#he died with hope for the better

[dangerclaw]

This dude (Polites) really went through a ten year war and:

1. decided that life isn’t a battlefield

2. deliberately chose peace, then

3. died during a round of deadly whack-a-mole

The gods didn’t like his hope for a world of peace and harmony ig

[cyfffff]

you’d think since dick was a mathlete hed b the number one guy to ask for help w math homework but actually he knows so much advanced math that the first time tim asked him for help with a simple geometry problem he pulled out his dusty ti-84 and started solving it in the most convoluted way that took an hour bc he was also just trying to relearn the math he hadn’t done in like 5 years. cue him screaming in frustration when he realized the actual way to do it would’ve taken him 2 minutes (tim asked him at the beginning if that way was right and he waved him off saying no) none of the batsibs can ask him for math help until they get to pre-calculus at least

[anglerflsh]

"people didn't get canceled before these sjw" Dante put all the people he disliked in literal hell

[the-nothing-maker]

Call of the void

(Mélisande is my Aberrant Mind sorcerer/fallen aasimar D&D character from @luposlipaphobya's campaign ! We're currently writing/illustrating a zine about him and his partner so... Stay tuned for more...)

[voot-floop]

He’s a tv man or whatever

[heliomanteia]

I think Nico's ability to survive is less so about his will to live and more so about his refusal (less so personal and more so narrative-wise) to die. Nico, for the lack of a better word, is like a cockroach: you cannot kill him in a way that matters so he survives and keeps haunting the scene.

There was once a marvelous post on Nico's function as a narrative tool and it was so beautifully pointed out that he's a near-omniscient deus ex machina (to simplify) which cannot be overlooked when characterizing him. Nico carries so much narrative weight on his back (which arguably could be an example of either good or bad writing depending on your perspective) that he cannot just go and die.

His road towards healing (though definitely not walked alone/individually) is his own, that's his choice to make as a character, but his disposition as a guy that perseveres resides more within his function, in my opinion.

He's not the tragic prince doomed for self-destruction people often draw him out to be but his capacity for survival is also not a product of his continuous work as a character, at least not just that — but is rather a result of his narrative function. Simply saying, you cannot, narratively, kill off Nico di Angelo.

[thatstoomanysausages]

In all seriousness, if we want to get introspective and dramatic about Grian’s reactions to Skizz and Mumbo’s deaths, then the implications are completely devastating.

Grian’s loud sobbing for Mumbo because he knew it was the third time he been (at least partially) at fault for Mumbo’s final deaths. Everyone knew about Grian and Mumbo’s closeness, and Grian was alone and out of earshot for anyone to hear him mourn so viciously.

However, in complete juxtaposition, Grian’s calm acceptance of Skizz’s death could’ve been because Martyn was right there, and he would’ve been seen as weak. And this is a common theme for Grian, playing off his loyalties as flippant and temporary when he is in actual fact one of the most loyal teammates. He’d been preparing for Skizz’s death the whole season, having spent many episodes helping Skizz stay alive, but the one in which he doesn’t help him as much and instead Mumbo, Skizz dies.

Mumbo’s death was the first sign for Grian’s team, once again, falling apart with him left behind to gather their pale corpses and place them underneath the ground under a bland headstone. Skizz’s was the expected and inevitable confirmation, something Grian had accepted was coming.

Mumbo’s death was loud and explosive, while Skizz’s was expected and underwhelming. Just like Grian’s reactions.

[aroaceleovaldez]

Nico and Percy's dynamic through the series is eternally funny to me, because it's just. like.

Percy's having a constant mental struggle between his fatal flaw of loyalty with a promise he made to Bianca to protect Nico, versus his Big 3 kid desire to maim other Big 3 kids / Poseidon descendant urge to totally maim Nico specifically. He hates Nico so so much. He thinks Nico's annoying and weird at best, and creepy/sketchy when he's older. The only positive thoughts Percy has towards Nico are "He's Bianca's brother and Bianca was my friend and I owe her/He's Hazel's brother and Hazel is my friend and would kill me if I was mean to him," "He's a powerful asset and useful ally (if questionable)," and "He's kinda pathetic and I feel maybe a little bad about it." Percy has multiple occasions throughout the series where he strongly considers - and on one occasionally actually goes through with - throttling Nico.

Meanwhile, Nico is following around Percy like a lost puppy. He explicitly can never bring himself to even dislike anything about Percy no matter how hard he tries. He has a whole bit in BoO where he's mentally going "UGH he's so stupid BUT IT'S ENDEARING HOW DARE HE." He's totally smitten. He's making deals with his dad for Percy. He's making convoluted plans to help Percy stand a chance against Kronos. During the entirety of BoTL it's like he's playing tsundere - "I'm helping NOT PERCY SPECIFICALLY with this quest! Me helping Percy would be SILLY because I DEFINITELY HATE HIM." Then he proceeds to show up to Percy's birthday party to basically ask him on a weird date and spend the entire next book scrambling around trying to help him or protect him or impress him. And Percy could not give less of a shit.

Just. That dynamic is so funny to me. Percy is the founder of the Nico Protection Club in that he's the one they're all protecting Nico from and meanwhile Nico is throwing himself at Percy to the point where the literal god of gay love calls him out on it.

[maegalkarven]

We know what it wasn't a big secret to the cult of Bhaal what their Chosen (Durge) is a lil (a lot) obsessed with the Chosen of Bane.

Orin def told everyone who would listen about it, as Balthazar's note on "Prayer for Forgiveness" might imply.

But have we thought about the other side of this?

How many of Bane's servants present at Gortash's coronation saw Durge and went "Ugh, not them again. ANYONE but them. Dark Lord Bane, we serve you well and do not deserve this".

How many of banites had to watch their Chosen act like a lovesick fool at his own coronation and tried very hard not to cringe?

Like bhaalists were not pleased with their Chosen's affections, but I bet Gortash was INSUFFERABLE with Durge by his side.

[itslilacokay]

believe it or not, normalswap?avm

(check some lorestuff in tags)

now back to main cast

[moeblob]

What if I straight up didn't explain myself? What if I just said trust me on this? Would you?

[unsat-and-strange]

alright. i know the pretty much accepted fandom standard for arthur (specifically when john has his eyes) (or john in human form as well) is gold eyes. i love it! genuinely!!

hear me out.

dark eyes. darker than the black behind the stars, darker than imagining. even a prolonged inspection couldnt show where pupil meets iris, not that arthur is often still enough for that sort of thing. its the kind of darkness that things hide in, the kind that makes you feel like things are looking back. dark enough that you are prey. dark enough that you have to look away after a moment. eyes like a hole in space has been centered in the whites of them, absorbing all light. his eyes are always moving, scanning, searching, hunting? no, that cant be quite right, he speaks like a gentleman and looks far too thin to do any kind of harm. but at the same time, he is littered in scars and youve never quite seen eyes like that on any living thing before, let alone a fellow human. his eyes are so dark.

[sunlaire]

I NEED a Belgica show, I need for more people to be unwell about danco and lecointe with me pleeeease

[lununnunna]

he really is that guy !!

[winterfromwof-art-tumbler]

there is a lot going on in this picture

[ioannemos]

the particular bad guy of this episode, a little apprehensively: the audience wants to see me die?

nate, with more sincerity than anything he's said to anyone in her presence before: like you wouldn't believe