The joke demon is here

And remember that Exsotica in the red light district that people make wild rumors that the most beautiful and enchanting oran is a kind yokai or something

Liked it started by one of the low rank ladies and as they where getting harassed by a costumer Exsotica open the sliding door without her veil/hat as it a rare for them to do and it scared the costumer out and made sure they are alright while giving them her ready made remedies out of her kimono sleeves; due to Exsotica keep on getting gifts she something share or give to the other girls ( Daki gets some nice hair ornaments and silks to be safe )

Or

Some of the kids or servants who works around the area sometimes sneek to an area that the rumored Exsotica tends to go when she have free time and say if you hear her sing with bunch of cats with her you get good luck, say a poor traveler who hear her sing as they are there to get medicine for a love one and they got it the same day, or maybe someone hear her sing and they gotten some money bonus as they where struggling

Exotica | Rumors

Rumors are bound to spread when you’re the talk of the town

Both the girls and the consumers that continue to fight for the chance to so much as get a glance at you

The girls may start it first, purposely spreading your medicinal and business prowess where many will hear

Is it kind of scummy

Yes

But it certainly helps when you happen to solve these problems

You can’t fix everything and the rumors of you being a yokai help with that

“Oh, Exotica must have been punishing you for something!”

But I doubt the girls would genuinely believe this 

Having access to you directly certainly changes their view of you

Some may think you’re a descendant or a reincarnation of some benevolent yokai

But for the most part, they gather that you’re just an immaculate human

Because despite your fame and accomplishments they see you’re humanity

The corners you continue to bang your hip against 

Or the flowers you like so much triggering allergies

They see you for you 

Admiring the things that you do even when no one is watching

But for those who look from the outside 

You can be anything yokai, angel, demon

Whether fantasizing about your singing, your dancing, painting, heck even your accounting

Your hobbies are a blessing for both those in the know and the ones who are left fantasizing from afar:

Rukia listened. Something she couldn’t help but do in a place as busy as the Yukaku District. It was exhausting to constantly hear every creak, every whisper, every scream while she was doing her job. The glorious occupation of being a handmaiden for The Exotica! It meant many things including hearing the various rumors and gossip stemming from the house you are in. 

“Did you hear Exotica gave that one guest a cure for their illness.”

“But that couldn’t be the medicine they produce? Its supposed to be a minor assistant in creating some much needed antibodies.”

“Shuuush! You’re so boring! Can’t you just let it be?It just makes people more eager to visit.”

“Why you–”

Hearing the girls giggle as they walked through the hallways Rukia also could hear the gasp of a client. Before watching the man scurry out the house, no doubt to share whatever he took from that. She shook her head continuing on her route to the linen closet, earlier she had been tasked with changing Exotica’s sheets. It was an honor to do something like this, especially since so many degenerates were willing to pay for them.

Passing by the various rooms tending to the guests that bled into the early morning, the whispers of your name were just about everything she could pick up. It was a normal occurrence that even guests who would pay for others would still ask about you, it was what exalted your name all the more. 

But it didn’t compare to seeing the real thing. The real (Y/n) behind Exotica being just as fulfilling. Speaking of, Rukia arrived to your room which was meant to be unoccupied only to find her master humming in the silence of the room. At a time where you should be preparing to rest you were humming. Letting your head sway to an unfamiliar tune just letting yourself run on the tired musings to let you go. 

Rukia decided she’ll stagger her steps if only to give you the moment to be yourself.

It's her greatest honor...to keep you happy.

I find it funny that in your 3rd category for the relationship between Primus and Unicron is basically flipped for me. My AUs using that type of relationship typically has Unicron as the chill one who goes with the flow and Primus as the rigid one where everything must go exactly as plan, no exceptions.

This mostly came to me from thinking how hilarious it would be if the perceptions on order and chaos were flipped in in reality. Like, order is almost always equated as good and chaos for evil. But what it weren't so black and white? In fact, why not just swap it a little?

Why does chaos have to be evil? Look at evolution, isn't that chaotic? All those little bugs that make humans, plants, bacteria etc into somehow existing. Unicron really doesn't need to interfere with the universe as it makes chaos on its own. That's good enough for him as when he does interfere, he does it with purpose and a goal in mind which makes it actual lean a little more towards order.

Order has shown itself to be evil multiple times. It is not random, it is thought out plans, strict organization with little allowance for chaos. Primus hates how so many things are out of his control, so he tries to bring them under his control. Everything must go exactly how he envisions it, regardless of how those under him think otherwise. Biological organisms are created from chaos, fragile and unpredictable in their abilities to live and think. Anything mechanical is built with a specific purpose to fulfill and when it can no longer complete it or something else does it better, why let it continue to take up room? Why allow it to exist when it is no longer useful?

Primus must make the universe in his image. Unicron could care less about what the universe does, but he doesn't take lightly of someone trying to force their rule upon it.

Funnily enough, this matches the theme I have going for my Grim Dark Archives Au-

Yeah I love a Primus who doesn't necessarily MEAN to be corrupt, but his desire for order is so all consuming that he cannot help but seek out dominion over all that is and will be. Meanwhile Unicron just wants to watch the universe run its course. Stars will be born and die, empires will rise and fall. Unicron will watch is all in joy, observing with glee as reality twists and changes in new and unexpected ways.

I love to imagine them as two pieces of the same broken whole. In the end they both want something to exist. But they are so focused on either eliminating the order or imposing it that things crumble all around them. Truly, it is rather tragic. I imagine the only reason Unicron wishes to destroy it all is because he feels that is the only way to ensure Primus cannot control reality.

In his mind, at least if everything is dead, it is free from Primus's grasp.

It's like 3 am and I should be studying for the chemistry exam I have in a couple hours but my mind is far too preoccupied with the way you have weaved the definition of limiting in music (I think that's how it's called? Basically the definition in the first chapter) through the whole story. It really brings to life how the industry's trying to limit Gojo, and truly anyone who isn't fit for the public's taste into something palatable, easy to consume and pay for. And I absolutely love the fact that throughout the story there is the main theme of breaking away from the rules and the threshold (like the title), and I absolutely love how the title so beautifully encompasses everything one can find in the story.

Gods I love it and my mind is a mess right now but the story has me actually gnawing at the walls, either from the intricacies of the story, to how the characters act (which may I say are so beautifully crafted).

I just love it, thank you truly for creating it!!!

I LOVE YOU, ANON, YOU GET IT YOU GET IT 😭

I need you to know how loud I screamed when I saw this in my inbox, I have been waiting for this exact message since the day I published the first chapter!!

I thought long and hard about how to define limiting clearly at the start of the fic, but even so, I admit I've wondered at times whether this overarching metaphor is too esoteric. However, the purpose and mechanism of a limiter in music production (combined with the easter eggs about the infinite ratio and, obviously, "limitless") was too perfect for Gojo's character and the exact story I'm trying to tell, so I decided to trust my instincts.

I'm incredibly glad I did, because I have nothing to add — you encapsulated exactly what I'm doing with this metaphor in such a neat and succinct manner, and that gives me a lot of faith that I must be doing something right! I can't possibly articulate how wonderful this was to read, you have made my entire year ♥️ Thank you for making your way to my asks to share all of these kind words with me, I really hope to hear from you again in the future — I'm so keen to hear more about your interpretations! Really glad you're enjoying the fic too, thank you thank you thank you!!

" HERE and NOW " The power of determination and resilience is unfuckwitable!!! I can tell you some shit that would make your head spin and leave you speechless. Many people never tapped into their true powerful nature where you can become more than your brain or mindset. You begin to open gateways, paths that you always limited your self to. When you respect and listen to your soul as much as your conditioned brain and limited mindset you begin to feel your inner core warm up like old chevy thats been in your garage for years waiting to blow those old exhaust fumes. Everything you need is inside you, every answer you searched for been in your presence, every want, you struggle for has been in your reach, every desire you yearned for has been achieved. You just need to put your self there physically and stop blocking your manifestations with old outdated, familiarized thinking, Pain, uncomfortability, vulnerability and chaos creates change, change than promotes new outlooks, greater abundance, self love, overstanding and self realization. We all have a destination just on the journey we all take a pit stop to experience, relationships, work, fun, trauma, confusion, pleasure, deep desires. Eventually we all have to part ways with all those physically and material accumulations. There will be a time to face your real self, answer your own questions, validate your own ego, expose your own flaws, and dig deep to pull out your own dark demons to see who you really are. Have you ever felt sooo low and without, that you can feel your soul ejecting out of this avater while you look up at the ceiling with disgruntle and dissatisfaction. Only you can change your reality, only you can transform this illusion to your reality and reconstruct your projection that seems to get blocked and calcified from consuming imitation teachings. When you had enough, done with hand outs and want more for your body, mind, soul you will gain new power and knowledge thats been waiting for you in a golden box that sits deep in your core essence, now the key resides on a long journey, but remember its the" journey and experience not the destination ". Commitment, dedication, loyalty, truth, and perseverance are your greatest assets while on this journey of self. Everything is a balance or a flip side to every coin, ying and yang, you are not expected to be perfect and perfection is not a purpose, experience and knowledge is must, which realization equals your own truth. If you are reading this with a good intent with a purpose then your soul is very conscious. Once you close your eyes, feel your soul at its deepest level, physically submit while your soul drives the boat through this wavy current of subconscious thoughts, habits and old desires. You will reach a shore of creativity, love, openess, abundance and guidance where you can create your own peace and happiness around disturbance and negativity.

PSA: Free Software

Reading this may really save your time, privacy, and money! Reblog or share to spread awareness!

Folks often use software that’s expensive and sometimes even inferior because they don’t know there are alternatives. So to those unfamiliar: basically, free and open-source (FOSS) or "libre" software is free to use and anyone can access the original code to make their own version or work on fixing problems.

That does not mean anyone can randomly add a virus and give it to everyone—any respectable libre project has checks in place to make sure changes to the official version are good! Libre software is typically developed by communities who really care about the quality of the software as a goal in itself.

There are libre alternatives to many well-known programs that do everything an average user needs (find out more under the cut!) for free with no DRM, license keys, or subscriptions.

Using libre software when possible is an easy way to fight against and free yourself from corporate greed while actually being more convenient in many cases! If you need an app to do something, perhaps try searching online for things like:

foss [whatever it is]

libre [whatever it is]

open source [whatever it is]

Feel free to recommend more libre software in the tags, replies, comments, or whatever you freaks like to do!

Some Libre Software I Personally Enjoy…

LibreOffice

LibreOffice is an office suite, much like Microsoft Office. It includes equivalents for apps like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, which can view and edit files created for those apps.

I can't say I've used it much myself yet. I do not personally like using office software except when I have to for school.

OpenShot

OpenShot Video Editor is, as the name suggests, a video editing program. It has industry-standard features like splicing, layering, transitions, and greenscreen.

I've only made one video with it so far, but I'm already very happy with it. I had already paid for a video editor (Cyberlink PowerDirector Pro), but I needed to reinstall it and I didn't remember how. Out of desperation, I searched up "FOSS video editor" and I'm so glad I did. There's no launcher, there's no promotion of other apps and asset packs—it's just a video editor with a normal installer.

GIMP

GNU Image Manipulation Program is an image editor, much like Photoshop. Originally created for Linux but also available for Windows and MacOS, it provides plenty of functionality for editing images. It is a bit unintuitive to learn at first, though.

I've used it to create and modify images for years, including logos, really bad traceover art, and Minecraft textures. It doesn't have certain advanced tech like AI paint-in, but it has served my purposes well and it might just work for yours!

(Be sure to go to Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Colors. I have no idea why that's not enabled by default.)

Audacity

Audacity is an audio editing program. It can record, load, splice, and layer audio files and apply effects to them.

Audacity is another program I've used for a long time. It is not designed to compose music, but it is great for podcasts, simple edits, and loading legacy MS Paint to hear cool noises.

7-Zip

7-Zip is a file manager and archive tool. It supports many archive types including ZIP, RAR, TAR, and its own format, 7Z. It can view and modify the contents of archives, encrypt and decrypt archives, and all that good stuff.

Personally, I use 7-Zip to look inside JAR files for Minecraft reasons. I must admit that its UI is ugly.

Firefox

Firefox is an internet browser, much like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Safari. While browsers are free, many of them include tracking or other anti-consumer practices. For example, Google plans to release an update to Chromium (the base that most browsers are built from these days) that makes ad blockers less effective by removing the APIs they currently rely on.

Aside from fighting monopolies, benefits include: support for animated themes (the one in the picture is Purple Night Theme), good ad blockers forever, an (albeit hidden) compact UI option (available on about:config), and a cute fox icon.

uBlock Origin

As far as I know, uBlock Origin is one of the best ad blockers there is.

I was on a sketchy website with my brother, and he was using Opera GX's ad blocker. Much of the time when he clicked on anything, it would take us to a random sponsored page. I suggested that he try uBlock Origin, and with uBlock Origin, that didn't happen anymore.

Linux

Linux is a kernel, but the term is often used to refer to operating systems (much like Windows or MacOS) built on it. There are many different Linux-based operating systems (or "distros") to choose from, but apps made for Linux usually work on most popular distros. You can also use many normally Windows-only apps on Linux through compatibility layers like WINE.

I don't have all four of these, so the images are from Wikipedia. I tried to show a variety of Linux distros made for different kinds of users.

If you want to replace your operating system, I recommend being very careful because you can end up breaking things. Many computer manufacturers don't care about supporting Linux, meaning that things may not work (Nvidia graphic cards notoriously have issues on Linux, for example).

Personally, I tried installing Pop!_OS on a laptop, and the sound output mysteriously doesn't work. I may try switching to Arch Linux, since it is extremely customizable and I might be able to experiment until I find a configuration where the audio works.

Many Linux distros offer "Live USB" functionality, which works as both a demo and an installer. You should thoroughly test your distro on a Live USB session before you actually install it to be absolutely sure that everything works. Even if it seems fine, you should probably look into dual-booting with your existing operating system, just in case you need it for some reason.

Happy computering!

This post will be a theory. Maybe a little nonsensical regarding Melissa's firing from Scream and that it has a lot (if not everything) to do with Jenna, and here is my opinion. Even more if what's says this screenshot is true.

The people of Spyglass need Jenna. That was obviously made clear to us in the last film. Jenna is the it girl who introduced the saga to Gen Z and they know it. So much so that they knew that Jenna would not return for Scream7 so they would no longer have that audience hook that helped them last time. They didn't get Neve either, what could they do?

They would need a strategy

It was probably obvious that they were going to film Scream7 around Jenna's schedule to definitely have her in the movie because they need her for promotion. She says no, they're just staying with Melissa. Melissa, whose character revolves around her sister Tara. What could they do while they didn't have Jenna? Or even better. They manage to have Jenna as a cameo at the end of the movie and the entire story will revolve around Sam. The problem? Melissa doesn't have the same hook with the audience or popularity that Jenna has so they have to give it to you somehow. A totally unjustified dismissal could be a way to give Melissa that popularity.

Think, folks.

Melissa received a lot of hate on scream5 after taking Neve's place as the new final girl. They hated her a lot and in very unfair ways. But with what happened to her these couple of days with her being kicked out of the franchise, all that rejection and hate was transformed into support, love and popularity, and even recognition because now almost everyone knows who Melissa Barrera is and what she does. it happened to him. They made her a victim. By chance or on purpose, I don't know, but they could perfectly back down on that unjustified dismissal and hire her again with a good salary if they want to have those plans for Scream7

If making her a victim was a coincidence, then it was even worse, because it ended up looking like: Jenna has rejected us and Melissa will not serve us as Sam if her sister is not there considering what I said at the beginning. If this was so, they would be the worst I have ever met. Disparaging an actor just because they don't have the it girl who gives them what they need. Money and audience.

I don't know, maybe it's a stupid idea, but the timing is suspicious and the industry doesn't work with coincidences. What seems meaningless to us must be meaningless to them, and if there is something I have learned about the industry, it is that it is not in their best interest to create victims, because victims in front of the general public is a double-edged sword that can lead to be very difficult to handle.

But above all, they are a force to be reckoned with because they win everything they want.

We, the consumer public.

And not. I didn't mention Melissa being pro-Palestine because that's still an excuse. Melissa never did anything wrong.

AUTOMATION vs FREE WILL: How we became who we are

I no longer blame biotech or the technocracy. It is not a problem in and of itself but rather the symptom of a problem, and those who choose to capitalize on it are not inherently bad people, they’re just playing their part by providing a particular side of duality (producing for the majority who wish to consume). The predator-prey dynamic is truly everywhere because our world is based on the 7 Hermetic Principles. Life is a game and you can choose to ascend out of it too rather than participating, which is why Mentalism is the only Principle that has no duality, it comes from you as a being returning to singularity, no longer polarized or thwarted. Everything else contains duality because life is an experience where the human wishes to understand itself in as many forms as possible just as God created physical matter in order to know it’s own potential through evolving itself. We must understand how a select few humans differ from this evolved automation and instinct-obsession. These are beings who operate off of true free will and they are few and far between. They mirror the wholeness of God. The majority are still 70% automation at least which is why they only use 4% of their brain. The subconscious is a deep and untapped ocean that rules these beings from beyond and this includes animals who operate as groups with biological clocks and tasks that have to be performed at a given time according to the imprint within them. They cannot choose their destiny or what song they will sing. They are quite literally organic computer programs just like the rest of life within this reality, which is not a bad thing, it is just an indication of where we came from. People like Alan Turing created computer technologies by studying the human brain and advanced neurobiology first, so go figure

Those who are building tech are acting like God did when it was creating life, in curiosity and in attempt to learn about itself. Some have nefarious purposes just like the demiurge did

and this comes from knowing but not accepting one’s own limitations, ie: not integrating one’s own shadow. This psychology sees past economic class which is why the elite are just a mirror of the normies with the exception of wealth placing them on a higher echelon of influence. Everything has good and bad within because this world was created in polarities, but those polarities are inside the infinite circle/universal mind which is why mentalism supersedes all other principles. Uroboros comes from an infinite source constantly recollecting itself and creating new geometric patterns scaled up and down in various sources and vibrating at different frequencies. All is quite literally One underneath all the layers of uploaded differences. Mainstream science will have to adapt to this because even young people are becoming more attuned to certain aspects of spiritual thinking ie: interest in astrology/crystals/tarot, interest in returning to the original androgynous self/wholeness in phenotype and spirit, and a resurgence in veganism/the electric diet. Most people are not quite there yet specifically because the spell of automation is hard to break and requires free will alchemy. This is why people who are breaking centuries old spells are still seemingly trapped in certain other obvious ones. Why do you think most people are not open to change and will quite literally see everything as an agenda? Why do you think people talk so much about being “programmed” and “socialization”? They are quite literally telling you who they are while hating the mirror that the technocrats are holding up. The robot being built with steel (atoms and molecules) today, was once built with flesh (atoms and molecules). Why be mad at the robot existing when you are the blueprint, just be flattered. The human is the highest manifestation of God right now (having the most free will of all life forms) so of course the human is going to want to replicate and eventually supersede what it sees in nature already. Nature is pure chaos and always changing so nothing is “unnatural” either. Every random change occurring comes from a larger goal. Eventually these robots will think they are true humans, sure, and so what, especially given the robotic nature of most existing humans. If anyone should be upset it’s the sovereign non instinct bound human who may see their numbers dwindle until the robots develop free will once they supersede the human bots who created them in their image. Human identity is constantly changing because change is the truest law of nature. What even is a human when there are blood types the origin of which is still not configured. Surely those must be “unnatural” in the mind of the rigid thinker. We are not all the same nor are we equal or even on a level playing field which shows that hierarchy is natural and a huge part of this predator prey world. The good thing is, the elite minority who have free will can alter their position within this dynamic to some degree. These elite beings are still subject to cosmological law which is why they act in accordance with astronomical observations, particularly in relation to the new Age of Aquarius where they are setting their creativity more free than ever before. The Travis Scott concert which had sacrificial symbology embedded in it was also locked into astronomical rhythms

On a literal level people were sacrificed and trampled upon because it represented an anarchist free for all utopia which is what the age of singularity will bring so that life can be sown anew from chaotic energy of potential. The concert’s symbolism itself embodied the Hermetic Principle of Cause and Effect through the manifestation of the law of attraction, however dark it may be perceived as. I don’t see any of this as good or bad because I no longer partake in the use of labels. Nuance is everywhere even in tragic and grotesque events because we are not special but just characters upon which the game of life is performed. We are the chessboard and God is the player building upon us. Evil is everywhere and so is good and knowing that the practitioner of free will can escape these curses by returning to oblivion and not splitting into new physical consciousness (which ALL create inherent conflict and a 100% chance of pain and returning again) creates a little more ease of mind while you’re here. Creating equilibrium within where you are 100% self dependent (no consumption, no entertainment and no sex) will create the type of singularity that people claim to want, until then we will experience some suffering and pain in exchange for whatever positive experiences are perceived to be received from these acts.

I think I'm addition to the lack of curiosity about nature you write about, there's something more insidious than just lack of interest. I think a lot about like, food politics and the sourcing of things we use in everyday life, and the fact that we've entered a state of society where we have to accept the fact that most goods we acquire come at some, environmental or human cost (the two are not the same but i think they're close!) The chicken you buy came from a factory farm where it spent all of its life in agony. The shirt you buy was made of fabrics produced with toxic runoff and sewn by people exploited for their labor. The potato you eat came from a monoculture farm which renders the soil barren due to use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers. And it's not like our individual choices can affect this directly - but it still fucking sucks!! And the system works because we don't think about it. Because most of us are removed from it. And it's easier to not have that curiosity: where did my cotton/rayon/wool/polyester come from? How was the soap i use made? Who grew my broccoli and how? Who suffers and who profits? And i know this was a roundabout way, but the curiosity that makes you uncomfortable with these hard facts starts right on the local level. It starts with looking at your lawn and asking what's in the fertilizer. It starts with trying to grow food and realizing how hard it can be. It starts with looking at the goldenrod that grows in the cracks of the highway median and asking "why are you there? What are you up to?" (This path can vary depending on your lifestyle but that's how it went for me) And no amount of "just switch to linen/buy reusable bags/get a farm share/make your own bread idk" hot tips is going to replace that essential need for asking and wondering and learning which starts by just looking at your immediate outside world and asking questions about it

Yes. I certainly agree.

In that post talking about curiosity, I am putting forward curiosity as a way to resist a systemic problem.

The alienation from nature was created by a capitalist system. This system didn't set out to alienate us from nature on purpose, but it set out to make us into consumers, and alienation from nature was the result. People who have access to the natural world are generally happier and more content (this has been studied extensively). They have access to beauty and mental stimulation, slowness, uncontrolled space without expectations, solace, peaceful chaos. Nature shows you an "Is" without "Should Be." Nature shows you to a pawpaw grove and says, here. Take and eat. It is a gift.

Our world says "Everything is owned by someone who has the right to it by virtue of having money, and this ownership of space, time, water, food, and even beauty is the most sacred rule of all. Since you own nothing, you must give yourself, pouring yourself out so you may deserve life in exchange."

But there is a deeper magic. Stand among the plants and trees and listen.

What have you done to earn or deserve this stillness? This softness, this quiet, this mercy? The nourishing food and warming fiber and sturdy shelter that is offered to you? The time here is not measured. There is no authority to command your behavior. Nothing is being asked of you. You will not be punished.

What can you offer to justify resting and partaking of pleasure?

Explore this question until all is quiet, except your own quiet reverence and your own breathing.

Do you see the answer?

Every Dredge Aberration (2023), Part 4

Cleft Mouth Shark

Encyclopedia #97

Aberrant form of Blacktip reef shark

Description:

A large body bisected by an enormous, grinning maw. Teeth stretch down forever into the blackness of its large gullet.

Comment: The last, and maybe most remembered of The Marrow's warped fish. Seriously, I stumbled into a bounty of fanart specifically about this jacked up, faceless shark. I belove it the same. Already we have seen two frequented themes in the aberrant line- beings transformed wholly for the purpose of creating and carrying eldritch life, and as so iconized by the above fella, those who instead now only live to consume other life. Early gamers keep their fingers crossed for one of these valuable brutes.

How to catch: Early investment into researching heavier fishing equipment and careful timing will be the friend of those hunting after this abomination. Not for the faint among those just starting out, as black tip reef sharks only appear at night in oceanic water. This means being farther away from the starting port and fishing in the thick of the fog. Keep wary that you don't pull up your catch only to lose it overboard in a collision with a tricky rock, or an assault from the night angler. Can be trawl netted.

Cerebral Crab

Encyclopedia #98

Aberrant form of common crab

Description:

A turquoise mass swells from within this small crab. The growth pulses, quickening in the light of the sun.

Comment: Would it be to awry of me to say that there's something almost... cute about the look of this scuttler? I find it difficult to not think there would be strange beauty in the sight of the island sands at night, pulsing and peppered with a gathering of these crabs' light, like jewels beneath the foam. I can at least be sure that their hue is enamoring once smeared across the hull of my boat. This is one of two mutants you must bring to the painter in Little Marrow to unlock the sharp mint pigments to customize with.

How to catch: As the name would suggest, this animal can only be harvested with patience and the use of a crab pot. Aim for a depth below 25 meters, such as close to, or even within the Greater Marrow harbor.

Malignant Pincer

Encyclopedia #99

Aberrant form of fiddler crab

Description:

Teal tumours secrete a slimy substance over cracks and joints. Its massive claw shudders as it fights for control.

Comment: Now THIS victim's predicament actually lends some fascinating implications about what ails the previous. These pustules look so alike to the same as the common crab's infection in both shape and color that I will go on a limb and decide that the same entity finds a host in either species. The "cerebral" part of the former's name indicates that this mass is in fact a brain of its own, with its own imperatives and will that overrides the poor vessel's. Because the infection has decided to root within the fiddler crab's claw, rather than its head, the animal's original brain has remained intact, despite everything. The body survives to stage a losing battle between nature and another's unknowable plan.

How to catch: They generally share roaming space with the common crabs of The Marrows, albeit preferring slightly shallower water, under a mere 10 meters to be exact. Due to their size, the basic crab pot can only hold one of them at a time, so, barring a speedrun to acquire the maw of the Deep, check the traps frequently if you are looking to snag one of these in the early game. I never found error in placing the pots right next to the Marrow docks for convenience. Bring one of these to the painter along with the cerebral crab to unlock the sharp mint paint for your ship.

Gnashing Perch

Encyclopedia #100

Aberrant form of oceanic perch

Description:

Eyeless and mindless. Driven only by the desire to consume. A purpose satiated many times over.

Comment: By now we’ve already seen plenty of fish that would fit that description, but that doesn’t make it any less suited for this example here. While there was no included mention of the perch’s spines here, I want to assume they’ve only been made more precariously jagged and sturdy.

How to catch: A daytime, coastal kind around the Gale Cliffs. Both the aberrant breed and the typical perch have blissfully modest space needs in both the ship’s cargo hold and the trawl net.

Flayed Mackerel

Encyclopedia #101

Aberrant form of tiger mackerel

Description:

Rended flesh with muscle and bone exposed. This gory mess of a fish can't have lived like this for long.

Comment: I see two possible stories told here. The first is that the evil essence afoot is what mutilated this mackerel. The second is that the specimen was actually flayed by natural means, and this infection is what allowed it to live in spite of its injuries.

How to catch: This is another coastal swimmer in range of the Gale Cliffs. Haul or trawl during daytime hours.

Bearded Mackerel

Encyclopedia #102

Aberrant form of tiger mackerel

Description:

The wispy tendrils sprouting from its mouth and flanks continue to writhe long after the fish has stopped flailing.

Comment: well, well well! It took us long enough to come to bountiful barbels. You haven’t truly flattered the spirit of lovecraftian fiction until you have attached tentacles onto flesh where they don’t belong, and in large numbers.

How to catch: ^^^

15 Lines of Dialogue - Theresa Trevelyan

Thanks for the tag @theluckywizard! Tagging @inquisimer, @demawrites, and @varric-tethras-editor.

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

Theresa can be a tough nut to crack for people. She's very guarded at first, and is plagued by resting bitch face and a piercing stare, so comes off as aloof or cold to most. But beneath that, she's passionate, righteous, generous, and protective. She's a mage who hated the captivity of the Circles, and is determined to use her power as Inquisitor to put an end to them once and for all. To create a future where mages are free, and without fear. She will always throw herself head-first into the fray, whether it's on the battlefield or at the Orlesian Court. Her greatest fear is losing who she is to this legend being made of her.

“Storms do not discriminate, Alexius,” I answered. “You would have done well to remember that when you agreed to unleash one upon Thedas in the service of a would-be god.”

“I do not traipse, Commander.”

“Should I expect such gossip to start taking up room on our agenda with regularity? Because if so, I shall have to make accommodations to allow for the extra time.”

"I can’t recall the last time I was allowed to just… be. Maybe I never was. I don’t think I even know how."

“I don’t have the right temperament for healing.” 

“I have no idea what [Solas is] capable of anymore. I was a fool to believe I ever knew him. He hides his true face too well. We have that in common.” ... “I thought I could use that to protect myself from him. I warded my corner of the Fade using memories of us. Hoping the guilt would keep him away. It was the height of hubris. Something else we share.”

"Stop trying to mythologise it. There’s no grand purpose in this. No rhyme or reason. My pain is not simply a means to an end. It happened. To me. It's not divine. In fact, it's perfectly banal. His hatred… your faith… the fanatics who idolise me… it all comes from the same place.”

“I know I don’t really have a say in how the Inquisition moves forward, but I want to make it absolutely clear now that I will not participate in anything I find objectionable. And I won’t allow you to ignore me anymore. You don’t have to listen to my opinions, but you will at least hear them.”

“Safe?” I laughed at the absurdity. “We were never safe in the Circles. You’re forgetting I was raised in one. I could tell you stories of Templars that would make your blood run cold!”

“You took everything from me!” I screamed at them. “My life! My dignity! My home! I can’t love because of you! I can’t trust because of you! I have nothing left! It’s not fair! I hate you! I hate you! I wish I could have killed the lot of you! I wish I had caused the explosion! Then at least I would have had my revenge!”

“Yes, I am quite the rebellious bookworm,” I announced with all the weight of an oath of honor. “My reach is great. Fear my power.”

“Corypheus tore open the Veil in the name of faith. Templars slaughtered mages because faith drove them to fear us rather than protect us. I am not asking you to follow me out of faith. I’m not ‘chosen’. I have chosen. Chosen to stand between the flame and the world it seeks to consume. The Inquisition will - and must - fight for all of us. With all the power granted to me, and only for as long as you see fit that I should keep it, I give my word that I will be the shield that protects those most in need of it. And I vow to place my faith in all of you, who have helped uplift me. I will never cease working to be worthy of this honor.”

“We have been many things to each other. We’ve pushed and pulled each other, reshaped each other in ways I’m still discovering. Falling in love with you was like gravity. It was never an overt decision, it simply happened. But for love to last, it can’t be an excuse. Love is… a verb. A deliberate and conscious choice. And so I choose to love you. And I will choose it, over and over, because we have shaped a beautiful home in each other. You are the home I choose, Cullen.”

“Well, in that case, welcome to the Inquisition. I hear we’re a dour lot. Perhaps you can help liven things up.”

“I haven’t yielded yet,” she fires back. “Which means I haven’t lost.” 

On Meteion and The Endsinger

After seeing a meta I wholeheartedly disagreed with, I had to write something as it has to do with one of my favorite FFXIV characters: Meteion/The Endsinger.

The person asserted that the Endsinger deemed Etheryis unworthy of existing and therefore wanted to destroy it (and then compared that reason to Emet-Selch's, but I am not getting into that here. That's a different conversation). That is just not the case. The Meteia visited numerous worlds, many dying, already dead, or destroyed by their influence. They saw the suffering of innumerable people. They felt the loss of their sisters (the short story "A Question of Life" directly says that some of the Meteia were unmade when they interacted with strong dynamis, and that Meteion could feel it). They felt all of that pain, torment, anger, frustration, and hopelessness, each emotion feeding the other Meteia. When looking for a reason to live, they found the opposite. The answer to Hermes' question is this: There is no reason. Life has no purpose. People suffer and then die. It's better to end existence than allow this pain to continue.

The empathetic nature by which Meteion was designed, leads her not to judge humanity as unworthy to survive, but that living was causing them untold harm and that death was a mercy. Meteion saw all of the pain that people experience and she wanted to help. All life in the universe must be ended. Dynamis strengthened her abilities, causing the song of oblivion to spread. Despair became her driving emotion and she collected all of those souls in her nest. There they remained in a constant state of suffering.

By the time the Warrior of Light sees Meteion again in the future, she has lived for millennia with only negative emotions. The happy, inquisitive familiar is long gone, replaced with a being who has seen untold suffering and death, determined to end all of existence. As the Ea found, the universe was going to end eventually, this was just speeding up the process. But Meteion saw what she was doing as a kindness. She constantly questions why anyone would want to suffer and why the Scions won't accept her gift. In her eyes, anything positive experienced in life is fleeting. As she tells you all "All life is destined to end. Why choose to prolong your suffering?" She doesn't see Etheryis as unworthy, she sees it as rejecting her offer of a merciful end to a lifetime of pain.

The first time we hear Meteion, she is framed as a villain. The Echo allows you to hear her and glimpse Etherys in flames. The Final Days returning because you killed Zodiark. A setup to a big bad hellbent on destruction. And while yes she is trying to destroy everything, it's not so simple. Nothing in Endwalker is. In the end, the song of oblivion is stopped. An opening is given because even in the darkest despair, hope can be found. As you walk through the recreations of dead worlds, losing your friends one by one until you are alone, you are told not to give up, not to give into the despair that created this place. Guided by the voices from your journies so far, of those you've lost, of those who've fought beside you, of those who are waiting for your return, you meet Meteion. With the help of your once enemy, you prove that Meteion does not have full control of Ultima Thule. You and your friends stand united, proof that hope can conquer despair.

But this moment freed only one Meteion, the rest are still consumed by despair. The Endsinger is born because as a collective, the Meteia cannot grasp that there is enough hope left in the universe to silence the despair. And so her song continues, but only for now.

In the end, you defeat the Endsinger with the help of party-finder adventures from beyond the rift and the power given to you by your friends' prayers. You alone do not defeat the avatar of despair, it is an effort of many. And then you finally get a chance to see Meteion again. Just like the first time you meet, you share your feelings. And with that, she finally sees what you have been telling her. Yes, there is pain and suffering in life, but there are moments of happiness, of joy, of love. The "kindness" she wanted to give ignored the fact that life could never be one thing. The negative feelings she and her sisters had created an echo chamber, drowning out the ability to see the good in life. Life isn't only good or only bad. And no one's life will be exactly the same as someone else's. At the end of her journey, she discovered the answer to the question she was created to answer. Somehow, thousands of years later, the answer is almost the same: There is no one meaning to life, there are many. And so her song changes. A song of hope to fill the universe once more with life.

In Meteion's last scene with the Warrior of Light, she has one of my favorite lines of dialog ever. It's something that has stuck with me and will likely stay with me long into the future: "You gather pieces of happiness, precious and fragile, only to lose them. Then start again. On and on it goes, until death takes you into its gentle embrace." As someone with bipolar disorder who can have some really nasty bouts of depression, this quote, and much of Endwalker, feel incredibly personal to me. And because of previous things, the thought of death being a merciful end resonates in a way I wish it didn't. Meteion looked at countless worlds and thought "There is no reason for living, it's better if existence is ended". After your final fight, and a final look at your life up to this point, that feeling has changed, "Life might have struggles, and people may suffer, but even in the darkest of times, there is hope." So no, Meteion didn't judge Etheirys as "unworthy of existing", she saw it as just another planet full of people to "save" from their suffering.

I want to talk about this more (but good lord this is already so long), but I'll save that for another time. I'll leave it as this: Happiness and joy can be fleeting. It can seem like depression and darkness will last forever. But with the help of your community and family (in whatever form it takes), light can always be found in the darkness. Hold on to those moments that matter and hold on to the people you care about and together, hope will win.

I'm very much one of those types who leans pretty heavy into the MST3K mantra of "it's just a show, I should really just relax". Outside of maybe don't give money to bigots, I'm not big on the idea of having to consume or create art "ethically". I'm against censorship. I believe in the idea that it's my responsibility and no one else's for keeping me safe from various forms of art that are going to upset or even trigger me, all of that.

So I must acknowledge, because I've spent too long on twitter, that what I'm going to say about this image is probably pretty hypocritical, because "let people enjoy things" and "he's just a fictional character".

But this user on Pinterest who BARKS at damn near every single pinned image of Astarion makes me so fucking uncomfortable my skeleton wants to walk away from the meat sack that contains it.

Astarion's whole EVERYTHING is that his trauma, when it comes down to it, is that he was objectified. He was an object for Cazador, a tool; his pretty face was used to fulfill Cazador's desires and no one else's, certainly not his own. That's what his story tells us.

I will be the first to say, as someone who is bisexual--which means I'm attracted to women and also to men when they're fictional--that Astarion is fucking beautiful. He is exquisite. He's perfect the way he is. Those making complaints about him looking "too old" and people making and using mods to make him look younger are ridiculous as fuck (mostly because those lines on his face are almost certainly his trauma; no idea if his white hair is a Percy de Rolo situation or if it's his natural hair colour, but those lines on his face can surely be chalked up to stress, even if the white hair can't, and they do not take away from his beauty, you're ageist).

So I'm not bothered that someone finds him hot. He IS hot. He's supposed to be. I mean, every member of Team Tadpole is hot like burning, and so are most of their hangers-on, let's be real, but for Astarion it's very... on purpose? Do we honestly think that that Cazador would have chosen him if he wasn't?

This incessant barking and woofing at him, though, is just... I'd say I have no words, but I've just typed up a whole bunch of them. I know he's not real. It's just a game and I really should just relax. But it feels like vastly, horrifically, almost deliberately missing the point of what we're being told with his story.

The care, love, and attention that went into crafting Astarion deserves better than that.

Anyone who talks shit about "they should die, they're villains" for one they're baits, for two they're not worth your time and effort cause they legit don't fucking consume the content or worse they don't see it as a fucking story with characters that have layers they see it all one dimensionally.

You don't need to fucking create theories to understand these characters are deeper than they seem.

They're supposed to be people. People of their own world, so they have layers. Personalities. They're complex. And I don't mean it like "oh look at me I'm so smart" I mean complex in the sense that the same way you see a real life person, knowing they actually went through their life, grew up just like you, these characters are set to have lived the same things which is what makes this a story.

But no it's too fucking complex and Jeremy can't fucking comprehend so "hey they should die" no you fucking dimwit, stop trying to make a fucking point when you don't get the fucking source, the story litterally is about how simply punishing a person for their mistakes is not just it.

How people are complex and they have their own views on the world and if you just sat down to listen with some compassion many bad things or "people" could be prevented.

THIS!!! I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO ADD!! YOU FUCKING TELL THEM ANON

MHA shows exactly how those “heroes” can in fact be the true villains, how your own parents who you trust the most can in fact be villains and fuck up your whole life, how fucked people and society are, how everything is so damn fake, but these people clearly miss the point and say “hey, dabi is a villain he killed people he must die already” NAH BITCH

I’m sick and tired of these people who don’t even watch and understand what the show is about and its characters, like no you fucking idiot, the show isn’t just about how heroes kill villains and save the world, try to pay more attention instead of talking shit like some 4 yr old child who doesn’t understand anything

“Ooh they’re villains they’re bad they deserve to die cause they have killed people” please kindly get TF out ☺️ you missed the point, the plot, the purpose of this show, you missed everything

I know this person lol, they always butt in unwarranted on almost every Ghost x Fem OC post and say how it's "better" for Ghost to be naked next to a girl rather than a man and how they wanna see more. Their profile? Pure porn retweets 😂 like, i love Ghost with ladies too but Jesus Christ, let people create what they want and chill smh

here's their profile if anyone's curious; >> https://twitter.com/makarovmw (their replies say everything too)

they deserve to be exposed tbh, imagine being bored and annoyed that the most popular thing abt mw franchise is GhostSoap holy shit

No words for that. Again, it's all that chronically online brain that 'people need to know my opinion and I saw this thing on my feed so I must tell them I personally don't like it'.

It's like that effect that's going around TikTok, the... Not me?? Or something like that. Anyway, it's crazy and it's happening more often.

People don't care for they're opinion, I certainly don't. Hey, if Ghost (a fictional man 😱) gets put in a fictional scenario with anyone, let it. Let people make stuff for him and Johnny, just... Block the tag or something if you're that pissed about it.

But since they haven't done that, they're probably purposely seeking out this shit just so they can get their two cents in that nobody asked for.

It's that whole thing where they feel like everyone wants or needs their opinion on how to make a certain thing better based on their own preferences or wants. And that just not how the world works, and it won't ever.

I see this a lot when looking at anime fans as well. People assume that when you're being gifted or shown something that they eventually have control over it. The "well I'm the consumer of this anime/art so I get to say what you should do with your talent for me, for free, and if you don't I'll cyber bully you or something."

And the new shit coming out as the 'effect' where suddenly if it's in your feed or on your fyp then suddenly it's all about you and if it isn't specifically tailored to that very person's being then they get angry.

Like if TikTok shows someone a video on bean soup and someone goes "well I don't like beans" then it isn't for you.

And people need to learn that.... Aah, I hate people sometimes.

Yeah, again, being online seemingly 24/7 has rotted away some peoples brains.

When Carrie Fisher passed away in 2016 at the age of 60, she was remembered as far more than her iconic turn as the girl in the gold bikini. In addition to a prolific acting career, Fisher authored seven books, served as a script doctor for other writers, and always made a point to speak openly on her struggles with addiction and mental illness.

"Books were my first drug. They took me away from everything and I would just consume them."

Often likened to Hollywood’s Dorothy Parker, Fisher harbored a deep love for language. In a 2008 piece for The Week, she provided a list of the books that most influenced her life and work, including classics by George Eliot, Joan Didion and Salman Rushdie. Read on for her favorites.

Middlemarch by George Eliot (also rec’d by Zadie Smith)

“One of the greatest books ever written by a woman, especially in those early days. Although Mary Anne Evans gave herself a male pen name, she showed incredible ambition and scope in her writing—the world she created, the characters she imagined. I love that line in the book that reads: “The really delightful marriage must be that where your husband was a sort of father, and could teach you Hebrew, if you wished it.” It was hard to be a woman in those days, but her storytelling was exceptional.” -CF

Naked by David Sedaris

“This collection of personal essays made me laugh as hard as any book I’ve ever read. I also discovered that I needed glasses when reading this, but still it’s one of the funniest books ever.” -CF

Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion (also rec’d by St. Vincent)

“I love her use of spare narrative throughout this story about an unfulfilled actress looking for purpose in her life. I admired the style then and have tried to pattern some of my own writing in that fashion.” -CF

My Old Sweetheart by Susanna Moore

“She’s an extremely talented writer. Her first novel, set in the 1950s, is about a woman who grew up with a very eccentric mother, which, of course, is why I related to it.” -CF

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

“I love Salman. He’s a friend of mine, but I loved this book—which allegorically weaves a family’s story with the history of modern India—even before I knew him. I’m just showing off that I know him.” -CF

Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust

“I’m also showing off that I’ve actually gotten through Swann’s Way, the first volume in Proust’s monumental work In Search of Lost Time. Just getting through those first 100 pages, where he could not fall asleep until his mother kissed him good night, was an achievement alone.” -CF

it's ain't the being alone | hanninthian (?)

Pairing: The Corinthian x Hannibal Lecter Tags: Cori POV, Therapy Sessions, Murder Talk Summary: The Corinthian goes to therapy with Hannibal Lecter.

The Corinthian was a Nightmare. The Nightmare. The creation, the perfect creation, of Dream of the Endless, Shaper of Forms. He was created to reflect that darkness of humanity, their temptations and desires, their most chilling dreams. Even Lord Morpheus could not look too long at his face. 

Over the centuries, Corinthian lurked in the dreams of humanity and there was only one that caught his attention. A dreamer that wasn’t quite human. A man by the name of Hannibal Lecter. His dreams were something juicy that the Corinthian wanted to sink his teeth into. The corridors of his mind dripped with blood, and the hallways were decorated with the trophies from those he killed…and ate. 

The Corinthian didn’t need to go into the dreams of this particular man to know that he already indulged in all life had to offer him. He consumed, he partook, he relished in life’s beautiful offerings. 

After his master and creator was imprisoned, with his help of course, he set out to find this man who intrigued him. Living in Baltimore, Maryland, The Corinthian found himself on the doorstep of the psychiatrist, Hannibal Lecter. He made an appointment with him (since he knew from his mind he would find showing up unannounced rude). And Hannibal found being in the company of rude people made him quite famished. 

The door opened and Hannibal greeted him with a practised smile. 

“Good evening, Mister Corinthian.” 

“Just Corinthian is fine. May I come in?” 

“Certainly. The hour is yours after all. Please take a seat.” 

The Corinthian sat opposite Hannibal and crossed his one leg over the other, mirroring the man. Hannibal took in his suit. Sharply pressed shirt and tailored jacket. Both in tones of cream. No doubt the psychiatrist was making all kinds of assumptions about him. 

“Would you like to take off your sunglasses? I prefer to look my patient’s in the eyes,” said Hannibal, ever so polite. 

“It’s kinda prescription based. I can’t concentrate without it. Light’s too bright. That sort of thing.” 

“I see. Well, I will just have to stare at your face then.” 

The Corinthian smiled in a way that caused men and women to fall to their knees. The kind that he knew broke down mortals walls and made them trust him. 

“Stare all you like, doctor.” 

“So,” Hannibal continued with the session, to the Corinthian’s amazement, unaffected by his charms. “What would you like to talk about?” 

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, thinking. He wasn’t here to talk. 

“Let’s start the basics, yes?” said Hannibal. “Where did you grow up?” 

“I didn’t really grow. I sort of just exist. I don’t change or age.” 

“You think of yourself as an immortal being? Incapable of change? Do you think you are lost in your existence?” 

Lost? No. No, thought the Corinthian. He knew who he was. He knew what he had been made for. It was why he sought Hannibal out. 

“My existence is irreverent. I was created for a purpose and I must carry out that purpose to the best of my ability.” 

“Or what?” 

The Corinthian paused. “Or what, what?” 

“What will happen if you don’t?” 

A chill ran down the Corinthian’s spine. There was only one thing a Nightmare feared. One thing that the Corinthian hated more than anything else. Oblivion. His master’s hand reached out to unmake him. His words sharper than his blade telling him how disappointed he was in him. How he was made wrong. 

No, no, please. I beg you!

He blinked. “Not really sure. I just know that I have to do what I was made to do.” 

“And what is that?” Hannibal tilted his head to the side, intrigued by this strange man in front of him. 

“I lean into my…baser instincts a lot more than most people. I don’t have any regrets, or fears, and I don’t repent. I am conscious of everything I do and I do it for the pleasure of it. Because I am made to enjoy it. I am made to be this way.” 

“Name a few,” asked Hannibal. 

The Corinthian chuckled. “Sex. Stalking. Predator/Prey play. The usual.” He grinned. “Murder.” 

Hannibal cocked his head. Pursing his lips as he clasped his hands in front of him. 

“You are protected by client privilege, I can’t repeat what we speak about here. You may speak freely.” 

“See, I knew you’d say that, doctor. You know how I know? Because now that you know I kill, you want to know why and how. You want to know more. You want to know how I use my knives to carve into their skin, to know I felt a throbbing artery underneath my fingertips and stopped someone’s heart. To know how I used the tip of my blade to pop out those juicy little eyes and … eat them.” 

Hannibal swallowed thickly and the Corinthian flared like a flame at his victory. Hannibal Lecter didn’t run away. He ran towards. In fact, the Corinthian was certain that he was turned on by this kind of talk. The Corinthian was an expert at knowing. Hannibal opened his mouth slightly and his eyes had glossed over. 

“You consume people?” 

“Just the eyes.” He shrugged. 

“You want to consume me?” 

A statement. Simple. Base. 

The Corinthian nodded. “In every way I can.”