#EITHER WAY AM EXCITE

[sforzesco]

something. about. the horror of being sent on an impossible (death) quest and obligations and hospitality politics. the trauma of not having a home, and then the trauma of being in a house that becomes actively hostile to you, one that would swallow you whole and spit out your bones if you step out of line. all of this is conditional, your existence continues to be something men want gone.

it's about going back as far as I can with the perseus narrative because there's always a version of a myth that exists behind the one that survives. the missing pieces are clearly defined, but the oldest recorded version of it isn't there! and there's probably something older before that!! but it's doomed to forever be an unfilled space, clearly defined by an outline of something that was there and continues to be there in it's absence.

and love. it's also about love. even when you had nothing, you had love.

on the opposite side of the spectrum, this is Not About Ovid Or Roman-Renaissance Reception, Depictions And Discourses On The Perseus Narrative.

edit: to add to the above, while it's not about Ovid, because I'm specifically trying to peel things back to the oldest version of this story, Ovid is fine. alterations on the Perseus myth that give more attention Medusa predate Ovid by several centuries. this comic is also not about those, either! there are many versions of this story from the ancient world. there is not one singular True or Better version, they're all saying something.

Perseus, Daniel Ogden

Anthology of Classical Myth: Primary Sources in Translation, edited & translated by Stephen M Trzaskoma, R. Scott Smith, Stephen Brunet

[willowbirds]

Honestly what is so fun with watching this cast play as gods is that they are both playing them as how they are described in the lore, but they are also adding their own twists to them and making them more then just gods.

They are making them Characters.

They are making them People.

Taliesin’s Wildmother being jagged and angry, always hungry, representing that force of uncontrolled nature while we normally imagine her as this caring motherly figure (as the name suggests)

Nick’s Dawnfather being this caring figure, giving hope and resources to those struggling, while also having a level of arrogance that we not only saw portrayed by Matt, but also in how the Dawnfather sees the Exandrian’s as children he lead towards ‘A better path.’

Laura’s Matron not only understands life and death and is what you would expect, but she was once mortal. She knows of the threat Aeor poses to them and is not afraid to tell the others that there is no saving it.

Ashley’s Everlight is this goddess of light and deeply cares for the people of Exandria. When she created her avatar she went all in and started a family. She is now so much closer to the Exandrian’s then any of the others, and if any of the gods there are going to keep fighting to keep the people of Aeor alive, it is going to be her.

All of these characters are going to be so interesting to watch, and I am so excited to see what happens!

[circusfable]

My working theory right now is that the true statements are the ones read aloud by the computer. Similar to how in tma the true statements couldn’t be recorded on anything newer than a tape recorder AND the eye enjoyed having these statements read. Since this new organization (the OIAR) doesn’t read these statements aloud, the computer takes over doing that. And since what they are doing is similar to what the institute was doing by cataloging these encounters with the fears it makes me think this is the eyes new strong hold in this world, but it definitely seems weaker than that of the institute.

[futureempressoftheuniverse]

having tony collette's peachy fact be that he only smokes to fit in with societal norms in the same episode that we find out he's actually italian (and maybe has some love for his heritage considering his cheese comment?) despite his self-professed loathing of italians is making me a little ill bc it's like. here's this man who is doing absolutely everything he can to fit into society even if that means hiding his true feelings behind constant machismo bluster 24/7 who is starting on a journey that we the audience know will put him through some truly horrific ordeals that, even if he somehow manages to survive them, will isolate and distance him from the society he so desperately wants to be a part of. the thing about tony collette that's been clear from the beginning is that he seems to *enjoy* being a vaguely sleezy used car salesman, he truly relishes and embraces this role. but how much of this is just a part that he plays? how much of this is a reflection of who is truly is versus a mask for him to hide behind? and, once he's forced to face whatever horrors are hiding beneath the surface of peachyville, how much of his mask will be stripped away?

[raineandsky]

#120

When the villains caught wind of a new hero on the team, they’d all taken interest. When someone came back claiming he’s blind, it’d sparked a whole new debate.

Straightforward, they’d all said. He won’t even see us coming. They’d laughed at how easy it’d seemed.

The villain feels like they’ve stumbled on a pile of gold when they come across the hero. He’s running his hand along something on the fence in front of him, something that the villain will later realise is a braille description of the view ahead of him. A white cape drifts around his ankles, an equally white suit flattering against his typical heroic body, the lightest of smiles on his face as his fingers trace the patterns of dots along the railing.

The villain can’t help but grin as they slowly make their way towards the poor hero, so oblivious, so stupid. They’re barely a hair breadth away, their dagger practically unsheathing itself, when the hero spins towards them with a swish of his cape and a flick of a blade.

The villain barely reels back in time. Staying quiet doesn’t occur to them when they’re startled. The hero looks like he’s staring right through them, an arrogant smirk on his face.

“Ah,” he says brightly, “you’re one of those criminals I’m meant to be looking out for?”

The villain sidesteps, careful to keep their footing quiet, but it doesn’t matter. The hero’s head cocks towards them as they try to step out of his blade’s path.

“You’re almost silent,” the hero continues. A smirk adorns his face, intrigued. “Incredible.”

The villain is close enough to strike, the hero looking slightly too far beyond them to be right in his assumptions. The villain shifts in fast, their dagger poised. The hero dodges back and retaliates with a swing of his own.

The villain stumbles out of reach and the hero follows. The villain’s unprepared; they were expecting a hero who’s unsure who they’re looking for, where the villain is. They were expecting an easy plaything that they could stab when they got bored.

But this—the hero is nothing but brazen confidence.

The villain shoves their dagger up to meet his blade, throwing his arm out. They move in for another strike but the hero’s already recovered. His blade easily tucks under their arm and slices into their side.

Something of a strangled gasp escapes the villain before they can stop it. They stagger back, a hand touched timidly to the wound, their eyes flitting back up to the hero. He simply waits, his blade crimson and his eyes blank. How? How?

“Would you do me the honour of telling me who I’ve met?” he asks, as if this is nothing more than a casual meeting between friends of friends. The villain wants to snap him in half for the audacity.

“That’s none of your fuckin’ business.”

“Aha,” the hero says, almost a laugh, “You’re [Villain].”

The villain can only stare at him in horror. The hero seems to feel the tension in the silence, because he continues. “You’ve a bad mouth, favour in the blade, light on your feet.” A teasing smile. “And you’ve a smooth, caramel voice I haven’t heard in many like you.”

“Wh— Excuse me— You—” 

The hero just smirks, the stupid smirk of someone who knows he’s untouchable in every sense of the word. “Flustered by compliments, too,” the hero finishes with a laugh. “Good to remember for next time.”

“I’m not flustered!” the villain finally manages, “and my voice isn’t caramel. That isn’t a thing. You sound stupid.”

“I’m happy to be stupid if it means I can recognise you as the villain who speaks in caramel.”

The villain’s side is beginning to really ache. They need to be somewhere that’s not here when it inevitably gets worse. “Do what you want. I’m going home.”

“May I escort you to a prison cell?”

The villain barks a laugh, their side practically splitting with the forced fakeness of it. “As if you know where the agency is from here.”

“I always know where I am, [Villain].” A smile again, softer this time. Knowing. “You underestimate me for a characteristic I think makes me as interesting to you as you are to me.”

The burn in the villain’s skin is an ode to that. “Sure.” The villain turns on their heel before a thought occurs to them. “I’m going to walk away, loudly. Do me a favour and don’t fucking shank me when I do.”

The hero’s face twists back into a smirk. “As long as I hear you moving away. Until next time, [Villain].”

A blind hero! everyone had cried. It’s almost too easy!

The villain scurries away with a gash to the side and a slam to their ego, and they know now to know better than that.

[deoidesign]

important distinction.

Testing a few different things with this one

[shesmore-shoebill]

yk what is soo fucking funny to me. our collective "AMANGELA????" response to patricks short film. bc this is literally a comedy thriller with a clear "man in my house" theme. Like the odds are that even if Amanda and Angela ARE a couple in the short at least one of them is dying, or at minimum most of the short will be focused on. The Man That Is In The House And Wont Leave. but yk what else is ALSO possibly in the house. the gay shit. There's gonna be full on axe murdering or spooky shit or Patrick with his face pressed up against a window and at least Amanda (if not Angela too) acting their fucking hearts out while presumably getting murdered or at least terrorized. and yk what. thats still an Amangela win.

[utilitycaster]

God I'm sorry but Em Friedman is the Dnd Shorts of Actual Play writing. The Burrow's End coverage is egregiously off-base and there's just a pretty profound ignorance of How Things Work. Like, how TTRPGs work, but also how Actual Play works, and more generally how fantasy as a genre works, and there are some significant errors in really simple things such as the fact that ACOFAF used D&D, and usually Polygon has a bit of editorial integrity but this is giving like. CBR Top Ten Most Cool Things About D20.

[aredpenny]

Dungeon Meshi ep 11 is everything I hoped it'd be omg. Seeing the way Laios slayed the dragon animated (and with Damian's incredible voice acting) got the same "oh shit" reaction out of me as reading the manga did, and that ending shot is BRUTAL. This is really where the manga went from "hey this is pretty neat" too "holy shit this is the greatest thing I've ever read" for me so I'm glad the anime was able to deliver.

Also next episode is THAT scene 😳

[deeism]

ok no honestly i'm thinking about it i am so pumped not even just for sunny 17 itself (i mean obviously) but more so for the experience it's going to be for sunnyblr to get together and watch it and talk together and reconvene after every episode and share our thoughts and stuff. seriously highlight of my summer last year was doing that. we are going to get so so weird about it. there will be such pointless and unsettling discourse. and ultimately it will bring us closer. and it will be a great time

[monodramatic-cannibal]

I LOVE DOG CODED CROSS TOO! I always see him as that dog that survived so much and now that he can rest and receive affection, he doesn't know how to let his guard down, how to know which hand will be gentle and which will be aggressive. I like his silly side too, but THIS side, he's just very special to me.

PLEASE TALK MORE ABOU HIM

Losing my mind rn. Cross to me has neglected shelter dog rizz, he just wants to sit on the couch and watch tv with someone. Is that too much for him to ask. (Also this is going to be all over the place, me just throwing thoughts out there to see what sticks. Also me talking about this can be taken romantic or platonic routes, I don't mind how anyone sees it. Also throwing in a bit of weapon coded Cross in there as a treat.)

I love the concept of feral dog coded turning into guard dog coded. Like Cross has been through so much, I think he deserves to bite people. As a treat.

I know Cross has canon fangs, but I also like to imagine he has claws too. Just I want him to be sharp. Also this is OOC, but I don't care I'm having fun.

____

I imagine Cross has a very specific type of fear he shows, it's the equivalent of a cornered pray animal that has nowhere to go and nothing to do but fight for his life.

Given all that has happened to him, especially later on into his life, him becoming like a fighting dog to protect himself. Being alert and lashing, snarling, clawing at anything that moves too quickly or is too loud. Not even trusting those who approach slowly and quietly, seeing them as people who want something from him or assuming they only want to get close to him to hurt him. Which leads him to especially snap at those people, wanting to hurt those that get too close.

He's basically become a walking weapon, something sharp that stabs and slashes, tears and scratches. Now wondering around without anyone to wield him as a weapon. Now having no use, no purpose.

____

(me talking about a build up of someone trying to get to know Cross)

Him not knowing why someone would approach him, being so confused when they don't make an effort to come too close, the other quietly sitting down a bit away from him trying to show they're not a threat, while also giving Cross his space. Cross not liking this and walking away every time, but this other person is persistent.

The other slowly starting to talk after the first few times in a soft tone, telling Cross about themselves, not worrying if Cross is even listening. Just wanting him to get used to their voice and company.

After a while the other starts to give Cross little offerings, such as food or ways to entertain him, trying to inch Cross closer with each coming day. Cross would lash out at these gifts at first, thinking they'd expect something in return, or seeing these gifts as a threat, like what happens if the food is poisoned, he wasn't about to take that chance. Him lashing out throwing things back, snarling and hissing. Him even daring to get close enough to try to take a swipe at the other. But after the other offers him chocolate he just can't resist but have it. Slowly opening up to the idea of their gifts.

Asking the other what the point of all this is. And the other just smiling at him. Looking at him like he means something to the world again. And he wants to cry, he wants to scream and lash out. But all he can do is stare back for a few seconds before fleeing away. The look scaring him half to death. How can someone look at him like that. With so much kindness, no malice, don't they know the things he's done, he's tried to hurt them. And yet they still looked at him like that.

After a while of this back and forth of spending time with Cross and giving him things now and then Cross will start to sit closer, just over an arm's length away, shooting the other unsure glances always having his body angled in such a way he can defend himself if needed.

The other person one day lifting and offering their hand to Cross. Doing a little bit too quickly for Cross's taste leading to him lashing out at the hand, digging his claws into their wrist and latching his teeth onto the hand.

Which 100% would lead into the story you wrote of Cross biting. (I love that short story sm, once I found it I couldn't stop going back and reading it over and over again).

____

Him now realizing he may have someone he can trust, he's hurt them a lot and yet they've continued to work with him. Him now realizing he can at least trust their touch, even if its only for short periods of time. Them always offering up their hand and him always reluctantly shoving his head into their palm, closing his eyes tight and nuzzling, sometimes a light whine coming from him. Always nuzzling the hand, the hand that now has a permanent mark of his worry and anger. But the other always uses their thumb to softly rub his cheek to comfort him.

It would take him a while to get closer than the arm's length, only being able to do it minutes at a time any longer, and he'd start to panic, still being unsure on letting himself fully trust the other.

Just him not being able to process any of the kindness given to him. It's something now foreign to him, he still has his moments where he gets too anxiety ridden and lashes, but he's quick to back himself up to shoot the other sympathetic glances and whines.

Then one day it's like a switch got flipped in his head, he's quick to approach the other on their next visit to him, waiting for them to sit before he sits next to them then suddenly leans his head on them, shoving himself into them in an effort to get any sort of attention, either it be positive or negative, he didn't care at that moment in time.

He doesn't know what to think of this feeling, but also doesn't want it to go. Unsure if all of it will be taken away from him. But then quickly realizing he doesn't want this feeling to go, so clings and claws at the other in a desperate attempt to get them to stay.

A sort of 'bite the hand that feeds' sort of situation as he is still unsure on what any of it means so cannot process the kindness given to him as kindness. He's still partly stuck in the mindset that the other must want something. But all the other does is softly pet the back of his skull, quietly talking to him, trying to comfort him. Something in him breaks, and he becomes a sobbing mess. shuddering and whining. Being physically unable to control his emotions, now understanding the other is here for him not for anything else.

____

The other has dedicated so much time to befriending Cross that they now have a very loyal guard dog that wants to go everywhere with them, always at their side like a thorn in skin.

He's devoted to them, and craves any sort of praise or physical affection from them. Despite all the work put into him, there's still such a long way to go with him. He will still sometimes go on edge when the other moves too quickly. Or he's too nervous to get attention most of the time out of fear of upsetting them or coming across as too needy.

Seems like the type of guy to shake/shiver if the other was to touch him, either it be out of anticipation of waiting for the other to hurt him in some way, or finally getting the softness and validation he craves. Him quietly hanging out in the same room as the other person, giving them side glaces. Wanting to approach but being unsure, but deciding a possible reward outweighs the risk and just walking over looking like a kicked puppy. Settling himself down next to the other and resting his head on them eyes closes, praying that he will receive a soft touch rather than a hit.

I'd also like to think, despite all the trust and work, he will always still bite and scratch, but it won't nearly be as bad, more so a warning nip of his teeth, a light warning telling the other how fragile this trust is.

Cross now finding a purpose with this person, even if he sees his purpose in an unhealthy light, seeing himself as a weapon for this person to use as they please. He will always need work and praise, he will always need someone to tell him he isn't a weapon.

____

oh whoops wrote a bit there.

I don't know if any of this can be seen as dog coded, but I did attempt to write it as such. Also I'm not much of a writer so forgive my style of writing.

[autisticcole]

Okay so I've seen the theory that Davrin has a daughter/little sister that he cares for due to the girl that shows up in one of his scenes in the trailer and I present to you:

What if his personal quest ends in having to choose between the girl's life, and Assan's, Davrin's duty as a father/big brother vs his duty as a Grey Warden.

And it would even be a book end/parallel to Dragon Age Origins, specifically Ser Jory who had a pregnant wife back home, and that was likely one of the reasons he backed out of becoming a warden.

[homoeroticgrappling]

[basicbats]

I could be completely wrong but it really looks like they cut the middle of that scene out to me? The transition to “i can show you” doesn't look right but it might just be weird editing or something

[mysecretwindowuniverse]

1x16 | The Blind Fortune Teller 🔮🃏

And to think the way this scene - and the absolutely masterful performance by Cameron Monaghan - snowballed into what can only be described as Schrodinger's Joker for the rest of Gotham's run

[thesilentbard]

Chapters: 4/? Fandom: Danny Phantom Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Danny Fenton & Jack Fenton & Maddie Fenton Characters: Danny Fenton, Danny Fenton's Parents, Jack Fenton (Danny Phantom), Maddie Fenton Additional Tags: Angst, the horror of pursuit, Bad Parents Jack and Maddie Fenton, Phic Phight 2024 (Danny Phantom), okay look I honestly cannot say how bad Jack and Maddie are gonna get in this fic, like clearly things have started out Bad, and are likely to get worse before they get better, if they get better, I should tag some things as I go I think, Starvation, Sleep Deprivation, Wilderness Survival Series: Part 1 of Silent's Phic Phight 2024 Summary:

Entry for Phic Phight 2024!

Danny doesn't know where he's going or when the running will stop. Maybe it'll never end. All he knows is he can't stay here; nowhere is safe from his parents' pursuit.

NOTE: I added a new chapter! I couldn’t sleep, so I ended up writing instead. I hope you all enjoy the gut punch.