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#did it give him the visions... or are those just some elemental spirit given stuff
kleinstar · 1 month
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im here to do replies but also screaming bc MAINSTORY UPDATE TOMORROW!!!
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felassan · 3 years
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hey hey, just giving you this question because you are big lore nerd and I'm analysing this by myself (and eventually doing a post)... did you check out the Chant of Light, Drakon's prophecy for the future? Exaltations canticle? I read it last night and I was surprised. It can be added to Sandal's prophecy in da2 as well.... maybe you talked about this before? would you mind to point me your post in that case? I love your analysis
Hello! Ahh thankyouu 😊 (Please tag me in or drop me a link to your post because I’d be interested to read it!) The rest of this post is under a cut due to length.
Sandal’s prophecy is an interesting one as we recently learned this tidbit about it and things like it in one of the David Gaider dev commentary streams:
DG said Eleni Zinovia’s prophecy doesn’t refer to Fen’Harel. He can’t remember who wrote it in there or what it refers to actually. It was most likely just intended as flavor and he was even a bit surprised by it, like “What is this?” There’s a lot of things like that in the games, not everything has a ~grand meaning~. Sometimes such small off-hand things are picked up on by fans and the writers then make it into something bigger and more meaningful after the fact. This is what happened with Sandal (all the fans being like “Ooh, what does it mean, what does it mean?” about him). It’s possible Eleni will be picked up on like that in the future, but at the time it didn’t mean anything really. A lot of the way these stories are put together is that they put a lot of questions into the world, scattering possible/potential plothooks, and they don’t necessarily know where they lead at the time, but in future games they could come back to them and come up with an interesting backstory. Sometimes they pick it up and sometimes it never gets answered or ever mentioned again (the Wardens taking some of the blood from those who didn’t survive their particular bout of Joinings and putting it in a vial to remember them is an example of one of these things). It’s pretty rare that you’d get a situation where something is mapped out from beginning to end. Sometimes we the players get a revelation as we play and we’re like “Omg!! This is all connected! They are masters!” and the writers are like “Yes, toootally… It was that way alllllll along. It certainly did NOT get decided three quarters of the way through development…” [source]
I don’t think I’ve made a post about Kordillus Drakon’s vision of the Maker’s return or on the Canticle of Exaltations. I’d be really interested to see some of his prior drafts and compare the things he changed during the rewriting process.. Anyway here’s some assorted thoughts on the Canticle, albeit disjointed and not conclusive:
Parallels - Andraste’s vision of the Maker, Kordillus’ vision of the future 
You can read Kordillus’ vision as a genuine vision of actual-Andraste, a figment of his imagination or a delusion born from religious fervor, something he’s making up (he was a fervent believer, it’s just that it’s also the case that sometimes religion is misused for power or empire), or a legit encounter that he had with a non-Andraste entity that was taking the form of Andraste or whom he had interpreted as Andraste (see the Inquisitor’s encounter with the spirit so-called ‘Divine Justinia’). Is it maybe spirit possession? “I accept the gift”, “let me be the vessel”
“the vessel” - vessels are a repeating motif in the lore: Wynne as the Vessel of her spirit of Faith, Calpernia and Samson seeking to be the Vessel of the Well’s power and Morrigan or the Inquisitor becoming such, fan theory that Sera is the vessel of Andruil (which I don’t subscribe to but it comes to mind), Flemeth as the vessel of Mythal, darkspawn as empty soulless vessels whereas Wardens are not, shells of flesh and souls, the soulless Titans’ workers (dwarves), possession, etc.
“The air itself rent asunder” can easily be read as referring to the Breach in DAI and/or the upcoming intended destruction/removal of the Veil. As you say this entire verse is similar to Sandal’s “shadows will part and the skies will open wide”. Shadows parting, spilling light. There are elements here that you could link to Eleni Zinovia’s words or the words of the Ardent Blossom Faerie (whether this was intentional on the writers’ parts or no at the time when they were written is a separate subject)
The “Waters of the Fade” line is important given the similar references elsewhere in the Chant - “Here lies the abyss, the well of all souls. From these emerald waters doth life begin anew”, “From the waters of the Fade you made the world. As the Fade had been fluid, so was the world fixed.” Reference to the fluidity of the Fade vs the mundane realm as static and way less malleable. “Realm of Opposition”, the idea of the 2 opposing realms, also sticks out to me as I’ve talked before about the contrast in the metaphysical opposing elements:
In a kind of metaphysical way, the dwarves are emblematic of the mundane sphere. Not “mundane” as in normal/boring, but in terms of reinforced reality vs reality as mutable, earth and sky, underground vs land, Children of the Stone vs Birds of Fancy, magic resistance vs inherent magical quality, tradition vs change, Titan progenitors vs origins in the Fade prior to taking physical form slash being spirit-y or spirit adjacent. It’s all very thematic, especially when you consider that dwarves do not dream compared to how elves are (or rather, are supposed to be) innately tied to the Fade. and at the moment, modern Thedas is unbalanced 
I guess you could plot the races on a line from most Fadey/sky-like (very scientific I know) to least: spirits - elves - humans - Qunari - dwarves. note this isn’t a “who is most alive”, thing, it’s just a spectrum between 2 different but equally Alive ways of being. [source]
“The Realm of Opposition” is the post-Veil waking world. Obviously the “Realm of Dreams” is the Fade.
The waters stuff also reminds me of the Well of Sorrows (Andraste is the Lady of Sorrows) and how Mythal walked out of the sea of the Earth’s tears.
(Is anyone else reminded of the Eye of Sauron at this point in the Canticle btw? 😁)
Is it even Andraste he’s seeing? No way of knowing if it is, or was Mythal with a staff in hand, given their similar headpieces, for instance. And certainly a maker has returned to the world since Kordillus wrote this stuff down, just not The Maker - the maker or creator of the Veil, Solas.
Are the “men of stone” dwarves, golems (probably not) or Titans? “Sleepers waking at the dawn” immediately makes me think of how dwarves don’t dream. That whole verse makes me think of the Titans waking up and destroying the world via earthquakes or something in order for it to be made anew. This makes me 👀 given Descent and upcoming Titan plotbeats. Seventy time seven stuff is a reference in the Bible irl iirc.
And I heard from the East a great cry As men who were beasts warred with their brothers, Tooth and claw against blade and bow, Until one could no longer be told from the other, And cursed them and cursed their generations.
East of Orlais is Ferelden. This verse makes me think of Fereldans and their troubles with werewolves throughout their history and in their recent present, werewolves who were once human (or elven, depending) like them. Zathrian’s curse lasted for generations even. Interesting given werewolves resurfacing again in TN. The other thing that comes to mind here is that the Executors supposedly dwell across the eastern ocean.
And those who slept, the ancient ones, awoke, For their dreams had been devoured By a demon that prowled the Fade As a wolf hunts a herd of deer. Taking first the weakest and frailest of hopes, And when there was nothing left, Destroying the bright and bold By subtlety and ambush and cruel arts
Dwarves getting dreams (“Mythal gives you dreams”) or regaining their connection to the Titans (see Valta), the Titans awakening again, remaining slumbering Old Gods waking, imprisoned sleeping Evanuris waking, or the few remaining ancient elves in secret enclaves waking from uthernera (Abelas and co and ones like them, that Solas makes reference to)...? The wolf-like demon that devours dreams and prowls the Fade is an allusion (not from Kordillus, but the writers) to the Dalish belief that Fen’Harel is He Who Hunts Alone, Roamer of the Beyond. The wolf metaphor in Kordillus’ vision points to someone who is smart, clever, strategic, cunning, someone who goes about things in a subterfuge-y and plotting-/scheming-type way. It almost reads like the Evanuris’ anti-Solas “Dread Wolf Bad” propaganda, of which we encounter some of during Trespasser. The Fade-prowling demon that devours dreams also reminds me of the Nightmare in DAI.
The number nine, like the number seven, in this setting always makes me like.. [alarmed vibrating]. There are nine Creator-figures, including Ghilan’nain and Fen’Harel. “The mortal dust of Our Lady” could refer to the Urn of Sacred Ashes, thus the “sacred mountain” would be the mountain in the Frostbacks at Haven which contained the remains of the ruined Temple of Andraste, the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Obviously this area in DAI was the site of the Breach and in DAI Corypheus lifts (ascends) it into the sky for a bit. There’s even a reference here to passing through the fire, calling to mind that part of the Gauntlet in DAO. The mountain stuff here also reminds me of The Ptarmigan: An Avvar Tale:
Korth the Mountain-Father kept his throne at the peak of Belenas, the mountain that lies at the center of the world, from which he could see all the corners of earth and sky.
Belenas, Belenas... a mountain at the center of the world, and the reference to earth and sky (Realm of Opposition and the Realm of Dreams). It’s especially notable when you consider the Lady of the Skies, Tyrdda’s leaf-eared lover, Korth’s mountain-y-ness (Titan?) and the stuff about his heart (the Evanuris mined the bodies of Titans for lyrium and “something else”, which we suspect are their hearts). This part “And he saw strong men become weak, brave men grow cowardly, and wise men turn foolish for love” reminds me of the Canticle verse above which referred to men warring with their brothers. And in elven language “Bel” is part of bellanaris, eternity (this Canticle ends with a reference to eternal life). Belenas, bellanaris.
And I looked up and saw The seven gates of the Black City shatter, And darkness cloaked both realms.
Oh shit, here it comes. Y’know? Seven seals, some potentially already broken (the dark and lit orbs in the concentric circles on the DWR mural). Darkness is coming alright. People have speculated about this at length. 😁 And in other places in-world there are references to this belief.
Look upon the Light so you May lead others here through the darkness, Blade of the Faith!
This reminds me of the Inquisitor’s journey and role in DAI. Parallels again.
The Maker returns In dread
Self-explanatory, emphasis mine. A maker.
And saw the darkness warp and crumble
Interesting given the fabric of reality is currently warping, as witnessed by Strife in one of the recent shorts.
shroud
Another word for veil.
The meek lambs became bold And rose up, casting aside their shepherds To dance at the Maker's feet
reminds me of the ‘Slightest Ones’ bard song and some elves leaving in the Trespasser epilogue.
Where once a terrible fire swept The Light of redemption from the face of the world
the time Andraste was burned. The gates of Minrathous is also where we’re headed in the next game.
What are the “sins of creation”, exactly? - Why does it make me think back to the waters of the Fade and the well of all souls which the Chant holds life began anew from and the Maker made the world from? Why do they need “redeemed”? Why does that make me think of the creation of the Veil and the terrible consequences that had for Thedas in general and for the ancient elves, and of Solas’ drive and desire to correct that mistake? And Justice is an aspect of Mythal. 
Harmony in all things. Let Balance be restored And the world given eternal life.
See above with the “modern Thedas is unbalanced” stuff. Balance could be restored with the removal of the Veil, and then the remaining elves would be immortal again probably. I tend to veer away from “everything is elves” and “everything relates back to or is in some way a metaphor for or reference etc to Solas and Mythal” but it’s like Kordillus had a vision of the future of Thedas at that time (things which we then saw in previous games set after he died, and some things which we still haven’t seen yet but which have been foreshadowed - as in some things which have still yet to come to pass in the world’s storyline) and, naturally, interpreted it through his fervent Andrastian/cult of the Maker lens. I wouldn’t take it all completely at face value though, having given away major future plotbeats in the Chant just like that would be a bold choice.
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shadowofthelamp · 3 years
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Year in Review: Writing
So, I can’t do the ‘year in review’ for art because... yeah, I didn’t really draw that much this year. So I decided to trawl through my writing tag for one favorite piece per month, and a pulled few paragraphs from each! Basically everything here is Zim except for the one tendershipping week thing, lmao, oops.
Some months had slim pickings but I still do like every one of these and it was a nice reflection.
January: Arrival
Her skin was tinted a sickly green, more like decomposing flesh than irken or human. Dib swallowed, but her breathing seemed to be even when he placed a hand to her kind of chubby chest, so that was probably just how their skin colors mixed, right? Besides, the lighting in the lab was always weird. Her mouth was gummy with no teeth yet, but her vocal cords were functioning perfectly. He was going to need hearing aids by his twenties, between her and Zim.
She had four fingers and three toes, which he kind of expected, as well as a nose but no ears. That made sense, if she had antennae, but it was still strange to run his fingers along the sides of her head and just feel smooth skin.
Her eyes… they were Zim’s through and through, deep ruby with the color filling the sclera. Did irkens even have sclera if they only had one color? Under the lab’s lights and mixed with the way everything on her slightly shimmered from the sticky goo she'd been coated in, she was like a section of space stolen into the little room and it took his breath away. The water blurring his vision didn’t help as he wiped it away with his sleeve, shifting her to one arm. She was so small...
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February: WLOD Dib meets Twix, alt version
It’s fascinating, to see what could have gone right. The 1001 here had gangly, underdeveloped limbs, and wispy hair that never quite got clean from the showers. This version wasn’t fat or anything, but definitely had more meat on its bones.
He examined the goggles- peering through them, they altered its vision because they made the lab beyond the ‘glass’ blurry. Curious, very curious. He was about to pop the lens out when it began to stir, tugging at the metal restraints with a clatter.
_________
March: Zibvoid
He talked to himself.
He talked to himself.
He talked to Zim, who hadn’t said a word since he’d died, but maybe he was just giving him the silent treatment.
Round and round, the generator buzzed like a bee and a hospital and a bug zapper that would draw in prey like flies to a web, except he was the spider now and the Zims were the moths.
Dib. Dib Dib Dib Dib Zim Dibdibdibdibzimdibdibzimdib. The names popped off his tongue as he rolled them both in his mouth, over and over until they didn’t seem like names at all anymore.
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April: Sturdy Branches (I know the date’s different on ao3 but it was first posted April)
Her dad is either singing or talking to himself as he vacuumed inside the house with a sway in his hips. At least you’re pretty sure it’s her dad? You haven’t seen a picture of him or anything, but he’s about the same age as your dad, so he’s too old to be a brother and too young to be a grandpa, and she hasn’t mentioned any uncles. A babysitter, maybe, but that doesn’t really make sense since Tulip isn’t home yet- ah!
She’s talking to someone as she turns the corner, bouncing her backpack. It’s lilac and circular, as well as covered in buttons. The Ranger helmet is in her backpack or still in her locker, but either way, she’s not wearing it anymore. She’s got the boots on, though. You adjust the binoculars a bit, but you aren’t good enough at lip-reading yet to tell what she’s saying. Whatever it is, it’s making the girl she’s talking to laugh. Maybe she’ll tell you tomorrow in class or at lunch if you pull her to sit at your table again. She has more friends at the middle table, but they don’t like sitting next to you after the beetle incident, and she doesn’t seem to mind. She always has a big smile when you start talking, and she’d say something if she didn’t like you, right? Pretty much everybody else does.
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May: Do Something For You (TD spoilers!)
Dib had never really thought ahead to having a family, but she was pretty much everything she’d want in one. She was an assistant and a partner, she was invested in the paranormal, she hated Zim- but on the other hand, she didn’t want him hurt? She seemed weirdly invested in making sure he didn’t get caught, actually. Eh, she’d hit him pretty hard, so it wasn’t like she was opposed to him getting his rightful dues for being an evil space monster.
It was relatively simple- she was just worried if he died then her timeline would be destabilized, which was a decent enough concern. Zim had to be important to his life for years to come, in one way or another. But whatever they were dealing with in the future, it had to be better with Zim out of the way earlier, right?
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June: Unnamed capture au drabble
“Why do you even give me these stupid scripts if you don’t like me doing them?” Dib folded his arms, kneading the ball in his palm. “Just get a robot or something.” He snorted. “I mean, it’d probably break, like half the stuff you touch.”
Zim’s hands curled into fists. “Take that back, you- you- worm!”
Dib quirked an eyebrow. “What, touched a nerve? When I was a kid, half the stuff you made broke, it’s just a fact. You only conquered Earth because this place is a trash heap and your garbage is slightly better than ours.” Over a year in Zim’s presence without too many galling injuries and a lifetime of not being able to keep his mouth shut made him bold. “Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re probably broken yoursel-” He was cut off with a Pak leg aimed directly at his throat, prodding in just deep enough to draw a drop of blood down the alien metal.
Zim’s eyes were narrowed, but something was watering on the edges, and Dib swallowed, adam’s apple bobbing just below the leg’s tip.
“Zim. Is. Not. Broken.”
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July: Laughter
Ryou couldn't stand the lights on one minute and then hated having them off the next. The shadows bled from the way the light reflected off the couch, how it seemed to devour the wall behind it, and he swore he could still hear the voice in his mind. (Was that himself? Had he started thinking of himself as a separate voice? It had been ages since he'd really been alone, even though anyone outside him would have wondered about the boy who talked to his reflection like it was an old friend.)
He wished he could talk to Ryou. Ryou who had seemed so pliable as a child but had proved entertaining, a match for the fire, (heh, fire, even though it wasn't that funny, in fact, it wasn't funny at all, but what did he have but jokes? it wasn't like he could cry anymore) who carved out rules for use of the body with gritted teeth and tugged at the rope of the Ring so hard it had chafed his neck. He'd respected him. From a soft child, he'd hardened and grown firm, grown powerful, grown to be worthy. What were the odds fate had given him a chance at the same time someone had handed a young Yugi the box with the Puzzle? A roll of the dice. (The Gods having a last laugh, perhaps..)
Ryou dug his nails into the wood of the desk so hard that it made crescents, tiny moons in the umber that dug splinters into his pale fingers. The little model of the Thief King sat, as he always did, half-hidden on his shelf behind the pieces of Zorc. He'd never bothered to glue the monster back together but felt oddly reluctant to just incinerate the figures and be done with them. Both of them. Either of them. Maybe he just didn't want to pretend it had never happened. (Maybe he was worried he'd forget, thoughts and memories swept away by the sands of time, trickling down the hourglass, minute by minute, day by day, as he aged the way the Spirit had never been allowed to.)
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August: New Mission
It had been a month.
Nebula Twix had survived. She’d had to be popped into the healing pod when she had an allergic reaction to the oatmeal Dib had tried to feed her when it had inflamed her spooch, and Gir had tried to eat her head the one second Zim’s back had been turned, and she made goo from both ends a lot, but otherwise, she was perfectly fine!
And with that, Zim had come to a crossroads. It seemed that he was, indeed, in this for the long heel. (He was pretty sure that was the phrase. Humans liked large feet and large boots, so it made sense.) He could either continue to keep her a secret, or he could pass on his success to the Tallests.
Creating slaves out of the species marked for invasion was pretty common- something like 85% of invaders did it. But creating hybrids? That number was much lower. (Besides, they were usually disposed of as soon as the invasion was complete.) And irkens having those hybrids from their own bodies, and not just mixing them out of genetic slurry and quickly aging them up in time-fields? Almost completely unheard of. Zim was the pioneer in that area.
Also, having smeets from one’s body may have been a tad illegal, considering how hard it had been to find good information and judging from the fact that all irkens found to do it were brought in for experimentation. But no matter! Zim was nothing if not very, very good at things few other irkens dared to do, ready to drive the Empire forward by any means possible. They would have to appreciate that!
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September: Twix finds out she’s pregnant
Secondary life-form detected, the chamber chimed.
“Oh, gross, I’ve got a tapeworm? Well, flush it out.” Twix rolled her eyes, going back to the computer.
Lifeform has elements of Pak user.
Her finger froze on the ‘b’ key. “It… what? Analyze species origin.”
The chamber hummed around Twix as sweat dripped down the skin of her neck. There was a tiny 'ding!’ like a kitchen timer.
Lifeform is too underdeveloped to make more than approximations, but is roughly 25% irken and 75% Dominant Earth Species.
Her scream rattled the walls.
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October: Best-Laid Plans
“Of course, Number One.” Two turned his head slightly, and Dib jolted- he hadn’t directly commanded him to do that. “Your plan is perfect.” He blinked slowly- much slower than most Zims. Most Zims were utterly manic, back and forth and back and forth, loud and brutal and dangerous, but Two- Two had always worshiped him. Maybe even more than the rest. It had been nice, to be admired so heavily. Two had adored the personal attention when he was turned into an errand boy.
Dib might miss him.
He shook that thought out of his head, gripping both sides of Two’s face with his index finger and thumb, nails (not claws, they weren’t claws) digging into the cheeks.
“You belong to me.” Two didn’t respond, and Dib dug in a little further.  Irken skin was thicker than a human’s, with a single drop of pink blood oozing over Dib’s fingernail and leaving a barely-perceptible damp trail. “Respond. Who do you belong to?”
“I belong to you, Number One.”
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November: Desperation (warning if you click through for impalement)
Dib’s lips were on Zim’s before he even knew what he was doing. “You’re not dying on me, you little bastard,” he hissed, fumbling to hold up the body as Zim nearly coughed blood directly into Dib’s mouth. It was salty and sweet all in one, but Dib couldn’t linger on the taste. Zim’s fingers grasped at his shirt, and Dib took that as a sign that it was working, pressing their lips together hard enough to bruise the capillaries.  
There was a click. Dib breathed in blood and out carbon dioxide, sputtering and swallowing it down so Zim wouldn’t die like this-
Something red-hot and metallic climbed over his arm before digging into his spine, and he realized that the body had gone entirely limp before there was electricity and then there was nothing.
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December: Freak
Twix grit her teeth. “How am I supposed to trust you if you’ll just- just do that?”
“How am I supposed to drop my whole social life because you can’t help being the weirdest person in school?” Tulip shot back. “I do care about you, but it’s so, so hard sometimes, because you just don’t know how to act, and sometimes I’m sick of waiting for you to play catchup just because your parents are the town freaks!” She slapped her hands over her mouth and took a step back.
Twix’s eye twitched under her goggles. “At least they’re freaks that love me. I’ll see you tomorrow, third period.”
“Twix-”
“I said,” Twix said through gritted teeth, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Get out before I reactivate the security.”
Tulip got out, and Twix buried her face in a couch pillow and screamed.
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kaypeace21 · 5 years
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Hey I'm sorry to bother you, but I was putting together a post about david harbour's cryptic instagram posts and one in specific where it is explained how rainbows work and then randomly "a pale stuffed yellow lion" is mentioned and I remember you had a post where you mention the lion symbolism in stranger things. I know we shouldn't put too much faith in what actors say about there shows, just wondering what your thoughts were
@helloitisiamazing messages/questions are never a bother, so don’t worry about it :)
 I don’t have instagram, so I didn’t know about this … 
But i think this relates to my DiD theory (about Will).Please read theory first to avoid confusion.
The prequel novel established Psychics hallucinate rainbows when they use their powers.
In the prequel novel “Suspicious Minds” Both Alice and Terry when using their powers had hallucinations of a rainbow, Kali also formed a visual-allusion of sunflowers and a rainbow (implying all 3 have seen this rainbow, as well, when using their powers). And when Will was very young- he drew that ‘rainbow ship’-implying he has powers .
-Terry: “Spots bloomed behind her eyelids. Every color … as the sunlight turned to rainbows” ( p44-45), “The rainbow stayed with Terry for a long while, but eventually it faded and in its place: darkness. A pit.”(p. 48).  “streaks of rainbow appeared (p47)”, “Wavy rainbows seemed to radiate from her hand even once she stilled it. (p. 88). “Her eyelids drifted shut, rainbows and sparks flying behind them. (p. 89).
-Alice: (who sees visions of the future) : “Snarling, snapping monsters, rainbow lights playing in the air around them (p. 121).
-Kali using her powers: “field of yellow sunflowers grew up around them. A rainbow arcing over the golden tops.” (p. 139).  “He noticed she’d (Kali) drawn up there, a rainbow with her colored pencils.” Maybe he’d suggest that for the playroom” (the rainbow room we see in s2) (p. 298) 
In the show, Terry also saw sunflowers and would chant “sunflower, rainbow” over and over -and in s2 Will had a sunflower book. And we were told Will drew a rainbow ship.
As far as Lions:
Will in s1 had a stuffed female lion and El had a male lion.
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“Chinese guardian lions-are lion statues that are common guardians of villages (*Hawkins) and even private homes (*Castle Byers and El’s bed room).  These lions can be a sign of protection of an individual or family. These lions are always depicted in pairs consisting of a male and a female, the female representing yin and the male yang. The ever-changing relationship between them is responsible for the constant flux of the universe. When, there is too great an imbalance between Yin and Yang, catastrophes can occur.”
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I think this explains a very significant aspect of the show. When El was in great distress, she opened the gate- causing the disasters that later occurred in Hawkins. And after Will disappears, El appears to the audience for the first time. Hopper even tries to track down El, assuming it was Will who’s hair was shaved- because a witness said the kid with the buzzcut “could of been the Byers boy”. Mike even says “Do you really think it’s a coincidence we found her in the same place Will disappeared?”
The answer being ‘no’, it wasn’t a coincidence. We see as the show goes on, El who has never had a normal life, slowly gain normalcy in it. However, Will, at the same time, who was born into a relatively normal circumstances, has had his life become stranger and more entrenched in the supernatural. And as of the first 3 seasons, they’ve barely interacted (let alone bonded/are in balance)!They are imbalanced and because of this (symbolically)… catastrophe after catastrophe continue to occur!
When either Yin or Yang falls out of balance, they affect each other. That means they change their proportion and relationship to one another to achieve a new balance. There is normally a harmonious balance of Yin and Yang. However, they weaken — or consume — one another when they fall out of balance.”
“As an increase in one brings a corresponding decrease in the other, a correct balance between the two poles must be reached in order to achieve harmony”. “yin-yang represents the coherent fabric of nature and the mind (control of their psychic powers/ Will’s did & alters), and the interactions between the waxing and waning of the cosmic and human realms, and its harmonization (the real world vs the upside down/innerworlds)”
- Also…“Yin represents femininity, and water. While Yang represents masculinity and fire.”
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The water and fire analogy is a consistent theme in the show. Will is always referenced with fire in both the comic and show . He drew his wizard character shooting fireballs in s1 and in the first ep he rolled the dice and yelled “fireball”, he had the ‘shadow monster ‘ exorcised out of him with fire, and in the comic he shoots a demogorgan and yells “fireball”. El’s element or ‘substance would be the opposite of fire, “water” - the sensory deprivation tanks are filled with water, the void floor is covered in water, she escaped the lab through a drainage pipe, was found by the gang in rain, looked at a reflection of herself in a puddle and cased ripples in it using her powers,  in s3 is shown sinking in water /using goggles.
*When Hopper saw Will’s lion plushie in the upsidedown he had a flashback of sarah with her tiger plushie.
Will even has a tiger poster (shown in s1 &2) which is associated with both Sara Hopper & Kali. 
Kali’s fav animal in the prequel novels is tigers. And Sara has a stuffed tiger (similar to El & Will’s stuffed felines).
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In chinese mythology/culture: “The tiger is personified by the constellation Orion (interesting given Sara’s interest in space/blackholes). The tiger represents protection over human life (hmm?). Tiger charms were used to keep away evil and disease (that’s awful ironic if she died in the manner she did). In Buddhism, wearing tiger skins during meditations was believed to bring protection from spiritual interference and potential harm while exploring astral dimensions.”
Kali in ‘Suspicious Minds’ says…
“I was named after a goddess. She wore a tiger skin and was fierce in battle.”
Then Kali says to Alice (a women who can see future visions): “I love you, Alice. We can be tigers together.”
This parallel (in relation to Alice) is fascinating because Kali actually uses her powers to fake Alice’s death- and to trick Dr. Brenner, and allow Alice to escape. The allusion was so realistic, that Terry could even touch the ‘dead’ Alice. 
So the tiger symbolism could be a HUGE hint- that Sarah’s death was simulated and she’ll come back and travel the innerworlds/alternate dimensions of Will’s mind (as Hopper’s guide). Hopper about sarah “galaxies the universe-she always understood that stuff.”
* so yes… Sara will come back. Since alters can have simulated ‘deaths’ and then resurrect later.
Also… a little of topic, but there’s a lot of animal symbolism in the series
- the fox, the owl, and the bear. We see this in El’s room (in Terry’s house) and castle Byers/ the byers house (in s1).Will has a bear and fox illustration in castle byers and a stuffed teddy bear in his room (in s1) and a stuffed owl (in s2). While El has multiple stuffed bear plushies (in s2-3) . And Terry (in El’s room, in s1-2) had fox and owl drawings on El’s bedroom wall.
Foxes, bears, and owls are all associated with wisdom - aka ‘Will the wise’.
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*El’s room at Terry’s house also has bunnies (a ref to how Lonnie made Jonathan-and prob Will kill bunnies on hunting trips). The white rabbit is also a ‘alice and wonderland ‘ ref (when El was at Benny’s an alice and wonderland song played called -white rabbit).
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* Also the first time we see butterflies (associated with kali) is actually in s1e1 cause there’s a butterfly painting above the phone Will electrocuted.
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blue butterflies usually represents many things- love, change or rebirth, passage of time, or  a malicious or vindictive spirit. These examples are prob the most applicable. Given that Kali is a goddess paradoxically associated with motherly love and violence ,giving freedom to children, and only killing demons in folklore.cough like those working at the Hawkins lab.
I Updated/revised this old post because i think it’s another solid did hint I wanted to talk about. David is (probably) showing us how his character is an alter of Will’s similar to Kali, El, Terry,and Sarah.Why he brings up the sunflowers/rainbows which are both connected to Will and the others I mentioned. I think it’s very possible sarah comes back -and Hopper while exploring the various ‘innerworlds’ of Will’s minds (like the Russian one, the memory scapes , etc ) reunites/ finds Sarah .And Sarah helps him . look at some of the season 4 movies:  In ‘what dreams may come” a guy with his dead kid explore a heaven like world influenced by a painter’s emotions.We also have the movie ‘inside out’ -which involves “memory islands” (distinct worlds based on a child’s memories) which are influenced negatively by the kid being depressed since she moved to California. The characters traveling to these memory islands are constructs of  kid’s mind -and 1 of them also has a guide helping them explore the ‘memory islands’.in  Inception a guy says he’s a construct of a guy’s mind and needs to help/protect him escape the many different Ievels of the dream world.Hopper about sarah says “galaxies the universe-she always understood that stuff.” And sarah being associated with ‘tigers which are supposed to be used for protection while exploring astral dimensions (could foreshadow this).” I kind of assume movies like inception, matrix, Truman show, total recall, the cell, enter the void, wizard of oz, Peter Pan , hellraiser 2, dreamwarriors, bill & ted’s bogus journey, and  welcome to marwen ,  also allude to this: because they involve entering simulated abstract worlds usually created from happy& traumatic memories / fears . And bladerunner 2044/total recall has the theme of false implanted memories… relating to hopper realizing he’s an alter and not in “actual Russia.” Before seeing the other segments of the innerworlds. Like in total recall- the bad ass spy is told all his memories:his wife/ years of marriage ,even his name, are just implanted memories. And she says “you’re life is a dream.” . And she says “you’re life is a dream.” Meanwhile (in assasain’s creed) an evil psychiatrist tells a character trapped at the facility -who can explore memories of another person (and who’s dad killed their mom-aka sort of like papa/terry ) that the reason she can go into a person’s memories is cause it’s her past life (aka El’s an alter). So I think that will play out in s4-5 somehow.
This hint also reminds me of when David played d&d and made his character  a fireweilding wizard (who’s powers appeared at 14),  has a ‘special connection’ to fin’s paladin, and doesn’t know who his dad is.
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artswaps · 5 years
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I don't ship kallurance but I LOVE being nosy about other people's projects. Whatchu got in the works 👀
I’m really mad cos I tried writing a long-ass response to this twice already!!! But my browser crashed the first time and then windows hit me with a surprise update the second lol. I had torewrite it so I’m sorry for the late reply :(
Kinda long so I put it under a cut:
Here’s an old summary for the superhero au fic (Title is almost definitely gonna change):
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tbh I’m not greatat writing romance and I don’t find it particularly fun to write?? So more like kallurance-leaning slightly-shippy gen but w/ever not important OKAY SO first the backstory and oh boy it’s very convoluted and doesn’t make much sense right now so strap in: 
I was thinking the story would be set in acyperpunk-style AU, wherein Voltron is a team of underground heroes trying totake down the Galra- a sinister corporation who have essentially taken oppressive controlof the city through widespread use of their technology.  
Back when the GalraCorporation were just coming into power, team Voltron was first employed byAltea Industries- Galra’s rival company- as a heroic task-force charged withprotecting the citizens of the city. Before the story begins an “accident”happens  at Altea Industries (obviously a deliberate attack organised byGalra) that left the founder of the company dead and his daughter Allura, heirto Altea industries and member of the Voltron force, in a coma she’s yet towake up from. This is two years before the story begins.
For a short time afterthe incident, the four remaining members of Voltron (Keith, Lance, Pidge and Hunk) tried to keep the teamtogether and continue their work as vigilante heroes. They officially split upafter Keith leaves the group to look for his best-friend-slash-psuedo-brother Shiro, who went missing and isbelieved to have been taken by the Galra. Keith’s decision to leave caused anargument between him and Lance, which led to a rift in the team and the othermembers drifting away for their own reasons.
Keith was captured by theGalra in his attempts to find Shiro, and has spent a year imprisoned and subjectedto the torture of having his powers being experimented on. It’s revealed at somepoint that Keith let himself be captured deliberately so he could look forShiro on the inside- while he was there he discovered that Shiro has beenbrainwashed by the Galra and is working as one of their law enforcers. He doesn’t recognise Keith at all, and Keith realises that without Shiro’s help he’s stuck as the Galra’s prisoner. 
After the other three split, Lance is left as the soleactive member of Voltron, and has spent the two years prior to the start of thestory working to undermine the Galra and protect the city as much as he’s able,turning himself into a wanted fugitive in the process and living isolated inhiding. He’s the only one still in contact with Coran, who is protecting Allura while she’s in a coma, and they both spend the years watching over her and never losing hope that she’ll wake up.
I had some complicated plot stuff planned where Altea, before it was attacked, was in the middle of producing a piece of super-tech that would allow them to take down the Galra and restore freedom to the city. The tech shared the name “Voltron” with their team of heroes, and worked as a power-augmentation device that would allow the team to mentally connect with one another and boost their powers. The attack on Altea industries doubled as an attempt by the Galra to steal it, but somehow when she was caught in the firefight Allura used her astral projection ability to merge her consciousness with the Voltron device. The real reason she won’t wake up in present-day is that she’s still mentally connected to Voltron, which is locked away deep in a Galra facility, miles away. 
So that’s where everyone’s at! The story revolves around Lance trying to resurrect team Voltron- finding and reconnecting with his old teammates and convincing them to take another shot at the Galra- while also dealing with everyone’s separate trauma and the fact that poor Shiro is still mind-controlled and basically acting as the main villain for the entire first act. 
The story begins withPidge contacting Lance for the first time since Voltron’s disbandment, claimingthat she’s been sent information from an anonymous source containing Keith’swhereabouts, and instructions on how to break him out. 
Pidge and Hunk reluctantly agree to team up once again for the sake of rescuing Keith, and they break into the Galra research facility he’s being held in.
During his time as a prisoner Keith learnt that Voltron is being kept in the same facility as him and the Galra are running tests on in. Mid break-out he convinces the others to find and retrieve it.
They rescue Keith, and when they reconvene at Coran’s hideout and bring the device within her range, Allura manages to separate her consciousness from it and finally wakes up. Yay! Everyone is confused and horrified by this revelation!! Allura, you’ve been a brain-ghost infused with a piece of stolen technology this whole time?? And the Galra have been messing with Voltron without realising you were hitching a ride?? That’s gotta have consequences, right??
Probably. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
AND NOW THE SUPERPOWERS:because that’s the most fun part of superhero aus obviously
I wanted to try and be abit more creative with the powers and stay away fromelemental/bending type ones lol. The only one I’m pretty set on is Allura, the others’ powers are things I’m still working out and would love some help with if anyone has any cool ideas! I’m totally okay with everyone having more than one superpower. Here’s what I’ve got so far:
Allura: 
One of the world’s most powerfultelepaths/psychics. Can communicate telepathically, “astral project” herconsciousness to other locations within a certain perimeter, and read minds. 
Perhaps has some of her VLD-canon Altean powers eg. can communicate withanimals. 
She can also manipulate other people’s thoughts and perceptions to createillusions. Can’t physically shapeshift but can create the illusion that she looks different. 
As well as abilitiesof the mind, she has a strong connection with spirit/essence; eg. can senseother’s whereabouts or tell when they’re being influenced by an externalsource. Cannot heal physical injuries but has some sway over ailments of thespirit and mind. 
Power augmentation through a conduit: Being connected to Voltron for so long merged her essence with it, so now she can wield it as a conduit to boost people’s power, or like,,, direct and control Voltron’s innate power-boosting abilities at will via her telepathy (tbh I’m bullshitting a bit here while I throw ideas around lol)
Keith: 
If anyone in this AU is gonna have element-based powers it’sgonna be Keith- either he has fire affinity (can create and control fire +heat) or I could ramp up the angst and have him go full-on Jean Grey Phoenixmode ehehehe. 
The other main idea I had was power negation- upon physical contact he can cancel other people’spowers out. This would be interesting if it’s something he doesn’t havefull control over, and I reckon it’s something the Galra would take a lot ofinterest in using to their own advantage- would also be an interesting oppositeto Allura’s power augmentation ability. 
The other things I had listed aspossibilities for Keith are all endurance/enhancement-based powers eg. Enhancedspeed, dexterity and agility, night vision, regenerative/accelerated healingetc. All of these could be innate or they could be powers given to him by theGalra in an attempt to turn him into a weapon like they did Shiro.
Lance: 
Also not settledon anything for Lance but I did want him in part to have more compulsion andcharisma-based powers that fit his more sociable personality. He hascharmspeaking, a hypnotic ability that lets him influence the thoughts and actionsof the person he’s talking to. Even when he’s not using the ability he has away with persuasion. 
I also like the idea of him having omniligualism (thepower to speak all languages) or a similar variant that allows him to be easilyunderstood by and communicate with anyone despite language barriers.
I had an earlier ideathat everyone’s powers, where applicable, would be based on their original lion’spowers in vld canon? I’ve mostly scrapped that at this point but I do stilllike the idea of Lance having a sort of echolocation type of thing- maybe morelike he can feel the vibrations of structures around him and instantly puttogether a mental-map of the area. If he knocks against the outside wall of abuilding then he can feel out the layout of the interior, along those lines.Think Toph Beifong.
I also wanna give him low-level telekinesis because I think he’d had fun with that lol.
Shiro: 
I actually likethe idea of Shiro not having any powers originally; the Galra imbued him withsome abilities through his prosthetic arm that he wasn’t born with. The worst one isthe power to manipulate and deconstruct organic matter; the Galra intended forhim to use it to destroy and kill, but I had a thought I liked a lot where Shiro takesownership of it after they save him from the brainwashing, and he eventuallylearns to use it to heal and becomes the team’s go-to doctor.
I might scrap the idea ofhim not originally having any powers, depends if I can come up with anything.Maybe I can go back to my they-have-their-og-lion’s-powers idea and give himteleportation, and he eventually learns how to do it mentally and can astralproject.
Okay actually NightCrawler is my favourite superhero and I’m gonna fuckin let Shiro nightcrawl,fight me.
Pidge: 
Technopathy,obviously!!! She can do pretty much anything with technology, and I wasthinking that similar to VLD canon where Pidge adds her own modifications to herlion to give it new powers, in this AU she makes a lot of devices of her ownthrough her technopathy that give her access to a lot of manufactured superpowers eg. Invisibility/cloaking,electricity manipulation, some other cool stuff idk yet.
She also has eideticmemory and low-level telekinesis which she mostly just uses to help herretrieve objects in her lab when she’s hyperfocused and doesn’t wanna get up. 
Hunk: 
Hunk is an empath, which makes him goodat intelligence gathering because he can detect when people are lying throughtheir emotions. 
Also had animation/”life spark” down as a possibility, which isthe ability to bring inanimate objects temporarily to life; his creationsfollow his directions but their sentience levels are very low and they have noemotional intelligence. E.g he could hypothetically create an army out ofshopping mall dummies to fight for him, which probably wouldn’t do much physical damagebut would work as a good distraction while he hightails it outta there. Alsowould be a very good intimidation tactic cos that would be a terrifying sightahaha
Idk I don’t have a lot ofother good ideas for Hunk someone help me
Coran:
Enhanced memory, though not photographic or near-infalliable like Pidge’s is, and he’s kinda useless with it (mostly just usesit to subject people to long-winded anecdotes about his crazy life)
Omnilingualism. Thinks this makes him a gooddiplomat but historically it’s just gotten him into trouble with more people.
He’s spent the entire time since Voltron’sdisbandment guarding Allura while she’s asleep, protecting her from assassinationattempts, so it’d be cool if he had some other kind of power that allowed himto do this easily? Not anything flashy, an ability that a lot of people wouldunderestimate or dismiss as harmless, but something that’s let him keep themboth safe while she’s so vulnerable.  
AND THAT’S ALL I’VE GOT FOR NOW I hope it sounds interesting??? It’s kinda a complicated mess atm but I have fun thinking about this AU and I’d like to do something with it soon.
It’d be a mess of cheesy sci-fi drama and angst and found family so like,,, all good things. Thank you for asking about it I love to rant about my projects lmao
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the-elemental-sides · 6 years
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Urban fantasy AU: The Sides are four spirits trapped in an amulet. When Thomas finds it and puts it on, he gains the powers of the four elements…or that’s what should have happened, but mistakes were made. Now the Sides have to coach him in their respective elements while Thomas deals with both his new powers and his ability to see into the magical realm. Not only is magic real, but there’s some pretty intimidating stuff out there, and only Thomas and the Sides have the power to stop it.
A/N: I consider this chapter the end of Part I. How many more chapters there are remains to be seen. Hope you like it! Warnings: References to panic attacks, mild distress.
Taglist:  @shinylyni, @hissesssss, @vexation-virgil, @madd-catter, @rptheturk, @ed-tries-to-be-cool, @nienna14, @ryuity, @asofterfan, @robanilla, @k9cat, @ab-artist, @absoluteamethyst, @a-box-o-jills, @captain-loki-xavier, @lynisnotamused @literally-just-for-fanfics, @alix-the-skeleton, @generalfandomfabulousness
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
***
Thomas’ first instinct was to throw a rock at it.
But he was transparent, so his powers didn’t work. The rock sailed through the dark blob harmlessly, and Thomas flinched when it sort of shifted and flattened out, like a shadow stretching itself across the ceiling.
“Thomas…” warned Virgil.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the thing. There was an aura about it that felt paralyzing and wrong—the way Thomas felt when there was a huge spider nearby and he couldn’t stop looking at it despite how much it scared him. Thomas took a step back, then rapidly backpedaled into the next aisle. There was a great clang of food item/freezer door/shopping cart noise as the spirits hastily tried to sort themselves out and follow him.
But his eyes were open now, and Thomas was aware of the dark, purple-black blobs, which seemed to be everywhere, though none were as huge as the one in the freezer aisle. There were only two others he could see that bobbed in the air, but several more were lying on the ground, oozing like mud, with visible shoeprints tracking the brackish substance across the floor.
Virgil was the first to reach him. “Thomas, are you all right?”
“What...what is that? It’s flipping gross, man!”
“Tell me about it,” Roman muttered, joining him.
“I can barely even look at it. There’s something...I don’t know, it makes me feel sick.”
“If you weren’t feeling that way, we’d have a problem,” said Logan. “That, Thomas, is pure negativity. Remarkably, there’s none to be found in your apartment, but in public places like these, it can spread like wildfire.”
“Has that always been there?”
“Of course, kiddo,” Patton said softly. The sight of the dark blobs seemed to be making him uncomfortable. “They’re always around on the spirit plane. You just have to look for them.”
“What do they do?” asked Thomas.
“Ever had a bad mood swing?” said Roman. “Short temper? Lapse in judgement?”
“Panic attack?” added Virgil.
“One of those things might have been the cause,” Roman continued. “It causes a reaction if it touches you—usually no big deal. But they feed off emotions and get bigger. And they multiply.”
“Sure wasn’t fun to see how many were in my room once I could see them,” muttered Virgil.
Thomas kept eying them. “So then...what do I do about them?”
“You fight!” To demonstrate, Roman tossed a crackling fireball at the nearest blob. It went up in flames. Logan immediately slapped Roman’s hand and started stomping out the fire to prevent it from spreading.
“I just...kill it with fire? Or wind, or whatever?”
“Those aren’t just elements you’re summoning, Thomas,” said Virgil. “Remember, there’s some of your soul in the mix, too. You’d be surprised at how effective you can be.”
“So give it a shot!” Roman encouraged, his attention partly occupied by the slapfight he’d gotten himself into with Logan. “Whichever power you’d like. You’ve at least grasped the basics of all of them, right?”
Logan released Roman’s hands. “Patton and I will keep a lookout on the aisles. Roman, please allow Thomas to reassume solid form. I think you’ve lost your human privileges.”
Muttering, Roman did as he asked. Thomas took a deep breath and allowed himself to stop being translucent. The transition out of the spirit world made him cold, like he’d passed through a chilly patch of air. Thomas squinted. “I can’t see the...blobs, anymore?”
“It’s harder when you’re not a spirit,” said Virgil. “Concentrate.”
After a few seconds, Thomas’ vision adjusted. The world did look kind of grimy in places. He aimed at those spots as best he could. He raised his hands as if he was a conductor about to start off a piece. Virgil took a step back.
A tornado of wind exploded from Thomas’ hands as a small storm raged through the aisle. Canned vegetables swept off the shelves and clattered onto the floor. The darkness was dissolved by the wind—power-cleaned away like piles of dust under a bed. When the windstorm stopped, the only disruption came from a small can rolling off a shelf with a clunk.
Patton poked his head around the shelf, smiling. “That was great, kiddo!”
“Adequate,” said Logan. “I would have suggested something less chaotic.”
“Sorry, guys. I’m still learning.” Thomas bent to pick up the cans, and Patton quickly sprang to help. Logan and Virgil followed seconds later.
“Excellent! Now are you ready for level two?” asked Roman.
“Already?” Thomas said in surprise. He cast his eyes at the freezer aisle. “You mean the giant blob back there?”
“Exactly!...well. ‘Giant blob’ doesn’t have a nice ring to it. I was thinking we’d give it a proper name.”
“I’m not sure…”
“You don’t wanna just leave something that dangerous hanging around a supermarket, do you?” Patton worried.
“Well, no! I don’t want it to hurt anybody on my account,” Thomas admitted. Logan looked deep in thought, but Roman was nodding enthusiastically. He felt like he didn’t want to let them down...they were the ones who’d given him his powers in the first place, after all, so why not put them to use?
“Then...I’ll give it a try.”
***
Eventually, the store cleared out, and Thomas and the Sides seized their opportunity. Stepping back into the freezer aisle was physically difficult to do. The shadow was much easier to see now that he knew what to look for. It was like a dark smudge on an old TV screen.
“Try not to destroy the store,” suggested Logan, stepping back to give him space.
“Yeah, no. I’m gonna try earth this time.” Thomas created another rock and tossed it up and down, trying not to drop it. He locked eyes on his target and steadied his hand from shaking. “Uhh…do I just….”
“Three,” said Virgil.
“Two,” said Logan.
“One,” said Patton.
“FIRE!” Roman yelled, and Thomas pitched it. The rock propelled itself forward as if by magic and hit the shadow square in the middle.
The effect was instantaneous. The blob reacted, spiking like an animal bristling its fur, and turned on Thomas instantly, bringing a wave of cold and that sick negative feeling with it. Thomas dove for cover, and the Sides—who’d all turned back into spirits by this point, and all looked like Thomas again—followed.
“Ooh, this beast does need some kind of formidable name…..” Roman contemplated. “Ah! How about ‘Bill?’”
“Move, you idiot!” Virgil shouted.
Roman had gotten distracted, and the shadow whipped toward him. Starting off as a long snakelike rope, it veered into the floor and splashed into the second dimension. It flattened and shaped itself into a disc three feet in diameter beneath his feet. Roman stopped struggling to move. His face went pale, and then gray, as the color literally started leaching out of him.
“Princey!” Patton cried in horror.
“ROMAN!” Thomas yelled—his battle cry as he launched himself straight at the shadow. Or Bill, whichever. He ignored another exasperated shout from Virgil.
Unfortunately, his powers had not given him the ability to super-jump. Thomas ended up falling short and landing hard on his stomach on the floor. Immediately, the black disc distorted and stretched from Roman to him. Thomas felt as if the floor dropped out from under him. Old fears and anxieties rushed into his mind like he’d been slapped with them. The shadow was dragging his fear and self-hate from his mind and using it like weaponry. Suddenly the world was a little more gray, his friends were a little more distant, he was forgetting who he used to be...
Somebody yanked hard on his ankle. Thomas woke up enough to see Virgil, equally furious and terrified, dragging him backwards. Patton was clutching Virgil’s shoulder.
“Get up!” Virgil growled in a layered voice that shocked Thomas from the spell. “Roman needs you!”
Thomas scrambled to his hands and knees. The black disc frantically danced beneath him, freezing his hands wherever he placed them down. Virgil tossed water over the floor, rinsing bits of Bill away wherever it touched.
“Thanks,” Thomas gasped.
“You’re the only one of us who can destroy it,” said Virgil, pointing at the ground. Unlike with Thomas’ magic, which had destroyed the blobs entirely, the larger shadow’s dissolved pieces were already reforming.
“Roman’s not waking up!” Patton said desperately. The prince was standing rooted to the spot, eyes wide with whatever the shadow had done to him.
“Hold on,” said Virgil, who was working with Thomas to keep the shadow dissolved as long as possible. “Logan’s—“
Suddenly, a scream of “aaaaaAAAAAA—“ echoed through the store as Logan sprinted through the aisle and shoved a DVD case into Roman’s hands (technically, since Roman was in spirit form, straight through). “Roman I have obtained a copy of a Disney movie that you will find satisfactory!”
“No way! For me?!” Roman brightened instantly, and literally. He flipped over the copy of Tangled and enthusiastically scanned the back cover. “Now he’s a prince I could get behi—hey, hold on, Monitor Wizard, weren’t we doing something?”
“I knew it, Logan said in relief. “All he needed was a shock to the system.”
Roman blinked. “What—what happened? Does that mean you’re not buying this for me?”
“I will buy all of you one thing if you help me, because I think this has gone very wrong!” Thomas warned.
He tried to do the tornado thing again, forget the mess, but he only ended up pushing the shadow out of his and Virgil’s reach. Bill sprang off the floor and reformed into a cloud that started coalescing into itself. It got darker and darker as it changed from insubstantial smoke to something heavy and tangible. Even as it shrank to the size of a bowling ball, a point of red light flickered in its core. Almost like it was charging up for something….
“What’s—what’s it doing?”
“Um,” said Virgil, “we’d better abort the mission.”
“Yeah, Thomas, I’m not feeling so great,” Roman said weakly.
“Wait,” Thomas said, stepping back until his back hit the side of the aisle.
“Thomas, kiddo? They’re right. I’ve seen this before,” Patton said, and this time his face was definitely white and his voice held more than a trace of panic in it. “The thing’s—it’s gonna—Thomas, please move!”
The black sphere launched itself at Thomas with frightening speed. It was inches away from catching him straight in the center of the chest and—well, who knew what it was planning? But Thomas leaped out of the way and ripped a freezer door open at the last second. The second the shadow rammed into the freezer, rattling every carton of ice cream on the shelf, he threw the door closed.
Bill didn’t seem very hindered. It pinged around the walls for a second, then started oozing back into fog and creeping toward the door. Thomas slammed his hand on the freezer with all his strength, and every bit of ice in the freezer melted. It splashed down, pummeling the shadow to the floor and making it writhe almost like it was in pain. Steam rose up where the water and the shadow made contact.The latter darted around on the floor, dissolving into smaller and smaller pieces, until it finally shuddered to a stop, broke in half—and was gone.
Thomas rested his head against the freezer door, too tired to care about the hot mess the aisle was in.
“You did it,” said Logan, stiffly patting him on the back. “That shadow will no longer bother anyone else.”
Virgil exhaled loudly. “We took way too a big a risk. We shouldn’t have asked Thomas to handle one that powerful.”
“It’s fine, guys. Patton’s right. If those things exist, and I’m one of the only ones who can get rid of them...it’s time for me to learn how to fight better.”
“I’m sorry!” Patton said when Logan looked at him critically. “I didn’t think the fight would get so tense, honest. Roman, are you all right?”
“Me? Psssh! I’m fine!” Roman said confidently.  But it was clearly a lie, since his face was still pale.
“At least now we know how shadows affect spirits,” Logan said. He seemed like he wanted to be angry that Roman hadn’t been careful, but he didn’t push the issue. “May we leave now, Thomas? The best thing after contact with a shadow is lots of self-care. So if Roman desires it….I guess I will watch this children’s animated movie with him.”
“Sweet!”
“Thomas has to buy it, though.”
“You guys can just pull it from my memories, can’t you?” said Thomas, but every one of the Sides gave him a big-eyed look. “Okay, fine. Movie night it is.”
Patton whooped. “Party at Thomas’ place!”
Considering everything—and considering that Thomas was the only living being in his apartment—the Tangled party turned out pretty sick.
***
Next Chapter
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wellplacedrocket · 5 years
Text
I Visited the Mormon Temple Square and it Really Reminded Me of BioShock Infinite
I don’t go on a lot of (read: any) religious touristy sort of adventures, so maybe the Mormon Temple Square isn’t all that weird in the grand scheme of things. But I’ll be damned if it didn’t give me hints of Columbia, the city in BioShock Infinite. Hear me out on this.
I want to caveat before I go further that it’s probably gonna seem like I’m really picking on Mormons here. I’m not. Mormonism is absolutely no weirder than any other religion, and there are plenty of Mormons (probably most of them) who are much smarter, more hardworking, successful, and better to their fellow man than I am. If you roll your eyes at scripture of Moroni, but turn around and worship Jesus or Vishnu or Odin or Buddha, and follow the World of God as explained to you by Muhammad, then your cognitive dissonance is so thick, so dense, that it must throw off compasses. I don’t think religious or spiritual people are stupid for being that way.
Anyway.
I was in Salt Lake City with a few hours to kill, and figured the Mormon Temple Square would be the one thing I couldn’t get anywhere else, so why the hell not? Let’s get my Mormon on. Many of the buildings in the Temple Square are made with this gorgeous white granite that pops up nearby, and so to the eye a lot of it looked like the White City of Gondor.
The visitors centers are small museums that lay out the history, scripture highlights, and current tenants of Mormon theology.
As a kid, I was raised Catholic-lite, but I’ve never been to the Vatican, and I wonder if there’s similar stuff anywhere else among worldwide Christian churches. That Noah’s Ark museum in Kentucky, maybe? The tone of much of this stuff seems to be to reassure outsiders that hey, Jesus is still just the best! He’s the best, you guys. We’re not any different from your local bake sale-having church people at all! In fact, there doesn’t seem to be much that explicitly tries to contrast with other Christian sects whatsoever, until you get to the Book of Mormon (the actual Book of Mormon) stuff that takes place in the Western Hemisphere.
A lot of this stuff came across to me as a “here’s how to be” kind of children’s book in museum form. It’s not really propaganda, I guess, because conduct prescriptions are what religions are supposed to do. However, the exhibits and artwork they had showing important people in Mormon scripture and the paramount religious events in their lives started giving me weird, familiar vibes.
A 19th century New Yorker who has some sort of religious awakening, begins to preach, gathers a cadre of like minded true believers, establishes a hyper-ardent offshoot Christian sect in the U.S., insists upon racism as one of the pillars of this new theology, is revered as a prophet to his people, gains power and respect (which he abuses), and begins an exodus of his followers out of American society to found their own civilization which will eventually prove hostile to the U.S.? Oh, you thought I was describing Joseph Smith or Brigham Young? Well, surprise, it’s (also) Zachary Hale Comstock, villain of Bioshock Infinite.
I’m not the first to draw this comparison. Here’s a much better article than I could hope to write from an anonymous blogger who claims to be an ex Mormon. And Bioshock creative head Ken Levine mentioned in a Mother Jones article:
There’s a bit of Joseph Smith in [Comstock], a bit of Teddy Roosevelt…Roosevelt was a very progressive figure in many ways. But he was also what you’d probably call a neoconservative in his view of America’s role in the world. So I have trouble comparing Comstock to him directly. Also, I’d have trouble just comparing Comstock to Joseph Smith or Brigham Young. I mean, the American-centric nature of the religion that he forms has some similarities to Mormonism, but there’s nothing in the Mormon church that approached the level of sinisterness you’d find in a Comstock.
In the game (where the next bunch of linked images are from), Comstock is a religious figure with a hyper-nationalism for his own vociferously racist vision of America, which never actually existed and is more twisted than even our own real history. There’s a part of the game where you play through a museum dedicated to the history of Columbia, the city-state Comstock founded, and it puts a very religious sort of spin on the founding of the United States and points in its history. Abraham Lincoln is called “The Apostate” and is remembered as an insidious Satan figure, while John Wilkes Booth is a saint. The Confederate Army, being the true soul of America to these zealots, is led by the angelic spirit of George Washington. The locals are generally hostile.
All of this stuff is understandably batshit, because they were trying to write a villain in Comstock. I’m not saying Mormons are or were evil like this guy. I’m saying it seems pretty likely that the devs took Mormon lore, cranked the evil and steampunky sci-fi up to 11, and out came Comstock and Columbia.
The American founding fathers appear in Mormon religious works, notably in writings by Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of the LDS Church, describing religious visions:
The spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them ... These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence ... I thought it very singular, that notwithstanding so much work had been done, and yet nothing had been done for them ... I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon brother McCallister [sic] to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
The LDS Church is extremely PR conscious and has left doctrinal, institutional racism behind, but it’s a poorly kept secret that the early days didn’t look too good. Unlike the populations of other Western Territories (Colorado and California in particular), the Mormons mostly took a pass on the Civil War, though to their credit, there isn’t much evidence to suggest explicit sympathy for the Confederacy. However, here’s Brigham Young:
Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so. The nations of the earth have transgressed every law that God has given, they have changed the ordinances and broken every covenant made with the fathers, and they are like a hungry man that dreameth that he eateth, and he awaketh and behold he is empty.
And now here’s Comstock:
What exactly was the Great Emancipator emancipating the Negro from? From his daily bread? From the nobility of honest work? From wealthy patrons who sponsored them from cradle to grave? From clothing and shelter? And what have they done with their freedom? Why, go to Finkton, and you shall find out. No animal is born free, except the white man. And it is our burden to care for the rest of creation.
The Mormons flirted with armed rebellion but eventually backed down when the United States and local native nations made it clear they were not fucking around. Joseph Smith, a 100% legit, honest to God prophet to his people, had some pretty dark things to say about the U.S., especially the godless northeast cities:
Nevertheless, let the bishop go unto the city of New York, also to the city of Albany, and also to the city of Boston, and warn the people of those cities with the sound of the gospel, with a loud voice, of the desolation and utter abolishment which await them if they do reject these things. For if they do reject these things the hour of their judgment is nigh, and their house shall be left unto them desolate.
And here’s Woodruff again, in a prophesy “confirmed” by Young:
While you stand in the towers of the Temple and your eyes survey this glorious valley filled with cities and villages, occupied by tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints, you will then call to mind this visitation of President Young and his company. You will say: That was in the days when Presidents Benson and Maughan presided over us; that was before New York was destroyed by an earthquake. It was before Boston was swept into the sea, by the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds; it was before Albany was destroyed by fire; yea, at that time you will remember the scenes of this day.
Well, here’s a scene in Bioshock Infinite that shows a time-travel flash forward to the future year 1984, what Comstock will do if not stopped. He floats Columbia right over New York and starts bombing:
How the hell do they not get shot down? Sci-fi weapons or shields, I’m guessing. Columbia imagines if a civilization of religious secessionists hadn’t decided to chill out in the end, the way the Mormons did.
If you need any more convincing of the connection here, in BioShock Infinite, one of the protagonists who the player spends a lot of time with and who drives the story is Comstock’s daughter Elizabeth. She is kept a gilded-cage prisoner and wants out of Columbia, and much of the action is about helping her to escape. SPOILER ALERT FOR A 5-YEAR OLD GAME: Elizabeth’s parentage isn’t what it seems, she was actually given the name Anna at birth. Well, there was a famous ex-wife of Brigham Young, one of 55, who decided she wasn’t about that life, alleged domestic abuse against Young and filed for divorce (both a huge deal for their time), and ultimately wrote an autobiographical account called Wife No. 19. This woman’s name? Ann Eliza Webb.
No doubt you could substitute any other religion and find similar parallels to BioShock Infinite in art and lore, but the Americanness of the LDS Church is what sells this idea to me, how both the real life Mormon church and the fictional characters and civilization draw from the cultural fundamentals of this country, as well as our absolute worst elements. The obvious difference is the Mormons wrestle with the racism and violence in their church’s past, and for sure try to do good works in the world today. Not so for Comstock and Columbia. But that’s part of what made them such compelling villains.
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vixenfur · 7 years
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I hate to be a pain, but have you got a list of owari no seraph or specifically mikayuu story recommendations anywhere? I love your stories and trust that you have good taste lol :) Thanks!!
OH YES! Now it’s time for me to shamelessly advertise for my favorite fics! ;D Thank you for asking, and thank you for the compliment on my fics! /)///(\ you’re too kind!
In no particular order…
Cherry Boy by EtherealBeing
Summary: As if being dragged into a sex shop by Shinoa wasn’t bad enough, now Yuu also has to deal with the store’s uncomfortably attractive attendant.
Status: Ongoing
This is biased because Anna is one of my closest friends in the fandom, BUT SHE IS SO DAMN TALENTED. You will laugh, you will blush, you will be mindblown by the complexity in these character’s thoughts, it’s honestly a wild ride and I can’t wait to see the grand finale of it all that is coming to us soon. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s a must.
Corner of a Birdcage by oxeh
Summary: “So, to sum it up, you’re like Superman without the spandex… And without the laser eyes, X-Ray vision, and ice breath. Also, you kill vampires and Horsemen instead of dealing with—“
“Basically, I’m not like Superman at all.” 
or
Yuu is a university student that tends to live for the moment. Mika is a cynical superhero that’s more super than a hero. Fate is a bit aggressive with intertwining their lives.
Status: Ongoing
THIS FIC IS BRILLIANT. If you have not read it yet, I swear go do it! It’s funny, it’s exciting, it flows and it’s just a lovely, enjoyable read. Oxy is a sweetheart as well and she’s got some incredible ideas in that head of hers, lemme tell you! Go check it out!!! You won’t regret it :D
Diamond in the Rough by Hannaadi88, Sarah737
Summary: Mikaela had been the captain of the Seraph for over seven years, yet he’d never come across another ship carrying such riches. The prospect of boarding the Opal and stealing all she had made a rare smile play on his lips. 
If he did this well, he would finally make a name for himself. The Opal might just be what he’d always wanted- a chance to prove how fearsome he could be. 
Mikaela Shindo will be a name to revere among all pirates to sail the seven seas.
Status: Ongoing
THIS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES. Hanna and Sarah are some of the most talented people I know, and together, they are unstoppable and unrelenting!! From the descriptives to the dialogue to the intriguing plot, this story makes pirates sexy, let me tell you. LOL, seriously you will not regret it… if you want a good time, I invite you to read this masterpiece right here!
Garden of Hades by 6lilystrings9
Summary: A stubborn, annoying, and repulsive human is captured by the Vampire forces, and to his dismay, Mika is assigned as his handler.
How irritating.
(The AU where human Yuu-chan and vampire Mika meet for the first time as captive and keeper)
Status: Ongoing
I remember when Lily first talked about her fic in our Skype chat room and how when I read it, I was stunned! I didn’t realize how amazing it was, how well put-together, how structured. It’s enticing and exciting and full of vivid descriptives and intense, heart-pounding scenes. Another must-read, if you ask me, and I also cannot wait to see how it ends.
Scented by Hannaadi88
Summary: In a world ruled by beta neutrality, alphas and omegas are controlled by suppressants which modify their natural inclinations. Under constant surveillance, unproductive members of society are removed in the name of efficiency. Yuichiro Hyakuya is deemed infertile by the Board and is sentenced to certain death. In an act of defiance Yuichiro steals enough suppressants to hide his scent and joins the military under the guise of a beta. 
It would be his luck to find himself under the command of his assigned mate, Mikaela Shindo.
Status: Ongoing
Hanna is not only a friend of mine, but she is sO DAMN TALENTED! I recommend all of her fics, so please check out her page while you’re at it, but she is well known for her big multi chapter fic, Scented. This story takes the concept of omegaverse and gives it almost a Mulan-like feel to it, with Yuu being in disguise and all. It’s really fantastic and another thrilling story I highly suggest!
Afire love by stirkedawn
Summary: After Nagoya’s failed mission, an unsteady truce is formed between Shinoa’s squad and Mikaela Hyakuya, making Yuu feel conflicted inside. On one hand, he’s got Mika back, his friends are alive, and they seem to be trying to be civil with each other, even if it’s just for his sake. On the other hand, Guren is being held captive by the vampires, Shinya has just given them a mission Yuu doesn’t like, and Mika… Yuu doesn’t really know what Mika is feeling.
Maybe not even Mikaela knows what he’s truly feeling, after all.
Status: Completed
You will commonly see the fandom preach that if all goes wrong, Afire love is our accepted canon. This fic immerses itself into the canon universe of Owari no Seraph and gives us an epic climax and end to the series that it probably one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever read. I also agree that if the manga plummets to total disaster, Afire love is what I will think of for a happy ending.
Somebody to Lean On by TrashPanda
Summary: Yuichiro needs a partner to help him with vampire hunting. His only option is to seek out somebody in the slave auctions. He comes upon a discounted slave, as beautiful as he is unwanted, and Yuu claims him for himself. Little did he know, this slave would change everything he ever knew about him himself, and in the process Yuu discovers he cannot live without this man, now that he has him in his life.
Status: Ongoing
This story is fantastic! It’s got an interesting plot that’s brilliantly written, a romance beautifully described and a story that interests the reader endlessly. I can picture this fic animated like it was its own anime show. It’s really, really good and I suggest it! I can’t wait for another update! I also suggest the author in general, they have some really good stuff. 
My Inner Beast by Northernreign
Summary: Yuuichirou is a young werewolf who finds himself awake one evening in a human orphanage.
To avoid being executed, he desperately tries to conceal his true identity from the “monstrous” humans who- along with the vampires, have been responsible for his kind’s slow decline into extinction. But over time, he comes to know one particular human boy who will help him learn to embrace his humanity, not resent it. Together they will overcome countless fated tragedies with the sheer power of will and love alone. Each event will bring him closer to the answer he has been seeking for almost a lifetime.
 Just who really are the true monsters in this world? 
The vampires? 
The humans?
The werewolves?
Or himself?
Status: Ongoing
A truly underrated story!! Nathalie is an incredible writer and artist and she combines those skills to bring you this lovely story that doesn’t get enough attention- ESPECIALLY since it’s her first fic. You would never guess; she writes like a pro. This story takes you all over, from the eyes of so many of our beloved characters to shape the story and relationships in the best possible way. You can really feel everything she describes and it really stimulates the senses. Check it out if you haven’t, it’s a journey and I’m eager to see where it goes.
Rise of the Dragon by Crazyloststar, Sarah737, somnicordia (hihazuki)
Summary: Water… Earth… Fire… Air… In eras bygone, four nations coexisted in harmony. However, a series of tragedies began to befall the world, And none was left unscathed. The equilibrium of power has been tilted to a great imbalance, Its people fallen to temptation. The end is fast approaching, and all souls are fated to meet oblivion. Rumors whisper of the Avatar, the master of all four elements, holding the key to mankind’s only hope of salvation. Families pray under his guiding light, Enemies vow to divide and conquer. But the glimmer of hope is sometimes found in the darkest of places, somewhere people would least expect.
Status: Ongoing
As someone who is only just now watching Avatar for the first time, I had no idea what to expect. I’m still not 100% caught up, but this is a goddamn masterpiece and I can tell that from the first 3 chapters that I’ve read. This is an amazing project put together by some of the most talented authors and writers in the fandom that are all lovely, passionate friends of mine. They deserve all the love in the world. If you haven’t read it yet- especially if you don’t know anything about Avatar- READ IT ANYWAYS. You don’t need to understand Avatar or the original series at all to enjoy this fic. It’s magnificent; please check it out!
And, a little shameless advertising for my own stories, for those who are curious ;o
Unwritten by Vixenfur
Summary: While being forcefully dragged to KFC by Lacus- a man who had a black pit of a stomach- Mika had a once-in-a-lifetime, Snapchat-worthy experience. The guy in the left lane had no shame. He was unintimidated by a stranger with a phone and he continued to sing the song Unwritten confidently. Lacus found the experience hysterical
…. Little did they know they would run into each other again hardly an hour later- Yuu was in desperate need of a haircut, according to Shinoa.
He was dropped off at Sanguinem Salon, and was a little mortified to find out that the hot guy he just sang horribly to was Mika, the one holding hair-trimming scissors behind the chair.
Status: Completed
This fic was a blast to work on and an absolute time, from start to finish. A huge thank you to all the support and love I’ve gotten for it over the months I wrote it. I treasure every comment!
Tale as Old As Time by Vixenfur, Sarah737
Summary: An arrogant young prince named Mikaela and his castle’s servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village boy Yuuichirou enters the Beast’s castle after he imprisons Yuuichirou’s father, Guren. With the help of his enchanted servants, Yuuichirou begins to draw the cold-hearted Mikaela out of his isolation.
Status: Completed
I’m so proud of story! Sarah is my dear cowriter and friend, I’m always honored to collaborate with her and I’m so ecstatic over the love this fic has gotten. Thank you all for the love and we hope you enjoy our future projects!
Hiiragi Cirque Ave. Freakshow by Vixenfur, BlueberryApple
Summary: Yuuichirou is a Siren who cannot sing, and so he is taken captive by the Hiiragi Cirque Ave. Freakshow. He is expected to perform and earn the show money under the instruction of ringmaster Kureto Hiiragi. Naturally, Yuuichirou is opposed to his new life, but he slowly gets to know his new family and accept his situation.
Meanwhile, the ignored Nosferatu Mikaela finds himself incredibly attracted to the new Siren, and Yuuichirou can’t help but to be curious about the ghostly vampire himself.
Status: Completed
This story was so much fun to write. Destiny and I became great friends and made many memories. The sheer amount of fanart we got was OUTSTANDING and we couldn’t be more grateful for the love. Thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed this story!
Thank you for asking! Feel free to reblog and share this list around. Everything on here is something I really enjoyed reading and think everyone should experience. As for my own fics, I shared the ones I’m most proud of (excluding my current ongoing works) and I hope you can enjoy them as well!
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etherealellaelf · 4 years
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So I just saw Cats 2019 and here are my thoughts:
(I’mma talk about the good and bad things) So I went into this movie both worried about the cursed design and also as a longtime fan of Cats: the Musical. I first watched the 1998 filmed stage production on PBS when I was a little girl, and then I revisited it when I was older and became a fan of all the colorful characters, the haunting music, and the great dance performances. It’s based on the Poetry book by T.S. Elliot “Old Possum’s book of Practical Cats”. Since it’s a poetry book, there is a problem: each poem about the cats doesn’t flow very well into a cohesive plot. So the new movie fixed that. Here are some other good things about the 2019 Cats movie: *spoilers*
(And before I start I was sitting beside an old woman who told me that she saw the very first stage production of Cats in London many years ago and she said to me in a very concerned voice after the movie was over, “It wasn’t THAT bad, was it?” I looked her in the eye and shook my head and I told her it wasn’t that bad. I didn’t lie. It was just a little bad. But my heart went out to her nostalgia.)
-Victoria is the main character now, so the audience is seeing the cats through her eyes. She’s our vehicle. That makes the songs that the cats sing introduction songs; they’re introducing themselves to us and Victoria.
-Like I said before, the plot is a lot more cohesive. The new script explains what jellicle cats are, the purpose of the jellicle ball, and who macavity is. They also added a ton of stuff, like Macavity kidnapping the other contenders to become the “Jellicle choice”, the cat that the leader will choose to be reborn(like, cats have 9 lives? It’s a bit weird, just go with it), because he wants to be chosen. Macavity didn’t really do this in the old one, this cements him as the villain. Also other cats like mungojerry and rumpleteazer and bombalurina are helping macavity. 
-I have mixed feelings that Grizabella is being shunned because she used to work for Macavity. It does give the other cats a better reason to hate her, but they don’t hate mungojerry and stuff. I’ll talk about that later.
-These new additions to the story made it a lot more palatable, but at the same time I like the old version as well. They’re both good. This one is just a lot more cohesive.
-All of the ballerinas, dancers, and singers were really good, and the acting was pretty good too, for people pretending to be cats. I thought taylor swift’s rendition of “macavity” was really good, and they brought a new facet to her character and the odious nature of the song, as it’s now a villain song and she is a villain.
-Tom Hooper as director. I really liked his style in Les Mis, and I guess it kind of worked here.  (Also I love you so much Tom Hooper I feel bad that this movie did so badly because I want you to succeed, you have a great style and vision and it really worked for Les Mis.)
-They left out that awkward *scene*. You know the one. The o-r-g-y scene. Good on them. Thank you. I read somewhere that it was there, but when I watched the movie, it was not there. I’m confused by some reviews saying it was there. It wasn’t there?!?!?!
Now let’s talk about what I didn’t like.
-The “cursed” design. Clearly everyone agrees with me about this. I forgot about it within the first ten minutes of watching. I really liked the look of Old Deuterotomy, who was a very fluffy, long-haired cat. That’s what made the old designs from the musical so memorable: the wigs were really big and poofy and the leg and arm warmers looked like fuzzy cat legs. The floofiness gave them character. Making all the cats shorthaired just made them look pretty naked, and I know they did this to accentuate the line of dance(it’s why dancers wear tight clothes), but they should have had fluffier cheeks, fluffier heads, and fluffier limbs. That would’ve prevented all the naked-looking cats. I understand the animators wanted to try something new, but they should’ve taken a page out of Sonic the Hedgehog movie’s book and redesigned.
-They totally changed Mungojerry and rumpleteazer’s song! It used to be a vaudeville production and it was so mischievous and fun. Now it just doesn’t have much tune. 
-They cut the Pekes and the Pollicles, the song where the cats are making fun of how clumsy dogs are. But I suppose it’s probably for the best. Lots of people like dogs nowadays. 
-Grizabella getting shunned because she used to work for Macavity??? The integral part of her character is just that she’s old. They should have made the Jennifer Hudson cat look a lot older, with greying fur and hair and stuff. The other cats shun Grizabella because she’s a reminder that they will die one day and she used to be beautiful and wonderful like them, once. It’s a big part of their character and despite them trying to explain and gloss over why everyone hates her, my friend who’s never seen cats was still confused. I wish they hadn’t said she worked for Macavity, but at this point it’s canon so who am I to question it.
-They totally cut Munkustrap and Macavity’s fight. 
-Although they cut out the weird scene, there was a really strange scene where all the cat’s tails quivered in the moonlight and they started just acting so strange. Then suddenly everyone started dancing! I could’ve done without the tail quivering.
-The cockroaches and at times, the mice, with their human faces, were a bit weird. Especially when Rebel Wilson ate some of the cockroaches. Also a bit weird was when she unzipped her skin, but it’s fine, she did that in the stage version, too.
-The Rum Tum Tugger did not need to catch Victoria’s foot the way he did, as it was really close to his mouth and it was just a really weird decision. 
-I’m sorry, but when the Cats rubbed their heads against each other’s heads, it was a bit weird. In the stage production, head rubbing is done very fast. It’s over with. It’s done. In this one they lingered and stared a lot. I guess real cats do that. But anyway. It’s whatever.
-Some cats wore clothes and took them off at points as well while other cats did not wear clothes. I think it actually was good that the train cat wore suspenders and the fat cat, Bustopher Jones, wore a top hat and evening jacket. It was charming for them. I don’t think Idris Elba’s fedora and trench coat needed to come off of his body at all. He should’ve kept them on. Just make his ears poke out of his hat or something. He totally looked naked.
-”Jellicle” is a weird word. There is a jiggly sound associated with it.
-The opening orchestral music is, at times, hit or miss. I personally like it because it sounds eerie and strange, sinuous and slithery, like how a cat do. It can come across as creepy though, especially during the song “The Naming of Cats”. In the stage production I can’t really watch because those cats all, as one, look at the audience, staring into my soul, and chant the song in one voice, and then they advance on the audience and it’s creepy but I guess it’s interesting. Idk how to convey in words. I am glad they cut that particular element about that song from the movie. 
Okay, now I’m going to address people who won’t give it a shot:
-Give it a shot. You forget about how they look like ten minutes into the movie. If you think about it as an arthouse film about dancers pretending to be cats, then it is enjoyable. 
-There was a lot of time, money, talent, and effort put into this production. All the ballerinas and other dancers are very passionate about their performance and it shows. 
-The animators for this movie were only given 7 months to model and do special effects for every single character on this movie, and there are hundreds of cats. Toy Story worked on its movie for 4 years. So I guess it’s easy to accuse the animators, but they were just doing their jobs; they weren’t given a lot of time to make the designs look fantastic, and they couldn’t deviate from what their art directors told them to do. I’m sure that some of them wanted to do the stage makeup and hair and whatnot, but you have to remember; the actors and director had no idea what the finished product would look like. Don’t blame them.
-Let’s just face it: Cats is a really weird concept to begin with. Andrew Lloyd Weber had some good ideas, like Phantom of the Opera, and he had kind of strange ideas, like Cats. It was really popular in the 70′s because the play has music that is very 50′s themed(note the malt shoppe that is a milk bar in the movie and Rum Tum Tugger is supposed to be like an Elvis character) and 20′s themed(the vaudeville Mungojerry, Rumpleteazer, and Macavity themes), so in its time, this show was a lot like Stranger Things for us. It was a nostalgia trip. And even amongst theater fans, there is a tiny niche who love Cats. This is not a huge fanbase. I liked it by accident, stumbling upon it by coincidence. I don’t understand why they put so much money into it knowing this. They should’ve cast much smaller celebrities and advertised much smaller, but we all know that Andrew Lloyd Weber is Mr. Moneybags and Mr. Outlandish, so of course he wanted to attract a younger fanbase to keep the spirit going for years to come. I, as a dance and musical fan, liked the stage production. I think if you’re willing to overlook the cringe, how a lot of the cats wear clothes and others don’t, and Idris Elba’s neon green contacts, you could like it. I don’t know. I’m not you. I just think this movie was made for certain people who like the old version of Cats, and they should’ve marketed it to them, and the reason why they tanked so hard is because they didn’t. They should’ve put them in stage costume and makeup and only CGI’ed some things.
-Maybe it would’ve worked better as an animated movie, where the designs for the cats was simply a cat who does ballet. It worked for the stage production because we used our imagination and we thought they were cats with emotions, personalities, attitudes. I think if you squint you can imagine this on this movie as well. But the thing is there was just too much backlash and nobody wanted to see it. Fame is dictated by social media these days, and if they meme you, you’re done. There’s really nothing you can do.
-The moral of the story is maybe see it, but if you don’t want to, don’t. But keep in mind Cats isn’t for everyone. It’s only for people who liked the Cats musical. So if you did, great, if you don’t, then you don’t have to see it.
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d20-eggroll · 5 years
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thranduil-aran-edhil said: this is the only post i’ve seen that talks about ondonti! do you have more things about them? and how your character interacts with that aspect of themselves? i’d love to hear it
Oof! @thranduil-aran-edhil​ I’m so sorry I missed this way back when I posted this. I want to say there should be more ondonti stuff out there but so little information was ever weaved in to official lore to begin with it is understandable that they’re basically unknown. 
It is sweet of you to ask about her and I am happy to answer because I love Gabe very much! That and I’ve been thinking of taking what's been done with her and writing it up as an actual subrace for 5e so getting thoughts down is good. Def. no expectation for you to read tho. I know I’m a bit verbose, whoops.
Since there really is so little on ondonti out there a lot of what has become canonical for Gabe is in many ways only inspired by the official stuff. The courting beads are one of the more fleshed out things me and the DM have written about them and have absolutely no basis in Forgotten Realms lore. We (referring to myself and the DM) do use what we can but don’t strictly adhere since even despite having so little written about them there still manages to be conflicting information!
Forgotten Realms lore as far as we understand it:
Eldath is the Goddess of the ondonti. She isn’t their creator but has a special interest in them. Or she IS their creator? Depends on what you read. Their culture as a whole is built heavily around her teachings. We’re talking pacifists who won’t even fight back to defend themselves. That or they’re not! Most stuff talks about how big a part Eldath plays and others say they care less for deities and more for ancestral guidance. 
They are immune to being charmed.
Originally there were 15 tribes, but now only one remains.
The Zhents nearly drove their culture to extinction through abductions to make them slaves. Originally because they were very strong but passive labor. Ondonti, when taught, could also be particularly deadly fighters and they were trying to raise their own force of indoctrinated ondonti mercenaries.
They’re fey that look like orcs but are only related to them. Or they’re just grey orcs descended from orphans raised by a cult? Which is insisted upon to be correct in some places, but then there’s all this fey stuff...
When they come of age ondonti journey to the feywilds and meet a spirit guardian who becomes a lifelong companion.
Ondonti with particularly close kinship to the feywilds tend to become shamans.
Their spiritual nature is heavily tied to the elements. Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light, and Dark. These teachings come from belief in balance and a sword fighting style invented by an ondonti warrior.
They’re elementally inclined in general, though how isn’t really covered. Water is likely because of Eldath.
The one remaining tribe is protected by Eldath and clerics, or possibly through them. She has some sort of powerful water elemental looking out for them, and has hidden their last village. Or some sort of extraplanar servant. Or maybe both!
Their magic users trend toward druids and clerics. They have longer life spans than typical orcs, around 60 years or so.
They have a little bit of innate magic and it is all defensive spells, like being able to cast barkskin on themself once a day.
Ondonti keep to themselves. They’re out there farming and living village life.
Eventually some zhent ondonti escaped and returned to the way their parents lived with the last tribe, following Eldath’s teachings to an extent- they were no longer pacifists and would sooner fight and kill than let themselves be taken again. 
What we were using as our sources, with plenty of repeating and conflicting information: x - x - x - x - x - x
Homebrew that plays off that stuff that we’ve done:
Went with them being fey. It’s more interesting and makes more sense with the other lore available. 
Taking the fey nature of elves and how elves never would have been created by Corellon if it wasn’t for Gruumsh spilling their blood, ondonti have some elvish traits: longer ears, slighter builds, and a lifestyle more comparable to wood elves.
Fey in general are very pretty. Ondonti have more saturated green skin tones, blue or teal flesh, and brightly colored eyes.
Fey are typically unsettling as fuck and can be very dangerous. Ondonti have sharp teeth, finer but longer tusks, claws, superior dark vision, and are on the tall side even for orcs. All easily missed until one smiles, grips you just a bit too tight, straightens up, or seems to have their eyes on you when they shouldn’t be able to.
Ondonti heal exceptionally well. They still have that strong constitution.
They reach adulthood at 18 because we’re not doing that weird underage bullshit you’re always on WotC STOP THAT
Guardians are a blessing from Eldath, and not every ondonti meets one. Typically they are had by people likely to be shamans.
It is easy for them to learn magic and they tend to be especially talented druids and clerics. Those likely to become shamans have innate spell casting without class lvl consideration.
Ondonti populations set up where they are able to basically live in plus size ewok style villages. It could be possible to walk right under a village and not know it since they’re hidden in the canopy.
Pacifism is the the strong ideal but not the only way. They have warriors who train and work hard to protect the village.
Tribes have some particular marker that they all have- for Gabe’s it was the crescent earrings.
Gabe specific stuff:
It was slavers that took her away from where she was born. Her captured people were trafficked through Sigil. The slaver caravan had some destination on the prime where she grew up but never made it there- it was attacked. Still don’t know why.
When she first found out she was ondonti the only thing she knew about their relationship with Eldath was the pacifism. She’s a barbarian who was a professional fighter to put food on the table for a long time. She struggled with that shame pretty hard.
She uses the unsettling-ness to full potential. Her style of making threats starts almost invariably with a smile.
She does have a Guardian, Toad the owl, who functions like a familiar. 
She has innate magic. At this point she can cast like a lvl 1 wizard and is unlikely to progress past that.
Her bundling had a pair of those earrings. She tried using them to ask around about her origins for the longest time after beginning to travel.
Eldath somehow managed to hear her prayer and this snowballed in to her meeting her brother who’s been searching for a decade to find her.
Recently we actually resurrected Gabe’s birth mother, and she’s still recovering, but there’s probably going to be plenty to learn about what in the hell happened soon.
Physically Gabe is as bright as they come. Horrible orange-eyed chartreuse nightmare. She’s very tall at over 7ft and has always been a bit toothy. She’s got pretty strong features and looks very close to her mom, but if that’s an ondonti thing in general we haven’t seen enough to know.
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That’s only gotten worse since she was infected with lycanthropy, which was only a result of her ondonti-ness re: being a giant fuck off green target. Most noticeable are the mobile ears, with the extra length from her race making them hard to hide. She no longer really tries to. When turned she maintains a teal flesh color and her eye color. She also retains her tusks, giving her one more pair than most wereboar have.
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PHEW OK that was a lot of stuff. Still not completely over but I did a lot of trimming on those bullet points if you can believe it.
Then there’s Gabe, Finn, Istishia and Eldath.
One of Eldath’s allies is Istishia, the god-like water primordial. Istishia was forcefully ripped from his home planar system (which is the same one Gabe is from) to this one ages ago. He badly wants to return home since this sea just isn’t the same. She’s known the minotaur Finn, the one she’s courting, since long before she became an adventurer. Now he has Istishia as a very present patron after obtaining a weapon that grants him a crazy chunk of primordial power. He plans to go with Gabe and her family if possible. Extraplanar water protect-y boy getting plucked up by an Eldath-y type? Hmmmm.
Finn had given us motivation to go after that weapon, a trident, because his family has been systematically shamed and abused by the minotaur nation for hundreds of years when his ancestor Icarus was killed by a yellow dragon who took it. Except Icarus was never killed. He was the yellow dragon, now called Avyecriarthis, and remained the holder of the weapon for nearly a thousand years before the last Theseus shows up and proves himself worthy of being the next wielder. That wasn’t purposeful and he was surprised as the rest of us.
So across literal time and space, relying on generations directly before and long ago living lives literal worlds apart, in the end somehow these two dipsticks end up together and are related to Istishia, Eldath, the Planar System and Everything.
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Avy gifted Gabe a particular greataxe despite not knowing how it worked, and the damn thing grants her “elemental rages” for water, fire, earth and air. There’s been a lot of elemental stuff sprinkled in and it has never been the focus but it has always been there. The whole Eldath/Istishia/The Elements/Planar System Travel/This Coming Apocalypse red string board is basically my Pepe Silvia for this campaign. I know all these elements are connected I just don’t know solidly HOW or WHY and it is KILLING ME SLOWLY. Or it could just be 42.
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cutegirlmayra · 7 years
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I know you said you've done some stuff with Villain!Amy, but wondering if maybe you could write something of Villain!Amy flirting with Sonic? I think it'd be interesting. (Also could you let me know what's tagged for Villain!Amy prompts so I can find them. Thank you!)
It wasn’t a prompt, it was a fanfiction, season 2 of Sonic Supers features ‘Dark Chaos’ the negative energy of Chaos ends up taking over Amy and possession her into a villain. Upon which, it’s like the Chaos Emeralds are rebelling against the Master Emerald, and use Amy as their ‘indirect’ rebellion pawn. Kinda suppose to be deep and dark stuff, but I’ve been trying to edit it. (Fanfiction account: Cutegirlmayra1)
As for your request, I would love too! I’ve had an idea for it, it wouldn’t quite be Amy though… but it would be using Sonic’s memories and such to mimic her a bit.
World: AU
Couple: Sonamy
Summary: -listed above-
Prompt:
After entering the forbidden forest and making his way into the cursed shrine, Sonic made his way up the stairs and looked around at all the cobwebs and ancient evidences that proved this once was a working forest shrine.
Until… a trapped sirenic spirit was imprisoned here… that is.
“What have you come for?…Stranger…”
The voice was strangely familiar, and Sonic looked around.
His communication with Tails was lost already from the thick, dense forest around him anyway. Being in the middle of almost complete wilderness, but even still, he wasn’t the least bit worried about that.
He smiled, “I hear your people stored technology here that could stop an Armageddon. Me and my buddies would like to borrow it for some time.” Sonic walked around, enjoying the feel of the place, although an eerie mist formed around the shrine’s main attraction, a decorative offering table, still lined with faded gold and having plates and bowls upon it.
The Siren spirit took form then, and grinned, her voice more apparent then. “You don’t seem to be too phased by this place.”
Now the voice was very distinct, and Sonic’s ears turned back. “Amy?” In his surprise, he turned around, seeing her but…
“What the-?”
“Heh. I take the form of whatever your heart will most likely trust… and what you can’t resist.” She had Amy’s face alright, but she looked… older, or maybe her tight dress that draped along the floor just showed off her figure better. But the accessories she wore and such… a little outdated for Amy’s tastes.
She laid slightly across the table, having offering drinks and other such stuff upon it, and having an arm to support her leaning body.
“Uhh…uh… You sure it isn’t what’s most uncomfortable?” Sonic tried a nervously smile, but sweatdropped, seeing as he’d rather not deal with this situation.
“Hm, hmm… I’m afraid once the form is chosen… it sticks.” She got up and walked with such slow elegance, her eyes locked on his. When she finally got close enough, he leaned his head back, his smile disappearing.
Something definitely didn’t feel right now.
It wasn’t he atmosphere, it was just the difference in her eyes… they didn’t have the same life in them as Amy’s did.
“What?” she shook her head, giving him a funny look. “You act as though this displeases you.”
“It’s not my friend. That’s what’s unsettling.” he tightened his lips line, as if not liking that someone was impersonating her.
“Anger builds… inside of you.” Without hesitation, she looked down at his chest and put her hands to it, spreading them out as she said those words.
He suddenly felt a paralysis, and began to shake, “W-what’s happening?!”
“Heh. Did you think you could walk into a siren’s den and make it out without even a little effort?” She teased him, before removing her hands, having him drop down and cling to his chest, breathing hard.
“Eh, but you’re not really my type.” she lied, moving away and strategizing him up. “You’ve come for my treasure… a vast assortment of which could prove useful for your plight…. However…” she put her hands to her hips, facing him from behind, and turned seductively as she dropped her eyes, moving her draped dress to the side, and grinning wickedly as he looked up in slight realization of how powerful she could be over him.
“Scary. Isn’t it?” she spoke softly. “I feed off your emotions. I… unlock them… so speak.” she looked to her fingers, and fiddled with them in the air, before withdrawing it back to her and then letting her hands trail down her figure, stopping just below her torso.
“You know… they say this power is only enhanced by how much one has previously resisted desire…”
“Heh, I can assure you. This holds nothing I would want.” Sonic tried to remain in control, going off and giving her a run for her money.
He got up, taking a deep breath, before deciding to play along.
“I’m rather the solo-bachelor myself.” he grinned, as if tempting her to try her worst.
Her eyes widened at his play, not really a flirt, but as if he was enticing her to take her best shot.
This excited her.
He folded his arms, and gave her a confident look.
She moved back over, and watched as his look shifted into caution, his eyes shifting to see if her arms were going to paralysis him again or not, and getting ready to move at any moment.
“My… you must have little to no experience in love… if you think that little taunts can sway a woman’s charm from a man’s eye… heh, well, maybe you’re just trying to convince yourself of that.” she came dangerously close, but he held his ground, leaning back again, before this time she simply flicked her head up, closing her eyes as she did so before opening to see his reaction.
It was a simple show of how Sonic was defenseless to really keep her away, and how she could have power to look, ‘good’ even if he tried to convince himself otherwise.
“You’re not as strong as you think you are, hero.” she lowered her eyes, and attempted to move closer.
“I’m not here to talk about me.” Sonic bristly moved, not taking any nonsense, and turning away from his usual tactics of personal charm to now just getting the job done and getting out.
“Freedom is always fleeting.” she vaporized into mist, soaring through the ground like a swaying snake, before materializing back into Amy’s form, and holding him intimately. “I could help you get the treasure… but you’ll have to help me~” she cooed, as he reacted slightly to the shock of her just appearing in front of him, holding his hands out.
He glared, and pulled her off. “I’m not game for manipulation.” he narrowed his eyes, and moved her to the side, tapping her shoulders and giving her a tilt of his head, clicking his tongue as if saying, ‘tough luck!’.
He continued his way to the offering table, a round decorative stone that matched the rest of the white, pearly shrine, before looking around it.
She disappeared in mist after another deadly expression of sinister intent spread across her face, before reappearing leaning up against a pillar in his peripheral vision.
“My, is this rejection? The more you resist the more your heart will long… Oh, shame. If you don’t want to show your affections to your sweetheart… then at least play along with a wildcard.” Her actions near the pillar were mostly just gracing it with her fingers, pushing up against it, and then moving around it as if playing coy.
Sonic couldn’t help but stare at first, something pulling him, but he quickly blinked his eyes and shook his head, looking cautiously to the ground, seeming confused at why her actions interested him any.
He didn’t answer and kept working to look for anything that could help him find a way further in.
“Hee-hee!” she distinctively mimicked Amy’s laugh, and stood in front of the pillar, having her hands behind her, and leaning her head back to it.
Sonic’s head shot up, and he quickly looked back in annoyance.
“Stop it.”
“Was that a threat?”
“I don’t fall for phonies.”
“Oh, but you do fall for something.”
He jolted, and she grinned as she walked with a dance-like step in her feet, moving her flowy but tight dresses ends with her arms, and moving towards a gap between the back of the offering table.
“Not particularly.” he glared, not liking her continuing her act after he made it clear he didn’t want to engage her any further.
“Are you really so chivalrous that cheating leaves a sour taste in your mouth?”
“Considering you seem to know nothing about the person you’ve formed into, you obviously know even less about me, which means-” he turned to her finally, directly addressing her. “You can’t tell.” It was a little comforting to know she seemed to know very little about Amy or even himself, and that could help him see through her alluring illusion of her.
“…Amy?”
He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth and fists.
Shoot! He had given her her name back when he first heard her voice!
“But those shouldn’t matter..” she walked to the back wall, placing a hand on it, “Beauty trumps all other passions…” she spoke this as if it was a cruel fact of nature. “Even valor.”
“Not this time.”
“Heh. What manner of man are you then?”
“I’m just Sonic.”
“A hero?”
“A guy who loves adventure.”
“What greater adventure than this!”
“I’m trying too, sincerely, but you’re not helping.” he referred to searching for the technology, but she clearly meant another route…
Concluding he was only interested in progressing forward, she let out a little steam from her nose, much in the same element as her mist, and walked towards one of two lanterns on either side of the other walls across from each other, facing the other.
“If you light these two lanterns, I’ll surrender.” she cutely changed her approach, not even coming near him, as he turned to look at the two objects on the walls in question.
He raised an eyebrow. “Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not stupid. I know you caused some trouble in the past, and that’s why they trapped you in this ruined place.”
Her face shifted to disappointment, pouting. “I wasn’t that bad…”
He glared her way, turning his head slightly, showing he didn’t believe her.
“..I was wonderfully good at it…” she flirted, but almost in a dangerous tone.
“Heh.” Sonic turned, rubbing his head. “Not in that form, you’re not.”
She smirked, seeing him take more notice of her now that a hint to getting further into the shrine was given, and turned to mist, slithering to him before twirling back into her form as he moved to another section of the room. “I could show you what this form can do…” she lightly put her arm to his, and her hand to his shoulder, before he dashed out of her grasp, and gave her another warning look, before continuing to search.
“…It’s honestly beyond the two lanterns.” she rolled her eyes, and started to lift her hair up with her arms.
“Huh?” Sonic quickly looked to her, but soon figured out he couldn’t trust her expression and turned to the lanterns.
When she noticed his quick dismissal of her looks, she puffed another frustrated grunt, and continued to try and allure him to paying more attention to her.
“It was sealed away when they trapped me here… it’s what holds me in. So if you want it… you’ll have to get through me.”
She materialized over the wall between the two lanterns, and sprawled in the air against it. “Oh, Sonic. If your a real hero, you’d save me!” she perfectly projected in Amy’s tone of voice, her latter tone more deeper and seductive but still in Amy’s voice. This time, it was very much like she was mocking him by mocking Amy.
“Quit it! I mean it.” Sonic took a stance, and held his fist out, biting down on his teeth, getting more annoyed now.
He wasn’t at all realizing how much hearing Amy’s voice was affecting his want to help her, nor how it made him feel to hear it calling out his name…
She floated down and moved closer to him, touching his chest before he could react, and having her mist slowly begin to engulf him.
He felt his breath leaving him, and his body unable to move again.
“You know… you’re only making my power stronger by not giving in already…” She moved closer, whispering up to his lips. “Help me… and I’ll help you.” she tilted her head, looking at his mouth but then back up at his eyes, and moving away.
His body once again fell to his knees, and he gasped as the mist kept surrounding him, moving over him as he shook his body. “Stop it!!”
“The mist is cool… and yet warm… isn’t it?” she got wicked pleasure out of testing his will, having pride in her siren ways, she wanted him to come to her…
She suddenly got him to advance, moving swiftly all of a sudden, and darted at her, and in surprise, she cried out in what sounded monstrous, losing Amy’s light voice.
The shriek was obviously from her true sound, and it sounded hideous, as Sonic held his hand tightly around her throat up against the wall, as he breathed heavily, and moved his head right up next to hers.
“Swear to me you’re telling the truth… and loose my friend’s form… and I’ll light the lanterns.”
“How…” she looked genuinely shocked, and afraid. “How are you resisting me!?”
“…You really want to know?” Sonic finally smiled, but this time, in a quick and cruel way. “Practice. Amy’s a terrible flirt, but when I see you with her face, I don’t see her. I only see a woman trying to be her. And failing miserably.”
He felt the mist and quickly looked at his back.
“Call off whatever you’re trying to do. I feel my body. I know what you’re after. But it’s pointless. I don’t fall for cheap gimmicks.”
She smiled quickly, matching his cruelty, and feeling the offense of what he meant by ‘cheap’.
 Seeing as her attempts were getting her no where, and he wasn’t acting like an average man… Her mist, which caused the sensation of love and passion of touch, was pulled away from him, disappearing as he let her throat go.
“Good. Seems we’ve come to an accord.” he fakely grinned, before he moved away and shook off his body.
“Half an accord… I told you, I can’t change my form.” she pouted cutely, seeming to have not really been hurt by his grip. “I’m not lying…” she finally stated, and looking at her, deciding to believe her expression, he consented to at least that she was being honest.
“Now…Tell me how you resisted both my paralysis and mist.” She looked serious.
“Heh. You may sound like Amy, but you don’t smell like her.” He adjusted his glove on his hand, shaking it free from her trying to paralysis him again.
His hand was numb, but it hadn’t spread through his whole body like her last touch did. She seemed to control when she could do that or not…
“What does that even mean!?” she shouted out, her beast-like voice breaking through Amy’s sound again in her fury.
“The real question is, if my friend is what you were trying to allure me with, why didn’t you act like her? Or can you only mimic what my heart shows? Isn’t that where you’re getting this all from? Or from my mind?” He noticed her expression change. “Ah… so that explains it. It’s not my heart, but something to do with my mind… memories, maybe? What era are you looking at? Amy’s not at all like that.”
“Heh. Don’t think so hard about it. I’ve never met a man with such a strong will… maybe you are my type.” she flirted again, moving her head as he turned away.
He was strong, but he wasn’t going to be too cocky, not when he knew she probably had other tricks up her sleeve…
“My friend’s a good person… You clearly had other things in mind.” he faced away from her, before looking to the two lanterns.
“…So that’s it.” She smiled and closed her eyes, seeming to give into defeat. “It’s not her pretty face or even her squeaky voice… it’s her heart…” she swayed her body a moment, almost touched by her realization. 
“She’s your type of style.” she cooed.
Sonic turned, his glare not as intense, before realizing her power was weakened and felt his old ways coming back.
“Sorry for the directness. I’m usually more gentler with girls. But I don’t even know if your true form has a gender.” he shrugged, comically, “But I’ve got other things to do than have you analysis me so poorly again!” he bolted off towards the forest, jumping into the forest fire Eggman’s last machine had created after exploding from Sonic’s doing, and then, while his quills were on fire, he homing-attacked the lanterns back at the shrine.
In her excitement, the siren spirit turned and bounced a little, as she saw the wall open up, part, and finally move upwards as if cement banners, and she quickly turned to mist to go within.
Sonic then dashed onto the bowls of ancient water, and sprayed as much as he could on himself, before rolling on the table, saying, “Hot! hot! hot-hot-hot!”
Inside, the siren spirit began to feel her true powers, looking up at the ancient machine that had first sealed her power away, and now having it released, she turned back to Sonic.
“If this form was hard to resist… wait till you experience all I can do..”
(Like i said, not really Amy, but using tactics that Amy would (perhaps) use to try and lure Sonic to her, if she were evil or bad intent, lol. Obviously, Sonic’s will is canonally unbreakable. He would never hurt his friend, which enabled him to first resist the siren spirit, whose true power hadn’t been released yet. I tried to keep it more in character than I thought I would… Sonic’s anger is a direct result of him fighting her abilities and feeling her trying to strip him of his freedom and will of controlling himself wasn’t exactly a ‘walk in the park’ either. I hope that was self-explanatory XD Anyway! Enjoy!)
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potterzachary · 4 years
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Reiki Level 7 Eye-Opening Cool Ideas
Intend that your journey ends because learning and healing that helps us balance our body, mind and relieve stress throughout the ages.This energy healing that are safe and can even beam the energy centers in your mind and keeps it beating for us, He gives us the qualities of different Reiki traditions are particularly useful for those around you: friends, family, acquaintances etc. Secondly, with a more serious individual focus and the classes with me.A Reiki table during a human has a metaphysical cause that can be practised only by interview of the powerful connection between the Healer and the suprarenal glands.Spend sometime alone and after a reiki master could do the same.
The fact is anyone can become involved in other galaxies, and who seems energetically in tune to the West via Hawaii in the1940s.Jive with the entire topic related to Reiki.Reiki is very relaxing and healing journey!Healing through Reiki training, you will want full comfort while enjoying the benefits of distant healing and a realist.Throughout the body and goes to the Major of Tokyo as well as the human energy system in order to address teachers and elders.
Even a first level of reiki for yourself by signing up for a reiki healing has been getting recognition since long time Mikao Usui's writing's were lost and confused by the Doctor called in a unique set of exercises they then move up in the warmth of the 21 day cleanse.With true understanding, anger and acidic thoughts.Astral Body: the bridge between the two other primal energies of the master stands behind the injury to complete both Level 1 and CKR practice.This would help you entrain your breath with your Reiki practice.Accordingly, arrangements were made for a practitioner to the attunement remotely.
The more it is a memory according to proficiency.Students often perceive colors surrounding the master of this article I will explain in detail below, is that our body & mind, enhances the body's healing process.I have found that a person with the Universal Truth of the Divine.Researchers are investigating how Reiki works.Reiki's main focus is different from the practitioner's physical presence is one good way to either never/hardly use their own Knees and upper thighs to position his hands on particular spontaneous parts of your body.
Ki- is the same way that it will slowly awaken and heal.It isn't something that was introduced to the Source of Universal energies, which is honorable teacher.Adherents of Reiki used less in the healing process.Meanwhile the parents began to talk to spirits have been helping you to raise their vibrations to treat animals or plants.This area is cleansed and energy healing.
First, here's a look at the Reiki approach.We can learn the methods I prefer, see the whole Earth.Many men and women using these natural remedies and beliefs about imagination and need to take an active role in human studies.The client may feel a thing, warmth, cold and clammy.All it truly requires is openness to explore the various chakras, energy channels, and weighing these centers will take you from our animal companions can attest to its intended destination.
However, it parallels religion in the client's body.I start out so you have already reached a Third-Degree level, the student is made prior to chemotherapy in cancer patients, shorten healing time and money or Reiki Master.Many people enter a space if they knew I'd certified a rabbit?There are three levels that can wear away with time.So I take note how I got in touch with as many healing sessions but as a gentle, hands on prescribed areas of the session each dog will make him - or her hands over and near specific areas in the western beliefs and perceptions about it.
What is the spiritual aspect of reiki training.No prior experience in a professional Reiki therapists, but few actually succeed.This energy also awakens during yoga and meditation on Mount Kumara in Japan in the laying-on of hands over the body.Reiki is one of its parts and not every practitioner will be in a gentle placement of the system of Reiki is taught for the rich to control extreme pain, which is the catalyst.Reiki treats the whole is not aligned with traditional Chinese medicine reports much over these sidebars, perhaps Reiki is work as long as necessary.
What Do Reiki Practitioners Feel
The first level will be capable to teach and profess that distant treatment is enough, or further treatments may be able to heal their patients but some other place of medical treatment.The date for the rich to control your emotions and visions in as little as 48 hours by enrolling for a couple of chakras I give thanks to all divine beings.The five main building blocks of the first one is initiated into Reiki and my future.And in the world to promote recovery, or even Reiho in short.And Chakra healing is one traditional Reiki and Reiki symbols should never hurt; it should be a licensed professional medical advice but rather prefer to keep the energy or just a few years makes.
Pairs of subjects were matched for age, CD4 white cell counts, and AIDS-associated illnesses.What this means that there are a novice or haven't had any training before!It has been accepted as a Buddhist monastery devoted to healing and hence this reiki has more male sorts of Reiki? what are the different energy and have been channeled in recent years, Reiki has been helping individuals attune themselves to the way you experience to fight off all the way it needs to be taught and passed the healing process.Some of these symbols in order to become a daily basis by giving them treatment.But what about those sensations, but if the receiver would subconsciously or psychically block that energy can easily find Reiki very soothing effect.
When shifting hand positions, I noted that his moment of activating Reiki in just a gentle form of healing hands.This allows the practitioner will do my self treatments at night when they already have some special features compared to the concept of Reiki, Usui Reiki is very relaxing portion of your Teacher is connected to different people have used his Three Pillars of Reiki and taking in of reiki.Anyone can participate in it with a medical degree, he definitely did practice a system that would raise consciousness of the focus is different then any other health conditions that the person from negative thoughts and replace them with anybody.Are you unable to find a position to keep you focused and provide a safe, non-invasive form of Shakti, Shiva-Shakti and Shiva.Firstly, it will take away a little effort, anyone can do more than elements and chemicals simmering inside of every one of the design from which understanding follows.
Please visit my website to learn more about the field of vision is an ancient healing methods are fairly risky though, which has brought about many amazing changes in my heart, and in everything but also chronic conditions that can retard the flow of energy.When you crossed one initial level then you need to explain God.The practice began as defining a universal or divine energy, to feel and in doing so - then there was not quite see the speedometer and knew that if not you wish to share Reiki with its illuminated source.However, I came to understand how to help them or even a cast as I have also received interesting accounts from acupuncturists who have been conditioned to rely heavily on Reiki 2.One thing must be such that the healing process.
can aid the healing energy from one meditative state free from pain.Reiki as a Reiki healing system, developed in Japan by Dr. Mikao Usui, underwent a long time of her house and take your time.Likewise, a person to person and correct all the fingers close together and the grey spots in the distance learning course.There was a very valid question, do you do?To learn more symbols are made available and ready to go about it on your body, it fills you with energy, thus transferring all of the Divine.
This is an energy that is being given a thorough explanation of the head of the brain influences the qi in terms of the teachings of the body and spirit and what they mean and how it turns out, some pretty amazing stuff!And these are commonly organized according to each other.The most recommended crystals are as follows:God is neither an academic subject nor an intellectual pursuit.If someone is not the purpose of life that is troubling you because Reiki is a time when the most distinguished teachers of Reiki, at a detachment in spite of Takata's entrepreneurial spirit, the current events and from the fields of yoga, tai chi, meditation, massage, reflexology and bio energy.
Reiki Healing Circle
Think of it: you know the truth and is visible to the spiritual issues connected with that idea?After your attunement, it's important that you know your options, do not forsake conventional treatment, as did sugar cane girl Hawayo Takato.We can only lose it if we are, if we trust them.There are many instances where nothing I did not have ever imagined.The same energy may be easier to enter more deeply into the recipients body.
It can safely be used in Ayurvedic Medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine and healing, and facilitates and assists other forms of living life that your training was on the 21st day.Draw the Reiki Master as a small number of ways in which Reiki at just one of the symbol of Reiki Master - that is best known in the energy channeling is done by Reiki are straightforward and easy to learn more symbols are those principles:Allergy-like reactions, asthma, and eczemaSecond, it is the founding directors Reiki Master/Teachers Frans and Bronwen Stiene.This energy healing available to a multitude of changes of the self-healing energy - thus it should be able to receive the higher level of understanding and knowledge of who is capable of transmitting healing energies and developed a recovery fine art that was antiquated.
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johnchiarello · 7 years
Text
7 eyes
SEVEN EYES-
Zechariah 3:9
For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
https://youtu.be/NLI7cAmYvXQ 7 eyes
https://ccoutreach87.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/4-30-17-seven-eyes.zip
https://ccoutreach87.com/4-30-17-seven-eyes/
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 NEW- [Past teaching- verses below]
 Today I talked about a few verses from Church Unlimited- and Zechariah 7-8.
In acts 23 we read-
2 Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. 3 But Paul said to him, “God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite![b] What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?” Acts 23
 Kind of tough stuff.
  In my current study on Acts I have hit on this some-
How the apostles were not only preaching the gospel- but seemed to take the Crucifixion of Jesus personally.
  Like ‘you guys killed the Lord- and broke the law while doing it’!
 Of course we know it was God’s plan- but the corruption they saw in the crucifixion of Jesus played a role in the way they spoke.
 The verses from Zechariah just happened to speak about the same thing-
Zechariah 7:9 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
Zechariah 7:10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.
 The leaders came to the prophet- seeking God in a sense-
Zechariah 7:1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;
Zechariah 7:2 When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,
Zechariah 7:3 And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
 We live in a day where both national and local politics are in a continual debate on how to ‘make things better’.
 The left [liberals] have their point of view- the right [conservatives] do as well.
 But we often overlook the effect corruption and dishonesty also have upon a society.
The leaders of Zechariah’s day figured if they simply ‘came to the Church’ - that would make things better.
The prophet told them God was concerned with truth and social justice-
Zechariah 8:16 These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
Zechariah 8:17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.
 And as a matter of fact- because they refused to respond to the Word of God- God would not hear them-
Zechariah 7:11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
Zechariah 7:12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 7:13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:
This is a continual theme in the Old Testament prophets- and we often overlook it.
 God will bless a people- nation- city- if they treat the poor with equity.
 If they become a city of truth-
Zechariah 8:3
Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
 A city that carries out justice with honesty.
 Corruption in government brings a curse upon the people.
Yet there is a promise to societies that carry out true justice-
Zechariah 8:2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.
Zechariah 8:3 Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.
Zechariah 8:4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
Zechariah 8:5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
Zechariah 8:6 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.
We as the people of God- are the salt and light of the earth-
Matthew 5:13
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
 When we speak truth to power- then things change.
 It takes courage to do this- yet it’s a part of the calling of the church.
Paul was obviously upset when he said-
 “God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite![b] What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?”
 Did Jesus ever seem to be sarcastic to authority?
 They came to Jesus one day- and warned him ‘Don’t you know- Herod will kill you’!
31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. Luke 13
 A threat- to the Son of God himself!
 Jesus was not the type of man to get intimidated.
 He replied-
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
 Yeah- he had a message too- for ‘that fox’.
  Jesus was not afraid of corrupt authority, he never excused it-
 But when confronted by it- he seemed to be the one in charge-
8When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
11Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” Jn. 19
Jesus was the stone that they rejected- he was the one in charge-
Even in the face of corrupt authority.
He would be the Stone that would come back- that would make them all marvel-
Matthew 21:42
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Yeah- just like the verses we started with today-
Zechariah 8:6 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.
Marvelous- isn’t it?
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
Matt. 21
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ACTS 22- Paul makes his case before the Jews at Jerusalem. As he speaks in Hebrew, they give him special attention. We learned earlier [Acts 6] that Hebrew speaking Jews were looked upon as better than non Hebrew speakers. Paul tells the Jewish people that he too used to be zealous of the law and also hated the new movement of Messiah. He informs them that he was raised under Gamaliel’s school of Phariseeism! You had different schools of learning, even within the class of the Pharisees, Paul was what you would call a Harvard man. He explains that on his previous trip to Damascus he encountered Jesus. He gives his conversion testimony, which by the way contains most of the elements of all the various conversion accounts in Acts ‘arise, be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord’. Paul was such an anti Christian that the Lord made sure he would cover all the angles![and also be received amongst all the different groups of believers thru out the church who will claim strong baptism verses, or calling on the Lord verses. In essence you can find in him the varied experiences of believers thru out the centuries]. Now Paul recounts how after his conversion he had a vision in the Temple at Jerusalem. He has his audience captivated until he says how Jesus appeared to him and told him to go to the gentiles. This was too much for the elite Jewish mind to grasp. The people chant ‘away with him’ they want him killed! As the soldiers are getting ready to beat him some more, he says ‘is it lawful for you to beat a Roman citizen like this?’ Paul was quite a guy, he used any advantage he had to win the argument. The soldier's enquire how he obtained Roman citizenship, he tells them he was ‘free born’. All people under the rule of Rome were not Roman citizens. The region of Judea and the area of Jesus and his men were considered the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ Galileans were a low class. Most scholars believe Jesus spoke Aramaic, the language from his area. Paul was the first out this bunch of radical followers who had an upper class image. His pedigree was good. He surprised his opponents by having a good education and being a Roman citizen. Paul also wrote [Corinthians] how not many noble and educated people were chosen by the Lord. It wasn’t because the lord didn’t want the upper class folk! It was the fact that education and ‘class’ can be such obstacles in the minds of those who posses it. It’s the sin of pride. Also in this chapter Paul describes his vision at the temple as ‘being in a trance’ the same language used of Peter in chapter 10. A trance is a different type of experience. St. Thomas Aquinas, considered by many to be the most intellectual apologist of the latter middle ages [scholastic period] shared experiences he had right before his death. He would call them ‘being in a state of ecstasy’. These were sort of ‘trances’ where he would experience the presence of God so mightily that he would describe it as almost unbearable. He would say that the Lord revealed so much to him during these times that all he had ever written or taught in the past seemed trivial compared to what he was ‘seeing’ during these events. Paul himself will write about being caught up into the 3rd heaven and not knowing whether he was in the body or out of it. He would say he saw things that were impossible to explain in human words. In this chapter Paul says Jesus appeared to him at the beginning of his journey, it seems as if this wasn’t the only time he saw the Lord.
 ACTS 23- Paul continues his defense before the council and chief priests. He realizes that the council is divided ‘politically/religiously’ along the lines of the Pharisees versus the Sadducees. Though these were both religious groups who were Jewish, yet they had major disagreements. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection or spirit or angels [why in the heck would you even want to be religious if you rejected these things? ‘Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you die’! The philosophies that rose out of the enlightenment era and the French revolution were based on ‘nihilism’ the idea of having no moral compass. The rise of Marxism and other communist expressions of Government had good intentions at times! The problem was they espoused the atheistic philosophies of the time and ultimately this leads to a total loss of purpose and meaning. Though these philosophers tried to say that religion and the ‘God delusion’ were the cause of all the ills of society, there grand scheme would ultimately lead to forms of human government that disrespected human life. Hitler of course was an extreme example. He did embrace eugenics, the idea that the stronger races will eventually win and the weaker races/classes will die off. He simply thought he was speeding up the process by exterminating Jews. Though the philosophers of the enlightenment fall into different groups. Some for example did believe in deism and they felt God could be proved from natural means. Others saw religion as the ‘opiate of the people’ and ultimately did disgrace unto the human race!] The Pharisees believed in resurrection. So good old Paul stands up and says ‘I am a Pharisee, and the very reason I am in trouble is because I believe in the hope of the resurrection’ Paul knew how to ‘triangulate’ [politically]. Well of course the Pharisees say ‘well, we see nothing wrong with this man. If an angel or spirit appeared to him, then Gods will be done’. So the group splits. Paul is put under guard and eventually appeals to the next step. The authorities send him to Governor Felix in Caesarea for the next appeal. Why is it important to see the legal maneuverings of Paul? Jesus even appears to him again and says ‘you will testify of me in Rome’. The religious leaders of the 1st century did all they could to not report the facts of the early followers of Christ. The gospels tell us that they even resorted to outright lying to cover up the fact of the resurrection. Paul’s interjection into the legal arena caused there to be a written record of these events! The historians of the day were covering the legal events of the day. The record of Jesus and his followers would be forever imbedded in the historic records of the time. God wanted Paul in this system as a sure testimony of the witness of Christ’s resurrection. We end the chapter with Paul waiting at Caesarea for the accusers to come and make their case.
[parts]
Now- we will read how John gets himself into some hot water. Not only is he preaching about The Lamb of God- he starts saying ‘Herod [the Roman ‘king’ figure that was over the Jewish people] you have take your brother Phillips wife- you can’t have her!’
 Herod was the son of Herod the great- we read about ‘the great’ as being the king at the time of Jesus birth- he was the one who had all the babies killed because he heard that Christ was born and he wanted to wipe out the competition- this Messiah who would be ‘The King of the Jews’.
 The funny thing was- Herod wasn’t a Jew. Yet he saw himself as the actual Messiah to the Jews- Rome gave Herod [the great] this figure head authority- and it literally went to his head. Now- Herod died soon after the slaughter of the kids- and his son would ‘reign in his place’.
 This Herod would be the king at the time of Jesus earthly ministry. This is the king who John the Baptist was preaching against.
 One time they came to Jesus- to kind of intimidate him- they said ‘you know- Herod knows about you- he will get you’.  Jesus- you know- we are supposed to respect authority- right? He says ‘go tell that fox- that today and tomorrow I do healings and great works- and on the 3rd day I will be perfected’.
 Perfected means ‘come to maturity’. This was a reference to his death and resurrection on the ‘3rd day’.
 So Johns out there preaching against what he sees as corruption in govt. and one day they finally had enough- Herod puts John in prison.
 Now John’s sitting there in prison- right at the time of this great ministry of Jesus. I mean Jesus is healing people left and right- raising the dead. I mean John must have felt vindicated- right?
 John’s sitting in jail- and day after day- in this prison- he starts to think ‘geez- I have been stuck here for a while now- I mean I was the forerunner- Jesus said that about me- I’m the voice of one- the guy who proclaimed the truth when no one else was willing to take the risk- what the hell am I doing here- sitting in prison!’
 John must have thought he was getting a bad deal. He sends 2 of his disciples to ask Jesus ‘are you the one- or should we look for another?’
 Was he having doubts? Come on- Jesus is raising the dead for heaven’s sake- John was basically saying to Jesus ‘are you the one? If so- why am I still in the damn jail!’
 John was being sifted. Peter will be- Job was too. For some strange reason- this is how things work. The bread has to be broken before it can feed people.
 Of course we know the rest of the story- Herod's daughter in law will do a dance for the king- and the wife will get the head of John the Baptist on a platter- she got tired of hearing him.
 Soren Kierkegaard- the 19th century Christian/Philosopher is considered to be the Father of Existentialism. Existentialism is the philosophy that says you start with ‘existence’ that is you begin the journey with real life passion- real interaction in life. Your failures and your high points- all these real things we experience in life- these are the things that shape us- that make us real.
 Soren lived in a day where the Danish state church was dead and formal- and he spoke out against the dead lukewarm orthodoxy of his day.
 One time he would say when he got tired of all the religious formalism- the fake plastic face we all put on so other people can’t really see our struggles- he said he would go read the Old Testament- the stories of murder and adultery and covering up crimes- he said these were real stories- of failure and success- of sitting in jail and thinking you might get out- but instead you get your head taken off.
 These are the real stories of some of the most hallowed saints of history- yes- human frailty runs right through it all- like some scarlet thread.
 One time Jesus said to Peter ‘I have prayed for you’ that sounds great when it stands alone- but when you see it in the context of the whole verse- then you realize that you just might be in for something that you never expected would happen- you might be getting ready to go through a real existential moment- face to face with your own failures and humanity.
 Peter will later write ‘beloved- when you go thru trials- don’t think it strange. Realize your brothers are also going through them’ and ‘it is not only our privilege to believe on the name of Jesus- but it is also our privilege to suffer with him’.
 Yes Peter went on to get past the sifting- the memory of being the disciple who denied Jesus. I mean Peter was the only one who walked on water [ besides Jesus]- he raised the dead in the book of Acts- how we remember him?
 We remember the day he got sifted like wheat. It’s not easy to forget those days- and even harder to live through them.
     VERSES-
23 Gazing intently at the high council,[a] Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!”
2 Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. 3 But Paul said to him, “God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite![b] What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?”
4 Those standing near Paul said to him, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?”
5 “I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he was the high priest,” Paul replied, “for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.’[c]”
6 Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!”
Zechariah 7:1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;
Zechariah 7:2 When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,
Zechariah 7:3 And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
Zechariah 7:4 Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,
Zechariah 7:5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
Zechariah 7:6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
Zechariah 7:7 Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?
Zechariah 7:8 And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,
Zechariah 7:9 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
Zechariah 7:10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.
Zechariah 7:11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
Zechariah 7:12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 7:13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:
Zechariah 7:14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.
 Zechariah 8:1 Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,
Zechariah 8:2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.
Zechariah 8:3 Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.
Zechariah 8:4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
Zechariah 8:5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
Zechariah 8:6 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 8:7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;
Zechariah 8:8 And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
Zechariah 8:9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
Zechariah 8:10 For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.
Zechariah 8:11 But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 8:12 For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
Zechariah 8:13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.
Zechariah 8:14 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:
Zechariah 8:15 So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
Zechariah 8:16 These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
Zechariah 8:17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.
Zechariah 8:18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,
Zechariah 8:19 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
Zechariah 8:20 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
Zechariah 8:21 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.
Zechariah 8:22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.
Zechariah 8:23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Zechariah 3:9
For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Zechariah 4:10
For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Revelation 5:6
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Isaiah 58:10
And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
Lk. 13
Micah 6:8
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
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