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#listen.........i know i keep saying i'm done talking about him.........but this is an important discovery i made lmao........
apocalypticavolition · 4 months
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Let's (re)Read The Great Hunt! Chapter 34: The Wheel Weaves
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What's in the box? Some people already know and some people don't. As a general rule, if you're in the "don't" category and you hate spoilers, you shouldn't keep reading. If you only know cause you're reading The Great Hunt or you've seen season 2 of the show but you don't want spoilers past that point, you also shouldn't keep reading. I spoil everything.
This chapter begins with the Wheel icon because big things are happening, like assassinations and discovery of the Horn.
He had meant the choices to be a private comment on their stupidity, never dreaming any of them might listen, much less be intrigued. Intrigued in a way. They had demanded more of the same, but they had laughed in the wrong places, at the wrong things. They had laughed at him, too, apparently thinking he would not notice, or else that a full purse stuffed in his pocket would heal any wounds.
Another sign of how divorced the nobility in this country is from the commonfolk and by extension reality. They have two very different storytelling cultures and little overlap on anything. And yet Thom's bitterness about this has a hint of hypocrisy - he complains they thought he wouldn't notice their mockery even as he had thought they wouldn't notice his.
He was still not sure what he had intended to say. Rand was gone with his friends, and the Aes Sedai. It left a feeling of something not done.
The important thing is that you tried, and of course that now you can be extra angry at yourself for what happened because you delayed.
She rolled limply onto her back, staring up at him, glazed eyes open wide above the gash across her throat. The side of the bed that had been hidden by her body was dark and sodden.
I mean, what is there to say? Girl had great potential as a person and as a character and all that matters, to the point where she certainly stops getting mentioned after only a book or two, is that she spurs Thom to act now.
“The Game? I’m not mixed up in Daes Dae’mar! Who would want to kill me for the Great Game?”
Thom's protestations ring even more hollow. Where Rand's naivety is excusable, Thom's speaks only to how out of practice he is. Dude met with someone everyone thought was a lord, is performing for other lords, and thinks he's out of the Game? He basically chose to keep playing.
And there has been a woman, a lady, I have seen more than once while asking after him.
Lanfear meanwhile is so contemptuous of the Third Agers that she doesn't even care to disguise herself properly among them, I guess. I'm surprised she doesn't just spy herself though.
“If you mean Barthanes, you’re too late. Everybody’s talking about it already. He is dead. His servants found him this morning, torn to pieces in his bedchamber. The only way they knew it was him was his head stuck on a spike over the fireplace.”
Forget who killed Asmodean, who the heck killed Barthanes? It probably wasn't Galldrian; killing a random is one thing but having his rival brutally eviscerated is another. It couldn't have been Fain, he was already gone. Ishamael or Lanfear might have done it by way of the gholam, but what would piss either of them off enough? The Horn going to Toman Head is hardly Barthanes' mistake and doesn't really interfere with Lanfear's desired outcomes at all. Plus if they did use the gholam, what did it get up to all this time between now and its first appearance?
“These aren’t Barthanes’s men, Thom. At least, that one isn’t.” She nodded toward the fat man. “It’s the worst kept secret in Cairhien that he works for House Riatin. For Galldrian.”
This vaguely points at Galldrian being responsible for Barthanes' death as well I suppose, but like I said the method seems entirely out of character.
“Perhaps you had better think about leaving, too. It looks as if someone is firing the granaries.”
I'm also going to rule out the rioters as an unlikely suspect on the grounds that Barthanes' death is probably the inciting incident for them, not the first, implausbly well-hidden step. But seriously. Who did it?
*considers Verin for a moment*
Nah. She's the least suspicious person alive.
The pack horse bearing his precious burden bumped his leg, and he kicked it in the ribs without looking; the animal snorted and jerked back to the end of the lead he had tied to his saddle.
So obviously the part that immediately follows this about how Fain fed the horse's previous owner to the Trollocs is way, way eviler, but let's just appreciate exactly how dedicated to unpleasantness Fain has become.
Men gathered more information on the invaders, as if they actually believed they would eventually do something with what they knew, but they sometimes tried to hold back. Women, by and large, seemed interested in going on with their lives whoever their rulers were, yet they noted details men did not, and they talked more quickly once they stopped screaming.
I kind of don't buy this? Random women from every village are being taken away and never seen again. I'm not a woman myself but I don't think it's a stretch to say that such actions would put most women on edge for fear of the Seanchan coming back and taking more tribute, since they don't know about the damane selection process yet.
The people hurried about their business with eyes down, bowing whenever soldiers passed, but the Seanchan paid them no mind. It all seemed peaceful on the surface, despite the armored Seanchan in the streets and the ships in the harbor, but Fain could sense the tension underneath. He always did well where men were tense and afraid.
1) I'm very sad that this element of the occupation disappears in later books it rings a lot truer; everyone should be afraid.
2) Is Fain saying thinking this in the sense of looking back over his career as a Darkfriend and how he always did better scaring them with peddler's tales, or is this the sum total of his evil reflecting on Aridhol, the Ways, and more? Both?
Women went in and out of a house across the street, women linked by silver leashes, but he ignored them. He knew about damane from the villagers. They might be of some use later, but not now.
Seriously: what use can Fain be imagining for damane, considering his current power set?
He was always confident, but never more than where lords feared an assassin’s knife from their own followers.
This is definitely more all of the evil within Fain than his own experiences, as we have no reason to think he was ever an assassin in his backstory.
“I have seen chests such as this, chests from the Age of Legends,” the High Lord said, “though none so fine. They are meant to be opened only by those who know the pattern, but I—ah!”
Major points to Turak who easily sidesteps Fain's plans entirely by accident. As much as I loathe the Seanchan, I despise Fain more.
Still holding the Horn and the dagger, Turak looked at the cabinet, then away. He said nothing, but the other Seanchan snapped quick orders, and in moments men in plain woolen robes appeared through a door behind the screens bearing another small table.
For all the shit I've given the Cairhienien nobility, I suppose I also need to offer them some credit for at least not expecting their servants to interpret their every facial gesture. Rich people on every continent desperately need to get over themselves.
Fain could stand it no longer. He reached for the dagger.
Fain isn't anywhere near as slick as he thinks he is, considering he went about thirty seconds without trying to nab his precious. Fucking Gollum does better about this stuff bro, learn from him.
“I am to sound it.” Turak’s tone was flat. “And break the White Tower. Again, why? You claim to obey, await, and serve, but this is a land of oath-breakers. Why do you give your land to me? Do you have some private quarrel with these . . . women?”
And again, we see that Fain's schemes immediately crash and burn when given the briefest exposure to people who know what schemes are. He's just like all these nobles in his own twisted way: he's gotten so used to having the Darkfriends jump when he says jump (or die) that he doesn't understand why no one else will willingly be his puppets.
Turak was silent so long that Fain began to wonder if he needed further convincing; he was ready with more, as much as was required.
Pro-tip for those of you who find themselves in situations where you need to lie: less is actually much better than more. We can thus conclude that Fain isn't even good at lying, despite the fact that he's spent his whole career as a liar!
“But, High Lord,” Fain protested, “you must—” He found himself lying on his side, his head ringing. Only when his eyes cleared did he see the man with the pale braid rubbing his knuckles and realize what had happened. “Some words,” the fellow said softly, “are never used to the High Lord.” Fain decided how the man was going to die.
I myself am rooting for neither of these fellows, both so awful in their own right. And note again how the Seanchan veneer of civility disappears at a moment's notice without warning. There's no way a populace can happily adopt the Seanchan customs as a whole, not without rebellion after rebellion breaking out.
He had not even known of the existence of an Empress until Turak mentioned her, but access to a ruler again . . . that opened new paths, new plans. Access to a ruler with the might of the Seanchan beneath her and the Horn of Valere in her hands. Much better than making this Turak a Great King.
It's funny that he thinks this is an option for him, when his best case scenario is that he ends up doing exactly what Semirhage will do and thus completely destroys his advantage and his worst case scenario is that Semirhage shows up and starts experimenting with an absolutely fascinating case study.
If I kept the Horn of Valere, all between myself and the throne would think I meant to be first hereafter, and while the Empress, of course, wishes that we contend with one another so that the strongest and most cunning will follow her, she currently favors her second daughter, and she would not look well on any threat to Tuon.
I'm sure that name won't be relevant later!
“The Empress’s Listeners may be anywhere,” Turak continued. “They may be anyone. Huan was born and raised in the House of Aladon, and his family for eleven generations before him, yet even he could be a Listener.”
Secret police: a surefire sign that your civilization is doing just great for itself and won't collapse under its own bloodlust in fifty years or less.
At the Court of the Nine Moons, in Seandar, one such as you could be given to the Seekers for a shift of your eye, for a misspoken word, for a whim. Are you still eager?
I'm sure that Nine Moons thing won't come up again anytime soon either.
And again we see more evidence that the only reason the Empire is holding itself up is its consistent expansionary policies that consistently deliver it new victims to burn through. If the Empire's borders were ever truly stable it would collapse immediately under the tyranny of Seandar.
A young man, but vile in the Shadow beyond belief, with a lying, devious tongue. In many places he has claimed to be many things, but always the Trollocs come when he is there, High Lord. Always the Trollocs come . . . and kill.
Fain is not even a good Aes Sedai liar, since Caemlyn is still doing just great for itself at the moment, as are a variety of the places he passed on the road to it.
Fain let the grimacing Huan pull him out of the room, hardly even listening to the snarled lecture on what would happen if he ever again failed to leave Lord Turak’s presence when given permission to do so.
Considering that Fain was allegedly giving good information about a coming threat, this seems like another really shitty policy on the part of the Seanchan. The illusion of order that is easily cleared away by chaos.
Sadly, the illusion of time is less easily cleared away and ours is up because the chapter is done. Next time: Steddings!
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lol okay, hi.
i know ive been memeing about it tonight but i have some actual serious thoughts & feelings about Pulp Musicals rn so I'm going to ramble!
⚠️ This will contain spoilers for the first episode, The Great Moon Hoax !
Okay so one of my favorite, favorite songs in this episode is "John's Choice." (I will be listening to it on loop while I make this post.)
I love the whole song but I absolutely adore the part when Herschel is telling the crowd that the story is true. He adopts the phrasing that is familiar and easily recognizable after the "Great Astronomical Discoveries," we've heard, but now we hear it from his perspective, and my god it doesn't seem like it would do much but the shift in pronouns (he to I, his to my, etc) is SO impactful! (Especially when you're listening for the first time and you're expecting him to reveal the hoax like he'd said he was going to!) It gave me major chills the first time I heard it, and I still get chills every time. Every time.
Another bit that makes me go insane is when we get the line "I pointed it at the moon, our companion," and then the chorus/ensemble chimes in with "Always there, watching us, from Eden to Edinburgh. As we grow..." and then Herschel picks it up again with "As she glows," and he keeps going. But here it's the ensemble that gets me.
In "Great Astronomical Discoveries, Pt. 1" it's just Samuel and Rose singing those lines. Now, we're hearing the crowd singing them, and I think that's really cool and interesting. To me, it really reflects how it's a story that's grown and been passed around a lot, that people have been talking about it and telling each other. The crowd chiming in is like when someone interrupts to finish a story they already know by heart, or when people start singing along to a beloved song that's being played by a stranger in the street.
The crowd that's gathered at The Sun already know this story, and they start singing with Herschel because they already know all the words. It's not just his story—it has become theirs, too. And that just does something in my brain. Like.. it shows how much this story about the moon means to everyone, how important it is. (As Margaret says: "So many people have nothing to believe in...") They're so happy that Herschel is saying it's all real that they can't help but tell the story with him. And the way they whoop and cheer when he says it's true? That's beautiful.
...aaaaand also pretty tragic and heartbreaking if you think about the fact that we all know it really IS a hoax, haha oops, but we'll just not think about that right now, okay? okay. 😅
Of course, I can't ramble about my favorite things in this song without a huge shoutout to Curt Mega for his amazing singing. He puts so much feeling into this song in his roles as Benjamin and John. As Benjamin, we get to hear his vindication, frustration, and impatience, as well as his anger when his plan backfires. As John, singing about his made-up telescope, we can hear so much passion. Herschel's really trying to sell the story now, and I'd say he does a damn good job of it. (Sorry Benjamin!)
Basically, this song really lets Curt show off, and I am so grateful for that because my ears and my brain have been blessed. Thank you Matt, thank you Curt. 🙏🖤
now that I'm done rambling for the time being, I am currently in the middle of an art project that I'm hoping to finish tonight, so I'm gonna try and get back to that. If anybody else wants to add their thoughts, I welcome it!!! please, come experience brainrot with me!!!! :D
someday I'd love to make more posts like this (but hopefully better and more organized) so we'll see if that actually happens lol. I love this show so much. I wanna talk/write about it. 😍
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mittensmorgul · 2 years
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Hi Mittens! I'm at episode 1x20 of your amazing podcast. As a Cas fan I had to pause to disagree a bit with you and say that, while in the show, Dean and Sam manifested free will first, we know that, in story, Cas expressed free will long before they were born, but was lobotomized to forget it each time. Dean's influence on Cas is what lead him to completly break free, and that's super important, but that doesn't mean Cas simply learn free will from him. Re-learn free will is more like it.
Hi hi! I'm happy you're enjoying the podcast, first off! Thanks for listening!
And yeah... this is an involved topic, probably more involved than I'll ever really get into in the podcast, because I try to keep them moderately reasonable in length (usually... there's a few outlier episodes that are way too long lol).
But I try to lay stuff out as I personally understand it, and therefore will be talking about it throughout the series. And one of those things is Free Will.
I have no argument against the notion that Cas had flashes of free will and rebellion against his orders in the past. That's canon, thanks to 8.17. We know of at least one historical instance of him refusing an order (the slaughter of the firstborns, and honestly good for him for saying no to that one...), for which he was so thoroughly reprogrammed that he had no memory of it at all, and continued following orders as far as we know from that point up until he began to question orders again after raising Dean.
He received the reprogramming treatment again in 4.20, overcame it in 4.22, and then apparently received it again after having been rescued from Purgatory in s8, which we saw quite a bit of thanks to Naomi. Quite the horror. But I still argue that what he was experiencing was truly human free will. Or we'd have to say that lots of angels were exhibiting free will, if it's defined as just "the ability to not follow orders." Look at Uriel back in s4. Look at Raphael in s6. Or Gabriel... like... pretty much all the time. Is that free will? Maybe it is.
But humans come with Free Will included in the kit, per Chuck in 11.21. Angels... don't. They obey. They do God's Will-- or what they BELIEVE to be God's will.
Or I'd argue, in the case of Uriel and Raphael, what they believed based on the fact they assumed God was "dead," or otherwise had abandoned them, and he bought the Lucifer Propaganda because it suited him.
Receiving an order that he believed to be unjust and refusing to participate because Cas couldn't reconcile it with his previous orders to protect and love humanity? I don't know that's truly and exercise of Free Will as humans understand it.
I know this is kind of a nitpicky argument, but even if Cas hit on an event or two of exercising free will before the Winchesters were born, it wasn't something he was able to retain (or even retain the memory of having done), and it wasn't a novel thing even then-- humans already existed, and he believed he was actually working to protect and defend humans that God had ordered him to protect. Just because he refused the orders of another angel, I don't know that really counts as free will in the way a human would understand it, anyway.
But I get why people latched on to the concept that Cas "invented" free will. His entire arc is his discovery of free will, and his growing understanding of what it really means. It's HUGE for him. He learned it's not just getting to do WHATEVER you want-- as Dean explained to him at the end of 6.20. There's consequences for your choices (and yeah, Dean had to have this lesson a few times, too... see 6.11 for a prime example of it). Sometimes there's Cosmic Consequences. Not just punishment or reprogramming that wipes it all away, but actually having to live with those consequences. And the lesson is make sure that you're choosing for the right reasons, and weigh your choices carefully. And in the end, for Cas, the only reason was for love. (best reason for anything, honestly)
He didn't "invent" free will, though. That was Chuck, when he invented human souls-- at least according to Metatron in 11.20. I was mostly trying to speak against the concept that Cas was the *only* character with actual free will in all of Supernatural, which is unfortunately a concept I've seen expressed more than once. The technicality of which came first, Cas demonstrating free will or humanity demonstrating free will, is kinda hand-wavey, honestly. But the concept that Sam and Dean NEVER had free will, and only Cas did, is laughable to me, you know?
Sorry if there was confusion over that, and I hope this explains it even a little bit. It's just... too big a concept to state easily, mostly because I tend to get distracted and run down tangents >.>
If you're interested in some of those tangents, I've got 200+ posts in my free will tag that might give you some idea of just how much I've overthought about this lolol
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xtodorcki · 3 years
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This is my 2nd time I'm sending a request I'm sorry this'll be my last ansjsj
Can you do a Hanji x reader where the reader and Hanji are best friends in the scouts and the reader has feelings for Hanji so they tend to act a little flirty? But the reader is actually Levi's sister and Levi finds it so obvious how much the reader loves Hanji so he just teases for her it? Hanji then overhears the reader talking about her feelings and boom! Confession! ^^
“Confessions,” Hange x Reader
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Girrrrl send as many requests as you like, I don’t mind at allllllllll. Hanji Hanji, I love her and I know I spell it how it is in the dub its a habit. my apologiesssssss.
Summary: Levi’s younger sister has a crush on Hange and he finds it real obvious, teasing you until you end up confessing.
Warnings: none
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Growing up wasnt easy. You and Levi were left to starve and then trained to be full on machines, learning how to fight and defend before you were even ten years old.
Levi had tried his best to protect you, he still does to this day as the both of you worked in the scout regiment and were each made Captains.
The more time went on and days were spent all together in the room, drinking and eating. You found yourself having a big crush on Hange, you liked her confidence and the way she’s driven to the Titans and wanting to learn about them. It was crazy but you liked it.
You would even admit that you were in love with her. You would spend your days off with her, learning about her discoveries, her theories and even spent time with her when she had caught two Titans and did research on them up close.
The way she was in love with her work, the way she dedicated herself to the two Titans and was absolutely fascinated with them, even if it almost killed her on numerous occasions- it just all made you fall in love with her more.
You were in deep.
It wasn’t long till Levi had caught on, he knew you better than anyone and the way you stared at her from across the room or the way you listened to every word she said as she rambled on about pointless stuff that you knew nothing about.
He knew you had a big crush on her and he teased you about it for months on end. He made sure to be the annoying big brother that bullies his sister with jokes about how you’re soft for her, how you practically drool over her when she speaks to you.
“Just shut up, Levi.” You groaned, sitting inside his office as he laughed, shooting more playful jokes your way.
It had made you grow frustrated with your brother, he was a pain in the ass to deal with and now that he knew that you liked your fellow comrade, he couldn’t help but bug you about it.
It was entertaining to him, this was the only time he got a good laugh during the awful times of working and risking your lives to protect others.
“C’mon, it’s funny.” He rolled his eyes at your attitude but laughed about it shortly afterwards.
“It’s only funny to you, dumb ass. Why don’t you stop being a lonely old man and go find someone.” You said sarcastically, making his eyebrows furrow and shoot you a dirty look.
“I don’t need anyone. All I need is myself and you, remember that.” He simply said but you knew why he was never interested in finding someone for himself.
Levi holds up this giant wall that is three times bigger than him. He acts cold, he acts like he isn’t phased by anything but deep down, everything hits him like bricks. He convinced himself that being alone was a better option as a Scout instead of setting himself up for heartbreak and risk loving someone just to lose them to Titans.
He convinced himself that nothing was more important than family. Than you, as his little sister. He didn’t need anything else but you, losing you would be losing himself entirely.
“I’m grown, I can watch myself.” You scoffed, crossing your arms over your chest and he shrugged his shoulders.
“Eh, you still remind me of the five year who cried all the time.. You still cry all the time.” He joked, making you roll your eyes.
“So, are you going to tell Hange or should I?” Levi spoke up again, bringing the topic right back on the table and you groaned dramatically.
You didn’t want to talk about it any longer, the fact that a simple crush was being held over your head was annoying enough especially it being done by Levi. You wanted to punch him in the face and you were tempted to do it at this very moment.
You knew you couldn’t bring yourself to tell Hange your feelings, in the back of your head you were convinced she didn’t go in that direction, that she didn’t like women but some times it was questionable but the paranoia had lingered over you which prevented you from even thinking about telling her.
While you argued with your brother, Hange had walked down the hallway to actually look for you to help her with some theories she had in mind. She wanted to run them by you because you were the only person that showed interest and actually gave her good advice.
As she walked by Levi’s office, she overheard your voice and stopped in her tracks when her name was brought up in the conversation.
“Are you going to tell Hange or should I?”
She raised her eyebrow, tell her what? She was confused as she stood by the door, her ear up to the crack to listen to more. She hated to be nosey but she couldn’t help it when she was brought up.
“How am I supposed to tell her? It’s not as easy as you make it sound, Levi. This could either ruin our friendship or not.” You hated this, you hated the topic and you wanted to move on.
But Levi being the annoying asshole he was, he edged on and on just to watch the pure irritation on your face just for his amusement.
“C’mon, it’s not that hard. Just open your mouth up and speak.” He smirked, resting his arms on the desk as he leaned forward.
“You’re just a scary chicken.” He teased, making Hange almost giggle under her breath at the childish nickname he gave you.
But the more she stood there, the more she was intrigued with the conversation and wanting to listen to more. She had glanced down each side of the hallway to make sure no one was near or walking down to blow her cover as she continued the sneaky act.
“God, you’re so irritating. It’s not that easy for me to walk up to her and say I’m in love with you. Keep teasing me about it and I’ll kick your short ass.” You threatened him, making his laugh only grow louder.
Her eyes widen at the confession you let out. You were in love with her? She couldn’t process it or think clearly but it had definitely made her heart pound inside her chest and adrenaline run through her veins.
As you got up from the other side of the desk, telling your brother that you were leaving as he continued to giggle like a school girl. Once she heard your footsteps come closer to the door, she had practically ran down the hallway and go around the corner.
She didn’t really know what to do, should she bring this up to you? Should she just get this over with and confront you? She didn’t know and all that thinking she did, she didn’t realize you walking down the hallway in her direction until you startled her by turning the corner.
“Oh shit!” You jumped, making her jump and drop the files she was holding in her hands.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” You admitted shyly, your cheeks growing hot as you kneeled down to scatter up the files and hand them back to her.
“It’s okay, actually- I was looking for you.” Hange abruptly said then quickly shut her mouth, that’s not what she wanted to say- now the topic was at the front of her mind.
“Oh? What about?”
“Uh, I had some theories but first I kind of wanted to get something off my chest.” She said, fixing her glasses and met your gaze with a almost worried look that made you become paranoid.
“I didn’t mean to um, listen in but I heard you and Levi talking.” She finished, making your eyes go wide and suddenly your cheeks were as red as a tomato.
“Ahh, um.” You didn’t know what to say, you started to stutter and started to look around the empty hallway to avoid her stare.
This is not what you had in mind about confessing to Hange. You couldn’t help but think if Levi was behind this sick plan, it wouldn’t be surprising if he did- he’s a selfish asshole after all.
As you stood there quietly, Hange had began to worry and clung tighter onto the files in her hands. She didn’t really know what to say and that’s coming from someone who is always talking and rambling about something.
But as she stood in front of you, watching you get all flustered up, it gave her a bit of a confidence boost to lean down and press her lips on yours, catching you by surprise completely.
You weren’t expecting this, your anxiety made you think of the worst in every situation but here she was, kissing your lips and it made your heart skip a beat at the small kiss.
When she pulled back, both of your faces flustered up and red- she had given you a cute smile and gestured you to follow her.
“C’mon, I have some theories to tell you.”
You were confused, thrown back but you followed her back to her office and she noticed how you were still quiet, probably even overthinking the small kiss you two shared.
“I hope you know that me kissing you meant that I like you too.”
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Soft soft soft🥺
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rixxy8173571m3w1p3 · 4 years
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The Truths Found On Petram Viridios IV (2/?)
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A/n: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Read Part 1
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Chapter 2: Getting Along
There was so much you still had to learn about mice and Salamandrian men; minus the mice part. You were surprised by V'gha's chattiness. Why, it was no sooner when you two had taken a seat that he began asking about your culture, interests, as well as to what you did for occupation. It seemed that he was fascinated by how both you and Zeta-7 lived; being that you were the only human he's officially met, he wanted answers for the questions which his home world's databases could not answer. You couldn't fool him when it came to your acquaintance with Rick as his neighbor, but you played it off by saying that he was the local mad scientist that everyone knew of but gave little importance to; it hurts you to say this, for he was worthy of the highest praise, with his extraordinary mind and his winsome personality, but V'gha was more familiar with Zeta-7 then you had known; it seemed Rick had a bigger reputation then you had thought, and the chemist hoped that he could make his acquaintance once all this was over; how he could be interested after all your initial rudeness was inspiring and in its own right.
You found his straightforward nature refreshing, albeit at times coming across as nosy, but first impressions at times gave allowances for this; to discover that despite how one may come across in passing, is not always the sincerest, true version of oneself. There was no malice or ill intent in his inquiries or reactions to your answers, and while you had redirected many of his questions, he didn't seem to mind; whatever you shared gave him delight. Over and over you wondered why Rick couldn't have been seated at this table, for this creature could have shared all that fascinated him with a fellow scientist and they could have debated in peace over theories and experiments; for your part, you would have sat there raptly, admiring the like-minded individuals who might or might not have been jealous at one point or another over understandings, discoveries and what not. As you two talked, you scanned the garden with your eyes, and searched for Rick, but couldn't spot his bowl cut anywhere; you trusted that he'd show up one way or another, but you hoped for sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you two discussed how fascinating the planet and its inhabitants were while making remarks on the flavor of the food  "My soup is thin and looks as though I stuck my foot in it, but it tastes like honey." you commented as you set your spoon back down. "I'm not sure whether to drink it or to jar it."
"Neither. It's what your utensils will go in once you are done eating."
"Oh, I probably shouldn't have tasted it then."
"No harm will be done." he chuckled, which exposed his fine, sharp rows of teeth. "I've taken the liberty of scanning it to make sure."
If Zeta-7 had been here, he might've tried the utensil cleaner on purpose in the good ole' way of tasting the chemical when he should've tested it. Yet, since he wasn't here, you were ready to admit that you found V'gha a bit more intriguing then you had anticipated. When you had initially boarded the ship and met him upon entering a cabin, you were determined to despise him for you didn't want to appear weak in front of strangers, but it melted away as he decided to apologize once you two had reached your assigned table. Sure, you weren't really into reptiles, but whether it was how his skin glistened in the starlight, his intellect, or how his bright oval eyes seemed to bore into you as you spoke, it was somewhat flattering; you thought only Rick could make you feel this way; hopefully, it was his simple charm and newfound politeness, and nothing more. To ease the anxious thoughts which were building in your chest, you glanced at the empty third chair. "Do you think Noathamas is in trouble?"
"I'm not sure." he confessed in all seriousness. "After all, he did violate one of their laws which was not to eat any of the guests. I don't know what came over him, but hopefully, whatever consequences come his way, will simply be disciplinary action and nothing more."
"Yeah, that would be good."
Though, you blamed the fact that the knight had returned from battle not long ago, and might've been triggered by something done or said; you hoped he'd survive. To distract yourself further, you stabbed your synthesized meal. It was a mass of congealed worm meal, and you pretended to eat it, but you weren't really hungry; it was supposed to be calcium-rich if you were correct. "So," you wondered as you pushed away your dish. "where you're from, do you do stuff like this?"
"You mean attend formal gatherings where I'm not allowed to have fun? Or meet total strangers that I'd rather study then stand next to? Hmm, more often than I'd like. It does have its perks. I'm highly respected in my field and get paid well, but I don't get out much unless it's work-related. A majority of my free time is used to study journals or to sleep. Occasionally both."
"That's a bummer. Not the studying part, because that can be fun if it's a topic you're passionate about, but you strike me as someone who enjoys good company. I'm surprised that at this point you haven't mentioned hanging out with friends or family."
The pause in conversation didn't seem long enough for your liking, but neither was it short enough to keep its natural flow. There seemed to be a distant, far off look, as though he were staring through you, at someone else; longing; one which would've gone without notice if you hadn't been used to reading people who were like Rick; intelligent, curious, lonely people who were less like normal men, but were no less mortal, and not quite a machine. When he started, you hadn't expected the familiarity in his words. "I consider my lab as my friend and my lab samples as my family. It's where I am most of the time."
Before you met Rick, would he have said the same? Almost, for his inventions and things bought, made, or salvaged held meaning; he was very sentimental but desperate to cling on to good feelings; maybe, these two weren't so different. "I used to feel the same way about the characters I wrote," you started, wondering if this was a good idea. Yet, now that you've shared this much, you couldn't stop now. "and the stories which I typed for others consumption and entertainment. It's as though you spill and pour a bit of yourself into these dreams and passions. As a famous singer once sang, 'You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.'"
"What a way to put it. I think I might've heard the song you quoted some years ago. I believe my satellites picked up the transmission."
You smiled at that. You had heard the stories, read the theories, and admired man's will of wanting to make contact with the unknown; if only they would have known what they were getting themselves into. It wasn't all bad, and could very much be as Star Trek would put it, 'To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!' And to watch an intellectual man like Zeta-7 to almost wax poetic about the marvels and atrocities which were in the depths of space, and listening to how an alien admired what was in another quadrant of space, why it warmed your heart. "That's neat. It's funny," you admitted a bit quietly at first, then you raised your eyes towards him. "I'm not used to these kinds of events, but I gotta admit that it hasn't been so bad. You've made an otherwise tiresome task a joyful one."
You had long since noticed that his face was very stiff when it came to expressing emotions, but he still managed a smile that was no less winning. And unlike most of the evening there was an unaccountable silence. Till now, it seemed nothing could stop the Salamandrian from talking, but whatever had come over him went away as a danceable tune began to play, and you felt a subtle shift as he stood and wondered if you cared to dance. Keeping in mind the strict rules of this planet, you raised a brow, but he seemed to know what to do. "Come, I'll show you how it is done."
With a nod, you followed him all the while keeping a fair distance. Beneath your feet, you felt the bumpy path through your thin flats and relished the strong gust of wind that whipped your hair about. If you had closed your eyes, you could almost imagine yourself back home in Rick's backyard, remembering one of the first times you urged him to dance under the moonlit night, admiring how he colored when you realized it was a first for him; reluctant he stood on the patio unsure of what to do, but you smiled at him and told him there wasn't much to it because it was simply more romantic. Oh, how your heart ached for those days, but there wasn't much time to continue reminiscing, for you were dragged back to reality by the candor of the chemist's voice. "We're here."
On a raised platform was a honeycomb pattern of tiles, which illuminated when stepped on. V'gha took his place and stood very still until a see-through chamber enclosed him in. There was no panic or surprise, which led you to believe that he had done this before. In like manner, you followed his lead and took your place a few feet away and stood still until a chamber rose to encapsulate you in it. You felt a tightness in your chest, and took deep breaths in order not to panic, but a new tune began to play and it struck you with a sense of deja vu. 
A glance at the stage revealed the appearance of a tall, veiled figure surrounded by six guards. You pressed a hand over your heart, feeling it quicken as he swiftly, but gently passed his fingers over a golden orbed plant which had very stiff leaves, and when it detected movement, it vibrated, and this, in turn, caused it to emanate a sound a little more delicate than that of a kalimba. Its melody seeped into your bones, buzzing against your skin, and in it you felt a sense of belonging and warmth to a moment. Along with the veiled figure was the being made of pure energy, whose voice added body to the already beautiful tune; flowers bloomed at high frequencies, and thread-thin roots spread along the stage and dance floor; illuminating at rhythmic intervals.
You imagined yourself dancing with Zeta-7, on a plane of nothingness; submerged in a viscous sweetness then rising to the surface; floating, falling, losing yourself in a funny world, with every intrinsic, idiosyncratic, and inviting thing in your path; laced fingers, shared breaths, surrounded by his warmth, secure in the nearness of him, and sure in his grasp; he was incandescently happy, and he was as much yourself as you were of him. "C-can you hear me princess?" he whispered.
You could hear him, but you couldn't answer. Lips ghosted over yours, whispering phrases you thought you recognized; haunting you; trying to tell you something of the utmost importance, but the song ceased, and the figure was gone; breaking the trance you hadn't known you'd been under. When the chamber returned from whence it had come, you followed V'gha back to the table; confused, embarrassed, lost, but with a sense of knowing. You thought to yourself that the veiled figure could've been Rick, for who else could evoke such feelings except for Rick; that or it truly was a tune which was out of this world. "You're quite a dancer." he commented, which interrupted your thoughts.
"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything."
Taking a sip of his murky beverage, he explained. "There is no physical dancing done on this planet, except to those exclusively done by royalty and that of the Milleannos guardians. What the rest of us did, including yourself, was dance with our soul. None of us can really discern what the other is dancing to, which makes it appropriate and is in line with the laws, but while the others might not have understood what you were about, I could tell from the bliss which you exhibited on your face when we came back this way. It made me conclude you had enjoyed yourself. Call it instinct, but I believe this is the happiest you've been all evening."
Again, he wasn't wrong. Yet, how could you not know? It's possible that Zeta-7 didn't know it would take place either. You remembered how you felt, how real and tangible it seemed, but if that was the case, were you really dancing with Rick, or the idea of him? Did it matter? 
The music now, albeit stimulating, was light and nearly silent as though someone was lightly humming. It was not as provoking as the tune earlier had been, but perhaps the experience you had was exclusive to your own feelings. "I did enjoy myself," you replied. "did you?"
"It was fascinating," he admitted smoothly. "but I much more prefer the view of all twenty-nine of this planet's moons. I cannot study the intangible thought of a feeling."
"If it helps, I much would've preferred regular dancing, but the experience...it's… it's one I wouldn't mind trying again." 
One you wouldn't mind trying again, but only with Rick.
Tbc
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dan-alexander-art · 4 years
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Personas
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Man it has been a long time since I posted anything. I wanted to apologize for that, things have been hectic. Especially with University but through all that I've been doing a lot of self discovery and realized I'm not one person, but actually six (plus a train of thoughts). Most people might think it's Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID or Multiple Personality Disorder) but that's not what I have. After talking to a therapist about this she's helped me see that they're just different parts of me. I knew it wasn't DID to begin with since I didn't have blank memories. It took awhile but after trying to listen to my different parts I figured out who they are and their own stories. Most have their own tastes of music and that has helped me a lot in figuring out on who they are, what they do and what they're like. So below I their bios as well as a short story of them and how they came to be. This is right to left.
Name: Love and Memories
Nickname: Rose
Likes: Listening to Maroon 5 and songs about love. Look back at happy memories. Giving Lillies or Bonsai Trees to friends.
Bio: Love has been around a long time, he's the second longest persona that existed. When he's around he doesn't care what to wear. When he's present he likes to go back and remember both the good and bad in my life. He has a deeper understanding between a good relationship and a bad relationship. The vines represent a current relationship I have, weather it's a friendship or family relations. When the vines are mostly thorns rather than flowers it means the relationship is toxic and should be fixed. If there are more flowers than thorns then the relationship is healthy. The point where the toxicity has gotten really bad is when the rose on his right eye begins to wither. Whenever we get friends he symbolically gives said friend either a lily or Bonsai tree since these require lots of care, love and patience just like a real friendship. Love isn't too hesitant about forming new bonds but only after a certain amount of time. He's not shy but most people would assume since he doesn't speak much, but in reality he just doesn't know how to communicate well and worries it might come out wrong, misunderstood or offensive.
Name: Beast
Nickname: ---
Likes: Feeding off my insecurities and taunting me
Bio: Beast is a dangerous persona that requires me to have full control of what goes on. Beast can control the other personas. For example Beast can make Love rewind traumatic memories and leave me feeling paralyzed. He is the embodiment of negativity and he enjoys seeing me suffer. If I'm not careful he can and will slowly crawl up behind me. Starting with small whispers of insecurities then building on until he's shouting taunts at me. Shouting all my fears, my worries and my worthlessness to the point of crying.
Name: Hurt
Nickname: Wolf
Likes: Listening to Linkin Park, Three Days Grace, Katy Perry and any type of strengthing music. Wearing rings and bracelets.
Bio: Hurt carries a lot of scars and wounds on him that represent emotional and mental scars and wounds I carry. He doesn't mind showing them off, he actually finds them empowering. To him it shows not only what he's been through but even through all that he's still here. Hurt isn't afraid aside from Beast. Beast is the only thing that scares him. Hurt also doesn't mind crying, it just means he's human like everyone else. When he's around he lets me cry when I need to but also reminds me that there's always a better tomorrow. That whatever is going on in my life doesn't mean the world is going to end and this experience is only going to make me stronger. Hurt's nickname comes from his ability to change into a wolf. The form represents the pride he has for being able to continue walking down this path dispite the curveballs life has thrown at us. Hurt is very wary of new people and doesn't open up on the spot. Though he's very kind and is willing to comfort people who are hurting. He always puts other people ahead of himself. The cracked eye shows that Hurt's soul is part broken, since the eyes are the windows to the soul. The cracked has a tendency to bleed every now and then and because of the cracked eye his perspective is warped. What caused the cracked eye is something Hurt doesn't want to talk about or explain.
Name: Ying & Yang
Nickname: Unity
Likes: Listening to NoCopyrightSounds (NCS) and other types of beat music. Wearing a black hoodie.
Bio: Yang has a deep understanding for human behavior and human emotions but doesn't understand his own. When he's around I just have a strong emotion of movement and color. Yang is very powerful, he can alter my reality. He helps me see different perspectives. Yang also has a different side called Ying. Yang is calm, collective and uses his ability to make my day brighter. Ying is a bit more unstable, he changes my reality in order to escape it. Ying doesn't always show up but when he does it's often from stress and a sense of lack of control. Unlike Yang, Ying doesn't see color. He only sees static black and white. This static helps calm my mind by focusing on less. Ying is also chaotic and makes me go through healthy mental breakdowns. Though Ying's mind is also disturbing compared to Yang's. Ying doesn't mind listening to twisted music and watching gorey movies.
Name: Smart Alec
Nickname: Yukio
Likes: Listening to lo-fi and reading music. Reading fiction books. Peace and quiet whenever possible.
Bio: Alec is the first persona to be around, he only focuses on school and is always planning ahead. He rarely makes me forget to do HW. Alec would often scare me into doing HW fast and early. Though it pays off. He loves reading especially the Wings of Fire series. The combination of music and reading helps keep him immersed into the world. He's often very technical and often likes to argue with science. He's all about the facts and research, he sees educating one's self is important especially with the type of world he's in this time around. He's hardworking and studying whenever it's necessary. He use to push me to my limits but is now more lenient and doesn't make me overdo it when it comes to studying. He's not really too comfortable in crowds and prefers to be with a small group or being alone. He doesn't mind a challenge, in fact he actually welcomes it. Alec doesn't see any reason for emotions and he lacks a lot of emotion himself. Although he doesn't see it as bad he does see it as a burden, especially if when I'm upset but there's a task to be done. Though he encourages me to do said task, like he always says: Once you hit rock bottom, the only way now is up.
Name: Creativity
Nickname: Twilight
Likes: Listening to Alan Walker, Zedd and any upbeat music, but mostly music in general. Drawing and painting, especially adding a new drawings to my bedroom walls. Playing videogames, mostly JRPGs. Wearing hoodies and comfortable clothes.
Bio: Creativity likes to turn Yang's vision of colors into meaning. He often translates those colors into drawings. The same goes when he listens to music. When he's around he always compeles me to draw even if it's late. He gives me a drive to continue drawing. He also looks out for my wellbeing by helping me balance between downtime and chores. Creativity is also the one who gave the other personas nicknames. He's mostly shy but that shyness doesn't stay around when he's playing competitively. He won't hesitate to pick up a controller when it comes to games such as Smash Bros. Playing games helps with the ongoing stresses in life but also helps spark new ideas. Creativity also likes to world building and create new characters for his world building. He's always positive and helps me through my hard times by drawing vent art. Creativity is a Walker fan himself, if you're curious he's Walker #37804.
Name: Lust
Nickname: Blaze
Likes: Listening to Ke$ha, Avril Lavigne, Green Day and any type of party music. Think about sex as a means to relieve anger, frustration or irritation. Wearing multiple necklaces and high tops.
Bio: Lust didn't always have free will especially early on. He was always fueled by rage, hate and anger. He often protected me by being cold and learning to fight back. He was present in my early years of starting Elementary school as a way to keep a distance from people who would try to hurt me. Though because of his lack of free will he would often make me feel angry and ready to clock anything even if it was just bothering me. The lack of freewill came from Beast. In fact Beast and Lust use to be one. With Beast fueling his anger with hurtful words. It wasn't until Ying and Yang helped them be their own person that Lust started to control his anger. Now he just likes to display himself as someone against authority when he believes something is wrong. And he uses that anger as a passion to participate in marches and protests. Though Lust hasn't completely shed influence from Beast. He possesses the ability to become a dragon. He can do this at will but not when he's angry. The angrier Lust gets the more dragon like he becomes. Only when he gets enraged does Lust become a full dragon. Lust is very protective, not just protective of me but also of my friends. He cares about other people and displays it as being protective. If anyone messes with my friends, Lust won't hesitate to get even. He's also very raw when it comes to intercourse and sees it as nothing more than human nature and not something to be ashamed about. Though he also holds consent to a high standard. If we're out he'll make sure me or someone there doesn't end up getting taken advantage of or be in a dangerous situation. Intercourse is very secrete to him and not something someone should have the ability to abuse.
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wetpapert0wel · 4 years
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mmmmm
#flick ticks#listen.........i know i keep saying i'm done talking about him.........but this is an important discovery i made lmao........#so towards the end of our relationship i was Actually Trying. i was Actually Trying Really Fucking Hard to get better. i can recall Two#breakdowns that i brought myself down from- one i apologized for once i was calm and the other i had a hard time with bc i kept like.#realizing what was happening lmao (it was . one of the times he tried to break up with me lmao......) but i could get myself down for a#little while at least!! and the very last big breakdown i had i just. i literally just needed him to sit with me for 3 mins and hold my hand#and take some deep breaths with me and tell me it was ok. that's it. i just needed 5 minutes. but i guess at that point he was so fuckin#done with me and my shit that he just wanted to leave (granted also i wanted to go with him but like. damn. nothing for me when he was goin)#(he was going camping for a week at that time) and like.........yeah i did need more. not from him necessarily but i did need More Help#because god FUCK i was practically a pile of dust from being broken so much sgfnsvgksjfhs#sighs. i just?? i really wanna know like.....how he feels abt everything. like i have No idea what it feels like to hate someone So#Passionately- to be so scared of someone that even their name makes you sick. i have no idea what it's like in his shoes and god Fuck#i just wanna fuckin. understand him and his position lmao.... i myself would've forgiven myself already but he's not me and he doesn't Ever#have to forgive me. that's fine. i've moved on. (and yes i have moved on this is just smth i'm thinking abt and wanna get out lmao) i just#wanna know like. what he's thinking and how he's feeling. i wanna be able to read his mind i guess shfksvgnbdbfdjs- i guess i wanna know how#he's feeling so i can like? further analyze myself and like. work on myself more effectively i guess lmao. idk#i'm not gonna call myself selfish for wanting to know what i did wrong lol. and i'm not gonna call myself selfish for having wanted to fix#shit ❤️ because it's not ❤️ it's me feeling awful about the shit i did and not wanting to lose my friend(s) ❤️#god. i am super curious as to like.... what all of them feel/think about me..... ah well. it's whatever lol#anyways i drove around town w/ my sister-in-love yesterday & it was fun! she only screamed a little SNFKSBGNS#i wasn't paying attention to the road for Two seconds & i almost hit a light pole SBFNSBFNDBFSMS#i'm gonna try driving myself to therapy today :)#my brother's car sucks to drive in bc it's so fckin loose LMAO#like. his gas and brakes are fuckin SLIPPY like- if i press Either of them *slightly* too hard the car fckin Jerks sbfbsjgbsjgbs#anyways i'm having a lot of fun driving :D one day i'll be able to drive to the mall sbgsbgds#i need to get better at multitasking w/ my eyes tho- i have a hard time focusing on the road and also peeping my mirrors to see if there are#ppl next to me/behind me that i cant see lmao. i'll get there one day tho :) i have a game on my phone that tests my reaction time & i might#use that to like. improve my ability to look around quickly idk sbfjsvgnsvfjss#we'll see! i'll just have fun w/ it all :)
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