#eli's darkest hours

[elliot-rambles]

BRO WHAT?!?!?! OKAY LIFE UPDATE TIME BC WTF!!!!! - I'm adopted?!?!?!?! - my age was incorrect all my life and i'm actually only thirteen???!!!! - my birth mother is nowhere to be found and my birth father is in prison?!??!! - I'M HALF JAPANESE????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????!!!!!!!????!!!!!! please tell us if you're uncomfortable with me interacting with you now that i've made a post abt this/actually put this on the internet! i'm very worried that now I breach people's DNI bc of my (only just found out) real age! @elliott-the-creature @hibiscuspearswithopaljuice @asqadia-banthen @aspenonpawzzz @the-crystal-femmes @justalexisfine (pls let me know if uncomfy with tags!!)

[elliot-rambles]

please give me this, I feel so bad right now and I think this would help a little bit (it would help a lot)

[I.D. an edited pyramid graph of maslow's hierarchy of needs where large text covering every section of basic, psychological and self-fulfillment needs read "people online telling me they like the thing i made". end I.D.] (image description by @lemondoddle )

[raurquiz]

#happybirthday #garyoldman #actor #harrypotter #andthePrisonerofAzkaban #batmanbegins #thedarkknight #tinkertailorsoldierspy #dracula #darkesthour #TheFifthElement #redridinghood #hannibal #TheBookofEli #robocop #DawnofthePlanetoftheApes #TheWomanintheWindow #HitmansWifesBodyguard

[catofadifferentcolor]

Terrible Fic Idea #31: A Maiden Dark and Fair, but make it f!Jon Snow/Jon Arryn

Perhaps I've just not searched the darkest depths of AO3, but I've seen relatively few fics where it's The Vale that's key to Jon Snow gaining the Iron Throne. There are tons where he relies upon the might of The North, more than a few that join or replace it with The Westerlands or The Reach or even The Crownlands, but almost none where the primary stepping stone to the throne is the might of The Vale.

And because I have a slight obsession with female Jon Snow fics, my mind immediately went to what if Jon Arryn, in need of an heir, married f!Jon Snow?

Just imagine it:

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that an unmarried lord of a Great House, must be in want of a wife - and Jon Arryn is facing the end of his house if he doesn't produce an heir.

But now he's outlived three wives. Marrying a girl as young as Lysa was a mistake, but even he couldn't see his third wife throwing herself and her only living child out of the Moon Door after she was discovered to be cuckolding him with Peter Baelish.

And so, thrice widowed and eight decades old, Jon Arryn must marry and produce an heir before he dies lest The Vale tear itself apart over succession.

Shortly after Jon Arryn comes to this decision, he receives a letter from his foster son, Ned Stark, sharing all the usual information and expressing deep concern for his bastard daughter, Serena Snow, whom he fears his wife will force to marry the first man who asks for her hand just to get her out of Winterfell.

Jon Arryn, seeing a solution present itself, asks to marry Serena himself.

It is, perhaps, a stupid decision for the Hand of the King and Defender of the Vale to wed his foster son's bastard daughter. Except: 1) There are very few potential brides from the Vale he can chose without offending a significant faction of his bannermen, and those that remain are still objectionable for one reason or another; 2) Lingering resentment from the Rebellion means that no lord from Dorne, The Westerlands, or The Reach would offer their daughter to Jon Arryn, even if he's the Hand of the King; and 3) Of the remaining kingdoms, Ned Stark's bastard might very well be the best choice if he wants a wife from a large family of some standing with a decent head on her shoulders.

Plus, Jon Arryn genuinely feels guilty that he wasn't able to do more to prevent the Rebellion. He feels that it's partially his fault that Ned wasn't able to wed Ashara Dayne, Serena's presumed mother, and thus his fault the girl is a bastard to begin with.

The result is the same: Serena Snow becomes the fourth Lady Arryn of the Eyrie.

It is a remarkably successful marriage, given that Jon Arryn would be of age with Serena's great-grandfather had he lived. Other than the requisite attempts for heirs, they live more like uncle and niece than husband and wife. This is in part helped by Jon Arryn's role as Hand, which keeps him in King's Landing most the year, while Serena stays in the Eyrie managing the Vale in his stead.

Before his death, they have three girls: twins, Emma and Elys, and little Elena, who was no more than twenty-four hours old before a raven arrived from King's Landing saying her father was found dead in his bed.

And so as we come upon the events of canon, Serena Arryn, 18, is now a widow of a Great House and regent to her two-year-old daughter, Lady Emma Arryn.

In her time as Lady of the Vale, Serena has made herself beloved by the banners and commons alike by the simple act of being present. There hasn't been a Lady Arryn in The Vale for any significant amount of time in decades. Add to that Serena has a good head on her shoulders and support from The North and The Riverlands through her family ties and, well, she's much more secure in her position than Lysa was in canon.

As for what follows, I see the real meat of the story taking place after Serena is widowed - in fact, I see the message that her husband is dead being the opening scene of this theoretical fic. Rather than exploring the dynamics of a May-December relationship, it's about being a young mother and widow - about being a young woman in a more-or-less secure position of power, growing into that power, and coming of age despite being a mother thrice over already.

There's politics in the background, of course, with Ned unfortunately losing his head in King's Landing - but here Serena throws the weight of The Vale behind Robb early on and is on scene to provide much needed, peer-to-peer advice. This keeps the Red Wedding from happening, either by forcing Robb to keep his betrothal or keeping Catelyn from making it in the first place.

Additionally, the strength of The Vale makes The Reach decide throw their lot in with Robb rather than Joffrey after Renly is killed. As part of this, Serena agrees to marry Garlan Tyrell.

The combined forces of The North, The Riverlands, The Vale, The Reach - and those parts of the Stormlands that didn't go over to Stannis after Renly's death - defeat Joffrey.

Stannis holes up inside Dragonstone, in largely the same position Queen Rhaella was tactically shortly before her death. The island is eventually stormed and he choses to burn rather than be captured.

Shireen, the only legitimate Baratheon left alive, is made Lady of Storm's End. Robb, never raised to kingship, goes back to Winterfell. Jaime, never released from captivity, is sent to the Wall. Tyrion gets Casterly Rock - and marries Sansa Stark, which to everyone's surprise is one of the most successful marriages of the age.

And the Iron Throne? The next male-line claimant is Doran Martell, through his distant grandmother Daenerys, daughter of Aegon IV. Few would accept that, especially if he refuses to leave Dorne and abdicates in favor of his brother Oberyn. Robb could claim it by force, but he has no desire to rule and not even his allied Great Houses would accept that.

Except, while all of this has been going on, Serena has quietly learned the truth of her heritage - and the secret has slowly made itself known despite her best efforts otherwise. (I'm inclined to say she becomes the Mother of Dragons, finding a cache of dragon eggs either in the Eyrie from Daella Targaryen's time or in the crypts of Winterfell.)

Plus, Serena has distinguished herself as Lady and Regent of The Vale. During the war, all of Robb's allies saw how she was his most trusted advisor - and how it was she who brought The Reach into the fold, and negotiated peace with Tyrion. And The Reach has always wanted their blood on the throne.

And so Serena becomes Queen of The Seven Kingdoms as Visenya Targaryen I. Her eldest daughter, Emma, remains ruling Lady Paramount of the Vale. Her children with Garlan Tyrell take the Targaryen name, with the eldest named heir to the Iron Throne.

Bonuses include: 1) Catelyn and Serena fighting like cats and dogs at all opportunities, for all the expected reasons. This reaches peak drama around the time Catelyn tries to release Jaime Lannister as in canon, only for Serena to prevent it. They eventually reach an accord, dealer's choice how grudging it is. 2) So much family bonding. As Robb's alliance is basically held together through his mother and sister's marriages, it is family drama to the utmost degree. To which end, Robb is a doting uncle and Garlan a beloved stepfather to Serena's daughters. 3) Realistic travel times, depictions of the difficulties of medieval travel, and the breathless liberation of flying on dragon back and overcoming it all.

And that is... surprisingly more than I thought I had. As always, feel free to adopt this bun, just link back if you do anything with it.

Other Jon Snow Headcanons: Aegon the Unyielding | Aemon the Adventurous | Baelor the Brave | Lady Arryn | Lady Baratheon | Lady Lannister | Lady Stark | Prince Consort | Prince of Summerhall | Queen Mother

More Terrible Fic Ideas

[nysocboy]

Gemstones Episode 3.9: Baby Billy is Bi, Peter Plots Revenge, and Kelvin and Keefe Cuddle.

 Episode 3.9 seems rushed -- it could easily be three hours long.  The marital-problem and sibling-problem plots have been resolved, but we still have Uncle Peter, The Simkins, Dusty Daniels, and Bible Bonkers, and the writers have to find some way to tie them all together!

Baby Billy is Bi:  Still trying to sell the siblings on his Bible Bonkers game show, Baby Billy (Walton Goggins, top photo), reveals he is friends with Dusty Daniels, the racing champ.  We cut to a scene of the two, plus famous actor Gene Hackman  (played by Kevin Murray) in Monte Carlo on New Years' Eve, 1999.  They're awaiting the Y2K bug, hugging, dancing, and dropping acid as if it's the end of the world.  

We cut to a bisexual after-party, with Dusty, Baby Billy, and Gene Hackman having sex, maybe with men, maybe with women.

"Wait, " Jesse asks, "Did did you have sex with Dusty Daniels?"

"I doubt it,  but you never know...that's not the important part of the story."  The important part: he can talk Dusty Daniels into leaving his fortune to whoever wins at Bible Bonkers, the Gemstones or the Simpkins. 

So Kelvin came out to the family yesterday after years anguish, angst, self-doubt, backing-and-forthing, and annoyed viewers, and he still hasn't said the word.  Now Baby Billy comes out as bi with utter nonchalance.  Why couldn't he have said something to his nephew during Cousins' Night, or back in Season 1?

El Molino: We cut to a locust splatting on a windshield.  It's Uncle Peter and Chuck, driving the U-Haul full of explosives.  Peter has finally come up with a plan,  He doesn't specify what it is, but since it involves the Gemstones and explosives, it's not hard to figure out.  They're nearly out of gas, and the militia took all of their money, so they stop at El Molino, a real Hispanic supermarket with two locations in Charleston, to use the cash-counting machine.  

While Peter is inside, the U-Haul explodes!  He thinks that Chuck has been killed.

Out to the Family: The family gathers in Eli's parlor to watch a tv news report about Chuck's death.

Wait --when did the siblings stop hating their father?  Was a reconciliation moment cut?

 Notice that the guys are sitting on the right side of the room.  In four shots, Keefe moves from sitting a few inches away to leaning against the chair, his shoulder touching or almost touching Kelvin's thigh. They are so close that Kelvin can't move his hand or foot without bumping into him.

  They used to be very careful to avoid public displays of affection, holding hands under the table and forehead-pressing instead of kissing.  Now they casually cuddle in front of everyone, even family members who did not see the kiss.

They discuss the Bible Bonkers Family Feud-style game show.  The siblings will compete, but they need two more.  They were going to ask Chuck, a big Bible nerd, but he's dead, so it will have to be Karl and May-May.  

More Bible Bonkers after the break

Of all the gas stations in South Carolina:  Homeless, friendless, abandoned by his family, Peter sits outside a convenience store.  He prays: "I am in my darkest hour.  I am but a lost sheep in need of a shepherd.  Please give me a sign."

At that moment, Keefe pulls up in the Smut Busters van.  He's using that van for everyday chores?  Surely he and Kelvin have a dozen cars.  

He's listening to the song "Holy Lightning Rod" by Blesst, a Christian metal band (created for this episode?).  In Season 1, he considered metal music Satanic. He's come to realize that you don't need to give up things that you love to be a Christian, like heavy metal, Goth/Fetish outfits, and sex with guys.

Did God send him as the sign, to bring Peter back to Christ?  If so, it doesn't work -- they don't recognize each other.  (After all, they have only seen each other once).  So no soul-winning for Keefe.  But Peter does steal the Smut Busters van.

God saved you:  In the wilderness church, Karl and May-May mourn Chuck's death, clear off brush, and pray -- then she crosses herself   Surely somebody on the staff knew that only Catholics use that gesture.   Suddenly Chuck walks in!  He's alive!

Cut to the family back in Eli's parlor.  This time it's just Eli, the siblings, and the Montgomerys. Chuck explains that he made sure the parking lot was empty, then set off the explosion and ran away, so his Dad would think he was dead and he could escape.  

It still caused a lot of property damage, and no doubt terrorized the shoppers, who thought they were being targeted by a hate crime.  On August 3, 2019, a gunman opened fire in a Hispanic Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas, killing 23 people and injuring 22. Surely the writers were thinking of that incident when they specified a Hispanic supermarket.

"Why were you super-mean to us, while we were in captivity?"  Chuck doesn't explain, but he avers that he didn't actually want them to die. Then why were you shooting at them?  Besides, he blew up the van to save them.  Doesn't that make up for the kidnapping?  I thought you blew up the van to save yourself.

So, about Bible Bonkers?  Chuck is a Bible expert, so May-May can drop out. The team will consist of Jesse, Judy, Kelvin, Chuck, and Karl.

Later, at the amusement park, Chuck tries to apologize to Jesse. They bond over having Daddies who are embarrassed by them.

The Bible Bonkers Filming:   Apparently several weeks have passed. The Bible Bonkers set is finished, and they're going to film the first episode.  Isn't it a conflict of interest for the Gimstones to sponsor the show and compete in it?  But I guess they'll be donating the prize money to the church.

In the dressing room, Billy offers to give the sibling  the answers to the quiz questions.  Apparently once a grifter, always a grifter.  They refuse.  He claims that their parents were so neglectful, he practically had to raise them. 

As Gideon drives Eli and May-May to the filming, they see Peter in the stolen Smut Busters van.  He's up to no good!  Follow him! Why didn't Keefe report the van missing?

On set, the band starts to play and the dancers twirl about. Showtime! Baby Billy does a cheesy stand-up bit, then introduces the Gemstones vs. the Simpkins. 

Notice Kelvin's textured single-breasted green coat, "The Attico" from Farfetch, "The global destination for modern luxury."   It will become important later.

 The Simpkins team includes siblings Vance, Shay, and Craig, not seen since Episode 1, plus two young Asian girls.  Apparently they are ringers: there is no indication that any of the siblings has a partner or children.  Compare with the Gemstones, who, for all their faults, have devoted partners. 

Baby Bill asks easy fill-in-the-blank style Bible questions to Jesse-Vance and Judy-Shay.  The Gemstones lose.  

Now it's Kelvin-Craig's turn.  First Kelvin does a self-aggrandizing coat-swirling dance. Keefe, watching from the VIP section with the other partners, responds with a  weird robot thing.  It looks like he's following along with the move they practiced.  

Meanwhile, Gideon, May-May, and Eli follow Peter to the Salvation Center.   Couldn't they have called the police from the car?  Don't these people have cell phones?  He drives to the loading dock, on a day when there are no services, so he probably expects the church to be empty. 

When the Gemstones confront him,  he announces that he has filled the Smut Busters van with explosives, triggered by his fitbit watch.  Wait-- where did he get a second batch?

 May -May yells that both his sons are inside.  Chuck is alive after all.  At this point, Peter would probably give up the plan, but he is interrupted by......

The full review is on RG Beefcake and Boyfriends

[barlupiins]

The Lamb of God: Fyodor vs Jesus parallelism analysis

With the new anime episode that has ran ahead of the official manga release, every BSD fan's timbers have been shivered upon Dazai's feign in the face of death once again, Chuuya's year-long vampirism turning out to be also an act (go theatre kid go), Fukuchi's death, and Fyodor's supposed "death." While the manga readers have been fed these cliffhangers every month and endured them through crazy twitter threads and coping mechanisms, anime watchers received this within a week…

Anyway. Everyone is talking about Fyodor's "death" scene, and I'm certain that 90% of people are convinced he is not dead yet, amplified furthermore through his recital of Jesus's final words before his death on the cross:

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”

This translates to “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”—God, why have you abandoned me?, this being said in the middle of the darkest hour of Jesus’ suffering when he had died on the cross (this will be elaborated even more later).

It's evident that with this knowledge that our favourite rat man is not dead as he harbours many parallels to Jesus Christ; the crux of the Christian religion, who ultimately on the third day, Jesus rose again and "conquered" death by spilling his blood which is necessary for salvation. Death in Catholicism is the ultimate punishment of sin. If we were to link the context of sin from Christianity to Fyodor's perception of sin, this sin that Fyodor came to believe to be found within ability users.

In this analysis, I won’t draw any theories, as I am not a theory person, but through analysis and examination of the current sources in theology, I aim to perhaps solidify our current understanding of Fyodor’s character and his motivations. I also aim with this little analysis that Fyodor's death is indicative of something much larger than we have; a transcendence of body, mind, and soul, something similar to the Holy Trinity, which is the sole pillar of the Catholic faith. To do this, we would need to further inspect Jesus’ function within the Christian religion. 

Jesus Christ: The Religious Figure

Jesus died on the cross as a consequence of sin that he had not caused, but sin that was imposed upon him due to the external world riddled by sin. In the bible’s fashion, this is again also another fulfilment of the Old Testament, via Psalm 22, here, Jesus becoming the new King David—his crown being the crown of thorns, the cross being his throne (I love religious imagery so much ugh). Jesus' crucifixion is the enthronement of Jesus Christ to the "upside down" kingdom of God.

In this way, Fyodor ‘died’ because of the success in the execution of Dazai’s plan. I don’t believe that Dazai is a parallel of Judas, as Judas was a follower of Jesus prior to his betrayal. Dazai was evidently never a follower of Fyodor—this more suiting Nikolai’s character. This however is perfect, as Nikolai was the catalyst for Fyodor’s death as he had initiated the escape game, which thus triggered Dazai to enact his plan of small things that converged into the death of Fyodor. 

Fyodor’s motivations and ideals are still very mysterious to the fandom, but we can gauge the best we can by observing the function of Jesus within Christianity. Jesus is dubbed by many titles—"The New Moses", "The Son of God", "The Son of Man", and "The King of The Jews." All of these names highlight a specific nuance in Jesus' role, and why he is so praised and worshipped upon in the Christian faith and its sub-branches. Jesus fulfils old scripture, in Christianity, the Old Testament. Jesus is a medium of God that had been delivered to earth to example the definite Word—which essentially is the ultimate desire of God and his vision of what he deems as the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. In short, before I go on a whole tangent, Jesus’ name, Emmanuel, translates to “God among us”—therefore, is the fulfilment of God’s promise to save the world from sin that had been threaded throughout the abundance of prophecies in the Old Testament (I can elaborate on this if anyone is interested as there are a few biblical technicalities as to what God is restoring the world to [which is the Garden of Eden, but what is the Garden of Eden, if that makes sense, you know?]!). Because again, as a consequence of original sin (note: ‘sin’ is a divergence from God–the lack of ‘good’) sin became virulent. 

With this brief religious education segment of Jesus’ role as a Messiah, we can thus gain perhaps a little context on Fyodor’s ideals and his motivations. 

Fyodor Dostoevsky and Jesus Christ

Fyodor’s ideals have been established earlier in the manga that his goal is to utilise the book in order to make a world without the sin of ability users. This ideal carries far too many religious context, and aligns with the mention of New Jerusalem in his ability���s namesake novel, Crime and Punishment.  

Now, of course, Fyodor is not actually Jesus. While this conclusion may be non-sequitur, there are various justifications which make this apparent, thus eradicating some crazy theory of Fyodor being the legitimate Jesus in BSD as…he’s Fyodor. But I will lay the bones out here anyway: Fyodor didn’t die on a cross lmao, the fact he is completely dressed up in contrast to Jesus who had been stripped off his humanity via clothes (which were donned upon humans in Genesis by Adam and Eve as a consequence of sin)...this can also be indicative of the fact that Fyodor himself is riddled with sin—this sin in his eyes being the fact he is an ability user. That is out of the way now. 

However, this also raises and further supports the links that people have been grappling with in terms of Fyodor's parallels with the themes discussed in the novel Crime and Punishment (C&P). To preface: Fyodor does not completely embody Raskolnikov, nor the entire narrative of C&P, but it does retain a few features within it. I don't claim to be the most intelligent about this novel, and I am still trying to arrive at my own conclusions and understand it. That will take time. This is what I know: putting Raskolnikov’s obsession over the story of Lazarus aside, it’s revealed that Raskolnikov believes in the new Jerusalem, which is a world that has been completely and ultimately fulfilled of God’s promises—which is to eradicate the world from sin. With the book, we can conclude that Fyodor is trying to reach this “New Jerusalem” due to his ideal to create a world without the sin of ability users. 

Within this as well, we can gain some insight into Fyodor’s character and the possibility of his resurrection through Psalm 22. As aforementioned, I mentioned the link between Fyodor’s ‘final words’ and Jesus’ final word, with Jesus’ quotation of Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? being a direct reference to the first line of Psalm 22 in the darkest hour of his suffering. Therefore, Psalm 22 is exemplifies the entire experience of Jesus’ passion during the crucifixion as he died for his people whom he bore the sins of, the most profound expression of suffering and eventual declaration of faith within that suffering and grief. 

(Psalm 22:19)

It wouldn’t be too divergent if we were to consider the possibility of Fyodor’s suffering through this lens. “My God, My God” exemplified Jesus’ relationship with God as his Son, thus making Fyodor’s recital of these lines serve as an amplification of Fyodor’s perspective and devout intimacy in his relationship with God. While I doubt Fyodor is feeling every visceral human emotion during his death—with the possibility that he is alive and made it out with a plan, this is a suffering he has experienced before, and currently—just not as saturated as he would in his ‘darkest moments’ which is in his mysterious/unrevealed past. Here, Fyodor, as Jesus had felt, is experiencing the withdrawal of God’s fellowship as well as God’s wrath towards humanity by utilising Jesus as a substitute—being impaled in the stomach, and crashing into the tower. 

This raises the inquiry of why ability users are considered as a sin. With the biblical context of sin, we can draw the conclusion that it’s the mere existence of ability users that Fyodor is referring to—this however also raises the inquiry of where do abilities come from. I have a processing meta-theory regarding the metaphysical nature of Bungou Stray Dogs, but I doubt that’s something that I can completely develop here, as it’s just a thought that I’d like to develop more by re-dabbling into the franchise once I have the time.

By examining the biblical undertones referenced through Fyodor's character, and examining said source material, we can perhaps gain some more insight into his motivations and perspective. I wouldn't say that it would reveal everything about his backstory, the true core of his ideals, but by beginning here, it's perhaps a solid first step towards understanding his character. If anyone wants an elaboration for anything I mentioned within this little analysis ramble, please let me know and I'd be happy to provide !!

[ginevrastilinski-ocs]

Shadowhunters Universe Timeline

AKA how my stories align with canon books!

The main characters are the ones that have a pov in that book | the other characters are listed from the one that appears the most to the one that appears the least

Series: Life And Death

See The Heavens

Canon Timeline: The Mortal Instruments [Book 1-3]

Main Character(s): Elys Herondale

Other Characters: Lydia Shaw - Brian Lockwood - Alicent Shaw - Jackson Milligan - Pepper Orla - Morrigan Rowe - Dealindeh

Raise Hell

Canon Timeline: The Mortal Instruments [Book 4-6]

Main Character(s): Elys Herondale

Other Characters: Lydia Shaw - Brian Lockwood - Alicent Shaw - Jackson Milligan - Morrigan Rowe - Reign Proctor - Pepper Orla - Leah Harlan - Cassandra Blackthorn - Beleth - Jack Herondale

Champagne Problems

Canon Timeline: The Infernal Devices

Main Character(s): Selene Carstairs

Other Characters: Theodore Clarke - Alicent Shaw - Pepper Orla - Leah Harlan - Henrik Kade

Don't Fear The Fall

Canon Timeline: The Dark Artifices

Main Character(s): Cassandra Blackthorn

Other Characters: Elys Herondale - Jack Herondale - Henrik Kade - Camie Evans - Sagan - Marceline Seymour - Farrah Merryweather - Dealindeh - Nico Lightwood - Vice Verlac - Leah Harlan - Beleth

In The Middle Of The Darkest Night

Canon Timeline: The Last Hours

Main Character(s): Violet Lightwood; Samuel Milligan

Other Characters: Cressa Wayland - Selene Carstairs - Henrik Kade - Farrah Merryweather - Beleth - Alicent Shaw

Something Wicked

Canon Timeline: The Wicked Powers

Main Character(s): Cassandra Blackthorn; Nico Lightwood; Vice Verlac

Other Characters: Lenni Clarke + Others TBD (Since the series is not out yet)

Mystical Time

Canon Timeline: The Bane Chronicles + Other Non-Canonical Tales

Main Character(s): N/A

Other Characters: Alicent Shaw - Morrigan Rowe - Elys Herondale - Pepper Orla - Selene Carstairs - Theodore Clarke - Henrik Kade - Lydia Shaw

Deck The Halls (That We Once Walked Through)

Canon Timeline: Tales From The Shadowhunter Adademy + Other Non-Canonical Tales

Main Character(s): Vienna Lightwood

Other Characters: Elys Herondale - Jack Herondale - Violet Lightwood - Selene Carstairs - Samuel Milligan

Ghost Town

Canon Timeline: Ghosts Of The Shadow Market + Other Non-Canonical Tales

Main Character(s): N/A

Other Characters: Violet Lightwood - Selene Carstairs - Alicent Shaw - Camie Evans - Cressa Wayland - Pepper Orla - Leah Harlan - Elys Herondale - Jack Herondale - Cassandra Blackthorn

[quilt-giving]

(Every quilt has a story)

Eli Wallace stood by the observation deck window of the Destiny, his eyes fixed on the vast expanse of space before him. As one of the few survivors aboard the ancient ship, he had become intimately acquainted with its mysteries. The quilt he had created, spread out across the room, depicted a story that seemed to mirror his own.

The first block showcased the USS Enterprise, its sleek lines and iconic saucer section capturing the essence of exploration and adventure. Eli had always admired the crew of the Enterprise, their courage and determination resonating with his own longing for discovery.

Next to it was Heveena's necklace from The Orville, a delicate symbol of love and connection. Eli's heart ached for the people he had left behind, especially for those he had cared deeply about. The necklace reminded him of the bonds he had formed on Earth and the sacrifices he had made for the greater good.

The Stargate from Stargate Universe was another prominent feature on the quilt. Eli had found himself on a remarkable journey through the Stargate, traveling to distant galaxies and encountering both wonders and dangers. The Stargate represented the infinite possibilities that lay beyond the boundaries of known space, reminding him to never stop seeking answers.

In a corner of the quilt, a Ferengi Dabo table from Deep Space 9 was depicted, symbolizing the unpredictability of life. Eli had learned that sometimes fortune favored the bold, and at other times, it tested one's resilience. The Ferengi's pursuit of profit and the intricate game of chance mirrored his own experiences of navigating the uncertainties of the universe.

Amidst the quilt's intricate patchwork, Klingons stood tall and proud. Their fierce warrior spirit reminded Eli of the battles he had fought, not only against external threats but also against his own fears and doubts. The Klingons represented the strength and resilience needed to survive in a hostile universe.

And finally, the interior blue lighting of the Destiny suffused the entire quilt, casting an ethereal glow on the tapestry of stories. It was a constant reminder of the ancient ship's presence, guiding and protecting those who called it home. Eli had spent countless hours marveling at the ship's beauty, finding solace in its gentle embrace.

As Eli gazed at the quilt, he felt a surge of gratitude. Each block was a fragment of his own narrative, a testament to the trials and triumphs he had experienced. He had woven together a story that encapsulated the essence of his journey—a tale of exploration, love, unpredictability, strength, and the enduring light that guided him through the darkest of times.

In that moment, as he stood in the observation deck of the Destiny, Eli Wallace realized that he was not just a passive observer of the universe, but an active participant in its unfolding story. And with renewed determination, he set his sights on the endless horizon, ready to embrace whatever lay beyond.

[undertheelectricstarspodcast]

More than one threat looms over Cair Mallplex: the raging dust storm and the huge shadow of Elizabeth Haven snuff out the last of the wan light. And there’s no escaping the specters of the past that have arrived. Featuring a one-off nickname, a mystery solved, and a question of what it means to be human.

[optimisticpoetrycandy]

Title: The Lighthouse

Once upon a time, on a secluded cliff by the sea, there was an old lighthouse. It had stood there for over a century, guiding sailors safely to shore through countless storms and pitch-black nights. The keeper of the lighthouse, an elderly man named Eli, had taken care of it for as long as anyone could remember.

Eli loved the lighthouse as if it were a living thing. He polished its glass, oiled its machinery, and climbed its spiral stairs every night to light the lamp. He often spoke to it, sharing stories of his own life, as though the lighthouse were his only friend.

One stormy night, as the wind howled and rain lashed against the rocks, Eli’s lamp started to flicker. For the first time in his life, he felt a pang of fear. He knew sailors were out there, relying on the light, and the thought of them being lost haunted him.

With trembling hands, he searched for a way to keep the light burning. His oil was almost gone, and there was no one nearby who could help. He was alone. But he refused to give up. He tore strips of cloth from his own jacket, dipping them in the last of the oil, and kept feeding the flame, minute by minute, until dawn.

As the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, Eli collapsed beside the lantern, exhausted but triumphant. He had kept the light shining through the darkest hours, just long enough for the ships to find their way.

The lighthouse was quiet now, its job done. And Eli felt an overwhelming sense of peace. He knew then that, like the lighthouse, he had found his purpose—not in being seen, but in being a guiding light for others, even if they would never know his name.

[elliot-rambles]

not to be whingy and sense-of-self-less on main but I kinda want a new name/side name. I like the name Eli - it's literally MY name (or my chosen name), but it needs smth more I think like... idk send help also want to do a retheme/finish making side blogs for all the main fictives and sysmates but the crippling anxiety of being perceived holds me back in a way I cant explain wth please give me feedback guys!!!! or else I'm going to go insane!!!!!! if you don't like talking to me just tell me and I'll stop sending you asks!!!! please!!!! please please please!!!!!!!!!

[ecto42]

TL;DR- Try TTRPGs, roleplay forums, and more! Before you go to an addictive AI with no outside input.

Hi Tumblr, I have this video specifically referring to the AI chatbot story and it made me want to share some experiences of mine that feel similar, but were with real human people.

I spent years doing online text only roleplay as a teen, and now as an adult I regularly play D&D with friends as well as with other RPGs like Cyberpunk, etc.

So, when I was a teen I spent hours of every day in middle school doing Harry Potter role plays on Omegle. It was hella awkward, hella cringe, and ultimately I stopped because I saw how the space was devolving. Initially I made a ton of other friends from other countries and other states in the US that had similar interests to mine. I loved playing characters that were “dark and edgy” as I, much like the characters from My Immortal, wanted to be dark and edgy in a cool way and not in a “I am a goth from South Park being made fun of,” way.

This eventually led to me doing what I would call roleplay therapy, where to test the waters with people you take an aspect of yourself and play with as many iterations of it as you can. I found myself in NSFW roleplay, general like “Oh hoho we’re wizards in a castle!” Roleplay, and “This is the darkest timeline, Harry Potter is dead and gone and now we’re doing a guerilla warfare.” I loved it and remember it fondly and this was way before D&D.

I, as you can imagine, had no idea what consent really meant, I had no boundaries kept when playing these characters, and I really formed a dependency on literally exploring other characters to figure myself out. By the end of it I was staying up until 3 am every night essentially sexting strangers over the internet with nothing but an ASL to go off of, and the anonymity of the internet to keep either of us from knowing who each other were. Relative to what a lot of my AFAB friends received this was incredibly tame. It was, however, an addiction in the anonymity of Omegle, the chat histories rarely being backed up, and the ability to just bail at any time. There was no real accountability, only the consent of “Hey, do you want to do a dirty roleplay?” And taking people at their word and usually that mean hanging up and trying again, and if things went too far or got too uncomfortable hanging up anyways. Kind of like an unspoken BDSM safe word.

I saw this video and the section about this woman talking to an AI chatbot and it honestly made me both miss that addictive roleplay arena, as well as made me really crave that kind of anonymous intimacy in a (what at the time developed into a) respectful consensual manner where anyone can nope out at any time. I think usually when people can’t get exactly what they want they go to writing for themselves. I really hope that somewhere out there other people who just want that basic form of connection with some anonymous protection will do something more akin to what I’ve done as an adult, and seek out similarly minded friends who love and support them and build up and build out communities, and allow there to be a silly fantasy element to them. The person in the story very easily, back in the day, could have went onto Omegle and asked as their opener “I’m looking for someone to roleplay Arthur Morgan from RDR2 with me, are you down?” And found someone, and it’s kind of sad to me that it’s easier to find an AI chatbot nowadays than it is to find a friend with that interest.

Having feedback from another person and having it be earnest and unbiased is very helpful, but people shouldn’t be your therapist if they’re your friends. Seek help if you need it, and don’t be afraid to reach out to community at large. I understand though how easy it is to fall in love with Luna Lovegood, Corvo Attano, or my old OC, at least as best as I can remember:

Eli Black (20, Ravenclaw, M, Thick Dark Wavy Black Hair with a blue streak in the front, Bright Blue Eyes, Thin muscular build, 6’0”. One of Eli’s eyes {if I remember correctly this was very inconsistent on my part lol} had been slashed through as a child and healed with dragon blood and caused it to sprout scales where the scar is, also leaving their eye with a sharp and draconic look. Typically wears: Hooded black trench coat, black tee shirt, black skinny jeans with a studded belt, and wears a big pair of large black combat boots with blue laces, dark eyeliner, blue and black nail polish.) ~and then there would usually be some spheal here about how Eli was an auror and a really great Ravenclaw student, and basically a detective. I used to watch a lot of Psych.~

Thanks if you bothered reading all the way through!

[flowers-and-fichte]

On the stereotypes of WW2 buffs

Hello!

Novalis here again. Just something I've noticed not just on Tumblr but all around as a whole.

Many people stereotype WW2 buffs as those nerds who know every type of 1940s tank and aircraft known to man. Others may lump in neo-fascists, who are not real WW2 buffs, just assholes who want some of the worst parts of history to repeat.

There are different aspects to WW2 history, as with other parts of military history. While I do follow everything done by the militaries involved, especially that of my home country, the U.S., I also take a close look at the civilian and political perspectives, but especially the former. For me, WW2 history is more about the people than the weapons, but if you're interested in the weapons and vehicles that's perfectly okay; I have nothing against it.

Personally, some civilian actions I find interesting are how English citizens coped with the effects of the Blitz, French and German anti-Nazi resistance, the many efforts to save Jews from persecution, and intelligence groups like SOE and OSS. I have also read several accounts by Holocaust survivors. So many of these stories are harrowing and filled with emotion, which I believe have helped me get a good understanding of these times. Some good books I have found are really interesting; you can check them out if you want.

The Unwomanly Face of War (Svetlana Alexievich)

The Splendid and the Vile (Erik Larson)

The Zookeeper's Wife (Diane Ackerman)

The Only Woman in the Room (Marie Benedict)

Lilac Girls (Martha Hall Kelly)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford)

The Correspondents (Judith Mackrell)

The Night Train to Berlin (Melanie Hudson)

Night (Elie Wiesel) -> this one is really sad, just a heads-up

As for movies and shows...

Band of Brothers -> literally the best military series ever

The Zookeeper's Wife (based on the book)

Operation Mincemeat (Netflix Original)

The Monuments Men

Darkest Hour

WWII in Color (multiple series on Netflix)

Churchill's Secret Agents: The New Recruits (Netflix Original)

The list is much bigger, but here are my tops. Feel free to give me some recommendations; I'd love to see what you like!

[poridge]

I forgot how insane the last warriors book gets...

[sullina]

Ok so… imagine a enemy decides to wearing the sins by turning them all into kids. Now, if the sins only three are unaffected. Merlin, King, and Gowther. Mainly cuz all of them are more or less ageless in some capacity or already kids. The other sins have no memories about being anything but children, they don’t know each other, they just woke up in some random human kingdom. Diane and Elizabeth immediately start making flower crowns together, Ban stole Hawk’s food bowl, Escanor cries, and it took an hour before anyone found Meliodas because he was clinging to the rafters in the darkest corner he could get and was spitting and hissjng like a cat at anyone who came close. Ages are

Diane: 9 (in giant years)

Elizabeth: 6

Ban: 8

Meliodas: 5 (in demon years)

Escanor: 12

Meliodas looks very different as a toddler because demons can’t control their darkness very well so he’s basically walking around in all fours with clawed hands and feet like a mini Assualt Mode Meliodas and has a pair of wings on his back. One eye is green and the other is black. He is very much the most aggressive and feral of the children due to the abuse the DK put him through making him believe he has to be “mean” or else he’ll get in trouble. Ban immediately adopts him.

that’s so cute!!

Meliodas had to be picked from the rafters by Gil, because he was the only one brave enough. Anyone else who tried got swiped very badly, and even has a child he’s ridiculously strong (remember that one manga cover? Actually, that was probably what you were thinking about when you sent this ask XD ) And Mel immediately jumped Gils hands and floated down, flapping his wings, then hid somewhere else.

Or he would have, when he ran face first into Ban, who just got away from Hawk with his haul. Mel hisses, very much looking like a cat, and Ban hisses back. Then laughs because “this one is fun!” and offers him some of his haul. Mel goes for the meat in an instant, and while he’s distracted with that, Ban picks him up. Mel swallows what he has and then swipes at Ban to let him go. Ban drops him and Mel runs off, Ban follows.

Everyone chases after Ban and Mel, because holy fuck, they cannot let a tiny thief and a demon child walk around with no supervision, what if someone tries to pick Mel up and gets mauled-

Baltra lowkey cries, both out of distress but also because his youngest is a child again and that’s just too adorable. Eli gives him one of her flower crowns, and Escanor also gets one (Eli or Diane) and it calms him down a little.

Ban is caught easily enough, but Mel is way trickier, because he has no issues with going up walls. He’s in one place one moment and the next he could out the window and climbing up the outside castle walls for all he knows! In the end, it takes the knight trio and Merlin to track him down. Merlin has to pick him up with her magic, because he swipes at everyone, and Gowther uses his blackout arrow to get him to sleep for safe transport. When he’s asleep, his darkness also calms down a little, looking just a tiny bit less sharp, and he’s so adorable that everyone coos at his sleeping form.

Diane gets really attached to Kink, who also has to control himself like Baltra. His love is tiny and cute, and while she doesn’t remember him, his heart still can’t take all this cuteness.

[aestheticsuwu]

His Eyes Were Green

Robby Keene x Doug Rickenberger

Soulmate Au

I will be posting all my drafts on Roug since I will/might stop posting of these twos and other ships .🌺🦋

@shortkingkeene

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In where they live in a world where everyone has a soulmate. Everyone lives through a lens of black and white until you meet you other half.

Robby find his soulmate at his school and Doug finds the color green such a breathtaking color that makes his head dizzy and heart full.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soulmates were defined by colors. Meaning you came into the world of innocence and a lens of black and white, In hopes to leave at the end in a colorful life. The day you meet your soulmate, it’s a piece of you that completes and lets you be able to see the world in a different way.

Some are unfortunate that they never find their other half or lose them , leaving them back to square one but with broken heart left in a empty gray life.

Young Rickenberger watched how people around him met, found, and fought for their soulmate. His parents were soulmates , founding each other in their darkest times . A love that he wish to have one day.

Now being 16 , he has yet to find his other half. He was in no rush . Even if mostly half of the kids at school had found their soulmate, which was kinda romantic but weird. His best friend Mikey, was thrilled to find his Soulmate that was now his boyfriend, Mitch.

The boy babbled on how awesome and whimsical it was to be able to see colors and emotions he felt with Mitch. Rickenberger could only offer a smile since he didn’t know what else to do . Or say.

Soon he started to hangout with a different group of people since last week events. He met Miguel, who was a cool guy with big eye’s and curly hair and the girl that was always with him. Sam LaRusso , Miguels soulmate , A sweet girl who resembled a cupcake.

Eli Mozkowitz is a chaotic dude , who he really gets along pretty well. The boy had a mohawk and a scar above his lip and not to forget his other half , Demetri. That ebony haired boy is long skinny limbs and no trace of grace, but has a witty mouth . They’ve met in first grade and have been inseparable since, he can’t imagine meeting his at that young age.

Hawk had said “ I guess you can say that we are winning.” The boy really was proud at the achievement .

“It’s not a game, dude.” Miguel rolled his eyes at the guy.

“I know but if it was, We are clearly winning.” Hawk retorts with a grin pulling his boyfriend closer . Demetri just shrugs going along with Eli.

“You would think those to would be worse but Hawk always proves us wrong.” Tory tells him , pointing at Sam and Miguel, Not even bothering to whisper making them laugh.

Aisha and Tory were—You guessed it , Soulmate’s . It seemed everyone who went here have already found theirs. Aisha was pretty happy to found her other half, she been waiting since she learned about it. Tory is a badass girl was not afraid to tell you shit to your face. She was new to school . And at her first day she met Aisha .

“It’s what basically what happens here .” Miguel said , paired with a goofy smile making Sam kiss his cheek.

The missing member he hadn’t met yet was Robby Lawrence, Sams brother . Different last names , same parents.

When he woke up today , he felt different. A buzzing sensation ran through his body . Unfazed by it , he continued his routine and headed to school.

On the school grounds , he was walking to his locker when , Eli called him over. The group stood in the hallway near the stairs chatting away the spare minutes left before class began.

“Hey guys !” Sam shouts a bit out of breath but a smile still graced her face . Miguel crushes her with a bear hug and keeps her at his side.

“Where is Robby?” Tory ask making Aisha snicker and says ,” You’d think now having short hair he wouldn’t take hours getting ready.”

“What I have to deal with everyday. Here he comes .”Sam huffs but her tone was filled with fondness . In that moment the bell decides to ring making everyone scatter . Turning to the direction Sam had pointed , not exaggerating but he felt like time had stopped.

Was he dreaming? He was sure that he woken up.

At the same time he saw Robby , there was an explosion of colors . Metaphorically speaking. Because when he opens his eyes he can see Tory green army shirt, Demetris green shoes, and Sams glittery bracelet .

And even from the far distance he can pinpoint his eyes. His eyes were….

He expected the boy to come running to him . He had heard way to many stories of his friends experience . But Robby stood there with a unreadable expression and simply walked away.

Without hesitation he runs after him. The guy was short but for someone with short legs he walked fast. Because he manage to disappeared through the ocean of students .

Stepping out to take a breath of air. Trying to swallow down the pain that felt lodge in his throat and chest .He looks down at his shoes , his eyes catch the grass poking out . Short . And Green .

“His eyes were Green .” He breathes out , the pain simmering down . If maybe a little.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~🍃🪺🍃~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How long have you known ?” Robby ask , brows furrowed ,not in anger but in wonder.

“Since the first day of school. One look at you and I was able to put a color to the word emerald.” Doug said , crossing his arms not knowing what to do with them. He didn’t know what to do now that he had the person he longed for looking at him so profoundly.

“You didn’t say anything. Did you wish it was someone else.” Robby downhearted eyes look straight into his .

He shook his head slowly and stepped forward and looked down at the brunette. Does he know there’s specks like gold in his eyes ? Doug thought.

“I wanted you to find out on your own.”, He says truthfully and Doug doesn’t know if he take any more longer having those beautiful puppy eyes stare at him. Does he know how many freckles he has.They seem endless.

The moment felt sacred and even if they were the only ones in the room Robby wanted the moment just for them. ,”But I want you to prove to me that fate didn’t commit a mistake making us soulmate’s.”

Doug felt warm from the short boy touch like an electricity running through his veins. “I’ll prove it because there’s nothing in this world that I want more.” He grins at Robby , which the boy return with eyes glowing like the sun itself.

Does he feels the immensity of energy that is pulling towards each other ? Both boys wondered inside their minds.