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littlehollyleaf · 9 months

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So are we talking about the Bible quote on the Gabriel!fly matchbox?

It's from Job - a nod to Crowley and Aziraphale's adventures with him no doubt

Specifically Job 41:19 "out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out"

So. Idk if this was once a common verse on matchboxes. I know there was a famous brand called LUCIFERS, as a play on the concept of 'light bringer' - cos matches bring light, yeah? Those had bible verses on I believe, but idk if it was this one. Even if not the same though, this Job verse does a similar thing to the Lucifer match brand - referencing sparks of fire cos that's what matches create (we're gonna circle back to this fyi, but there's other stuff first, hold on).

Now, obviously the box was used to contain the essence/identity of GABRIEL.

But it also acts as something of a visual representation of the very CONCEPT of an angel's essence/identity being something that can be removed and stored elsewhere. AND of the idea that the outside appearance of something (or someone) doesn't necessarily give an accurate/truthful indicator of what is inside - there are no matches in this matchbox, for instance.

The quote on the box also doesn't describe Gabriel. But that doesn't matter because, actually, Gabriel is never in the box is he? He takes the fly out before transferring his essence into it.

So. We have an empty box, representing the idea of angel essence/identity as removable from its... casing/packaging.

And this empty box describes something (someone?) from whom sparks of fire leap from.

If you look up the whole of Job 41, it turns out it's god describing what's referred to as a LEVIATHAN to Job.

Apparently there's speculation this refers to a crocodile. But a quick Google tells me various Bible annotations describe the creature as a GIANT SERPENT.

...a giant serpent

from whom fire leaps

and whose 'eyes are like the eyelids of the morning'

Hmm.

But the box is empty - the essence/identity/truth of this creature/being/person the outside is describing is not where the packaging suggests it should be.

...perhaps because, as with Gabriel, the essence/identity/truth of said creature has also been removed and stored somewhere else?

OR is it less literal than that? More of a metaphorical suggestion that the creature/angel/being Crowley is labelled as has never truly been HIM? The box is empty because who Crowley is does not fit in a box - he has, in fact, spent much of his existence trying to ESCAPE being put in a box, being labelled, ESPECIALLY by god/Heaven.

So, this little box has started to represent quite a lot now I think. The idea of angel essence/identity, but also maybe just identity in general? The idea of someone's identity not always matching their physical appearance. The idea of someone's identity being defined/limited by the descriptions/opinions/words of others. The idea of wanting and trying to escape the confines of an inaccurate and forced identity (give me coffee liberty or give me death).

Then, if that wasn't enough, on top of that we have that little added extra of matchboxes with bible verses infamously being known as Lucifers... (said I'd circle back!). Not as important as the rest I feel. BUT - if anyone wanted a little extra fuel for the 'Crowley as Lucifer' theory, this could fit... in a deeply symbolic, close reading, metafictional way?

In any case, what I'm getting at here is this box as reflecting the forced identities that Heaven/God persistently try to trap angels (and anyone really) into. And how it is possible to remove yourself from said box.

...am I taking this too far? Haven't tried any full on media analysis in such a long time...

This is the whole of Job 41 for reference (think there may be more in it relating to Crowley, and perhaps Aziraphale and their relationship too, plus GO!Heaven, that I'm overlooking):

Job.41

[1] Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?

[2] Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

[3] Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?

[4] Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?

[5] Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

[6] Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?

[7] Canst thou fill his skin with barbed iron? or his head with fish spears?

[8] Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

[9] Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

[10] None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?

[11] Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

[12] I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.

[13] Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?

[14] Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.

[15] His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

[16] One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

[17] They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

[18] By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

[19] Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

[20] Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

[21] His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

[22] In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.

[23] The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.

[24] His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

[25] When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.

[26] The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.

[27] He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.

[28] The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.

[29] Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.

[30] Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

[31] He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

[32] He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

[33] Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

[34] He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

#i like to over analyse #good omens meta #good omens 2 #good omens cinematic storytelling #character study: crowley #heaven is a dystopia #you need to stop playing

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voxiiferous · 10 months

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🌊🌊🌊

Send me a “🌊” and I’ll put my muses playlist on shuffle and do a deep dive on why I like that song for them. | @nebula-gaster

Right then! I haven't done anything like this since last semester, and even then analyzing poetry in general is not quite the same as music to a character, but same basic concept, but no one's marking me on this, and I don't need MLA so this is automatically better!

In This Scene You're Just An Extra - Search the City

So unlike some some on Vox' playlist, the music, sound wise, doesn't fit him the best. It's neither vintage nor hyper-modern synths and processed beyond belied. But lyrically-- starting with verse 1. you get this glimpse into what's going on in his mind. Line 1, "The hard times are getting harder" is so good for where he is at this point in his life. His relationship is falling apart, and he's not happy. He is actively depressed, but in the same way that the line doesn't directly say that, neither has he. Things are bad, but he's in Hell, the hard times are a given, but they have recently gotten worse.

And then you have, skipping line two:

You wonder, would it kill me to call? I've already made you too many promises I never meant to keep But that's just a side of me I wish you never had to see

The entire song, at this point, reads like a conversation to someone, and while that is presumably the singers (former) romantic partner, they remain nameless. For Vox, the same can be said. He is talking, always talking, but he never says anything. He tells Val whatever he wants to hear to preserve their relationship, a concept that gets repeated twice in the chorus refrains, through the direct use of "'cause you've made a liar out of me". In addition to Val, he lies to himself, and the song could be something where the nameless audience is not, in fact, another person at all.

Vox uses his own persona as a shield, to make sure no one ever gets close enough, or the side of him he wishes no one would ever see. He's the Overlord, he's on top of the world, whether or not that's true.

Now into the pre-chorus, it's only two lines, "I took a shot in the dark, but I came up short / And I swear to God this time it's gonna hurt", which can sort of be split into two major parts of his life. The first line is his death, it's the attempt to blackmail, quite literally a deal made in the dark, and it gets him killed, he comes up short. The second half, you get something you see in his mind repeatedly. There is a promise to that higher figure, which, whether or not he believes in God, is sort of resigned and accepting, this isn't a shocking turn of events. And then his screen is broken again and the whole thing starts all over again.

I'm going to skip over the chorus mostly, straight to verse two, which is the real part that cinches this song for Vox. The first two lines, "I watch my shadow stretch from my feet / Like the way we stretch the truth" is a fun motif for the man, who isn't just in media, but is media. He no longer recognizes his shadow in the same way. The shadow here, is disconnected from the natural process of light and shade, like it has a mind of its own, and its drawing away from Vox. Who he was as a human, and what he is now are increasingly distinct creatures who are harder to reconcile with one another. And then for the lies, or the stretched truth, then that follows the same path as the shadow. As he stretches, so too does what he say. That could be the personal things he says, or posts online, but it's also the media he shows. Everything gets cherrypciked to make make a good story, nothing can be fully genuine.

The song is an admission of falsehood, not itself, of what the singer really wants. The brideg outright states this, "This isn't my confession But I'm coming clean I knew it was just a matter of time before this all would catch up with me" The singer knows that he hasn't admitted to anything, but that what has been said and the consequences are no longer a far off thing. The closest thing you get to that is the second half of verse 2.

I wish I could play the victim for you I just needed room to breathe My world collapsed on me And I miss screaming off rooftops in New York City

the implication is that there was never enough time to just stop and consider what's happened and the choices he is making. In Vox's case, this is the cross-over between death and where he is now. In life, aside from actually being from New York, he had an outlet: he danced, he read, he was, until the end, fairly happy, he knew where he stood in the world. And then he was dead, and within a month he was Overlord, and whatever outlets he had got packed away, and never returned to or replaced with something. There was no time to breathe, and in his relationship, he can't play victim, he won't accept he is one, so you're just left with this cyclical habit.

The specification of "I miss screaming off rooftops in New York City" implies that the singer is no longer in New York, and that it was that geographically separation that plays a role, which also stands true here.

Even in the 'confessional' song, very little gets confessed, and while the singer states how a liar has been made of him, there's no indication that he has taken steps to move beyond that, to something more truthful either. This period of truthfulness and ability to decompress is in the past, and the present is something that will hurt.

Next two are under the cut.

American Idiot (1940s wartime cover) - Robyn Adele Anderson

The fact that it's a cover is actually important here, because the sound is super relevant. The original song, by Green Day, was intended as a commentary of the US following 9/11, and it has that evident in the sound, it's the rock-emo genre, and it sounds it. The musicians are unhappy, and it's they're calling out the system from outside the conformity.

The cover however, is set composed as a 1940s jazz tune. This is important for two reasons: the first is that it's contemporary to Vox. He was alive during this point of history, he danced to this, this is the music that characterized him. The second fact is that while the original version of the song feels angry, this one doesn't, it sounds bouncy and happy, very 1940s and 50s conformity-- something that characterizes the post-war period, and something that the Beats, probably the most well known counter-cultural move of the times, was raging against.

For Vox, the disconnect is vital. He was the voice on the TV, he said what the government and the network wanted him to say, on the surface, he conforms to what is mainstream, it's only when you actually look beneath surface appearances that you see the truth of it.

Moving into the lyrics themselves, buckle in, this might be a long one.

Jumping into the first verse, the second line is "Don't want a nation under the new media", and for Vox, at the time, this new medium would have been television. It hadn't yet made the swap from old to new, and radio was still more popular, but it was starting to go that way. The war was over, television was starting to unite the country as America, because TV was really important in creating that sense of national unity, because it was broadcast all over, and in tandem.

The next line is "And can you hear the sound of hysteria?"-- sure, world war two is over, but it goes from that into the Cold War, and specifically McCarthyism. If in 2004, when the song was originally released, this would have been more aimed at the widespread fear of Islam and the War on Terror, here it would be the communists... and also the gays. Everyone could be a communist, and gays were reportedly especially susceptible to be taken in by it-- more information on that can be found if you research the Lavender Scare.

The chorus kicks off with "Welcome to a new kind of tension", and that's accurate for the 1950s! Sure, the threat of fascism had been defeated, but now there was a new threat, and the fear of nuclear annihilation. The Atom Age was two-fold in that it both felt like a new start, anything and everything was possible, America was at it's best in the, 'good old days', but also that it is undercut by this sense of fear and paranoia and things nobody talked about, like the rampant drug problems among housewives.

The line "All across the alienation" is interesting because when listened to, it could be that or "alien nation", both of which continue to work. Vox felt alienated from the people around him, very aware that if anyone were to find out he were gay, there could be major consequences, and then later on, it was the effects of that, like the lack of wife, that denied him his promotion because he didn't fit the image of a unified, conformist America. And in terms of the idea of "alien nation", it's both the fact that America isn't composed entirely of the middle-upper class straight white people that the image likes to appeal to. A not insignificant of people born there would be aliens to the mainstream, and for any immigrants that would only be more obvious. To them, the world is one "Where everything isn't meant to be okay".

Continuing with that point, you have "In television dreams of tomorrow", which for the man in the television, he is both the person helping shape the American public, but also it is the television that is directly his future, and why he does what he does. There is, to him, no where else to go. You get the sense in the Buggles Song of how the age of video made radio obsolete, and what you get here is sort of the start to that. TV isn't yet the big thing it will become, but society can see where it is starting to go that way.

At the same time, going back to the point before last, , those people whoa are alienated from the mainstream, are "not the ones who're meant to follow", because it is not aimed at them, and yet, they are expected to try and assimilate and blend in with the idea of the white picket fences. Vox, despite being the person on screen, identifies more with this, though he very much exists on that line, in which of he were to be himself, there would be immense consequences, but nor does he disregard who he is entirely in favour of what the world wants from him.

The cover replaces the original line with "Oh, maybe I'm the outcast America" which I like, because it's both more inclusive and there were oh so many people that the time was less than approving of, but also because outcast can both be the state of being, and the action, and the use of 'maybe', is so accurate for Vox, in which yes, he does identify with the plight, but he's not open. He makes the choice to hide who he is, and to follow the line, so he is Schrodinger's outcast, always on the edge of toppling.

There is a bitterness inherent in the last two lines, which are "Now everybody, do the propaganda / And sing along to the age of paranoia". This ties together the song's themes of the new media as something all consuming and controlling, and the themes of conformity, but with the awareness that what is being said is not true. People associate propaganda with either things from other, enemy countries that people are fools for falling for, or the sort of patriotic "join the war effort" posters you saw a lot of. It's both calling on the public audience to follow and obey, but also to question.

The bridge continues this

Don't wanna be an American idiot One nation controlled by the media Information age of hysteria It's calling out to idiot America

While it still works for Vox while he was alive, I almost like it more with how it transitions to him in death. He peddles in information-- have you searched for something on Voogle, have you said anything at all? He's captured to monetize it-- and in Hell, Pentagram City is getting counted as "one nation" which is however many countries and industries Vox may control, it all comes back to the TV, and to what is seen on screen. In comparison to the rest of the song, the singer says how they "Don't wanna be an American idiot", and for Vox, he isn't. He is the man in his high tower, selling everything to anyone willing to buy, he capitalizes on "calling out to idiot America", and is no longer part of the outcasts, but placed himself above it.

The final line of the song, and the chorus is "For that's enough to argue", which feels almost unfinished, the story continues, the media doesn't die. For Vox, if he argued or showed signs of dissent in life, he would have jeopardized his position and now, in death, he has become the very thing thing that is controlling the media, rather than just a mouthpiece for it.

Gasoline - Halsey

The joy of shuffle is that it means you can go straight from the treatise on the on the 1940s and 50s conformity to the exact other end of the spectrum, back to the internal and personal.

The sound of this one is much more in line with current, modern Vox. It has a processed, almost mechanical sound to it, especially during the chorus, where there is an almost static sound underlaying it. There are no incredible high or low notes, but within a neat letterboxed area, almost... mechanical. Now to the lyrics!

Are you insane like me? Been in pain like me? Bought a hundred dollar bottle of champagne like me? Just to pour that motherfucker down the drain like me? Would you use your water bill to dry the stain like me?

Here, we see the waste of wealth-- these actions are not happy, but nor are they defined by a sense of tragic consequence. Vox has likely done this exact thing if he bought something for Val, and then they break up before it gets used. He can't eat, and yet he has food, he keeps people fed because it keeps them quiet long enough to listen to him, and he's not afraid of what price that takes.

In the second half of verse one, you get the line "do you tear yourself to entertain like me?" And for Vox this encapsulates a lot of how he feels as Overlord. He posts his broken screen on Voxtagram in order to control the narrative and make sure that Val can't. He hooked himself into the power grid, and is the face on every product. Nothing is honest, nothing is true, it's all airbrushed and tightly controlled, and you see that in his personal life. There are no hobbies, there is nothing personal in his house, it's just a blank slate. He is whatever he needs to be to protect his reputation and his empire, himself be damned. He has made his life into a performance as much as he himself is.

The last two lines, "Do the people whisper 'bout you on the train like me? / Saying that "you shouldn't waste your pretty face" like me?", cover a lot of why he lost those hobbies he held so dearly onto in life. No one wants to dance with the media overlord-- his fights with Alastor don't count. He doesn't deal directly with any hires until they reach the level below executive because only then do they tend to be disillusioned enough to speak to him like a person, rather than a star or a monster. Some of them, like Hellaina, are more likely to call him an idiot to his face.

Vox is interesting, because he fits into the interesting question of how human he is now. The other sinners can eat and drink, just like anyone else. He can't. He doesn't breathe, he doesn't eat, he can't cry. Everything is a 2d approximation created by wires and steel. Some people take to their demonic forms easily, and some prefer them to what they had in life, Vox has a lot fo baggage with his, not limited to how inhuman it is. The chorus,

And all the people say "You can't wake up, this is not a dream You're part of a machine, you are not a human being With your face all made up, living on a screen Low on self-esteem, so you run on gasoline"

is fun because in his dreams, he is either in neon and behind the camera, working even when he's not awake, or black and white, where he's still human. Someone like Adelard barely remembers what he should have looked like, but for Vox, he is so indelibly tied to his own appearance: in life he taught himself how to seem charming and at ease in his own skin, and he could never outrun his face on screen, always scrutinizing every smile and step. In Hell, he has no face, only the projection of one, he is quite literally, "living on a screen". He could turn the display off, but he doesn't like to do that because it feels like his only way to really express himself. He can control each stray grimace, and stray spike in brightness.

Beyond that, while he's an egotist, a lot of that comes from position. As previously mentioned, he wired himself into his empire, which gives him a major power boost, but it also is another step away from humanity. Like in life, he straddles a line between two opposites, except here it's organic and inorganic. He still needs sleep, he still gets caught up in his own thoughts, and it makes him alien to a machine, too human, but not human enough to be that either. He runs on power and electricity, swapping out his screen when it gets broken to make sure no one every looks at him and think 'weakness'.

The post-chorus section, is where the singer talks about this contradiction, saying "I think there's a flaw in my code", which in this case, would be those more human aspects, like hopes and dreams and love that a true machine would not have, and yet, cannot be shaken either.

Like in the first song, with how he had no chance to breath, here the singer says how "These voices won't leave me alone", and for Vox, these take several forms: they are internal, things he tells himself, but also the court of public opinion, his fans, his detractors, the nameless people who leave comments on Voxtagram. And then there's the constant demand: release a new product, we want this, we want that, this choice was wrong, this choice was right. He can't win, and he can't please everyone. What he thought was boredom in the 1990s, and has perhaps developed into proper burnout. "Well my heart is gold and my hands are cold", he has the right intentions, but he's tired. His hands are cold, he's inhuman, he's trying to appeal to whatever has the largest market whether or not he can partake.

The last actual verse, not counting the choral repetition, is as follows:

Are you deranged like me? Are you strange like me? Lighting matches just to swallow up the flame like me? Do you call yourself a fucking hurricane like me? Pointing fingers 'cause you'll never take the blame like me?

While not nearly as fitting as some of the other verses in the song, remains true. Vox plays with the electricity he has access to for show, for intimidation, to impress. He's "Lighting matches just to swallow up the flame like me?", and electricity after all, has been referred to as cold fire. It goes through him, as much a part of the circuit, and he often times, makes conscious effort to keep it contained. He leans into the persona, and he leans into the glory of being an Overlord, and to work, to his rivalry with Alastor, because he's never just going to exist peacefully. The things he doesn't want to think about get put in the mental shelf of "I'll come back to this", and he never has, so it collects dust.

Vogitek keeps getting bigger, he gets more powerful, none of this is making him happy, he continues to live on this line of monstrosity because there is no where else for him to be in Hell.

#*personnel file (hc)#*cathode rays and rock and roll (vincent price)#*soundtrack (music)#nebulagaster #nebula gaster

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saltnhalo · 4 years

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Song prompt, "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles. Esp the first verse: "Something always brings me back to you/It never takes too long/No matter what I say or do/I'll still feel you here 'till the moment I'm gone" Congrats on your followers! Very well-deserved, Emma!

When Castiel wakes, it’s with a pounding head and memories that he can’t quite grasp, barely slipping through his fingers every time he tries to focus.

The motel room is poorly decorated but clean, totally uniform in the way that most motel rooms are. He could be anywhere—and he has no idea how he got here.

But there’s something that seizes his attention, not in his head but in his heart. A feeling that hooks behind his sternum and guides him forward, telling him:

There’s something you’re missing.

It would be easy to stay here. To forget whatever life that feels like it’s been locked away, and start fresh.

But while there’s lots that Castiel has forgotten, somewhere deep down, he knows himself.

He will never choose the easy path.

He sets out with an old map taken from the display rack of the motel, and that feeling in his heart that urges him onwards, outwards.

The bus routes are a confusing mess that he can’t quite make sense of. It would be easy to attempt to apply logic to his choice—is the place he’s trying to get to nearby? Are there any clues to suggest what it could be?

But he doesn’t.

Instead, he stands and waits, letting bus after bus arrive and depart, people flowing around him like water and he the unmoving rock.

When his bus arrives, once again, he just knows.

And he gets on.

The town he stops in is smaller. None of the buses feel right, so he starts to walk.

Rationally, he knows that he should be needing to eat, or to sleep, or to do any number of the myriad things that he sees people around him doing. But he doesn’t. He just keeps walking, keeps following that pull.

A few cars stop alongside him, on the shoulder of the road. They ask him who he is, and where he’s going, and would he like a ride?

Castiel doesn’t really know the answer to the first two, and the third never feels right. He shakes his head, and they drive away, every time. Until one car stops, and the feeling in his chest changes.

When the man asks him who he is and where he’s going, Castiel still says he doesn’t know. But this time, when he’s offered a lift, he says yes.

They drive west for a long time, making small talk occasionally but mostly just listening to the music that plays through the car’s stereo. The man stops in a place called Kansas City, and Castiel wishes that this was his destination, too.

But it isn’t.

And so he says thank you and farewell to the man, and then continues onwards.

Another bus, this time taking him from Kansas City to Salina, and then from Salina to Belleville. He’s close, so close he can taste it. What is it that he’s been searching for, all this time? Is it the key to unlocking his memories, his identity?

Whatever it is, he hopes it’s worth it.

From Belleville, he accepts an offer of a ride with someone going west. The feeling in his chest is growing now, filling him to bursting as he stares anxiously out the window, until—

“Stop! Stop, stop here, please.”

The lady he’s riding with gives him on odd look but pulls over, and Castiel thanks her as he clambers out of the car.

Lebanon.

He’s lost track of how much time he’s spent getting here, but it feels right. It’s not quite where he’s supposed to be, but he’s so close now. It can only be a matter of miles.

And so, once again, he follows that hook behind his sternum, tugging him in the direction he’s destined to go, and he walks.

His feet lead him to a bunker—old, looming, moderately overgrown and with not a living creature in sight.

Is this where he’s meant to be? His heart is pounding against his ribs now, but he’s still not sure. What could this building possibly hold for him that is so important that he’s been led halfway across the country to find it?

It’s time to find out.

Castiel waits for a long minute after he’s knocked—until he hears the sound of a deadbolt drawing back, and the door swings open with a heavy rasp of metal.

In front of him stands a man, dressed in pajamas and an open bathrobe, hair sticking up and green eyes rimmed with red. The man’s eyes widen when he sees Castiel, his mouth falling open.

The frantic beating in Castiel’s chest, the impulsion urging him on, it’s all gone quiet.

“Cas,” the man whispers—a single, broken sound—and everything falls into place.

#dean winchester #castiel #destiel #profoundnet #spncreatorsdaily #wanderingcas #amnesia #emma's writing #fic #spn #first fic of the new year!#deancas

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okamirayne · 3 years

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Hi Rayne!! Just finished (yet another) re-read of BtB, and I don't think I've cried this hard in a long, long time - it was very cathartic. But, feels aside, I was wondering if you could tell us a bit more about Karibi? She's fascinating and I'm just dying to know more! (Sorry if this has been asked before!!)

Hi there, my lovely Anon!

Apologies for the delayed response. Aw, luv. Always so, so chuffed to learn someone has revisited the series and even more touched to know it hits you in the feels <3.

But, feels aside, I was wondering if you could tell us a bit more about Karibi? She's fascinating and I'm just dying to know more! (Sorry if this has been asked before!!)

Karibi! <3 Firstly, no, this hasn’t been asked before, so imagine my excitement regarding an OC ASK -- can you picture it? TREBLE IT. XD

Another dear Anon asked about Naoki in a previous ASK and I thank you for your expressed interest in Karibi! It’s a funny one because I have two Karibi OCs -- the edited version I inserted into BtB and the original, original version. Given that we’re talking about BtB Karibi...let me rewire my character brain a moment and firmly draw a line or two...or twelve....

Right! A Third War orphan, Karibi grew up in the orphanage outside of Konoha and proved to be quite a handful over the years given her feisty nature, constant escape-attempts, insistence on dressing and behaving like a boy (for which she earned consistent bullying and beatings), and her rough-housing free-for-all scraps with other kids -- as well as her routine habit of stealing food from the kitchens to give to a stray dog who constantly hung around the outskirts of the orphanage. It was easier for her to attach herself this dog than other kids who came and went, just like the voluntary care-givers. Her mischief-making, stealthy tactics, “never stay down” stubbornness and streetwise attitude soon caught the attention of a retired Konoha ANBU veteran (a patron of the orphanage) who interrupted a violent fight between Karibi and a group of local boys who’d stoned the dog to death. Observing how fiercely she fought (always getting up when knocked down) despite being outnumbered and beaten, the ANBU veteran recognized her potential, promptly adopted her, and trained her in ninjutsu, genjutsu and chakra control.

Their relationship was close, until it wasn’t.

Advancing quickly through the academy and ranks – winning zero friends along the way – she was soon put forward for ANBU by her adopted father, who immediately cut his ties to her, damaging an already tentative trust. Intended as a solo agent, she was immediately assigned to a 3-team ANBU unit named Team Yokai consisting of herself, Genma, and Naoki (Captain).

Enter in, bonding.

It was here, after a lot of boundary testing and testosterone busting, that she finally formed some hard-won emotional attachments after beating Genma and Naoki bloody in taijutsu combat – taunting them constantly to get up (“seven times down, eight times up”). While she was promptly one-upped by both in ninjutsu, her genjutsu prowess brought her right back onto an even keel with them both. Perfectly balanced, respect began to form between them – then friendship – which later led to a lover’s trine between the three of them. This was intense but short-lived; Karibi soon recognised that though she loved them both, she preferred women and also realised Genma and Naoki’s feelings for each other went a hell of a lot deeper than ‘close friends with benefits’. She knew they’d fallen for each other before either admitted it to themselves, let alone each other.

The three of them were inseparably close.

They were more than her friends or comrades – they were her family.

They kept each other going.

Karibi allowed Naoki to establish a permanent telepathic link with her whereas Genma only allowed it during missions and in the bedroom. Karibi kept her mind open to Naoki always, though he never intruded until years later after being listed as Killed In Action.

His death blew a hole in their world.

Their team was dismantled.

They would not accept another Captain.

To make matters worse, due to the unbroken telepathic link and the resulting ghost of Naoki’s presence in her head, Karibi never truly believed Naoki had died and her adamant ‘denial’ of this ‘fact’ created a heart-breaking rift between her and Genma.

This rift between them grew darker and wider as Genma turned to solo deep-cover missions and Karibi turned to drink when she wasn’t neck-deep in assassinations and a failed “could’ve been” relationship. And then one day the edge of all the smashed glass bottles in her life looked very, very tempting.

Genma found her, just in time – the first time at least.

Treated and cleared of suicide risk, Karibi was soon diagnosed as schizophrenic given the “voice” of her dead Captain in her head and this threatened her position in the ANBU – but her brokenness caught Danzō’s interest.

After a failed attempt to recover her relationship with her civilian lover and unable to mend the rift between herself and Genma, she signed on for a ROOT initiation mission – which sadly finished what she’d started with the bottle – though it was an impulsive and sudden decision rather than a deeply pre-meditated one. She disobeyed orders when sent into a child-trafficking operation being run out of an orphanage. This was a trigger for her. Rather than complete the ROOT mission of kidnapping a couple of kids for ROOT grooming, she murdered her ROOT partner and slaughtered the “nuns” who were supposed to be taking care of the children rather than indenturing them into the sex-trade to raise funds. When the ninja traffickers showed up, she lit the building on fire, and while the children escaped she made damned sure not one “piece of trash” running the trafficking ring got out alive.

She went down fighting in flames.

Her death was the final crippling blow to Genma. He went to Mizugumo immediately after that. Then he went to his own personal hell before Kakashi met him there in ANBU’s gutter and helped drag him out of it years later, saving him from the same fate as Karibi when he almost identically mirrored the blaze of glory tragedy with his suicide attempt in Tanzaku years later.

Random Trivia:

Karibi loved dogs and often kept an eye out for Inuzuka women looking for a bit of rough and tumble.

She dealt with a lot of possessive shit from Naoki. He was very possessive of his family/lovers and was only just about able to accept Karibi being intimate with others, even after he’d stopped sleeping with her. Genma always joked that Naoki only accepted her activities because her preference was for women, not men.

Karibi, like Naoki, felt strongly about the abuse of children, given certain illicit incidents she’d witnessed at the orphanage -- she and Genma understood Naoki’s childhood trauma and were the only ones who could handle him when he flew into a rare rage

Her favourite catchphrase was “seven times down, eight times up” (“Nana korobi, ya oki” which means “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” It means choosing to never give up hope, and to always strive for more.)

While her ANBU step-parent/mentor abandoned her in the end, she retained the green knit scarf he gifted her (the only gift she’d ever received from him other than her training and removal from the orphanage)

She began to fall for a civilian woman -- the scariest thing for her, other than losing her teammates.

Karibi’s top value was “resilience” and never giving up – which made her suicide attempt so painful for Genma to accept

She turned to Naoki for help retrieving memories about her parents – this enabled him to perfect his own kinjutsu to reverse memory erasure

She had a plethora of ear piercings and a tattoo Naoki inked on her hip

She loved various green teas

She had a crush on Kurenai – round about the same time Genma did, which made for an interesting competition between them….and a somewhat unfair irritation towards Asuma.

She was a bit of magpie in the ANBU and stole items on missions, donating them privately to the orphanage

She loved berry-picking and was very well-versed with poisons

Genma gave her chickenpox and she gave him hell for it

She almost managed to shove a spinning top up Genma’s ass – almost.

Genma accidentally broke her baby finger playing “thumb wars” and it never set properly on the joint, causing her to have a crooked little finger

Most of her illusion/genjutsu techniques focus around folklore creatures and light, which came in handy on missions dealing with highly suspicious village folk

Her dream goal was to one day be Goei Shotai to a female Hokage – a dream Genma later lived out for her when Tsunade came into power

Naoki was with her telepahtically when she died, as Genma was with Naoki when he died -- in that way, Karibi was not as alone in death as Genma always feared.

Wow, that was LONG. Sorry, Anon! I absolutely love character-writing and development....I get carried away even if most of their story never makes it into the actual written piece. Thank you for asking about Karibi, I hope this insight gives you some answers! <3

#OC asks #Karibi #BtB OCs #BtB series #BtB Asks #BtB Ask #Genma #Naoki #Team Yokai #break to breathe by okami rayne #btb series #break to breathe #okami rayne #okamirayne #okami-rayne

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