#rite of replication

[magicjudge]

If I cast a rite of replication on an Elish norn and my opponent has a four base 4 toughness creature, do I chose the order of SBA so that their creatures die before I sac my EN to the legend rule??

As I explained in my last answer about state-based actions, they're all processed and applied at once with none happening before any others.

This means that your spare Cenobite is put into the graveyard at the same time as any of your opponents creatures that would die from the -4/-4 debuff.

[clarisse-doodles]

Cass + ballet 🩰 (ft. supportive siblings and good dad Bruce)

I love the idea of Cass enjoying dance. It's an outlet that allows her to express herself without words, and I think she would enjoy the highly technical aspect of ballet combined with its storytelling and emotional side. and as a former dancer I always have fun imagining my fav characters do ballet :)

[beatingdrumspouringwine]

okay so fun little ramble but: i hope someday i'm able to find some friends irl that i can perform rituals and celebrate festivals with. having this whole personal connection with Dionysos is cool and all, but i also think that having a connection with Dionysos AND with other people who also worship Him would just be... so swag, you know?

[rongzhi]

do you have any idea when people in china stopped bowing to each other as a greeting? it seems like the most common forms of greeting now is to shake hands or wave both which were introduced from the west. it's the same in taiwan too.

Tldr: It never stopped because Chinese people never had the practice of bowing in greeting the way that Japanese people did/do.

-

(Note: there are types of greetings that involve a sort of bowing (ketou), but this is reserved for special occasions)

Back in the day, the greetings were made by clasping one's hands in front of them in the direction of the person being greeted. There might be some head lowering/slight bowing involved but it's done in conjunction with the hand greeting. You can see various forms of this in historical dramas and even hanfu shows and shortform videos. The exact way one held their hands changed in some years but the general idea is the same.

Women's and men's hand greetings differed back in the day. A women's greeting was called 万福礼 wànfùlǐ and consisted of holding the hands in front of oneself and bending the legs, or holding hands at the hip, etc. The exact way to hold the hands also changes through the years. Women also do what is called 肃拜 sù bài, which is an earlier form of a women's greeting and includes getting on one's knees (thus the 拜).

Some examples of greetings:

Men's vs women's hand positions

拱手礼 gōngshǒu lǐ ("cupped hands greeting"). The most common greeting. Top photo shows the gendered difference for proper etiquette for nowadays if you ware going to do it, for example, as a new year's greeting. Bottom photos: I think if you look carefully in modern society, you can still see examples of this greeting in China. It is a gesture that can also be used to expresses one's gratitude. It is still there, it's just fell out of vogue in favor for waving and hand shaking.

This can also be seen in The video above shows Ming era 万福礼 as well as men's 揖礼. 作揖礼 zuòyī lǐ ("bow with clasped hand greeting") is kind of the same thing as 拱手礼, but 作揖 specifically includes a slight bow whereas 拱手礼 is merely the raising of the hands.

叉手礼 chāshǒu lǐ ("crossed hands greeting") popularised during the Western Jin - Song dynasties, seen in the drama "The Longest Day in Chang'an", which takes place in the Tang Dynasty. This particular greeting started out as one used by Buddhists in the Eastern Han dynasty. https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/489897518

抱拳礼 bàoquán lǐ ("cupped fist greeting"). This one is something done more so by martial artists. For men, you use your left hand to cover your right hand. For women, the opposite is true. It is also called 吉拜 jíbài when showing respect. If you flip your hand (keep in mind men/women do this the opposite way), it is called 凶拜 xiōngbài and it used to show respect to the dead. So one has to pay attention to this.

There's kind of a lot more etiquette rules you could get into but this answer has already sort of gone beyond the scope of your question lol. Chinese people wrote rites books over the many dynasties so actually there are descriptions of how these greetings were done and over time and that's how they are replicated in dramas and movies.

[trans-cuchulainn]

"Grief is closely allied with anger. They are expressed with similar sounds: moans, groans, shouts, and screams. Like anger, grief responds to a terrible loss or terrible harm done — but without any sense of the possibility of reparation. Anger turns the pain outward, against others; grief turns it inward, to the self. People subsumed by rage try to replicate the wrongs they have suffered by hurting others. Those consumed by grief long to turn their own bodies into that of the dead loved one, by lying down in the ground, cutting the hair, scratching the face, and rolling in the dust. The enraged want to humiliate, hurt, or kill; the grief-stricken want to be dead and to inhabit the perspective of the dead.

But grief is different from anger, because it can be expressed and experienced collectively. Through the funeral rites and games for the dead Patroclus in Book 23, Achilles shares his loss with other Greek warriors, just as the Trojans in Book 24 are able to share their grief at the death of Hector. Even enemies, like Priam and Achilles, can share a moment of grief. Anger drives communities apart; grief brings them together, over a shared acknowledgment of irredeemable loss."

Emily Wilson's Introduction to The Iliad, p. xliii

[janearts]

Roisia Lydgate: Character Overview

This is really more of a background introduction to her character, but I'm trying to put as much information in one place for future reference or for anyone who wants to get a better idea of her character. Details underneath the cut!

Meta-Knowledge

Roisia is my Source Hunter from Divinity: Original Sin, but I recreated her in Baldur’s Gate 3 as a way to continue her story albeit in a completely different universe. The story and events of DOS have since become part of her backstory, and tweaked to fit the world of Faerûn.

Name Pronunciation

I’m honestly none too fussed about pronunciation. Her name is an 11th century mediaeval name that would later become “Rose” in Middle English. Roisia is probably meant to be pronounced something like /ɹɔɪːsiːɑ/ (Roy-see-ah) based on other name variants found around the same time. Her nicknames, as given to her by her parents, include: Rose, Rosie, petal, pet, rosebud, bud, so on and so forth.

Personality

Roisia is charming, adventurous, with a voracious curiosity, and a deeply analytical mind. She believes that taking care of the dead and providing a voice for the dead is her life’s calling. She was formerly raised to be a Cleric of Kelemvor, but believes that her god has disowned her since she reanimated her father. She now believes herself to be deemed among the Faithless. She’s compassionate to those in need and is willing to break rules (and the law) to help others. While she is generally a law-abiding citizen, she is dogged in pursuing the whims of her curiosity and will likewise do whatever it takes to solve a puzzle, a mystery, or a murder… or simply answer a question that has occurred to her. She is sociable, prefers when everyone gets along, and will try to talk her way into and out of most situations. This includes charming, reasoning, intimidating, and/or deceiving others to get her desired outcome. Ultimately, she finds solace and comfort in the company of animals, the dead, and books. Her favourite animal is the noble spider, and she breeds and raises some species in her spare time.

Spells and Such

I tried as best I could to replicate Roisia’s DOS character. In DOS, she was classed as a Witch. Witchcraft spells in DOS are a mixture of Necromancy spells and Enchantment spells, and I chose my spells in BG3 to imitate the ones that you get in DOS. As a witch in DOS, Roisia also had the ability to talk to animals and summon a spider. (I cheesed this in BG3 with the Find Familiar spell—technically a Conjuration spell—and having her drink a potion after every long rest.) To be more in keeping with her backstory, I gave her a Guild Artisan background and invested skill points in skills like Medicine.

Backstory

Roisia grew up in Eastway of Baldur’s Gate. Her father worked in the Gray Harbor shipyard as a shipwright and her mother was a Mortarch, running the Eastway Cemetery & Lydgate Funeral Service. She was raised to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a Cleric of Kelemvor, and specifically as a Mortarch, from an early age. She assisted her mother in managing the burial customs and rites for the Lower City’s diverse community (from embalming to ritualistic cannibalism to poisonings), comforting grieving family members of the deceased, and tending to the dead buried in the cemetery.

Her life took an unexpected turn when her father drowned during a sea trial. Grieving for her father, Roisia made her first attempt at Necromancy. She unwittingly used a wish spell in the process and reanimated him as a skeleton. Because it was the wish spell, not her first attempt at a necromantic ritual, that bound the soul of her father to his bones, Roisia is determined to master the School of Necromancy and truly resurrect her father.

She is interrupted in her early studies by the appearance of Eustace, who recruited her into the Source Hunters, an organisation dedicated to eradicating dangerous magic users (like… Necromancers). “We need you,” he said. “… and you need us.” Roisia & Eustace (or Roy & Stacey as they became known to each other) investigated the mysterious murder of a town counsellor and uncovered a Necromantic cult in the process. As they adventured together, Roisia began to develop feelings for Eustace, but as their adventure concluded and they returned to the Source Hunter Academy, Eustace did not return those feelings. Dejected, Roisia left the Source Hunters and returned to her home in Baldur’s Gate.

To “cure” herself of her heartbreak, Roisia drew up a list of lifelong goals for herself. They are:

1. A cemetery or plot of land of her own to oversee. 2. “Tenants”/”Residents” (aka The Deceased) to house and tend to on this land. 3. To master Necromancy such that she can extend indefinitely her own life and the lives of her loved ones. 4. One (1) Spouse (*not of the squeamish variety) 5. Children (*ideally 3-5)

Refocused aggressively on her list, Roisia returned to her duties during the day and her studies during the night. She was abducted by the nautiloid one night while she was off to dig up a new test subject.

Playlist

[tightjeansjavi]

The Rite of Movement | drabble

“Rosy”

A/N: I swear ideas hit me at the most random moments ever 💀 after not writing for a bit and coming back to a kinda awkward work situation, it felt good to write something silly and hot! I admittedly was thinking of my wife @strang3lov3 (who also made this sexy lil mood board) when I wrote this 🤭 enjoy!

~word count: 1.6k~

Summary: pornhub sent you a package containing new sex toys that just hit the market! Joel wants a tutorial on how the rose toy works ;)

Pairing | pornstar!joel x pornstar!female reader

Warnings: smut, fluff, use of sex toys, established relationship, teasing, flirting, real intimacy, oral (f!receiving) adult content, mentions of the porn industry, potential succession spoilers, Joel is in his 40’s reader is in her 30’s, readers nickname is baby love, reader has no physical descriptions, +18 minors dni!

series masterlist

“Personally, I think the rose toy is the most affordable oral pleasure toy on the market. While it doesn’t entirely replicate the feeling of oral sex, it comes pretty damn close in my opinion.” You spoke sweetly in front of the camera that was positioned at the foot of the bed.

Pornhub had personally sent you a box of new sex toys that had just hit the market and they wanted you to post a review of the toys to your instagram reels (safe for work, of course). From suction cupped dildos, to rabbit ear vibrators, you had a plethora of toys to try out. And while this was originally planned to be a solo content video…that all went to shit when Joel strolled upstairs, dripping in sweat from the top of his head all the way down to his toes. Shirtless, glistening tan skin that was begging to feel your hot tongue drag across it.

“What’re you up to, baby love?” He rasped, strong back leaned against the doorframe, broad arms crossed against his chest, damp towel draped across his shoulder.

“Filming some content for the hub. They sent me a package of new sex toys that just hit the market.” You looked over at him with a small grin.

He hummed in response, pushing himself off the side of the door and strolled into the bedroom. “S’that so? Mind if I take a look at what we got goin’ on here? Maybe you and I will have to try somethin’ out later.” He said suggestively with a coy wink.

“I tried the rose toy out after my shower earlier. It’s actually pretty neat, and for the price point, I think it’s a decent replacement for the real deal.” You patted the spot next to you on the bed, not caring about the fact that he was still drenched in sweat. Neither you or Joel were shy when it came to bodily fluids.

“Ohh. Is that the toy that claims to be comparable to gettin’ eaten out?” He sat down alongside you, taking the rose shaped toy from between your hands and studied it with an amused expression on his face. “Well, I’ll be damned.” He chuckled, looking over at you with a small grin playing on his lips. “Care to give me a tutorial on how this ‘lil sucker works?”

You fought the urge to roll your eyes at your boyfriend's cheeky request and gave him a light shove to the shoulder with your hand. “How about you cut past the formalities and just say that you want to see my pussy, Joel.”

He laughed, warm and deep, rumbling up his chest as he met your challenging gaze. He leaned over, brushing his thumb across the plump flesh of your lower lip, “sweet girl, I always want to see your pretty pussy, but m’curious. Wanna see what all the fuss is about over this rose toy.”

“You’re that curious, huh? Well, I suppose I could give you the tutorial on how it works, baby. But I’m lazy and came already, mind helping me out?” You batted your lashes at him flirtatiously just as he leaned in to land a quick peck on your pretty lips.

“Course I can. Cus’ I know how much work it is for ya to take off those flimsy ‘lil panties of yours.” He quipped teasingly. “I’ll do all the work for my girl. Jus’ lay on your back and guide me through it, ‘kay?”

“God, I love you so much.” You mumbled into his lips, kissing him sweetly with your fingers gently scraping through the patches in his beard eliciting a low hum to vibrate up his chest.

“Love you more, baby love. Now, chop chop. Gonna run us a nice relaxing bath later with a freshly rolled joint.” He kissed you once more and gently patted the inside of your thigh with that big warm palm of his. “Might need you to rub my back later. Lifted a bit too hard at the gym with Tommy.”

“Whatever you want, baby. I’ll happily soak in the tub with you and rub your back afterwards.” You slowly detached your lips from the shared kiss, scooting yourself back against the array of pillows and plopped down on your back, thighs already spread to accommodate the breadth of his shoulders.

“And we’ll order whatever take out you’d like and catch up on the episode of Succession that we left off on. Need to find out if Roman and Gerri are gonna fuck, or if he just likes to be degraded by her.” He added with a chuckle, maneuvering himself to rest on his elbows between your spread thighs.

“God, Joel. Don’t stop! Keep talking dirty to me like that!” You said playfully, peeking down at him just as he looped his thumbs into the elastic band of your panties and slowly began to pull them down over your hips.

“You’re a piece of work today, y’know that baby love?” He shook his head with a grin, pressing a chaste kiss to the inside of your thigh, nipping at the plush flesh playfully with his teeth. “Roman Roy getting degraded really get you goin?’”

“Absolutely. He’s fucking sexy, and I would let Kieran Culkin do absolutely heinous things to me.” (Me too girl, me too). “Now, there’s a button on the side, and basically the center part suctions in air around your clit imitating what oral sex feels like. Only downside is that you have to place it directly against your clit otherwise you don’t get that sensation.”

“Fascinating.” He mused, pulling your panties down over your ankles and tossed them to the side. “It vibrates too, right?”

“Mhm.” You nodded, reaching behind you to adjust the pillows behind your head so you were more comfortable. “Another downside is that it’s pretty fucking loud. Not that we have to worry about that sorta thing here, but if someone is buying it to be discreet? Probably isn’t the right choice for them.”

The evidence of your prior orgasm was staring Joel right in his admiring gaze, puffy lips, glistening folds and a bead of pearlescent cum dripping from your weeping hole. It was a sight that he was certain he’d never tire from. He pressed the on button, listening to the device whir to life. “Does it have multiple settings as well?”

“Yeah, it does. Eight I think? I’ve tried them all, but I’m old school when it comes to that. I also didn’t believe that it could get me off in less than five minutes, but it sure gets the job done.”

“Less than five minutes? Damn, okay, little rose toy. I see you.” He rasped, brows furrowed as he gazed into the center opening of the toy, trying to decipher how the mechanics of it worked.

“Yep! I was pretty shocked myself, but it doesn’t compare to your tongue, Joel. There’s no competition there.” You reassured him, but then again, Joel never found himself to be intimated or threatened by sex toys.

“Don’t doubt that for a second, baby love.” he chuckled. “Want me to play with ya a little, or just let the toy do all the work?”

“So tempting, baby. But for the purpose of science, I just want you to see how it works up close.” You said softly.

“Sure thing, baby love. Whatever you want from me, pretty girl s’yours.” He spit a glob of saliva right into the center of the toy as he was curious to see how it would operate with the excess moisture. He placed it between your thighs, first gently gliding it between your folds, and then dragging the suction part of it over your clit. He dropped his head down, getting up close and personal with your pussy so he could see the little device suckle on your clit.

You let out a content sigh, relaxing further into the comforter as your body slowly began to buzz back to life, the nerve endings in your clit tingling and pulsing from the moderate sensation. “Yeah, just like that.” You spread your thighs further, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks from the sight of Joel intently studying your pussy. “But you see what I mean about the noise level? It’s not very discreet at all.”

He shook his head, licking his lips as his eyes flickered from between your thighs and up to your face. “Yeah, it’s not very discreet at all, huh? I get the appeal, though. It’s feminine, dainty, shaped like a flower. Looks extremely pretty sucking on that sweet little clit of yours, baby love.” He rasped lowly, tone dripping in arousal.

“Joel.” You warned, eyes narrowing at the smirk slowly creeping over his lips.

“What?” He chuckled. “M’jus’ makin’ an accurate observation based on the view I’m gettin.’”

“Yeah, but somehow—someway, everything that leaves your mouth sounds fucking hot. Feminine, dainty, shaped like a flower? Are you trying to kill me, Joel?” You asked playfully, keening your hips forward when the suction part of the toy slipped off your clit.

“Thought we were jus’ doin’ this for science, baby love?” He teased, “Unless…your pussy wants somethin’ a little more than what this toy can provide.” He trailed off, eyes staying locked on yours.

“Damn you, Miller.” You huffed, throwing your head back as you muttered under your breath, “Well, maybe just for science, we should compare the toy to the real deal?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” He winked coyly, pressing the off button and tossed the silicone toy in the direction of the box laying on the bed. He wasted no time to grab the underside of your thighs, pulling you down further with your ankles locked around the back of his head. The second his tongue swirled around your clit, and his lips wrapped around the bud and sucked inwards, that little flower shaped toy could not even compare to Joel Miller and his skillful tongue splitting you open and making you sing his name.

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[ballad-of-the-lamb]

I've been bingeing your art in this blog for, like, the last hour. Sooo much good stuff!

Can we hear more about notable members of the Cult? Cheese Parm's s/o and such

cult info below cut b/c i'm gonna be typing a lot;

Everyone listed here are basically the main runners/cast when it comes to plot relevance in the story in itself. there are plenty of cast & characters that aren't- but they wont pop up for anything other than background characters perhaps staring on in horror at god antics or one another's antics.

we'll start from the top;

GALLOWS [ girlyed cheese ]

the most recent member of the cult to be saved specifically by the lamb themself from sacrifice within Darkwood.

a lot of cult conflict will begin with the uninitiated, the unknowing. and the influence of the twin gods will be seen on her in real time as the story progresses.

she is generally a very generic playful-but-tricky fox character, but there's a lot she hides; much like the rest of the cult members. her past is not happily talked about, or seldom is.

she was a native to Darkwood. She is chaotic because of it.

she was meant to be burned at the stake.

EKPYROSIS [ asbestos ]

This word derives from a Greek word for a great fire. It represents a belief held by some scholars of Stoicism, that says that the universe has no beginning or end, and instead is destroyed and remade in a great conflagration in a cyclic manner. Just as life & death ever are.

Her name stands out among the rest of the cult because it was the name that the Lamb bestowed upon her upon being given the title of disciple. Just as Narinder took Baal & Aym to learn from him, the Lamb took her.

Her previous name is not known to anyone mind the Lamb themself, Narinder, and cheese parm.

She is more inclined to using and being influenced by the eldritch artifacts & relics the Lamb or Narinder tend to return with.

She leaves an uneasy and terrible 'uncanny valley' feeling tenfold within her vicinity, which makes her hard to be around. It is not just being outright creepy- but it's a lot more akin to literally feeling reality dip and bow around you into something not quite right.

She does not move like a normal person. The way she walks, runs, jumps- it's all too impossible to replicate without someone shattering every bone in their body.

When she speaks, her voice is delayed from her mouth. And it doesn't always line up perfectly.

most notably; cheese parm hates her. for good reason.

OTHERA [ bong water ]

An average cult member on the surface. They are a caretaker, they are matronly, they work as the local therapist. Generally just likes taking care of people.

When the Lamb, Disciples, & Narinder aren't around to listen to confessionals in the booth they are typically who does.

It's an unspoken rule to not make them angry or let them get to '1' when they start counting down from 5.

He is typically known for the reason morale is good. A good shoulder to rely on.

He is the third oldest member of the cult, resurrected multiple times over to serve his purpose, next to cheese parm & his sister. they are also the only one that asbestos seems to actively fear besides cheese parm.

EUNOMIA [ they/theminem ]

Eunomia was a minor goddess of law and legislation, whose name means "Good Laws", and is specifically a goddess of order according to good governance.

The second disciple. Known for learning the use of the Lamb's personally created curses specifically, though does know the ones Narinder passed on. They do not deem themselves worthy enough to use those.

Generally a very angry & spiteful person for a multitude of reasons. It mostly comes down to 'bearer of the curse' and the curse being knowledge.

They are the only one really permitted to 'backtalk' due to how much they actually do know their place.

they are very heavily disciplined under the rule of self-flagellation, and know the tenants and rites better than anyone else in the cult. even the head ritualist.

as said on paper. cheese parm's s/o. the significantly scarier one. they have not had a reason to be scary in a good couple hundred years! don't make them start now.

has 2 adopted kids w/ cheese parm they raise.

PANKRATIAST [ cheese parm ]

The Pankration is a sport of unarmed combat that featured in the ancient Olympic Games in Greece. This specific association fits as he's specifically an unarmed fighter first and foremost.

While not a disciple, is considered one generally in 'importance' to the higher ups of the cult. While he is no more important than Gallows, Othera, Minced Meat, or any other average member- he has the veteran's respect.

Was given a name by the Lamb, and since he does not speak, it's not like he can correct anyone otherwise.

well. doesn't talk. only ever communicates in vague grunts and noises that voice displeasure or a neutral 'ok'

Generally considered stoic, he does not feel strongly about most things.

The village executioner. The head missionary. Bartender. Does all the jobs no one else wants to do, and even others when no one else does it.

Smells of gore & wet dog constantly.

Knows. Remembers. Knows why death is broken, knows how it broke, will not tell Lamb or Narinder. He is a Witness.

Knows all the weaponry the Lamb uses & can use it just as effectively on a physical level.

The first of the flock. Will be there even when there is no more flock to have. As it will ever be, pinkie promised back in the Silk Cradle back where he was first found.

ILONA [ taco bell qsdea ]

a specialist in alchemy, cooking, & plants. Tends to the farms, gardens, & warding stones.

The first of the cult members Narinder warmed up to directly after descension. They brought him food every day, they gave him supplies, and other than the Lamb- they were the first to not be terrified of him.

They are very blind and often need a guide when they are not allowed to use their clicks and noises to find the way.

They are immune to Gallows' tricks and run off of the 'fae logic' of most things.

Their name means 'joy'. A name they decided on after speaking to Narinder for a time.

The first cult members recruited directly after Narinder's descension.

Immune to the horrors Somehow. There is something hiding behind those big ol eyes

Can fly. They have wings attached to their arms, and for it, require special clothes.

will be involved a lot in narinder plots

MINCED MEAT [ childbirth gambino ]

head cook but kind of as a threat. the lamb put them there for a reason. they are pretty mid.

constantly paranoid and in a state of fear or unease. Does not sleep because of it, and instead compulsively cooks almost all day and night.

most random screeches or noises in the cult come from this little guy

absolutely scared shitless of the Lamb.

The first Dissenter since the Lamb's ascension. They were made an example of. Now they will never. They have seen god's wrath, and would rather die.

narinder likes to bully this thing by hissing at him in the night

attached to beansnesed'd bsbisebies hip when in the chapel or out and about.

the prime example of 'the lamb is not a good person.'

ALOPE [ deep dish pizza ]

cheese parm's little sister. and borderline clone. she copies everything he's done up until adulthood when she started to become her own person. though it's been hundreds, if not thousands of years, she's still trying to figure out who she is.

made a pinkie promise to the lamb, just like cheese parm, to always be there. and she has!

ripped as fuck. like, more than cheese parm. huge. absolute beast thing.

the lamb prevented a fated death in her, the first time he ever did so, and for it her title is technically 'Saint Alope' within the cult for being the act of a miracle.

like her brother, never speaks vocally, never shows her face. gets across feelings through vague grunts. uses sign language where cheese parm does not.

the fastest in the cult. rivals narinder in base speed without using necklaces or unnatural abilities.

uses two ritual dirks or daggers at any given point, throwing knives, things of that sort. protects the village next to cheese parm, and you'll never hear her coming. totally, absolutely silent.

[cometrose]

Rex Lapis and his adepti have been together for thousands of years but it’s endearing how much they cherish him. Cloud Retainer was arguing with the seller but the moment he questioned Zhongli's integrity she was ready to storm off, or the fact when she found out he "died" her first desire was to drown the entire harbor.

In Xiao's voicelines he says he wont tolerate anyone disrespecting Morax even the beloved traveler or how in last lantern rite, traveler asks him who made the dinner awkward and if you pick Zhongli he'll instantly rushes to defend him.

Or the fact Ganyu hated Keqing for years cause she was so disrespectful to Rex Lapis and Zhongli had to tell her to try and get along. Plus Ganyu has soo many voicelines about rex lapis and she even tries to replicate some of zhongli's.

Its kind of interesting because to some extent they seem really flustered in his presence but truly adore him.

[anystalker707]

triplicated [2/2]

Pairing: Zoro x [gn, amab] Reader x Law Summary: Zoro's grumpy and needy. Tags: AU / Demon Zoro / Priest Law / man has 3 cocks and manages to bottom / law tops him this time PART ONE

Requested by @anonstories08 ["okokok lemme think maybe something along the lines of like law and y/n havent really had any exorcisms or anything lately but then theres just this giant spike in activity (guess who it is. its my fav demon prince-y :)) but law (...)]

MASTERLIST

          The letters that arrived at the office lately had been, in the great majority, only asking for the blessing of objects, once or twice requesting the Last Rites or a prayer at a funeral, but nothing aside from that. The exorcism equipment was getting dusty, and things were getting boring. It was impossible—you couldn’t believe not even a single spirit was bothering some old lady, that a demon didn’t decide to confront you two.

Since you two didn’t have any extra work to do, you were on altars again, celebrating masses to the familiar faces of the town. Many people liked you two, factually. They were grateful someone could finally stop the steps they heard in the middle of the night or the doors that slammed shut by themselves, even nightmares, in some of the worst cases.

The hours dragged by slowly, stretching themselves between appointments as you two gradually settled down for the monotonous routine—it was rather normal for the current months, and it was nice to have some calmness before November knocked in with its usual agitation.

As if the universe listened to your thoughts, the notices came in more often, but the cases weren’t exactly what you looked forward to.

“It sounds like ghost activity,” you told Law after rereading the letter you’d received while he paced around the room, trying to look for something significant. There wasn’t much to investigate in the small house of a poor single mother and her two sons. They’d described seeing things from the corner of their eyes, voices, and things falling in the middle of the night—a common thing. “Hm, but the energy here feels a little too heavy to be from a ghost.”

Law nodded in agreement as he adjusted the glasses on his face and scratched the back of his neck, his hip popping out on the side of the leg he put most of his weight on. Your eyes averted to how his ass looked in those tight jeans, but he was soon speaking again. “Do you think it could be some wrath, though?”

“We don’t get many of those here,” you said, thoughtfully looking around. One of the kids had made a drawing of something they’d seen; it was a poor drawing, but you looked at it again, observing the sloppy drawing of a human figure. It was a little confusing, with the messy lines all over the place, as if the figure’s arms were duplicated.

A sigh escaped your lips as you looked around until you found something on the ground, glistening gold. Crouching down, you ascertained it was an earring, in a very familiar shape. Furrowing your eyebrows, you looked at the drawing again. Maybe the kid’s drawing wasn’t as sloppy as you judged it to be—there was a chance they really were replicate figures, and the idea of that made something click in your brain.

“It’s Zoro,” you said as if it were obvious, earning yourself a confused look from Law.

“Zoro?”

A sigh escaped your lips as you lifted the earring. “Demon. Three heads.”

Law had to think for a moment before he raised his eyebrows and slowly nodded, eyes falling to the earring in your hand again. “So you think it might be him, hm? I see. Why would a demon go around doing such small stuff? This is nowhere near a usual demon’s behavior.”

A small crease formed between your eyebrows as you shrugged and nodded. “Well, yes, but after that mansion’s case, I concluded that we don’t know all the kinds of demons nor all about their behavior,” you stated, bringing the earring close to check if it had any inscription or anything, but its smooth surface reflected yourself in distorted images. “He wasn’t predictable at all.”

Law seemed to consider what you said, silently eyeing the earring in your hand, before he exhaled and nodded. “But he’s not here.”

“Yeah.” You sighed. “We can find him soon, though.”

There was a peak in activity, giving you two the so-wanted action, along with a headache. All the cases had similarities between them, all the same thing that didn’t truthfully need your presence there, but rather guided you somewhere. It was like a damn cat-and-rat game, so it got on your nerves easily. All those trips around the city and to its outskirts were in vain, only degrading your patience with the frustrated expectations of finally facing the green-haired demon.

“This is the last one, I swear,” Law said with a sigh, running a hair through his messy hair in a futile attempt to put his messy strands back in place, and you couldn’t determine whether the darkness around his eyes was due to smudged kohl or late nights without slumber. “If we receive another notice describing this same thing, I am ripping the letter.”

You twisted your mouth, keeping your hand on the doorknob without opening the door for now. “I mean,” you breathed but lost yourself in thoughts again. Yes, this was tiring, but you couldn’t help the little hope in your chest whenever a new letter came in, always keeping that earring in your pocket. A sigh escaped your lips as you shook your head and restricted yourself to looking at Law, turning the doorknob.

None of you had any weapons ready, already prepared to just face another empty house and go back to the office as if nothing had happened. With a hum, you looked around—it was a well-furnished house, not so big, but certainly with more rooms and furniture than a widowed lady needed for a living. Pictures hung from the walls along with framed dry flowers and embroidery works, with occasional crosses between them. The curtains and carpets were thick, matching the warm dark tones of the furniture, which was made from glossy wood.

“It’s a good place,” you muttered with a sigh, walking around quietly. Everything seemed in order, well-kept, and clean; not a single sign of mess in sight.

The hall that led to the other rooms was narrow, carpeted, with a small chandelier. A mirror took over the whole wall by the end of it, and there was a sideboard by it with a vase on top. Unfortunately, the vase had fallen over, in a way the white roses that once sat neatly inside it were now on the table while a few lied on the carpet.

“Oh, no.” You raised your eyebrows a little before crouching down to grab the flowers to neatly organize them inside the beautiful vase again, organizing the fallen petals in a small pile by its base. “Okay, it’s much better now.”

A grunt came in response and nearly gave you a heart attack, scaring you again when you noticed the huge figure behind you through the mirror. It took you a while to reorient yourself enough to recognize Zoro there, but your heart was already racing kilometers per hour by then. You needed to grip the edge of the sideboard before turning around, observing the three faces eye you curiously before they fell into a scowl, and all three crossed their arms over their chests.

“Zoro,” you said weakly, trying to catch your breath while placing a hand over your chest. It was kind of ironic that you had been so scared like that when you were part of the exorcism gang—or duo, really, since it was just you and Law—, and you should be used to things like that. The thing is that the entities and creatures usually had a presence that you could sense, but Zoro didn’t. What kind of demon was he? “You didn’t need to scare me like that. I mean, you didn’t need to do all of this in general.”

Instead of any kind of answer, Zoro just kept scowling at you. Was he angry at you? A sigh of frustration escaped your lips as you tilted your head, seeing the main figure lacked an earring, and you were about to reach for the missing jewelry in your pocket when the lateral figures looked back.

“Oh,” Law’s voice rang through the hall, justifying the figures’ distraction, since you couldn’t see much past Zoro’s big frame. “Finally. I would give up if you didn’t show up this time!” Even if you couldn’t see him, it was possible to imagine Law accusingly pointing a finger at Zoro’s figures. The response Law received was probably similar to yours, given how the scowl you received only deepened, so it only made sense the two other figures were acting in sync.

Zoro’s behavior felt off, falling out of the friendly demeanor he’d shown the last time he was around.

“Zoro,” you breathed, furrowing your eyebrows and scratching the side of your neck. “We aren’t exorcising you or anything, what do you want, hm? I mean, if you start causing real problems—”

There was a grunt in response, but it didn’t help much, anyway. What was he so grumpy for?

“Do you want your earring back?” You offered, about to reach for your pocket when his eye narrowed at you, so you gave up as well, looking away with a sigh of defeat. It was difficult to interpret it when Zoro wouldn’t say a word, just standing there and glaring, though maybe you didn’t understand his language or something.

“It’s all your fault,” Law said, and a silence followed. “I’m talking to you, (y/n).”

“My fault?” You gasped, a hand flying to your chest when Zoro grunted in what sounded like an agreement. “What did I even do?”

A sigh came from Law, and he soon came into view, standing by Zoro—he looked from Zoro’s face to you a couple of times before he sighed. “Dunno.” He paused. “But I remember you mentioned wanting to keep Zoro and all. Did you go after him after that? Because, like—”

“Shut up,” you said in response, noticing that all three faces continued eyeing you as if sustaining Law’s words, so you raised your hands in defense. “Law didn’t even think about it either, in my defense. He could have visited on his own, even!” You raised your eyebrows, watching Zoro’s attention also turn to Law, which made the priest immediately glare at you.

“Making him angry at me as well won’t do any good!”

“At last I’m not dying alone, if anything.” You shrugged, and one of Zoro’s figures facepalmed, making you chuckle a little. “Poor thing, I didn’t mean it,” you said soothingly while grabbing one of the main figure’s hands so that he would stop sulking so much. “Honestly, I thought it would be a little too hard to actually be close to a demon, with all the church job, always being in the church and stuff,” you said, feeling his hand slowly soften into yours until he was holding your hand. “Oh, right…”

The earring was deep in your pocket, needing you a moment to reach for it, but you soon presented the jewelry for him on your palm. “Here it is.”

One of Zoro’s hands closed your own while the other pushed it away, back to you, which made you raise an eyebrow and tilt your head, but he still didn’t let you return it.

“For me?” You raised an eyebrow. “For me to keep?” And there was a hum of approval in response that made your heart flutter while your lips parted into a grin. Zoro took the earring from your hand, but it was only so that he could replace one of your earrings with it instead. You eyed Law, still grinning, as Zoro pulled you close to himself for a hug, earning yourself some glares from Law.

“Seriously, though,” Law cut in with a sigh and looked up at Zoro, “you have to behave.”

One of the side figures kept focused on you, his hands playing with your hair and the earring, sometimes cupping your face, but the other two looked at Law with sighs and scowls, almost frowning.

“You could even go after us,” you agreed, “making us chase you wasn’t exactly nice. Since you’re serious about wanting us around, we can manage to be more present, but you can’t cause trouble, though.” As you looked at him, Zoro actually frowned, his hands stilling to cup your cheeks. “Come on, we can’t let you loose and lose our reputation and stuff. Sorry, pookie, no great privileges for you.”

A groan came from Zoro as he squished your cheeks together, only to let go when he noticed your gaze wouldn’t change.

“Yeah,” you hummed, “be a good boy.”

Law rolled his eyes at you, shaking his head a little. “Let’s go.”

“Let’s go…” You cut yourself off when Zoro picked you up, almost throwing you over his shoulder as he started walking away. A wide smirk tugged on your lips when Law glared more.

          Whatever you expected, it all felt so fucking dumb now. Trusting a demon wasn’t a good idea in the first place—whether Zoro was challenging your agreement or just doing it for attention, it didn’t matter now anyway.

Law was behind his desk as usual, taking notes as he checked a few documents. A sharp sigh escaped your lips as you sat on the armchair in the office, reading the letters you’d received lately. It would all be a completely normal day if Zoro weren’t there—he knelt on the ground right between your spread legs. He knew he’d fucked up, but you doubted there was any guilt since he eyed you like that.

A figure’s head rested his head on each of your thighs, while the middle figure had his chin on your crotch, in a way you could feel it whenever he swallowed, his arms wrapped around your middle. The side figures hugged your legs, drawing patterns on your calf with care not to scratch you through your pants with the sharp nails, but it had been going on for long enough to be buried in the back of your mind and ignored.

“I can’t believe Mrs Auclair is still complaining about those ‘ghosts’,” you breathed, reading the letter again, trying to search for details that indicated anything different from usual, but there were none, as expected. “I think she just wants to keep seeing us, at this point,” you chuckled, shaking your head lightly at your own joke.

Law scoffed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, lifting his glasses a little in the process. “She should be in a retirement home, not living by herself, at this point. Maybe they should even pay some nurse, just a caretaker.”

You sighed, placing the letter away on the side table before opening the next one, but there was a grunt this time that made you lift the letter and look down instead. Zoro’s eye widened a little when your gazes met, and his teeth disappeared a little with the way he pressed his lips together and looked away for a moment.

“I’m not falling for your lost puppy behavior,” you said in an accusing tone, pointing at Zoro while placing the rest of the letters on the side table. His brows lowered in frowns, and one of the figures had his cheek pressed to your thigh while pouting, stupidly lovely, but you still remembered what Zoro had done.

Having those cases going around was bad for your reputation. Only the fact you and Law were so effective in what you did kept you from being exonerated, since the people in the higher ranks weren’t fond of you two at all, but they also couldn’t find anyone else who exorcised entities that well. If Zoro was causing trouble that the two of you couldn’t handle, then it meant problems for you two and Zoro. The thought of Zoro being caught and exorcised by someone else bothered you, maybe more than it should.

“Stupid.”

Zoro glared at you this time, probably because of the unusually flat and dry tone rather than the insult itself. He mumbled something, but it was obvious that you didn’t understand it.

“We better go check on Mrs Auclair just in case,” Law said as he glanced at you. “Just to improve the situation a little.” He sighed, looking at Zoro and furrowing his eyebrows in a glare. “Everything is under control, thankfully enough.”

“Finally, at least,” you muttered, holding Zoro’s gaze with another glare until he was pouting. “What are you looking at me like that for? I know you don’t even regret it.”

Instead of trying to argue, the main figure buried his face into your crotch, erasing the thoughts away from your mind as your cock twitched almost as an immediate response, even more so when he looked up at you. His gaze carried something you couldn’t quite identify, but it started making you aroused shamefully quickly. A breath escaped your lips as you looked away, shaking your head faintly.

Zoro considered it a victory as he started unbuttoning your pants, and two figures mouthed at your cock through your boxers, working on slowly making it harder, while the third one massaged and kissed your thigh.

“I don’t understand why you always have all the fun,” Law cut in, receiving a glare from you that didn’t make him waver.

“You’re just never the one to make the first step, so it isn’t my fault you’re missing out,” you sighed, running your fingers through the hair of the figure that rested his head on your thigh—he tilted his head up until nuzzling your palm.

          Law’s pants were undone, with the belt still in the loops, and down to the middle of his thighs along with his boxers as he knelt over the fluffy carpet, with one of Zoro’s legs pressed to his torso, ankle on Law’s shoulder. Zoro was on his side—the main figure, it is—, using his arms to keep himself in place, with help from the other two; one of them had his forearm under the forehead for support in leaning over, and the last one sort of mirrored the main figure’s, though he seemed a little more unquiet than the others.

“Tight,” Law breathed with a groan as he pushed his hips forward, making Zoro furrow his eyebrows and moan. Now that you weren’t the one fucking him, you were able to take a good look at his face—faces, if you will—while he was being pleased like that, sitting over your folded legs on the carpet with them.

“Yeah,” You agreed with a hum as you took Zoro’s face between your hands. He looked at you with a soft groan, breath hitching whenever Law’s hips moved. His pupil was blown, sometimes losing focus on you at the same time his back arched and a louder moan spilled from his lips.

Kissing Zoro felt different, even more since he had his teeth on the way, but it wasn’t bad. You groaned softly as his lips parted open, and his tongue met yours, gliding along it while he kissed you back messily. He moaned into your mouth, one of his hands cupping the side of your neck to pull you closer.

“You better be a good boy now,” you muttered while nipping on Zoro’s bottom lip, tugging on it until the skin was red and swollen, and it was quite a work to admire. You licked the excessive saliva away from your lips as your eyes kept trained on Zoro’s expression and how it contorted in pleasure. His eyebrows knit together once Law started fondling his balls, putting a little more intensity into his thrusts, and Zoro’s hand gripped on your shoulder. Impressively, Zoro was quite sensitive. You’d missed that.

You wondered if the sensations were split between the three figures in equal proportions of it, or if all felt the same thing equally. The first option seemed more probably, though, given how the side figures would practically blur out sometimes.

It was obvious you were hard, with your cock pressed uncomfortably against your boxers, but playing with Zoro seemed so much better at the moment. He was so responsive to everything, tilting his head to the side to expose his neck even more for your kisses and nibbles. Could you leave a hickey on a demon? You were up to testing that, nipping and sucking on the skin, doing your best to find the most sensitive spots.

One of your hands trailed down his torso, tracing his abdomen before taking a handful of his pec to squeeze—he seemed sensitive there as well, hissing and arching his back, allowing his moans to become louder. His body shook lightly with the impact of Law’s hips against him, but it wasn’t enough to disturb your plans. You were able to lean in comfortably and start kissing Zoro’s chest, feeling the soft skin under your lips before your teeth started tugging on it, working with your tongue to bring even more pleasure to Zoro.

“Fuck, what are you so big for,” you muttered absentmindedly against his chest, groaning as his hand moved to the back of your neck to pull you closer.

Zoro eventually lay on his back—probably handled by Law, but you were too busy to notice—and pulled you over him with it, keeping your face pressed to his chest. The new position allowed you to use your other hand, squeezing his other pec while you nibbled the one in front of you. His nipple was hard under your tongue, and his moans just grew louder when you started using your teeth on it. As his back arched, he pressed your head to his chest with your hand, so you were glad to comply with his wishes and suck more on his nipple.

“I think he’s close,” Law groaned, breath hitching in his throat.

It took you a little struggle, but you could look back at Law humming softly, observing his messy state and the way Zoro’s cocks fell back on his stomach heavily, creating a pool of pre-cum on his lower stomach, then you turned to Zoro again. “No cumming unless we tell you so,” you said with a glare, receiving a whimper in response. Hot. It went straight to your gut.

Your lips parted in a grin as you grabbed the silver cross from your neck and started to run the edge along Zoro’s chest, a few centimeters above his nipple. He hissed, but his cock twitched with the way his skin burnt under the cool metal, but you kept writing your name into his skin. “Maybe today you’ll learn how to behave.”

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

[exilley]

i love kozue please talk to me about kozue

OMG YAY!! Alr. I have to pull up some of my notes from my last rewatch

So it actually took me quite a bit to really appreciate Miki and Kozue's character arcs because theirs is arguably the most subtle out of the the entire cast (which I understand may not be saying a whole lot, as Utena emphasizes a visual approach to storytelling, where everything is more or less completely out in the open for the viewer to relish-- it's just up to the audience to decide what those symbols mean). The thing that tripped me up about Kozue is that you can't really understand her until you've understood Miki, since her whole narrative niche hinges on her relationship with her brother, and of course given RGU's egalitarian disposition in regards to textual intent, however you've understood Miki will then inevitably color your perception of Kozue. That said! I don't think it's a completely one-sided dynamic, because of course Miki is impacted by Kozue's actions all the time. I just think there's a stricter analytical chronology to dissecting the twins, and that's a departure from the rest of the series' writing, and it makes them stand out a bit more.

Blue is assigned to three characters over the course of the series: Miki, Kozue, and then Ruka. Any thematic commonalities, though, appear to be entirely lacking at first glace; after all, all their personalities and archetypes are oppositional to each other. I definitely had a hard time figuring out this one, but I think my primary (and preliminary) conclusion as to their point of contention has to do with their status as accessory characters. Ruka appears with Juri as a masculine foil, Miki's own status as a member of the student council is consistently undermined by the greater authority of those around him, and Kozue attaches her social worth to her promiscuity. Of these three, Kozue exclusively is a woman, in addition to which she is in the transitional period of adolescence along with Miki, kind of representing an ambivalent force among Ohtori's constructs. She doesn't fully belong to any class of Ohtori's residents. Sure, she has a leaning, but it's just that-- a tendency set up to exacerbate extremity. It's also the binary complement to Miki's own nuances (here we can get into RGU's exploration of Childlike Purity but that deserves its own essay lol; the point I'm trying to get across is whatever Miki is, Kozue represents the other face of the coin).

The bulk of what I managed to gather from Kozue's character actually comes from her duel song, Utopian Paste Tense Incantation. The lyrics lay on really hard with nostalgic imagery and diction.

From this.

We can grasp the core tenant of her character motivation, that being that she's wanting to return to the past when she was figuratively and literally a child, presumably to before the incident with the failed piano recital (parallel that I haven't quite managed to place is the one related to sickness. Miki and Ruka both lost their metaphorical "other" because of illness. Hm). Here, the desire to return to the past is metaphorical in nature-- obviously she doesn't want to turn back time, she wants to replicate their past dynamic, reclaim her innocence, undo metamorphosis, reject the expectations of change the world demands of her.

**Note: The 7-5-3 referenced in some of the lyrics is referring to a Japanese rite of passage and annual festival celebrating the lives of children. Traditionally, girls aged 3 and 7, as well as 5 year old (occasionally 3 year old) boys undergo a ceremony that demarcates their transition into adolescence and womanhood/manhood. Here's the Wikipedia page on it if you're interested

But THIS. This is the catcher

There's a passing mention of an amusement park, which we come to associate with Akio.

The amusement park is the place where fantasies thrive. Its attractions are bound for the same path each and every time. There's no change at an amusement park, no revolution-- only the burden of comfort. And here is the fool who rides a carousel of violence round and round for eternity, the fallen prince. Kozue's own childhood with Miki was like this, and whether it's riding a merry-go-round or playing to his brother's naivete, she keeps herself going around in circles, chasing after a prince who always had his back to her.

Kozue's resentment is mutual- Miki does not approve of her sexual activity and projects his own ideal of the past onto Anthy- but it is not inhibiting. Rather, it is passive, and most of it manifests as self-hatred. She's manipulative, not in the way that she means to hurt Miki as a form of vengeance, but in the way that she advertises a very specific persona of herself to Miki. She's performing the role those around her demand from her (princess), to seek confirmation that somewhere in Miki is the brother who she believed was kind, gentle, and chivalrous. It's fear-- she's driven by the fear that Miki will completely reject her. She was abandoned once, after the recital, and she slipped out of one phase of her life into another. But surely, surely, Miki would still take her back, right? He hasn't changed like she did (or so, I suppose she believes). Her pursuit of an incestuous relationship is the apex of her complex-- it's unhealthy and mired in presumptions of intimacy that aren't conducive to her actually getting any closer to her brother. Similarly with the other sibling pairs, we see this type of sexual abuse used as a way to spotlight the harm that stems from endorsing the caricatures of masculinity and femininity that we're conditioned to view as desirable.

Kozue presses her own vision of the past onto Miki as much as he does to her. He's her "shining thing", her relic of nostalgic antiquity. And therein is their tragedy, wanting to move on in totally different ways, unable to see eye to eye, believing in a flawed history that was never there to begin with. Neither of them want to face the future and place blame on themselves for the loss of a memory that was never once genuine. They're birds who refuse to leave behind their nest, their birdcage. And I think the most fascinating element is the conclusion for Kozue's part of the story, in the scene at the end of Miki's Nest Box, where she finally calls out Miki for being a "coward" and walks away from him, leaving him to finish the nest box on his own. I interpreted that as being symbolic of her finally discarding her own preconceptions of Miki and coming to see him for who he is rather than merely as an extension of her personhood, disavowing the connotations of princeliness she'd come to expect from her brother. He cost them the duel and their attempt at reclaiming their past because of her intrusion on his idealistic fabrications, and seeing firsthand just how fragile his worldview was allowed her to break through her own.

There's so much I haven't addressed, but this is the gist of what I think she's all about? Do add more if you have any thoughts of your own! I will say. Common misconception for Kozue I see frequently is that she's actively aggressive towards Miki because she doesn't like him for reasons ranging from "she doesn't like being objectified by Miki" to "she's been irreversibly hurt emotionally by the incident with the recital" (and that Miki doesn't like Kozue because she simply doesn't fit into his own ideal of femininity). The objection here being the correlation of causality, as I don't necessarily think that Miki's objectification or even the recital are what *caused* Kozue to behave more coldly towards her brother. I hope my train of logic makes sense here because I tried my darndest to shoot down this specific misconception... uhmm. This took a long time to write LOL

[squeakyclamart]

WELCOME TO REALITY

THERE'S NO WAY BACK

sorry about the edgy song lyric . rite of passage and all

This did not come out like I wanted it to . I was trying to replicate the title/credit scenes' style but OUGGGG u know how it is. I have absolutely No idea how to draw objects and I am STRUGGLING I'm posting it Anyway though because it took FOREVER!!!

bonus unfinished sketch version yippie ! you will notice I got rid of Airy's dangly things in the finished version . i just felt like it made things more cluttered than they already were hskjdgh

[boundinparchment]

Dream a Little Dream of Me - XVIII

Celestia has a cruel sense of humor. He’s always known this, ever since his days as a student. But a soulmate? Really? Dottore/Female Reader Soulmate AU. Lore speculation, interpretations, etc. AO3 Chapter is Here.

You had a vague notion that you should be doing something.  It nagged, a rose’s thorn under your skin, persistent in its sting.  

Easier to ignore if you didn’t focus on it.  So you didn’t.

It would come to you.  

Eventually.

____________________

Yujing Terrace was absolutely packed to the brim.  Beyond the rooftops, you could see the dark waves of the sea beyond the harbor, an outline of a rocky series of islands cast in brilliant moonlight.

Everywhere, murmurs of wishes and speculations for the Rite of Descension in the morning.

Rex Lapis would come down from his lofty home and make his presence tangible for a single moment.

It wasn’t all that different from the Hydro Archon’s approach, considering she was only ever seen in Court.  Or perhaps that was simply a poor way to understand the love so many held for Rex Lapis.  You never heard of a god spoken of so lovingly, so respected for their own merit, not out of fear.

This year’s Rite seemed…strategic.  A Fontaine orchestra playing alongside a Liyue theatre troupe.  Dandelion wine from Mondstadt served by Dawn Winery itself.  A translated and bound edition of the tales of the Adepti, handled by one of Sumeru’s expert scholars.  You spotted a replicated suit of armor, delivered by the Pyro Archon’s own honor guard.  From the Tsaritsa Herself, a branch of a tree, glowing white with a power that you could only place as otherworldly.

The performance ended as all of them did, with bows and applause and a sensation of finality.  There were tears in the eyes of the onlookers.  It meant all of you had captured precisely what you’d meant to.  You, too, felt your eyes sting as you’d read the sheet music and listened to the singer, her voice like no other.

They stung even more when you caught sight of the scholar, dressed in Akademiya regalia.  Younger, certainly, but who else had hair the color of seafoam…

Gone in a blink and you were distracted again, jostled by your colleagues, attention stolen.

____________________

“Again.”

Your tutor raised their hand, poised for conduction, and you readied your fingers in return.  This was the fifth time running through the piece, from the top, and your fingertips ached to the point of numbness.

The last note held until you muted the strings and their vibrations ceased.

You jumped at the sound of clapping from behind you.  

“Beautiful progress.  I expected no less of you, of course.  It appears my persistence to your academic guards paid off.”

“Oui, monsieur.   I am glad you enjoyed it.  It still needs work, however,” you replied, peering over your shoulder.

He already interrupted you late at night as it was.  And he insisted you play for him whenever it suited him during the day.  Was even your time with your tutor, the single instance of the outside world, no longer sacred?

Not that you needed a tutor.  But you couldn’t rely on your perspective alone.  You would rot, otherwise.  Stagnate.

Hands fell onto your shoulders, a gesture that outwardly may have appeared to be one of pride.  You tried not to flinch under the weight of it.

“It sounded perfect to me.  Add it to the list of pieces for tonight’s banquet.  I want the Fatui to be impressed, comprenez vous?”  Do you understand?

The figure brushed their index finger against your cheek, the signet ring cold against your skin.  You tensed as the touch lingered, and you felt your hair being played with, as though you were a toy for amusement, not a musician.

“Je comprends, mon seigneur.  Ça sera fait. ”  I understand, my lord.  It will be done.

Hot breath teased your ear.  “Good.  And wear that dress I bought for you, hmm?”

You nodded, your spine ramrod straight until the door closed.  You were hardly the first, you knew, to end up in such a position, and it was nothing your tutor had never seen before.  But it was the first time your own patron had made such a brazen move in front of another who was not a member of household staff.

One look said everything you couldn’t.

“I will let you know of any openings I find,” your tutor said softly.  “But you will not find better patronage accommodations; anything else will not afford you the time to compose.”

“At the rate he keeps me playing, let alone anything else, I do not know if I have much of a career left at all.  And I’ve barely started.”

You didn’t recall walking your tutor to the door, finding your way to your rooms to soak your hands and get ready for the evening.  It was as if someone had shaken an hourglass and shifted everything around.

Usually, you were relegated to a corner during dinner, to play as everyone ate and conversed.  Little more than a distraction for your patron, really, whose eyes fell on you mid-conversation with his guests.  Your skin prickled.

Tonight, however, you were after-dinner entertainment.  Solo piece after solo piece as guests mingled, drank, and relaxed, no longer confined to a dinner table and only speaking left or right per course.

In-between pieces, you couldn’t help but notice the diplomat you heard so many whisper about throughout the night.  A Fatui Harbinger.  The Second, no less.  Blue hair, no, perhaps teal, you realized, his white suit immaculate and his gestures exact, his words arrogant rather than haughty.  He had no use for preening, as other men in the room did, you’d noticed.  If anything, his body language screamed that he wasn’t interested in any conversations except for those with your patron and a select few others.

Your patron, of course, introduced you to everyone.  All of them ignored that you’d played almost non-stop, shaking your hand without consideration.  You were pressed firmly to your patron’s side, his hand holding your hip as you’d only seen lovers do.  Beneath your dress, your skin felt as though it was on fire, wanting only to be free of his grasp.

“Lord Harbinger, you seemed to have quite enjoyed the performance.  If I may introduce you?”

Your patron’s voice was honey-smooth; you noticed a twitch in the diplomat’s neck, his mouth a firm line.

“He should give you a bit more of a reprieve, mademoiselle ,” the Harbinger turned directly to you, speaking freely.  “Playing back to back only to have you immediately make use of your hands…”

Rather than shake them, you found your own hand raised to the Harbinger’s lips.  Despite the upper part of his face being covered by a mask, you could tell from the cut of his jaw and his posture that he was more than he appeared to be, that he did not need eye contact to know a person’s nature.

“I am Il Dottore, Second of the Fatui Harbingers.”

“Very pleased, monsieur,” you replied, your name falling from your lips.  “I hope Fontaine has been to your liking.”

“It is near impossible to see anything beyond the persistent smog but I believe I have a source of inspiration for tomorrow’s meeting with the rest of the Triumvirate and the Archon Herself.”

You smiled gently.  While you didn’t know the inner workings of international politics, you knew when it was better to say nothing at all.  The Harbinger lowered your hand but did not let go, his thumb brushing against your joints, as though searching for something.

“Your patron really should take better care of you,” he said.  “Humans and machines are alike in that way.  Repetitive motions without rest, especially with such passion, is a risky behavior.  You play so beautifully, it would be a shame to pay such a high price when you have only just begun.”

It took you a second to realize that he was, in fact, attempting to ease the ever-present tension in your hand.  Your patron made a polite remark and dragged you away before you could excuse yourself.  When you finally had the liberty to gaze around again, he was gone in a flash of white coat tails, and all you could recall was the feeling of his gloves against your skin.

____________________

You wiggled your toes in the sand, the grains warm despite the cool waves lapping at the shore and your exposed legs.

At long last, all of your hard work, persistence, and passion paid off.

You grasped the letter in one hand, wondering how you would manage to break the news without risking your well-being even further.  It would be better to have someone with you.  Perhaps your tutor.  Presuming the session wasn’t canceled.  Your patron liked to do that, as of late, in favor of other activities.  You suffered for it two-fold, usually laid up in bed the next day, which was exactly what he wanted.

No longer.  Not once you left for good.

The national orchestra meant traveling, playing in a group, seeing the world.  No longer shut away, kept like a songbird.

Your grip on the object in your other hand tightened, the stone warm against your palm.  It’d appeared in the sand as soon as you’d opened the letter, glimmering in the waves like a seashell, calling to you.

A Vision.  Golden like the mora in your wallet, full of potential.  As soon as you touched it, you could feel each individual grain of sand, each tiny piece of Geo energy around you.  

You would carve your own path.  And you would not be at the mercy of the whims of fate any longer.

____________________

“Noor 'eini?  Where are you, I have wonderful news!”

You blinked, the voice so familiar and yet so foreign to you.  Before you, sheets and sheets of music, your pen wet with ink as you finalized your first composition’s draft.  A figure entered the room, teal hair askew and goggles pushed up to the forehead.

“I’ve been calling for you, are you well?”

Red eyes watched you, wide with their owner’s enthusiasm, tempered with concern.  Where had you seen such eyes before?

“I’m fine,” you replied, the words instant, as if you’ve said them forever.  “You’ve finished, then?”

“Yes, and it’s even more magnificent than I anticipated!  Come, I cannot put the final piece in place without you!”

Your beloved’s enthusiasm knew no bounds at times but he had been working on this project for years now.  You capped the pen and set it aside, thankful to no longer be at the mercy of an ink bottle, and arranged the sheets to dry.  As you neared the figure in the doorway, you watched his shoulders fall slightly despite your bright smile.

“You promise you’re well?  You look so tired.”

You felt tired but that was par for the course when you had deadlines to meet.  Tenderly, you pressed a kiss to one spot on his cheek that wasn’t covered with soot.

“I need the break anyway, Zandik.  Please, show me?”

Once again, that nagging feeling danced in your brain as you made your way through the house.  Only this time, it was accompanied by another flash of white, and a pair of green eyes as verdant as spring.

[misterivy]

In MEMORY of RUTGER HAUER on his BIRTHDAY - (January 23, 1944 - July 19, 2019)

Career years: 1969 - his death

Born Rutger Oelsen Hauer, Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century.

Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series Floris and surged with his leading role in Turkish Delight (1973), which in 1999 was named the Best Dutch Film of the Century. After gaining international recognition with Soldier of Orange (1977) and Spetters (1980), he moved into American films such as Nighthawks (1981) and Blade Runner (1982), starring in the latter as self-aware replicant Roy Batty. His performance in Blade Runner led to roles in The Osterman Weekend (1983), Ladyhawke (1985), The Hitcher (1986), The Legend of the Holy Drinker (1988), and Blind Fury (1989), among other films.

From the 1990s on, Hauer moved into low-budget films, and supporting roles in major films like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), Batman Begins (2005), Sin City (2005), and The Rite (2011). Hauer also became well known for his work in commercials. Towards the end of his career, he made a return to Dutch cinema, and won the 2012 Rembrandt Award for Best Actor in recognition of his lead role in The Heineken Kidnapping (2011).

Hauer supported environmentalist causes and was a member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. He also founded the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association, an AIDS awareness organization. He was made a knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2013.

Early life -

Hauer was born in Breukelen, in the Province of Utrecht, while the Netherlands was under German occupation during World War II. He stated in a 1981 interview, "I was born in the middle of the war, and I think for that reason I have deep roots in pacifism. Violence frightens me." His parents were Teunke (née Mellema) and Arend Hauer, both actors who operated an acting school in nearby Amsterdam. He had three sisters. According to Hauer, his parents were more interested in their art than their children. He did not have a close relationship with his father, and writer Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema later became a father figure to Hauer after they met during the filming of Soldier of Orange.

Hauer attended a Rudolf Steiner school, as his parents wanted him to develop his creativity. At the age of 15, he left school to join the Dutch merchant navy. He spent a year travelling the world aboard a freighter, but was unable to become a captain due to his colourblindness. Returning home, he worked odd jobs while finishing his high school diploma at night. He then entered the Academy for Theater and Dance in Amsterdam for acting classes, but soon dropped out to join the Royal Netherlands Army. He received training as a combat medic, but left the service after a few months as he opposed the use of deadly weapons. He subsequently returned to acting school and graduated in 1967.

Career:

Early works -

Hauer had his first acting role at the age of 11, as Eurysakes in the play Ajax. After graduating from the Academy for Theater and Dance, he became a stage actor with the Toneelgroep Noorder Compagnie. Hauer made his screen debut in 1969 when Paul Verhoeven cast him in the lead role of the television series Floris, a Dutch medieval action drama. The role made him famous in his native country, and Hauer reprised his role for the 1975 German remake Floris von Rosemund.

Hauer's career changed course when Verhoeven cast him in Turkish Delight (1973), which received an Oscar nomination for best foreign-language film. The film found box office favour abroad and at home, and Hauer looked to appear in more international films. Within two years, Hauer made his English-language debut in the British film The Wilby Conspiracy (1975). Set in South Africa, the film was an action-drama with a focus on apartheid. Hauer's supporting role, however, was barely noticed in Hollywood, and he returned to Dutch films for several years. During this period, he made Katie Tippel (1975) and worked again with Verhoeven on Soldier of Orange (1977), and Spetters (1980). These two films paired Hauer with fellow Dutch actor Jeroen Krabbé. At the 1981 Netherlands Film Festival, Hauer received the Golden Calf for Best Actor for his overall body of work.

American breakthrough -

Hauer made his American debut in the Sylvester Stallone film Nighthawks (1981) as a psychopathic and cold-blooded terrorist named Wulfgar. With his sights set on a long-term career in Hollywood, Hauer worked with an accent coach in the early 1980s to develop a convincing American accent. Unafraid of controversial roles, he portrayed Albert Speer in the 1982 American Broadcasting Company production Inside the Third Reich. The same year, Hauer appeared in arguably his most famous and acclaimed role as the eccentric and violent but sympathetic antihero Roy Batty in Ridley Scott's 1982 science fiction thriller Blade Runner, in which he delivered the famous tears in rain monologue. Hauer composed parts of the monologue the evening prior to filming, "cutting away swathes of the original script before adding the speech’s poignant final line". He went on to play the adventurer courting Theresa Russell in Eureka (1983), investigative reporter opposite John Hurt in The Osterman Weekend (1983), hardened mercenary Martin in Flesh & Blood (1985), and knight paired with Michelle Pfeiffer in Ladyhawke (1985).

He appeared in The Hitcher (1986), in which he played a mysterious hitchhiker tormenting a lone motorist and murdering anyone in his way. He received the 1987 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the television film Escape from Sobibor. At the height of Hauer's fame, he was set to be cast as RoboCop (1987), but Verhoeven, the film's director, considered his frame as too large to move comfortably in the character's suit. Also in 1987, Hauer starred as Nick Randall in Wanted: Dead or Alive as the descendant of the character played by Steve McQueen in the television series of the same name.

In 1988, he played a homeless man in Ermanno Olmi's The Legend of the Holy Drinker. This performance won Hauer the Best Actor award at the 1989 Seattle International Film Festival. Hauer was chosen to portray a blind martial artist superhero in Phillip Noyce's action film Blind Fury (1989). He initially struggled with the implausibility of the character, but learned to "unfocus my eyes, to react to smells and sounds" after meeting with blind judo practitioner Lynn Manning during his research for the role. Hauer returned to science fiction in 1989 with The Blood of Heroes, in which he played a gladiator in a post-apocalyptic world.

Commercials and later roles -

By the 1990s, Hauer was well known for his humorous Guinness commercials as well as his screen roles, which had increasingly involved low-budget films, such as Split Second (1992); The Beans of Egypt, Maine (1994); Omega Doom (1996) and New World Disorder (1999). In 1992, he appeared in the horror-comedy film Buffy the Vampire Slayer as the main antagonist vampire Lothos. He also appeared in the Kylie Minogue music video "On a Night Like This" (2000). During this time, Hauer acted in several British, Canadian and American television productions, including Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight (1994) as Earhart's navigator Fred Noonan, Fatherland (1994), Hostile Waters (1997), The Call of the Wild: Dog of the Yukon (1997), Merlin (1998), The 10th Kingdom (2000), Smallville (2003), Alias (2003), and Salem's Lot (2004).

Hauer played an assassin in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2003), a villainous cardinal with influential power in Sin City (2005) and a devious corporate executive running Wayne Enterprises in Batman Begins (2005). Also in 2005, he played the title role in Patrick Lussier's film Dracula III: Legacy. Seven years later, he portrayed the vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing in Dario Argento's Dracula 3D. Hauer hosted the British reality television documentary Shock Treatment in 2005, and featured in Goal II: Living the Dream (2007) as Real Madrid coach Rudi Van der Merwe. He also recorded voice-overs for the British advertising campaign for the Danish butter brand Lurpak.

In 2008, Hauer received the Golden Calf Culture Prize for his contributions to Dutch cinema. The award recognised his work as an actor as well as his efforts to aid the development of young filmmakers and actors, through initiatives such as the Rutger Hauer Film Factory. In 2009, his role in avant-garde filmmaker Cyrus Frisch's Dazzle received positive reviews; it was described in Dutch press as "the most relevant Dutch film of the year". The same year, Hauer starred in the title role of Barbarossa, an Italian film directed by Renzo Martinelli. In April 2010, he was cast in the live action adaptation of the short and fictitious Grindhouse trailer Hobo with a Shotgun (2011). Hauer played Freddie Heineken in The Heineken Kidnapping (2011), for which he received the 2012 Rembrandt Award for Best Actor. Also in 2011, Hauer appeared in the supernatural horror film The Rite as an undertaker named Istvan, the protagonist's father.

From 2013 to 2014, Hauer featured as Niall Brigant in HBO's True Blood. In 2015, he starred as Ravn in The Last Kingdom and as Kingsley in Galavant. In 2016, he joined the film jury for ShortCutz Amsterdam, an annual film festival promoting short films in Amsterdam. Hauer voiced the role of Daniel Lazarski in the 2017 video game Observer, set in post-apocalyptic Poland. Lazarski is a member of a special elite police unit that can hack into minds and interact with memories within. Hauer also provided the voice of Xehanort in the 2019 video game Kingdom Hearts III, replacing the late Leonard Nimoy and was himself replaced by Christopher Lloyd following his death.

Personal life -

Hauer was married twice:

Hauer and his first wife, Heidi Merz, produced Hauer’s only child, Aysha Hauer (born 1966). An actress, she gave birth to Hauer's grandson in 1987.

Hauer was with his second wife, Ineke ten Cate, from 1968, and they married in a private ceremony on 22 November 1985. Cate was the daughter of Laurens ten Cate, the editor-in-chief of the Friesland-based newspaper Leeuwarder Courant.

Although born in Utrecht, Hauer had strong links to Friesland. He once stated in an interview with the Algemeen Dagblad that he "needed to feel the Frisian clay under his feet".

Hauer was an environmentalist. He supported the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and was a member of its board of advisors. He also established an AIDS awareness organization called the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association.

In April 2007, he published his autobiography, All Those Moments: Stories of Heroes, Villains, Replicants, and Blade Runners (co-written with Patrick Quinlan), in which he discussed many of his acting roles. Proceeds from the book go to the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association.

Death -

Hauer died at his home in Beetsterzwaag, following a short illness. He was 75 years old. A private funeral service was held on 24 July. On 23 January 2020, which would have been Hauer's 76th birthday, a ceremony was held in Beetsterzwaag in his honour. Attendees included Sharon Stone, Miranda Richardson, Diederik van Rooijen, and Prince Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven.

[intogenshin]

The Symbol of the City

I’ve noticed some interesting things in Fontaine that I want to share, but I haven’t had time to play any quests besides the main storyline so I’m doing it with the understanding that some of it might fall through. All corrections are welcome though.

This post will cover:

Fontaine history

The relationship between music and technology

The meaning of technology according to German philosopher Martin Heidegger

The influence of the 1927 silent film Metropolis in Fontaine’s narrative

How the Bible plays into all of it

Music & Technology

Firstly, the Fontaine symbol looks like 2 things:

A fountain and a retro futuristic city design.

At the same time, the design of the fountains in the city resemble a musical organ. The melusine named Blathine outside Opera Eclipse mentions that the pillars of water formed in the fountains are “like the music that plays in the background during an opera”, most likely referring to an organ.

On the other hand, a city works as a high expression of technological advance.

These two elements are closely tied to the history of the region. Remuria’s empire centered its development around the arts and intellectual fields (especially music), while Fontaine does it around machinery and engineering.

Music and technology are thus introduced as companion concepts.

It’s not the first time Genshin relates the two though: back in last year’s Lantern Rite event, it was revealed that madam Ping (alias Streetward Rambler) used to have a rivalry with Guizhong over the authenticity of music that is composed and played on an instrument and that which is produced by a mechanical invention.

In Guizhong’s opinion, while mechanisms were no substitute for human composers, they were yet capable of producing simple but fine melodies. But Streetward Rambler believed music to be an expression of the soul, an emotional enterprise that could never hope to be replicated by machinery. —Story Teaser: Echoes of the Heart

Eventually, Madam Ping changes her mind: Guizhong’s memory lived on through her invention, and madam Ping was able to express her feelings of grief accompanied by the tune in the bell she left behind.

But Streetward Rambler did not acquire [Guizhong’s bell] from Rex Lapis for the purpose of producing further funerary tunes. No, each time she rang it, it was to play the tune that Guizhong composed on it. The two once clashed over their beliefs about the meaning of music, who would have thought that with Guizhong’s passing and Streetward Rambler’s mourning, two tunes composed in discord would eventually become one harmonious composition?

That which is expressed through an instrument is not that different from that which is produced by a machine. While the musician uses their instrument to project their emotions as an extension of the soul, an engineer uses machinery to project their intellect as an extension of the mind.

Estelle: Truth be told, letting someone as feeble in body as I serve as a blacksmith is the main point of this machine. Estelle: Humans can use tools, and exquisitely-designed tools can make the impossible, possible. Estelle: Some say that all automated forgings are hollow and soulless. But if you ask me, the machine is just as much of a tool as a regular smith's hammer. Really, I would love to see those smiths knock metal into shape with their bare hands... —Semi-Automatic Forging quest

Music was the defining trait of Remuria’s identity as a nation, and technology is one of Fontaine’s.

Technology & Domination

King Remus built multiple fairways (perhaps like the pipes of an organ?) that he used to rule his nation, either literally or metaphorically with music, and conquered neighboring tribes in order to have full control of Remuria and avoid its prophesied demise:

The King, resting peacefully at the heart of the palace, listened closely to every melody and every note coming from every corner of the empire. Upon hearing any discord, the God King would correct it immediately with a pluck of his strings, bringing perfection to the symphony of his empire. To spread the harmonious symphony throughout the world, he built far-reaching fairways, which conveyed the melodies as never ending ripples from Capitolium to every corner that sat above the high waters.With his immortal fleet, Remus conquered all the islands on the high waters. Even the great dragon beneath the abyssal depths submitted to his power. Those were the best days since the end of earliest peoples, and eternal prosperity seemed so near at hand. He believed that as long as all the cities echoed with this greatest of songs, they would escape the judgment of fate and at last reach the land of eternal bliss. —The history of the decline and fall of Remuria

Fontaine is currently doing something similar, just that instead of conquering other people through the symbolic force of music, they’re asserting control over the land through first - the allegorical climate change they’re not preventing, and second - the developing of technology at the expense of the integrity, health and life of their own people:

Sir Arthur: Disaster! Disaster! At a recent public exhibition, the Babich Automated Analysis Engine suddenly exploded in a shower of gears, causing great injury and death to onlookers! Sir Arthur: Mr. Babich himself was severely injured and remains unconscious! Sir Arthur: Analysts' Guild President Marco Borja has opined that this tragedy was nonetheless an inevitable step on the path to progress, and that the Guild expresses its deep sympathies and condolences.

Musical instruments in Remuria function the same way machinery does in Fontaine, they are technology developed with the purpose to control by forcing the enemy tribes into submission or as a justification to exploit their workers.

Allegorical (or not so much) imperialism and capitalism, if you will.

These are precisely the dangers that German philosopher Martin Heidegger warned about technology in 1954 with his essay The Question Concerning Technology.

The Question Concerning Technology

Heidegger centered his work around the concept of “being” not as isolated sentience, but as a result of the relationship between a subject and its surrounding environment. He thought, for instance, that the term “ousia” (known as “essence” in philosophy) had been misinterpreted by previous philosophers and lost its real meaning, which he attributed to the conflicts of the modern era due to forgetting what it meant “to be”.

To put it simply, the phrase “I think, therefore I am” proposes the act of thinking is the essence of what it means to be, but Heidegger believed there had to be a state prior to the generation of that thought for the thought to be generated in the first place. A being exists with its environment, and that relationship between the subject and object is the essence of what it means “to be”.

However, it is hard to realize this reality of “being”. For example, when you’re doing an activity for long periods of time like writing or hammering a nail on the wall, you will eventually forget the existence of the pen or the hammer in your hand. At that point, it is not part of your reality even though it very much exists. Life in the modern era is the same, we become blind to certain parts of our existence in doing routinary tasks to survive until we interact with those parts.

So everything we perceive or interact with becomes “unconcealed”, but it’s a reality that’s defined by our own individuality, not an objective truth.

In this sense, the “essence” of technology is not anything technological, it’s not the machines or what’s produced with them, but something that goes deeper into its relationship with humanity.

Heidegger thought the essence of technology was neither a means to an end nor a human activity, but a way to reveal (or “unconceal”) reality.

Technology embodies a specific way of revealing the world, a revealing in which humans take power over reality. While the ancient Greeks experienced the ‘making’ of something as ‘helping something to come into being’ – as Heidegger explains by analysing classical texts and words – modern technology is rather a ‘forcing into being’. Technology reveals the world as raw material, available for production and manipulation. —Future Learn, The Technological View of the World of Martin Heidegger

Heidegger draws attention to technology’s place in bringing about our decline by constricting our experience of things as they are. He argues that we now view nature, and increasingly human beings too, only technologically — that is, we see nature and people only as raw material for technical operations. Heidegger seeks to illuminate this phenomenon and to find a way of thinking by which we might be saved from its controlling power —The New Atlantis, Understanding Heidegger on Technology

Machine-like People

The danger Heidegger warned about had to do with becoming a society that understands all aspects of reality through the technological lens: that both nature and people would be treated as nothing but resources to be used, like pieces of a machine.

All things increasingly present themselves to us as technological: we see them and treat them as what Heidegger calls a “standing reserve,” supplies in a storeroom, as it were, pieces of inventory to be ordered and conscripted, assembled and disassembled, set up and set aside. Everything approaches us merely as a source of energy or as something we must organize. We treat even human capabilities as though they were only means for technological procedures, as when a worker becomes nothing but an instrument for production. Leaders and planners, along with the rest of us, are mere human resources to be arranged, rearranged, and disposed of. Each and every thing that presents itself technologically thereby loses its distinctive independence and form. We push aside, obscure, or simply cannot see, other possibilities. —The New Atlantis, Understanding Heidegger on Technology

Fontaine has adopted this general worldview not only in relation to the workers, but also in the way they treat court cases as spectacles.

If Sumeru explored the question of what it means to be or what can be accepted as a living being (through stories like that of Karkata, Benben and Wanderer), Fontaine on the other hand seems to be asking what separates a living being from a machine when interpreted through the lens of technology, where workers are exploited as disposable objects and people’s tragedy is commodified for entertainment.

For King Remus also, those within his borders had to be controlled, and those outside had to be conquered.

Both Fontaine and Remuria are cities whose culture has become technologically driven.

When society adopts the technological lens —whether technology itself is involved or not— to understand themselves, their humanity is stripped from them. And do they not become just like a machine?

Gontharet: Those who always work and work will find themselves little different from clockwork machines. It is only through constant questioning and asking that we can forge a new path! Gontharet: Our history and present are all proof of this.

"All I have to do is put on my helmet, shut out the background noise, and carry out my orders." Freminet began to see himself as an unfeeling clockwork toy. —Freminet’s Official Introduction

Freminet, alongside Lyney and Lynette, is a member of the House of the Hearth, a secret Fatui organization composed of orphans who work for the Harbinger Arlecchino, who they call “father”, doing missions of espionage and other not so legal activities that more often than not risk their safety. It is unclear what exactly is Freminet’s role, but by the looks of it, he seems to feel less like a human and more like an automaton when carrying out his missions.

The City As A Symbol

(or: let’s get biblicaI)

There is no doubt that Remuria is based on the Roman Empire, but there’s another aspect to Fontaine that’s very intrinsically influenced by the Bible: the city as the epitome of human virtue and decadence.

God’s kingdom is represented as a garden. Adam and Eve are said to have wandered in the wilderness after they were kicked out. When their son Cain became jealous of his brother Abel, who was receiving God’s favor, he murdered him and was marked as a sinner.

Cain further isolated himself from God by running away and establishing the first city. A city in ancient times was just a group of homes, but what characterized it was the tall walls Cain erected as a means to protect himself from retaliation for his crime.

Cain’s city, much like Jerusalem and Babylon later, breeds a culture of violence and abuse, but also of man-made inventions like animal domestication, arts, and metalwork —aka, technology.

Those in power (starting with King David) always end up succumbing to their lowly desires, impulses and vices in Jerusalem. Babylon (which enslaved the Israelites) goes on to become not just a single city in its historical period, but the metaphorical and almost cyclical condition in which humanity condemns itself over and over again through the symbol of the city.

There are two main ways to deal with humanity becoming corrupt in the Bible: a flood or a messiah (mr Jesus The Christ for the Christians). The flood reboots everything and the messiah solution is more about accepting the city for its virtues and defeating sin through death and reincarnation, then God brings his garden into the world, so it’s like a Hannah Montana situation with the best of both worlds.

Anyway, let’s go back to Genshin:

After the first civilization was nuked with a flood, the survivors lived in the wilderness:

When the tide receded and the earth was revealed again, no cities nor civilizations now stood above the high waters. Survivors and the newborn alike lived amidst the forests and rivers, shorn of all knowledge and wisdom. Human lives were no different from those of wild animals on the earth or in the sea, driven on by the laws of nature — muddling through time with neither beginning nor end. Civilization and order were finally restored to the land named Fontaine the day the great king Remus descended upon Meropis in his golden Fortuna. He taught people how to farm and raise crops in the land, and built temples and cities with giant rocks to house the people. Most importantly, it was he who spread the beauty of music and art, which differentiated humans from other living things, causing them to see themselves as masters of all things. —The History of the Decline and Fall Remuria

Remus taught the people of what would become Remuria good things, but also reintroduced arrogance. And the cycle of Cain’s city was fulfilled again, with the nation causing their own destruction.

Remuria also is described with some kind of tower at its center, just like Babylon. And from the story of the Tower of Babel, this tower can be understood as the symbol of the city itself, the expression of human ingenuity.

I want this to be understood not as a direct reference to the biblical stories, but as a narrative parallel to an ancient story about the dangers of technology.

A city is an isolated concentration of humanity’s sins and virtues, surrounded by tall, imposing walls. A city gives rise to arts and technology, and it also breeds hedonistic desires and dangerous machinery.

I’d say the tall walls of Fontaine aren’t just to make the city look like a dam and annoy players who want to climb. And its technology seems on the right track for devastation.

Technology is not the enemy though

I said in the beginning that Fontaine’s symbol resembles a retro futuristic city. More specifically, both the symbol and the design of the city itself remind me of the futuristic envisioned city in Metropolis, a 1927 silent film by director Fritz Lang that has influenced the sci-fi genre to this day.

Metropolis is divided into two classes: the elite that lives on the surface, and the workers who live underground and produce the energy that powers the city.

(Sound familiar?)

The movie makes a point of depicting the workers moving mechanically, in a zombie like state, when they walk towards the machine they operate and while they work on them, as if they were parts of the machine themselves.

The son of the city’s master, Freder, ventures into the underground tunnels and discovers this reality for the first time. When a worker fails to operate the machine correctly, it suffers a malfunction that causes an explosion, leaving many victims behind. Freder is hit by the explosion and has a hallucination where the machine turns into Moloch, a pagan god in the Old Testament that had to be fed human sacrifices, while a group of slaves is being forced into its mouth, and then the workers behind them walk into it voluntarily.

A woman called Maria promises the underground workers that a mediator will eventually help them, as Maria believes the “head” (upper class) and “hands” (workers) just need a “heart” to communicate with each other. This mediator turns out to be Freder, who voluntarily takes the place of one of the workers and suffers the horrors of working in the machines in the flesh.

When Freder’s father finds out, he asks his local mad scientist —who has been working on a robot with human faculties— to give his creation the appearance of Maria, and orders this robot-Maria to twist the beliefs of the workers so they’ll antagonize the real Maria. Robot-Maria also shows up in the city as the figure of the Whore of Babylon, and inspires the upper class men to give in to their desires and vices.

Meanwhile, the workers are encouraged to revolt and destroy the very machines they’re enslaved by, against Maria’s ideology of unity. This destruction causes a flood that almost kills the workers’ children, but they’re saved by Maria and Freder.

The workers burn robot-Maria in the stake and later realize it was just a machine. Freder also fights the mad scientist at the top of a building from where the latter falls and dies.

At the end, Freder acts as a mediator between his father and a representative of the workers.

Ok but why was that whole summary necessary?

In essence, Metropolis is both a dystopian cautionary tale about the dangers of technology that we’ve discussed in this post, and also an allegory for the Bible (yes fr).

Maria is a Virgin Mary expy and Freder is the figure of the messiah (the “mediator”), Jesus Christ. He descends from the paradise above and suffers the pains of the people in the flesh. The mad scientist is a stand in for the devil, and Freder’s father represents the kings that continuously become corrupted in the history of Jerusalem.

Maria is who preaches true belief, while robot-Maria represents an idol of false belief that the workers are fooled by and also the sins and desires the upper class are enslaved by.

The flood that’s caused by the workers’ revolt is pretty much self explanatory in the biblical sense, you know what that is.

In the context of the industrial revolution, the narrative of the false belief aligns with what Heidegger would later address as the danger of technology, the inhuman lens through which the reality of the modern man is interpreted. The desire and sins the upper class is seduced by are of course capitalist interests.

Maria doesn’t condemn technology itself, she even tells the workers an altered version of the story of the Tower of Babel in which the tower couldn’t be finished because the intellectuals who designed it and the slaves who were building it just didn’t understand each other. The tower itself was an accomplishment of human ingenuity in her version.

Likewise, the movie closes with the hopes that this new understanding between head and hands will lead into a better, more fair society.

The figure of the messiah is not what’s important, but the ability to conciliate the power of governance and the working power in order to redirect the course of the city into an enterprise that serves humanity instead of using them like a machine.

Now, in the context of Fontaine, the energy that fuels the city and belief are more closely intertwined than in Metropolis.

The city is powered by Indemnitium, a form of energy which is produced by the belief in justice extracted from trials. We’d have to wonder, then, whether the integrity of this belief remains truthful, or if it has been replaced by the false idol of spectacle.

We know that at least one person in the city harbors discontent for the work, the spectacle and the Indemnitium energy:

Message in Cafe Lucerne’s board:

”For future generations, for our descendants, we must refuse work, refuse the trials, and oppose Indemnitium!”

King Remus in Remuria attempted to avoid the fate of their destruction, Fortuna, by conquering other tribes and establishing control over his people through a shared government, yet he ended up fulfilling the prophecy and condemning himself with those very decisions.

So I wonder if Fontaine might be in danger of self fulfilling their own prophecy should the workers of the city revolt against Indemnitium, since the members of the Narzissenkreuz Institute came up with it as a means to avoid their impending fate. And whether the people of Fontaine will survive their prophesied flood just like the children of the workers in Metropolis survived the flood the workers themselves caused.

[kaythefloppa]

I love how every single Wild Kratts fan who grew up in the 2010s universally remembers playing Go Cheetah Go. It's like a rite of passage to have played this specific game at least once in your life, enough to recognize it upon the show's mentioning. The 2020s could never replicate such a cultural phenomenon that was Cheetah Racer.