Ugh, busy week, time to catch up on (I will try to get in my missed entries in today/tomorrow)
Merlinverse Musical March: Frogverses. Day 3.
Noleta.
(the Merlinverse people who do know Vasylverse already are aware who it is, but I'll sum it up for everyone who isn't aware: Noleta is an even-worse-case-scenario version of Kour. In its case: the ritual meant to destroy the soul that is Merlin and free Vasyl' via fire and smoke backfired, binding the soul even more to their body and fully turning it into a conscious, unwilling vessel for Merlin.)
The song I chose for it - falls under many categories, but I think I'll put it under "A song about their relationship with gods", in this case - Dura in particular. A sort of lyric-by-lyric explanation is below the cut.
Be aware: I do know the true context of the song and I respect it, however in the stated below - the lyrics are interpreted differently from their original meaning. Thus, be aware! 🫶🫒
!Angst!
You made me who I am
I read the books, held mama's hand
You told me I wasn't worthy
But God always has a plan
(Merlin having been created as it is by Dura, Noleta being "grateful for it". Vasyl' as the unworthy one as they are not from Esperia nor willing.)
They shaped and transformed me
Into someone they'd liked to see
A quiet modest young lady
Well, that's who I was meant to be
(Noleta being created. Plus a play on Vasyl's repulsion towards being perceived as a woman (or man) being disregarded completely. "They" is Dura and Merlin in particular interfering with the ritual thus causing it to be. The perfect vessel for Merlin)
I'm pure, I'm pure, I'm pure as a lamb
I'm heaven's little virgin, too holy for man
I'm glass, I'm fire, I don't know hate
And that's how I'll get to the pearly gate
(Noleta is not allowed any sort of hatred or negativity, and with how it is but a body and unwilling consciousness obeying Merlin's will and goal. Fire was the thing supposed to free it but it made it into what it is now - just glass, a pretty vial.)
I'm pure, I'm pure, pure as a lamb
I pray every morning and as much as I can
A whispered blessing is all I can say
To keep the demons like you away
(The green and blue text is Vasyl's consciousness still existing, still trying but failing to struggle and protest against the control of Merlin and, by proxy, Dura. Those attempts are futile (hence the prayer being whispered and "all they could do"))
Now that I am beautiful
I wear what you want, you saved my soul
I have two ears for listening
And I'll keep doing what I'm told
(Noleta's essence - it listens to Merlin, it does what has to be done. It's beautiful to Dura. And Merlin is the soul that has been saved from obliteration)
And I hope you'll love me too
But I don't seem to be enough for you
I'm killing myself slowly
What else do you want me to do?
(Noleta (but, moreso, Merlin) seeks appreciation and praise from others - especially Dura - but receives it rarely. The green text is Vasyl', whose sanity and consciousness is rotting within a body they can't control.)
***
Refrain already explained
***
You watered your garden and I grew
But you destroyed me, you grabbed me by the roots
You plucked my petals just like the devil would do
And if I'm going to hell, I hope that you go too
(Water is an ironically fitting symbol here - it's what hinders fire. And fire was the thing supposed to free them. The green and blue text is Vasyl' once again: they still hate Dura, even and especially while their body is forced to enact her will. She was the one who let the soul Merlin settle in Vasyl' and thus took their ability to do the one thing their life was dedicated to - their petals, their roots. And gods does the consciousness still desire hell to rain upon Dura.)
***
Now I feel dirty, look what you did
I wasn't an object, I was a kid
And I'm scarred and mangled, I am used
And all of this because of you
(Blue and green is Vasyl', referring to them not having been someone who should have held the burden of Merlin. They feel uncomfortable, dirty even, existing still as a consciousness within their body now following Merlin's and/or Dura's will. Noleta, as a body, has a lot of scars from the fire that was supposed to be freedom. Text in gold is Dura responding to Vasyl's struggle. After all, they were the one to come to Esperia, even if by accident. So the blame's on them, right?)
One of my, arguably, favourite Kyrié-associated songs. Here's Starman by David Bowie (Rest In Peace, Mr. Stardust.) as a song that Vasyl' associates with their former mentor, Magister Kyrié Myrsky. Below the cut is an angsty drabble I have been meaning to write, threaded with lines of the piece, written from the perspective of EoD Vasyl'. Inspired by the somber part of the song's vibe and the bittersweet feeling it brings now that the real Starman has been gone for 10 whole years. Not going off of the lyrics, just the vibes.
There Is No Starman In This Sky.
CW: Implied character death, Suicidal thoughts, Not fully sane Vasyl'.
Spring is near. I can feel it, crawling, creeping upon me - much like sleep tends to do during my insomniac nights. There's no joy in it. Though I can't say I hate its presence either. I fled from it, and I cannot bring myself to feel ashamed for it. There is no shake when you're essentially buried - oh what a sweet word, - under tomes and scrolls of knowledge no sane or morally righteous person should have interest in nor access to. Something a-la radio buzzes in the corner. I don't even know if I should care for its presence. Though, I suppose, the ambience is comfortable... I would suppose that, have I possessed any semblance of an idea of what 'comfortable' is.
That is, until you aren't. Until I'm laying near the radio, clutching the last bit that the multiverse left for me of Magister Myrsky. Gripping their letter this hard surely must have smudged the ink. But I don't look at it. I don't know. Because I can't bear looking at the lines "With pride for your earthly successes and my sincerest wishes, your mentor - Kyrié."
Goodbye love,
Goodbye love.
That's it. No titles or sequins. Just their name - the one I never bothered to call them. Out of respect, I thought once. Out of ignorance, I say now. Isn't it strange, that feeling when your memories about someone find you again only after they have passed? That feeling of a lacking fulfilment, an unwillingness to believe, I would even say. And that feeling has been the only one that has found me after weeks - months?... - of ruthless, harsh, concrete apathy. Suddenly, I see before me, clear as day, the very first time I met them. What an unpromising day it seemed like, until the air and ground shifted with a tremor to make space for them.
Then the loud sound did seem to fade
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase
That weren′t no D.J. that was hazy cosmic jive.
And look at me now... Laying here like a needless rock. The stars outside are so charming. I wonder almost, if they're waiting for me there. If, should I touch the stars they will smile at me again and say so wisely and calmly "Again from the top, child." If anyone else in the entire multiverse even knows they have existed - or was their being too wonderfully complex for any human to grasp it? Maybe they live on in those faraway lights, and their life there is happier, less troubled by the weights of their long life. Oh, they knew so much more than I could even dream of. And now, that knowledge has become stars...
There's a Starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us,
But he thinks he'd blow our minds.
There's a Starman waiting in the sky
He told us not to blow it
Cause he knows it's all worthwhile.
Ivanko caws on my windowsill. I think it breaks another part of me, because I don't know why I'm laughing. Through tears, I'm laughing. It's getting louder. I don't want it to. It ascends further and further and the tears grow more bitter as my cold fingers reach for the letter opener - madness, pure madness, - until a sharp pain in my eyes makes it cut off with a scream, I recoil and curl into myself. Oh, how I wish I could join them. How I wish it would be this easy - to make time for myself, weaken Merlin and end this cruel game of show and tell at last.
Sobbing into myself makes me feel worse. It's unbecoming, isn't it?... They wouldn't have minded, that is certain. But they're gone now, aren't they? Now I have no one to call for, do I? Only me, the unspeaking crow at my windowsill, and two truths I know can't both be true at the same time. But perhaps they're waiting for me.
"Then I should not make them wait for too long, should I now?..." The scroll I didn't want to return to seems to call out to me, prompting me to murmur that. It's dark. It's repulsive yet alluring in the most morbid of ways. I don't know if I recognise my voice. I don't know if I feel any way about it. Since the world seems so convinced that I'm someone else, I might as well become such.
For the first entry, I've decided (after much contemplation) on something simpler than my initial thought, which is: a voice claim.
Despite not being fully on-point with the cadence, I have always envisioned Magister Kour's voice to be quiet, soft, if you look at it wrong, almost - pardon the unintended pun - smoky in nature. The song and voice that best fit that description has been Хто я? (Who am I?) by the Ukrainian artist Лівінстон (Livinston). There is just something about the way it's so languid, somber and yet full of something dark that speaks to me on a subconscious level. It speaks, it whispers: Kour.
HOW TO SPOILER-PROOF YOUR AFKJ NEW SEASON CONTENT; AKA HOW TO BE A POLITE FANDOM COMMUNITY MEMBER, OR HOW TO NOT BE A JERK
I get it. You’re SO excited to share about the new AFKJ content.
Last season, we had at least ONE very high impact moment. And a bunch of us had it spoiled because of people sharing clips, images, or even just text-based content without any spoilers.
I personally didn’t want to know which characters were in the Epilogue quest last season. But unfortunately, everyone was talking about Bryon and Eironn and making fan art already, so it wasn’t a surprise for me.
Some players don’t want spoilers. Yes, that includes side quests. Event quests. Epilogue quests. If it’s surprising enough for you to make a post, it’s probably a spoiler.
Especially with how AFKJ is set up, it’s also important to remember: NOT EVERYONE GETS THE UPDATE AT THE SAME TIME.
Not only because of time zones, but also because of jobs, school, and in-game progress/server.
“But Vi, why don’t you just not come on on tumblr then?”
I could, but I get asks here and want to access them. I follow some of you. I shouldn’t have to block you until I’ve played the whole story.
And how about just being a polite person?
Here are 3 things YOU (yes, YOU) need to do for the continued positive space of the community:
1. Use a Tag
For everything, just tag it! “#afk journey spoilers” or “thorns of devotion spoilers” are all good options. Tagging allows others to block the tag, which will hide it on your feed. Might be good to announce which tag you plan on using.
In the past, I’ve used the season name, but I might start using both with how sensitive some of the story details are getting.
2. Use Read More
Key story moments, cut scenes, and huge lore drops need something more. Someone may be okay clicking past the tag block to see a joke or minor dialogue, but if it’s a big spoiler (like EOD’s main incident), you need to use a read more. This is also because Tumblr is a system that can make errors; it may not block a post with the tag because of a glitch. This is to proof against that.
If you don’t know how to do Read More, when you see this menu, it’s the gray option with the squiggle line:
Put an indicator at the top “Major TOD Spoiler Below the Cut!” And then click that bad boy. Once you do that, you can go nuts and it’s up to the content consumer to judge accordingly.
3. Use Your Judgement
Overall, just use some common courtesy and judge accordingly what is a spoiler. When in doubt, hide it and/or tag it. Like I said, if it’s big enough for you to make a post about (even if you don’t include screenshots), it needs a spoiler mark.
This isn’t meant to be mean-spirited, but rather to encourage healthy sharing and politeness among this lovely community. Thanks for your love of the game and the positive energy you bring to the space. Happy gaming!
I ain't tagging all that ppl PLS find it yourselves-
MERLINVERSE: CARDS EDITION
Featuring a lot of peeps from the merlinverse server, as a personal little project of mine... im... so tired-
I messed up and ended up with 2 characters facing the same way... sorry CE and Wind your kids were sacrificed/sil
ARGH, the format is so difficult to get right! T_T
Well, my contest entry for the Echoes of Dissent Fanart Contest. It's been something NEW again, focusing more on the landscapes, adding only hints of some key moments.
Ideally one should scroll down a single picture for coolest effect, but somehow... It's not easy to achieve. The picture is simply too big and most platforms will drastically reduce the file size. T_T
Oh well... I put below the single-picture version. <3
*Tranquility and comfort. Warm orange light upon the bookshelves. And a Magister finally coming to rest with a book in their hand. The seating are by the window is their destination. Slowly and carefully they sit down and lean back.*
*The moment they do, something starts to wiggle and whimper in faint "Snek! Sneeeek!". Startled the Magister allows for some room behind their back and slowly and moodily a small miniature version of a Hypogean wearing a snake-onesie worms out from underneath the cushions.*
Kyrie's expression is a whole palette of colourful bafflement. They take off their blue-lensed glasses, closing them with a click.
"Well well. Aren't you a curious being. What do you happen to do here?" They murmured, picking up the creature carefully.
"Oh well. I suppose you can be some lovable company."
"Ah, to think that someone who has brokered terms with nobles and gods alike would take a simple offer of tea for a moment of their time...I am honoured, Magister Kyrié. And I admit, I half-expected you to laugh me off with the same grace you once refused an empress. But here you are, welcoming me a spot by your hearth, and I find myself delightfully unprepared."
"I can only hope that the blend and my presence will suit your discerning tastes."
"Oh, but after what I've done throughout my life - and what you mentioned - you wouldn't consider me cruel, would you now?" Kyrié chuckled warmly, as the ancient kettle whistles and coos. Water for the tea was ready.
"As to what will or will not suit my tastes, do believe me - I am not nearly as scrutinizing and strict about those as I used to be. Which, of course, doesn't mean I welcome such... "graces" as impoliteness."
“You’ve walked through more worlds than I can name, and yet here you are, stealing my breath like it’s just another day’s work. Tell me, old fox—what does it take to win a bit of your time?”
"To win my time takes nothing, if you're willing to join me for tea and tales - my door is always open to you, oh stranger who speaks flattery like a second language."
Kyrie's eyes seem to glitter with something akin to either amusement or warmth.
"Albeit I will not tolerate you calling me an old fox ever again, young stranger, for I quite dislike being compared to one."
Magister Kyrié, i have a huge crush on you!! (◕‿◕✿)
Oh, oh dear. I'm quite flattered, really! However, I'm terribly afraid I must disappoint you - I am not one whom one should pursue a romantic relationship with, as I cannot experience romantic attraction. I pray it does not wound you. I am, however rather open for a platonic relationship!
#‘’we are obliged to keep this data for 4 weeks after which it will be destroyed’’#versus#‘’we are obliged to keep this data for 4 weeks after which YOU will be destroyed’’
