#I did NOT intend for this to be so long

[revenantghost]

Man, I think the best and worst part of Knives’s character is just how compelling he is*

I get it. You get it. We all understand exactly how and why he is the way he is. So many people have put this idea into better words than I could. He witnessed an unspeakable horror at an incredibly young age. He knew he was different, that he was other, and a worry set deeply into his bones that humanity would reject him for being born who he is. 

And he was right. It was so much worse than he could have ever realized. He was born to be an object for humanity to use as they see fit. All he wanted was love and peace for himself and his brother. And after seeing that? What they did so mercilessly to Tesla? Who can blame him for not believing in any future with humanity in it. Who can imagine a future without unbelievable strife and prejudice when you’re outnumbered and are seen as an item to dissect and toy with as you see fit

And yet

And yet

In his fear, in his need to control and correct, the cycle continues. The abused becomes the abuser. He assaults his brother multiple times. He takes away Vash’s autonomy and manipulates his body without his consent. Hell he happily experiments with/tests and uses Vash’s body while unconscious. He says he loves Vash while refusing to hear a word coming out of his mouth. Because, if he has a moment of doubt, any hint of weakness, all of that anger slips away and he becomes that boy again--afraid and weak and alone

In his fear, he takes plants. He strips them of their independence and will, denying them their souls. Again, he uses the bodies of his siblings against their will. He displays their corpses to keep him angry instead of putting them to rest. He kills and breaks apart the body of his sister so that he doesn’t have to die, so that he can be reborn. He willfully denies the thoughts, dreams, and pains of his sisters and instead absorbs them, impregnates them, tries to kill them in the “right” way

In his fear, he drove humanity into hurting his kind more. He forced their hand into injuring and killing more plants than they’d ever dreamed of harming. He’s the one that put Vash into a constant position where he’s gaining mountains of scars. (His brother who, on the opposite end of the spectrum, has let the cycle of abuse continue while using himself as a shield instead of breaking free from the pattern.) He uses and discards the humans near him no matter the kindness and devotion they shows him

The same behavior Knives shows everybody and everything else

He’s awful. Absolutely sick and perverted and so stuck in his own mind that all he does is hurt and hurt and hurt

And yet

I get it. I’ve been traumatized to the point where all I want to do is cause pain in return. To feel that justice can exist and will come to pass, no matter the cost. To be so afraid that anger is the only safe emotion you can cling to. It’s what makes him one of the most compelling antagonists I’ve ever seen. Kudos to Nightow for fucking me up about Knives and his pain more by the day, honestly

*Except for ‘98 Knives lmao, that man is fabulously unhinged and overly dramatic about everything and I love him for it

[deathbind]

Alright, here's what we're going with. I'll polish all this later.

First, it's important to know that Meket tends to be matrilineal + matrilocal (except for the oldest son), but it tends to be sons, specifically nephews, who inherit. So say you have a nobleman. It is not his son who inherits but his nephew, specifically his oldest sister's son. If he has no nephews, then it goes to his oldest sister; if he has no sisters, maternal aunts will be favored, although his children will have a stronger case for inheritance if they choose to pursue it.

To put the matter as simply and concisely as possible, it is traditionally women who own land and through whom descent is traced. The oldest son is traditionally the executor and guardian of the family estate. The land belongs to the sister; the son administers it. Younger sons typically move in with their wife's family when they marry, but the eldest son will remain with his family. This does affect his marriage prospects; he usually marries someone who is a younger sister not expecting to inherit much.

Men and women do both own property, though. When couples marry, their assets remain separate. They may administer their affairs as they see fit, but it's not the norm for all their assets to merge or for one's property to automatically become the property of the other. The wife's property typically passes to their children while the husband's typically passes to his nieces / nephews.

There's always nuance when looking at different time periods, different social classes, different regions, but I'm already very off topic. The small details of inheritance and property rights are a discussion for another time.

What's important is that, in roughly 1368 DR, Serot had been reincarnated as Neheb: the son and only child of the reigning monarch. As such, he would never inherit. This was never an issue for him. However, much of the rest of the continent is patrilineal + patrilocal and practices a patrilineal inheritance. In short, sons inherit from fathers. Certainly this is the case for the Grand Caliphs. This is relevant for a handful of reasons:

Grand Caliph Khalil al-Assad al-Zahir believed a strong Grand Caliph was necessary and that Zakhara should be unified.

Meket is one of only a few places that does not owe allegiance to the Grand Caliph.

The two groups have warred in the past.

Makin al-Mutrattab, the Grand Caliph's chancellor + cousin + closest friend, was possessed by an agent of the Yikarian Empire with the intent of infiltrating + destabilizing the court. This has gone unnoticed.

Meket has also warred with the Yikarian Empire.

The Grand Caliph has only two children as of 1367: daughters Janya and Dalia.

The plan was simple. Makin, or rather the entity possessing him, proposed they sow discord in the Meketi royal family. They planned to manipulate Neheb into marrying one of the Caliph's daughters and challenging his cousin's right to the throne. But, there was no ambition, discontent, or discord upon which they might prey. He could have been talked into a political marriage with one of the Caliph's daughters, but he had no desire to rule, let alone war with his kin.

The more this conspiracy failed, however, the harder it tried to succeed. Meket was experiencing civil unrest during this period exacerbated by this conspiracy which took every opportunity to destabilize the country. The Spellplague hitting them like a freight train in 1385 DR made matters worse. All of this enabled the conspiracy to drive a wedge between Neheb and his family, causing him to pull away from public matters as well. He claimed illness and isolated himself.

Then it became known that he was a reincarnation of Serot and that the only way to activate the failsafes Serot has built was for him to sacrifice his life as Serot had. An unforeseen complication when those failsafes were built over a millennium prior. Neheb ultimately agreed. This sealed the necropoleis until the end of the Spellplague and overall protected the land from the worst of its ravages, but the damage done to the ruling family was irreversible.

Their popularity had been in decline for some time, again exacerbated by outside forces. When it came out Neheb was an incarnation of the Saint Eternal, people accused the Monarch of knowing all along and simply allowing the country to suffer. Some even whispered the Monarch / the royal family was the cause of the Spellplague; that Serot had been reborn into their line to lead back on the proper path but they'd been heedless of this gift, alienated him, and so brought divine retribution upon the whole country. Worst of all was the sacrifice itself.

Neheb had not wanted to die. He had been no more than twenty at the time. He had estranged himself from family and friends, gave up all he could, isolated himself to preserve peace with his kin and thus within his home. He loved his family. He loved his home. But, he did not want to die. He begged the Anactaci, the priesthood, the court, his family to find another way. He begged the Monarch as their subject, and he begged the Monarch as their son. But, the devastation was worsening; the death toll was mounting. There was no other way, they insisted. They would not find one in time.

They would not kill him. That would be barbaric. But if he should see fit to draw slit his throat and wash the land in the mercy of his blood, they would supply the knife. Neheb had to laugh.

In the end, he agreed. Really it was more resignation. He wanted to be remembered as someone who died with dignity, who had sacrificed his very life for his home. He would not be remembered as a ram dragged to slaughter. He was adored and honored for this. His family, the priesthood, the Anactaci less so. The grief and shame sent the Monarch spiraling as well as tearing the family apart. The people of Meket, already dissatisfied with their rule, turned on them within a handful of years. The following coup was not the blood bath their neighbors had hoped, however. There was no civil war, only a forced abdication to a unanimously chosen noble.

Now how does all of this link to Mystic Carrion? Meket was far from unknown on the continent of Faerûn, but tales of what happened during the Spellplague ensured they were on everyone’s lips. Someone thought to take advantage of Serot’s Neheb’s bond with Refhremmit for their own purposes. I have not decided exactly who. End result is this person went to great pains to steal Neheb’s mummy and canopic jars. They used these to resurrect him as a mummy lord, but they proved incapable of controlling him. His bond with Refhremmit makes him atypical.

On top of that, they were only able to snatch and corrupt fragments of his soul. The rest continued to be reincarnated. Always drawn toward Mystic Carrion, always meeting a tragic end, but reincarnated nevertheless. Meanwhile Mystic Carrion remembers little of his life. He carries mainly impressions of Neheb’s darkest moments further amplified by the corruption necessary to make a mummy lord. As Mystic Carrion’s power grows, the more of his soul is corrupted, and the more of Serot / Neheb is lost. Refhremmit is negatively impacted as well. One more reason to bring Serot back as a reborn than reincarnate again and one more reason to bring him back in Faerûn rather than Zakhara. I’ll decide on his options when confronting Carrion later but here’s to facing off against the embodiment of some of your traumas.

[rystiel]

part 3, they’re back to being silly idiots

(part 1) (part 2)

[kettlefire]

Maybe a Bit High (DpxDC)

Really, Danny shouldn't have been there. He had so many other things he should be doing. He wasn't even supposed to in Gotham!

Danny wished he could be safely tucked in bed right now. Or having another fight with his mom. Or dealing with another one of Sam and Tucker's squabbles.

Truly, anything was better than this. Then, being on the run, in a completely different state. Not recognizing anything anywhere and having to somehow find his dad somewhere in this city.

So yes, with Danny's luck, he had assumed the commotion by the docks had something to do with his search.

And of course, with Danny's luck, it had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Maybe things got a little out of hand. Really, Danny wasn't equipped to deal with a drug bust. His experience with crime tends to be of the ghostly nature.

Really, how do people even do these without getting a little bit high?

Was he even high? Could halfas get high? Was the powder he accidentally ingested the drugs? The one he got a giant mouthful of? Or was it the strange purplish liquid that coated like half his body?

Really, Danny wasn't in the frame of mind to try and figure all that out. It sounded more like a Jazz and Sam question.

God, Sam was going to be so bummed out for missing out on Danny's first trip. Not that Danny could even tell her what drugs these were...

Maybe he should go to a hospital?

Or maybe he should mess with this crane. Like, it looks fun! Wait, but people aren't supposed to use heavy machinery when high...

It's fine... probably. It's not like Danny was that high. Right?

Yea, he's fine. Besides, he's a halfa! He's like ninety percent sure he couldn't even get high. And Tucker would be so on board with his idea.

Hold on, the storage units look more fun. Danny couldn't help wanting to find out what was hiding behind all those walls.

Oh, but the sky looks so pretty from here! Even with the city lights and the light smog, Danny could make out the twinkling stars.

Maybe he should go for a fly. Even if he was high, technically, that would be fine, right? Flying is like walking for him. And it's not illegal to walk high! Just to be high...

Okay, okay, a flight it is. It'll atleast keep him away from civilians, and then he'll find his dad. Yes, Danny still needed to do that.

He couldn't lose his objective. He just needed to take a breather, and then track down his dad. Track him down somewhere in this large, bustling city.

It'll be fine, totally fine. Danny was totally not panicking. His current trip was truly not going downhill.

Was he forgetting to breathe? Wait, no, Danny was still Phantom. He didn't need to breathe, he's fine. It's fine...

Unless it wasn't. What if it was all in Danny's head? What if all this halfa stuff was all just a part of his really weird trip? What if he tries to fly and just ends up drowning in the river?

Okay, okay. Focus Danny, focus. He just needed to find his dad. That's it. His dad would know what to do. His dad could fix this.

Oh, and there he is! It was a little hard for Danny to focus his vision, but he knew the silhouette anywhere! It had to be his dad! Jack has such a distinct shadow!

Danny wasn't sure if he called out Dad or not. He also wasn't sure when he had decided to move. Did he fly or did he run?

It didn't matter. His dad knew, anyways. All Danny was focused on was the feeling of hugging his dad again...

And the strange armor his dad was wearing? It must have been something Jack rigged up to protect himself during these dire times...

But god, Danny couldn't tear his focus away from the texture of it under his fingers. Zeroing in on that alone.

It's fine. Even if he was high, Danny could just explain it to Jack. His dad would understand! Danny was just trying to be a good hero. It's not like he was doing drugs for fun!

Besides, being curled up on his dad's shoulders feels too good right now. Whatever that pointy thing on Jack's head was wasn't a big deal. It was something a little intangiblity could fix!

[martanis]

first meeting, but make it Sauron's perspective The Rings of Power 2.01 "Elven Kings Under the Sky"

[piningintrovert]

Can't tell or won't tell? Sooner or later, you'll have to tell me everything anyway. You can't hide anything from me.

Sailub Hemmawich as OAB and Pon Thanapon as PLAWAN THIS LOVE DOESN'T HAVE LONG BEANS (2024)

[unipacas]

wake up babe new best friends dropped

[dracanboys]

sticker of shame on top of my head that says "i turn everything i love into a monster hunter au". some boys that bite just dropped

[anistarrose]

The possible explanations for why the fuck Barry could've felt the need to open that scene with "are you afraid?" have been analyzed by this fandom for basically ever since the Red Robe identity reveal, and a lot of people have brought up good theories that I've adopted bits and pieces of from each. But one thing that I haven't actually seen proposed as a factor is this:

Talking to Tres Horny Boys through the facade of the faceless "Red Robe" might've just been Barry's backup plan. Plan A was, quite possibly, to sneak Junior's ichor out of Lucretia's private quarters, be able to actually inoculate THB, and actually have them recognize him. (A proper reunion, with no cryptic warnings. With no dancing around static — just Barry and Tres Horny Boys, actually trusting each other innately.)

Why do I think this is plausible? Let me clarify the timeline a little: at the start of the Petals arc, before THB leave the Bureau, all is normal with their soon to be ex-roommate Pringles/Robbie (Ep. 18). Upon return, THB are informed that at some point during their (overnight, so 24 hour-ish?) absence, Pringles was thrown in the brig (Ep. 28).

It's eventually revealed by Pringles and Barry, in The Suffering Game and Reunion Tour respectively, that Barry possessed Pringles to do "reconnaissance" on the Bureau, specifically on where to find the second Voidfish (ie, Lucretia's private office, which is where Pringles "woke up" and was "arrested summarily").

I will note that Barry describes this as just recon — implying information gathering, and not necessarily a Voidfish ichor heist. However, this was an explanation he gave through a recorded message in the coin, where he was likely choosing his words carefully to confuse THB the least amount possible. And moreover... I just find it hard to believe that Barry wouldn't let himself hope, leading up to and during this infiltration, that he could make it out with the ichor he so desperately needed.

After all, Barry may be Going Through It during the podcast, but he definitely knows that as much as he needs information, it's going to be a lot harder to pull off his eventual heist if Lucretia catches him in the act, and winds up knowing that he has that information. Barry also chose to make his infiltration attempt while the Bureau was distracted, monitoring the Gaia Sash — in a lot of ways, this might've seemed like not just his first chance at the ichor, but also his best chance at it.

Barry's both an incredibly determined and opportunistic, calculating guy. I don't think Barry would've left Pringles' body unless/until he was absolutely cornered; no hope left of getting out with the ichor this time. He wouldn't pass up a chance to restore his family's memories — because of his deep, deep emotional and practical stakes in restoring those memories, first and foremost — but he even feels kinda bad about possessing Pringles (calling it "unfortunate collateral damage"), and would certainly prefer for his unsavory tactics to be, you know, worth it.

So when Barry fails? When he comes away from his mission he's no doubt been planning for weeks, waiting intently and single-mindedly for his chance with the right Relic-based distraction — and it turns out he has information, but no ichor, to show for it? When he fails, Barry's left on the back foot.

He'd dared to hope it might turn out better than this. He'd dared to hope this might be a turning point, and the world might remain in danger, but at least he'd have his family back. He'd dared to hope he might be able to speak to them, in his right mind, with his memories, and be recognized for the first time in a decade.

So when none of that comes to fruition? When he knows his boys won't recognize him yet, no matter what he does? Yet he still needs them on his side? He still needs them to be prepared for the horrors coming?

Well, he just fucking improvises.

"Are you afraid?"

[guardian-angle22]

Hello, could I request the cute little turn TK does after talking about olive oil to remove spiders from someone's ear, before the surprise party at the firehouse 😊🤗. No pressure at all it not possible 🥰.

[insertsomthinawesome]

Trying out a post for Repostober!! and idea by @marlowedobbeart!!

The top one was an old FFXV post I'm honestly still quite proud of! The second image is actually one I never got around to posting. I thought it needed more work/that it wasn't good enough. Looking at it now tho I think it looks fine aldskfjLSKDJGSD. So sharing it now :D -NO ROMANCE INCLUDED-

[kelocitta]

There is currently a rather large discussion ongoing about the RW fandom behavior, drama, etc. I am not going to talk about the specifics of whats happened for a number of reasons. But what I do want to say is that if at any point you've harassed people over it, whether that be through anon asks or public posts- you did nothing but damage the ability for people to correctly process what is happening. You contributed nothing but harm to an already delicate situation. It does not matter what "side" you were on and I will not tolerate further interaction with me or my work if I found out you did such. If you let your personal hate for anyone boil over into threats, wishes for long term harm and petty comments meant to contribute nothing but slander or mental distress for the individuals involved who were already distressed (or acting irrationally) you did nothing but make it harder for people to process their emotions, thoughts and behaviors constructively. Regardless of who you think was in the right, who fucked up, whatever. It doesn't matter if they deserved it, or earned it, or if its an eye for an eye. Its difficult enough as it is to think clearly when presented with any kind of stressful situation and heckling people does nothing but make it worse and harder for them to explain themself in any capacity. I don't want you anywhere near me if you think that is an acceptable way to act.

[plusultraetc]

"To live a life of regrets and remorse... that's not what I teach my students."

1. ada limón 3. ve schwab 5. may sarton 6. haruki murakami 7, 10, 14. mary oliver 19. nikki giovanni 20. mary oliver 22. unknown

[corntired]

Fanfiction is so goated actually

No monetary incentive, just writing in one's free time. Some incentive for like kudos and comments, because who doesn't want to hear that someone else enjoyed what they wrote. Just writing a story that is good and/or enjoyable, no real-life pressure to keep it going because god forbid you and other people are depending on it financially.

Writing a story because you want to write a good story, so you can write what they want the way you want, at a pace that is realistic for you, with exactly the plot pacing you want there to be.

[zosonils-art]

those fruits from the gameses boy [for an end of year gift art swap!]

[fist-of-vengeance]

thinking about how essentially every relationship john locke formed in the early seasons of lost has completely disintegrated by the time of his death.

of course there's his relationship with jack, which starts tense but manageable and culminates in jack pointing a gun at john's head and pulling the trigger. but even his smaller, less narratively prominent relationships either implode or drift apart. he bonds with walt in season one but then walt leaves the island, which is itself a severing of their bond since it was mainly based on being the only two people who wanted to stay. still, he goes and visits walt off the island so this is probably john's most successful relationship. I dont think i need to explain how he fucked up with boone, "the sacrifice that the island demanded." charlie viewed john as a mentor and claimed to trust him more than anyone on the island, but after the events of fire and water, that trust is destroyed and charlie despises him. at the same time we get john bonding with claire and having a pseudo-paternal dynamic with her, but their closeness basically drops off the face of the earth as he gets less and less involved with the other survivors.

his arc in the series is essentially a gradual distancing from everyone around him. it starts when he abandons hunting (providing for the others) in favor of trying to get the hatch open (it's extremely clear his primary motive isn't any survival applications but getting answers to the mystery). when they do open the hatch, he spends more and more time inside, underground, cut off from other people. he spends more and more time interacting with ben, a human mystery box that he's obsessed with cracking even if it gets him killed. he follows the proverbial white rabbit deeper down the hole and leaves his connection to humanity behind. the island and its mysteries become more important to john than anything or anyone else.

then in season three we get him claiming to go undercover with the others only to unceremoniously tell sawyer that he's actually going to join them. and it doesn't feel shocking, it feels inevitable. because john has spent the entire series becoming less and less connected with the people he arrived with. in that sense he actually makes a fascinating foil to juliet, who is introduced as one of the others and yet never really fits, she's increasingly sympathetic and kind in a way the rest of them aren't, her redemption arc feels so natural that she actually starts referring to her old people as "the others" like she's been one of the crash survivors from the beginning. her and john basically have inverse arcs, which is probably accidental but very neat.

in season five john tries to convince everyone to go back to the island, and fails spectacularly. and of course he does, because he was so consumed by obsession that he stopped maintaining his relationships, and in many cases actively alienated people (this is also basically what happened with helen) and now he can't wrap his head around why they're all so hostile to him. i am forever obsessed with the scene where he confronts kate and she brutally calls him out for wanting to return to the island because he doesn't love anyone. it actually struck me on rewatch how well the two of them got along in season one, and how badly their relationship has degraded by this point. john repeatedly casts aside interpersonal relationships in favor of his obsession with destiny, so when said destiny actually involves persuading the people he once shunned, he's at a loss. this is because john treats purpose as a supplement for connection, destiny as an alternative to love.

as an aside, this aspect of john's character kinda ties into my opinion that several lost characters can be read as allegorically neurdivergent under a certain lens. i know this was absolutely not intended, but as an adhd former gifted kid who struggles socially, there is something uncomfortably familiar about a character who allows their relationships to burn around them because of a single-minded obsession, especially as a result of being promised the fickle status of "special."

tl/dr: john locke is a doomed idiot and i love him