#synchronous has more structure

[nerdyqueerr]

Outsourcing academic decisions to tumblr dot com

Further context for each course:

"Weird Fiction" is an English course that will have me reading and annotating tons of short stories. Reading reviews + syllabus online has led me to believe that the prof is strict as hell and not very generous. However if I do ok on the midterm I get to write a short story instead of a final exam. Online synchronous.

"Religon and the body" is a new religion course which is about. Well. Religion and the body, whether that's death rituals, food purity codes, sexuality, etc. Reviews of the prof seem to say she's flexible but the course has also never been taught before so who knows if the content and evaluation format will work for me. Online asynchronous.

[arolesbianism]

Working more on the local group of Synchronized Light and hoo boy. There's smth wrong with these guys.

[as-if-and-only-if]

I'm interested in forming a sort of...math & physics reading group network. well, with some very important modifications to the concept of "reading group".

for example, right now, I'd like to learn algebraic geometry, qft, and/or refresh myself on representation theory with someone—maybe just one or two people—meaning that traditionally, we'd pick a text for one of these topics, discuss the material (asynchronously or synchronously?), exchange exercises, etc.

but currently (being Between Institutions), my best bet is posting on tumblr. and that's a pretty good bet, tbh! there are a lot of us here!

though, wouldn't it be great if there were a way to coordinate groups like this across institutions? you make a post proposing a group, specifying your goals and constraints...

even that would be a boon. but I think the concept of a "reading group" itself could be changed in interesting ways. this is what I'm really interested in.

there are variations among reading groups themselves already. sometimes you have directed reading groups, where someone already knows the material and "leads" it; some people are looking for more or less people involved; and there are probably things to explore for making sure that reading groups stick through it instead of falling apart when some motivation flags. default meeting times help with this, for example.

there are many experiments to be done! I think lessons for group-making can be taken from a maybe-surprising source: theater. there are a lot of things that make groups which put on shows more robust and rewarding than reading groups. a sense of building to something; many factors that create informal group cohesion (e.g. such a structure should make sure it creates more-informal "cafe" time in addition to more-formal "practice" time, just as rehearsal in physical spaces facilitates that casual sort of interaction on its periphery); ways to get into the right headspace during discussions (just as warm-ups do in theater; the engagement with this material is an event); clear goals (e.g. "understand ___"); successive shared accomplishments...to that end I wonder if it makes sense to form math troupes, which do successive reading groups together, drawn from its members.

it might be useful to envision some sort of public-facing artifact created as the culmination of this learning, whether a presentation, or an article, or some novel application or research...the crucial question is: how do we choose a goal that we find meaning in?

one idea, for example, is to have a collection parallel reading groups learning different things, and end by presenting to each other! that way we know what we learn will be meaningful to others, too, from the beginning. in general, I think it's important to feel that our own development of insight and understanding can be meaningful to others and to the group. it's nice to participate; it's nice to be able to offer something that is valued. what form can this take? how can you set up the interactions such that everyone has a part to play, and so this meaningfulness is tangled up in participation in the group?

I've also got a couple of ideas for "activities" that let us engage, re-engage, and play with the concepts we're learning with each other, beyond the text itself. how can we give ourselves the opportunity to toss around the concepts we're learning? I believe that the fun ultimately comes from the understanding itself, and therefore that any group exercise which lets us effectively play with the ideas will be fun.

it's a lot to ask people to come up with structure like that themselves, but using a pre-existing structure is not so difficult! sort of like how it's hard to make a TTRPG itself, so simply saying "go off and roleplay" isn't that helpful, but it's easy to use the structure of an existing one to run a game.

you might say, well, the existing form of a reading group is fine. okay! existing reading group structures can be low-stakes, relaxed, and accessible...but they can also fall apart easily (especially when not tied to an institution, in my experience), and you have to get lucky to find a truly rewarding one. I find reimagining our mechanisms of learning pretty exciting, and I think the space of ways to learn math with each other is underexplored at this level (emphasis on the with each other). there's a lot of potential!

anyway! reply or tag with "!" if this is something you could maybe be interested if done well? or if you're at least curious! I'm just taking a temperature. :)

[explorastro]

THE placements of astrologers :

The capacities of reading a birth chart are mercurial because you translate a language to another that is celestial, predictive techniques are for jupiterians because the future has no limits. Retrospective astrology, or study history with an astrological point of view is lunar, like we take to the collective memory for adding a new intuitive and synchronous perspective with the planets and stars. Saturn helps to develop your type of astrology with a structure of interpretation that matches your vision of things, vision of things linked to the Sun. Mars is the searcher of truths when Jupiter believes, Mars deepen to the abyss of everything, it’s the skills learner, the achievement after years of studying. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are collective psychology, patterns and events, so astrology of the world’s events. Venus is what is cherished and loved, like places in the world, so astrocartography is venusian in its essence, finding the better place to enjoy your life..

The placements that predispose to be a good reader of birth charts :

Sun conjunct Mercury

Mercury in Virgo/Gemini/Aquarius/Libra

Mercury aspecting nodes

Mercury in the third decan

Mercury in 1st, 3rd, 7th, 10th and 11th houses

Mercury aspecting LoF or LoS

Those that predispose to be a good predictive astrologer :

Jupiter in Sagittarius/Pisces/Cancer

Sun conjunct Jupiter

Moon aspecting Jupiter

Jupiter aspecting nodes

Jupiter in 1st, 5th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 12th houses

Jupiter in the third decan

Jupiter aspecting outer planets

Jupiter aspecting LoF or LoS

Those that predispose to be a good historical astrologer :

Sun aspecting the Moon

Moon in Cancer and Taurus

Moon in 1st, 4th and 10th houses

Moon aspecting outer planets

Moon aspecting LoF or LoS

Moon in the third decan

Moon aspecting the nodes

Those that predispose to be a good mundane astrologer :

Sun conjunct outer planets

Moon aspecting outer planets

Nodes aspecting outer planets

Outer planets in angular houses

Outer planets in theirs domiciled signs

Outer planets aspecting the LoF or LoS

Outer planets in the third decan

And for the placements that predispose to be a good astrocartographer :

Sun conjunct Venus

Venus in Taurus/Libra and Pisces

Venus in 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 10th and 12th houses

Venus in third decan

Venus aspecting Jupiter or Moon

Venus aspecting nodes, LoF or LoS

Conclusion : if you have Mercury/Jupiter and Moon in triple aspects you have the potential to success in every fields of astrology, past, present and future. Outer planets talk to the collective, so if you have one of them dominant in your chart, that help you to be a good mundane astrologer. For astrocartography, Venus teach us to go where things are aligned to have a good, pleasurable and happy life. Lot of Fortune, Lot of Spirit, the Nodes, Sun, houses, signs and decans can deepening the predestination of your relationship to astrology and to know what type of astrology is more predisposed to talk to you. Enjoy the cosmic course !

[olis-inkwell-symposium]

5 Occult Concepts That Explain the World Better Than Science

Throughout my extensive research into occult philosophy, I’ve been fortunate to gain a ton of knowledge that has truly enriched my understanding of the world. This journey has been deeply personal, as it has allowed me to explore the hidden corners of my mind and connect with a broader spiritual and philosophical landscape.

What I’ve come to realize during this time is profound: if the world weren’t so rigid and complex, we could all live and practice our lives in such diverse and meaningful ways that are truly personalized to our unique needs and desires. This realization has inspired me to seek out a more balanced and harmonious existence, one that embraces the individuality and creativity that lie within each of us. It’s also motivated me to share this knowledge with you all, hoping to spark a similar sense of wonder and empowerment in your own lives!

Now don’t get me wrong; science is brilliant at breaking things down—atoms, ecosystems, the expansion of the universe. It gives us answers, solutions, and a framework to navigate the physical world. But let’s be honest: science often trips over itself when trying to explain the messy, intangible, and deeply human parts of existence.

The cracks where logic doesn’t fit? That’s where the occult slips in. Occult philosophy thrives on the edges of understanding. It doesn’t just ask “how”—it asks “why,” “what if,” and “what does this mean for me?” While science maps reality in clean, objective terms, the occult dives into the subjective, the mysterious, and the uncomfortable truths that can’t be measured in a lab.

Here are five esoteric concepts that, in their raw and provocative nature, offer a far more compelling explanation of the world than science ever could:

1. As Above, So Below: The Reflective Nature of Reality

This phrase is a cornerstone of hermetic philosophy, a cryptic little mantra that implies the micro mirrors the macro, and vice versa. In simpler terms: the structure of the universe can be seen in the structure of a single human life.

Science has its own version of this idea in fractals and self-similarity across scales—patterns that replicate endlessly from the molecular level to the cosmic. But where science stops at structure, the occult digs deeper.

As above, so below isn’t just a reflection of patterns; it’s a commentary on how everything—your struggles, desires, and choices—ties into larger systems. Your internal chaos mirrors societal chaos. A broken relationship might reflect a deeper imbalance in your worldview. It’s not just poetic metaphor; it’s a map for self-awareness.

When science shrugs at the meaning of human patterns, the occult says, Look closer. What’s happening out there is happening in here, too.

2. The Law of Correspondence: Connection Beyond Logic

Occult philosophy insists that nothing exists in isolation. Every force, event, or idea has a counterpart. Correspondence suggests that unrelated things—symbols, objects, emotions—are part of an invisible web of connection. You lose something important, and suddenly, you’re flooded with strange coincidences that feel almost intentional.

What science brushes off as statistical anomalies, the occult embraces as part of the design. For example, synchronicity—the idea that unrelated events can feel meaningfully connected—is often dismissed by science as cognitive bias.

Yet, anyone who’s experienced these “coincidences” knows they carry a weight science can’t quantify. Correspondence doesn’t just explain why these events happen; it dares to ask what they mean. It argues that your personal reality is shaped not just by physical actions but by symbols, metaphors, and the unseen forces tying them all together.

3. The Hermetic Principle of Polarity: Duality Without Simplicity

In science, opposites are defined by contrast: positive and negative, light and dark, heat and cold. The occult, however, sees polarity not as opposition but as two ends of the same spectrum. Hot and cold, for instance, are both expressions of temperature; they’re not enemies, just different manifestations of the same underlying force.

The principle of polarity teaches that extremes are always interconnected. Love and hate, joy and grief—they aren’t separate forces battling for dominance. They’re two expressions of the same energy. This doesn’t just help explain emotional complexity; it’s a tool for navigating life. Feeling overwhelmed by fear?

Polarity suggests that courage isn’t its opposite—it’s a reframing of the same energy. Science is great at measuring extremes, but it struggles with the liminal space between them. The occult lives in that in-between, showing how the line between opposites is much thinner than it seems.

4. The Rule of Threefold Return: Consequence Beyond Physics

Karma often gets watered down into a pop-culture idea of “what goes around comes around.” But the occult’s threefold law takes it further, suggesting that every action—good, bad, or indifferent—comes back with amplified force.

Cast harm into the world, and harm returns not as punishment but as a natural ripple of that consequence. Put good into the world, and its return carries exponential weight. Science traditionally examines phenomena through straightforward cause-and-effect relationships, often focusing on linear progressions where one event leads directly to another.

However, it often struggles to capture the complex and layered nature of our decisions, which can produce effects that multiply and interact in unexpected ways. Our actions as humans don't just create simple, predictable outcomes; they can initiate chains of events that grow in complexity and impact over time, creating a web of consequences that are difficult to predict or quantify using standard scientific methods.

Why does a single act of kindness resonate so deeply? Why does unchecked anger spiral into unforeseen consequences? The occult’s perspective on consequences isn’t moralistic; it’s mechanical. This concept is as much about accountability as it is about empowerment. It forces you to think beyond the immediate result of your actions, asking: What are the ripples I’m setting in motion?

5. The Alchemical Process: Transformation as a Cycle

Alchemy is often reduced to the pursuit of turning lead into gold—a quaint historical footnote in science’s evolution. But true alchemy was never just about metal. It was—and still is—a philosophy of transformation. Lead and gold are metaphors for the self. The base material (lead) represents the parts of you that are raw, unformed, and heavy. Gold is the refined self—lighter, brighter, and forged through struggle.

Science can tell you how cells regenerate, how the brain processes trauma, how habits form. But alchemy explains the why behind transformation. It frames struggle not as a problem to be solved but as an integral part of growth.

Calcination, dissolution, and coagulation form the stages of a chemical journey that mirrors the human experience of transformation and self-discovery. The process begins with calcination, a fiery purification that strips away the unnecessary, burning away the dross to reveal the essential core beneath. This is a time of intense reflection, where one begins to cast aside the illusions and impurities accumulated over time.

Next comes dissolution, a stage of deep introspection where old structures and beliefs are broken down. It is a time for letting go of outdated habits and ideas, much like dissolving bonds that once seemed unbreakable. This phase requires courage, as it involves dismantling one's protective barriers, leaving behind comfort zones to explore the unfamiliar.

Finally, there's coagulation, the phase of reconstruction. Here, from the remnants of the past, something new and robust is forged. It's the alchemical rebirth, where a person emerges transformed, having integrated the lessons learned from the previous stages. This rebuilding is not simply a return to the original state, but an evolution into an entity more aligned with one’s true self.

Through each stage, the journey can be deeply personal, reflecting a unique path of self-awareness and growth. Calcination, dissolution, and coagulation are not merely chemical stages but serve as a profound blueprint for personal evolution, guiding one towards a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.

This transformative cycle encourages embracing change, fostering resilience, and celebrating the unfolding of a renewed identity. Where science provides explanations, alchemy offers profound meaning. It asserts that transformation isn’t merely possible—it’s inevitable, provided you’re willing to endure the transformative fire.

Why the Occult Makes You Ask Better Questions

Science excels at answers. It gives us the tools, cures, and frameworks to navigate the tangible. But answers, for all their value, are useless without the right questions. This is where the occult shines. It doesn’t care about tidy conclusions; it cares about pulling you deeper into the unknown, daring you to challenge what you think you understand.

Occult principles don’t aim to replace science—they simply just… fill in its gaps. They explain not just the mechanics of life but the meaning, the purpose, the strange and chaotic connections that defy logic.

They don’t seek to fix the world; they ask what the world is asking of you. And sometimes, just by asking the right question; life is far more enjoyable than always trying to find the answers.

taglist ; dm or reply to be added 🫶🏾

@slenders1ckn3ss @lucistarsfire @mai2themai @fond-illusion @p00lverinecentral @ambidextrousarcher

[blacknedsoul-blog]

Nevermore is a gothic tragedy. Part I: Classical and Shakespearean Tragedy

This essay assumes that you've read the first season of Nevermore. If you haven't, you'll be eating spoilers.

First of all, a disclaimer: you won't find the term "Gothic tragedy" in theory books, because I just pulled it out of my sleeve. But it seemed appropriate to put it in those terms because, hey, beyond theoretical structuring, genres are also used as a guide to content, and that's kind of what I want to express with this.

Partly because I've noticed that I've called this comic a tragedy on more than one occasion, and talked at length about Lenore and Annabel as gothic characters, but never bothered to delve into these matters, and with the hiatus until (possibly) October, I think it's time to rectify that situation.

But also because I think there are a lot of things in this story that fall into place if you read it under the logic of those genres.

Originally, this was going to be a single essay, but it turns out it took over 2000 fucking words just to explain why it's a fucking tragedy, so I'm going to split this shit in two because I don't want to burn anyone's eyes out.

Tragedy and Types of Tragedy

This is the ridiculously abridged version because this is a really long story, if you want more information on the subject I highly recommend reading Aristotle's Poetics, Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy or watching this OSP video for a more proper introduction. If you're interested in Shakespearean tragedy, The Cambridge Shakespeare is a amazing compilation, and here's the essay that talks specifically about what the hell Shakespearean tragedy is.

Tragedy has been linked to the origins of theater as such, found in the festivals dedicated to Dionysus (if you want to know more about the cult of Dionysus, you can watch this video to start), where poetry contests were held, specifically of dithyrambs: lyric compositions dedicated specifically to Dionysus. This later led to the inclusion of an increasingly sophisticated chorus using masks. This was no longer poetry, but the first expressions of theater as we understand it in modern times, at least for Europe and the countries colonized by Europeans.

Nietzsche also points out that tragedy condenses within itself two opposing impulses represented in the gods Apollo and Dionysus, expressed in the terms "Apollonian" and "Dionysian": order, mathematics and music (understood by the Greeks as science) vs. party, debauchery and chaos. The clash between the beautiful and the grotesque (understanding that the "beautiful" can be disturbing and the "grotesque" can be strangely beautiful). This description is not entirely literal, of course, but it must be kept in mind that in order to have the fundamentals of a tragedy, one must have these two elements: order and chaos. A synchronized waltz between the rigid structures and the rupturing.

Yes, those two are enough.

Step by step, I think it is important to point out what are the transversal elements to tragedy - classical or Shakespearean - that are present in the comic.

The first important concept that appears on this page is Amarthia. The tragic mistake, the first domino that topples the whole stack, is the specific event that sets tragedy in motion, and we spectators of tragedy can only stare in horror at the situation, knowing that everything that follows will go terribly wrong.

At least as far as its protagonists are concerned, Annabel and Lenore's Amarthia has been said but not seen: the dinner party where Annabel will wear pearls, indicating to Lenore that she is in on the charade. From then on, every step they take will bring them closer to the fate we know: the arrival of both of them in Nevermore. This story ends with them both dead.

And if I had to point out the Amarthia of the comic's topicality, I would dare to say that this is it:

And this:

Annabel refuses to explain to Lenore why the plan has to be the way it is, while Lenore agrees to be part of it (the fact that she disagrees with the whole situation is a plus).

The interesting thing about this is that the roles are reversed: before, Annabel sealed the tragic fate of both of them by accepting Lenore's proposal, while in Nevermore, Lenore sealed the tragic fate of both of them by accepting Annabel's plan.

Another important term that comes up here is hybris. While it is true that hybris represents ego, this does not necessarily mean that the hero is self-centered in a personality sense; hybris is the tragic hero's (misguided, of course) belief that they can turn their terrible situation around. And, well…

That ends badly in tragedies. Very, very badly.

At this point, it is necessary to start pointing out the elements of each type of tragedy, because something interesting is happening: within the ancient walls of the purgatory that is Nevermore, a classical tragedy is taking place, while in the past, Annabel and Lenore were the protagonists of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Classical Tragedy

One thing to understand about classical tragedy is that these are stories of humanity versus divinity. The predestined fate that comes upon mortals at the hands of beings superior to them, even if those beings do not appear directly. The external forces superior to the characters do not intervene directly (at least not in most cases), but they put all the pieces in place for the tragic hero to fall headlong into his terrible fate "by their own hand". Yeah, that shit is so unfair.

In Nevermore, fate is represented by these two bastards: The Deans act as the ominous shadow of divinity that sets the rules of this battle royale. For all intents and purposes, this pair of bastards represents the tragic fate of the characters: only one will survive to have a second life. And there is (theoretically) no way to escape.

This is where we start to get into thorny issues. If I had to point out the classical tragedy that Nevermore most resembles, I think I'd get a smile out of Hadestown fans: Orpheo and Eurydice.

Okay, let's review: Orpheo is a highly talented musician who, after losing his beloved, goes to the underworld to find her. Hades and Persephone give him a chance to get her back if he doesn't turn around to see her until they leave the place, he does so at the last second, she returns to the underworld, and Orpheus spends the rest of his life in misery mourning her.

That's the thing, the story of Orpheo and Euridice is a tragedy for the most depressing reason of all: love. What seems like a generous gift from Hades and Persephone is actually a condemnation, because they ask Orpheus to do the one thing he could never do: stop looking at his beloved. In some versions of the story, he can't even hear her as they walk; will she really be her, or has he been tricked? Will she be frightened on this journey and he will not be there to comfort her? What if she has trouble on the road or an accident and Orpheus has left her behind? Orpheus loves Eurydice so much that he cannot save her under these circumstances because he cannot stop watching over her long enough to get her out of here.

Now let's go to Annabel and Lenore, the same thing is happening here, these two idiots love each other. It's probably the only thing they know for sure in this bullshit game. And for Annabel and Lenore, to love is to protect, it's to be the shield that will be there to defend their beloved in the face of adversity, she's been hurt in a terrible way and they will do anything to stop anyone from hurting her again.

But tragic fate, represented by the Deans, has set things in motion for this to quickly go to hell:

For Lenore to understand Annabel's actions, she would have to tell her that's why she's so afraid, why they shouldn't get attached to anyone, why she thinks it's necessary to pretend they don't remember each other. But Lenore can't be okay with Annabel carrying everything alone, because she sees how it hurts her, because Annabel is clearly hurting. She goes to great lengths to confide in Annabel, but she can't come up with a plausible explanation for all this crap either.

For Annabel, becoming a villain and enduring all this pain is slightly less horrible than dragging Lenore into the Deans' psychotic game. But Lenore just loves her too much to let her do that. Lenore could protect her if Annabel were by her side, so why does she keep leaving? She was hurt the first time, why do it to her a second time?

The feeling of not being heard, the frustration that the other just won't listen to her pleas and won't stop what she's doing to allow her to be cared for, runs through both of them because it's the exact same situation, "Why won't you let me do this for you?"

The answer is that Annabel and Lenore are asking the other to do the one thing she could never stop doing: stop trying to protect her. That's why they fight.

This relationship has become a power game that neither can win because they are both exactly the same. A tug-of-war that will only be resolved when something breaks. Hopefully not irreparably.

And speaking of the P-word, let's talk Shakespeare, people.

Shakespearean Tragedy

The good Bard took classical tragedy and brought it back, but changed enough elements of it that it had to be renamed because some of its fundamentals were rewritten. The most notorious of these is that while Shakespeare does not ignore the presence of higher forces or supernatural entities, the fundamental basis of Shakespearean tragedy is not the conflict between humanity and the Fates/Gods.

It is power.

Those who wield power, those who are corrupted by it, and those who crave it. These tragedies speak of moral corruption, the victims of power, and those who sink under the responsibility that power brings.

This is the reason why Shakespeare's tragic heroes belong to the nobility, come from opulent families, or hold important positions. In this case, we have as protagonists two women who were born in a cradle of gold: Lenore apparently comes from a family of old money, and while we do not know if Annabel also comes from a family of old money, we do know that there is no shortage of coins around here.

But status cannot protect Shakespeare's protagonists from the society in which they live, whose agency is sometimes literally represented by people with power. This puts them in a situation from which they cannot escape and which screws them from the start (in other cases the Shakespearean protagonist is the figure of power and seals his own fate). Here, the odds are stacked against them from the start because they are women and, as if that were not enough, lesbians.

I think it's no surprise to anyone that the Shakespearean tragedy most similar to Nevermore is Romeo and Juliet.

Let's review: Romeo and Juliet are two young people who meet at a party and fall madly in love. Their families hate each other, so they cannot be together. The two secretly marry, but after an argument Romeo kills a man and is banished, despite a plan hatched by a priest friend so they can run away together, things go terribly wrong and they both end up committing suicide.

This follows a similar logic to Orpheus and Eurydice: the tragedy here is that these two are in love. But where classical tragedy says, "They love each other so much they can't save themselves," Romeo and Juliet, like Annabel and Lenore, works with two layers of conflict.

The first is the social and political. These young people's families hate each other, so they can't be together. In the same way, Annabel and Lenore can't be together because they're both women.

This is also a reference to one of the central themes of Romeo and Juliet: the clash between tradition and modernity. I think if you squint hard enough, you can see the relationship between these two as Victorian conservatism and homophobia screwing up their lives in the same way that tradition screws up Romeo and Juliet's.

The other layer of the problem is the one that has to do with love: Romeo and Juliet love each other so much that they cannot live without each other. This is what drives them both to suicide, even when they are given the opportunity to continue their lives separately. They love each other so much that they cannot live without each other. Just as Annabel and Lenore desperately want to be together, this is what starts the engine of tragedy when circumstances prevent them from doing so.

Another thing it takes from Romeo and Juliet is the role of the parents as a representation of the power that oppresses the characters. In Romeo and Juliet, the Montague and Capulet lords pull the strings of their children's lives, and it is their resentment that creates the barrier between the lovers. In the case of Nevermore, Ira and Thaddeus are the personal jailers of their respective daughters: Ira wants to get Annabel into an arranged marriage by hook or by crook, and Thaddeus first gets Lenore a fiancé and then keeps her locked up in the fucking attic.

Finally, a tragedy that can be read as a reference to Nevermore, though more subtly, is Macbeth.

The plot is simple: a trio of witches tell Duke Macbeth that he and his descendants will one day be kings. This leads him to murder his cousin, King Duncan, and everything goes downhill from there, because Duncan's murder didn't even amuse the prince.

Yes, at first glance it doesn't seem to make much sense, but that's because it's referring to a specific moment. Specifically, the most discussed and controversial scene in the play: the dialog where Lady Macbeth and Macbeth discuss killing Duncan.

This scene has kept the Bard's fans arguing for centuries: is she manipulating her husband so that she can be queen, or is she just verbalizing Macbeth's wishes that he be allowed to commit the crime, and saying that she will support him in it? Impossible to know unless someone gets a working Ouija board.

This is the same logic that follows the flashback scene where Lenore talks to Annabel about the plan. The important thing here is that the comic decides that the answer is: it depends on who you ask.

Given Annabel's attitude toward Lenore, we can interpret that she does not think she was manipulated or anything. Lenore is not a devious woman who put things in her head, it was her knight in shining armor who came to save her from a marriage she didn't want. Yes, she may have had her doubts, but she definitely liked her chances, enough to accept them.

On the other hand, what this tells me is that Lenore thinks the opposite: that she convinced Annabel to be part of this hoax that ended with both of them dead. A crazy woman who dragged the only person she cared about into a dangerous game that cost them their lives, she considers herself as guilty as the perpetrating hand of the crime.

Conclusion

I think the first time I decided to do a review under this particular lens was when I started to notice where Annabel and Lenore's arcs seemed to be going.

On the one hand, given how things are going, it seems that Lenore has to start taking off the blindfold to realize that things aren't as simple as she thinks, and stop letting others make the hard decisions for her because it hurts everyone.

On Annabel's side, you have a character arc that seems to be aimed at being honest with other people, not letting her fears stop her from making risky decisions, and not dealing with all the bullshit herself.

If what I just said leaves a bad taste in your mouth, that's normal. Because it's fucking unfair.

That Lenore should be the one to stand firm - not out of guilt, but out of responsibility - for her actions feels like shit after everything the poor girl has been through. The same thing happens on Annabel's side, that she has to give in to a situation where it makes so much sense for her to shut down, where it makes sense, even without her background, for her to behave that way.

But that sense of injustice is one of the foundations of tragedies. The feeling that, in her situation, it is practically impossible to think that anything different could be done is the basis of catharsis: the pity felt for the character, the fear generated by identifying with their terrible situation.

The expiation of these emotions, which are produced in the spectator by the fall of the tragic hero.

Now, it is interesting to ask how the fall of Annabel and Lenore will be. The simple answer from a tragic point of view is death, a thing we know has already happened once, why not a second time? After all, that's what awaits tragic heroes. Unless you're Medea.

It's impossible to know how the comic will develop, but it seems to me that this is as far as the tragedy goes. For the next part, I want to talk about gothic novels, female vampires, the female writers of the period, and the last gothic. Believe me, buddies, there is no more obsessive romantic bond than that between a Poe protagonist and their dead bride.

[nesscel]

after what feels like 5 years i managed to draw my blue lock ocs ^_^ info is in read more

(⚠️ warning for brief discussion of self harm, child abuse, bulimia and suicide)

Cyril Niemir (Cyryl Niemir/シリル ニエミル)

Polish 1st generation immigrant and recovering hikikomori, 19 years old, BPD prince. He was born in Kocmyrzów (near Kraków) and currently lives in Tokyo. Occasional photographer for promotional Blue Lock material and Anri’s errand boy, otherwise a NEET.

The youngest of 6 children (2 brothers, 3 sisters) born in an incredibly religious family. Since early childhood he’d have frequent emotional meltdowns and bouts of auto-aggressive behavior, eventually developing a morbid obsession with death and suicide in elementary school. This lead to him spending 8 torturous years in a christian boarding school for girls to “fix his attitude”. He ran away to Japan after graduating high school and suffered an extreme mental breakdown right after the move, which spiraled into a 5 month long depressive episode during which he’d only self harm, browse the internet and sleep.

As is the case for many useless pests with no ambitions and no future, the thing that finally got him back on his feet was finding an oshi. During a perfectly legal watch party of his favorite reality show, he became interested in a new contestant from Germany with pink hair and pronouns. He’s garnered some attention on Blue Lock twitter for his collection of Ness merch (which he calls “his shrine”) and the insane arguments he’d get into with Ness haters. You don’t see Ness superfans that often after all. He got suspended for promoting violence twice and ran away to reddit to moderate r/AlexisNess. It’s fun there... it’s not just Ness… it’s the r/stunfisk of Blue Lock Reddit :)

I don’t like talking about the yume shit. Please fill in the blanks yourselves. Thank you.

He has cheek piercings, a tattoo of two stars on his inner left hand above the wrist and a tattoo of a lighter with cute keychains on his left thigh. His prescription glasses are +1,5.

Sebastian Tsureo (セバスチャン 連尾)

Polish-Japanese 2nd generation immigrant born in Nagaoka (in the Chūbu region), 16 years old. Father is japanese, mother is polish. Their parents divorced when the twins were 6 due to creative differences, with Sebastian choosing to stay with their father.

To an outside observer, Sebastian dealt with half of his family suddenly going no-contact in a mature and healthy way. He didn’t get into trouble or act out at school, he got along with his classmates and often spent time with them outside of school, he practiced football with his dad before he was old enough to be eligible for his school’s football club, and devoted himself to improving his technique and synchronizing with his teammates when he eventually managed to make it onto the team. Despite his positive attitude in public, Sebastian was a resentful, wounded child with no healthy emotional outlet. He dealt with his anger and abandonment issues by seeking adrenaline, putting himself in dangerous situations (jaywalking on busy streets, exploring structurally unsafe abandoned buildings, practice fighting with his friends, etc.).

During his stay at a psychiatric hospital after a failed suicide attempt at the age of 13, Sebastian was introduced to art therapy. He was entirely opposed to it at first, stating that making gratitude collages and matching colors to his emotions was a “gay and useless” coping mechanism. Upon returning home and regaining access to the internet, however, he stumbled across a forum thread discussing guro manga and vent art, which sounded kind of like art therapy… but way more awesome. Aside from becoming the best football player he could possibly be, his new goal was to become the best body horror artist anyone’s ever seen! Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, his ambitions have not changed much in the three years following his release from the hospital.

He was scouted for Blue Lock by Anri after his high school’s team won a prefecture-wide tournament.

Adrian Tsureo (エイドリアン 連尾)

Polish-Japanese 2nd generation immigrant born in Nagaoka (in the Chūbu region), 16 years old. Father is japanese, mother is polish. Their parents divorced when the twins were 6, after which Adrian chose to move out to Shizuoka with his mother.

Adrian didn’t have much trouble adjusting to life in a bigger city, particularly due to his great spatial awareness, but had issues socializing with his peers, being used to having his brother by his side. Anytime he mentioned the rest of their family to his mother though, she’d respond by telling him his father was a deadbeat who relied on her to survive and that his brother would probably grow up to be a criminal or the dead body school children find by a river and poke with sticks (this eventually evolved into “he’s probably in juvie already”).

As soon as he expressed an interest in football, his mother became possessed by the spirits of June Shannon and the mom from Dance Moms who didn’t know who Rosa Parks was. She treated her son’s football career like pageantry, intending to make him a star player no matter what. This involved rigorous training, a strict diet and making changes to his appearance in order to create “a personal brand”. He had to keep a tan complexion, by training outside during summer and using self-tanner during winter; his hair was dyed blonde and permed frequently, which eventually resulted in his natural hair starting to fall out around age 12 or 13, after which he was forced to wear a wig (the green hair in the drawing is his natural hair after regrowth, he stopped wearing the dumbass wig as soon as he left for Blue Lock, he wears a hat because he’s kind of embarrassed by its state). Stewing in the hatred he felt not only for his mother, but also his dad and brother for “not rescuing him”, he began coping by overeating at school and on his way home, the only times when he wasn’t around his mother or coach, then excessively training or vomiting to avoid punishment (so… bulimia).

He was scouted for Blue Lock by Anri, who found his use of defensive tactics as a striker interesting.

The twins’ heartwarming reunion took place in the Blue Lock cafeteria during second selection, with them having a violent physical altercation, airing out 10 years of unresolved, bottled up anger and resentment. Their patience was tested again when they both chose Team B during the 3rd selection, with the two having progressively more violent fights in the common areas. After Sebastian managed to nearly break Adrian’s nose, both of them were reprimanded by Anri personally, told that if they caused any more issues they’d both be kicked out of the Blue Lock program, and subsequently moved to team A and C.

Their relationship slowly began to turn around after a particularly awkward conversation about their family lives in a Blue Lock bathroom stall, where Sebastian accidentally walked in on Adrian purging. They officially reconciled on the benches in the middle of the Blue Lock vs U-20 match, with nobody paying attention to them because they were all watching Rin and Sae. As a sign of their newly-developed friendship, they both joined Barcha as a striker (Sebastian) and goalkeeper (Adrian). Their first shared goal is to finally make friends! ^_^ They go about this by just sort of staring and grinning at people.

As a treat for reading, here are snippest of their egoist bibles with the most important info. I can tell you’d be devastated if you didn’t know who was team mushrooms and who was team bamboo.

Cyril / Sebastian / Adrian

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Physicists investigate dynamic phenomena of a time crystal

Physicists at TU Dortmund University have periodically driven a time crystal and discovered a remarkable variety of nonlinear dynamic phenomena, ranging from perfect synchronization to chaotic behavior within a single semiconductor structure. The team has now published its latest findings in the journal Nature Communications. For their current research, Dr. Alex Greilich's team from the Department of Physics utilized a highly robust time crystal, previously introduced in Nature Physics last year. The crystal, made of indium gallium arsenide, was continuously illuminated with a laser during the initial experiment. This interaction caused a nuclear spin polarization, which in turn spontaneously generated oscillations, embodying the essence of a time crystal through periodic behavior under constant excitation.

Read more.

[satoshi-mochida]

Jiro Ishii announces crowdfunding campaign for new Shibuya Live-Action Adventure Game - Gematsu

Game designer and 428: Shibuya Scramble executive producer Jiro Ishii has announced the launch of a new “Shibuya Live-Action Adventure Game.” Led by general director Ishii and screenwriter Yukinori Kitajima, the project will be a live-action adventure game set in Shibuya. Platforms and a release date were not announced, but a crowdfunding campaign will launch via Ubgoe on May 28.

Cast members of the project include Masakazu Arai, who played Keima Amemiya in Machi: Unmei no Kousaten, and Fumio Kitagami, who played Minoru Minorikawa in 428: Shibuya Scramble.

The game itself will use an “ensemble drama” system—a synchronized story with multiple protagonists, in which players experience a multiple-perspective structure that shifts between each character’s viewpoint.

In a message, Ishii said that 428: Shibuya Scramble was created as a successor to the live-action adventure game Machi: Unmei no Kousaten, with the goal of surpassing it. He expected that a game would eventually come along to surpass 428: Shibuya Scramble as well. But over 20 years later, no such title has emerged. At one point, Ishii approached various game companies about a follow-up project, but those discussions fell apart, as many were more concerned with marketing and business than the core of the project. For a time, he even distanced himself from such projects. Ultimately, Ishii and his team decided to develop the new title independently.

[blessed-curse]

The MC's Powers (Revised)

Common Powers MC has in all 7 routes:

• Self-Sustenance: Your physical needs are greatly reduced. You now require almost no food or water to function and you have greatly reduced need also for bodily evacuations.

• Enhanced Sense: Your 5 senses are extremely accurate, allowing you to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel better than an average member of your species. Five Senses: Enhanced Hearing: Your ears pick up every single sound, and can decipher layer upon layer of noise; you have the ability to pick up a conversation from 10km± away in a busy city. May even mutate into Echolocation. Enhanced Smell: You can detect specific smells, and locate their origin. You are even be able to tell if someone is lying or sick by which smells they excrete. Enhanced Taste: You have an extremely developed sense of taste and are able to detect poisons or other problems in things you taste. Enhanced Touch: You can feel so acutely that to rub your hands on a paper would be like reading the page, sensing every bump, ripple or wave. You can even tell of distant occurrences felt through vibrations in the air,  ground, and water. Enhanced Vision: You can see with amazing clarity and detail, color, and see vivid details of objects or people that are at least a dozen kilometres from you.

• Adaptive Muscle Memory: On observing an action taking place, you can mimic the observed action with precision. Only works with physical skills, and grants no understanding of their underlying physics or principles. You can copy any/all movements/actions after observing it performed once, including acrobatics, martial arts, and other physical stunts and you can even copy how a person aims, giving yourself incredible marksmanship. With these skills, you can become a master that's incredible at what you do, by combining several forms and movements in rhythmic motions instead of using the same copied thing over and over.

• Super Reflexes: Your reaction time is on a superhuman level. Games of reflex and dexterity come easily to you. Your reflexes become instant and you even gain a "Bullet Time" effect.

• Semi-Absolute Healing Factor: Your body heals itself rapidly after sustaining any form of damage. In other words, you recreate lost or damaged tissues, organs and limbs, even stopping aging. You can regrow missing limbs, after rapid regeneration. You are always in very good physical shape, as your body is constantly reverting to a healthy state, granting you nigh-inexhaustible stamina and vitality. Tumorous cells will be healed to the point of returning to their optimal, healthy form. Severe blood loss is not a problem as your body regenerates what is lost instantly. Your blood is also enriched with healing powers that can be used to heal others either through consumption or transfusion. You are also able to regenerate from a single atom.

• High-Hypersonic Flight: You have the ability to fly at high-hypersonic speeds, are resistant to altitude sickness and able to levitate, and glide as well.

• Synchronized Body & Mind: Your body matches your mental speed, and with that, your body can keep up with your mind and move at the same time a thought is formed without delay between a movement. When your mind thinks, your body acts at the same time, and may complete or be near completion of the action at the same time as the thought was fully formed.

• Super Physical Strength: You have overwhelming physical strength that is far superior and unimaginable for what should be naturally possible. You are able to lift continents, moons or any small planetary size structures.

• Super Speed: Your speed is greatly enhanced. You can run at high speeds with ease. You can move at hypersonic speeds.

• Super Endurance: Your skin can reduce some of the damage you take, and you are able withstand more pain, stress, and force of an environment, than what should be naturally possible. You can endure thousands of nuclear bombs and survive.

• Super Stamina: You can work for days if not weeks without needing any sleep, and still have a healthy body, mind and spirit.

• Super Eating: You can eat massive quantities of food at once with no ill effect, this also extends into versions of Matter Ingestion. Because of this, nutritional intake needs are a great deal higher than that of normal, requiring more food in order to keep your strength up. You can eat anything without consequences. You can not become fat. Your jaw and teeth strength and durability also increases exponentially, allowing you to munch through steel rebar like melted butter with ease.

• Superhuman Handsomeness/Beauty: You are always, and under any circumstances, physically, personally and socially perfect, graceful and flawless, without anything that would make you look unattractive or distract from your presence. You are perfectly aware how to increase your appeal by apparel, action or choice of words, but even these are simply details to enhance your natural appeal. Secondly, you are able to affect other people, both by affecting their minds, emitting pheromones and generally being a perfect companion or object of admiration. You can also simply eradicate free will(weak minded), making everyone slavishly devoted to you and willing to do anything to please you. Thirdly, you have an astonishingly beautiful and enchanting singing voice that is capable of luring anyone who hears it to come towards you. Forth, you induce sexual arousal in others that makes them lustful and crave sexual interaction. This power may work with both genders, their sexual interest and people of any age. And lastly you have enteral youth from the moment you reach full maturity (25 years old).

• Superhuman Health: You lack and are nigh-immune to getting disorders, diseases, disabilities, etc. You also can take a high amount of damage before fainting or succumbing to the effects of ailments, as well as possessing a superhuman metabolic rate. Overall, your health is very incredible. Also retaining the body of a perfect form and shape, your body will always have the best masculine body shape for for optimal health through maturity.

• Enhanced Memory: You can remember great volumes of information, in greater detail and for much longer than the average human, you can read books, listen to song lyrics, encounter people or experience events and recall a vast deal of the details of your experiences. In addition, it takes less effort to recall the information you encounter, and you can remember it for longer without having to strain. Your memory is also more resilient against Memory Manipulation. Everything you see, hear, smell, taste is recorded and saved in our head, allowing for very quick access if you have a general idea of what you want to remember also.

• Multitasking: Your mind can keep track of many things at once, including complex tasks which involve a large deal of thought. You can perform multiple separate tasks at once, as your brain can process multiple independent trains of thought/function at the same time and your body is able to perform them without interfering/overlapping with the other actions.

• Indomitable Willpower: You are unnaturally strong willpowered, enabling you to be immune to all forms of temptation including Subordination Manipulation, Telepathy, Mind Control, and Subliminal Seduction. Through your will, you can face great physical pain and psychological trauma and will refuse to surrender no matter how much the odds are stacked against you, possibly up to the point pushing yourself past your own limitations.

• Omnilingualism: You can speak, write, understand and communicate in any language, including computer codes, languages you have never heard before, sign language (even lip-reading), illegible words, and backwards speech and writing with little or no training. You may even read body language.

• Illusion Awareness: You are completely aware at all times of the true reality around you, potentially seeing through an optical or mental illusions that others may attempt to deceive you with.

• Technopathy: You have control over any kind of technology, both electrical and mechanical. You have a vast understanding of engineering and technology. You become fluent in all computer languages, and can communicate with data without an interface, including controlling it completely. You also gain a genius-level intellect with regards to computers. You can manipulate technology, the sum of techniques, skills, methods, and processes used in the production of goods or services or in the accomplishment of objectives. However, you can only exert control over technological constructs, such as computers, robots, hardware, and other devices that can be termed as "technology", in any way. Manifested as a special form of electrical/telekinetic manipulation, as well as a psychic ability that allows you to mentally interface with computer data. You can control the flow of intricate machinery, and assemble or disengage their programming at will and operate most technology at distance. A variation of Electricity Manipulation, you can control specific electrons and instructs them which items to engage or disengage and you're able to use the electric impulses to gently control smaller metal parts.

• Sixth Sense: You can sense nearing danger, acute danger, potential immediate danger, or impending danger and sense unwanted or hectic threats to your well-being and evade it. The intuition usually regards yourself but yours includes your surroundings (eg. like a distant car-wreck).

• Space Vacuum Adaptation: Youcan survive and adapt to the vacuum of space unaided and are able to withstand atmospheres (heat intensity and any poisonous chemical elements), cosmic media (radiation), strange gravity (even sometimes that of a black hole), and lack of air.

• Altitude Adaptation: You are able to survive and adapt to extremely high or low air pressure (not becoming disoriented or deprived of the normal breathing capacity), and high wind friction; this is accompanied by an innate immunity to vertigo and/or fear of heights.

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7 Powers To Choose From = 7 Routes:

Cosmic Fire Manipulation:

Cosmic Fire Manipulation is the ability to generate, control, and shape flames drawn from celestial sources such as stars, meteors, constellations, and planetary bodies. Unlike ordinary fire, cosmic flames do not require oxygen to burn and can exist in the vacuum of space, making them a formidable force that transcends the limitations of traditional fire manipulation.

Strengths & Advantages:

1. Star-Level Heat and Energy Output 🔥

• Cosmic fire can reach temperatures rivaling stars, making it vastly superior to normal fire.

• Can vaporize matter instantly, incinerating nearly anything within seconds.

• Can be adjusted to specific intensities, from gentle warmth to an all-consuming inferno.

2. Resistance to Conventional Fire Manipulation

• Normal fire-based abilities will have little to no effect, as cosmic fire is on an entirely different level.

• Cosmic fire can override and absorb weaker flames, dominating the battlefield.

3. No Oxygen Dependency

• Can burn even in space, underwater, or in vacuum-sealed environments.

• Fire remains sustained indefinitely unless willingly extinguished.

4. Celestial Origin & Scaling Power

• The user can pull fire from celestial bodies, meaning its potential power is limitless.

• If connected to a star, the flames can be as powerful as a supernova or as delicate as candlelight.

5. Ability to Shape Cosmic Fire 🔥✨

• The flames can be shaped into weapons (swords, spears, shields, projectiles).

• Can form cosmic fire constructs, such as walls, barriers, or even creatures.

• Can coat the user’s body, enhancing physical attacks with searing flames.

6. Enhanced Burn Effects

• Unlike normal fire, cosmic fire burns on a molecular level.

• Can ignore conventional heat resistance and melt even materials resistant to fire.

• Can burn energy-based entities or spirits (if their nature allows it).

7. Astronomical Mobility & Application 🚀

• Can ride cosmic flames for rapid flight, possibly at hypersonic or light speeds.

• Cosmic fire can be used to propel attacks at interstellar distances.

• Can summon meteoric fire rain, scorching large areas.

Weaknesses & Limitations:

1. Energy & Stamina Consumption 🔋

• Controlling fire of this magnitude requires immense energy and endurance.

• Overuse could lead to exhaustion or a total depletion of power.

2. Limited Against Certain Elements

• Holy Flames & Demonic Fire cannot be controlled or absorbed.

• Absolute Zero or Ice Manipulation at its highest level could potentially snuff out cosmic fire.

• Void-Based Abilities might cancel out fire altogether.

3. Uncontrollable Destruction Risk

• A miscalculation in power output could lead to massive destruction.

• Cosmic fire, if left unchecked, may burn for eternity—making it dangerous even for the user.

4. User Heat Resistance ≠ Invincibility

• While immune to their own flames, the user can still be hurt by other extreme forces, such as black hole-based attacks or radiation beyond their control.

5. Celestial Fire Source Dependency (If Applicable)

• If cosmic fire is drawn directly from celestial objects, then severing the connection may weaken the ability.

• Overuse might temporarily drain or destabilize the celestial source, reducing power for a time.

Skills & Applications:

🔥 Cosmic Pyrokinesis:

• Directly control the shape, intensity, and movement of cosmic fire.

• Can generate fire from nothing, bypassing normal fire-starting methods.

🌠 Meteor Ignition:

• Summon blazing meteors wrapped in cosmic fire.

• Can bombard enemies with celestial firestorms.

☀️ Starborn Embodiment:

• Temporarily enhance physical abilities by infusing cosmic fire into the body.

• Can increase speed, strength, and durability to superhuman levels.

🌋 Cosmic Firestorm:

• Create a large-scale planetary firestorm, capable of incinerating entire landscapes.

• Can range from a controlled battlefield effect to an apocalyptic-level event.

🛡️ Starfire Shield:

• Form a barrier of cosmic fire, capable of blocking or melting incoming attacks.

• Can repel energy-based attacks by dispersing their energy through heat.

🚀 Solar Burst Flight:

• Ride cosmic flames for rapid movement, from Mach speeds to potential light-speed bursts.

• Can perform instant dashes by igniting flames beneath feet or behind the body.

🔥 Supernova Detonation:

• The ultimate attack, a controlled supernova explosion, vaporizing everything in range.

• Can be localized for a tactical strike or expanded into a cataclysmic event.

Conclusion: The Ruler of Fire

Cosmic Fire Manipulation is an overwhelming and destructive ability that surpasses traditional fire control by drawing on celestial power. With its ability to burn in any environment, manipulate heat at stellar levels, and unleash astronomical-scale destruction, it is one of the most powerful fire-based abilities. However, it requires high control, vast stamina, and careful usage to avoid catastrophic consequences.

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Multicolored Electricity Manipulation:

Multicolored Electricity Manipulation is the rarest and most potent form of electricity control, allowing the user to generate and shape lightning of multiple colors, each with its own distinct properties. The user can unleash multiple lightning bolts of different colors, each carrying unique effects, or combine them into a single multicolored bolt, either for a massively destructive attack or a highly specialized effect. This ability surpasses ordinary Electrokinesis by incorporating elemental, energy, and status-based variations, making it one of the most versatile and formidable powers.

Strengths & Advantages:

1. Ultimate Versatility & Elemental Properties

• Unlike standard electricity, each lightning color has different properties, giving the user multiple attack options for various situations.

• The ability to combine multiple colors allows for fusion techniques with enhanced effects.

2. Power Scaling & Pure Energy Output

• The user can amplify the voltage and energy output beyond natural lightning, potentially reaching stellar-level electricity comparable to quasars or neutron stars.

• Instantaneous movement of attacks makes it extremely difficult to dodge.

3. Enhanced Electrical Conductivity & Control

• Can manipulate electricity through various mediums, including air, water, metal, and even living beings.

• Can ionize the atmosphere to create plasma-based attacks or control weather patterns.

4. No Dependency on External Electricity Sources

• The user can generate electricity internally, removing the need for power grids or storms.

• Can drain electricity from nearby sources and even absorb enemy electrical attacks.

5. Electromagnetic Control & Technopathy

• Can interfere with or enhance technology by manipulating electromagnetic fields.

• Hack or disable electronic devices remotely.

• Control magnetic fields, allowing for limited metal manipulation.

6. Speed & Reaction Time Augmentation

• Can enhance neural activity for lightning-fast reflexes.

• Boosts physical speed, potentially reaching light-speed movement in bursts.

• Can travel through electrical currents, such as power lines or storm clouds.

Weaknesses & Limitations:

1. Energy Consumption & Stamina Drain

• Using multiple colors at once or combining them into a single supercharged bolt requires immense energy, which can lead to rapid exhaustion.

• Overuse can cause nerve burnout or temporary paralysis from electrical overload.

2. Conductivity Weakness

• Certain materials, like rubber, specialized insulators, or specific anti-electricity abilities, may resist or nullify the effects of electrical attacks.

• Grounding techniques can weaken or redirect electricity away from the target.

3. Volatility & Lack of Precision

• High-level attacks can cause unintended collateral damage due to electricity's uncontrollable nature.

• Requires intense focus to direct electricity precisely, as it naturally seeks the path of least resistance.

4. Environmental Limitations

• While capable of generating electricity, using it in non-conductive environments (such as space or vacuum) might reduce efficiency unless plasma-based electricity is applied.

• Water-based opponents with high conductivity resistance may absorb electricity rather than take damage.

5. Overload & Self-Damage Risks

• Charging too much electricity within the body may result in self-electrocution or nervous system failure.

• Requires constant regulation of power output to avoid internal damage.

Color-Based Lightning Variations & Effects:

🔵 Blue Lightning – Enhanced Speed & Power Boost

• Faster than regular lightning and can strike at near-instantaneous speed.

• Boosts user’s movement speed dramatically, allowing for teleportation-like bursts.

• Causes intense concussive force upon impact.

🟣 Purple Lightning – Mind Disruption & Paralysis

• Overloads the nervous system, causing temporary paralysis or muscle failure.

• Can disrupt thought processes, inducing confusion or hallucinations.

• Can serve as a non-lethal incapacitation tool.

🔴 Red Lightning – High Destructive Heat & Plasma Ignition

• Superheated lightning that burns on impact like plasma.

• Can ionize the atmosphere, allowing for flame-based electricity.

• Melts through most materials, including some metals and energy shields.

🟡 Yellow Lightning – Chain Lightning & Energy Absorption

• Highly conductive, capable of bouncing between multiple targets.

• Can drain energy from electrical sources to replenish stamina.

• Can be used for energy-based healing by stimulating biological electrical activity.

🟢 Green Lightning – Poisonous & Bio-Disruptive

• Injects bio-electric venom, causing internal organ damage.

• Can disrupt biological electrical signals, affecting heart rate or brain activity.

• May be used to poison enemy nervous systems, leading to progressive paralysis.

⚪ White Lightning – Divine or Holy Energy Infusion

• Purifies corrupt energy-based beings, such as demons or spirits.

• Has energy erasure properties, meaning it can negate weaker energy fields.

• Can act as a healing or revitalization technique for allies.

⚫ Black Lightning – Ultimate Destruction & Space-Time Distortion

• The rarest and most powerful variation, capable of breaking through dimensional barriers.

• Has a gravitational pull effect, sucking in surrounding matter before discharging.

• May erase targets from existence on impact.

Skills & Applications:

⚡ Multicolored Bolt Mastery:

• The ability to summon and combine multiple types of lightning into a single, devastating attack.

• Can be used for fusion attacks, such as mixing Red (Heat) and Blue (Speed) for explosive, hyper-accelerated bolts.

⚡ Plasma Storm Generation:

• Creates an electrified storm infused with multiple colors of lightning.

• Can cause tornadoes of pure plasma or create rainfall charged with electricity.

⚡ Voltage Cloak:

• Surrounds the user in aura-infused lightning, boosting speed, strength, and durability.

• Attacks become electrically charged, increasing impact power.

⚡ Lightning Clones:

• Can create illusions or physical clones of themselves using pure electricity.

• Each clone may be infused with a different-colored lightning ability.

⚡ Instant Travel via Lightning Conduction:

• The ability to ride lightning bolts or move through electrical currents for teleportation.

• Can phase through electronic devices, power lines, or storm clouds.

⚡ Dimensional Discharge:

• By harnessing Black Lightning, the user can tear through dimensions or create temporary rifts.

• Can be used for wormhole-based teleportation or attacks that ignore spatial limitations.

Conclusion: The Master of Energy

Multicolored Electricity Manipulation is one of the most powerful and versatile elemental abilities, surpassing standard Electrokinesis by incorporating various elemental, destructive, and energy-based effects. With multiple attack variations, battlefield-wide control, and even reality-breaking potential, this power is ideal for speed-focused combat, energy-based destruction, and versatile elemental adaptation. However, its massive energy consumption, self-damage risks, and vulnerability to counter-elements mean the user must have high precision, endurance, and control to master it fully.

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Power Creation: The Ability to Forge Abilities

Power Creation is an extremely rare and formidable ability that allows the user to manifest, develop, and bestow powers—either existing ones or brand-new abilities of their own design. This means the user can custom-tailor powers to their needs, making them one of the most versatile beings in existence.

While the user cannot grant omnipotent, nigh-omnipotent, or absolute-tier abilities, they can create abilities just one level below those, meaning they still have access to high-tier, reality-warping powers. The user can bestow two abilities to others (either permanently or temporarily) but faces no restrictions on how many powers they can grant themselves.

Strengths & Advantages:

1. Infinite Power Potential 🔥

• Since the user can create as many abilities as they want for themselves, they can constantly evolve and adapt to any scenario or enemy.

• This makes them functionally limitless in power acquisition, so long as they remain within the set boundaries.

2. Customization of Abilities 🎨

• The user can design abilities with specific strengths, weaknesses, or effects, making them tailored for different situations.

• They can create powers that synergize with their current abilities, boosting their effectiveness exponentially.

3. Power Bestowal & Ally Empowerment 🤝

• The user can grant up to two powers to other individuals, making them invaluable in forming strong alliances or teams.

• They can set time limits, meaning they can lend someone immense power for a limited duration without making it permanent.

• If they make it permanent, they could create an army of superpowered beings or turn a normal person into a powerhouse.

4. Power Evolution & Refinement 🔄

• If an ability turns out to be flawed or ineffective, the user can modify, improve, or outright replace it with a better one.

• This ensures they always stay ahead of opponents with optimized power sets.

5. Synergistic Stacking 📈

• The user can create abilities that complement each other, such as:

• Super Speed + Time Dilation

• Fire Manipulation + Thermal Absorption

• Telekinesis + Matter Manipulation

• By layering powers in strategic combinations, the user can become incredibly difficult to counter.

6. No Need for External Training 🧠

• Unlike normal superhumans who train for years to master abilities, the user can create abilities that immediately integrate into their body and mind.

• This means they can instantly master new skills without any learning curve.

7. Versatile Combat & Adaptation ⚔️

• If faced with an enemy with an overwhelming ability, the user can create a direct counterpower on the spot.

• For example:

• Against a fire user → Create Absolute Zero Ice Manipulation.

• Against a time manipulator → Develop Temporal Immunity.

• Against an unkillable being → Forge a Soul-Severing Weapon.

Weaknesses & Limitations:

1. No Omnipotent or Nigh-Omnipotent Abilities 🚫

• The user cannot create omnipotent, absolute, or divine-tier abilities (such as reality-overwriting, true immortality, or cosmic-level control over existence).

• They are still exceptionally powerful, but there is an upper limit to how strong they can become.

2. Limited Bestowal Restrictions 👥

• The user can only grant two abilities to other individuals at a time.

• This prevents them from creating an army of god-tier beings unless they carefully choose who receives powers.

• Once the two abilities are bestowed, the user must remove them before giving new ones to different people.

3. Balancing Mechanism (No Broken Stacking) ⚖️

• The user cannot create abilities that break balance, such as:

• "Infinite Strength + Infinite Speed + Infinite Defense + Instant Healing + Time Rewind + Reality Manipulation" all in one.

• Abilities must be reasonable and balanced, even if they are incredibly strong.

4. Time Constraints on Bestowed Abilities ⏳

• If an ability is granted to another person temporarily, the power will disappear after the time limit expires.

• This means if they are relying on a powered-up ally, that ally might suddenly lose their abilities mid-battle.

5. Self-Inflicted Consequences 🌀

• Some created abilities might have unintended side effects, such as:

• A healing ability that drains the user's lifespan.

• A super-strength ability that tears their muscles apart from overuse.

• A mental enhancement that overloads their brain and causes temporary insanity.

• If not careful, self-created powers could become more of a curse than a blessing.

6. Weakness to Power-Nullification & Anti-Creation Effects ❌

• If an opponent has Power Negation, Reality Anchoring, or Anti-Creation abilities, the user may be unable to create new powers or even lose their existing ones.

• This makes them vulnerable to specialized counters.

Skills & Advanced Applications:

🔥 Power Refinement:

• The ability to modify and evolve existing abilities instead of creating new ones.

• For example:

• Upgrading Fire Manipulation → Cosmic Fire Manipulation.

• Improving Super Speed → Quantum Speed.

🔮 Conceptual Power Manifestation:

• Creating abilities based on abstract concepts rather than just elements.

• Examples:

• "Unbreakable Will" → Grants immunity to mind control and fear.

• "Gravity Dominion" → Absolute control over mass and physics.

• "Dimensional Step" → Allows the user to exist between dimensions.

🛠️ Ability Fusion & Hybridization:

• Combining two or more abilities into a unique hybrid power.

• Examples:

• "Shadowfire Manipulation" → Dark Flames that consume both matter and souls.

• "Thunder Mirage" → Generates illusions with real lightning effects.

• "Temporal Regen" → Healing factor that rewinds injuries instead of regenerating cells.

🔄 Power Recycling & Transfer:

• The user can take back bestowed powers at will and give them to someone else.

• They can also extract an enemy’s ability and modify it for their own use.

💀 Last Resort: Forced Ability Erasure

• If necessary, the user can permanently remove an ability they created.

• This can be used to weaken enemies or correct mistakes in their own power set.

Conclusion: The Ultimate Adaptation Ability

Power Creation is one of the most powerful abilities in existence, allowing its user to craft their own arsenal of abilities and even grant powers to allies. Its limitless customization, instant learning curve, and strategic advantages make it perfect for both combat and support roles. However, its balancing restrictions, limited bestowal, and vulnerability to anti-creation effects prevent it from being truly invincible. The user must think carefully about their power choices and ensure their abilities remain optimized without creating unintended weaknesses.

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Weapon Creation: The Power to Forge Anything

Weapon Creation is an exceptionally versatile and formidable ability that allows its wielder to materialize, shape, and summon weapons from nothing or by manipulating existing matter or energy. The created weapons can be physical (swords, spears, firearms, etc.) or energy-based (plasma blades, light arrows, ethereal chains, etc.), and the amount of power used during creation determines their durability and lifespan.

This power makes the user a walking arsenal, capable of crafting the perfect weapon for any situation, from short-term disposable tools to legendary artifacts that can last for centuries.

Strengths & Advantages:

1. Limitless Arsenal & Instant Weapon Access 🏹🔫

• The user is never disarmed, as they can instantly summon a new weapon anytime.

• They can carry an infinite variety of weapons tailored for different combat styles, enemies, and environments.

2. Elemental & Conceptual Weapons 🌪️🔥⚡

• Weapons can be infused with elemental properties, such as:

• Flaming Swords (engulfed in hellfire or cosmic flames).

• Electric Gauntlets (shock-based melee combat).

• Frozen Lances (capable of flash-freezing enemies).

• They can also create conceptual weapons, such as:

• "Soul-Piercing Arrows" (bypasses physical armor and damages the soul).

• "Time Reaver Blades" (cuts through time itself, erasing existence).

• "Gravity Spears" (warps gravity around impact zones).

3. Weapons of Any Size & Type ⚔️🛡️

• They can create anything from throwing knives to massive greatswords, bows, firearms, or even mechs.

• They can summon defensive weapons like shields, barriers, and fortifications.

4. Durability & Longevity Control ⏳💎

• The more energy invested, the longer the weapon lasts:

• Temporary weapons can be made quickly for disposable use (minutes to hours).

• Long-lasting weapons take more effort but can last weeks, years, or even centuries.

• Durability scales with energy investment, meaning legendary-tier weapons are nearly indestructible.

5. Rapid-Fire Weapon Generation 🚀

• In combat, the user can instantly create multiple weapons, such as:

• A storm of floating swords for aerial attacks.

• A barrage of homing daggers against multiple opponents.

• A multi-form weapon that shifts between sword, axe, and spear mid-fight.

6. Adaptability & Counterplay 🔄

• They can craft weapons that counter an opponent's power, such as:

• A silver blade against werewolves.

• A holy spear against demons.

• A vibration-enhanced weapon to break solid defenses.

• If an enemy breaks their weapon, they can immediately summon a replacement.

7. Fusion & Enhancement 🔥🔗

• They can combine weapons, such as merging a sword with a gun or fusing energy properties into a blade.

• They can enhance existing weapons, reinforcing them with better materials or adding abilities like flight, tracking, or self-repair.

Weaknesses & Limitations:

1. Power Consumption & Fatigue ⚡🔋

• The stronger and more durable the weapon, the more energy is required.

• If the user exceeds their limits, they could experience exhaustion or unconsciousness.

• Creating multiple high-tier weapons at once can drain them rapidly.

2. Limited Duration for Low-Energy Creations ⏳❌

• Temporary weapons can disappear mid-fight if not enough power was invested.

• If the user is caught unaware, they could be left defenseless when a weapon vanishes.

3. Cannot Create True Divine or Omnipotent Weapons ☀️🚫

• The user cannot create weapons that exceed their power level, meaning:

• No omnipotent blades that one-shot everything.

• No weapons that defy fundamental laws of existence.

• No absolute, indestructible weapons—even if reinforced, they still have limits.

4. Material Manipulation Dependency (If Using Existing Matter) 🌍

• If shaping existing materials, they are limited to what's available.

• If trying to make a weapon from gold, steel, or rare metals, they must have access to those materials unless they generate them themselves.

5. Potential Weapon Theft or Reverse Engineering ⚠️

• If the user creates a weapon and loses it, a skilled enemy could steal it and use it against them.

• If an opponent has weapon-copying or energy-absorption abilities, they could replicate or disable the user’s weapons.

6. Requires Combat Skill to Maximize Effectiveness ⚔️

• Having the ability to create weapons doesn’t automatically grant mastery over their use.

• The user must train in combat styles to fully utilize their creations.

Skills & Advanced Applications:

🔄 Infinite Arsenal Summoning:

• The user can create and store weapons in a pocket dimension, instantly summoning them when needed.

• This allows them to summon pre-crafted weapons on demand without remaking them each time.

⚔️ Phantom Arsenal:

• The user can create floating weapons that act independently, attacking enemies from multiple angles.

• Examples:

• A ring of levitating swords that attack based on mental commands.

• A swarm of spectral daggers that home in on targets.

🔥 Energy Weapon Specialization:

• The user can create pure energy weapons, like:

• Plasma Blades (superheated energy swords).

• Electric Cannons (shocking blasts that paralyze enemies).

• Solar Spears (weapons forged from condensed starfire).

🔗 Self-Regenerating Weapons:

• The user can create weapons that repair themselves over time, preventing breakage.

💀 Cursed & Sentient Weapons:

• The user can forge weapons with special properties, such as:

• Cursed Swords (that weaken enemies upon impact).

• Sentient Blades (that assist the wielder or grow stronger over time).

🌪️ Multi-Form Weapons:

• The ability to create a weapon that can transform, such as:

• A sword that turns into a whip.

• A bow that transforms into a gun.

• A spear that can split into multiple daggers.

Conclusion: The Ultimate Forge Master

Weapon Creation is one of the most versatile and powerful combat abilities, allowing the user to tailor their arsenal for any battle. Whether they prefer melee, ranged, energy, or conceptual weapons, they can always have the perfect tool for the job. However, they must balance power consumption, weapon duration, and combat strategy to avoid weaknesses. A true master of this ability will be a one-person army, capable of forging legendary weapons that shape the battlefield itself.

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Power Dampening & Power Enhancement: The Dual Authority Over Abilities

The ability to dampen or enhance powers makes the wielder a dominant force in any battle, capable of crippling opponents or empowering allies. This dual capability allows for both offensive and supportive strategies, making them a tactical powerhouse.

• Power Dampening creates a nullification field that disables the abilities of anyone within a 6km radius, with the option to grant immunity to chosen individuals.

• Power Enhancement grants the ability to amplify existing powers beyond their normal limitations, instantly increasing strength, mastery, and potential.

Together, these abilities make the user a walking battlefield controller, capable of deciding who gets to fight at full power and who is reduced to nothing.

🛡️ Power Dampening (Nullification Zone)

How It Works:

• When activated, a 6km-radius nullification zone forms, erasing or suppressing all supernatural, psychic, or superhuman abilities within it.

• The user can create "safe pockets" where certain individuals retain their powers while everyone else is affected.

• This nullification removes all buffs, passive enhancements, and activated abilities, effectively reducing enemies to their base physical form.

Strengths & Advantages:

1. Absolute Power Negation 🚫

• Completely cancels all abilities within its range, making even the strongest superhuman powerless.

• Works against passive powers, preventing regeneration, invulnerability, or reality-altering abilities from taking effect.

• Disables both offensive and defensive supernatural abilities, rendering enemies completely vulnerable.

2. Tactical Battlefield Control 🎯

• Can selectively allow allies or themselves to retain their powers while disabling opponents.

• Great for ambushes and counter-strategies—enter the battlefield, activate the field, and force enemies into hand-to-hand combat.

• Shuts down power-reliant opponents, such as mages, psychics, or elemental users.

3. Protection Against All Abilities 🛡️

• Makes the user immune to all power-based attacks inside the zone, including:

• Mind control

• Elemental attacks

• Time manipulation

• Illusions or reality warping

• If an opponent relies entirely on powers, they will be helpless.

4. Undoes Continuous Effects ⏳

• Can reverse active power effects, such as:

• Healing factors stopping mid-recovery.

• Long-term buffs vanishing instantly.

• Summons disappearing when their link is severed.

Weaknesses & Limitations:

1. Does Not Affect Purely Physical Abilities 💪

• If an enemy has superior natural strength, martial arts, or advanced technology, they can still fight effectively.

• Enhanced humans, cyborgs, or power-suit users may remain a threat if their abilities do not rely on supernatural elements.

2. Limited Radius (6km) 📏

• Enemies outside the zone are unaffected and can launch long-range attacks from beyond its borders.

• Certain teleporters or speedsters may escape the zone before nullification takes effect.

3. Energy Consumption & Fatigue 🔋

• Maintaining the nullification zone drains energy over time.

• The larger the safe pockets, the harder it is to sustain.

• Prolonged use could weaken the user or even force them to deactivate the field.

4. Cannot Prevent Physical Combat or Weapons Use 🔫

• If enemies carry physical weapons (guns, swords, explosives), they can still attack.

• Cannot stop powerful warriors who do not rely on supernatural abilities.

🔱 Power Enhancement (Augmentation Ability)

How It Works:

• The user can increase the strength, mastery, and control of their own powers or an ally’s.

• The more times an ability is enhanced, the stronger it gets, but it requires more energy.

• Does NOT give new abilities—it only strengthens existing ones.

Strengths & Advantages:

1. Unlimited Power Growth 🔺

• Can enhance a power multiple times, pushing it beyond its natural limits.

• Can allow a fire manipulator to generate star-level flames or an electrokinesis user to wield pure cosmic lightning.

2. Instant Mastery & Understanding 🎓

• Grants instant insight into how to use an ability, eliminating the need for training.

• Users can grasp complex techniques immediately, making them far more efficient.

3. Stacks with Other Buffs 🌀

• Can be combined with other enhancements like:

• Physical enhancements (super strength, durability, reflexes).

• Equipment-based enhancements (infusing weapons with power).

4. Great for Team Synergy 🤝

• Can empower allies, making them stronger and more capable in battle.

• Allows a weaker ally to match or surpass stronger enemies.

5. Counteracts Power Dampening Effects ⚖️

• If someone has been weakened or their power is suppressed, this ability can help restore their strength.

Weaknesses & Limitations:

1. Cannot Create New Abilities ❌

• The user cannot grant powers—only amplify existing ones.

• If someone is powerless, this ability does nothing for them.

2. High Energy Costs for Extreme Enhancements 🔋

• The more times an ability is enhanced, the greater the energy drain.

• Trying to push a power beyond its natural limit can cause severe fatigue or unconsciousness.

• If used recklessly, it could burn out the target's power source or even cause permanent damage.

3. No Defense Against Direct Attacks 🛡️

• While it enhances powers, it does not protect against physical attacks unless the enhanced power itself provides protection.

• If an enemy is too fast or strong, they can strike before the power enhancement takes effect.

4. Temporary Enhancements Unless Reinforced ⏳

• Power boosts wear off over time, unless constantly refreshed.

• Once the enhancement fades, the user or their allies revert to their normal power levels.

Synergy of Both Powers: The Ultimate Battlefield Manipulator

The combination of Power Dampening and Power Enhancement makes the user a supreme force on the battlefield. They can decide who fights at full power and who is reduced to nothing.

Strategic Uses of Both Powers Together:

• Disable Enemy Powers While Buffing Allies 🚀

• Activate Power Dampening to weaken enemies.

• Simultaneously enhance allies, giving them a massive advantage.

• Force Hand-to-Hand Combat Against Power-Dependent Foes 🥊

• Activate the nullification zone to disable superpowers.

• Enhance their own physical abilities to gain an edge.

• Break Through Power-Based Defenses 🏰

• Nullify an opponent’s barriers, shields, or defensive powers.

• Enhance an ally’s attack to overwhelm weakened defenses.

• Reverse Opponent's Power Gains 🔄

• If an enemy has enhanced themselves, use Power Dampening to negate their buffs.

• Then, outmatch them by empowering oneself or allies.

Conclusion: The Master of Balance & Control

This dual ability set makes the user an unparalleled battlefield manipulator—they decide who fights at their peak and who is reduced to nothing. By selectively nullifying enemies and empowering allies, they can completely reshape any battle to their advantage.

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Gravity Manipulation: The Cosmic Force of Control

Gravity Manipulation grants complete dominion over one of the four fundamental forces of the universe. With it, one can attract, repel, crush, distort, or even erase matter itself. This power allows for unparalleled battlefield control, affecting enemies, environments, and even space-time itself. While it stops short of absolute gravity control (e.g., omniversal-level feats), it remains one of the most terrifyingly powerful abilities in existence.

Strengths & Advantages:

1. Unrivaled Battlefield Control 🎮

• Can completely manipulate movement by altering gravitational forces.

• Can disable flying enemies, pin foes in place, or redirect ranged attacks.

2. Devastating Crushing Power 🔨

• Capable of compressing anything into dust or even forming mini black holes.

• Can obliterate terrain, buildings, and enemies with crushing forces.

3. Extreme Defense Against Physical & Energy Attacks 🛡️

• Can increase gravity to slow or stop incoming projectiles.

• Can bend gravity to redirect enemy attacks.

• High gravity zones make dodging nearly impossible for opponents.

4. Versatile Mobility & Flight 🚀

• Can lighten oneself for superhuman speed.

• Can use repulsion to launch forward or create gravity warps for teleportation.

Weaknesses & Limitations:

1. High Energy Consumption 🔋

• Creating black holes, intense gravitational fields, or time distortions requires immense stamina.

• Prolonged use can fatigue the user or cause loss of control.

2. Collateral Damage 🌍💀

• Uncontrolled black holes could erase allies, landscapes, or even the user.

• Increasing gravity too much can destroy the battlefield itself.

3. Vulnerable to Extreme Speed ⚡

• Gravity takes time to affect hyper-fast opponents, such as light-speed or quantum speedsters.

• Enemies with instantaneous movement (e.g., teleporters) can avoid gravity zones.

4. Struggles Against Gravity-Immune Entities 🚫

• Some beings resist gravity effects, such as:

• Gravity-based lifeforms (e.g., black hole beings, cosmic titans).

• Entities that exist outside physics (e.g., reality warpers).

5. Wormhole & Time Distortion Risks ⏳

• Opening wormholes too frequently can destabilize space-time, causing paradoxes.

• Using gravity-based time dilation can affect allies and the user unintentionally.

Core Abilities & Applications:

1️⃣ Gravity Alteration ⚖️🌍

• Increase or Decrease Gravity → Make the environment crushingly heavy or float weightlessly.

• Localized Gravity Control → Target specific individuals or objects with variable gravity.

• Directional Gravity Control → Change gravity’s direction, making things fall sideways, diagonally, or even upwards.

💡 Uses: ✔️ Immobilize enemies by making them too heavy to move. ✔️ Lighten oneself or allies for superhuman speed, agility, and flight. ✔️ Reverse gravity to make structures, weapons, or objects fall in unexpected directions.

2️⃣ Gravitational Attraction & Repulsion 🧲💨

• Attract objects toward yourself (or another point).

• Repel objects, pushing them away with gravitational force.

• Crush enemies or structures by increasing force exponentially.

💡 Uses: ✔️ Pull weapons out of enemy hands. ✔️ Crush foes instantly by condensing their mass. ✔️ Throw enemies or objects away with massive gravitational force.

3️⃣ Gravity Compression & Crushing 🏋️‍♂️💥

• Increase gravity in a focused point to create intense crushing pressure.

• Condense matter into a hyper-dense object (potentially a micro black hole).

• Cause instant implosions, collapsing enemies or objects into themselves.

💡 Uses: ✔️ Reduce foes to pancakes by making them infinitely heavy. ✔️ Crush metal, bones, or entire landscapes with a thought. ✔️ Create a super-dense projectile by compressing debris.

4️⃣ Black Hole Generation 🌑⚫

• Create miniature black holes that absorb and destroy matter.

• Condense energy and objects into singularities.

• Control the event horizon, determining what gets pulled in or repelled.

💡 Uses: ✔️ Erase enemies, objects, or attacks from existence. ✔️ Trap enemies in time-dilated spaces inside a singularity. ✔️ Redirect enemy projectiles into an inescapable void.

5️⃣ Zero Gravity & Anti-Gravity 🎈🔄

• Remove all gravity in an area, causing floating environments.

• Reverse gravitational pull, making objects “fall” into the sky.

• Make oneself or others immune to gravity-based attacks.

💡 Uses: ✔️ Make enemy attacks miss by removing their control over movement. ✔️ Create an unpredictable battlefield where physics are meaningless. ✔️ Fly effortlessly without consuming energy.

6️⃣ Wormhole & Space-Time Manipulation (Limited) 🌀🚀

• Create gravitational wormholes for instant teleportation.

• Distort time locally using intense gravity (e.g., time dilation).

• Bend spacetime to redirect attacks or distort reality.

💡 Uses: ✔️ Teleport short distances using wormholes. ✔️ Slow enemies down by trapping them in a time-dilated area. ✔️ Redirect enemy energy blasts, projectiles, or attacks.

Conclusion: The Supreme Cosmic Force

Gravity Manipulation is one of the most overpowered forces in existence, granting the ability to alter movement, erase enemies, and distort reality itself. However, it requires precision and caution, as overuse can destroy everything—including the user.

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Ultipotence: Ultimate Power Without Omniscience

Ultipotence is the next closest thing to Omnipotence, granting infinite power without infinite knowledge. It allows the user to achieve anything and everything imaginable without limits except for spontaneous knowledge gain. This means:

• Unlimited strength, speed, durability, energy, and reality-altering abilities.

• No restrictions on what you can create, destroy, or manipulate.

• However, you must understand how to use your power effectively.

Without omniscience, you do not automatically know the best way to solve problems, meaning imagination and experience are crucial for maximizing this power.

Strengths & Advantages:

1️⃣ Absolute Power, No Limits 💪

• Can match and surpass any force in existence.

• No cap on physical or metaphysical abilities.

• No external force can restrict or weaken the power itself.

2️⃣ Immune to Most Weaknesses 🛡️

• Cannot be killed, erased, or nullified by normal, divine, or conceptual means.

• No one can permanently bind, seal, or depower the user.

• Resists reality warping, mind control, and temporal effects.

3️⃣ Infinite Potential for Growth 📈

• Can continuously evolve, adapt, and expand knowledge through experience.

• No plateau—user keeps getting stronger with every new thing they understand.

• Can eventually surpass even true omnipotent beings through sheer trial and mastery.

4️⃣ Strategic Superiority with Thoughtful Use 🧠

• Unlike brute-force omnipotence, this power requires skillful application.

• Allows for creative problem-solving rather than blind overuse.

• Forces the user to learn and improve, making them an even greater threat.

Weaknesses & Limitations:

1️⃣ No Innate Knowledge 🤯

• Must understand what they want to do before they can do it.

• Cannot instantly know secrets, hidden information, or omniscient-level insights.

• Must rely on learning, experimentation, and experience to maximize potential.

💡 Example Weakness: 🚫 If faced with a complex magical curse, the user cannot undo it without understanding how it works first.

2️⃣ Requires Imagination & Creativity 🎨

• The power is only as useful as the user's ability to think creatively.

• A simple-minded user may fail to use it effectively, despite having limitless power.

• Poor tactical thinking could lead to unnecessary failures or slow progress.

💡 Example Weakness: 🚫 If the user only thinks in terms of brute force, they may miss an easier, more effective solution.

3️⃣ Can Be Outplayed, Not Outpowered 🎭

• Unlike omnipotence, Ultipotence does not automatically counter every strategy.

• A hyper-intelligent enemy could manipulate or deceive the user.

• If the user is tricked or lacks experience, they can be defeated through strategy, not force.

💡 Example Weakness: 🚫 A cunning enemy might trick the user into wasting energy on false threats, forcing them into bad decisions.

4️⃣ Susceptible to Information Manipulation 🕵️

• Since the user must acquire knowledge manually, an opponent who controls knowledge (e.g., mind control, memory wiping) can limit their growth.

• False information can mislead the user, causing them to make mistakes.

💡 Example Weakness: 🚫 A reality warper might trap the user in a fabricated world, forcing them to learn false rules of existence before they realize the deception.

Core Abilities & Applications:

1️⃣ Absolute Creation & Destruction 🌍💥

• Can create anything the user can conceive, from weapons to new universes.

• Can destroy anything, including concepts, matter, energy, and even abstract beings.

• Unlike reality warpers, the user’s creations are truly real, not just illusions or temporary constructs.

💡 Uses: ✔️ Forge entire worlds, life forms, and civilizations. ✔️ Erase enemies, dimensions, or cosmic threats with a mere thought. ✔️ Manifest any weapon, armor, or structure instantly.

2️⃣ Limitless Physical & Energy Manipulation ⚛️🔥

• Infinite strength, speed, durability, and endurance.

• Can manipulate and generate any type of energy (cosmic, quantum, divine, chaotic, etc.).

• Can reshape reality at will through energy control.

💡 Uses: ✔️ Punch with the force of a collapsing universe. ✔️ Move at speeds exceeding light and beyond time itself. ✔️ Absorb, redirect, or manipulate any type of energy-based attack.

3️⃣ Reality & Concept Manipulation 🌐🔄

• Control over laws of existence, including time, space, matter, energy, and causality.

• Can erase, rewrite, or modify universal constants (e.g., gravity, time flow, entropy).

• Can alter the nature of existence itself, defining what is real and what isn’t.

💡 Uses: ✔️ Rewrite history by changing past events. ✔️ Alter time so you never age, or exist in multiple moments at once. ✔️ Make gravity a push instead of a pull, or remove it entirely.

4️⃣ Mind & Soul Manipulation (Not Omniscience!) 🧠👁️

• Can enhance intelligence to godlike levels, but does not gain knowledge out of nowhere.

• Can instantly learn from experience, using trial and error to grow exponentially.

• Can manipulate minds, emotions, and souls, though not read minds directly without effort.

💡 Uses: ✔️ Instantly understand languages, skills, or sciences after observing them. ✔️ Grant others intelligence, wisdom, or enhanced cognition. ✔️ Alter, restore, or transfer souls between bodies.

5️⃣ Transcendence & Divine Evolution 🚀👑

• Can exist beyond physical reality, ignoring dimensional or conceptual limits.

• Can surpass gods, cosmic beings, or supreme entities, since power has no cap.

• Can adapt to any situation infinitely, making defeat nearly impossible.

💡 Uses: ✔️ Resist anything, including reality erasure, paradoxes, or time resets. ✔️ Become a higher-dimensional being, unfathomable to normal perception. ✔️ Defy logic itself by existing in contradictory states.

Conclusion: The Ultimate Power with a Critical Flaw

Ultipotence is the pinnacle of all power, allowing unlimited strength, creation, destruction, and reality manipulation. However, it requires knowledge and imagination to be truly effective. Unlike omnipotence, the user must learn, experiment, and think ahead, making it a strategic power rather than a brute-force one.

[mantrabay]

Hearing Things Part 1

It’s a long distance whisper … I’m not paranoid but on this day.

There is a dark gothic feel to where I am right now if not more.

Just people who are meandering as if trapped.

They seem to be talking to themselves.

It’s something I can detect.

In the sense of looking for themselves or lost in some way.

The odds, the oddities, the weird synchronicities, coincidences.

Are these characters talking behind my back.

In my absence.

This notion is mounting apace.

I’m being burdened by this veiled whisper.

It mightn’t necessarily be negative.

It mightn’t even be of any real consequence.

Conflicting thoughts are swirling.

Are my own thoughts casting sounds?

Oh sense of loss.

The word loss has a running eerie resonance.

This otherworldly experience isn’t just a figment.

The lady I adore is faraway.

Ours is a blue moon occasional link up.

It hasn’t dimmed our passion over the years despite the infrequency of our meetings.

She is a person like me who has an ear tilted for the inexplicable.

Inklings are now flying.

I’m walking through peculiarity in a strange familiar street.

Maybe ominous is not the apt phrase.

The world, both inner and outer can play tricks.

It’s that itch in my ear.

You’d think I’d need a hearing aid.

But hardly with this mildly sinister ordeal?

A plot of some kind as my unsteady steps assume a life of their own.

It’s a Saturday afternoon.

But it’s like many a Saturday afternoon of late.

I’m this urban hobo in a daze.

Maybe the expression phase might “strike a chord.”

Is it this journey or broad search for a depth that seems illusory?

Guffaw, uproarious laughter, red faced giggles at me

It could of course be at others.

But at what one mystically ponders?

The location I’m presently exploring with these “hearings” as amorphous canvass.

Aloof but tangential muffled power.

Greyness suffuses everything and everyone I encounter.

My obsession with colour and structure lurk only within myself.

At least that’s what I tell myself.

It’s happening again.

I may this extraordinary power of hearing.

Some might say “Imagination” is more apt.

When life events occur which may have that unlikely reach internal self probes they place.

But at heart significant others in my life have been informed of what is happening to me.

Yet a shudder as that sonic intrusion into my ear recommences.

Quite regularly too.

These anecdotes of mine are not the inchoate musings of a troubled pysche.

The most bizarre vibrations emanating are from this day

Within the last six months it may appear that I have “LOST” everything to these hearings.

All the intrigue doing somersaults .., doing volte face, high risk surreptitious shadowy underhanders.

And meanwhile is there a convulsed conspiracy?

Despite this apparent weave of covert, undercover, spy thriller

who dunnitisms I laugh at each side of my mouth at it all.

Well, in intermittent spurts.

It may seem incredibly naive to guffaw when a myriad mosaic of fantastic upshots dash at rapid rail lightning speed presently.

There is from one standpoint an ironic comic stand, maybe stand up comic amusement.

The hearing has been magnified by me not in any alarmist interpretation of events..

Nor is it a question of having exaggerated connections in other people's lives.

“Oh my goodness, I nearly walked into a poster promoting the amazing powers of the mind for both emotional depth and uproarious laughter.

Did something or things actually tumble from a bulging carrier bag that had the forehead of a wrinkled brow?

And the incongruity.”

The notice I was actually getting now.

And there were people muttering oafish, thoughtless comments under their breaths.

They were pointing towards my feet.

One of the standers by had a disapproving grimace.

“Groans oozing corn about me being in deep conversation with myself.

They seem to say I must find myself so fascinating that I’m willing to risk my fascinating self.”

I find the above erroneous.

I heard someone say I must have left a lasting impression on that poster.

It was one way of getting in touch with myself.

Photographs and Short Story mine exclusively

I dedicate this post to my inspirational sister Jay A Pallen

I wish to thank everyone on tumbrl who view and consider this submission

Part 2 of this story to follow

[santoschristos]

“For beauty has a great power to heal the soul.”

Venus/ Inanna as the Pisces/ Mermaid- Aries/ Warrior Metagoddess Now presents herself as the avatar of The Delphi Oracle and reaches Gate of Perception at Third Eye Chakra on May 23/24, as She Conjuncts the waning moon in the predawn sky.

Here She surrenders her Royal Staff- Tool of Order and Structure, thus representing the need to relinquish control and embrace the chaos of the unknown.

The timing is bang on as it coincides with Saturn leaving the last degree of the last sign of the zodiac to begin a brand new Zodiac Journey in Aries. With Saturn closing out a 29 yr cycle, our Foundations as we have known and relied upon are turning to dust.

Venus/ Inanna at the 3rd Eye chakra assists us in releasing the ‘Blueprint-The Plan -for that timeline no longer exists!! And Logic will not help you navigate this shift in timelines …

As the cracks between worlds now appear, it is Venus/ Inanna at 3rd Eye chakra who helps us navigate these unchartered waters by listening to the wisdom that is bubbling from deep within, the Ancient Soul Remembrance now coming online (which often gets sabotaged by Logic), the Vibrations that our Body recognises and automatically responds to….This is a journey of the Intuitive- guided not by logic but by ‘seeing’ beyond the illusions, Feeling into the Now, Being Present to all that is currently unfolding, Trusting the Inner Knowings and Guidance, Sitting in the discomfort and Allowing the Death and Rebirth to unfold- This is the Journey of the Oracle…

As I have mentioned in my previous posts , what began as a simple getaway vacation has turned into a Sacred Pilgrimage and the knowing is that this is under the stewardship of The Oracle of Delphi. She has led me to Womb Caves encoded with ancient symbols of Creation,secret sources of underwater springs (womb waters of ReBirth, the subconscious coming into consciousness ) and rainbow waterfalls of purification …and today her Energy appeared as the mystical vapours that the Priestesses of Delphi presumably inhaled to pronounce their cryptic Prophacies/ Guidance. N she also threw in some hundreds of Orbs …incase my logical mind refused to believe!! (See video in comments)

It has been a journey of magic manifestation , deep mysticism , beautiful synchronicities , beauty and wonder unfolding in uncertainty,and above all a celebration of the Feminine Warrior Spirit supported throughout by The Masculine !!!- It doesn’t get more Pisces-Aries than this!!!

So if your foundations are crumbling, the path forward uncertain and unclear, if you are doubting your spiritual progress/path…..it is from the Womb Waters of Chaos that the New is Born…and Inanna at Gate of Perception at 3rd eye will assist you in opening like never before to the Wisdom of the Universe to steer you in the direction of your highest Potential, Path and Blueprint as we swim in the liminal spaces between timelines and worlds!!

Your Faith Be Bigger than Your fears

May Your Dreams be Bigger than Your doubts

Sa Kei Na

Isis Channelings

Image: Third Eye Chakra Venus Gate - Mahaboka

[tomedonaki-hakujou]

Mesmerizer: My Thoughts on why it is THE Vocaloid song of the DECADE

(All thoughts here are highly subjective, and may feature incomplete information. I just wanted to get my thoughts out about Mesmerizer and why its success works a lot.)

As of 2020, the Vocaloid scene has been booming with plenty of new music & activity, each year bringing more and more hit songs, it's almost hard to keep track of them all. With the release of Satsuki and Channel's "Mesmerizer" music video, I think this marks an extremely emblematic song, encapsulating what the 2020s of Vocaloid is all about, and what it can become.

"Mesmerizer" is a short and catchy song featuring Hatsune Miku for VOCALOID4 and Kasane Teto for Synthesizer V. It features a highly chaotic instrumental. It is composed by Satsuki, previously known for "CIRCUS PANIC!!!" featured in Project Sekai. The music video is made by Channel (aka caststation), who is known for various viral Miku animations like mikumikuplaylist and Rabbit Hole by DECO*27. All of these details about this song are very important, and in my opinion, I think they each represent a part of the strength and popularity of Vocaloid culture in the 2020s.

Short Songs and Covers

As of 2020, shorter songs, often less than 3 minutes, have gained a lot of popularity – take a look at Kanaria's breakout hit "KING," or the songs on DECO*27's "Mannequin" album such as "The Vampire," "Animal," and "Cinderella." Part of the major appeal of these songs, and why they work so well, is that they have to be immensely catchy, easy to listen to, and most importantly in my opinion – easy to sing. That's right – one major aspect of 2020s Vocaloid culture are covers sung by utaites, VTubers, and other singers. This spreads the Vocaloid music to people in different audiences. It's much easier to sing and produce a cover of a shorter song than a longer song, and it's much more appealing to do it for a trending song. Kanaria's songs and DECO*27's "Mannequin" songs have gotten this treatment of mass-cover trends due to their singability and ease of production. (Take it from me, it's much easier to publish a Kanaria cover than producers like Yunosuke or Kashii Moimi, from whom I love covering from.) Of course, even aside from Kanaria and DECO*27, there's other producers who create shorter songs with great success – take Nakiso, Suriii (aka Three), Chinozo, Azari, and _x0o0x_ for example.

Although, that's not to say longer songs over 3 minutes don't get popular either – take PinocchioP, Kairiki Bear, Teniwoha, nulut, and Camellia for example. Both song structures have their different appeals, and it's all about how the composer utilizes that time.

However, longer songs aren't necessarily new in the Vocaloid scene, and have been the standard for over 10 years since the scene's beginnings in 2007-2008. It's shorter songs that have emerged as a new niche and new musical approach as of 2020, and it's the style more representative of this era. "Mesmerizer" takes the approach of the shorter song that's arisen in this era, while conveying a strong music composition as well. A shorter song with a stronger composition & musicality has a higher chance of staying within viewer's memories.

Chaotic Composition

Chaos, frenzy – the music style of "denpa" has gained more popularity in recent years with songs like "INTERNET YAMERO" (by Aiobahn) and "Hito Mania" (by Sasuke Haraguchi). (Although "INTERNET YAMERO" is not Vocaloid, it still deserves a mention for its audience & subculture overlap.)

As of 2020, we can hear more experimental and varied composition and production styles in top VOCALOID songs – melodic, consonant, and synchronous music isn't always the move now. Usage of sound effects as percussion (gunshots, glass breaking, etc) creates more appeal or intrigue in certain songs.

The sound design in "Mesmerizer" is, well, mesmerizing. I think it encapsulates a lot of the sweet, simple, catchy and appealing aspects of the short-form song style, while also having complexity & chaos that synchronizes with the main beat/melody. If there's a song I would most directly compare "Mesmerizer" to in its composition style, it's probably going to be "Marshall Maximizer" by Hiiragi Magnetite. Both of them have a lot of chaos going on to create texture in the song, while still being harmonious with the overall composition to create a pleasant listening experience.

There is one part of "Mesmerizer" that deserves a most special mention, which is the bridge – or commonly referred to as the "hypnosis" section. Here, the sound design is used in tandem with the MV and story during Teto's bridge part. The music suddenly seems to fade in and out to convey that Teto is not quite fully "present" in the song; her consciousness slowly fading in and out as she tries to resist hypnosis (what's happening is a low pass filter's frequency point being slowly reduced and then increased, but that's advanced audio lingo that you don't need to worry about if you don't understand).

Unique and special sound design moments like these are what draws viewers into songs and keeps them interested.

The Music Video

While simplistic music videos are common in Vocaloid in the era of 2020s, animated music videos still have their appeal and popularity as well, and have made a bit more of a comeback as of 2022 and 2023. Take songs like:

"Lagtrain" by inabakumori (MV by Nukunuku Nigirimeshi)

"Konton Boogie" by jon-YAKITORY (MV by Ichimaru)

"Override" by Yoshida Yasei (Art by Shishiya)

"Kyoufuu Allback" by Yukopi (Animation by Oz_yarimisu)

"Momiagewo Shakaagewo" by Nunu(...)nunu (dude. I'm not writing their whole name.)

"Kafu-eine" by Hiiragi Magnetite (Animation by Sena Yuuta)

Songs like these have MVs that lend themselves easily to replication for covers or animation memes within the animator community. In addition, they're just very strong and fun MVs in their own right for enjoyment. Not every producer has the energy or resources to create an animated MV like this, but being able to do so certainly gives the song a stronger appeal.

Especially within derivative fanwork, more complex MVs of songs with simpler MVs also get popular. Take the "Gokuraku Meme" that derives from Pepoyo's "Rakuraku Anrakushi" or most notably for this analysis – Channel's "Rabbit Hole" animation from DECO*27's song. These are two strong examples of the power of animation in the Vocaloid scene. Many admire Channel's "Rabbit Hole" animation for its smoothness and appealing style – many have found themselves watching it on repeat as if it's mesmerizing (heh,) but maybe most importantly, the animation features a "shock factor" in the pseudo-sex fakeout scene at the end, which contributes to its virality.

When applying these skills to a full music video, Channel really showed the best of their strengths in "Mesmerizer." Their mesmerizing animation style tells a simple story that keeps the viewers engaged with smooth tweening, strong sense of beats, and of course – enjoyable and cute dance movements. Channel also employs "shock factor" once again, towards the end of the music video in the final chorus – where Miku gets completely mesmerized/hypnotized, and goes crazy-insane. This moment is popularly depicted in the countless fanarts of "Mesmerizer," a testament to its impact. Additionally, the MV has a lot of small details about it that has caused much intrigue and analysis regarding its story. Theorizing about the meaning of songs is a vital part of Vocaloid fan culture.

Project Sekai

Project Sekai is a HUGE factor in the thriving nature of the Vocaloid scene as of 2020. Events like "Proseka Next" help smaller producers break out of niche and obscurity and helps boost their popularity. Such was the case for Satsuki, who won a "Proseka Next" event with their song "CIRCUS PANIC!!!"

"Proseka Next" isn't the only kind of event that helps boost producers. There's the regularly occurring "Vocaloid Collection," as well as demo songs and contests held for newly released voicebanks. Companies like Sega/Crypton and Kamitsubaki Studio regularly engage the community to give it vitality, and spark their creativity.

Although "Mesmerizer" is not a song for any contest or event, it's entirely possible that without "Proseka Next" and the preceding "CIRCUS PANIC!!!" song, Satsuki's "Mesmerizer" might not have been the breakout hit it became.

The Vocalists

Finally, the vocalists. Hatsune Miku VOCALOID4 and Kasane Teto Synthesizer V.

Although she hasn't received a vocal update in nearly a decade, Hatsune Miku V4X is still one of the most popularly used vocalists in the Vocaloid scene – after all, she's Hatsune Miku, who's only become more popular and recognizable to almost anyone on the Internet. Especially in recent years, many takes on Miku's design draw from her V4X design, and Mesmerizer Miku is no exception. Although V2 Miku has strong appeal in her thick hair shapes, V4X's thin hair is easier to draw, adapt to different artstyles, restyle, and reiterate. (This is just my opinion though, I do think V4X is the best Miku for how well she lends herself to derivatives versus her other designs. Also, I think for the case of Mesmerizer, V4 Miku is probably the easiest to animate... Other Miku styles might not have worked for the MV's favor.)

One of the defining factors of the 2020s Vocaloid scene is AI vocalsynth. AI vocalsynth sounds more realistic and is often easier to use than its predecessors. Probably the first notable AI is CeVIO's KAFU, who received plenty of usage since her demos in 2020 and her release in 2021. As someone who owns KAFU myself, I think she's one of the most beginner-friendly vocalsynths – her autopitch tuning is rather pleasant and easy to work with as a baseline, and her configuration quality/ease of use just feels better than other vocalists on CeVIO AI. She also has a great capability for high range, much thanks to KAF's own high note capabilities. On top of that, she has quite the unique vocal tone that makes her instantly recognizable. I think these are all reasons why KAFU is highly popular.

To succeed KAFU, enter Kasane Teto, a beloved UTAU vocalist and character from the beginnings of the Vocaloid scene – now updated for Synthesizer V AI. She shares a lot of traits with KAFU that lend to success – ease of use, good vocal quality, and recognizable voice. Also, both KAFU and Teto SV have origins from a pre-existing fanbase – KAFU in KAF's popularity, and Teto from being a pre-existing popular character. Teto's SV was highly hyped and well-received, causing an explosion in her usages. Of course, UTAU isn't everyone's cup of tea and can be hard to use, and Teto had only been receiving rather niche usages in the 2020s Vocaloid scene – at least, up until her SV came and revitalized her.

In fanon, Miku and Teto have a popular relationship or dynamic, being friends or rivals. To use them both together in "Mesmerizer" builds upon this dynamic and establishes an appealing familiarity. In addition, "Mesmerizer" has a strong overseas reach outside of Japan – since Miku and Teto have high recognizability and popularity therein as well (and also thanks to Channel's preceding viral works.)

(Characters like Adachi Rei, Zundamon, and KAFU are also popular, but lack popularity outside of Japan.)

Although Synthesizer V is known for realism, many Japanese producers use it in a way that reflects "Vocaloid-esque" or artificial charm, which Teto embodies in "Mesmerizer." This makes her voice match up to Miku's more, creating a great duet that doesn't sound too jarring – rather, complementary.

Wrapping-up Thoughts

"Mesmerizer" is a song that, in my opinion, embodies a lot of the things that define the Vocaloid culture of the early 2020s. As someone who's always been an avid advocate and fan of the new Vocaloid scene, it's been amazing to see it come this far and reach greater heights, especially overseas. I remember being frustrated or mad that a lot of overseas Vocaloid fans don't actually listen to 2020s Vocaloid, despite it being highly popular in Japan. But with "Mesmerizer," I have hopes things will start to change. I have hopes that overseas fans will listen to the richness, diversity, and greatness of 2020s Vocaloid. I have hopes they will be drawn into the scene and look forward to new releases by new producers. I have hopes that "Mesmerizer" will ignite new creativity in producers and artists in the future to come, to build a new era; continually contributing to the idea of a "new soundscape." I believe "Mesmerizer" is the defining mark of this era of Vocaloid, and maybe might even become the top defining song in the footnotes of Vocaloid history.

[rockingreads]

Andy Summers: One Train Later: A Memoir (2007)

Andy Summers was already 35 when he joined The Police, 44 when they broke up!

That relative seniority by rock 'n' roll standards provided a lengthy backstory for Summers' autobiography, One Train Later, where he recounts his long and bumpy musical career starting in the late '60s with R&B lovers Zoot Money's Big Roll Band, then psychedelic busts Dantalion's Chariot, Canterbury proggies Soft Machine, and even the last gasp of Eric Burdon's Animals in sunny Hollywood.

By the time Andy serendipitously met Stewart Copeland (after missing his original train, hence the title), he’d settled down as an in-demand, triple-scale session musician, no longer expecting to find rock stardom, so his relative maturity and humility made him a perfect buffer between his two, much younger and more volatile band-members.

More importantly, Andy's six-string virtuosity and versatility gave Sting the ultimate conduit to elevate his burgeoning songwriting genius with uncanny sophistication and structural complexity, because, well, Summers had more guitar chords in his arsenal than "Roxanne" had paying customers.

And after diligently taking the reader along for The Police's incredible run of success, complete with a clear-eyed assessment of their explosive internal dynamics, Andy even has the decency not to bore us (hello, Stewart!) with the semi-retired activities almost nobody cares about.

Featured Records:

The Police: Outlandos d’Amour (1978)

The Police: Synchronicity (1983)

Buy from: Amazon

[randomshipperhere]

Ai Mikaze Song Rant

!!🧹CLEANING OUT DRAFTS WRITTEN IN LIKE 2021. Posted as is last written🧹!!

that may or may not be an essay but since its structure is completely off, I opted to call it a rant.

Also Ai looks mighty fine in that outfit. Ver. A has him sticking his tongue out. So cute!!

Note: this is a long overdue post that was made prior to the release of the album, I have not changed anything within this because dammit my past self worked her ass off on this and just left it on the backburner for so long.

Before the next batch of Quartet Night Solo Songs get released this year (oh my god its been 3-4 years since the last ones) I wanted to write down the charm of Ai's songs and I hope the trend somewhat continues.

There are a total of 6 songs released since 2012 and each song also has it's own take on love.

There are a total of 6 songs released since 2012 and each song also has it's own take on love.

Winter Blossom: Parting of a loved one

A.I: Being and feeling loved

Futari no Monogram: Understanding oneself

Innocent Wind: The Warmth of Love

Mune no Kodou: Understanding Love

Synchronism: Playful, and a smidge bit sensual. Looks like the love arc is complete if you catch my drift

And now let's look at the song list:

うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪ アイドルソング嶺二＆藍

Uta no☆Purinsu-sama♪ Aidoru Songu Reiji & Ai

Track 02: Winter Blossom

August 22, 2012

Idol Song: Mikaze Ai

01: A. I

02: Futari no Monogram

June 25, 2014

マジLOVEレボリューションズアイドルソング 美風 藍

Maji LOVE Reboryuushonzu Aidoru Songu Mikaze Ai

01: Innocent Wind

02: Mune no Kodou

April 29, 2015

うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪ アイドルソング蘭丸＆藍

Uta no☆Purinsu-sama♪ Aidoru Songu Ranmaru & Ai

03: Synchronism

May 24, 2017

Now why does the second part matter? Well to me, if you put them together. Arrange by release date and track number, it almost sounds like a story on its own.

A person who has lost a loved one and forgot what the feeling felt like (Winter Blossom) until they discovered someone who could possibly mend their broken heart and understand the concept of "Ai" (A. I).

After finding this someone, they want to better themselves, become more reliable, someone who could be deserving of that love (Futari no Monogram). That love is returned to them and it feels a bit too much, but they're grateful that this person continues to stay by their side, despite being "broken" (Innocent Wind).

Like any relationship though, it was not just meant to be a sunshine filled story, they got into fights and arguements but that never deterred them from loving each other. Even during the moments they felt down or when he was scared of the passage of time, still uncertain about love, they still stuck with each other through thick and thin. And to understand these overflowing emotions, he wrote it into a song, a ballad, that sung the wishes of normal lovers and how with them, he can understand love. That he too, has that "something" on his chest (Mune no Kodou).

This emotional beat is followed by a happy and relaxing, definitely no underlying desires song about love (Synchronism).

being vague about the last one since I'll explain in each solo segment.

I think you guys get what I mean about the songs tying together to form a story by now right? Which is amazing to me, even if they most likely didn't do it on purpose, it gives a new meaning to listening to Ai's songs. Which make it even more fun to listen to.

So now onto each song and it's significance.

Winter Blossom

The first song by Ai is still as sad and beautiful as the first time I read the english translation~ I cried. This is a very straightforward song. They shared their last moments in winter.

To hide our kiss, we draw closer together to share warmth

and he wishes to God that he could feel the same emotions as her. She's about to go and he knows this, and he doesn't want to forget so he tries to stop his tears. He wants to remember this. Timeskip and he's all alone now with these memories. He doesn't think it's bad, no matter how sad it was, and yet he could only think about what else he could've done. He feels like he understands now, and he tells the words "I love you" even if she wasn't there, and his voice is only heard by the wind. He remembers the moment one last time, and makes a promise.

It's a tragedy that he only figured out what love is after she died. The song really moves me to tears. The hopeful message at the end is really nice and gives the listener a sense of encouragement.

A. I

Just lovers out on a vacation by the seaside. It starts off with him asking

“At what percentage does it become ‘love’?”

The night grows nearer, as you two get closer, and yet all he can feel is uncertainty. Unsure whether his feelings would reach or if he could ever truly express what he feels. Insecure about his own name, one he even called poor, you show him that there is a meaning to "AI". This fills him with happiness and he sees you as someone he can turn to, his warmth. He gives you a kiss. For now, in this moment, you will enjoy the time spent together, even if in the future you may fight. For now, even if he can't express to you all his feelings, the one word you taught him is enough. I love you.

I've always loved the play on words for A.I (artificial intelligence), Ai (love), and Ai (name) used for the song. See I don't understand Japanese writing much but I really wish I did. From what little I know it's amazing to see that Ai uses katakana アイ throughout the song. Katakana is used for loan words or when you want to emphasize something. So him using アイ instead of 愛 emphasizes that he REALLY doesn't understand "Ai". If you look through the wiki, there are like, 5 instances of the katakana being used. First is in the line highlighted above. Another is in "I want to confirm it, this thing you call ‘love’/tashikametai yo kimi no iu 'ai'" and the most important one. The last line of the song.

I ‘love’ you… I love you

AI shiteru... aishiteru

アイしてる…[[愛]]してる

He actually learns what it means you guys. I'm proud of him. Another line that really got me in this song is when he keeps peppering you kisses because he was anxious. Baby, no, I won't leave you. I swear! Even if it takes time for you to understand, I won't let go!

Futari no Monogram

Innocent Wind

Mune no Kodou

Synchronism

Actually, while I was writing this down, I realized that most of his songs have an emphasis on warmth and the sun.

Winter Blossom

To hide our kiss, we draw closer together to share warmth

These memories aren’t bad, they transform into warmth

A. I

Your hand held in mine is so warm

Your warmth, this tender sunny spot is my gentle place to return to

Innocent Wind

By the tenderness of your warmth

This warmth is beyond even words…

Also the word embrace

(Winter Blossom, Futari no Monogram, Innocent Wind)

and hand holding

he's cold you guys

.

Rant over!

Waaaaa I'm not sure I even did him justice since half the time I couldn't word out what I want to say but hopefully it made some sort of sense???? I just really love him and his songs that I just kinda word vomitted everything.

Also was it super obvious that I adore Mune no Kodou to bits?! I could talk about how that's my favorite song all day because FUCK it's just THAT good.

[cleabellanov]

Music in the Loki series (3)

Lokius

Yes, it's in the title. We've known that for a long time now, but let me make some connections.

First, Mobius is ultimately part of Loki's glorious purpose, the burden he chose to bear, as the famous lines reflect: "Most purpose is more burden than glory" (Mobius) and "For you. For all of us." (Loki)

I brought them up because in the score Glorious Purpose, from season 1, there is a small similarity that I just couldn't get over. If you listen to Lokius from minute 2:22 then go to Glorious purpose at 0:48, the notes are quite similar, with the difference of the instruments - violins for Lokius and cello/viola for Glorious purpose (as I'm guessing). And the latter only uses 4 notes, when the first ascends to a 5th before coming back to the low one. It's just an observation, but it integrates perfectly: Loki's person having a small spot in the Glorious Purpose score of his life.

As for the structure of this track, it starts very slowly, with vibrato / trembling notes at the beginning because, just like the relationship between the characters, it’s not yet stable, it doesn’t have anything to fall back on *yet*.

At 0:33, the singular instruments from the beginning (I like to see them as Loki and Mobius, but separated) start to be accompanied by a harmonic background. Like the 2 of them working together and starting to know more about each other.

From 0:50, the music starts to build up, going from the singular violins to being played by more instruments - like and actual orchestra. And the tempo goes from a Lento to a Moderato (so it’s faster in the middle of the track, it goes back to the initial speed at the end). The sound from the beginning integrates again at 1:13, but this time with background, harmonizing beautifully with it. (it sounds exactly like falling in love with someone you can’t prove me wrong).

Half-steps are also used: notes that are right next to each other and don’t offer a complete, resolving sound, but a more mysterious and maybe dissonant one; that’s why it’s called a half step. A good example that is easy to hear are the descending notes on the violins from 0:53 to 0:56. And it’s a very good choice for this track: it’s for two character that create great chromaticism after all! (think of the white and black keys on a piano: they create half steps too; I like to think about Mobius as the white keys and Loki as the black ones).

And the end (from 2:22), is similar in structure with the beginning - but it’s a few octaves higher (I think) and almost happier, like the relationship between characters once trust is founded (and love too). The last note is held for a few seconds, showing stability, and slowly fades out, leaving the track with a calm, serene ending.

Now some scenes this score plays:

in season 1, episode 4, as Mobius is interrogating Loki about the other variant (Sylvie), visibly not only doing this as an analyst, but for himself too, out of jelaousy. I think it's significant that they chose to play Lokius in that moment, in synchronicity with a display of Mobius's reprised affection and burst out of jelousy

At the freaking McDonalds scene. In season 2, episode 2, 33 minutes and 19 seconds in. Yes, I'm being specific, because it's just soooo ironiccc that the first meeting Loki and Sylvie have in the season has LOKIUS PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND - the producers couldn't be more straightforward than this; or perhaps biforward, since it's Loki we're talking about

I'm entirely sure about this, but when Loki timeslips back to Kang at the citadel of time too

One last thing is that, even if i searched for it, I couldn't find a major relative to this track - written in G minor. It could be just a coincidence...but what if it's left like that especially because they are separated, and the major theme will play when they reunite? ( it makes perfect sense in my head, but idk about marvel)

2. Purpose is Glorious

I talked about Ascension in the previous part. And it continues here: the soft, pianissimo notes at the end of Ascension finding their stability in this track's intro. Purpose is Glorious is Ascension's relative key: being written in F major as a contrast to D minor. So there's the first sign that although this throne at the end of time is a heavy burden - its also a purpose. And purpose is glorious.

It repeats the same notes over and over again (A - B flat - C - D I think? ) very slowly: Instruments come in the background, but those notes remain the same - it's like, amongst all those timelines, Loki is still looking over the ones that matter the most. Or it could be his heart beat, still longing, still not wanting to be alone, even as the Multiverse plays out at his fingertips.

Halfway through, those 4 notes get quieter and quieter, giving way to the synthezisers ( and other instruments I can't quite name, sorry), until, at last, the notes don't repeat anymore. The ascend, then, finally, change - at 2:13. This is also the part that plays on screen while, between the intertwined timelines of sparkling greens, we see Loki's face as voices echo to him ("Let time pass"). This part is like the outburst, the bittersweet ending of the tragedy: the world lives, but the hero can't live with it.

And the end of this track also feels like a cliffhanger, like there could be more. The flicker of sound at the very end, barely audible, feels like magic that waits to be discovered. I guess we'll see whether that's true.

Aaand thanks for reading! This is what happens when two interests collide

If you have any additions feel free to share or kindly correct me if I'm wrong with anything.

Kindly, your friendly neighborhood marvel stan and music enthusiast ;)