#a good place to end?

[gotstabbedbyapen]

It's always "Hades isn't bad or cruel, his deeds are just metaphors of the inevitable death" or "Hades kidnapping Persephone represent the premature death".

But when the argument "Zeus has numerous affairs and many children because he represent the fertile rain" is brought up, all nuance is suddenly out of the window and Zeus is just a womanizer who can't keep it in his pants.

[turtleblogatlast]

Leo learns something about himself 🏳️‍⚧️

Based roughly on this old post.

Bonus:

[Leo is taking the fact that he was born biologically female simultaneously very well and also not so well but overall he’s mostly coping with the fact that it was Draxum that just essentially gave him the turtle equivalent of ‘The Talk’.]

[never-surrender]

Taking a deep breath to steady herself and gather her courage, Aurelia looks to the hand extended to her at first before she hesitantly reaches forward. This was it... there was no turning back now. Settling her fingers delicately upon his palm, Aurelia squares her shoulders and lifts her head high as she looks to Strahd...

The words spoken were unfamiliar to her, but the power they held sent chills down her spine, her mind opening to the possibilities that lay in the power... and as he spoke, she could feel a part of her mind sealing away as power flowed into her. Energy crackled at her fingertips as the bond formed completely, her hair crackling with the same energy at the tips in an almost comical manner.

"Thank you," she smiles a bright, brilliant smile, entirely unaware of just what sort of monster she had just bound herself to. And she would remain unaware until his ire turned unto her... or she spoke with another of his servants.

Following Rahadin, her steps were lighter, her heart alight with joy at what she had accomplished...

She was a new woman...

And she couldn't wait to see what she could accomplish next.

The bird willingly walked herself into the cage and shut the door behind her. It amused him. Watching as another entrapped themselves to him. The quill taken between his fingers he applies his own binding them in a pact. The ink dried. The parchment handed off to Rahadin.

Under the guise of his most loyal servant, no contract of his had ever been taken away. Strahd regarded Aurelia with a courteous smile. His hand extended towards her in a lackadaisical, but confident manner. "Give me your hand, little vampling."

He waited for her to grace her palm into his own. The baron's temperature just as frigid as her own. His eyes never once wavered from hers as he spoke the words. An older dialect that the practitioners of magic in the world outside the Dread Realms.

Between them a bond form. A part of his essence leeched into hers. A tie where she might borrow from his immense wealth of power fractions at a time. He released her hand when it was all said and done. "My end of our agreement fulfilled. Rahadin will show you to your accommodations until I have need to send you out."

[bluerosefox]

Her Astrophel and Sterling

hmmm

Hmmmmmmmm

You know what.

You know those AU's where the Batfam finds or learns about either hidden or thought to be dead Al Ghul Danny! with a deaged/daughter Dani (Ellie) (I should know, I created a few of those storylines) but what if, now hear me out, what if instead of them finding Danny first its Talia.

Do I want Talia discovering her thought to be dead son to be alive? Yes. Do I want her to find him while investigating Amity Park when the League gets reports of 'Lazarus creatures/water'? Yes.

DO I WANT HER TO KNOCK ON THE FENTON'S DOOR, fully ready to pretend/honey talk her way into the house to uncover what the Fenton's know, ONLY TO MEET A LITTLE ELLIE?!

YES.

Ellie whose eyes and hair look like a copy of her Beloved but she can see bits and pieces of herself as well. Talia knows the child in front of her was not fully her's though but everything makes sense when she hears a voice, a voice she hasn't heard in ages but as a mother just knows, speak out.

"Ellie! I thought I said do not answer the door my Sterling."

"But Daddy, yous was busy fighting the hotdoggys!"

Talia's eyes widen when she finally catches sight of familiar black hair and blue eyes.

and she could only lightly whisper a old nickname she hasn't dared uttered in ages, a name she secretly gave her son due to his love of the stars "Astrophel..."

[cy-lindric]

Hi! So, while scroling through Pinterest, i came across this art:

which was credited to you. i cannot find the complet artwork in your profile, so i wanted to ask if youre the artist responsible for this piece.

(btw, your renditions of medieval clothing are beautiful!)

Hello ! I did make this a long time ago and the reason you didn't find it is probably because it's almost a decade old (and also very badly tagged). You can find the original post here. I think back then I had no idea what actual medieval clothing might look like, lol. How far we've come.

[time-woods]

would you believe me if i said this was based off of a minecraft interaction

[eventheodds]

His brief explanation of a Vash and Wolfwood being inside the Cube is…well, it will take time for her to process that. She’s not entirely certain how that could even work, but if they were able to rescue her in the knick of time before the rope had gone taught, then Meryl is inclined to believe anything can happen.

And, perhaps, for her own sake, the conversation takes a turn that has her both flustered and eager to tell. For whatever reason, it feels easy to talk to Nick. 

He’s given her bait she can hardly refuse.

“I did, actually. He looked very different with his hair slicked back like that, and without his sunglasses.” The gala was an interesting affair to say the least—the entire point of that night had been to follow a lead that would bring her closer to the ones responsible who killed her family. She tells him as much.

“I had done some scouting a few days before the party and heard that a Bernardelli agent would be present that night, so we worked on a plan that would give us a way in while blending in with the others in attendance.”

She remembers that gown from that evening and the jeweled brooch and hair clips, matching in colour with the tule of her gown. 

A pang of pain clenches at her heart knowing she’s lost them, that they were taken from her and whatever else she had been carrying on her person that day was likely confiscated by the Eye of Michael, perhaps discarded the moment she had been thrown into that prison cell.

“I uh,” at this part, she visibly flushes but does not pull herself away from Nick’s side. “I had the idea of him kissing me during the party and it got people talking, paying attention to us. Turns out that little stunt got people interested in other things besides what the gala was for. One man in particular, I don’t even remember his name, ogled Wolfwood like he was a piece of meat and I sort of…went off and we marched out of there. 

“Mission was a complete bust because the agent in question never showed up, but by then I was so worked up I, uh…well, we returned to our room and we…yeah.”

She’s ducking her head, trying to use the cover of her long hair to conceal her face but she knows Nick knows. There is no denying how that night is playing out inside her mind like some kind of film reel; she’s got all the details while she’s only giving him bits and pieces but he looks as though he can fill in those blanks.

He must really love you, huh?

“He was willing to do things for me, sometimes no questions asked and sometimes we fought tooth and nail, but he always let me have my way. It was like he knew I needed to be on that journey to better understand why I couldn’t go through with what I had initially planned. He knew I couldn’t live with myself if I had blood on my hands, and Vash knew this from the start when he—well, he wasn’t with us, but he found ways to make his presence known.”

One of those particular moments was when she had accidentally kneed Wolfwood in the face when Vash suddenly appeared while they were…occupied.

His promise to find them, to help her find them, washes over her like a warm blanket on a cold night. It gives her comfort, the kind she is familiar with and the kind she seeks out when she needs safety.

There is safety in their numbers. Three Wolfwoods, one of which is inside a Cube; three Vash’s, also one inside a Cube; and two Meryls. 

“What you said earlier, how this could be pulling us all together—however that works—maybe when you all came for me, maybe you needed to so that we could all go back and save them.”

Maybe save all of them.

She nods, her eyes getting heavy in knowing that she’s secured a way to go back and rescue Wolfwood and Vash from her world. “Yeah, think I can. You’re joining us, right? Wouldn’t want you to be left out of the cuddle pile.”

Even as Meryl begins to tear up, Wolfwood can't help but chuckle fondly. He raises a hand to palm the top of her head, which is easy considering the large size of his hands compared to Meryl's... everything. When she finishes her thought, Nick ruffles her hair—it can't get worse than how it was earlier, right?

"Hey, maybe it is something larger than humanity that pulls us all together," his hand stills, simply resting for now, "I can tell you that when we travel, we usually end up by one of us from that world—if there is one. Sometimes there isn't one. Though..."

His brow furrows and he chews on his cheek in thought, as though what he's thinking about frustrates him—because it does.

"Princess has mentioned her 'boys' being in there. Dunno how that's possible, but if so, the 'me' that's in there is a total jackass," Wolfwood grumbles. What kind of Wolfwood hands another Wolfwood right to the Eye for torturing again? Seriously—that's just sadistic. Masochistic??? Fucking hell.

Although, Meryl didn't end up any better off. Maybe it was an accident after all. Maybe.

Dick.

Anyway—

Nick can't help but smirk knowingly at the way Meryl trails off and the light pink of her cheeks under the moonlight. He knows exactly how that night went, if that Wolfwood had a pair of eyes. Even right now, wearing his Meryl's clothing, Outlaw is quite beautiful. She's slightly more rugged than his; she's definitely more subdued than his Meryl. Perhaps more emotional too—that could just be due to the circumstances at hand, though.

"How the hell did you make me—him—wear a tie? Don't tell me you messed with his hair too," Wolfwood's tone switches to something more familiar, like when he'd tease Meryl in the van about her taste in coffee or her driving, "Bet you took away his sunglasses too. He must really love you, huh? Even took on the role of doting husband—do you know how hard it is for me to act like a husband? I forget I'm engaged like... at least every other day."

The hand on her head slides down to her shoulder, then he pulls Meryl into a side hug. He lets a soft silence hang as they watch the horizon turn dark blue with approaching sunlight.

"We will find them. Both of 'em," Nick's voice is gentle and kind; it's a feat he somehow managed to practice well enough to comfort others, "For now though... Y'got us. And I'm sure Shortie wouldn't mind another addition to the, uh, cuddle pile. I can ask for you if you want me to."

He knows that the hour Nicholas usually wakes up is coming soon, and they should really head back before he stirs and expects the worst.

"Think you can sleep now?"

[antifainternational]

[daphnalia]

and they were galpals

[creekfiend]

Something I've learned recently is that there's multiple ways you can respond when you identify hypocrisy in yourself.... like, supposing you notice that you have treated someone in a way that is not in line with your values. You COULD beat yourself up about it and be like "ugh you hypocrite, you SAY you have x values but then you treated these people in this other way"

Or, and I think this qualifies much better as "taking responsibility for your actions": you can go "huh. I definitely do have x values and believe people should be treated in these ways... and much of the time I am able to behave in ways that are in line with those values... and yet under these specific circumstances I was for some reason not able to do that. Let's look at those situations and people and try to find some patterns there so I can identify what types of scenarios make it hard for me to behave according to my values"

And then when you identify situations like that in the future, you can try and give yourself the time and space to really process stuff and try to remind yourself "this is a situation where behaving according to my values has been difficult in the past" which will help you be more intentional and careful in how you proceed.

Anyway. That's hard but it's a big relief to do because it really feels like being armed with magical knowledge lolol

[atalana]

so the good place is widely lauded on this site for its takes on morality and capitalism, which i totally agree with

but i think it should get more recognition for the line "all humans are aware of death. so we're all a little bit sad all the time. that's just the deal. we don't get offered any better ones. and if you try and ignore your sadness, it just ends up leaking out of you anyway. i've been there, and everybody's been there. so don't fight it. in the words of a very wise bed bath and beyond employee i once knew - go ahead and cry all you want. but you're gonna have to pay for that toilet plunger."

[eccentricmya]

The Valar's mistake did not lie in seeing a possibility of good in Melkor. Rather, their mistake lay in not seeing the equal possibility of him remaining evil.

[thevoidstaredback]

Damian lost. Damian has never lost before. He never loses! Losing means you're weak, and Damian is not weak. He grew up fast and strong and is only ever getting stronger!

But he couldn't kill her.

Damian had been raised to think that love of any kind was a weakness. Grandfather did not love mother because he is not weak. Mother loved father and that made her weak. Damian could not love Danyal because that would make him weak. Grandfather expected great things from him. He could not afford to be weak.

Before they were set to leave Nanda Parbat to live and train with their father, Damian and Danyal had one final lesson with Grandfather. A fight, two versus one, on the edge of the Lazarus Pits.

Danyal did not survive. He did not resurface from the depths of the green water.

Grandfather called him weak. Mother said nothing. Damian was given no time to mourn before he was handed to his father with strict orders not to tell him about Danyal.

For all Grandfather and mother had done to him, Damian could not bring himself to kill either of them. His father had taught him to love, that it was a strength.

Damian loved his mother. He realized this as he stared into her eyes, his katana at her throat, his boot pinning her down. He could not kill her.

"You are foolish, habibi." she scolded, kneeing his back and sending him rolling forwards off of her and to the edge of the Pits. "You have discarded all I taught you."

"I have only added to those lessons," he faced her, "I remember everything you have taught me."

"You lie like your father. Obviously and bluntly."

"I have never lied to you."

"Then you have forgone my lessons!"

"Because you abandoned me!"

"I sent you away to learn. I came back for you. You abandoned me."

"A mother's role to teach her child just as the father's role is to protect." Damian leveled his weapon at her again. "You left me in the care of everyone but yourself, Talia Al Ghoul. You were only ever our mother in title, not name."

Talia lunged forward, meeting Damian's sword with her own. "You know not of what you speak, foolish child!"

"I know plenty!" He pushed back, forcing her back several feet. He followed if only to get away from the edge of the Pits. "No thanks to you."

"I gave you everything, Damian."

"No. You took everything from me. You held it all as a reward out of my reach."

"You wouldn't be where you are today if it wasn't for me and your Grandfather." she stated as though it were an undeniable truth, "Whether you acknowledge it or not, we raised you."

"I raised myself."

"We taught you everything you know."

"I taught myself!"

"We made you perfect!"

"You killed half of me!"

The silence overwhelmed the fighting in the tunnels, the shouting and running and bubbling of the Pits were all drowned out. Talia's sword lowered shakily. Damian's remained raised and steady.

"You allowed Grandfather to take Danyal from me. You forced me to forget him. You killed half of me."

"Habibi-"

"No!" He was shaking now. "He was my better half, just as I was his. And you took him from me."

"Damian-"

"You took my brother from me!" He charged madly at her, rage and grief overtaking him. "I will never forgive you for that!"

Talia matched him blow for blow. "Love is weakness, habibi. That is why he died. Danyal loved you and he paid his price for it."

With a scream, Damian doubled his efforts. His blows grew weak with rage as his mother pushed him back.

Damian knew he could not kill her. Some part of him still yearned for her approval. Some part of him still loved her.

Talia's sword impaled itself into the area below his sternum, piercing the armor and skin and muscle, stabbing through to the other side, the hilt stopping it from moving ant further.

Suddenly, the silence flooded over the cavern again. A shrill ringing filled Damian's ears as his grip weakened. His katana fell from his grasp, clattering to the floor so loudly, but so, so quietly. Blood spilled from Damian's mouth with a cough.

Talia drew her sword back, throwing it behind herself as she caught her son. Love is a weakness, but that had not stopped her before. Why hadn't it stopped her now?

"Damian? Habibi?" She cradled his body on her lap, her hand turning his face to her. "My darling?"

Damian's eyes were vacant, staring into a distance unseen. He heard nothing, felt nothing. He knows what was coming next. Sleep. Release. Soon, he'd be in his brother's arms again, just like when they were children. They'd have so long to catch up with each other.

Damian closed his eyes with a soft sigh.

Storyboard Part 2

[shorthaltsjester]

the mighty nein - critical role

this is a place where i don't feel alone. this is a place where i feel at home.

[swan2swan]

The more things change, the more things stay the same, eh, Darius?

[mizaruwu]

AAAAAAA I JUST FOUND UR NECROMANCER!HYRULE AU AND IM LOVING IT??????? so obviously hyrule wouldn’t be able to bring back the boys who are in different timelines, but Sky, Time, and Four all come *before* the timeline split, would it be possible for rulie to also “bring them back” ??

anyways i LOVE dark au’s like thisss it’s so good!!!

It's possible to bring them back if Hyrule can find their remains! Where were they buried? and revival depends on the condition of the remains, are all the bones here? can he gather all of em without further damaging the already brittle bones? Necroma- I mean archeology sure is hard!