#“wisdom be damned” is a great example

[ifacotarwasgood]

CHAPTER 7 - page 7/?

original word count: 5525

revised word count: 2742

click for ch 7's full comparison document.

original:

A low, incredulous laugh. “On everything that I am and possess.” “Why not tell me that when we left the cottage?” “Would you have believed me? Do you even believe me now?” Tamlin’s claws embedded in the arms of his chair. “Why should I trust a word you say? You’re all masters of spinning your truths to your own advantage.” “Some would say it’s unwise to insult a Fae in his home,” Tamlin ground out. “Some would say you should be grateful for me finding you before another one of my kind came to claim the debt, for sparing your life and then offering you the chance to live in comfort.” I shot to my feet, wisdom be damned, and was about to kick back my chair when invisible hands clapped on my arms and shoved me back into the seat. “Do not do whatever it was you were contemplating,” Tamlin said. I went still as the tang of magic seared my nose. I tried to twist in the chair, testing the invisible bonds. But my arms were secured, and my back was pressed into the wood so hard that it ached. I glanced at the knife beside my plate. I should have gone for it first—futile effort or no. “I’m going to warn you once,” Tamlin said too softly. “Only once, and then it’s on you, human. I don’t care if you go live somewhere else in Prythian. But if you cross

revised:

[nothing to see here - the comparison software spaced it this way because my revision has significantly fewer words!]

[criibibi]

Synopsis: After losing so much, Spider-woman learns to just keep moving. Only for her to end up somewhere far from home. Her first agenda is figuring out where she is, and how to get back. The only problem is that she ended up somewhere fictional (to her). Playing hero with Batman was not in her bingo cards this year. Hopefully she will be able to make it back home before she catches unwanted attention.

Masterlist: Prev; Next;

Chapter 2 - Spider Luck

Morning came quickly despite the shitty sleep you received that night. The constant tossing and turning, the constant fear and anxiety of getting caught or broken into, really you couldn’t catch a break. 

Despite that, you did get some sleep, even if the sum total was like three hours. Still, it’s not like the nightmares would have let you sleep regardless. All your failures would consume your thoughts and drown you, reminding you of your losses. 

Sure you moved on, but it’s not like you had forgotten. Uncle Ben’s wisdom, Aunt May’s lessons, and Peter Parker’s kindness. You vowed to honor and cherish those memories, but here you are, in another fucking world, with a high possibility of you breaking some laws just to get out.

Desperate people do crazy shit, and you aren’t that sane to begin with.

Luckily this motel has a shower and you plan to use it. Making sure to clean yourself with what you have (unfortunate) and pick up the necessities that you desperately need. 

Taking your time (since you paid for it) you get yourself ready, making sure your mask, gloves and (stolen) wallet are secured inside the hoodie’s pockets. Suite nice and tucked underneath the turtleneck and leggings. First order of business is shoes. Maybe that should have been your first mission yesterday- oops. 

You definitely should have followed the young spiderlings example and fight crime with shoes. Well if you ever meet them again, you will…

When you meet them again. You will. You have to. No matter the cost.

And then your stomach rumbled. “Great! Time for cheap food. Wonder if that knockoff Wack-Donld place is open. 

Oh that’s a nice plan. But you forgot one thing, genius. Where is it? How would you know where it is? You can’t even map it since you also don’t have a phone. 

About to unlock the door, you realized something. It already was unlocked… “Hmm…” Well, it was good that you webbed the door then.

“Fuck.” Leaving the motel keys at the front, you skedaddled your way back into the streets, looking for either a bodega or a shoe store. In order to keep yourself somewhat sane, you start softly humming music you recall Miles shared with you.

After some time of walking around aimlessly (you avoided asking others for directions, gods know gothamites unwritten rule is to mind your fucking business), you found a thrift store.

Guess what you realized while browsing for shoes. If you buy and fight crime with shoes, and (as of right now) are your only pair, you will get found out. So crocs it is!

Black ones, because white gets dirty too damn easily.

Finding your size and other clothing necessities, face-mask, a backpack and a portable sewing kit, you were good to go and all for a cheap price! God you love thrift stores. You used to go to as many and as often as you could with Peter. Ya had a bad spending habit and Peter certainly never discouraged you. He was your terrible financial buddy.

Not now! You can’t reminisce right now, not until you found a way home. Asking the cashier for directions while also subtly declining their phone number (your excuse is that your phone got stolen) you made it to a corner store. Hurray!

Making sure to stock up on snacks, since- let’s be real, this will be your food source for a while, (no income, remember, silly) you stand in line to pay before your spider sense goes off.

Behind you. There’s a man, hoodie on, looking down, covering their face, hands buried inside their pockets. You’re betting it’s either a gun or a knife. 

“Don’t move or I’ll shoot.” Oh, it’s a gun. How original.

The cashier seemed to clock in to what is occurring and subtly reaches under his counter. Not subtle enough because the man behind you yelled, pulling out his gun and pointing at the back of your head.

What the fuck spider luck.

You quickly assess your surroundings, making note that there is only one exit, two normal people not including you but including the gunman, and the room feels tight and too small to do anything.

Conclusion? You’re fucked. 

“I said don’t move, hands up! Give me the money, all of it!” From the corner of your eyes you can see just how fidgety this man was. Probably trigger happy if you do something stupid.

“He-hey man, I don’t got much in here.” The cashier had his hands in the air, trembling and freaking out. 

“I don’t care, give me the money! Yours too, bitch. Now!”

How rude. “Alright, I’m going to get my wallet. Don’t shoot.” You made slow movements of reaching into your pocket for the wallet.

“Hurry up! Both of you!” The thug yelled impatiently. You could practically feel how sweaty and anxious this guy is.

You watched the employee open up the cashier and take the money out. The assailant motioned for you to place your wallet on the counter, which you do and step to the side, getting out of his way. Just as he goes to grab the money you quickly grab the wrist with the gun and twist it, making sure he dropped it before smashing his head onto said counter, money flying everywhere. 

Both you and the cashier watched the assailant fall to the ground, nose bleeding and out cold. “Um,” The cashier looked at you, spooked. “I panicked.”

Hey look at that, no shots fired baby! Ya still got it! You are a pro-fess-io-nal~!

“Hey man, no-um no sweat. You saved me.” He replies with a tremble in his voice.

“Cool, cool, I also didn’t want to get shot. How much for my stuff?” You asked, picking up the money on the floor, handing it back while placing your snacks on the counter..

“What stuff? I see nothing. Just go. I already called the cops.” Oh, so he wasn’t reaching for a gun (corner stores usually have one under the counters) but a buzzer or something? Nice, cool, great.

“Thanks buddy!” Hey man, free food is a blessing. Picking up your wallet and bag of snacks, you step over the knocked out guy, (pick pocketing any cash he had on him,) picking up the gun with your sweater sleeve and placing it at the counter. “Here, for the cops.”

“Thanks so much, again for everything. Hey, can I get a name? For the next time you come and…buy stuff.” He shot his shot.

“I appreciate it man, but I don’t give out my name like that. You know?”

And he missed.

“Ye-yeah…” He looked like a kicked puppy.

Just as you stepped out you heard the sound of a motorcycle nearby and your senses went off again.

“Stop right there, not another step.” A third party voice joins the fray.

What the fuck, spider luck?!

Instantly you recognize the vigilante in front of you but regardless you are not taking any chances today. 

Taking a step back inside the store, making sure to close the door on the guy. “Um, hey not to alarm you or anything but there is a guy with a mask standing outside.” Bringing your hands up (again) you back away from the entrance, snack bag swinging around with your movements. 

The employee nods pulled out the pistol from the counter (what the fuck, why would you grab that with your fingers my dude?) and aimed.

Well at least he doesn’t hold grudges for being rejected.

The door swung open and there stood a masked vigilante, but a familiar bat symbol on his chest caught the employee’s attention.

“Oh thank god it’s not another one.” Putting the pistol again he sighed in relief.

“Ah!” The yellow vigilante turned his focus onto you, (who backed up so much you tripped over the k.o.ed dude, fucking embarrassing) hands still in the air and snacks littering the floor.

Some professional you are. Fuck you spider luck.

“I didn’t steal anything, I swear.” God, you're embarrassed and stressed.

The vigilante ponders for a few seconds, taking in the scenario, glancing at the employee who nods and turns his attention back. “Sorry about that. Here.” He extends a hand out towards you and to not be suspicious you hesitantly take it, your body tenses on instinct, pulling away immediately.

“Thank you.” you mumbled silently cringing at your embarrassment over spilled snacks.

“What happened?” He still faced you but you knew that question was for the other party member. And even if it was for you, you’re silent.

“That dude tried to rob us and they knocked him out. Oh,” The cashier looked at his hands. “This is his.” And placed the pistol on the counter.

This looks like the perfect time to poof away so you do. Right after you pick up your snacks. Signal sees this and silently aids you. “You both aren’t hurt, right? Need medical assistance?”

No you fucking don’t.

Holding out the bag as Signal placed the last snack in you as you shook your head. “I’m a-okay. Thank you though.” And you walk out for the second time. You could still feel his eyes on you until the door closes.

And guess who shows up.

The men in blue.

“Hold it right there.” Bro, you just want to be left alone, is that so much to ask? This time instead of bringing your hands up (for a third time), you instead clutch your bag to your chest, mask down and point inside, making sure your voice matches your facial expression.

“In there, he stopped him there.” meek, timid, nervous.

It seems to have worked as the pair of policemen entered the store and you didn’t think twice and booked it (in a non suspicious manner- if you run, they might chase). Passing by a yellow motorcycle you take a glance back and see the vigilante stepping outside the store, looking somewhat bothered in the presence of the authorities. 

Sucks to suck, bud, you know that feeling very well, not your problem anymore.

As if feeling your eyes on him he turns his face towards you, your eyes meeting a mask. Oh fuck! You felt your hair stand up. Holding his gaze for a few seconds before turning away (any other abrupt movement would definitely make you look suspicious) you continue on your way.

Forcing yourself to not tense up and fight the urge to shiver at his cold gaze you round the corner and you feel somewhat safer again. But it’s a false sense of security, because you know you’re slowly losing your mind.

Hopefully you won’t run into him or any of the other bats.

-

Duke Thomas was patrolling his territory, the Narrows, when he got a notification.

“Signal, there’s a robbing occurring five blocks from your location. The corner store Convenience. Know it?” Oracle’s voice spoke through the comms.

“I know my way. I’m checking it out now.”

“Checking the cameras- there are only three people inside. The assailant, a civilian, and an employee.”

“Got it-”

“Oh wait. Huh, well look at that.” Disbelief could be heard through the comms.

“What is it?” Did things escalate too fast?

“The civi knocked the guy out. Basically one move.” Color Oracle impressed.

“I’m here, anything else I should know about?”

“I’m scanning what I can see of their face, but I’m coming up blank. I’ll let you know if anything.”

Duke didn’t reply, instead as he pulled up he saw someone coming out of the store. “Stop right there, not another step.”

He watched the figure (gender unidentifiable with the oversized hoodie) freeze before making eye contact with him-er his visor. Despite the hood being down, he could not see their face completely with their mask, only their eyes and hair. Just a normal civilian, who apparently knocked out a guy with a gun.

Then silence and no movement.

Until the civilian backed away, closing the store door.

Stunned for a moment, Duke could hear Oracles snort through the comms. “Think they’re scared?”

“From what, me? They took down a guy with a guy and I scared them?” 

“Careful, gun pointed straight at you inside.” warned Oracle.

He moves towards the front door, pushing it open to see the civilian from earlier backing away still, hands up before turning his attention to the employee with a gun. “Oh thank god it’s not another one.”

“Ah!” A yelp caught his attention and it seems the civi tripped on the knocked out guy he just noticed. They immediately spoke, catching his eyes,“I didn’t steal anything, I swear.” 

Duke holds in a snort before glancing at the employee who nods in confirmation before he focuses on the fallen person. He calmly walks towards them, taking note of their discomfort and reaches his hand out. “Sorry about that. Here.” 

Despite his covered eyes somewhat obscuring his vision, he couldn’t will them away from this stranger’s visible face. 

Duke watched their hesitation but placed their hands in his, and he swore he felt a spark that sent shivers down his spine. How curious. He pulled them up, noting just how light they felt in his hold.

“Thank you.” Their voice was soft, but audible.

They quickly pulled their hand away, the warmth gone. His hand held its place for a couple of seconds before he let it fall to his side. “What happened?” He still faced the civilian, both unmoving. He already knew what occurred, Oracle told him everything, but he wanted to hear them talk more.

Only the employee replied. He took note of their lack of eye contact. 

“That dude tried to rob us and they knocked him out. Oh,” Duke glanced as the cashier placed the gun on the counter. He’ll leave that for the cops to pick up if they don’t get here before he leaves. “This is his.”

His attention is once again stolen as the civilian in front of him kneels to pick up their half empty bag. Standing above them, he notes the tips of their ears are red, how cute.

“You good there, romeo? You kinda have a staring problem.” Oracle’s voice snapped him out of his trance.

Duke cleared his mind (he hoped he didn’t look weird or creepy, yikes) before leaning down as well and helped pick up the tossed chip bags.

Though he did take his time, just to squeeze a bit more time with this civilian that he has yet to identify. ���You both aren’t hurt, right? Need medical assistance?” He mostly directed this question to them than the cashier behind him. He wonders if Oracle figured out this civilian's name. 

Placing the last snack inside the plastic bag he watches them straighten up before shaking their head. “I’m a-okay. Thank you though.” His eyes couldn’t seem to leave their figure as he watched them walk out the door.

“Cops outside, Signal.” Oracle once again breaks his attention. 

“Got it.” Duke turns his attention to the guy on the floor, sitting him up as two officers enter the store. One takes the guy off his hands while the other questions the employee, taking the gun.

A slight restless feeling took over him and he made his way outside, the one carrying the passed out guy following. Duke quickly takes notice of eyes watching him and he turns to see the complete unmasked civilian from earlier. 

This time, he really felt like he had a staring problem. He drinks up their appearance like water. Their nose, lips, face shape, everything. He didn’t know how to explain it, but he really couldn’t look away this time. Everything around him suddenly felt silent. He felt his body shiver.

Such a pretty face, this civilian caught his breath regardless. He’s not one to lose himself by a pretty face but it seems this one was an exception. He felt mesmerized, entranced, and tongue-tied. Something about this person had a strong lock on him, and he couldn’t help but feel somewhat excited then put off. It felt like a very tight leash, and he doesn’t mind one bit.

Three seconds. Ever since he caught their gaze, they made eye-contact (despite him wearing a mask) before she looked away and left, turning the corner. (Their features look pretty feminine so he’s going with her). 

“Anything Oracle?” He mumbled, still a bit lost.

“No dice. How strange…”

Bummer. He mounts his ride and drives off to finish the rest of his patrol. He’s tempted to drive in the direction the civilian went to, but he wills himself to not do that. God it’s like he’s down bad. Really bad.

Hopefully he gets to see you soon, it seems you’re staying in the Narrows which increases his chances to see you. As much as he curses himself internally, he hopes he can save you next time something dangerous happens again.

Something formed in the pit of his stomach, and he doesn’t know if it’s desire or obsession.

Regardless, he embraces this feeling whole heartedly.

Prev; Next;

I struggled really hard, like REALLY hard. Duke is new to me (i only learned of him because of the webtoon) Now I'm reading issues he has been in and I don't know his character well but there is a SEVERE lack of Duke fics and I made it everyone's problem. So now he's down bad.

Updates are random and spars, no update schedule and don't plan to make one. This is my hobby not my obligation.

[ddarker-dreams]

I ASPIRE TO WRITE LIKE YOUUUUU UGUGUHHHHGUGHHGHHGHGHHGGHHHHHH I CAN'T STOP DEVOURING YOUR WORKS PLEEEEASE HOW DO YOU WRITE SO ELOQUENTLY YET SO CHARISMATICALLY?? PLEASE SHARE YOUR WISDOM, GREAT ONE!!😭🙏

PLSSSSSSS thank you so much,, i feel undeserving of such high praise 🥺 ...

i'm not entirely sure how my writing style came to be hjiegrjw lots of practice, i guess?? i consider what i want to get across in any story, whether it's a snippet or full-fledged series, then work around that. all that experience has made me familiar with my most effective storytelling methods.

my writing process basically looks like this:

initial idea

brainstorming about the idea (what are the character's positions? if they're at conflict, how do they express it? what's their body language, their word choice? etc etc)

open the accursed google docs and either:

(a) start at the beginning of the story, specifically what context the reader needs and drawing them into the Vibe. also equally important is knowing what information not to provide the reader, so they're left wanting to unravel what is going on.

(b) start smack dab in the action. structure comes later. lean into the excitement of the cool idea. context be damned, go ham.

in both cases, when i feel like i'm getting stuck, i come back to it later if it feels like it's grinding the entire process to a halt. i'll underline the segment, write a description of what it is i'm going for, then keep chugging along.

🚄 continue chugging until i can't anymore. exit google doc.

daydream about the story literally nonstop until i can work on it again, looking at things with a fresh lens in the days that follow the initial draft.

i make a few copies of the draft and try out different ideas, scrapping and adding as i go.

(here's an example of what this looks like, chap 4 and 5 of nexus had multiple versions with differences throughout until i landed on something i liked)

reread 458729x times and nitpick over smaller things like word choice, clean up dialogue to make it more fitting to the character

pray

huh . this is actually more convoluted than i thought. i'm not entirely sure if this will be helpful or not, messy as it is... but it is an unfiltered look into whatever tf my process is.

[sunlightandsuffering]

I'm not sure if this is long enough for me to bother posting it as a chapter, BUT MORE SACRILEGE FOR THE PPL AND BC THEY'RE SO CUTE AND UNHINGED !!

Does Eren feel great about corrupting the local church’s youth group leader and shining example of chastity? No, not really, in fact, his mother would probably murder him for it if she ever found out. 

But in the meantime, he’s sure stories of his ‘new girlfriend’ and possible marriage prospect will mollify her.

Or at least he hopes so, but regardless, that is the least of Eren’s problems. His biggest problem is the pain in the ass cadet he’s been assigned as a partner for the last week and a half of Armin’s paternity leave and said local churchgoing sweetheart’s ex-boyfriend. All in all, Eren has embroiled himself in a plot quite fitting for the church. He can see the headline now, ‘Local Cop Seduces Innocent Church Girl, Leaves Hopeful Cadet Destitute’.

“I hate him,” Jean is muttering darkly from Armin’s desk across from him, fidgeting with his pen in agitation. If only Jean knew that Eren is the ‘him’ he’s referring to. Instead, he’s simply been subjected to a singular break up text, and several quotes about the bible and forgiveness splashed across Mikasa’s instagram story. 

If Eren weren’t in the middle of it he’d find the entire plot amusing, but he doesn’t want Jean to become more irritating than he already is. 

The rhythmic click, click, click of Jean’s pen clicking is what finally sets Eren over the edge. “Leave your personal shit at home, Kirstchein, we have a job to do and that paperwork isn’t going to complete itself.” Jean looks like a kicked puppy as he turns back towards his paperwork, appropriately chastised by his superior, and for a split second Eren almost feels bad for the man. 

But then Mikasa sends him a nude, and he doesn’t feel so bad for the asshole anymore. 

Shoving his phone into one of the many deep pockets of his standard-issue cargo pants Eren stands up, imposing compared the heartbroken cadet in front of him.

“We have shit to do Kirschtein, we’ve got a drug bust in an hour and you’re fucking moping. Get it together.” 

Jean glowers for a moment before booting up his now sleeping computer again and Eren sighs, heading towards the break room to grab a snack, he truly does not get paid enough for this shit. 

How old is he? Seventeen? Because that’s the kind of teenaged nonsense he’s dealing with from his cadet, it’s ridiculous. He grumbles mostly to himself as he snatches a pre-packaged rice krispy treat from the communal bowl on the counter, this is how bad it is, he’s actually fucking eating carbs and sugary ones at that. Whereas Eren is typically infamous for following his regimented diet, continually topping the leaderboards at every physical training camp, Jean’s drama has stressed him out so much that he’s actually fucking eating sugar. 

Eren tears the blue wrapper apart with his teeth before ripping into the sweet treat with dark intent, stupid fucking cadets and overdramatic church girls. Stocking back into the main office space Eren promises himself no more bullshit, from here one it’s police work only. He doesn’t get paid enough to deal with this shit on the job. He’s about to give Jean another lecture, hoping this time it’ll stick, but as he approaches their desk clump he finds Jean on his phone, a looking of absolute betrayal on his face. “Jean what the fuck are you looking at I thought I said–” Eren snatches the phone from his hands only to find Mikasa’s god-damned Instagram story. The cute little icon of her face lighting up the corner of the screen along with a large pink background and some sort of cursive looking font splashed across the screen. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 1:5

Fuck. The pink image switches as the story runs out, and suddenly the screen is black, lit up with pink writing as another bible verse is proudly proclaimed across her story. 

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalms 37:4

The screen changes again and Eren groans, handing the phone back to Jean who can only be describes as looking utterly betrayed. His pain in the ass little churchgoer has been posting passive-aggressive bible verses on her story all morning from the looks of it, splashes across her social media in varying shades of pink. 

Eren checks his own phone curiously, only to find there’s another notification from said little churchgoer, and from the looks of it, it’s probably another nude. 

God what the fuck has he gotten himself into. “I’m sorry Eren, I just - I can’t, we were together for four years! She was going to give me her virginity, we were going to be each other’s firsts.” Eren winces at that particular comment, because he’d taken Mikasa’s virginity rather spiritedly on the altar of their church, had actually fucked the lord right out of her he’d like to think. Although, judging by the mess of bible verses painted across her social media, there’s at least a little bit of religious insanity left in her. “I have to make a call,” Eren tells Jean abruptly, leaving the cadet to wallow, “Get your shit together by the time I come back.” 

Eren barely makes it outside the precinct before he’s holding the phone to his ear, Mikasa’s number dialed already and ringing insistently. 

She answers on the third ring, sounding breathless, “Eren–” “The bible verses Mikasa? Really?” He’s utterly exasperated and he’s sure she can tell by the way she sighs on the other end of the line, “I just think it’s important that the rest of my community knows that breaking up with Jean was God’s will Eren.” “Mikasa I fucked you on the altar okay, that wasn’t God’s will, I was horny and that was good fucking weed.” He can practically feel her scowl on the other end of the line, “God never gives us more than we can handle Eren, and now I have my ring, it was all his will. The congregation just needs to understand that, and so does my youth group.”

“You couldn’t just tell them you found someone else?” 

Mikasa gasps in affront over the line, “He gave me a promise ring Eren, it’s highly frowned upon within the community to rescind commitment so easily.” 

“You rescinded it pretty easily for me.”

“Because I knew God sent you to me, to put me on the right path.” “You’re absolutely unhinged, you know that, right?” There's silence for a moment, and then there's a breathier quality to her voice as she taunts him,“I’m also not wearing panties.”

“Did God tell you not to?” Eren quips right back, and Mikasa chuckles throatily on the other end of the line, “Can you come home on your lunch break?” 

Eren glances at the clock, cursing at the time, he’s spent far too long talking to his pain in the ass girlfriend. “No, I have to get back now, stop posting bible verses on your story and keep looking at your other university options Mika, I want you to get in on time.” At this, he can feel her wilt through the phone, she’s been stressed as hell since her falling out with her parents and subsequent break up with Jean. As a consequence she no longer has a full ride scholarship to Shiganshina bible college and she’s been stressed about schooling ever since.  Not that Eren had any desire to encourage that particular path of schooling, but he doesn’t want to derail her entire life, doesn’t want to be the mistake she looks back on as the reason she doesn’t have a career or didn’t go to college. 

Since accidentally stealing Jean’s girlfriend Eren has found he more than cares about the religious spitfire, might even love her, just a little. She may be unhinged as all hell, and devout to the point of delusion, but at heart, she’s a good person, if not a brat. His girlfriend had just been a little… misguided. 

She’d worked hard to get into nursing school, and Eren will be damned if he’s the reason she doesn’t get into another one. “Baby,” He intones and Mikasa sighs loudly, “Fine, I’ll work on my cover letter again.” He catches himself as a smile quirks at his lips, “Stop sending me nudes and send me the rough draft, I’ll look at it after my drug bust.” “Oh my God, you’re so boring.” “Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain Mikasa,” He sing songs, and she growls on the other end of the line before hanging up. Maybe God really doesn’t give people more than they can handle, who is to say? Whatever, Eren doesn’t believe in any of that bullshit anyway. He turns back towards the precinct, phone tucked into his pants, “Kirschtein you’d better not still be mooning over that crazy religious nut you call an ex-girlfriend.” 

He is so totally going to hell. 

She shows up at around dinner time, eight hours into his twelve-hour shift, and firmly destroying any hopes of having a peaceful Wednesday night catching up on paperwork. 

She’s balanced delicately on the edge of his desk, glowering at Jean like he’s the one who’s wronged her. 

And even at eleven on a Wednesday night, she’s scantily clad, dressed in ripped jeans and a low cut scoop-neck sweater that catches Eren’s attention immediately. Because just like the first time he met her, her cleavage is eye-catching, his girlfriend’s tits are the stuff of wet dreams, the kind of breasts you show to plastic surgeons as inspo pics. 

And Jean is fucking staring at them. 

Was Mikasa Jean’s girlfriend first? Yes, yes she definitely was, and he has no doubt that despite her previous virginal status that Jean has ample experience with her rack. Doesn’t stop Eren from being pissed off that his douche canoe cadet is staring at his girlfriend’s rack. 

Jean is looking at her with simply too much interest, lust shining in his eyes as he looks her up and down, unable to look away from the plump milky tops of her breasts. 

Eren won’t have it. 

They’re arguing as he approaches them, half-assed insults on Jean’s part and scathing words from Mikasa that have Eren biting back a grin. 

“You’re a boy Jean, I needed a man, and God finally sent him to me.” This is Eren’s cue to make an entrance, and he sure does, barely sparing Jean a glance, instead wrapping a hand around Mikasa’s waist, blocking Jean’s view of her lithe little body. Without an ounce of hesitation, Eren dips his head into a low bow, worshipful as he places a kiss on each breast, wet, sloppy and leaving a sheen of saliva in his wake. Mikasa squeaks at the contact, not expecting the touch, and at her sweet little noise he can’t help but press one more loving kiss to the creamy flesh, his hands skating up over her waist to give her beautiful tits a squeeze. It’s quick, fleeting, just enough to make her smile turn dopey, eyes fogging over with desire, and he’s sure her sweet nipples are hard already, wants nothing more than to kiss her tits all day, but alas he has things to do. He completes his greeting with a kiss to her lips, long and slow with plenty of tongue, a hello that has Mikasa sighing into his mouth, melting in his arms. When he finally pulls back she is utterly dazed, his sweet little church girl the picture of debauchery, lips swollen with his kisses, and her sweater now slightly askew. Eren doesn’t acknowledge Jean at all as he greets her, one last squeeze to her hip as he gets her settled against his desk, “Hi baby.” This is what finally causes Jean to explode. 

“Baby? Mikasa this is the man you’re dating?” Eren glances back at him curiously, lying through his teeth as he asks, “Problem Kirschtein?” As if he didn’t steal the little spitfire right out from under his useless cadet.

Mikasa continues to say nothing, looking up at Eren adoringly and finally Jean snaps, gesturing towards the little pixie in his arms, “Eren, this is my ex-girlfriend.” “The one who dumped you for a better guy?” Jean growls in irritation, “That’s the one.” 

Eren shrugs, pressing his cheek against the soft strands of her hair, inhaling her sweet vanilla scent, “Oops.” Jean looks like he’s about to commit murder in the middle of the precinct but Eren is unconcerned, only tugs Mikasa a little bit closer, “Sorry cadet, it just kind of happened.” 

“How?” Jean grits out and Mikasa answers for him this time, snapping out of her kiss-induced daze, “Jean I told you I wasn’t feeling fulfilled in our relationship, it wasn’t what the lord wanted for me. But Eren–” She turns to look up at him lovingly, “He’s what I need, I just know it.” 

“What exactly is it that you need that I can’t provide, Mikasa?” A firm fucking hand that’s what but Eren refrains from that particular comment, knowing it will start world war three when he would much rather leave in a few hours. 

Mikasa reaches out at that, taking Jean’s hand, looking up at him so seriously, Eren would almost think that God was speaking through her, if he believed in God that is. “Guidance,” She tells Jean firmly, and Eren has to hold back a laugh because yeah, sexual guidance maybe, how the fuck did he end up in bed with this crazy little lunatic?

“What about our pastor, what about our parents–” “Shh,” Mikasa quiets Jean, “My decision has been made, and I made it in the eyes of the lord,” she spares a glance back at Eren that secretive little smile on her face, and he almost groans, because they sure did fucking make that decision in the eyes of the lord, right in front of his fucking salad actually, front and centre, no escape. 

Jean is looking at them both in complete and utter affront, a vein standing out prominently on his forehead, “Adultery is a sin you know.” Mikasa scoffs, “So is pride Jean, now if you would be so kind as to swallow yours I would like to spend the last ten minutes of my fiancée’s break with him.” This proves to be the wrong thing to say because Jean gasps, “There’s no way he’s going to marry you Mikasa, Officer Yeager doesn’t seem like the committed type.” 

Mikasa levels a murderous glare at his cadet and Eren continues to enjoy the show, smoothing a hand over her hip to keep the little heathen from leaping over their desks to claw his eyes out. “We’ve already set a date,” Mikasa tells him primly, before turning her back to his cadet dismissively. She’s pouting now as she looks up at him, her hand clutched in the folds of his uniform just a little too tightly for her to be totally okay. 

Eren presses a light kiss to her forehead before leaning down to her ear, a playful nip to the lobe before he suggests they take a breather, “You wanna hang out in my patrol car for the rest of my break.” She nods, leaning into him a little more, pressing the full weight of her delicate little body against him, “Yeah, I’d like that.” Eren leads her out by the elbow, Jean still fuming behind them, and fuck he knows exactly what he’s going to have to deal with later and it’s not good.

But something occurs to him as they edge out the doors of the precinct, keys jingling in his hand, “Mikasa, baby?” “Yeah?” She turns back, the picture-perfect scene of beauty, her hair falling in silky waves down her back, stunning as ever with that pretty face, and her tits trying to steal all his attention. “Did the Lord tell you to wear panties with that little outfit?” A mischievous smile blooms on her face before she’s sprinting towards his car, her reply caught in the wind of the night, “No!” 

Fucking bratty church girls, now he has to fuck her in his patrol car, it’s just good sense.

[aftermyownart]

Please enjoy this picture of Arwen on a ?horse.

If you'd like to hear my as of yesterday epiphany about Arwen, I have written a note below the line~

Arwen is useless = This is incorrect

The stories of Middle Earth are very viscerally about loss. Loss of nature, loss of beauty, loss of loved ones, loss of innocence, loss of the world as it's been known, and how to act in the face of unfathomable fear.

And Arwen, as I think we all know or have vaguely considered at least subconsciously before, is meant to be a symbol of hope (and the motivator for Aragorn to be the prime example of non-toxic man candy we all dream about).

So what does she do in the story? The simple answer is; she give's up her passport to the family's holiday home in the undying lands and stays in Middle Earth with her hot ranger boyfriend. I mean, I can't blame her.

But here's my mini-piphany

Arwen is stubborn. She fights back without malice when she's been lied to (by a family member someone who literally sees the future), and stays in a world that is turning to ash and fire.

I think she does it for more than simply the love of a man.

I think Arwen really is a good example of positive femininity. She may not be wielding a sword, but she acts in the way of many stubborn women do, and acts in service of the future. Don't think she would make a difference? Wrong.

Arwen is the daughter and granddaughter of two of the most well known and powerful elves in M.E. Damn right she knows how to run a kingdom. She also, despite being the youngest of the elves, has perspective on longevity. What would a kingdom of men know about how the world can change over that length of time? How farms stay fertile over the spans of centuries? How to calm agitated spirits?

I know she's essentially the poster girl for what could be the M.E. equivalent of white privilege (like, for real) but she's also, I think, the most similar symbolically to an immigrant woman. She knows she may never see her family again, despite how close they all are, but how many immigrants have moved away from everything they've ever known and loved because they had hope?

How many incredibly brilliant women have been destined to fade as their brilliancy is overlooked once their immediate loved ones are gone?

I think Arwen is an untitled hero of the rebuilding of the world. You bet she would be giving advice to anyone who asked, putting the wisdom of her heritage to good use, considering council meetings as seriously as Galadriel or Elrond ever would. She would be the one who turns the white city green again, inspire, encourage and teach in the makings of a new age of art, textile and industry from knowledge humans never had access to before.

Damn right she would know her entire family tree, and play with every great, great grandchild who may never know or remember how she's related to them.

Would she eventually tire of humanity? Probably, but that bond to her family would never waver, no matter how far removed the generations would become. She may even see the eyes of her love in thousands of grandchildren so far down the family tree with so many relatives they might as well be a galaxy, but she would see the eyes of her love, of her brothers, of her father and her mother reflected in those descendants.

And to them, she might be like a god, but more likely, she would be like the warmth of Autumn, like sunshine that warms you in the cold, even if it too feels remote, felt from a distance, or a fleeting, gentle thing. She'd be like the fading trees, nostalgia for all who grew up tugging at her skirts and grow to lean on her strong shoulder as their own bones wither and creak with age. To be the last Elf on the shores of middle earth, to outlive her lover as thousands of women do, but for a thousand times longer. She might get tired. She might, as the elves can, fade, as she starts feeling the loneliness of her decisions, as all women do, when they're elderly and waiting to meet their loved ones elsewhere.

And when she did eventually fade, surrounded by people who don't remember how they met her, or how they're supposed to be related to 'Aunty Arwen', her passing would be like the passing of a lonely god, celebrated, mourned. And the people who have long forgotten her husband the king, would celebrate her history and how she built life again, sacrificed her entire self for the people of spouse, how she grew gardens, and danced and laughed, and built cities and forests, and how she loved, and oh how she loved.

I think, while Arwen had no place in the stories about rings, she was the possibility of still being soft, gentle, and hopeful. Innocent without being naïve.

I think, actually, I rather like Arwen Undómiel after all.

[creature-wizard]

Hypnosis is unreliable for memory recovery, and this is one way we know.

Some of you out there might be considering hypnosis to try and recover memories, whether from early childhood or a past life. You may have already heard criticism of it, but may have also heard that the critics are just trying to shut down important discussions. You may not know what to believe because when it comes to a lot of these memories, there's no real way to either verify or falsify them. After all, if someone goes under hypnosis and seems to remember an older sibling pushing them off a swing when they were five, but nobody else seems to remember this, who's to say who's right, who's misremembering, and who's just trying to protect a mean older sibling? And most past lives people report aren't exactly easy to check.

However, there is one area where attempting to recover memories is pretty popular, and where we can be really, really damn sure that none of these "memories" accurately reflect anything that actually happened.

That area is the starseed movement.

For those who don't already know, the starseed movement is part of New Age, which came out of Theosophy, which came out of the very racist brain of Helena Blavatsky. While not every New Ager believes everything Blavatsky said 100% (if they're even aware of what Blavatsky said), New Age mythology today is fundamentally really super racist.

The ancient astronaut hypothesis, which was created for the purpose of discrediting the engineering capabilities of nonwhite people and for which there is zero evidence to support, is a huge part of it. The mythology also asserts that Earth has been manipulated by a race of reptilian aliens who feed on human flesh, blood, adrenochrome, or even fear, depending on who you ask. The reptilians, supposedly, created religious institutions to control us, control most of the world's wealth, and start unnecessary wars for their own personal gain. For anyone who doesn't recognize the tropes, they're literally just old antisemitic conspiracy theories in a new hat. Most of their material can be traced back to David Icke, who was influenced by Fritz Springmeier, a far right conspiracy theorist. Furthermore, Icke asserted that the antisemitic hoax The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion are basically true, if you make them about reptilian aliens.

There are various races of "good" aliens in this mythology, but the one that's specifically taking the lead in fighting the reptilians are the Pleiadians - beings who (at least initially) were described as tall, pale-skinned, and blond hair. In fact, another term used to describe the Pleiadians is "Nordics," because they were imagined as looking like Nordic people. And why yes, they have been associated with the swastika.

New Agers also believe in places that never even existed, including Atlantis (a fiction created by Plato), Lemuria (a hypothetical continent that was discredited by the discovery of place tectonics), and Mu (supposedly the "real" Atlantis, made up by a guy who claimed that the Maya were descended from Egyptians). Not only is there zero evidence that any of these places existed, but belief in them was often motivated by a desire to attribute the technological and spiritual developments of non-white culture to others. The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean, a supposedly ancient book that this guy supposedly received from this mysterious Great White Brotherhood, for example, claims that that ancient Egyptians received their spiritual wisdom from Thoth, a king who fled Atlantis during its destruction.

So in short, just about everything the starseed movement believes in is total bullshit that can easily be traced back to some extremely racist propaganda or hoax. True believers claim that there's an ancient global conspiracy hiding the truth from all of us, but whether or not they realize it, they are invoking The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, that old Russian hoax.

Meanwhile, people in the starseed movement regularly undergo hypnosis to try and recover memories of their past lives. Here are some selections posted by members of r/starseeds:

"The planet had a wooden area with plants and very interesting buildings and one area that looked more desert , with construction similar to pyramids , ecc that were used as transmitters. We had a connection to Egypt . I knew we had to move planet because of a galactic war . Our enemies were reptilians , grays and these mantis beings … they were the ones that killed us in a crash while we were flying over a planet with super red sand and rocks. I’ve had this memory of the crash ever since I was a child but I thought I was imaging it. I am not into scifi movies , aliens or anything ."

"My home planet Artuvia was destroyed by negative forces (reptilian) in the orion galactic war, i left through a portal of light with other beings and came to Earth, i remember the portal, and everything around me falling apart and crumbling, the war was massive and many died, my planet was peaceful and had never known war, so when the war came most of us Mintakans perished, i believe the pleiadians tried to help us, but the planet fell, it was so beautiful there, paradise, i loved it so much it is my only incarnation outside of earth, i spent over 5000 lifetimes there before i came to lemuria, atlantis and agartha."

"Have you researched the planet Artuvia, we were destroyed in galactic wars some 75,000 years ago. Our souls came to earth in a move to protect the galaxy for we are to help create the next generations of starseeds here. From the Orion star system, powered by the star Mintaka. My memories have been resurfacing the last several days. Im getting massive amounts of incomprehensible information that I am reformatting and understanding. Its led me here. I am accessing the Akashic Records."

"Hello when i did past life regression i saw myself living in atlantis with other races, arcturians, lyran felines and others. It was futuristic and more advenced then they showing today, we had medbeds, flyng cars and spaceships, in middle was a some sort of crystal and guardians guarding it. At first i was confused what i was seeing at first i thought it was a island but no it was really atlantis, and one who created was dude named king atlant, thats why its called atlantis."

"The Great Galactic-War was the biggest conflict in this Galaxy. The horrible things that the Reptilians have done to my race are unforgivable, brutal and disgusting. They were eating my brothers and sisters alive. Without any remorese, brutally slaughtering everyone that was standing on their way. You could lose anyone after not paying attention. So many beautiful and precious souls that I couldn't protect were lost to their murderous instincts, so many memories, families, were destroyed. I couldn't watch no more suffering from my brothers and sisters. Blood everywhere. They are coming. Blue ground, chaos."

Oh, and by the way, there are other people who aren't even using hypnosis, apparently - some of them report intense dreams, or having "memories" just randomly come to them. So, that's definitely also a thing to keep in mind.

In any case, if somebody starts pushing you to try hypnosis to recover memories of any kind, I recommend putting some distance between yourself and that person ASAP. Because we can see from the starseed movement that this shit just doesn't work the way a lot of people want to think it does, and it can get you into some bad places.

[chunkymamatam]

Hi again, didn't wanna be annoying, so I'm making a new post for this. I'd appreciate your help (your great wisdom and experience <3), but don't feel forced to answer if you don't want to.

Alrighty, so...

My shifting attempts (and successes) have been quite scarce, because I'm not as desperate as I used to be (I have a plan to finish my education in about 2 years, so I will have more time to myself apart from uni. I suppose I've become a bit more patient). However, due to the fact that I'm like "meh" when it comes to shifting, I cannot get myself to actually gather the determination to do it.

For example: Recently I had a lucid dream and I tried to shift through it, but for some reason it didn't work (I think I didn't ground myself enough), so after saying "I'm in my DR" 3 times, I literally gave up.

Like that is so crazy, because the me 4 years ago would NOT have given up and so now I feel like if I were more determined, I would have shifted long ago, because I do understand how easy it is and I occasionally manifest random things too, but I just wish I had more determination </3

I will literally lay there for 40 minutes and feel incredibly numb and like I'm in the void and then I'll get up because I'm "bored" and its like SIT THE FUCK DOWNNNNNNN YOU ALMOST WENT HOME </33333

This has been causing my anguish for about a year now </3

Oh great mother Tam, have you any advice for this poor soul? (Any reply appreciated)

-Reena

LMFAO PLEASE 😭

I get it. I've been going through something similar lately too. Its been going on for like 2 years damn near. This is perfect timing though actually because I've been steadily regaining motivation and determination. Disclaimer I'm not the best at advice like this and what worked for me might not for you but I'll do my best!

Also if it sounds like I'm just talking about myself I swear I'm not my autism is just "ah yes, we went through this and maybe people can relate to it and maybe hearing how I dealt with it will help them grow too"

So there were actually a few things holding me back. I let myself get sucked into a cycle of talking about going places but never actually going and at some point I stopped actually expecting to go there subconsciously. I actually ended up cutting off the people who dragged me into that cycle and now have a new group that I actively try to shift with. Unfortunately they're busy so we haven't gotten to attempt to group shift yet but there's a lot more trust that we actually do intend to go to the places we say together than the last one . This isn't to say my last group was doing anything wrong but they would move on to new media and make a new DR each week and spend like no time actually getting to know the world or actually attempt to shift together to DRs we were going to as a group. So it didn't feel like there was enough time and energy spent immersing myself in the worlds I really wanted to go to. It all felt really surface level imo.

The point is there could be external factors that you wouldn't have necessarily considered before so maybe evaluate the shifting groups you're in if any and work from there maybe? /gen Sometimes the encouragement and sharing your joy in shifting with a good group can really spark your motivation and determination back up! I feel like I'm back in 2020 when I first found it thanks to them (❁´◡`❁)

I also stopped writing down the experiences I did have for a while there. You obviously don't have to post them like I do here but writing them down like a diary entry is so helpful with the motivation aspect because I love the people I met and I want to see them again and have new experiences with them when I write it down or talk about it. I used to talk about it on TikTok so much when I first found it haha! I was having the time of my life sharing them like I was on a video call lol I just had a realization actually. Maybe its just started to feel routine and like a bother? Maybe you need to have more fun with it. Is there anything that you used to do when you were motivated that you stopped for one reason or another? I used to draw the things that happened out and now that I started doing that consistently again I'm so motivated.

Tarot readings for your DRs are always fun IMO so maybe that'd be a good way to motivate yourself, channeling your DR or SO(If applicable) in the music you listen to, making playlists, etc. can make you feel closer to it too.

Maybe you could just need a break too? I took a break from thinking about shifting for a few weeks and the desire is slowly but surely coming back. I fully believed and trusted that I'd come back to it because it genuinely made me so happy but I needed to work on some things first. I had to come to terms with not being as desperate as I used to be and knowing that, that's okay and just means I'm growing, not that I can't shift or can't want to shift. I needed to adapt my approach to the whole thing for who I am now and not for who I was because we're not the same people anymore. I don't want to shift because I want to run away from this reality, I wanna shift purely to meet everyone and have new experiences and feel everything that comes with it. Idk if that resonates or makes sense haha ❤ /gen

In short, You've grown into a whole new person over the years so your view of shifting should evolve and grow with you. Consider what your reason's for shifting are now, how have they changed? Are there outside factors that are limiting me? Reflect, get back to your roots, and learn how to love it again essentially.

I just wanna actually take a second to thank everyone that follows me and enjoys reading about my experiences, genuinely y'all have been so helpful in motivating me and if it weren't for all the questions and stories I see in my inbox I probably wouldn't post as regularly as I do. I'm very grateful to have your support ❤

@owlettie @mxzanstoy @familiar-rat (And Katelynn but I don't have her Tumblr Tag lmfaoooooo) A special thank you to you guys. You mean the world to me and I hope you know that ❤❤❤

[therese-lokidottir]

Came across a post on here from a series fan, gushing about upcoming Loki appearances “I predict Loki will play a huge, monumental role in his next apperance now that he’s fully healed and reached full potential- and it will be so beautiful. I can’t wait for him to come back with his new found wisdom and personality- and for him to break out and protect all of those he loves. This beautiful man changed the TVA for the better- and it would be lovely to see the TVA honor him.” Are we….watching the same MCU? Loki doesn’t even play a “beautiful and monumental” part in his own damn series. Lmfao. Also…who the fuck would want to be honored by the TVA? They should watch Deadpool 3…Loki didn’t change shit about these obnoxious free will hating fascist- and if they started worshipping Loki like they did the timekeepers, I wouldn’t see that as “beautiful and meaningful”, it would piss me off. I question modern MCU fans’ thought processes. I don’t want Loki back….like…..ever.

It's a great example of someone's utter lack of any critical analysis of their own.

The TVA have done nothing good and if anything, Deadpool and Wolverine shows the realistic outcome of leaving people who were willing to destroy entire worlds killing everyone in charge. Guess what they are still terrible and smug with plenty ready to be even worse. No matter how terrible what they do is, no matter how horrifying the actions when you think about it are stans don't see it. Because the TVA has been made out to be something they should like and merchandise. It doesn't matter if they destroy Wolverine's life and erase his efforts because popular character now "work" for the tva so that makes the TVA cool

[pumpkinsouppe]

I love how different I treat OOT link vs taol link in my head

OOT link is a tragic character in OOT yes, but his story from Majora’s mask onward is not a tragedy. He relearns what it’s like to love and to live despite the pain and terrors. He is the ultimate symbol of hope and learning to cope with one’s own grief, to forge a bright future despite the past. Yes, maybe if link stayed in the future world of OOT instead of returning to the past he would have found more tragedy or even death, but his story in Majora’s mask is one of the most hopeful stories any link has faced. The damn game ends with a wedding!! The game symbolizes and cherishes love and happiness more than anything, link is NOT a tragic character during or post Majora’s mask.

TAOL Link is the ultimate tragic character in my eyes. Yes we get very little of his story since the games are very old but I would argue that the world tloz/TAOL link lives in is even more apocalyptic than botw/totk. You start as a child in the middle of nowhere, a sword thrust upon you and a destiny you’re forced to follow to save a strange princess from a monstrous pig. Myself and others even theorize monsters originally burned down link’s village and people and that’s how he ended up where he is at the start of the first game, from fleeing that horror. By the time of TAOL, he’s around 16/17 now so 6-7 years older than in the original tloz. He has been in possession of two pieces of the triforce all that time and is forced to find the third to prevent the resurrection of the same monstrous pig. Now this takes context from other games but if you’re familiar with Ganondorf from OOT, you know that his possession of the triforce of power for 7 years has physically altered his appearance. I personally view it as the triforce of power is physically altering him to look similar to the goddesses, more animalistic than human (even if it’s only been a slight alteration between the past and future). TAOL Link has had both the triforce of power AND wisdom in his possession since he was 10… who knows how that has changed not only his body but his mind. With his possession of the triforce of courage by the end of the game, who knows how that will affect his soul too. Most often when link has had the triforce of courage for long periods of time, he loses any sort of fear or care for himself. Albw is a great example of how his sacrificial desire to protect others can cause more harm than good, the same reason why link died in botw (even though I have more thoughts on that). Taol link, a child by all rights, thrust into a terrible world to protect two different princesses, and slowly turning into the perfect puppet of the goddesses. The triforce gives you the power to grant any wish you want, but what if the cost is losing your own free will the longer you have them? Link is harboring the triforce to prevent a resurrection and further ruin, surely that doesn’t come without consequences. OOT link was able to break free from his fate and was forced to confront his greatest fear: himself. The cycle of never ending grief… was broken. However similar to OOT link, TAOL link also had to confront himself. But it wasn’t to confront his trauma and fears, it was a test specifically designed by the former king and the goddesses. A perfectly designed test to prove to the goddesses that he is the perfect puppet and harborer of the triforce: dark link. I think shadow link is a more apt term because dark link is not an evil version of link, dark link is the manifestation and mirror of all of link’s strengths, fears, kills, deaths, and courage. He is a perfect puppet of link just minus his weaknesses, the link the goddesses want him to be. So TAOL link doesn’t confront himself to conquer his grief and fears, he confronts himself to fully submit to the triforce and the goddesses and the kingdom. He is the link who has fully fallen victim to the triforce and may never be himself ever again.

So all that to say, I will defend OOT/mm to my death bed about how link’s story is not a tragic one. And I will argue to that same death bed about how tloz/taol link’s story is.

[themattress]

Pokémemories: Ash's Goodbye

It's the final Pokémemories post, and what better note to end on than this?

Ah, Ash and Pikachu. I've of two minds about them.

On the one hand, let's be objective: there is zero logical reasoning for keeping them on as the leads of the Pokémon anime for 25 fucking years. They are rooted firmly in Gen I, and since Gen II is so tightly connected to it them staying on for that was fine, but for every generation and every region since it felt forced. It didn't help that Kunihiko Yuyama's vision for the characters as perpetual, unevolving mascots for new audiences of children conflicted with a large, toxic portion of the teen/adult audience online who attached onto Ash as a surrogate and felt personally slighted when he wasn't allowed to grow or win, and whenever he was perceived as regressing in his development as a Pokémon Trainer. The drama this caused, which even spread to the anime's staff to the point of death threats, made me resent Ash.

But on the other hand, I feel we did get good things from Ash and Pikachu and/or Team Rocket who were always not far behind throughout the 25 years they were in the anime. For example, Ash was solid in the Hoenn portion of the Advanced Generation series, while Team Rocket had many great showings in the Battle Frontier portion. Team Rocket was stellar in Best Wishes, as was Ash in Pokémon Journeys, and they both were at the top of their game in Sun and Moon. And for as much as I rag on adult viewers who let their childish attachment to Ash drive them to entitled behavior, I can't say I don't get where the sentiment comes from since I too was a child when first meeting Ash and getting invested in his quest to become a Pokémon Master, and so I did get emotional when learning that he was ending his run as the anime's main character, and doing so on a high note of becoming World Champion. In some ways, it was executed so well that it actually felt like it made the 25 year length totally worth it.

There are 3 points that I am left with and will not budge on:

1. It is good that Ash's time is finally over. The anime needed to move beyond him.

2. I question the wisdom of the Aim To Be a Pokémon Master! miniseries that sent him off. Initially I thought it was a way to ease fans into accepting it rather than just dropping him after the last episode of Pokémon Journeys, but the Teraleak has shown that it actually came about due to delays in Pokémon Horizons' production. In that case, just doing weekly re-runs of Ash's highest points in the anime would've achieved the same effect, and you didn't really need this nostalgia-bait miniseries that achieved nothing for Ash until its final episode. With that said, it was a damn good final episode, Team Rocket's underwhelming ending aside.

3. Pokémon Horizons is phenomenal and I am so glad for its existence.

And that brings us to Gen IX, the current generation of Pokémon, where more memories are being made. Ash may be spent after 25 years, but I'm not. I'm looking forward to 25 more!

[fourswords]

ezlo... the grumpy grandpa ever...

i was going to respond to this with a list of quotes from him that really show how he's the grumpiest grandpa ever but then i remembered this one quote from him that goes:

"There are some strange creatures on Mount Crenel… Creatures I've never seen before, and your sword alone won't beat them! Don't give up hope, though! Try your other items on them! Well…you don't need me to tell you how to do your job. Just deal with those monsters, and I'll take care of everything else."

i think the "Well...you don't need me to tell you how to do your job" is funny and interesting in equal measure because it's such a stark contrast from other companions for links who were on the younger side (think oot link with navi and ww link with the king of red lions) at the time whose purposes were definitely more aligned with, at the very least, helping link to do his job as a hero (navi with z-targeting, the king of red lions with helping link get around and also kind of. manipulating him into becoming The Hero™). but ezlo is canonically fucking clueless about damn near everything that doesn't involve his niche realm of being a "famous minish sage" who is "renowned for his amazing creations" (according to his figurine description). like:

"A strange nut that will allow us to understand the Minish language… The Jingle Nut, did he say…? No, wait… That's not it… Ah, I remember now! It was the Jabber Nut. That's what it was… Come on, my boy! We've got to find the Jabber Nut!"

"Have you ever visited Hyrule before? What? You have? …What's it like? Not that I… I mean, I've seen it before! Of course I have! I'm very well traveled. I just wanted to see…what you thought of it!"

"So! We must infuse the White Sword with the elemental power. That means we must find the elemental sanctuary. And the way we do that is… Um… Well, I'm sure we'll figure it out!"

"So there are three books that we're supposed to return, right? Link, I'm sure you can handle it! Don't get me wrong! I'd love to help! But I'm a great Minish sage! I don't understand your big, human ways! So…I'm counting on you!"

there are a BUNCH more examples but you get my point. i just think it's really, really funny that out of the few companions that younger links had at that point in time, it's in the minish cap that said companion is like "ehhhhh i don't need to tell him what to do he's smart enough to deal with it himself. he just needs to be yelled at to stop dawdling and GET A FUCKING MOVE ON sometimes." which is also kind of exemplified by this line of ezlo's near the end of the game, too:

"We will get through this! We have all of the techniques and power you've gained in your journey! And we have your wisdom and courage as well! Link! I believe in you!"

it says a lot that he attributes not only courage to link but wisdom as well. link has so so so so so SO much personality in this game and between his own flavor text/internal dialogue when interacting with things and ezlo's running commentary on link's attitude/words/expressions/reactions to things it's SO plain to see (ex: "Link, I know this may not be a great time for it, but... I wanted to say thanks for everything you've done. I'm very grateful for-- Hm? What? You're freaked out? You're not used to me being nice!? Fine, then! Forget I said anything!"/"You're so energetic all the time… Not that I'm saying you're hyperactive or anything! I meant it as a compliment! Like…you've got a special talent for being WAY too peppy or something."). and i love it so much. it's also exemplified by this line of dialogue which is absolutely hilarious to me:

"Do you have to ask me about every single little thing?! Just figure it out for yourself, you big baby!"

anyway. for the sake of not going on a 500-year tangent about how ezlo is my number one favorite companion and the hero of the minish is my number one favorite link and how much i adore all the dialogue in it. i'll end it here. <3

BUT ALSO FUN FACT DID YOU KNOW THAT LINK ACTUALLY CANONICALLY DIDN'T BELIEVE IN THE MINISH PRIOR TO THE MINISH CAP:

"So, where in the library would any Minish folk live, anyway? Maybe those people who say the Minish exist "only in stories" might be right! Hey! Link! What's that look for? Don't tell me you were one of…them? You're kidding me! You're wearing a Minish person on your head, you oaf! I certainly hope you believe in us now!"

[trek-tracks]

What generic wisdom and/or life advice do you have? Here's an acorn for your trouble: 🌰

Oh, goodness! Talk about an intimidating ask.

When I think about existence, two quotations always come to my mind from authors who have been important to me at various stages of my life.

The first, from Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater:

Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies — "God damn it, you've got to be kind."

The second, the last line from Robertson Davies' final novel, The Cunning Man:

“This is the Great Theatre of Life. Admission is free, but the taxation is mortal. You come when you can, and leave when you must. The show is continuous. Goodnight.”

These are two thoughts by which I've tried to lead my life.

The first lesson is kindness.

As an educator and person in a certain position of power over people's learning journeys, I'd like to say that kindness costs me nothing. That's not true. Kindness costs me late nights, extra review sessions, letting people hand in assignments in ways that are detrimental to my own time and stress. Connecting with so many people on a daily basis can be emotionally exhausting.

If there's one thing I have worked on more and more in my life (and need to continue to work on), it's walking the fine line between being kind and being taken advantage of.

However, I operate from the following perspective:

Everyone is having a difficult time, and there are things in other people's lives that are not "dreamt of in my philosophy," so to speak.

This perspective makes my life richer. I have never understood people who rigidly stick to a "one size fits all" mindset. I listen to people. I prioritize the person over the dropbox deadline. I say nice things to my family, my friends, my colleagues, my students, when I can. I practice grace in most things.

This also means that, when I do draw a boundary (for example, in my work as a professor, I do not tolerate plagiarism once I have very clearly taught what it entails), people can see that there is a clear difference between my usual practice of grace, and my ethical framework. It also means that people are more likely to extend me grace in return. I need it. We all do.

The second lesson is passion.

This is the Great Theatre of Life. We don't get to choose much about it, but we do get to shape the show.

I was talking to a former student the other evening, after I came across him in the lobby after my Lord of the Rings performance. He said to me that I was one of the few faculty he'd had that wasn't cynical or jaded yet, which is why he'd enjoyed my class.

The funny thing is, that's not entirely true.

In many ways, I'm very cynical. A fellow faculty member once said of me, in an approving tone, that I was "impressively jaded for one so young." Look. I'm Jewish. I'm bi. I'm disabled (in the chronic often invisible illness way). I know what the world can dish out, and I can kvetch with the best of them. But that's mostly because I want to believe we can do better. In any case, I can only control myself. I can do better.

First, I want everyone I teach to know that reading, writing, critical thinking, loving language, loving literature and theatre, are all things they can do, even if those gates have seemed barred. Opening these gates together can help them. I like to break things down as clearly and succinctly as possible. I don't expect people to show enthusiasm for something if I'm not showing it myself. Do I sometimes get super-mega-frustrated with the results I'm getting? Of course. There are parts of my job and my life that suck. Do I throw myself into things head-first with enthusiasm anyway? Always.

I do the things I love. I see tons of theatre. I make theatre. I sing (even if you "can't" sing, find time to do it anyway). I tell stories. I spend time with friends. If I have a choice to go to the thing or stay home, I go to the thing. I support my friends. I make people LAUGH, because I love that more than anything. I curl these things around me like a warm cat on a lap. And I try not to get jaded by the offerings around me, no matter how many shows I go to or how many papers I read. (I don't always succeed.) Can you imagine, though, how amazing it is to have a life where you're in danger of getting jaded simply by the sheer amount of art on offer?

Four years ago, a student came to me after the second week of my rhetorical analysis class. She told me that she had dropped the course with other faculty twice because she was intimidated by it. We were talking about one of the course readings for the week, which was a 35-year-old essay by a now-dead white man (everything she was not) with very strong opinions on the need to properly state your ideas in exactly the correct words to prove you were thinking.

She said, about the reading, “I didn’t understand it when I read it and thought I was stupid. But then, when you said it might not have been written with me in mind, I felt better. And then, when you broke it down and I understood it, I liked how much I liked that feeling.” Then she said something that made me cry in my office: “Things happen for a reason. I had to drop that class twice so I could meet you.”

She came to office hour after office hour. We spent time working on her writing and discussing what her particular frame of reference brought to her understanding of each week's readings.

She had dropped the course twice because she "couldn't do it."

She left with an A.

She left with a new sense of agency over her own experience of the wonder of the world.

What does it cost to be kind, and to love things?

What do we gain?

This is the Great Theatre of Life. All we can do is put on a show of kindness, watching with wonder before we depart.

[ask-mortarion-the-death-lord]

I kind of dislike the quick assumption for the traitors which is "daddy didn't love me so I'll kill millions" like even if they weren't traitors they still killed millions during the great crusade along side the loyalists the only thing that change is that they are targeting the imperium now. Also it looks like the books are now saying Emps did love his sons now during the hersey or something like that and is doing the star child thing. (Fuck 2 and 11 I guess). Sorry

got longer then i thought so under cut

thats kinda an essential facet to the whole tragedy though i would argue in that it revolves so heavily around soap opera drama between the primarchs and their dear ol dad.

partly because of the usual 40k "whos the real monsters question mark" ironic storytelling, that so much misery and the very face of the galaxy could be shaped by something as simple as a sons resentment of his father [even if it doesn't always land the mark in that regard].

partly because, well, what are the primarchs at the end of the day in terms of narrative evocation? functionally they're bioengineered super soldier super soldiers and generals, but within the 'monomyth' of the imperium they've always been positioned as demigods or divine beings. mythical subjects, and mythology itself is rife with narrative threads of divine beings being possessed of all too human or earthly flaws. zeus is promiscuous, hera is spiteful, hercules is a god damn moron in spite of his great strength, odysseus is possessed of no special qualities but his wisdom yet hes a far better and more competent person then achilles who is blessed with great physical capabilities and divine providence. and you can see patterns like this in all manner of mythological history. in that sense i feel its entirely appropriate for the traitor primarchs, these grand bombastic demigod generals being motivated in large part by an irrational emotional immaturity because it plays back into that idea of incredibly powerful beings physically being incredibly weak and immature emotionally. further you can derive more 'contemporary' meaning in alluding that tendency to modern structures and power brokers in society today. nobility that rules by divine right and the point of a sword might largely be a thing of the past or a antiquated holdover thereof now, but the problems of power hoarding power, and hereditary inheritance [those with power using that power to prepare their kids to take control of that same power] persist.

i think the problem in the heresies case though, is that its almost always the traitor primarchs that get hit with the branch of emotional immaturity the most both in and out of universe. its not enough to have rogal and perturabo be at each others throats over an irrational rivalry, no, it has to be perturabo whos projecting the majority of that rivalry onto himself well rogal is more so presented as being 'above' that squabbling. and its a pattern we can see all across the heresy series. and yet another way the series was arguably mismanaged over the course of its lifetime.

as for the emperor, cant really make a judgement call until p3 comes out in case this is leading to a twist of some sort, but taking it at face value its a prime example of how authors in the horus heresy series have been constantly undercutting each other leading to a lot of the messier elements present. in many ways, dan abnett is writing a really sold cap to the horus heresy series of another dimension effectively, where it would have made sense to have the emperor reflecting on things like the love of his sons. instead it comes across a a retcon/last minute heel turn because the rest of the series has very much leaned on the idea that no, he doesn't give a shit about if his sons love him or not.

[carewyncromwell]

“I’ll remind you -- I saw you as a friend... But now we’re done! This way, you’re out of my head now! This way, you won’t plague my life! This way, when all is done, You’re out of sight and out of mind! This way, you get what you wanted! This way, you can save your time! This way, you close the door,  And have your damn goodbye!”

~“My Goodbye” from Epic: The Musical

x~x~x~x

Bill! ❤️ My beloved Cursebreaker boy, how nice it is to be able to draw you again after so long!!  🥰

The song accompanying this art absolutely kickstarted this idea -- The Odyssey by Homer is one of my favorite books of all time Odysseus is totes a Slytherin don’t @ me, so you’d best believe that when I heard there was a musical based on it, I had to give the soundtrack a listen, and my favorite of the entire soundtrack by far is this song, originally sung by the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, and her “protege” and the story’s main character Odysseus. Although yes, Rakepick doesn’t end up being a great mentor for Bill in the game, though, I still think it is important to remember that she WAS a mentor to him, especially since the game’s writers seem to have totally forgotten this as soon as the Bye Bye Bill chapter at the end of year 5 was through. 

Think about this -- Bill, Merula, and MC were Rakepick’s chosen “apprentices.” And regardless of how you see your MC reacting to Rakepick, both Bill and Merula greatly esteemed and looked up to Rakepick as a mentor figure. We do get focus on how much Rakepick’s betrayal hurt Merula and even a bit for MC...but Bill actively chose to pursue Cursebreaking as a career in-game from year 5 on, a year before he met Rakepick. If you choose to have your MC give Bill a gift upon first meeting him, it ends up being a book by Patricia Rakepick about Cursebreaking. Even upon graduation, Bill ends up getting a job at Gringotts, where until the events of the Portrait Vault Rakepick had served as Head Cursebreaker -- you can’t tell me that’s a coincidence, and that Bill pursued employment at Gringotts partly because of Rakepick’s influence and/or Rakepick put in a good word for Bill with her old employers. 

In my personal headcanon, Bill was interested in Cursebreaking even before his OWL years, which ends up being a large reason why he chose to help Carewyn deal with the Cursed Vaults in the first place. And so naturally, upon meeting Rakepick, he knew he could learn a lot from her and was determined to prove himself when she selected him as one of her “apprentices.” Even though Bill could see the flaws in Rakepick a lot better than some of her other students -- namely her arrogance and pride -- he could also see her courage, skill, intelligence, and protective streak, and he took those as proof that she was much more than she appeared from the outside, much like other people he knew like Carewyn and Merula Snyde. And after all, Bill thought, Dumbledore himself trusted Rakepick. That had to count for something.

After Rakepick’s betrayal, though, Bill was thrown into conflict, especially over one particular thing Rakepick had said inside the Vault --

“But with [Jacob] trapped in a portrait inside the Vault, I needed another Legilimens to help me open the door – it’s the only way in, you see.”

“And what did you need us for?”

“Dragon bait. I couldn’t have my key into the Vault on the front lines, after all. I’m afraid all of you ‘curse-breakers’…are merely collateral damage.”

Rakepick had needed Carewyn to open the Vault...but Bill knew Carewyn hadn’t taken to Rakepick the way he had. She’d never fully trusted Rakepick, even after the Head Cursebreaker had protected and helped her multiple times. Bill had ascribed this to Carewyn simply having trouble relying on other people or having the tendency to hold grudges (Merula was a prime example of this, even after how much Bill had seen her improve over the years) -- but ultimately, Carewyn had decided to work with Rakepick even while not fully trusting her, and Bill knew that choice was largely because of him. He knew Carewyn had held back a lot of her more negative feelings toward Rakepick around him for a long time for his sake, and he knew that she probably wouldn’t have gone along with Rakepick as much as she did if not to support him. It was likely she’d also assessed that Rakepick could be useful in helping her reach Jacob, sure, but Bill was still certain that she wouldn’t have interacted with Rakepick as much as she did, even reluctantly, if it weren’t for Bill’s involvement. And, Bill wondered, was that ultimately why Rakepick had even shown him any favoritism or mentorship in the first place...just to make sure that she had that all-important “key” into the Portrait Vault at her disposal? All along, was everything she did for him -- encouraging his dreams and helping him attain that future he so longed for -- all just an underhanded ploy to get at Carewyn? If Bill hadn’t been so determined to see the good in Rakepick that wasn’t there...if he hadn’t looked up to her so much and seen her for what she was from the start...then Carewyn would’ve never accepted Rakepick’s help. He, Carewyn, and the others would’ve gone to the Portrait Vault without her help and freed Jacob on their own, and Rakepick wouldn’t have gotten so close to killing all of them. Maybe Rakepick wouldn’t have been able to get away, and Jacob would be safe at home with his family now, instead of chasing after her. None of what happened in the Portrait Vault would’ve happened, if Bill hadn’t been so -- 

These thoughts haunted Bill for a long time after. They were a black hole that he would desperately try to push away every time they cropped up, knowing that once he got started, he’d spiral down endlessly with no escape. And so he tried to keep himself moving, burying himself in his work, all so he’d be too busy to linger in his own guilt after what had happened and the mistakes he’d made that he was convinced had led to them. Even so, at work, there were definitely times while he was Cursebreaking where he would hear Rakepick in his head, chiding him for his missteps. 

“Watch where you step, Mr. Weasley -- the next trap won’t be quite so easy to dodge.” 

The thought of Rakepick would always flood Bill with pain and resentment. He’d learned so much from her about Defense Against the Dark Arts and about Cursebreaking...and yet now, all of the lessons and advice she’d given him were trimmed with thorns that made him bleed every time he had to use them. Even the position he now held at Gringotts he only had presumably because their ex-Head Cursebreaker thought it would help her keep hold of him, and by extension, his closest friend in the world...both of whom she ultimately saw as things she could use and then discard. Just like Charlie, and Merula, and Ben. 

...Just like Rowan. 

It wouldn’t be until the events in the Sunken Vault that Bill was forced to reexamine all of his feelings about Rakepick...but until then, however much Merula might have hated Rakepick, Bill loathed her just as much, if not more so. It is a true testament to how much Bill loves his family and friends that he so rarely acted on or even expressed it, because he knew that obsessing over or actively taking vengeance on Rakepick would only upset and hurt them. 

[nyxirrationalstories]

Astros

Summary: A chapter of one of my stories (hiatus, saddly) "Gods of War". I just want to post it because is one of my favorite chapters to write and wanted to share here.

Utena´s songs really inspired me to write. I hope one day, continue the story.

Antiquity, Perfection, Alone in the desert

Ares was wandering along a path, he doesn't remember how he got there but he kept walking. It was a beautiful day without a doubt, it was one of those days where he stopped to see and enjoy from dawn to dusk. It was not something new, he always did it every time he was in Thrace, but he enjoyed a little more being in the company of his children or with Argenis and Athena. And lately the god of war seemed to become a little more tame and even admitted a mistake to the goddess, leaving her puzzled but accepting his apologies, but he still fought with her about some things, for example: Should Argenis see his "uncles"? No, not after Agnes.

Oh Zeus, that damned bastard; Ares knew that his brothers were not guilty (although he is still looking for proof) but it was thanks to them that Argenis was in danger and it was Agnes who paid the consequences, Evan could not cope with the pain of a broken heart and died of sadness. The soldier dies when the reason for the battle comes to an end. After that, Ares took all he could and took everyone to Thrace where Zeus had no power there, he could not enter without permission of the fierce god of war.

Argenis had no consolation, even when he seemed calmer one could see in the boy's eyes the loss of his sister. Evan's death didn't help the little boy much either, the habits he had vanished and the guilt seemed to tear him apart; there was a time when the boy said to them "Lords Ares and Athena".

Oh, the god of war and blood was always filled with pride when his soldiers called him "Lord Ares" but in the mouth of his son… he repudiated it. It was a long talk with the boy and a hug but Ares was beyond angry but Athena convinced him to save his anger, that Zeus would target the boy if Ares attacked or declared his wrath.

Atmosphere, Atom, A Star of Chance

In the distance he saw Athena sitting with Argenis, but she looked different and Argenis looked a little more cheerful and taller, even though he was bent over. Ares hurried a little to get closer, making the aforementioned gods turn in his direction causing Argenis to run to his side and grab his hand, bringing both gods closer and finally he could see why Athena looked different.

That's when he woke up

Ares looked at how Athena and Argenis were curled up, sleeping peacefully, and he couldn't help but smile at the peace that reigned. Without any problem he carried both of them and put them on a bed so they could rest properly, he thought about letting them sleep there alone… but decided to join them, lying down next to Argenis.

Yes, the child of Earth

Argenis was awakened by a big squeeze from both sides, in his desperation he tried to get free and with great difficulty he succeeded. With a grumble he looked at his parents in their arms and went to his room, annoyed at having been awakened so rudely and, without Helios still standing up, what a sacrilege; he wrapped himself in his blankets and went back to sleep, surrendering himself once again to the arms of Morpheus.

Meanwhile, Athena dreamed that she was surrounded in a field of lilies and a few poppies and violets. The goddess looked around her until she saw Ares and Argenis in the distance, the god was sitting with a bundle in his arms, Argenis seemed to observe the bundle with great curiosity and seemed to talk to Ares who responded with a loud laughter making the bundle move…

It is conceived

… and laughed tenderly, raising her little arms to touch Ares' short beard…

The child of philosophy

An instinct made the goddess of wisdom approach them, it was the laughter of the non-existent infant who called her but as she approached everything vanished and Athena woke up. The owl-eyed goddess did not expect that the first thing she saw in the morning was the chest of Ares, nor did she expect to feel how the bloody god embraced her in her sleep. For the first time in her life, she felt her cheeks redden with an embarrassment totally different from the previous ones she had felt before, this was one where Ares' actions… did not bother her, rather, the embrace made her feel safe. She took a deep breath and with a shyness typical of her she returned the hug, it was strange but it didn't make her feel bad.

Egg, perfection originated in a nest.

--- Hey, haven't you noticed that your parents are getting along? --- Enyo looked sideways at the gods of war, who were minding their own business with the people of their respective villages, while Argenis fished peacefully in a small river mouth.

--- They have always done it, in their own way but they have done it --- Enyo snorted at the boy's response and looked askance at the duo who always looked as if they were going to destroy each other --- sometimes I feel that I am in their way --- Enyo looked with some concern at the little boy, I am not a warrior, I am not an adult and I am not even an immortal --- Argenis looked at the heroes that Athena was leading and then looked at the warriors that Ares decided to train. .. he felt like a little ant that at any point would be crushed --- and Zeus hates me… for reasons I guess --- Enio wanted to explain to him but how to explain everything that was happening to someone who was not older than 11 years old? --- But my grandmother Hera liked me, in fact, she gave me a big cape with peacock feathers and I plan to wear it when the village celebrates her --- Enyo folded her arms and made a gesture at the mention of his mother, although when Argenis saw his aunt's bad mood he gave her a seabream.

---You know you don't always buy people with fish? --- Enyo took a bite of the fish while the boy watched in disbelief as she ate it raw --- Neither will you be tender and small, at least until you grow up --- Argenis was a little annoyed with the comment, maybe he was 10 years old but he was not a brute and he understood perfectly well how some things worked --- And when you grow up you will be someone strong enough to possibly go on adventures or join an army.

--- Or soon --- Enyo looked at him for a second, watching as Argenis continued fishing with a calm smile and humming a song unknown to her. When Enyo looked carefully, this was the tenth bucket he filled with fish, big and small, he even had 3 nets ready to use.

--- Hey, Nike --- called the Destroyer of Cities to the goddess of victory --- Could you keep an eye on Argenis, I need to… give some observation to the gods of war --- Nike, a little distrustful, accepted the strange request of that goddess and stood next to the boy.

--- Why does Charon demand coins, what does he want them for? --- Nike did not know how to answer, she believed that not even the very souls and beings that inhabited hades would know.

--- Why do you ask? --- the boy just answered with "nothing else" and began to ask other questions. Some for a purpose and some to throw him off.

Stamen, pistil, a single seed.

Athena looked proudly at her old protégés while Ares looked with some jealousy at some heroes, mainly Diomedes and Heracles. The former for being Athena's favorite hero and the latter for being officially declared as Zeus' favorite son, although there was also a third: Perseus. Argenis loved the story of Perseus and it seemed that the story of Argenis had gone all the way to hades since Perseus had told the boy that he admired his cunning in having deceived Zeus.

Athena did not know how to feel about Aphrodite's visits, being at first as a lover of Ares and now as a loving advisor to both of them. She was also grateful that she had decency in front of Argenis and changed the subject quickly; the bad thing is that Argenis is cunning, curious and stubborn, her cunning, his own curiosity and Ares' stubbornness, may Olympus protect him when he does something stupid.

Yes, the child of Earth

--- So… haven't you started to get… spicy in bed? --- Athena almost choked on some ambrosia, causing her to spit it out and her face to turn red at the comment of the goddess who was smiling with a certain mischievousness --- Already a year together and nothing, I'm surprised that Ares has endured so much.

--- Please, Ares sleeps with anything that has a dress and a vagina --- Aphrodite laughed at the comment of the owl-eyed goddess and her reddened face.

Grow up

--- I know, I know perfectly well --- Athena wiped her face while looking sideways with some anger at the goddess of love --- But, even knowing how he is, he hasn't got himself a mistress, he hasn't even come to visit me --- Was it a claim? It did not seem so, rather it seemed to give some credibility to her argument and suggested something else --- Think about it, they know each other intimately and, by the way, give Argenis a little brother or sister --- Athena felt that with Argenis was enough and the thought of the sexual act… made her nervous.

The child of philosophy

Meanwhile, Enyo and Nike were arguing with Ares about the strange behavior of Argenis, who was keeping all the fish in two large baskets, Hera's blanket, three toys made of fine wood, a dagger given by Ares and a shield made by Hephaestus and Prometheus, a gift from Athena. The Moiras watched silently as the boy prepared for his second feat, never before had they seen up close the deeds of the great heroes.

--- A little fisherman will become a great adventurer --- said the youngest of the three, preparing the obols and drachmas for the little boy --- A great warrior who begins to forge his own legend.

--- And, on the other hand --- The three Morias watched as a tired Ares and Athena entered, ignoring everyone and going into the room --- Really, they are so adorable when they get along --- said Lakessis as she prepared Argenis' dinner.

Then

--- And when they find out what their little boy is planning --- Atropos was cutting threads of life, ending today's threads --- If he survives his adventure, they're going to kill him.

The cool of the night was beginning to get a little stronger. Into the room entered both gods of war; Ares stretched lazily as he laid his cloak on a chair, seconds later he proceeded to lie on the bed face down.

Athena for her part let out a sigh, it had been a somewhat tiring day and she had to admit that she needed to lie down, so she did, lying down on the bed while looking at the ceiling of the room.

The lunar sky, the mercurian sky, the venusian sky.

The brown-haired man turned to his left and managed to see the profile of the goddess.

--- What's wrong with you? ---He asked as he put his hands under the pillow to lean back. --- You've been kind of… distracted --- The female turned to her right, her gray eyes met the amber eyes of the god. Was it so obvious that she wasn't feeling well? She let out a sigh again.

--- Do you think we'll ever be able to fix this? --- He answered the god with another question. Ares didn't bother, but raised his eyebrows at the question. --- Do you think… we could go back to Olympus?

--- I don't know, you're the smart one --- He joked a little, but it only made the goddess frown in annoyance. The brown-haired man tried to be a little more understanding? --- I do not know Athena, Zeus must still be very angry and you know it is very difficult to make him see reason… Remember Prometheus --- The female couldn't help but let out another sigh. Ares knew that this one was different, this one was depressed ---Do you miss Olympus? --- He asked her, the brunette put her hands on her belly and stopped looking at the god to observe the ceiling --- Athena?

--- Yes, I miss it. I know, Zeus is angry… But, I need to know how they are doing, not for Hermes to come and tell us about it. I want to see it with my own eyes, I want to walk the halls again and see my other siblings there --- The god noticed that the woman's tone was melancholic, sad, to tell the truth. --- I know Zeus only wants me to be well, but… sometimes he exaggerates, I mean, I came out of his head as a woman, so he doesn't trust me? O… Could it be something else? --- Athena felt that despite her efforts, her father still viewed her with some caution because of the prophecy that the son of Metis had.

--- I don't think it's distrust --- Ares commented as he pulled his left arm out from under the pillow and stretched it out to put his hand on the goddess'. --- Not for nothing are you her favorite. I think that goes without saying; honestly the only thing I miss about Olympus is seeing my mother --- Athena, who had sent her gaze to the brown-haired man's hand, turned to look at him when he said the last thing, reflecting on her half-brother. Zeus always seemed to behave rather dryly with the god of war, she remembered how her father had declared his disownment in the Trojan War, even she felt sorry for him at the time.

And the goddess of wisdom herself, with the time she had spent with him, knew that none of what she might have been told was true, or at least not the vast majority of it. Just the odd detail. She felt embarrassed by the same.

The free hand she had she placed over the brown one.

The solar sky, the Martian sky, the Jupiterian sky.

Their eyes collided and they stared at each other for several seconds.

--- I'm sorry --- Athena confessed and then broke eye contact with her familiar. Ares lifted his head slightly from the pillow at the words and gestures of the female, smiled without being able to help it, turned to lie on his side, but without taking his hand away from hers --- Do you think that Argenis… still has the idea that we are his parents --- She asked to change the subject. She felt that it was not the time to give explanations about that apology, she still felt embarrassed about it. The god, although amused, tried to answer the new question asked by the female.

--- It is obvious. It is what she longs for the most and it is normal Athena. She needs parents and found in us that --- The voice of the god sounded calm, calm, without any hesitation, as when he led a troop of soldiers to war. Athena, on the other hand, changed her embarrassed countenance to one of concern.

--- But… I'm not even a person who deals with children, I don't know how to be a good mother, or a mother for that matter --- Ares, who for several minutes had been watching the profile of the chestnut, pulled away the hand that cradled the fine hands of the goddess and brought it to her beautiful face, making her turn to look at him.

--- You can learn it Athena. Just as you are capable of leading humans to victory in a war, you can be the mother that little one desires --- Her cheeks had turned slightly red. The brown-haired man brushed one of her strands of hair behind her ear --- Although it may not seem so, you have changed your attitude towards him a lot. And I've seen him happy because you already accept that he calls you "mom" --- maybe Ares was not a good match, but he was a good father and he knew that Athena was trying hard to be a good mother even though she had never shown any taste for children. And even the gods didn't know how to be good parents, it's something to be learned by heart.

--- Do you really think I will be a good mother? --- whispered the goddess

--- I would take it for granted --- replied the god, giving a sincere smile to the woman. She returned the gesture in kind. --- If not, I could teach you princess --- Athena quickly wiped the smile and frowned, picking up a pillow and hitting the god with it. Ares laughed a little and defended himself with his left arm, stopping caressing her beautiful face --- Calm down. I'm not kidding, seriously, I can help you to make it easier for you to deal with the little one --- He commented stopping laughing and Athena hitting him with the pillow. She still looked annoyed. Ares settled back on the bed so that he was in a more comfortable position, but still on his side.

The gray-eyed one did the same and settled herself so that she was facing Ares.

The Saturnian sky, the stellar sky, the sky of motives.

--- Speaking of Argenis, haven't you noticed that he is behaving strangely? --- Asked the god again. Athena looked at him for a few seconds.

--- Have you noticed it too? I've noticed that he's paying a lot of attention to the warriors' training, when before he didn't do that ---Ares raised his eyebrows in surprise --- Besides that… he's fishing too much. I've been trying to think why… but, I still can't find any reason why Argenis should do that --- They could live without human food, ambrosia was their main food and drink, so the boy's overfishing was too strange.

--- Overfishing? Training observation? No, I hadn't noticed that. I have seen him write something on a scroll, but I haven't really looked into it…. Besides that, I've seen him talking to his reflection, as if he was having some kind of conversation or practicing what to say. --- The goddess made an astonished face; Ares took a blanket to cover himself as the coolness of the night was turning cold and soon after covered his companion. --- I've also noticed that he looks in different clothes…. Do you think the same thing is happening to him as to Narcissus? --- Ares sweat coldly at the thought that Argenis could end up like Narcissus without even having grown up.

--- I don't think so. This is different --- She replied as Ares finished covering her --- It's something else, but I still don't know what it is --- Possibly it was that the boy had been influenced by one of his brothers, the last words of Ares pointed to Apollo, but he would have to talk to each of them.

--- I think we should talk to him --- Ares suggested, to which Athena nodded, agreeing with the brown-haired man.

The bull continues on into endless eternity

Both gods of war looked at each other. There was no heavy atmosphere between them, instead, it was a calm one, something that had not happened between them. Athena averted her gaze, she began to see the blanket with which they were both covered…. It wasn't two blankets, it was one.

She was not the only one who noticed it, Ares barely reacted to the closeness that the goddess of wisdom had with him… too close. Maybe only 10, 15 millimeters was what separated them. They blinked a couple of times when their gazes met again, after the third blink they both opened their eyes in surprise.

And the face of both of them looked a little flushed…. They were in the same bed! Just the two of them! without any third party (a.k.a. the compulsive fisherman).

When? How? How could they not have noticed this detail when they were so close to each other?

A single organ system

But at the same time, none of them moved. As if the first one to do so would put an end to the peace they had. There was no candlelight, because they had not lit one when they entered the room. The moonlight had been enough for them to see each other without problems. Athena looked down really ashamed and surprised…. It was strange for her to be so close to Ares without having approached him for a fight.

The god for his part also averted his gaze, but it was to the face of his half-sister, he did not deny that she was beautiful, but it was the first time he saw her in such detail. He also saw how she blinked a few times in a heavy way, maybe Morpheus was already doing his job.

A single prepetual motion machine

They had always hated each other, they always talked about how both gods who represented the same thing could not even see each other. Athena always beat Ares and considered him a brute while Ares bellowed about his wounded pride and raged.

It was something eternal, prepetual and close, then? why did it feel so ephemeral and distant?

Hate gives strength but weakens the soul, it is hard but hollow. Emptiness is to feel it but it is understood to have it. But in them? what was the reason? Broken pride? It made no sense.

Ah, it's an empty movement

--- You should sleep now. Tomorrow we can talk to Argenis. --- He suggested as he brought his hand back to the goddess and caressed her face. Athena's gray eyes looked up to see him. She did not give birth to him and he did not stop. --- Calm down. We will find a way to solve Zeus and you will be able to return to Olympus.

--- Thank you Ares --- She commented and brought her right hand so that she could hold it over the hand of the god that caressed her face. Another sincere smile came from her to her companion --- For accompanying me… And to the moiras, although you could have gone elsewhere. You stayed --- It was true that both of them could have stayed "married" and away from each other but… fate is capricious, sometimes not even the gods can help it.

Yes, it's an empty move

--- We got into this trouble together and we'll get out of it together. --- Maybe it was a reflex action, maybe it was those words of thanks. He didn't know it yet, he had just let himself go; he had approached the goddess of wisdom and kissed her forehead. He stopped caressing her face to embrace her. --- Rest, Athena. You deserve it --- The aforementioned did not push the god of war away. She felt she needed that show of affection, so she just rested her hands on Ares' chest and closed her eyes.

--- Also rest, Ares --- whispered the goddess.

Then

Zeus could not sleep, for some reason he felt restless, something had happened but he did not know what. Hera slept peacefully, without any remorse, making him envy her; he was still annoyed with her for having dealt with the little varmint, even loving him as a grandson of her own blood. What about her other grandchildren? She tricked Semele to death and wanted to kill Dionysus, not to mention the children of Hebe, Hephaestus and the others of Ares.

If he couldn't sleep, neither would that little spawn.

He summoned Morpheus to cause him horrible nightmares but the god only replied that as long as he was awake he could do nothing. So the child is awake? That he really wanted to see.

The sky of the Moon, the Mercurian sky, the sky of Venus.

Argenis mounted Arion, which he had obtained thanks to Prometheus and Momo, (who helped him to trick Copreo into keeping him); and put the things in his little cart and with the lighter things tied to the saddle. He saw his home for the last time, gave a little sigh, and departed.

The night, the stars and the horse were his only company. His thoughts wandered until he saw Cloto in front of him, almost giving a scream that would surely wake his parents, but she was smiling at him.

--- Argenis, what are you going to pay with? Forgetful child --- the moira said in small laughs making the little boy blush at what she said, turning around so he wouldn't give her any more buzz, but he felt in his hand a bag full of coins and looked back at Cloto --- the obols are enough but the drachmas will make him not question --- the young woman winked at him and Argenis only whispered a "thank you very much, I'll be back, I promise" and left.

The sky of the Sun, the Martian sky, the sky of Jupiter.

Zeus looked with great curiosity at that exchange that he did not notice Prometheus who was sitting next to him, just watching the little one who had also managed to deceive the aforementioned… and then Prometheus had an idea.

--- A very peculiar little guy, don't you think? --- Zeus let out a small squeak when he noticed Prometheus, causing the titan to let out a laugh that could be heard in almost all the hall of the gods --- Brave as his father and cunning as his mother, but stubborn as both, something to be feared if that remains when he grows up.

--- They are not his parents, he is a human and that's it --- muttered the king of the gods angrily, clenching his fists on the table where he saw the little one. His countenance, young and beautiful, reflected the repudiation he had for the child not only for bringing Ares and Athena closer together but also for having been deceived by him --- he is an easy mortal to kill --- Prometheus felt he had to act quickly before Zeus saw that he had the perfect opportunity to kill the child when he left Thrace.

--- Or prove that the child is worthless --- Zeus looked attentively at Prometheus, willing to listen to his proposal --- Do you know what he is looking for? --- The king shook his head and turned to look at Argenis --- Remember Orpheus? the same thing but with his sister --- Zeus looked at Prometheus and looked at the boy again --- You only have to make Argenis not find the entrance... --- Zeus covered the titan's mouth and looked at the little one.

--- I already know what to do: I will tell him where the entrance is, as he won't believe me he will take another path and get lost, causing both of my children to hate each other again --- Zeus patted Prometheus on the cheek and went off to "divert" the child. Prometheus could only think that fate, and the related gods, was as mysterious as it was capricious. When Zeus left the room with a triumphant face, Hera entered from the other side with a bad temper.

--- Your husband is not cheating on you --- said Prometheus, already accustomed to Hera's face that always bellowed --- Zeus is not in bed, he is cheating on me again --- and the comment made her calm down a little --- But he wants to get rid of Argenis.

-WHAT?!

the sky of Saturn, the stellar sky, the sky of the motives

--- …. after a river, on the left you will see the entrance to hades --- Argenis looked at him carefully, trying to remember everything Zeus told him --- Now, I know you must be wondering why I helped you.

--- Because we are family and a grandfather helps his grandson --- Argenis smiled at him in a sincere way, making Hera and Prometheus let out an "aww" in the hall of the gods. --- Either that or you are really bored up there and only something new could fill your boredom in an adventure where my chances of dying inside hades are huge causing my early death and a lesson for mortals not to venture out at a young age --- commented Argenis with some seriousness until his tone became lighter --- Or I get stuck up there and start counting souls until my parents realize I am gone --- Zeus scratched his chin a little and looked at Argenis again --- Well, good, nice to have talked to you grandfather and to have solved everything, now I must continue my journey.

--- Why do you do it? Forgive my memory, sometimes I tend to forget things --- the king and the child looked at each other, both analyzing each other as if they were going to reveal something hidden.

--- Agnes, you killed her because of me? see you later, I must go --- sadness flooded the little one but his determination made him move forward, ordering Arion to move, until he disappeared from the king's sight.

the bull continues in the endless eternity

--- I think your grandson is more perceptive than I thought --- confessed Prometheus, he knew the boy was cunning but trusting…. well, he didn't know if trusting was the right word --- Zeus' face is priceless - the titan mocked when he saw the king's face.

--- I'm not going to lie, that was weird --- said Hera as she came out of her little shock caused by the boy's words. --- I thought I was going to give him false directions. Will you help him?

--- He thinks that if he tells him the true path, Argenis will distrust and follow another --- Hera thought for a few seconds about what Prometheus had said until a certain truth came out.

--- But Argenis believes in his heart that Zeus is helping him --- Hera sighed in relief knowing that her grandson was at least going to reach his destination.

Prometheus was not going to deny that the plan of the king of the gods, obviously flawed, was better than his own that could have caused the boy's parents to fight. Best of all, this time Zeus had fooled himself, so he would have no punishment to endure again and Argenis would not be lost.

a single organ system

The titan was known as a do-gooder, civilizing figure, making possible the progress of mankind and trying to equalize man with the gods. Also for having deceived Zeus several times and for having saved him from his punishments. Taking all this into account, it was not surprising that Prometheus was fascinated with the son of Ares and Athena; that is, a human who deceived Zeus and did what he could not: get rid of Zeus' punishment.

Actually, Prometheus adored his creation, loved humans and would give everything for them. So Argenis already had someone on his side. Fate seemed to be preparing him for something that could turn very dark, it only remained to wait and see what fate's plans would be.

a single prepetual motion machine

Love, like hate, is a force that moves mountains, but it is fragile. It also causes all kinds of emotions: it makes you enjoy life, feel and express gratitude, have moments of serenity, feel curious and interested in the world, live with hope, be able to feel pride in a constructive way, have the ability to have fun, find sources of inspiration and maintain our capacity for wonder.

But Love and Hate have a limit, an end: Death.

ah, it is an empty movement

Death, an inevitable change, to stop or avoid it is impossible, no one can. And no one can raise the dead, only the gods can.

But Argenis had faith, he had hope, he was determined to leave the underworld with the soul of his sister and achieve what Orpheus could not.

Yes, it is an empty move, it is

But for that, he would have to convince Hades and Persephone. No matter what it took, he would show Agnes his gratitude and love for all she had done for him.

[cilil]

Every though about calamore (*cough cough* Calamari *Cough cough*) but with Draconic!Namo 👀👀

hc's of Bird king x bone Dragon man?

[I know, it was a tough task to come up with name for this ship. took us a few hours. damn you Tolkien (affectionately)]

anyway... you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention~👀 here's what I came up with so far🖤🤍

☯︎ In his dragon form, Námo is a black eastern dragon. His scales are iridescent with an emerald/viridian shimmer. He also has curved horns, a gem (emerald) on his forehead and viridian eyes

☯︎ As a dragon, he's a divine, spiritual being, and his domains are fate, wisdom and justice (retribution; in contrast to Nienna's focus on redemption)

☯︎ His elemental breath is of spiritual nature as well and is - quite literally - deadly, severing the connection of body and spirit if he so chooses

☯︎ Námo requires no wings to fly and does so by levitating

☯︎ He is omnilingual and likes to communicate via telepathy

☯︎ Like in canonverse, Námo lives in Mandos, cavernous halls close to the sea. There are many pools inside, filled with lotus flowers, and he likes to bathe there

☯︎ Due to this and his connection with Manwë, he's also associated with storms

☯︎ In his humanoid form, Námo is tall and has pointy ears, claw-like nails, and a few scales on different parts of his body, for example his shoulders and elbows. If he chooses to do so, he also keeps his horns. He likes wearing hanfus in dark colors

☯︎ Manwë is a divine, immortal being as well and usually appears in the form of a great white eagle with blue eyes

☯︎ As such, he represents honesty, truth, majesty, wisdom, courage, strength and power

☯︎ Manwë is the king of birds, winds and skies and dwells on top of the tallest mountain, much like in canonverse. He refers to it as his nest

☯︎ He's known for his connection to storms and it's his main way of fighting

☯︎ In his humanoid form, he's tall and keeps a pair of white wings on his back. He also has feathered ears and white feathers growing on different parts of his body. There are talons on his feet and, if he so chooses, on his hands as well. Most of the time, he's seen wearing blue and/or white robes with golden and silver ornaments

☯︎ Manwë is Námo's counterpart in a way, as they are both divine beings of wisdom, but Manwë dwells in the clouds while Námo prefers the dimly-lit caverns of Mandos

☯︎ They enjoy flying together, often circling each other and allowing their claws/talons to intertwine. Námo sometimes attempts to playfully wrap himself around Manwë and Manwë lets him do so occasionally (he likes hugs)

☯︎ When they spend time together in human form, they can be seen sitting together by the sea, often drinking tea and immersing themselves in deep conversations or simply enjoying each other's company in silence