#Light over comes darkness

[grace-of-spades1]

friendly reminder

Jesus loves you

2000 years ago He died for your sins

He has a plan for you

He created you for a reason

John 3:16-for God so loved the world He gave his only begotten son not to condem the world but save it

'Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”' - John 8:12

[wanologic]

and they were roommates

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 333

I once more believe Battinson Batman needs to be given a child. Or multiple. Multiple children. I am also once more rotating Ghosts Have Wings Au. 

So Batman, still early in his whole vigilante career ends up busting a shipment, nothing too surprising there. Pretty usual honestly. Except for what was in one of the crates already open. Because it looks like some sort of gemstones but… perfectly spherical. Strange. Suspicious. 

But it’s also late, er, early in the morning, and the GCPD is notoriously corrupt, so like, he’s not going to just leave the weird gemstones, each about the size of a plum or so. (Dear Gotham he’s apparently hungry, and might inwardly vow to never let anyone realize what his tired mind decided to use as measurement) 

So he, unknowingly spurred on by more than just a slight bit of ecto contamination, takes the strange spheres back home. Just puts them in his pockets and heads back to the manor that they moved back into after the whole Riddler mess. (He even found a cool cave! With a bunch of terrifying bats, but they made a glass separator! For safety!) 

But in Bruce’s defense of forgetting about them, he’s more than a little tired and hungry and just wants to sleep for a bit, y’know? So maybe he forgets about the gems as he falls asleep in the chair in the cave (Alfred was not pleased!) until he starts digging around for them. Erm. Did they fall out somewhere?? There’s no holes in his belt pockets… 

And maybe these sort of things shouldn’t slip his mind, the spheres had felt Weird with a capital W, but he gets forced to a circus and there’s an… accident. So maybe he pushed it away as not important because there’s now an angry grieving eight-year old living with him and he’s panickedly reading any and all sort of parenting books he can get a hold of because he has no clue what he’s doing. 

Yeah, maybe his back is itching like crazy no matter what he tries, and maybe he threw up the other day, but it’s fine. This is fine. 

….

Oh dear Gotham those are feathers, this is not fine- ALFREEED!

[sunshinesere]

Jeff Buckley / Lover, You Should've Come Over

[speakofshinee]

240712 NeverNever Fanmeeting - Taemin Guilty ♥︎

[mollysunder]

I see Arcane's marketing is thrusting a lot of blue on Jinx's persona, which is fine, but also a misdirection! I argue that the use of blue on Jinx represents THE IDEA that others have of Jinx rather than representing who Jinx really is. Jinx's true color, the one she paints over those closest to her, the one that represents her is PINK. Jinx is pink!

When we see Jinx in pieces either in or out of show where blue is the predominant color in the palette it's signaling to us the audience that this the Jinx that is perceived by the world around her, which includes Piltover AND Zaun. In this essay I will---

[splootdoolies]

pspspspsps hello kanamafu nation

[bedtimegiraffe]

The relationship Aerin wants with his mother is not the one he had, despite all the smiling and hugs in this chapter.

So let's do a chronological deep dive of what we learn about Aerin's mother and their relationship.

This only covers up to Book 3, Chapter 9 because I'm playing general release. We still have interactions between these two ahead (I assume), so I'll update if we get anything major! The snippet we see in the divination scene has me very nervous (and excited) this is going to go one of two very angsty ways. NO SPOILERS PLEASE VIP PLAYERS Unless you're reading this in the future and the general release is already done. Then go for it.

Book 1, Chapter 8:

Our first mention of Aerin's mother (technically) happens in Book 1, Chapter 8 during Aerin's diamond scene.

As @the-unconquered-queen pointed out, parents is very much plural. Aerin has the father we can learn about in a Lore Tablet earlier and (presumably) a mother. And neither seemed to give him much attention at all, to the point that to his child self magic seemed like the only solution. That was how invisible Aerin felt to them. So we know neither of Aerin's parents went out of their way to spend time with or appreciate him.

TTRPG (Released toward the end of Book 2):

Aerin's mother gets a name and confirmation that she is dead in the Aerin's inventory list.

I've always found this ambiguity about the signet ring fascinating. It's not, "Signet Ring given by his deceased mother, Queen Aurinae," but, "from his deceased mother."

We don't know how Aerin got it from her. Did she specifically make it known before her death that she wanted Aerin to have her signet ring? Or did she die and King Arlan went, "Well, I guess the boy is technically a Valleros. Give him my dead wife's signet ring, she's not using it anymore." Signet rings were often passed down in real-world history, so that's not unlikely.

Especially because Aerin never brings this up. If it was sentimental because of the connection to his mother, why give it away so easily? When he gives it to MC, it could be a way to protect them, both for their own sake and to make sure they can get all the Onyx Shards. But it really seems like he could have just given them a letter with his seal to cover that.

And why not say it belonged to his mother? Wouldn't that be endearing and make it more valuable to MC? Maybe Aerin realized it was given to him as a practical thing, not a genuine expression of connection.

Book 3, Chapter 1:

It all goes silent on the Aurinae front until the floodgates open in Book 3. In the first chapter, you get this discussion (if you choose the non-romance option for Aerin's diamond scene).

Aurinae was very into alchemy, like Aerin is now. It made her popular in court, which is probably part of why it appealed to Aerin. He couldn't be a strong warrior like his brother, but maybe he could get some positive attention for making useful potions like his mother.

Crucially, based on what Aerin says here, she did not teach him. Not to say that she necessarily wouldn't have- I'm willing to bet she died pre-Dreadlord, so when Aerin was 9 or younger. But still, alchemy was something he picked up in earnest after she was already gone. He wanted to feel closer to her, to feel like he had that connection with her, something in common with his mother, and was doing something she could be proud of.

Book 3, Chapter 3:

This reads to me very much like Aerin's mother was the only member of his immediate family not lashing out at him. Which is good! But the bar is so incredibly low, this just tells us she wasn't the worst.

This is before the party learns that anyone dead can look in on the living. So to Aerin, it seemed like Aurinae may or may not have been hearing from newly dead people that Aerin summoned the Dreadlord, killed his brother, got disinherited and thrown in prison, then died from wandering off like an idiot (according to the offical story).

Aerin's nervousness here is completely understandable. He knows his father hates him. He knows his brother hates him. But he doesn't know how his mother feels. She wasn't violent toward him and there is a chance she might actually love him.

Book 3, Chapter 9:

The woman herself appears!

Aurinae makes a pretty good first impression. Aerin has absolutely had it rough and it's good that she acknowledges that. Though thanking the group for "looking after" him shows that same mentality the rest of the family has that Aerin is weak and needs to be taken care of to survive.

This is where it gets extremely interesting. Aerin sounds almost concerned for Baldur. Like he feels bad that he's at the river. Which we know he very much does not. I'd be willing to bet Aerin wishes Baldur was somewhere much worse (seriously, does anyone go to the Hells? Does he get pity points for being murdered?) Something about speaking with his mother makes Aerin show concern for his abusive brother.

Aerin also doesn't confess or ask forgiveness for killing Baldur. Maybe he doesn't want to bring that part up?

As for Aurinae... this is not an apology. This is not an acknowledgment of any negligence or regret on her part. In fact, it's phrased in a way that makes it clear she has absolutely no blame for what happened. She had hoped Baldur would act one way, and he did not. Oh well.

This is also an incredibly tame reaction. Like he embarrassed her at a party, not ruthlessly beat and intimidated her child. I would think most people would be devastated and/or enraged, maybe so relieved that despite all that Aerin is okay. The most generous possible reading is that she still has that noble desire not to show her emotions in public and she doesn't want to upset Aerin by getting into it here.

First of all, I want to shake this man. Second, Aerin doesn't usually devalue himself like this. When alone with MC or as a quip while fighting unkillable monsters, sure. But not with a genuine smile. This feels like Aerin making the point that he'll try really hard but he might still be weak and useless.

And this is the end of the interaction. No reassurance from Aurinae. And for the record, Tyril's mother is far more complimentary toward Aerin than his own mother is.

During the diamond scene, this is part of the conversation if you ask for a story about Aerin.

It seems like Aurinae doesn't necessarily connect Aerin's interest in alchemy to her own. But it sounds like she did at least take some interest in his studies. So that's something!

But you get something else if you ask for a story about the mothers. They talk about an extremely spicy tea Aurinae makes. Apparently Aerin tried it as a child and...

Oh wow. If this isn't a metaphor for pre-Onyx Shards Aerin, I don't know what is. Literally in pain trying to please someone else, insisting everything is great.

If you choose to pull Aerin aside later, he admits that he's been acting differently with Aurinae around, describing it as "falling into old patterns."

One of the main reasons Aerin wanted to be close to his mother as a child was hoping that she would rescue him. Again, I think it's helpful to recognize what this isn't. This isn't Aerin saying being around his mother made him happy, or feel safe. It's him saying he hoped that if he could be "good enough" she would protect him. Because she had no innate desire or reason to do that. And at least she wasn't actively scaring him like his father and brother.

Aerin's reason it was a "foolish dream" is also very telling. Not because protocol wouldn't allow it, but because Aurinae saw no reason to leave. They didn't treat her poorly, so why would she want to leave? Certainly not to protect her younger son.

If she really had "no trouble putting her foot down," why no intervention between Aerin and Baldur? It sounds like she wasn't scared of the rest of the family. So did she not notice? Or did she not care?

What we've seen so far has not convinced me that Aerin and Aurinae actually had a loving relationship. Just that Aerin wanted one so badly he can almost see it that way. Because Aurinae is better than the rest of his family, but still far from a good mom with genuine affection for her child.

I will be keeping my headcanon that Aerin was desperate to connect with his mother, but she never particularly cared about him.

Screenshots are a combination of my own and ones from Neckrone Shen's playthroughs on youtube. I feel like I owe them a drink for all the time they've saved me looking for stuff.

[lavampira]

and these colors fade for you only hold me, carry me slowly, my sunlight

absolutely can't thank @hanseelie enough for this stunning commission of sidalia <3

[whorevader]

Anakin as Persephone will always be real to me... Some of her epithets include Executor of Justice and Mistress of Furies, like people don't realize that she in her role as Queen of the Underworld predates the abduction myth, that the false dichotomy of babygirl in a flower crown and broody death king is misogynistic and inaccurate to say the least... ANYWAYS point being Shmi as Demeter, Qui-Gon as Zeus, Obi-Wan or Padme as Hades, OR Obi-Wan as Demeter, Sheev as Zeus, and Padme as Hades, I am correct

[kirayamidemon]

woof

[cornsarts]

OC-tober Day 4: Under Appreciated OC

Out of my Core OC's I feel like enthusiasm for Red could ALWAYS be higher! Especially since he gets to star in a stop motion film in a one man show! These are from our most recent shoot. Camera wrangler @eeveefreshstudioz, assistance from @geneer-gebubu

[darabeatha]

ㅤThen I heard your heart beating.ㅤ You were in the darkness too.ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ... So I stayed in the darkness with you.

[sunshinesere]

Jeff Buckley / Lover, You Should've Come Over

[mirainawen]

i am genuinely baffled by believers reblogging that "secular Christmas carol" that pleads with us to leave Christ out of Christmas. are people just really not reading the lyrics or have they allowed their faith to be so disillusioned that they would forget that the weary world rejoices. we chose a time of year to rejoice. there is no "magic of the season" that is missing now because of age or capitalism or what have you. there never was magic. it was Christ. it was divinity. holidays are a celebration of something important, and the feast (in the sense of "an annual religious celebration") is about the people, not the things. don't partake of common modern traditions if you so choose (the gift giving or the turkey or the lights or what have you), but do not conflate these things to be what a holy day is about.

holy days are built into annual or regular occurrences as an effort to remember and be reverent, which we are admonished to do and to do often.

"Christmas is all about the songs and the lights and the turkey and the carols and bloated gift-giving" is not reverent, and isn't the enlightened take you think it is.

[moregraceful]

EVERYBODY SHUT UP!!!!!! PAT SIELOFF IS PREGNANT!!!!!

1. Birthday cake from Sierra and Kelly; 2. Gritty soft serve ice cream cup; 3. Sign for Erik Johnson's 1k celebration; 4. Jersey Devil Christmas tree ornament.