Spoilers ahead for the peeps joining from Steam, for the newest MSQ chapters and the end of the Estalucia arc.
Excuse my rambling, this is literally just internal monologue on a page.
So...Cygames has apparently been picking up ancient history (holy crap how long were they planning Kokabiel? She debuted during Cerberus's 5*, right?) and I have some thoughts now that this new arc is well underway:
1) Has Lucifer just...been in Estalucia the whole time? That seems obvious now with the whole something about "space being tailored to your memories" and "first and last stop". And it feels like that should've been obvious before too, but then Rel mentioned that Estalucia only started functioning properly after the crew defeated the Otherworld, so where are we there? Has he conversed with Rel before, or is he unaware of them? I imagine if he did it would have to be after Sandalphon's visit, given the explicit "I don't know much about this place".
2) Lucilius has also been dead at some point: Does this mean he's actually, genuinely been inside Estalucia as well? I don't necessarily think he'd be fond of being in that close proximity to the Omnipotent or anything remotely to do with them (looks directly at Lucio). Rel I would imagine would be keeping a pretty safe distance given Lucilius's current ambitions. I wonder what his little personal pocket-dimension would look like. And actually now that I think about it: I wonder if Lucilius's soul is fragmented at all. As much as I loved the recent anni event, that ending doesn't make sense if two out of the three aren't actually dead or in some form of suspended animation. They did that with Chiyou too, who never died. I get the whole "husk" thing, but then is that a precursor to primal summons or is it something derived from it? And how did they do that without an attachment to those specific Astrals? What's the conduit aside from jumbled energy of other, lesser Astrals? Not very good components.
3) Grevana/Kokabiel: I can see this going one of two ways - they prove that demons can fully corrupt even the archangels (yikes implications there, cannot imagine the Four Primarchs are gonna be happy about that one), or they prove that in some cases, even 3rd stage exorcism can be reversed. Now what does Grevana want with Lucifer? I get that the desire comes from Kokabiel, but why would Grevana care enough to see that through? Who else is looking forward to Lucifer's return aside from the crew/the archangels? Is it that she's after his power? Also yikes implications but kinda feels like a cop-out in a way, if we got the corrupted form of Lucifer I think I would prefer them to bring back the Malice series or something similar, rather than draw it out through this whole "possession" thing. At least if it's the Astrals causing fuckshit, there's set precedence. They could've taken reigniting the War a lot further than they did.
Late-game MSQ spoilers ahead for y'all just getting into the game via the Steam version, welcome to the fandom hope you enjoy the absolutely insane ride that is Granblue's MSQ. Additional spoilers for the recent anniversary event as well if y'all missed it, it should be coming back in like a year.
...So now that anni's wrapped up and we had that absolutely ominous mention at the end there, we all have an idea as to what's going on at Kreshstein, right? And whose body we're about to find? Please tell me I'm not the only one thinking about that?
Hi my name is Dexe! Although some may know me as Mocha.
My family is at risk of losing ou… Dexe Dawes needs your support for Keep my fam
Hiya. My family is currently at risk of losing our house, and I need your help. Any little bit will help and go towards keeping a roof over our heads and food on the table.
Currently, my spouse and I who are both trans and disabled, live with my family. My spouse is immigrating here to escape an unhealthy living situation in the states, but, back in November, my mother, who is also disabled, was wrongly fired from her job.
It was prejudice against mental health and disability. My mother is working hard to try and find a new place, but the market is tough, and she has physical limitations due to surgeries and disabilities.
I myself, and my father, are working as many hours as we can to try and even put food on the table at all, but that’s barely enough, especially with bills and debt looming over us.
Any little bit of help would go towards keeping our roof over our head, feeding our pets, and ourselves, and important medications while we try and find solutions.
You know, for all this talk of reviving Astrals, especially Those Two, a certain someone of a primal nature seems a little conspicuously absent, huh? Nevermind what just happened near Port Breeze.
Sandalphon, where are you? And what are you up to?
Granblue Fantasy Things:
Yeah I so I just had another Lucilius-oriented thought:
Spoilers for the new MSQ Chapters
He's awfully hell-bent on destruction for someone who theoretically wants to do away with the Gods' designs. I wonder what would be different if he'd actually managed to succeed. Would he have just wiped out the Crimson Horizon and merged the two worlds anyway?
Hey there, everyone! So this is my way of attempting to update y'all without having to suffer the burden of the dreaded author's curse on Ao3. I've had a hell of a year already, I'd rather not get hit with that again.
Welcome to a sneak peak of what's to come, this is the rewrite's first chapter. By all means please give me your feedback, I really hope this is what some of you have been waiting for. I might post snippets of other chapters from time to time after this. I hope the characterization comes through, this took forever to write.
(Content Warnings: This chapter features a transgender individual who is not yet out (therefore incorrect pronouns initially) and experiences dysphoria. There is also mild self harm, workplace harassment, and spoilers for the latest MSQ update - if I miss something important let me know!)
To Feed the Machine: Rewrite Chapter 1
The unchanging, undying Astrals. Perfection in their make, whose sole goal in the Sky Realm is to turn it into nothing short of a utopia - for them, at least. To that end they have sent many in their journey of conquest - mostly researchers and military commanders.
Islands that dot the sky have fallen heavily into their influence - to go so far as to name even one of them Canaan. A hub for the Astrals to do business from the center of the skydom its inhabitants call "Phantagrande". Impossible for the skydwellers to penetrate it's defenses, its safety is assured. But that is not yet where this tale takes place.
Deep within the island of earth titled "Lumacie", lies one of many research facilities. Built not long ago it serves as a means to study the local wildlife, ancient artifacts, and the skydwellers themselves. Within the maze of halls that is the facility, today stands a lone Astral tucked away in a lab, pouring over days worth of data to ensure the current proposal remains on course.
It will take a lot of convincing the High Council -- the governing body of the Astrals -- to get this project off the page. Evolution. A concept foreign to their kind as a whole, and yet it's abundant here in the skies. A shame the Council would sooner bring it fully to heel than realize its true potential.
Primal beasts - she is certainly not the first Astral to use her powers of creation to create tools at her command. But she will be the best. For the moment she tears steel-blue eyes away from the thesis to settle on an inactive model arranged for display. A preliminary specimen - a crystal suspended between wings and rings. Little more than drones, this is not what she has in mind.
The schematics for another primal beast lie a few feet away, this one with a structure similar to an Astral's own. An almost saintly face, strong chest and shoulders, this primal in particular commands awe and respect. This primal will govern evolution across the skies, independent of the High Council's will. And have the power to back it up.
Unlike herself.
Lucia.
What a wretched body this is.
It is weak. It is soft in places it should not be, curved and slender in a way that creeps bile up her throat. No matter how many times she cuts the long white tresses that get in her way they grow back, almost with vengeance. For as much as she tries to ignore what's beneath voluminous white robes she cannot escape that truth.
Not yet.
There is still much to be done before then.
Picking up a pen, Lucia continues to write until her hand no longer moves, lashes fall against her cheeks and she slumps over against the newly dried ink.
Morning arrives with a groan and a physical reminder that the lab's desk is not in fact the best place for sleep. With a stretch to ease the aching in her spine, once more she begins sorting through her data. The routine is nothng new - hardly is she ever found involved with something outside the labs, hence the Council's interests in hearing the proposal in the first place.
Writing the thesis is nothing new. Tedium is the only hurdle in putting information on the page. Defending this is the difficult part. With their core objectives, the Council won't approve of a project ill-suited to their needs. Research still needs funding and other resources, and fellow researchers in the facility won't hesitate to snap up precious workspace if someone else falls out of favor.
It takes three full days after the thesis is done to earn the High Council's satisfaction. Shrewd expressions fall upon pages, each question another needle-prick against frayed nerves. Of course they'd drag this out longer than necessary.
"Permission to begin development granted. We will be watching."
Fellow researchers eye Lucia with jealousy and hunger as the development phase begins. Better equipment is obtained, lab assistants sorted and vetted until a paltry number remains at her side - and pray they don't mess this up.
Countless hours of testing and retesting and scrapping the project before testing again. An unrelenting rhythm until finally the first phase of the Archangel Project is complete. Dark brown hair, sharp features, and six feathery black wings. He is not meant to be her best work, no. But a necessary piece in the puzzle before the rest of her plan can begin.
After confirming the only two in the room are herself and the specimen on the table, she approaches. Reaching out, a matrix appears from beneath her palm. "Beginning activation sequence. Phase one: System check."
The matrix splits and spreads, colors shifting as data flies across the metaphysical pages before disappearing altogether. Though blank and unwavering in her overall expression, there's a touch of satisfaction beneath her gaze. "Phase one complete: All systems normal. Phase two: Awaken, Belial."
An array of light surrounds the body on the table for just a moment before fading again. Lucia drops her arm and waits, gaze still steady upon the form. It takes several minutes before dark lashes lift, glittering ruby eyes almost immediately trailing up and down as he studies the Astral before him. A smirk graces his lips, and he gives a bow. "Hello, Creator~."
She has to tilt her head a bit to look at him as he straightens to full height. "Phase two: Complete."
He reaches out, a hand underneath her chin. "So clinical. I like that."
"Unhand me, beast." The snarl is quick. "There will be none of that in this lab."
Pulling away, Belial's hands raise in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Whatever you say. I am, humbly, at your service."
"State your purpose."
"I am the Archangel of Cunning. My role is to assist the upcoming Supreme Primarch in his endeavors while governing evolution." Another grin, sharper at the edges. "And you, of course."
"My orders are absolute. I will not tolerate disobedience. Should you prove to me you cannot follow my directions, you will be scrapped. Am I clear?"
"As my crystal."
A scoff. "Indeed. Get yourself together, you have a demonstration to attend."
Within the testing zone, the few available members of the High Council and a small number of researchers that bothered to attend look with narrow-eyed scrutiny as Belial beings to show off his talents. Just. Enough.
No need to give them everything, not yet.
The primal fields the High Council's questions with ease, expression relaxed. He certainly doesn't fear them. Whether or not the Council is satisfied remains undetermined, as they leave without ceremony the moment their inquiry is finished.
One Astral in particular hovers around the facility - a male with nearly floor-length white hair, looking quite fascinated with this new creation. He settles against a railing a few feet away. "So well crafted. I must hand it to you, Lucia. You really have earned the title 'Head Researcher.'"
"Your flattery is unnecessary, Demiurge. My work retains the quality it always has." She signals for the primal still in the testing zone to exit.
"Ah, but your skills must truly be the gift of God." He lays a hand at the inward curve of her spine. "Mother must have high hopes for you, to bless you with both such beauty and intelligence."
"I'll be taking my leave, Demiurge. I have work to continue." Lucia slips away from the Astral at the rail, suppressing a shudder.
Ignoring the eyes boring holes as she goes.
It is not until she reaches her own private quarters that Lucia allows herself to react, nails digging deep into skin beneath pristine white robes. Acid crawls up her throat as crimson blossoms along the fabric. It takes everything she has not to retch. Slowly she sinks toward the floor in front of her desk - slightly smaller than the one in her office by the labs.
Curse this blasted body…
The Astral reaches up where she knows a pair of scissors lies atop the surface. As she takes the blades to silvery-white strands in an attempt to alleviate some of the discomfort, a hand catches her wrist. "That's not going to be very effective, you know."
A sharp glare at the primal before her. "Unhand me."
Belial carefully pries the tool from her fingers, setting it aside. "Just hacking away mercilessly at it won't do you any good. Gotta take your time with it."
She lunges for the scissors, only to get stopped by a strong arm around her waist, pulling her away and to his chest. "What did I tell you when it came to disobedience?"
"That you'd turn me into scrap, I'm aware. I'm trying to help you." He doesn't release her just yet. "What are you trying to do?"
"I did not request your assistance."
"How much of it do you want off?"
"This is none of your concern!" Lucia breaks free, using her full weight to shove him away. Back once more to the desk and sharp glare directed to Belial, she summons a spear to her side.
The primal simply stands, tucking the scissors on a shelf out of the Astral's physical reach. "I can't have my creator losing it this early in the game, can I?"
He steps forward, ignoring the weapon. Something on the desk catches his eye - a page moved from the office to private quarters to prevent nosy researchers from seeing things too soon. "Is this what you want to be?"
The page slides free from the stack of books it's trapped under. "Give me that!"
Belial holds it up next to Lucia's face for a moment. "It'll be pretty wild, taking you and making all of this.
"That is not who I intend to be." She plucks the parchment from his fingers and sets it back down on the desk.
"So you do want to change. Interesting. And here I thought the Astrals couldn't care less." The grin is back, mischief glittering in his eyes.
"I should unmake you where you stand, shatter your core and write you out of existence entirely."
"Tell me more about it~." In front of her once more, he takes Lucia's face into his hands, tilting it up until steel meet carmine. As he talks a hand slips lower, right over where Demiurge touched before "If it's this body you want to be rid of, let me help you. You know what I'm capable of. Together we could make you whatever you'd like. Even if it's not Lucifer."
The tip of the spear rests against the skin beneath the primal's jaw. "Unheard of. Even if it was possible, the Council wouldn't let me hear the end of it."
"From what I can tell, you don't actually care what they think. What'll it be? What's holding you back? If anyone can pull it off, it's you."
There's a pause for a few moments where Lucia holds his gaze and then slowly the weapon falls away. "...Off my neck. The weight is suffocating."
Belial lets her go. "Okay~. And after that?"
"We wait until the labs are clear."
Snip.
The first of the heavy strands falls away, then the next. The primal takes what direction he is given, until eventually they arrive at something satisfactory. "Not quite like Lucifer's, but close. It seems you did design him with yourself in mind."
"Shut. Up."
"I jest, I swear."
"Your word is about as reliable as you showing the Council your talents."
A laugh. "Couldn't show them everything, could I?"
"I suppose not."
At the lab's least busy hours, Lucia finds herself sitting on one of the tables. There will be no other visitors tonight - the remainder of the Astral's off doing who-knows-what this late. They hardly leave their offices or their rooms, toiling away at whatever project has struck their fancy.
Belial has traded the military uniform for something more medically inclined, a mask over his face, gloves on his hands, clothing protected by an apron of sorts to keep the blood off. "There's no turning back after this."
"If I wasn't certain, we wouldn't be in here. Proceed, Belial, and swiftly. I have work to do when this is done."
"Well then…Goodnight, Lucilius~."
Consciousness flees after he tips a concoction into the Astral's mouth. The instructions left should be easy to follow, though hardly does that ease the discomfort. Don't you dare mess this up…
Astrals do not like change. It is foreign. A sign of imperfection to a people who strive for nothing less than perfect. It takes several days to fully recover and as soon as Lucilius's hood drops to reveal his face, the chatter in the halls goes dead-silent.
There's only one person that this could be.
Hushed whispers begin to follow as the Astral makes his usual way to the lab, a resounding question spreading like wildfire: What has the Head Researcher done?
So. I'm sitting here trying to write, and a thought has occurred to me.
GBF MSQ update spoilers below, but this is mostly Lucilius centered:
By all means some one please point things out to me if I've missed them: If the Omnipotent split in two - with the Bahamut creating the Sky Realm and the Astralia handling the Astral Realm...
Why the fuck is Lucilius the clone of the Sky God's Speaker?
Hello y'all, it's me, I'm back on my bullshit again. For any of you that follow me for my Lucilius-centric GBF AU fic To Feed the Machine, hopefully by now you've heard I'm rewriting it. I have a question for y'all. That being said, there's a whole lot of information I could put in this fic, so here's the poll:
Would you like to see a full backstory?
Yes
No
Voting ended onSep 2, 2025
This'll determine where in the timeline I start the fic, and there might be a follow-up poll or two after that. Premise is a little further down on the blog if you want to see that first, I don't post much so there's not a lot of scrolling.
Hello y'all, it's me, I'm back on my bullshit again. For any of you that follow me for my Lucilius-centric GBF AU fic To Feed the Machine, hopefully by now you've heard I'm rewriting it. I have a question for y'all. That being said, there's a whole lot of information I could put in this fic, so here's the poll:
Would you like to see a full backstory?
Yes
No
Voting ended onSep 2, 2025
This'll determine where in the timeline I start the fic, and there might be a follow-up poll or two after that. Premise is a little further down on the blog if you want to see that first, I don't post much so there's not a lot of scrolling.
So I've been thinking about Astral lore lately in relation to "To Feed the Machine".
I wonder if Lucilius acknowledging the fact that he's trans trigger the "corruption" that Astrals experience. Like a slow, shifting process. Could he feel himself slowly losing his immortality? Does his status as a Speaker's clone make a difference (maybe grant him some level of immunity?)
Alright, so for those of you that follow me for my writing, since I've noticed I've gotten the interest of a few new people:
Lies of P: The Memories Meet Malice (Now titled "Anthology Memorium") restructuring has been paused at this time for a couple of reasons. One - with the DLC coming out soon, I want to be able to solidify my timeline. Two - I don't have direct access to the game at this time, so I've lost a huge part of my reference material. This pause is temporary, so be on the lookout!
Granblue Fantasy: Hey there! So for To Feed the Machine's restructuring/rewrite: That's been moved up in the list a bit, since I've got a better grasp of those events and reference materials are on hand. For the newly interested: You can find the original here. Please read the content warnings before you really decide to get into this.
Persona 5/Royal: Haven't forgotten about y'all, I promise! Post-Game: A Trickster's Tale will in fact get updated as soon as I am able to work on it, but like with Lies of P, it will occasionally require direct reference from in-game sources for things like previous events, so it is not of immediate priority.
Thanks for the interest in my writings! I will post updates and other musings on the blog, so feel free to stick around!
Creating a separate post for this because I actually really do want Cygames to do more with this. Spoilers ahead.
If we don't get exactly what happened leading up to the moratorium on Lucilius's research I will riot. You're telling me that the High Council - that has been documented to already dislike Lucilius, wouldn't make a spectacle out of that? I have a desperate need to be a fly on that chamber wall. We know Lucilius has a few bones to pick, but none of the actual justifications for why - and this ties into my original concept post for To Feed the Machine . Heart of the Sun has only made it worse. What was Repti pestering him about? What has Lucilius on edge about Astaroth, and was the latter on the High Council or no? Please, Cygames. Please. I wanna know what precisely happened that made Lucilius wanna fight God enough to potentially risk destroying the entire fabric of reality.
(More under the cut because it's an event and we get new players all the time) Brief edit: Comments are not spoiler-free.
We see snippets of the rebellion, right? In one of those snippets we meet Belial and Lucifer - and for the brief moment we do see it, initially, I thought they were still "working together", they didn't seem to actually be fighting. But Lucifer had to have known, right?
So today I'm reimagining that scene where the two of them are standing face to face, Belial daring Lucifer to act without saying a single word. And Lucifer just can't do it. He has every opportunity to deal with it right there, to cut off one of the rebellion's key leaders, and yet Belial walks away.
Because who wouldn't want one of their closest friends to live, even as they drive the knife right into your back?
Alright so I absolutely said this to someone earlier today and have been thinking about it even longer, but I believe without question Belial would really enjoy Sleep Token. I think genuinely it fits him so well. He'd be blasting something in his ears, and then he'd pull out an earbud while someone (watch it be Sandalphon) is trying to get his attention and it's just...
*"Are you okay???"*
"Why wouldn't I be?"
Bonus points if they're locked into a fight when it happens.
Finally got access to a sketchbook again after not having one for a while. Got told by a friend I should post this here, so have at! It hurts me just as much as it does you, I swear. Should I do a companion piece to this with Belial and Lucilius?
