#monkey king/god of lightning

[the-silver-peahen-residence]

||The God of High School Muse tag dump||

~Yu Mira(The god of High School)

~Han Daewi(The god of High school)

~Jin/Dan Mori(The god of High School)

~Park Ilpyo (The god of High School)

~Dan Ahan (The god of High School)  

[ryin-silverfish]

Headcanon: Dragons of the Four Seas

(inspired by a recent discussion with @the-monkey-ruler)

-Although Chinese dragons are water deities, there are dragons who control stuff other than water: Cold Dragons under the Dragon King of the North can freeze stuff, and Bailong Ma used to be a Fire Dragon in pre-novel variants of JTTW.

"Wouldn't it be interesting if the four major lineage of dragons all have their unique side-power, apart from water and weather manipulation?"

-It starts off as this, then spins out of control and becomes one giant worldbuilding exercise.

East Sea:

-The eastern direction is traditionally associated with the Wood element. However, I feel like plant manipulation will be too obvious.

-So instead, they are the master of Thunder and Wind——the trigrams that represent these two things, Zhen and Xun, are both Wood-aligned.

-Their lightning has a notable azure hue, and have adapted the force of Thunder specifically for underwater usage, creating highly potent sonic blasts as well as what basically amount to a sonar spell.

-They kinda consider themselves the archetypal dragon, representative of their kind, and certainly have the attitude to match.

-Like, they claim to be descended from the Azure Dragon of the East, even though the idea that a Divine Beast of the Four Directions, stellar guardian of the entire eastern section of the sky, can reproduce is...dubious at best.

-Don't you mention the time Ao Guang got bullied by Wukong. Or Nezha. Or Huaguang. Or the Eight Immortals. They are very touchy about that. Violently touchy.

-They also have close relations with water-dwelling Yakshas, who act as a sort of elite mercenaries in their military campaigns against other seaborn demons and rogue flood dragons.

-Basically, the proud generals of dragonkind, with a vast weapon collection to match. The dragon king's family also name their kids after Celestial Stems and Earthly Branches, much like the ancient Shang dynasty rulers.

-The East Sea dragons are the only lineage who has an official representative of the Celestial Host stationed in their territory, who's only known by his title, the "Water-dividing General of the East Sea".

-He seems to be an older sort of god, the half-man, half-beast ones who look like they walk out of an illustration of the Book of Mountains and Seas.

-Most of the time, he takes the form of a seal, lounging around on rocks and watching sunrises, and has the personality of a sarcastic old man.

-Whether he's here to keep an eye on them, or they are supposed to keep an eye on him, no one can say. Ao Guang certainly treats him like an old acquaintance, though.

West Sea:

-They are a bit tricky. West is associated with Metal, and the two Metal-aligned trigrams, Qian and Dui, represent Heaven and Marsh...which don't neatly map onto weather and natural phenomena.

-Then I had an idea. What if they have a natural affinity for heavenly bodies? In ancient times, the movements of stars are believed to affect weather, after all, not to mention the sun and the moon.

-This affinity can be figurative——their lineage has a strong relationship with the stellar deities of the 28 Lunar Mansion and Dipper Mansion——or literal.

-Like a natural talent for divination and astrology, predicting the future from the patterns of stars. They are no governors of fate, unlike the actual Star Lords, they are just fate's weather forecast guy.

-This puts them in an awkward position, though: the stellar gods act according to the Jade Emperor's orders, some of which are very much secret and beyond their clearance levels, but the best scions of the West Sea can just infer it from the movement of stars alone.

-Which makes them obsessed with proving their loyalty, as well as enforcing a draconian standard of secrecy, just so they wouldn't get into trouble for knowing something they weren't supposed to know.

-Even more rarely, they can harness the power of astral light. Most of the time, such light is of lunar nature——Star Lord Taiyin also holds sway over the ocean's tides, though it is an easily forgotten power.

-But sometimes, that light comes from a fiery, lively, or ominous star, and the power that results is just as temperamental as their stellar origins.

-Enters Ao Lie, Third Prince of the West Sea, who has highly potent fire powers despite not being a South Sea dragon, and became the subject of some rather tasteless gossips about his parentage the moment it awakened.

-All dragons love their pearls: it's kinda like an ordinary yaoguai's "inner core", an orb of solidified Qi that can be spit out and store separately from the body, but much more powerful and culturally significant.

-Well, the West Sea dragons use their pearls in the same way a Feng Shui master uses their geomantic compass, or a Zhou Yi diviner, their turtle shell and copper coins. The ones left behind by venerable ancestors are especially treasured, believed to lead to clearer insights and more reliable readings.

-Through that lens, Ao Lie's burning of one such pearl is the equivalent of descrating the dead + destroying a priceless, irreplacable supercomputer.

-Intentional or not, to a lineage that is so serious about their discipline, taboos, and absolute loyalty to the Celestial Host, it is enough to warrant death.

-To no one's surprise, they are the diplomats, the inter-department coordinators when it comes to weatherly business. Not just between relevant celestial bureaus like the Thunder and Water Bureaus, but also between local dragon kings of rivers and lakes.

-As a result, the West Sea lineage is the most open to marrying non-oceanic dragons, even though these are often out of practical and political needs.

-That's my explanation for why, in JTTW, Ao Run's nine nephews either guard rivers or work for JE/the Buddha. The West Sea lineage has really turned nepotism into an art form.

North Sea:

-In JTTW, we know that they have Cold Dragons that can chill stuff. It is certainly not too much of a stretch to imagine them as the ice-and-snow specialists, the ones you summon when you are sick of the heat or need to insta-freeze something.

-Historically, the "North Sea" in Chinese texts refer to Lake Baikal. However, I think it is cooler if their palace is literally in the arctic zone, under the ice caps.

-Instead of garden-variety shrimp and crab soldiers, they have lots of cultivated marine mammals. And elite legions of belugas and narwhals and bowhead whales.

-The smallest and most isolationist lineage also carries the grimest duty, as border patrols and prison wardens. Not only is the North Sea a hotspot of rifts that lead to the Underworld, it also conceals the portal to the Evil-Vanquishing Mansion of the North Pole——realm of Emperor Zhenwu, Lord of the North.

-Kind of like the Lord Father of the East and Queen Mother of the West, he is the sovereign of the northern direction and the Water element, as well as the direct superior of Xuanwu, one of the Four Divine Beasts.

-And his job? Subduing demons. The Evil-Vanquishing Mansion is basically a fleet of giant, hollowed-out icebergs, packed to the brim with powerful demons, ghosts, and rogue immortals.

-Any prisoners that make an unlikely escape will emerge into the North Sea, where the vigilant army of the dragon king awaits. However, that is not their main duty; it is the Eye of the North Sea that they swear to eternally guard.

-And the prisoner of the Eye is none other than Shen Gongbao, the infamous traitor of the Chan Sect who was behind most major conflicts in the War of Investiture.

-It was said that, though his body was stuffed into the Eye of the North Sea as punishment, in the end, his soul still gets deified as a minor water god.

-However, if there is only a mindless body left in there, why the need for such heavy security? Only the most experienced elders and veterans are allowed to go into the Eye's vicinity to check on Yuanshi Tianzun's seals, and repeated visit by the same people is strictly prohibited.

-Perhaps, instead of a split of soul and body, deification has split the soul itself: one half is exorcised of all the undesirable qualities, the other left to stew and simmer in them until it mutates into something unrecognizable.

-Such is the rumor among the North Sea's younger scions. But folks will make up anything to pass the time in those long, cold arctic nights, and whatever the truth is, it doesn't matter, as long as the seal still holds.

South Sea:

-Their element, Fire, is directly opposite to the North Sea's; much like the Cold Dragons, the Fire Dragons of the South Sea are heat specialists, creators of droughts and wildfires as well as bringers of warm winds.

-And their fire is a peculiar variant of Earthly Fire. Unlike Heavenly Fires, which draw from the blaze of the Three-legged Sun Crow, or the True Fires immortals used in internal alchemy, Fire Dragons channel the power of earth's flaming veins: that is, undersea volcanos and thermal vents.

-Though they usually display their power in less flashy ways——steam clouds, a playful whiff of sulfur, a blast of warm wind on a winter night, a Fire Dragon fully on the offensive is just like a mini live volcano, unleashing streams of magma and scalding smoke clouds.

-When dragons are mentioned as one of the Eight Classes of Demigods in Buddhism, more often than not, they are from the South Sea lineage.

-Like, the most popular Bodhisattva in Asia, Guanyin, resides in the South Sea. It's all but granted that the local dragons would also be heavily influenced by Buddhist teachings, in the same way their northern kins are drawn to the entourage of Zhenwu.

-Fun fact: the imagery of dragons has appeared in Chinese art since the Neolithic period, but the specific worship of dragons as gods of the Four Seas is a result of Buddhist influence.

-Prior to that, the gods of the Four Seas in the Book of Mountains and Seas are all beasts with human faces, wearing snakes as earrings or standing on a snake.

-And in Sui-Tang era works, some variants merged the Four Seas gods with the Four Directions gods of ancient times, and said that the god of the South Sea was Zhurong.

-A.k.a. the fire god that defeated Gonggong (in the most well-known version of the tale), who, being the sore loser he is, went and knocked over the sky support pillar with his head. Thus, Nvwa's patching of the sky.

-Legends of the South Sea lineage claim that the Fire Dragons draw their power from Zhurong's embers, and their king is descended from the two dragon mounts of the primodial fire god.

-To the outrage of more traditionalist dragons, they often intermarry with Nagas, the serpentine water gods of the Western Lands. Guanyin's dragon girl attendant is born of one such union, between the Naga lord Sagara and a princess of the South Sea.

-Their palace is located inside an underwater volcano, said to be the remnant of Zhurong's great forge. Giant tube worm gardening is a popular hobby among the South Sea nobility; however peculiar it may appear to outsiders, these colorful creatures thrive in the union of Fire and Water, much like the lineage itself.

(Pictures of the Four Dragon Kings come from Nezha 1979.)

(The animated film makes the dragon king of the West a black dragon, and the North, a white one, a reversal of the colors traditionally associated with the two directions——West = White, North = Black.）

[jgracie]

ELECTRIC TOUCH . . . cabin one headcannons

masterlist | rules

warnings zeus (sorry)

an im gonna be doing these for all the cabins cz i have a lot of ideas in my head LOL but in order of numbers so sorry hecate kids

on the radio electric touch (taylor swift), thunder (imagine dragons), she’s thunderstorms (arctic monkeys), skyfall (adele)

In my head, there are two types of Zeus demigods: lightning and thunder 

‘Lightning’ are the ones with (literally LOL) electrifying personalities, representing the Zeus a lot of their parents probably fell for. They’re fun loving party animals and are down for almost anything. Not to the extent of a Hermes or Dionysus kid, but definitely up there 

‘Thunder’ are quiet and level-headed, showing more of the ‘ruler of the Gods’ side of their father. They have a royal-esque aura to them and carry themselves with confidence and pride. Despite not doing too much to frighten others and mostly keeping to themselves, people still know to stay respectful and that they’re a force to be reckoned with 

The two seem like polar opposites most of the time and have people questioning how the same God could create such different kids, but they actually have a lot in common

The main trait all Zeus kids share is an extreme calling to leadership. Just like how their father saved all his elder siblings from their father’s stomach and became their king, they feel the need to be in charge and make sure everyone’s okay

They are also incredibly good at it. Zeus kids are always the people to go to when you need a pep talk or some words of motivation. Even the ones who perceive themselves as more pessimistic have it in them

A lot of people believe Zeus kids have a minor form of charmspeak because of how good it is, but they don’t

When they’re leading a cause they’re excited about, or if they just have a lot of energy in general, their energy tends to rub off on others like static. Once one person gets it, it's passed along and all of a sudden everyone’s hyped

While their leadership is a good trait to have, it can become obsessive and unhealthy, turning into perfectionism as they want to control every aspect of their life. A severe need for control in all aspects of life is a common fatal flaw for Zeus kids

All of Zeus’ kids could have the ability to fly, but they have to actively try in order for it to happen. If they’re afraid of heights (like Thalia), it just won’t

They can also jump really high. They say it comes naturally, but in reality they just use the air to propel themselves up LOL

The main power associated with Zeus kids is, of course, electrokinesis. They all have it, but it takes them a while to be able to fully control it and harness it to its full potential. They can usually summon lightning no matter the weather conditions, but it tends to be more powerful the more clouds there are in the sky 

Multiple Zeus kids could also create a chain-reaction of sorts with their lightning powers (kind of like that one Pikachu scene in the og Pokemon)

Since metal is a good conductor of electricity, I’m gonna make an assumption and say so are celestial bronze and imperial gold (I know gold is really low on the reactivity series but shh), which means Zeus kids could just wield a weapon of pure lightning if they were in the mood

Some of them have control over clouds/can create clouds. Obviously not to the extent of their father’s powers (like how he made a whole fake Hera out of clouds), but they could use clouds to obstruct people’s vision and make fun shapes for little kids 

Zeus’ children also have an EXTREMELY ACCURATE gut feeling. Extremely accurate in caps because it's that good. Theirs is the only one that could rival Apollo’s kids. Somehow they just know everything

If you asked a child of Zeus what it’s like, they’ll say something along the lines of some random voice randomly appearing in their head and telling them something

It sounds kind of creepy, but it's not. They could just be staring at two people they’ve never met and immediately think, “she’s gonna confess this afternoon,” or something. This ability is especially powerful with the weather. They always know deep down what the weather will be like as soon as they wake up

The sky could be dark grey with thunder rumbling in the background and, as long as a Zeus kid says it won't rain that day, you wouldn’t need an umbrella. This is an ability that becomes pretty handy during quests

Very scary when they’re mad. Ares kids are scared of them when they’re mad. They go quiet and grunt a, “I’m fine,” if you ask them if they’re okay but you can tell they’re angry from the way their eyes seem to get darker and people’s hairs stand on end when they pass by them

#1 grudge holders and believers in payback. Especially if someone hurts the people they love. A lot of their lives were negatively affected by their father’s carelessness towards people he claimed he loved, so they vow to never do the same

If you genuinely believe a Zeus kid has let you off the hook after you did something to upset them, you’re so wrong and I’m scared for you

Anyways love you Zeuserinas please take care and remember you don’t have to be perfect all the time & its okay to rest every once in a while

[journeytothewestresearch]

Sun Wukong's Final Battle

Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592) chapter 99 describes the Monkey King's final battle as a fierce, stormy confrontation against demons wishing to steal the hard-won scriptures for themselves. This takes place shortly after the pilgrims and holy texts are dumped into a river by an annoyed river turtle spirit:

Master and disciples had just climbed up the riverbank when suddenly a violent gale arose; the sky darkened immediately and both thunder and lightning began as rocks and grit flew everywhere. What they felt was One gust of wind And the whole world teetered; One clap of thunder And both mountains and streams shuddered. One flash of lightning Shot flames through the clouds; One sky of fog Enveloped this Great Earth. The wind's mighty howl; The thunder's violent roar; The lightning's scarlet streaks; The fog blanking moon and stars. The wind hurtled dust and dirt at their faces; The thunder sent tigers and leopards into hiding; The lightning raised among the fowl a ruckus; The fog made the woods and trees disappear. That wind caused waves in the Heaven-Reaching River [Tongtian he, 通天河] to toss and churn; That lightning lit up the Heaven-Reaching River down to its bottom; That thunder terrified the Heaven-Reaching River's dragons and fishes; That fog covered the shores of Heaven-Reaching River with a shroud of darkness. Marvelous wind! Mountains cracked as pines and bamboos toppled. Marvelous thunder! Its power stirred insects and injured humans. Marvelous lightning! Like a gold snake it brightened both land and sky. Marvelous fog! It surged through the air to screen the Ninefold Heaven [Jiuxiao, 九霄]. So terrified were the pilgrims that Tripitaka held firmly to the scripture wraps and Sha Monk threw himself on the poles. While Eight Rules clung to the white horse, Pilgrim twirled the iron staff to give protection left and right. That wind, fog, thunder, and lightning, you see, had been a storm brought on by demons of yin energy" [yinmo, 陰魔], who wanted to snatch away the scriptures the pilgrims had acquired. The commotion lasted all night, and only by morning did the storm subside. Soaked from top to bottom and shaking all over, the elder said, "Wukong, how did this storm come about?" "Master, you don't seem to understand," said Pilgrim, panting heavily, "that when we escorted you to acquire these scriptures, we had, in fact, robbed Heaven and Earth of their creative powers. For our success meant that we could share the age of the universe; like the light of the sun and moon, we would enjoy life everlasting for we had put on an incorruptible body. Our success, however, had also incurred the envy of Heaven and Earth, the jealousy of both demons and gods [guishen, 鬼神], who wanted to snatch away the scriptures from us. They could not do so only because the scriptures were thoroughly wet and because they had been shielded by your rectified dharma body [zhenfa shen, 正法身], which could not be harmed by thunder, lightning, or fog. Moreover, old Monkey was brandishing his iron rod to exercise the nature of pure yang energy [chunyang zhi xing, 純陽之性] and give you protection. Now that it is morning, the forces of yang are evermore in ascendancy, and the demons cannot prevail." Only then did Tripitaka, Eight Rules, and Sha Monk realize what had taken place, and they all thanked Pilgrim repeatedly (based on Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 4, pp. 363-365).

師徒方登岸整理，忽又一陣狂風，天色昏暗，雷閃並作，走石飛沙。但見那： 一陣風，乾坤播蕩；一聲雷，振動山川。一個熌，鑽雲飛火；一天霧，大地遮漫。風氣呼號，雷聲激烈。熌掣紅銷，霧迷星月。風鼓的沙塵撲面，雷驚的虎豹藏形。熌晃的飛禽叫噪，霧漫的樹木無蹤。那風攪得個通天河波浪翻騰，那雷振得個通天河魚龍喪膽。那熌照得個通天河徹底光明，那霧蓋得個通天河岸崖昏慘。好風，頹山烈石松篁倒。好雷，驚蟄傷人威勢豪。好熌，流天照野金蛇走。好霧，混混漫空蔽九霄。 諕得那三藏按住了經包，沙僧壓住了經擔，八戒牽住了白馬；行者卻雙手輪起鐵棒，左右護持。原來那風、霧、雷、熌，乃是些陰魔作號，欲奪所取之經。勞攘了一夜，直到天明，卻才止息。長老一身水衣，戰兢兢的道：「悟空，這是怎的起？」行者氣呼呼的道：「師父，你不知就裡。我等保護你取獲此經，乃是奪天地造化之功，可以與乾坤並久，日月同明，壽享長春，法身不朽。此所以為天地不容，鬼神所忌，欲來暗奪之耳。一則這經是水濕透了；二則是你的正法身壓住，雷不能轟，電不能照，霧不能迷；又是老孫輪著鐵棒，使純陽之性，護持住了；及至天明，陽氣又盛：所以不能奪去。」三藏、八戒、沙僧方才省悟，各謝不盡。

I really like the idea of a battle between a divine force of yang energy and demonic forces of yin. This is a common occurrence in Chinese Folk Religion—e.g. a Tangki spirit-medium channeling a god to exorcise evil spirits.

But the above description really sets my mind alight with images of the confrontation. Monkey peers through the pouring rain to see an unfathomably large demon army the likes of which the cosmos has never seen. It contains innumerable commanders, vanguards, and an ocean of spirit-soldiers armed to the teeth. This demonic force would be the joint effort of demon kings and jealous gods wanting immortality and salvation for themselves. [1] Monkey takes this assault on the scriptures as a personal insult given his great effort in helping procure them.

A demon commander might say something like, "Leave the scriptures and the priest if you value your life!" Then Wukong would scream:

Who said that? Who the FUCK said that? Who's the slimy, little, demonic shit, twinkle-toed, cocksucker up there, who just signed his own death warrant? [Surprised silence from the army] Nobody, huh? The fairy-fucking-godmother said it! Out-fucking-standing! [pounds chest three times in a row] I WILL BEAT YOU ALL UNTIL YOU FUCKING DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Adapted from dialogue spoken by Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket (1987).)

In all seriousness, though, his speech should be a chilling threat similar to Subodhi from chapter 2:

[Y]ou can be assured, wretched monkey, that you'll be skinned alive. I will break all your bones and banish your soul to the Place of Ninefold Darkness, from which you will not be released even after ten thousand afflictions! (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 125) ... 把你這猢猻剝皮剉骨，將神魂貶在九幽之處，教你萬劫不得翻身！

Anyway, the army commences its attack, the commanders sending forth wave after wave of spirit-soldier units wielding thunder and lightning as their weapons. In response, Monkey's body explodes with millions or even billions of hair clones to meet the oncoming storm. Each one wields the magic iron rod, which dispenses pure yang energy along with every ass kicking. The resulting battle is beyond imagination, with various units of Great Sages working to both defend the scriptures and Tripitaka but also drive back and decimate the malevolent force. Wukong succeeds in routing/destroying the entire demon army by dawn of the next morning.

Note:

1) The Buddha states that the scriptures of the Great Vehicle are "for the cultivation of immortality; they are the gate to ultimate virtue" (Wu & Yu, vol. 1, p. 205).

Source:

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.) Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press.

[anxiescape]

I warned you >:3

Gimme your latest snippets!!!!!

Aww, but I have so many!!! 😭😭😭

Hmm… you only get a maximum of 3 snippets per ask. (because I don’t want the post to get too long lol)

#1: Celestial Bodies

I know people were pretty excited about this fic (I am too tbh), so here’s a little snippet for the time being. This takes place after Macaque has fallen into a magical slumber, and he has been locked away in the highest room of Lao Tzu’s tower.

“Lao Tzu. Tell me what you have done.” The wise old god smiled, a proud gleam in his eye. “Oh, I have done much, Your Majesty. That ape won’t be waking, not even if a flock of roosters were to crow at the foot of his bed. No, not even if you were to set flame to his tail! No noise, no light, no pain will stir him from his slumber.” The god stroked his beard as he chuckled gleefully to himself. “Only the strongest of magic could have any chance of rousing him, and I can assure you that none other than you and me possess that power.” However, the Jade Emperor was not completely assured. “And what do you have in the way of his protection? What security do you have in place should Sun Wukong come for him?” Lao Tzu brushed away the emperor’s concern with a lazy wave of his hand. “Fear not. I am well prepared. I have guards patrolling the entirety of my palace, and a handful set aside specifically to guard his chamber. I then took two of the finest lightning dragons from the hatchery and set them to guard the doors of the tower. They will kill any that cross their path, except for me. Should they fail, however,” Lao Tzu scoffed incredulously at the very notion. “Then there is a seal on the door, that no measure of brute force can break through. It will respond only to my touch. And following that, I have cast a cocoon of vines to cover Macaque’s resting place. They are thorned and poisonous, with a toxin that would bring even the strongest celestial soldier to his knees in unbearable, paralyzing agony. Should any demon make it that far, they wouldn’t be able to so much as touch the hem of Macaque’s robes before becoming fully incapacitated.” Lao Tzu puffed up his chest, clearly rather proud of his work. “I worked hard developing that toxin. One drop is enough to stop the hearts of a whole pack of full grown tigers.” The Jade Emperor gave a small nod. Lao Tzu had gone above and beyond, as usual. Should any demons manage to breach Heaven’s gates again, then there was no chance they would reach the Six-Eared Macaque before they were dealt with. No, not even the Monkey King himself would succeed in rescuing the slumbering, star-speckled simian. Sun Wukong would never steal from the Jade Emperor again. “And as a final touch…” From the depths of his sleeve, Lao Tzu pulled out a single red flower petal. “Before I left, I placed a peony in Macaque’s hands.” The Jade Emperor tilted his head, confused. “And what purpose does it serve?” “Oh, nothing serious.” Lao Tzu turned the petal over in his hand, as if studying the fragile little thing. “Tell me, do you know what the red peony represents?” “No,” the Emperor admitted coolly, wondering where exactly the other was going with this. “I do not.” “It represents love. A deep passion and yearning for another person.” Lao Tzu’s smile turned somewhat wicked as he closed his fingers over the flower petal, crumbling it to dust in his palm. “That flower serves as nothing more than a bit of well placed irony. Wouldn’t you agree?”

#2: Stargaze

Next, how about another Stargaze snippet? I had originally picked a different snippet for this, but it was too spoiler-y and added a gore tag and I just figured: ehh, why not give a little bit of Mama Liu instead? Who doesn’t love Mama Liu?

This snippet is short, but that’s because its scene isn’t super planned out yet (even though it happens in the next couple of chapters 😬). It’s just Liu’er getting sick for the first time and his mama comforting him.

“Shhh…” Liu gave a few soft chirps, to which Liu’er responded instinctively, albeit weakly. Liu gently shushed him again, her cool fingers a relief against his burning skin. “Rest, my little star cub. You’ll feel better soon.”

#3: The Last of the Shadows

And lastly, hmm… how about a Last Shadows snippet? My current hyperfixation.

In this snippet, Macaque is one of the monkeys that has been captured by the Demon King of Havoc. 🤭

The little ones were the first to die. The normal monkeys, who didn’t speak the common language or understand what orders were being given. Without an ounce of magic in their bodies, they were useless when it came to doing the back-breaking work that they were all given. Macaque had no idea why any of them had even been taken, other than the Havoc King and his goons must have been too stupid to tell the difference between a plain monkey and a yaoguai monkey. And when it became clear to their captors that the little ones would be of no use, they were taken away, slaughtered, and eaten. “You better be on your best behavior!” One minion sneered between the bars of their cages. “Our king has developed a taste for ape flesh.” Of course, most of them hadn’t taken the threat to heart. They were all hard workers. It wouldn’t make sense to butcher the workforce just for a simple meal. But then the first yaoguai monkey was taken. A female gibbon, with sand-colored fur and dark gray skin and a white face marking. Macaque wasn’t sure of her name—Yuxi, maybe? But he wished he had known more about her before her end. He wished he knew her story, so that he could pass it on, but all he could do was watch and yell in dismay as she was dragged out of the dungeon by a couple of guards, a look of pure terror in her eyes. She didn’t return. But the next morning, her bones were tossed onto the dungeon floor as a warning to the others: keep up with the work, or die.

And that’s it! If you want more, then send another ask for more snippets. 😤 (👉👈)

[thestarfilledsea]

Quiet day

it’s my birthday! wooooooooo i’m ancient now.

Have a self indulgent “Wukong struggles with the passage of time” fic because i can and this has been sitting in my drafts for a month.

AO3

words: ehhh like 1k

—

Have you ever noticed that you’ve gotten used to the quiet?

The warm light of the lantern hanging from above flooded through Wukong’s cracked eyelids. Throwing an arm over his face, a sigh escaped his lips. His fingers drummed against his skull in an old rhythm of a dance he couldn’t quite remember the steps to. It had to be at least two millennia ago. Where’d that even happen anyway? Who was he with?

Echoes of disjointed sensations were all the sage could recall, which was not unusual for a being as old as he. The brush of cloth on his skin, his feet hitting the floor until they ached, spinning on and on and onwards. A festival perhaps? He recalls the smell of the food-rich air, a wild excitement crackling like lightning in his veins, and…oh. Wine. a lot of wine.

A chuckle fell from his lips.

That was a long time ago.

Gods, he’s getting old. Why so nostalgic all of a sudden?

Dragging his arm back and peering upwards through his loosening fingers, Wukong couldn’t help but stare at the rays of light pouring through his lax grip. It wasn’t unlike laying under the thick branches of flowerfruit mountain.

Wukong never considered himself old…mentally, that is. As the years went by though, he could feel himself becoming more and more complacent. Content to sit and watch the world go by. To watch it bloom, wither and die only to sprout from its own remains again.

He felt disconnected from it. An observer watching a never-ending cycle repeat until time itself runs out. His memories meld together into an indistinguishable blur, only solidified by the stories scholars tell and ghosts of sensations the king recalls. In a way, he was perfectly fine to let those memories fade and die as the rest of his past did. Maybe there was some reason for mortals' demise. I mean, he could barely recall some of the things he’s done in his life until someone asks him to recount the tale.

Wukong shifts, adjusting himself more comfortably into his couch. his ears twitching towards the timeless sound of the monkey's play.

Some things never left him though. Like the weight of the circle upon his head, the scars that still ache when it rains, and the dreams he has almost every time he sleeps. The dreams are disjointed and chaotic, blurry images paired with unintelligible voices painted with an urgency he didn’t understand. A language he no longer spoke.

He’d drag himself out of bed, still burdened by the weight of the long restless nights. His body felt more like a vessel than actually him these days, with aching scars and calloused hands serving as a constant reminder of his age. His eyes, once full of the curiosity and excitement of youth, were now weary and dull, stained by smoke.

No matter how desperately he tried, he could never truly rid himself of the ghosts of his past. The faces of those that stood before him remained as their names faded. But he could feel their presence. Looming over him—lingering.

The feeling of nothing shook him to his core at times. The realization that another year had passed without so much a blink of an eye rattled him. Seemingly going in and out of some sort of fugue state. One moment it was spring, the next thing he knew snow had fallen.

The lights between his fingers danced timelessly before his eyes. Sighing, he rubbed his eyes, not quite sure if he’d be able to summon the strength to roll off the couch. You’d think he’d be better at this by now, but he wasn’t.

The faint murmur of someone lecturing echoed in his mind, ever so faintly, teasingly just out of earshot. As if they were standing just outside the door. He couldn't quite make out the words, but it was a voice he knew all too well - one of reprimanding before a punishment.

The voice seemed to grow closer, as if the person was getting impatient. Frustrated, he strained his ears, desperate to understand what was being said. Yet it still stayed just out of reach, frustrating him even more.

“Monkey King!”

The sound of his successor's voice made the sage jump, snapping him out of whatever masochistic reverie he had been swimming in. MK had a knack for doing that. Always seeming to know when to come knocking. Like a ray of the sun leaking through the fog, shedding light on the world around him.

“I brought some noodles cause Pigsy said you were more mopey than usual.” MK casually swung open the creaky door of the cottage and waltzed inside.

“I don’t mope, I brood. There’s a difference.” Wukong mumbled, defeatedly sitting upright. The inviting aroma of fresh food wafting through the cottage for the first time in weeks.

“Yeah yeah I’m sure there is in your world, now eat up before I have to call in your entire army to cheer you up.” MK says, pulling out a chair and sitting in front of the sage.

Wukong chuckled, unwrapping the bag and peering inside at the warm food that awaited him. MK looked on expectantly, while pulling out his own smaller serving.

“Dig in.” MK encouraged, as he continued struggling with the packaging on his own serving. Wukong was not daft, quite the opposite. He understood perfectly well that his apprentice was concerned about him, watching him like a hawk to ensure that he was eating.

Sometimes he forgets how observant his student could be. Beneath the happy go lucky demeanor, MK was sharp as a tack. Wukong, after all, took pride in his ability to act like there was absolutely nothing wrong even during his... episodes.

Yet, despite all these measures and precautions, MK saw right through him and never failed to show his concern.

With an ancient mischievous twinkle in his eye, Wukong tilted the container of noodles back and devoured the entire thing in one single fluid motion. The sound of MK’s snort was the prize he had won, as he raised the empty container in a mock victory, as if displaying an achievement for all to see.

“All gone!” He set the remains of his massacre to the side, settling comfortably into the couch. The tension and unknowing of earlier dissipated with the laughter of another.

“You are one crazy old man.” MK snorted, bringing his own noodles to his mouth.

“I prefer the term eccentric, actually.” Wukong replied in an exaggerated tone before unleashing a loud belch the likes of which gods would fear.

“See, If you had burped like that in the Lady Bone Demon’s direction you could’ve one-shot her” MK mumbled, his mouth full of noodles as he leaned back in the chair.

“You know, in all my years of living, I’ve never had someone bring such a good point to my attention.”

“That’s what I’m here for, remember? To challenge an old man’s ideas.” MK teased, fishing around the bottom of his own noodle container for the scraps of a meal now eaten.

“Yeah yeah, now hand over the remote.” Wukong dismissed with the wave of his hand. MK expertly tossed it over, eyes casting themselves towards the television.

“Quiet day?”

“Quiet day.”

MK nodded knowingly, shifting himself into a more comfortable position.

“I was thinking you’d show me that series that you always talk about. That uh…what’s it called?” Wukong struggled to recall the name of the show he was referring to. It was on the tip of his tongue.

MK's face instantly lit up with excitement, clearly knowing exactly what his teacher had been trying to remember.

"I know! You mean the show about the superhero team," he interjected excitedly, finishing his master's sentence for him with a smile. "I think you'll love it! It's all about this group of crime fighters who use their powers to protect the city and take down villains—“ MK rattled on about the plot as Wukong pulled it up, adjusting himself as to be facing both the screen and his student.

Sometimes, a new kind of quiet can shake things up. The quiet doesn’t have to be spent alone

[saiyanprincessswanie]

SaiyanPrincessSwanie - Reading List Weeks 143 & 144

Welcome to Week 143 & 144

As always these will be listed in no particular order. None of these stories are mine. I’m just signal boosting them. Author is listed next to title. My goal is to signal boost writers and spread positivity in the community.  💜💜

Click HERE to see what I will or won’t read. This is very important.

Click HERE for past reading lists.

My Masterlist click HERE

Please make sure you’re reading the warnings on every story. They range from dark to fluff. Do Not Read if you are under 18 years old. These stories are meant for adults only. You’re responsible for your own media consumption.

Page-break by @whimsicalrogers​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ & header by me

If you can, please reblog these lists so they can reach more people on Tumblr.

I love you 3000 💜 Missy

Beg for Forgiveness - (Steve x Reader) - @saiyanprincessswanie

Nat’s Diary (2) - @animnerd

Lloyd Drabble - @thornsnvultures

Hold my Heart - (Andy x Reader) - @flordeamatista

Midnight Dance - @animnerd

Secrets chp 8 - (Steve x Reader, Brock x Reader) - @nekoannie-chan

New Rules - Chp 12 - (Steve x Reader) - @syntheticavenger

Heart of Glass - Part 1 - (Curtis x Reader) - @syntheticavenger

Oh La La - (Bucky x Reader) - @jobean12-blog

Drops of Rain - (Bucky x Reader) - @jobean12-blog

Left for Revenge - Chp 6 - @hollybee8917

Left for Revenge - Chp 7 - @hollybee8917

Left for Revenge - Chp 8 - @hollybee8917

Partners in Crime - (Nick x Reader) - @navybrat817

Prelude to a Kiss - (Stucky x Reader) - @navybrat817

New Tricks - (Stucky x Reader) - @sidepartskinnyjeans

Dirty Sweet - (Bucky x Reader) - @nocturne-pisces

TRIAD - @labella420

Thigh Slayer - (Bucky x Reader) - @targaryenvampireslayer

Things are looking up - (Brock x Reader) - @nekoannie-chan

So High - (Bucky x Reader) - @metalbuckaroo

A Piece of Cake - (Stucky x Reader) - @sidepartskinnyjeans

This City - (Steve x Reader, Steve x OFC) - @cockslutpadalecki

The shower incident - (Steve x Reader) - @nekoannie-chan

Kiss the Girl - (Steve, Nat) - @animnerd

Out there - (Winter Soldier) - @animnerd

Biker Jake Drabble - @angrythingstarlight

Chasing Love - (Bucky x Reader) - @jobean12-blog

Collared part 9 - (Dean x Reader) - @spnexploration

Collared part 10 - (Dean x Reader) - @spnexploration

Aurora - Part 6 - (Andy x OFC, Lloyd) - @andydrysdalerogers

Aurora - Part 7 - (Andy x OFC, Lloyd) - @andydrysdalerogers

God and His Angel - (God the Bounty Hunter × Reader) - @navybrat817

Pity Party - (Lloyd x Reader) - @deceitfuldevout

Secrets Chp 9 - (Steve x OFC, Brock x OFC) - @nekoannie-chan

Heart of Glass - Part 2 - (Curtis x Reader) - @syntheticavenger

His Inheritance - Part 15 - (Steve x Reader) - @jtargaryen18

Lightning in a Bottle - Part 4 - (Thor x Reader) - @wizardofrozz

Real Life Tasks With Ransom - Day 5 - @wiypt-writes @sweater-daddiesdumbdork

Secret Sierra - Chp 6 - (Six x Reader) - @lloydsbitch

Little Bird - Part 1 - (Bucky x Reader) - @gogolucky13

Gentle Sin - (God the Bounty Hunter x Reader) - @navybrat817

Traitor? - (Steve x Reader) - @nekoannie-chan

Two Kings (6) - (Steve x Reader) - @holylulusworld

Recognition - Part 3 - (Steve x Reader) - @labella420

Crossroads part I - (Steve x Reader) - @nekoannie-chan

Play by the Rules - (Steve x Reader, Bucky x Reader) - @navybrat817

Monkey See, Monkey Do - (Chp 12) - @spectre-posts @what-is-your-plan-today

Work it Out - (Bucky x Reader) - @jobean12-blog​

God vs the Devil - (1) - (Lloyd x Reader x God the Bounty Hunter) - @holylulusworld​

Headstrong - (Bucky x Reader) - @flordeamatista​

[loyaltykask]

Chapter 7

This is actually beautiful because the Monkey represents the Mind and the Horses represent Will so combining the two shows that Wukong wasn't willing to discipline his mind and accept his position as Bimawen in Heaven Rather it is not until the journey the when Wukong makes Bailong a horse as his first act of being a disciple so we see his first willingness to change and learn.

THEY RALLY ARE

So Wukong DOES use the three-headed form again! He used it when doing the BEAT down in heaven when the thunder and lightning gods tried to get his ass. Love the poetry they used to describe his form, makes him sound so monstrous!

Wukogn really said "No king lasts forever..... except me"

Need me an interpretation where Buddha says Pisshead

No wonder he is the Metal Monkey, he had nothing but Iron and Copper for years. "Moved by compassion" can't imagine what NO compassioned looks like.

@journeythroughjourneytothewest

[ghostenluvs]

alright so i’ve had this little au for lmk in my head for a while and i’m just setting it out here in a really long rambly nonsensical explanation, but i think it’s fun so to tumblr it goes!

is gonna be a bit long.

Ok so it goes like:

Random stone monkey child just materializes out of nowhere one day (MK), and some random guy in heaven sees that and goes “remember what happened last time guys?” and they just decide no this guy has got to go.

 But it's a mystic monkie and they remember the last time they tried to deal with one of those so they tell the only other mystic monkey guy they can think of to do it with this fancy “he’s totally gonna grow up and bring unimaginable chaos you gotta get rid of him” prophesy (which was not true at all) and he just. Has a crisis over it because it was accompanied by some edgy god threat probably but its a baby. So yeah morals and such.

So he just seals away the kid’s magic monkie powers and makes them look like a human, and just tells god that the kid is gone.

And then of course word gets out about that so people think he actually did it.

And meanwhile he’s just teaching some toddler how to exist and it's adorable and fluffy.

And then Macaque shows up all like “alright i was already mad at you and then i heard you killed a baby because heaven told you to what the actual heck Wukong”

and then the aforementioned baby just peeks his head out from behind Wukong’s legs and it's just.

“Ok i know you’re mad but can you please at least wait to fight me until the kid won’t die on his own? Please?”

“Fine okay geez but also what’s their name?”

“...”

“Wukong”

“...”

“Wukong did you not name this child?”

“...

Well-”

“WUKONG THAT IS A TODDLER YOU'VE HAD THEM FOR OVER A YEAR.”

HOW HAVE YOU NOT NAMED THEM YET?!”

“I couldn’t think of anything okay!’

“Just keysmash until you find some good syllables then!”

Leading to the boy child having a very long and nonsensical name but just using their initials of MK.

And of course MK gets out and makes friends and lives life mostly as in canon, he just lived on flower fruit mountain and has to hitch a ride from his “older brother” to and fro. Because heaven would be very very upset if they found out he existed and Wukong is not leaving him somewhere random alone.

He's still a noodle delivery boy for Pigsy and best buddies with Mei.

But then DBK just randomly starts rampaging and he sees they have Wukong’s staff and panics and runs in and steals it before DBK can absorb it. And then panics bc he can hold it but also Wukong told him not to screw with magic (bc the glamour or the power seal might fritz out but MK doesn’t know that bc you can't just tell a child the gods ordered a hit on them now can you.)

Then Pigsy finds him in the street and everyone goes to bring the staff to monkey king not knowing that MK already knows him.

When PIF attacks in the flaming mountains Pigsy and Mei also get yeeted and end up on ffm with MK somehow and he has to do some actingtm [they can tell something is up but just chalk it up to nerves] but they cant get through the waterfall barrier and MK goes in alone and just panic ramble word vomits to Wukong like

Dbkstafffightrampagewhattheheckdowedoomgomgomgomgomg also my friends from human city are here help me

And they just like

We have never met before today got it? Total strangers. No hugs, no inside jokes, no making fun of eachother. Polite strangers' courtesy only.

And then they go back and chat with the others for a minute or so and then go back to the city and Wukong kicks DBK’s butt but right when he's about to win PIF wind tornado teleports them all away. Wukong giving a very rushed polite goodbye and then leaving the others to do their mortal stuff cue end credits.

And then MK starts getting actual stone monkey powers and just accidentally punches a hole in a door being kinda tired at Pigsy’s and missing the doorknob. And then getting struck by lightning and being totally fine. Then his friends know something magic is going on and Wukong knows that “oh crud the power seal is wearing off early bc he was in contact with the staff oh no.” 

And then it's just a nice plot song and dance of MK being so confused bc he doesn’t have superpowers he's a human why would the staff give him powers and his friends being really worried and pestering Wukong about it bc why is he getting your superpowers mister what happened here. And Wukong just screaming internally because he’s trying to figure out how to break the news to MK about the gods ordering a hit on him as an infant and the him not being a human thing. It turns out fine ish in the end tho nobody hates each other for it after they have some hurt comfort and then some healthy communication and reconciling later. And then they move on to the issue of avoiding the gods being a bit upset. And macaque has been periodically checking with the  

“is he grown yet?”

“No.”

“How much longer until killing you doesn’t basically orphan someone?”

“A while.”

“Are we there yet?”

“We get there when we get there, macaque!”

so yeah. i like this au just because i can fit so many funny bits in it i haven’t listed here. hope it’s not terrible!

[wavytam]

Nami, Sanji and the Sky - Part 1

For a while now, I noticed a strange symbolism that both Nami and Sanji share throughout the story of One Piece, and since the manga is coming to an end, I feel like this symbolism is becoming more evident and could eventually have an important role for the conclusion of the story.

Rather than a theory, this post is more of an analysis (and compilation) of the connection both Nami and Sanji share with the element Sky.

I will be writing two more posts: one listing every content I found about sky (specially the ones connected to Sanji and Nami) while reading the manga, I will also include some video analysis/theories I found talking about that as well (those theories will be properly linked); and the other will be my conclusion as to what all of that information could mean.

For now, I do have a feeling about what it is, but I decided to read the manga from the beginning first to see what else I could find before making up my mind.

So:

In Part 1: I will bring up every symbolism evident in Nami's and Sanji's storylines, what the Sky itself symbolises to the Universe of One Piece and what it could mean to Nami and Sanji.

In Part 2: I will make a compilation of every manga panel that talks about the Sky (it will be edited as I read through the manga).

Part 3 (last part) will be my theory on what the Sky Symbolism could imply to Nami's and Sanji's storylines and the end of One Piece - this part will take a while to be finished, as I plan to read the entire manga first.

WARNING: Although I intend to write about the characters individualy, I will make romantic connections between them as well. So you have been warned it will contain SaNami.

So let's get started.

So the first thing that is interesting to note (and everyone already knows) is that every important character in One Piece, especilally the Straw Hats, are linked to multiple symbols at the same time; be it through their names, the Devil Fruit they ate, their roles in the crew, or even the numbers assingned to them, Oda made sure that a lot of his characters had a rich background, and that is one of the reasons that we love them so much.

There is even a One Peace Wiki page that registers every symbolisms Oda created and talked about in his SBSs. And we do know that there are even more hidden symbols he leaves around the manga and color spreads and doesn't talk about or avoids to answer when questioned.

For the sake of keeping this part short, I will use three of the Straw Hats as examples (besides Sanji and Nami).

Luffy:

Monkey (SBS) and Tiger (colorspreads)

Red (SBS)

Numbers 1 and 5 (Go) 6 (Mu) (SBS)

Sun (God Nika) (Manga and colorspreads)

Crown (Pirate King)

Sunflower (SBS)

Meat (manga, SBS)

Zoro:

Tiger and Shark (SBS)

Green (SBS)

Swords/Steel (SBS)

Hell (King of Hell)

Number 2 (SBS)

Beast (manga)

Demon (manga)

Onigiri (SBS and manga)

Earth (his mother's name means Earth SBS)

Robin:

Flower - Hana Hana no Mi (manga)

Purple (SBS)

Demon (manga)

Number 7 (Na), 8 (Ha), 2 (Ni), 6 (Ro) (SBS)

Crane, Falcon (SBS)

There is, of course, many other elements related to each of these three characters alone, but let's keep it short.

This means that Oda does give a lot of attention to those details, and it might not be far-fetched to analyse the symbols he linked to both Nami and Sanji in the manga, colorspreads and SBSs, with more depth.

Now, as a shipper, I am biased to say that this could imply a romantic connection, but even if it doesn't, I feel like there is something between these two that are worth giving a look, both for them individualy and together.

So let's see the symbols Oda assigned them in SBSs, Color Spreads, and Manga (that we know of):

Nami:

Numbers 7 (Na) 3 (Mi)

Oranges (manga and SBS)

Crown (colorspreads)

Weather and Climate (manga colorspread)

Cat (SBS)

Lightning (SBS and manga)

Zeus/Clouds (manga)

Waves and sea (her name means waves)

Mermaid (past with fishmen pirates and her mysterious connection to Otohime) (manga and SBS)

Sunflower (manga)

Lions (manga and colorspread)

Money and Treasures (manga and SBS)

Sweden (SBS)

Sanji:

Numbers 5 (Ko) 9 (ku) 3 (San) 2 (Ji) (SBS)

Three o'clock (his name) (manga and colorspread)

Duck and Bighorn Sheep (SBS)

Cigarrette (manga and SBS)

Mermaid (lighter and hyper fixation with mermaids) (manga and colorspread)

Blue (SBS)

Sky (his move Sky Walk and his mother's name literally meaning Sky) (manga)

Fish and seafood (SBS)

Sea (All Blue) (Manga)

(Stealth) Black (Leg) (manga)

Fire (manga)

Demons (Ifit/Diable) (manga)

Spirals and Devil Fruits (manga and SBS)

Science and Technology (manga and SBS)

France (SBS)

Spirals (manga)

I think we can already see how many of the elements of the list they do share in common. In this post, however, let's focus on the sky elements.

Lightning

Zeus/Clouds

Weather and Climate

Sky

Down below, there are image examples in the manga and colorspreads.

So, why is it that I am focusing on that? I mean, why do I think it's worth pointing this out?

Because throughout the manga, Oda has made it clear how important the Sky is, along with three other symbols: Earth, Sea, and now the Sun.

I think you know where I am going at.

So, it's a known fact that Oda used the name of three Greek/Roman Gods (who also happen to be the name of planets) to name the Ancient Weapons.

And it has already been brought up that weirdly, Luffy's three strongest nakamas (after himself) are connected to each of these symbols.

Pluton-> Pluto (Roman name)-> Hades (Greek name)-> God of the Underworld (Hell)-> Underworld->Earth-> Zoro: King of Hell, son of the Earth (Tera) - Zoro is also connected to Wano, where Pluton is located

Poseidon-> Neptune (Roman name)-> Poseidon: God of the Seas-> Sea-> Jimbei: First son of the Sea - Jimbei is from Fishmen Island where Poseidon is located.

Uranus-> Father Sky, the personification of the Heavens (before Zeus took over)-> Sky-> Sora Vinsmoke and Sora, Warrior of the Sea -> Sanji

(Weirdly, besides Black Leg and Mr. Prince, Sanji doesn't have any other alias, much less one connected to the Sky... yet?)

(Also, since Jimbei and Zoro came from the places where the Ancient Weapons are Hidden... could it be that the Kingdom of Germa once ruled over the place where Uranus is hidden? Maybe they also had a previous connection to the Ancient Kingdom? Hmmm, theory for another post)

BUT it's important to coment that we were only able to make these connections NOW, after 26 years, because only now Oda has revealed: Zoro's mother's name, Sanji's mother's name, the name of the last Ancient Weapon, and that Jimbei (Knight of the Sea) would be part of the crew.

So why only now?

To me, it's because One Piece is coming to an end, and these elements will play a pivotal role in the Great War to come.

Following that idea, in my opinion, this also means that the connection Sanji and Nami share with the Sky is not only important to their storylines but also to the conclusion of One Piece.

And, because Oda is finally revealing more about the Void Century and the main character's backstories, only now are we able to connect the previously missing dots.

So what about Nami?

Now, if Sanji alone had a parallel to the god of Heavens, the post would end here haha but weirdly Nami also is deeply connected to it, just as much as Sanji, maybe even more than him, actually. However, we still don't know much about her... yet, so we only have small crumbs to make this relation.

First, Nami's past is still a mistery to this day. Even after 26 years of One Piece, the only thing we do know about her is that Nami and Nojiko were found in a village called Oykot.

And I have this feeling that it's because Nami's past will be a huge spoiler to the end of One Piece and is directly connected to the Void Century. I will not get into much detail as to why here because I do plan to make a post focusing only on Nami and the weird hints Oda left about her in the manga and colorspreads.

So back to her connection with the Sky.

Before, Nami's connection was related to the weather and the seas (weirdly, Sanji also has a big connection to the Seas) but, recently she acquired Zeus and, if we look back to her story throughout the manga, we can see that there were also hints of her connection with the sky through her abnormal knowledge and love for navigation (they were just a little bit hidden).

As we know, Zeus is also the God of the Sky and Lightning and... wait, what is his Roman name again? Jupiter (hold that thought)

Another interesting connection Nami has with the Sky is where she was sent by Kuma to train: a sky island named Wetheria, where wizards studied the science of weather. Isn't it weird that it's a Sky Island that has one of the most advanced knowledge in weather whilst Nami has always had this pull to learn about it ever since she was a child?

And let's not mention how in the Skypea arc, Nami was the only "disciple" to almost follow Enel to the moon (of course, she was only trying to survive and not be killed by him, but the fact that Oda chose Nami to be in that situation might be an indicative of something).

Now that we saw how the Sky is connected to Sanji and Nami individualy, let's bring up some interesting moments in the manga where the Sun/Sea/Earth/Sky symbolism appears, besides the Ancient Weapons.

There is one that caught my attention the most (although the Sea does not make part of it):

Big Mom.

More specifically, the three weapons of her own choice and creation. Who are they?

Well, we have:

Prometheus (Sun/Fire)

Napoleon (Hat/Sword)

To me, they are worth taking a look since it's very strange that Oda keeps on bringing up these same symbols again and again.

Zeus (Cloud/Lightining)

Now, I know that many might not agree with me in this, but, in my opinion, those weapons are again a direct parallel to some of the Straw Hats, but not in the way you think.

So...

Prometheus (Sun/Fire)-> Luffy (Sun God Nika)

Napoleon (Hat/Sword)-> Zoro (Swordsman)

Zeus (Cloud/Lightining)->???

You might ask: Why did I put the question marks for Zeus and not just write Sanji's name? I think that, by now, you can guess why...

My first choice would have been Sanji because, since they are seen as weapons, the only one left to symbolise Zeus would be him - and I do think they fit in many levels (the reason being what I already listed above)... but not all. Why?

Because Zeus is also connected to Nami. And that's where my confusion started, and I didn't really know who to assign Zeus to.

It gets even more suspicious if you notice that Nami got Zeus first during the Whole Cake Arc, where we also learn Sanji's mother's name, creating another big connection between him and the Sky.

And there is, of course, the servant moment (LMAO)

Which kinda implies that Sanji is also a servant for Nami, like Zeus...? Lol

Anyway, because of the Nami/Zeus interactions in Whole Cake and Nami's conection to weather and thunder clouds, we can imply that Nami would be a much better candidate to the Sky symbolism in relation to Big Mom's trio weapons and, maybe, to what it could imply to the end of One Piece.

Until Wano.

That's where I got even more confused???

You see, to everyone who read/watched Wano knows there were moments dedicated to the development of Nami and Zeus's relationship.

Zeus abandoned her because of how scared he was of Big Mom, but then he (kinda) overcame his fear and chose to be with Nami. That's another parallel he has with Nami since, in Oniagshima's arc, Nami also overcame her fears, and even at the threat of death, acknowledged that Luffy would be the Pirate King.

To me, the message Oda wanted to give was how sometimes we must overcome our fears to stand for what is right and for what we believe in, no matter the odds.

So, Nami->Zeus, right?

Well, kinda. Because in this same arc, Big Mom (with Prometheus' suggestion) had the great idea of creating a substitute for Zeus.

And, alas, we have Hera, whose name is based on ZEUS'S WIFE?

The interesting thing here is that it was Prometheus who asked for a girlfriend, but then Big Mom (and Oda) decided to give a name that connected her and Zeus romantically?? Lol

So now, we have a female cloud, and she has the same powers as Zeus, so... does it mean Hera symbolizes Nami? The thing here is, Hera's design has a... very weird resemblance... to Sanji (?????)

(I know I'm reaching, but hear me out...)

First, if we look at the manga, she has the right eye covered by a mass of clouds that resemble hair, and she also has some swirls in her "hair" to resemble curls. Until here, it could just be a coincidence... but then we find out she is also blonde?? What??

And it gets me thinking about the entire Prometheus/Zeus/Hera dynamic as well.

In short: Prometheus doesn't like Zeus. Zeus betrays Big Mom. Prometheus wants a girlfriend, so he incentives Big Mom to get rid of Zeus permanently so she can create a girlfriend for him. Big Mom creates a substitute for Zeus, named Hera (who is the wife of Zeus in Greek mythology, but has NO RELATION to the Sky besides being married to the God of the Sky himself). Diferent from her God counterpart, Hera does not have any romantic interest.

Could this be some type of foreshadowing? If it is, of what?

Maybe Sanji or Nami will leave/betray the crew (it's funny because, in a way, both of them already did)?

Why did Big Mom decide to create those weapons exactly? And what is the point of this entire stoyline anyway?

Those are just some questions that got me thinking, but the important thing to take away from this is that now, we have four weapons, while two of them have the exact same function, although one was cast aside... so:

Prometheus (Sun/Fire)-> Luffy (Sun God Nika)

Napoleon (Hat/Sword)-> Zoro (Swordsman)

Zeus (Cloud/Lightining)-> Nami (?)

Hera (Cloud/Lightning)-> Sanji (?)

Now, even if we take away the romantic connotations in the Hera/Zeus dynamic (only because of their names, and it doesn't really mean that much), it doesn't take away the fact that Oda created two weapons with the same function.

-

Another group connected with the Sky (and that could relate to Sanji) in the World of One Piece are the Gorosei.

A lot of people already noticed the weird similarity that the Swordsman and the Blond Goroseis have with the Wings of the King of the Pirates and that it could imply that, in the near future, Zoro and Sanji, would face them.

The funny thing, however, is that, when we finally found out the name of the first Gorosei (Saturn), a lot of people theorized that the Blond Gorosei could be Venus (because he looked like Sanji's relative and Sanji is a very... loving individual) and the Swordsman could be Mars (because he is always carrying swords).

And those were on point theories, in my opinion (I also believed that was the case), but Oda had other plans.

Shortly after, he revealed their names and... the Swordsman Gorosei is the one actually connected with Venus. And he is responsible for Finances (??)

However, these reveals still create interesting connections with both Sanji and Zoro, since Venus there is a theory that Venus stole the Gold from Wano (link to the theory) which is where is supposedly from and the Blond Gorosei, Sheperd, controls agriculture (food).

But what I want to highlight here is the planet that represents Sheperd: Jupiter.

As I mentioned before, Jupiter is the Roman counterpart of Zeus. So if he really ends up being Sanji's rival... he will have another connection with the Sky.

Now, after all of these interesting hints, what could they mean?

I honestly am not sure yet (lol)and that is one of the reasons I decided to first read the entire manga and write 2 more parts for this Analysis so I can have more data and a better understanding of the meaning of the Sky for One Piece as a whole.

So in part 2, I will collect every single moment related to Sanji/Nami/Sky I find in the manga.

Once it's done, in part 3 I will be writing my conclusion and theory about what it could mean to the One Piece storyline.

Phew! That's it for now! It got longer than I expected! I'd love to know your opinions on the matter, and if you ever find something interesting relating to the Sky in One Piece, feel free to contact me!

[flickys-courage-club]

[CW⚠️ WEIRDCORE/DREAMCORE]

Courage The Cowardly Dog characters if they were in Weirdcore/Dreamcore AU.

This AU has their designs made morbid based on a type(s) of aesthetic(s)

Courage is a dog puppet with stitch marks all over his face and body. He can't talk since his mouth is stitched shut, he has buttons sewn into his eyes which are bleeding out of them. His design is based on plushies with button eyes and marionette puppets

Muriel and Eustace are faceless

Katz has spider features such as having six eyes and spider legs on his back. His design is based on cats, spiders and horror aesthetic

Le Quack is a duck accordion toy that plays his background music, based on those monkey cymbal toys

Cajun Fox's appearance is of an actual fox

Bunny and Kitty are both plushies made of cotton and wool. Kitty's mouse toy is a living mouse and appears on her shoulder

Banana Suit Dealer is faceless

Ma Bagge's face isn't shown but it only shows her glasses

Fusilli is a ventriloquist dummy with four crocodile eyes

Black Puddle Queen has a more monstrous siren appearance along with her outfit and hair covered in coral, shells and pearls. Design based on ocean academia

Clutching Foot's faces have hundreds of eyes

Shirley has a crystal ball head

Computer is a computer head

Weremole is more werewolf looking

Dr Zalost has rat features and Rat is a reanimated ragdoll plush

Benton Tarentella is a camera head

Errol Van Volkheim is a picture head

Courage's parents/Henry and Teresa are ragdolls

Mad Dog has chains around his arms. His design is based on hatecore aesthetic

Cruel Veterinarian's design is based on digital horror aesthetic

Freaky Fred's pupils are dilated and has a large unsettling grin. His design is based on analog horror and Sweeney Todd

Banana Suit Dealer is a faceless banana

Charlie's design is based on foodie aesthetic

General and Lieutenant are both faceless

King Ramses's design is based on horror and analog horror aesthetics with his slab attached to his chest and has scarecrow like features

Cat Thieves/Jim and Paul are conjoined twins

Schwick has a human body with beetle features

Di Lung has features of the Chinese lion

The Empress's design has features of the Chinese dragon

Goose God is a lightning bolt head

Storm Goddess is a cloud head

Hunchback's only facial feature is his eye

Bigfoot's face has hundreds of eyes

Newsman is microphone head

Duck Brothers are all conjoined together

Dorothy Bagge is faceless

Stitch Sisters are ragdoll puppets

Space Chicken's design is based on spacecore

Dr Gerbil has a human torso with rodent features

Dr Vindaloo's design is based on analog horror aesthetic

The Perfectionist Teacher's face is blurred

King of Flan is a flan head

Velvet Vic is a record player head

[the-monkey-ruler]

Is there an article that says the name of the Taoist skills and their respective characteristics of the monkey king? His Magic powers?

This isn’t a full list of them if that is what you mean? I know that JTTWR has a list in the works and an article explaining a lot of skills but there isn't really a full list. and while I have tried to catalog all his names powers I haven’t gotten around to organizing it.

This is NOT a list of his 72 transformations, but just a list of what he has used his power within the book.

Changed into a small sparrow perched on a tree

Changing himself into a cormorant

Changed into a small fish

Changed at once into a water snake

Changed again into a spotted bustard

Turned self into a pine tree

Rode a 'fierce wind' for monkeys

A mighty wind, hurtling pebbles, and rocks, a wind arose and separated the king from his subjects

Magic of body division

Plucked a handful of hairs, chewed them to pieces in his mouth, and spat and changed into thousands of little monkeys, who snatched and grabbed weapons

Magic of displacement, calling up a great wind, which carried all the little monkeys back to their home  

Magic of water restriction leaped into the waves, which parted for him, and he followed the waterway 7

Magic of cosmic imitation, grew to be ten thousand feet tall, with a head like the Tai Mountain and a chest like a rugged peak, eyes like lightning a mouth like a blood bowl, and teeth like swords and halberds.

Transformed himself into a creature with three heads and six arms

Magic of immobilization, transfixed

Magic of body concealment, invisible

Changed into the form of the Great Immortal of Naked Feet

Plucking a few hairs, he threw them into his mouth and chewed them to pieces before spitting them out and sleep-inducing insects

Exerted his magical power and changed himself into a figure having the features and height of Erlang

Changed into the form of Holy Father Erlang

Hair changed into a writing brush with extra thick hair soaked in heavy ink

Magic power of foreknowledge, divination

Hair changed into a sharp, curved knife

Magic of overturning seas and rivers, he transformed the clear, limpid water of the Eagle Grief Stream into the muddy currents of the Yellow River during high tide

A strong wind arose and whipped the fire into a mighty blaze

Changed at once into an exact semblance of that old monk 72 magic to 'seize the wind' allowed the head of the wind to move past but he caught hold of its tail and sniffed at it

Changed at once into a spotted-leg mosquito

Magic of body protection, he stretched his waist and at once grew more than six feet, attaining the height of ten feet altogether

Magic of the body beyond the body, creates more selves, the body changes into ten of me, and the ten can also change into one hundred. In fact, the transformation can grow to millions and billions

Water-repelling spell breathe underwater

Change into a water creature like a fish, shrimp, crab, or turtle

Change hair changed at once into a specious Pilgrim

Change hairs into the elder, another changed into a figure like himself, and the two other trees changed into Sha Monk and Eight Rules

Magic of revivification  

Magic of the spirit leaving the body  

Pat a mouthful of water to break illusions

Spell that brought him the God of Day Patrol, the God of Night Patrol, and the Guardians of Five Quarters, to whom he gave the following instruction

Changed into Hill-Pawing Tiger, while he himself changed into Sea-Lolling Dragon.

Magic of thinning the body  

Straightening up his torso, he grew about three and a half feet instantly

Magic of shortening the ground and moving the mountain

He changed at once into a cloth wrapper adorned with gold

Making the fire-repellent sign he hurled himself into the fire to search for the fiend

Water-division magic, he opened up a pathway for himself through the waves

changed himself into the form of one of those old Daoists

Magic of head cutting, his head came off with a swishing sound and grew a new one.

At once his belly closed up completely

At once he changed into a boy with the exact appearance of that child Guanbao.

Blew a mouthful of magic breath onto Eight Rules, whose body at once took on the form of the little girl.

Magic of invisibility  

Wind-arresting magic  

Magic of seizure

Magic of traction, taking hold of the two fiends and mounting the to head for the southeast

Changed at once into a herd of ferocious striped tigers, prowling and growling, which had the main road completely blocked

Grew to thousands of feet tall, body diminished in size until he became as small as a mustard seed.

Magic of Body-Vanishment, body to shrink and immediately became free of the ropes.

Changed into a tiny fly,

Changed with one shake of his body into an old, hungry hawk

Changed with one shake of his body into a pangolin

He shook his body and changed at once into a neat young priest,

Change with one shake of his body into the appearance of that Little Wind Cutter whom he first met on the road

He changed into a tiny mole cricket

With one shake of his body into a little bee

Change into the form of the Tang Monk

He changed with one shake of his body into a moth

Changed back into an ant

Magic of Passage, He shrank his body and climbed out of the ropes

At once he changed into a little firefly,

Mouthful of immortal breath toward the ground on the southwest. Immediately a gust of dark wind blinded the people's eyes, and only then could the pilgrims proceed.

Spell of release, bandits gradually regained consciousness

That is at least MOST of the times that Wukong has used magic and that is undoubtedly more than what he can do considering that 'changing' your form is just one thing.

Again this is NOT his list of 72 transformations, just a list of what he has used in the book.

[kachow-i-love-being-me]

HELLO CARS FANDOM

The past 2 weeks, yes only 2 weeks, I’ve been insanely obsessed with cars… like I’ve always liked it but oh my god I feel as if it’s hit me like a truck this time around. Mack himself has actually flattened me into the asphalt 😍

(Been longer than that now but I like the Mack part so I’m keeping this here lol)

But yeas here is my introduction!!!! Idk how to make one!!! But idc!!!!

Most important thing ever:

I’ve been a fan of Finn McMissile since 2011. If he has 1 million fans I am one of them. If he has 1000 fans I am one of them. If he has 100 fans I’m still one of them. If he has 10 fans one of those is ME. If he’s got 0 fans then I am DEAD. He’s my ride or die whether I’m obsessed with cars or not dude I’m being so srs here

But these days Lightning is also my other fav :3 he’s such a bitch to everyone I love him :3 (in a good chunk of each movie at least)

Now for some less fun info but regardless;

I’m 17

I speak English and some Spanish

My fav colour is orange (super important)

My hobby is art :3

I study Spanish, English language and psychology

Monkeys are my fav animal

I love dolls like rainbow high, lol omg, monster high etc.

I ❤️ MY OCS

I LOVE KPOP AND EDM🔥🔥🔥 MOOMBAHTON + DUBSTEP 🔛🔝

FANDOM CHECK🔥🔥🔥

- stay / kpop

- mlp

- CARS OBVS🔥

- real into super Mario recently

- fnaf

- skam / druck

-warrior cats

FAV CHARACTERS ALL TIME (+ kpop bias)

- CHANGBIN, HAN, SEUNGMIN🔥🔥🔥🔥(skz)

- ningning (aespa)

- sunoo (enhypen)

- rainbow dash, twilight sparkle, rarity (mlp)

- finn mcmissile, lightning mcqueen (cars)

- donkey kong, princess daisy, king boo (super mario)

- springtrap 🫶 (fnaf)

- matteo florenzi 😭😭🫶 (druck)

- noora sætre, isak valtersen, jonas vasquez, eva mohn (skam)

- ivypool, hollyleaf, needletail, bluestar, ashfur (warrior cats)

- gray/crackle, carmen (carmen sandiego)

- lotor (Voltron legendary defender)

I can’t think of anything else to add so :3 bai :3

- tsum tsum lightning mcqueen

[rphelperblog]

The Borgias Quote Rp Meme

 Part 1: inspired by @multistoty​ @all-is-fair-in-love-and-war​

You show no tears? Are you stone?”

“Don’t look at you? Then pluck my eyes out.”

I do tend to win whatever battles I fight.“

Is nothing in this damned city what it seems?“

Kings are of short supply.“

I will marry anyone you like if it helps you to sleep.“

I am of novelty value then.“

Death, also is in paradise.“

Most things in life prove to be sad“

All things are permissible in our dreams.“

Can one spill blood to rid the world of a greater evil?“

I feel for you still, but I know not this man beside me.“

We are facing a battle for our very survival.“

She is heading as far away from you as possible, my lord.“

Know your enemy. Know him better than your friend.”

I have wished him dead a thousand times.“

One looks to the future, the other to the past.“

Sometimes goodness needs the help of a little badness.“

Affections can be lethal in this Rome of ours.“

I recognize the symptoms of your illness, and it's not called marsh fever. You're with child.“

You are my eldest son. It is your destiny to follow in my foot steps.

You care so much for someone you hardly know.“

Is it murder to defend your mother's honor?”

Your eyes, you no longer walk on air. Where is my young sister hiding?“

You must cry for me, for I have no more tears.“

You asked who would do such a thing. The answer is many people”

Yes, I will marry him. He has all the sweetness of an apple on a tree.“

What happened to you? You were such a lovely child.”

God gives you riches, and you kill for more.”

This dog will come back and bite.“

You would surprise yourself if such destiny ever brushed against you.“

Save your thoughts. Say nothing.“

I haven't uttered a word.”

Don't challenge me! And never, ever within these sacred walls!“

No, but we can hear you thinking.“

This is not God's doing, father.“

Everything is God's doing!“

I stand in awe, your eminence.”

We did love our children, did we not my dear?“

You killed your father.”

There was a reason for my marriage brother. Remind me of it.“

You were given this office for a reason, your holiness.“

Still, I stand in awe.”

We're dancing on your brother's grave.“

what exactly are you celebrating? Your sisters betrothal, or the death of your brother?“

If you don't have the stomach for this spectacle, you'll find that Spain lies that way.“

Too close for comfort.“

No your holiness. It was a bolt of lightning.“

She chose God, and God repaid her with mutilation.“

Oh what would Rome be without a good plot?“

The others bought and sold. We merely proved ourselves better at the game, but we draw the line at murder.“

And what do you do with a monkey that bites you?“

[journeytothewestresearch]

Story Idea: Part-Time God

Imagine a very unassuming guy (of any ethnicity or nationality) who goes to work, pays his taxes, complains about the price of gas, food, and rent (etc.), things any regular person would do. But he is in fact an ancient Eurasian thunder god who, when called upon, battles drought-bringing water-serpents in the clouds. His glowing ethereal form is that of a giant, bearded man with a horned helmet and ancient, golden attire. He wields either a stone mace or a forked thunder weapon that showers lightning bolts across the heavens.

This dual nature is not a case of a deity being cursed to forget their divine origins like the Hindu monkey god Hanuman. Nor is it a case of a god being punished to live as a mortal like Marvel's silver age Thor. Perhaps the protagonist's father, the king of the gods, is aloof and disconnected from the human world. Therefore, our hero takes it upon himself to live among Man in order to stay grounded and to better understand their day to day struggles in an ever-changing world.

It's important to note that he is NOT a superhero. This god does not use his power to deter crime. It is only used in battling water-serpents, which ensures the survival of mankind by routing droughts that would otherwise destroy all the world's crops. Basically, if he doesn't perform his holy duty, the world will starve. It's best to think of the narrative in terms of ancient religion and the importance of the harvest to agrarian societies.

The meat of the story would be the strange juxtaposition between his mortal and immortal lives. There would be a clean divide between both, with episodes focusing on the tedium of his daily human activities and the explosive action of his divine battles. But occasionally these lives would bleed into each other; for instance, an injury born from his heaven-shaking combat, could be explained away as some embarrassing accident, like rolling an ankle or tripping up the stairs. Or, a human friend or coworker might notice his sour deminer after a drama-filled argument about the merits of mankind with his father in heaven.

If anyone asks, yes, this is a self-insert. I was bored while waiting for a doctor's appointment. I was wondering what it would be like to have a concurrent second life free of aging and illness, one where I could soar through the clouds and test my divine strength by battling ancient foes.

[anxiescape]

pilgrimspilgrimspilgrims wait 🌹🌹🌹 (some roses for wips?)

Sure! (but what's this about pilgrims???)

Hmmm... I've really been missing Stargaze lately, so how about some snippets from that? The story has been really cute and soft so far, but there will be angst in the future... in fact, why don't I share some of it with you now? 😈

#1:

So do you remember that one part in Journey To The West where Wukong goes to sleep and wakes up to two of the Diyu's guards dragging him down to Hell?

Well, while Wukong was sorting all that out down in the underworld, Liu'er wasn't having a very good time up in the mortal realm.

Sobbing, Liu’er gathered the limp, lifeless body into his arms. He clutched his dearest friend to his chest, as if hoping that his own heartbeat would guide the other’s into starting again. As if the action would bring back Wukong’s warmth. His life. His light, into Liu’er’s dark and lonely existence.

#2:

The brotherhood of Sages decides to take over Heaven, but their plans go awry, and all but one of them are captured. Still free, Liu'er heads off in search of his beloved Monkey King, but he is discovered by a group of celestial soldiers, and the ensuing fight doesn't end well for him.

“These damn monkeys…” The commander spat, a wad of bloody mucus landing just inches from Liu’er’s broken nose. “They’re like roaches. They just won’t die.” The soldier on top of Liu’er grunted in agreement. “Heard they’re trying something new to get rid of the other one.” The celestial commander laughed, but there was no joy in his tone. “Arrows didn’t work. Lightning didn’t work. Beheading him didn’t work. What are they gonna do next?” Liu’er’s stomach churned, bile rising in his throat as he processed those words. They had done what to Wukong? “I heard they’re gonna toss him inside Lao Tzu’s furnace. Burn him up until there’s nothing left.”

#3:

Remember how Erlang and a handful of gods returned to Flower Fruit Mountain after Wukong was captured, and they set the mountain ablaze? Well... not everyone survived the attack.

SPOILER ALERT: CHARACTER DEATH.

Liu’er felt like he was going to collapse. That Ba’s weight would crush him, and they would die in this forest together. But even as his lungs burned, and every part of his being ached and screamed at him to stop—to just give up—he continued to put every last bit of his strength into pulling Ba’s lifeless body behind him.

And that's that! Hope you enjoy! I also hope that I can get back to working on this fic soon because I adore it. Life's just been... exhausting lately, though. And I'm really tired. :(

Thanks for the ask! 🥰