#quintessence commentary

[artsyjesseblue]

Randomly reading tumblr articles, I stumbled upon a link to an old interview with Voltron’s EPs. This part of the interview stood out to me, as I’ve been supporting the same interpretation of why Zarkon and Honerva became corrupt.

Interviewer: Do you think that, had Zarkon not been infected by the poisoned Quintessence, he may have remained “good?” Or do you think his obsession with Quintessence was already too great and it would’ve only been a matter of time before he became truly evil?

Dos Santos: I personally think that he had very ideological differences with the way Alfor saw things, even without the Quintessence coming into play. I think they came from very opposite ends of societal places.

Montgomery: Different cultures.

Dos Santos: But, they found common ground, and they worked together, so I think there’s a good chance that they could’ve worked together. Maybe there would’ve been ups and downs.

Montgomery: They didn’t see eye to eye, but nothing quite on the level that this has taken had he not encountered that Quintessence. Had they never discovered Voltron, even if they had resorted to war, it would’ve been a much smaller fallout. Something bad would’ve happened in their galaxy, but he wouldn’t have this world denomination that he’s been going on because of his obsession.

Dos Santos: I think Quintessence, if anything, it sort of grabs on to the worst of us and accentuates those elements. Like anything, it corrupts.

Montgomery: Anything at all, even, whether it’s good or evil. Medicine in large doses can kill you. So that’s really what Quintessence is. It’s not innately good or innately bad. It’s a power source, and if you misuse it, it can be very disastrous.

Dos Santos: I think that was the point also that Alfor was trying to get across. He was saying, “Guys, look, you’ve got to covet this stuff extremely cautiously,” in mind that there’s a balance with all of it.

Their commentaries go hand in hand with something Shiro’s clone said in S6: “Zarkon fell prey to his own evil instincts. The quintessence field didn’t create them, it revealed them.”

I’ve written two metas about Zarkon and Honerva’s madness arcs in detail, starting exactly from this premise - the blame is not shifted solely on quintessence, but on their own initial flaws.

The way I like to see it is like this: imagine a slider on a scale from white to black. In between there are lots of grays, which we all have, to a darker or lighter degree. Quintessence will take that slider and radically shift it in one or the other direction, depending what gray zone you’re in. Allura would be the positive example: she tipped the scale towards the bright side - when saving all realities, she transformed the quintessence "from a destructive force to a life-giving force."

Neither Honerva nor Zarkon were devoid of their past selves, even after becoming so vile. Their old selves were still there, their consciousnesses buried deep inside, and my metas explore their gradual transitions towards loss/recovery of their own personas, also taking into account the role of the dark entity within their journeys.

Lance says this nicely at the end of the show: “And had Princess Allura not seen that there was still good left in Honerva, we most likely would not be sitting here today. She grew to understand that there is good in everyone.”

Kid: “Even Emperor Zarkon?”

Lance: “Yes, even Emperor Zarkon.”

[emmetrain]

@multimusecatastrophy & @luminiferous-quintessence​ & @gcd-fcrsaken​

*I see how it is! Just because Ingo has a beard and talks about being responsible and such, you think he must be the smart twin! You are mistaken!

*Being the best twin is a competition and having facial hair is not a part of it. However, affinity with Pokemon training is! And I like winning more than anything else!

*”You will get poisoned!”

*A.

[pidgeyatto-a]

He doesn’t understand, but he’s now being handed five free ZooPalsTM and he doesn’t know exactly what to do with them but to overlook them and inspect them?? 

He mumbles under his breath: “...They are kind of cute.” 

[gravehags]

something something papas and ghouls taking care of you when you’re sick send tweet

primo - herbal remedy king (homemade, naturally) but understands the power of vick’s vaporub. will feed you tinctures and tonics while his weathered hands gently rub the goop on your chest. doesn’t mind when you cough in his face while you sleep.

secondo - #1 pastina maker in the abbey, has his own special recipe. will feed you so much goddamn broth you feel like you’re going to explode but when you open your mouth to object, he simply gives you the Secondo Emeritus Look™️ and you shut right up and pick up your spoon.

terzo - wholly unphased by how gross you look/sound/feel. to him you are always his amore, even as he’s holding your hair and you’re emptying your stomach in the toilet for the fourth time that night. will always make sure you’re hydrated.

copia - the ultimate fussy guy. when you first mention you don’t feel so good he’s already got the thermometer in hand, herding you into the bedroom. he’ll cluck and mutter to himself in italian as he frets over you until you finally tell him to please come to bed, bello, you are wearing a hole in the rug with your pacing.

cumulus - oh lord she’s comin and she’s got the goods. lulu will get her hands on every medication available in the abbey and go over all the symptoms every one helps in order to pick the best one for you. rubs your back soothingly and peppers your face with kisses, regardless of how clammy you are.

cirrus - firmly but gently reassures you that no, you’re not dying it’s just a virus and this does happen to humans on occasion. is the most sensible of the ghouls when you’re sick and like terzo, always holds your hair for you. will strip you down and bathe you all by herself with no complaints.

sunshine - big time cuddler. completely unphased by your grossness and will pull you into her embrace and gently stroke your hair while kissing the top of your head. giggles a little when you thank her in a nasally voice.

aurora - queen of channel surfing. when you get tired of watching the price is right all morning she’ll snag the remote from you and put on a juicy lifetime movie. her commentary makes you laugh so hard you go into coughing fits but improves morale greatly.

swiss - when you show up in his doorway and hoarsely proclaim you don’t feel so good he’s already halfway dragging you to bed. after he gets all your garments off this man is making you a nest to end all nests. you WILL be cozy.

mountain - brings you tea with honey on such a constant rotation you have to beg him to stop or you’ll wet the bed to which he calmly tells you he’ll carry you to the toilet every time if that’s what it takes. cleans up your used tissues with zero bitching.

phantom - this bug is a panicker. he’s relatively new and doesn’t get what the flu is so he automatically assumes you’re dying. you end up comforting him more than the other way around. if you do a sinus rinse he’s at the sink next to you, watching and absolutely fascinated.

rain - the gentlest of all the ghouls when you’re sick. unlike the others, he knows when to give you space to heal and be alone. doesn’t mean he neglects you though - like cirrus will absolutely bathe you with no complaints and get you back in fresh pajamas.

dewdrop - speaking of complaints, this guy will bitch on your behalf til there’s no tomorrow. he’ll hold your giant water bottle up to your mouth, proclaiming how fucked up it is that you’re suffering and he can’t really do anything about it. always validates you and your feelings, even if you are being a little whiny baby.

aether - like secondo, he is making you a hearty soup the instant he hears a sniffle. he’s happy to make grocery store runs for your sick staples and comes home with way more than you’ll ever need. when you’re restless because your illness won’t let you sleep, he slings an arm around your waist to ground you and maybe, just maybe uses a little quintessence magic to lull you to sleep in his arms.

[witchofthesouls]

I have this image of Jack standing next to Arcee as June introduces her new boyfriend, the Titan (insert name here). Jack was already mortified when he learned his mom was a robo-fucker. This is a humongous mech who turns into a space ship and a city. A cybertronian sized city! The teen is floping down on the base couch having a full on nervous breakdown trying to push away all questions he realy doesn't want to think about, let alone get the answers too.

Meanwhile you have the Autobots marveling over June becomeing the first new cityspeaker since before the war. Also just the Quintessions being active is Alarming™️.

Who knows what our unhinged Titan friend is going to do when he learns human lives are so short especially if he's got a personality that's part Ratchet's and part Optimus.

Jack is having a breakdown for entirely different reasons because the Cybertronian gods did a coin toss to see if June will have Megatron and his child at Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays or if she will plan Megatron's demise. They'll either get along like dynamite in a mine, someone will end up dead, or both.

He has no idea how it will turn out, but when his mom has a Project. It's hers.

And I meant it's June that has a personality between Ratchet and Orion Pax. Like every good hospital worker with shitty administration, she's very much a person who has Malicious Compliance embedded in her bones with the addition of spite, energy drinks, and hidden contraband somewhere you wouldn't expect under a serene smile and a spine of steel.

If you are her people, then she'll mother-hen the shit out of you. She's intense and she knows that. June has gotten better over the years in that aspect, but should a friend or family need help, she's there.

20/10 will drive you to your surgery at 4 am as a designated driver, terrify your shitty apartment managers into compliance, or help plan a massive heist to take back all the money your cheating lover has stolen over the years for their side piece(s). She's built on solid alibis and documentation, documentation, and oh documentation.

She made a nest of giant pillows in the garage for Arcee, and even partitioned it out to give the femme the privacy to be rest in her root-mode when June needs to use the clicker. And Jack uncovered the plans to target Airachnid, and he has no idea how to feel about it because he can tell that his mom is heavily utilizing the medical commentary from Ratchet, the details of the 'bots' exploits that Miko manages to wheedle out, and his own experiences with 'bot-eating parasites...

The unhinged Titan has found a match, but it's not romantic. Oh no, June Darby now has a life-long project to spruce it up. And said Titan is not only over the moon that its new favorite person with similar levels of devotion, but has a lineage with a son that looks so much like her. It was once a major research facility that dealt with xenobiology. It's not above looking into ways to expand their lifespans. Anything for their favorite. Anything. Even if it must lure the resident scientists to its bosom and trap them to make use of its repository of accumulated data.

[miasmaghoul]

I am getting bullied (/lh) by the Swiss in our system as I type this, but opinions on Swiss dirty talk? Like some kind of combination degrading and praise? He’s such a gremliny guy, I feel like wether he tops or bottoms doesn’t matter, he’s not gunna shut his mouth -🌌

Swiss loves dirty talk of all kinds, and he REALLY likes to be the only voice in the room whenever possible. Likes to hear nothing but gasps and moans from his partner(s). No words unless he asks a question, just reactions. He likes to see the effect his words have.

He can dish out any and all kinds of filth. Praise, degradation and everything in between. He can get cruel with it or keep everything light, it really depends on who he's with and what they're doing. Big on pet names, loves calling the others anything but their actual names.

He has overstepped though. Got too into it and said things that had Dew in the entirely wrong kind of tears. That was the only time Swiss can really truly recall being speechless. He'd recovered quickly and apologized, gathering the little ghoul in his arms and trying not to panic. It never happens again.

But as a rule you're right, Swiss definitely never shuts up. It's not in his nature. Always running his mouth in one way or another. The others usually don't mind, unless they're trying to watch a movie or something and he's providing commentary.

Aether used his quintessence to shut him up one day - just...took his voice away. Swiss never told him how hot he thought that was, but the way he watches Aether from the corner of his eye every time the others get agitated speaks volumes.

[metanarrates]

On a serious note, I'm really finding all of your commentary very enlightening; the magical girl genre has always embodied the quintessence of escapism as contemporary girlhood within an urban, capitalistic culture would have it. The Magical Girl as a manifestation of hegemonistic fantasy is unique for a number of reasons, the most prominent being that it centers young girls and their perspectives, desires, and emotions over that of a general audience's (for all intents and purposes, children's media targeted towards young boys is functionally gender neutral because of how people understand the exclusivity of feminine characteristics in contrast to the Defaultness of masculinity and with it, men).

I find the way ptutu handles its topics, as a measured subversion that never manages to go that deep with its commentary, to be innately reflective of that escapist core. Like, what parts of its genre conventions' mechanics flew over the writers' heads? Why? It's so fascinating to me .

ABSOLUTELY. i know very little about the magical girl genre proper (though broader shoujo is an area of interest for me) but it's always been interesting to me to think about it not only as an appeal to girls as customers, but the ways in which it reifies existing norms of girlhood by trying to appeal to what the creators assume A Girl would like. for every story, creators are assuming an audience. when that target audience is gendered, you start to see a very specific construct of what that audience is meant to enjoy and relate to. it's WHY romance manwha fascinates the hell out of me - as an arospec nb lesbian, I am not gonna fucking relate to whatever idea of acceptable femininity and romance norms are assumed to be relatable LMAO

my hot take is that the key mechanics did not fly over the authors' heads at all in regards to ptutu's ending. though my friend pointed out that it's weird that rue and ahiru don't have a focus on their friendship (friendship between girls is a HUGE focus in most magical girl shows,) the ending, as you said, still reflects that escapist core. romance as a quintessential component of girlhood is a key escapist function of a lot of shoujo. it's just that that idea clashes WILDLY with everything that exists in princess tutu's particular story. like, I do not mind that a show for children is not a deep subversive deconstruction. not everything can be utena. it's just disappointing that the writers went for the safe route rather than the one that makes any sense...

[musicarenagh]

Life Beyond the Mic: Natalia Quest's Passions and Pursuits Allow me to introduce Natalia Quest. She is the Russian singer-songwriter who’s currently causing waves in LA. Her stage name, a fusion of her innate sense of adventure and the word 'Quest,' reflects a deliberate choice to encapsulate the essence of her journey through life and music. "Inversion" delves into the depths of societal discord, wielding orchestral arrangements, gritty guitars, and haunting vocals to mirror the stark realities of our contemporary world. The song serves as both a commentary and a call to action, challenging listeners to confront the unsettling truths woven into the fabric of our existence. But Natalia is not only music; devotion to human beings stays outside studio boundaries. For instance, she recounts how she parted ways with a sound designer because of their inability to connect well with her creativity. Join us as we delve deeper into the life of this multi-talented musician. Listen to Inversion below https://open.spotify.com/track/5ntxBhOQLkLQoFFSG1VmT2 Follow Natalia Quest on Facebook Spotify Soundcloud Youtube Instagram What is your stage name? Natalia Quest Is there a story behind your stage name? When I recorded my first song several years ago, I also had to choose a name for my project. I asked myself, 'What pseudonym or word could succinctly and metaphorically encapsulate the quintessence of my personality, experiences, and ever-evolving consciousness?' And within a few days, the word 'Quest' confidently came to me. Where do you find inspiration? I don't actively seek it… Inspiration comes spontaneously. Often, as a form of therapy during intense moments in my life, I gravitate towards listening to intense songs that help process my feelings, or I create ones like that myself. While pain can certainly serve as a major source of inspiration, I can also draw inspiration from very positive and uplifting aspects of life, as well as from some artists and writers, , and their masterpieces that touch my soul. What was the role of music in the early years of your life? I graduated from a music school and a music college in my hometown in Russia. Although my school years were not the most pleasant and easy for me due to various reasons, I believe that my academic background still helps me incorporate classical elements into my compositions and feel more comfortable experimenting with musical harmonies. During my teenage years, I was a huge fan of Queen. They became my role models for their unique approach to mainstream, playful freedom of artistic expressions, sophisticated self-ironical rebelliousness, and their bold blend of various genres, etc [caption id="attachment_53663" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Life Beyond the Mic: Natalia Quest's Passions and Pursuits[/caption] Are you from a musical or artistic family? Partially. My father and my uncle possess great creative and musical talents. Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry? The music industry itself is not very inspiring, and I've encountered a lot of resistance in pursuing this path. However, lyrics and music keep coming to me. I heard someone wise say that keeping your art to yourself is also a form of crime. Therefore, I am more inspired by the idea of sharing my songs with those willing to listen, rather than by being a part of the music industry per se. How did you learn to sing/write/to play? I am not very fond of playing various instruments, and when it comes to singing, I underwent a complex and unconventional journey that required me to figure out how to 'unlearn' certain things and imprints to simply unleash my natural voice and my true essence through vocals. I have always written poetry, and my first mature songs were recorded in 2014. I don't use formulas or algorithms in composition; I want to give the song the freedom to be what it wants to be. And yes, I am constantly learning and will continue to learn; I cannot claim that I have fully mastered anything by this point.

What was the first concert that you ever went to, and who did you see perform? I think it was the Russian rock singer Vladimir Kuzmin, and I was around 5 years old. ) How could you describe your music? It's a form of magic to me. It's a form of a spell. Most of my lyrics have a tendency to manifest itself over time—it's fascinating, and this observation imposes a certain responsibility on me, as well as presents me with some interesting dilemmas. Describe your creative process. There's nothing linear in there. It's about observing how chaos and raw emotion gradually take shape, flowing through time and your entire being. Each song is a separate world to me, with its own history. What is your main inspiration? The idea that my craft can help someone navigate through difficult times and/or realize something important for themselves, consequently changing their life for the better, inspires me the most. Who do you see as your main competitor? I do not compete in art… everyone is a unique expression of the Source, you can only compete with your past self What are your interests outside of music? I have a degree in psychology, and I am continuing my education in this field. Additionally, I have studied astrology, which remains both my hobby and an addiction, in a way) I also like exploring the hidden and taboo aspects of reality and society, which helps me better understand the bigger picture. If it wasn't a music career, what would you be doing? I would work as a therapist, conduct honest and transparent charitable acts, which, in fact, I have always wanted to do, regardless of music. I would also like to help address environmental issues in the future when my more basic needs are further fulfilled and secured. https://open.spotify.com/artist/6UzJ061DDm9yS8aztWndxj?si=IZuiDAxxSOmv69nZl10UvA If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be? I would cultivate a more complex and profound approach to composition in the mainstream. The simplification and algorithmic soullessness of much of today's mainstream music can truly upset me. I would also stop glorifying consumption in one form or another. We are much deeper and far more interesting beings to primarily cultivate and celebrate our animalistic urges. Do you have any artistic collaboration plans? Yes, I’m open to collaborating with like-minded professionals. The right chemistry is rare but can perform miracles when combining the right skill set along with it. What message would you like to give to your fans? Be very honest, first and foremost, with yourself. Then with others. Treat yourself with kindness and compassion. The world will reflect ,)

[samusings]

' you're very kind. some day it'll get you killed ' from a very ominous mountain

Random Dialogue Prompts

Rituals were special, each annointed to a beautiful apotheosis in the memory of The Clergy. Every Ritual was another chance to gain more traction, get drunk off of the ego boost upon ego boost that came from screaming and squealing patrons who would sing together with Papa and rejoice in Lucifer's unholy name. They never knew just how true each song was, how that power went right into the project's hands for its true higher purpose. The hearts and souls of thousands of sinners were in the caring hands of Papa and his Ghouls, transferring to their worship. Every prayer was power, and yet...why were there cheers that sounded smaller, shriller than that of so many humans? Aether could pick out the smaller humans in the crowd, the ones who were brought by their families.

And it was only inevitable a child would get caught up in the large crowds. So many people stampeding and rushing, it only made sense that someone would lose their grip on their child's hand in the confusion. Ghouls were expected to follow Papa offstage, march back to dressing rooms and cheer and celebrate in rapturous joy, but Aether did not immediately join the group as he found his masked self joining the crowd and returning the distressed young to their parents. It was a swell reunion, over quickly as Aether waved and rushed backstage without a word to a single human. He had thrown himself into the belly of the fleshy, human beast before he was caught scampering backstage by the massive, mountainous Ghoul.

' you're very kind. some day it'll get you killed. '

Although initially startling, Aether's wide eyes relaxed back as he realizes Mountain was just offering commentary! Phew! He thought this was something bad! The Quintessence laughed and reached up to pat Mountain on the shoulder.

"Please, Mountie. You know I'll be fine. It would take hundreds of arena's worth of humans to take me down! As for the kindness, well..." He shrugged. "Young shouldn't be separated from their caregiver. That's just a fact of life. We must do right by those who are too small to defend themselves, help them, you know?"

[northernrevive]

OUT NOW: SQUEEZE ‘FOOD FOR THOUGHT’ EP

OUT NOW: SQUEEZE ‘FOOD FOR THOUGHT’ EP PROFITS TO INDEPENDENT UK FOOD BANKS The title track, a brand new song, is a social commentary on the cost of living crisis and the increasing reliance on food banks. ALSO ON THE ROAD WITH THE FOOD FOR THOUGHT UK TOUR FEATURING A VERY SPECIAL GUEST, DR JOHN COOPER CLARKE LISTEN / BUY HERE  / squeezeofficial.com In the midst of their ‘Food For Thought’ 25 dates UK tour, British music legends Squeeze have released their new six-track EP featuring the title track, ‘Food For Thought’. The track is a brand new song written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook that is a pithy commentary on society, the cost of living crisis, and the increasing reliance on food banks. Robert waits for his turn no fuss The wage he earns is not enough ….. It’s simply a disgrace. Their needs cannot be met Food for thought we’re not done yet ‘Food For Thought’ lyrics here “It’s terrible and wrong that so many people have no choice other than the help that food banks provide to feed their family. That there are so many people who have to choose between food and heating is a disgrace,” said Glenn Tilbrook. Also included on the EP are new recordings of ‘The Very First Dance’ and ‘Electric Trains’ as well as live recordings of ‘In Quintessence’, ‘Slap and Tickle’ and ‘The Day I Get Home’ recorded at the Liverpool Philharmonic. Profits from the EP, which is released digitally and sold on CD at the shows, will go to Independent UK food banks.   TOUR SUPPORTS ANTI-POVERTY CHARITY THE TRUSSELL TRUST In addition to the donations to independent foodbanks from the EP, Squeeze are also continuing their relationship with the anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust. Throughout the tour Squeeze and their fans are once again be supporting the charity which provides emergency food and support to people locked in poverty while campaigning for change to end the need for food banks in the UK. “It’s so sad that in these times people have to lean on local food banks to feed their families, please support The Trussell Trust by offering as much as you can afford and enjoy the music we have created” said co-founder Chris Difford. Right now, millions of people across the country are facing a cost of living crisis as food and energy prices soar and families are feeling the biggest squeeze on incomes in a generation. That’s why attendees on the tour have been invited to bring along food donations to the shows, where there will be collection points across the venue each night. There is also be collection buckets for any cash donations.  All donations are distributed to people in crisis across the 1,300 food bank centres in the Trussell Trust network. Here is a link to information on the items that are requested: www.trusselltrust.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/donate-food/. Previous tours by Squeeze and Glenn Tilbrook have raised tonnes of food and thousands of pounds for the charity. Emma Revie, CEO of The Trussell Trust, said “The cost of living crisis is impacting all of us, but for people on the lowest incomes it means they cannot afford the essentials such as heating or food. We are extremely grateful to Squeeze and all of their fans for kindly donating to the Trussell Trust from their tour, their generosity will help us ensure that food banks across the UK are able to continue delivering vital support this winter.” The 25-date ‘Food For Thought’ tour, which includes a hometown show at Indigo At The O2, see Squeeze dip into their impressive list of hits and rare gems from throughout their extensive back catalogue. Joined by very special guest and original ‘people’s poet’ Dr John Cooper Clarke, tickets are on sale now via www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk. Squeeze first formed in 1973, shortly after Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook had begun their songwriting partnership. By 1977 they had made their recording debut and enjoyed a string of hits, establishing the band as not just a passing footnote in new-wave history, but as an important and vital part of quintessential British music. Following solo careers, the Ivor Novello Award-winning duo reunited in 2007 to relaunch Squeeze and have been touring, writing and recording together ever since, returning to the UK album charts and airwaves with 2015’s Cradle To The Grave and 2017’s The Knowledge. Over the last few years Squeeze have been touring extensively, most recently in the USA with Daryl Hall and John Oates and with Madness on their UK Arena tour. Joining Squeeze on their UK tour is one of Britain's most outstanding poets - Dr John Cooper Clarke. His anarchic punk poetry has thrilled people for decades and his no nonsense approach to his work has seen his career spanning cultures, audiences, art forms and continents. Dr John Cooper Clarke will take you on an incredible journey with pieces from the new book, poems (old and new) and his usual musings, off the wall chat, riffs, gags and wicked humour. This comes after the bard of Salford embarked on his ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ tour, based on his memoir, released by Picador. This explored his extraordinary life, filled with remarkable personalities: from Nico to Chuck Berry; Bernard Manning to Linton Kwesi Johnson; Elvis Costello to Gregory Corso; Mark E. Smith to Gil Scott Heron and Joe Strummer and on to more recent fans and collaborators like Alex Turner, Plan B and Guy Garvey. Tickets for Squeeze are on sale now via www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.    Squeeze Food For Thought UK Tour Remaining ‘Food For Thought’ UK tour dates - Mon 07 Nov 22 Liverpool Philharmonic Hall - Tue 08 Nov 22 Liverpool Philharmonic Hall - Wed 09 Nov 22 Edinburgh Usher Hall - Fri 11 Nov 22 Nottingham Royal Concert Hall - Sat  12 Nov 22 Birmingham Symphony Hall - Sun 13 Nov 22 Birmingham Symphony Hall - Tue 15 Nov 22 Llandudno Venue Cymru Theatre (Beautiful Landing not John Cooper Clarke) - Thu 17 Nov 22 Swansea Arena - Fri 18 Nov 22 Cardiff St David’s Hall - Sat 19 Nov 22 London Eventim Apollo - Mon 21 Nov 22 Southampton O2 Guildhall - Tue 22 Nov 22 Bath Forum - Wed 23 Nov 22 Torquay Princess Theatre - Thu 24 Nov 22 London Indigo at The O2 - Sat 26 Nov 22 Brighton Centre - Sun 27 Nov 22 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre - Tue  29 Nov 22 Guildford G Live - Wed 30 Nov 22 Southend Cliffs Pavilion EP tracklisting 1 Food For Thought 2 The Very First Dance 3 Electric Trains 4 In Quintessence (recorded at the Liverpool Philharmonic) 5 Slap and Tickle (recorded at the Liverpool Philharmonic) 6 The Day I Get Home (recorded at the Liverpool Philharmonic) Read the full article

[mxstball]

“....Did Mother just---”

She had to wipe her eyes.

“...but I don’t look like an Impadimp at all!”

[catadioptrics]

Awkwardly looks away.

[30-days-witchversary]

30 Days of WITCHversary 2021 Prompts

Good day WITCH Tumblr! Here’s the prompts for this year’s WITCHversary:

Heart

Quintessence

Water

Fire

Earth

Air

Fantasy

Mystery

Unity

Discord

Friend

Parent

Villain

Lover

Warrior

Mentor

Leader

Follower

Past

Future

Joy

Sorrow

Monumental

Inspirational

Mundane

Hot Take

Wild Guess

What If

Origin

Legacy

As a reminder to participants, you may post art, ficlets, commentaries, theories, moodboards, clips, GIFs, etc. in response to the prompt, as long as it fits within the theme or prompt given to you. You are free to skip prompts if you like. The goal is to share your experience of WITCH and celebrate WITCH in what way you can.

The event, as before, will run from October 1 to October 30. As usual, please tag your posts with #30 days of witchversary or #30dayswitchversary so we can reblog them for everyone to see. See you soon!

To join the WITCH discord server, please follow this link: discord.gg/GvSdERxXNM

[bookofjin]

Commentary on the Warer Classic: Kunlun

[We return again to Kunlun and its many marvels. Attempts by some authors to equate Kunlun with Anavatapta from Buddhist tradition are difficult to reconcile with Daoist supernatural geographies, which I suppose is not too surprising.

Dongfang Shuo was a historical person who lived in the times of Emperor Wu of Han. The Records of Ten Islands and Classic of Gods and Wonders, though attributed to him, are quite likely to be much later works though.

Mr. Shi's discussion: Fotutiao arranges Classic of Mountains and Seas to say: South of the Western Sea, adjacent to the Flowing Sands, behind of the Red River赤水 and before of the Black River黑水 there is a great mountain, named Kunlun崑崙.

He also says: Six hundred li west of Zhong Mountain鍾山 is Kunlun Mountain崑崙山 from where sets out five rivers, carrying on hence the Account of Fotutiao.

Also recently pushed forward and obtained Kang Tai's Account of Funan. The Account's Kunlun Mountain崑崙山 exactly combine with Tiao's. According to the Account, from Jiao province交州 you arrive at the near-most of Tianzhu天竺. Tai's Account likewise knows that Anavatapta Mountian阿耨達山 is Kunlun Mountain崑崙山.

Shi states: Depending perhaps on Tiao's Account, openly making explanations, and then circulating them as the Map of the Western Region, to then tell of [Zhu?] Faitai. Faitai uses the common to see the unusual. He speaks of various famous people from Han and onward [?], he does not respond to the He河 being several thousand li south of Dunhuang敦煌, and does not know where Kunlun崑崙 is.

Shi states: Then the book says: Relying on Transmittals on the Majestic Son of Heaven, King Mu at the sides of Kunlun崑崙 and upon the Jade Pool瑤池 toasted the Queen Mother of the West, and states the distance to Zongzhou宗周, the Chan瀍 and Jian 澗, eleven thousand, one hundred li, how might it not be like Tiao tells? When Sir now sees Tai's Account, it is not making previous people unknowledgeable. But from now and afterwards then knowing that Kunlun Mountain崑崙山 is without a Hot Hill熱丘, how then to state it is outside of the foreign states?

I have examined Mr. Shi's words, but not yet made satisfactory proof. The Majestic Son of Heaven, Bamboo Book, and the Classic of Mountains and Seas all were buried and concealed years long past, the bamboo slips and leather are scarce and broken off, the books and records in scattered order. It is difficult to sew and patch them together. Later people made use of combining, but often deviated from the distant ideas. Reaching the desire to inquire into the earth's veins and streams, they do not fit together with the Classic. Inspecting the journeys and measuring the paths, assuredly they have no meetings with themselves. Mr. Shi did not restore to the root the vast causes of their multitude returns, [but] displayed his unsparing interest [?], to separate their faults, and not what is settled.

Now according to the Classic of Mountains and Seas which says: The Kunlun Barrens崑崙墟 are in the north-west, they are the Deity's lower capital. The barrens of Kunlun崙崑 are eight hundred lisquare, and ten thousand ren tall. Upon them are wooden standing grain. On the sides there are nine wells with jade as the enclosure. On the sides there are nine gates, the gates have enlightened beasts defending them. It is the place where are the hundred gods.

Guo Pu says: Separate from them there is Lesser Kunlun小崑崙.

Also according to the Book of Huainan, upon Kunlun崑崙 there are wooden standing grain, gem trees, jade trees, and jadestone璇 trees. The unding trees are west of them. The sand crab apple trees and and malachite are east of them. The scarlet trees are south of them. The blue-green trees and chalcedony trees are north of them. There are four hundred and forty gates, between the gates are four hamlets, and between the hamlets are nine chun. A chun is a zhang and five chi. On the sides are nine wells, with jade horizontal supports on their north-western crooks. The northern gates open to admit the winds that do not circle [?].

The slanting palace, revolving chamber, suspended gardens, cool winds, and fenced paulownia are within of Kunlun's崑崙 opening and closing gate. This is its wide-apart park. The pool of the wide-apart park is irrigated with the Yellow River黃水. The Yellow River黃水 circles three times and returns to its source, it is spoken of as the Cinnabar River丹水. [Those who] drink from it do not die.

The He River河水 sets out from its north-eastern corner. The Red River赤水 sets out from its south-eastern corner. The Immense River洋水 sets out from its north-western corner. Altogether these four rivers are the divine springs of the Deity, which harmonizes the hundred herbs, and which moisten the ten thousand things.

The hills of Kunlun崑崙, some are multiple times above them, they are spoken of as the Mountains of Cool Winds涼風. Those who climb them do not die. Some are multiple times above them, they are spoken of as the Mountains of the Dark Garden玄圃. Those who climb them then become unearthly, and are able to make wind and rain. Some are multiple times above them, these then uphold High Heaven. Those who climb them then become divine. These are spoken of as the dwellings of the Grand Deity. Yu then used the comforting earth to fill in the vast flood, and used it as the name for a mountain, digging out the Kunlun Barrens崑崙虛 to use as its lower ground.

Gao You says: Some of the land was made into a pool. Hence conforming with Fotutiao's explanation. Anavatapta's阿耨達 six rivers are the boundaries of Congling 蔥嶺 and Yutian's于闐 two rivers. He and the classics, histories and various books fully are inconsistent and different.

Also according to the Records of Ten Continents, Kunlun Mountain崑崙山 is the xu戌 land of the Western Sea and the hai亥 land of the Northern Sea. The distance between the banks is a hundred and thirty thousand li. There is the Weak River弱水 that encircles and goes around the mountain. To the south-east it joins the Piled-up Rocks Garden積石圃. To the north-west it joins with the House of the Northern Door北戶之室. To the north-east it overlooks the Well of Great Width大闊之井. To the south-west it is near the Valley of Accepted Abyss承淵之谷.

These four corners are great mountains, in truth the supporting buttresses of Kunlun崑崙. The Piled-up Rocks Garden積石圃 is the southern head. Formerly the Queen Mother of the West informed King Mu of Zhou, stating: The distance to Xianyang咸陽 is four hundred and sixty li, the mountain's hight above the level ground is thirty-six thousand li. Upon it there are three corners. Their faces are square, ten thousand li wide, and shaped like a resting pot, narrow below and wide above.

For that reason they say Kunlun Mountain崑崙山 has three corners. One of the corners is straight north, shielding the glow of the Morning Star [Mercury], its name is Wind-on-the-Fells Summit閬風巔. One the corners is straight west, its name is Dark Garden Terrace玄圃臺. One of its cornes is straight east, its name is Kunlun Palace崑崙宮. In that place there are piles of gold, it is the Heaven-Walled City天墉城. Its faces are a thousand li square. Upon the city are installed five gold terraces and twelve jade towers. Its Northern Door Mountain戶出山 and Accepted Abyss Mountain 承淵山 also have walled cities, with gold terraces and jade towers similar to the first one.

The watchtower of abyssal quintessence, the hall of brilliant blue-green stone, the chamber of carnelian splendour, the violet, bright blue, and cinnabar houses, the bright torches with sunshine, the vermilion-coloured clouds and nine lights, the place where the Queen Mother of the West governs, the place where the realized officials that are transcended and supernatural revere, the highest exchange with the whirling armillary, the primordial vapour flowing and spreading, the jade transverse's regular management, where to follow the Nine Heavens and attune yin and yang, the throng of things and crowd of living beings, where the rare, strange, and special sets out, all are here. The Heavenly people, manifold and multiple, cannot be drawn up and recorded. North of there, outside the seas, also there is Zhong Mountain鍾山. Upon it there are gold terraces and jade watchtowers, and it also enclosed by the primordial vapour, the place where the Heavenly Deity resides and governs.

Examining the words of Dongfang Shuo, and the Classic's text of fifty thousand li, they argue against Fotutiao and Kang Tai's Accounts. Within the Six Cardinal points, and what is concealed by rivers and marshes, what is large is not vast, what is small is not tiny, what exists is not become present, what is hidden is not absent. Among them [cases of] the same name but different regions, with claims and stories making chaos of each other, are also not few. Reaching the Eastern Sea's東海 Fangzhang方丈 [“Square Staff”?], it likewise has what is claimed about Kunlun崑崙. The Western Continent's西洲 Copper Pillar銅柱 also has the government of the Nine Offices.

Dongfang Shuo's Records of Ten Islands says: Fangzhang方丈 is at the exact centre of the Eastern Sea. From the eastern to western or southern to northern banks, the distance from each other is exactly the same. The sides of the Fangzhang are each five thousand li, upon it solely is the gathering place for the crowd of dragons. It has palaces of gold, jade, and glazed glass, which are the places governed by the Three Heavenly Ministers' instructions. Those among the crowd of transcendents who do not intend to climb to Heaven all come and go.

Zhang Hua's preface to Dongfang Shuo's Classic of Gods and Wonders says: Kunlun崑崙 has the Copper Pillar銅柱, its height enters into the Heavens, and it is spoken of as the Heavenly Pillar天柱. Its circumference is three thousand li, and it circles round [?] like a trimmer knife. Below there are rotating houses, the seat of the transcendents' Nine Offices. Above there is a great bird, named Xiyou [lit. “Rare Possession”]. Turning south, it extends its left wing to covered the Honoured King of the East, and its right wing the Queen Mother of the West. On its back there is a small spot without feathers, ten or nine thousand li, where the Queen Mother of the West yearly climbs on top of the wings, to go to the Honoured King of the East.

For that reason its pillar inscription says: “Its height enters into the Heavens, circling round like a trimmer knife, skin and body the finest quality. Its bird inscription says: “There is the Xiyou, green-red, glittering and glimmering, it does not cry and does not east. To the east it covers the Honoured King of the East, to the west it covers the Queen Mother of the West. The Queen Mother wished to go east, and climbed it to pass through herself. Yin and yang are necessary for each other, and indeed meet in beneficial labour.”

The Map of the Hidden Jia to Open Mountains says: For what the Five Dragons were teaching and traces from the Heavenly Augusts, look in Outside Nowhere's無外, Pillar Province柱州, on top Kunlun Mountian崑崙山.

Mr. Rong's Commentary states: The Five Dragons governed in the Five Regions, and were the gods of the Five Agents. The Five Dragons submitted to the Heaven August brothers, who where twelve people. They divided the Five Regions to become Twelve Sections, regulated the traces of the Five Dragons, and acted with nothingness to become transformed by it. Where Under Heaven the transcended sages govern is in Pillar Province柱州, on top Kunlun Mountian崑崙山. The mountain of Outside Nowhere's無外 is twelve thousand li south-east of Kunlun崑崙. The Five Dragons and Heavenly August all set out from within there, and become the twelve seasonal gods.

The Classic of Mountains and Seas says: The Hills of Kunlun崑崙 are truly indeed the Deity's lower capital. Their god Luwu is Minister of the Nine Sections of Heaven and the enclosed seasons of the Deity.

However within the Six Cardinal points, what they contain is far-distant. With the shrouded that causes to bring forth the marvellous, it is difficult to get to the root of the actual situation. With the ten thousand phenomena and distant pinnacles, thoughts cut across the fundamental search. [If] oneself does not climb a pair of dragons on the Cloud Carriage-Track, and gallops eight steeds on Tortoise Road, together with Xuanyuan question the Hundred Spirits, and side-by-side with Yu the Great assembles the gathered calculations, then the explanations of Ruists or Moists, who can tell them apart!

[trulymightypotato]

For the DVD Commentary?

Techno stepped out of the gold and red nebula of magic, a triumphant grin on his own face.

A gold and netherite sword slashed, cutting the magic in half, and there stood a teenager with golden hair that flowed into golden clothes, Her eyes obscured by magic and Her mouth in a feral grin. She held the sword in one hand, Her shield in the other, and howled with absolute delight as She jumped into the fray.

If Her sheer presence wasn’t enough to immediately identify Her, the Nether itself willingly folded to Ethemr, ground shifting to boost Her jumps and fungal trees reaching to catch Her. Sparks flew from Her sword each time She swung it, embers shimmering on the ground where Her boots dug in with inhuman force. All the fire burning stopped being orange and blue as she moved past, instead burning bright gold before slowly getting smaller with each and every flicker.

This got long, so I put it under the cut:

(Spoilers for When the End Calls, of course)

1. So there's a fun fact behind this bit, where Paradox and I actually debated if Ethemr should be like asleep and out of action (though we never decided on a reason why) before deciding it was cooler to have her all ready for action and just where Darkness couldn't get her.

2. The whole reason behind the nebula is it kinda looks like Nether fog but also a whole lot of chaotic things happen in nebulas and it's very fitting.

3. There's a specific Nether song track I was trying to channel in this scene. Rubedo has this slow start that just amps up the anxiety (gosh I have a complicated relationship with this when it plays in-game), but at about the 3:40 mark it has this bit that's always felt kinda triumphant to me, like the Nether is singing out in some sort of recognition.

Obviously that's a lot of projection onto a single background song, but I really wanted to have that same sort of buildup.

4. Ethemr is feral. On one hand, because she's the Goddess of Chaos. On another, because she's a teenager with access to a sword and magic. And she's very powerful, and not entirely in control of her magic when she's outside of the Nether, though she does her best. In the Nether, though--it's her domain. Like, it literally started forming in response to her needs before she even realized she was capable of forming a dimension. Of course it's going to respond to her every move. Of course she's going to be so incredibly extra.

(Fun fact: we see a similar thing happen with Dream in the Badlands when he and the Captain are fighting. Except it doesn't work the way it's supposed to, because the world is fighting back against Darkness, so sometimes it hindered Dream instead of helping.)

6. Early on we decided that green was The Godly Color--in the Overworld, at least, because everyone there is so used to associating it with Gorai. Historically, Champions wore green and then their god's color--something we actually see Phil do, wearing green and black.

Ironically, Gorai's color is actually white, which is reflected in his quintessence. Y'know, like pure light that feeds the life cycle--the order of life? Which is why Dream's mask is white and Sapnap's bandana is white and the frames of George's goggles are white. Of course, those things were established before the fic, but why change stuff that isn't broken?

Denenur's color is black because of the void and the End, and because they eventually sacrifice themself to significantly delay Darkness. Parallels are fun. (Side note: Phil actually would have been pretty invisible when flying between islands in the End, between his dark clothes and his dark wings. Not entirely, obviously, but he'd have looked a lot smaller than he was.)

Ethemr could have been either gold or red, but we also needed a color for Techno and that kinda needed to be red. So we went with gold for her, because it's such a big deal in the Nether already- and so what if one of the reasons for that is because it's the color of the goddess there?

7. Gold and netherite swords do not exist but it really is a fun visual and honestly that's a huge part of the point. I have this mental picture of it looking like how when someone wraps two pipe cleaners together in a spiral, except then hammered flat. Obviously that's not logistically possible--netherite goes over diamond, and that's not something you can smelt.

Ethemr did it. Neither Denenur or Gorai would have done it (Denenur wouldn't have wanted to, given she made it to fight in the Horizon Wars and she was the equivalent of like nine at the time, and Gorai can't make something so far out of the natural order of things). I don't know how she did it, but she did, and that's the important part.

8. Phil has seen her do this before. He still thinks it's really cool.

9. I don't know if you've noticed, but each of the godly siblings have different colors of hair. We wanted them to be plausibly siblings--though hair color is, as far as that's concerned, not always consistent on that front--so they have a gradient of hair among the three of them. It gets more saturated with age order--Denenur's was nearly white, Gorai's is darker but definitely a blond-ish color, and Ethemr has gold.

Also, none of them have short hair. Irrelevant, but now you know.

10. Techno's very proud of her causing chaos. He won't answer her phone, but he is very proud of her.

11. Ethemr immediately knew she was fighting corrupted mobs. Literally no Nether inhabitant would ever even think about attacking her or her allies otherwise. She's their goddess and they love her.

[whattheklance]

anyone else question whether Lotor is legitimately blood related to Zarkon or Honerva?