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rukia-writes · 5 months

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Hercules x (fem) reader

Author’s note: Er… I noticed the phones the god had and thought of Hercules tattoos..🫨🫢 so now y/n has a modern phone in ancient times.

“Did it hurt?”

Tattoos.

Hercules had returned to Thebes, his hometown, completing his twelve labors, after some years had passed with a red fire like tattoo that went from across his torso from his right shoulder to the lower left side of his abdomen.

“Not for me, I have a high tolerance to pain.”

Smiling Hercules gladly showed his tattoo to his childhood crush as she slowly made her way over to the now tall and muscular who was known as one time as Alcides feeling his muscles and getting a close up of his tattoo.

“Well, I think they look…”

Between the muscles, the red hair, with the design of the tattoo (Name) couldn’t help but smile and fangirl inside. Hercules could pick up on the fact that she liked his supposed make over and couldn’t help but blush a little as he did like the attention that stroked his tiny ego a bit.

“…Amazing. How far does the tattoo go?”

“Hm, pardon?”

Due to the excitement Hercules’ childhood crush kindly asked a personal question, that surprised Hercules at first but he quickly got over his shock and answered her question.

“The tattoo stops at my hips. However, the more labors I use the more my tattoos spread…”

Kindly lifting his lion fur kilt exposing his upper thigh making (Name) eyes widen in surprise, eyes not taking off Hercules well toned thigh as he pointed to his upper thigh.

“…I think it stops here. I think. I’m not sure.”

“Hmm… interesting-“

“Hey! If you two are going to be doing that get a room!”

Both Heracles and (Name) kindly jumped a bit at hearing a voice unexpectedly and even worse at recognizing it to be Castor. From behind a tree, a sly smile and pretending to cover his eyes knowing full well the two weren’t doing anything naughty.

But it did look like it from Castor’s point of view.

“We weren’t doing anything! I was just showing (Name) my tattoos.”

The nervous tone in Heracles’ voice made Castor all the more convinced Heracles was shy about being caught. Add in the fact, that (Name) also stuttered over her words just made Castor all the more convinced the two could have been one step from something.

Maybe.

“Nothing goes better together than tattoos and muscles.”

- Unknown.

“How did you do that?”

“I think it was this-Ah!”

A few weeks later, Heracles returned to (Name) back in Thebes to show her a strange device. A device that seemingly captured moments, a cellular phone in modern times. After pressing the screen and capturing Heracles looking at the device in a confused manner the two were surprised.

“Oh, look. That’s me.”

Going from confused to a bright smile Heracles looked at himself on the screen with (Name) also smiling as well. Thinking to herself how wonderful it was to capture moments.

“Okay! Stand right there and pose.”

“Right here?”

“Yeah, yeah. Right there.”

Before long the two were taking pictures all over Thebes, most were relaxed and fun pictures. Some were sneaky pictures of Heracles muscles and tattoos.

The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day, why wouldn’t one capture the loveliness of Heracles smile , muscles and tattoos. While (Name) thought she was sneaky taking the pictures Heracles was aware she was taking pictures and of course made sure to pose when she asked him to do so.

Weeks later.

“It went thru? Oh, Hello (Name)! I can see you!”

“You can?! I can see you too!”

A sweet moment as the two were able to see each other thru two way communication, using the same device Heracles gave her weeks ago. The two talked back and forth, catching up what happened to the in the following.

Ares would catch Hercules sometimes talking on the phone with a smile on his face while seemingly vacuuming the wall, Ares was beyond confused until he realized that Hercules was talking to his crush…

Which seemed to happen a lot.

Hercules vacuuming the wall one day, or the ceiling,walking around his home, changing a completely fine light bulb.

Completely normal.

“You changed your wallpaper again?”

“I did. Isn’t she pretty?”

Not one for shying away Hercules kindly showed off his new wallpaper of him and (Name). Making an “awe” sound Ares smiled at the cute photo, then once the phone received a video call from a familiar woman and wasting no time Hercules quickly snatched his phone away and began talking to the woman on the phone with a smile.

Minding his own business Ares kindly made his way to the door to leave until Ares heard (Name)’s, “What are you wearing.” Proceeded by Hercules becoming flustered as he quickly changed the video call to a phone call. Face as red as his hair Hercules kindly pushed Ares out of the room, Ares’ face was also red.

Hercules tried to come up with an excuse but Ares was able to get the message.

“She wants to see my tattoos-“

“I’ll come back in a hour?”

“An hour is fine.”

❄️Rukia-Writes❄️

#Heracles x reader #ror x reader #shuumatsu no valkyrie x reader #record of ragnarok x reader

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lovebunnie · 4 months

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It happens while Hawk and his granddaughter are playing cards together.

Cards were one of the habits Hawk had picked up while in the Army, along with tidy bed corners and a fondness for well fitting uniforms. While stationed in the barracks, he and his fellow men would pull out a dingy old stack and shuffle through every game they could think of; the repetitive motion kept their itchy trigger fingers at bay. Once they called to ready up, the pack of cards was left under someone’s pillow so that no matter what happened, their pack wasn’t sealed away in a body bag. Hawk does not think his granddaughter would appreciate his war stories.

But the call comes from across the kitchen while Hawk analyzes his moves to find the best way to let his granddaughter win without her knowing. She stands at the sound, racing towards the kitchen with enthusiasm only children can have.

“Fuller residence,” she says, and then pauses. “Yes sir, he is. Right away.”

Hawk hears her call his name, hears her say that the call is for him. Hawk realizes it’s happening. Or it has happened.

He stands slowly, so slowly the movement feels beyond his being. “I’ll be right there, sweetheart. Why don’t you go find your mother to see what’s for dinner?” Hawk suggests numbly. She grins and leaves the phone on the counter.

It lays conspicuously on its side, like she placed it without knowing what was going on. To his granddaughter, it was just another afternoon lunch with her grandfather while they sipped on sodas and he taught her how to write her name in cursive. Those days came more and more frequently as time passed, as Lucy strayed further and further away from Hawk. Kimberly saw Hawk’s apartment with wilting plants on the sill and asked him to join her for something to eat; he does not know where she got her kindness from because it certainly was not him.

Hawk picks up the phone as though it is poised to strike, holding it close. “Hello?”

“Hey, Hawk,” Marcus sighs quietly.

There is a stretch of silence where both men are afraid to take the first step; Hawk knows what the call means and Marcus knows that Hawk knows. It is as if there need not be any words.

Hawk grips the phone so tightly the plastic squeaks, eyes staring at the tile in his kitchen he remembers thinking looked tacky way back when. In the back of his mind, he remembers the contractor he hired to replace it and the feeling of the man’s mouth on him instead. Hawk shuts his eyes.

“It was peaceful,” Marcus says softly. “Frankie, Jerome, and I were all there. We got him warm blankets from the dryer.”

Hawk stays silent.

Outside, he thinks he hears his granddaughter laughing.

Marcus talks to fill the empty space, where all the flowers he had been gifted in the past few days would go. How Maggie was making the funeral arrangements and which church the service would be held at. There is no invitation extended.

“I’m sorry, Hawk.” Marcus clears the tears from his voice. “It’s not fair.”

There was no point in agreeing with Marcus; they had all screamed these same frustrations for years both in private gatherings and on the streets. They spent nights sleeping in jail cells or nursing headaches on friend’s couches, tending wounds from police batons and writing letter after letter after letter to a recipient who would never bother to open them.

Well, not all of them. Not Hawk. Never Hawk.

He hears Kimberly upstairs start the vacuum and remembers his granddaughter has riding lessons later.

“You’re right,” Hawk says. “It’s not fair.”

#space.txt #space drabbles #fellow travelers #im haunted by the phone call we never hear #space snips

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wheatnoodle · 1 year

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back at it again lol

previous parts

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

—

the harrington mini-mansion is not a place eddie enjoys. the one good thing about it is it gave him steve. someone he knows has been through too much in that house. so, he hates it. he hates how big it is, how he knows it’s empty rooms and cold air in the vents. lights that are rarely turned off, glowing through the curtains even in the middle of the night. he hates that there’s a pool that none of them use and nobody really knows why. he hates that the three car garage has two vehicles gathering dust inside and the third in the driveway, not allowed in the same space. like a contaminant. he hates that steve is alone in this house. he hates that steve’s options in this house were to have parents around that drained and damaged his person or to have no parents at all.

he’s thinking about how much he hates it as he drives, white knuckling the steering wheel as the houses outside start getting more spaced apart, the floors multiplying, and he’s turning down a street that the neighbors surely think he has no business being down. eddie pulls into the driveway, next to the car not allowed in the garage, and kills his engine. he doesn’t want to do this here, have this talk. not in a place where neither of them feel safe, where there’s no room or item to seek comfort in. he needed to get steve out of that house, into his van.

he gets out, raises a fist to knock on his red door. no, steve won’t hear him. but he can’t just let himself in, that’s worse. is it? he weighs his options, using his hands as imaginary scales, taking out a quarter and flipping it (it rolls back up the driveway and he has to chase after it. like a loser. he fell too, did you know that? he fell chasing a quarter. his jeans have a fresh rip in them and there’s gravel in his cut up knee. that’s so embarrassing).

‘nobody saw that,’ he thinks as he stands up, pulling loose pebbles from his hair and stuffing the quarter back in his pocket. he didn’t check it. fuck.

deep breath. he takes out his key ring, flips to the copy of the harrington house key that steve gave him. steve told him only certain people get a key, special people. robin, dustin, max, and will all the way in california have a key. and so does eddie. because he was someone special.

no going back now. he unlocks the door, carefully pushing it open. he steps in, closing it behind him.

“steve?” he calls out into the empty foyer. he walks into the living room. “i know you’re here. your car’s outside.”

there’s a crunch under his right boot. eddie’s brows pull together and he looks down, spotting shattered ceramic on the floor. looking further, the stack of tapes usually by the tv is scattered across the hardwood. there’s more ceramic stuck in the white rug. he’ll vacuum that at some point. right now, concern sends his heart racing.

“steve?! where are you?” eddie’s louder now. his voice sounds frantic, shaking through quick breaths. he’s rushing through the first floor like a bat out of hell, shoving open doors and checking in cabinets. he’s yelling his name.

stairs. up the stairs. maybe he’s upstairs. why isn’t he answering? what happened in the living room? eddie runs up the stairs, taking them two at a time somehow without stumbling once. “steve? hello?”

eddie grabs the doorknob to steve’s bedroom, forcing it open harder than he needs to. his eyes are wide as they dart over the room and he’s panting.

there’s a lump under the blankets with brown locks sticking out. he sighs in relief, his shoulders dropping. his steps are soft, careful in a way eddie munson isn’t supposed to be. he makes his way over to the bed, reaching out a hand and laying it where he assumes a shoulder in. he rubs gently, trying to urge him into turning over.

steve pulls down the blanket and looks over, freezing at the sight of eddie. his cheeks are splotchy, his hair a mess from what he can assume was some rough tugging. he’s looking at eddie with these eyes that are huge and rimmed red. there’s unshed tears filled in his tear ducts and fresh tracks down his ruddy cheeks, and isn’t that just heartbreaking?

eddie sighs softly, squeezes his shoulder. “um…can we talk? like really talk. i get it if you don’t want to and would rather like never see me again, but i think we should talk and i also think we’d be more comfortable doing it at my place rather than yours, so i think we should head to the trailer first. wayne is at work so he won’t be in the way.”

steve’s eyes flick all over his face and he’s shaking his head slightly. he looks so lost. “i- i don’t know…don’t know what…”

and yeah, that makes sense. eddie should’ve realized that seeing as that’s why he was there in the first place. his face burns in embarrassment. how can he do this…think, think, think!

—

when eddie was four, he rode in the back of a police car all the way to a trailer park in hawkins, indiana. about two and a half hours away from his home. he’s woken up in the backseat by the nice policeman gently shaking his skinny, bruised knee. eddie takes his accepted hand and walks up the steps, watches as a grumpy looking man opened the door with a cigarette in his mouth and sleep in his eyes and he talks with the cop. the man lets out a heavy sigh and rubs a dirty hand over his face. eddie’s poking at the bruises on the insides of his elbows. next thing he knows, he’s curled up in a big bed and it’s so cozy, the softest thing he’s ever slept in, so much nicer than the pile of old clothes back home. the man with the cigarette sleeps on the floor next to him. he says his name is uncle wayne. eddie’s never slept so long in his life.

it’s only a day later when the withdrawals start to set in and eddie’s shaking, screaming, sobbing, hitting. wayne can’t communicate with him. he doesn’t know what to do. eddie’s gone nonverbal. he doesn’t calm down until he wears himself out, passing out asleep for another however many hours and wayne is left awake. exhausted, but awake and he searches through his old war things in a box in his closet and pulls out his book of american sign language. he had a friend back in the army who lost his hearing in battle. wayne learned for him.

he picks out a few words, like “scared”, “safe”, “breathe”. he practices them, slowly teaches eddie in the morning when he wakes up. eddie never learns much, just a few words here and there. enough to get his point across to his uncle in a moment of panic.

—

“okay…okay,” eddie nods his head to himself before sitting on the edge of the bed, making eye contact with steve. with an unsure hand, he points to steve. you.

“umm…alright…” eddie takes a deep breath, praying to whatever god there may be that he doesn’t butcher anything. he holds out his right hand, waves it once towards himself. come.

fingers to chin, bring to his ear. home.

finally, points to himself. me.

he does it again. “i’m taking you to my house,” he says outloud as he does, hoping he’s getting his point across.

warily, steve sits up. he nods once, twice. he won’t meet eddie’s eyes as he slips into his sneakers, his shoulders shaking and sniffles heard almost every breath. eddie gives him space, watches from afar. when his sneakers are tied, eddie offers him a hand to stand off the bed. he doesn’t take it.

with a hand hovering over steve’s lower back, he walks them out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and to the front door. he hands the keys to steve. gently pushes him in the direction of the car and signals he’s gonna be another minute.

steve’s brows furrow but he takes the keys, walking to the van to start it up and sit in the passenger seat. once the front door is closed, eddie turns around to face the mess on the floor. carefully, he picks broken ceramic from the rug and hardwood, stacking it in his hand. he makes his way to the kitchen to wrap the sharp bits in paper towel before double bagging it and throwing it away. he goes back to the living room and re-stacks the tapes in alphabetical order the way he knows steve keeps them.

he makes it out to the van and climbs in. steve is already curled towards the opposite window, staring out at the darkness of his front yard. from what eddie can see, tears are still actively dripping down his flushed face. he wants to reach out, wipe them away and kiss the booboos better.

he keeps his hands to himself and gets ready to endure a more than likely painfully awkward car ride.

eddie lifts his walkie to his mouth while steve is still looking away.

“i got him. over.”

—

taggie waggies:

@depressed-gays-of-marvel @kerlypride @thosemessyvibes @sadcanadianwinter @ineffablecolors @mentallyundone @awkwardgravity1 @thev01dd @flustratedcas @spectrum-spectre @hagbaby420

#part 6?#stranger things #stranger things season 4 #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #fic wip #stranger things fic #deaf steve harrington #deaf!steve #he’s just deaf man #hoh steve #hoh steve harrington #hurt/comfort #angst

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quetzalpapalotl · 1 month

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You could call Nominus, Sentinel and Zeta "fake Primes" on the basis that they faked Metrix affinity with a fake Matrix to cement their positions, yes. But the thing is that even if they are fakes, there is no such thing as a "true Prime". There are matrix bearers, sure, and that overlaps with being a Prime, but in IDW1's setting it's important that these two things are not the same and both are ultimately not all that special.

The Matrix itself was always regarded as something special, but Prime seemed to be originally a title for the tribal leaders of old, given that Arcee and Galvatron are first shown ruled over a dude names Septimus Prime before Megatronus kills him. The 13 Primes seem to be the ones holding onto that title when they united the planet, which is when it first got its mystique. Prima keeping the Matrix on his sword mutually feeds their legends. Then they have a fallout that leads to the First Civil war and we get our first "modern" Prime.

It's important to note that Nova Major seems to have become Prime, or rather the ruler of the planet, thanks to his merits as a warrior in uniting the planet after the 13. There's never a mention of the Matrix playing a role in this. Most of what Nova did with it was leave it with Tyrest and co. to experiment on and create sparks and didn't even take it with him when he set off to conquer the galaxy. But equality important is the fact that despite all of this he held the real Matrix.

We have no information on how Nominus rose to power, but by the end of his reign the Matrix is something intrinsically linked to the title of Prime. Nominus pretends that his Matrix is real and both Sentinel and Zeta maintain the charade in order declare themselves Primes. So while I wouldn't put it past Nova to use his link to the Matrix to glorify himself, I think is reasonable to conclude that the idea of the Matrix as a means to legitimaze sovereignty, namely, Primacy, solified with Nominus. Using an object associated with Nova, Prima, The Knights and Primus himself.

(It bears to mention that when Nova is challenging Optimus with the Legacy of Primes, he recognizes Sentinel and Zeta as Primes despite their lack of Matrix (or at least as much Primes as him, let's not get into Titan Return) (he makes to mention of Nominus, to which I say: lol, lmao even))

The Matrix certainly played a role in Optimus becoming the Autobot leader, but so did the vacuum left after Zeta was killed, the fact that Megatron was taking over and they needed someone to rally behind and that Optimus already have had somewhat of an important position in the ranks. During the war proper it matters most that Optimus is able to go toe-to-toe with Megatron and Optimus himself doesn't put all that much stock in the Matrix. But as seen in the OP ongoing, he knew Zeta, he knew how much of a fabrication the title of Prime is and he knew the power of symbols. He tought he could give make the Primacy into something that gives people hope and the answer the story gives him is: it's nice that you tried, but the legacy of Primes is rotten to the core. That's why he had to die, so people could move from this idea. (I wrote more on that here)

When Bumblebee becomes the leader of the Autobots, he's not granted the title of Prime probably due to his lack of Matrix. But neither is Rodimus for having held the Matrix. A Prime is a role and Rodimus never led the Autobots. He's as much of a Prime as Thunderclash, which is to say, neither is. And is ultimately revealed in LL that the Matrix does have a morality lock but that anyone can pass it if they believe in themselves. And that is a very nice sentiment, but also, I must repeat that group includes Nova, a guy who sucks, notably so.

Nominus, Sentinel and Zeta weren't bad because they were fake Primes, they were just bad. Just as Nova was bad despite being legit. The Matrix doesn't make Optimus nor Rodimus special because it will take anyone. It's not actually capable of making fair judgements on the nature of a person. Matrix affinity was always a scam. And there is no glory in Primacy, is an idea that needs to be buried. *Utena voice* There never was any such thing as a Prime anywhere in the world in the first place.

#quetzal rambles tf

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snawbeanart · 4 months

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youtube

a small tribute to those 2010's character tribute videos (some context under the Read More)

(Copied from the YT description)

Tribute video for Fawfuigi, a "what-if" scenario if Fawful had fawfulized Luigi early on during Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Also a tribute to those really old Mario tribute videos from the late 2000's - early 2010's (especially the Luigi and Mr. L ones that'd use this same song). Set quality to 144p for the optimal viewing experience. Song used is Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace, and I drew all the artwork (though some are edited Nintendo renders / artwork. also some backgrounds are from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story).

If you're not familiar with the Mario & Luigi series and are wondering what's gone wrong with Luigi, he's been turned into a goofy prankster bean man by a genius evil bean scientist / engineer named Fawful. Fawful sparked chaos throughout the Mushroom Kingdom by starting an epidemic of bloated Toads, hijacking Bowser's Castle, stealing a forbidden object of great dark power, with the kingdom's authorities trapped in Bowser's stomach all the while.

Fawful does something called fawfulization throughout the kingdom during his conquest- this usually means he stamped his face and/or likeness onto something. He fawfulized statues, carpets, castles, animals, and even clouds. So what would be a bigger middle finger to Mario than fawfulizing his own brother?

The story of this scenario / AU (note this is an unfinished and pretty condensed retelling, I didn't want to write out all the elements of BIS that'd still happen but weren't really plot-relevant):

The morning that Mario and Luigi were supposed to appear at the Blorbs epidemic conference held at Peach's Castle, Luigi was strangely absent. Luigi is assumed to be late and the meeting continues until Bowser barges in and, under the influence of Fawful's Vacuum Mushroom, inhales all of the participants.

Meanwhile, the now-fawfulized Fawfuigi is running amuck, further adding insult to injury to the befuddled kingdom. He doesn't mean much harm most of the time, but his sense of humor can be very mean-spirited. His objective is to stall Mario from getting anywhere near Fawful, but can't seem to find the red plumber for a while.

Mario has been struggling without his brother. When he finally leaves Bowser's body, he's too late. The Dark Star the princess had warned him of was stolen. Things were only going to get worse.

When Mario leaves the town's caves and hobbles home to take a breather, he finds that his door has been slathered with rotten eggs. His shelves have been unconventionally reorganized. Someone had drawn over his family portrait with marker. Mario was infuriated but also baffled. Who and why?

He finds out soon enough. When he sees Fawfuigi, he knows that must be Luigi, but he doesn't want to believe it. He found him at Bumpsy Plains, setting up banana peels on the pathway to Bowser Path. When Fawfuigi spots him, he hurls a ball of electricity at Mario intending to start a fight, but Mario doesn't want to hurt him. Starlow urges Mario to do something to stop him, but after Mario fails to reason with Fawfuigi, he flees.

#mario & luigi #m&l #luigi #fawful #fawfuigi #he's luigi but he got fawfulized

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weirdmarioenemies · 1 year

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Name: Snooza Koopa

Debut: Super Mario Sunshine

Whenever you see sea turtles in media, they are always very well respected! We all love them and are in awe of their majesty, their beauty, their longevity, and more! And a baby sea turtle is such a classic symbol of courageous vulnerability, a precious, helpless little angel who you would be heartless not to root for. Sea turtles and their eggs feel untouchable, off-limits.

And that makes it so very weird that Super Mario Sunshine is one of the only places I have seen sea turtles and their eggs presented in an entirely NEGATIVE light!

Snooza Koopas only appear in one episode of the game, where Mario must kill them because they are eating some flowers. But it is also much more nuanced than that! Silly.

These Koopas are chewing on the roots of sunflowers who are PEOPLE, causing them to wilt! People aren’t supposed to wilt! Stop that! You’re scaring me! I like these sunflower people. It is always nice when Mario gets more Friends. But back to the Enemy of the day...

Snooza Koopas are, as it turns out, an invasive species on the island of Pinna Park, and not only are they not supposed to be eating these sunflowers, but they displaced the native Yoshis! Probably because they look like Yoshi eggs themselves. Maybe they used this resemblance to get close to the Yoshis, and then eat their eggs? Maybe that’s even a Yoshi egg shell they’re wearing as a helmet! I know I would exit the establishment if this exact situation happened to me! And so, Mario must cull this population, and hopefully there are many more out there in the proper environments.

I just love seeing that sea turtles can be Koopas, too! Like in Minecraft! Where Koopas are also sheep.

-END OF ACT I-

-ACT II-

What a creature! What fun. So unique from the Koopas we most commonly know of! The enemies in Sunshine were created by Bowser Jr. using the Magic Paintbrush, giving an actual, in-universe reason for them looking how they do. They gave lore to this Mario game. These Mario enemies! These WEIRD Mario enemies!!!

AND I DON’T LIKE IT! GRRR

Allow me to explain. Snooza Koopa showcases a great example of why I don’t like the concept! If Bowser Jr. created a new goopa Koopa like this to mess with the Yoshis, that would be fine. That would make sense. A messy little mischief.

But the Yoshis in this game were ALSO made by Bowser Jr., according the the Japanese version of the Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia! In a vacuum, this also makes sense, since they dissolve in water. But then let’s remember the whole situation of Yoshis and Snooza Koopas. Yoshis lived on the island, and Snooza Koopas displaced them. This means that Bowser Jr. must have created these Yoshis- long before the events of the game, and multiple generations ago, if they already have a natural history on the island!- and then created Snooza Koopas to drive away his own earlier creation. It just does not make sense!

And another example is the Bloopers of this game! Yes, they look different from standard Bloopers, but we know there can simply be variants of the same enemy type. More importantly, though, Piantas are shown to catch and EAT these Bloopers, as well as Jumping Bloopers! If they were made of goop, I do not believe they would be able to die and be dried without turning back into their original goopy state. Also, they spit ink, not goop, which, yeah! They are squids! Ink is an absolutely perfect way to have a non-goop-based creature still spread A goop, to keep the goop mechanics going.

And we know our dear Cataquack, who is confirmed to be native to Isle Delfino, and who even would reappear in later games, unlike other Sunshine-exclusive enemies! Despite this, they can turn into goop when defeated in some methods, which just makes the whole thing more confusing, and maybe even kind of meaningless if you ask me. Maybe Goop is just some kind of primordial ooze and even Mario is made of it. Even you are!

So what do I think the deal with Goop is? I think it may come from Piranha Plants naturally! Petey Piranha is heavily associated with Goop, and he is not exclusive to Sunshine, and has been said to be a MUTANT Piranha Plant. I think he was part of Sunshine not because he was made from Goop, but because he is perfect for a Goop-related job!

We also have Proto Piranhas, shown above, which are Piranha Plants born from and entirely made of Goop, even more emphasizing the relation between the two! I’m not sure I think Piranha Plants are all made from Goop to begin with- they lay eggs, silly!- but I absolutely think they are associated with and naturally produce it, and Petey’s mutation allowed him to produce extreme quantities of it. Surely, then, the Magic Paintbrush itself was created as a result of extensive Piranha Plant research by E. Gadd!

And thus is the end of my Goop Rant. Thank you so much for to reading my post. I would like to hear YOUR Goop Takes!

#snooza koopa #super mario sunshine #mario #mario enemies #mod chikako #goop #long post

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queen0fm0nsterz · 7 months

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Kinda random, but if the characters are supposed to abstract while the series is running, I believe Kinger or will be last, or won't and will try to protect the others.

He is a king after all, the king is the last piece to be captured in chess. I think every character kinda fits a chess piece, but I don't have enough brain power to assign everyone.

I really enjoy this idea in a vacuum, but I think that in the context of the plot as we know it now it might be a bit of a reach. We will have to wait and see. However I am very happy you compared Kinger to the actual king in chess because I think his behaviour somewhat reflects what a king in a game of chess actually does.

((For those who don't know: I'm an aspiring chess nerd, and I have been learning how to play the game to the best of my abilities. Prepare for an infodump.))

A king in chess is the most important piece of the board when it comes to protection: losing your king means checkmate, a.k.a losing the game. At the beginning of the game, the king is surrounded by the rest of the chess pieces which act as his defensors. This reminded me a bit of how Kinger tries to constantly keep himself in a pillow fort in an attempt to self preservate.

When it comes to moves, the king is a bit peculiar. In spite of being so important, the king can only move a single square per turn; however, unlike most other pieces, it can move in all directions. Ironically, it has the same mobility of a pawn, but the ability to go everywhere of the queen.

Kinger himself is a bit of a nutcase. He is wildly unpredicatble (can move on all directions), sprewing out words of genius and genuinely insightful information while also acting completely nonsensical. Two sides of a guy... but the thing here is that he rarely takes action himself. The only instance of him truly deciding to do something besides keeping his fort was when he played rock paper scissors with Gangle. He moves with... caution is not the right words as I doubt he even is able of being cautios, but that's the sentiment; he can only "move" once, so he has to make it count.

An interesting detail about the chess piece is that it usually remains unmoved until the chess game enters its endgame stage. That would be when few pieces are on the board. Looking at the members of the current gang vs the many previous players seen on the crossed out doors, we can infer that at this current moment in time in the timeline the metaphorical endgame is taking place right now. And now, according to Jax, is when Kinger decides to start spewing out information about the digital world which he had never disclosed before. We don't know for certain if it was even a conscious decision, but it's certainly peculiar.

Concluding this with a bit of a sad thought: we all know that between those who have (presumably) Abstracted, there was another chess character by the name of "Queenie".

Due to her name and appearence, many have assumed that she and Kinger were formerly in close ties with one another possibly even prior to them entering the Digital Circus.

I think this headcanon has merit: they share a theme, appearence and the title of royalty, so why not assume a relation between the two? It'd be terribly sweet and tragic considering how she ends up...

However, I must point out something here that I haven't seen anyone bring up: Queenie is the black queen. Kinger is the white king. On the chessboard, they would be enemies, playing on opposite sides. With this in mind, I remember that the creator of the series said that there won't be any canonical ships in the show; with this knowledge, let's take this a step forward... what if the reason there won't be any relationship from an in-universe stand point is because the circus itself does not allow any deep interpersonal relationships?

Even if they were together prior to getting into the circus, Kinger and Queenie can't be together -- and this is reflected on their designs: king and queen on opposing teams.

And the Queen is a very active piece on the chessboard. I have no doubt that Queenie tried to figure out a way to escape and ended up Abstracted because of it. Mh... Since the queen is usually the one who targets the opposing king due to how powerful she is in chess... I wonder if Kinger got attacked by her when she abstracted, leaving him scarred - not so much physically, but definitely mentally.

#the amazing digital circus #tadc #the amazing digital circus theory #tdac theory #tdac meta #kinger #tdac kinger #kinger tdac #queenie #tdac queenie #queenie tdac #the amazing digital circus kinger #kinger the amazing digital circus #{carols be normal about fictional characters challenge: impossible}

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dr3amofagame · 10 months

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dr3's attempted serious of c!dream duo rankings based on lore importance (note: probably wrong, definitely argue)

c!Dream and c!Tommy: This is kinda undeniable. Like, in terms of their story, in terms of the Dream SMP, they are absolutely the heart and soul of the server. The c!Dream and c!Tommy show was such a thing that it has been like intentionally referenced and parodied within the story itself a million times. The story literally hinged on the idea of their opposing each other, c!Tommy-as-hero and c!Dream-as-villain, to the point where their whole you know finale and the closure for both characters involved realizing that they actually wanted the same thing and intentionally stepping out of the roles given them. Nothing really compares, sorry c!Discduo for the poll (but the heart wants what it wants XD)

c!Dream and c!Wilbur: I cannot believe they ended up ranking so low like I'm actually appalled. SLASH JAY but like . guys. Guys Please. c!Dream and c!Tommy's whole schtick forms the beating heart of this server because the story c!Wilbur wrote about them was its backbone. Like it's incredibly difficult to actually overstate how much c!Wilbur actually influences how c!Dream ends up--the paranoid spiral he ends up on is a direct influence of the increasing isolation he lived up until November 16th--this is why c!Quackity is so confident when he states c!Dream has no one left during dethronement and this is why c!Wilbur knows that c!Dream has no one in inconsolable differences. c!Dream doesn't exist in a vacuum and the whole, L'manburg narrative tyrant-villain-monster idea that originates from Wilbur ends up culminating in the identity that c!Dream ends up assuming to accomplish what he wants like hoooly shit he quotes "unfinished symphony" in Doomsday and he expects c!Wilbur to save him from the prison to the point of calling on him as his savior before basically Anyone and he lists c!Wilbur's name with c!Sam and c!Quackity post-prison like. Shit's fucked. Anyway.

c!Dream and c!Sam: Look I warned you guys I was going to be a little selfish. A Tad. Though, you know, it's kinda hard to compare in terms of like, you know, the fact that they literally spent a fuckin year together with almost no one else--sure there were visitors, sure Quackity happened, but like so much about them is very much isolated to. Them. (Also the ccs very clearly got a little carried away w/ these two and this reflects onto their like, Everything XD). With c!Sam and c!Dream it's less about well, straightforward comparisons and more about the Multitudes--c!Sam as the Plan, and c!Sam as part of the time and part of the server that c!Dream idealizes, and c!Sam as the cage for the monster the punishment for the evil the one that holds the villain away. And obviously while c!Dream doesn't um redefine his whole identity to base it on c!Sam the way that c!Sam does with c!Dream, the power of the trauma bond established over a year of Nothing Else does makes c!Dream noticeably more comfortable, almost, with c!Sam compared to like quite literally everyone else post-prison. Which is. Y'know.

c!Dteam (emphasis on c!Dnf): Admittedly, I'm not the biggest c!dnfer around by a long shot, so I don't really have as much to say here--but you know, considering c!Dteam very literally symbolize what c!Dream desires like. They're an extremely important part of who he is, what he wants, and why he does what he does. There's a reason why dethronement (and the cutting ties with c!Sapnap and c!George) is such a defining moment in terms of showing when he's fully burned bridges with the rest of the server, when he totally stands alone, etc. Obviously c!George is the originator of the "big happy family" line and well his mutual interests line up with c!Dream's quite a bit more than c!Sapnap's do, but as far as c!Dream is concerned both relationships are very much important to him and symbolic of happier times (and he's quite convinced that well. Both of them kinda want him dead, for reasonable reasons. So.)

c!Techno and c!Dream: This is where numbers get finicky, admittedly. As much as I love c!Rivals, and I love them a lot, I struggle a bit to put them on a definitive ranking. Because...well, on one hand, c!Techno is absolutely very high on c!Dream's priority list like as a character. I have said before and I'll say again that some of the most like outstanding displays of loyalty on the server come from c!Dream coming in c!Techno's defense at GREAT risk of personal harm--this guy literally stares down and denies both of his fucking torturers for c!Techno, like holy shit. c!Dream really fucking likes the guy like. So damn much. At the same time though, we're talking more...narrative importance versus importance to the character from a character's perspective--which is part of why c!Dteam is as high as they are, imo--while they're extremely important in terms of c!Dream's motivations and how he defines the whole "happy family" ideal around the idea of them living peacefully as a family, as far as actually looking at character interactions...especially post-dethronement they mostly just. Exist as figures that c!Dream yearns for but is also really fucking scared of. There's not as much consistent character interaction and frankly when we're talking about a character that's actively suppressing what he actually wants, they're not exactly high on his mental priority list either. All this being said, c!Techno definitely gets points by being one of the main vehicles by which we see c!Dream's like, humanity--being one of the few characters not to treat him as just a monster to be defeated and having similar ideals and therefore being an obvious comparison to make. Which is obviously important when we're talking about c!Dream, who was keeping himself rather in the dark.

c!Dream and c!Punz: Another real struggle to rank--I'd understand putting them up higher, but what really holds me back is well. c!Dream and c!Punz is the same as c!Dream and the Plan. And don't get me wrong, the Plan is extremely important to c!Dream as a character and like defines a lot of his actions especially post-revive book onwards, but what complicates this is like...well c!Punz as a character in terms of c!Dream? Like, he's just. He's just the Plan. That is his purpose, that's who he is supposed to be, and of course the Plan is important and of course c!Punz's like motivations here end up playing a big part in the tangled mess of what c!Dream ends up doing when we're talking what he starts ranting about in the third finale stream, but like. Well it's really not about c!Punz, innit, it's about what they're working together towards. c!Punz is secondary to the plan in a way that you really can't say the same for when you're talking about, say, c!Wilbur + the L'manburg narrative, or c!Sam and the prison. I can see an argument for them being higher just because like, if we're talking major c!Dream arcs, it's reasonable to have c!Dream and c!Tommy as being like a presence as the "main characters" in Wilbur's story starting the revolutionary war and ending at the genuine finale with c!Dream's main character development being split between the previously-named season finales--c!Wilbur being the main influence leading up to November 16th as c!Dream takes on the villain mantle, The Plan (and therefore c!Punz) driving him until Staged Finale, and the c!Sam and the Prison being the main force until the prison break...but well. There's just not enough of c!Punz and c!Dream actually acting together as a duo in terms of give and take in this dynamic to really make me put them higher--what's really important about c!Punz and c!Dream is just. The Plan and the Plan alone. Anyway, I'm decently flexible about this, but eeeeeeeh.

#c!dreamisms #look the punz thing is complicated because on one hand i think that the ranking should be higher because. The Plan is so important #but on the other hand it feels like it should be less for that exact same reason #like c!punz is just kinda there to Be The Plan. which is important to c!dream sure but like.#like it just feels so much less like it's abt a character duo and more about well dream and the plan and punz is the walking plot device #that symbolizes that #ultimately tho some of my c!dteam thoughts kinda skew in that direction as well...where it's less abt the characters and more abt what #they mean. but well even then the conflict that arises between c!dteam means that it's pretty different #from c!punz just being there to symbolize driving c!dream forward #idk 🤷#honestly techno is pretty easily argued lower as well like as much as i love c!rivals (and i love c!rivals a lot)#narrative importance re. c!dream specifically is a lot more finicky #anyway honestly i have strong feelings on the first two and everything else is harder . c!awesamdream is number three In My Heart

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ladythot · 11 months

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What is ur opinion on all the Yuenchi characters that appeared so far?

Now this is a very great opportunity for me to introduce some of the cuties in the gaiden but let me just show you this unnamed boxer cutie before startin off with a few characters—

*heart eyes, dick hard*

We'll call him boxer cutie, I recall he appears in 12th chapter but anything pass 11 of yuuenchi is almost nonexistent 'less you're desperate like me to go on reddit and scourge for the rest. I love his chill, free and easy personality. But one thing that bothered me is (cw spoilers) my guy already experienced his last moments before mumon could even become a bodyguard at his place and lost to one of those vacuum palm users aka nincompoops like yanagi, hopefully he atleast gives us his name before he rests in peace kek

Mumon Katsuragi :aka the bakiverse inosuke

He's a natural cutie. I find it intriguing how his lips have more color than the rest of the male characters in the gaiden and female characters usually have those, right? I like it when people ask if he's a woman as soon as he takes off his cap. He probably wears it to look more manly and convincing. Besides that, I realize how close the connections are between presumably distant characters and characters he had raw connections with aka Tokugawa/taizan/rofu/kozue etc. They all know about katsumi and it makes me wonder if there's a time where lil informations about eachother are occasionally brought through random moments as they think about that time in the circus

I'd also like to say since he left the circus; there's one panel where kid katsumi can be seen crying over him and his dad, he slipped during his performance because he was worried about mumon and this goes back to that one canon detail where katsumi still appreciates his biological mom despite her having to leave him the same way—This small angsty detail burdened me with profound woes and made me feel bad for my boy katsumi because mumon never planned turning on his heels once as he left daw fuck me bro, me thinks what ifww katsumi held a grudge on him instead and they fwight epicly at the very end

Overall? He's such a good boy, but in the latest chapters....? He became feral after his trauma was relived (chapter 16)

Taizan Matsumoto

Best dad no words. He raised mumon so well—no better dilf could simply replace his raw capability as a functional parent in the bakiverse. Not only does he headlock properly, he takes things to another level by being the solid mvp of the gaiden. Mumon would simply stay as a famishing stray kid without him, what more is there without this man prior to recent chapters? None. He's such a good father figure to both mumon and kozue, but good things come to end sooner than bad earnings—Itagaki why indeed.

I think he's the reason why mumon likes hanging out under cherry blossoms? someone mentioned that and I'd like to take the lovely idea to heart without correcting myself or the other person in hand

Rofu Isomura

Interesting character. Love him and the faces he made with kid mumon, their interaction, growth and everything. Anything about their interaction was wholesome and it showed mumon's unspoken aptitude for quick learning and being a genius at mastering techniques at such a young age. He's funny too, so unpredictable yet enjoyable

Mizuchi Koganemaru

Ya really need my opinion lastly on this silver spoon? His talent for nude sculpting is pretty impressive and we're not hinting at the sculpture of lady in the corner of his room. I think he's so mysterious, I like it. But also, there haven't been enough source for the recent chapters nor updates so I can't tell much about my opinion on him. One thing I wanna know is, what's he doin sculpting mumon and holding the manmade cement head huh.

I vouch yuuenchi for the unique art style and well written details for the manga artist to consider drawing in the upcoming chapters :heart emoji: they have all my respect in terms of making mumon and the rest. The more the merrier innit for the main anime?

There are a few more characters I've had peeks of in the latest chapters which is really hard to find by the way, but this is all I could say for now lawl

#baki the grappler #baki dou #baki gaiden #yuuenchi #baki son of ogre #mumon katsuragi

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just-some-random-blogger · 2 years

Note

Plsssssss do a part two to Left In Hell because I’m hooked on that “dare you say another’s name while kissing me” line and I need more interaction between those two

Sounds Like Heaven

Dream of the Endless x Musician!Reader

Summary: Having retrieved your harp after losing it in hell, you went on a quest to gather materials to replace its broken strings. To your surprise, Dream invited himself in your dwelling to help you mend your instrument, which was awkward considering you invited Apollo to your house for the same reason.

Word Count: 1k+

Warnings: Themes of polytheism ig, jealous!dream, greek god insert, annoying!apollo, gender neutral!reader, reader's still effin awkward, typos, etc.

A/N: i didnt think anyone would interact with my dream fic tbh so im so excited to write something for him GAAAAAAAAAH so this is a p2 to left in hell, but you dont really need to read it to understand tbh ALSO I- I cannot explain what happened in this fic. it just happened. part 3 "Songbird"

The laughter we had from our previous conversation died down quickly at the sight of the dark figure standing in front of us after I opened the door to my apartment.

"My lord," I mutter, face falling at the sight of his dark expression.

"King of Dreams!" Apollo, with his perfect teeth and golden hair, beams at the said being. He walks over to the Endless and wraps his strong arms around him, patting his back firmly, "it's been centuries!"

"Just one," Dream retorts against the god without returning the embrace. He was looking down at me all the while during the exchange, and it made for the most uncomfortable of situations.

Once Apollo pulls away, he turns back to me and slings his arm over Dream's shoulders, "you didn't tell me you invited your lover over."

Dream and I answer at the same time.

"He's not my lover."

"I was not expected."

Apollo raises a brow, "interesting reaction."

Dream ignores Apollo, eyes still fixed on me, "I have come to assist you with your harp."

"Well," Apollo breaks away, rubbing his hands together then stretching his arms out, willing the strings we just forged in his domain out of the vacuum. He flaunts the golden chords, "you are not needed."

These words make Dream finally turn to Apollo. The latter adds, "since I'm here."

I swear I feel the room darken.

This of course does not scare the sun god as his smirk literally brightens the room.

I decide to step in between them and raise my hands, "how about something to drink?"

The two do not even turn to me as they reply at once, "no thank you."

And so a god and an endless were not so subtly trying to one-up each other while fixing my broken harp.

I could do nothing but watch.

My string instrument was on my coffee table; I was on an arm chair in front of it. The two were sat on polar ends of my sofa across me, Dream to my left, Apollo to my right. The one to my right had the harp string wound around his wrists as he fiddled with the harp before him.

I raise a finger as he attempts to place the string in the wrong area, "that one doesn't go there."

Apollo turns to me then back to the harp. He moves his hand to the other vacant spot and I disagree again, "the last part," I instruct, "it goes there."

He nods, "of course."

Dream watches Apollo work on the area and does not do anything to mask his annoyance at his fumbling. He commands, "hand me the string."

Apollo wrings the said object around the bridge with a masked difficulty. "Why would I?" he raises a brow, not even turning to his side as he focuses on his task at hand.

I nervously bite my lip at Dream's miniscule reaction to the god.

To my relief, the Endless does not reply and so I take it upon myself to relieve the tension.

"My god, Apollo," I give a smile, "the Dream of the Endless was who forged the instrument for me," I mutter under my breath.

Apollo lifts his eyes, seemingly not feeling Dream's hot stare from the side, "so?"

I purse my lips, eyes darting from Dream back to Apollo nervously, "perhaps it would be wise to allow him to fix it, since it is his design."

"I know how to restring a harp," Apollo states, "this one is just needlessly complex." He turns to Dream, "I had to barter a jar of sunshine with Astreaus just to get some stardust."

"We wouldn't have had to if you hadn't insulted his newest constellation tapestry," I remind.

Apollo rolls his eyes.

I continue, "he would have given it to me for free, since he answers to D-"

"But he should have done the same to me!" Apollo blurts, voice reverberating in the room.

I sink in my chair and clear my throat uncomfortably at his voice.

Dream turns to me and releases a sigh, slowly turning back to Apollo, "your insolence is starting to irritate me, boy," he bellows, casting a thick and ominous feeling in the air.

I tense on my seat. A shiver runs down my spine as Apollo turns to Dream, golden hair beginning to burn with orange streaks. I barely recognize the ancient Greek he says, but it was something along the lines of, 'a god does not answer to the void'.

Dream chuckles deeply, though clearly not at all amused, and I honestly feel like I could cry.

"You forget you are nothing without dreams, god of music," Dream starts, "god of art, god of poetry."

Dream simultaneously begins to fade into and encompass the entirety of the room. The darkness of his shadow does not touch Apollo's halo, but it does strike fear in me that I drop to my knees and press my hands together in repentance, "lord of dreams, please do not mind my god."

Apollo turns to me and springs to his feet, "you dare grovel for me to him?!"

I ignore Apollo as Dream's black form rises up even to my own body. I shudder at it, closing my eyes. It is only Apollo who remained untouched by his darkness.

"Arise!" Apollo commands me, "I will not have you beg my name to-"

I rip my eyes open at the silence that ceases the gods words. I whine out nervously when I realize there is no difference between my closed lids and open ones. Apollo's light was gone.

I bend face-down and lament, "oh, Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, Lord of Dreams! Have mercy on my foolish god. He has been forged with mischief. You surely were there in the dawn of his light."

I begin to feel panicked tears glass my eyes in the expanse of the quiet and the dark.

"My lord, please! Apollo do-"

"Enough."

I open my eyes. I lift myself up, though still on my knees and find the darkness in the room evaporated. I am now beholding the face of Dreams crouched down before me.

The infinite blue of his irises prompt more tears to stream my face.

He places his hands on my cheeks and wipes the dampness away with his thumb, "do not weep for that fool."

The harshness of his voice paired with his soft touch makes goosebumps rise on my skin.

I even out my breathing before I ask, "what did you do to my god?"

Dream's expression hardness as he pulls away. He straightens himself and looks down upon me, "I sent him to a void he does not answer to."

I purse my lips and nibble them it in agitation, "my lord, please-"

"Enough!" he repeats with more severity, "your adoration for your patron is blasphemous to my ears." He lifts his head a bit, eyes still not leaving mine, brows barely tensing, "am I not your lord who gifted you the inspiration of music to begin with?"

I open my mouth but find no word are able to leave me.

"So," his lips pout at the enunciation, "while you're down there, beg to me for your own forgiveness."

I freeze at his words. He tilts his head in expectation. I begin to shift on my knees uncomfortably.

"Not only have you offended me by turning to the god-fool for aid over my own creation, but you have set your loyalty too greatly upon a being who looks upon you as though you are his."

I look up at Dream rubbing my clammy hands together as I struggled to speak, "but... I- I am... he is my go-"

"Measure your next words carefully," Dream's voice rips through the room with great depth and intensity.

My hands dart to my ears in fear.

I slowly put them down when Dream grabs my chin, "you are before the King of Dreams and Nightmares. How can your praise belong to anyone else but me?"

I take in his face of terror and awe.

"Now beg," he says pulling away, "for my mercy."

#dream of the endless #i have no idea what just happened or why it happened #dream of the endless fanfic #dream of the endless x reader #morpheus x reader #the sandman fanfic #the sandman #sandman fanfic #dream x reader #dream x you #dream of the endless x you #morpheus fanfic #dream fanfic

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littlesparklight · 7 months

Text

I. Some general points when it comes to ancient Greek culture and certain attitudes relevant to the topic: -both men and women were supposed to show self-restraint when it came to sex; it was a virtue, and furthermore, self-restraint and moderation (in all things, but especially this) was part of what made a man "manly", if you will. Women being modest and chaste were similar for them, and an extra step further than a man's "moderation". -At the same time, women were considered "naturally" more sexual, and having less self-control (that was why it was extra important they exercise self-restraint and being chaste), which leads into the connected idea that a man who does not… becomes feminized.

(Something illustrated by Lucian of Samosata's A True Story, in the very first parts of it, and talked about below:)

For the Iliad specifically, Christopher Ransom in his Aspects of Effeminacy and Masculinity in the Iliad (2011) summarises up a couple other points:

"In the Iliad, childishness and effeminacy are often referred to in order to define masculine identity. Women and children are naturally not operative in the adult male world of warfare, and so can be clearly classified as ‘other’ within the martial sphere of battlefield insults. Masculine identity cannot be formed in a vacuum, and so the feminine or the childish is posited as ‘other’ in order to define the masculine by contrast." and "Idle talk is characterised as childish or feminine, and is repeatedly juxtaposed with the masculine sphere of action." as well as "Effeminacy is linked to shame […]; if acting like a coward is a cause for shame, and prompts Menelaos to call the Achaians ‘women’, then effeminacy is seen as shameful in the context of the poem."

And while neither dancing nor sex are something that a man who engages in will become effeminate for, the former is explicitly posited as a peace-time pastime only, and sex is only to be had at the right time (and in the right amount). So, in the Iliad's (as well as the whole war) circumstances, neither of those two activities are proper to prioritise, and are at points set up in juxtaposition and contrast to war and martial effort. Additionally, physical beauty alone doesn't make a man in any way feminized - otherwise quite a few male characters would be effeminate! - and in fact, a well-born, "heroic" man will be beautiful because it befits his status. (Insert basically any big-name male character in Greek mythology here.) But, there's a limit and some caveats to this; physical beauty in a man (not a youth) must be balanced out against other "virtues", and if, in especially the context of war as in the Iliad, a man's martial ability is lacking, his handsomeness becomes a source of scorn instead, because he can't "back it up".

Here's our most notable "offenders": Nireus of Syme, who in the second book of the Iliad is called the most beautiful among the Achaeans after Achilles, but "he was weak, and few men followed him". Syme is a small island, but I don't think the "few men" here is supposed to be assumed because of a lack of numbers on the island. His beauty is all there is to him, and no one wants to follow him because he's not sufficiently (manly) able in war. Nastes and/or Amphimachus of Miletus, wearing gold in his hair "like a girl", which the narrator then calls him a fool for and that he will be stripped of those pieces of jewellery when Achilles kills him, and, again from Ransom's article; "Thus, the effeminised male, characterised by his feminine dress, is brought down by the ‘proper hero’, and the effeminate symbolically succumbs to the masculine." Euphorbos, the man who first injures Patroklos - this is an edge-case, because the text itself isn't obviously condescending or condemning Euphorbos compared to Nastes/Amphimachus. It simply describes him wearing his hair in a style of hair ornaments that pinches tresses in at the middle. But, the narrator still goes to the effort to make this extra description, not just the more general/usual mention of the hair being befouled in the dust as the man killed falls to the ground.

(In the intent of being somewhat exhaustive, two other potential edge-cases: Patroklos, who does perform some tasks at the embassy dinner in Book 9 that would usually be done by women. And it's not as if Achilles doesn't have women who could deal with the bread and similar. It's not remarked on, or marked in the text in any way, compared to the other characters previous. Menelaos, even more of an edge case, but like Patroklos he's described as gentle, and by Agamemnon and Nestor's indictment doesn't act when he should, being more prone and willing to let Agamemnon take point. Could say it ties into how Helen in the Odyssey is the more dominant partner in terms of social interaction, as well.)

And then there's our last "offender", who we see more of in terms of his lacking in living up to proper (Iliadic) masculinity; Paris. Before going into that, though, I want to touch on something else.

II. That being what the idea of the Trojans being "barbarians" does to the Trojans in later sources. In the Iliad itself, while the Iliad does have a pro-Achaean bias, the Trojans and their allies aren't really portrayed in the same way as happens later (but not consistently so), coming into shape during and after the Persian Wars. In summary, it's during this time the Trojans gain the negative stereotypes of the eastern "barbarian"; luxurious, slavish (but also tyrants! one basically ties into and enables the other), and effeminate.

Not all "barbarians" were considered the same, with the same stereotypes attached to them; northern (Scythians, etc.) barbarians were considered violent and warlike, "savage" if you will.

Edith Hall's book Inventing the Barbarian (1989), is all about this, but have a couple hopefully illuminating quotes about how these stereotypes were expressed, especially in drama/fiction:

So what happens is that all Trojans get tarred with this barbarism brush, as illustrated in the Aeneid (by a character, not the narrative); "And now that Paris, with his eunuch crew, beneath his chin and fragrant, oozy hair ties the soft Lydian bonnet, boasting well his stolen prize." Notes here: 1. This is said by a character, not the narrative itself, and someone using this as an argument against Aeneas and his Trojans, but the stereotype itself isn't something new; 2. "That Paris" = Aeneas. While this might be more about Paris as a seducer and abductor of Helen, given the emasculation of the rest of the Trojans and then the additional effeminate touches with Aeneas' supposed dress and hair, I'd say it's not just about that; 3. The word translated here as "eunuch" (semivir, "half-man"), by a quick look in Perseus' word tool, is also straight up used about effeminacy, though of course a eunuch wasn't a "full"/proper man and often viewed as effeminate, too, so they're tied together.

Even with this development, in looking at the Iliad itself obviously not all Trojan characters would be equally easy to cast in an effeminate light. Again, we come back to the easiest target, the one who, by the way he's juxtaposed against another character who exemplifies the "war as (part of the) male gender performance" in the Iliad, stands outside of that. The one who basically, as he is portrayed in the Iliad, by the stereotype of the eastern barbarian becomes the archetypal "eastern barbarian Trojan".

Paris.

III. So, let's talk about Paris!

At the very basic level when it comes to Paris and his place in the Iliad, is that he is the foil and contrast to his brother Hektor in specific, as a warrior and as a man. But in that specific reflection he is also the contrast against every other male character, Achaean and Trojan, in the Iliad.

What does this mean?

-Cowardice; he's slack and unwilling as Hektor accuses him of. No way to know if this is specifically because he's always afraid, as in the moment we see before his duel against Menelaos, since being unwilling to fight in deadly combat could be for many different reasons. (He is not always slack and unwilling, however; he is out there on the battlefield with the rest at the beginning of Book 3, and after Book 6 he is, as far as we know, out there with the rest of the Trojans, from beginning to end. His unreliability in his martial efforts is another angle.)

-He is one of, if not the worst, fighters among the commanders, on both sides. His martial prowess isn't up to snuff and as we see in Book 3 where Hektor calls him out on retreating, he notes that Paris' beauty would have the Achaeans believe Paris is one of the Trojans' foremost champions. But he's not, both because of his cowardice and his lack of martial ability, and tying into this, then, is;

-Paris' beauty. As noted earlier with Nireus, physical beauty not backed up by martial prowess makes you less than, and the epithet used for Paris to call him godlike is specifically about his physical looks. There are other epithets (also sometimes used of Paris) that mean "godlike" in a more general way, but the one most often used of Paris is specific. And, that particular word is what's used when Paris first leaps forward in Book 3; the narrative is using theoeides every single time Paris' name is used in that scene, and so we get something like this, from J. Griffin in his Homer on Life and Death (1980): "…the poet makes it very clear that the beauty of Paris is what characterizes him, and is at variance with his lack of heroism…" as well as from Ransom in his article: "Again the suggestion is that Paris’ beauty is empty, and that he is lacking the courage or other manly characteristics that would render it honourable. […] Paris is set against Menelaos, a ‘real’ man by implication, and he is told that his skill with the lyre and his beauty would be no help to him then."

-His pretty hair gets insulted at least once (by Hektor) and potentially twice, the second time by Diomedes in Book 11 (the phrase used is uncertain whether it's about Paris' hair or his bow; that it could be his hair, being worn in a particular style, has been an idea from ancient times). And we know what sort of fuss the Iliad makes of pretty hair in men who do not otherwise live up to being properly masculine according to its ethos.

-Being an archer. The bow wasn't the manliest weapon around, and the Iliad disparages its use on the battlefield (selectively!). Paris is basically our archetypical archer, who gets insulted for being an archer and less manly because of that.

-His focus on dancing and music, as brought up by both Hektor and Aphrodite (and, though in a more general insulting context with other sons being mentioned as well, by Priam). The problem is, again, of course not his skill or interest in and with these things, but that he is better at these than combat and that he shows more interest in them and probably puts more effort in when it comes to them, too.

-His sexuality. As noted earlier, a man should show moderation and self-restraint. Paris, giving in to his desires and having sex in the middle of the day and during a tense moment, even if the forces aren't supposed to be fighting at that very point in time (neither he nor Helen would know Athena has induced Pandaros into breaking the truce), is certainly not showing any sort of moderation. I can't emphasize enough how much this isn't some epitome of macho male sexuality and prowess. Rather, this is the epitome of feminized weakness to sex, and Paris throws himself whole-heartedly into it.

-Paris' physical presentation. There is a lot of focus on his dress and how it makes him look (Aphrodite practically objectifies him for Helen's pleasure when she describes him to her!), and that his clothes are gorgeus. Again, have a quote from Ransom about that Aphrodite-Helen scene: "This scene captures his essence perfectly. Once more Paris’ looks and dress are emphasised […] and, in Aphrodite’s speech, the poet explicitly disassociates him from his martial endeavour." Connected to this we have his first appearance earlier in this book, where he's described as not wearing full armour but a leopard pelt. Here's Griffin again: "[…] so he has to change into proper armour before he can fight - and we are to supply the reason: because he looked glamorous in it." Now, I don't think it's that simple, because other people wear animal pelts in the Iliad; Agamemnon and Menelaos both do so, as does Diomedes and Dolon. However, Agamemnon and Menelaos both wear theirs as part of a full martial dress and they're clearly meant as part of a display of authority and martial prowess and Diomedes, though he's not otherwise fully armoured as this is part of his dress during the meeting before the night raid, is clearly meant to be similarly glorified (Dolon is more of a question, considering how he's portrayed otherwise). Paris is specifically not wearing a full set of armour, even if he apparently has it at home, so in the end I'd agree with Griffin that, given the other instances of Paris' clothing being extravagant/beautiful, this is indeed an instance of "because he looked glamorous in it".

But as Ruby Blondell puts it: "The destructive power of "feminine" beauty is most ostentatiously displayed, among mortals, in the person not of Helen but of Paris. In contrast to the veiling of her looks, Paris's dangerous beauty is displayed, glorified, and also castigated. […] His appearance is unusually decorative, even in battle. His equipment is "most beautiful" (6.321), glorious, and elaborate (6.504), and his outfit includes such exotic details as a leopard skin (3.17) and a "richly decorated strap (polukestos himas) under his tender throat" (3.371)." (Helen of Troy (2013))

-His attitude towards the whole (Homeric) heroic ethos of the Iliad. Not just his unwillingness or lack of martial prowess, but rather the "personal motto" he expresses to Hektor in Book 6; "victory shifts from man to man". And, while I wouldn't say this is at all a typical mark of an effeminate man in terms of the Ancient Greek outlook on these matters, you do have to set it in connection to his other martial "failings". As Kirk in his The Iliad, a Commentary, vol. 1 (1985/2001) says: "He thus attributes success in battle to more or less random factors, discounting his personal responsibility and performance." and, another point of view from Muellner in The meaning of Homeric εὔχομαι through its formulas (1976) about this same "motto":

-As a brief little point, when it comes to his being a lyrist; that, too, was often edged in ideas of effeminacy, so while, of course, no man is effeminate just because they may take up the lyre at some point, if you dedicate your life to it, that starts to have an effect on how you're viewed.

So what you have, then, in sum is Paris being very much non-masculine - or at least not conforming to the martial and cultural expectations and mores of the Iliad's/the Homeric masculine ethos. Even if you add in/change some of how the Trojans might view things, Paris would without a doubt still be non-conforming. Myth-wise, he certainly is so, both before and after the Persian Wars and the changes to the Trojans' general perception at the hands of the Athenian tragedians happened.

Here's Christopher Ransom again, to tie things up: "If gender is performance, Paris is simply not playing his part; if ‘being a man’ requires a concerted effort and a conscious choice, it seems as though Paris’ choices are in opposition to those of his more heroic brother."

IV. And lastly, some scattered quotes from ancient sources about Paris, roughly ordered from earliest to latest:

"No! my son was exceedingly handsome, and when you saw him your mind straight became your Aphrodite; for every folly that men commit, they lay upon this goddess, [990] and rightly does her name begin the word for “senselessness”; so when you caught sight of him in gorgeous foreign clothes, ablaze with gold, your senses utterly forsook you." (Euripides, Trojan Women)

-This one is pretty straightforward, especially keeping in mind all the above and Edith Hall's discussion of the words connected to eastern "barbarians" by this point.

"Vainly shall you; in Venus' favour strong, Your tresses comb, and for your dames divide On peaceful lyre the several parts of song; Vainly in chamber hide

From spears and Gnossian arrows, barb'd with fate, And battle's din, and Ajax in the chase Unconquer'd; those adulterous locks, though late, Shall gory dust deface." (Horace, Odes)

-Double focus on his hair, and through that, Paris' behaviour, all of it disassociating him from martial effort and into a more "feminine" sphere.

"[…]shall we endure a Phrygian eunuch hovering about the coasts and harbours of Argos […]" (Statius, Achilleid)

-Again, the "eunuch" here is "semivir", so Paris is explicitly emasculated and made out to be effeminate.

"And he washed him in the snowy river and went his way, stepping with careful steps, lest his lovely feet should be defiled of the dust; lest, if he hastened more quickly, the winds should blow heavily on his helmet and stir up the locks of his hair." and "he[Paris] stood, glorying in his marvellous graces. Not so fair was the lovely son whom Thyone bare to Zeus: forgive me, Dionysus! even if thou art of the seed of Zeus, he, too, was fair as his face was beautiful." (Colluthus, Rape of Helen)

-I don't think I need to say much about that dainty description of Paris' behaviour and the care he takes to still look as put together and beautiful for when he reaches Sparta, do I?

The second quote, though, I think deserves some comment, because Collutus twice in short order compares Paris to Dionysos, and as we saw in Hall's book, Dionysus in the Bacchae is associated not just with a foreign man, but someone who would be tarred with the stereotypes of the eastern "barbarian". And Dionysos has long, of course, been portrayed with a particularly feminized beauty, not just in drama. On top of this, much earlier than Colluthus we have Cratinus' Dionysalexandros, a satyr play where Dionysos takes Paris' place for both the Judgement and kidnapping Helen. To note is that while the satyrs are followers of Dionysos, their uses as chorus in satyr plays wouldn't necessarily have them attached to Dionysos (often, they seem in fact to have removed themselves from him). And in this circumstance, then, Paris isn't just compared to the effeminate Dionysos, Dionysos straight up (though disguised as Paris) replaces him for a part of the play.

It all starts in the Iliad, but it certainly doesn't end there, and by the end Paris' effeminacy is just all the more explicitly stated in text as effeminacy.

(While the other sources mentioned here would either have to be bought or found… in other ways /cough, Christopher Ransom's article can be read right here: https://www.academia.edu/355314/Aspects_of_Effeminacy_and_Masculinity_in_the_Iliad )

#the iliad #paris of troy #greek myth thoughts #I really do recommend Ransom's article; it's great!

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alby-rei · 2 months

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Comte's Ghost Mansion (IkeVamp; Luigi's Mansion AU) Part 3

a/n: This was a lot of fun to write. Enjoy ✨

Tags: Humor, Crack treated seriously, Luigi's Mansion AU, Spooky scary spectral vampires, Ghostbuster MC Word Count: 1000 words Characters: You, Ghost!Dazai Previous: Part 2 Next: Part 4

~*~

This maze of a mansion was wearing your patience thin. While some doors led to new paths, others sent you right back to the beginning.

You walked past the same painting more times than you wanted to admit. Were there several copies framed around the mansion? Surely no nobleman could be that vain. There had to be a better way to keep track of where you were and where you were not.

You wondered if the butler had a map.

You fiddled with the key in your hand, on a mission to find its door. One by one, you tried every door down the hallway.

“Did this door just…wiggle?” You backed away as it swung open and shut. No room behind it, just a wall.

“First ghosts, now trick doors? Really?!”

You approached each subsequent door with skepticism.

At last, a door at the end of the hall unlocked. Inside, an elongated dining table stood in the center, fully arranged with dishware and cutlery of every size. A chandelier hung above the table curled like a spider lily, holding a candlestick on each leg. Dinner was not served yet. But there were glasses—ten of them—filled with red liquid left at the table. Correction: One of them was filled white.

“What need does a mansion of ghosts have for wine of all things?” You asked aloud.

"Would you like a sip?" A playful voice replied.

You leapt away from the dining table. The chandelier swayed back and forth like a pendulum. The ghost of a man dangled upside down from it. A wide grin split his face in half, just as his jet-black hair split his profile. He exuded a purple impish aura.

The ghost of a trapeze artist?

You switched on your Poltergust 1899, and he folded back up and out of sight. You placed your lamp on the dining table and held your ground. One hand remained on the Poltergust's strength dial while the other aimed the tube at where he spawned from. The force of the vacuum pulled the chandelier in your direction with some resistance, and a faint outline of the man stretched out of it.

It was not enough to capture him though. The chandelier gave up its resistance, and you had a feeling that the ghost escaped. You turned up the vacuum’s strength.

He popped up on the wall to your right. "Welcome home, Toshiko-san!"

And again, to your left. "Are we playing hide and seek?"

And behind you. "Count me in, but only if you're seeking!"

“That is not my name,” you asserted, but your reaction speed fell short of catching him each time.

“Don’t be silly, Yoshie-san, I couldn’t forget a pretty face like yours.”

You figured the more time you sank into this cat-and-mouse game, the less time you spent getting out of here. You opted to ignore him until he posed a threat.

“Aw, leaving already? Why don’t you stay a while longer?”

You turned towards the door, but it was locked. Trapped.

His snickers bounced off the walls of the dining room, and you had the sinking feeling that your 'mouse' had you right where he wanted.

You continued the chase for some time, getting more and more impatient with each second. Your breath came out in quick, short puffs as you grew tired of this little game. Your back ached from the heavy machine you carried; the straps imprinted onto your shoulders.

Speed was not your strong suit here, so you had to be strategic about it, instead.

This slippery specter only emerged from surfaces. He must not be able to float on his own, the way the paranormal performer could. On top of that, he made no effort to attack you directly, either, just poking and prodding like a curious child.

Thus, you turned off the machine and dropped it in one corner, then you turned to the dining table.

Please don’t be too heavy, you prayed.

You pushed one corner, and the table groaned and screeched as it rotated.

Although the slippery specter was out of sight, the goosebumps raised along your skin confirmed that he was not far. He made his presence known when he poked at your feet and tried to grab your ankle. You hopped and skipped out of reach, and even tried to stomp on his hands. He phased between ephemeral and corporeal, seemingly at will. His laughter taunted you all the while.

On top of that, you kept an eye on the table’s contents. You did not want to deal with a potential earful from Sebastian over spilled wine. The drinks wobbled slightly, but they were more viscous than regular wine, and so did not spill so easily.

You shoved the table until it hit a wall. It split the room diagonally, creating a wide, triangular space. Crouching low, the only nearby surface left was the floor.

“Ahaha, looks like you figured out my weakness. Well played, Tsuneko-san.”

You turned on the machine at maximum strength and grabbed the tube of the Poltergust, extending it as far as it would go.

“And for the last time, that is not my name!”

Taking up the challenge, hands emerged from below, and you planted the vacuum into the ground. Following the slippery specter’s path, you struggled to maintain your grip, but determination empowered you to hold on until he was completely captured.

"Finally!" You raised the vacuum’s tube in cheer.

In response, It sputtered out its last breath. Out of power.

Your face fell and you scrambled to pick up your gear and get out before more ghosts arrived. Before you left, you picked up a fountain pen that your ‘mouse’ left behind.

You trudged out of the room exhausted. The door clicked shut, and you let out a breath you did not realize you held in. You basked in the silence as you regained your breath.

“Where to next?” Your ‘mouse’ jutted his head out of the machine.

“Get back in there!”

You regretted unlocking that door in the first place.

~*~

Tagging: @starlitmanor-network

Back to Masterlist

#ikemen vampire #ikevamp dazai #ikevamp dazai x reader #ikevamp osamu dazai #ikevamp fanfic #ikevamp x reader #ghost mansion au #luigi's mansion au #crack treated seriously #ghostbuster mc #spooky scary spectral vamps #alby rei #starlitmanornetwork

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cocogum · 1 year

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Weird HxH Facts you might’ve not noticed before (part 9)

Fact #1: Feitan doesn’t eat food that has already been touched.

Explanation:

For someone whose job in the troupe is to interrogate people through the use of torture, Feitan would never touch someone else’s food.

This is particularly odd for him since he has no problem playing with the bodies of his victims while questioning them but seems to not dare cross the line on eating another person’s meal.

Chapter 398 perfectly demonstrates his refusal to do such a thing.

Fact #2: Nobunaga hates shellfish.

Explanation:

Never would we have learned that Nobunaga would despise shellfish.

It’s a completely different thing to hate it for personal tastes but the main reason why he’d never eat one would be because he almost got food poisoning because of one.

It’s rather hard to imagine a member of the Phantom Troupe getting poisoned by a shellfish of all things.

He immediately backs down from eating an oyster made by Hinrigh in chapter 398.

Fact #3: Despite coming from Meteor City, Feitan’s main language isn’t the same as his companions.

Explanation:

Even though Feitan is an original member of the Phantom Troupe, he seems to not have properly learned Japanese while growing up in Meteor City like the rest of them.

*the word “Japanese” in their universe has been altered to something else but we’ll call it “Japanese” since the true word for it hasn’t been revealed to us yet*

It has been shown that instead of speaking in Japanese, Feitan seemed to be most fluent in Chinese. Whenever he’d get angry during a fight, he’d suddenly switch his butchered Japanese and convert it to Chinese, implying that he was letting go of his restrictions to fully express himself.

This shows us that, unlike his companions, his first language is Chinese and his second language is Japanese.

During the Phantom Troupe’s backstory, Feitan has been shown speaking zero times but does look like he perfectly understands what everyone around is saying. We don’t specifically know when or how Feitan learned Chinese at such a young age given the fact that most Meteor City children at the time couldn’t read.

Fact #4: Baise and Ivlenkov get killed by a sentient vacuum cleaner.

Explanation:

It is hard to believe that someone could have been killed by a vacuum cleaner no matter if it was a sentient one or not.

And yet, this is exactly what happened to Baise and Ivlenkov in chapter 73 during the Yorknew City arc.

As the two are running away from the auction massacre to warn the others, Ivlenkov gets killed by Shizuku followed by Baise right after.

Fact #5: Tsubone has a granddaughter even though zoldyck butlers aren’t allowed to have their own families.

Explanation:

A lot of rules need to be respected to become a butler for the zoldycks.

Not only will you have an extremely dangerous life due to serving a family of assassins, but your life will also be monitored and controlled by the same family you chose to attend to.

Since the butlers should be completely devoted to their masters, this means they are strictly forbidden to have a partner and/or children.

If you happen to be a zoldyck butler and have been discovered to have broken this distinct rule, you’ll either get killed or punished severely. A good example of this would be in chapter 322 when a butler named Kasuga had been caught having a lover which made Illumi give her to Nanika so that she would become another one of its victims.

This rule however doesn’t seem to apply to Tsubone since Amane reveals in chapter 326 that she is her granddaughter.

Whether Tsubone adopted Amane or got into a relationship in the past to make her own family is unclear. Even if we assume that Tsubone might have been allowed to have a family so that she could produce more loyal butlers for them, the zoldycks would have still broken one of their own rules for her making her the only exception to this one specific restriction.

Fact #6: Luini learned of the Phantom Troupe thanks to Wikipedia.

Explanation:

The Phantom Troupe is one of the most infamous and dangerous groups in the world.

Even if someone wouldn’t be knowledgeable about their history, they would still have a big idea of who they are as individuals by just hearing their troupe name alone.

Luini, an assassin for the Heil-ly family, chose to learn more about them in the most relatable way possible.

Upon meeting three members of the troupe, Nobunaga, Phinks and Feitan, he exclaims that their capabilities could have been more than enough to slaughter the rich but he must’ve guessed they were more “behaved” than he thought they would be given that he believed a bit too much on what Wikipedia had to say about them.

The fact that an assassin had to use Wikipedia to learn more details about an already notorious group leaves a lot to the imagination.

#hxh #hunter x hunter #hunterxhunter #anime #manga #hxh 1999 #hxh 2011 #hxh manga #hxh anime #anime hxh #manga hxh #hxh weird facts #weird facts #hxh meta #hxh phantom troupe #hxh feitan #hxh nobunaga #hxh manga spoilers #hxh amane

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