#Benefits of Travel

[fabiansociety]

da2 isn't the best dragon age game *because* it's openly a tragedy, but being a tragedy forces a level of narrative coherence that the other games in the series don't have, and *that's* what makes it a better game.

okay, so. dragon age 2 runs on nested foreshadowing and a limited set of themes that almost every character and plot beat fall into: love is not enough, wealth is not enough, power is not enough, good intent is not enough. the problems you run into are structural, rather than individual, and your ability to resolve them as one person is strictly limited. the arishok is a central figure for this, because he prefigures every other tragedy and makes the game's thesis statement as clear as possible. he doesn't want to be in kirkwall, but he is compelled to remain until he gets back what was stolen. he doesn't want to lead a coup attempt, but he is compelled by qunari codes of justice to act. he does not want to die and fail his duty, but but he is compelled to by the other two impossible demands. every tragedy in kirkwall is the result of too many people with wildly different definitions of justice crammed into one place specifically designed to maximize human misery and suffering, and so you get a wonderfully nested narrative onion where each quest reinforces that idea, where there are no good options, just positions you can take — even the affinity system plays into that, where constantly gassing up your friends or constantly pushing them to change are equally correct ways to go, but ones that won't ultimately make a huge difference in their lives or characters, because no matter how much they like you, they're not under your control.

this coherence is even justified by the framing device. of *course* the moral of the game is "insisting on a dogmatic, narrow idea of justice destroys individuals and societies," it's a yarn being spun by varric the con artist to a chantry cop!

neither origins or inquisition play with that sort of narrative complexity. origins is a jaundiced hero's quest, certainly, but it's still basically a hero's quest; inquisition has a number of characters who question what you're doing and why, but the multitude of voices pulls the game in too many potential directions. DA2 was so constrained in its production that it pulled on decidedly ancient theatrical traditions, and it worked so, so well

[glow-in-the-dark-death]

Do it for the Plot

~

I like the idea of Tim and Danny meeting and just clocking each other as little shits TM.

Just causing chaos to everyone in a way that can't really be traced back to them like 'Who? Me? I was busy doing all of these other things I have no idea how I would do that?'

Danny helps Tim get revenge on the bats for all the shit he's had to put up with and being absolute trolls about the whole thing *chefs kiss*

~

Tim&Danny dragging Ra's body

Damian: "Wha-?"

T&D: "No one will ever believe you"

Danny makes them go invisible

~

Bats: "Where ya going Tim?"

Tim holding back a cackle:" Oh, it's my anniversary so it's date night!"

Bats: "Anniversary?! We didn't know you were getting serious with someone?"

Tim: "Serious? He's my husband of course I'm serious about him"

Bats: "Wait hold on-!"

Tim: "Gotta go! Can't be late I have to make sure the babysitter has everything they'll need."

Bats: "BABYSITTER!?"

Tim: "Bye bye~!"

(They planned all of it including their 'fake marriage', Danny went back in time with the help of CW who is a troll at heart, and made the legal changes including Dan and Dani as their kids (their de-aged) otherwise someone (Oracle) would have eventually realized that the license is fake. So they went back in time and made it legitimately real)

~

Danny being Ghost King means that Tim is now also royalty

Tim walking up to John Constantine:" I have your entire soul"

and then just turning around and leaving

John very much felt the very strong Death Energy claiming Tim: "I don't want to be sober right now"

~

Earth about to be taken over for the 5th time that year by higher beings

Tim walking up late with coffee in his hand: "Leave or I'll call my husband"

Higher Beings very much not wanting to mess with the High King of the Infinite Realms: ᕕ( ᐕ )ᕗ

~

The Phantom family relaxing with cucumbers on their eyes and face masks: "Did you hear something?"

The Bats & Everyone else:

~

Just an Idea

[vecationist]

Traveling and Happiness: How Seeing the World Can Bring You Joy

It’s often said that travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer, and for good reason. Traveling has the power to enrich your life in countless ways, from broadening your horizons and exposing you to new cultures, to helping you make unforgettable memories and lifelong friends. But perhaps the greatest gift that travel has to offer is the happiness it can bring into your…

[aprito]

sos month day 26: undercover / arranged marriage

based off of the tv show the americans which you should all watch btw

[dol--blathanna]

Thinking a lot about Orym choosing a rabbit when asked what animal he would pick if cursed with lycanthropy.

Because, it makes sense. Orym is small, quick, agile, jumps well, and is highly perceptive. That definitely evokes rabbit imagery. But a lot of Orym’s identity is also tied up with being a protector – giving people AC bumps, the shield being as much a part of his fighting style as his sword, even his title: Saviour Blade of the Tempest. He wants to be a “Shield that protects Exandria”; his priorities about saving the gods are less about the gods themselves, and more about protecting the people of Exandria from the unintended consequences and bloodshed of releasing Predathos. And it would’ve been very easy to pick a large, strong predator to try and evoke the sense of a protector – a wolf, for example, an animal associated with loyalty and protecting its pack. Yet Orym chose a rabbit.

And I think that’s interesting, because rabbits are often seen as ‘cute’ animals – but they’re also a prey animal. In fact, they’re a common food source for many animals across several ecosystems: foxes, wolves, wild cats, dogs, birds of prey like eagles or owls, coyotes, stoats, and humans (and that’s just off the top of my head). Rabbits are skittish, easily frightened; to be rabbit-hearted is to be timid or cowardly. They are not generally associated with fierceness or prowess in fighting. Mice and rats are prey animals too, but typically seen as vermin (rabbits are sometimes seen as vermin too, but a farmer could eat a rabbit – they wouldn’t eat a rat). Deer are prey, but they have hooves and antlers that bring a danger to hunting them, for any animal – the difficulties of hunting rabbits are more related to their evasiveness, speed and good hearing than any life-threatening danger they might pose. Rabbits are, first and foremost, prey animals. They are killed and eaten, so that another animal might live.

Which made me think a lot about one of Orym’s other key traits: self-sacrifice. Bait and switch doesn’t just bump up his ally’s ACs, it specifically switches their place to put him directly in harm’s way. Goading attack is meant to encourage enemies to attack him instead of his friends. He literally made a deal with a hag, essentially exchanging his own life for power to protect his friends. How many times has he gone down in a fight? He’s not the only tank – but unlike Ashton (and Chetney, who also uses ‘self-sacrifice’ in his fighting style with his blood curses) he has no abilities to reduce the damage from the hits he takes (barbarian rage and the werewolf form).

(Side note: I think it’s pretty interesting that Chetney, the wolf, has attacked Orym, the rabbit, more than anyone else when losing control. That Orym’s facial scar was given to him by a friend, not a foe).

Of course, Orym isn’t the only character with self-sacrificial tendencies (FCG wins by a landslide), but I just can’t stop thinking about how weirdly perfect it is that he chose a rabbit for his animal. Rabbits are prey animals. They are eaten, so that other animals may live. Orym takes the hits, he goads and switches with his team mates to put himself in danger, he makes a deal with a hag at the cost of his own life. He’s a soldier, throwing his life away for a cause over and over again because Ludinus must be stopped, because Keyleth has put her trust in him, because it’s the only way to protect his friends, to protect everyone, because it’s the right thing to do. Orym is a rabbit. He’s always been a rabbit. That day in Zephrah, it could have easily been Orym who died instead of Will and Derrig – “unfortunate but necessary sacrifices”, as Ludinus viewed the attack. It’s unfortunate they had to die, but it was for the greater good, according to Ludinus. It’s unfortunate that a rabbit has to die, but it will feed a family of foxes, or stoats, or even a hungry human, so it’s acceptable, right?

Orym is a rabbit. He is giving himself to a greater cause that could very easily kill him – he already willingly signed his life away to Nana Morri. Because that’s what rabbits do. They die to feed others.

And the theme of being disposable is present across the entire group, not just in Orym – Bell’s Hells has been called a “party of NPCs” before. Aside from FCG’s death, I’d say Laudna perhaps fits this theme the best: she was literally murdered and hung from a tree simply because she looked similar to Vex, acting as a warning to adventurers she had never met before. But FCG’s death was – rightfully – viewed as a terrible tragedy by the group. Laudna’s decision to remove Delilah, finally freeing herself from her abuser and emphasising she is more, and deserves to be more, than just some disposable puppet – this was rightfully viewed as a very good thing! But Orym seems to be embracing this identity of self-sacrifice instead, rather than this mindset being properly challenged or acknowledged as a bad thing. After all, there’s no time. There’s too much at stake. Keyleth, Bell’s Hells, all the memories of those who have died in this fight, all the people who might die if Predathos is released and kickstarts a second Calamity – they’re all relying on him, right? A rabbit feeding so many animals with his sacrifice. And it’s not malicious compared to the way that, say, Delilah killing Laudna was an incredibly evil, fucked up and unnecessary thing to do. If Orym died to save everyone else, well, at least everyone else would be saved, right? Saving lives is good, isn't it? How could he complain?

Because rabbits are prey animals, and Orym is a rabbit too. Destined to die so that another animal may feed.

Except, that’s not true. Rabbits are more than just prey. They’re highly social, and thrive best living with others. They’re playful, they enjoy running around and kicking their legs just to show their enjoyment. They’re inquisitive and mischievous, even being associated with tricksters in some folklore and stories. They’re also associated with innocence, playfulness, spring, youth – all manner of things, depending on the story or culture. And they’re not helpless, either, even if they might be thought of as such. They can bite and scratch and draw blood quite easily if they want to! In fact, freezing up isn’t their only response when being attacked by a predator, they are known to fight back if cornered. They can sprint quickly, they have excellent hearing and senses of smell, they know how to evade predators.

Rabbits are prey, and they are also survivors. They have their own social dynamics, their own habits and dislikes and preferences. They are more than just a wolf’s meal. And Orym is more than a soldier, too. He’s more than a “necessary sacrifice”, he’s more than just a shield and sword. He deserves more than to die for a cause. He deserves a happy ending, just like everyone else. I hope he remembers that.

Orym is a rabbit. And the message isn’t that he shouldn’t be a rabbit. It’s that rabbits are worthy of surviving, too.

[youcalledsworld]

Demon Head vs the Ghost King

Ras al Ghul has an immortal enemy, someone he truly hates. This enemy had a way of getting under his skin and made him lose his composure

This enemy was a friend at one point, someone he trained with, someone he constantly lost too, someone he had to get out of his way. Ras didn't want to kill him but he needed him out of his way to ascend the throne to be the Demon Head.

The only way he could get his friend out of the way was to kill him and that was the biggest mistake of his life. Because the friend he wanted out of the way didn't need the Lazarus Pits to live forever.

Because of his betrayal, Danyal promised not to kill him but to make his life hell. And kept his promise he did, he kept showing up throughout the years.

He showed up during his induction challenging him for the throne and utterly humiliated him in front of his underlings, leaving him bleeding and alive. That wasn't the last time Danyal fought him. It was during these fights that he noticed Danyal aged slowly.

He gained the trust and loyalty of some of his numerous children. Asking him to renounce their father so he could give them a happy life away from the league.

He stole some of his subordinates and even whispered into the ears of others to betray him. Not all those who betrayed him did it because of Danyal.

And other ways he made Ras life miserable was in petty ways. Stealing his possessions and even moving his furniture an inch to the left and having those close to the wall phased through. Cutting holes in his clothes in inappropriate areas, stealing the soles of his shoes, drawing on his face and most annoyingly walking behind him and disappearing whenever he turned around.

This has been going on for hundreds of years and everything he did to combat his old friend ended in failure. He was so desperate he tricked magicians and demons into dealing with him. All of them ended in failure or them turning to Danyal side.

Now he was going to summon the new Ghost King in hopes he could deal with his old friend. But he had to sacrifice something in order to appease the Ghost King, so he had his people find his daughter Talia so he could offer her as tribute. He already knew Danyal spoke to her before so it was only a matter of time before he joined her.

If this could save him from his immortal enemy so be it.

He had everything for the summoning now all he had to do was chant. He felt excited because he could finally be rid of his worst enemy. And he kept getting excited when green smoke came out the circle and spreading across the room.

He could see a tall silhouette with a floating crown standing in the middle of the circle. He couldn't help the grin forming on his face, he could practically hear the screams of Danyal begging for mercy.

But when the smoke settled he felt all hope he had drained away because staring at him with gleeful blue eyes and slurping on a smoothie was his worst enemy.

"Hiya Razzy it's been a long time and is that your daughter Talia tied up over there?" Danyal asked.

And like that Ras al Ghul wanted to die.

[tinfoil-jones]

Tate Pines AU: Reminisce II

Stan: Do you remember anything from back then?

Tate: ...What is it with you and scientists?

Stan: What?

Tate: ...

FLASHBACK Tate, 3-years-old: *playing with night-vision googly-eye glasses* Rick: So you're a dad too now, huh? Stan: Mhm. Rick: Welcome to the club- he's not mine is he? Stan: Naw, he's too young. Not like it'd make a difference; you'd still run off. Rick: Clearly said to be hurtful, but you're not wrong. END FLASHBACK

Tate: Is tall, gangly inventors with questionable morals your type?

Stan: I don't need to hear this from you *looking away*

Tate: Me, the proof?

[slavic-roots-western-mind]

One of the main advantages of knowing another language is using that language site to access movies and series when your usual sites are glitching.

[laurasimonsdaughter]

What if Disney adapted King Thrushbeard?

I deeply dislike King Thrushbeard and pretty much all its variants. Yes, the princess is proud and mean and she deserves one hell of a scolding, but King Thrushbeard is cruel. Her father forces the princess to marry him (disguised as a beggar) and he humiliates and sabotages her continually while she is completely under his control. And then when he reveals he's the king and she can be queen she has to be happy about it! Why did he even want to marry her in the first place if she's so nasty? I personally think it should end with her stabbing him to death on their royal wedding night, and I mean that sincerely.

The Italian variant The Crumb in the Beard is a little better, because here the insulted prince at least takes the trouble to woo the princess while in disguise. She chooses to marry him even though he is poor. It also has the added virtue of the prince's mother at last telling her son he has had enough revenge and he himself explicitly begs his wife's pardon for what he has done. So that's at least tolerable.

A nice twist on this tale type is what Hans Christian Andersen did with it in The Swineherd. The emperor's daughter in this story isn't just proud and spoiled, she only cares for artificial trinkets and not for anything "real" (like roses or birdsong). The spurned prince, after having his sweet rose and singing nightingale cast aside, disguises himself as a swineherd and trades two magical trinkets for first 10 and then 100 kisses from the princess. When the emperor finds out he's so scandalized that he exiles them both. Then the prince abandons the princess, because he wants nothing to do with a person like her. If you think about this in real world consequences, this is still extremely cruel, but the overall tone of this tale is much more over the top and comical than the others. I think if you adapted this into something with very bright colours and emphasis on the comedy, it might actually be fun. (And I think the princess could always take her magic cooking pot and orchestra rattle and earn a living amusing people on market days and county fairs.)

[is-this-fascism]

oh yeah, and since i got to step into Lake Ontario, ive now had my feet in a major body of water on all 4 sides of the US. atlantic, pacific, gulf, and great lake. im the coolest person you know. please clap.

[psychomusic]

i had a vague idea last night on chiss space-traveling system. it's really just an idea and maybe it breaks the existing lore so. if there's any chiss expert here PLEASE tell me if it's something that could exist because i wanna know if i can put it to use in my story

i know they use force sensitives with that third sight power, but like. idk. i understand that they are trained and sometimes they fail but like that's SO complex. you're traveling faster than light - you can have jedi like reflexes and shit but that's still hard af.

so i was imagining (because lately I've been trying to better understand chiss lore, which i LOVEEE) wouldn't it be easier if there were like some stations in between planets, especially important colonies, to allow the force sensitives to have to navigate between smaller points, and not completely in the dark?

idk if any of you know sky: children of the light's trial of fire, so here's the link (skip the intro part). now imagine that instead of the checkpoints with rocks and candles you have little artifical moons/planets/asteroids (depending on how important that station is), and force sensitives are supposed to reach that and then re orientate etc.

BUT to make it cooler and most importantly, easier to sense for the force sensitives, imagine that those artificial ecosystem are made to be inhabited by different creatures that can't stay on their planet of origin (like. maybe because the environment changed and they are endangered, or they're too dangerous so they like. put them there). so they're full of life. they'd be like lit candles in the dark, literally.

THIS CAME TO ME BECAUSE TWO WEEKS AGO I SAW SUCH A COOL VIDEO (a 12 hour analysis of the phantom menace that's like. so fucking well-researched??? considering its length it's impressive really, so here's the link) that spoke (at 1:19:22) about that Boss Nass's phrase about going through Naboo's planet core. But to synthetize: basically in the lore, Naboo is supposed to lack a molten core, and at the center of the planet, plasma is being emitted, and it creates infinite tunnels that can connect even theed and otho gunga. but besides other worldbuilding problems that this rather absurd idea would create - that i won't recap here - in the video, there are some ideas on how to make it make sense (like. "going through the planet core" is simply a figure of speech and not what actually happened), BUT between those, there is one in particular that struck me: at 1:30:40, he proposed Naboo could be a constructed planet - like a planet-aquarium.

then, the video explains why it can't be the case for naboo but. GUYS!! if there's a species that could pull off something like that it's the chiss, with their sense of order, their need for knowledge, and organization abilities.

the maintenance of these stations with particular ecosystems could then be left at the nearest colony of csilla (kinda like the romans delegated the maintenance of their streets to each town it crossed and benefitted off of it), and be used as a "lighthouse" for new sky-walkers to train their third sight. researchers would benefit from keeping these animals alive + they could be kept in various different scenarios depending on how the specific station is made. if it's big enough, those creatures wouldn't be even captive, in a certain sense. especially since these stations need to be big enough (and full of life) to be perceived by the force sensitives, they'd just become replicas of the planet, where researchers, even in the creation of such stations, can really have a boost on their understanding of those ecosystems, through the feedbacks and experiments on the stations.

i have made a few sketches to visualize the idea

(ugly quality and poor rendition ops. in my defense it was late)

i know i wrote A LOT and prob not many will read this BUT if you've come this far, what do you think?

[delhitourguide]

Read: Benefits of Traveling

[catwyk]

óli design page!!!! i found myself partway through cute traveller/óli hangout art, suddenly unsurehow i wanted óli to look, so now i have this!! has it helped? uhhhhh ill get back to you on that one

i have So many more thoughts for óli's design, but none of them are particularly helpful for Actually Drawing Them - girl it does NOT matter that they have dark, shiny, crinkly hair!!!! what does their face look like!!!!!!

anyway. please listen to travelling light

[thousand-sunnies]

every day the collection of fics i want to write grows bigger

[hauntingblue]

ARCANE EPISODE 7!!!!

MY GOD I WASNT READY FOR ANY OF THIS!!! WHAT WAS THAT!!!

Also ekko wallpaper I got with my fries lmao