Kind of. lol (Edit. I am going to keep a tally cuz why not! Yes: 6 No: 2 Undecided: 2) I am curious of general opinion on something. An idea of mine. Except I am not curious if you think it is a good plot idea. I am curious if this is something you would personally find appealing in real life if it were real. A concept I call an Arch. Basic idea it is a soul that merges with your soul. The soul in question has been alive bouncing from person to person since the big bang. If it bonds with you the following happen. - You become stronger. The increase would likely make you immune to common knife attacks. This increase applies to al physical abilities at about the same level. - Your life span is doubled - You can now likely command magic to some degree - You can psychically speak to the other soul inside your body and will feel each others emotions. A few catches though. The soul can't leave. Doing so would kill you. The soul will always be inside your mind and can dig through your memories or hear your thoughts. You cannot stop this. The soul could even try and take over your body. This applies both ways. You can dig through its memory and hear its thoughts too. It has a personality though which I find notable to say. Obviously no power is worth losing your body(How could you enjoy the power? lol) The Arch has been alive so long that it has developed certain rules for itself inside a body. - It never tries to take over. It firmly believes in the fact it is your body and as such your life. - It will offer advise but not try to stronghold you into accepting it. - It will teach you anything you ask to learn. - It is always on your side. (I feel I need to establish what I mean by this better. I will give a short paragraph below to explain.) How an Arch would explain itself if asked; "I will never lie to you. I will always follow you. Never in spite of your actions but because of them. I will always listen and will never judge. If you decide to save the world or destroy it know that for now and forever I will always be at your side. No questions, no hesitation. Until the day you die my loyalty is unbreakable and unbending. " Given the chance. Would you want such a creature to bond with you? Why or why not? Tagging cool people! @jaebird @ChickenFreak @jannert @Mckk @Lea`Brooks @cutecat22 Remember I tagged only cool people, not all cool people. The lack of tagging you is not an implication that you are uncool.
It's kind of like the dragons in the Pern series - they weren't actually inside your body, but I'm not sure how much of a distinction that would really make, since they were mentally there. The dragonriders didn't get super strength or extended lives, but they got other perks, in exchange for a pretty invasive mental relationship. I certainly thought it was a good deal when I read those books! But I find myself hesitating on this one. I think it's because the dragons weren't too smart, or at least were clearly not smart the same way humans are smart. This Arch idea feels like the other being would be smarter than me, and that makes me feel like I'd be subservient, and I don't think I like the feeling of that. It also feels like more of an invasion of privacy, somehow? Maybe b/c the dragons are like pets, and no one really worries about their pets invading their privacy. No. I think the difference is the LOVE between the dragon and the rider. That's what makes it okay, it's essentially an emotional bond, while this one feels more like an intellectual bond. So, I don't know about the Arch. But I definitely still want a dragon.
Not familiar with the Pern Series but I am not surprised. lol. (Insert no completely original idea joke here) You are right though. The bond of these Archs is not based on emotions but I think it would go there. Because technically in a sense you can't hide. I point out that you can willfully try and invade but even if not trying this you can still feel there emotions. It works both ways too. When you are in love the Arch feels the love through you and the reverse is true too. When the Arch feels love you can feel it too. So there is an emotional connection but it isn't a bond in the same way I think you were listing. Right? You are right too the Archs are smarter then you but that is exactly why they hold back. They don't want to write your story but they are not against guiding it to a better direction(remember after all they feel your pain.) You make another point too on the pet. An Arch almost acts like a pet but it clearly isn't and I can see how that might give someone pause. Hence why I opened this thread. I love opinions
This kinda reminds me of another book by Stephanie Meyers - it's called Host, I think, about these alien parasites that take over the human's body, but the human's mind remained active and aware that they've been taken over, and the book's supposed to be about this particular human who fights to regain control of her body. I actually wanna read that lol. As for this Arch idea - I don't really see why on earth I'd want something like that. Esp since I'm married - having someone invading my mind like that would almost be like sharing my husband I feel. No no no However, being that I'm in a very bouncy mood right now, it just occurred to me this isn't too different from the concept of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and speaks to you and is always with you and know all your feelings and thoughts
Absolutely wouldn't want this. Pros: -Having some magic in a non-magical world would be cool. -Having someone who defends you no matter what would also be cool. But there are way more cons: -I don't want my life span doubled. I'm not a fan of living forever and other life extension paths. I think this life, these years, are enough. -I have no reason to need to be stronger. I'm not a fighter. So the power would be lost on me. -I'm an extremely private person, even with my husband, so I'd hate to have someone in my head at all times. Along those same lines, I'm very intolerant of people so I'd more than likely not get along with the being in my head. So no. I'd hate it. lol I'd probably kill myself just to get rid of it.
People have made the comparison to the host before. LOL. Isn't sharing caring though? Holy Spirit? What book is that from? Thank you for your opinion. Being stronger isn't a con. At best it is neither to you because you think it would not apply to your life style. Though technically it also adds damage resistance meaning a car accident or a nasty fall or even being mugged would be different. Isn't peace of mind about this situations not being dangerous anymore neat? The last one is the one I find the most interesting here. Nothing wrong with being private of course but the idea of something helping you become more comfortable around others, wouldn't this have an appeal? You couldn't run from this thing and as such you would get more social experience by default. Wouldn't you be curious who you might become? Oh and just because you can't hide from her doesn't mean she is constantly in your face screaming "Are we there yet?" LOL at the life span one. Life span doubled isn't close to forever. I agree with you there. Living forever is a curse but never seen someone be upset at the prospect of a few more years(in youth too! Did I mention that?) Thank you for your opinion I think notable to mention. Not really notable in the OP but the Archs in my world. As much as they want to ask permission they can't. They can't speak to a soul til they fuse with it at which point it is too late. But they feel bad about that but they have no real choice in the matter. I guess I realize too I didn't share my opinion. Mine is kind of like; As scary as the prospect of sharing myself with something like this is. I think I would do it. Because I think years after later I would be glad even if day one I was a bit freaked out. To me the powers are neat but the real deal maker for me is the friend. The fact you could be completely alone and yet close your eyes and have a nice discussion with someone like this. That thought is appealing to me.
No, not for me. It sounds like being ill, but that's my feeling for me, not 'would this work as fiction,' so play with it.
Oh. Never read it myself. lol. Wouldn't have guessed it had something similar to my Arch concept. Go figure.
Hopefully the MC keeps this to them self or else they're going to the loony bin as a schizophrenic. I like the idea. The soul's ability to rummage through the host's memories is interesting, and I think a lot of good ideas could flow from that. I'd definitely say, "yes," this is a good idea.
Thanks for the opinion. Except the question was if you were offered a chance to have such a creature merge with you. Would you want it?
I apologize for my answering the wrong question haha. I would want it. I think the pros far outweigh the cons, especially since I've always wanted magic powers (As I think everyone has at one point or another). However, I think having a constant secondary voice in your head could be mentally draining. In the end, I would still take it, though.
Um.... I think I can decide what I think is a con. I wouldn't want to be stronger, or have damage resistance as you say. Sure, it sounds great to not be hurt by car accidents or falls. But it's not something I want. Same with the extended life span. I don't want to be special. I like being normal. Also, just food for thought for your idea book wise, how does having a soul in your head make your body stronger? Everything else seems to fit with having another being with you except that one. If it's just a presence, a spirit, I don't understand how it could affect the physical body. Again, being private is just who I am. I don't want people to know what I'm thinking. I don't want them to know I'm upset. Whether they're helping me or not makes no difference to me. The more someone pries into my personal life, even with the best intentions, the more I shut them out. My personal business and thoughts are mine, and no one has a right to them but me. Yeah, I just don't want more life. I guess I'm weird. But I'm also not the kind of person that fears aging and death. I'm not afraid to turn thirty, or forty, or even eighty. Hell, I'm excited to be old. I WANT to live in a retirement home, where I don't have to take care of a house or cook my own food. Life is long to me, and I want to enjoy it. I have no need or want to unnaturally extend it. Extending it, even ten years, is terrifying to me.
Yeah but you're saying you like the idea of being hurt in a car accident? Oh well in my universe everyone has a soul. Archs are sort of like souls without bodies. A person can become all of previous things by increasing the power of their soul(usually physical effort.) So enhanced life span, reinforced body, greater magic, and even the ability to enhance the perception of time(make the clock move slower to you) are all things a warrior in my world can learn on there own. Their soul augments the power of their body. So an Arch is just kind of a cheating version to get that without effort. Though an Arch tends to grant more than most people "could" achieve even if they worked there entire life. Again never thought I would hear someone say they didn't want ten more years. That is what makes asking opinions so fun. To hear opinions you don't expect. Thanks. Could you explain please? Thank you
I am actually more lost now then before. Are you saying the term I used had a thing attached? Or are you saying my concept is like something else in Greece? How does this relate to spiderman?
Yeah the term you used is an old metaphysical idea. Your idea is about exploiting the Arche to create a superhero. So do you see now?
I was spelling it Arch and was referencing the definition that would be used for like "Arch rival." This is because originally I called these creatures angels and demons but realized they are pretty much the same thing. Arch references this because there were Angels, Demons and Arch-Angels and Arch-Demons. I just dropped the angel and demon and called the Arch. Lame? Yes I know it is. Also never said these creatures were heroes.
I'm surprised to find I'm in an extreme minority. I've always been fascinated with the idea of immortality. Double my life span? Where do I sign? Ok, so it's kind of like being insane for 160ish years, that's better than being dead. Stronger, faster, smarter by virtue of having 2 opinions on anything. But if everyone has them then we're all normal again. If everyone in this world of yours has them, then what I want to know is, what's going to go wrong? Sounds like that might be where the story is.
Wait why would it be insane? Actually they are rare. So rare that generally a planet only has 0-5 people with this on it at any given time. Thing is the Archs don't die. When you do they detach from you and move on. Plus they don't stop you from doing what you want. So you can be a villain with them, they don't force your actions either. So humans act as they always have just more so. Make sense? Thank you for your opinion
Well, if I said I had a voice in my head I'm pretty sure I'd be next in line for some pills and maybe a stay in the rubber room right now.
LOL. Well for one you don't say that and for two you aren't crazy. There IS actually a person in your head in this situation. lol
Hmm well it would make alone time a bit more awkward. But since it apparently doesn't judge... Hmmm Screw it I think I would go for it. I mean the lack of privacy is a big downside but then again the other benefits would make it up for me. The idea of getting to know what the Arch knows and has seen would be really cool.
Thanks for the opinion. They are generally not opposed to showing you things too. They are good at visualizing things. Usually the rule of thumb is they wait to be asked. An example(from one of my stories.) A woman asks how it happened and the Arch though her mind showed her the event. So the MC saw what it felt like to be a spirit traveling through space and eventually reach and merge with her body. I imagine that must have been a neat show.
