#doubt underworld edition
Text
Looks like we’re getting a lot of crazy things in 6x05
which,
1. Considering the potential title “Moonless Night”, 6x05 will possibly be including Rayla being hurt or moon being otherwise metaphorically swallowed, (paralleling s3 swallowing/corruption of the sun’s power),
2. Considering episode 5 follows an episode titled “The Starscraper,” in 6x05 Aaravos is potentially freed at the end of 4 or during 5 and potentially possesses Callum which will lead to all sorts of trouble
3. Considering the connection of a scene between soren and viren with “until 6x05” and all the hints that the most impactful scenes between soren and viren were yet to come…. it seems likely that in 6x05 Soren and Viren will have a very emotionally charged moment together, also possibly with Claudia. Maybe with a confrontation of some kind, also involving the moon?
Let’s delve into this more though—As this potential title has ignited a spark to finally set ablaze and reveal the idea that has been percolating in my mind for months.
Moonless Night (and Why I Believe the Moon is Metaphorically Going to Be Swallowed) A S6 Speculative Meta
with arc1-arc2 parallels, norse mythology examination, reflections analysis and more
As far as I can see, the clue most directly points to Moonless Night. (Edit: which ended up being right!) And there are other reasons I’m on board.
I already went insane over this so let’s get started
A. S3-S6 Parallels
So, I’m a big fan of across arc season parallels as they’ve existed very overtly S1-S4 from the first moment, as well as some other things which in many ways are setup and reestablishment of dynamics (Rayla hesitating and breaking from her duty twice to help/see Callum instead, Harrow and Ezran respectively attempt to break free from the past but they have to acknowledge it, etc) as well as persistently in S2-S5:
and, it seems, *possibly* S3 to S6–
1. If we get another plot against Ezran that’s not a joke (as it is in s4 and many throwaway lines and jokes in tdp come back to bite us)—+“This coming season will test Ezran's pacifist instincts”
2. If Viren returns, something like this—
in contrast to the “I’m sorry it had to happen this way”/“No you’re not.”/“No, I’m not.” because Viren cannot doubt Ezran would be genuinely sorry
Viren would say I know because he gets it now, the new hesitant, less certain version who also feels bad for all he has done, but he wouldn’t have before.
SO… 3. If the Moon were to get metaphorically/literally swallowed on some level in S6, it would parallel 3x07, Hearts of Cinder.
Corruption via Aaravos’s…child.
which, coincidently, brings me to my next point!
B. Norse Mythology
I’ve briefly discussed this before here, but let’s review:
Aaravos’s similarities to Loki
Source: Twitter
But while we’re on Loki’s similarities to Aaravos, let’s consider what his other children are up to during Ragnarok, the end of the world in Norse Mythology, which seems fitting considering all the foreshadowing of what chaos Aaravos has wreaked in the past (Xadia) and present (Lux Aurea) and even future (ominous wording in the reflections) when given the chance.
Loki’s children during Ragnarok:
World Serpent — rises up from the depths, encircles the world and causes great waves and destruction (“The seas churned” 👀)
Hel — From the underworld, “leading an army of the dead, she marches against the gods, uniting with her brothers and other forces of chaos. This culminating battle signifies the cyclical nature of Norse myths; an end that's also a beginning.” [1] Speaking of which, sounds familiar, right? In Ripples:
“While one may say it ends with a sunrise, [beginning] another will insist it ends at nightfall. [end]”
“With its impact came a long and terrible night: The earth bled! The seas churned! The sun and moon hid for weeks behind the sky’s screaming storm!”
“And when the long, dark night had finally passed—for the sun must always rise, mustn’t it?—they gazed out upon an unfamiliar landscape.”
Fenrir— He was gagged with a sword and was destined to lie bound to a rock until the Ragnarök (Doomsday), when he will break his bonds and fall upon the gods. According to one version of the myth, Fenrir will devour the sun, and in the Ragnarök he will fight against the chief god Odin and swallow him. [2]
It’s interesting how Fenrir has even more parallels than Loki to Aaravos here. Trapped by a blade, chained against rocks like Prometheus (one of Aaravos’s primary inspirations) was when his liver (modern heart) was eaten every day, and when he’s freed all hell breaks loose, including swallowing people (see Zym and Aditi) and the sun. But was it him with the sun? Or…..
There’s something there about killing a god and being killed in return and making the stars fall and all the damage Claudia has suffered thus far, but anyway.
That’s right, Fenrir has two children, one who swallows the sun, and one who swallows the moon. During Ragnarok, while, also, the sea shakes. Ahem, back to this:
“With its impact came a long and terrible night: The earth bled! The seas churned! The sun and moon hid for weeks behind the sky’s screaming storm!”
So… earth blood?
Check… churning seas?
World Serpent — rises up from the depths, encircles the world and causes great waves and destruction
Check… sun and moon gone?
Check.
So, what do we do with this information?
C. Interpretation
So Aaravos with two children, one who swallows the sun, one the moon.
Swallowing the Moon
-Involving a Child
1. Most literally: Aaravos has that… homonculus child, which takes and poisons the power of the sun. Maybe we’re getting another of those? I’m honestly scared for what that actually means like is he having another kid for that because 😭
2. What I favor- a metaphor— If you can consider Claudia Aaravos’s child, well, child in law isn’t that far off for the sake of this theory I think it’s possible they team up and somehow metaphorically swallow the moon like Viren and Aaravos did in S3. ….Just taking the moon, corrupting it and using its power— like they did with the Sunfire power— to make troops invisible in their effort to conquer xadia part two (2!) (although this is probably like the nth time that Aaravos has attempted his plan.)
-not involving a child
3. it could also just be disrupting the moon nexus in some way. Aaravos tends to break reflections in one way or another, from mirrors to ripples.
in Ripples he talks about how he dislikes how the stars look down on their perfect reflection (the sea of cast out)
@parroset has written an excellent meta elaborating further on it here, but essentially, he breaks reflections. A reflection is key to the moon nexus, that lake is the moon nexus because it so perfectly reflects the moon. So… there’s something to that. And it would have to come in handy manipulating the veil between life and death.
4. Taking Luna Tenebris’s power in a flashback.
I’ve talked about why I think we’re finally getting Luna Tenebris content before here, but essentially we already got all the dragons in the 4 corners of the map via flashback or interaction, and now only she is left. A flashback on what really went down that day would be perfectly in line with us learning more about Aaravos’s past, perhaps interaction with Kim'dael as well as, hopefully, blood magic—and dark, star, and deep magic. It also fits in with swallowing the moon’s power, as she was a Moon Archdragon. Moonless night. This also ties back to the blood moon cult because they harvest the power of the moon to begin with.
Last but not least and most obvious and exciting to many,
5. Rayla= “Moon girlfriend.” Callum is already being targeted, and likely some terrible thing is going to happen to him up with the rating being up, creators crying over this episode and calling it “heartbreaking” and all of that, so swallowing the moon could be symbolism for her dying or something equally terrible (so he’s forced to exploit dark magic/Aaravos to save her.)
This also ties back to this being the episode following the star scraper and the theory that Callum is a Trojan horse and, once he’s there, all the shit is going down. Maybe Rayla gets in the way and tries to sacrifice herself. I wouldn’t be surprised. or maybe it’s an intentional harm so that Callum has to bring her back… who knows?
It is for you to think about as you see fit.
@beautifulterriblequeen also wrote about other possibilities for the Moonless night here!
D. Symbolism & Misc.
Now let’s talk about the other symbolic evidence pointing to the swallowing of the moon.
The first thing that got me hooked on this theory was actually this page, which we see Viren flipping through, and then in Callum’s sketchbook.
I already analyzed the markings surrounding Aaravos’s signature symbol, but I also found the eclipse and crescent moon especially interesting considering how important the eclipse motif has been in the series and uniquely tied to Aaravos.
Thus far I figured the moon also had to be significant right it also almost seemed to me as if both the sun and moon had a bite taken out of them.
Then, we have the Reflections.
After Darkness
“The writhing, tainted darkness of Lux Aurea’s night sky spread infinitely above him, the stars all swallowed up inside it.”
Ripples
“While one may say it ends with a sunrise, another will insist it ends at nightfall. ” (swallowed sun) (falling stars)
“With its impact came a long and terrible night/And in that endless dark the humans despaired. The humans huddled together, scarcely daring to breathe, awaiting the rise of the sun.”
which, side note- sol regem saying the sun will never rise again for me, karim saying the sun is setting on their kingdom, and aaravos telling viren that the sun will rise and he will not like augh.
Then there’s the more literal interpretations of swallowing the moon and or sun along with the stars - Consider
1, Aaravos is giant
2, Star eating sword
3, Star devourer dragons
And, let’s go back to the crescent.
Waxing Crescents are associated with growing power, which would also be fitting for Aaravos gaining power, possibly a literal powerup.
Let’s also consider what new moons mean- considering the possible name, moonless night, and all the swallowing of the moon, and starting a new cycle, new moons are certainly significant, right? Moonless night- A fresh start. Could be something!
In summary, I believe the moon will be metaphorically swallowed in S6 in one way or another.
I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading my thoughts! Please feel free to share any insights or reactions of your own!
59 notes
·
View notes
Note
Can you do a TWST imagine (Dorm Leaders+Jamil), In which reader’s parents are one of the great seven? (So like Malleus with reader who’s mother is Maleficent)
Hi, thank you for the ask! I think that this is a large amount of characters and because it's not just the dorm leaders (which I leave as an exception from my five-character limit), I'm just going to choose four random dorm leaders and Jamil.
Edit: For those wondering, I don’t headcanon Malleus and Maleficent being related, if someone has the chapter where this is mentioned let me know tho! As of now in twst it’s not confirmed. It was not my intention on making this seem like they were, so I’m sorry if this upset anyone
Malleus, Azul, Idia, Jamil, Vil with a reader whose parent is a Great Seven
Malleus
He's surprised, as that would mean you're also a fae. The two of you probably had a lot of similarities in terms of magical abilities and it made sense why you were living in Briar Valley. He just didn't know that you were related to a Great Seven, let alone the Thorn Fairy herself!
He doesn't consider it too much however, as he's just happy to be with you. He looks at you for who you are, rather than your reputation as Maleficent's daughter. He'll just say that it is an honor to be with you but that's as far as it will go.
Sebek on the other hand is freaking out that there's two super famous people on campus and that they're both in the same dorm as he is haha. Malleus will make sure that you don't get too much unwanted attention from curious students though as sometimes it can be overwhelming
Overall he's glad to be with you because of who you are, more than you being related to the Great Seven. Perhaps you should introduce him to your mother at some point, the two might have a lot in common
Azul
He knew you were from the sea but he didn't think you would be an octopoid like he was. He was super happy when you said that you were, since it made him feel less lonely.
But you shocked him even more when you said you were related to the Benevolent Sea Witch. Like, the person he looks up to? WHAT?!
He doesn't think he has the honor to be with you, but he fell in love with you because of who you were as a person to begin with. You were smart, talented, brave, and you looked at him as more than the head of Octavinelle or the "scary dorm leader in charge of the lounge."
He will ask to go to Corral Sea with you on some occasions, perhaps he's curious to see your mer form. But if you ask him, he'll be shy about it but with some convincing and lots of hugs he might cave in haha. Azul won't mind too much about your relation to Ursula, though he might be a bit nervous to meet her in person.
Idia
No way you were actually related to the King of the Underworld. No way, he's pressing x for doubt. But you said that it was true, and that you could show him and he was like "...no thanks I like my room."
He likes you for who you are as well, since you were the first one to geek out with him about video games and you were the first one to stand up for him when some students tried to gang up on the poor dorm leader. He admires your charisma but also your fearless personality.
If you do show him your father, expect Idia to hide behind you for most of the event. His hair might go red too, which you might point out is eerily similar to your dad's
Overall, he likes you because of who you are, and he won't worry about your connection to a Great Seven. If anyone tries to overwhelm you because of this information however, he might get upset
Jamil
He thought there was a reason you were so good at magic! Not to mention you would constantly talk about a talking parrot that was eerily similar to the tales of the Sorcerer of the Sands.
He thinks you're too good for him. Jamil's a vice dorm leader, let alone a servant to the Al Asim family, so he has no idea how someone so prestigious (at least in his opinion) would want to be with him. But you tell him that family names and such doesn't matter to you, and he feels the same way.
He might be a bit hesitant to show up in front of your father soon, so for now he might just ask you questions about him. How is it like to be related to him? Is the parrot really annoying? Stuff like that haha
Just remember that Jamil's there for you! He loves you because of who you are! Also, if you do end up showing him your father, expect him to be a bit flustered because he's anxious but the two of them will likely be on very good terms since they're kinda similar in your opinion.
Vil
Yeah you were beautiful, he knew that. But what he didn't know was that you were related to the Beautiful Queen, you know, the person Pomefiore's based off of.
He loves you because of who you are as well. He doesn't consider your parentage very important when he loves you. He won't tolerate people harassing you about your mother though.
He wouldn't mind meeting your mother though, since he has confidence in himself to look good. But once the two of them meet, the two of them realize that they're really similar haha.
He really doesn't care that much that you're related to the Great Seven, though he considers it an honor to be with you. Vil won't think much after that, but other Pomefiore students might be a bit scared of you haha.
#twst#twisted wonderland#twst imagines#twst scenarios#twst headcanons#anon ask#twst x reader#twst dorm leaders#twst jamil#twst jamil viper#twst jamil x reader#twst vil#twst vil schoenheit#twst vil x reader#twst idia#twst idia x reader#twst idia shroud#twst malleus#twst malleus draconia#twst malleus x reader#twst azul#twst azul ashengrotto#twst azul x reader#gn!reader#great seven
647 notes
·
View notes
Text
LMK OC COMPETITION - ROUND 1
click to see full image
Ox-Head belongs to @allthenicknamesweretaken
Java belongs to @the-real-dev
Learn more about them below the cut!!
Ox-Head:
Ox-head is one of the many servants of the Underworld. He exists in a world where ox-heads and horse-faces are a species, guarding the Underworld and guiding the many many souls to their inevitable destination there. These servants don no name as there is no use for one, the only thing that matters is their job. This ox-head, however, has been doubting their leaders' motives and whether they really are worth following. No matter. It can't be more important than their job... Can it?
Java:
Spider demon OC! He's Syntax's cousin and childhood friend. He's basically the inventor of the spider gang (since Syntax is the coder!)
He also has a set of spider legs, but he actually uses them as arms. Think Garmadon from Ninjago. Fun Fact: I named him after Minecraft: Java edition, as well as Java the actual coding language (to parallel with Syntax :3)
#ox-head#java#round 1#oc polls#lmk#monkie kid#lego monkie kid#lmk oc#lego monkie kid oc#lmk oc competition
19 notes
·
View notes
Note
I would love to see your backstage of making your vampire story <3 how you take your photos, chose perspectives, plan dialogues. please tell about your process
Hello, Friend of Mystery!!
Happy New Year and thank you for this ask! I'm a very small-time simmer in this corner of the interwebz filled with really talented and artistic simblrs, so I appreciate the question and interest!
Now, backstage! The method to the madness!
I usually have an idea: it's a loose- general idea of the direction and mood of the plot and dialogue. I don't like to be too specific unless I have a clear pose in mind for a scene. The thought process might be something like, "Lawrence and Julian are going to have a talk about vampires and technology in this scene, but act flirty with each other while they do so."
I go into the game to organize the setting and choose outfits/props. MCCC and Wonderful Whims are game-changers for posing. I'm a terrible builder, so I end up spending a lot of time browsing the gallery or searching for builds and objects by skilled folks. That part is often fun. Imagining the potential of lots and cc is a big part of gaining admission to the mental asylum expressing creativity in this game! Depending on the story I am working on, I may have mods like Underworld running to make sure it always looks like nighttime in my environments.
I use Reshade. It saves me time when editing and gives the images lovely depth, shading, and coloring that otherwise isn't there. I use different presets that I screw around with and tweak, but some favorites are Marigold and Senshi 4.0. Shadows and lighting are super important and can make or break a scene.
Once I have my image, I'll tweak it in Photoshop. Thanks to Reshade, it's usually just to quickly fix something, like clipping or rough edges.
I use Canva to organize my stories and write in the dialogue, but that's always dangerous because my inner middle-schooler wants to unleash a million stickers everywhere and ruin the edits. Ask me how many times I've stuck googly eyes on Lawrence and cackled at my own idiocy ingenuity!
I write while I am taking pictures. The sequence is: pose, take the picture, edit the image, write, and on to the next scene. I used to take all the images first and write afterward but found that sometimes a pose or screenshot would unexpectedly convey a different take on an idea, reaction, or character- or even inspire a different direction for the dialogue in a scene. It's easier for me to adapt the dialogue to an image than vice versa. I feel that writing as I go, while my game is open and ready gives me more flexibility and freedom to make changes.
???
Profit!
Ok, now-sorry- for real. I download everything, usually save it as a draft, wait a bit to see if I catch any big mistakes, and then post.
I actually struggle with serious self-doubt and a really mean inner critic, so posting here has been an exercise in self-acceptance. Still, I often avoid checking the notifications for a while after I post because I am that nervous. But I'm happier for sharing my stuff rather than not since I have had the chance to connect with so many fun and talented people here!
That's it!
Thank you for the ask on this first day of the year! It made me super happy! All the best to you!! ❤️
#answered asks#friend of mystery!#i know my skills are very limited#but creating and sharing makes me happy#and this ask made me feel like maybe it makes other folks a little happy too.#and that is what it is all about
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
Breathe Again: Miguel O’Hara X Black Cat Inspired Female Reader
Chapter 1: After Light
To Spider-Man the cat burglar Leopard wasn’t a person that could be easily labeled. A chance encounter changes how the civilian Miguel views her. Set pre Spiderverse.
Chapter named after and written while listening to After Light by Hyde. It’s a pretty loud rock, might be metal song so do not recommend listening to it while reading.
Warnings and Things to Keep in Mind: Child abuse, police negligence, OOC Miguel most likely, and set before all the universe hopping. Also not edited.
A/N: Crawling out of my college induced coma to write this. After this chapter, I’ll be including an additional author’s notes about writing this, the concept behind the insert character, and other points of interest.
WC: 732 Words
Miguel wasn’t sure what to call her in any aspect of his life.
To Spider-Man, she was Leopard an infamous, or famous depending on your circle, cat burglar who stole from those who hurt from those whose voices couldn’t be heard by the masses.
It had become an urban myth that those who crossed her path would be cursed with bad luck until she came to claim something of theirs. In reality, the bad luck was not an ancient curse like the wealthy whispered about but instead careful planning on Leopard’s part.
At the same time, Leopard was a person who would assist when disaster struck. When a massive fight that threatened the city broke out, she would always be one of the first to show up evacuating citizens. Additionally, she became a valuable source of information passing on whispers from the underworld.
Spider-Man found Leopard cradling a young child in an alley one night. “You’ll be okay, I won’t let them hurt you again.” Her voice was soft as she stroke the child’s hair. Leopard’s eyes weren’t one of the playful woman who blow kisses at him as she made off with her latest prize, but a silent calculating hunter’s eyes of her namesake.
Upon seeing Spider-Man, her posture shifted and she set the child on a box wrapped in Leopard’s leather jacket after whispering something in the child’s ear. Back was her flirty personality but a sadness was hidden under her playful gaze.
“Spidey, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Hope you didn’t miss me too much.” Her fingers lightly touch his arm. “There was something I wanted to discuss with you.”
“What happened?” He spoke softly enough that the child couldn’t hear him.
“I was just about talk to you about that.” Leopard’s eyes go back to the child before looking at him. “Domestic abuse case. Both parents.” Her voice was unusually icy as she continued. “It had been reported to the police but because the father is a member the whole situation was swept under the rug.”
Spider-Man grimaces. Even in a world where society seemingly visually looked like a utopia from books of the past, stories like this weren’t uncommon if you knew where to listen.
“I’m going to take care of the family situation. Nothing violent or anything,” Leopard quickly adds on. “But I have a favor to ask. I need you to take the kid to a location.” She pulls out a sticky note quickly writing down an address before handing it to him. “They help in situations like this. I worked with them before. Just tell them I sent you.”
“I can do that, but why not do it yourself?” He trusts her enough to know that she wasn’t lying but he wanted to know why.
“You’re a hero. Kids look up to you.” She chuckles lightly. “They see you and know that there’s hope. I’m just a simple cat burglar that I doubt the kid knows much about.”
She kisses Spider-Man on the cheek causing a heat to rise to his face. “You’re a dear.” She notices him tense under the suit and laughs.
He watches as she walks over to the child. “This is my friend Spider-Man. Both of us work together sometimes.” The words are slow giving the child time to process. “He’s going to be taking you somewhere safe.” The child tugs on the hem of Leopard’s shirt. “I can’t take you there, but you can keep my jacket. As long as you have it know that I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
Miguel couldn’t help but feel part of his heart melt at the scene. He understood why Leopard was beloved by parts of the city. She was a natural protector, a shield for people that the law overlooked and Spider-Man couldn’t reach. To Miguel, perhaps Leopard was just someone who had seen too much.
Reading the news a week later, Miguel found out what she did. An article was published detailing the police’s negligence in the case. Audio recordings from the station, photos of the house, and other irrefutable pieces of evidence were leaked to the press.
Among the flood of articles from the scandal was an article that caught Miguel’s eye. Neighbors and people around the police station claimed to have seen Leopard lurking in the shadows cursing both with bad luck.
A/N: Hello! Thanks for reading this midnight sleep deprived nonsense that hasn’t even been edited. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything like this, been focused on journalistic work and college. Now for the real meat of this the behind the scenes stuff.
So Leopard, (y/n) (l/n), of this story actually has a few of main sources of inspiration. First is of course, Black Cat from the Marvel Comics in general. I decided to use her parts of her backstory, personality, and the fact she’s a cat burglar. Second, is the xiānlí (Translated as Leopard Cat) of Chinese mythology. They are noted to transform into beautiful men or women and suck the spirit right out of people. This ties into Leopard’s name and what she does before she strikes as she builds a feeling of suspense draining the person mentally before she strikes. Secondly, the Chinese myth of Li Shou. So cats have an interesting place in Chinese mythology where cats were put in charge of watching over all animals to help guide them due to their intelligent nature. Li Shou was the goddess of these cats, but was also the goddess of fertility, protection, and pest control.
The series is pretty music inspired and so each chapter is planned on being named after a song that relates to a character’s emotions. The series as a whole is named after “Breathe Again” a song by Alisa for Carole and Tuesday as it relates to character arc I want to drag these characters on.
Once again thank you for reading. Likes, reblogs, and comments are appreciated.
#miguel x reader#miguel o'hara#female reader#fan fiction#across the spiderverse#spider man across the spider verse x reader#spiderverse x reader#Breathe Again: Series Fic
28 notes
·
View notes
Text
I swear Hadestown lives absolutely rent-free in my head. The hyperfixation on the show has been going over two years strong and dear lord how do I start.
I first heard of Hadestown when I listened to the Cathedral edit of NYTW Epic III by druid-for-hire on YouTube. I don’t remember when I first ran into it, but the hyperfixation didn’t officially start until June or July of 2021. Regardless, when I did find out about the show’s plot, I went
“Oh. Oh no.”
I already knew of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth thanks to the power of a TedEd video. I knew Orpheus would turn around. But maybe he didn’t in this adaptation-
And he did. Damnit, Orpheus, you had one job.
As to why I got so attached to the show/it becoming one of my hyperfixations? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because the respective myths of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone stand as my favourites out of the Greek mythos. Maybe it’s because I relate to Orpheus in plenty of ways and Hades to a small degree. Maybe it’s the music genres, jazz and American blues respectively, that I’ve always enjoyed since I was a kid. Maybe it’s all of those factors, who knows? Hell, the hyperfixation caused me to dive deeper into the Greek mythology rabbit hole, see the show on tour and on broadway, want to learn the instruments used in the show, and incorporate some aspects of the show and the myth it’s based off of into my minecraft character.
I remember, during intermission at the tour show, I overheard someone talking to their friend something along the lines of…
“So, you think this will end happy? Well…”
You should’ve seen my face when I overheard that.
And when Orpheus turned around when I saw it on broadway last month, I remember hearing a very distinct “noooooo” in the audience. It always interested me how people react going into the show practically blind. No knowledge of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. No knowledge of the ending. The hope that the pair will make it, only to be utterly shattered when the bard, doubt taken over, turns around and helplessly watch his muse descend back into the Underworld. Back to Hadestown.
I remember balling my eyes out when I first heard Epic III and nearly cried hearing it live. Twice. I know Orpheus turns around in the end, but at the same time, denial remains a river in Egypt until I see the show or listen to the soundtrack again.
Again.
And Again.
But, as Hermes says, it’s an old song, and we’re going to sing it again and again.
#hadestown#dear gods I could go on about hadestown forever#orpheus#eurydice#hades#persephone#genuinely I had a good time both times I saw the show
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
thoughts on My Roomate is Hades. I will try to keep this short. This will be general observations, so both likes and dislikes.
the guy who plays hades isn't great? But I thin kwhat I don't like is A. the shoutyness and B. how he's very clearly trying to sound more intimidating
he's Angsdty McEdgelord I see. Isn't that a little tired by now? Especially for Hades depictions
This seems like it's geared a little more towards an older audience with the swearing (even if bleeped out but I can excuse that as a monetization thing)
Benjamin Franklin didn't go to college, that's true and yes I did have to google it
having said that Thomas doesn't know how the underworld works. In Greek Mythology you don't go to a specific river when you die. There are 5 rivers IN the underworld, but they're not where mortals end up. The only one related to mortals and the after life (as far as I remember) is the Lethe, which mortals drink from to forget their lives before they're allowed to reincarnate
but then also they mention like Elisiym and stuff? Why mention the river bit at all and say they're where people end up? It would've made more sense to
the editing's not great (the blue fire)
the lighting I kinda like, it's darker in the shots with hades and warmer with shots where Thomas is. But it seems like that more of a filter then actual practical effects, so points deducted for that. Practical affects >>>
this is nitpicky but as a glasseswearer I have to point out that Thomas's glasses don't fit. like at all
just as a general thing, there's so much "greek gods in the modern day" or just old gods in the modern day. (Lore Olympus, that other webtoon about dating the greek gods. American Gods by Neil Gaiman. And whatever else.) It's just kind of a tired premise at this point
That's about all my opinions on this, I doubt I'll watch any further, it's just not my cup of tea.
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
shitpost dispatches from the xiyao horrors (manmade) - orpheus and eurydice edition
had some Thoughts percolating for a while abt how so much of the final conversation between lxc and jgy during the guanyin temple confrontation reads like jgy slowly following lxc out of the underworld one painful, gut-wrenching question and answer at a time.
anyway go listen to anaïs mitchell's doubt comes in from the original hadestown album, it hurts.
#mdzs#mdzs meta#mdzs shitposting#xiyao#jin guangyao#lan xichen#the myth doesn't match perfectly of course#the 2012 album doesn't either but it still gives me xiyao feelings#and we're all here for The Tragedy anyway
52 notes
·
View notes
Text
Assorted Moulin Rouge! Stockholm thoughts:
I think it was Thalia's guidance that led me to the front of the balcony in this performance. You see, I've never been a fan of Moulin Rouge! the movie (mostly because of the way it's edited – the music video kinda style is too fast for me; it already feels like that inside my brain all the time, I don't need any more of that in a cinematic format), and though I've listened to the Broadway cast recording a lot, I wouldn't call myself a fan of the musical either. And yet, when they announced the Stockholm production, I knew I had to go to see it.
So, thank you, Thalia, for your guidance and blessing. The show absolutely slapped all the way through.
However... as I said, I'm not a MR! fan, so this point has probably been made a million times and I just haven't seen it, but: the love story in this is... kinda awful, right? Like, I know it's the whole point that Christian is young and naïve and goes mad with love, but oh man, when he goes full young werther near the end and the dying woman has to talk/sing him out of committing suicide in front of a whole audience of people... dunno, I just think he could've handled Satine's rejection a whole lot better, right?
Also, to me, the story would actually be more touching if Satine wasn't dying quite so actively. I know it's an adaptation of La traviata, I know their use of the dying courtesan character archetype is very deliberate – but even so, to me, it would feel more tragic if Satine had to leave with the Duke in the end, living a rich but empty life as his mistress, with only the memory of her and Christian's song left of her true love. There must be fanfics like this, I gotta go read them.
Anyway, I'm not watching and loving this for the story, I'm watching and loving it for the vibes. And the vibes were 100% right in Stockholm. It's not a serious show or something to be taken seriously at all, it's just kitch and glitz and glamour and fun, but with just enough of a dark edge to keep it interesting to me.
Speaking of Satine, though: as @veilingofthesun wrote, Marsha Songcome was made for the role. I don't really have any insights about the character or the performance (it's hard to analyse perfection), I just want to point out that she was just right for the role.
I promised you Harold Zidler posting, so here goes: I'm in love with Morgan Alling in the role. Like. It's not very girlboss feminist of me, but can't help it, middle-aged musical men are my kryptonite. I knew this was going to happen, and here we are. Alling has such a kind energy somehow, and it suits the role surprisingly well! We're creatures of the underworld, we cannot afford to love my ass – he so clearly loves Satine, not romantically of course, but loves her nevertheless. There was something so real/human about the character to me. I gotta see this again just so I can analyse him further.
Also loved Alexander Larsson as Toulouse-Lautrec. What a voice! And Fred Johanson as the Duke of course – he does a great villain and his voice is to die for, just shame about the awful wig.
Currently, MR! the musical is running in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. They're not Broadway replicas, but they're all replica productions of each other, directed by Anders Albien (+ co-directors from Norway and Denmark, I think). Seeing how they've all premiered a couple of weeks within each other, I'd love to hear about the logistics of the thing – how did the creative team manage three simultaneous productions? (Also, why is Finland not a part of this so-called "Nordic production"? Or might we be getting our share later on? I've no doubt whatsoever that MR! is coming to Finland soon, but I'm curious to see if it'll be this production or something else.)
They sung in English but spoke in Swedish. I understand this musical must be an absolute nightmare to translate, and here, since both of those are foreign languages to me, it didn't bother me too much. But if they do the same thing in the eventual Finnish production of MR!, I think I'll have a bigger problem with it, since having to switch between my native language and a foreign language feels more awkward.
tl;dr: Moulin Rouge! Stockholm slaps and I have to see it again, who's coming with me?
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
youtube
"IT'S A GOLDEN AGE FOR THE UNDERWORLD..."
The time of opportunity has well and truly knocked for Kay Vess, our favourite new scoundrel in the galaxy!
Tuesday's release date reveal for Star Wars Outlaws not only confirmed multiple editions (3 days early access for the Gold), but it also came with this 10/10 Official Story Trailer that unveils the first-ever open world Star Wars game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi!
How do we know that, you ask?
Well:
Like no doubt millions of others, I gave a huge point and a scream at my screen when I saw Han in carbonite... Fan service at its finest.
Kay and her companion, the mischievous Nix, will find themselves fighting, stealing, and outwitting their way through the galaxy’s crime syndicates as they join the galaxy’s most wanted on 27th/30th August!
So, why pre-order with us at The Game Collection?! I've got 3 undeniable reasons for you...
1 - ALL copies of Star Wars Outlaws will come with a FREE and EXCLUSIVE Steelbook that you won't get anywhere else in the UK! *While stocks last*
2 - The game is in our EXTRA £10 REWARDS promotion, meaning you'll bag yourself an extra tenner of store credit when your pre-order has been dispatched...
3 - We're awesome. (Bias may or may not have played a part in this reasoning).
Gold Edition - 27th August - 3 days early access, Season Pass included, and Pre-order bonus 'The Kessel Runner Bonus Pack':
Standard Edition - 30th August - Pre-order bonus 'The Kessel Runner Bonus Pack':
If you've been frozen in carbonite yourself, or somehow missed the reveal - hit play on the trailer at the top to see just what it's got! (A lot - it has a lot).
Pre-order your copies with the FREE Steelbook right here at The Game Collection!
If you’re willing to take the risk, the galaxy is full of opportunity...
-Jack
#star wars outlaws#ubisoft#star wars#tgc#thegamecollection#gaming news#kay vess#preorder#gamers#video games#Youtube
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
FAQ, &c.
what is this?
this is a worldbuilding game/rpg played pbp here on tumblr. we're pretending to be gods making a world. you can join! you don't need to ask permission, you can just join in. Tag things "#world 02547 diegesis" if they're "in-game" and "#world 02547 meta" if you're discussing events.
rules / principles
we're using the ruleset dawn of worlds, here, as a base. one round = 500 years (in the first age which is when we start) = 1 IRL week, new weeks starting on saturdays.
the part you're most likely to need to reference is the power point cost table - you get 2d6 points per round plus some extra points for not hoarding:
Rules are guidelines, fiction is sacred. If your character does something not covered by the rules, make up an appropriate power cost for it (which might be zero.)
Rather than measure out anything more formally, you can treat 1" on the map as equal to you thumb on the monitor as you pull up the map. For purposes of shaping land and climate in the first IRL week/diegetic first 500 years (the IRL week starting 11 february 2023) you can be nearly as broad as you want.
In addition to taking a literal god's eye view, you can also post fiction, play solo journaling games, run dnd one shots, etc, and if you post it under tag "world 02547 diegesis" it's canon - as long as you stay within the world clock.
You can phrase things in a jokey or whatever manner, but the events of the fiction itself should be interpretable in a serious manner. In general, the gods can follow a mythopoetic logic while mortals follow a logic that is more "realistic" and sociological, etc.
When in doubt, proceed according to what would/might happen if the world were a real place, rather than a story being told, or a game governed by rules abstractions, even though this is in a sense both of those things.
If you're negating or reversing what someone else does, prefer to leave a trace rather than returning to zero. IE if i make a frog monster and you smash it into oblivion, maybe its ghost is exiled to the underworld or it's frozen in ice or its body serves as a source of food for the next century or idk you make it up, but something that can be riffed off of.
editable world map and "wiki"
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
A couple months ago Mojang did a big oopsie (which they have yet to fix and I am beginning to doubt they ever will) that broke experimental features and AzhdarchiBlock was taking like a whole day to upload for each update because of how much storage the audio files took, it's actually why I was making arachnophobia.
Anyway AzhdarchiBlock has been banished to the depths of the underworld and I'm working on a new mod to replace it called PrimalCraft, some content from AzhdarchiBlock will also be in PrimalCraft because their models fit there.
I'll edit my masterpost to include PrimalCraft and a list of its content
2 notes
·
View notes
Note
Can you please do more of the mk and Lloyd being half brother au I love it so much
Absolutely!
In the revamped edition of the LMK x N: MoS AU, I mentioned that MK’s got relatives from his mother’s side of the family.
=3 Those relatives? Kai and Nya.
After the LBD debacle is over with, Garmadon decides he can’t stay in the Underworld any longer. He had to stand by as a shadow and even though he gave support through his Skulkin army and the many weapons and instructions he provided to fight she who is a 6!+€# with, he still feels like he didn’t do much.
So he tells the group that he’s got some organizing to do in the Underworld and won’t be around for a while. MK and Lloyd know that their father is up to something, because this is Garmadon. The boys aren’t the only ones to know something is up though, but they need to cleanup after LBD’s reign of terror, so they can’t split their focus and after Garmadon helped them out so much, they can’t say he’s wholly evil to do anything too bad, right?
Well … Garmadon wouldn’t do anything too bad.
And here’s where things start to differ for the Ninjago portion of the AU. Nya was the one to be kidnapped in the Ninjago special, yeah? We’re flipping the script and it’s Kai that’s kidnapped.
Since Kai looks like MK slightly, and the Skulkin report with pictures of the targets, Garmadon sees the resemblance and look the man misses his sons and he’s curious at the resemblance Kai has to MK. So instead of Nya he has the Skulkin kidnap Kai. Garmadon was never in his right mind, his nature as a family man - and nobody can pry that from my hands that Garmadon was and is a family man when it came down to it - fighting against the evil that he was cursed with.
This leads to Nya getting trained as the water ninja and unlocking her powers there because Wu doesn’t understand what his brother is playing at but if it’s using Kai to get the sword because Kai is the fire ninja well what beats fire but water?
So when Kai gets kidnapped and brought to Garmadon, Kai is freaked because that’s LORD GARMADON and Kai is tied up. He can’t defend himself. Garmadon is also staring at him and that unnerves Kai a great deal. Garmadon then comments at how uncanny it is, and while Kai is confused and scared he’s more confused, and asks what’s uncanny.
Garmadon tells Kai truthfully that Kai looks like his son. Which cue Kai.exe stopped working. Wtf?
So I did have a thought about after Kai is freed and all the thing is Garmadon had actually talked to Kai and revealed information that caused Kai to have doubts about Wu. Information regarding Kai and Nya’s parents and their past. So Kai isn’t very trusting of Wu, which causes a lot of tension. Because of what Garmadon said about Kai looking like MK, Kai later got a DNA test done to check for any other relatives he and Nya have. And lo and behold the system did find some relatives out of Ninjago - some very distant relatives.
MK and co train Kai after finding it out, especially because Kai contacted them on what happened to Garmadon. To say the boys are less than pleased with their father is an understatement, but hey, at least they found out about there being family in Ninjago outside their uncle!
#ask answered#lmk x n:mos crossover au#lmk mk#ninjago lloyd garmadon#ninjago kai#I mean honestly it’s too uncanny how Kai and MK look alike#and of course I’ll use that resemblance for AU purposes
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
Hot Airing over Antiquity
Despite our chances of soaring over the Cappadocia region in hot-air balloons being dashed by the poor weather, we still had one last opportunity in Pamukkale. It might not have caverns and deep gullies, but it was still impressive to hover over the ‘Cotton Castle’ in all its limestone glory. And also take in the ancient city of Hierapolis via air.
Nothing screams adventure more than looking upon an ancient amphitheatre from above. Or, you know, running the risk of dropping your phone and losing all evidence of your overseas trip. But, I hear you, dear reader, say, it’s all about the experience, right?
Wrong! Here in the internet age, if there are no pictures, it’s doubtful it even happened. And even WITH photographic proof, editing software makes it easy to question EVERYTHING. Coupled with the fact that I hate taking pictures of myself? Why, it could be easily claimed that I stole all my photos from Google.
I didn’t, of course (what kind of travel blogger would do that), but it’s something easy that detractors can claim. Not that I have any detractors. My little corner on the internet is rarely frequented and when it is, it’s mostly by people I already know in real life. Which is exactly how I like it!
Regardless, the trip up in the air was quite smooth. We were up in the air and I didn’t even feel a thing. Best of all, we didn’t crash land. Nor did we become a ball of flame that hurtled to the ground in a fiery explosion. I might not have liked being bombarded by fossil fuel natural gas every time the pilot fired up...well, the fire...but I am thankful for getting an opportunity to take to the skies and look down at all the unworthy ants crawling down beneath me.
Delusions of grandeur, thy name is Kyndaris!
Once we landed, we packed hurriedly into the minivan and headed straight back to our hotel. And it was here that I bid a silent farewell to my Malaysian ballooning companions. I might not have gotten any of their names but I did overhear most of their conversations as they called family and friends while riding up in the balloon. And while I was very tempted to make my known in at least half of their calls, I resisted the urge.
So kind of me! So magnanimous!
All right. I think that’s enough self-aggrandising from me. Back to detailing my actual exploits while on holiday.
After returning to hotel, I went back to the room that I shared with Popo and readied to luggage to bring down to the coach. Then it as off to actually explore Hierapolis by foot. Or, more technically, as a chauffeur for Popo and her friend as I drove around on a modified moped.
The name, Hierapolis, is Greek in nature and according to the information board that I took at the site, means ‘Sacred City.’ It was presumably founded by one of the successors of Alexander the Great. In 188BC, it was passed into the hands of the Kings of Pergamon before becoming one of the wealthiest cities during Roman times. At the sight, there was plenty to see including a ruined temple of Apollo and a statue dedicated to Pluto, or Hades. I only recognised him because of the three-headed guardian to the Underworld, Cerberus, that stood at his side.
The city also featured many iconic Roman buildings including baths, gymnasium and theatre. I certainly knew that my 17-18 year old self would have been leaping for joy if I’d visited then, giving my interest in Ancient History and, in particular, the Flavian period of the Emperors.
Young children might be able to tell me in excruciating detail about their favourite dinosaurs. I will respond with my own rant upon my supposed subject of expertise - the Julio-Claudian emperors and the Flavian dynasty, which followed after Nero and the Year of Four Emperors.
History aside, it ought to be known that despite being the Sacred City of antiquity, Hierapolis was abandoned following an earthquake in about 616 AD that left only a few crumbling buildings in its aftermath. Despite this, there are signs of Seljuk presence in the ruins. Which would indicate that people had still frequented the site up until 400 years after the devastating quake.
But because of that, the city was almost pastoral in appearance with swaths of green covering the ruins. What made Hierapolis so special for us, though, was the ‘Cotton Castle’ that the city was built atop on. Layered all in white, the city was favoured with warm thermal waters that bubbled to the surface and which were rich in minerals. Over the years, it had covered the cliff tops in a layer of white limestone. And even in this modern age, those thermal waters continue to gurgle, which Popo got to enjoy by dipping her toes in.
There was also a swimming pool with sunken columns at the city that visitors could pay to enter.
Talk about taking advantage of what mother nature has given you! I however, simply enjoyed admiring the scenes of Europeans floating in the warm waters before inspecting the adjacent museum where displays of old pottery and statues could be seen. There were even carved reliefs depicting the coronation of Septimius Severus, a Roman Emperor, by the Goddess Nike and one that saw Dionysus, the Greek God of Wine and Debaurchery, partying hard with nymphs, centaurs, satyrs, the cherubic Eros and Pan.
After drinking in our fill of the city, we had a quick lunch in what felt like a communal cafeteria that stunk of oil before heading back on the road. This time we were headed westward to the Aegean Sea! Kusadasi, here we come!
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
"A few years ago a first-class controversy arose over the employment of spies and snoopers at Atlanta. The spy system was highly condemned. Senator William E. Borah took a decided stand against the system.
He wrote: “I have given much time to the investigation and consideration of the so-called spy, or undercover, system in our Federal penitentiaries. It is my judgment it cannot be justified upon any theory of law, or of justice, or of expediency.”’
The spy system had been inaugurated and encouraged by certain officials in the Department of Justice. They are no longer in office. It consisted of the sentencing, by connivance with the judge, of picked snoopers, who entered the prison in the guise of convicts and made secret reports to outside authorities. It was a damnable system. We condemned it with all the vigor at our command.
Warden John W. Snook, a very capable and efficient officer, took a like stand. He was obliged to leave, but the snooper system was abolished. It will not be resumed, we have good reasons to believe, during the administration of Attorney General Mitchell and President Hoover.
One of the worst things in the world that can happen in a prison is to have it infested and honeycombed with secret spies. The prisoners become suspicious of everybody and lose confidence in the management, discipline is shattered, and riots begin. The spy system is second only to graft.
Gerald Chapman was a victim of circumstances. It was one of those cases where a crime is committed, the hue and cry is raised, and the public is not satisfied until somebody atones for the crime. There may be cases where circumstantial evidence proves a man guilty, but experience has proven over and over again that a man should never be executed on circumstantial evidences—nor on any other, for that matter. Sometimes it leads to a woeful miscarriage of justice.
Chapman was convicted in Connecticut for the killing of Policeman Skelley. We had good reason to believe that Chapman was innocent. We thought we knew who and where the guilty man was. Great pressure was brought by the police to force my hand, but I steadfastly refused to reveal the confessor’s hiding place until the right time came.
“I never betray the confidence of an ex-convict,” was my reply. I have not broken this rule.
Morgan Pierce, as he was known in the underworld, an ex-convict, failed to admit the killing when it came to a showdown. It was never fully ascertained whether he was afraid of being put on the spot, like Skelley had been, or whether it was due to his philosophy.
His theory was that the soul of a man, executed for murder, goes straight to hell. This fear, it seems, was even stronger than the fear of the noose.
Whether Chapman was innocent or guilty, he paid the penalty, and society’s thirst for blood was appeased. If the passion for vengeance could have been delayed, or satisfied in some other way, there might have been a different ending to the tragic fate of Gerald Chapman.
Unjust prosecutions and convictions are great drawbacks to the proper enforcement of just laws. The society did everything in its power to postpone or to prevent murder by the state in this doubtful case. It had the strong backing of influential newspapers. The public did not soon forget, but Prosecutor Alcorn said, “The gallows was built for Chapman”—and, innocent or guilty, it got him."
- Earl Ellicott Dudding, The Trail of the Dead Years. Edited by William Winfred Smith. Huntington, West Virginia: Prisoners Relief Society, 1932. p. 213-214
#prison discipline#snitches get stitches#spy system#prison administration#wrongfully convicted#police informants#third degree#penal reform#american prison system#prisoner autobiography#history of crime and punishment#research quote#rehabilitation#failure of rehabilitation#trail of the dead years#reading 2024
0 notes
Text
The Seven Year Sleep (Chapter 5)
Seven years ago...
A cold wind’s blowing through my office window. Most of the time, you can’t really feel the chill, not when your mind is burning and you’re waist deep in another case. Most of the time, I can ignore it, but not tonight.
Tonight, I feel that wind and all the cold promises it can keep. It spurs me on, telling me to take one look outside and see just how high up I really am. And then, when my back’s turned, it’ll sweep in and push me out and show me just how far I have to fall.
“So, Mr. Masters, will you take the case?”
I lean forward, just to be safe, and snatch the newspaper from my desk. There’s a nice group photo headlining the front page, a bunch of moneybags playing host to some charity ball. And there, standing center stage and cutting that fancy ribbon, is a woman, blonde and beautiful and bedecked in jewels. She’s the top, the golden goddess. She’s the reason they even came at all, hoping to see and be seen with the heiress herself.
I take a hard look at the picture, then glance up at the dame in front of me. No doubt about it—it’s her alright, in living color. Fine clothes, fine jewels, and the sleekest wolfos furs that rupees can buy. The dark furs outline her fair weather face, smooth skin to match the pearls around her neck, blue eyes the color of sapphires. Yessir, Zelda Fitzgeralt, daughter of the richest tycoon this city has ever seen, came all the way downtown just to see me.
When you’re that high up the social ladder, how desperate do you have to be to pay a visit to the bottom rung? But I wasn’t about to turn down the golden goose. Chances for a big break are few and far between.
When she saw me nod, Ms. Fitzgeralt breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I know you’re a man of few words, Mr. Masters, so I’d like to get down to business, if I may. How much do you know about the man who calls himself Ganon?”
Sure, I knew about Ganon. He was a local legend, after all, the rags to riches kind of story that every immigrant and street urchin loved to hear. Too bad he traded in those rags for a trident gun and a gangster’s three-piece, doing the dirty work of the big bosses until he became the biggest one of ’em all. Folks chalked it up to his origins, claiming Ganon had a weird sort of desert magic that he brought over from his homeland. They claimed he put a hex on his enemies and that’s why he was in charge now, but that was a load of bigoted bullshit.
Ganon is smart, the scary kind of smart, and that’s why he’s in charge of the criminal underworld.
“You know your stuff, I’ll give you that.” Ms. Fitzgeralt leans back, smoothing the fabric of her siren gown. The purple silk shimmers under the desk lamp. “Seems like he wants to sweep all that history under the rug, though. Take a look at the evening edition.”
She hands me the fresh newsprint. A shot of the big boss graces the front page, decked out in his finest pinstripe suit. The headline reads like so much journalist trash.
CRIME LORD OR BENEFACTOR? GANON GIVES BACK TO CITY.
“They say he’s changed his ways, turned over a new leaf and all that jazz. I never would have believed it, but he’s actually giving his fortune away. Even the mayor wants to shake his hand, but no one gives that much without expecting a little power in return. Trust me. I grew up watching my father do the exact same thing.”
No doubt about it, she’s right. Ganon’s up to something. You don’t flash that many greenbacks in broad daylight for nothing, but something had to give. This man was notorious, a no-good leader of the Blin gangs. Everyone knew it. There’s no way people are gonna forget about Ganon’s past, and I tell her as much.
“Yeah, well, good luck convincing the people in charge,” she says, pulling a slim cigarette holder from her purse and lighting a gasper. “Ganon has them eating luxury pie outta his hands. They seem pretty willing to forget the man’s past so long as he pays for their future.”
She takes a good, long drag on that cigarette, tilting her head to one side and blowing a puff out the window. “Me? I believe in second chances and all, but now he’s resorting to slander. He’s telling everybody that my family is sitting on a big pile of gold while others starve, and it’s only getting worse. Just yesterday, he started spreading some cockamamie story about my father, who he says tortured folks to gain his fortune.”
I raise an eyebrow in her direction.
Ms. Fitzgeralt purses her lips. “Which isn’t true! Lies and slander, all of it... but it’s working. First, they wanted my father to release his tax papers, which he made public in good faith. Never mind that everything’s in order and the charity rupees are generous. They only saw the sums, and they’re holding that number over his head like a curse.”
She turns her eyes away, and the fear in her voice is easy to pick out. “And now we have to deal with these horror stories. My father already has a weak heart. If anything ruins his good name...”
I expect the waterworks to go off any minute now, but it turns out she’s no ordinary dame. There’s a toughness to this Zelda Fitzgeralt, a touch of old world grit that surprises me. When she looks my way, you’d never guess that hard set mouth of hers had ever been touched by a silver spoon.
“It’s only a matter of time, Mr. Masters. Ganon is throwing us to the wolves. He wants the city for himself.”
She pulls a checkbook from her purse. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out where this is going. “I want you to stop the lies. I want you to dig up the dirt and expose him for what he really is. Stop Ganon, and I’ll pay you three times the amount you see here.”
She draws out a figure and tears out the check, slipping it across my desk. I stare at that figure, appreciating the elegance of the first whole number and the curves of every zero that follows. And of course, I take the case. We shake hands and seal the deal, this uptown heiress and the downtown private eye, an unlikely pair if ever there was one.
I walk the lady down to her car, of course. When a client offers that much in advance, it’s usually a good idea to be polite.
There’s a classy Model Z parked near the curb, which I can only assume belongs to her. As I open the back door for Ms. Fitzgeralt, I get a bit of the side eye from her driver, a strong, dark woman with white hair and a fine suit. She watches closely as I hold Zelda’s hand, just playing the part of the gentleman, but I get the feeling this woman would end me if I took matters any further than that.
They drive off into the night, the glowing marquees of the red light district gleaming off their car. I watch them weave in and out of the traffic, feeling the weight of the deal for the first time, the doubt that creeps into your mind whenever you take a case.
I try to shake it off, like usual, when I realize someone else is watching Zelda leave the scene. He’s surrounded by goons, barrel-chested types ready and willing to defend their boss, but he doesn’t need the hired muscle. It’s all a show of power, and this guy’s got plenty of it.
He’s a colossus in a black trench coat, his eyes hidden in shadow. If I was smart, I’d make myself scarce before the boss caught sight of me, but that damn curiosity grabs tight and won’t let go. So there I am, out in the open, when he turns and looks my way.
The white fedora rises, crimson headband flashing, and those eyes burn like fire.
###
The sun rises, burning high over the skyline.
I feel the new day come alive, warm and real outside Malon’s window. I also feel her delicate fingers stroking my chest, running softly over the bullet scars that pepper my shoulder.
“Is this why you disappeared, my love?” she asks. “Did they hurt you so bad?”
It ain’t easy to turn my eyes away from her, her gorgeous figure covered in nothing but a sheet, but I somehow manage. Malon pulls me back, like she always does, gently touching the side of my face and looking into my eyes.
“I saw the headlines, but I didn’t believe any of it. I knew you would never slander the Fitzgeralts like that. I know you wouldn’t let Ganon take over.”
There’s a lot she doesn’t know, but whose fault is that? I throw off the sheet and sit on the edge. Malon comes up behind me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “You don’t have to say anything until you’re ready. I just wish you would stick around. You left so quickly after getting Dad out of that jam. I never had a chance to tell you...”
I hold her hand, as if that’ll reassure her that I’m back for good. But how can I promise anything, when I might find myself at the bottom of Lake Hylia next week.
Still, I hold her hand.
We get dressed in silence and make our way downstairs. It’s far too early for a drink and besides, the bar’s not exactly in working order, but someone knocks on the door anyway. Malon opens it to find the bouncer, silent and reeking of danger.
I step between them, glaring at the Lynel, but Malon just puts a hand on my shoulder. She looks up at the bouncer and crosses her arms, ready for the business.
“Aren’t you gonna run off to Ganon, Silver?” she asks. “Go squealing to the big boss?”
Silver grunts. “The way I see it, ma’am, this is the only place I have left in the city. And now you’re in charge. Lynels follow the strongest, and you bested your uncle good and proper.”
Malon smiles. “Damn straight. The Lonesome Ranch is mine now, and I’m gonna need a few good men to run it. Do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Think you can convince some of the others to play wise? I know you won’t win them all, especially the Blins, but I’ve got a feeling that a storm is coming. I want us to be ready when it gets here.”
The Lynel grins, a hint of fang showing. “It’s a tall order, ma’am. I’ll make a few calls, if that suits you.”
Malon waves him through. He stands next to me and flicks a lingering piece of glass from his shoulder. And then he reaches into a secret place behind the bar, pulls out my revolver, and hands it to me. “You’re a good fighter, silent one. A death at your hands would be an honorable one.”
I take my revolver and nod, not exactly sure how respond to that compliment. He grunts, apparently satisfied, and heads for the back office.
Malon stands at the center of the place, her place, hands resting on her crimson robes. Even now, she looks like the woman in charge, and she looks good.
I can see the pride in her face when she turns to me, the promises she wants us to make. It doesn’t take long for reality to set in, though, and she almost looks relieved to stick with the honest facts. “I know. You have to go.”
She walks up to me, hands touching my chest, smoothing the creases from my shirt. “You have a job to do, and life isn’t fair. Here I am, ready to see the last of my uncle, and yours was taken away too soon. You’ve gotta do something about that, and I can’t stand in your way.”
We kiss, deeply, like the world’s gonna break when we pull apart. In the end, she’s the brave one, like always. Her lips lift away. Then her eyes lock on mine, and she means every last word. “Find the killer. Find the truth. Put an end to this nightmare. And come back to me, Silent. Come back, so I don’t throw away another chance to say I love you.”
With nothing left to say, I grab my coat. I check my revolver. There’s a good chance I’ll be needing it soon. I set out with a purpose, to track down this one, good cop.
I want to tell Malon that I’ll be back soon, that everything’s gonna be alright, but I don’t like wasting a single word on a lie.
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39944304/
#legend of zelda#zelda#noir#crime noir#noir au#fan fiction#fan fic#ao3#archive of our own#fanfiction#fanfic#link#malon#ganon#ganondorf#radio drama
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
dewateringsolutions
Dewatering Solutions
riddledem0n
LENN⭐️N
ironmusicpersona
Untitled
the-dragon-doodles
The Dragon Doodles