#i know these are both just references to the verse in job but like | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

monimccoythings · 2 months

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Random headcanons of Alastor and his child!reader

This will mix headcanons from both the living and the afterliving times.

Tw: Controlling behavior, implied cannibalism, references to murder.

This is not proof read so I apologize for any grammar and vocabulary mistakes.

Your home is always filled with music. Be it the radio, a record player or him singing. There's always someone playing a tune. Even now at the hotel you can always find him in one of the common rooms humming a song or with his cathedral radio on.

Loves dancing with you, you'll be helping him cook and next thing you know he is swirling you around the room, music mixing with your combined laughter.

From a very young age, he will teach you to love the radio. He is immensely proud of his job (the legal one) and wants to share it with you.

Likes to treat your wounds and illness the traditional way, just like he used to when you were alive. You got a scratch? He is cleaning it for you and bandaging it up. You are down with something? He'll wrap you in blankets with a hot water bottle and feed you old family remedies and warm soup. If the wound or illness is way too severe to his liking, he will immediately make it go away with a snap of his fingers, otherwise he just likes to act like your caregiver and mother hen you.

Really loves to pull the 'single hardworking dad' act that makes the mothers and female teachers at your school swoon. He is not really interested in pursuing anything further with them, but boy, does he enjoy the attention.

He likes to check on you while you are sleeping. Sometimes he just stays there, quietly watching you sleep, his ever present smile growing bigger as a sense of pride fills his chest.

Lots of dad jokes, I think he's the only one who could pull it off and have everyone laugh. It goes with his radio host charisma and personality.

He does your hair. This man has singlehandledly researched and become well versed in the art of braiding hair. Braids, pigtails, or just brush it, you call it, you got it.

Alastor loves control and having power over people, he is the kind of dad that will subtly talk you out of doing something he doesn't approve of, just using his inmense charms and smooth talking skills to convince you into thinking this was your decision after doing some critical thinking. "Cher, I don't think you should do X, how about you do Y instead?" "I'm sure your friend is too busy to hang out today, why don't we go to the ice cream shop?" He won't ever put you down or make you feel bad about anything, but if you are deviating for the path that he has already set for you (the safe path) he will immediately persuade you to go back to the right way, his way. In Hell that aspect of him has become a million times worse, since he has already lost you once and has become someone with many dangerous enemies who wouldn't hesitate to use you to get back at him. His overprotectiveness and controlling behavior skyrocket when he becomes a demon, which eventually will come back to bite him in the ass.

Doesn't like having anyone question about your biological parents. He is your parent. You don't need anybody else.

Alastor is not fond of physical affection, unless he is the one initiating it. But, since he has had you since you were a baby, he has mostly grown used to your touch. He has become proficient enough in detecting your moods that he knows exactly when you are going to need a hug, a kiss or some other kind of physical comfort, so he can get ahead and start the contact first. He admits that one of his favorite ways nowadays to show affection to you is ruffling your fluffy hair, lightly tickling your ears, his eyes fill with joy when your ears get all twitchy.

Your room back at the hotel is a carbon copy of the one you had back when you were alive, but bigger, and with a private old timey bathroom. Alastor likes to come in whenever he pleases, he is the unliving embodiment of "I'm respecting your privacy by knocking but asserting my authority as your parent by coming in anyway". He even said so once. Word by word.

You can't stand Mimzy. Sorry, it's a fact, she always gets your name wrong and only comes by if she needs something from your dad. She seems to not be very fond of you either, can't understand why in Hell Alastor would waste his time so willingly just to take care of a snooty brat that ain't even his. But your father seems to like her enough, so you swallow up your critics.

When he was alive, and came back from a 'hunt', he always brought a little memorabilia for you, maybe some old watch, a fancy toy or trinket the victim had on them at that moment. Whatever little thing that wasn't too incriminating and pretty enough to be worthy of you. Now that you know the truth, you can't stop wondering with dread if every little thing he gifts you belonged once to a poor tormented soul that crossed in his path.

Might had fed you human remians in his stews. He utterly denies it, claiming that he would never do that to your delicate stomach. But the suspicious way his eyes quickly dart around the room, makes you think otherwise. It was the Great Depression after all, food was scarce. You'd rather not dwell too much on it or you will never eat anything ever again.

He is a monster, and it pained you to have been so blind all these years, but even after discovering his true nature, the only thing you could say about his parenting before that terrible night of the discovery, was that he was an excellent dad, a tad bit overbearing and overprotective, but a great parent nonetheless.

#alastor #hazbin hotel #alastor x reader #hazbin hotel x reader #tw: controlling behavior #tw: cannibalism #tw: murder

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indigovigilance · 6 months

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The Hornet in the Beehive

The passages of the Bible that mention hornets (or, notably, just a single hornet) are talking almost exclusively about the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt and God guiding them to the promised land. Specifically, these verses discuss how the people already living in the promised land will be destroyed ahead of the chosen peoples’ arrival by the hornet(s).

The hornet is not who you think it is.

Read on Ao3

Exodus 23:28

The reference in verse 28 appears within this section, entitled God’s Angel to Prepare the Way:

20 “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. 21 Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. 22 If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 23 My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out… 28 I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.

From this, we may be able to take that the guardian angel sent ahead of the Chosen People to wipe out the unclean is synonymous with the hornet (in the original Hebrew, הַצִּרְעָ֖ה, “haṣ-ṣir-‘āh” and yes it seems that the Hebrew word for hornet is pronounced Azira, or more specifically, “A-tsira,” “the-hornet”). (Why did I look at this? Because I wanted to know if the translation for hornet(s) was from a singular, plural, or group noun. Seems like it’s a group noun but I’m not certain.)

So what we have here is an angel symbolically represented as a hornet, pronounced Azira in the original language of the Bible, whose job it is to wipe out those God deems unworthy.

Do with this as you will.

Deuteronomy 7:20

This verse appears in a section entitled Driving Out the Nations

1 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— 2 and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally (footnote: The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 26). Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.

20 Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished.

Notably, “hornet” is translated in the singular in seven out of eight translations available here. The Message even capitalizes it.

Joshua 24:12

This section is entitled The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

8 “‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land.

11 “‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. 12 I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. 13 So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

Translation choices here are getting a little tricky: nine translations use “the hornet,” and the Lexham English Bible specifically emphasizes the hornet. New Living Translation and New Century Version have both replaced “the hornet” with “terror.” A footnote available here reads: Traditionally, “the hornet” (so KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) but the precise meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain (cf. NEB “panic”).

In summary

There’s a hornet (someone very powerful and very dangerous) in the beehive (Heaven), but it isn’t Crowley.

This is (in my humble opinion) some strong evidence that the intended symbolism behind Aziraphale’s name is a reference to the Hornet that goes before the people of Israel, slaying the Amorites, et cetera, to claim their land. There is some apparent parallelism between an angel clearing out the unfaithful to make way for the chosen people in the Exodus, and an angel whose major responsibility it is to bring about the Second Coming, the Day of Judgment which will also result in the wiping out of those who are found wanting.

The Final Fifteen, again

Aziraphale could not have said no. He could not have refused the Metatron and run away with Crowley. Aziraphale is the Hornet that goes before the righteous to rid the world of the unrighteous.

This was always Aziraphale’s destiny.

~~~

Author’s note: we live in interesting times. My use of the word “Israel” and surrounding language in this meta is strictly with regard to ancient Biblical texts as they are relevant to a fictional work, Good Omens. None of this should be construed as an opinion regarding current political events.

~~~

If you enjoyed this, please check out my meta index for some additional light reading!

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #crowley #aziraphale #good omens speculation #ivoc

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y2niki · 4 months

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# Gwen Stacy <3

→ spiderverse 니키. if i die, i must die with you sorta theme. maybe like yandere

warnings? psychology themes, character death, ooc riki, riki is a psycho

authors note: i have returned from break, honestly this was better in my head and i apologise if this is badly written but i hope you like my little song references!!. fem reader. around 700 words. inspired by nayeollyn on tt. story under cut

As the self-proclaimed Spiderman of Tokyo, you were no stranger to danger and chaos. You had dedicated your life to protecting the city from super villains and creatures, using your enhanced abilities and quick wit to save innocent lives. But there was one person who always seemed to be your biggest obstacle - Nishimura Riki, your so-called partner. Someone you had viewed as your “Gwen Stacy” You and Riki were two sides of the same coin, constantly at odds with each other. Whenever you were near each other, the air was thick with tension. You fought like cats and dogs, always trying to one-up each other.

But one day, Your arch-nemesis, the one known as the 'Mastermind', unleashes a wave of monsters on Tokyo. As always, you and Riki team up to take them down. You swing through the city, taking out the creatures with your spider webs, while Riki uses his strength to defeat the larger ones. As you both stand victorious on a rooftop, Riki turns to you with a look of admiration in his eyes.

'You know, you're not so bad for a spider,' he chuckles. Rolling your eyes, you reply, 'And I know you love hanging out. Dare you to say you hate it now, huh’ Perhaps that's why you never suspected a thing. Every time a new monster or villain appeared in Tokyo unleashed by ‘Mastermind’, you and Riki were there to save the day, fighting side by side. You never saw the darkness behind his charming smile, the madness behind his piercing eyes. But that all changed when he finally confessed his love for you.

You start to notice that the villains and creatures always attack on days when Riki is the only one available to help you. But you brush it off, thinking it's just a coincidence. After all, Riki has always been there to help you when you needed him. That day, when you are both taking down a group of monsters, Riki suddenly stops and turns to you with a tender look in his eyes. 'Listen, I need to tell you something,' he says, his voice filled with nervousness.

You were taken aback, to say the least. You had always seen Riki as a nuisance, someone who constantly got in your way and made your job harder. The thought of him being in love with you was almost laughable. But as he poured out his heart, you saw a different side of him. He was vulnerable and honest, his usually confident demeanor crumbling before you. And for a moment, you couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him. But then, he revealed the truth. That he was the mastermind behind every creature and villain that you had fought. That he had created them all just to spend time with you, to see you in action and maybe even earn your affection. Your sympathy quickly turned to anger and betrayal. How could he do this to you? To the innocent people of Tokyo? You were the protector of the city, and he had used you for his twisted desires. Without a second thought, you attacked him. Your once playful banter turned into a deadly fight, each of you using your powers to their full potential. The streets of Tokyo became your battlefield, the innocent bystanders fleeing in terror. But in your anger and confusion, you didn't see the madness in Riki’s eyes. You didn't realize that he was no longer the charming, sarcastic partner you knew. He was a psychopath, driven by his obsession for you, who had no ounce of self love, he had never loved himself, all the while trying to love you. In the heat of the battle, you had almost killed him. But as he lay on the ground, bloodied and broken, he did the one thing you never expected. He jumped off the building, grabbing onto you in the process. Your mind was racing as you fell through the air, your once enemy now holding onto you for dear life. And in that moment, you heard him whisper “My spider man, you have saved me”As the ground rushed closer and closer, you realized that the man you thought you knew was a dangerous stranger. And as you crashed onto the pavement below, you both lost your lives. The people of Tokyo mourned the loss of their beloved Spiderman and her Gwen Stacy like partner. They had no idea of the truth behind your deaths, of the twisted love and betrayal that had led to this horrific end.

But one thing was for sure.

In every universe, Gwen Stacy had always fallen for spider-man.

And in every universe, it never ended well.

#y2niki #niki #enhypen niki #niki x reader #niki fluff #enhypen #enhypen fluff #enhypen x reader #enhypen fanfiction #fanfic #enhypen au #niki angst #enhypen angst

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chezgender · 8 months

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Cha cha cha / It's crazy it's party comparison

@tmrwds post and @izpira-se-zlato addition gave me brainworms. @kylla-kylla also saw the connection between ICIP and CCC and I saw their post after I started writing this. So I'm definitely not alone in being insane. Thus here is my own rant about It's Crazy it's Party.

Notes:

ICIP lyrics transcript taken from @koppitules on twt, translation taken from a Käärijä discord

CCC lyrics and translation from lyricstranslate.com

Disclaimer: This analysis is purposefully exaggerated/dramatic in order to highlight contrast. I do think Jere loves his job and career, ICIP is definitely a fun song in which you can find (or not) a deeper meaning, it's up to your interpretation. I just love angst lol please don't come at me I'm sensitive 🤡😭

(ps. sorry to all the people I tagged. You don't have to interact with this, I just wanted to give proper credit)

Let's start. Bear with me being cringe.

First verse

At the beginning of CCC, we see how partying is reserved for the weekend - it's something cathartic after a long week of responsibility and worries, it's an outlet for stress and negativity. The world can't scare him no more, as he mentions later in the song, now that he's having fun.

In ICIP, people have pointed out how the first verse reminds them of CCC, musically wise. This is definitely on purpose, the main difference lies in the lyrics. Here Jere reveals that partying now it's an everyday thing. It's an endless circus of traveling despite everything, he's the cog in a machine bigger than him. The world that seemed so tiny compared to the fun, is now scary - the party is now and tomorrow and 365 days a year, in Finland and even abroad. As if there was no safe place. He can't escape it and it's overwhelming to the point "you'll feel it in your hair and your ass" (honestly, weird phrasing, but it gets the point across I guess?). Either way, this party is almost ineluctable.

Chorus

In the CCC chorus he says he wants to forget about the pains of daily life by getting wasted and drinking with both hands on as many drinks as he can hold, until he won't even be able to get up. Honestly, although this doesn't seem like a healthy coping mechanism (but I'm none to judge), it does look willing and deliberate - he makes the choice of getting drunk on the weekend. He's in control of when the party happens.

In ICIP instead the chorus is shorter, and quite tautological: crazy is crazy, party is party, and life is life, you know? (see @tmrwds for a cultural insight on the "elämä on laiffi" phrase). There's a different feeling in this chorus, the singing is soft and maybe even a bit sexy but the lyrics hold a touch of resignation in between. This party is not a deliberate choice anymore, Jere doesn't get to choose when his life is crazy/party and when he gets to rest.

CCC 2nd verse / ICIP Tommy's verse

Without need for lyrics, also because most people have a hard time understanding what Tommy was singing live, I'll talk about this in brief. I chose to include it because Jere himself sang some parts of it during the live - mostly echoing, but still.

In CCC, Jere parties almost alone. Well, it's implied that there's more people to that party but the song is about him, his own liberation from stress and whatever thing was keeping him bound and off the dancefloor. There are no explicit references to other people.

In ICIP instead, Tommy sings about a club in which they enter and people go crazy. They talk about sex in a rather crass way, probably for kicks, but as mentioned in @tmrwds post, it could definitely hint at the wrong kind of attention Jere is receiving. People in his DMs and probably even in person are making more or less explicit advances on him, surely unsolicited, but it's part of the party.

And Tommy invites Jere to party with him (that modulated voice parodically reminds me of the beginning of Barbie Girl by Aqua). Jere says yes, of course he wants to party with him, right here right now (no matter the day, or his condition, does he really have a say in it?)

Another thing I'd like to point out:

Jere in CCC mentions "it's hard to talk when this different side of me does its part" / Tommy in ICIP mentions how the alcohol makes it hard to think (obviously, but I'm clinically insane and I see intertextuality everywhere) - so, basically, the "side of him" Jere talks about in CCC renders him carefree, maybe happy, definitely free of burdens. In ICIP, this "part of him" seems to have taken complete control to the point Jere can't tell himself from it.

Last part of ICIP

"Let's go party" leads to a countdown - inexorable and short, leaving everyone little time to get ready. The song explodes like a bomb, reminds me of a breakdown in a Korn song. The bass hammers hard and everyone is jumping, hearts bursting, everything is out of control. To quote @izpira-se-zlato , there's an apocalyptic feeling to it. Jere can't do anything but let himself be engrossed without a chance to escape. Which he can't, lest he gives everything up.

Where CCC was party metal with a touch of eurodance, ICIP definitely belongs to an insane rave. It reminds me of Dutch hardstyle, dubstep and a touch of eurodance until the end, which screams industrial/nu metal to me, only adding to the concept of hammering and exhausting work/lifestyle.

We could say that It's Crazy it's Party is the Välikuolema to Cha Cha Cha's Viuliunkieli, in a way.

Jere is a storyteller in most of his songs, and it's clear he likes such narratives to carry on between different tracks (i.e: I think the Viulunkieli/Välikuolema narrative carries on to Morgan), so it's only fair to assume the two songs combined tell a whole story.

Further speculation: Jere has often said he's really tired in this precise moment - the relentless touring throughout summer is obviously taking a toll on him, no matter how much he can love what he does. It would be exhausting for anyone. Plus, the "ghost" of ESC follows him everywhere: sometimes I get the feeling many people perceive him as the CCC-guy rather than the complete artist he is, so maybe he's trying to change this.

As many people already said, the story Mikke posted with the grave being dug could hint at the burial of green-bolero-Käärijä. I don't believe Jere is denying the fame and good things it has brought, but he's probably willing to turn the page and carry on with something new (and probably take a long, well deserved break). Or maybe the MV will just be homoerotic softp-rn featuring a grave, WHO KNOWS. I just know I can't wait to see what's next. I love ESC-Käärija (without CCC I wouldn't even be aware of his existence, so I'm forever grateful) and that love will forever be a part of me, but I also welcome this change with open arms in hopes to see him grow more and more.

Conclusion: the speculation is very real and material and I am very very cringe <33

#käärijä #jere pöyhönen #kaarija #cha cha cha #it's crazy it's party #ccc #icip #meta #song analysis #music #eurovision #tommy cash

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throwaway-yandere · 2 years

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Blind Obedience (Yandere!Ayato/Reader)

unreliable synopsis: ayato tries to ask reader out but fails lol.

afab reader

cw: yandere themes: possessive behavior. drugging & power imbalance. non-consensual touching.

a/n: as always i dont fricking condone this crap it's for entertainment purposes. please seek help if you are in a similar situation in real life

Continuation

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

Your job as one of the Yashiro Commissioner, Kamisato Ayato's, "official" retainers is unnecessarily glamorized by your family. In all honesty, it is far less honorable than what they make it out to be. Then again, that's probably because you haven't come home in a while so there's nothing for them to brag about.

Fetching umbrellas, handing paperwork, managing schedules, delivering lunches– your work is duller than what the ninjas go through. Your job is essentially to be the bodyguard on display beside Lord Kamisato. Occasionally you fight alongside him but that is few and far in between when the man is plenty competent. There were nights when you felt your sword was wasted in serving Ayato. Your blade dulls whenever you open an umbrella for your Lord, but you seem to forget about it the second you see him smile.

Free time is not a finite resource either. You and Thoma joke that you might as well be Ayato's second housekeeper with all the extra domestic work you volunteer. Oftentimes Thoma insinuates that you act less of a retainer and more of the commissioner's spouse, but you just found the notion demeaning and crossed the line. Your relationship is strictly business, and Thoma knows that.

Today is a rare occasion where you perform your duties in public. You stood beside Ayato with a blade at your hip. This time, Thoma was walking behind Ayaka instead of chatting the day away with you.

In all honesty, the scene looked like the Kamisato siblings were just taking their dogs out for a walk.

"Greetings Lord and Lady Kamisato. What brings you to this humble abode? Please accept my apologies. If I heard that you would be my guests this evening I would've been more hospitable. After all, I'm sure you've heard, but I am not bound to a land of my own."

The man tilted his hat up to meet your gaze.

Kaedehara Kazuha: one of the last living remnants of his fallen clan. You've had a chance to meet thrice before, and you found his company quite comforting. Each encounter was memorable. You both ended up talking for hours regarding haikus and other artistic endeavors without a care for the clock. He was like your key to connecting with nature with the way he plays his tunes, and you loved every second of it.

Kazuha doesn't appear to have been moved by time. The only things that changed were his height and the Sandogasa his head had been sporting– a motif that showed his feet had never stayed in one place too long.

It's comforting to know that he stands before you when everything around him and his family vanished into the wind.

His sandals imprinted the sand as he walked toward your group. He closed his eyes, feeling the air.

"Lord Kamisato, you still smell like morning dew. Yet, is this the scent of red ginseng I sense?"

Red ginseng? The anti-oxidant?

Ayato cleared his throat, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. He doesn't appear pleased by that comment.

"There is no need to be modest, Lord Kaedehara." Ayato smiled. "We are here to see how you are fairing after all. I am compelled to feel as though it is my duty to support you whenever we can."

"Hmm, I see," Kazuha smiled, slightly fanning a stray leaf to his face. "But I highly doubt that is the end of it. The wind whispers to me... and I have reasons to believe that you are not here only to seek out answers regarding my well-being, is that right?"

Ayato nodded.

"My apologies. I'm not well-versed in the art of small talk. Shall I head straight to the point?"

"I'd appreciate it, so long as you stop referring to me as a Lord." Kazuha sighed. "I never became one and I don't have plans to."

"Mister Kaedehara, my brother has a few requests he would like to make," Ayaka raised her hand. "It has everything to do with your ancestor's blacksmithing techniques."

"Oh," Kazuha opened his mouth, surprised. "So you're here for Haran? I see."

The wind blew against the yumemiru trees.

"In that case," Kazuha looked at you and smiled. "May I have a word with Lady Kamisato and Miss (Y/n) in exchange?"

Ayato's eyes narrowed.

"Why (Y/n)?"

You stared at Ayato.

"I figured I can gauge how worthy you are through the Shirasagi Himegimi's retainer," Kazuha said. Ayato barely held back a scoff.

"She's mine."

You wish you saw the expression on your lord's face. His voice did not betray any emotion besides conviction.

No one spoke for a while. You saw Thoma from the corner of your eye opening his mouth before shutting it.

"Well, that speaks volumes," Kazuha laughed softly.

"A shame. She would be a better fit to serve Lady Kamisato."

You, Ayaka, and Thoma nearly reacted inappropriately at his boldness. Such a frank stance was not a common attribute of Kazuha's flowery speech. Things are not going favorably. He may be a bit eccentric, but the Kamisato Clan cannot afford to miss this opportunity.

You spoke up. "I would be fine with the arrangement as long as Lord and Lady Kamisato is alright with it."

Ayato raised an eyebrow. "It is not about whether or not you will be fine with it–"

"My brother and I agree with this arrangement as well," Ayaka said. Ayato no longer objected after her intervention. She smiled softly.

"It's a pleasant day for a walk, wouldn't you agree, Mister Kaedehara? There's a pleasant breeze and glorious sunshine. So, where shall we head off?"

------

Ayaka was right when she mentioned that the wind will be pleasant at this time of day. Opting to avoid any of her brother's ears, she chose an area with no walls to eavesdrop from. The beach in Ritou offers crashing waves and distant sounds of unruly children, perfect for background noises.

"Did you truly ask for (Y/n) to know more about my brother?" Ayaka pulled out a fan and covered her lips. Even so, it did not hide a mischievous glint in her eyes. She seems to know more than you, considering how Kazuha flushed red.

"Why does my presence matter so much?" You joked.

Kazuha laughed. "Is it hard to believe?"

"Well, after you told us I'd be better off serving Lady Ayaka," You shrugged. "Sort of."

"It's the truth, though," he said. "I think you'd be better off as Lady Kamisato's retainer, especially with your talents."

Ayaka nodded. Your eyes widened. Lady Kamisato thought you're competent enough to work for her?

"I… Didn't know you felt that way My Lady"

"Work with Lord Kamisato may be as constant as flowing water, but drinking from that stream will be akin to sleep to the freezing, especially in your case, (L/n)," Kazuha added. There is subtle stress in his tone. One you didn't quite understand at the time.

"... I didn't understand a word you just said but it sounded like a lèse-majesté just now."

Kazuha didn't understand that Fontaine term. "Let's just say I have some reservations."

"Towards the Kamisato Clan?" Ayaka asked.

"No," Kazuha said. "I have no qualms with you and your connections, Shirasagi Himegimi."

"Are you seeking redemption for your Clan?"

"Oh, you'd be wrong to assume that," Kazuha smiled softly "I doubt I'd need what my Clan had in store for me even if I did revive it. We were but a subordinate clan to the Kamisatos, after all. Plus, I relish the freedom I have today."

"Then why hesitate?" You asked.

Kazuha answered without missing a beat.

"Because Loyalty does not equate to Blind Obedience."

--------

After that rough start, the conversation went by smoothly when Ayaka boasted about her brother's repertoire. Although both Ayaka and Kazuha did most of the talking, you were more than satisfied. You did your actual job. Not one of a housekeeper. A sense of pride coursed through your body each time passing children looked at your sword in awe. It's childish, but you missed those silly boosts of confidence. Truly makes you feel like you earned your rice and salary.

As it happens, Kazuha didn't ask for your company just to learn more about Ayato alone either. You can't help but smile when recalling your chat with him after Ayaka left.

But it's not the time nor place to be giddy. Quite frankly, it's a bit embarrassing to grin about your private life when your boss walks beside you.

"Escorting my Lady and Mister Kaedehara went by without a hitch," you reported. "It's all just things you've heard before, My Lord. How you are skilled with multiple weapons in your arsenal and the like."

"Then why the smile?"

…

"Pardon me, My Lord?"

"You were smiling non-stop when you came back." He said nonchalantly. "What else were you three talking about?"

"O-Oh. My apologies, Lord Kamisato. In truth, the conversation also got lively and we took turns talking about our experiences with poetry writing."

You cleared your throat, cheeks flushed over the two's previous remarks earlier. "Though, i-it's nothing important."

You're an awful liar.

"Hmm. You seem to have enjoyed being in their company a lot. Do you forget where your loyalties lie?" Ayato teased, but his eyes do not match the playfulness of his tone.

"Of course not my lord. I DID enjoy their company, but my loyalties lie forever with the Kamisato Clan."

"For someone who claims equal loyalty, you seemed as if you favor Ayaka's presence the most."

"Well," you coughed awkwardly. "She is a very cooperative and an easy person to get along with, My Lord."

In other words, Ayato is the troublesome sibling in your eyes.

Ayato paused. As usual, his expression was unreadable.

In truth, Ayato was seething the moment he saw you return to the area with hands playing with your hair, talking so unreservedly with the Kaedehara vagabond.

He closed his eyes while wearing a plagiarized smile. You had worked for him three months earlier than Thoma, yet your loyalties waver more than his. What had caused it to do so? The dilemma is sending the Kamisato Clan Head's mind into a manic frenzy.

Kazuha's comment stuck with him. Ayato admits, with your resume you are far more useful to his sister than himself. His sister is surely aware of that. Your eye for aesthetics and crafts could serve to help Ayaka's workload.

But he needs you more than Ayaka needs you. It's selfish, but if his sister were to come to his room tonight to negotiate, he would drown her voice out with the paperwork. Ayato adores his sister, and she's likely the only person who can convince him to stop.

Was he not enough? What happened and why is your smile more downright mesmerizing than before? It makes him want to pull his hair right out of his scalp. What did Ayaka and Kaedehara Kazuha discuss with you to get you to blush as red as a maple leaf?

You hadn't uttered a single word– why are you staring at him with visible confusion?

His chest ached. Had he been a lesser man, he knew that his hands would've been on her shoulders, screaming to rile up an answer from you.

Ayato sighed exasperatedly. He can't do that. No matter how high he rises into power, the oath he shared with his father weighs more than these unsavory emotions. Besides, he believed he is far more tasteful than the feral beast he imagined himself to be. Be that as it may, just because he is an elegant man does not mean he is free from these feral fantasies. He does admit that the thought of intimidating you into submitting to him, and him alone, was incredibly tempting. Especially when he is painfully aware that you are both alone with not one of his ninjas and or servants, save for yourself, in the vicinity.

------

"What do you live for, (L/n)?"

A sword slithered under your jaw, still and calculated as it slowly poked upwards and drew blood. However, you did not falter. You remind yourself that your Lord gets a kick out of seeing people squirm. You gazed up to your lord's eyes and gave a small untroubled smile.

"I live to serve, my Lord."

"And who is it that you serve?"

"The Kamisato Clan," you said. "And the Kamisato Clan alone."

"Good," he sheathed his sword back and ruffled your hair. Ayato looked relieved. "Good girl."

You didn't say a word. You continued to kneel. It wasn't until the next morning when you finally stood up under Lady Kamisato's orders.

You're a dog, yes. But you are the Kamisato Clan's dog.

-------

Now that he recalled who (L/n) (Y/n) truly belongs, the box weighed like jade steel in his pocket.

"Must I truly share you with my sister?" He muttered. "With the rest of the clan?"

You did not hear the words he mumbled behind his sleeves. Even if you had, you doubt you would've understood the connotations behind his pained musings.

"I'm sorry My Lord, may I ask for you to repeat that?"

"Think nothing of it," Ayato said. "It's just a throwaway comment. (Y/n), let us move. We have far more pressing matters to attend to."

You flipped the next page of his schedule. Ayato couldn't help but smile when he saw your face scrunched over reading it. "The pressing matters of your... Tea time with (Y/n), My Lord?– Wait hol'up, I thought I had the evening off?"

Ayato cracked up a smile. He always found it endearing whenever you break out of your retainer persona.

"Yes, well, now that you have your evening off," Ayato reached his hand out. "Would you like to have tea with me, (Y/n)? Of course, I'm inviting you as Ayato, and not the commissioner so take it easy. I bought only the finest and most creative snacks."

He did not miss how your positive expression was deterred by the word "creative". This was Kamisato Ayato, after all. It is part of his perverse desires to awe at the sight of his opponents and most beloved ones squirm at his little schemes.

"A-Actually, My Lord." You coughed behind your fist, "My sincerest apologies, but I must decline. I have an... event to attend to."

"Oh."

Something inside his head cracked.

Another alarming sign. Just a few hours after mentioning that you prefer his sister's company over his, you added more salt to his wound by prioritizing someone else over him? After he planned for this date weeks prior with his packed schedule? Of course– you wouldn't be aware that this was a date all along, he can't be bothered to scare you of what this event officially was in his head, but it burned as much as hearing you reject his (unspoken) confession.

And here he thought the only thing left getting in the way was his sister. Laughable.

"If I may ask, what could you be possibly doing at these late hours, my beloved?"

You scoffed.

Was it that hard to believe that you have plans for the evening?

Well, yes, it was.

"My beloved?" You copied incredulously.

Ayato opened his mouth to digress, but you seemed to shrug it off easily. Too easily.

If he found it difficult to believe you were busy, you found it just as difficult to think he was ever genuine with his affections towards you.

"I don't know what's gotten into you today, Ayato." You said. "But if you MUST know, someone asked me out. On a real date."

He can tell. Kamisato Ayato is not an idiot. He just chose to ignore the signs. But it hurts to hear you say it so unashamedly proud.

"With who?"

"Well, aren't you unusually nosy today?" You laughed.

"It is not worthy of your concern, My Lord– Come to think of it... I heard Madarame isn't busy right now, and last time we talked, he said he hadn't tasted Tomoki's creative cooking before!" You beamed. "Of course, he made me promise not to tell our Lord Kamisato Ayato that, and won't you look at that, I'm talking to myself again! Oh dear, I should stop before SOMEONE hears me. I don't want to break a promise, after all!~"

Had it been any other day, he would've gladly taken this innocent bait.

His gaze softened.

"Hmm. Yes. Very noble of you, (Y/n). I sure hope nobody important heard a word of what you just said." He answered playfully.

"Hmm hmm!" You nodded along. "It would be a real shame if something unfortunate happened to our dear Representative after all!"

"Yes– Since we do not wish for anything bad to happen to our dear Madarame," Ayato placed a hand on your shoulder. His touch was light, but it weighed heavy on your shoulder.

You know him so well. He smirked.

But not enough.

"Tell me, (Y/n), will you not 'take one for the team' and accompany your eccentric Lord Kamisato Ayato this evening instead?"

"A-Ayato..." You gritted your teeth while smiling widely. He too had a fake smile on his face as he awaited your response. "It would be rude to keep my date waiting."

"I'll send Hisashi to tell whoever your obviously-non-existent date is that you can't afford to come then," Ayato said. You stiffened. "Do not lie to me. We both know you use my workload as an excuse to avoid family gatherings."

"Well. Damn." You laughed humourlessly. "Is that why Hisashi isn't with us? Did you send him off to track my date down?"

As it happens, that mind of yours is a double-edged sword.

You looked over his shoulder. Normally, Hisashi would make his presence known to you by waving slightly. Your smile fell. Thankfully he is not on duty that evening, which leads you to assume something disappointing. It was a bluff, but you didn't know that. Instead, you thought Ayato sent him to stalk your date moments prior. This is funny for someone who accused you of dating a fictional person.

"So, I was right," You muttered. "My Lord– Do you not trust me?"

Ayato's fingers slowly wrapped themselves around your shoulders.

"More precisely, I don't trust whoever this date of yours is," he said. "After all, we are not free from the Fatui's watchful eyes."

"It's just Kazuha."

He paused.

"Just... Kazuha?"

Since when were you two on a first-name basis?

Not knowing how to register his tone, you nodded with a "comforting" smile. "Yes. He asked me to accompany him to Inazuma City today. Is there a problem with that, My Lord?"

Ayato bit his cheek. It appears that an unwanted guest has been sniffing around his possessions. To have the audacity to proclaim he smelled like ginseng and to steal (Y/n) twice this evening, he's surely trying to challenge the commissioner.

"Cancel it."

"Excuse me?"

"Cancel your plans."

"My Lord I–"

"I cleared my entire schedule for your birthday and when you were ill to personally tend to your fever last month, did I not?"

Ayato deadpanned, causing you to shiver. There was a clear-cut venom laced in his voice that you were rarely subjected to. The way he said it made it seem like you owe him your affections, and partly that would be correct. Despite his offer of spending the evening with you as Ayato, your friend, the way he speaks now is reminiscent of Kamisato Ayato, the head of the Shuumatsuban Operations. This is his way of keeping you on your toes by calling you a spoiled brat without explicit mention.

Who are you to question your master's wishes?

"This is the least you could do for me in return."

You didn't dare look at his eyes.

"... Of course, My Lord."

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

As expected, your Lord's fingertips whisked you away to Komore Teahouse.

Beforehand, Ayato walked alongside you as you sheepishly informed Kazuha of your cancelation. He didn't look disappointed nor angry. Instead, the wandering samurai's expression resembled more of fear and pity.

Kazuha wanted to say more, but Ayato was quick to steer you away. He ordered you to wait at the teahouse with specific orders of not peeking inside the hot pots until he came back. Ayato mentioned something about Kazuha's friend in Tenshukaku but you didn't get the rest of the details before Ayato shooed you away. You begrudgingly agreed and left.

"Ah, welcome back Lord K– Ayato."

He didn't reply.

Ayato immediately sat down. Not in front of you, but beside you. He opened the pots and placed the lids elsewhere. The commissioner started pouring two cups of red liquid by your side, being uncannily quiet as he does so.

"... Ayato?"

"Why did you accept?"

"Accept what?"

"Kaehara's offer." Ayato refused to face you. He slipped the first cup closer to you and you reluctantly grabbed it.

"He's a good honest man." You blatantly told him.

"And I'm not?!"

You both went silent after that outburst. You couldn't quite tell if he was joking since it was so out of character. It was very unusual that you nearly chuckled, but refrained once you saw his look of defeat.

That was real.

"Why... What?–..." Ayato laughed cheaply. Of course, he's far from an honest man. He had been branded the dirty name of a politician a long time ago.

You didn't know what to make of his behavior. Lord Kamisato is a bit strange– his oftentimes possessive actions came from a place of healthy skepticism. His work is deprived of loyalty and attachment, so you provided nothing else but that.

The Kamisato Clan still holds the leash to your collar.

"(Y/n)."

"Yes, Ayato?"

"Would you–..." He sighed. "Do you prefer working with my sister over me?"

"No."

It's a shame that you're an awful liar.

You grabbed the cup he prepared for you before his hand ghosted above it.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course my Lord."

He lets go.

You took a sip. The drink was surprisingly a bit mellow. Bitter, yes, but there must've been loads of sugar to compensate. Still, it was strange. Is this ginseng?

You waited for Ayato for quite a long time. You were sure this drink will be lukewarm at best.

Why does it feel so warm?

"If you want to prove your loyalties," Ayato circled his cup. The red drink swirled as he stared directly at its vortex.

"Why aren't you obeying me?"

"M-my... L-lord..."

Drops of water fell down your thighs. Did you push off your cup? You can't tell. Something's flowing from your mouth.

It's your saliva.

Have you ever drooled this much before? Why are you drooling?

Heavy. Your head is heavy.

Ayato sits before you like a blob or hydro slime– you barely make out what words he spoke. Everything is warm. Something pressed your cheek and neck. Like a warm blanket covering your form.

Ayato stood up and slowly walked past you. You tried grabbing his ghostly sleeves but your dwindling strength failed you. Whatever you drank stripped most of your voice away, no matter how loud you cried, no coherent sentence came out.

You thought he had left you to wallow in your own self-pity until you felt ice on your chest.

"There..." Ayato whispered above your ear. His voice made you tremble between his arms as he dipped his head down the crook of your neck.

"You look even more breathtaking, my beloved. Do you like the necklace?"

You only figured out what he chained you with by the time you woke up used and filthy. It was a thin rosegold necklace with a hydro vision pendant inspired by his own. And you can't take it off, lest you want your fingers littered with water slices.

"Hel... Aya..."

"Hmm?"

Now that he's this close, you realized just how long his eyelashes are. His voice brushed against your neck. You cringed. Was there a box on top of the table before?

"Ah, I fear I may have overdone just how much ginseng I should add. Not to worry, it wouldn't impair your speech too long. You can tell me how much you appreciate it later."

"Aya..." Your willpower is latching on to the small chance that you'll be able to scream.

"Aya...ka..."

His fingers dug a few centimeters deeper down your throat. You coughed up. Ayato froze.

"Oh, my sincerest apologies." From the tone of his voice, it was far from that. Yet something tells you that he did not mean to squeeze your throat either.

His gloved thumb gently wiped your lips. "I slipped up. Do you want more to drink?"

"Ngh..."

Warm. So warm.

This sickness-- it was all too familiar.

You're almost certain you had this strange fever a month ago.

Ayato's grin did not change, but the revelation darkened your perspective. That was not a loving smile. Something more sinister lurks underneath, and you do not wish to unravel more than what was revealed.

This was not his first attempt to make you his.

You sobbed.

Ayato, you asshole.

"Right," he chuckled. His gloved hands started to slither around your collar and buttons. "You must be feeling too warm, here–"

"Part your lips for me, my beloved. Won't you obey– submit– to your husband this time around, (Y/n)?"

#yandere fanfiction #yandere genshin x reader #yandere ayato #yandere kamisato ayato #kamisato ayato x reader #ayato x reader #yandere genshin #yandere x reader #yandere oneshot #yandere genshin impact #yandere #tag: blind obedience - ayato #ansy-writes

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drconstellation · 3 months

Text

First-Order Archangels

Part 3: Seeing Eye to Eye

Part 1: Maybe You'll See An Archangel Part 2: Foils of War

This is a topic I've wanted to address for some time (ha!) concerning a discussion around Jim's moments of lilac-eyed possessed prophecy and Crowley not wearing his sunglasses around Jim inside the bookshop in S2. I've had rough thoughts about what's going on at these times, but because its more of a sub-textural implication, rather than being overtly stated I guess I've hesitated somewhat and wanted to think it through properly first. Then I started writing this, and as I starting checking things, one thing led to another...and it's tripled in size. Enjoy the juicy long length!

I've decided to included this meta as part of the First-Order Archangel series as it will focus on Gabriel and Crowley, and their connection with time and prophecy. Both of them wear wristwatches - Gabriel seems to wear one instead of an angel ring, which I find most curious. Both have moments where they talk about the future that has been revealed to them. But when it comes to the Great Plan of the Almighty, they couldn't be more opposite.

The Seer and the Herald

Time is Crowley's domain. He can stop it for short periods, and he seems to know about fragments of human science and technology in the future. For example, he suggests to Mr Dalrymple that a change in hygiene might be beneficial, upon meeting him. It could also be said that he acts an oracle, as he gives advice and counsel, both here with Mr Dalrymple and in 1941 when he warns the Nazi's to flee before the bomb arrives, and that they won't like what comes after. (Although, 1941 was a case of Crowley actively manipulating the outcome of the future, so perhaps that doesn't count.)

Crowley: You might want to think about washing your hands. It's gonna be all the rage in a few years, I'm telling you.

Gabriel, as the Herald, is also given knowledge of the future. It was said he spoke to Daniel several times, explaining the visions Daniel had, which were of things to yet to come, and he was tasked with the "foretelling" of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus to their prospective mothers. I realize none of these examples are GO canons (yet,) but there is also the interesting parallel character in S1 of the lawyer Giles, who delivers the second manuscript of Agnes Nutter to Newt and Anathema the day after the Nopocalypse in S1 who is definitely Gabriel-coded and "heralding" the future possibilities there.

Tense Moments

There are two times during S2 that Jim is possessed by a divine spirit that takes over his corporation, turning his eyes back to Supreme Archangel Gabriel-lilac and putting words into his mouth.

The first instance is about the past: in S2E2 Jim recites a verse from Job 38:7 - and Aziraphale and Crowley both remember it, because they were there when the words were said.

The second instance, towards the end of S2E3, is about the present...

"There will come a tempest, and darkness, and great storms."

...and the future.

"And the dead will leave their graves and walk the earth once more. And there will be great lamentations."

Past, present, and future. For both of them, Crowley has his sunglasses off and he is peering into Jim's face.

I have some notes about which verses these are supposed to be from (Hebrews 12:18 for the first half and Matthew 27:53 for the second half) but upon checking them I'm wondering if they are actually correct, even if we take into account they have probably been re-written for the show, like the lines from the Book of Job were paraphrased in the Job minisode. But that aside, we can still deal with them within their temporal frames of reference - the former describing the not-insignificant piece of weather-work that Crowley had just stirred up, and the latter is pointing to the Second Coming, with the resurrection of the dead.

Both halves have words of significance: The first half has the word tempest, and the second half has the word lamentations.

The Foreshadowing Storm

Storms are often used as a trope to foreshadow trouble in the future of a story. I don't think we tend to see Crowley's rain storm as foreshadowing of what is to come as he was in control of that storm and it was for a particular reason - which failed. But Jim's words contained the future tense of "will" - There will come a tempest - so lets have a look at some possible connotations.

A tempest is a violent storm or thunderstorm, but it can also be an situation in which people are very angry or excited, an upset, calamity, or some unexpected misfortune.

And you could say that did happen by the end of S2.

There is also Shakespeare's play, The Tempest, which our demon would no doubt be aware of (it's considered a romance - you know, once of the funny ones.) In it there is a wizard of sorts, Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, who was usurped from his position, and fled with his infant daughter to an island. Many years later the King of Naples and the Duke's brother are passing in a ship, so Prospero magically whips up a storm and shipwrecks them on the island with him and his now teenage daughter, Miranda. He then tries to manipulate a romance between the King's son and heir and Miranda. Other stuff happens as well but in the end they all escape the island and there is a kind of happy ending, and forgiveness.

The Book of Lamentations

Back to the second half, that is supposed to be from Matthew 27:53, but probably more likely Matthew 27: 52-54. Yes, these verses do describe the dead rising from the grave, but the use of "great lamentations" here is a paraphrasing flag being waved in our faces.

A lament is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow. It can also be a complaint, or an expression of regret or disappointment.

Biblically, a lament is a prayer expressing sorrow, pain or confusion.

And with that, we can go back and re-contextualize a scene from S1.

The Book of Lamentations in the Bible contains five chapters describing the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. after a long siege. Each chapter is a poem from a different viewpoint about this event.

But what do we have in S1E4 instead? We have Crowley with a book of things he helped to build, expressing sorrow and pain at their imminent destruction, and that of the humans and the Earth. He prays to God, asking questions in vain hope of finding answers to his confusion as to why it seems it must all end with such finality.

Jerusalem was destroyed a second time, in 70 C.E. by the Romans. The city was rebuilt, and still stands today, but the Temple of Solomon wasn't, and this is a topic of contention in some beliefs. This also fits in with the theme of Memento mori, "Remember that you die," a reminder that life is brief, and there is a cycle to life and death.

Nonetheless, the Second Coming is connected with a New Jerusalem, a walled garden (a paradise) where those with their names written in the Book of Life will reside, with access to the Tree of Life in the middle.

Within the Walls of The Garden

The bookshop is Aziraphale's modern day re-creation of the Garden of Eden. Within it's walls he has gathered knowledge that he protects, there is a circular "gate" at the entrance, and he's made it a sanctuary for him and Crowley from other supernatural beings, particularly demons.

During S2 we see Crowley spend quite a bit of time inside the bookshop, and more often than not, he has his sunglasses off here.

While we can understand Crowley not wearing his sunglasses around Aziraphale, its perhaps more surprising that he doesn't seem to worried to not wear them around Jim either. He gets into Jim's face, eye to eye, but they don't agree with one another. It takes a lot of questions, from both sides, to turn this around.

The Great Plan

There's the Great Plan, and the Ineffable Plan.

Gabriel would never dream of deviating from the Plan.

At least he didn't, until he said "no" to the second Apocalypse.

Gabriel: Anyway, Armageddon the Sequel, that's a nah.

His own plan went awry when he forgot where he was going.

AZIRAPHALE: Then why did you come to my shop? GABRIEL: I don't know. I just thought I should. You know what it's like when you- when you don't know anything at all, and yet you're totally certain that everything would be better if you were just near one particular person?

And with his memories gone it was time to relearn things from the beginning. Good thing the original teacher from The Beginning was on hand to give some lessons, because we seem to be repeating some things from S1 and the beginning again here.

Right. So who's got a plan? Who's not seeing it this time? Are you actually questioning Crowley's plan, Jim? That's not like you to question plans. Maybe you are finally learning something.

Crowley's other plan was give "Jim" a test, to see if Gabriel was really there. This time Jim was prepared to follow instructions without questions. The gravity of the situation was kind of lost on him, and Crowley had to stop him before it was too late.

Too Early, Too Late

Prophecies are not just about who, what and where, they are also about when.

Crowley makes an angry threat to Jim in reaction to Shax's visit to the bookshop but backs off to enigmatically remark that "it's always too late." There is also the 1827 Resurrectionist minisode, where Crowley stops Aziraphale from healing wee Morag after she is shot with the grave guns, telling him it is too late there, and I think there is even a mention of too late by Shadwell in S1, but I can't remember where (plus Crowley's watch in the book, that has a time-zone in Another Place that is always Too Late.) We are kind-of left hanging here - what is too late? Too late to stop what is already in motion?

Except when its early, and early seems to be associated with destruction as well in the Good Omens AU. We have the examples of Job's house being destroyed, and the arrival of the baby Antichrist, which heralds the destruction of the Earth.

CRAWLEY: Oh. They've started early. Well… Might as well get comfortable. [sniffs wine and pours a glass]

Here, when the Antichrist is delivered in S1E1, Crowley expresses dismay that the time has come so soon.

CROWLEY: "No. Already?"

Could it actually be that the Nopocalypse was too early? And was that why it didn't go to Plan?

The Chosen One

The Antichrist is a sub-trope of The Chosen One tropes, which in itself is prophecy trope. The Chosen One is needed to fulfill the prophecy. We could do a whole line of discussion on how Crowley and Aziraphale then try to subvert this by raising the said Chosen One, only they raised the Wrong One. Instead, I want to point out that Crowley was also a Chosen One. He was chosen to deliver the Antichrist to the satanic nuns on the appointed night. But why? Why didn't Hastur and Ligur just do it?

Ah, you missed that, did you? I don't blame you, and Frances was trying to distract you with a game of three-card monte with the babies as well (and there have been many discussions about that, too!)

This then makes an interesting parallel for Gabriel being the Herald of the first Christ, and Crowley being the Herald for the Anti-Christ. (Or, some meta-ops might even argue, the Second Christ! But that is yet to be determined. How far away is S3 again...?)

The Earth is a Libra

One final prediction, from the very beginning...

Do you recall this seemingly random daily star sign reading from the opening of S1E1?

Most of it makes sense.

A friend is important to you.

uh huh.

Help could come from an unexpected source.

uh huh.

You may be vulnerable to a stomach upset today, so avoid salads.

wot?

I had to kick myself after while on this one, because I was being all smug to myself about catching a quick mention of liver between Madame Tracy and Shadwell at one point, and any mention of a bodily organ is a reference to an emotion and/or virtue. The first thing one must do with deciphering organs is determine whether you are looking at a western or eastern philosophy, as that is most important, but because this is GO we also need too include any biblical influence.

And whoeee - jackpot! There is indeed some symbolism around the stomach in a biblical sense; it is a place of transformation and renewal, where food is broken down and transformed into new energy and the renewing of minds. It emphasizes the need for continual growth and spiritual renewal.

That should ring some bells with you straight away, I would hope.

And the salad? A salad is a mix of different foods together. Foods not separated. (Keep your angels and demons on different sides of the plate, please, no mixing - and don't play with your food!)

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #crowley #gabriel #seeing eye to eye #its about time #the ineffable plan #the great plan #there will come a tempest #great lamentations #the book of lamentations #prophecy tropes #the chosen one #the foreshadowing storm #its always too late #the earth is a libra #avoid salads

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jeweled-blue-eyes · 8 months

Note

What's your view on Claude as emperor? We know he's described to be a tyrant.

Claude is incompetent. He's both paranoid and at times extremely careless. He ignores opportunities presented to him that could solve his problems and instead chooses to make things worse than they could have been. On top of that he's suicidal and has no problems to drag people into hell with him. The last one is a hc/my interpretation of the succession crisis in the lp verse I'll elaborate:

Claude outlawed black magic and then used black magic on himself, meaning if he had been meticulous an entire branch of science is about to go extinct, there would be no black magician left who could help him in case he suffered the side effects and even if there was they would be unlikely to reveal themeselves since that would mean admitting they had been practicing the arts illegally in hiding all the time. Moreover Claude didn't see that the law would be followed through. Is the usage of black magic prohibited but not the theoretical teaching of black magic or the distribution of books that concentrate on this specific topic? Why is there a former black magician selling books on dark magic in the capital city? Is this allowed?

Had Claude made good on his promise to kill any magician who couldn't heal Athy it might've resulted in a shortage of magicians (who are already rare). Furthermore his readiness to kill anyone who annoys him would eventually lead turned down job offers, empty spaces in the staff and a burn-out of those that stayed and were given the work that was meant for their colleagues. It might make Obelia more vulnerable to attacks depending on if magicians are used in the military or not.

He allowed someone like Lucas to be Athy's playmate. He said it was okay because Felix didn't find anything suspicious about him when he investigated him. Shouldn't the fact that they found out nothing about him make him suspicious enough? Magicians in Obelia must be registered. I would find it concerning that there was a powerful magician kid running around the palace that somehow managed to evade the radar of every known organization. Lucas is unable to name any parent, teacher or guardian, he has no adress, passport, isn't registered anywhere, the academic circles have never heard about him, he has no school report, reference or recommendation. Should Lucas have forged a document this too calls in question Claude's competence. If not even the Emperor of Obelia is able to tell an enchanted paper from a real one then how are the citizen of Obelia supposed to tell conjured money from real money and can be expected to be held accountable if they unknowingly pay someone with fake coins?

The employment of maids that would steal from and abuse a princess, classist/racist teachers (Athy's dancing teacher for example) and guards that don't take their duty seriously and allow a stranger to walk into the princess' private quarters. Also making his own sworn shield Athy's guard as well. In case of an attack it's impossible for Felix to protect both of them. Claude and Athy are not always in the same room together. They aren't even living in the same palace. Did Claude expect Felix to multiply somehow?

When he was about to gift the Imperial seal to child Athy and then just threw it after Felix. That was irresponsible. There is a reason why royal seals used to be rings and were kept on your own body. Anyone could have taken the seal and issued orders with the power borrowed with his name.

Why tf is there a mana eating plant living on palace grounds. Was the Graeco-Roman tyrant aesthetic not enough for you, Claude?

Torture and mutilation is legal in Obelia even though it's a known fact that torture is useless since most people will say anything under torture to make it stop. Are we in the middle ages? What law of Claude is exactly progressive? Apparently sexism still exists even though the first ruler of Obelia was literally a woman (queen Ambrose)? Whose fault is it?

Not arranging a betrothal for Athy or at least a dancing partner for LP Athy. Claude couldn't have known about Jennette's appearance, which means most likely Athy would have become his successor. How would Athy gain the noble's respect if she didn't even have a companion at her own debutante ball on top of everything else? Everything he did sabotaged her future reign. Isn't the point of a debutante partly to find a good match for your daughter if she isn't already promised to someone? It would have also been a clever way to get rid of her and forge connections.

LP Athy's rushed execution casts doubt on his capabilities as a ruler in the eyes of everyone. It is said that Claude was a just and wise ruler. This image shatters however when it is revealed that Claude ordered the execution of someone innocent. His own daughter and no less. And to make it worse he doesn't care that he executed the wrong person, doesn't look for the real culprit or punishes those that wanted to see LP Athy gone. How can you still believe in justice in Obelia? That a mere countess could influence Emperor's actions must mean he's either stupid or callous. If even a royal isn't safe from a mock trial that means no one really is. Confessions can be coerced, legal steps be skipped, unusal punishments are now possible outcomes. (remember Rosalia only aimed for Athy to be exiled. That her execution was a surprise to even her must mean something about the laws and usual proceedings that Claude ignored).

The succession crisis in the Lovely Princess that shouldn't have been a succession crisis in the first place since Jennette had the greater claim. What was the plan before Jennette entered the palace? Claude hated Athy, would he have wanted her to be his heir? If not then why didn't he look into who else was availible to him as a potential successor? Any noble that could have been adopted into his family? Competent advisors? Distant relatives? Eventual remarriage or one-night stand that could produce him an heir? To my knowledge neither Athy nor Jennette were taught how to rule a country. He didn't name Jennette his heir or made Athy and the lords swear fealty to her. I'm certain he didn't write a testament either.

So Claude refuses to name a heir and continues to neglect his health through alcohol, working overtime, and sleep deprivation. This man was not planning to make it to his old age.

I saw someone suggesting Claude making himself immortal to prove a point and I don't think he would do it. In my opinion Claude didn't want to be immortal. He hated his life until he met LPJennette/WMMAPAthy. I also think he didn't give a fuck about Obelia since he never made an effort to secure the succession. It was obvious that he favoured Jennette in the Lovely Princess yet she was never made crown princess until Rosalia stepped in and framed Athy for attempted murder. I think he meant for Obelia to perish with him. He did almost everything on his own, and while yes this was partly because he trusted no one and was not a team player it could have been also because the smarter people at court would be aware that after his death everything would have been in shambles. They'd refrain from further assassination attempts.

What would follow after Claude's death wasn't his problem, it didn't concern him at all. And that's terrifying. That's what makes him unfit as a ruler. He just doesn't care about his country or his people. Their plight merely exists to lift him from boredom. Their well-being is only ensured as long as he lives and not beyond that. Intentional or not LP Athy and Jennette were set up for failure through his actions or his lack of thereof.

#wmmap #who made me a princess #answered asks #anti claude de alger obelia

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komorezuki · 2 months

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Did Lord Dagon and Howard Lovecraft know each other?

If you love Lovecraft, as much as I do, then you definitely noticed references to his universe in GO. Yeah I'm talking about Hastur and Dagon. We also can suppose, that Lovecraft existed in GOverse. And let's imagine their communication for fun and Dagon's image as we see her. Its not a full proper analysis, mostly likely I give you small excursion into mythology about Dagon and some headcanons.

Origin

Dagon in Lovecraft!verse wasn't created from scratch. It was a Canaan god of prosperity (it was started to be interpreted as a fish-god in the Middle Ages, but its just a mistake). Later Dagon is mentioned in Old Testament as head god of the Philistines.

"Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand."

"And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands (lay) cut off upon the threshold; only (the stump of) Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day. But the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with tumors, even Ashdod and the borders thereof. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us; for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god."

A meta about this episode could be here, but I am not good at interpretations of the Old Testament. Maybe someone else will try.

In the Middle ages humans began to interpret him as a fish-god. We call it a mistake, but what if Dagon had visited Earth and inspired someone to this plausible description? Anyway, since then Dagon is associated with sea and fish. Good job for a demon.

In the 17th century, Dagon is mentioned along with the other fallen angels in Milton's "Paradise Lost". And in addition to sacred text this mention is also based on the medieval interpretation as a fish-god, which is actually (as science says) incorrect:

Paradise Lost is a very curious poem to read for ineffable fandom (but IMO very tedious), and not only for us. It has big cultural value, and no wonder HPL was inspired by it. There is a direct mention of Paradise Lost in his short story "Dagon".

Next came one

Who mourn'd in earnest, when the Captive Ark

Maim'd his brute Image, head and hands lopt off

In his own Temple, on the grunsel edge,

Where he fell flat, and sham'd his Worshipers:

DAGON his Name, Sea Monster, upward Man

And downward Fish: yet had his Temple high

Rear'd in AZOTUS, dreaded through the Coast

Of PALESTINE, in GATH and ASCALON,

And ACCARON and GAZA's frontier bounds.

HPL's influence

Well, what can I headcanon suppose. There are some details in their stories which could be received from a demon directly.

We will take rn two HPL's stories: "Dagon" and "Shadows over Innsmouth". In "Dagon" a protagonist ends up on a strange island which is kinda like naked ocean floor and finds there a mysterious monolith with glyphs and supltures carved on it. A giantic creature comes out of sea to the monolith. Narrator escapes in his boat. Later he tries to find something out about fish-god Dagon and slowly loses his mind.

I dream of a day when they may rise above the billows to drag down in their reeking talons the remnants of puny, war-exhausted mankind—of a day when the land shall sink, and the dark ocean floor shall ascend amidst universal pandemonium.

Not that Dagon was a famous deity for the world. But somehow the narrator tells about them. Certainly, HPL was well informed about mythology and he could choose a sea of more expressive sea-gods (pun intended). But he had chosen Dagon. What if it wasn't just random? I think Dagon told him something about demons and ocean. And we know how much she does want The Armageddon. Universal pandemonium, you know.

I think she could be male-presented at that time. Of course if you can call THIS a male.

This is the illustration for "Dagon". The creature is one of the Deep Ones, fish-frog men who were an underwater nation in Lovecraft's world.

Or probably Dagon herself looked like this:

Deep Ones are described in "Shadows Over Innsmouth". They are immortal, they can control a number of fish in the sea and they wear strange jewelry (And I remember her strange necklace from here). Their leaders (probably kinda deities) were Father Dagon and Mother Hydra.

This wondeful art was created by gorgeous @birdgirl22

*fangirling sounds*

A curious detail that appears in SoI. Innsmouth is a town whose inhabitants were members of mysterious Esoteric Order of Dagon. The Order sacrificed people to Dagon and gave to the Deep Ones their women to mate with them. A whole population of Innsmouth consists of hybrids. And this kinda demonic order was in a building of local masonic lodge.

Wait what~

I will just leave here my meta about masons in GOverse. TL;DR: the Lodge in the show may be a demonic nest. What a suspicious coincidence...

After all, I can add something about most notable traits of HPL's books.

The first is an anti-anthropocentrism - an idea that humanity is not the main race in the world for everyone and not the only one. In Lovecraft!verse there are old and huge races and deities (Cthulhu, Dagon etc.). In GO!verse there are angels and demons which don't think about humans at all (except azicrow but still)

The second is that HPL's deities aren't like humans as much as demons aren't. Their mind are utterly different.

And finally the third. THE INEFFABILITY. We don't get detailed descriptions of horrors.

Well, everything written above is just my headcanon but I think it makes sense to research HPL's work and maybe I can find more innuendos. Now I just want the art of Dagon chilling with HPL.

#good omens #good omens 2 #what if #good omens demons #good omens meta #good omens hell #dagon #lord dagon #dagon good omens #good omens headcanon #good omens analysis #esoteric order of dagon #father dagon #lovecraft

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swan2swan · 5 months

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Look, I wish (haha) that I could give positive points to Wish. I really do.

I wanna say "But the character designs were good!" But they weren't. I saw what Asha could have been, and the majority of the side characters were okay but also kinda eh, and the villain and his wife were fine...but any positives, any positives, are negated by the generic cuteness of that stupid star. I've never felt such visceral loathing of a plushified thing since they put a cat into a Buzz Lightyear movie set in the 90s that everyone was supposed to love, when that would be the WORST PART of a 90s action movie that every kid would think was cool.

I wanna say "But the songs were good!" or even "But the main song was good!", but, again...no, they weren't! They were passable, and the main one from all the trailers had a GREAT refrain, 9/10, very moving, but every other line was nothing I wanna listen to. The best Disney songs rule in both their verses AND their refrains. That one? No. And the timing on the songs? Their function in the story? No. Wrong. All wrong! The introductory song knew what it was doing, but after that? It was all paint by numbers!

Even the VILLAIN SONG was wrong! Because he's all "WHY DOES NO ONE APPRECIATE ME???" when every scene prior was showing just how much they loved the king. And it's not even a matter of "Well of course, that's because he's a Villain and it's Never Enough!", because...no. It's not conveyed. There were better pedestals atop which to set his villainy!

The diversity was great, but I can't even praise that, because it's a Bad Movie and all that wonderful stuff was wasted! Same with the storybook-looking imagery, which was REALLY perfect in a few shots, but would immediately cut to another one that would never work in a storybook.

I'm just frustrated because I threw every lifeline I could at this thing and it went "But what if we did a reference that was kinda clever, and then immediately had a character EYEROLL AT IT because we know it'll be awkward? That's humor!"

No. It was a bad movie!

EVEN WHEN THE MOVIE SUDDENLY GOT DARK and I was like "Oh. That's a little heavy. Good job, Disney movie", they went and said "AND ALL THAT'S BEEN FIXED NOW!" at the end.

It would have also been nice if there had been ANY EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WHATSOEVER between the characters. I mean anything beyond "we're best friends" (which is actually stated via dialogue, like everything else in that movie, there's a scene where someone is sitting there looking frightened and someone says "she looks frightened...", YES, your animators actually conveyed that!!!).

I can't even praise the animation, because characters like Happy were just kinda smiling most of the time...she should have been JOYFUL! Excited by everything! Something good happens and she cheers loudly, because she's HAPPY! And Grumpy was just sort of sarcastic...no real arm-folding, no sneers, no furrowed brows...this is animation, it's a celebration of 100 years of animation, and you can't even put out solid expressions and intense emotions???

THIS WAS YOUR PARADE, DISNEY??? This was the Love Letter? That was just a bunch of cheap Disney Movie references!

So I finish this with a gif taken from another Disney property I watched and enjoyed that actually USED SONGS WELL and had INTERACTIONS:

#wish movie #wish #disney's wish #....this was NOT actually the gif that I wanted to use but you know what?#it's more appropriate #I wanted the ''not that this hasn't been fun but--NO! IT HASN'T!" one #but this is from the same scene and conveys the same feeling #especially because it's in response to Rapunzel pretending the food is good

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tachiguin · 6 months

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hi, english is not my native language, so sorry for any mistakes... you know about the songs of bsd characters? I really love your analyzes and theories, it seems like there was nothing about songs among them, maybe there are any thoughts about them?

Hello there, Anon! I'm happy to hear that you like my posts :) And thank you so much for asking; as it happens, I do know about the songs. Though if I'm being honest, the only one I listen to semi-regularly is Tanizaki's "Bewitching Screens" (usually when I'm roleplaying/writing fanfiction with him and need the inspiration).

youtube

I do have some thoughts, though I think the reason I never posted anything about the song is because I feel like the lyrics are kind of self-explanatory anyhow, but they do reinforce my interpretation/meta of Tanizaki.

Rambles under the cut :)

His song has a very low key, chill vibe, but only at first. It goes from carefree and casual, to something with a darker, more aggressive undertone, then finally, the ending, (which I will touch on later in this post). It's representative of who Tanizaki is as a character-- the deceptive "softboy" energy he has normally, which belies his proclivity towards violence and darker psyche.

Also, it's worth noting that the lyrics kinda just come out and confirm that Tanizaki has "secrets [he doesn't] want to tell anyone", particularly in regards to "[his] existence". The song is essentially him singing about himself, repeating the usual narrative:

Maybe that’s why miscellaneous odd jobs is sort of my specialty My social status is so-so Even getting carried away is fine,

My redeeming quality is probably my diligence I don’t even want to shed blood As far as myself is concerned

But these verses always end on a darker note:

But there is only one thing I cannot forgive

But don’t cross over the forbidden territory.

Of course, I think the other reason why I never really talked much about the character songs is because I wasn't sure how much of an input Asagiri actually had in their lyrics/composition. Like sure, there's definitely some reading between the lines to be done, but at the end of the day, I felt like it didn't really tell me anything new about Tanizaki, it's just a song about what can already be deduced based on his actions in the series.

BUT! One thing I always found interesting was that his character song ends with "Sayonara" (goodbye), WHICH could be interpreted as just a melodramatic thing thrown in there for the aesthetic, but… I guess it wouldn't be me if I didn't read too deeply into things that probably aren't that deep. I do recall reading a comment once (which I cannot find atm, if you think you're the person who originally made this connection then lmk and I'll mention you if you want) that Dazai and Tanizaki's character songs both end on the "goodbye", though now that I'm actually looking into it, it's completely different, because Dazai says "goodbye" in English (a.k.a. its another "Guddo Bai" reference, which is a completely different meta that I'm certain someone else has already written)

The thing is that there's multiple different ways to say "bye" in Japanese, and "sayonara" has a certain sentimental connotation, therefore, its really awkward and a dead giveaway that you're not a native speaker if you use it in casual conversation. The correct way to say 'goodbye' to a friend would be some variant of "Jaa mata ne" (see you later then), though notably this is pretty informal and should not be used with a coworker or teacher or senior-- but I digress! The point is that "sayonara" has the implication that you may not see the other party for a long time, possibly forever.

Okay the other element here is that, assumably, he's singing to Naomi, due to this verse:

I want to protect you (I want to be here) I want to protect you (I cannot forgive this) I want to protect (the incorruptible) everything “you” are –

Which, combined with the "sayonara", really kinda makes me wonder. I think the easy interpretation to get out of this is further reinforcement of the "Naomi is actually an ability construct and her real self died in Middle School" theory, which is valid, but also, consider that the rest of the song is about who Tanizaki is. In the chorus, he asks the listener:

Slowly…look, at the illusionary screen Tell me, what do you see?

To me, it sounds like Tanizaki is asking "do you see the real me, hidden behind this facade of ordinariness?". And when he wants "to protect the incorruptible"-- he doesn't want "you" (Naomi?) to know about this darker side to him. Again, that's just what I'm getting from the song lyrics, which weren't necessarily written with Asagiri's manga canon in mind (still unsure?). But, this interpretation is supported by the fact that Tanizaki only ever snaps when Naomi is in danger, therefore unconscious, and ignorant to Tanizaki's actions following her being harmed.

Personally, I think it's a disservice to Naomi's character to think she's completely unaware of Tanizaki's darker psyche, the side of him who would literally burn the world down if it meant keeping Naomi safe, but… BSD never claimed to write women with agency :,) On the other hand, as much as Naomi acts airheaded and oblivious, we also frequently see a much more perceptive side of her, usually, when Tanizaki isn't in the picture. It's canonically stated that Naomi is, in fact, smarter and more observant than her brother, but, just like Tanizaki, this "hidden" side of her only emerges when Tanizaki isn't around to witness it.

Anyway, that was kind of off topic from the character song, but what I was getting at was that the "sayonara" means that Tanizaki has revealed his "true self" to "you"/Naomi, therefore, he's saying farewell to the peaceful illusion he had built between them— of himself, as just a "normal guy", and of their relationship, just an innocent sibling pair that used to be high-schoolers.

Hopefully my rambles satisfied your curiosity, Anon! It's a good song, and it's pretty validating for my headcanons/metas.

#junichirou tanizaki #tanizaki junichirou #bsd tanizaki #bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd meta #bsd analysis #anonymous #answered

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dinosaurfucker · 11 months

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I saw a popular post referring to Hobie Brown (Punk Spiderman) from Spiderman: Across the Spider-verse with a lot of notes implying he is just a background character (Wrong) that is impulsive (WRONG) and felt it was Wrong so I’m gonna rant for a min major spoilers under the cut.

So the post was saying Hobie saw one bit of conflict and decided to blow everything up and while it was funny like... It’s Wrong.

Hobie had plans from the very beginning. You think Hobie, a punk anarchist, was offered to become a part of an institution that’s whole job is to keep everything canon compliant and went “yes, this makes sense”. I think Hobie had this, or something similar planned, from the very beginning. I have two major points that I think back this up.

1. Hobie’s entrance to the story is him “show boating”, setting him up as a slightly arrogant character. Miles is about to be the one to break the electric barrier by revealing how *much* more powerful he’s become and how he’s advanced in his abilities, showing he can both siphon electricity with a touch but he can also create outward blasts. Hobie makes a point of showing off, breaking the barrier around the collider first and then rubbing salt in the wound by winking and giving him the tip which, at the time, feels patronizing and arrogant, that he needs to use his palms for a more effective blast. This, combined with his friendship with Gwen sets him up as a mild antagonist to Miles for a few scenes and Miles is jealous and feels slighted and left out. However, Hobie doesn’t continue this narrative and isn’t shown to be particularly arrogant or patronizing to even Peter B’s baby, and is in fact rather supportive, in his own way, to Miles and those around him and Miles kind of goes from jealousy to kind of admiration.

You know what Hobie did succeed in doing by interrupting Miles and stealing his thunder? Keeping Miles’ abilities secret from Miguel and the other Spiderpeople on his side, until the time was right. Hobie’s making sure that if Miles goes against the grain as he suspects he will, (because he knows their plan and why they don’t want Miles involved and what they’re hiding from Miles on purpose) that Miguel will be underestimating the young Spiderman, and that Miles will have the element of surprise. He also reiterates his advice that when he initially gave it felt like showing off, to use him palms for extra power, right at the exact moment Miles needed to show his advanced abilities off.

Hobie proceeds to say “I quit” and teleports back to (presumably) his own universe, while throwing his own teleport bracelet back to show he doesn’t intend to return. This is important. He no longer holds one of Miguel’s teleporters. This brings me on to the next point.

2. When Gwen tries support Miles, she has her teleporter taken from her, she’s dumped back into her own universe and she feels hopeless. She doesn’t know how or where to start trying to find Miles, they are essentially trapped in separate dimensions. But what appears in front of her, using colours and an art style completely different from Miguels? A teleporter watch (this isn’t their official name but forgive me I can’t think of their name right now). It’s obviously a bootlegged device. And it’s also obviously in the style and colouring of Hobie, to show that it’s come from Hobie.

When we last saw Hobie, he had quit and quite notably returned his device. And we also know, that while these wrist devices are shown to help the Spiders teleport between universes, one thing it’s clear they cannot do, is time travel. Otherwise they would simply undo all the anomalies. Which, unless Hobie made a copy in the space of a few hours, means that Hobie was already working on a teleporter copy that allowed interdimensional travel that would prevent glitching and couldn’t be easily traced by Miguel and Jess. Which implies that Hobie had had a plan from the beginning. He most likely always intended to fight back against Miguel in some way, whether he always planned on Miles being the catalyst, whether Miles was the reason he wanted to fight back (because I can’t imagine an anarchist like Hobie taking the news that a huge powerful institution needs to crack down on an individual - never mind a single black teenage boy, lying down) or whether he was an opportunist and felt in the moment Miles presented his opportunity I don’t know.

But based on the story I don’t think Hobie Brown did anything impulsively and I don’t think he just saw a bit of conflict and decided to be an instigator.

Hobie Brown was the instigator the entire time. He was intrinsic to the story progressing as it did. Where Peter B Parker was the rock Miles Morales needed in the first story, Hobie was the oil for Miles’ spark in the second story and it was entirely intentional.

Hobie Brown is an anarchist with a lot of smarts and a lot of foresight and he’s got Miles’ back.

EDIT: Hobie, before Miles even joins the Spider Gang tries to stop Miles from going to Miguel's world by throwing his arm around Miles saying "he don't follow your rules" to Jess before Miles goes with them and visibily sags when Miles wants to go anyway so he's protecting him from.Min 1. He’s literally one of the most integral parts of the story.

#rant #spiderman across the spiderverse #miles morales #hobie brown #spinderpunk #spiderman #miguel o'hara #spoilers #long post #spiderman into the spiderverse #a lot of people already realised this #but i saw a surprising amount of people discussing hobie as impulsive #maybe worth a read?

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cgspirl · 2 years

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Regarding Antlers (Spoilers for NOPE [2022])

Working on a video essay for 'Nope' and I ended up ranting on Discord about Antlers, so I'm gonna post it here, unedited for the Full Effect™️ of the brain damage Mr. Jordan Peele has inflicted on my churning little brain:

ALSO. antlers. antlers is such an interesting character because he comes off as like. the apathetic, jaded remains of someone who is a hollywood legend, who never wanted to be a hollywood legend, who just. now has to live with that because that's just how it is.

and on the surface? yeah! that's antlers holst. but frankly there's more to him than just. grizzled jaded cinematographer who was going to fuck everything up for everyone because he's a selfish artistic prick.

to make a long comparison short he's like o.j. down to earth (heh), no-nonsense, straightfoward type of guy who knows what to do within his field of expertise and only wants to do his job and be left alone to do that job

unfortunately, because he is someone that can be commodified by hollywood (cinematographer), unlike o.j. who can't (animal-wrangler), he's stuck in the claws of the fame machine even though he doesn't want to be.

a big thing i noticed on my rewatch was the purple people eater scene. at first, it comes off as threatening and ominous, like a warning; and then you put it in perspective of who the fuck he's actually talking to. these 'kids' (grown adults but antlers is old n therefore probably refers to anyone younger than him as 'kids') have already been through the worst of it. all that's left to do it pull it off. think about it in perspective of the lyrics, specifically the verse he chose to recite:

'tree' of course. not being an obvious tree but rather being a reference to the mountains jj resides in; but the specific one is the "i wouldn't eat you / 'cause you're too tough" because. because they're quite literally the protagonists. they are too tough to eat because of plot armor. this was quite literally antlers' strange artistic way of saying how much he believes in them because he sees them as 'too tough' for jean jacket to eat. they'll outsmart it. they'll outpace it. n by god they'll get the impossible shot.

also extremely important to me that antlers a) predicts his own death and b) always stands away from the group, which can symbolize both him being an outsider AND his foreshadowed death. i also think it's very important to mention (because so many people have been so quick to write it off as 'selfish' or 'stupid') how antlers dies.

if you watch the scene before the run, antlers takes. some sort of cocktail of medication while angel watches both vaguely concerned and confused but ultimately chooses not to say anything because frankly. well frankly it's none of his business whatever they've got shit to do.

now they get the shot! they get the shot, everyone's celebrating, overjoyed they got it! except antlers. antlers comments on the light, how it's going to be magic soon.

remember he joined this operation late; to him, he hadn't done enough to fully like. constitute his contribution (despite bringing the equipment that actually allowed this come to fruition but to him that isn't enough. it's not enough. he has to get the impossible shot. the shot that will finally, finally prove to himself that he is, in fact, the artistic genius hollywood claims he is. but instead of getting it right there, with angel and the equipment near by, he chooses to walk away, to distance himself from angel, the equipment, and essentially the rest of the group. why? he didn't want to put them in danger.

what he was about to do was essentially suicide! fuck he even leaves angel with a warning before he goes: "Don't worry Angel, it's gonna be alright. We don't deserve the impossible."

|now a lot of people have imposed this 'we' as antlers referring to the group, but frankly? i 100% he was talking about himself and hollywood as a whole. they don't deserve the impossible; they'd just squander it. these kids? these kids do. these kids have put their asses on the line far more than any big wig hollywood anybody has in his lifetime; they deserve the impossible.

granted, if he'd been less cryptic, angel's stupid ass probably wouldn't have followed him up and nearly gotten himself killed by that's neither here nor there at this point tbh THE POINT IS. antlers knew exactly what he was doing (give or take on account of The Meds:tm:) and wasn't going to let those kids get hurt for him to do so because, at the end of the day, it wasn't them who had anything to prove to hollywood; it was him.

tl;dr antlers is a weird cryptic old man who might've been on a lot of drugs but his heart was (kinda) in the right place

#nope #nope movie #nope 2022 #antlers holst #o.j. haywood #em haywood #character analysis #he's MY shitty old man and I get to analyze the fuck outta him #i love him so much #artist to artist communication (literally)#like. i get it! 100%#my weird old artist man #i love him #nope spoilers #jordan peele #jordan peele nope #jordan peele movies

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beginningobserver · 3 months

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Ok, so remember this post here? I never was very fond of those AU-like tropes because i don't know many of them so uhh... The Karatez collab making the 02 group as a cafe shop staff made me just too excited to the point i... yeah.

Yeah, i made a canon-verse headcanon for where Rui-kun works at. And there's this bittersweet backstory and i finally used the collab design as reference for a coffee shop uniform (^・ω・^ )

This is a rough sketch, and a few details settled already from my other accs. But it’s a good start?

So the place Rui works (and still works at) is a cafe shop owned by his cousin’s fianceé/husband. The shop’s name is ‘Infinity’ and its logo is a butterfly (the ‘i’ in it is the body of the butterfly) – don’t judge it badly since i’m more of an amateur character designer (and hobbyist) than a logotype & building designer. For the i’m using this asset from CSP asset store made by user 胡原 – https://assets.clip-studio.com/en-us/detail?id=1829252 (you will notice the original asset is a clothes store, but the design felt nicer for my tastes of a cafe shop so yeah, i’m using this one as base for the headcanon)

I’m so sorry i can’t design the interior/indoors for the shop and i didn’t see one single interior coffee shop free on CSP assets to work with, so for now there’s no details about it indoors. But hey, feel free to use your imagination while reading this post or any future stuff i bring this up in.

Now, the backstory for this headcanon (?!)

The thing is, after Rui lost his parents and was accepted by his relatives, said relatives gave him enough love and respected his boundaries and wishes to never touch him or ask about the eye. He would say “it’s fine, don’t worry” and give a (sad) smile. He had an almost normal life with them. His cousin is a few years older than him (she’s possibly around Jou’s age) and when Rui had graduated High School she was running a cafe shop with her fianceé (now husband) to both start their life together. Rui never had issues with his relatives, especially with this girl, so the moment she offered him a job so he could find his own way and then afford his own apartment, he accepted it. Reminder: He’s non-confrontational so this means he had no idea if he should refuse the offer or not.

At this point of the story, he’s just covering his right eye with bangs. The eyepatch is still visible under the bangs, and yes, people just start muttering things about his face. It made him a little nervous, but he never felt like confronting anyone about this, so he got the habit of telling people who would start looking at him nonstop when he was trying to note their orders “I hurt my eye when I was young, don’t worry, I’m fine.” in order to not make anyone concerned with his health. Some people believed he was some sort of emo because of the bangs too, but he didn’t care much about it. As long no one knows he got like, a monster eye slapped into his face, EVERYTHING is fine.

Post-02TB events, and when Ukkomon hatches, Rui introduces his digimon to his cousin and her husband, who’s already aware of those critters going around Tokyo. They’re very chill about it, and then they just let Ukkomon work with Rui. But Rui also told him to never use that again and they then have a normal happy life together.

#02tb spoilers #ohwada lui #ukkomon #digimon adventure 02 the beginning #ni's digiheadcanons

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glasskey · 11 months

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Justice THT Style - Part 2 - Nick Blaine

Today we're looking at the enigmatic Nick Blaine and his road to true justice. Let's get started.

For 5 seasons Blaine has been wandering the streets of Gilead as an Eye and now a military Commander, his very job description determines that like it or not, he’s a source of Gilead justice. He might not say a Hell of a lot but if you live in Gilead, its definitely not a promising sign when he turns up at your door if you’ve misbehaved. He’s constantly quoting bible verses that have a very “fuck around and find out” quality to them, in fact dear old Fred got a mouth full of the whole “reap what you sow” business, just prior to his demise. In season 1 Nicks sense of justice seems more procedural rather than retributive but he’s green and yet to see what Gilead will do to the love of his life. “No ones above the law” he says in S1 but this is fanciful idealism, these commanders are rotten to the core and he’ll have to drown himself in blood to get them to behave like virtuous men. He’s a peaceful man, restrained and noticeably stoic, but watching the various ways that the Waterfords and Gilead tortured and crushed June, is more than he can stomach. When Nick joins June in those dark woods handing Fred over for the revenge she so desperately craves, he doesn’t take part in the Salvaging, it’s a ritual only performed by Handmaids and as such he knows it’s not his place. Instead he silently marches Fred through the woods, ignoring his pleas, to deliver him to June and leaves.

Historically when it comes to acts of justice and revenge Blaine acts as more of an intermediary, justice will be served, not directly by his hand, but he does make sure that everyone “gets to the church on time”. But lately we’ve seen the sands shifting, from season 4 we’ve witnessed instances Blaine will directly take a pound of flesh and I personally wish him well. In season 4 ep 10 he back hands a mouthy Fred, a call back to a slap Fred previously delivered to June, as Nick stood there horrified and helpless. With that one gesture he redresses the balance and takes back his power.

In Season 5 he shot Putnam for raping a handmaid, and while under the guise of Gilead justice, Blaine was more than happy to oblige for his own reasons. In Ep 10 he became enraged at an attempt on Junes life, ending with a bit of a throw down with Lawrence in front of the evil Commander McKenzie. This moment crystalized that Nick Blaine was becoming both increasingly dangerous and unpredictable. It also foreshadowed the Battle Royale we can expect between these three in season 6. With Blaine being such a purveyor of New Testament scripture that espouses forgiveness and love, he’s inclined to feel a great deal of guilt over any act of revenge. It suits him, a sense of guilt gives a character an aura of contemplation and depth, something that Blaine seems to swim in. Comparatively, a lack of appropriate guilt makes a character seem sociopathic and superficial. Blaine’s “tried to be nice about it” as they say, but unfortunately he lives in Gilead and well, Gilead’s gonna Gilead, so as Lawrence would say “enough of the carrot, time for the stick”.

It’s been interesting to note that scenes of Blaine at war were cut, participating in a war against a peaceful country sits poorly with a character who has such a balanced sense of justice. There is always a difference between referring to a character at war and actually SHOWING one picking up a gun and shooting it at an innocent. Showing these types of acts makes an effective redemption arc almost impossible to survive and lowers the chances of welcoming that character back into the fold at the end of the day. The fact that these scenes were cut significantly increases Blaine's chances of coming home.

Until season 4 we never saw Blaine engage in any acts of direct violence that weren’t as a result of self defence, when he did commit them, they could be traced back to his feelings of anger at witnessing June’s abuse. In Season 5 he became increasingly dark and lost hope, ala Godfather style, because he’d lost the one glimmer of light in his life: June.

It would have been unusual for writers NOT to show him descending into a place of darkness without her. She’s everything to him and now with Tuello holding out his hand he can just see her again standing on the distant horizon. God help whoever stands in his way.

Next up Serena and the Nick Blaine of Canada: Tuello.

#nick x june #june x nick #nick blaine #june osborne #max minghella #osblaine #hulu #hulu streaming #hulu series #the handmaids tale hulu #nick and june #bruce miller #hulu tv #noir aesthetic #the boss #elisabeth moss #the handmaid's tale #handmaid's tale #handmaid's on hulu

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lady-bess · 3 months

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Just A Date - Tim Rockford

Part of the LadyBess Valentine's special! 8 Characters; 8 Dates 💜

Detective Tim Rockford x GN!Reader Mature/18+ (Minors DNI Please✨) WC: 1.2k Notable Tags: References to gun-holsters being used in the bedroom, Yeah we're starting off strong, Valentine's Date Ruined, Backup Date, Chinese Takeout, References to Alcohol, References to Sex, Kissing, Swearing, Fluff, SFW (nearly).

To say this detective only got a mere 48-seconds of screen time, he’s very quickly become a favourite in the Pedro-verse! And man, with gun holsters like that, I can see why…

Anyway!

We don’t know much about Tim, so I’ve taken a fair few creative liberties with this one! I hope that I still do the man justice!

“Rockford, I’m sorry, but this case needs working tonight. A lead has opened up, and if we don’t act now we might not get a chance again,” his boss said. Tim sighed, knowing this would definitely derail his plans with you tonight, but he understood the need.

“No worries, sir. Let me just call my partner though, alright? I’m sure you can appreciate we did have plans tonight,” he said.

“I thought you might, and I’m so sorry. I’ll tell you what, I’ll throw in an extra day of paid leave in for you for making you miss your plans tonight,” he offered.

“Sounds like a deal to me,” he said, smiling faintly before pulling his phone out to call you.

It had been a bummer for sure when Tim cancelled, but you were understanding. His job was demanding, and you knew from day one that his rank within the force meant he often had to prioritise work over his personal life. Tim had never minded so much, and outwardly he never complained. But you knew, deep down, that it irritated him.

At the end of the day though, he loved his work, and what he did kept the streets a much safer place. You’d sacrifice all your nights with him if it meant that he got to continue his good work. At least he now got to come home to you.

Moving in together had been the best decision you’d made, and it had made a lot of sense in the end. Both your jobs kept you tied to your desks for longer than you’d both ever like to admit, so at least now you got to spend some more time together by sharing the same bed every night. Your relationship had only gone from strength to strength ever since that day you were given a set of keys to his place.

The front door to your apartment opened several hours later. You were lay on the couch, idly scrolling through the TV channels, seeing if there were any films being showed that you fancied watching. Sure, you had streaming services, but something about watching a film ‘live’ hit different.

“Sweetheart?” Tim shouted from the door.

“In here!” you called out.

Tim smiled at the sound of your voice, the sound instantly making him feel like he was well and truly home. This had been where he lived for many years, but until you came along it hadn’t felt like somewhere he wanted to put roots down.

He slipped his coat off and hung it on the back of the kitchen chair, then headed through to you in the lounge. In his hand he held a white plastic bag, filled with his vague attempt at making up for tonight.

You smiled wide as he appeared in the doorway, his tie already loosened around his neck, brown curls ruffled and dishevelled. Tim smiled over at you, his eyes creasing behind his thick framed glasses. You could tell just by looking at him that he was exhausted, but behind the fatigue was a happiness to see you.

“Hey, you,” he said, “Sorry I had to stay late. I’m hoping this might make it up to you?” he asked, raising the white plastic bag. You furrowed your brow, sitting up on the couch and squinting at the logo on the bag.

“What is it?” you asked, and Tim slowly headed over to you. He set down the plastic bag on the coffee table, then sank down onto the couch next to you.

“Chinese takeout. It ain’t much, but I felt it was the least I could do after ruining our plans for tonight,” he said, a slight sigh coming from his lips as he relaxed into the couch. You smiled and leaned forward, kissing him softly on the cheek, just above the scruff of his beard. Tim smiled as he felt the warmth of your kiss seep into his skin, and turned to look at you.

“You haven’t ruined anything, Tim. You’re a great detective, and I’ll never hold it against you that sometimes work needs you more than I do,” you said, “I love you”.

“I love you too,” he said, reaching forward to caress your cheek, then softly kissed you. Closing your eyes, you allowed yourself to relax into his hold, all the pressures of your jobs disappearing at the contact of your skin on one another. “Come on, let’s eat before this gets cold!” he said.

You smiled and nodded, moving away from Tim to begin your assault on the plastic bag of takeout. It was always a bit of a wild card whenever Tim collected food, but there was always one guarantee: Chow Mein. Sure enough, you found a box of it tucked into the bottom, and giggled to yourself.

“You’re so predictable sometimes,” you said, getting the boxes out and spreading them out onto the table. Tim stood to his feet.

“Oh, shush!” he chuckled. “Now, fancy some wine with it too?” he said, heading over to the wine rack at the other side of the room.

“Only if you’re having some. Aren’t you working tomorrow?” you asked.

“I was, but not anymore! Boss gave me tomorrow off for fucking up tonight’s plans,” he said, pulling a bottle of red wine out the rack and then heading to get some glasses.

“Oh, brilliant! Shall we watch a film then, if we can be up a bit later?” you asked, opening up the takeout boxes and beginning to separate the chopsticks provided. Tim came back into the room a few moments later, a generous glass of wine in either hand, and he came to sit next to you.

“We sure can! Although, I’ll be frank, once we’ve eaten all of this there’s only one thing I wanna do tonight,” he chuckled, kissing your jaw once he was settled back into the couch as his hands worked away at his tie. You giggled, blushing bright red, and had to hide the wide grin across your face. Even after all this time of knowing each other, he still managed to reduce you to a complete puddle.

“Stop it, you!” you teased, jokingly slapping his thigh. “Get those gun holsters off and have your dinner with me!”.

Tim sat up, grabbing you around the waist, and buried his head in the crook of your neck. His lips danced along your ears delicately, his hot breath making your hairs stand on end. Large hands spread out across your torso, keeping you pinned to his chest as he continued to tease you.

“I thought you liked it when I kept the holsters on?” he whispered, chuckling under his breath when you whimpered in pleasure at the thought that ran across the forefront of your mind.

Safe to say, it was the fastest either of you had ever eaten dinner in your entire life.

For more from this series, check out the Just A Date Masterlist! For more works from me, here's my main Masterlist! ❤

LadyBess xox

#pedro pascal #fanfic #fanfiction #tim rockford #detective tim rockford #tim and his goddamn chinese takeout #sfw #gender neutral reader #reader insert #reader insert fic #fluff #sex referenced #drinking referenced #innapropriate mention of the gun holsters

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