything about Trent's style and how he has mixed it with his wife and others, producing this album (so basically about the sound and production) so i guess this will be fully just my interpretation. very hannigram, once again, i have some other songs that remind me of other characters and stuff im gonna have to do smth about those too at some point lol

and again quite short, the song is very instrumental and feel based in my opinion but anyhow

------------------------------

Verse 1

"Yes, I can feel you

Yes, I believe

Yes, you can have me

Yes, I can breathe

Parasite

Yes, now I need you

Yes, you are mine

Yes, you have shown me

Yes, you define

Parasite"

through the whole song, the lines are sung at the same time, creating a feeling of unity and harmony, which the subjects seem to be agreeing to feel. They both feel and need each other, they believe in each other, they agree to devotion to each other and admitting how they have changed after being with each other, they let each other be dependent on one another - it seems like they're merging, like parasites. Maybe they chose the word parasite due to it's slightly negative connotations, maybe that's how the rest of the world sees them, infecting, controversial and desperate and obsessive with their love or unrightous and incorrect - considering that this is most likely based on Mariqueen and Trent, they have rattled the world a bit, Trent being the frontman of a harsh rock band known for its depressing and angry themes and involvement in drugs, Nine Inch Nails and Mariqueen bit less rattling, having been a former vocalist of West Indian Girls and a Playboy model for one of their magazines, but them two together - that have rattled the world, receiving some negative and racist reaction after finding out about the two getting married, even producing a song called "The Space In Between" which talks about their relationship and how the media has been treating them.

for hannigram, these lyrics remind me of them due to this, how they view unity and courtship. They seem to infect each other like parasites - they are quite dangerous to each other and to others around them. Hannibal seems to be like a parasite, he latched himself into Will and since then, hasn't let go of the idea that Will should be his and like him, trying to turn Will into him and understand him as he slowly feeds off of Will's sanity. Will recognises that after realising that Hannibal framed him for his own murders and tries to get revenge, letting Hannibal indulge in him and try to pretend to become Hannibal to try and frame him too, but this ends up with them slowly become more and more dependent on each other, to the point where they can't deny it anymore. It wasn't Will's intention at first, but as time passed by, they both have willingly began to accept each other and Will finally let Hannibal in. Both feel and need each other, they believe in each other, they agree to devotion to each other and admit to how they have changed each other.

in conclusion this is their song fr (<- what i say about every song i ever hear)

------------------------------

additional notes:

i've learned whilst researching for this that another song by htda, "the space in between" was actually used in a promo for hannibal holy shit i have this song in my playlist i am so writing about that one later

i have so many songs that technically apply for season 3 or where i could mention s3 and its driving me insane omfg but anyhow

i recommend the whole self-titled ep by them, it is very good

anyway hope you enjoyed<3

[the-gateway-to-madness]

Mad's Akiridion Analyses: Nobility

and we're BACK

okay so i can't be the only one who's bothered by the massive disparity between royal akiridion anatomy and common akiridion anatomy, and also the fact that the monarchy has pretty much no sign of a noble class, which is kinda a Thing in monarchies usually

SO I KILLED TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE OBVIOUSLY- *ahem* Akiridion nobility, I think, would have more or less human anatomy, sporting five fingers similar to Royals, smaller but individualized core shapes, and two arms.

I also think rare members of each family would have particular, hereditary abilities to control Akiridion energy- sort of a counterpoint to Earth's magic, since I'm pretty much certain Akiridions were once magic-based and have since mostly lost any trace of that origin.

The Noble Houses would fall into three categories/guilds, called Anvrakyn, led by House Foremosts, generally an accomplished, respected, trusted member of the family and the one to represent the family on the Council.

Houses of the Peacekeepers' Anvrak: The people of these houses possess skills and powers that contribute to the diplomatic atmosphere of the Akiridion council. Houses of the Services Anvrak: The people of these houses possess skills and powers that contribute to the unity and function of the Akiridion council as a whole. Houses of the Combat Anvrak: The people of these houses possess skills and powers that contribute to the protection and strength of the Akiridion council. Fallen Houses: These houses temporarily or permanently lost their status by siding with Val Morando during his coup on Akiridion. The people of these houses are viewed with high suspicion.

I've come up with a number of Noble Houses to fill out the Akiridion court and Royal Council, a couple of which I gifted to friends to develop (Stroitel and Vysmatrivat, as y'all will see), so y'all can use any of the others (save for Okhrana, which is my own focal House) for whatever you want, but those three are only on this public list to balance out the number of Houses in each Anvrak, and are not open for use.

Tselitel: One of the oldest of the Akiridion noble families, rare members of this family have an ability to channel Akiridion energy in such a way that they can heal the wounds of others. 

Council member: Ovuran Tselitel; post-coup, Isila Tselitel

Healing: Cannot, of course, revive the dead, though they can sustain intact cores for a short time. If they heal too much, they will pass out (to prevent them from giving so much energy as to kill themselves).

Stroitel, Not for Public Use: Inventors and architects of legendary skill. 

Council member: Kyrus Stroitel

(Further development of this house done by a friend of mine, rather than by me- @crescentroseart on Instagram, I believe. All credit for these ideas goes to her.)

Groupthink: 

Some members in House Stroitel have a strange ability to share ideas with one another without verbal or physical means. Those with this ability can be found heading the design and engineering aspects of large projects. The ability does not work over large distances, since the individuals need to touch to share the connection. However, there have been instances where two Stroitels have the same inspiration come to them via vision, usually around the same time, though this has not been researched thoroughly.

Okhotnik: Trackers and hunters, often called upon to find criminals.

Council member: Iloris Okhotnik; post-coup, Zenila Okhotnik

Tracking: Rare individuals have enhanced senses and can detect nearby life beings' precise location, no matter how they are hidden. This ability grows less and less precise the further away the life being is, and it works most clearly with other Akiridions.

Kryl'ya: Pilots that have been flying Akiridion's finest, fastest ships for generations. 

Council member: Agura Kryl'ya; post-coup, Tirza Kryl'ya

Perevodchik: Gifted with languages, they've been top diplomats for Akiridion-5 for as long as anyone can remember.

Council member: Luvinia Perevodchik; post-coup Rekalos Perevodchik

Linguistics: Certain individuals have the ability to consciously allow themselves to understand any language they hear or read without learning it prior to exposure. This will wear them out much faster than simply translating languages learned over time.

† Okhrana, Not for Public Use: Skilled with strategy and combat, this house was wiped out by bounty hunters looking for sensitive information on the royals. Certain individuals had an ability to summon tools, weapons, and various other objects attached to their hands and wrists, referred to as "Summoners". They had been bound by blood and birth to protect the Royals as long as anyone could remember. 

Last Council member: Korin Okhrana

Summoning: Certain Okhrana individuals can summon items attached to their wrists, such as grappling hooks and small knives or small artistic sculptures (though, the use of Summoning for trivial entertainment was greatly discouraged). However, they can only summon one thing a wrist at a time. They can summon on both wrists at once, but the rule above applies in that both wrists will manifest the same tool. There are no real limits on what the tool can be, but it can't be big, or sustained for too long, or they'll pass out. These individuals are marked by green hair and skin and a thin, human-like hair consistency rather than the usual clumping of other Akiridions; both traits appear to be a natural way of reserving energy for Summoning, as green light takes less energy to produce than blue.

Oath: Okhranas hold all members of their house to an oath made to the Royals centuries ago, and over time it shifted from a pledge of loyalty to a more and more unachievable standard that all members had to uphold. More and more rules were added as the oath was reinterpreted by various leaders; by the time of the Massacre, members of House Okhrana were not allowed to have romantic relationships with members of the Royal Houses, and even close friendship was somewhat discouraged.

The words of the Oath go as follows: 'By the light of my core and the right of my birth, I am bound to the protection and upholding of the righteous and rightful rulers of Akiridion-5, to set aside personal attachments for the sake of the throne, and to give myself entirely, in life, in sickness, in injury, and in death, to my Royals. I will live, walk, and breathe as a sacrifice upon the altar of the Royals' future.  Let my bones be broken, my coreslick spilled, and my core splintered for the sake of their call; let my body, my mind, and my soul be torn from me in service to the upholding of Akiridion. Such is my vow and such shall I be.'

The Okhrana Massacre: A group of bounty hunters with a strange ship that phases in and out of our plane of existence, known as the A'dar-ahk Auvon, or Talons of the Void, learned of the existence of Gaylen's Core. Knowing that House Okhrana was highly trusted, they gave the option for the Okhranas to hand over the location of Gaylen's Core or be killed. The Okhranas chose the latter… though, either way the House leaders had chosen not to learn anything about Gaylen's Core in an attempt to further protect the Royals.

Ispolnitel: Dancers, singers, artisans, and charismatic entertainers of all kinds.

Council member: Piyuvon Ispolnitel; post-coup, Zekkier Ispolnitel

Mirotvorets: Diplomats and negotiators that possess a natural flair for calming others and creating peace. 

Council member: Tugar Mirotvorets; post-coup, Denar Mirotvorets (Not for Public Use)

Persuasion: Very rarely, individuals will have an enhanced ability to persuade others to do their will--it doesn't work on everyone, a bit like hypnosis, and it does not grant outright control over anyone.

Bronya: Widely considered the least intelligent of the Noble Houses (though this is more rumor and slander than truth), members of House Bronya are blessed with incredible strength and size, and many members even develop thick, calloused areas on the surface of their bodies- or, much more rarely, full-on bony, protective plates. They claim descent from Ingylth, the first councilor chosen by Seklos herself. The House Foremost takes the name Ingylth to honor that legacy for as long as they serve as leader of the House.

Council member: Vinlea “Ingylth” Bronya; post-coup, Kurmyr “Ingylth” Bronya

Armor: A handful of Bronyas develop bony plates on their bodies that can stop physical blades and lower-level serrator blasts, at the cost of tactile sensitivity in the armored regions.

Kuznets (Fallen): Another of Akiridion’s older houses, the people of this house are skilled in the craftsmanship of tools and weapons; they have played this role since before Akiridion-5 was spacefaring. 

Post-coup council member: Velas Kuznets

Vysmatrivat (Fallen), Not for Public Use: The people of this house are highly intelligent and have a knack for collecting information. They are mainly researchers– though rumors persist that Vysmatrivats are also trained as spies.

Post-coup council member: Lumeya Vysmatrivat

(This is another house handed off to and developed by a friend, not by me, and for the life of me i cannot remember her instagram or any other social media i am so sorry to her and to everyone else but here:)

Most of the Vysmatrivat have a hard outer pair of incisor mandibles, the shell beginning at the bottom of the cheekbone and extending down.  They have put this to their advantage.  Vysmatrivat scholars’ odd habit of biting things has come in handy, as the vibrations produced in their upper teeth are fine tuned in the mandible/incisors and transfer the exact vibrational pattern of the object to their minds.  

Strelok (Fallen): The people of House Strelok are renowned for their skill with serrators, particularly ranged weapons. Their skills as snipers are feared throughout the galaxy.

Post-coup council member: Ixana Strelok

***

Anyway, the council gets changed out with each new generation of Royals on the throne and new House Foremosts are chosen accordingly.

[delusionisaplace]

wip intro: 2083 Retribution

“Is this the end?” - Yamazaki Akira

Genre(s): Cyberpunk, Sci-fi, Romance, LGBTQ+

Status: First Draft / Planning, started November 6th, 2022

Target: ~50k words

Progress as of 8/06/23: 3.2k words (yes ik it’s pathetic 😭)

Warnings: Violence, crime, sex, explicit language

Synopsis: 2083. The once vibrant city of Tokyo has been plunged into chaos and darkness, its streets ridden with crime and gruesome murders. The law enforcement find themselves powerless against the Gyokuryū gang and the shadow assassin organization, both vying for control amidst the ruined city.

Two young men, one a renowned yakuza boss, running rings around Neo-Tokyo and its internal law enforcement, the other a shadow assassin by night, as silent as he is deadly: Tajima Genji and Yamazaki Akira find themselves on opposing sides of the struggle for power in the city—and they find themselves drawn to each other as they stand helpless in the center of it all.

Note: Honestly, this is just a passion project of mine—nothing too serious. It’s an idea that I’ve had sitting in the back of my mind for about over a year now, and I’ve decided that it’s finally time to start writing it. So this will probably only be about 15-20 chapters long unless I decide to change my mind.

CHARACTERS

Yamazaki Akira: A shadow assassin who roams the night, killing anyone and everyone he is told to in order to achieve his goal of bringing peace and unity to the corrupted city of Neo-Tokyo.

Tajima Genji: A renowned yakuza boss, who is willing to give up everything he has worked for if it means helping the love of his life.

[luckyjak]

Hi! I saw your posts about making a game, do you mind talking about how you learned/are learning to make games? I'm interested in getting into game development as a hobby, how'd you get started?

oh boy!

First off, I'm flattered you asked. I would not consider myself an expert by any means necessary, but I can write about my process and what I've been doing to learn.

Some background: I work for the Department of Education in the USA as part of a grant at a university. I love my job: it takes all of my favorite parts of teaching (I was a high school English teacher for 10 years) and removes all the parts I dislike (grading, parents, ect.). I get to help people, genuinely help people who need it the most.

That said, Trump won the election, and one of his threats was to eliminate the Department of Education. And it's a very real threat that six months, a year, four years from now, my job may not exist.

So, I've been looking into a possible alternate career path, as a precaution. Hopefully it's not necessary, but just in case.

I've always been interested in video games and video game designs. I've been an avid player of games since I was 4, and I've been playing video game RPGs since I was ten. I've been a dungeon master since 2011, and I've GM'd tons of games, making puzzles, dungeons, homebrewing monsters, ect.

When I was a kid, I would have told you my dream job was writing video games for Bioware. In some ways, that's still my dream job. However, one doesn't just get handed a job at a game studio to be a writer: you have to have more to bring to the table.

The thing that has always held me back is my lack of programming knowledge. Where do you start?

step one: figure out what you want to make

while this may sound easy, I found it complicated. I want to make everything. I wanna make RPGs. I want to make farming sims. I want to do X, and Y, and Z.

Right now, I have three projects I'm "working" on:

A stardew valley clone. This is my high priority right now. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel; I figure this will teach me everything I need to know to go further (basic combat, basic level design, night/day shifts, calendars, NPC interactions, relationship tracking, ect.) If I ever get to the point where I'm thinking of publication, I do have a unique selling point: in my game, you will have a magical pocket watch that can slow down, speed up, or even pause time.

A cozy zelda-inspired dungeon crawler. You have a party, you go into dungeons, you solve puzzles and fight monsters.

My big one: a Fire-Emblem x Stardew Valley crossover RPG. More on that when I get to it.

I've decided to focus all my efforts on the first one because, again, that seems like the easiest one to make/find guides for.

step two: find an engine

Games run on game engines. And there are a lot out there to choose from: Unity, Unreal, GameMaker, RPGMaker, Godot, Ren'py, ect. I've played around with all of them. I gave serious consideration to Ren'py because of it's simplicity. However, Ren'py is made for visual novels, and while it can have gameplay elements, I found it was harder to implement the game mechanics I wanted in Ren'py, so I moved on. I worked in Unity for a while, but Unity is so powerful that it ran sluggishly on my computer. Ultimately, I've chosen Godot: It is free, open-source, and it can do everything I want it to do, and there are lots of resources out there for it.

step three: make/find assets

itch.io is your friend. There are so many assets out there to use! If you are an artist, great! Make your own. But if you are just a hobbyist/just getting started, consider supporting an artist and buying assets.

here is a collection I've made on itch.io of resources that seem helpful to me if you want to check it out.

step four: ???

now you put it together and make a game!

Sounds easy? It isn't. But that's the step I'm on now.

in defense of AI

controversial subheading, I know, but I've also been using chatgpt to help me program. It's not perfect (in fact, a lot of the time, it is bad) but I've been treating it as a resource to help me learn. I ask it questions that I would ask google/reddit, and it points me to what sort of question I need to ask/systems I need to research. It helps make me, a total newb at programming, feel more confident in what I am doing.

Sorry, this got long. Hopefully it helps?

[thirdmagic]

about a year ago i played a VN called it gets so lonely here and i loved it so much it revitalized my dormant dream to make games and visual novels with multiple routes in particular. and that was a fairly short game so i went 'best way to start is to make something like this right, something short and quick, with a limited amount of art and cgs, that i can make within a year, maybe half a year to eight months if i really push myself, and it'll have yandere lesbians and evil bad fucked up yuri and it'll be self-indulgently horny and have everything i specifically search for in VNs and never seem to get in one package'. and instead i found myself developing kind of an epic, with at least four routes, each one with a variety of endings, a specific order of play, a unique world setting (... one that might be a bit controversial, conceptually, but), basically the kind of VN that would take me years to make because i'd write and draw for it myself, and i was like. well, i guess this is my next project when i'm done with my degree, after i get a job, something to work on in my off-hours, which means it'll probably take twice the amount of time.

then this year in our first semester we had a game jam class, and in that one i mostly just did the art and sprites/backgrounds but i dipped a bit into what game development looks like. and that revitalized my dream to actually make actual games, if very, very short/simple ones, because learning even extremely basic unity concepts kind of broke my brain and i am just not cut out for the technical side of it, so preferably in partnership with someone who actually knows how to coding. and someone less STEMbro-minded than the people i was stuck working with. although it did remind me that i had a fuckton of fun with rpg maker back when i tried to make games in it and that might be fun to do and it is something i could be able to figure out the code in because that was an engine that my numbers-resistant brain could work with.

anyway i've been playing shortish VNs again and i'm starting to think i need to just make a kinetic novel first. or, again, if a multiple-route/choice-based VN, commit to the shortness and actually make one that doesn't take more than one or two hours to play through so i can reasonably make it. and with simple/straightforward branching paths rather than the complex ones that i love and dream of but are just going to take months to work out on their own. idk. i just know independent VN making has long been a dream for me (right next to making animated shows and movies) and it's starting to feel more feasible than before.

[kenziedrawz]

give the akira wing au lore (please)

oh absolutely. In fact, I'll just give you all the fic outline since I don't know when I am going to actually write it.

the fic outline will be under the cut. it also includes a bit of lore explanation as well so...

but, timeline wise this does take place post near future. And in an alternate timeline of Near-ish Future where Hoshi's group didn't pick to investigate the temple/lake/statue. Quick warning for mentions of human experimentation as well.

also, another disclaimer but this au is subject to change at any time. As it's not as entirely fleshed out as I want it to be. I just wanted to give my boy(akira) wings. So this au may change plotwise in future.

[ Essentially, Akira has (secret, he doesn't know about them) wings due to getting kidnapped at fourteen-fifteen by the conspirators (something about being a potential vessel for Odeo or somethin, idk it’s not touched that much on) and experimented on. Yes Lawless did kick a lot of ass to save him, but that’s not entirely important. This is just backstory lmao. 

The actual fic portion opens up with Akira bitching about school and backpain(/hj).

And yes, he is in class while sulking, hence why Hoshi( still using the last name Asagiri) does come up and ask if he’s okay because Akira’s discomfort could be noticed from the fucking moon. Provide a bit of exposition here. Since this technically takes place in Near-ish Future it’s around a few months after the whole Odeo thing, at least over half a year since then. And during that time Akira had to start high school, which kinda sucks.

And, there’s also fuckass history project. Which is essentially picking a place in Nippori and investigating its history, Akira is silently thanking the gods that his group- which includes Hoshi btw- didn’t pick the temple(Lake of Unity) or Tsukuba Labs. You can automatically guess why he does not want to go to either of those places.

Back to the present, Hoshi points out that Akira’s been slouching a lot more lately and the fact that he seems more surly, Akira briefly mentally notes that someone would have had to actively pay attention to him to notice that, but Hoshi’s weird anyways so he brushes it off… For now, as there’s still the fact that Hoshi is just pretty weird in general under the surface.

It’s not like anyone other that Akira noticed it, considering he can (somewhat) read the other’s thoughts (it’s almost like something’s blocking him out)

Eventually, they wind up going to the nurses office- but the nurse is on vacation, or out, either way there is no nurse and instead of- y’know, just leaving. Hoshi decides ‘fuck it, we ball’ and essentially decides to at the very least, check Akira out to make sure nothing’s really fucked up. Cue a bit of banter and eventually Akira’s getting his back examined, yay!

So it turns out there’s two pretty large bumps near Akira’s shoulders, which is… probably not good since they practically are almost the length of his entire back. Now, Hoshi’s no medical professional, but he can tell there’s definitely something wrong here. Maybe even something of the supernatural variety. Which is pretty weird of an assumption to make in Akira’s opinion.

But, curiosity does take over, and he does touch one of them.

They feel weird, and Akira flinches at the touch. Odd. it’s as if there’s something moving under them.

And since Akira’s been peering into Hoshi’s thoughts for this, he freaks out a bit because what the fuck do you mean theres something under his skin Hoshi- Hoshi notices Akira beginning to silently, y’know, freak out and does attempt to reassure him- it works to a degree.

And then he gets an idea, which is essentially cutting open the bumps, which seem to be whatever is moving under Akira’s skin covered by layers of skin. Like something had grown underneath it. You can use this as a chance to maybe write body horror by the way. But, either way he asks Akira to trust him after he takes a quick search around the medical office and finds a scalpel and a local anesthetic. Akira, after a bit of deliberation, agrees.

So now we’re at the part where Hoshi cuts Akira’s back bumps open. But before doing so he lets Akira take one of his hands, asking him to squeeze it if it feels uncomfortable. And then it actually begins. Hoshi is careful to not, y’know, fuck up and hurt Akira because he’s under the anesthetic and won’t really feel it, but he gets the first thing loose. And there’s a pause.

Akira feels the urge to move, But Hoshi warns to not move ‘them’ until he’s done.

And so Hoshi continues, and the other thing is free. Thus, finally letting Akira move and- Oh, they’re wings.

Oh, they’re wings. Cue realization that this is what the conspirators had done to him at the lab around two-ish years ago. Which is, uh, not fun. He’d thought they just fucked with his mind because he had psychic powers, not this. 

But also, how the fuck did Hoshi get the idea that it might be like this?

As it turns out, Akira might not be the only one who’s gone under human experimentation in the past. But there’s more important manners to deal with now.

Such as how the fuck they’re gonna get Akira to brightsparks, or somewhere that isn’t school while hiding the fact he has wings.]

and that's all i have in the fic outline 👍 be aware that it may change as I work on the au more.

[so-scarlett-maroon]

Unity Pairing and Bed Sharing Ch. 10

Hermione was feeling frustrated. She was technically making progress, she’d eliminated many possible means of her travel to Draco’s bed the past two Fridays, but she didn’t have any plausible leads left. On top of that, she was getting more and more confused about Draco. Did they hate each other? Were they friends? And why did she keep thinking about snogging him? He wasn’t that fit. Just tall and lean with great thighs she’d really like to sit on. Right. Just that. To make matters worse, he was always there, making her laugh when Anthony was rude or teasing her when she got too tense. She shook herself from her thoughts to find that Professor Vector was still going over the same concept Hermione already had a solid grasp on. The other students were really slowing her progress in Arithmancy. Suddenly words began to form on a blank section of her parchment.

“Pay attention Granger, don’t want to get behind in your favorite subject.”She looked up, to find Draco grinning at her.She picked up her quill and wrote back.

“I was paying attention until some blond prat decided to distract me. How did you do this by the way? Nifty little bit of enchantment.”

“You were not paying attention. You were clearly somewhere else in that giant mind of yours. Pansy actually came up with this spell in fourth year. That girl is brilliant with charm work.”

“Stop staring at my… mind… how does the charm work?”

Continued on Ao3:

[oxiegoeimi]

Art| #Tired

Artist| Shagan-fury

Granted two cents and a head full of baggage, walls break me into stardust scattered across spectrums of pain and numbness. With a hollow heart and angry ego, my mind plays tricks on us seeking solace. Two-faced, overly dramatic, and prone to running; my soul should come with disclaimers. Not one to boast of “accomplishments,” I lived that life out loud discovering what it means to be average. Common words with not so regular conclusions, being on the verge of breakdown has been a free subscription. The only cost was time and loss of stability. Gross? Maybe fam, but me. What does that person know really? Not much. Growing up in the throes of dogma, the flickering of time continues to permeate truth against my putrid imaginations. Darkening by the hour, there’s a light causing eternity in my spirit. Turn it around to save face? Tempting . . . Exhaling the process of being released into life’s melody, none of us “make it.” We scramble to keep up, while painting our faces for relevance. Each scurries back into safe spaces to keep from choking on pressure. Then, we find our tribes as tactics lose their efficacies. Broken toys with shattered souls realize that “perfection” is dumb. Hearts recognize that all of this is pushing us into the same place: our sources. In turn, we crash from highs of strength and intelligence into bare existence. Someday, my mental synapses will lose conductivity and breaths will cease here. Till then, projecting anything other than a flawed attempt at being with you is a lie. Glitz and glam can kick rocks. They’re empty. DNA is at the essence of connectivity. Stay there allowing what’s below to dictate belonging. The alternative is hell disguised as paradise 😕

- oxiegoeimi

echoes 11.1 🦁🏳🔐💙 remember to always #trust #nature 🌲 #Healer 🔥 #Spirit 🕊 #hope ⚜️ #grace ☔️ #love 🌸 #life 🌊 #unity 🌈 #believe 💝 #weareone ✂️🕚🎶 #energy #PinkySwear #prayer #meditation #freelove #hereandhereafter #dream #vision #Eternity #paradise #infinity #light #origin #writing #source journey #create #coexist #together 💜🌠🌅🌟

[mariamadeleine17-blog]

a diary entry of real world application

The path continues to wind, and I remember that a spiral works both ways, sometimes at the same time. What feels like a downfall will always uplift in the end. I’ve realized there is no end to the events of this life, every thing will continue happening. Evil endures, and every hero must continue their journey. Perhaps there is an initiation, though. A death of one part of life gives way to birth a new passage.

A few months ago, a man decided the yoga class I was teaching was the place he wanted to masturbate. It’s a strange wonder - should I be ashamed of his actions? Should I exchange that word for one that is easier for someone else to read? What prevails, truth or comfort?

I was very lucky that when I reached out to others to be there for me, they were. Teenage Maria never had that. I weep for her.

I thought this event was put behind me. Maybe it was just a thing that happened. Is this something that happens to people? Then, I was told this man claims to have a sex addiction, needs serious help, and a friend is trying to get him into rehab. She would like a victim impact statement written from me. What I thought was dead within me gasped back to life and I felt my chest collapse. This was two days removed from a very heavy EMDR therapy session, doing my best to process one of the most traumatic events of my life - my mother going through a traumatic brain injury and everything about her changing when I was only 10 years old. Light had never been more gray from then on out.

My body split right down the middle. Maybe most people see me intact, but my fractures poured out the liquid bandage that kept them together. Memories I had told myself I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole have been at the forefront of my mind for two weeks now.

A couple days prior to this therapy session, I had an experience. I was laying in bed, reading and drinking tea. It was a nightly routine for me. I looked up from my book and smiled. I thought of how grateful I am for this life. Then, something strange happened. My smile grew and grew, felt like it was too big for my face and was expanding beyond. My body felt whole and filled with the brightest light imaginable. I felt a simultaneous heat and cold start at the base of my spine, and travel up till I was filled. It felt like complete unity with the divine. Pure bliss for two minutes, incomparable to any feeling I’d had before sober. I’m not sure why this happened then, I’m not even sure what exactly this experience was. All I know is that it was my experience.

Shortly after was when my mental health collapsed. I fell back into old patterns. Nightmares, physical sickness, flashbacks, projections, a lot of tears. What will this lead to?

The work does not end. It will never end. Some days I am very tired, and I still write the victim impact letter, hoping this man will get help and not hurt anyone else. Some days I feel amazing and wonder when the other shoe will drop, or if I’m doing everything right. Dualism prevails some days. Others, I am just here.

And so right now I take my gilded sword and stab into the dark. I look into a dark chalice and pick my soul out. My red lion grows more vibrant, and I command him to baptize me. I find meaning and connections between these seemingly unrelated events. Perhaps what I seek I will not find, however I do enjoy traipsing through the inner recesses of my mind in the meantime. Perhaps my brain is not working as it usually does. Perhaps this is the inner death before the rebirth.

[feathersandcranes]

Dragons and Attainable, Legendary Unity

Out of the previous posts, this one stands to represent a fairly significant difference, that being that dragons don’t exist (well, not how they’re depicted here, but creatures like Komodo Dragons and other lizards represent the dragon appearance fairly well). So, what can a mythical creature share about human and environmental unity that could ever be more powerful than real, tangible nature's suffering?

For starters, dragons are very prolific creatures in really any mythos you can come up with, even just dragon-like entities which, off the top of my head, I can think of the Aztec Quetzalcoatl as one such similarity. No matter which region’s dragons (or dragon like entities) you come across, there are shared features like a general sense of elegance, a significant age that often attributes to wisdom, and ferocity. When it comes to much of East Asia, but focusing on Japan, their dragons have deep ties to nature, most notably water! There are a series of dragons associated with rivers, rain, and the ocean, which could speak to that ferocity/elegance combo established earlier, what with the naturally unforgiving nature of water towards humans and its smooth, beautiful, and fluid disposition.

Yes, the environmental messaging is dependent on one’s own knowledge and appreciation for dragons when it comes to different cultures, but that only means that for the people who do feel this, the message is not only sent but sent with impact. Dragons not only live in and represent their place of stay, but manifest that energy where they go such as in the case with the rain-based dragons acting as harbingers for spring rain and heavy storms. Not only does the mythical allure prompt deeper thinking and reverence with the idea of the entity, but it also encourages you to think about how their influence may change the lives of those around the dragon. Their notable ferocity can look more akin to natural disasters in legends when they’re not acting as some wise voice for passersby. It’s in this dichotomy of remorseless force of nature and the epitome of wisdom of mankind that make this origami visage so subtle in its messaging power. The dragon itself IS the symbol for unity of these two faces of the world, Humanity and Wilderness, it is a mythical creature capable of containing the multitudes of both forces while never existing in conflict with itself. There is no constant back and forth with the dragon’s recognizable humanity and clear beastliness, these pieces work together to make the dragon as popular as it is today.

-this one is really great because the first major steps are the exact same as making a crane!

-and this one makes the dragons that can stand!

In the folding of my own origami dragons, which is insanely fun by the way, there were a few details in the folding of both designs I did that made me curious. Firstly, the process of folding a paper dragon is, for the first half, nearly identical to the process of folding a paper crane, which is a far more approachable project. In hindsight, it should’ve been clear that the crane-base is versatile enough to spread to many other designs as well as hold the right shape for the final product. It was exciting though, to be given the opportunity to create something fundamentally more difficult than I had previously made while having the main set of steps be the same as the first 900 paper cranes I folded. Secondly and, most importantly, I ended up folding quite a few dragons and gave almost all of them away as little gifts to my friends who, almost unanimously, told me that they think the folded dragon is their favorite origami project they’ve seen me make. This sentiment was shared with my parents as well! My point being: the mythical featured creature was the most eye-catching and had the most responsive reactions.

So, why is that important? Well, the most powerful messages told through origami have to come from those who are folding or have at least experienced the act of folding for themselves before. It’s having that fundamental understanding of both the difficulty of creation and the joy of reward of the process that is so motivating to whatever message the art form has to say/represent. This is true for all deeply hands-on art forms like pottery, knitting/crocheting, and whittling to name a few examples. When someone who has never tried to fold origami watches the process of creating something, they’re still too detached from the integral struggle of the process to truly get its impact. So, anything that can be done to encourage someone to at least try paperfolding can go a long way in future appreciation for the art form and each project’s purpose, so what better way to do that than to draw people in with these fantastical images of soaring dragons right at their fingertips? While not everyone thinks about the reverence of draconic creatures while folding a piece of paper no larger than the size of their hand, those who do and who give themselves completely to the process, only serve to deepen their affinity for the craft, and deepen their mindfulness. There is something so gratifying about meditating on the symbolism of the dragon itself embodying unity between nature and mankind while also engaging in this careful artform that unifies the vision in my mind with the remarkable gifts of nature right at the edges of my fingertips. It’s like I’m practicing that same mythical unity myself in the quiet hour before my morning classes start, without having to act as the harbinger of a hurricane.