Today's Whisperain, what if she or one of her past lives were a part of the church of the deep? Much to consider

Lilith’s Life

Appearance

Lilith appears to be a thin pale woman with long pale hair and a set of white wings. She has an off the shoulder floor length dress with puffy sleeves. She was often seen smiling.

Personality

Lilith is hinted to be very playfully and sometimes painfully blunt—When she first met Michael she compared him to a jellyfish which upset him and got her in trouble. She was spoiled by her brothers who completely adored her but she was especially close with Belphegor and Beelzebub who she was almost never seen apart from.

Belphegor notes that when Lilith got mad about something it was hard to snap her out of it, she was also easily scared. As described by Mammon she was very cute and mischievous.

She enjoyed playing hide and go seek and liked visiting the human world with Belphegor. She fell in love with a human, so much so that she’d risk facing the ultimate punishment to save his life.

MC is often described as being very similar to Lilith so it can be assumed Lilith’s personality is also similair.

Lilith’s Life & Legacy

Lilith, like all angels was created by her father, God. She was the youngest of the seven siblings. She became very close to Belphegor and Beelzebub and was almost never seen without them. Lucifer and her other brothers loved her very much even though she sometimes gave Lucifer trouble.

Lilith spent her days happily with her brothers on picnics, playing hide and seek, and flllwing her brothers around. One day she decided to visit the human world with Belphegor and fell in love with it.

Lilith continued visiting the human world without permission and met a human man she fell for. She kept her celestial origins a secret and they presumably were courting.

At one point Lucifer visited the human world to see what kind of man this human was and was relieved when he saw he appeared to be a kind man.

One day the human man was overcome with an incurable illness. Out of desperation to save the man she loved, Lilith stole fruit from the tree of life to save him. For an angel to alter a human’s life span is forbidden, what she did was immediately found out and she was brought before the seraphs (presumably) to hear their judgment.

Lucifer was unable to stop the verdict and Lilith was sentenced: to be wiped from existence (OG game), have her wings taken from her and cast into the darkness to wander for eternity and never be reborn (Nightbringer)

Lucifer had already had thoughts of leaving the celestial realm but with this verdict he and his brothers decided they couldn’t sit back and let that happened and Lucifer began the war. Lucifer did not insist his brothers follow him into battle but they did so anyway for Lilith’ sake.

It’s not clear if Lilith was imprisoned and later freed, but she did take part in the war.

On the day of the fall a spear was aimed at her at the same time Belphegor was targeted, Beelzebub could only save one and chose Belphegor. He described Lilith having terror and sadness in her eyes as she was struck (implied to be her wing that was hit) and they all fell.

Bleeding and unable to use her wings to save her, Lilith fell to the Devildom. As an angel it wasn’t the fall that nearly killed her but the celestial weapon combined with the Devildom air in her weak state. Lilith did not turn into a demon when she fell as she was meant to die.

Lucifer found her and pledged his loyalty to Diavolo to save her in time. Diavolo risked war to save Lilith by having her reborn as a human. In the game it’s not specified if he simply altered her genetics and erased her memories and sent her back to the human world or if he had her reincarnated, but in the comics it is shown Lilith was turned into an infant and literally reborn.

Not much is known about what happened to Lilith after this. She had no memory of being an angel, of the war, and of her dear family. Since we do not know in the game if she was still grown and able to reunite with her love we don’t know if she ended up with him in the end; however she would fall in love and marry and have at least one child. She is stated to have had a long and happy life as a human.

Upon her death, Lilith remembered everything, about her brothers, being an angel, the war, and Lucifer’s sacrifice for her. Lilith did not go into the light, instead she stayed behind to watch her brothers as a spirit. She stayed for so long that she forgot how to go to the light and waited for an opportunity to say goodbye though she didn’t have the strength.

In the game, Lilith is able to use some power to send a RAD application profile of MC to Lucifer’s feet by having the window fly open. Lucifer chose MC for this reason and Lilith was able to use her descendant to help her brothers. MC would have visions of Lilith’s life including Lucifer’s final words to her, they repeated these words to Lucifer to prove they were Lilith’s descendant.

Lilith thanks MC for their help and is able to move on.

In the comics, MC uses some of their power to have Lilith appear before the brothers one last time so they can say proper goodbyes before she finally ascends into the light.

Summary

Some may criticize Lilith for what happened in the wake of her actions to save her love. But who can really blame her? She fell in love with someone, she’d do anything for them, she’d die for them and she did. In desperation to save her love, she did not think about the consequences and even if she had, I can’t imagine she’d have thought her brothers would start a war.

Lilith’s death severely traumatized her brothers but this wasn’t something she could prevent, she was shot and unable to use her wings to save herself. After her death she watched over them and lead MC to them to save them from their pain and help them bond.

Lilith’s legacy includes her descendants who all had angel blood through her but no one was able to use these powers (presumably) until MC made pacts with power demons.

In the end, Lilith’s legacy is MC, a human who is pivotal in uniting the three worlds all because of Lilith’s love and ultimate sacrifice for someone she loved.

the jewishness of eternity from reverse: 1999, and why this is important to me

first and foremost: i doubt that any of the jewishness of eternity from reverse: 1999 was intentional on bluepoch's part. this is personal interpretation, and i am not trying to insinuate that it was intentional of the game developers. but nevertheless, i find eternity's character to be deeply comforting and resonant with me, specifically with regards to my own viewpoint as a young woman who is american jewish.

let us begin with her backstory:

at the end of the 19th century, torches constantly lit up the night sky of exeter, a frontier town in the usa.  the door of her store was closed. in a dimly lit room, on the shelves stood many candy jars. the last young buyer of these candies had been sent to that crowded, shabby cemetery (if you prefer to call it that) three months ago.  too many farms had been destroyed in the civil war, and plague was not the only terrible thing to develop from the ashes: fear of an unknown future also gradually turned into madness. the candies were taken down. instead, the store owners now stock their shelves with garlic necklaces and bottles of holy water.  more and more vampires were brought to trial, and the seed of suspicion grew in everyone's mind. the once-friendly residents became ruthless intruders and broke into the woman's house, despite the help she had provided them.  but they found nothing in her house. it seemed to have been long abandoned. the floor was covered with dead shellfish, under which there were marks of dried blue blood.  peace didn't come back to the town of exeter until the day when everyone heard about a disease called tuberculosis.

now, i retroactively found out that this aspect of her backstory was likely inspired by the mercy brown vampire incident, which i haven't researched all that thoroughly. what i want to emphasize in this context is that these trials in eternity's backstory were specifically a result of post-civil war paranoia causing exeter's townspeople to suspect others of being vampires causing misfortune.

it is important to stress that while not every portrayal of vampire characters in fiction are antisemitic portrayals, vampires being used as antisemitic caricatures is not uncommon. similarly, while jewish people have not necessarily been subject to the same legal discrimination or systemic oppression in the u.s. as much as other minorities (that said, it wasn't non-existent, and jewish people were definitely subject to systemic oppression and worse legal discrimination in other countries outside of the u.s.) it is not uncommon for us to be used as scapegoats when disaster strikes. that's why so many conspiracy theories have antisemitic routes; it's harder to acknowledge and analyze the complicated reasons as to why things in the world suck than it is to pin it on a more tangible scapegoat - more often than not, the jews.

i think with eternity from reverse: 1999, that definitely holds the same weight here. whether or not she is officially a vampire is a bit murky (to be honest, i'd say if she is then she's doing the vampire equivalent of keeping kosher by consuming the flesh of sea creatures, even if i'm pretty sure stuff like whales or jellyfish are officially considered treyf), but she was persecuted for being different.

in this jewish reading: it did not matter that she was one of "the good jews", it did not matter the kindness she had shown to exeter's people in the past, when their circumstances took a turn for the worse their memories of antisemitic imagery and myth they had subconsciously absorbed from all the fairytales they read flared to life and they realized how nice and easy it would be to get rid of all their problems if they directed it at the jewish woman residing in their little town.

surely, if the vampire - the witch, the jew, died - then their troubles would be gone, right?

on a broader, less concrete extent regarding eternity i'd also like to bring up her tagline when we first meet her - the one that all r:1999 characters have regarding their age and their ethnic background.

the exhibit was later displayed all over america.

i think this could definitely be a general reference to eternity's immortality. after all, if you've suddenly got all the time in the world you might as well tour your home country and hit the highlights, right?

from a jewish perspective, i think this feels very resonant with the experience of american-jewish diaspora. there are oftentimes when people like us are desperately searching for a place to call home and when we think we've found it, social antisemitism starts spiking up. we want a place to call home - not necessarily as a people, but definitely in the context of being jewish - and even in america where we've been here since its conception as a country, we're not even sure if we can find a place to call home.

and in a jewish context, eternity spends over a century in search of somewhere to call home. her traveling all across the usa takes on a more deliberate context - moving out of areas as soon as you realize maybe the spikes in antisemitism in your place of residence aren't going to pass as quickly as you'd like, and moving out as soon as you can because you have the luxury to. she looks for somewhere she can call home, but this there anywhere that can act as a true home for someone like her?

"there are no chill jews," is something we jewish people like to half-joke about from time to time; that is something that i certainly read into with eternity's voice lines. in particular: "my immortality allows me to be well-informed. no matter the dead or alive, you can have your answer from me as long as the pay is adequate. but just like anyone with a clear mind won’t touch a hot potato, i suggest you keep your little nose clean."

the reason there are no chill jews is because a lot of said "chill jews" died. as soon as our ancestors realized, "alright, people hate us and are using us as scapegoats, let's get the hell out of here" they left. that's how they survived. eternity's immortality allows her to be "well-informed", in a jewish reading, about how she is perceived as a jewish woman throughout time and across the usa. thanks to her old age, she has learned to be vigilant about this, and to keep watch so she can resume her life - maybe she'd have no reason to worry about death, being immortal, but at the same time it would be nice to just live and breathe in peace as a jewish woman. as she says in her voice line when you touch her head, "...what really matters is a good mind and a clear view of the time."

(as an aside, my dear friend @kingoffiends commented in our dms that eternity's voicelines remind him of his very frum grandmother from her phrasing and tone alone. this is only somewhat relevant but i thought i should put it here regardless.)

but not all is doom and gloom with eternity, even with the pains of immortality.

to quote rabbi lord jonathan sacks from his book studies in spirituality: "in judaism joy is the supreme religious emotion. here we are, in a world filled with beauty. every breath we breathe is the spirit of god within us. around us is the love that moves the sun and all the stars. we are here because someone wanted us to be. the soul that celebrates, sings."

where is the joy in eternity?

well, for all of the worst parts of immortality she has still been handed the opportunity to live forever. and eternity will live as happily as she will damn well please. though not all is sunshine and rainbows in her life, she delights in 29-inch crt tvs where she can wind down with a nice glass of warm milk before bed, and takes delight in the progression of technology as time has gone on. "...let's just call it a toast and watch a vampire movie in bed." if she has forever to live, then she might as well take delight in all the small joys she can find.

(while wealthy jewish people do have stereotypical or antisemitic connotations, as a jewish person i'd like to say that i'm definitely self-aware of that when approaching her character. while she is wealthy she is not malicious, and her "read the fine print" approach to the products of the sea for yourself shop seem to be more a result of playful mischief rather than any outright malice. she's got a sort of hershele of ostropol energy to her, if you will.)

all in all, it's so very jewish of her - and it's why her character, in a jewish context, is so resonant with me. there's something very comforting that this is a woman who has lived forever, longer than i have. she may not be real, but for all of the persecution and loss she has suffered throughout life, she is determined to find happiness in even the smallest things. that sort of fortitude and determination to forge her own joy is very meaningful to me as someone jewish, and it's why i approach her as being like me.

eternity may not be real - hell, she's likely not even officially intended to be jewish. but there's such a firm theme of sorrow and joy to her character in a jewish context, and to have even a fictional character who embodies those experiences of mine is why i hold her so close to my heart.

what's joel up to in the pirate au?

Mezalean Joel is, quite simply, hangin out in the desert. Lizzie is still his wife, but they've been apart for a while now. Not like. divorced-apart, but sirens have been staying mostly under the water since sirens became pretty things to look at and jellyfish paralysis potions became easier to get people's hands on. He and Lizzie have secret rendezvous, but not terribly often. Long ones only about once a year - and by long ones I mean they hang out for, like. a week straight. She brings fish to munch on and he doesn't need to eat because he's clay, so they're fine.

Sirens are generally polyamorous, so when, during their rendezvous this year, Lizzie tells him she found this wonderful woman and she'd really like to marry her, Joel isn't exactly surprised. They make a deal that he'll meet her before the two of them get married, and after that, Lizzie has to promise to up their meetings to at least twice a year.

Deal.

[Cleo, Lizzie and Joel meet up in Mezalea once every two months as a married trio, and then, after a bit, Cleo goes home to allow the two of them their privacy. After everything else is over, you know?]

Joel, God of the skies, created a son with Chorizo of Sanctuary, and the two of them take care of him equally, a week with each before swapping. There isn't really much to say on his life because he kinda just. Has a son, has a babydaddy, and is actually a god possessing a human who asked for godly powers and got him instead? The human can never come back, but similarly, Joel can't go back to the pantheon because the human is invulnerable to most things because of his powers. fucked up dude.... maybe if he just waits it out he'll be able to go back..?

Imka N. Altena (RO - HAWKS)

Imka N. Altena | 23 | Specialist | All-Seeing Eyes | Codename: Jellyfish | Full Romance

The eyes and ears of the HAWKS, Imka has never felt so liberated and caged within her team— her new and strange family. She would have difficulty believing that anyone could be attracted to someone as timid as her, but still longs for somebody to cherish with gentle compassion.

Imka is troubled by a timid demeanor and nervous heart. She oftentimes finds herself overwhelmed by her shyness; a trait woefully exacerbated by her insecurities towards how others perceive her. Yet beneath her quiet distance from others lies a bleeding heart, one that is generous with its patience and sympathy for any who need it. Imka truly adhered to the Golden Rule as she treats others with as much extended kindness and consideration as she may . . . even if she winces at the occasional accusation of being a push-over or people-pleaser.

Born to loving parents, Imka has felt little need for wants or desires. Her parents (an Indian-American woman and a Dutch immigrant) relocated from their hectic lives in New York to the more tame Portland, Maine upon her birth to devote their efforts towards their new family. Her mother was a straight-laced workaholic, barely home most hours of the day. Her father was an adventurous artist who quickly turned a new leaf from chasing flight and fancy once married and embraced fatherhood as his true calling. Their small household left her sheltered, provided for, and raised with endless unconditional love. At least, that’s how it seemed on the surface.

Her childhood was relatively normal thanks to her parents. Though both her mother and father were largely estranged from their respective families (because of their relationship), she experienced little conflict around her. Rarely did her solitary explorations excite her anxious worries, for she relished in the peace found near a lighthouse by the sea or the rooftop of her fine home when her telescope was in hand. Family vacations were frequent, and her hobbies were well-funded. And the visions she saw of far away places were . . . Well, her father taught her how to be silent about their dream-like beauty.

All Imka ever truly longed for in her nurturing home was to find love like her parents had. But her insular home life (including being homeschooled), her parents’ overprotectiveness, and her own intense level of shyness left few chances for making connections with others. So she spent her idle days largely alone or in the company of her father who she idolized.

Imka’s life was monotonous. Filled with daydreams and visions of distant beauty. No one paid her any mind as she dutifully worked as seamstress in the day and a homemaker in the night. And she liked it that way.

That changed when the truth of her father’s Gift became known. And suddenly, everything became clear to her mother about the truth of Imka as well. She does not want to remember those strange days on the run. She cannot allow them to mar the sacred bonds she must keep intact so as to not be lost to her darkest worries.

Others will say that her father kidnapped her once his secrets came to light.

Others will say that she had no choice but to follow the frantic madman to the Netherlands in fear for her own safety.

Others will say that she never would have done what her father did, or asked her to do.

Imka has spent much of her life listening to what others say. It has left little room for her to decide if what they say is true.

Imka might find herself overlooked by the taller members of her Division due to her short stature at 5’3”. Her physique is rather plump, which she often feels insecure about, but is also naturally curvaceous. She styles her dark brown hair to emphasize her light curls by pronouncing their looseness to add to her self-perceived mundane appearance. Her hair frames her face and cascades down to her waist, making her white eyes—lacking any pupil or iris—more prominent. Next to her left eye is a beauty mark, closely accompanied by a second one on her upper cheek. Her brown complexion is highlighted by peach undertones, and her touch reflects her pampered past in its softness. She sometimes tries to highlight her full lips with lip gloss whenever she gathers the courage to request it from Jae but is too afraid of being judged for wearing any more makeup than that. While alone, she likes to adorn loose bracelets that jingle and sway, though she removes them when in the company’s others for fear that they’ll be irritating to hear or see. Her typical wardrobe consists of knee-length wrap dresses, tights, flats, and flowing cardigans with pastel colors or dull floral prints - attire that she thinks is comfortable and cute. A silver locket with a tulip engraving is the only accessory she will never depart with as it contains a photograph of her father and mother on one side, but is still barren on the other end. She also occasionally wears a headband, cloche hat, or sun hat if in an outdoor setting and reluctantly adorns sunglasses when in public.

Imka has never experienced a romantic relationship. That isn’t to say, however, that she has lacked the experience of numerous crushes and romanticized daydreams. Her self-esteem has constantly held her back from approaching the possibility of a relationship. She had offers for a date or two as a young girl that each turned out to be cruel pranks which left her sobbing and humiliated. In adulthood, she nearly melted into a puddle when a customer gauged her interest in a dinner date. Unfortunately, her kidnapping and capture occurred before any actual plans could be set. Such experiences have greatly tempered her belief that love will ever actually find her. More than that, Imka’s concealed self-loathing has left her believing that she is entirely undesirable altogether.

Pursuing Imka will force her to reevaluate her self-esteem when your affection doesn’t prove to be an immediate remedy to all her insecurities. She will hate herself for ‘not deserving you’ while still desperately hoping you will not come to your senses and leave her. She will try to develop herself to no longer be plagued by this mentality and discover the true sources of her self-spite.

Familial Status: They have always been close-knit, but these bonds have recently become tense. She fears their further deterioration.

Romantic Interests: She had a crush on Niccoló in the past. She has not yet met the man who will become fascinated with her - a man who will (eventually) accept that she will never leave you (if you romance her).

Closest Friend: Her father, Hennie, though distance and actions on both ends have been wedged between them; Mutya is more fitting for this title in the present. If anything, she considers Mutya a sister in spirit.

Friends: Niccoló, Nasrin, Jae(?), Akil(?)

*(?) She is not sure if she is misunderstanding how these two perceive her.

Friendly Towards: Kamiko, Elouan, Yadon

Unnerved By: Elouan - and she is starting to wonder if he prefers it this way. She hopes to still become friends with him.

Intimidated By: Sigmund, Akil, All CARDINALS - Though the first two seem to actively avoid her enough to not be a constant concern for her nervous heart.

Conflicted Towards: All CARDINALS, for she sees the humanity behind their monstrous actions.

Dislikes: Dearil . . . He frightens her.

Rivals: No One

Imka possesses the gift to extend her sight to anywhere in existence. This does not, however, account for any of her other senses. Sometimes objects of sentimental value can link her to the current image of certain people or things.

Character Intro: Medusa (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- The Cursed Gorgon, The Stone Queen by the people of Olympius

Age- 19

Location- Unknown

Personality- Before her curse, Medusa was a sweet and friendly young woman who constantly received compliments on her beauty. She looked at the world with innocent curiosity. Now (as a gorgon), she's become more bitter, hateful, & ambivalent- filled with rage. She's worried that there's no humanity left in her. Her biggest fear is not remaining a gorgon forever- it's not knowing the difference between what's morally right & wrong anymore.

As a gorgon, her powers/abilities are petrification (with a single look, she can turn a person into stone). Her nails can turn into sharp claws that can tear through flesh & bone. Her long dreadlocks can self-transform into snakes, which can be used in offensive attacks. The blood from the right side of her body has healing properties. She's able to communicate with all species of snakes and she can transform the lower half of her body (her legs) into a serpentine tail.

Medusa is the youngest child born to Phorcys & Ceto. They were more than surprised when she came out, not inheriting much dominant traits from both of them. She had smooth light brown skin, a button nose, and bow shaped lips. She has two older sisters named Stheno & Euryale (who were born with dominant gorgon traits). For the longest time, Medusa thought she was adopted, stolen at birth.

As a little girl, she was often complimented on her beauty. Her principal even described Medusa's second grade portrait as "flawless." A lot of people didn't believe her when she'd describe her family to them. At an award ceremony at her school, Medusa's family was the main point of attention, sitting in the back row of the auditorium.

Some of Medusa's fondest childhood memories included going fishing & scuba diving with her father and being mesmerized by her mother- watching her go through her beauty routine like taking a sea salt bath added with jellyfish essence oils or watching her apply make-up, like a painter with a blank canvas. She was amazed at how many things were needed to make a person's outside match their inside.

As a kid she'd love when her mom would make her famous squid & octopus stew. She also loved her dad's bouillabaisse and fried scallops- which she would drown in ketchup.

Her relationships with her older sisters were a mixed bag. Stheno was always nice to Medusa, but Euryale always acted cold towards her, keeping distance. One time, Medusa went through Euryale's journal and there was nearly a ten page entry about her. In scrawly cursive handwriting was the title "Pretty Girl Die."

Even though she was mostly praised for her beauty, Medusa was also quite intelligent. For this reason she attended Athenium Academy (her parents were lucky enough to find one where they lived in Gavdos). She was by no means a popular girl, but Medusa was well liked- among boys and girls. She had many friends- one of them being a cyclops, a girl named Ismini. She was the total opposite of Medusa in many ways- brash, outspoken, sporty, & a playful troublemaker. One day while they were walking home after school, she suggested to Medusa that they'd stop by a drugstore. Once inside, Medusa watched Ismini covertly shove a pack of press-on nails into the waistband of her uniform skirt. Ismini greeted the cashier like it was nothing and left. Blushing & sweating profusely, Medusa quickly swiped a container of mascara and a bottle of nail polish. She couldn't believe it herself! At home, she inspected the nail polish. It was a sparkly dark green color called "Emerald Glaze." Medusa wore it on her nails to school the next day, which resulted in her getting detention for not following the school's dress code. For her, it was totally worth it.

Into her young adult years, Medusa became more aware of how her body was changing & how she began to see other girls. She was suddenly hyper aware of their lips, their curves, how soft their skin was, & the smell of their perfume. She guesses that her first crush was on the movie star Maria Eleni Kanakaredes. Medusa loved watching her on TV or on the glossy covers of magazines where she'd be perfectly airbrushed. She wondered if the long eyelashes were natural or due to eyelash extensions. Medusa also began getting more and more into make-up & she started experimenting on her face with different looks with supplies from her mom's make-up bag. In high school, Medusa transferred back to public schooling and she had her first real job working at the gift shop of the local aquarium. Most of her money went to Olmorfia- a popular beauty store. For her, there was never enough eyeliner, foundation sticks, primer, blush, lip pencils, eyeshadow, mascara, concealer, & blush to own! She even started up a quasi business- doing the make-up of some of the girls (and boys) from school for dances & other special school events for ten drachmas each!

The downside to Medusa's puberty? Mostly the guys. Whether it was from getting catcalled on the street by gross older guys or being hit on by the guys at school. One instance was during biology class when a boy took a little too long to pick up a pencil he dropped. She later learned that he was staring underneath her skirt. Or the times on the lunch line when some guys would "accidentally" brush up against her butt to grab trays.

A "sexual awakening" of sorts happened when she went into the girls' locker room during gym class to pee. In an open stall, Medusa saw two girls hooking up. They were so into each other to notice her as she quietly tiptoed out of there. Late at night at home (with her bedroom door locked), Medusa touched herself with the memory of the locker room.

Her first serious crush was on a mortal girl named Agnes who was captain of their school's girl football (soccer) team. Medusa noticed how Agnes' long light brown ponytail would swish when she'd run on the field or walk in the halls. The way she smiled- showing off her bright green braces. Or the way she'd smell like pineapple & banana (no doubt her body wash) when leaving the locker room after gym class. Agnes was also openly gay. The two became acquainted with each other & Medusa was ecstatic when they were paired together for a project for their Astronomy class. She was also touched by how Agnes acted towards her family. She didn't look at them with fear and disgust. She treated them with kindness and respect. Medusa was thrilled when Agnes asked for her make-up services for their prom. On the day of (a few hours before) as Medusa was spraying setting spray onto Agnes' face she came right out & asked to go to prom together- as each other's dates. Though taken aback, Agnes remained sweet, but honest and said that she already had a date- her girlfriend (who went to a different school). Inside, Medusa's heart was crushed, but on the outside, she remained neutral, accepting it with a smile. Not wanting to show up to prom without a date, she accepted an invitation from a guy at school who has asked her out several times before- Calix.

The prom's theme was "A Night in Athens” & the venue was decorated to the tee. Calix picked up Medusa in one of his dad's limos and she scrunched up her nose at the smell of vodka on his breath when he planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek. Wearing an off-the-shoulder backless deep red satin dress, she tried having a good time. Medusa didn't let it fase her when she saw Agnes walking hand-in-hand with her girlfriend. Agnes was a vision wearing a pale blue tulle dress, her hair in a low chignon. Her girlfriend wore a dark blue velvet tuxedo with platform heels and her hair was styled as a buzz cut. During the slow dance, Medusa kept dodging her date's efforts for a kiss and she kept on having to reposition his hands away from her ass. Surprisingly, Medusa was crowned Prom Queen.

Things took a turn when Calix asked her to accompany him to the prom after party at a cliffside hotel. Once there, she drank a mini bottle of tequila & tried socializing with the other girls, but she couldn't act anymore, watching Agnes be all lovey-dovey with her date. Medusa wanted to go home, climb under the covers, and eat her sorrows away with papaya ice cream. When Medusa came into the adjoining room, she saw Calix stumbling over his feet, the smell of alcohol becoming overwhelming. He ran over to her, crushing his lips against hers & running his hands up her legs. She tried pushing him off, but he had a firm grip on her waist, his nails digging into the fabric of her dress. "C'mon Prom Queen. Make my night memorable. You've been playing hard to get since I saw you in that dress. I've wanted you so bad for so long." Time slowed down. This wasn't real. It didn't feel real. Throughout the ordeal, Medusa kept her eyes on the half empty bottle of whiskey on top of the bedside drawer. When it was over, she laid on the bed, trembling- still staring at the whiskey bottle.

Everything after prom night became a miserable blur. Medusa graduated high school & most of her school mates went on to University. She spent the first eight months in bed- not eating, not talking, not showering, not even to use the bathroom. After her parents found Medusa nearly catatonic, with her entire mattress heavily soaked in urine, she was sent to the hospital as a victim of a near fatal overdose on painkillers. One of the nurses sensed there was something more to this & after a week in the hospital as Medusa was getting discharged, the nurse gave her a card for a psychotherapist.

Medusa made the long journey to New Olympus where she had her first therapy session with respected psychologist & god of silence and discretion, Haropcrates. She almost bolted when she discovered that the therapist was a man but after some convincing by his daughter (and assistant), the goddess Oizys, Medusa stayed. After seeing her for almost three months, Harpocrates did something entirely unorthodox. For her next session, he brought her to an empty office where a full sized life-like male mannequin stood. A box of supplies stood to the side. He told Medusa that she was free to take back the power that was wrongfully taken away from her that night. She exploded! Grabbing a sword from the box, she sliced off the genitals of the mannequin. Medusa jumped onto the mannequin, both of them falling to the ground. She scratched at it, kicked it, punched it- yelling, screaming, & crying. "I hate you!" "I hate myself for letting it happen!" "I hate you for taking away my ability to trust!" "I hate you for making me feel like a stranger in my own body!"

A few months later, Medusa started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. She was still attending therapy, staying semi-permanently in New Olympus at the Royal Inn Motel. She enrolled in self defense classes, and got a part-time job working at an Olmorfia as a cashier. She even started to think about her future again- like going to cosmetology school to become a professional make-up artist.

Knowing that cosmetology school would be pricey (especially in New Olympus), Medusa became proactive & decided to apply for a better paying second job- as a priestess attending to the temple of Athena (goddess of wisdom). At the interview, she came face to face with the goddess herself. Medusa noted how tall & muscular she looked and how intense her electric blue eyes were. Medusa & three other young women got the open positions & they all were given a place to stay at the temple's compound (a series of townhouses) near the temple. The week of training was arduous. The young women had to fast (from food & drink), consent to an extensive background check, and go through psychological testing. The first few weeks of official work began. Medusa and the other young women learned how to make olive oil & plant olive trees. The other tasks were simple enough- tending the garden, organizing files & paperwork, and keeping the temple in tip-top shape. On their down time, Medusa and the other young women would start up a campfire to pop popcorn, they'd snack on olives, or they'd go swimming at the nearby beach. Pretty soon, Athena became a part of the after work routine. She'd stop by, swim with the other girls, or play volleyball with them. The wisdom goddess would even bring coffee from The Roasted Bean for them in the morning. Medusa thought that was nice. There was one night when she accidentally walked in on a very heated exchange between Athena & the sea god, Poseidon. Afterwards, Medusa became a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. Medusa was even invited to the goddess' mansion as a guest for a dinner party she was hosting. The young girls started to nickname Medusa "Teacher's Pet."

Gossip & whispers traveled among the young impressionable young priestesses-in-training. One of these girls told Medusa that there was soon to be a ceremony to be held, officiating the girls' roles as priestesses. She was told that in the ceremony, they would have to swear themselves chaste forevermore & that an oracle would read them to see if they were "intact." Medusa wasn't stupid.  She knew exactly what "intact" meant. She'd be humiliated in front of everyone. The job was over. She still hadn't saved up enough for cosmetology school. It couldn't end like this, not after everything she's been through. Medusa decided to come up with a quick exit strategy. While taking some time to come up with a plan while taking a stroll on the beach, Medusa noticed a familiar figure surfing in the ocean- Poseidon. To make a long story short, they made their acquaintance, with Medusa asking him for his help. This ended with Athena, with tears in her eyes (as furious as anyone ever witnessed before) cursing Medusa- transforming her into a gorgon.

After her transformation, Medusa swam with a hidden strength all the way to Karpathos (where she knew her sisters to be staying). They didn't believe it was her at first.

The scandal became a media storm! It made all the headlines in all the magazines & newspapers. There was non-stop coverage on all the news channels and talk shows on TV. Several people from Medusa's past (like schoolmates) were tracked down and interviewed. One of these people was Calix Onassis who now owned his father's lucrative limousine business. King Poseidon shut down his Fatestagram profile & went into self-imposed exile. Athena's main temple was closed until further notice.

Now, Medusa works as a contract assassin, hired by people in various positions of power. She doesn't ask questions. She gets rid of business & political rivals, but mostly undesirables with lengthy criminal records. Medusa never forgot her first hit- a pig that was a mortal male who snorted & grunted all over innocent children- boys & girls, hired by one of his many victims. She remembers everything about that moment- how the confusion in his eyes quickly morphed into absoloute terror. How he cowardly went on his knees, begging to be spared, watching his entire body harden into stone. The feeling of being in that much control and power was (and still is) intoxicating to Medusa. It's one of two things she wholly feels.

A lot of the "statues" end up at various construction dump sites where they're grounded up into dust then made into writing chalk to be sent to schools.

 On the rare instances when she's in public for a few short moments), Medusa wears a pair of black oversized aviator sunglasses from Luxuria.

A few positives came out of this tragedy- a newfound respect & closeness with her sisters, especially Euryale. They both have been openly honest with each other since forever. Medusa finally told her sisters about what happened at prom.

A go-to singer that she likes listening to is O. She says that the dark lyrics of the songs match the tar blackness of her soul.

There's an outstanding warrant for her capture & arrest. Many charges, including murder, are on her record.

Because of her lucrative "job" Medusa was able to splurge on herself, buying a sleek black lamborghini. There's a bag filled with different license plates (which she switches in) to keep people off her tail.

She taunts the ones who call for her head with a Fatestagram profile, her username being xXGlamGorgonxX. She is constantly switching IP addresses so she's harder to trace. Aside from Fatestagram, she has an account on a gay dating app, her profile name being misunderstoodgal17. She's been communicating with a user named adrift@sea.

Medusa is continually moving from place to place (under disguises) with unassuming run down motels being a favorite.

Most of her time is spent on the road, driving at night. She can't remember the last time she had a proper meal. She sustains herself on greasy fast food- an Olympian burger, fried eel tenders, large fries, and an Olympian sized chocolate milkshake being a constant meal.

She once went into an Olmorfia in the Little Athens neighborhood of New Olympus, walking out with a duffle bag filled with make-up & cosmetics totaling over 25,000 drachmas. She blew a kiss to all the security cameras.

Calix Onassis is currently missing. He hasn't been seen or heard from since he left the Golden Grove Country Club after a business meeting eight weeks ago.

"Lustful eyes. Scared eyes. Terrified eyes. Evil eyes. Hopeful eyes. Doesn't matter anymore. I'd gouge them all out!"

Lady o' War Crew

I've done a little post for a lot of my parties, but realised I haven't done one for the Lady o' War's crew! Since that game just finished up the other day I'm thinking about it a lot, so gonna write a ramble piece about the team. <3

These characters are from a one-on-one Spelljammer campaign, starting with Spelljammer Academy and running into Light of Xaryxis.

Vale Hart (he/him): my PC, a man cobbled together from parts of different dead people. He still had flashes of their memories, and part of his motivation to go into space was to make memories that he knew were his very own, as they were from somewhere those other people had never been. Vale was held together with glowing golden stitches, and it was the energy from these that he manipulated to magical effect (class-wise, he was a rune knight fighter.)

Vale had a figurine of wondrous power, which could summon a sapphire star lancer he named Nebulain (he/him.)

Vale died in the final session of Light of Xaryxis, returning the light contained in his friend Xedalli's ring to the star Xaryxis, which destroyed the star and himself in the process.

Edwin (she/her): the team's spelljammer, a human who uses the Mage (Healer) sidekick class. Edwin is an astronomer and was very excited to take her first steps into space! After the party defeated a hostile reigar named Hastain, Edwin bonded with their esthetic (a giant space jellyfish with spelljamming capabilities), and this joined the team's slowly growing fleet. Edwin named the esthetic the Lady o' War.

Demetrius Ozmata (he/him): the third member of the original team. He uses the Expert sidekick class. Demetrius at first appeared to be a snobby, selfish elven nobleman, but when he saw how his behaviour annoyed Vale and Edwin he admitted that he hasn't really had friends before and asked them to help him. He became closer to the group after this moment of vulnerability, and they soon learned his poorly kept secret: he is a recently turned vampire. Demetrius' parents had sent him away when he tried to stop the nobility hoarding precious water on his asteroid home, and the man he was sent to work for turned out to be a powerful ancient bloodsucker.

V (she/her): a mechanical woman who had very few memories when the party met her, on a ship where she was slowly being taken apart by clockwork horrors. V uses the Warrior sidekick class. Although she couldn't remember her name, the letter 'V' was scratched into her chest, and she adopted that as her new name. During their travels, the party discovered that V was a courier robot with a precious cargo tucked away in her chest cavity: a solar dragon egg. Her previous owner allowed her to stay with the party in exchange for the egg.

I was at some art class when some random dude took my seat, he was kinda tall, blonde with short hair, thick eyebrows, kinda muscular and wore a white sleeve-less top. I tried to fight him and he told me he only would on a double animation/boxing ring.

I accepted bc im dumb

In the dream i myself but also taller, more muscular and post Top surgery. I thought T was finally working (im not on T), the fight was 68 rounds, either boxing or animation; the loser would choose what the next round would be. We started with boxing and i lose so i choose animation. The boxing was on a normal ring and the animations would be seen in a small park with a big TV were audience could choose the winner.

I won 4 rounds and he won 64; 2 were boxing and 66 animation. His family owned an animation studio who did all the work for him, i tried to argue he just reused assets of CN but didnt mattered. One of the ppl who was in the art class told me my dentist wanted to see me at the beach. I had nowhere else to go so i just went.

The streets were a beautiful mix lf gothic, roccoco and art noveau architecture, all the building had stained glass windows and they were made of yellowish white marble concrete with floral ornaments. There were 2 beaches, one of sand and one of pebbles, i went to the nearest one (pebbles) but it was full of ppl since there was an imoortant political figure down there. Instead of going to the other beach i went to an historical building that was infront of the beach.

Even when the outside was like all other marble buildings the inside was made all of wood, the first floor had 3 rooms yet all were empty, upstairs there was a small office with a table, a chair, and a beautifull stained glass were you could see the streeth and the stairs thst led to the beach. The basement was being rebuilt so the workers told me to come next week.

Instead of going to the next beach i went to the streeth ti the right were the exit of the building was at. It led to a beautiful square with a small fountain, there i met a woman who told me the end was near. I dont remember much of that part except that were she walked everything would turn a more vibrant color with gold shine, she walked over water and ran straight from the beach to the port, even the walk turned gold under her shoes. In the port there were 8 people, white as paper, all wearing short black clothes and colorful hair. When she got near them they “exploded”.

First they would levitate in a T position with the chest up, then all the face holes (eyes ears nose and mouth) would vomit a goldish shiny liquid of the same color that their hair, then they would slowly break apart as if they were made of stone and the small pieces would float around them, thus happened one by one when she got near. I was with her the whole time only watching. My body changed too but i dont remember that part, i wasnt muscular nor tall anymore. I was smaller, thinner and had red hair that shined like the other ppl. She got us all inside a small house at the port were i met one of the 8 ppl.

She was a bit tallet than me, had long black hair and was confused, i had a “i actually know this person from al my life” dream moment and we walked thorught the house, the walls were made of wood and there were murals of how us, each one of the was showing how oue appearence changed with the time, as the time in the house was slower than outside, we walked on a spiral hallway holding hands while each step changed us as if it were 100 years, looking less and less human (still humanoid), skin lost uts pores and became rigid and soft like mameol, clothes turning less normal and morecomplex, pieces changing bit by bit until we looked barely like we did before.

At the end of the spiral there was a mural of how we looked at the end, she was still taller than me, her long hair was red and instead of hair it was more like a jellyfish-like glass with gold details at the bottom, her skin was white and made of marble, her face was carved in wñbut not painted, she wore a black bodysuit were long sleeves were painted over her skind and short sleeves made of transparent silk with gold star details.

I had black hair that was like stained glass to the touch and made sound when touching each other, my skin was also marble but i had make up painted, black lipstick and eyeshadow with res eyeliner, under my eyes i had an ophiuchus spirals carved and painted. I wore a grey dress with floral spines pattern, it was really pompous, with laces on my sleeves. On my head i was wearing a coronet shaped like a spades with the same spines oattern. My legs didnt had feet and supported themselves with sharp tips. I was still small, curvy and thin.

After that the same lady came and told us to go outside and say what we were, male or female, and separate us in groups of such. All of the 8 people went to female, the male group had only 2 persons, the same dude from the boxing ring and a friend of his. I went to the male group anyway, were the man told me i didnt looked like one and pushed me, i fell.

And i broke.

Once upon a time in a bustling underwater world, lived a tiny shrimp named Shelly. Shelly was known for her vibrant colors and playful nature, always exploring the nooks and crannies of the coral reefs. One sunny day, while swimming near the surface, she spotted a massive figure casting a shadow over the ocean floor. It was James, a very large man who sported a ridiculously small mask on his face and had a reputation for being super weird.

Despite the odd appearance and behavior of James, something in Shelly's heart fluttered whenever she saw him. She couldn't explain it, but she found herself drawn to his uniqueness. James, on the other hand, had a soft spot for the underwater world and its inhabitants. He often wandered the shores, wearing his small mask, and talking to seashells as if they were his confidantes.

One day, Shelly mustered the courage to approach James. To her surprise, he welcomed her with a wide smile. As they spent more time together, Shelly discovered that James had a fascination for the mysteries of the deep and an unmatched sense of humor. Their conversations were filled with laughter, as they shared their thoughts on everything from starfish fashion to the wisdom of jellyfish.

As their friendship grew stronger, Shelly's feelings for James deepened. She found herself falling in love with his quirks, his laughter, and the kindness he showed to all creatures. And, just as James accepted the underwater world for what it was, he embraced Shelly for who she was.

One day, a grand event was organized in the underwater city, featuring a special guest performer: Ja Rule, the famous musician and now a proud transgender woman. The event brought together creatures from all corners of the sea, including Shelly and James. As they danced to the rhythm of Ja Rule's music, Shelly's heart swelled with joy, realizing that love had a way of transcending boundaries.

In the end, Shelly and James's unconventional love story became an inspiration to all who witnessed it. They showed that it's okay to be different and that sometimes, the most unexpected connections can lead to the deepest bonds. As they swam together beneath the starlit waves, Shelly and James knew that their love was a testament to the beauty of embracing the weird and finding love in the most unexpected places.

The Blazing Silver Light of Paldea

Chapter 11: Electricidad

Silver and Gym Leader Iono the Jellyfish have a shocking battle, then Silver and Blaze meet Top Champion Geeta the Peahen.

Iono shocks them again but gets what she deserves: burned by Blaze.

Trans Geeta Trans Geeta

Silver and Blaze get gender euphoria from being called "hedgehog child" and "young cat" respectively :)

shorter chapter.

Silver says his first F-word (swearing TW)

🦋🦀🌱🦅🎵⚡☆♧◇☆◇◇♧◇◇☆♧☆

The livestream was about to start. Iono was setting up her camera when a certain hedgehog walked up to her.

"I'm ready to battle!" Silver said with a smile.

"Okay! Just a minute, and..." Iono pressed a button and the livestream began.

"Ello, ello, hola, ciao, and bonjour! We're live! I'm Iono the Jellyfish and you're watching the Iono Zone!" She cheered.

A subscriber named Ga1van noticed Silver and donated to ask what happened.

"Oh, thanks for... um... asking, Ga-one-van. Hope I pronounced that right. Uh... we decided to end in a tie because we got exhausted." He explained to the viewers.

"You heard it there, folks! Now, Silver, are you ready to battle me for the Gym Badge?"

Silver nodded. "Ready!"

"Okay. Go, Wattrel!" Iono shouted.

"Ha! Go, Pepper!"

It took a few turns, but Pepper was able to use Dragon Rage a few times to defeat Wattrel, and she took a bit of damage from Pluck.

"Okay, Bellibolt, I choose you!" Iono cheered.

Silver smiled and had Pepper use Dragon Rage again, but she missed, and got paralyzed by Bellibolt's Spark.

"Crap..." They muttered under their breath.

Bellibolt defeated Pepper, so Silver sent out Catnip, who started out with a Leech Seed. After a few Seed Bombs, Catnip defeated Bellibolt.

Next was Luxio, who managed to flinch Catnip on the first turn, but Catnip set up a Leech Seed the next turn and eventually defeated Luxio.

"Okay, it's come down to you, Mismagius!" Iono cheered as she threw her final Pokéball. "Terastallize!"

A viewer named V0lt-B0lt donated and said "Electro-Magius time!"

When the crystals shattered, Mismagius was an Electric-Type. She hit Catnip with a Confuse Ray, but he broke through and planted a Leech Seed. The battle was most likely won, unless Silver got unlucky. Fortunately, they lucked out and defeated Iono.

"Heh, nice job, Challenger Silver!" The livestreamer said with a chuckle. She held out her hand for a handshake, and Silver grabbed it. Electricity surged from her hand into his body and he went stiff as his quills stood on end.

"Ngh! Not again!!!" He shouted.

Iono giggled and let go of Silver, who was scorched from the shock. Sparks crackled from their smoking quills and they were covered in soot. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

Silver coughed up a few puffs of smoke, then giggled. "My brain tickles..." He stumbled dizzily and fell to the ground, then started panting heavily. He gasped and coughed, which worried the livestream chat.

Ga1van donated again with the message "Are you okay, Silver?"

"Yeah. Thanks." He got his inhaler out and used it, then breathing became easier.

Blaze, who was watching from the side, jumped over the fence and onto the battlefield like a badass to check on her friend. "You okay?"

Silver got up and put a hand on their chest, then spoke. "Y-yeah... just disoriented... and a bit sore..." They reached a hand behind their head, grinned, let out a little wheezy chuckle, then kept speaking. "Ow... Can't believe I fell for that trick twice..."

"Hehe, I'm really sorry." Iono told him. "Challenger Silver, here is the Levincia Gym Badge!" She gave him a badge with a lightning bolt, but Silver hesitated to take it.

"Um... I don't feel like being shocked again..." He said with a nervous and wheezy laugh.

"I won't shock you, I promise." Iono giggled mischievously.

Blaze decided to grab the Badge, and while Iono did shock her with her electrokinesis, Blaze burned the woman with her pyrokinesis. Silver watched the handshake and laughed. They ended up covered in soot and scorched. Blaze and Iono coughed up a few puffs of smoke, then grinned.

"I had it coming. Ow, that stings..." Iono chuckled.

"Don't dish it out if you can't take it. Ngh! My muscles are cramped..." Blaze giggled. They gave Silver his Gym Badge. "I got the badge."

The teens shook most of the soot off of themselves, then got on Miraidon and went to the Gym to verify Silver's victory.

When they got there, they saw a dark blue peahen woman with black, blue, and yellow feathers. She wore a suit and stood professionally.

"Hehe, Ms. Iono got you kids, huh?" She giggled.

"Yep." Silver muttered. "It was a pretty shocking experience." He laughed for a few seconds until it triggered a coughing fit.

"Are you okay, hedgehog child?" She asked.

"My... binder's... kinda... tight..." Silver coughed for another few seconds and tugged at his shirt.

"Why did you put it back on?" Blaze asked concernedly.

"D-dysphoria..." Silver spluttered out. They excused themself to the bathroom and took their binder off, then used their inhaler to help them breathe.

"I'm back." Silver said before coughing loudly for yet another few seconds. "Sorry. Throat still hurts."

Blaze helped the hedgie catch his breath by doing the speaking for a while.

"Oh, young cat, are you the hedgehog's friend?" The woman asked.

Blaze beamed with delight and showed their fangs. "Yes I am!"

"Wow... Cough! ...you're pretty cheery." Silver chuckled.

"She got my gender right!" Blaze giggled excitedly. "You know how you said that you're not a boy or girl, just a hedgehog?"

Silver nodded. "That... happened this morning."

"I'm not a boy or girl. I'm Blaze the Cat. I lean more girlish but I don't fully identify with being a girl."

"Of course I wouldn't assume." The woman smiled and showed off her flashy tail feathers. "Hehe, peahens don't usually have flashy feathers like mine." She said with a wink. Silver and Blaze's eyes went wide.

"Y-y-you're... you're..." Silver gasped.

"A trans woman. I'm Geeta, Paldea's top champion." She grinned. "A pleasure to meet you, um..."

"Silver."

"Champion Nemona told me about a Silver the Hedgehog. Are you him by any chance?" Geeta asked.

"How many hedgehogs named Silver are there in Paldea?" He joked.

Geeta chuckled, then turned to Blaze.

"Oh, young cat, what's your name?" She asked.

"Blaze. You're so cool!"

"I want the people of Paldea to be comfortable as themselves." Geeta said. She turned to Silver and smiled. "Challenger Silver. Should you choose to become a Champion, you'll have to battle me."

"Ha! Get ready!" The hedgehog said with a confident grin.

The teens waved goodbye and went back to their hotel to shower, then discussed their plan for the rest of the day, since it was only 3:17 PM.

"My muscles ache too much to go shopping today." Silver groaned. He coughed twice and sighed. "Plus my lungs are still a bit fucked."

"Yeah... My muscles ache too..." Blaze sighed. "Getting shocked twice was no fun."

"Good for you for giving Iono a taste of her own medicine." Silver grinned. They coughed loudly a few times and Blaze covered her ears.

"Oof, that cough sounded painful. We should definitely call it a day." They said with a frown.

"It was." Silver muttered. "So what should we do?"

"Let's watch some Sailor Eevee." The cat told him.

"I like that idea." The hedgehog smiled.

The teens watched some Sailor Eevee and had a relaxing evening before going to bed.

Oc tags

Realized that I’m using tags for my ocs more and that I should maybe explain what they mean? The main four are for my characters I’ve played with in Masks: A New Generation, which is a game I highly recommend! It’ll be a pretty long post so I’ll cut it off here.

😇 #Birdcage is for Isodora Maleciel (she/her and they/them), the angel daughter of a very powerful supervillain named Event Horizon. She’s got statues of herself in many of the banks in the city, a decently popular propaganda CW-esque tv show about her and her daughter’s life, a fierce rivalry with the local speedster Swift Wind and Tech CEO Max Million, and of course a secret lair on the moon. Isodora looks suspiciously almost exactly like their mother, aside from their hair, which they dye a platinum blonde from its natural black. Other than that, her large black wings, green eyes, and black horns that wrap around her head like a circlet make her instantly recognizable to basically anyone in the city. She decided that she didn’t want to follow her mother and became the magic hero Astarte, using her sorcery to protect people no mater how they felt about her. They ended up marrying their three teammates, (Sabrina Spencer (she/her), Nova Moretti (she/her), and Hermes Shapiro-Vogel (ve/ver) (the child of Swift Wind), and they eventually have a very magical daughter named Talia (she/her) together. Isodora is a trans girl, is pan and also polyam! She loves her partners a whole lot and loves spending time with them, even if she doesn’t really understand what’s going on much. You can find my pinterest board for Isodora here! featuring art from my friend @liatrelle!

😇 😇 😇 😇 😇 😇 😇 😇 😇 😇 😇 😇 😇 😇 😇  

🎮 #of course you have purple hair and lightning powers is my tag for Lucille “Elly” Lovelace (she/her), a purple haired twitch streamer, library makerspace manager, lesbian disaster, and pretty okay best friend. She spends her days working, hanging out with her very genderfluid bestie Olivia Efflorescence (they/them) who also goes by Ollie (she/her), or Liv (he/him), and definitely not fighting villains as the superhero Lady Lightning, a woman who wears an all purple power ranger-esque costume with lightning motifs and has electromagnetic powers. She also spends her nights not doing that as well as streaming as lightspeedluvlace. Elly and Liv found out about her powers when they were younger, and used it as an excuse to escape from their very shitty families and live together in Halcyon city. They’ve recently gotten pretty stable living situations, or well, Elly would if she wasn’t a workaholic who does way too many things at once. She’s recently met and formed a team with Talia Spencer-Maleciel-Shapiro-Vogel-Moretti, who has mysteriously been thrown into the past a few years before she was even born, Tiktok conspiracy star February “Freddy” Dawson (he/him), and Henrietta “Henry” Pawline (she/her) a petty jock catgirl. Elly has a bit of a crush on Talia, but worries about what that means if she goes back to the future. Her fursona is a purple bunny girl and she’s a little embarrassed that you know that now. She’s a cis lesbian, but in the “my gender is lesbian” way. Elly’s story takes place about eight years after Isodora’s.

🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮    

♓  #manic jelly dream girl  ZOE MY BELOVED!!! Princess Threazoenine of The Myrine Dynasty (she/her) is from the planet Nalydea, a planet completely covered in water orbiting Pisces Alpha. She is a pink shapeshifting jellyfish alien who came to earth as part of a family mission to forge mutual defense pacts with other planets in case Nalydea is targeted, as they do not make any sort of weapons. Zoe fell in love with Earth almost instantly, and ran away during a press conference, to the annoyance of her parent and older sisters. She ran right into AEGIS Agent Bryce Gallant, who was eventually assigned to protect her when she convinced her family to let her stay on earth for a bit. Enamored with the superhero culture of Halcyon City, she decided to join Bryce’s team as  the hero Prominence. Bryce had been placed on a team with fellow hero school graduate who she very much did not get along with Æsh, and superhero mentee Jess Arora, who Zoe developed a very strong crush on. They then dated for about two weeks before having the messiest breakup ever. And then kinda mostly got back together. Zoe’s powers include: shapeshifting, star generation (including heat and gravity manipulation), flight, having a telepathically controlled hoverbike, no bones, no lungs, no heart, jellyfish venom, bioluminescence, being very easy to talk to, getting drunk from caffeine, and water manipulation. She also has a cool scar that she got from being stabbed by a sword protecting her family. Aside from Earth in general, Zoe loves dinosaurs (there are a bunch that live on Nalydea’s moon), fashion and wearing frilly clothes, kissing cute girls, and spending time with her friends. As an alien, she doesn’t really have a conventional gender or sexuality, but if someone explained things to her she would probably consider herself a girl and sapphic. Her pinterest board is right here! and I would love to link the commission I got of her from @smallpolar-bear!!!!!! Zoe’s story is set 29 years after Isodora’s, the same time period that Talia is from.

♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ ♓ 

🩸 #violet the teenage witch is the tag for my most recent character, Violet Chiwake (fae/faer), also known as the supervillain Vampire. Fae lives with faer aunt and her wife in Halcyon City after faer mother got scared that fae developed powers. Violet is a witch who uses blood magic, something that for the most part is not approved of by society. It’s not like Violet chose faer powers or anything. Fae was caught with faer mentor in the middle of a robbery and lied during faer trial that fae was tricked onto the wrong path and just needed a chance to fix things. This worked too well and Violet ended up at hero school with a bunch of people who fae is extremely wary of. Violet is goth, a femme trans lesbian, and very upset that faer life has become a disaster (teenage drama queen). Fae enjoys practicing faer magic, collecting interesting ear jewelry, being around people who don’t think fae should be in jail, and stealing valuables. Violet is also searching for faer best friend Selene Hellström (she/her) an extremely high energy fireworks themed villain who was sent off to boarding school by her parents. You can find Violet’s pinterest board here! (cw for blood makeup) Violet’s story takes place 15 years after Isodora’s.   

🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸

 I’ll probably mostly be talking about these four, and if you read this far uh. wow thank you I hope you enjoy knowing more about the girls in my brain!   

Pool participants crossword

Jellyfish are found all over the ocean, right across the whole planet. Whirlpool is a manufacturer of home appliances that was founded as the Upton Machine Company in 1911. Lawrence River narrows as it flows through a gap lined by steep cliffs. This refers to the area around Quebec City where the St. The name of the province Québec comes from an Algonquin word “kebec” meaning “where the river narrows”. They are named for businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, who provided the funds to establish the awards program. The Peabody Awards have been presented annually since 1941 to individuals and organizations for excellence in broadcasting. 36 Award with a Journalistic Integrity category : PEABODY She also wrote several books about President Abraham Lincoln. It is an exposé that is credited with hastening the breakup of John D. Her most famous work is her 1904 book “The History of the Standard Oil Company”. Ida Tarbell was a teacher and what we would call today an “investigative journalist”, although back in her day she was known as a “muckraker”. The Eastern Roman Empire later became known as the Byzantine Empire, right up until the Middle Ages. Legend suggests that there was a king Byzas, who gave his name to the city and later the Byzantine Empire. 30 Elements of Byzantine architecture : DOMESīyzantium was a Greek colony that was centered on what was to become Constantinople, now Istanbul. The term comes from the Greek “steno” (narrow) and “graphe” (writing). Stenography is the process of writing in shorthand. Noah can speak several languages, including English, Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, Afrikaans, and German. Noah took over as host of the Comedy Channel’s “The Daily Show” after Jon Stewart retired. Trevor Noah is an outstanding comedian from Johannesburg, South Africa. The title refers to the fact that black-white marriages were illegal under apartheid, and the very existence of a mixed-race child was evidence of a crime. It tells of Noah’s early life growing up during apartheid in South Africa. “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” is a comedic autobiographical book penned by comedian Trevor Noah. 27 “Born a _”: Trevor Noah memoir : CRIME Jedi Master Yoda chose Dagobah as a place to hide from the Galactic Empire, and was where he trained Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi Knight. 19 Jedi on Dagobah : YODAĭagobah is a fictional planet in the “Star Wars” universe. The recipe was invented by the French (as “sauce tartare”) with the name somehow linked to the Tatars, a people who once occupied Ukraine and parts of Russia. Tartar sauce is basically mayonnaise with some chopped pickles, capers and onion or chives. 18 Mayonnaise-based condiment : TARTAR SAUCE The storyline comes from a 1931 stage play called “Green Grow the Lilacs”. “Oklahoma!” was the first musical written by the great duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. She is paralyzed from the waist down due to a spinal cord injury incurred in a car accident when she was just two years old. 17 “Oklahoma!” Tony winner Stroker : ALIĪctress Ali Stroker won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress for her performance in the 2019 Broadway revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma!” In doing so, Stroker became the first wheelchair-bound actor to win a Tony. It is the state flower of Iowa and North Dakota. The wild prairie rose is a rose species that is native to North America. 16 Pink flower with a yellow center : PRAIRIE ROSE Watkins borrowed that moniker from her maternal grandmother Bell Blair Hooks. Gloria Jean Watkins was an author and activist who is better known by her pen name “bell hooks”. Hooks took the title of her book from the “Ain’t I a Woman” speech delivered by freed slave Sojourner Truth at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio in 1851. One of hooks’ main arguments is that the feminist movement was historically focused on white middle and upper class women, and largely ignored the needs of less wealthy women of color. “Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism” is a 1981 book by bell hooks. 4 Bell hooks work whose title comes from a line often attributed to Sojourner Truth : AIN’T I A WOMAN? I wonder if the kids of today know that “cc” stands for carbon copy, and do they have any idea what a carbon copy was? Do you remember how messy carbon paper was to handle? A kind blog reader pointed out to me a while back that the abbreviation has evolved and taken on the meaning “courtesy copy” in our modern world. Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies Across

Now shush with the hurt/comfort, let's begin with how they are in the future

Ignos: *shows newspapers* Look at them! THEY'RE MY CHILDREN!

Skia became a proud dark type Elite 4, trainers fear her, she's savage. And added with Ignos helping her with training, yeah his Togekiss ain't a defenseless baby, Skia got some good training from him and free Uncle G. Proud papa, his daughter is one of the heavenly kings, the highest rank below the champion! And holy Arceus, Gladion you lucky man, go get your woman

Damian is the traveling trainer, he befriended so many kind of Pokemon! He often helps with many things in his travels but never settle down with one occupation, let him be a free man. Meeting old friends, rivals, and many alike, while also being a freelance researcher in Cerise Lab while also keeping his strength, don't want to lose to your sis now. Ignos is ecstatic that his son has the same amount of affection (maybe more) with Pokemon as him! And it seems that he holds a certain affection with Prof. Cerise's daughter

Ignos, went from "I'm a workaholic man!" to "settle down and drink coffee at my yard with my Jellyfish and kindness baby" he lived long and he deserves some rest after all the rollercoaster of life, he visited his old friends which he recalls from his journal. Now look at him back in Celestic Town, looking at his old house, aweing at the ruins and then boom "hey she's my friend who always talk about myths with me!" and see how Cynthia is absolutely happy to see that her myth nerd friend is still alive all this time

He's old, but his blue hair is still looking new and grey eyes still shining, still looks young as ever. No, he's not gonna remarry, he dedicated his love for one woman and on only, even though he doesn't remember her

They may be an incomplete picture, but they can make new puzzle pieces to complete it

-🦀 anon

i'm so happy that things work out for them!! igno is such a proud papa, look at his babies go! skia is so strong, so feared! she's a force to be reckoned with, and igno couldn't be more proud! then there's sweet damian, wandering in search of pokémon and new adventures! he's happy, and igno couldn't ask for anything more!

and igno himself, resettling into society with a new outlook on everything. maybe his mind is missing a few chunks, but forgotten memories can be replaced with new ones, and there's still so much life to be lived with his family and friends!!

i'm so happy!! they deserve a sweet ending <3

~Renee

From Joni Mitchell to Harry Styles: the woman who makes dulcimers for the stars

The Californian salt spray can be heard all over Fine Line, Harry Styles’ second album. It’s in the latticed guitars and the shimmering harmonies, the softly buzzing basslines and the Age of Aquarius lyricism.

The former One Direction band member made the record in Shangri-La studios, near the water in Malibu. There, he said, he did a lot of mushrooms, made music about the lovers he’d had and the heartbreak they gave him, and fell so deep into Joni Mitchell’s back catalogue he occupied a “pretty big Joni hole”.  He became fascinated with Blue, her 1971 album and perhaps the greatest on love and loss ever made, and the use of the dulcimer, a little-known folk instrument that looks – and sounds – like a stretched-out guitar.

The obsession took Styles out, onto the sprawling Californian roads headed east, to Culver City, where he found Joellen Lapidus, the woman who has been making dulcimers for A-list musicians for more than 50 years.

“So one day I get a call, and I don’t know if the guy said his name was Harry, or if it was his buddy, but he said, ‘I am a Joni Mitchell fan and I researched and I found you and do you have any dulcimers for sale?’” Lapidus tells me down the phone line, the same one that Styles rang out of the blue. “And I said, ‘sure, come on over’.”

She didn’t know who Harry Styles was when he turned up, nor when he arrived on her doorstep. They just got down to dulcimer business. “I showed him all the instruments and we played music.” (Lapidus is keen to point out a factual error: “in that Rolling Stone article he said I pulled out a bongo but I’m actually a professional dumbek player, which is a Middle Eastern drum”).

Lapidus names each dulcimer. Since the Festival and the Princess, there have been butterflies, pelicans and jellyfish, each earning their moniker from the intricate decoration Lapidus builds into the instrument. Styles went home with one called the Crying Seahorse, which surprised her: “it had been my instrument for a long time; it was the last instrument I had built before I stopped, somewhere around 76-78. “It had a seahorse on the peghead with tears coming out the side, because at that time I’d had a very bad experience with unrequited love. It’s a beautiful instrument.”

Harry, she says, “thought it had a soulful history and he loved the sound”, and picked it up along with “a really old, simple dulcimer” which she describes as “kind of adorable” due to a repair job that left it looking like a tuxedo, and three others. Then, she says, “they went off and I never heard from them again.”

Months later, Styles is on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and Lapidus gets a call. “My friend Kevin Roth. He said: ‘You know Harry Styles? It says you met Harry Styles?’ I said, ‘Who’s Harry Styles?’” Roth sent Lapidus the link. “Oh, my goodness, what a trip? What fun, you know?” It’s the only time that Lapidus, who is in her mid-Seventies, sounds remotely grandmotherly: “It had just tickled me, that he had mentioned coming here and buying the instrument.”

In the weeks after I speak to Lapidus, I endeavour to get her through the impenetrable fortress of press and management that surrounds Styles. She is, somewhat understandably, curious about what he’s made with her instruments (“The article says that he plays the dulcimer on his album. I’m dying to hear it. Are you in contact with him at all? I’d love to get in contact with him, through his website or something”). At the time of writing, I’m still awaiting her verdict – the dulcimer-laden songs on Fine Line, after all, are strongly reminiscent of the music played at Big Sur Folk Festival in 1968, when all this began.

I wonder if she’s listening while in the workshop, where still still planes the wood for her dulcimers by hand. Styles, it seems, cleared out most of her stock.  

JELLYFISH OR MEDUSA?

I start from this meta of @sagestreet (X), but since I completely move away from his topic I quickly put my ideas here ... hey soon it's Christmas, who really has time to think about jellyfish?

However, when I think of the jellyfish in Sherlock, despite the visual stimulus (aquarium) and the suggestions (THOB), I can't help but think of Medusa in the first place.

Now who was this creature? She was a Gorgon, terrible creatures that petrified men at the mere glance. She was not alone but she had two sisters and they were daughters of Forco, who represented the dangers hidden in the depths of the sea. I would emphasize the concept of depth and sea / water. The dangers inherent in the depth of emotions, Sherrinford is also under the sea, one could easily think that it is about the depths of the human psyche.

And what are these monsters, these dangers, which are hidden so deeply? They are sexual perversion (Euryale), moral perversion (Steno) and intellectual perversion (Medusa).

And what was experienced as perverse in all respects, moral, sexual and intellectual, in the Victorian era? yes, homosexuality.

John and Sherlock tell us that a jellyfish/Medusa cannot be stopped and in the presence of jellyfish, this time, no one is petrified, instead the heteronormativity is killed.

A rebellion against the preconstituted, and it is not the first time that Medusa is used as a symbol of change, she was a symbol during the French Revolution, and Shelley dedicated a poem to her attacking the patriarchy that had made Medusa victim, monster and victim again. In fact, the myth tells that before she was a monster she was a beautiful girl that Poseidon fell in love with. He ended up raping her, unleashing Athena's anger who, instead of taking revenge on him, Poseidon, transformed the girl into a monster that Perseus ended up killing. Medusa therefore also became a symbol of the feminist movement of the 70s. A woman transformed into a monster by men who could not tolerate her being seductive. And the Moffits explicitly used feminism and the feminine as an allegory for homosexuality, just look at the multiple female mirrors, Eurus and the League of Furies. Homosexuality transformed into monstrous because it is scary. But at the end of Medusa's severed-headed story, Pegasus (practically a My Little Pony) and a giant with a .... long golden sword were born.

@possiblyimbiassed @gosherlocked @ebaeschnbliah @sagestreet @sarahthecoat