#romantic; death and resurrection

[willowser]

thinking about you laying in bed with bakugou and lightly tracing the messy edges of the scar in the middle of his chest, hardly able to comprehend how deep that wound runs. it had already been there for years by the time you'd met him, but sometimes you see it and are unable to swallow the fact that—at one time—you were alive and he wasn't.

very quietly, you say, "it's crazy to think how easily i could have missed you,"

because it's not every day you meet and fall in love with a man that's died and come back. if fate is destined and soulmates are real, you imagine the two separate paths of your lives traveling parallel, in sync—and his breaking away for one horrible moment, torn from you before you even knew it.

bakugou is half-asleep, you know, but he shifts until his chin is lightly nudging your forehead, and speaks into your hair. "nah," he murmurs, voice thick and slow and slurred. "would'a found you eventually."

and somehow, you can't find it in your heart to doubt him.

[glasscandywitch]

gankutsuou + automata and mimesis on the stage of theatre history - kara reilly

[villain-in-love]

Honestly? I support Katarina's decision to stay out of the whole resurrection business. Good on her for noping out of all of that 😂

I hope you don't mind me sending in some questions, your post made me curious about some things !! 👀

While Undertaker was going through the whole trial and error of resurrecting R!Ciel, did she ever need to help him out? Was there any problems they both ran into? Also... I'm curious about Katarina's opinions on R!Ciel in general, since I imagine she had to be around him in the parlor a lot of the time. Did she get along with him at all, or were there any conflicts between them? Did she also have to keep him a secret from O!Ciel and Sebastian whenever they visited the parlor, and how did she deal with that?

When she took over Undertaker's parlor after he fled, did O!Ciel and Sebastian ever pay her a visit to try and get his whereabouts from her?

Okay, I'm not sure if I can give satisfactory answers, because of how little we know about Real!Ciel in this timeline – by that I mean both what he's thinking about, and how the whole resurrection process went through the years.

But anyways, all in order:

"While Undertaker was going through the whole trial and error of resurrecting R!Ciel, did she ever need to help him out? Was there any problems they both ran into?"

Of course from time to time she was dragged into assisting Undertaker with bizarre dolls, including Ciel, often in a “since you have time to watch, then you could as well help me” way. Technically, he could do it all by himself, but additional pair of hands was quite welcome.

Well, Katarina mostly helped taking care of Real!Ciel’s body, perhaps assisting with possible surgeries? It’s not that different from what she does with usual “clients” as a mortician. And sometimes she might have provided some ideas to Undertaker – it’s possible that she helped in some way to come to the conclusion that the blood might help to keep bizarre dolls functioning.

“Was there any problems” – honestly, that kind of question you should ask Yana Toboso, as readers of the manga currently don’t know much about how it all went, and I don’t like speculating over those kinds of things…

Hmmm, I think Katarina definitely argued with Undertaker about Real!Ciel trying to eat her while he was still in a state of a mindless doll. She proposed sewing his mouth shut. In fact, she wanted to do the same with all bizarre dolls. Undertaker insisted that them biting is half of the fun and that sewing a “person’s” mouth shut is “inhumane”.

Figuring out how to bring back Real!Ciel’s personality to his corpse surely must have been quite a puzzle. What exactly does one need to put in the cinematic record for it to work? Restoring the motor skills was probably not an easy feat as well…

But the biggest challenge for Katarina was dealing with Real!Ciel personally.

"Also... I'm curious about Katarina's opinions on R!Ciel in general, since I imagine she had to be around him in the parlor a lot of the time. Did she get along with him at all, or were there any conflicts between them?"

My s/i have always been… wary of R!Ciel. He unnerves her, and not because of the fact that he’s a reanimated corpse. But because he remind her of the modern-day AI, and she doesn’t know what to expect from him. Plus she overall has a hard time understanding him as a person. And then there’s a bitter feeling because she knows how important he is to Undertaker, but she doesn’t think that any of this is a good idea in a context of Undertaker’s motivation. Our Ciel is not the fake one here, this thing is.

However, she doesn’t express her true thoughts and feelings. She talks to Real!Ciel a lot, trying to understand how the mind of a bizarre doll works. How the mind of this specific bizarre doll works. Definitely tried to psychoanalyze him.

From Real!Ciel’s perspective, Katarina was always slightly distant, but still showed at least minimum care. That is to say, she always treated him nicely. Real!Ciel can see that she’s doubtful and seems to view him more as a scientific phenomenon, but he doesn’t really hold it against her. She still helped Undertaker to bring him back and never meant any harm to him. He almost considers Katarina to be an older sister figure of sorts. R!Ciel is set on proving to her that he is as good as when he was alive.

I don’t really see them having any conflicts. The main conflict here is between Katarina and Undertaker, concerning R!Ciel.

She wishes Undertaker would acknowledge that what he does is only selfish – he’s not giving the ones who died a second chance. He’s not bringing anyone back, he’s making soulless copies of those people and indulging in a delusion that they are still with him. It’s basically the same thing Sebastian tried to offer Our!Ciel when they were negotiating their contract during their first meeting.

What I’m trying to explain is that my s/i doesn’t have morals that would go against raising the dead. She loves unethical scientific experiments, especially if it involves supernatural. But. In the context of the situation, she doesn’t think that this is what Undertaker truly wants or needs. As far as she can see, without bringing back the soul, the results could never be satisfactory.

*sigh*

What I can say for sure is that out of the twins she prefers Our!Ciel. He’s not the easiest person to deal with, that’s true, but she still likes him and is capable of understanding him much better.

"Did she also have to keep him a secret from O!Ciel and Sebastian whenever they visited the parlor, and how did she deal with that?"

Obviously she kept this all in secret. But it’s not like keeping secrets is hard. (Now she knows so many creative ways you can hide a body...) Thankfully, Our!Ciel and Sebastian are well-mannered guests and they wouldn’t go rummaging in the parlour, so hiding Real!Ciel’s body from them wasn’t that hard. Additionally, she’s a great actress and is totally okay with lying.

"When she took over Undertaker's parlor after he fled, did O!Ciel and Sebastian ever pay her a visit to try and get his whereabouts from her?"

Oh, they 100% did. It’s kind of a big thing and a certain turning point in the story.

Listen. When it comes to parenting, Undertaker is basically winging it. But if there’s anything he treats very seriously it’s his apprentice’s safety.

Ciel and Sebastian are a threat, to put it mildly. So the question was, how to ensure that they won’t hurt her in pursuit of their goals? And the solution is…

“According to my teacher’s wishes, I am going to switch sides… and play against him from now on.”

After the events of Campania, they both knew that Ciel and Sebastian will appear on the front door of the funeral house to question her. But if there’s something Undertaker and Katarina have in common, it’s being quick thinkers and knowing how to manipulate information. So the decision was this: Katarina teams up with Sebastian and Ciel and starts working with them against Undertaker, providing Phantomhives with the information she has. Not to mention, as Undertaker pointed out, she already has a motive – wasn’t she the one who was constantly complaining and trying to convince him that he's doing everything the wrong way?

Of course, there’s… a careful game of how much information she can tell and how much she will have to withhold, as well as how she can explain why she knows some things, but doesn’t know others. She can’t tell Ciel and Sebastian absolutely everything.

For instance, she didn’t tell them anything about the real Ciel. She didn't provide Undertaker's whereabouts because she genuinely had no idea where he went. Also, I imagine, at the moment when Undertaker left, sustaining bizarre dolls with blood was only one of the suggestions. She’s still one foot on Undertaker’s side and another on Phantomhive’s. She has to make things fair.

But she definitely was helping the main duo a lot during the Sphere Music Hall arc.

As a matter of fact, she hasn’t been in contact with Undertaker ever since he fled London after the Campania arc. It was done because from this point, the less she knows – the better. (Obviously, Undertaker didn’t abandon her completely. He kept checking on her from time to time in secret and sometimes helping her out from the shadows with some problems she might have run into while doing her job as the new holder of the funeral parlour)

However, after Our!Ciel gets arrested and Real!Ciel takes over the Phantomhive manor, she will come to them. Our!Ciel and Sebastian are not a threat to her anymore, at least for now – instead of hunting down Undertaker, they are now the hunted. Though she will be displeased by the whole deal with Real!Ciel and Undertaker framing Our!Ciel. Did they really have to go that far? Actually, she has many questions. What they’ve been up to this whole time?..

So during the current arc, she got back in contact with Undertaker and Real!Ciel, even though she still spends most of the time at the funeral parlour and doesn't help the Aurora organisation in the slightest. To be honest, she finds herself more inclined to take Our!Ciel's side in this whole story, but for now she doesn't say anything about. She's waiting for what will happen next.

(Additionally: Ciel and Sebastian probably suspected that she might be withholding some information, so I think that Sebastian attempted to seduce her for the sake of information at some point, like he did with Beast and that nun in the anime. It didn’t work. He’s not her type at all (even Ciel would have had more chances seducing her than Sebastian). But his ego was hurt, which was funny. Later she will definitely tell Undertaker about the hilarious face rejected Sebastian made.)

[wandaxpietro]

I RUN NOW TO KEEP HER SAFE, AND I WILL KEEP RUNNING UNTIL MY HEART EXPLODES AND I FALL OVER DEAD.

[dathen]

Dungeon Meshi is the ultimate takedown of “there is no platonic explanation for this” off re: the level of love someone has

Both Marcille and Laios are willing to go to extreme lengths to bring Falin back to life. Laios is willing to walk into the dungeon alone and unaided to certain death for her; Marcille is willing to follow him and face everything she fears and hates for her. Marcille uses forbidden magic that would cost her life and her place in society to save Falin; Laios casts his lot in with her and brings the sentence upon his own head for the same reason. Laios plans to replace the dungeon lord make a deal with a demon to save Falin; Marcille is the one who actually strikes that deal.

One is sibling love and one is queer romantic love.

Neither is elevated above the other, and the choices and sacrifices along the way constantly echo each other. But the *flavor* of it, the nature of their affection, is written so differently. “There is no platonic explanation for this” is more for Marcille getting flustered at what she will be wearing when Falin is resurrected, than loving Falin more than ‘just a friend’ could. THAT is the way to differentiate something as romantic, rather than putting nonromantic love on some lower tier that could never reach the same heights or extremes.

[yandere-daydreams]

tw - blood, mentions of death, slight kidnapping, and spoilers for dungeon meshi.

You could remember Laios once mentioning that dragons mate for life.

It would've been impossible to remember why he brought it up, whether you'd been foolish enough to ask him or if he'd offered the unwanted information in a more general conversation on monster behavior, but the fact stuck. Dragons, like most birds and reptiles, mated for life, and were unlikely to take another partner if their first died. You remembered thinking that it made sense, at the time. Like most monsters in the dungeon, dragons relied on a cycle of reincarnation and didn't age, meaning there was no environmental pressure to reproduce. And, even if it was only on some base, animalistic level, the reincarnation cycle meant that dragons knew their fallen mates would eventually return, even if they would have to wait a few months, a few years, a few decades. If you'd been a kinder person, you might've went so far as to call it romantic.

Dragons mate for life. You guessed that went for Falin too, now - or, the vicious creature that was wearing her face, at least.

You could only be thankful that you didn't have very long left to live.

You could feel it coming. Falin had managed to get you away from the battlefield, but you'd been injured in the fight - whether by her claws or an ally's sword, you couldn't be sure. Blood was rushing out of the deep gash stretching across your chest without reservation, soaking into the leather of your armor and pooling on the stone floor beneath you. You couldn't remember how you got hurt, and you couldn't remember how you'd gotten here, either - to a bell tower tall enough to overlook most of the abandoned city, decorated only with a few colorless feathers and bones you could only hope belonged to yet another wretched creature. Your vision was fogged and dim, your arms too heavy to raise and your legs too numb to move, but you were almost thankful for the paralysis - it kept the worst of the pain at bay. You were thankful to die, too, even if you knew you shouldn't be. There'd be no one to resurrect you, no one to drag your lifeless body back to the surface, but you didn't mind. If you died here, it would mean that you'd never have to find out just how many lives were ended because of a monster with Falin's face, her hands, her magic. If you died here, you'd never have to see the creature she'd become again.

You tried to close your eyes, to let go of the last of your strength before it could be taken from you forcibly, but the sound of talons scraping against stone brought what was left of your conscious back to the surface. With no small amount of effort, you managed to turn your head to the bell tower's largest window - or, more accurately, to Falin, perched on the stone ledge, taking care to tuck her wings against her side in a way that was not totally unsimilar to how she used to take precious seconds to comb her finds through the knots in your hair. Her wounds were still fresh, many of her ivory feather still soaked with red, and she was already looking at you, already smiling so gently that your heart might've beat a little faster, had it been able to beat at all. Despite yourself, you smiled back as you met her eyes. Your smile had never been quite as pretty as hers, of course, but she'd always liked it when you could pretend to believe it was.

Your kept your eyes locked with hers as she approached, the movements of her great body slow, only somewhat labored. The floor of the bell tower shook as she lowered herself to your height, her hand coming down to cup your cheek. You couldn't stop yourself. You leaned into her palm, into her warmth, letting out a rattling exhale as her thumb traced idle patterns into your skin. Maybe she would be kind enough to put you out of your misery a few seconds early, but even if she didn't, you wouldn't mind. So long as you could die in Falin's arms, you'd be happy.

Her lips didn't move. She didn't move. She said nothing, did nothing, and yet, with little more warning than a dull, green glow in the corner of your vision as warning, you felt warmth flood out of her skin and into yours. There was a single bolt of pure, unforgiving agony around the edges of your injury and then, nothing.

For a second, you let yourself believe that you were dead. Falin killed you, and you were dead. You had to be dead.

Your gaze shot back to Falin. Her smile didn't waver, but her hand fell away from your cheek and found your own. Tenderly, she brought to her chest and with her free hand, slid something onto your finger. It took you a moment to recognize the cold burn of chilled metal, the way the ring glinted gold when it caught the light. It was her ring - the ring you'd given her after Marcille's resurrection, the ring you'd fumbled into her palm as you asked her to marry you, then apologized for not having a matching pair.

And then, something hot and thick caught in your throat and you lurched forward, coughing into your hands. By the time you pulled away, your palms were fleshed with bloody tissue and the gash across your chest was gone, replaced with a blank expanse of exposed, in-tact skin. She'd healed you.

She refused to let you die.

She cupped your hand, when she was done, her eyes darting up to meet yours. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse, low, a poor imitation of something wonderful. If you hadn't been so terrified, you might've called it beautiful.

"My love."

[a-flickering-soul]

Since we're here already with the insane SPG/other media parallel posts I'd like to draw your attention to the parallels between Delilah Morreo and Alecto, and the natural progression that is the parallels between Thaddeus Becile and Emperor John Gaius.

[babyastrowitch]

PLANETS IN THE 8TH HOUSE

~

The 8th house represents s€x, taboos, death, resurrection, and other people's possessions.

~

Sun in the 8th

creative, able to see the bigger picture, will focus on what others posses and how to administer their resources, may think fate sends them hidden messages, always wanting to make changes to become better.

Moon in the 8th

cannot find their peace romantically, always searching for other partners in bed, emotionally unstable, loves cuddles, may have a strong need to connect with others but difficulty doing so.

Mercury in the 8th

Naturally drawn to deep, intense, and sometimes mysterious topics. Interests in psychology, secrets, or taboo subjects. Understands what's going on beneath the surface, good at uncovering hidden truths. Your conversations often touch on deeper emotions and complex issues.

Venus in the 8th

Deep emotional connections and bonds, finds beauty in the mysteries of life, sharing secrets with partners, transformative love life.

Mars in the 8th

Intensity, transformation, power dynamics, exploring inner depths, facing fears, profound changes. Strong drive for intimacy, desire to conquer changes head on.

Jupiter in the 8th

Growth, expansion, and optimism in areas related to 8th house. Blessings and opportunities through inheritances, investments, or partnerships. Deep interest in philosophy, spirituality, or psychology.

Saturn in the 8th

Serious and disciplined approach to areas like shared resources, intimacy, and transformation. May indicate challenges related to these areas, but can bring wisdom and maturity through facing and overcoming them.

Uranus in the 8th

Unexpected changes/surprises, and a need for freedom in 8th house themes. May indicate unconventional approaches to these areas and a desire for independence especially in finance and deep connections with people.

Neptune in the 8th

Strong imagination, intuition, and sensitivity in 8th house themes. Desire for spiritual connection, idealistic, a need to be aware of potential deception or illusions in matters of joint finance, inheritance, or deep emotional connections.

Pluto in the 8th

Undergoing significant personal growth and transformation through relationships, particularly in intimacy. Strong need for control.

🔮

[stalkerofthegods]

Dionysus & Bacchus cheat sheet deep dive

Signs he's reaching out • smelling wine all of a sudden, craving wine, You feel a twinge of madness, dreams with his attributes with him, seeing references of him everywhere

Herbs •psalakanthos plant, Grapes and their vines, Figs, Bay laurel, Barley, Pine, Pomegranate, Fennel, apples, berries, weed, Silver Fir, Bindweed, poppy, wheat and hops leafs, wildflowers, pine cones, Apple seeds, Blazing star. I think he would like Cinnamon, mint, feverfew (happiness), Pepper, basil, chives, horseradish (courage), orange, lemongrass, marjoram (insight), vanilla, sorrel, cinnamon (love) 

Animals• Oxen and wild animals, asses, Leopards, Panther, Cheetah, serpents, rams,  dolphins, tigers, lynx, panthers, goats, bats, griffons, bulls

Colors •purple, green, gold, Red, Black, White.

Patron of• fruit and intoxitation, Parties, Festivities, Banquets, Drinking, Bacchic Revelry, Madness, Bacchic Frenzy, Insanity, Hallucination, Homosexuality, Effeminacy, Cross-dressing, Forest Wilderness, Wild vegetation, Predatory big cats, Reincarnation, The path to Elysium, Comedy and Tragedy Plays, Playwrites, Actors, bartenders, the arts, non-binary people.  

Curses• violence, and sickness, Destructive insanity, madness

Blessings• pleasure and fun, Religious frenzy (in the orgiastic cults), Ecstasy, Afterlife in Elysium (paradise), getting a bigger friend group, charismatic going up, getting a romantic partner.

Diety of• wine-making, orchards, fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, theatre, partying, Epiphany, weddings, death, sacrifice, sexuality, dancing, immortality, and reincarnation, uninhibited freedom, as well as the subversion of the powerful, ecstasy, and abandon, swamps and marshes.

Crystals• Amethyst, grape agate, Garnet, Ruby, deep red stones, tiger eye, serpentine, leopard jasper, amber, green opal or jade, carnelian, rose quartz (someone had it on their alter for him, so I added it here.), bloodstone, sugilite, purple fluorite, ametrine lepidolite

Mortal or immortal • immortal

Zodiac • Taruas 

Vows/omans• none 

Number• 7 

Morals• he is morally ambiguous

Married to• Ariadne 

Past lovers• Althaia, Ampelos, Aphrodite, Erigone, Kronois, Pallene, Physokoa, Polymnos.

What he favors in devotees• free-spirited, out-of-the-norm, wild lifestyle, gender fluid, transgender, nonbinary people. People are restricted wanting to become free. 

Personality• He brings joy, ecstasy, and merriment, but also delivers "brutal and blinding rage”, he's a very chill guy, many say he is sassy. I met him once, and he respects people's boundaries.

Home• Mount Olympus 

Equivalents/most resemblance • Osiris, Hades, Sabazios, Yahweh, Bacchus, Liber, Tammuz, Orotalt, Fufluns, Acan, Jesus.

Epithets• Acratophorus, Ἀκρατοφό.ρος “giver of unmixed wine at Phigaleia in arcadia, Acroreites at Sicyon Adoneus a Latinised form of Adonis and is also used as an epithet for Bacchus, AegobolusΑἰγοβόλος "goat-shooter" at Potniae in Boeoria, Aesymnetes Αἰσυμνήτης “ruler" or "lord" at Aroë and Patrae in Achaea, Agrios Ἄγριος "wild", in Macedonia, Androgynos Ἀνδρόγυνος ”Androgynous” specifically in intercourse referring to the god taking both an active male and a passive female role, Anthroporraistes, Ἀνθρωπορραίστης “man-destroyer" a title of Dionysus at Tenedos, Bassareus, Βασσαρεύς "fox-skin", which item was worn by his cultists in their mysteries. Bougenes, Βουγενής or Βοηγενής “borne by a cow", in the Mysteries of Lerna,

Braetes, Βραίτης "related to beer" at Thrace, Briseus Βρῑσεύς "he who prevails" in Smyrna, Bromios Βρόμιος "roaring” and "roar of thunder" refering to the wind amd primarily relating to the central death/resurrection element of his myths and also the god's transformations into lion and bull and  of those who drink alcohol and refers to Dionysus' father, Zeus "the thunderer", Choiropsalasχοιροψάλας “pig-plucker" Greek χοῖρος = "pig"(which was  used as a slang term for the female genitalia as A reference to Dionysus's role as a fertility deity), Chthonios Χθόνιος “the subterranean”, Cistophorus Κιστοφόρος "basket-bearer and ivy-bearer" because baskets are sacred to the Dionysus,Dimetor Διμήτωρ "twice-born" which Refers to Dionysus's two births, Dendrites Δενδρίτης "he of the trees" as a fertility god, Dithyrambos Διθύραμβος used at his festivals referring to his premature birth, Eleutherios Ἐλευθέριος “the liberator" also a epithet shared with Eros, Endendros ("he in the tree"), Enorches "with balls" with reference to his fertility, or "in the testicles" in reference to Zeus' sewing the baby Dionysus "into his thigh" which means his testicles used in Samos and Lesbos, Eridromos"good-running" in Nonnus' Dionysiaca, Erikryptos Ἐρίκρυπτος "completely hidden" in Macedonia, Euaster Εὐαστήρ from the cry "euae",  Euius (Euios), from the cry "euae" in lyric passages, and in Euripides’ play “the bacche, Lacchus Lακχος a possible epithet which is associated with the Elusinian Mysteries, The name "Iacchus" may come from the Ιακχος (Iakchos) whicj is a hymn sung in honor of Dionysus.

Indoletes, Ἰνδολέτης, meaning slayer/killer of Indians Due to his campaign against the Indians, Isodaetes, Ισοδαίτης, meaning "he who distributes equal portions", cult epithet which is also shared with Helios, Kemilius, Κεμήλιος and kemas: "young deer, pricket",

Liknites "he of the winnowing fan", as a fertility god connected with mystery religions ( a winnowing fan was used to separate the chaff from the grain.)

Palazzo Massimo, Rome, Lenaius, Ληναῖος "god of the wine-press", Lyaeus, or Lyaios Λυαῖος, "deliverer” and "loosener") which refers to him as who releases from care and anxiety, 

Lysius, Λύσιος "delivering, releasing" At Thebes there was a temple of Dionysus Lysius, MelanaigisΜελάναιγις "of the black goatskin" at the Apaturia festival, 

Morychus Μόρυχος “smeared" in Sicily, because his icon was smeared with wine less at the vintage, Mystes Μύστης "of the mysteries" at Tegea in Arcadia, Nysian Nύσιος according to Philostatus he was called like this by the Ancient indians  Most probably, because according to legend he founded the city of Nysa, Oeneus, Οἰνεύς "wine-dark" as god of the wine press, Omadios “flesh-eater", Eusebius writes in Preparation for the gospel that Euelpis of Carystus states that in Chios and Tendos they did a human sacrifice to Dionysus Omadios, 

Phallen , (Φαλλήν) (probably "related to the phallus” at Lesbos, Phleus "related to the bloοm of a plant", Peudanor Ψευδάνωρ "false man" referring to his feminine qualities in Macedonia,

Pericionius, Περικιόνιος "climbing the column (ivy)" a name of Dionysus at Thebes, Semeleios or Semeleius or Semeleus an obscure epithet meaning 'He of the Earth' and 'son of Semele' Also “Son of Semele, Iakchus, wealth-giver”, 

Skyllitas, Σκυλλίτας “related to the vine-branch" at Kos, Sykites, Συκίτης "related to figs" at Laconia,Taurophagus, Ταυροφάγος “bull eating", Tauros Ταῦρος “a bull", Theoinus, Θέοινος wine-god of a festival in Attica, Τhyiοn, Θυίων "from the festival of Dionysus 'Thyia' (Θυῐα) at Elis", Thyllophorus, Θυλλοφόρος "bearing leaves" at Kos, Dionysus and Zeus absorbs the role of Sabazios (a Thracian/Phrygian deity)

Facts• Dionysus was the last god to enter Olympus, When Dionysus had grown up lady Hera made him into a state of madness so he wandered through many countries of the earth, He was a student of the famous centaur Chiron who taught him how to dance, The common names Dennis and Denise are said to be derived from Dionysus. he hated the sight of an owl

Roots• Ancient Greece, Greek mythology, Mount Pramnos on Ikaria

Offerings • Honey, Meat, Alcohol (especially wine), Fruit, Cakes, Poetry, Songs, Spices (ex- cinnamon), Blood or liquids resembling blood, He thinks those "wine mom" signs that you get in cheap gift shops are hilarious, Grape juice, Intoxicants, Grapes, Olive oil, Apples, Figs, Eggs, Goblets, Curved daggers, Bull horns, Snake skin, Leopard or tiger print objects, Purple candles, Theatre masks, Sexual toys, Percussion instruments, Wine bottles, Fake/toy grapes, Leaves or curls from grapevines, Pine needles, Pinecones, Apple seeds, Bindweed, Wildflowers, Toys photos or art of any big cats, snakes, Hymns, Songs you’ve written, Any art that you create, Any stories that you create, Art, pictures of the comedy, Wine corks, Wine labels, Toy or miniature drums, milk, water from the sea (he has a strong connection with the sea), Decorative beads, party beads, flashy jewelry, Wine glasses, Shot glasses, Corkscrews, Sparkling cider, Grape flavored things, Cheese, hallucinogens, Nips (small alcohol bottles), Bottle opener, Beer/soda tabs, Alcohol bottles with cool labels, Costumes, NatureFig/fig newtonsBull imagery, Donkey imagery, Bones, Antlers, Dead/preserved animals, Hiking gear, Seeds, Concert/festival tickets, Locks of hair, Shaven beard hair, Pride swag, ravagant clothes/clothes that make you feel good.

Devotional • learn about sacred sex, shamanic journeying, responsible entheogen use, and alcohol as a sacrament, read “The Secret History” book, Make a playlist for Him, Dance and sing to your favorite songs or songs you’d think He would like, Throw a feast in His honor, Remembering to take your medication and taking care of your mental health, Support/donate to your local theatre in His name, Be a part of the theatre, Stand up for those that are marginalized, Write stories/plays for Him, Invite Him to watch plays or movies with you (especially comedies or tragedies), Throw parties or attend them, Attend festivals, Attend a wine tasting, Go on wine tours, Attend parades, Masturbate or partake in sexual acts for Him (if you’re comfortable doing so And over 18), Drink alcohol or grape juice, Smoke po, Learn about winemaking, Support local vineyards, Wear wreaths made from ivy, Wear faux leopard or tiger print, Wear the color purple, Pray to Him for things while intoxicated/high, Visit your local winery and participate in a grape-stomp, do some Homebrewing in his honor, Grow a garden in his honor, Make your own ritual tools in his honor, Collect art, do Glamourbombs in his honor, Pretend to be somebody else in his honor, go out to a club in his honor, listen to music in his honor, read in his his mythos, write things for a ritual and write a prayer for him, eat some grapes or have some grape juice or sparkling grape juice (or wine if able and of age), listen to party music, read plays, watch musicals or plays (ex- high school musical, Hamilton), listen to musical soundtracks, learn about the history of theatre, learn about viticulture and vineyards, do things that bring you pleasure, listen to party soundscapes, watch documentaries about any of his sacred animals, Trip intentionally/spiritually, Learn about substance abuse/recovery, Destigamtize drug users, Learn about harm reduction, Make home videos, Write poetry, Act, Dress up, Go to the woods, Dance/sing in the woods, Meditate in the woods, Learn wilderness safety and first aid, Learn what to do when encountering a wild animal, Go off the beaten path, Explore new areas, Pick up litter, Forage, Recycle bottles, Grow fruit, Try new fruits, Have sex (let the partner know beforehand it's in Diyonisus honor, 18+), Masturbate (18+), Have threesomes/swing (ask him before and make sure the other participants know it's in Dionysus's honor, 18+.), Finally, give into that one kink you’ve been ignoring (you know the one, 18+), Learn about consent with partners, Learn how to preserve dead animals, Learn about different life cycles (ex-plants, animals), Learn about immigration in your area, Learn about different cultures, Try foreign foods, Learn a new language, Learn about your ancestry, Help immigrants in your area, Grow your hair out, Keep a Manifest/Keep a manifestation journal, Use Sexual/creative energy to manifest, Shed your old self, Do Self-reflection/self-exploration, Identify areas where you overindulge (ex- food, substances, spending).

Symbols• Grapevine, ivy, phallus, Thyrsus, theatrical masks, Leopard Skin, Panther, Cheetah, the animal called asses, cymbals, swords, or serpents, rams, laurel, asphodel,  dolphins, tiger, lynx, panther, horns, goats, his chariot pulled by 2 leopards, masks in general. 

Siblings• Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hebe, Hermes, Heracles, Helen of Troy, Hephaestus, Perseus, Minos, the Muses, the Graces.

His friends/gets along with• Maenads and Bacchantes and Satyrs and Sileni and Pan and Priapus

Attendees• Seilenos (God of Drunkenness), Pan (God of Shepherds & Pastures) the Satyroi and Seilenoi (spirits of Fertility & the Wild) The Bakkhantes and Mainades (Nymphe and Women revellers) Komos Satyriskos (cup-bearer)

Appearance in astral or gen• Dionysus often took on a bestial shape and was associated with various animals, often wearing an Ivy wreath, the thyrsus, and the kantharos (a large two-handled goblet) In early Greek art he has represented as a mature male, bearded and robed holding a fennel staff tipped with a pine-cone, but later on he was portrayed as youthful sensuous, naked or semi-naked androgynous youth and effeminate with brown hair and pale features, often holding grapes and drinking wine.

Parentage•  Zeus and Semele, some sources also say Zeus and Demeter, some say Zeus and Persephone, but he always sends up with Persephone as a foster mother or as a biological mother, but before his reincarnation, his parents were Ammon and Amalthea.

Pet• leopards

Children • Priapus, Hymen, Thaos, Staphylus, Ononpion, Cumus, Phthonus, the Graces and Deianira, Seilenos, Pan, Satyroi & Seilenoi, Bakkhantes & Mainades, Komodo’s

season and festivles• Diyonosus festivals were bacchanalia, Dionysia, Anthesteria, Dionysian, Lenaia, Panathenaia,  his season was spring and March and April

Day• 11th to the 13th of the month of Anthesterion, around the time of the January or February full moon.

Sacred places• Boitia in Greece, naxos Greek, island Edina in western Thrake, his holiest shrine was Mt kithairon (Nysa) in Boiotia Greece, he also declared war on India. A sacred place is the theatre.

Status• Greek god in the major theoi, and an agriculture Demi God. 

Pet peeves• Uderestemating him, he probably won't like it if you ignore him

Music• Disco, show tunes, psychedelic rock, acid folk, Greek folk music, EDM, classical, new wave, art pop, vaporwave, just anything you can dance and sing to.

Tarot• Temperance, fool card, three of cups, the tower, 9 of cups (based off of how people see him through their tarot cards) 

Scents/Inscene • Pine incense,  frankensince, patchouli and vanilla, nutmeg, mulled wine, storax, and Benzoin, he dislikes lavender.

Prayers•

Regular prayer

Dionysos, god whose arrival is swift and certain, enduring friend of women and men whose welcome is warm, bringer of light, we see you in shadows. Dionysos, granter of great blessings, your presence is a heady wine. Kind-hearted god, to each you give as is fitting, each vessel you fill only as we can bear, and yet with even a sip, we are drunk upon you, and our faith is affirmed. Awesome god, by our own will we drink deeply, with you we become lost, we wander, we are found.

Litany to Dionysos

Dionysos of the vine, rich-tressed god of wine, potent and lusty, unmixed, undiluted, with full force you come to us, vital and robust, rich and strong and surprisingly sweet. Dionysos, I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Ivy-bearing Dionysos, god of the green, of the power of root on stone, the force of life that will make its own way in spite of all who labor to hold it back, no will or work can bind your might. I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Dionysos of the deep earth, of the dark world, of the unknown expanse beneath the black soil, beneath solid stone, of mysteries you know much, of death and of what lies beyond. God of secrets, I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Dionysos the inspiring, granter of words of prose or poesy, words heard best by the drunken and the mad, words forgotten with the passing of night and delight. Bacchus, granter of rare transport, I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Dionysos Soter, holder of the hearts of men, you free us from the cares of the world, each brilliant frenzied moment a shining jewel, each glimpse of the sacred more precious than gold. I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Kindly Dionysos, granter of good to men and women, giver of gifts to all who seek your blessing. Gracious Dionysos, accepter of offerings great and small, friend of mankind, I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Regular Prayer to Dionysos

Dionysos, deep-hearted one who knows the souls of men and women, whose hand is ever open, ever within reach. Dionysos, god who runs in the dark, who sees with eyes shut tight, who dances to the heart’s strong beat, ever are you yourself, ever constant, ever changing god of those who are trapped, those who seek your truth and their own, those who seek vision beyond seeing, those who seek wisdom beyond knowledge, those who seek the self, pure and sweet, those who seek clarity beyond definition, who seek to embrace the uncertain, to hold, but loosely, to what is true beyond trust.

Regular prayer to Dionysos

I praise Dionysos, lord of the vine, lord of the far reaches of the mind; in the thick of the woods, along darkened paths, in the shadows of dusk and of dawn, you roam the world, the satyrs and the pretty nymphs dancing in your wake. Son of Zeus and fair-haired Semele, bold-hearted Semele, who dared to look into the face of glory, beautiful Semele who you carried into life again, Semele reborn who men called Thyone; beloved of clever Ariadne, quick-witted one, so dear to your heart, your bright-eyed bride and consort; Dionysos, friend of women, friend of the blissful, wild-eyed maenads, pilgrims and pioneers, those who seek, your cheer and inspiration, those who seek your release, from sorrow and despair, those who are lost in joy, and those who have found themselves in you. Dionysos, god of the darkest dark and the deepest deep, boundless one, endless one, fathomless one, in you we see the edges of ourselves, in you, we find our life’s journey, in you we find our home.

To Dionysos

I call to Dionysos, great god of the vine, son of thundering Zeus and headstrong Semele, loving husband of warm-hearted Ariadne. From the east you came, old before the ancients, throughout the elder world were you beloved; in Naxos and Boitia were you celebrated, in temples and in the savage wilderness, the fleet-footed maenads running in your wake. The sweetest, strongest wine is ever your drink; the mind’s release, the body’s loosening, your gift. O Dionysos; thyrsus-shaker, ivy-crowned god, we see you in the shadows, we see you on the edges, we see you in the haze of ecstasy, where we know the truth of passion, where we find the essence of our being. Bacchus, I call to you!

| Sources & websites in comments. |

[powdermelonkeg]

Gale of Waterdeep assorted headcanons:

He has photographic memory, hence his accuracy when recreating his tower during his last night

He was born during, and named for, a particularly bad storm that smacked into Waterdeep

He's 38 years old and 5'8" (173cm)

The Scroll of True Resurrection was his magnum opus, something he intended to use to bring back someone he cared deeply for, but with the orb, he was forced to repurpose it for his death protocol

He used to go on seasonal ventures with Tara. He'd be on the hunt for magical items and new knowledge, she'd be on the hunt for beholder jerky. It's where he got the stash of artifacts he had before the orb consumed them all

Is he a sorcerer? He'll tell you no. He's a very studied, very LEARNED wizard, thank you. He was casting Fireball, a 3rd level spell, at 8 years old. Of course, he could also fly at 8 years old, because that's also a 3rd level spell. That Storm Sorcerers can fly as a bonus action after spellcasting is mere coincidence.

He and his mother greet each other with a peck on each cheek and a hug

His previous romantic ventures, before Mystra, always fell apart at his magic. He'd be grand and impress them every which way, they'd ask what else he could do and want more, and he'd launch into whole lectures about the craft. It would always peter out about then; either they always wanted him to one-up himself, or they got bored of his studies and frustrated with his focus on them. Mystra was the first that felt like true love to him because she fell into neither of these pitfalls—but the absence of expectation made him nervous and lit a fire under his ambition, because how could he ever be enough?

He has his mother's eyes and hair, but his father's smile and jawline

He knows how to deal with panic attacks, not because he himself is often subject to them, but because his magical shenanigans when he was young often sent the housekeeper into a state, and he felt bad about it. Particularly after the magma mephit incident burned a hole in the carpet. His own first panic attack was just after he got the orb; Tara sat on his lap and purred like a motor to help calm him down

The man is demi. He has to believe there's a hint of interest in him in order to start seeing the attractive parts of another. Because of that, he thinks "smash or pass" style conversations to be pointless and trite. Of course, he reads into things too much, so he might THINK there's a spark of interest in him before there actually is one and react accordingly

He gets his articulate vocabulary and speech patterns from his time in the Blackstaff Academy, his tendency for jokes and his wild gesticulation from his father, and both his proud and romantic outlook from his mother. His wonder for the world around him has always been in his heart, ever since he began playing with magic

He and his father generally got along, but they had a series of arguments when Mystra came into the picture. Well-intended, civil arguments, none that ever ended in shouting or anything; more a quiet damage of disapproval that left Gale frustrated and feeling like his family didn't understand how great an interaction like he'd earned was

His father died in a carriage accident shortly after Gale moved into his own place. Gale had been trying to make a scroll of True Resurrection to get him back, but...well...

With the orb, statistically speaking, Gale should have gone to Laeral Silverhand about his artifact problem. With his search for "elder wizards" to address his condition with when you talk to him, as well as her ability to CREATE magical artifacts, she seems the best solution. But he hasn't gone to her, nor Vajra, the current Blackstaff of Waterdeep, because he was afraid that if they learned of his condition, he'd be evicted from Waterdeep for the rest of the city's safety (to speak nothing of how much it would hurt to see their disappointment in him)

On that same note, the reason he (according to Tara) left without so much as a note was that he'd gotten an impulsive decision to go to Silverymoon and ask help of Lord Methrammar Aerasumé, Alustriel Silverhand's son. And that's why he was in Yartar when the Nautiloid attacked

On the whole "who meddled first, Mystra or Elminster" topic: Mystra was alive but severely weakened, believed dead until she revealed herself to Elminster. As her Chosen, she'd have known his whereabouts; Elminster interacted with Gale when he was 8, and that's when Mystra became acutely aware of Gale's existence and began interacting with him, BEFORE she began speaking with Elminster (hence Gale's line about "she revealed herself to me")

Same note, when Mystra first appeared to Gale, it was as a child his age. Equal parts enamored with this prodigy who held innate understanding of her Weave, and "keep your enemies close" in regards to caution around where he could lead himself unguided

Their romantic interactions began after she came back to her power in full, though. I fully believe that she paid him the time of day in that regard because she could sense his love for her through the Weave, like how he can sense your intentions during his magic lessons. It was a moment of opportunity, both to indulge herself and to weave (heh) herself further into his future

The Blackstaff Academy gave quarterstaff self defense lessons. Gale was never particularly GOOD at it, but it got him enough to get by. Between that and the various staircases in his tower are why he's built the way he is

He's confident in his appearance, but very conscious of showing too much skin; he doesn't like feeling exposed, hence his camp outfit being as conservative as it is

He can make something palatable out of just about anything, but his cooking style prioritizes flavor WAY over health. Everything is fluffy and delicious and well-seasoned, and also drowned in garlic butter and cream sauces

Despite this, he's a picky eater on his own terms. Give him shelf-stable rations, he'll find some way to make a meal out of the parts he likes, then avoid the rest. Absolutely eats all the M&Ms out of the trail mix

What he drinks depends on his setting. At the bar? Waterdeep whiskey on the rocks. Romantic setting? Arabellan dry wine. Pleasant company to chat with? Tea. Late night studies? Coffee with a stirring of cinnamon. His wedding? Neverwinter ice wine

Besides Mystra, the deities he pays most attention to are Oghma, Sune, Azuth, and Lliira. His patronage at the House of Beauty in Waterdeep is one constant that's never been shaken by his studies

Sometimes, he pretends to be dramatic in the mirror: Doth thy mirror crack? (Thanks for the research, @galedekarios!)

Fully believe Wash My Pain Away to be his personal theme song, independent of the tadpole events

Despite owning a piano, he doesn't actually play it; there's a reason he's spelled it to play songs for him

He was born in late spring, and the season is one of his favorite subjects of poetry

He has sincere potential to be the next Blackstaff: THAT entered his deck of cards when it let him wield it back at the academy

[ane-doodles]

I refuse to create a new au, let's call it "alternate timeline"

Ok so, this is based on this illustration. They were just thoughts that came into my head while I was coloring. I'm bad at narration and good at lists so bear with me...

We are located in the time just before Narinder discovers/creates/idk the way to revive mortals. He is still the bishop of death with his own cult and there are no problems with the rest of the bishops. I want to add a note: since this is set before the whole betrayal thing here Narinder is portrayed as calmer focused on his own thing.

The lamb (we will call her Avan hehe) is part of the cult of the red crown. She is really interested in everything related to spirits and gods and often gets into trouble because of her curiosity.

One day in particular she decides to follow one of the fireflies/devotion lights through the forest and ends up meeting the bishop of death who, thanks to a convenient breeze, ends up revealing his face by accident.

I don't know what happens in this period of time but the lamb ends up visiting the forest often to meet Narinder until it becomes a kind of habit.

Visits in the forest become common company within the cult as well. Avan receives as a gift the red cord that she uses as a belt to match Narinder (thanks to this other cultists believe that she has ascended to a new position and do not usually bother her with questions)

Avan ends up helping Narinder perfect the resurrection method with the knowledge she has of materials (bones, plants, among others) in addition to providing a different perspective and questions to the god of death. In the end they end up achieving the result that we know in the game. [for the ritual to work the summoner gives a small fragment of his life, since Narinder is immortal this does not affect him in any way]

Here the pre-game events take place: the bishops don't like this, they plan a way to stop what Narinder has started and opt to imprison him in the gateway, but first they must kill him (inspired by this post, go check it out )

So Narinder is killed but he is not immediately chained, but rather the bishops decide to first put an end to the cult (to prevent knowledge about the resurrection from being dispersed). Avan's life is spared because "she seemed to be close to Narinder and his memory should not be forgotten" (me to myself: HA FOOLS! they left alive the only one who really knew the resurrection ritual)

As the massacre takes place, Avan (between terrified and confused) decides to do the resurrection ritual on her own. She takes Narinder's heart and hides deep in the forest.

As Avan is a mortal, the ritual affects her quite a bit (you can see her blackened fingers in a sketch). Narinder is brought back to the world of the living as a demigod, as Avan's mortal life was not enough to bring him back fully.

This is where the story gets a little blurry because my imagination started to run out…

While Narinder fervently desires to take revenge, his powers are truly limited now, and abusing them could kill him and even the lamb. Avan, for her part, prefers to hide at least for a while, scared of the bishops and the idea that they will discover that she was the one who brought Narinder back to life.

How the hell do you hide a cat at least three times your height?

Before the story went totally off track this was supposed to be some sort of Narinder flashback for the CFP Au

I did think about designing a lamb especially for this one, but I prefer to take and adapt Avana, it's more fun and I think the blue suits her well.

Is this a romantic Au? dramatic? Platonic? of friendship? of survival? idk, be creative with your own imagination and enjoy.

[tarotwithlove]

pac ⋆ assumptions people make about you

reminder that this is a general reading and messages found here may not apply to everyone. take what resonates, leave what doesn't, and don't force anything if it does not fit.

BOOK A READING WITH ME · LINKTREE · 18+ PATREON · SUGGEST A PAC TOPIC · TIPS ♡ tips and feedback are highly appreciated!

GROUP ONE

cards · two of swords (reversed), the hermit, the devil (reversed). mischief · keep your eyelids open and sight sharp as nails for there is something trailing behind your tail.

my dear group one ♡ you may be what people consider as “too closed off for your own good”. there are so many people who want to be a part of your life, who want to be your friend or even your lover, but who cannot find a way to make this happen. 

you may be extremely offline at the moment, or you may be choosing to protect your peace by turning all your social media accounts private, leading people to take any little crumb of information they can get about you and make radical (sometimes ridiculous) assumptions. 

the more that people do not have access to you, the more they need to make up reasons why this is so. the biggest assumptions that people make about you is that you are someone who has a lot of casual relationships as well as that you are someone who likes to drink and party more than anything else.

you may not post often and when you do it’s of you going out and spoiling yourself, which leads people to think that this is what you prioritise when in reality this is only a small portion of your reality. there’s a few people who even wonder whether you have a problem with alcohol, because of how “often” you post about you enjoying it. 

GROUP TWO

cards · ten of wands, two of swords (reversed), the high priestess (reversed). rebirth · there’s death in all that awakens. for it isn’t blissful nor painless; it’s a might rising, oh flame resurrected.

my dear group two ♡ you may have recently undergone a major physical transformation or you may have started doing something with your appearance that’s different from usual. be it cutting your hair a new way, bulking up, trying a new style of dressing, or whatever else.

people tend to see you as someone who is aloof and difficult to befriend and, thus, choose to observe you from afar. 

people have seen your transformation and assume that you are doing this because you have experienced some kind of heartbreak. they look at you and think something like, “who hurt them?” … 

others simply think that you are almost unrecognisable from how they remember you, sometimes having to do a double take when your paths cross. they wonder if you have been pushed into this transformation because of shouldering a big new responsibility, such as a new job or new career prospect.

honestly, whichever of these most applies to you, the assumptions that people make about you most of all come from them seeing you as intimidating—probably because they also assume you are far more mature and level-headed than them or anybody else they know. 

GROUP THREE

cards · four of wands (reversed), queen of wands, six of cups. owl · behold sight oh, ancient ones. for there is magic in the darkest of places if one dares to open their eyes.

my dear group three ♡ you may be particularly spiritual or religious. you may wear jewellery or have tattoos that denote some kind of spiritual or religious affinity, or carry yourself in such a way that makes people see you as someone with immense knowledge and wisdom, particularly because i heard the term “arcane knowledge”. 

people see you as someone inherently out of their league, assuming that you are capable of looking after yourself without the support of anybody else. this is particularly true for family members who may not know you as well as they think they do and potential romantic partners who can do little but watch and want you from afar. they assume that you have your life figured out and are rarely bothered or affected by the difficult or painful things that happen to you, or difficult or painful circumstances you find yourself in. 

romantic partners assume that once you close the door on them it’s closed for good. even if you want certain people to come back into your life, they assume you are too above them to ever give them a second chance. or, in some cases, a first chance. 

the neatest and most succinct way to say this is that, frankly, people assume you are much stronger (and, for some, much pickier) than you actually are. 

GROUP FOUR

cards · death, the tower, judgement, knight of sword. healer · listen as the medicine bleeds through her teeth, a river of mercy blessed by mother. seen only by those who hold her mirror. 

my dear group four ♡ it is in energy that’s coming through for you, as if you are on the verge of so much change while also holding on to so much of your past. i’ve started this paragraph a few different times, deleting and rewriting as i try to word the message in the best way possible, but i think the first is probably the most accurate: you are finally freeing yourself of a death and rebirth cycle.

you are coming out of a loop in which with every great high you immediately experienced a great low. and people are seeing this for themselves too. 

people have been critical about you in the past, making the assumption that you will never amount to anything, or never fulfil a goal or dream. but as you surpass every expectation that they had for you, they start to see how wrong they were to doubt you. 

and, now, rather than assume you are bound to fail, they cannot help but assume the opposite—that you are bound to succeed. 

people also assume that you are somewhat of a “king’s maker”; that even if you may never have the spotlight you can ensure that other people do. they also assume you are intelligent, and not just intelligent for intelligence’s sake but most importantly, a good teacher who can help other’s learn without feeling condescended down to. 

[nellasbookplanet]

I know this is old hat to just about everyone, but I'm more and more enjoying Imogen and Laudna as not just a mirror of the Briarwoods but also, and perhaps even more so, as a foil.

Laudna may be the death magic goth with a necromancer in her head, but out of the two of them, Imogen is the stronger mirror of Delilah. She’s the one with the undead lover, the one prepared to break the world by risking Delilah's return as long as it got her Laudna back, the one with the drive and the thirst for power and knowledge. Laudna meanwhile, while also tempted by power, is mostly just along for the ride, deeply devoted to Imogen over anything or anyone, alive only because Imogen found a way to resurrect her. They have looked each other in the eye, recognised the same seeds of darkness and the possibility of giving in, and said 'Together either way'.

But they are also in many ways a direct subversion of the Briarwoods. Delilah and Sylas both seemed perfectly happy to have made a pact with Vecna and revelled in the power he granted them, even knowing the disaster he would bring and the horrific acts he asked of them. Imogen and Laudna meanwhile, while tempted by power and openly voicing said temptation to each other, actively fight against it. Imogen was prepared to risk Delilah's return for the sake of Laudna's resurrection, but she would've fought her every step of the way. She's tempted by the power and knowledge of Ruidus, but also prepared to give all of it up if it means saving the world, because unlike Delilah she chooses to care about people other than herself and her lover. Laudna may be prepared to follow Imogen into hell itself, but she may also be what would lead her back out, because unlike Sylas she doesn’t just recognise darkness in her lover, she wants to fight it alongside her.

This is what I mean when I say these two hold the potential for great darkness. They wouldn’t function as a mirror and a foil of the most romantically iconic critical role villain duo if they didn't. But holding the potential for darkness and corruption also means holding the potential to resist and fight said darkness at every turn. It gives them the potential to choose kindness and struggle while still keeping a little bit of that darkness in their hearts, because without it, they never would have found each other.

[sugar-grigri]

Fans are Denji's source of unhappiness

First observation: Fumiko is worse than Barem

I don't like making meaningless comparisons, especially in a work like Chainsaw Man where when the characters aren't nuts, they remain at least morally gray. But this comparison makes sense in the sense that the construction of the chapter refers to it. As usual, let's analyze this by following the chapter's chronology.

This one takes place in a funfair, which is not an insignificant location, but we'll come back to that later. These few lines of dialogue already evoke a very simple idea: Denji isn't so stupid that he wouldn't know he was being manipulated. He knows full well that Fumiko was placed in Yoshida's care not to protect him, but to keep a close eye on him, to prevent him from turning and joining the church.

But she tries to disprove all this, evoking the ecstasy one might feel if one were Chainsaw Man. Being Chainsaw Man is also a source of unhappiness for Denji, who corrects her, and Fumiko adapts to his speech, looking for the first negative point that comes to mind. I think it was a real mistake for Fumiko to mention this point, but once again, she adapts to Denji's reaction. He's completely horrified at having been observed in the bathroom, so she shares his negative view of the situation.

She knows that Denji's main objective is sex-related, so she builds on that by downplaying what she's doing. This is fan behavior; fans are sexually obsessed with Denji in the hope that it will delight him. But Fumiko knows no bounds, either ignoring his consent or stalking him, which logically engages Denji's rejection reaction again.

Once again, he perceives the means of manipulation with the word "fan", and rejects it. So far, these experiences have only been negative and intrusive, and even when they have been positive, whether with Asa romantically or Power platonically, the demon of control, another female figure, has put an end to them.

But instead of stopping the manipulation, Fumiko goes on to confirm Denji's words even as they express pure disgust and rejection. For a character who knows absolutely no limits, she may also override stopping this conservation, but she continues with her family history. If public demon hunters know anything about Denji apart from his natural distrust and need for affection, whether sentimental or physical, it's his sensitivity.

I can't say that the story Fumiko tells is a complete lie, just as I can't say that she's telling the truth. She's a hunter, and anything she mentions could well have ended up in a report, especially given the national authorities' interest in the gun demon. But even if her story is true, the tragic aspect, not for her but for Denji, is even stronger.

Fumiko says she lost her parents because of the gun demon, that CSM didn't hear her cries for help. I'd like to remind you that chapter 79, the chapter in which she refers to Aki's death, is dedicated to the trauma of what it means to be Chainsaw Man.

For the demon from the future, Aki died in the worst possible way, not for him, but for Denji. It's clear that the little boy is forcing himself to continue this snowball fight he no longer wants to play.

At first, he tries to reason with Aki, forcing him to wake up, but when he himself is shot trying to spare one of his only loved ones, people won't let him lose. Chainsaw Man is a weapon of vengeance into which everyone projects their frustrations, the deaths of their loved ones. Denji was forced to be resurrected, to kill Aki not for himself, but for the community. Chainsaw Man never acts for himself. If Aki died in the worst way for Denji, it's because his fans, this community, forced him back to life to remove one of his sources of love.

Denji was traumatized by having to win.

Let's be clear: it wasn't Denji who ignored their calls for help, it was they who ignored his.

Isn't it tragic to criticize Chainsaw Man for not hearing Fumiko's cries for help, or the cries of all those people, when he was instead so compelled by them, like a machine that would be reset to kill a loved one ? Chainsaw Man, on the other hand, hears all the pain in the world. This doesn't mean that Denji is altruistic - he isn't. He's closer to amorality than compassion, but like a permanently dehumanized machine, he must serve others. It has no morals, so how can it live for itself ?

That's why what Fumiko says is so paradoxical: saving Denji means finally allowing him to live for himself, granting him the right not to hear all those voices.

She doesn't mean what she says when she says she's never thought of him as a god, but simply as a child in need of protection. She's only setting up a dissident discourse to that of the church, which idealizes him by banking on the part of identity that is Denji, while the church banks on Chainsaw Man. How can someone who is constantly sexually abusing Denji be competent to protect a boy?

This chapter is about setting limits for children. To have access to the merry-go-round, you have to be over 1m10 tall. These clear limits were never set for Denji, either when he was forced to kill Aki or even when he explores his sexuality.

Having killed his father, been martyred by the mafia and then manipulated by a demon, Denji is now at the heart of other vicious circles. He's condemned to being too young an adult, watching over Nayuta like a parent while children play behind him, not enjoying the funfair with friends, a girlfriend, being cloistered on that bench. The bench represents the stagnation in Denji's life, his questioning, placed on the bench of his own life, his name unknown to his fans, his nature instrumentalized, his age ignored.

Denji needs and must be considered with the age he is, a 17-year-old teenager. Yet even this characteristic, even the fact that he's still a child, is ignored by Fumiko, hence her insistence on the word "senpai".

The treatment of Fumiko is good, I find her to be the very embodiment of Denji's sexual trauma in the sense that she constantly manipulates him to play on his interests, and constantly ignores his own desires, his limits.

Fumiko manipulates, hence the emphasis on her outraged expression when Barem interrupts. If Barem's manipulation is more grotesque, it's not to manipulate Denji but to mock Fumiko's strategy. Although it's incredibly more insidious, the weapon has a clear idea of what she's up to.

And yet, in just a few sentences, it's right on target. It's much closer to Denji's reality than to Fumiko's human perspective. Weapons are seen as weapons, machines at the service of humans, whose immortality is a pain, as it leads them to the trauma of always winning.

Barem uses a cigarette, obviously reminiscent of those smoked by Aki, who had given in to Himeko's advances and needed an outlet for his stress. Aki's misfortune is to have spent his life on revenge, living to avenge the dead, not living for himself. The cigarette was his flaw, the proof of his humanity, the one he threw at Denji to spare him the pain of getting involved in the horrible business of hunting demons.

Whether or not it was there to manipulate Denji by reminding him of his older brother, whether or not it was there by chance, it conveyed the same message: proof of the humanity of a man who lived for others. A man who was executed once again for that same community.

This community, Denji's fan club, is the cause of his deepest misfortune. Chainsaw Man has never been so popular, yet Denji has never been alone. Because he's not allowed to have loved ones. Nayuta, too, is proof of this: she wants her brother for herself, and convinces him that he's loved by others by acting under the cover of Chainsaw Man.

That's why Denji's intervention to stop the attack in progress is much less certain. All these fans, this humanity waiting for Chainsaw Man, are the source of his misfortune. Of course the fan club will call Chainsaw Man. What's less obvious...

Will Denji listen to their cries for help?

[zoobus]

Like I'm not against reading their relationship as homoerotic and I've been enjoying all the bloody lesbian chicken art across my dash, but reading it for myself, I saw Marcille's relationship with Falin and dreams overall as reflective of elf paternalism, a trait that's directly attributed to why the other races hate elves and why it's difficult (though not impossible) to hold a mutually respectful relationship with them. As adult-Falin points out, Marcille struggles with seeing her as a child - a good number of their relatively few on-page interactions are Marcille denying her agency (refusing to accept she left magic school by choice) or motherly intimacy (grabbing her body without warning to check for blemishes while Falin passively expresses displeasure).

None of this is meant to drag Marcille - I found her goals sympathetic and admirable (death is bad) and her maternalish post-resurrection behavior rational, if not endearing. I liked the parallels, I liked that her motivations likely aren't even at odds with elven society, just with the law. I can even recognize a certain kind of eroticism to it! It just didn't parse as romantic to me and there's no shift in Marcille's behavior that seemed like she was repressing the true nature of her feelings. Magic handholding isn't actually that compelling, especially when the other Touden also gets one, plus ear-cradling.

Again, it's not that I'm against FalinxMarcille, so much as I was reading DM with my yuri goggles set to high and I personally didn't see it. The manga itself is high on intimacy but low (dare I say empty) on romance, so I find assertions like "if you don't think there's anything between these two characters, you're literally missing the point" patently ridiculous.

[underdark-dreams]

BG3 Masterlist

Rolan x f!Tav (she/her)

In Amber - [Pining - Slow Burn | Explicit] - AO3

In Corpore Sano - [Hurt/Comfort] - AO3

Life, Death, Resurrection - [Injury - Angst] - AO3

Good Night For Company [ch1] [ch2] - [Fluff - Feelings Realization | Explicit [ch2] ] - AO3

Blades and Spells - [First Meeting - Fluff - Siblings] - AO3

Master - [Obedience - Praise Kink | Explicit] - AO3

More - [Romantic Fluff - Mild Angst - Marriage Proposals] - AO3

Starlight - [Slow Dance - Mutual Pining] - AO3

A Strand to Climb [ch1] [ch2] [ch3] [ch4] [ch5] [ch6] - [Angst - Pining - Established Relationship] - AO3 [Complete]

Birds and Bees - [ch1] [ch2] - [Tiefling Ruts - Sexual Tension | Explicit] - AO3

Rolan x Ember (OC by catsharky)

Pent Up - [Trapped in Closet - Tails - Touch Starved | Explicit] - AO3

Dammon x Karlach

Touchable - [Explicit] - AO3

Harper Geraldus x afab!OC

Wet Behind the Ears - [Size Kink - Face Sitting - Explicit] - AO3

Headcanons

Rolan x Dammon [sfw / nsfw]

Dammon x Rolan x gn!Tav pt. 1 [sfw / nsfw]

Dammon x Rolan x gn!Tav pt. 2 [sfw / nsfw]

Dammon x Rolan x gn!Tav at the Grove party

Tav finding Dammon's banned smut stash

Rolan / Dammon as new dads

Misc. for Rolan and Dammon [sfw]

Dammon x m!Tav

Dammon, Rolan, & Zevlor - cooking

Rolan, Dammon, Zevlor - Tails [pining / relationship]

Rolan x top/dom m!Reader [nsfw]

Rolan, Dammon, & Zevlor - borrowing their clothes [nsfw]