#they merged into their ultimate final form

[tcustodisart]

Shadowcaw

[anthurak]

Something I’ve often found really compelling in Adventure Time is how The Grass Sword/Grass Demon/Fern found up becoming one of the most prominent and disturbing antagonists of the series pretty much by complete accident.

Like it’s easy to forget after Fern has become such a prominent character both in the show and fandom, but the ‘curse’ of the Grass Longsword started out and spent much of the show entirely benign. All it really did was cause the sword to stick to Finn. If anything, the sword/curse was quite beneficial to Finn, providing him with a prosthetic arm and activating on several instances to protect him. Really, the entire point of the original Blade of Grass episode was that the sword was actually pretty useful.

It was only AFTER stabbing and later merging with the Finn Sword to create Fern that the ‘curse’ started becoming actively malicious.

In hindsight, I think it’s pretty clear that while the Grass Spider/Octopus/Demon ‘curse’ entity within the Grass Sword may have been malicious, for the longest time it had no way of actually controlling or otherwise influencing Finn. The sword may have bonded to Finn’s body, but NOT to his mind, or more importantly his soul. This left Finn free to use the sword, and later even the grass-prosthetic freely without any danger or corruption from the curse.

But then Finn accidentally used it to stab the Finn Sword. As we see in Two Swords, this for the first time gave the Grass Demon/Curse direct access to a soul, the soul of the alternate Finn within the Finn Sword. A soul that it was able to corrupt and influence and ultimately merge with to create Fern.

This is one of those things that I think a lot of the fandom seems to miss: Fern isn’t some quirky doppelganger or a ‘brother’ to Finn. He is straight up a distorted, corrupted version OF Finn (the alternate iteration of him within the Finn Sword) manifested by the CURSE of the Grass Sword.

As in, basically EVERYTHING Fern does that deviates from the ‘norm’ that is Finn can be considered the work OF the curse. From more overt stuff like his tendency to ‘stab first, ask questions later’ or the times he ‘flips out’, to more subtle things like his brooding or just the fact that he has a noticeably different voice (the voice of the Grass Demon mind you), ALL of these are the product of the Curse.

And it’s this fact which makes Fern a truly tragic character. Because he was effectively doomed from the very start. Despite Fern’s attempts to do good and Finn’s and Jake’s attempts to accept him as his own person, Fern simply could not escape the curse’s influence. Because that curse was the very thing that created and maintained his physical body. It WAS his body. And this curse wanted nothing but to subvert, influence and ultimately CONTROL him for its own ends.

I think we can very easily assume that all of Fern’s failures, all his insecurities, everything that drove him to turning on Finn and trying to kill him and becoming the Green Knight in the final season, ALL of that was the result of the curse’s influence. Trying to whittle and break down Fern’s will so that it could mold him into whatever it wanted. And there was NOTHING Fern could do to stop this. Because the curse made itself a core part of what he was.

When Finn and Fern finally enter his mental world and destroy the Grass Demon in Come Along With Me, we see Fern as he truly is: simply another version of Finn who has been corrupted by the curse.

And with the Grass Demon dead, there is nothing to maintain Fern’s physical body, causing him to soon fade away. In order for this alternate Finn to be saved, he couldn’t exist as ‘Fern’.

Of course this also means that ‘Fern’ didn’t actually DIE at the end of the series. He simply reverted back to his true form: The Finn Sword.

And what I find so compelling and tragic about all this is that NONE of it had to actually happen. The Finn within the Finn Sword didn’t need to be put through all this suffering. Like it seems pretty clear that the Finn that become the Finn Sword was perfectly content being a sword. He didn’t need to be corrupted and spend the last two and half seasons being manipulated by a grass octopus demon.

Because when you think about it, ALL of this happened by accident. If Finn hadn’t lost the Finn Sword to Bandit Princess, or if he’d been able to simply avoid stabbing it with the Grass Sword during his fight with her, NONE of this would have happened. Finn would still have the Finn Sword and the Grass Sword would have likely remained benign and helpful to him. Heck, given how Finn seems to fully regain the use of the Grass Sword in his fight with Bandit Princess, he probably would have been able to duel-wield the Grass Sword and Finn Sword together.

This is really what I find to be the tragedy of Fern: That two of Finn’s greatest tools wound up becoming one of his most dangerous adversaries, and even worse that the Finn who became the Finn Sword was tortured and corrupted for no real reason, all essentially by accident.

[youremyheaven]

The 12th House in Astrology 🧜‍♀️🧚‍♀️ 🦋

(this can apply to both tropical and vedic placement of 12th house because regardless of the system employed, the energy felt and experienced is the same :-)

Most people have a lot of prejudice about the 12h and its energies. There is a largely negative portrayal of it in the mainstream astro community and very little nuanced discussion of the same. So, I thought I'd make a post exploring the 12th and final house in astrology and add more to the existing narrative regarding it.

The 12h is commonly described as the house of loss, liberation, isolation and decline

This house is said to governs misery, waste, expenses as well as divine knowledge, sympathy, Moksha (final emancipation) and life after death. It is also the house of detachment.

Now those are a lot of very contradictory terms. How could a house govern both loss and divine knowledge?

The 12th house and water houses (4h, 8h & 12h) in general are very complex and easily misunderstood. The thing about water is that it has no shape or form of its own, it takes the form of whatever vessel its poured into. another thing about water is that its the most easily polluted element. Water energy is one that must be precariously balanced because these natives easily absorb the influence of others (good or bad), this is one reason why the 12h is the house of "loss" because it truly is the death of the individual. you know those quotes about "i am an amalgamation of every person ive met, every book ive read, every song i loved...." 12housers are actually built like that.

being a 12h native can be rewarding because you absorb absolutely everything like a cosmic sponge but on the other hand, its very easy to lose all sense of self.

especially natives with 12h stelliums may often find it difficult to not take everything so personally. this is not because they think the world revolves around them but because its hard for them to separate themselves from others and their actions. they're personally of the type where everything they say or do is tailored specifically to the person they're interacting with. they may not even be aware that they're doing this, they pick up on energies almost by osmosis and guide their conduct that way. however they must realize that this is peculiar to them and is not something others are naturally accustomed to doing.

there is a reason why Venus exalts in the 12h. you lose all sense of self and give yourself completely to your lover with utmost devotion. love is sacred and profound to them, they will do absolutely anything for their love. which is why they have to be so careful with picking their partners. they have limitless capacity for giving but if you give to the wrong person, you'll be drained. when you merge with the right person, your cup never goes empty with your giving because your union satiates you completely.

if we were to think of houses 1 to 11 as a path of linear development, starting with the 1st house of self & identity and ending with the 11th house of friendship, community & legacy, then we will understand that after an individual goes through all these stages, the only thing left for them to do is seek liberation from this cycle; this is why 12h is the house of Moksha. once you've fulfilled your material desires, you will feel a lack in your life and the only thing left to do is pursue the path of spirituality. Moksha is however not given to one; one must strive for it.

this journey is a deeply personal one and liberation from one's ego and earthly pursuits is far from easy. no matter what these natives do, ultimately, they wont feel satisfied unless they've nourished themselves spiritually.

sometimes these natives may indulge in drugs or other substances to fill the void but as they evolve they will understand what theyre truly yearning for is the spiritual truth.

more often than not, these natives experience "spiritual awakenings" completely unprompted. god decides its time and it happens. much of their early life can be very dark and this "awakening" marks the beginning of a shift in their life. this happens in stages depending on the level of their spiritual evolution.

the 12th house is the house of isolation because what these natives experience is not something that others can understand easily. they are the most likely to develop psychosomatic conditions, simply because their energetic body is so susceptible to influence.

think of the vast endless ocean. can one individual possibly drink up all of that water? its absurd to even consider it. thats kind of what its like to be a 12h native. there's a limitless reservoir to tap into, the energy is so vast that its confusing and disorienting and you have no idea what to do with it. its very easy to be misguided as well. this is why its the house of decline. you have to constantly be on the look out in order to avoid the pitfalls, otherwise its easy to stagnate and easy to harm yourself.

There is a Latin quote that goes as follows:

"What nourishes me, destroys me"

This sums up 12th house energy pretty much. Its the energy of opposites and paradoxes. You need this endless reservoir to function, its the thing that feeds you but if you're not careful, it can also lead you to your own ruin.

Fun fact: Angelina Jolie has this quote tattooed on her. She is a Revati Moon. Pisces occupies the 12th house.

remember that Pisces' symbol is of two fishes swimming in opposite directions. this shows that the innate nature of these natives is to be torn between polarising energies and opposing forces. it is a balancing act to say the least.

these natives are easily misunderstood, simply because there is SO much to them. whatever you think they are, thats what they're not.

going back to the cosmic ocean metaphor, its easy to see how such abundance can feel like an excess and lead to misery and wastefulness. its simply a LOT to handle, not just for others but even for these natives themselves. this is one reason why so many of these natives tend to keep to themselves.

even the more sociable 12h natives often have an interior life that no one will know about, they have a whole another side to them that they keep separate, just because they want to assert complete ownership of this private side as something that belongs only to them and the other, more "public" side that they give to others.

these natives are the most empathetic and if you look at the charts of most "legendary" actors, they'll either have pisces/12h luminaries. empathy does not quite cut it, they can not only feel what others are feeling but embody it fully and experience it as their own. this is what makes them incredible actors. even non-actor 12h natives process things this way and often find that others around them are insensitive or lacking the same capacity. they do not understand why others don't feel as deeply as they do or understand situations the way they do. they find society at large to be very callous and apathetic.

a 12th house native is also capable of feeling apathy and absolute indifference but this is very selective; the 12h is the house of detachment because as it is, they're tethered to the world by a thin cord and are only very mildly connected to things. they're in this world but seldom inhabit it. another side to this is that they're wildly imaginative. although mercury debilitates in the 12h, it does not affect the native too badly, as they simply channel their thoughts into other forms. they are gifted at communicating abstract ideas and make excellent artists due to the same reason. robbed of any sense of what is "practical" or "realistic", they roam free in the realm of the mind. many abstract, surrealist and expressionist artists have either Pisces or other water sign placements in their big 3.

these natives live a life of non-being, as they're already so detached from everything, including themselves; this is not negative on its own and will manifest differently for different individuals; this can mean that they're extremely empathetic or detached to the point of inaction and passivity in extreme cases; they dont find a lot of things to be meaningful and its hard for them to apply themselves because of it. this gives us a glimpse of what life is like after death.

the 12th house also represents spirituality, introspection, foreign travels, hidden enemies, & the subconscious mind and it is the house of endings and undoing.

12th house natives are always intrigued by all things foreign, they feel like they do not belong to the place they're from and feel connected to cultures and people that are foreign to them. since they themselves feel like an alien or are made to feel that way, they feel naturally at ease in foreign places and cultures where everything is alien. they often settle overseas.

these natives court attention wherever they go, because the 12h energy is a very distinct and potent one. a lot of celebrities have it and its a very common fame indicator. due to this reason, they also attract enemies who remain unknown to them. these natives are seldom if ever, engaged in actual feuds with people and if they are, its usually for righteous reasons or because the other person started it. theyre wayyyy too peace loving and lowkey to pick fights with others. this is why they dont know who is speaking ill of them behind their back. they're always minding their own business and it surprises them that others are not doing the same.

everybody is guided by their subconscious and one major part of spirituality is to try and make ourselves more conscious. 12h representing spirituality (the cosmic ocean) makes even more sense considering its opposite (2 fishes swimming in opposite directions) which is the unknown, the subconscious. to be spiritual means to seek truth and to seek answers and swim towards the subconscious to shed light to it and understand it better.

lastly, it is the house of endings and undoing. 12h being the final concluding house represents the end of the cycle. when a cycle ends, the energy is of a complete transformation. only when something has reached completion can it come to an end. the butterfly does not emerge unformed but as a completely fully formed butterfly. the end marks the beginning. the 12h gives way to the 1h.

the creature in the cocoon was not a butterfly. it only became a butterfly when it emerged from the cocoon and to do so means loss of an old identity, loss of self, loss of all that you've ever known. this is your undoing. in order to become somebody else, in order to ascend, we have to be willing to undo ourselves. this is essential to any spiritual practice. we have to rid ourselves and our flimsy shell of identity in order to grow further.

for the same reason, 12housers are constantly transforming. they're the type of people who seem to have lived 10 different lives in one. be it their style, lifestyles, jobs, you name it, they're constantly undoing and transforming themselves. it seems to be the only way they know how to live. once theyve gathered all they can at one place, they outgrow it and change themselves almost entirely afterwards as they venture into something new.

thats it for now. i hope this shed some light on the 12h condition hehe<333

[castellankurze]

ok but for real FF14 fans we gotta talk about the next 20 years in Eorzea cause it's gonna be wild

*There's gonna be some general Shadowbringers & Endwalker spoilers in this post.*

I'm making this now because something in 6.5 reminded me of this idea - no spoilers for 6.5 in particular though.

------------------------------------

So first, quick refresher: the FF14 setting has a pretty standard for the genre afterlife wherein souls of the dead merge with the planet's lifestream, they beat about for awhile, maybe ruminate on their past life, and then they can either merge with the greater whole or be reborn as new people. This got outlined all the way back in the 2.x patch series and became a major part of the plot for the Shadowbringers expansion, wherein the Warrior of Light is revealed to be a reincarnation of the ancient soul of Azem, or how the character Gaia is also a reincarnation of one of the Ascians.

Also a major part of the Shadowbringers plot are the revelations about the secret history of the world. How in forgotten ancient times, civilization threatened by a calamity called the Final Days offered up hundreds or possibly thousands of souls to create the god that would be known as Zodiark who would preserve the world, and how in time the goddess Hydaelyn would be created as an opposition to Zodiark's power. And that she ultimately sundered him into 14 pieces - and because Zodiark's nature was fundamentally tied into the essence of the world, when he was broken so too was the very planet and every living soul upon it, divided into the singular 'Source' and thirteen 'shards.' As part of Shadowbringers' plot, the character of Ardbert is revealed to be the First-shard part of the soul of the Warrior of Light, reuniting near the end of 5.0, and to villain Emet-Selch, these sundered souls are a pitiful shadow of the powerful, vibrant beings they once were in ancient times, unworthy of life.

Now here's where things get interesting.

During the course of our Endwalker adventures, we reach the lunar prison where the body of Zodiark is held captive. Due to some villainous machinations, the ancient god's bonds have been partially broken and his essence is leaking out, taking the form of ancient shades wandering about. One in particular we speak to is named Hythlodaeus. We had previously met this character - sort of, in the form of a memory conjured by Emet-Selch. This is the true Hythlodaeus, an ancient soul sacrificed to bring Zodiark into being. Despite joining the multitude of souls and the long slumber in imprisonment, he's coherent and holds a conversation.

Unsurprisingly, as the main character of a Final Fantasy title we go on to kill our setting's oldest god, and in so doing get a good look at the effect of the sundering on Zodiark: namely that in his case it was pretty literal, splitting off pieces of his body. However the interesting part of the Endwalker's implications is that while Zodiark was sundered, the individual souls that made up his being were not - after this confrontation we see and speak to our old new friend Hythlodaeus again, and again, both in a journey to the distant past and as we call up his soul for aid at the climax of the story...and he's the same person every time.

This...strongly hints that the myriad of ancient, unsundered souls which made up the bulk of Zodiark's essence have returned to the lifestream, and while major characters like Hythlodaeus, Emet-Selch and Venat seem content to leave the cycle of reincarnation for good and pass the world on to us modern folk...is that going to be true for everyone?

Are there, in fact, dozens - hundreds - thousands of Ancient, unsundered souls milling about in the aetherial sea, contemplating a return to the living world? Will the world of Etheirys over the next few years see a sudden wave of children with incredible power as these souls start to be reborn? Will the Warrior of Light, a soul merely eight times rejoined, be eclipsed in sheer strength by the might of a new generation?

The story will probably never go to such a place - after all it would essentially undo the themes of its two biggest expansions, and besides which, the story of FF14 as a whole will probably not venture so many years down the timeline to explore such a possibility.

But still. They say everything old is someday new again.

[randomlywanderingmoth]

Part of the problem with Fate Grand Order is the core gameplay is fundamentally flawed, and it's very difficult to restore "a fun game" around a flawed core.

Quick and Buster and Arts were all interesting notions, and could have mapped into action gameplay (if we were to merge FGO's ideas with FSR's gameplay I would equate them to fast attacks, heavy attacks, and weaker attacks meant to charge your special bar, but I digress).

As it is, though, it just makes for unpleasant feelings in gameplay, demanding optimizations (I would point out that in the international release we only recently got the ability to combo all three together, and made Quick chains strong enough to consider independently). Those optimizations rise up around every aspect of the game; only a select few Servants have the ability to AoE without accessing their Noble Phantasm, and they haven't even made it to international. There's a wide range of Craft Essences, but only a few that ever matter. Creativity in builds is tamped down around increasingly narrowed build notions as the devs design with over-optimized teams in mind.

The end result is a game that, optimally, advises you to use your super rare fully powered optimized support, your friends' identically super rare fully powered optimized support, and a high power damage Servant, and repeatedly fire the damage dealer's Noble Phantasm to either clear waves or kill bosses.

Speaking of which, from a lore perspective, this is also completely messed up. By the lore of the Nasuverse, a Noble Phantasm is a Servant's super secret ultimate move, only meant for the final hour. This is fully incongruous with the gameplay, where you typically throw the same world-ending mythology-defining techniques three times in a row and call it a day. (Entertainingly, in the International release, we've also made it to Traum, where we see faceless Servants fire their Noble Phantasms like simple artillery, but that's its own commentary.)

Like, it's so effortless to imagine better systems than this! Servants deployed on a chessboard-like map, heralding back to the themes of Fate Apocrypha; suddenly we don't need anything as mechanically obtuse as Class Advantages when we could organically differentiate each Class by how they navigate the board or how they fight each other (Riders can leap over enemies like knight pieces in chess; Archers can attack at range without moving; Lancers do really well on Attack but have poor Defense; and Berserkers can be the units of terror that lore implies!)

Alternatively, the Grail Battlefronts we've already seen- rework the entire game to operate more organically like that; maybe Servants can use skills without entering combat, but it exhausts their actions. Then different forms of gameplay can exist beyond just "mulch the enemy"; like "defend this location" or "collect these resources" or "defeat This Particular Foe".

Or, even if we had to work with just the system we have! Change THAT! Rather than select three cards from a set of five, have it go down the list; each Servant gets One Action to either pick from "Quick, Buster, Arts, Use A Skill".

As for Servant Customization, walk it all the way back, all the way back up to the Attack/HP boosting. Make it so that players can individually optimize Servant performance in different ways- this Servant has better output in Arts, that Servant has higher Crit Star generation. And for folks who'd already spent their Fous, you could just say "right, so anybody with Fous spent can now allocate those points into these new Stats! No harm done!"

Of course, in order to do this, they would likely need to construct a whole new framework for their game, whilst preserving the progress people have made until now.

Then again, they are presently building castles in the sand during the rising tide with one hand and bandaging bullet wounds with the other, so maybe a long shot like that is what they need.

[sepublic]

I find it a missed opportunity that Cole didn't play a role in Seabound with helping Nya unlock her Spinjitzu Burst; If you ignore The Island, which is basically part of the larger Seabound arc anyhow, Master of the Mountain comes right before and is all about Cole learning the Spinjitzu Burst. Given its requirements are to be surrounded by one's element, it's general fanon consensus that this was what Nya did when she unlocked the power of the sea.

Not only does this connect back to a previous season and make the show feel more intertwined, it also gives Cole something to do, builds off of his previous characterization, but also creates the opportunity for emotional conflict. He might be reluctant to teach Nya the Spinjitzu Burst upon hearing what happened to Nyad, or she may intentionally keep this a secret from him. When Nya does perform her big sacrifice, we could have Crystalized begin with Cole feeling guilt because he taught Nya the Spinjitzu Burst; Without it, she wouldn't have merged with the sea.

You could call back to Master of the Mountain again by having Cole ultimately make peace with what he did, by remembering his promise to Lilly, and recognizing that she would've done the same in Nya's place; He would've done the same in her place. In the end, all three chose to stand up to those who were cruel and unjust, to protect those who could not protect themselves.

...That also gets me to another point; The beginning of Crystalized is so similar to the beginning of Tournament of Elements; Both arcs follow the emotional aftermath of the ninja splitting up after a member of their team performs a great sacrifice to defeat the villain and save the day, and eventually have to get together when they're given hope that their dead teammate isn't so dead after all.

I really wish Crystalized hearkened back to that period where the ninja mourned Zane, because it would've been both a sensible callback, and a way to differentiate this arc from that one, by building off of the one which came before. Maybe the ninja ARE still sticking together, with Zane being different in that he's never had to mourn a teammate before; He was the sacrificial teammate the first time. That could lead to him turning off his emotions.

But while on the surface, the ninja seem to be handling it better than with Zane, since they learned their lesson, they may still express their grief in other ways. Such as with Kai becoming more ruthless, which canon already teased at; Maybe this could tie into Lloyd's Oni arc. Like with Zane's sacrifice beforehand, Lloyd urges the team to stick together and this time they do. But like Kai, his frustration with himself for not being good enough, thus necessitating Nya's sacrifice, could lead to Lloyd being more ruthless as a ninja, which could transition into his struggle with the Oni half of him, Harumi's return, the revelation that the Overlord is his grandfather's misguided attempt to purge his Oni half, etc.

That last bit especially, which was left out of the final product, seems to be building up to a lesson about Lloyd not repeating the FSM's mistakes by accepting his Oni half, and he already knew Mystake, Garmadon was finding good in himself, plus the implications of an Oni getting together with a Dragon to create his bloodline... But nothing comes of that. Imagine if Lloyd didn't succumb to his Oni form, but instead accepted it, and by extension accepted the Overlord, absorbing him into his body and making peace with the darkness the way his grandfather didn't.

That could be more interesting than Oni Lloyd actually being evil after all, which is basically the same moral takeaway as canon, just explored differently. It also hearkens back to Star Wars, which Tommy Andreasen takes big inspiration from when writing Ninjago, and the climax of Hunted, if Lloyd chooses not to fight the Overlord, and wins because of it; Rather than fighting Fire with Fire.

[glitter-stained]

Took me some time because college is back but here's magical girl Jason in his Constellation of the Wolf Meteor Transformation!!! Usually he wears the hood over his head because his ears show his moods (but you can't hide that wagging tail) and the cape closed over his chest because, well, his tits are indeed fully out.

His powers include:

-Flight

-Enhanced Athletics ++

-Enhanced Healing +++

-Claw of the Shimmering Sky: Jason's red diamond bracelets merge with his hands and form something like a shimmering fusion between the All Blades and Wolverine's claws and fights with them; on top of being neigh-indestructible and inflicting both burns and slashes, it's also capable of cutting through the matter of a Dark Wave or a Colour Waterfall.

Labyrinth of Wonder: While in Crime Alley, Jason has the ultimate high ground. He is capable of finding the way out of any alley, creating illusions of alleys and walls to better hide and lure his enemies into dead ends. He also has short range teleportation abilities within that area and, when in danger, can teleport into Crime Alley from any place in the universe. Finally, this ability allowed him to cast a permanent spell that creates glowing floating lights, visible only to the children of Crime Alley, that lead them home when they are lost and show the way towards the clinic and other safe places. This ability waxes and wanes depending on his relationship with the Alley.

Guardian of the heart: Jason's cape, when he wraps people into it, has healing properties

Artificer's Fang: if Jason bites into something (or someone) hard enough, he can turn it into a bomb which he can then trigger, creating a controlled explosion with the appearance of red fireworks.

(also, I got tired of trying and failing to draw accurate body shapes (with enough muscle and stuff like that) on winx/magical girl anime drawing references so until I get better at anatomy y'all get magical girl batfam in basic/superhero poses. I'll draw a redraw of Duke's Meteor transformation with a more accurate bodytype as soon as I got time.)

[gurt-the-great]

During Rosie's intro post, I mentioned that every Sonic character has been aged up by 10 years! Well I went ahead and designed five of them.

Most of these characters have a connection to Rosie, Shadow and Tails having the strongest bonds to her. This will officially be the 10 years later AU, or just Gurt's Sonic AU since it adds and focuses on my ocs.

The individual refs and more info for everyone will be under the cut

Sonic was a little tricky to figure out in this AU. He's not the type of character to settle down and he wouldn't have a typical job since he's not one for authority figures. Also he's 25 now, he's got to grow up at least a little bit, especially now that the down-time between Eggman's schemes have gotten longer. He needs SOMETHING to occupy the time.

Then I thought "what if he was a professional air-boarder?" Sonic Riders was the COOLEST Sonic racing game and Sonic being an extreme sports Tony Hawk-esque guy made sense to me.

The design was easy to figure out once I decided on his profession. I brought his riders sunglasses back, the SOAP shoes from Adventure 2 and gave him a cool racing jacket with new gloves.

Sonic doesn't have a strong bond with Rosie but he does know her since Tails was friends with her growing up.

Tails was easy to age up, all I did was give him a ponytail, some accessories, new shoes, and some brown fur on his limbs and ears.

Tails is an Engineer in the AU! He already makes gadgets and trinkets, why not make a career out of it? He actually made Rosie's boots!

Tails and Rosie have a very close bond, the two had accelerated courses in school together due to their high intelligence. They visit each other frequently and Tails feels like a part of her family.

Rouge was pretty fun to design for this AU! I took elements from the elite agent outfit in Sonic Forces speed battle, Rouge's outfit in Heroes, and her regular look as well. I gave her bangs too but I like to think she messes with her hair often.

I don't have many notes on Rouge, She's still a G.U.N. Agent but also she's married to Knuckles! This is the only ship I'm canonizing in my AU for now. I might add more ships later on, we'll have to see.

Rouge works with Rosie pretty frequently and tries to get her to come out of her shell. She thinks that Rosie is pretty and could use that well, but Rosie is hopeless when it comes to using charisma. Rouge still likes her though and tries to teach her.

I did not NEED to design Cream but I really wanted to! She ended up being my favorite design here. I didn't really have a major direction to go in for Cream's design since she's still a teen without any job. I took inspiration from different Cream designs I seen online and just merged some concepts I liked. The only big change is making her tall, I thought it'd be cute if I based her on a Flemish Giant rabbit! I wanted an excuse to make her taller than Tails for comedic purposes.

Cream is still the polite sweetie she was as a kid but now she does work with Chao! She volunteers and donates to local Chao gardens and trains Cheese and Chocola for races. Cheese evolved into a hero Chao! Being with Cream throughout the years and going on some adventures helped him evolve. Chocola is neutral fly type Chao! It's one of my favorite Chao evolutions and I wanted Chocola to be more different from Cheese.

Cream and Rosie don't have much of a connection but I'd say they get along well enough. They're both friends with Tails so I'd say they all hang out sometimes.

And finally we reach Shadow! Shadow was easy to design as well. I just gave him a cool jacket. I don't think Shadow would visibly age much since he's the ultimate life form.

He's still a G.U.N. Agent and an incredibly important person to Rosie. Rosie idolized him as a kid and wanted to be like him. Shadow took on a mentorship role to Rosie, seeing great potential in her. He would personally teach Rosie the various ways that chaos control is used and would also teach her chaos spear. He does care about her even if he's tough on her at times.

If you read all that, thank you! I've put a lot of time and thought into this AU and I'm excited to share more! If you have any questions about my AU or ocs, my askbox is open! I hope y'all enjoyed the post!

[robbyrobinson]

{Creepypasta} Remember Euclydia

Growing up, Gravity Falls was truly something special. Released back in 2012 and concluding after two seasons on February 15, 2016, the Disney Channel series revolved around Dipper and Mabel Pines, a set of fraternal twins, who were sent to spend their summer vacation in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, with their great uncle, or rather ���Grunkle” Stanley Pines. Together, they work at Grunkle Stan’s tourist trap “The Mystery Shack” alongside Soos and Wendy Corduroy. It is there that Dipper would discover a journal cataloging all the mysterious anomalies that plague the town.

Of course, the show was best remembered because of its use of cryptograms such as the Caesar cipher among other varieties of encrypted puzzles. In fact, shortly after the series finale was aired, a real-life Cipher hunt was orchestrated by series creator Alex Hirsch himself which spanned countries beginning in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and, appropriately ending in Reedsport, Oregon. And it is there, somewhere in the woods that the victors who decoded the mystery were met with a statue of an... old friend.

Fans of the show are more than familiar with the sinister Dream Demon Bill Cipher, but for those who slept on the show, Bill Cipher was the main antagonist of the series, a triangular fiend from the Second Dimension who was originally meant to be a one-off character before he was promoted. To keep the spoilers to a minimum, Bill wanted to merge his decaying dimension, the Nightmare Realm, with the Earth succeeding at his goal in “Dipper and Mabel vs. The Future” when he deceived a despondent Mabel. He rained weirdness on the entirety of Gravity Falls in an apocalyptic event dubbed Weirdmageddon driving people to the brink of insanity with his Bubbles of Pure Madness and transforming others into stone statues and creating a Throne of Frozen Human Agony from them.

However, despite his near victory, Bill is predictably defeated, leaving his physical form behind to get an equation which prevented him from spreading his weirdness to the rest of the world. While the show ended on a great note with the day saved, it left a plethora of questions, the most damning one being on the demonic triangle himself. Was Bill truly dead, or could there be a chance he could return to wreak havoc on the Pines family?

This question lingered for years and was only further muddled with the subsequent releases of books to expand the universe of Gravity Falls. The most alarming one was written from the perspective of the Dream Demon himself, which begged the question: if Bill was dead, how could he be writing the book? Was he in some weird afterlife, preferably Hell for all the atrocities he committed throughout the trillions of years he was alive? Or was he hiding in the deepest regions of Grunkle Stan’s mind? The Book of Bill promised to reveal Bill’s origins and ultimately clear up where he had been for all those years since the show finished production.

Naturally, the book is classic Bill with its morbid, dark humor, and, to its credit, it did reveal Bill’s backstory... or at least bits of it that put together. Even in the original cartoon it was common knowledge that Bill was a native of the Second Dimension where, as he put it, was a realm containing nothing but flat dreams, flat minds, and a flat world. It was then that Bill “liberated” his dimension, and he did such an exceedingly excellent job at it that... the dimension no longer exists. Everyone was dead, even his parents.

While the book could be summed up as being just nonsense that Bill wrote to ensnare a hapless victim to possess and start Weirdmageddon anew, what made this an even more interesting turning point is the creation of a tie-in website “thisisnotawebsitedotcom.com.” The site could be best described as being additional pages of The Book of Bill that were left on the drawing board detailing more lore to the series and giving some funny responses. Just try typing in “Ted Cruz” and you would be introduced to a popup that informs you that you violated standards and practices and therefore you must have your mouth washed out. Or if you typed in “Skibidi” you are met with the lovely message that your life privileges are revoked. Then there were the... not-so-funny responses like what happens if you type in “Stanley” one-too-many times.

After hearing about the website, I decided to visit the website. I was met with several interesting visuals like a human skull with a gold tooth; an eye in a jar; a copy of The Book of Bill with a dagger stabbed into it. Best of all, the low beat of the show’s theme song complimented the mysterious aura that took me back to when I first watched the cartoon. I soaked in the atmosphere for a few more seconds before I remembered the reason I logged onto the website.

I started off with the codes I already was familiar with ranging from the names of the main characters and was met with amusing results. I then thought of ones off the top of my head to see if they also worked. If you were to type Season 1 into the computer, you’d get “Anti-Gravity Falls” for one, or Season 1 if you plugged in Season 2. As I further experimented with the outcomes, my mind directed me towards Cipher again. However, I had already used “Bill,” “triangle,” and “Bill Cipher” so I needed to think of something else... maybe on some of his classifications. Given the terminology that he was a Dream Demon, the most sense was to type “dream.”

So... I did. I wrote out “dream” and pressed enter. Red flashed from the computer denoting that the word was not one of the codes. I was disappointed, but I remembered how there were tricks to some of the words, so I pressed the enter key again. But like before, no slice. However, I was not one to just give up after the first two goes. I pressed enter again and again in rapid succession only for the same blaring to ring out.

It was the very definition of insanity I admit, but if it provided me with answers to Bill’s nature, I would have felt obligated. Eventually, the pyramid placeholder on the computer glitched as a new message popped up:

PA'Z UVA TF MHBSA PA'Z UVA TF MHBSA PA'Z UVA TF MHBSA TF LFL... P JHU ZAPSS ZLL AOL IBYUPUN IVKPLZ... PA OBYAZ PA OBYAZ... WSLHZL ZVTLVUL AHRL HDHF AOL WHPU!!!

I could practically hear Bill railing against me the further I typed the word into the password interface. The screen glitched and flashed in vibrant colors undoubtedly representing a color code. Clearly whatever was going on indicated that whatever was happening was working to my favor. It must have taken me thirty times, but the website appeared to relent. Another message fizzled up asking me if I really wanted to know the deep dark secret this time offering me a yes or no option. I chose the former, and after it stalled for a few seconds, it sent me a link to a video with the simple title of “Remember Euclydia.”

From my research on the wiki for Gravity Falls, I came to the realization that Euclydia was the name of Bill’s realm and that I would be sitting front and center and witness the destruction of the world. True to what he had alluded to, Eucyldia existed on a flat plane, as if it were just a piece of paper. In this dimension, there were no stars or cosmic bodies to speak of, with all the inhabitants of that realm bumping into each other at random and talk of any other dimensions was strictly forbidden. Everyone had two-dimensional forms befitting their environment, but I could also tell that the realm did have a sense of leadership.

Two triangles, one red, the other blue, directed the citizens with authoritative stride. Among the gathered assemblies were rhombuses and ellipses. Squares and diamonds. All the shapes you were taught in preschool were in attendance as they waited for some grand experience. What I found the most peculiar about the two triangles, however, were their two sets of eyes. If they were supposed to be Bill’s parents, then that only further indicated that Bill was born with a mutation. Just as I came to that conclusion, more cryptograms, this time representing the Caesar cipher, filled the screen.

Decoding it, the symbols formed a sentence: “In aspiration of making his people see all, the killer’s mental state took a great fall.”

My eyes were directed to a yellow triangle with a single peeper rise above the others. It floated over to the farthest end of its reality when I heard the rumblings of a song. I carefully pressed the plushy cushions of my headphones to better hear what tune it was playing. It possessed a soft, motherly tone making me speculate it was Bill’s mother Scalene. I would be lying if I did not say that the lullaby lulled me into a false sense of security.

“Rock-A-Bye Billy

Please don’t you cry

It’s not your fault you have that strange eye

Stay safe with Mommy you’ll never fall

And we’ll always love you sharp angles and all.”

The song’s instrumentals continued to play in the background as more Cipher cryptograms glimmered. I was admittedly not too adept at decoding the cryptograms from the show, so I wrote them down and opened another tab to a website that could decode what the hidden message said. I jotted down the letters that accompanied each symbol and returned to the video. From what I could gather, it went like this.

FOR TRILLIONS OF YEARS, I WAS AFFLICTED. THEY CALLED ME CRAZY FOR SAYING THAT I SAW BILLIONS OF TRILLIONS OF UNIVERSES ALL EONS AHEAD FROM THIS FLAT HELL OF AN EXISTENCE. EVEN MY OWN MISERABLE PARENTS TRIED STUNTING MY TALENTS WITH THAT HICK OF AN EYE DOCTOR. MY EYE THROBS EVERY TIME I LOOK INTO OTHER WORLDS. I CAN’T SUPPRESS MY GIFT ANY LONGER.

I watched the yellow triangle representing Bill further push through the shapes as they went sideways and down, but never up. It pushed against the limitations of its world and stretched its hands until the palms clanged on a hollow surface. A ripple of waves wobbled on the invisible forcefield like gelatin. However, the triangle was far from done.

The vocals of the audio returned a second time, but I sensed there was something amiss about. The shape intensified its blow at the same time the song grew more pronounced. Again and again, the barrier jiggled as it became stable. The video zoomed in on the triangle’s singular eye with the slit of its pupil expanding. Galaxies sparkled being so close, yet still so far.

I WILL SHOW EVERYONE THE STARS.

A deafening smash rang through my headphones the moment Bill broke through his reality. The fabrics of reality shattered like shards of glass exposing the once concealed dimension to third dimensional space. Scalene's lullaby reached its crescendo before falling silent.

LOOK, EVERYONE! I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG! MOM, DAD, I -

The text stopped midsentence when the video began to buffer despite playing normally. I decided to refresh the video, and it functioned properly until, yet again, it buffered on the scene. Curious, I did the same trick a few more times getting the same result, but after the sixth time, the video resumed playing a corrupted version of Scalene's lullaby. “Rock-A-Bye Billy

Please don’t you cry...

It’s not your fault you have that strange eye

Stay safe with Mommy, you’ll never fall

And we’ll always love you, sharp angles and AAALLLLLLLLLLLLL-”

The scene slammed to show Bill’s pupil shrink as... something... descended through the crack in his reality but since the camera focused in on his face, all I heard was the sound of roaring and gnashing mandibles of a large creature. My only theory was that it was some anomaly that breached the Nightmare Realm and was now wreaking chaos on Euclydia. The once peaceful lullaby that Bill’s mother sang to him was replaced with a melody of horrified screams and the natives getting gorily ripped to shreds by the monster.

NO... NO... NO THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! OH GODS... HOW COULD THIS GO SO WRONG!!!?

Blood was everywhere as the monster ruthlessly attacked each inhabitant with no one being spared from its rage. Because of the primitive design flaw of Euclydia, it made it all the easier for their slaughter to happen en masse. Blue flames rained down from the monstrosity’s maw and engulfed buildings incinerating them to their last atom. Any that fought against the intruder did so, saving the other two-dimensional beings a few seconds at best, but their weapons were of no use. Rather, it made the monster more infuriated at their insolence.

Bill hovered over the ruined husk of his world his confidence being replaced with an expression of dread. His eye throbbed again this time out of bewilderment as he floated there petrified. Crimson blood splattered across his face knocking him slightly out of his catatonic state. His stomach churned with his eye burning hot with the urge to vomit (the show had confirmed that his eye doubled as his mouth). He clutched his chest with his fist as his voice staggered in disbelief. He struggled to speak, but the scent of seared flesh filled his nostrils. He could only wheeze a dry “It... it wasn’t me.”

He continued to speak into the void when the video transitioned slain Euclideans dragged their broken bodies along and linked their limbs together in huge swarms. They directed their collective gaze towards Bill... I could practically feel the venom in their words.

Why did you do it? Why did you do it?

Bill gripped the sides of his head in desperation of drowning the accusations out and continued doing so even when his fingernails clawed into him. The video began playing at a fast pace with Bill shaking fervently. The harsh critique drilled tiny holes in his body with his blood and tears coming together in a mixture. Cipher slowly lowered his hands.

Tears streaked down his eye as Bill laughed hysterically, his mental state snapping and burning away alongside the rest of his world and continued growing more erratic and pained the more Bill allowed himself to slip away. The blue flames licked his body symbolizing the punishment that he would receive for all his crimes. His mother’s lullaby reached its final note before the video abruptly ended.

The next day, I booted up my computer and decided to visit thisisnotawebsitedotcom.com to see if I could get that outcome again. I typed in “dream” as I did yesterday only to be met by the blare of the monitor as the code was rejected. No matter how many times I tried that password, I was never able to activate the link for the video. The rest of the website worked as normal.

[krimsonkatt]

Magical Girl Noel!

The main protagonist of Noel and the Tower of Doom and a pseudo self insert character. She used to be a human boy named Noah, but was transformed into a female alfar (fairy, or elf depending on how you look at it) when the incursion happened and fused the world of man with the world of magick. This caused Noel's male, human self on the human side to merge with his female alfar "other self" on the magick side, and since the Noel on the other side was her "true form" her new combined form mainly took physical characteristics from her female alfar self. Turns out Noel was a trans girl this entire time, and is rather happy with the transformation.

Sterling Snow, leader of the American branch of O.P.T.I.C. (Occultic, Paranormal, and Temporal Intelligence Commanders), a secret UN-run organization that manages and investigates supernatural, paranormal, and temporal anomalies, fills in Noel on what is happening, and brings Noel along for her journey into the Enochian Pillar Fornax-3, the first of many enochian pillars that have to be disabled in order to stop the false one's plans. On her journey Noel also recruits her younger brother Goliath, a once bedridden, sickly young man who was transformed into a muscular and well-trained frost dwarf, and Zed, a mysterious masked swordswoman with an even more mysterious past.

Eventually Noel and the gang begin taking out the False One's delusional beasts, the guardians of the tower, and learn more about Zed's dark past. It turns out Zed was actually from a previously destroyed starsphere named Olgard, and was actually acquainted with Seraphim Kairos, though they were not on good terms at all. It turns out Zed was actually a projection of the false one's powers taking the form of Zed based on Seraphim Kairos' darkest fears, and was an unknowing spy and sleeper agent for the false one. Eventually Zed is released from the false one's control thanks to Kairos' intervention, and the team continues up Fornax-3.

In one timeline, the team reach the top of the tower and defeat the administrator of the tower, a wizard-like delusional beast known as Magistrate. Magistrate calls on the power of Archon Eos to transform into his ultimate form Magus-Eos, but is defeated. The tower is then disabled and soon after self-destructed by bombs Sterling's O.P.T.I.C. team placed on the parameter of the tower. Everyone seems to be falling to their deaths but at the last minute Noel learns to fly with her wings she's had this entire time and saves everyone. The team then travel across the world disabling the Enochian Pillars across America, and assist the other groups of heroes in defeating the false one once and for all.

In another timeline, Noel and her allies are able to disable all the Enochian Pillars worldwide thanks to disarming the "central dogma", the psychic battery powering all the enochian pillars across the planet. This central dogma is actually alive and is in reality the Pokemon Mewtwo, who the team defeat in his corrupted form. Mewtwo thanks the party before using his powers to disable all the enochian pillars worldwide, and leaves to his own starsphere of Arkus. While on this journey to the central dogma Zed, Goliath, and Starling confront their pasts and their fears and ascend, becoming ever stronger in preparation for the final battle against the False One.

[letsquestjess]

My Symphony - Part 2 (Tech x GN!Reader)

Summary: Following your blossoming relationship, Tech takes up the cello and grapples with composing a piece for you.

Word count: 2.1K

Warnings: Nothing explicit but implications of it, so 18+ / MDNI. Set pre-order 66.

A/N: After @freesia-writes tagged me in this post, I couldn't resist writing a second part. Little disclaimer, the only time I have seen a cello played is during junior orchestra a long time ago, so if any of the terminology and whatnot is a bit off, I apologise.

Part 1

-- -- -- -- --

In a stable rise and fall, the notes of the cello chased after the rhythm set by the Pantoran spinet and captured them in its grasp, melding and merging until the harmonies united into one beautiful melody. The crescendo peaked, and the song slowed into a temperate finish. 

Your fingers dropped from the keys and the last echo of the elegant theme faded from your bones. “Once we fine-tune that middle section,” you said, organising the sheets on your music stand into the right order, “it will sound flawless.”

“I agree,” Tech replied. He rebalanced the weight of the cello and set the bow aside, stretching his fingers in anticipation. “I am up for the challenge.”

“You always are,” you teased. Peeking over the array of books and folders, you caught the shy look that painted his expression. As your relationship had flourished, flirtations bloomed, infusing vibrant hues into your lives as you delved into your affections and embarked on romantic adventures. 

Since being exposed to your skills and your love, Tech’s world opened to the inspirations of music and he had taken up an instrument himself. He had reasoned that such a pursuit was a way to enhance his intellect and build a new talent, and while true, you speculated he may have also done it to spend more time with you between missions. From the coldest snows to the sweltering forests, his duty took him all over the galaxy, but he always returned to you. Always. 

That was what you kept at the forefront of your mind during each secret liaison and every bittersweet farewell. No matter how many rotations pushed you further away from each other, he came back. Scarred and bruised, shaken and bleeding, but alive. 

The trill of your datapad interrupted your thoughts, grounding you in the present and forcing you to let go of the lingering sadness of another inevitable goodbye. Multiple messages bombarded the screen, and with a huff, you rose from the bench. “Got to get going,” you said, manoeuvring around the spinet and planting a swift kiss to Tech’s cheek. “I’ll meet you here later.” 

The clone commando gave you a playful salute, his lips curling and his eyes crinkling at the edges in such an endearing way that it had you tempted to ignore the messages. But your colleagues needed assistance, and you would resolve everything quicker together. 

With a quick wave, you slipped out of the room, your form disappearing and the door gliding shut again. 

After making sure you’d gone, Tech retrieved his datapad from the pouch on his belt and combed through the array of folders. Finding the file he needed, he positioned the device on the stand and adjusted the cello. He drew the bow over the strings and followed the dotted notes on the screen. Deep, resonant tones provided a rich undertone to his song, and he ascended into a higher range. He wasn’t just creating music; it was a connection to emotion and feeling. More precisely, the sincere and comforting feelings you had given him. 

For weeks, he had poured his heart into the composition, wanting to amaze you, but the sweet melody faltered and abruptly ended, and the correct ending continued to evade him.

Ultimately, the final moments united a song and resonated with the listener even after it was over. Everything he heard since meeting you had concluded with a smooth, gradual finish, nothing sudden or rushed or jarring. The rhythm found a natural decline and a tranquil lull as though nestling into sleep. 

Nevertheless, he couldn’t quite achieve that same peaceful yet resolute conclusion for his own work. He suspected that the news of his impending deployment could be to blame. He still hadn’t mustered the courage to tell you. How could he bear to witness that disheartened look on your face, fully aware that he was the cause? At every goodbye, you tried to hide your sadness and showered him with affection, but he could sense the heaviness in your soul. War was not an ideal time for relationships, and he was a soldier, a commando, an elite operative with skills that constantly put him in the firing line. 

He packed away the cello with a discouraged huff and secured the bow into the lid. Zipping up the case, he shoved it at the back of the room where it found its place behind the box of forgotten orchestral equipment and discarded instruments. 

* * *

“Hey,” you said as you slipped into the Bad Batch’s barracks. The door closed with a hiss and the sterile wedge of light from the corridor dissolved into the hush. “I thought we were going to meet in the music room.”

“My brothers and I had some extra training,” Tech explained, goggles aimed at the electrical fusing tool as he welded weapons components. If it hadn’t been for the small, orbed lamp beside him, the only light illuminating the bunks would have been the occasional sparks shooting from the machine in his precise grasp. 

You understood. This wasn’t the first time Tech had been forced to cancel your plans to play music together after a rough day. His training regime was gruelling. Strict to the point of almost impossible expectations. And yet he and his brothers saw it thorough doggedly, dedicated heart and soul to the Republic and the ongoing war.

“How about a massage to soothe those aching muscles?” you offered. You perched on the edge of his bed and beckoned him with a wave.

“I am not in any pain at the moment,” he assured you, never taking his intense focus off his work. 

“Is that like the last time you weren’t in pain and ended up in the medical bay with a torn muscle?” 

Tech’s lips pursed, and he turned his gaze towards you. Leaning back on your hands, careful to avoid disturbing the jumble of machine parts and cables on his sleeping area. That warm, familiar look in your eyes that called him home. “I suppose I can take a break for a few minutes,” he relented. 

“That’s the spirit.” You assisted him in transferring the majority of the chaos onto the floor and urged him to seat himself on his bunk, positioning your legs on either side of him to serve as a support while you removed the upper half of his armour. Once it was safely nestled by the boxes of bolts and screws, you grazed your hands up to his shoulder blades, applying a firm pressure and eliciting a stream of muttered praises. 

“Better?” you asked. 

A drawn-out hum floated from him and he tilted his head forward to allow you access to the base of his neck. As you continued to caress away the day’s aches, his gloved fingers traced a soothing path up and down your leg. You wished the moment would never end. Soft. Tender. A world untouched by the war raging in the galaxy outside the rain-splattered window. 

“Feels like so long ago since I found you at the door of the music room, listening to me play,” you mused aloud. 

Tech peered at you and quirked his eyebrows. “I was merely fascinated by the instrument.” At the amused smirk on your face, he cleared his throat. “And the captivating person playing it.”

Your fingers slowed at the sincere glimmer in Tech’s eyes. The moment he closed in on you, you met him half-way, lips teasing in the most blissful distraction. Every thought that occupied your mind a moment ago faded. They didn’t matter. His proximity was all that mattered, the lingering singed scent of his projects and his body on yours. 

After a few fumbled manoeuvres, Tech positioned himself above you, scooping you up and enticing a leg up onto his hip. Your mouths moved in gentle tandem, tongues smoothing to deepen and heighten your bond. 

A comfortable exhale escaped from him before he delved back in. Your love had evolved from an exploratory nature to an effortless, conversational rhythm, where silent words were exchanged by touch. The sensation of each caress answered his own and built a crescendo of pleasure that he wished to savour for eternity. 

“My brothers will be away for a while,” he said in between gasps for air. “Would you stay with me?”

“I’ll stay as long as you want me to.” 

“How does forever sound?” 

Waves of heat tingled in your cheeks and a wide grin formed within the warmth. “Forever sounds perfect.” 

* * *

Early mornings were always strange on Kamino. For the most part, the persistent cloud cover cast a dark grey hue over everything and made it appear as though time stood motionless. The movement of the rain and sea were the only sign that the seconds still ticked on.

With an hour to spare before work started, you trudged to the music room, soothing your tired eyes with groggy rubs and stretching your arms out in front of you as you walked. 

After leaving the Batch’s barracks, you had settled into your own bedroom, but the silence in the emptiness only strengthened your restlessness. Despite your time with Tech, an irritating itch scratched at the corner of your thoughts, a suspicion that he was withholding something important. You had grown accustomed to his mannerisms, to the subtle twitches and shifts in his body language that signalled when he was hiding information, and last night you noted a few of those indicators. News circulated of additional mass deployments, so you had an inkling as to what he was concealing, but you respected his privacy; he would tell you at his own pace, as he always did. 

Entering the music room, soft twangs reached your ears and you all but tottered to a halt. Tech occupied his regular seat, plucking the cello strings and twisting the pegs to tune the instrument. “What are you doing in here?” you asked brightly, his presence a joyful surprise. “Don’t you have training?”

“Not this morning,” he answered. He slid the bow across the strings in a steady vibration and smiled as the correct sounds responded. “Do you have a moment? I wanted to show you something.”

“I have all the time in the galaxy for you.”

Tech willed away the flutter in his stomach and invited you to sit in the seat he arranged opposite him.

You shuffled around the chair and complied with his silent instruction. The room grew hushed as Tech’s eyes scanned the datapad on the music stand, the rhythmic ticking of the chronometer amplifying your increasing curiosity.

With a timid start, he began to play, the notes trembling and uncertain, as if shyly whispering from the strings, until his confidence bloomed with the ebb and flow. The bow bounced, sailed, sang like a divine song. Just for you. For your love. 

The sound was unfamiliar, unlike anything you had ever heard in your years of playing, but it struck a chord within you. The compassionate rhythm embraced you, while the utterance of notes soared, stirring your soul with promises of affection and devotion. 

It was then you realise why you hadn’t encountered this piece before. This enchanting melody was a fresh creation, unfolding with tones never experienced by anyone except you and earnestly crafted by the man who nurtured your heart. 

Tears welled in your eyes as he approached the final crest. His arm guided the notes and his nimble fingers placed them, dancing down the neck of the instrument to coax out every sliver of sound. With a lingering stretch, the cello fell silent. 

Tech went to speak, but noticing the teardrops, he rose from his seat and extended a hand to lift you from yours. He wiped the wet droplets threatening to fall and pressed kisses to the fallen ones. “I hope these are joyous tears.”

“That was beautiful,” you breathed. “I’m… I’m a little speechless. I had no clue you were composing a piece of your own.” 

“After weeks of struggling with the concluding section, last night, I found the inspiration I was looking for.” Weathered hands grazed yours, thumbs playing across the lines on your palms. “A symphony for my symphony.” 

With fingers splayed on his cheeks and his arms winding around your waist, you brought him closer for a kiss, lost in a moment that belonged only to you. 

“I have to go away again for a while,” he admitted against your lips, refusing to hide it from you any longer. An increasing number of troops were being deployed every day, and he got the sense you knew his own departure was imminent. To pretend otherwise would be a direct offence to your intelligence and the bond you shared. “My squad is heading to Kallar, but I shouldn’t be too long.” 

At the dip of your head and the small swallow, Tech redirected your gaze to him, his eyes never leaving yours. “I will come back,” he promised, his words warm on your skin as he sealed the vow with a kiss to your forehead. “When have I ever not returned to you?” 

TAGLIST (Message if you’d like to be added, 18+ only)

@skellymom @freesia-writes @the-hexfiles @theeyesofasoldier @multi-fan-dom-madness @savebytheodoresnonjosestuff @tech-aficionado @techsriduur @dangraccoon @starrylothcat @jediknightjana @mssbridgerton @trixie2023

[rambite6]

ARDRA AND REVATI: STAR-CROSS LOVERS?

Ardra, the 6th nakshatra within the 27 nakshatras, resides in Gemini, co-ruled by Rahu. It's also known as the "moist one," referring to its association with moisture in the air, which leads to the formation of clouds and eventually rain. The symbol of Ardra is either a diamond or a teardrop, reflecting its connection to moisture and wetness. This teardrop symbolism encompasses various forms of sorrow, as well as the clarity that often follows a cry. Twilight is set in Forks, Washington, a town known for its very rainy climate. It’s where Bella, a native born under the Revati sun, encounters Edward, who is a native born under the Ardra moon.

Kristen Stewart revati ☉ x Robert Pattinson Ardra ☽ in twilight

Revati, the 27th nakshatra, resides in Pisces, co-ruled by Mercury. Its name translates simply to "wealthy," but alternatively signifies "to transcend," aligning with its position as the final nakshatra. With its focus on duality, Revati symbol of a fish swimming in the sea. This symbol, representing the soul's journey through the universe's waters, has ancient roots. As the last nakshatra, Revati holds significance for Moksha and ultimate enlightenment. It symbolizes the point in time where both material and astral realms merge into the causal realm, eventually transcending into the supreme eternal void. It’s also important to note that Venus exalted in the revati Nakshatra, The energy of Pisces is enhancing Venus's spiritual dimensions of love, beauty, and harmony, allowing for unconditional love and the use of love and art as agents of healing. In my opinion, this is what an Ardra craves: unconditional love.

Olivia Hussey revati Asc x Leonard Whiting Ardra ☉

There are parallels between Romeo and Juliet and Edward and Bella, especially in the second installment of the Twilight saga: New Moon. The book and the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet are even referenced in the film. Like Romeo and Juliet, Bella and Edward are star-crossed lovers, feeling as if they can't live without each other. There are outside forces that disrupt their romance (rival families or vampirism), yet they still long to be with each other, even if it means in death.

Ardra individuals, due to their deity Rudra, can embody the destructive and transformative essence of Shiva, characterized by chaos and disorder. Under Rudra's influence, they exhibit rapid shifts from joy to sorrow. When fixated on desires like romantic relationships, Ardra natives may harm themselves internally, converting longing into self-inflicted pain. The 12th house symbolizes the "end" and is linked to the subconscious, dreams, and sleep, resembling a temporary state of death. Pisces itself is sacrificial, especially when they love or care for others.

Here are some more revati x Ardra pairings

Alex Lawther Ardra ☽ x Jessica Barden revati ☽ in End of the fucking world

The series follows the journey of two troubled teenagers, James and Alyssa, as they set out on a road trip to find Alyssa's estranged father. James, who considers himself a psychopath and desires to kill someone, views Alyssa as his ideal target. Meanwhile, Alyssa seeks escape from her troubled home life, where conflicts with her mother and step-father prompt her to leave. However, as they navigate through various unexpected and dangerous situations, their perceptions of themselves and each other are challenged. Along the way, they develop a complex and intense relationship, moments of introspection, and unexpected tenderness.

Harrison Dickinson Ardra ☉ + sleeping beauty Elle Fanning revati ☉ in Maleficent 2

Harris plays Prince Phillip, and Elle portrays Princess Aurora in "Maleficent 2." When Aurora agrees to marry Prince Phillip, Maleficent voices her disapproval. Queen Ingrith, Phillip's mother, emerges as an opponent to Maleficent, devising a wicked plan to permanently separate humans and fairies. This creates tension between the two groups. Princess Aurora, who embodies characteristics associated with the Revati nakshatra, will be further examined in a future post.

Sources: The Book of Nakshatras by Prash Trivedi

[talonabraxas]

“You attract and manifest whatever corresponds to your inner state.” - Eckhart Tolle Hyperspace – A Scientific Odyssey

A look at the higher dimensions Do higher dimensions exist? Are there unseen worlds just beyond our reach, beyond the normal laws of physics? Although higher dimensions have historically been the exclusive realm of charlatans, mystics, and science fiction writers, many serious theoretical physicists now believe that higher dimensions not only exist, but may also explain some of the deepest secrets of nature. Although we stress that there is at present no experimental evidence for higher dimensions, in principle they may solve the ultimate problem in physics: the final unification of all physical knowledge at the fundamental level.

My own fascination with higher dimensions began early in childhood. One of my happiest childhood memories was crouching next to the pond at the famed Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, mesmerized by the brilliantly colored carp swimming slowly beneath the water lilies. In these quiet moments, I would ask myself a silly question that a only child might ask: how would the carp in that pond view the world around them? Spending their entire lives at the bottom of the pond, the carp would believe that their “universe” consisted of the water and the lilies; they would only be dimly aware that an alien world could exist just above the surface. My world was beyond their comprehension. I was intrigued that I could sit only a few inches from the carp, yet we were separated by an immense chasm. I concluded that if there were any “scientists” among the carp, they would scoff at any fish who proposed that a parallel world could exist just above the lilies. An unseen world beyond the pond made no scientific sense. Once I imagined what would happen if I reached down and suddenly grabbed one of the carp “scientists” out of the pond. I wondered, how would this appear to the carp? The startled carp “scientist” would tell a truly amazing story, being somehow lifted out of the universe (the pond) and hurled into a mysterious nether world, another dimension with blinding lights and strange-shaped objects that no carp had ever seen before. The strangest of all was the massive creature responsible for this outrage, who did not resemble a fish in the slightest. Shockingly, it had no fins whatsoever, but nevertheless could move without them. Obviously, the familiar laws of physics no longer applied in this nether world!

Meeting a Higher Dimensional Being To understand some of the mind-bending features of higher dimensions, imagine a two-dimensional world, called Flat land (after Edwin A. Abbott’s celebrated novel) that resembles a world existing on a flat table-top. If one of the Flatlanders becomes lost, we can quickly scan all of Flatland, peering directly inside houses, buildings, and even concealed places. If one of the Flatlanders becomes sick, we can reach directly into their insides and per form surgery, without ever cutting their skin. If one of the Flatlanders is incarcerated in jail (which is a circle enclosing the Flatlander) we can simply peel the person off from Flatland into the third dimension and place the Flatlander back somewhere else. If we become more ambitious and stick our fingers and arms through Flatland, the Flatlanders would only see circles of flesh that hover around them, constantly changing shape and merging into other circles. And lastly, if we fling a Flatlander into our three dimensional world, the Flatlander can only see two dimensional cross sections of our world, i.e. a phantasmagoria of circles, squares, etc. which constantly change shape and merge (see fig. 1 and 2). Now imagine that we are “three dimensional Flatlanders” being visited by a higher dimensional being. If we became lost, a higher dimensional being could scan our entire universe all at once, peering directly into the most tightly sealed hiding places. If we became sick, a higher dimensional being could reach into our insides and perform surgery without ever cutting our skin. If we were in a maximum-security, escape-proof jail, a higher dimensional being could simply “yank” us into a higher dimension and redeposit us back somewhere else. If higher dimensional beings stick their “fingers” into our universe, they would appear to us to be blobs of flesh which float above us and constantly merge and split apart. And lastly, if we are flung into hyperspace, we would see a collection of spheres, blobs, and polyhedra which suddenly appear, constantly change shape and color, and then mysteriously disappear. Higher dimensional people, therefore, would have powers similar to a god: they could walk through walls, disappear and reappear at will, reach into the strongest steel vaults, and see through buildings. They would be omniscient and omnipotent. Not surprisingly, speculation about higher dimensions has sparked enormous literary and artistic interest over the last hundred years.

[anthurak]

Looking back at The Owl House, I think the biggest plot beat that wasn’t able to the resolution that Dana and the rest of the team were probably planning is almost definitely Eda and the Owl Beast, and also how Lilith may have factored in.

Because, and just hear me out for a minute; I don’t think ‘Harpy Lilith’ was ever really supposed to be a thing.

See, looking back at the end of Season 1 and the early parts of Season 2, it’s easy to see where the ‘idea’ of a Harpy!Lilith might come from: Lilith split the Owl Beast ‘curse’ between Eda and herself at the end of Season 1, and in Season 2 we see her start to be affected by the curse herself and even develop a ‘beast form’ of her own just like Eda.

But, let’s not forget the TRUTH about the Owl ‘curse’ we, and Eda, learned in Knock, Knock Knocking on Hooty’s Door; that it’s NOT ACTUALLY A CURSE! That the ‘Owl Beast’ is in fact a separate, SAPIENT CREATURE that was sealed in a scroll that Lilith MISTOOK for a scroll of cursing. And that the ‘curse’ was always in reality the process of Eda and the Owl Beast being forcibly merged together.

Which in turn COMPLETELY changes the context of what Lilith actually did at the end of Season 1. Lilith almost certainly didn’t split a curse, she unknowingly split the Owl Beast, an actual living creature between herself and Eda.

So with all that in mind, I think we can get a good idea as to where the arc of Eda and the Owl Beast was probably supposed to go:

Looking back, I think it’s easy to imagine things like Eda not being able to use her magic normally and the ominous anti-magic corruption she generates when trying to use magic being eventually revealed to actually be the result of Lilith unwittingly splitting the Owl Beast. That it’s the result of a massive imbalance caused by the Owl Beast effectively being incomplete.

And that ultimately, in the finale of the show as all this would fall into place, we would see Lilith undo the spell of Shared Pain she cast on Eda and herself two seasons prior and give her half of the Owl Beast BACK.

Which in turn, could have some truly WILD consequences. Imagine if this act not only restored the Owl Beast to their full power, but also restored Eda’s magic as well? Or perhaps gave her the power back in a different form?

Imagine if this gave Eda a ‘completed’ transformation? A combination of her enraged Owl Beast form, and her Owl-Harpy form?

Imagine Eda with all the power she once had as a witch, now with all the power of the Owl Beast, fighting alongside Titan Luz against Belos.

[pop-punklouis]

Dream Analysis of Symbols— Louis Tomlinson edition

You knew this was coming lmao. like always, i’m a big fan of symbolism especially how our unconscious mind merges with our waking mind. which is what dream analysis is, in its simplest form. so although these symbols didn’t appear in a dream, their dream meanings are fascinating in choices like art and ink and expression etc. (**also this is just me having fun with symbolism truly nothing deeper than that lol)

Cross Bones —

the cross bones symbol isn’t well documented in dream analysis, but what of it is represents awareness of danger and the death of the old. it represents the destruction needed to build your bones back from the rubble. it’s a warning of many new influences and opportunities to come into your life in this new period of transformation and prosperity. being aware and conscious of the good and the bad that comes with new life and new faces. being careful but also not shying away from what’s to come. fear isn’t needed anymore. but being hyper-aware of negatives and what positives can outweigh these negatives will serve one most during this period of life.

Pyramid —

The symbol of a pyramid usually represents a transformation of some kind. seeing any sort of structure but especially a very prominent structure like a pyramid can be tied to your “internal architecture.” almost like a tree’s roots, rules and beliefs were buried in these structures in order to reach a higher level of existence. it’s a strong indication of strife in your life and overcoming obstacles with major changes coming into your life. it represents the past and moving on from that past as you shift into a new season of life and way of being both externally and internally.

All-Seeing Eye —

the symbolism of the all-seeing eye is all about higher level of awareness or becoming more aware of yourself and of the world around you. you may be experiencing a time in your life where you are mentally, or spiritually evolving. it’s simply waking to the dawning of the self. and unlike the past, this symbol represents breaking the chains of the ideal self or an opinion of the self. you now are choosing to believe that taking the hand of faith or the universe is the way to navigate your life’s journey and who you ultimately want to be even if trials and tribulations come during that journey.

Tree —

the symbol of a tree or many trees (a forest) usually represents your hopes, desires, growth, knowledge, and life. it’s a very positive symbol and a great omen. in a spiritual sense, the type of tree that is pictured can be associated with our emotional well-being. if the tree is full and tall with many branches it indicates the fruitful goals and progress happening in your life and what’s to continue to take root going forward. the seed you had planted all that time ago is finally being given the light and nurture it deserves. this is going to be a successful and rewarding chapter of your life. full foliage also illustrates that prosperity will soon be yours.

[akai-anna]

Now for my dear DCMK exchange gift giver. I come with some fic recs and a couple of headcanons for our favourite certified lil guy.

A selection of personal fic recs of the platonic/familial/friendship kind (sprinkled with a bit of romance too). Please note that all these fics come back to one thing: Shinichi/Conan is involved, as he tends to be my main focus (also I'm a huge Found Family trope lover, as you might be able to tell from some of these recs). I also decided to forgo my soulmate AU recs, since it seems you likely know those! (Though, if you'd ever like more fic recs... just let me know. And I hope you'll find one or two on this list that you haven't yet read and you'll like!)

warm soup on a frigid night: Detective Boys centric, my heart melted gosh.

Once and For All: another Detective Boys centric fic, I'M SCREAMING thEY ARE SO PRECIOUS.

A Friend In Need: Kaitou KID centric, really love how organic this fic is, both from KID's and Shinichi's POV.

You Have an Hour: Sonoko's POV and an extremely funny and relatable fic.

You're okay, you're safe: oh, my beloved Sakura Trio, also from Sonoko's POV which I adore, and Sonoko's feelings in this... I feel her.

Switched: KID centric, FREAKING BODY SWAP, and so well written too, very fun read.

Guide you home: I love the Guide/Sentinel universe so much, this has romantic KaiAo, Heizuha, ShinRan, and lots of other platonic combinations, this is also a case fic and emotional.

Identity: One of my favourite scenarios, OCCHAN AND RAN BEING AWARE FROM THE BEGINNING, MY HEART-

Code Red: KOGOROU CENTRIC, let him shine!

The Cloning Secret: do you want to read something absolutely heart-wrenching, disturbing, yet absolutely brilliant? Go no further. We warned: this is a work in progress.

Misconceptions, Illusions, and Lies (and Other Forms of Fair Play): I absolutely adore this fic, the idea of Ran and KID working together, also bonus points for different POVs, also a work in progress.

Shenanigans in Beika: one of my ultimate favourite fic series, off all time, the interactions in this are just way too charming and precious and dear. Also a work in progress.

until the flowers bloom again: same author (yes, one of my favourite authors, sue me) as Shenanigans in Beika, involves the Detective Boys and ShinRan, and my heart just... gosh, this fic is so precious.

Hidden Epidemic: I love the first part the most, but this as a whole has a lot of headcanons incorporated into it that I love to bits. Lots of POV changes, and so many characters (Detective Boys, Heiji, Kazuha, KID, Ran and so on)

pet: super short, but also SUPER CUTE, absolutely in love with the idea of Ai having a cat. (one of my favourite authors for the fandom)

(the space between) where you smile and hide: one of the very few and precious Kazuha POV fics, especially her thinking about Shinichi. (also one of my favourite authors, and if you like one Hattori Heiji, I highly rec holly's other fics too)

Observations: my ultimate favourite fic involving Takagi Wataru, part of it is from his POV too, and it has so many great things about it. (VERMOUTH!!! Also Heiji and Satou working together! And most importantly: Takagi finally getting an answer to his Question.)

All Night Gang: I ADORE THIS FIC SO SO SO MUCH, THE FACT THAT KAZUHA AND RAN GET TO FINALLY KNOW. Also the adorable chatting in the first part. All the different POVs later on. And all the FEELINGS AND HEADCANONS AND THE THING THIS FIXES ABOUT CANON FOR ME. I'M so grateful for the existence of this fic.

Nothing To Lose: Detective Boys, PRECIOUS CHILDREN, they just miss their friend, this fic made me so emotional, dammit. SHINICHI YOU FCKIN IDIOT-

Family of the heart: God. This fic. THIS FIC. I LOVE PARENTAL MOURI KOGOROU WITH A PASSION.

never were and not anymore: this series? Damn. The shapeshifter concept in it is MARVELOUS AND MASTERFUL. The way it got merged into the universe, and how it changed events. Also THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS KILL ME in the best way.

Scion: I absolutely adore this author, and this is one of my ultimate favourite fics involving Shinichi and KID. The supernatural element is so exquisitely fitting into the universe, and how Shinichi's feelings are so complex, and the teamwork... just. Everything about this fic pulls at my heartstrings.

As for personal headcanons for Shinichi/Conan, here is a few:

Shinichi/Conan is neurodivergent as fck. I personally like to think he is on the autism spectrum, but I'm very flexible on the exact nature. One thing for sure: he is not neurotypical. At. All.

HE'S A CERTIFIED PENCIL BITER YOUR HONOUR!!! (IT'S NOT EVEN A HEADCANON AT THIS POINT- *GETS HIT*)

No one can tell me, No One, that after all these traumatic experiences this child doesn't experience panic attacks or PTSD.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE STOPPED PLAYING SOCCER, HE LOVES SOCCER!! (The kids are totally the reason he got more involved in soccer again, YOU HEAR ME-)

Shinichi keeping gloves on his person for Crime Scene Examination Purposes, At All Times.

Shinichi having his own shorthand, you cannot tell me he doesn't TAKE NOTES, he so totally WOULD. (HE HAS A NOTEBOOK ON HIM!!! AND SOMETHING TO WRITE WITH!!! OFC HE WOULD HAVE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO TAKE NOTES!!!)

Thank you for your attention, may you have a blessed day, darling!