#i.e. it's messier | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mimicmockingbirds · 1 year

Text

OK, but hear me out

Say Ride the Cyclone were to be adapted into a film; imagine how much fun it would be to see it animated.

Because for the main plot, like the intro song and the mostly dialogue scenes in limbo, you could easily do a stylistic, but still grounded in realism style that a lot of modern animated projects are doing right now (think Arcane or Into the Spider Verse). But once each of the kids go into their respective songs/fantasies for what their life could have been? What if those were done in completely different styles?? Imagine the additional, visual storytelling that would tell about who they are as characters?

Like say, for Ocean's number, WTWN, everything became more simplified, and the characters (especially Ocean herself) turned into a more rounded, chibi-like style to enhance just how cutesy and likeable she's trying to portray herself throughout that number.

Or for Noel's Lament, everything goes black and white, and the characters become even more 2D stylized, and the film scales down to a smaller millimeter frame, more reminiscent of cartoons from the early 20's, when animation was just starting out, to enhance his idealization of "the olden days" (as Ocean puts it).

Mischa's song, This Song is Awesome could be animated with a more choppy frame rate, and the character designs turn a little more jagged around the edges, kind of like animated music videos (I'm thinking a Gorillaz band vibe). But as he transitions into singing about Talia, the colors start to bleed out over their lineart, and become more paint-like and Talia herself moves like a rotoscoped character (think Loving, Vincent that came out a few years ago) to enhance the sense that she's somewhere between a real person and a fantasy Mischa's built in his mind.

Ricky's song would, of course, be stylized after those sci-fi cartoons from the 90's, like X-Men or Captain Planet.

For the Ballad of Jane Doe, I would love to see something like what Wolfwalkers did back in 2020, where most of the characters (in this case, the other kids) are for the most part, animated like traditional, 2D characters with very clean lines and neat movements, whereas Jane herself stands out for having messier, sketchy line art, and looks more and more unfinished in her animation as the song goes on, because she can feel more and more of her own identity being lost.

Constance's Sugar Cloud I could see done in the classic 2D Disney style (i.e., the Renaissance era of Disney, like the Lion King or Little Mermaid days) because not only is it really smooth and colorful and just all around nice to look at, but it reminds the average moviegoer of their childhood growing up with those movies (among others, obviously), which ties in nicely with Constance's preceding monologue about remembering her own life, and the good that came with the bad.

I'm even tempted to envision the first half of the finale song in a different style, when the stage production would show a quick projection of Jane/Penny's life after she returned to the world of the living. Imagine watching this animated film, and for that segment alone, it becomes that really hyper-realistic, almost uncanny valley CGI animation style, to show that she really has joined the world of the living, i.e. our world, among us, the living breathing movie goers watching this, and watching the other kids still in limbo fade back to that main art style for the final number.

I don't know; it just feels like something that would be so engaging to see from an already compelling storyline and characters. Especially with more experimental animation projects on the rise right now

#random rambling #Ride the Cyclone #Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg #Noel Gruber #Mischa Bachinski #Ricky Potts #Jane Doe #Penny Lamb #Constance Blackwood #idk I just really love animation you guys #so naturally I have to bring my latest hyperfixation into that world #might even sketch these different styles #for a better visual idea #but I haven't done any sketches in a hot minute #so who knows

998 notes · View notes

sweet-lover-girl · 1 year

Note

spring(sundress with no panties season) is here! abby better get her ass over her and do the nasty work!

Yeah! No panties season!

I’m so sorry I just now got to this love T.T also I feel like this gets off track? So I’m sorry if it does…I really hope you like it never the less though!

Warning(s): Lesbian sex, Abby eats you out from the back, oral sex(reader receiving), ass slapping(a lot of it), reader has hair(hair not specified), public sex(it takes place outside but no one is around), a lot of nicknames(I.e babygirl, pumpkin, good girl), dry humping, brief touch of aftercare, and I think that’s it?

NO MINORS PAST THIS POINT!!!

Pushing you up against the tree— Abby kneeled down on the ground with her thighs spread and lifted the skirt of the dress up before she started to eat you out from the back, and since you weren’t wearing panties it made her job all the more easier as she licked at you slick as it leaks down your inner thighs. Your back arched so your chest was pressed against the rough bark of the tree, your cheek rubbing against it and caused a sore little rash but you were to far to care. Abby wait— you moan out, barely trying to stop her assault on your cunt.

Abby had took you out on a little date outside the stadium walls, nothing far away just into the surrounding trees. She told you to dress up— but she didn’t think you would wear an actual dress. The little sandy colored dress that contrasted gorgeously with your skin tone ended just above your kneecaps, showing off the length of your beautiful legs. The shoulders of the dress were a little puffy and leads down to a sweetheart neck line.

The ruched dress was an amazing find on your half, you had gone on a patrol last week and with it getting hotter you wanted something cooler to wear. You happened to stumble over the very dress you are currently wearing— and decided to wear it today on your date. You just didn’t know it would have such an affect in Abby.

“Abby please—wait, w-what if someone sees?”

“Let me worry about that Sweet girl.” She said pulling away from your wet pussy, your sweet nectar and her saliva were dripping down her chin, but she could care less. The messier the better.

You whine as she got back to work, kissing at your little twitching button. Abby moans at the slight salty taste that was uniquely you— as she sticks her tongue into your clenched cunt. She loved how - no matter how many times she fucks you, your little cunt always stays so tight. Abby groaned and dropped her left hand down to her own crotch, grasping at it and rubbing over her large clit through the rough material of her cargo pants. you always made her ache so bad, she couldn’t help but touch herself to reviled that sweet pain.

She breathed in your scent as she lifted her right hand up and slammed it back down on your ass cheek, making a loud CLAP sound. You squeal out and cry as Abby left her hand there, not lifting it once it made contact with your ass. It made the pain much more sore but so fucking good. It made your cunt throb as your whole body trembles. Abby chuckles darkly and lifts her hand up once more and slammed it back down on the same— already tender spot. You cry out again and your foot lifts off the ground a little and stomps down on the damp soil with a quite thud.

Abby pulls away,”There you go baby,” She grips at the sore spot,”Let it out.”

You groan as her fingers dig into the fat of your ass, grasping at the hand print she left behind. Abby ‘s not fair, you whine. Making her stand up to loom over your trembling form, her shadow casted over you and blocked the bright sun. You whimper as you look up to meet her blue eyes that were now black from lust but still so beautiful. You let out a little sound as you feel her right hand snake up the back of your head and grab the roots of you hair before pulling your head back, making your already arched back arch even more. Your ass pushing into her hips, she lifts her left hand to place it on the tree to help balance herself as she leaned over you. Her eyes narrowed at you as she looked down at you from the bridge of her nose, your big doe like eyes cut upwards to look at her upside down. You were bitting you lower lip as you wait for her to speak.

“You’re lucky I don’t have my strap,” she leaned in closer,”Because I would be fucking you so hard right now.” Her warm breath washed over you and you felt your cunt throb again at her words. You leaned up to try and kiss her but she quickly leaned back, keeping your hair in her grasp to keep your back arched into her pelvis. She dropped her left hand heavily onto your ass cheek, doing the same thing she did to the right side, making you wince. “but I don’t think you deserve it to be honest,” she sighed as she slapped you ass again. “Because you’re a naughty girl, not even wearing panties.”

You whine as you grind your ass against her hips and she rolls them against your ass, she does this a few times. Just rolling them before she let’s go of your hair and places her hands on your waist and pulled you back a little away from the tree. You made a questioning sound and turned your head to look at her— but then your felt that first fake thrust against your ass. You gasp as she does this, your hands clench the bark tightly, was she— she did it again.

She was humping you.

Abby was humping your ass like she did when she was fucking you, reenacting those thrusts. Her thrust were so hard your exposed ass jiggled and your tits bounced. She leaned over your back and slip her hands up from your waist and grabbed the rim of your neckline before pulling it down to free your breasts, and to find out you weren’t wearing a bra either. She chuckled lowly in your right ear as her hands grabbed your tits, gripping that pillowy fat and pinched at your nipples. You gasp and arch you back little more, pushing your breasts into her warm hands.

“Not wearing a bra either,” She nipped at your ear lobe. “My babygirl really wanted to get fucked today, huh.”

She nuzzles her face against your neck in a sweet soft moment, finally enjoying being alone after not having hardly any alone time this last mouth. Of course you two shared a room but you were both so tired after the long days, you could hardly stay awake long enough to say ‘I love you’. She finally decided to stop teasing you as you let out a quite whine.

“Okay my sweet little Pumpkin, I’ll take care of you. Been so good for me this last mouth, waiting so patiently.”

Abby leaned back and kneeled back down on the ground, placing kisses on the tender spots on your ass cheeks from were she slapped you. She looked at your sopping wet cunt that was just dripping sweet honey. She placed a kiss on your clit, before she finally licked a long stripe from your clit to your clenched hole— moaning out as she gathered up your salty slick onto her tongue, her taste buds buzzing.

You ground your hips back against her face making her growl out, “be a little more patient for me pumpkin,” she licked at your weeping hole, lemme get a taste. She growled.

Your eyes fell shut and your arms wobbled as you suddenly felt dizzy, you lean your cheek against the tree again and softly mewl out. She hums against your clit in acknowledgment, she knew she made you dizzy— as you told her before. And she did, she made you so fucking dizzy.

You jump when you suddenly feel that hot white burn in your lower abdomen, that sweet heat that signaled your blissful end was near. You tremble as Abby continued to suck on your clit, bouncing it on her tongue and humming around it as she moaned. She wrapped her arms tightly around your thighs, pulling you closer to her mouth as she made out with your pussy.

“Abs ‘m gonna cum,” you breath out. “gonna cum.”

You roll your hips up and down, grinding your dripping pussy across her mouth, she growls deeply and sticks her tongue out for your to ride. Her hands moved to your ass to help bounce you up and down.

“Fuck—mm, feels s’ good baby,” your praise her.

You felt your cunt throbs as she groaned out, sending the vibrations up your spine. Please—please you beg, please let me cum. You feel Abby nod her head and she hums again.

Your eyes roll back and as you mouth falls open into an ‘o’ shape, your legs trembling as you gasp for air, not a sound coming from your lips. Abby uses her hands to grip your ass and pull you back down when your pull away, as punishment she shakes your ass a little again to make your clit grind against her chin as she licks at your hole to overstimulate you.

You cry out as she did this and you pull away once more, clawing at the tree bark and breaking some off, making Abby pull away from your weeping pussy breathless as she hears the bark break. She quickly stands up and leans around you to grab your hands and unclench them from the tree, she was worried you might hurt yourself on accident and she did see a few little scraps on the tip of your fingers, but it was nothing to cry home about. She placed kisses on your fingers as you leaned back against her, your head laying on her shoulder and your eyes closed as you catch your breath. Your dress falling back down to cover your decency, and Abby pulled the top back over your tits.

Abby smiles and while still holding your hands she wraps her arms around you and makes your hug yourself with her. She lays her head on your head and places gentle kisses there, closing her eyes as she took in the quite moment in nature with you, letting you soak up that glorious afterglow with her.

Your legs trembled and you staggered a little which made Abby sit down in the ground with you, pulling you to sit on her lap so your pretty dress doesn’t get ruined. She leans back against the tree under the shade and cuddles you close to her chest, leaning down she places another kiss on your head and whisper sweet praises to you.

“Did so well for me babygirl, I love you so much.” And “My good girl, always does so good for me.”

You hum as you relax into her chest and lean your head on her shoulder again— suddenly you felt your tummy rumble, making you sigh. Abby giggles,”You hungry baby?” She reached for her backpack and you look up as she pulls out peanut butter cracks and two apples. Your favorite snacks. You sit up quickly and smile brightly at her and she holds a cracker to your lips. You take a bite with a cute small sound that made Abby’s heart melt. As she was feeding you she used her free hand to rub at your back, gently scratching her nails across the skin giving you goosebumps. Under the bright Seattle sun you both sat there feeding each other, finally enjoying your alone time together.

#lovely people #anon ask #abby anderson #abby anderson/reader #abby tlou #wlw #abby anderson x reader #abby anderson x you #abby anderson x female reader #abby anderson smut #abby anderson tlou2 #abby the last of us #abby x reader #abby anderson/you #abby anderson fluff #abby anderson fan fiction #Abby Anderson Blurbs

676 notes · View notes

am-i-the-asshole-official · 1 month

Note

AITA for doing fewer chores around the house because I'm not around very much?

I (23m) live with 2 other housemates (W 23M, and S 23M). We've known eachother for 4+ years now, and lived together on and off for about 3. Me and S are in college, and W has graduated and is working in the area.

The problem is, S doesn't really pull his weight in the chores department despite having objectively the most free time out of the 3 of us. He almost never does dishes, takes out the trash, or contributes to cleaning shared spaces without being explicitly prompted/helped. This was less of and issue in previous years living together because W and I had more free time/were around the house more, so we didn't have problems picking up the slack like we do now.

W works a full time job, and has an hour commute both ways so he isn't around much on weekdays, and tends to spend a lot of time with his gf on weekends. I work 2 student jobs on top of a full class load and only tend to be around the house to sleep on weeknights, and work ~8hrs a day on weekends. S is taking about half the credits of a full time student, and does not work.

W and I still manage to get "our" share of chores done (i.e washing the dishes we generate, taking out trash, some general cleaning) but neither of us are around/able to do this on most weeknights. S will leave dirty dishes in the sink/on the dining table after eating, and rarely if ever loads/unloads the dishwasher. This has become very evident now that neither me and W aren't around much, becuase the sink will be entirely full of dirty dishes despite both of us hand washing or immediately loading the dishes we use in the dishwasher.

Now that there's the context, AITA for entirely stopping picking up after S/doing any extra chores? I have been spending under 6 hours a day in the house for the last few weeks due to midterms, and have been eating all of my meals at work/on campus so I haven't been adding to dishes/general mess around the house. I could tell it was getting messy but i was trying to catch as much sleep as possible and could honestly say none of the mess was mine. I warned both of them that I'd be really busy/mostly gone for the next month between projects and midterms, and specifically brought up that I wouldn't be able to help out as much.

W was really understanding and said that was fine, S just said "cool". In this period, W started spending a lot more time at his GFs place because the mess was pretty bad and he didn't have the time to take care of everything alone. Je told S he would be spending less time around the house and again, S was fine w it. We both hoped S would step up and keep the space clean because we've frequently talked and seemingly agreed about the standards we'd like for the house.

I bumped into S on my way to bed last night, and he started complaining about how messy the house is and that me and W haven't been doing anything to help. I pointed out that neither of us have been around recently and that it's 99% his mess, and that he's a big boy with free time and can take care of it himself. He said that "you and W could have at least just asked and I'd do it" and said that I was being really passive aggressive about it. I just said "dude I'm going to bed, I'll clean what's mine tomorrow" and left it at that. I did a super light cursory cleaning of a few things, but left all the dishes/messier spaces alone because it wasn't my doing.

I feel like TA because I did/have been purposely doing less around the house but I'm sick of cleaning up after S. W doesn't really want to get involved because he isn't a fan of conflict and is able to basically live with his gf, but I did let him know this happened and he doesn't think I've done anything wrong, though I could have been a little nicer to S. So wise and powerful Tumblr, AITA?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

67 notes · View notes

the-remote-viewers-division · 1 month

Text

I have an alternate pale theory…

Consider this like a ‘Pale-AU’ (i.e. I know it is probably not supported by canon, and certainly not supported by some other works like Joshua Jenkins designs, for example… also I haven’t finished reading PJÕL, so maybe my ideas will change after that) but I started thinking about it as a “what-if” situation: If there were to be a direct sequel to Disco Elysium :insert prayer hands:, how could we reconcile the multitude of different Harrys the player could create? What about the fates of other characters? Some change due to our influence, some die. How could a sequel storyline somehow accept all those possible variances? Introducing my almost-certainly not-correct pale theory!TM using a little bit of in-game info, some real-life stuff, and a sprinkle of imagination!

Caution: Many spoilers ahead.

So what is Pale -- just the past?

After you talk to the Phasmid you’re given the impression that humans/people created the pale accidentally (with thinking and memory and ideas and invention?); and after talking to Joyce you learn that some think the pale is “rarified past.” It’s all pretty nebulous, but I think that the pale being a product (or a by-product) of the human mind/memory is close to what could be accepted as the canon origin of the pale:

INSULINDIAN PHASMID - The pale, too, came with you. No one remembers it before you. The cnidarians do not, the radially symmetricals do not. There is an almost unanimous agreement between the birds and the plants that you are going to destroy us all. YOU - Wait, the pale is human made? INSULINDIAN PHASMID - It is a nervous shadow cast into the world by you, eating away at reality. A great, unnatural territory. Its advent coincides with the arrival of the human mind. YOU - I don't have that kind of power. INSULINDIAN PHASMID - You are a violent and irrepressible miracle. The vacuum of cosmos and the stars burning in it are afraid of you. Given enough time you would wipe us all out and replace us with nothing -- just by accident. YOU - ...how? INSULINDIAN PHASMID - We suspect it will be something like the oxygen holocaust that wiped out anaerobic life 2.6 billion years ago -- when organisms first started breathing. Only much worse. CONCEPTUALIZATION - Instead of air, you exhale thoughts. There are no trees that eat thoughts.

JOYCE MESSIER – "Some say the damage stems from extreme sensory deprivation. Others argue that pale somehow *consists* of past information, that's degrading. That it's rarefied past, not rarefied matter." JOYCE MESSIER – "They call it *the blend-over of the self*. The pale does not only suspend the laws of physics, but also the laws of psychology, maybe History, even... The human mind becomes over-radiated by past." YOU – "Who says and who argues?" JOYCE MESSIER – "The logical positivists say -- the dialectical materialists argue."

An effect of the Pale is “entroponetical crosstalk" which you can experience when you use the doorbell intercom outside the whirling and hear the woman speaking from Tricentennial Electrics a long time ago, and additionally the old pale driver also talks to you about how she’s experienced the past in the pale, like the assassination of Dolores Dei. Both are snippets of human past:

KIM KITSURAGI - "It was a recording trapped in the circuitry. From some ancient tenant. This sometimes happens. Shall we conclude here? We have other mysteries to solve." YOU - "I do have one mystery that still needs solving... the radio ghost in the Doomed Commercial Area's electronic doorbell." SOONA, THE PROGRAMMER - "The creepy woman!" She slaps her forehead. "We were wondering about that when we worked there... but I had completely forgotten about it ever since!" SOONA, THE PROGRAMMER - "It must be entroponetic crosstalk. The one you get in radios and long-distance calls... Now it makes sense, with the pale right on the doorstep." KIM KITSURAGI - "Incredible..." the lieutenant murmurs. "This would also explain why we get it on the police radio all the time." YOU - "Entroponetic crosstalk?" SOONA, THE PROGRAMMER - "It's quite common actually. When the signal gets routed through pale, all kinds of irregularities take place. You may hear snippets of someone else's conversation, or the voice of your former lover, or an echo of an event that took place 100 years ago." SOONA, THE PROGRAMMER - "Pale is a shroud of memories and it doesn't really distinguish to whom those memories belong to. You could hear anything."

PALEDRIVER - "You don't need to turn back time. The pale is already churning with it. As the tide of pale rises, so does the past. Someday both will cover the whole world. That's it. That's the story." PALEDRIVER - "They say there is a point -- one that *I* have not crossed -- in the pale superdeep. If you stray too far off course on the U41-A, or in Lomonossov's Land... where every step you take is one step further from home, no matter the direction." PALEDRIVER - "It's a point you cannot come back from. Your mind becomes so radiant with the past -- there is a flip." She flicks the ash from her cigarette. "Instead of writing, it erases memory. Nearing some kind of..." She shakes her head. "Indescribable *finale*." PALEDRIVER - "Like Gabriel Buenguerro in 'Segure-me, Paraíso'..." She nods and smiles, unkindly. "You're the opposite of me then. I remember everything -- even the things I never knew." YOU - "Things you never knew?" PALEDRIVER - "The smell of liquor on Gabriel's lips after the shoot. In the motor park. The roses on the day of Franconegro's coronation. On the grand stairs of Raehl. The smoke from the fowling piece, when Dolores Dei was shot..." PALEDRIVER - "The look on her face -- like an orgasm. The wound in her chest. My hand in my father's hand..." She closes her eyes, her eyelids trembling. "Except I never had a father. And I never shot Her Innocence Dolores Dei." .. PALEDRIVER - "Thought insertion? *Dithering*? The Graad-Katla Magistral?" She savours the lungful. "It's more than dangerous -- it's *sad*. But... at first I had to make a living. Now..."

So you’d think Joyce’s theory checks out, it’s all history/memory---BUT! I did the moralist political quest my first play thru, and when you are trying to contact the airship you also get radio crosstalk from the pale.

KIM KITSURAGI - "It's cold now..." SHIVERS - A slight frisson at the point where your neck meets your spine. Something about the lieutenant's words, directed at you, but not *you*... YOU - "It's really coming down, now that you mention it." KIM KITSURAGI - "Mention what?" YOU - "It's cold, like you just said." KIM KITSURAGI - "I didn't say anything, detective." KIM KITSURAGI - "...someone has been maintaining it. The wiring has been repaired..." HORSEBACK ANTENNA - An uncomfortable silence falls over the connection. KIM KITSURAGI - "... It's been a long winter... Long and cold..." YOU - "Are you going to tell me you didn't say *that*, either?" KIM KITSURAGI - "I promise you, I didn't, even though it certainly *sounds* like me..." The lieutenant seems to wince at the sound of his own voice. YOU - "It must be entroponetic crosstalk. It's the only explanation." NOID - "So your partner's haunting himself. Trying to warn him off his current path, most like." KIM KITSURAGI - "It's eerie, for certain, but also harmless. I just wish I could remember what I was talking about..." ESPRIT DE CORPS - Something here is eating at the lieutenant, as much as he would like to move past it.

You can even hear it if Kim is not with you:

KIM KITSURAGI - "It's cold now..." SHIVERS - A slight frisson at the point where your neck meets your spine. You can *feel* the lieutenant's presence, even though he's nowhere to be found... YOU - "Kim? How did you get on my connection?" NOID - "Whoa, the cop's *own partner* is a radio-spooker. That's some *other core* business right there..." HORSEBACK ANTENNA - ... KIM KITSURAGI - "...someone has been maintaining it. The wiring has been repaired..." YOU - "Kim! Answer me." NOID - "No use, man. Don't think he can hear you." YOU - "I've encountered this before. It's entroponetic crosstalk. This is a piece of the past mixing in with our signal." NOID - "What..." KIM KITSURAGI - "It's been a long winter... Long and cold." NOID - "What have you gotten us into, lawman?" HALF LIGHT - Just *run*. Unplug that headset and get as far away as you can.

YOU - "Kim? How did you get on my connection?" … YOU - "What is he talking about?"’ SOONA, THE PROGRAMMER - "I believe you mean, what *was* he talking about." YOU - "Wait, what are *you* talking about?" KIM KITSURAGI - "It's been a long winter... Long and cold." SOONA, THE PROGRAMMER - "It sounds very much like entroponetic crosstalk. It happens sometimes when sending transmissions across long stretches of pale..."

Except IT'S NOT FROM THE PAST. It is Kim talking from the future, from the fort on the island. Which hasn’t happened yet.

And it can possibly NOT HAPPEN.

You hear Kim say this stuff even if he gets shot and doesn’t come with you to the island.

During gameplay they kind of just go “huh, how strange and spooky...” and don’t really delve into it.

But that completely changes the pale right? It’s not just past, it’s also future, and not just the ONLY future, POSSIBLE future.

So, my theory is that the pale is multiverse colliding: the near pale is the places where these universes begin to overlap, and deep pale is where universes overlap to such a degree they are cancelling themselves out into nothing.

Fungal communication – mycorrhizal network

When Joyce talks to you, she talks about a fungus growing at the edge of the porch collapse. I think this fungus could be acting like a mycorrhizal network, which in our world are an underground networks connecting fungi and plants allowing them to communicate or share information. I think the fungi/spores in Elysium pop up at origin points and thrive along the porch collapse and are allowing the universes to “talk” to each other.

SOONA, THE PROGRAMMER - "I understand..." She closes her eyes. "A theory of the pale where instead of an *outer ocean* it metastasises -- like a cancer or a mould -- erupting in points *inside* the world."

JOYCE MESSIER - "An uproar of matter, darling, *rising* into the pale. Rolling. Evaporating even, a great vision. The area of transition between the world and the pale is called *porch collapse*." JOYCE MESSIER - "Imagine a grey coronal mist, cold vapour, marked by spores of an opportunistic microorganism -- a mould that's adapted to grow at the edge of the unrest. It's..." JOYCE MESSIER - She closes her eyes and breathes out heavily: "... the most *disco* thing you will ever see.

INLAND EMPIRE - The white noise turns into a wall of mist and grey mould, bubbling, sweeping over the city... it tears up buildings and raises sidewalks into the sky. It's Revachol -- at the end of the world. INLAND EMPIRE - ...and it hasn't even really started yet.

Destructive interference – “le gris”

When Lena tells you about the cryptid the Col Do Ma Ma Da Qua, you learn that they are nearly extinct because the scientists played back their own calls and since they are creatures made of sound, the recordings cancelled out the birds. They died because the signals matched and cancelled each other out.

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "It's the *Col Do Ma Ma Daqua*," the woman corrects her glasses. "Its name means 'thin whisper of sound'. And that's *precisely* what it is -- self-replicating sound waves, invisible and intangible! The Col Do Ma Ma is very afraid of us, which makes it incredibly difficult to track..." YOU - "Why is the Ma Ma Daqua so afraid of us?" LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "That is a sad story." She frowns. "A group of university students assisting with the field work, in their enthusiasm for the project and, no doubt, because they were preoccupied with impressing their professors, nearly drove it to *extinction*." YOU - "Extinction?" LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - She nods gravely. "They tried to communicate with it, and had no other means but sound. So they started sending out sound waves at frequencies they thought might match the Ma Ma Daqua's. And what happens when a sound wave meets another sound wave of the same frequency, dear?" YOU - "They cancel each other out."

So... admittedly this doesn’t directly connect to the pale, but it’s illustrating the concept of signals cancelling each other out and, I'm going to say, indicates that this concept is possible in Elysium. The pale is destruction, the overlap between universes causes matter, physics, and even numbers to dissolve. The more complete the overlap, the more complete the destruction.

In conclusion...

According to my theory, the pale is the areas of the world that are affected by these fungal organisms that allow very similar, but different universes to communicate with each other, and since their 'signals' are so alike, they are being cancelled out.

So why did I force myself to jump thru these mental hoops? I think having a multiverse like this would make a sequel more possible since there are so many ways the game can be played. Any possible playthrough would be its own universe. Having a multiverse like this acknowledges and validates any play thru as 'canon,' no player will feel that they somehow played the game “wrong.” Whatever Harry appearing in the sequel is one of the possible Harrys even if he wasn’t “your” Harry. If a character died, they died only in some of the universes, not all. Whatever world the sequel would take place in is just one of the many possibilities.

Anyway, I thought WAYYYY too much about this and now you can too. Sorry!

#disco elysium #the pale #harrier du bois #kim kitsuragi #alternate universe

47 notes · View notes

hchollym · 1 year

Text

Percy Weasley & the Weasley's Homophobia/Transphobia

I wrote about Percy having Oldest Daughter Syndrome in this post, but that got me thinking, and I realized something - out of all the Weasley siblings, Percy is the only one that doesn't fit into gender norms.

So I started going back and rereading to double check, and I was blown away by just how many traditionally feminine traits Percy has in the books that I didn't notice the first time I read them! 😱

It has me wondering if that was subconsciously - or purposely - a major contributor of why the Weasley children disliked Percy so much (given how homophobic/transphobic the Wizarding World is in general).

The Basics/Personality Traits

Percy doesn't play Quidditch (i.e. sports).

He enjoys Divination - a subject that is seen as silly by the popular characters & only people like Lavender and Parvati (i.e. "dumb" girls) enjoy it.

He's not great at chess: "He [Harry] suspected he wouldn’t have lost so badly if Percy hadn’t tried to help him so much." According to many studies, there is a stereotype that boys are better at playing chess than girls.

Percy is more organized and clean: ""Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed."" This is a common stereotype for women, while men tend to be thought of as messier.

Descriptions/Word Choice

Percy is said to be, "fussy about rule-breaking and fond of bossing everyone around." Fussy and bossy are both sexist phrases that are commonly used to describe women who aren't accommodating enough.

Book 2 said, "Percy swelled in a manner that reminded Harry forcefully of Mrs. Weasley. “Get — away — from — there —” Percy said, striding toward them and starting to bustle them along, flapping his arms." It's not a coincidence that the other Weasley brothers are never compared to their mother.

In Book 4, it stated, "“Mr. Crouch!” said Percy breathlessly, sunk into a kind of halfbow that made him look like a hunchback. “Would you like a cup of tea?”" He is portrayed as being quite submissive and eager to please in his job (traits traditionally used to describe the ideal woman, particularly in the religious sectors).

Later in Book 4, there's this conversation: "“Maybe Percy’s poisoning him,” said Ron. “Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he’ll be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.”" Poisoning is most often done by women, whereas men tend to kill someone in more aggressive ways.

His Job

Percy worked as an assistant/secretary to Mr. Crouch and then for the Minister of Magic - both of which are considered "women's jobs." This dates back to the Industrial Revolution, when more than 1.7 million women began working in this career, and it is still predominantly held by women (who make up almost 90% of secretaries and assistants).

Even his research was feminine:

“What are you working on?” said Harry. “A report for the Department of International Magical Cooperation,” said Percy smugly. “We’re trying to standardize cauldron thickness.

Cauldrons are generally associated with women because they were also used for cooking, and in paintings, it is almost always witches (women) depicted with cauldrons.

Then, there's this:

“I don’t reckon he’d come home if Dad didn’t make him. He’s obsessed. Just don’t get him onto the subject of his boss. According to Mr. Crouch . . . as I was saying to Mr. Crouch . . . Mr. Crouch is of the opinion . . . Mr. Crouch was telling me . . . They’ll be announcing their engagement any day now.”

A secretary falling in love with their boss and becoming obsessed... hmm, where have I heard this stereotype before? 🙄

Discipline

A research study on parental discipline found that, "“When it comes to disciplining the kids, there’s been a role reversal in the modern home,” the study concluded, with moms being more consistent in discipline than dads. The researchers found that dads are no longer the strict disciplinarians that they were in the ’50s and ’60s, and are more likely to let children get away with wrong behavior and less likely to talk through discipline issues with the kids.""

We certainly see that dynamic in the Weasley household with Molly & Arthur, and we continue that trend with most of the Weasley sons - Bill & Charlie definitely aren't disciplining anyone; they're the cool, "chill" brothers who contribute to the problem by smashing tables around in the air for fun.

Percy is the only one who disciplines the younger kids - especially at school and in the role of a prefect:

“Five points from Gryffindor!” Percy said tersely, fingering his prefect badge. “And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more detective work, or I’ll write to Mum!”

Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up. They were taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues. They only stopped when Percy, apoplectic with rage, told them he was going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her Ginny was having nightmares.

Lack of Humor

“Yeah, well, Percy wouldn’t want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he?” said Ron, now starting on a chocolate eclair. “Percy wouldn’t recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby’s tea cozy.”

It is repeated regularly throughout the books that Percy isn't funny and can't take a joke, which correlates to the sexist idea that women aren't funny (or that men are much funnier).

Mother-Hen Tendencies

Percy has so many instances of looking out for his siblings (or noticing when something is wrong) and worrying about them (i.e. fussing over them):

Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy.

Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I’m pale and I’m not myself. I think he suspects me…

& After the Second Task in Book 4:

Percy seized Ron and was dragging him back to the bank (“Gerroff, Percy, I’m all right!”)

Compare this to Fleur's reaction only a few sentences later:

Fleur had broken free of Madame Maxime and was hugging her sister.

(In fact, Percy & Fleur share a lot of characteristics, but that's a topic for a different time.)

Relationships

Percy had a girlfriend, but he still broke the gender norms by writing love letters to her all summer and keeping a photograph of her. This type of romantic personality isn't stereotypically common of most teenage boys (especially in these books), but it is common of characters like Lavender, who bought Ron a gold necklace (and Ron was appalled at the idea of wearing it).

His Brothers

To compare, the only other Weasley brother who shows any traditionally feminine traits is Bill with his long hair (and I guess his one earring, but that became very popular among guys during the 80's/90's). This is a physical characteristic as opposed to an emotional/behavioral one, and Bill doesn't get any negative reaction, because he is masculine in every other way - He had a dangerous, exciting job for many years; he has a career working with money (74% of people working in finance are men); he married a much younger, attractive woman (think about Leonardo DiCaprio not dating women over the age of 25); and he had a completely heteronormative marriage.

To Summarize

Percy has an abundance of traditionally feminine characteristics in the books, as opposed to his brothers, who definitely do not. Given how society is in the Wizarding World, it is very likely that this contributed to his strained relationship with his family. 😥

#percy weasley #percy weasley defense squad #anti wizarding world #weasley family critical #feminine percy weasley #queer percy weasley #anti transphobes #anti homophobia #hp #book percy weasley #my thoughts #my opinions #my headcanons

363 notes · View notes

pathologicalreid · 16 days

Note

Girlie (gn) you hate Maeve? You have good taste I see, I fucking hated her (well strongly disliked but still) mary sue is such a perfect term, she was just boring and I feel Spencer felt so wet and weepy with her

i don't hate maeve so much as i hate the maeve plotline! i think strongly dislike is a really good phrase to use when talking about my feelings towards maeve's character.

as a character, she's super flat and one dimensional. i think she and spencer were "together" for eight months(?) and the episode where you learn the most about her is the one where she fucking dies. i've spent all day thinking about this and im beginning to think that part of the reason why she is a mary sue is that spencer tends to put people he cares about on pedestals and ignores their flaws.

and youre like "what flaws does she have if you barely know anything about her" and okay i'll tell you:

b-12 and magnesium as a treatment for migraines is fucking insane. i'm not saying it couldn't work, but all through season 6 (re: 6x12 "corazon") spencer is seeing doctors and anyone who has ever dealt with a fuckass chronic disease/illness will tell you that a blood panel like that would be one of the first steps in reaching a diagnosis!!!

why on god's green earth would you have a stalker, be dating an fbi agent, and not let your fbi agent boyfriend help you? i have been stalked before!!!! it's not fun!!!!! i'd take all the help i could've gotten at the time. this has always rubbed me the wrong way because oh my god the solution was right there the whole time. he could have protected you! he would have protected you!

i know they weren't technically doctor/patient but there is still some weird power dynamic in their relationship that gives me the ick. other than they're smart and they read, they really dont have much in common.

their relationship to me is equivalent to the girl i dated online after we met through percy jackson fan accounts. i.e. not really a relationship. most of their interaction was off screen and i think that did a huge detriment to the plot.

in the end, i think the maeve storyline and 8x12 "zugzwang" is a hard watch. i can't take it seriously. i'd skip it, but then i'd miss so much blake content (and hotch looks so good in that episode sorry spencer) (not into the fuckass bob in season 8). at the same time, i know it was like... mgg's idea and i'm pretty sure he's friends with beth riesgraf. (he loves to traumatize himself idk). but the whole thing gets messier when you think about the implications left by 14x15 "truth or dare" and the abhorrent jeid plot in season 15 where it's insinuated that spencer has been in love with jj for fifteen years (zoinks) and it's like what about maeve??? i don't know man (gn) i could go on for hours about this

that being said, i see a lot of people not liking the actress who plays maeve. i am telling you that it had to have been the writing or the directing in the episodes because beth riesgraf is incredible. she played a character named parker in the tv show leverage (one of my favorite tv shows of all time) and let me tell you That Is Her Role.

jesus this was long i had more to say than i thought sorry thank you anon

#maeve haters rise up #spencer reid #maeve donovan #margot speaks #margot's asks #anon

52 notes · View notes

tanuki-kimono · 9 months

Note

If you would have to do a video or picture series called "100 Years of Wafuku fashion", which covers the decades 1900s to 2000s (or maybe you can extend it to up to maybe the 2020s). Which shows not only what the clothing looked like but other parts of the ensemble as well (i.e. hairstyles,make up, and accessories). What will you show as like the representation of each decade?

Fashion and hairstyles history overview could easily fill a book. And we are not even touching the issue of handling subdivisions like social class, areas of Japan, subcultures, etc etc.

So, pinpointing fashion trends over such a loooong period of time is difficult... Maybe one day I'll have the bravery for such a project but today is not the day xD

Still, off the top of my head, you can find those subjects (loosely) covered in following past posts:

[100 Years of Beauty: Japan - Research Behind the Looks] video, which goes with this video released by CUT [Evolution of furisode fashion from the 1950′s to 2020′s] charts For hairstyles, look at the nihongami tag, especially Shota Kotake's illustrations and Nancy Duong's Hairstyles of Taisho Japan (new source is here) My kimono tag is not truly organized by eras :S You can still check the following periods: Meiji, Taisho (or Taisho romance), WWII. Also check any "antique"* mention. Post WWII is messier. I have a few things filled under Showa, and virtually nothing tagged as Heisei ("vintage"* is not properly ordered enough :S). For late Heisei/Reiwa look at modern kimono tag. (* on this blog, I use antique and vintage quite liberally!) I can't find all the posts I am thinking of, but subcultures I've covered in the past includes moga, bankara, gyaru, decora, kawaii / loli, bozozoku, ... I'll also recommend this article (cw: USA internment camps), as wafuku history doesn't stop at Japan and should also includes overseas. I don't have much on then occupied territories (like Manchouria, Korea, Phillipines, Singapore etc) + the Ryuukyuu but they should also be cited here!

Hope you'll find something useful among those messy recommendations ^^;

#ask #fashion history #japan #meiji #showa #heisei #reiwa #Japan subcultures #kimono #japanese traditional hairstyles #nihongami

75 notes · View notes

i-heart-hxh · 10 months

Note

Favorite Killugon Headcannons??

Thanks for asking! I have a ton of headcanons about them because I've been into HxH for years and I think about them constantly... Some of the ones I have are longer and I'd like to develop them into fanfics eventually or at least individual posts, but here are some random shorter ones off the top of my head:

I prefer to think they end up with a similar height difference to the one they have now, just a few inches apart with Killua being a bit taller. This might be genetically unlikely, but it's my own preference.

They share a bed most of the time starting in Heavens Arena. Every now and then Killua will decide to go sleep in his own room (because they each get rooms in Heavens Arena for reaching the 100th floor), which leaves Gon feeling a bit lonely. They just get one room after Heavens Arena, and even if there are two beds in the room they'll still usually end up sharing one. The exception is if they're in a situation where someone else is likely to see them (i.e. Bisky in Greed Island), in that case Killua definitely splits off into his own bed. They don't generally intentionally, full-on cuddle/hug until after they reunite/get together, but they do end up sleeping right up against each other a lot nonetheless (accidentally or "accidentally"), which they both quietly love.

They're both casually touchy with each other, like arms over shoulders, fluffing each others' hair, play wrestling, sitting close together, sometimes even holding hands if one is guiding the other somewhere, etc., but again they don't really full-on hug until things change between them. Gon doesn't want to push Killua's boundaries too much because he knows Killua gets flustered if Gon gets too affectionate, and it's just an emotionally vulnerable thing to do. They certainly both think about it, though.

Gon is naturally an early riser and he's a deep sleeper, Killua struggles with insomnia because of his training and he tends to stay up late and sleep in if they don't have anything important going on. Killua's sleep patterns get more normalized by being around Gon, but he's usually up about an hour or more later even then (playing video games, watching movies, etc.).

Gon can make basic, simple foods because Mito taught him, Killua doesn't know how to cook at all at first because he grew up with butlers, but Gon gradually teaches him how to make some things. (They do eat out a lot, though.)

Gon tends to keep everything clean and tidy in their living spaces, Killua is a lot messier and will leave stuff laying around if Gon isn't there to remind him.

They teach each other about the differences in culture where they each grew up, like mythology/folk stories, holidays, popular phrases, etc.

They both have nightmares and flashbacks at times post-CAA (Killua always did, but they intensify) and once they reunite, they help comfort each other through those. It helps a lot once they're reunited, because they can easily know the other one is safe.

This may have to change someday depending on what Togashi does or doesn't do in canon, haha, but I like to think their separation isn't all that long, maybe a year or less, and once they're back together and working things out it doesn't take them all that long to confess to each other and start a relationship. Especially because once Gon realizes how he feels it's hard for him to hold it back; he only stops himself if he doesn't think Killua is ready to hear it yet.

Once they're in a relationship, it's basically like their natural state of being and they never even consider breaking up. Of course they both have things they have to work through and they have to learn to communicate better, but they adore each other and they're incredibly happy to be together. They're very affectionate with each other once they get through the initial stages of the relationship where they're just figuring things out.

Gon loves PDA, Killua is self-conscious about it but allows it in small doses because it makes him a little happy even if it's embarrassing.

They eventually have a house built on Whale Island, not far from Gon's childhood home. They have places elsewhere, too, because they love traveling around, but it's nice for them to be able to go "home" when they want to.

They never grow out of having silly competitions, light-hearted bickering, playing harmless pranks on each other, etc.

I could go on and on, but at least this is a start. It was fun thinking about it and writing some up instead of just having them live in my head all the time, thanks again for asking!

#hxh #hunter x hunter #killugon #gonkillu #gon #killua #headcanons #my posts #asks #I honestly have so so so many it's hard to even figure out how to write them out because they're so ingrained in me by now haha #I also have lots of different versions and timelines of things in my head so it's not like there's just one way I see things happening #but I hope people enjoy reading these and maybe agree with some of my headcanons!

92 notes · View notes

journey-to-the-attic · 1 year

Text

been toying with the idea that belphie and ik would've been best friends had belphie not been locked in the attic when ik first arrived in the devildom (this is something that they wouldn't really think about in-universe, hence why i'm bringing it up here and not in-story)

despite the whole 'i hate humans bc it's their fault lilith died grhgahrgh' thing, they'd get along well - though begrudgingly on belphie's part at first. but he is still, ultimately, very intrigued by humanity and learning about the sort of things that are just normal to ik

they'd just slip into a friendly dynamic really easily (you can kind of see it happening in the most recent chapter, though belphie's still a bit too tense to really get into it), and potentially all this would've helped belphie to question his own biases, and to properly confront his hatred and the emotions it stemmed from

unfortunately he was in the attic from the beginning and ik could only meet him sparingly, plus all that time in solitary confinement gave him a lot of time alone with his thoughts, so instead he internalised all that pent-up emotional distress, had a nightmare, and committed murder about it

were they to meet and acquire Bestie Status in the past, i.e. before belphie's had that many centuries to stew in his misdirected anger, the process would potentially be even faster, though definitely messier initially because the emotions are extremely fresh and still volatile

anyway what i'm saying is that past belphie would immediately get very attached when ik gets nightbrought

#obey me #ik gets nightbrought #i've just done the beginning of lesson 11 and the thing with belphie reminded of this #obey me belphegor #nightbringer #misc thoughts

59 notes · View notes

harpagornis · 8 months

Text

Minoan Gods

Decided to take an old article and repackage it for the tumblr audience.

The double-edged axe or labris, likely the least controversial thing written here.

To honor the latest release of Minotaur Hotel I decided to do an article on what is known of the Minoan deities.

Known as the “first European city-makers” and a distant precursor to Greece, what is called the Minoan Civilization after King Minos of Crete was a mysterious Bronze Age nation that governed Crete and neighbouring parts of the Aegean. Its age, likely influences over posterior Greek (and by extension western) culture and unique art has long made it a subject of mystique and intrigue. Whereas it’s the several still undeciphered scripts and languages or the fact that it seems to have a rare genuinely matriarchal society, it seems the countless research and academia only raises more questions than answers.

One such well documented but ultimately unsuccessful endeavour is identifying the pantheon these people worshipped. It is strongly speculated that Minoan Crete was theocratic (Kristiansen & Larsson, 2005, among several others) and several art either represents cultic activities (such as the famous bull leaping) if not gods themselves, but in the absence of the proper written word this is beyond impossible to ascertain. The implications of understanding Minoan religion are very clear, as beyond offering a snapshot to the lives of these people it also bears the potential implication that many Greek gods and mythological figures ultimately had their origins here.

To completely compile, summarise and synthesize all that has been written on Minoan religion is a task far too vast to implement, so here are some of the most widely agreed upon gods.

Queen of the Gods

Snake goddess figurine by C messier. The most well known Minoan possible religious artifact, it’s still not clear if these figurines represent a goddess, multiple goddesses or human priests.

By far the most well kown figure attributed to Minoan religion is the Queen or Mother goddess, sometimes known as “Snake Goddess” due to an abundance of figurines depicting women holding snakes. Perhaps surprisingly (or not given the second paragraph), she’s not actually attested anywhere, given that Minoan scripts haven’t yet been deciphered, but her existence can be inferred due to a variety of factors:

Female figurines are by far the most common representation of what could be interpreted as a god in Minoan sites. Chief among these are the aforementioned “snake goddess” figurines. While there is considerable debate on whereas these truly represent deities (plural or singular) or mortal priestesses, they are comparable to apotropaic depictions of surrounding cultures, most notably those of the latter Athena Parthenos which similarly is associated with serpentine iconography as controlling these forces of chaos (Ogden 2013).

The fact that Minoan society was matriarchal in nature, which would lend credence to the supreme being in their cosmology being feminine in nature. While a dominant female deity does not always correlate to a matriarchal society (i.e. Amaterasu, Virgin Mary, et cetera), the opposite, a matriarchal society with a masculine supreme god, is yet to be documented (though see below).

Several Greek mother goddesses such as Demeter and Rheia are thought to have a Cretan origin (Mylonas 1966, Sidwell 1981 among several others), so it’s not terribly hard to see them as “descendents” of this Minoan deity.

The Philistines, contray to biblical assertions on Dagon worship, seem to have favoured a goddess as their primary deity (Schäfer-Lichtenberger 2000, Ben-Shlomo 2019). The Philistines, through genetic legacy and material culture, are now understood to have had an Aegean origin, so again seeing this as a continuation of a Minoan goddess is plausible.

Several names have been speculated for this deity, usually along the lines of the author’s interpretation of Minoan scripts (which should be noted, are not only undeciphered but very likely don’t mention deities at all, since all we have seem to brief texts likely attributed to tax reports). The name “Rhea” doesn’t seem to be of Indo-European origin (Nilsson 1950, Sidwell 1981), making it very likely that this is a theonym with Minoan origins. The same applies to Ariadne (Alexiou 1969) and possibly also Athena (Beekes 2009). Conversely, the Philistine goddess is possibly attested as “Ptgyh” (Ben-Shlomo 2019), a name that is speculated to be related to Greek “Potnia”, “mistress”. In all likelihood, such an important goddess likely was known by a variety of epithets.

Fertility is naturally considered a major function of this mother goddess, but perhaps in ways one might not expect. An emphasis on solar worship has been noted due to temple arrangements and material objects such as “frying pans” with solar iconography (Ridderstad 2009), suggesting that, rather than an earth goddess as one might expect, this was a solar goddess. Solar goddesses are known from a variety of Near Eastern cultures such as Egypt (Sekhmet, Hathor), Anatolia (Arinniti, Istanu, Estan, Wurunsemu) and Canaan (Shapash) so a solar interpretation of the Minoan supreme goddess isn’t unusual. In particular, this might imply a more “chthonic” interpretation of the sun than the Classical “object in the sky”, due to temple angles tressing sunrises and sunsets (Ridderstad 2009), whch is consistent with the Hittite notions of the sun goddess ruling the underworld. Regardless, as noted below in Talos there is also possible evidence for a Minoan male sun.

More unambiguously, this goddess had a civil and possibly domestic function. As noted above snake goddess figurines might be apotropaic in nature, used to ward off evil spirits or more mundane threats like snakes. If Athena is derived from this goddess then a role as the protector of the palace is also implied given Athena’s role in the Mycenaean era, and both Ariadne and Athena are associated with weaving. Conversely, so are solar goddesses in other places, like the Baltic Saule or the Turkic Gun Ana, as the rays of the sun are easily linked to threads, further suggesting this role for the Minoan goddess. Both Rhea and Demeter are also associated with lions, animals that not only are symbolic of the sun but also of a notable sun goddess across the sea, Sekhmet.

The fact that the Minoan ruling goddesses was the possible genesis for several Greek goddesses like Rheia, Demeter, Ariadne and Athena suggests a rather extensive and important function in ancient Cretan religion. Conversely, it might also suggest that what we might attributing to a single goddess was in fact several different deities, but as deities overlap and flow into one another it is possible that these goddesses were either seen as one or acquired independent identities several times throught Minoan history.

The Bull God

Bull-leaping fresco. A stapple of Minoan art.

The bull is extensively depicted in Minoan art. Most common are bull-leaping frescos depicting youths of both genders leaping or interacting with bulls, suggesting this was a common Minoan sport and perhaps even a religious ritual. But bulls are depicted in many other contexts as well, and as such the existence of an actual Minoan bull god is frequently speculated upon.

In Near-Eastern cultures, bulls are both solar and lunar symbols. On the one hand, the bull’s horn/s resemble/s a lunar crescent, and indeed not only are Middle Eastern male moon gods like Nanna and Suen associated with the bull but even the Greek Selene is described as having a chariot pulled by bulls, suggesting that not even a shift towards a feminine moon deity erased this iconography. On the other hand, a bull is a powerful animal and thus worthy of male solar gods, most notably the Mesopotamian Marduk (literally “calf of the sun”). Sometimes both interpretations show up in the same culture: in Egypt the Apis bull is associated both with Ra and with Osiris as Yah (the moon). Perhaps the same applied to ancient Crete (again, see Talos below), but a lunar bull would certainly be a vivid symbol contrasted against the sun goddess.

The bull is associated with Dionysus which otherwise is mired in more “exotic” symbols, suggesting that the putative “Minoan Dionysus” might be the bull god. It has long been speculated that the bull god is a male youth and son and consort to the queen of the gods, though women are also depicted bull leaping.

The Greek minotaur has long been speculated to be a remnant of the Minoan bull god, not without reason being so throughly linked with Crete as a concept. In this case, the monstrous depiction is either fully discontinuous from older practises or defamatory, with my personal two cents that it is also a jab against the bull gods of the Phoenicians, accused at the time of human sacrifice by the (infant killing) Greeks. Asterion is said to be the birth name of the minotaur by Pseudo-Apollodorus, but I wouldn’t read much into this since this name (literally “starry one”) is a common Greek name for many figures both historical and mythological, and at any rate a recent Indo-European name at odds with the most likely Pre-Greek Cretan languages.

“Dionysus”

“Prince of the Lilies” fresco, often but by no means universally interpreted as a male youth figure.

There is extensive evidence of wine cults in Minoan Crete (Kerényi 1976). This, combined with the Mycenaean depictions of a bull-horned Dionysus (or “di-wo-nu-so” as it is) seems to point to a Minoan origin for this god. “Dionysus” is an Indo-European name connected to Zeus and other sky father figures but the actual character of the god is not easily identified in the PIE world, suggesting a Pre-Greek, local origin. A possible exception is the Lusitanian god Andaeico (Teixeira 2014) which might resemble the putative “flower Dionysus” (see below), but this deity is himself not well understood and might be from an ancient Iberian stratum in Lusitanian culture.

The Mycenaean Dionysus is a figure with stronger ties to death and rebirth than revelry necessarily but the evolution from “eldritch god” to “party dude” might not have been as linear (geddit) a concept as one might expect. Male figurines thought to represent a young god increase in popularity in later stages of Minoan history (Vasilakis 2001) as do male youth figures often identified as “prince of the lilies/flowers” which alongside the wine cults is closer to the Classical Dionysus than the Mycenaean or later Orphic one. However once more in the absence of deciphered scripts it is impossible to say for certainty that these figurines represent deities let alone are Dionysus. Hell, the “flowery figures” have even been interpreted as female at times.

If an actual god, the “Minoan Dionysus” might very well be identified with the bull god, as the bull is a rather odd symbol for the “exotic” attributes the Classical Dionysus is associated with. Ariadne in Greek myth does get hitched with Dionysus; an imbalanced, reversed remnant of the male youth/Minoan queen goddess pairing perhaps?

Talos

Talos by laura Jastrow.

Perhaps the only Minoan or at least Cretan god we may truly known by name is Talos. In Greek myth Talos is best known as the strange automaton made by Hephaestus, but it was also the Cretan word for “sun”, analogous to “Helios” of mainland Greece according to Hesychius of Alexandria. Zeus was worshipped in Crete as Zeus Talaios, who was associated with the sun, and the Tallaia was a spur of Mt. Ida associated with sunrise rituals (Nilson 1923).

This association of Zeus with Talos is as peculiar as it is extensive. Zeus, a god whose origins are well documented to be Indo-European in nature, is held in Greek myth as born and raised in Crete, and Cretan depictions of Talos differ from those of mainland Greece in having wings. Further, the seduction of Europa by Zeus as a bull links the Classical Zeus to Crete in a very fundamental way. This seems to indicate a rather through syncretism between the Greek/Mycenaean sky god and this indigenous Cretan deity, which in turn implies a rather relevant role to the Minoan Talos.

Conversely, outside of Crete Talos is an enigmatic figure, as noted by Pausanias himself which seems more confused than anything. Certainly, the story of a pre-sci-fi robot is weird, let alone how it relates to an ancient Cretan god, linked to the supreme god of all Greeks down to his very birth.

Talos is truly an anomaly. A solar god which was important enough to warrant syncretism with Zeus, in a matriarchal culture where the sun seems to have been traditionally the supreme goddess herself. Crete was likely never a monolith even at the height of Minoan rule, but all current signs point to Talos being an ancient Cretan deity from before PIE influences in Greece, and he seems so out of place.

My personal two cents is that Minoan cosmology was similar to that of the Hittites and other Anatolian cultures, where the sun is male during the day as it travels through the sky and female at night where it rules the underworld. Talos’ syncretism with Zeus therefore would be derived from representing the male, skyward aspect of the sun, corroborated by worship at the Tallaia. In the original Minoan religion Talos was probably lesser compared to his female aspect (which even as a chthonic deity would easily be accepted as the supreme power; even Mycenaeans favoured the chthonic Poseidon to the celestial Zeus after all), but his roled ensured syncretism with the king of the gods once Crete was conquered.

Britomartis

Candiacervus by Peter Schouten.

Britomartis is possibly another deity we might know from a genuinely Minoan or at least Cretan name. Solinus claims it is “sweet virgin” in Cretan and the name doesn’t seem to have Indo-European roots. If true, I’d imagine this theonym is more due to syncretism with the Greek Artemis if anything as I doubt ancient Minoans cared much about virginity as a concept, though Artemis herself may be derived from this deity. Some archaeologists have further suggested that it is an euphemism for the deity’s actual name, since being a goddess of the wilds saying it might have been unwise (Ruck 1994). Another name attributed to her is Diktynna, “hunting nets”, or simply Dicte/Dikte (unsurprisingly, she named said mountain, and was likely its spirit). I’ve never seen the etymology of this name tracked, so I can’t say for sure if it is Greek or Pre-Greek in origin

Britomartis is in Greek myth a mere oread or mountain nymph, said to have invented hunting nets. She is said to have fled Minos’ lust, a tale that even Siculus expressed disbelief at due to her divinity. Thus, although greatly diminuished by Hellenistic times, she was still clearly held to be a deity, and still seems to have been worshipped in Crete during Classical times, frequently appearing in coinage as a winged figured. She is equated to Artemis, a goddess associated with the wilderness and mountains, and it can be assumed she represents a similar “lady of the beasts” archetype. Artemis herself has a name of unclear etymology, and could be of Minoan origin, being perhaps another name for Britomartis.

Some authors tempt to lump Britomartis with the Minoan mother goddess, but to me these seem like clearly distinct figures. Whereas the queen of the gods is a civic, fertility and possibly solar figure, Britomartis is alcearly a goddess of the wild places, perhaps even more specifically the embodiment of Mt. Dicte. Of course, overlap between these two goddesses likely happened at several points in Cretan history.

And that’s it for now.

Other Minoan gods have been positted, including a sea one (naturally), but they aren’t sufficiently supported by everyone in the field at large, so I won’t bother.

References

Kristiansen, Kristian & Thomas B. Larsson. The Rise of Bronze Age Society: Travels, Transmissions and Transformations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Ogden, Daniel (2013). Drakon: Dragon Myth and Serpent Cult in the Greek and Roman Worlds. Oxford University Press. pp. 7–9. ISBN 9780199557325 – via Google Books.

George Mylonas (1966), “Mycenae and the Mycenean world “

Sidwell, R.T. (1981). “Rhea was abroad: Pre-Hellenic Greek myths for post-Hellenic children”. Children’s Literature in Education. 12 (4): 171–176. doi:10.1007/BF01142761. S2CID 161230196.

Christa Schäfer-Lichtenberger, The Goddess of Ekron and the Religious-Cultural Background of the Philistines, Vol. 50, No. 1/2 (2000)

David Ben-Shlomo, Philistine Cult and Religion According to Archaeological Evidence, January 2019Religions 10(2):74, DOI: 10.3390/rel10020074

Nilsson, Martin Persson (1 January 1950). The Minoan-Mycenaean Religion and its Survival in Greek Religion. Biblo & Tannen Publishers. ISBN 9780819602732 – via Google Books.

Alexiou, Stylianos (1969). Minoan Civilization. Translated by Ridley, Cressida (6th revised ed.). Heraklion, Greece.

Beekes, Robert S. P. (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Leiden and Boston: Brill

Marianna Ridderstad, Evidence of Minoan astronomy and calendrical practices, October 2009

Kerényi, Karl. 1976. Dionysus. Trans. Ralph Manheim, Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691029156, 978-0691029153

Monteiro Teixeira, Sílvia. 2014. Cultos e cultuantes no Sul do território actualmente português em época romana (sécs. I a. C. – III d. C.). Masters’ dissertation on Archaeology.. Lisboa: Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa.

Andonis Vasilakis, MINOAN CRETE: FROM MYTH TO HISTORY Paperback – January 1, 2001

Nilsson, “Fire-Festivals in Ancient Greece” The Journal of Hellenic Studies 43.2 1923

Carl A.P. Ruck and Danny Staples, The World of Classical Myth [Carolina Academic Press], 1994

#minoan #greek mythology #gods #pagan #paganism #reconstructionism

24 notes · View notes

stardestroyer81 · 1 year

Text

Pizza Tower features a wide variety of foes for Peppino to plow his way through, though if I had to chose my ultimate favorite enemy in the entire game, I'd have to go with the Bad Rat. I love literally everything about their animations and I always get super excited whenever I come across one!

It was when I first attempted to draw a Bad Rat that I realized the potential of taking one and making it into my very own Pizza Tower OC... enter Brat the Rat, the punkish and portly rival to Gustavo's right-hand rodent, Brick the Rat!

(Check under the cut for some insight on Brat's character as well as concept art!)

We all know that Peppino Spaghetti has his fair share of rivals, and while it's unanimously agreed upon that his ultimate foe is the villainous Pizzaface, I've always thought that the Noise made for a better fit as the Italian's evil double. I mean, they do hate each other with a passion.

But how cool would it be if Brick the Rat had his own rival (Gustavo doesn't need a rival, he's too precious to have one)? There's a distinct difference between Brick and the Bad Rats (I.E. tail color, ear length, messier whiskers, etc.), and I thought it would serve as a neat basis for a Pizza Tower OC!

Brat the Rat is the commander of the Bat Rat brigade in the Pizza Tower, and sent Brick out to dispose of the intruders of their domain. However, after Gustavo and Brick's eventual friendship, Brat takes it upon himself to disregard the incompetence of his inferiors and go after the true threat to the tower, Peppino, personally.

He is best described as a conniving though lazy figure of authority, and spends most of his time snooping about The Pig City or at home in the fittingly named sewer level. In spite of his mean demeanor and meaner intentions, Brat also has a seldom-seen (At least to anyone besides the Bad Rats) gentler side, and can be a complete and total cuddle bug if he trusts you enough.

I find that Pizza Tower sprites are easiest to draw if you sketch them out beforehand, and that's just what I did with Brat! I wanted Brat to be larger than the standard Bad Rat by a longshot, and that he'd tower over Peppino when sitting upright, so I made conceptual sketches of the such before going into spriting.

Honestly, it took me a little while to figure out Brat's body shape when he isn't laying on his front, but I've since perfected it and can safely say he is easily one of the easiest and most fun of my OCS to draw! Seeing how big of a hit he was to some of my mutuals outside of tumblr, I figured I'd show him off to y'all on tumblr as well! 🍕✨

#Star's Art #Star's OCs #Brat the Rat #Peppino Spaghetti #Pizza Tower #Pizza Tower OC #Sprite Art #Coolness #HE'S THE GIANT RAT THAT MAKES ALL OF DA RULES.#I've only had Brat the Rat for about two days and he is unironically one of my most beloved OCs #He started out as a sketch of a much larger Bad Rat though I grew attached to the concept more than I thought I would #Shrimp suggested I give him a hat so I gave him a beanie... and thus Brat the Rat was born!#One thing I wanted to save for the tags was the sprite I drew of Peppino #Let me say that again...#The sprite I— StarDestroyer81— drew of Peppino #That's right; the sprite of Peppino featured in this post isn't a frame of one of his animations...#... but instead one I drew specifically for this post from the ground up!#IT'S LITERALLY THE BEST PEPPINO I'VE DRAWN BY A W I D E MARGIN.#I think it's 'cause I'm finally getting a feel for drawing his face and body but IT FLAT-OUT LOOKS OFFICIAL #With that aside I do intend on drawing Brat some more very soon #I wanna see if I can do a piece where I'm hugging him because like #The man's hug shaped. That is a rat made for hugging.#Plus I really like him so I think it'd be a cute piece!

108 notes · View notes

vampire-exgirlfriend · 5 months

Note

so youve talked about daemon. but what are your thoughts on alicent?

Here, have some unhinged Alicent meta, anon who obviously wants me to get beat up.

Where the fuck do I even start with Alicent Hightower?

So I actually do enjoy the changes from the book to the show, at least in the first half of season one. I think that the added intrigue and drama of having her and Rhaenyra be friends and contemporaries added a lot of good potential. I love the angle of that first forbidden love (that was actually Emily’s idea, not the show runners, so stop being weird about that, certain TB people). It added depth to her character and gave us a taste of how much she would change as the story unfolds. Young Alicent is a sad girl, but still a girl full of hope, who had dreams and a best friend that became her family. To a lot of people, she’s very relatable. She’s sassy (the gossip at the tourney will never not be one of my favorite scenes), she’s smart, she works hard to learn and to impress those around her. And then, when tragedy strikes, she’s pulled away from Rhaenyra, the person she wanted to comfort in the ways that Alicent had found comfort in when her own mother died, and essentially pimped out by her father to the king (we can have a separate conversation about the whole Laena thing, which I do actually view as very different from what Otto did with Alicent), sent in her dead mother’s clothes to a grown man’s rooms, alone, to “soothe his grief.” There is very little left to the imagination about what Otto intended with this (I pretty firmly believe that Viserys took her maidenhead the night before the announcement was made that he would marry her instead of Laena and that’s why Alicent is wearing the same dress and jewelry the next day).

So you have this fifteen year old girl, who was assaulted by a man she’s known all her life, the father of her best friend, and king of the realm. She’s rightfully terrified, she sees her life flashing before her eyes, she sees the implosion of the one friendship she really has. And honestly, the lead up to this is where Alicent loses me a bit. She is incredibly isolated, we see this. We see how she and Rhaenyra are held up as women with power, but powerless to do anything with it - it is power in name only. They are portrayed as each other's safe harbor in the storm. And I find myself asking ‘why didn’t Alicent go to Rhaenyra? Why didn’t she confide in her best friend about this, when that confiding would have the power to remove her from this situation, or at least, have her be less alone in it and have her best friend know what’s going on?’ Like we know, Alicent is a smart girl. So I will blame this one on the writing. Because it genuinely doesn’t compute to me. Yes, her father said “keep quiet.” Viserys said “keep quiet.” But, in a more real life scenario, would she have kept quiet? Especially before the guilt and shame of any sexual events (i.e assualt by the king) have happened and made the emotional spiral messier. I very much understand how sexual assault makes us clam up, and I, in no way, would ever shame or brow beat anyone for how they handle that. But what about the months before that happened? We are constantly shown how these girls share and gossip and spend all of their time together. It would have made sense for Alicent to be like "this is happening and I don't like it and I'm nervous." So, to me, this is more of a forced drama point to push the narrative along. It’s clunky and awkward and doesn’t make sense for the people that we now know Rhaenyra and Alicent to be.

It was the first moment where I was like “bad call, Alicent.” But I do think that this clunky narrative choice by the writers does play into the person that we see Alicent grow into, which is where she almost completely loses me.

Alicent Hightower is both victim and abuser. These are two things that can be true at one time, and I can be full of both sympathy for her plight and fury at the way she treats those around her. She has been isolated and preyed upon by her father, and assaulted and made to birth babies for a man who doesn’t care for her or for them. She has led a life of trauma, and it twisted her into something unrecognizable from the girl we met in episode one.

And she made Rhaenyra the center of that, the touchstone of her righteous rage.

She becomes fixated on the Velaryon boy’s lack of Valyrian features (which is an extension on the bad blood that grew between her and Rhaenyra when she found out that Rhaenyra and Criston slept together - do not come at me about which way the power dynamics skew in that situation). Why the show made the change to Rhaenys’ black hair and darker coloring will never fail to both astound and piss me off. This was meant to be vague. It was meant to not be able to be pinned down because those boys could have easily gotten their grandmother’s coloring. But whatever. Even still, Alicent’s treatment of Rhaenyra and Joffrey immediately after his birth is nothing short of fucking atrocious at best and abusive at worst. Even Laenor’s line of “haven’t we moved past this by now” shows us that this has been going on for the last eleven years.

That said, there are eleven years of missing pieces here. And we as the audience are left to interpret what could have gone on in that time. But to me, it looks like Alicent could not come to grips with the fact that Rhaenyra no longer saw her as someone that she could trust, that she could confide in. Rhaenyra took the omission of the fact that Alicent was spending time with Viserys (of her own volition or not, Rhaenyra has no idea, because Alicent kept it a secret, and we can’t look at that through the modern lens we want to. Because fifteen year old girls were married to men in their forties all the time, despicable as it is) and felt that it was the deathblow to their friendship, which further isolated them both.

We see that Alicent has become more pious over the years, which makes sense because 1) the Hightowers have a very deep connection to and relationship with the faith of the seven 2) she says in an early episode that the sept is where she goes to feel closer to her mother, and she is very much isolated at this point, needing that connection, and 3) it gives her a more tangible reason for her hatred for Rhaenyra’s children (more than just the show narrative idea of “hey, Alicent can’t get over a pseudo breakup with her childhood sort of girlfriend). In her mind, if the Valrayon boys are bastards, they are evil, and her faith backs up that train of thought. It gives her something to cleave to, something that substantiates all the feelings that she can’t make sense of but that feel awful. And while all of this is happening, she has Otto whispering “oh, Rhaenyra will certainly kill your sons should she come to the throne.”

Now, again, Alicent loses me here. Because Rhaenyra has never indicated that she would do that (or allow that, for those of you who want to say ‘Oh well Daemon…’ or ‘Oh well Corlys…’). Alicent has seen that, where her father is concerned, that she is “simply a piece to move about the board,” that he never had her best interest, or her children’s at heart, and still she chooses to believe that? So is it just weak writing, or is Alicent weak in this instance? And where does that piety stand when she is covering up the fact that her son raped a maid? She doesn’t hold Aegon responsible for the action, only for how it would reflect on the family. She is so quick to blame the Velaryon boys for the pig incident, when, on screen, it is very obvious to see that it was Aegon’s idea and he roped an eleven and a four year old into it. Even Viserys sees it. And when it’s brought to Rhaenyra’s attention, Rhaenyra extends the offer of a dragon egg to Aemond, as well as a betrothal between Jace and Helaena (jacelaena, my beloveds). Alicent, however, only tells Aegon that he can “cuff his brother about at home as he wishes” but that outside of their home, they must present a united front. I will say that I do believe that Alicent is doing everything she can to keep her family together, to keep them safe. She has never not been isolated. She is not a dragon, she is not a Targaryen, she holds absolutely no power. Do I think she did the right things? No. But I also don't think everything she did came from a hateful or evil place. No one taught this woman how to be a mother, no one taught her how to love her children without hurting them (metaphorically. She can catch these hands for the physical abuse she commits against Aegon. There is never an excuse for putting your hands on children).

Then we have Driftmark, an all around unfortunate situation. A dragon cannot be stolen, so I’m not even going to touch on that. But children who should have been in bed, watched by guards, weren’t, and the ensuing fight happened. Aemond lost an eye, everyone is corralled into the great hall and Jace tells Rhaenyra “he called us bastards.” I don’t think enough people understand the concept that bastardry in this instance can get you killed. Rhaenyra, the boys, Harwin, if he wasn’t already dead, could have lost their lives; it wasn’t just the crown or the throne at risk. And these are the words that Alicent is teaching her sons to use in regard to Rhaenyra and the Velaryon boys. Should the name calling have been the main focus of this? Absolutely not, a child had his eye cut out. Was it on purpose? No. Should it have been addressed? Yes, and Viserys fucking dropped the ball there, just the same way he had done for the entirety of his reign. But calling Jace and Luke bastards could cost them their lives. And I don’t think that twelve year old Aemond gets this. He doesn’t have that total understanding of it. But Alicent does. And she has been speaking these words, more loudly than she should, for over a decade at this point.

Aemond doesn't understand what he's saying in this moment, but every adult in that room does because of how bastardry is looked at within the realm. And not just for the treason of it, but because every woman in the realm worries about her husbands bastards usurping her children on claim (look at Cat Stark and Jon Snow). There’s no denying that Rhaeynra put her sons in a dangerous position (we can talk about her rights and wrongs in another post if anyone wants to). Alicent is not the only one who sees it, but right now she's the loudest, and that's where the possible hope to get someone else to talk about it would come in. Would it have just been easier had someone other than Alicent’s inner circle bought into the bastard rumors and forced the issue? Yeah. And to a certain degree, I think that's what she wanted.

So tldr Alicent drives me fucking crazy, in both good and bad ways. I think the time skip did her and Rhaenyra, both as individuals and together, a huge disservice, and we somehow ended up with whatever the fuck happened in episode 9 where all of a sudden Alicent was back to being team “we gotta save Rhaenyra.”

#alicent hightower #rhaenyra targaryen #house of the dragon #hotd

11 notes · View notes