#reqiuem

[natasharomanoff]

Watch Bella Ramsey in their new horror short, REQUIEM.

Synopsis: Requiem is set in 1605, against the backdrop of the witch trials. It's a coming of age story, following Evelyn as she engages in a game of cat and mouse against her father, Minister Gilbert, in order to be with Mary, the woman she loves.

[zettanoia]

oc doodles of varying oldness part1

[part2]

[nintendont2502]

caliborn in the new reqiuem promo image is so

what. what are you grabbing

[pavizi]

my reqiuem cafe merch got here!!! i couldnt go in person so i had a friend mail me this shit. its so cool

[drayners]

more OC art... this is the vampire Crow from the weekly World of Darkness game I play in! Crow is an anxious mage who spends their time hanging out with (and worrying about) the deadliest monsters in town. When not worrying away, Crow researches arcane rituals and spies on the dreams of town mortals.

[supercantaloupe]

pedantic shit that's annoying me today is people referring to verdi's requiem just as "reqiuem" or "the reqiuem". basically every choral composer since the sixteenth century wrote reqiuem masses, verdi isn't special, get a grip

[jaebird88]

Legitimately thought this was going to be the live-action deal, but it isn't as Requiem for Vengeance is a different thing and CG animated. Which is fine in that regard as this looks to be pretty darn sweet with a few exceptions. Might just be because of how its edited for the trailer, but the English dubbing does not quite match up with the lip flaps on the characters.

Portraying the Gundam as this monster from the perspective of Zeon soldiers is a neat idea. And conveying war as not pretty and romanticized like how it's made out to be in other depictions is the meat and potatoes of Mobile Suit Gundam.

[serephinastardust]

The Book I'm writing: Requiem of the Rising Flames Rewrite #1 Chapter 13

As the group entered the glade, whispers of suspicion continued to weave through the air, creating an undercurrent of tension. Xander, focused on the Lunar Ember Blossom, only became aware of the ongoing conversations after locating the coveted flower. Turning his attention to the group, he overheard their discussions and raised an eyebrow.

"Who is this Seraphina Vossheart you're speaking of?" Xander asked, his tone betraying a genuine lack of recognition.

The question seemed to dumbfound everyone, as if Xander couldn't possibly be oblivious to someone who had consistently hovered around their group like an irritating presence. Selene, Leon, and Kael exchanged bewildered glances, trying to process the unexpected inquiry from the usually perceptive Crown Prince.

After a moment of stunned silence, Kael hesitated before responding, "Seraphina Vossheart. She's... always been around, Xander. An ambitious cultivator who seems fixated on besting you in every way. How could you not know her?"

Xander continued toward the Lunar Ember Blossom, his expression unchanged. "I've met many people on my path, but her name doesn't resonate with me. Keep your guard up, though. If she's a concern, we'll address it accordingly."

It wasn’t that he was oblivious, but he didn’t bother to remember the names of those people who were insignificant to him.

As Xander exited the moonlit mist, the Lunar Ember Blossom cradled delicately in his hands, the ethereal radiance of the full moon seemed to linger in the air. He observed the blossom with a focused expression, and with an almost poetic grace, he began the intricate process of sealing its essence. His movements were deliberate, each gesture a manifestation of his profound connection with the celestial energies.

Odessa, her analytical mind working tirelessly, watched Xander closely. She noted the subtle details of the sealing process, every nuance, and the careful placement of the blossom on his person. The blossom found its sanctuary, nestled in a specially designed compartment on his robe, as if becoming one with the fabric itself. Xander's mastery over the art of sealing was evident, a testament to his profound cultivation.

In the midst of this celestial ballet, Odessa struggled to formulate a plan. The intricacies of Xander's sealing technique, combined with the unpredictability of the situation, left her without a clear path. She observed, analyzed, and calculated, but the elusive nature of the Lunar Ember Blossom remained a challenge. As the sealing ritual concluded, Xander turned to face the group, the blossom now a well-guarded treasure against the fabric of his robes.

Seraphina grumbled as she extricated herself from the ground, dirt and leaves cascading off her figure. The moonlit glade, now devoid of the group, felt strangely serene. She dusted off her clothing and muttered to herself about Xander's audacity and the unintentional slight.

"Stepping on me like I'm part of the scenery. The nerve!" Seraphina muttered, adjusting her attire with an indignant huff. "And talking about me like I'm some mysterious stranger. As if I'm not always around, buzzing like an annoying insect."

With a discontented expression, she scanned the now-empty glade, realizing that she was the only living presence left in the tranquil moonlit space. The air was pregnant with the essence of the Lunar Ember Blossom, a reminder of the recent events. Seraphina sighed, contemplating whether to follow the group or enjoy the solitude of the glade for a little longer.

The distant growling echoed through the night, a low, ominous sound that sent shivers down their spines. The group instinctively halted, and Xander, ever vigilant, immediately sensed the impending danger. His hand moved with fluidity, extracting the gleaming blade, Eclipsebane, from its sheath.

"Silvermoon prowler," he uttered, his voice low but commanding. The group exchanged uneasy glances, well aware of the formidable nature of the mystical creature. Xander's eyes scanned the surroundings as he directed everyone to retreat.

"Back to the campsite," he ordered, a tone of authority in his voice. The others followed suit, moving swiftly and cautiously through the moonlit night. The growls grew louder, signaling the approaching threat, and Xander maintained his defensive stance, ready to confront the silvermoon prowler.

The silvermoon prowler emerged from the shadows, a creature of ethereal grace and feral power. Its silvery fur shimmered under the moonlight, and its eyes glowed with an otherworldly luminescence. As it lunged at Xander, the prince's dormant Kitsune-dragon blood stirred, awakening ancient instincts within him.

Their dance began – a ballet of swift movements and flashing blades. Xander's strikes were a blend of precision and elegance, a manifestation of the hidden dragon within him. The silvermoon prowler, a creature of the moon, countered with elusive grace, its movements akin to a haunting melody.

Xander's blade traced arcs of moonlight, each swing imbued with an instinctual knowledge that transcended mortal understanding. The silvermoon prowler responded in kind, its claws leaving trails of silvery stardust in the air. They circled each other, locked in a celestial waltz beneath the night sky.

The air crackled with a subtle energy as Xander's dormant Kitsune-dragon traits manifested in the fight. His agility surpassed human limits, and a flicker of golden fire glowed in his eyes, echoing the dragon's ancient wisdom. The silvermoon prowler, sensing the latent power, unleashed unearthly roars, challenging the prince.

Their clash continued, a dance of primal forces, the moon's influence weaving through every movement. Xander's blade met the prowler's claws in a symphony of sparks, and as they circled, shadows and moonlight blended, creating an ephemeral tableau of a celestial battle.

Each clash was a testament to the prince's mastery over his ancestral abilities. As the silvermoon prowler swiped with razor-sharp claws, Xander moved with preternatural speed and agility. The dragon's dormant traits surged within him, enhancing his senses and reflexes beyond mortal limits.

The battlefield became an arena of ethereal beauty and lethal precision. Xander's strikes were a seamless blend of Kitsune cunning and dragon might. The silvermoon prowler, despite its lunar grace, found itself outmaneuvered by the celestial choreography of the prince's attacks.

Their dance continued beneath the moon's watchful gaze. The silvermoon prowler attempted to escape, but Xander pursued with relentless determination. Every leap, every pivot, was a testament to the prince's commitment to his duty – to eliminate any potential threat that dared cross his path.

With each clash, the air crackled with the tension of ancient forces at play. The silvermoon prowler's roars echoed through the glade, a desperate plea for survival. Yet, Xander's dormant instincts guided him unerringly, and Eclipsebane found its mark.

The final strike was a culmination of celestial prowess. Xander, his eyes ablaze with golden fire, delivered a decisive blow, and the silvermoon prowler succumbed to the inevitable. As the creature's form dissipated into stardust, Xander stood amidst the celestial aftermath, his blade Eclipsebane gleaming with both lunar and draconic echoes.

The prince's gaze remained fixed on the dissipating stardust, his duty fulfilled in the dance of silver and gold beneath the moonlit canopy.

As Xander returned to the campsite, the residue of the silvermoon prowler's stardust lingering in the air, Odessa's observant gaze followed him. She lay on her sleeping bag, eyes fixated on the prince as he settled back into the group. Internal dialogue, analytical and sharp, played out in her mind.

He moves with the grace of a celestial predator, Odessa noted. The fight awakened dormant powers within him, a dance of Kitsune and dragon. But every display of strength unveils vulnerabilities.

Odessa's attention shifted to Xander's posture, the subtle nuances that might betray the aftermath of the battle. Is there strain in his movements, a sign of exertion? Her eyes, masked by colored lenses, scrutinized the prince's every gesture, seeking any weakness that might have surfaced during the confrontation with the silvermoon prowler.

His breath is steady, she observed. No visible signs of fatigue. But the eyes... Odessa focused on Xander's gaze, the depth of those cerulean depths that mirrored the Azure Sea.

As Odessa continued her silent observation, her analytical thoughts took an unexpected turn. The cerulean depths of his eyes, like the ocean's embrace, she mused, almost involuntarily. A mesmerizing dance of moonlit waves, reflecting the mysteries concealed within.

Caught off guard by her own momentary lapse into admiration, Odessa shook her head, a subtle gesture to dispel the thoughts that had begun to weave themselves. Focus, she scolded herself internally. Sentiment has no place in the shadows.

With a determined resolve, she shifted her attention away from the captivating allure of Xander's gaze. Rolling over on her sleeping bag, she closed her eyes and allowed the rhythm of the night to guide her into a realm where analytical musings and celestial dreams converged. Sleep embraced her, briefly sheltering her from the complex dance of politics and power that awaited in the waking world.

[catboxcoffin]

On Furniture

(Apologies for discursive definition-talk..)

I believe the label of ‘furniture’ itself, like anything that isn’t given a complete answer, to host a catbox of meanings, so I’ll list some thoughts and categorize them by factual/thematic v.s. (meta-)fictional. I am separating these categories based on the word’s two ‘origins’: [1.] the ‘in-universe’ coinage; and [2.] the first usage within the episodic structure.

Regarding/defining categories:

Factual/Thematic:

The canon, chronological storyline [1.] underneath the story’s presentation tends to connect more to the Factual—I use this term to refer to the material events upon which everything else is built (‘Prime’) because Umineko likes to play with the word ‘Truth.’ Extra-gameboard events are as close to ‘factual’ as we can hope for, as they should occur outside of the Catbox. I willfully ignore the gestures pointing otherwise, as that would completely ruin the entire game’s truth-search, but I will concede differing ‘perspectives’ as a means of obscuring, and stories told by catbox pieces to be dubious. Literal and Thematic are not oppositional here; all metaphor/hyperbole/concepts in this category are rational extensions of the in-universe ‘reality’ because they remain as such—by this I mean that they are not visualized as chairs or rabbits, but instead concepts as intuitive as love and evil that exist among the world's inhabitants. Although these themes are delicately woven into the meta-fiction, they are born from ‘reality,’ not personified from a third source or a tool within the game.

2. (Meta-)Fictional:

The story’s presentation [2.] aligns more with the subjective, fantastical elements within the story. Considering the nature of an ‘endless witch’ and voyager witches in general, the Meta-World falls into this category as well (Also... take my usage of 'Meta' lightly—I am referring to fiction-within-fiction and the common term for the worlds, not asserting that Umineko is an effective work of MetaFiction). The gameboards in their entirety cannot logically exist without Meta interference, because their planes often (arbitrarily) merge. To simplify the discussion I’m treating the layers somewhat like this: —> (Note: it would take me ages to map out a consistent meta layer system for Umineko, so bear with the simplicity)

Prime - Umineko’s ‘real’ universe. The fragment of authored message bottles and (pardon my presumption) Ange/Eva’s survival. + What can reasonably be gleaned chronologically from the following layer (2) along with flashbacks.

Gameboards and the pieces within them. Were written with an intended purpose & elements of reality. In order of importance: 1, 2 > 3, 4 > Chiru

The Meta-World 1. Where Battler and Beatrice fight & the presentation/narration of the board. Seems to seep into every other layer somehow. Hypothetically contains Yasutrice as-author

The Meta-World 2. Whatever the hell was going on with Featherine and Ange reading about MW1. Arguably any extra-catbox people (voyager&endless witches of the future) contribute to this layer.

My Factual-thematic category focuses nearly entirely on layer 1, with extrapolation from persistent themes/discussions in 2. My (Meta-)fictional category encompasses layers 2 & 3. 4 can be relevant but I largely dislike using it for theories. In other words, category 2 is everything that is non-factual, meaning mostly presentation and interpretation.

I. Factual / Thematic

The in-universe coinage of ‘furniture’ is only disclosed in Reqiuem. I find this to be an interesting choice considering the inverted ‘answer sheet’ theme of EP7; Ryukishi is handing us a short, retrospectively logical explanation, but its brevity leaves much to be interpreted.

"This body that isn't even capable of love...!! / What's...what's the point in living like that?! / This isn't a Human's life...!! / It's like being furniture!! / That's right, I'm...furniture...!!"

The term is suddenly flipped on its head. Prior, furniture was presented as unable to love because it was furniture (implied to be status-based, seemingly just an effect of inferiority). However, it’s the other way around: one is furniture because it cannot love. The condition of the body precedes & defines worth. Unlike the dramatized, bodiless nature of Beato’s fantasies, this solution is grotesque and earthly. Being physically alienated from the universe of two makes one sub-human. Yasu-Shannon-Kannon’s—I’ll use ’YSK’—mutilated organs make ‘them’ (collective, not gender-neutral) unable to form a sexual union with any of their respective partners. Shannon cannot fulfill the marital duty of motherhood or even sex with George, Kanon is literally impotent, both physically and emotionally/volitionally in his pursuit of Jessica, and Yasu is so alienated from the feminine ideal that she cannot allow herself to ‘exist’ without performing through the former two (&Beatrice). None of them are sexually ‘complete.’

Continuing the material interpretation, its application to Genji is obvious: He loyally serves Kinzo as a friend and confidant, possesses a flamboyant, flirtatious fictional counterpart, and remains unmarried with a certain sterility towards women... He is gay. Blatant subtext aside this answer also ties up some of my personal qualms with his characterization. His senseless, sociopathic dedication to the head and his successor, complete unwillingness to intervene regarding Kuwatrice, and legitimate desirelessness can at least partially be humanized by lolgayforkinzo… If anything, a possible envy of Beatrice(s) could have solidified their doom. This unrequited love makes Genji too ‘sexually incomplete.’ While not literally mutilated, there is metaphorical castration in being a sexual minority. Kinzo would never love him, and I doubt Genji even respected himself enough to wish for it. He is the other half-universe that complements YSK, and possibly the only one who could begin to understand them. Their dramatically fatalistic tendencies can be narratively justified by their banishment from (yet proximity to) the world of love. There is no purpose in ‘living’ without the single element of life.

On a simpler note, we can also reverse-engineer the label simply based on those excluded. On my first read, ‘furniture’ initially, obviously seemed to be a hyperbolic representation of servitude. Being barricaded from the rest of society by class would certainly render one ‘sub-human.’ This, however, is self-eliminating by exempting Gohda and Kumasawa from the label. My immediate conclusion then was that the basis was not physical status, but psychological servitude. KumaGoh always felt far more human to me, which I chalked up to abysmally poor writing of ShKaGenji—a belief I still hold to an extent, but have found ways to cope with. Kumasawa and Gohda are distinctly rebellious, obviously thinking little of their status as servants. They are petty, greedy individuals who fit in well with the Ushiromiyas despite their class differences. Kumasawa is a pathological slacker, and Gohda is a skirt of responsibilities, but this doesn’t make them 'bad' in any sense. They have a passion for and qualms with their employment because it is their job, not their identity. The same cannot be said for SKG, who literally embody their vocation. I could never take their little spats with Beatrice seriously because of how bizarrely complacent they were in the face of reality; to this day I get irritated with searching for satisfactory answers in EP2. Thus, ‘furniture’ can be taken to mean a lack of humanity constituted by a lack of will & individuation.

In a similar (& more personally satisfying) vein, ‘Furniture’ can represent a debt and unbreakable tie to Kinzo. ShKanon and Genji are closer than anyone to being his property, yet they obtain strange respect from him, bearing the One-winged eagle as both a brand and honor—prized possessions. The magical perspective refers to them as his ‘creations,’ which works literally with Yasu/Lion as his paternal creation and Genji-as-servant as a circumstantial creation. Genji owes Kinzo as his savior, his remaining existence eternally devoted to paying back the favor of being spared from death in the seizing of Taiwan. Serving for so long, and so absolutely, definitely degraded his sense of humanity and began to merge his identity with his master’s.

(GEN): ”......We must continue to return the favor we received from the Master...until our final moments."

YSK, on the other hand, are tied to Kinzo by blood. Even in their ignorance and physical distance, and much to their personal detriment, they cannot escape him. They merge with projections of Beatrice without even meeting him, they come to work in the mansion without knowledge of their ancestry, and they become treasured servants seemingly by coincidence. Both ShKanon and Genji have a sense of being Kinzo's above all else, to the point of being distrusted as servants by the rest of the family, an unfortunate state since neither has families of their own. I think of this as a semi-intended and enforced alienation by Kinzo, furthering their already lonely situations for the sake of dependence and loyalty (I do not find this entirely loveless, though…). This loneliness could explain the affective resignation felt by furniture, and their inability to ‘love.’ YSK’s case is cemented in youth due to special treatment both inciting bullying and cultivating a strange relationship between them and Kinzo—Kanon’s mention of shooting with Kinzo and participating in pranks tugs on a heartstring I can’t explain. I am particularly fond of this interpretation…

II. (Meta-)Fictional

There is a stupid amount of facets to furniture in the 'fictional' portion of the story, to the point where it’s difficult to speculate on a cohesive definition. 50 new characters now fall under the label, and they must be encompassed as well. Is the term simply an extension of its connotation in reality, or is it morphed by meta-context like many of the other themes? My vote? Entirely Meta.

As I did earlier, I will begin with the first usage—this time, the coinage within the episodic structure [2.]. Doing this, I found something interesting:

The first use of furniture is Self-Referential and used as a reason to not do something: Kanon not giving a real interactive greeting, or accepting sweets; Shannon not fighting off Battler’s assault. It actually takes a while for the term to be used by non-furniture, making it appear entirely self-imposed. The word is persistently used despite the discomfort and intervention by others. It’s not self-deprecation or knowledge of one’s place; it’s a rule—a rule seemingly ingrained into the fabric of their existence. This is what I assert in this section—it is.

Shannon, Kanon, and Genji to a lesser extent, are wholly pieces owned by Yasu as their author. Not in the sense that Piece-Maria or Piece-Eva are pieces—I mean literal fiction. SKG are Yasu’s characters. Their differentiation from ‘humans’ all hinges on what can be ascribed to their fictionality.

They have an unchangeable position in the world because they are born with a singular practical purpose: to facilitate the gameboards’ culprit. (The strife that appears down the line is due to the conflicting purpose of creation) They cannot obey promises, only orders. Furniture does nothing but rot with the passage of time (…due to the triumph of new truths, I presume). Furniture is a reliable ‘tool,’ aptly fitting for characters who exist to fit neatly into the logic of murders, allowed meta-sentience but not autonomy. Writing about Humans is inefficient; you must cater to their flaws and desires, bound by what they Would or Wouldn’t do. What they are shown to be like is what they are like; the room for duplicity is small in stories corroborated by the Truth of the outside world. To surpass this—to create the perfect culprit without constraints, morals, or ties to reality—one only must ensure they are embodied. Embodied, they must be, by someone who could feasibly be them, due to an intentional lack of information. The benefit of the ambiguous identity is the excusability of multiple identities and secret motives. Yasu, with the least history, is the default, practical culprit for such a scheme. It would be entirely possible for Yasu to have no motive against the family at all, and through a simple desire to write the most effective story possible, just happened to write herself as the villain (though I obviously do not believe this, based on… well… everything).

Genji is not quite ‘fictional’ in the way that I’m claiming ShKanon are, but his nature makes him the perfect culprit-tool. Little can be known regarding prime-Genji aside from his undying loyalty to Kinzo and his successor (and how this makes him starkly morally bereft). Without family or distinct loyalties aside from the aforementioned, he too becomes a motive-mystery, and can be written to feasibly facilitate and assist almost any act if dictated by the ‘Master.’ The role of Master is pretty significant regarding Genji’s utility, considering that if the boards are chronologically honest (which they must be), Kinzo is dead and Yasu is ‘the Master.’ This aggressively recontextualizes most of Genji’s references to being furniture:

(GEN): ".......I believe everything has proceeded as the Master has hoped and arranged for. ...To distrust that would exceed my role as furniture in service to the Master.”

(KAN): "...............I wonder if this means the Master's ceremony has already begun." / (GEN): "...Probably. However, that has nothing to do with furniture like us.”

Obviously, we could read this as commentary on Yasu literally carrying out the murders, but the passivity and strange sentience regarding the ceremony leads me to believe this comes from a character aware of his narrative function. He was Yasu’s original ‘piece’ in reality, remaining her greatest asset in fiction as well. His loyalty was not just feasible, but real. Like ShKanon, he functions as a limitless Queen. Unlike SK, though, he does little to ever interfere or reject his status. Although, there is that scene of him knifing the butterfly…

Before I discuss the other(s)’ fictionality, I have to preface: I will not suspend my disbelief—I do not think ShKanon was a ‘thing’ in prime. I don’t doubt the mental manifestation of Kanon as an ideal, and am even open to a Kanon ‘alter,’ but I cannot accept that YasuShannon regularly dressed up as him or that anyone knew of a Kanon (besides maybe Genji, and even that’s tenuous). I honestly don’t mind the impracticality of performing Kanon, more so the meaninglessness. Within a gameboard ruleset where absurdities being ‘technically possible’ warrants its writing as truth, why would Kanon be real? Wouldn’t that be stripping Yasu of her hilarious authorial tricks? His existence as “extra person without extra body” is the perfect tool for a game, but totally worthless in reality. It’s not unreasonable that he ‘existed’ at Jessica’s school festival as a favor, but I wouldn’t push further than that. Besides, he was 90% covered and still considered strikingly young and androgynous, which only confirms the difficulty of genderswapping in reality. Plus, most of the ‘confirmation’ of PrimeKanon exists among swaths of half-truths (i.e. Requiem stating that a whole separate kid is being summoned out of thin air and Yasu is doing magic). Don’t take this as discrediting his significance, though; Beatrice also isn’t ‘real,’ and she’s more interesting for it.

As for Shannon, she is also largely fake. Yes, the servant named ‘Shannon’ exists in Prime. That is Yasu (or, well, what was left after the Clair-trice fragmentation [Ironically enough, I do actually take this absurd plot point at face value. Because it’s interesting]). However, I truly believe that Gameboard Shannon (GS) is a fictional entity born to serve (exempting murders) the desire for conformity and traditional femininity as much as Kanon was born from loneliness and repression. Again, these facets and desires absolutely existed in reality, I just don’t see them as being sustainable, performed identities. The fact that Battler’s memories of his first love aren’t remotely jogged by GS, and the fact that such memories would make the culprit obvious, insists upon the idea that GS is an intentional construction for the sake of the story. Battler isn’t an idiot, his androgynous intellectual gf just morphed into a moeblob tradwife over 6 years…

I feel like there’s a sticking conception that either: 1. Shannon is literally mentally Beatrice le evil culprit mastermind and is just inhabiting a servant body; or 2. Shannon is completely disconnected and the evil witch is hidden in her head as a separate consciousness and possesses her and seriously fights her alternate personas. I find these neither compelling nor reasonable. As for the first, I really do not feel like labeling a character’s entire real-world existence as a facade, no matter how boring they may be. Besides, it would be quite difficult to earnestly repress your true self enough to love not one, but two other people on the side. As for the second, a split personality is meaningless and nigh impossible when within the board’s logic you can literally kill, resurrect, and swap identities at will. They’re all fiction. That’s it. They’re all Yasu’s characters. Granted, they each contain large, separate amounts of herself, but none are uniquely her. As Zepar and Furfur said, “Their soul is less than a single person.” Existent, in a sense, but not fully ensouled.

It should go without saying that I reject Prime!JessiKanon or and ShaGeorge (for the most part). I think their inclusion in the story is a mechanic to solidify just how disconnected Yasu’s desires and ‘selves’ are, and to provide ample commentary on Love. It’s entirely likely that Yasu fantasized a romantic pursuit of George to distract herself from Battler, but I have a hard time reconciling her character with that sort of activity unless, again, Shannon was a literal split identity. Besides, the love square serves to soften the absolute disingenuousness of ShKanon for being what they are—tools.

However, Shannon does have an undeniable centrality, a ‘Heart’ that the others are not afforded, including Beatrice. My answer for this is that she is the only one truly Embodied outside of the board, pushing her into a strange half-furniture, half-human category. Kinzo is said to have made her by hand without a demon and to have given her a heart. This alludes to her being a child born from flesh, not contrived by circumstance. As always, Kinzo is paralleled by Yasu, who has a similar (meta-)relationship to Shannon.

Gameboard-Shannon does not ‘exist,’ but she surely contains the most real rudiments of Prime-’Shannon.’ Though less than human, she is Named and privileged with a body the others could never have. Her higher existence can also be explained by her being the simplest to potentially ‘exist’ (no gender-bend, no blonde witch). The conflict between her narrative role as Yasu’s piece and the narrative constraints of her ties to reality affords her a special rebelliousness, manifesting as a stronger Heart. Shannon’s bindings to Prime are a hindrance from an authorial perspective, narrowing culpability, but a privilege to the piece herself, who may circumvent fate with her ‘humanity.’ This is why she always precedes Kanon, and why she wins the love duel (Yes, I think the duel was identity>love). I also believe that Yasu envied the conceptual GS (The Beatrice/Shannon clash is enough to evidence this) and that Shannon’s internal strife is a consequence of Yasu’s teetering consideration of embodying her completely—hence the “heart that can know love.” By abandoning her Self and personifying this ideal, she could pursue a love beyond Battler, but it would be a charade. Thus the ‘Shannon’ character was trapped in a dream she wasn’t allowed, with a new purpose outgrowing the old, fighting her own authorship.

“…Burning with infatuation and worried by love, being tempted constantly and eternally with a way out was truly a cruel trial.”

This could easily be read as Yasu’s conception of Shannon—her last way “out.” However, her piece is not allowed to transgress its role, or the catbox games would shatter.

Though I have agonized over it, I don’t think my thoughts here ignore the heart. To understand the nature of furniture, one must deconstruct each character and what makes them human. Metaphors & representation are crucial to Umineko and, by extension, Yasu. The motive compelling one to author iterative ‘selves’ containing neuroses invisible in reality yet contained in one body for the sake of their nature being solved is far more bittersweet than reverse-engineering a split personality because it’s the only way to make the Logick Work. Applying the sentiment of Eva-trice and the black witch, internal conflict may be made comfortable through literal bifurcation, but the mind in reality is painfully united. The possession of multitudes can justify the inability to understand or accept yourself; to love yourself. Many but one.

I consider the Golden Land’s ‘liberation’ of furniture into love & bodies of their own to be the opposite of what it seems—instead of external fabrication, the identities unite cohesively within the single mind, thus allowing them ‘each’ a body and the capacity to love.

TLDR; Furniture in the meta-perspective is the role of a character & narrative tool. Furniture in ‘reality’ is a physical, psychological, and relational condition.

[goatpaste]

I remember a post you made forever ago about Spice Girl Reqiuem, could you draw them again?

yeyeye its been forever, I had to really go dig this up and play around with the design :)

I just think Trish shoulda gotten the chance to kill her dad <3

[nintendont2502]

feeling emotions at the thought that were probably never going to see davesprite in official media again </3 agh

[lizard-dumbass]

Alright so the TOH brainrot has come back in full force after the finale came out so now i too am making one of them lists of things that i liked/stuck out to me. Also sorry if this ends up just being a bunch of incoherent nonsense

HOLY SHIT TITAN!LUZ. the design is so cool what more can i say. Furthermore,

HOLY FUCK LUZ DIED????? i was so not expecting that and good lord was it heartbreaking. Eda and King's reaction to Luz's death were also heartbreaking, and so was the Collector finally realizing what death really is. And oh my god puppet!Camila crying as the balls of light pass by her, showing us that she has had the realization that her daughter died. After the grief and trauma of losing Manny, Camila and Luz had a heart to heart which made their bond stronger than ever, only for Camila to lose Luz aswell.

LUZ SAID THE THING! NOW EAT THIS SUCKAAAAAA!!!!!

THE BOILING ISLES IS BIGENDER BABY! i honestly love the titan so much now. His bad girl coven t-shirt and glyph pants and dad-bod are absolutely everything. (Also what's with the little hooty worm sticking out of her eye socket??)

The goddamn bread pun 😭 that warms my heart so much

The raeda in this episode was IMMACULATE. I was really hoping for a kiss but i'm still happy with what WAD gave us. The loving stares, Raine's absolute joy when Eda and Titan!Luz came to their rescue in the throne room, the hugs and nuzzles, the cuddling in their new nest, etc. They seem so relaxed and happy at the end. The world has been saved and now they can finally live their lives together and rekindle their relationship. Oh and how could i forget the EARRING SWAP!! they're wearing eachother's earrings!!! I've seen quite a few ppl interpreting the exchanging of earrings/jewelry as a marriage custom in the demon realm, implying that Eda and Raine are married in the timeskip. I never cared much for the idea of raeda getting married but you know what? I like this headcanon.

Raine whistling raine's rhapsody/eda's reqiuem.

Hunter is a palisman carver! And he has a new palisman! Apparently the little blue jay's name is Waffles and that's just adorable.

Raine also has a palisman now and it's a little fox! I wonder what their name is though.

The entire hexsquad has matching Flapjack tattoos! Also Flapjack's grave, that gave me so many feels. But im so happy to see how Hunter has healed!

Harpy Lilith!

Eda is the principal of a school now?

Eda's hook arm! Also just everyone's new outfits/appearances in general. I love Raine's fully white hair and their scars and their outfit just oozes gender. I love Luz's outfit and punk eyeliner. I love Amity's hairstyle. I love how Lilith kept her short ginger hairstyle. I love Gus's new hair and his little beard. I love Willow's shorter hair and sporty outfit. Mattholomule has a real mustache now!

Fuck yeah they figured out how to remove sigils so now the BI residents can do magic like the Titan really intended!

Aladarius canon??

Everyone reuniting with their dads. Amity running to Alador whilst Odalia just stands at the side with an annoyed face. Fucking priceless. Willow's dads kissed on screen! Hunter thinking no one would be there for him only for Darius and Eberwolf to show up and accept him into their family. my heart 😭❤️

Eda and Camila finally got to meet!

Luz reuniting with King and Eda made me sob so unbelievably hard.

Luz and Vee graduated together!

Luz goes to college in the demon realm!

I thought she was giving all her Azura stuff away at first but i think she's actually bringing it all with her to college.

I love everything about Luz's quinceañera (or should i say KING-ceañera)

I love the very last part where every character we've come to know and love over these 3 wonderful years (except Odalia lmfao) say "Byeee!" to the audience. What a perfect way to end this series.

I think that's it lol i have so many thoughts

[thenugking]

still thinking about Odalia having a one-sided hatecrush on Eda, like, she must be so jealous of Alador's rivalry with Darius. How come her husband gets a nemesis who's so invested in him when Eda hasn't even spoken to Odalia in years??? :(

Anyway, post-Eda's Reqiuem, Kikimora comes over and announces she has a Very Important Message from Head Witch Darius. "Ahem. Alador, you're a Hack."

And Alador goes from being slumped over his workbench almost asleep to fucking coming to life, like, "he thinks i'm a hack???? that's IT i'm making the greatest abomaton he's ever seen and posting it ALL OVER PENSTAGRAM to EMBARRASS him!!! everyone out of my workshop I need to focus!!!"

And Odalia's just like. :( why does alador get all this :( eda never responds to my hatemail :( I even got her kid expelled and then tried to kill her and NO REACTION :( it's like she doesn't even care about my deep and passionate Hatred towards her :(

so kikimora tells her to get over herself because, hey, at least you have a rival the same age as you. I'm stuck in a rivalry with an annoying teenage boy. where is the homoerotic tension there??? i deserve Better than this!!!

AND THEN they look at each other like.... what if... what if We were weird gay rivals.... what if we could both get the requited homoerotic rivalry we're craving.... what if we could make each other worse.....

so thats how kikidalia happens thank u for coming to my ted talk

[swampbrick]

Y’all have waited so patiently for me to get my shit together and format this post, and for that, I thank y’all endlessly (for not calling me out on my avoidant personality and procrastination xoxo)

Without further ado, I give you…

Swamp’s GhostSoap Recs

PART TWO

(electric boogaloo)

My qualifications to make this post are that I’m neurodivergent and have read over half the damn archive at this point.

If you see your fic featured here and don't want it included in a rec post, just shoot me a dm! Will remove any from the list without question or complaint at the author's request.

Notes: I tried to sort some of them out into some broader categories for easier perusal, however, some fics might touch more than one of these topics. I went with whichever category was the MOST relevant in regard to the fic's content. Fics in italics are under 10K words. Stuff involving religious guilt and heavy religious undertones are marked in orange. Some fics are privated by the author- in that case the link might not work for you if you’re on mobile, so just look it up by author and title once you’re logged into your AO3 account. Happy reading!

Random Fics I Enjoyed and Can't Sort Into Broad Categories

The Wedding Lt. by SomnolentPavana

Like Watching Paint Dry by Grangers_apprentice

Mission Briefs by BleedingTypewriter

Don't be Scared by the Starting Gun by Suliana

Afraid (of Changing) by EmpressCirque

HALO by Cryypticchaotic

Tough Love by The_neurodivergent_nerd

Smooth Sailing on Choppy Water by coderaven

Poison Apple by surveycorpsjean

Punch Drunk by Drolly

Tesco's Finest by Vanemis

If You Don't Stop, I'll End up Believing You by Hochseeperle

Assorted AUs

like the dust (that hides the glow) by ArcadeGhostAdventurer [soulmates]

In My Time of Need by WhisperedWords12 [omegaverse]

lotus flower by exavibus [tattoo artist x florist]

Damaged Goods by Red_Clegane [lawyer x prostitute]

Safety Hazard by Red_Clegane [president's son x secret service]

On Leave

No Reqiuem by ice_hot_13

set your teeth against my throat (give me something pretty to wear beneath my blood-stained clothes) by aetherealmoss

let these hills absolve me by flowersferns (THE SHEERP FARMING FIC SOBBING CRYING)

solemn prayer, poppy in my hair by congee4lunch

A Scottish Bastard's Smile by SnarlingGherkin

The Fairtytale of Manchester by MildLimerence

Injury and/or Discharge

all that's said in the low light by headlocket (my favorite fic of all time actually if you haven't seen my 9000 other posts saying so)

My frozen heart (would melt just for you) by Red_Clegane

Clue by Wispscribbles

I Woke Up Underground by WispScribbles

Vicissitude by crows_and_curses

Yours Sincerely by LeoDoesGames

i'm a fire and i'll keep your brittle heart warm by marviless

Affirmative, Sir by Wixiany

To Drive a Man to Madness by Crypticchaotic

This Is (Mostly) P0rn

After Dark by Sylencia (THE BDSM CLUB FIC WOOF WOOF)

If I ever saw you try to be a saint (I'd be appalled) by Xalethar

Chicago Whiskey by Serpentwyne

Make Me Bad by Serpentwyne

gimme just a little bit (more) by applepieces [09!ghostsoap]

Promise Ring by LXVERSOFFENSE

Want It All by TuxedoHummingbird

A Fool's Gambit by MildLimerence

tame me by MikaelLo

the human condition by bilbhoebangins

All the Sins You Never Had the Courage to Commit by mothbeast

The Worthy Vessel by MildLimerence

Hotline by MildLimerence

Bonus Fic!

Here's a Gaz Centric, Poly141 fic that has ghostsoap in it but does not focus on it heavily enough to go in one of the other categories. This is Kyle's time to shine.

Hand Around My Heart by Grangers_apprentice

[lilcultbab]

🖋🛁

[ homestuck meet 4/13 2024 @ reqiuem cafe ]