#HES DEAD BUT. AT WHAT COST

[blicketyuri]

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE

Speedpaint under cut

[ofswordsandpens]

one day, ONE DAY, I'll write (rewrite) my Alaska au where Annabeth chose to go with Luke in botl, changing the trajectory of everything, meaning Percy chose godhood in tlo.

[ineed-to-sleep]

Jackie died. Jackie died and I'm devastated. I will never be the same person again

[chirpsythismorning]

Mike Wheeler and Will Byers… Run.

[lotus-pear]

kunikida nation how are we feeling…. (<- in mourning)

[dykebakugowo]

Spinneraki nation how we feeling after the leaks

[iwanttobeacheesecake]

For how long do you think Vash had been with those corpses before Meryl and Roberto came?

[ghostinthegallery]

It should be no secret that I adore Oltyx. He's one of my favorite 40k characters. Which is amazing because let's be real, he's an insufferable little shit who spends most of the books consumed by entitlement, paranoia, or both. He's just so damn well written, the elements that make him awful (which also form the starting point for his character arc) don't quite overshadow his redeeming qualities (which prove he is a person worth giving the opportunity to grow).

Those early chapters do some serious heavy lifting, character-wise. Oltyx comes out the gate swinging for "worst protag of the Year award". He's bitter, he's convinced all of his problems are someone else's fault, he is needlessly cruel to his subordinate (ready to kill Neth just because one grot made it to the stairs). A real winner, right here. Except for two things:

1) he doesn't want his soldiers to die. Sure, he justifies this with facts and logic. Attrition will eventually diminish his forces, leaving him unable to defend his shitty planet, and he isn't getting reinforcements anytime soon. But still, he wants to preserve the lives under his command. He wants to create a "new way of war" which is surprisingly sympathetic for someone who acts like a surly teenager (more on THAT later). Bonus that he does not in fact kill Neth

2) his flashback where he sees Djoseras' first lesson to him. Where we see that Oltyx is not exactly a reliable narrator regarding his elder. And if he's wrong about Djoseras, what else is he wrong about? The narrative is doing something here.

That second point is super important. Because there's a huge difference between reading an asshole protag where the author knows they are an asshole vs. where the author doesn't. The former can be incredibly satisfying as you watch someone grow and change. The latter is annoying AF. That flashback (for me) is like a footnote from the author promising "hey, not all is as it seems, bear with me."

Oltyx's hints of compassion are the incentive.to.give him a chance. Which is then further cemented when we enter the tomb and get to see Oltyx's affection for Yenekh, the first character we see Oltyx caring about. Proof that he has relationships that matter. He doesn't actually hate everyone and everything. And as the narrative continues, we peel back the layers to see what Oltyx actually is.

While I reading those opening pages, I joked to my spouse that Oltyx sounded like a teenager who listens to too much emo music. Turns out that was not actually a joke, that was the entire character. As we get more of his interactions and flashbacks, we are shown someone trapped in perpetual adolescence. Who had the compassion beaten out of him by war, trauma, and neglect (or literally sliced out of him, fuck Hemiun). The more you see of Oltyx the more heartbreaking he becomes. Not because he isn't terrible (he is) but because he didn't have to be. Yet it is so understandable why he is. The lessons he was taught even by the people that loved him (life has no value, compassion is a weakness, lies will come from those closest to you) twisted a kind soul into a conflicted mess. It excuses nothing but explains everything.

But despite ALL OF THAT Oltyx still tries to do the right thing. He tries to save the dynasty that exiled him, he tries to fight beside the brother he taught himself to hate, he tries to resist the madness that he thinks will make him a monster. He literally has the mind of an eighteen year old, trapped in a metal body that is slowly destroying what little sanity he has left. That's a lot!

Crowley had a fine line to walk writing Oltyx, making him sympathetic but not dulling the impact of his darker traits. For my money he did it brilliantly. Oltyx is my precious son who has done everything wrong and I love him.

[hauntingblue]

The king and queen are visiting Paiporta and they receive them with mud xd two men have spoken to the king and told him to do something, but we all know that he is going to go to his palace and cross his arms because It's literally the only thing he can do. Is this what had to happen for people to realize that asking the king for help is nonsense? He has no power, he is only there to parade around. They have kicked out volunteers from the site to let the king and his escorts (police and military) pass, which is the first time they have touched that ground and they are going to do NOTHING. The president is doing the same. The president of Valencia is doing the same.

[zeb-z]

Cellbit who holds his shit together, pieces together the clues, and solves the issue while walking on a tightrope, where if he cannot correct for the mistakes made, the fallout would be catastrophic. He cannot fail to solve the case, he cannot fail to cure his friends, it isn’t an option in how desperate the situation has gotten.

He’s relied upon by everyone as the leader of the order, shoulders heavy with the burden. He is intense when he needs to be, gentle when a soft touch is required, and keeps his head when the situation is so intense the others are speechless.

He gets through Forevers stubbornness, reassures Pac in his sorrow and indecisiveness. It’s a fucked up scene and he handles it well because he has no other choice.

He doesn’t cry until it’s all over. Just for a second, when the moment is over, and he can take a breath of air. And even then he leads the rest of them through clean up. He makes sure Pac gets home, gets Forever to a proper place to rest, ensures the rest of the group is okay after what they just witnessed.

Then the moment he leaves the others, he finds another critical clue that he can’t just ignore or put to the back burner.

Another mystery, another crisis, another billion clues he’ll have to organize and follow up on and solve, because he’s the investigation guy, the leader of the order, and the island is counting on him. The kids are counting on him. He doesn’t get a chance to truly breathe. To fully sit down and let himself crumble, let someone, anyone, else be the strong foundation, because if he can’t solve this, who will?

Even with his family returning to him, it’s no wonder he feels so alone. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, I guess.

[boltlightning]

where’s the profit in killing jones when we can add another ship to your fleet? pirates of the caribbean: dead man’s chest (2006) // deleted scene

[gentle-hero-blog]

I just think that. If a person who had never been allowed to be selfish in their life due to their position was suddenly relieved of that position. that would be very interesting. if you know what I mean

[aureentuluva70]

The painting of Alvin the Terrible and his son but instead it's Thingol-with the same horrified, haunting eyes-holding Lùthien after she dies of grief in Doriath.

[hopelessnicotine]

paul mcgann dead fish eyes type dude like a seal attacked by a polar bear at every moment of every day he looks like he has no feelings ever and i love it for him

[sprolden]

the lightwoods dying premature deaths couldve been a one-off thing that happened to benedict but instead cecily herondale (dead sister haver) and gideon lightwood (future dead sister haver) used their combined dead sibling trauma to create the single most cursed bloodline in all of shadowhunter history. their impact....

[vriska]

i dont think a fictional death has ever hit me this hard, like i cant hope for Toga to make it bc like, shes not plot armor protected like fuckin bakugo, if she lives it'll come as a complete surprise but accepting the chapter as it stands rn?? i am fuckin shook because what a powerful display of love all of that was, not even just romantic love, but also selfless love, the idea that things could have been different, that Ochako made her realize if she had found something like this sooner, she could have saved lives by giving blood instead of just taking it

AND LIKE IM NOT OKAAAAY IM NOT OKAY WITH THE WAY THEYRE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER

Ochako staring at Himiko, unable to really move, the only sensation beyond the cold she feels is the warmth as Himiko's blood flows into her, and she cries and calls out to Himiko with what little strength she has because she knows this is killing her, and all Himiko can do is look back at her and smile, still that same beautiful, genuine smile as she says Ochako's name back to her for what she at least presumes might be the last time ever

and she passes out holding Ochako close, she lived freely and the way she wanted to and she was the cutest girl in the whole world to Ochako