#i give them the ability to prove me wrong on my blog... one that has a decent amount of followers

[isekyaaa]

Someone asked me if I take constructive criticism on one of my posts, so I told them I do if they reblog my post and say within the it the reasons why I am wrong. It's been about two days and they haven't replied yet. :/

[lowkeychenle]

masterlist + all about me (and nct dream)

hi everyone! name change/rebrand alert ;)

prev @/lowkeyjaemle, now @/lowkeychenle :D

i'm juls (as some of you already know) and my ult group is NCT Dream! i'm chenle biased (this will never change lol) and the majority of my blog is also chenle biased lol.

i do not have a bias wrecker. chenle is safe (although jisung is my #2, which just makes sense bc chenji is a package deal okay).

i'm 23 years old, and my pronouns are she/her. now that all this intro/boring stuff is out of the way, please keep reading for my updated masterlist ;)

p.s. if u are also a chenle stan, there are so many chenle fics here just for u

AY YO! MDNI >:(

text!au masterlist | smau masterlist

labyrinth (M) fic teaser

Chenle was more complex than you originally gave him credit for, and unfortunately for you, that would be your downfall. Lost in the labyrinth, you’ll always struggle to find your way out when the rose-colored glasses don’t let the light shine through.

the hardest part (M)

You, Chenle, and Jay have been best friends since before you could even remember. After moving away to pursue your dreams, you don't talk to them as often as you should. One day, you get a call notifying you of Jay's passing. When you go back to your hometown, you find everything is different except for one person--Chenle.

Some Things Can't Be Taught (M)

In which you are failing college physics, and your childhood best friend offers up one of his friends as your tutor—except, there’s a little something he wants to learn from you in exchange.

Guilty As Sin? (M)

Chenle is everything you want--everything you need. Somehow, the thought of him manages to pull you back in even after you were free. Messy kisses, late night trysts, and him tracing the word 'mine' on your thigh--barely anything, so how could you possibly be guilty as sin? (based on Guilty As Sin? by Taylor Swift)

And Then It Was (M)

After your marriage with Chenle was arranged by your parents for a company merger, things with him aren't quite like you expect. In your life full of obligations, he's determined to finally give you the ability to make your own choices. (smut/fluff/angst) *WC>10k

Cruel Summer (M)

He wants you. Everything to do with you--your heart, your body, all while keeping your friendship. What's a man to do during a 30-day hook up to get you to stay? (smut/fluff/angst) *WC>10k

See My Sea (M)

You never expected your lab partner to be the captain of the basketball team...or a decent human being, but you get proved wrong twice. Despite a rocky past of your own, you find yourself falling for him faster than you thought. Maybe, with his help, you can finally find your way home and see your sea. (smut/fluff/angst) *WC>10k

Like We Just Met (M)

Everything else about the day is completely normal when Chenle realizes he wants to marry you. It hits him like a tidal wave, and he's itching to tell you just how much he wants to love you forever. (smut/fluff) *WC>10k

SOS (M)

Road trips with Chenle are your favorite thing. Late at night, the two of you stop at a hotel, but it's not everything it seems to be. You barely have time to settle before you get a call to evacuate immediately. Beneath red neon flashing lights, you and Chenle have to try and escape the group of people hunting you down. (suspense/thriller/smut)

this is me trying (M)

Meeting Chenle was a fluke--a good one, at that, but you never expected things to escalate the way they did. But despite the whirlwind romance, you'd go back to December if you had the chance... (smut/fluff/angst) *WC>10k

Is It Over Now? (M) (Feat. Jisung)

Your relationship with Chenle is nothing but fight after fight. Amidst the toxicity, infidelity comes into play--except you're determined to one up him...but is it ever truly over? (angst/smut) *WC>10k

Within the Piano Keys (M)

For as long as you could remember, Chenle has been your neighbor and childhood best friend. That is, until one day he disappears without a word…or so you thought, since your mother hid all the letters he sent you. (smut/fluff/angst) *WC>10k

Paris (M)

Pure smut on a hotel room balcony in Paris! Woo. (smut)

Sunshine (M)

You're not usually able to wake up with Chenle due to his schedules, but on the days that you can, it's certainly worth it. (smut/fluff)

Quiet Down (M)

You and Chenle visit your parents, but he just can't help himself... (smut)

You're Not Sorry

You and Chenle broke up two weeks ago. The first time he calls you at 3am, you ignore it. Then he calls again. You answer, and you go to him knowing there's nothing he could do to fix what he's broken. (angst)

The Last Straw (M)

Chenle has been your best friend for as long as you can remember. Being in love with him isn't easy, until you find out he reciprocates those feelings (thanks to Cockblocker!Jaemin). (smut/fluff/angst)

Chilled Nights, Fogged Windows (M)

After being gone for weeks, the first thing Chenle wants to do is get ice cream with you. One thing leads to another, and suddenly, you're in the backseat (oooops). (smut)

In Your Dreams (M)

What started as innocent phone sex hotline stuff (if that can ever really be innocent?), you get an offer you just can't refuse...you just have to be a little sleep deprived ;) (Chenle as Freddy Kruger Halloween thing lol)

Irrevocably (M) Series Masterlist

You were friends with benefits with Chenle until he got a girlfriend...fast forward months later, and now they've broken up--leaving Chenle to come back to you, very much in need of a distraction. (angst/smut/fluff)

Opposites Attract [Poly!Jaemle AU] Series Masterlist

Your relationship with Jaemin started out simple--friends with benefits with zero complications...until there was one. That complication's name is Zhong Chenle, and after Jaemin agrees to expand your exclusivity deal to involve him, there's only one logical thing left to do... (smut)

모래성 (ONE) (TWO) (THREE)

You and Mark have had a friends with benefits relationship for almost a year now. He's in love with you, addicted to you, but you don't feel the same. You're his poison. (smut/angst)

Late Nights (M)

Mark's busy schedule only gives him time to come over late at night, but it's safe to say neither of you are complaining by the time you fall asleep. (fluff/smut)

Empire State of Mind (M) (Feat. Jisung)

Life with Jisung is almost perfect. He loves you, and you love him. But when you run into your ex, Mark Lee, you realize the one thing you've been missing all along is him. (smut/angst)

Lost & Wayward Mini-Masterlist

After the worst couple weeks of your life, you finally break down in the middle of an alleyway. Jaemin hears you and comes to comfort you, and little do you know, he's about to change your life--in more ways than one. (fluff/smut/angst)

[riongeee]

I’m sorry you have sprung me back into my mild interest in Sebek. I’m sorry I have to dump my ideas here

Your recent post has reminded me of how I feel about Sebek and the Dia 3. I might be wrong, because tbh I’m not that good as social situations so if I’m wrong correct me.

So, we know that Dia3 are like a little family, so he’s always somewhat out of place. Like to me, he comes off to Lilia as a “Bauls Grandson/Silvers Friend” and Malleus as “Silvers friend/Guard.” He feels a bit different than how they treat each other.

It’s weird, as he’s, like acknowledged, but not really ever that close to the others like they are to each other.

For Lilia, it feels odd but natural, as it seems like he just really pranks him, but he does, in my opinion, acknowledge him as his own kind of dude, though their relationship isn’t really son father like Silver and Lilia, but he’s still treated (mildly-) like a friend. Like how your friends parents treat you, where they’ll take care of you but you’ll never be as close? It’s a bit weird, because someone (other Sebek Zigvolt blog) mentioned that Lilia might’ve only convinced/was convinced by the fact that Baul is his old friend and Sebek was friends with Silver, and not the fact that Sebek stood out on his own, which would suck for Sebek.

For Malleus, It’s even weirder, but the best I’ll say is it’s like a younger sibling trying to praise the older one that is his idol, even though I’m pretty sure Malleus mainly views Sebek as a guard and Silvers friend, but I can’t make a really big opinion since most interactions are just Sebek praising him. (From what I’ve seen) It just feels like Malleus is close yes, but not really, as he more or less views him as a “younger brothers friend” vibe to me.

Silver is the closest, and to me they’re like brother and younger brother. They’re close, but constantly fight, (it’s one sided lol, Sebek views him as a rival, while Silver is just like “chill.”) and it’s actually kinda sad, because it feels like Sebek tries to be better than him to prove himself, but always loses. (Expect in height. He wins that one.)

On that last point, I think (read somewhere) that he’s a late bloomer, so for some reason, I headcanonned that Sebek is so spiteful, because of Silver always coming before him. Because hear me out, Silver is a human, and Sebek is half, and they lived in a place that despised the both of them. The “shame” he must feel when the human gained his powers and abilities over him while they lived there (I’m pretty sure Silver gained his power when young) because at least Sebek is half fae, and somehow always got beaten by a human. Like imagine how much he got bullied for it over the fact that he’s probably bullied for being mixed. Poor boy.

Anyways thanks for letting me have my thoughts I’ll probably make them all in one blog post later but thanks.

P.S. His own Wiki insults him, I just want to give this guy a hug.

“A livewire who, in his zealous eagerness to be a retainer worthy of the great Malleus, often expends a great deal of energy to accomplish very little.”

Anyways thanks bye

Omg, your ideas? Beautiful. Your brain? Massive.

I swear people don't get how much I like Sebek as a character/just Sebek.

What you said sums up so much of what I think is the issue(not really but kinda) with Diasomnia dynamics.

I just want to add on a few more of my little brain worms to this. Sebek treats him being around Malleus like a job, which I think really inhibits how close he can get with Dia 3. They all see eachother as family and treat eachother accordingly, yet Sebek always mentions how he will be/is Malleus' guard.

I feel like it really sets a boundary that Diasomnia don't really try cross. Which is really interesting because there's something to be said about Sebeks insecurities on being half human and feeling less than as a result. So he subconsciously doesn't let the Dia 3 in.

As for the Dia 3 themselves, what you said pretty much sums up my thoughts too :')

Lillia is distant and only took him in due to Baul and treats him warmly but not 'family warm'.

Malleus is nice enough but as you said distanced due to their positions. Which is probably sad for Sebek to watch Silver despite also being a future guard being treated more warmly. I see Malleus as more of an 'older cousin who hangs out with the older kids instead of you' vibe idk.

Silver is nice. However, he doesn't understand what Sebek is feeling so he can't help really. The comparisons between him and Sebek must also drive a really big wedge in the potential for a closer relationship.

Overall, it leads back to the main issue in which Sebek is treated like an outsider by people who are dear to him. Exacerbated by already feeling like an outsider due to being only half fae.

Lastly, my personal closing thoughts, I really dislike when people boil down Sebeks character to 'loud, shouty dude' and say that's why he's not close to Diasomnia. (Also, the wiki insulting Sebek is actually devastating, Sebek support groups need to rectify this for the poor guy).

[thequeenofneverland1]

Peter Pan///A Love Beyond Time and Magic

Request by @misskitty1912-blog: sherlock x regina mills daughter reader chubby reader x Peter Pan

You are Regina Mills and Sherlock Holmes' daughter, two of the most powerful and well-known people in all of the realms. In Storybrooke, living with them

Like your parents, you were an inquisitive and intelligent young woman. The majority of your time was devoted to studying the art of deduction and solving mysteries with your father. You felt motivated by your father's strong observational abilities and resolved to emulate him.

However, you also became intrigued with your mother's mysterious abilities. Regina frequently utilized her abilities to influence and alter the surroundings around her, and you would observe in amazement. She desired for the power and command over the world around her.

One day, while exploring the streets of London with your father, You stumbled upon a strange and mysterious boy. He had a mischievous grin and bright green eyes that seemed to sparkle with magic.

His name was Peter Pan, and he was the infamous ruler of Neverland. “Hi, love are you lost?”

“Sort of? I suppose I lost sight of my destination while walking with my father.” You replied

"If you want me to, I could help you find him," he grinned.

You smiled back, “please do.”

You were immediately drawn to Peter's charismatic charm and adventurous spirit. You were fascinated by his stories of flying, mermaids, and lost boys. Peter, in turn, was amazed by your intelligence and wit.

“Pan, thank you so much. I had a great time.” You laughed and said, "I should go."

"Anytime love and you can call me Peter instead of Pan." He drew you into an embrace while smiling.

Your father instructs you, "Y/n, stay away from him immediately."

Your mom rushes to give you a hug and asks, "Sweetheart, are you okay? He didn’t hurt you right?”

Peter rolls his eyes, "like I would."

Your father scowls. "Oh, shut it, Pan. Regina has filled me in on a lot of the terrible things you have done to other people.”

“But she also did horrible things to other people too and she changed just like I did.” Peter said

“I understand what she did, but she was in a different situation, and she did change," he growls. "But you didn't. Because you trap boys so you can make them a lost boy and so they don’t grow up and leave you behind.”

“I bring people here to feel loved and wanted, not to live in a place where they are not undesirable and unwelcome. I don't trap anyone here. No one is here by force.” Peter explained

“Another lie, come on, you can lie to others and yourself but you can’t lie to us we know what you wanted to do to Y/n.”

“So what did you think that I was planning to do to her?”

“You would have made her a lost girl but good thing we got here before you did.”

“Y/n let’s go.”

“But.”

“I said let’s go.”

“Bye Peter!!”

“Bye love!!” He smirk

But you are determined to prove them wrong. You saw the good in Peter and believed that he just needed a friend to show him the right way. And so, you continued to visit him in Neverland, even against your parents' wishes.

As you spend more time together with Peter you two become close friends, much to your parents' disapproval. Sherlock warned you of the dangers of trusting a trickster like Peter, while Regina feared that he would lead you down a dark path.

“I can't believe you're actually considering this Y/n,”Sherlock paced back and forth in the living room of their Storybrooke home.

"But, Father, Peter isn't like what you think he is. He's misunderstood, and he just needs someone to show him the right path," you pleaded, trying to convince your father.

Regina intervened, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. "Sherlock, let her make her own choices. Love has a way of changing people for the better."

Sherlock sighed, his eyes reflecting concern. "Fine, but be cautious. Don't let your feelings blind you to the truth."

With determination in your eyes, you nodded. "I won't, I promise."

As you made your way to Neverland to meet Peter, you could already sense his mischievous grin awaiting you.

"Hey love, I missed you," Peter greeted you with a smile and kiss.

"I missed you too, Peter," you replied, your heart fluttering with joy.

The conversations were filled with laughter, banter, and moments of vulnerability. As you both shared dreams and fears with each other, the bond grew stronger with each passing day.

Peter and you sat by the fire in Neverland, you took Peter's hand in yours. “Peter, I love you. And I believe in us."

Peter's eyes softened, his expression reflecting a mix of surprise and affection. "I love you too, Y/n. More than anything in this world."

Together, the two of them faced the challenges that came in way, united in your love and determination to defy the odds stacked against them.

"I never thought I'd find someone like you. Someone who sees me for who I am, flaws and all," Peter whispered, his gaze filled with adoration.

"And I never thought I'd find someone like you, Peter. Someone who brings out the best in me and makes me believe in magic," a smile lighting up your face.

In that moment, as you both held each other close, you both knew that your love was something special, something worth fighting for.

And so, your and Peter's love story continued to unfold, filled with adventure, magic, and the unwavering bond between two souls destined to be together.

“Peter, I know our love may face challenges, but I believe in us. Together, we can overcome anything," you expressed boldly, your eyes filled with determination.

Peter's gaze softened, his heart swelling with affection for you. "I believe in us too. With you by my side, I feel like I can conquer the world."

The love continued to blossom, strong and unyielding, as you and him navigated the complexities of yours and his different worlds.With each obstacle you both faced, you two only grew closer, the bond deepening with every shared moment.

One day, as they were strolling hand in hand through the enchanted forest, Peter turned to You with a twinkle in his eye. "Do you trust me, love?"

You nodded, your heart racing with anticipation. "Always, Peter."

With a mischievous grin, Peter swept your off your feet and took to the skies, flying high above the treetops. Laughter filled the air as the two of you soared through the clouds, reveling in the exhilarating freedom of love.

As you and Peter stood back on solid ground, you chuckled breathlessly. "That was amazing, Peter. I never knew flying could be so magical."

Peter gazed at you with adoration, his voice filled with emotion. "You make everything magical, I'm the luckiest boy in Neverland to have you by my side."

Your love story was a tale of mystery, adventure, and enchantment, defying all odds and proving that true love knows no boundaries. Together, you and Peter embraced the wonders of different worlds, united in a bond that would stand the test of time.

And as You and Peter looked towards the horizon, hand in hand, you both knew that your love would forever be the greatest adventure, filled with endless possibilities and boundless enchantment

As the years passed, Your and Peter's love only continued to deepen and strengthen. The two of you faced challenges and triumphs together, always supporting each other through thick and thin. And with every passing testament to the enduring power of love..

Peter and you sat together under the stars in Neverland, Peter looked at you] with a sense of resolve in his eyes.

"Y/n, I've been immortal for so long, but I want to spend the rest of my days growing old with you," Peter declared, his voice filled with sincerity.

You were taken aback by his words, your heart swelling with love and gratitude. "Peter, are you sure? You don't have to give up your immortality for me."

Peter took your hands in his, his grip firm and unwavering. "I've never been sure of anything in my life. With you, I've found something more valuable than eternal youth – a love that transcends time and space."

And so, with a look of determination on his face, Peter made the decision to relinquish his immortality and grow old alongside You As the years passed, the laughter lines and silver hair became a testament to the life that you both had shared and the love that had sustained you and him.

Determined to be together, You and Peter sought the help of your parents. Sherlock, being the logical thinker, advised them to find a way to break the curse of immortality that bound Peter to Neverland. Regina, on the other hand, used her magic to create a portal that would allow Peter to leave Neverland and visit you in the real world.

With the help of your parents, you and Peter were finally able to be together. You both explored the world, solving mysteries and using Peter's magic to help those in need. And as Peter and you grew older, the love only grew stronger.

And in that moment, as you both held hands and basked in the warmth of the shared memories, You and Peter knew that the love was a rare and precious gift, one that would last for all eternity.

After Peter and You decided to age together and live a mortal life, you both knew that the love was meant to stand the test of time. And so, Peter and you made the decision to get married in a magical ceremony that brought you both in the two worlds in a celebration of their love.

Surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones from both Storybrooke and Neverland, Peter and you exchanged vows that were as timeless as the love. As both Peter and you promised to cherish each other for all eternity, the hearts beat as one, filled with joy and devotion.

One year later, you and Peter received the most precious gift of all – twin boys, a testament to the love that you and Peter shared and the life that you and Peter had built together. The boys brought laughter, mischief, and boundless joy into your and Peter's lives, filling the home with the pitter-patter of tiny feet and the endless wonder of childhood.

As you both watched your sons grow and thrive, you and Peter knew that the love had only expanded with the arrival of your children. Together, you both raised your boys with love, kindness, and the same spirit of adventure that had brought Peter and you together in the first place.

Your family became a symbol of hope, unity, and unconditional love, a beacon of light in a world filled with darkness. And as you both looked at your sons, You and Peter knew that your legacy would live on through the next generation, carrying forward the magic and wonder of your love story for years to come.

And so you and Peter lived out your days in happiness and contentment, surrounded by the love of your family and the enduring bond that had brought you and Jim together. The love story was a testament to the power of love, faith, and the belief that true love can conquer all, even in the face of the greatest challenges.

Years went by, and you and Peter's love stood the test of time. You both lived happily ever after, proving that even the most unlikely of love stories can have a happy ending.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

hello! new follower of your blog! i just want to say before anything else, that i'm really sorry for your loss. i hope you will feel better soon. i am sure that your dog loves you so much. i wish you the best for your healing ❤️

this my first request, and it's going to be kinda detailed but i hope it's okay for you

can you please make some headcanons or mini-hcs of the m6 with a malfetto mc? a malfetto (according to The Young Elites book trilogy) is a person who has been afflicted by a deadly plague called the blood fever. mc is a survivor of the plague but they have strange markings on their skin or their eye/hair color changed from their original one. these markings made malfettos to be believed as cursed children because the people thought they were unnatural abominations sent by the gods. because people are evil, they often persecute malfettos and burn them at the stakes, stone them to death, and more execution methods. a malfetto is also gifted with supernatural abilities (fire manipulation, sensing of energies/emotions, teleportation, night vision, etc.), which makes them more scarier in the eyes of people.

i'm sorry if this is too long! but hopefully (if luck is by my side today) you will be able to write some hcs or mini-hcs about this. thank you! :)

The Arcana Mini-HCs: MC is a Malfetto

~ I have no idea what this book trilogy is, so please forgive me if I got the concept wrong! Hope you enjoy these! ^.^ ~

Julian: strongly values your ties to your humanity and, if it's something you want, will dedicate his life to reversing the effects of the blood fever so you can have a normal life. never judges you either way, and is always quick to remind you that you loves you for you

Asra: always happy to use their magical expertise to help you work with your supernatural abilities. they're well-versed in glamour spells to help you move around, but would ultimately love to travel with you until you find a community where you can safely live as yourself

Nadia: admires the survivor's strength you have and wants to empower you to use your abilities for good, while she uses her position as a social leader to effect change on the stigma around malfettos. deeply proud to be seen as your partner in public

Muriel: also knows what it's like to be feared and cast out for his appearance and physical abilities. shares common ground with your experience and is happy to give you a life of peace in the woods with him. fiercely protective of your safety and emotional well being

Portia: genuinely thinks that you are the coolest person alive. you survived a terrible illness, got awesome powers because of it, and a free makeover? she never discounts your suffering, but she wants people to see you as she does and will build a community around you

Lucio: he's not going to lie, he was harboring his own bias against you at first until you were able to prove him wrong. now he uses his own learning experience to challenge other people's assumptions. he'd be lying if he said he never brags about your abilities, though ...

[wildmrmix]

Shut up shut up shut up I’m actually thinking about the mlp au. This is not how i expected to spend my night, jesus 😭

Saying stuff below the cut cause I hate having super long texts on my blog if I can shorten them

So!! In G4 mlp, unicorns were the super pretty ones, with jewelry and honestly who didn’t grow up being told unicorns were beautiful. However!! In G5, it’s the pegasi that are seen as beautiful with their fluffy/ elegant wings. I want Soda to be the prettiest dude ever so I’m debating between the two. It would also likely decide which ones Darry and Ponyboy would be. I’m leaning towards pegasi honestly, cause: Darry could use his wings while working on roofs and Pb could use it for track. So Curtis bros are probably decided. Maybe Mrs. Curtis was an earth pony and she met Mr. Curtis when he moved down from Cloudstale (though it’ll depend on the generation this will be set in)

Dally changeling is so interesting to me I’m sorry. Like the concept of feeding off other peoples love and shapeshifting into anything is something i feel fits Dally??? Like, maybe New York was the hive, and he somehow escaped and is living off chaos. Literally. He picks up broads to feed off their love, then moves onto the next one. Idk if he’d get the redeem transformation. Maybe when he goes to help Pony and Johnny with the church fire? If i have that? Or maybe he’s able to find some kind of alternative so he’s not just starving all the time. Or maybe he’s a hippogriff that moved away from Mount Aris

I’m kinda 50/50 on my changeling Shepard siblings idea. I think they’d be good as ponies. Maybe unicorns and they use their magic to get away with stuff. Unicorns in G4 can only study one kind of magic relating to their cutie mark (unless their cutie mark is magic, ex: Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer), so maybe they learn their own stuff. Maybe they use unconventional spells or mix stuff together to get outcomes that appeal to them and nobody else

I think earth pony Two-Bit would be fun, y’know, give him the world bending powers of Pinkie Pie and set him free. Lotsa earth ponies seem to work on farms or food growing jobs, likely because of how close they are with nature in comparison to the other pony species, so they’re generally physically stronger. So maybe Two-Bit is a mix of the two, strong and silly. He loves to make people laugh and he’s able to deliver a mean kick

Earth pony Steve interests me as well. Maybe his dad’s a pegasus/ unicorn but his mother wasn’t and he was born an earth pony. Maybe his dad found it pathetic that his son was plain or something. Maybe Steve threw himself into anything he could to prove his dad wrong. Maybe he’s unnaturally good at stuff, cutie mark assistance or otherwise. He has magic flowing through him, but not enough to be recognized as a unicorn, more like extreme luck in things?

I think pegasus Johnny would be neat. He’d sleep on clouds to try and avoid his parents, and then maybe that’s how he met Ponyboy or Dally (as changelings can fly too). His parents still hate him, but he doesn’t feel like someone completely useless since pegasi have a lot of natural perks. Like sleeping on clouds, being able to create tornadoes with enough speed, the ability to make a sonic rainboom, etc. He has all this, yet he’s still a blank flank. It haunts him, the fact that he’s apparently good at nothing. That he somehow still hasn’t found his calling. It eats at him constantly, but he’s learnt to live with it. To walk with his wings covering his flank as a way to hide what isn’t there from the world. Maybe he ain’t too good at flying, maybe during the jumping that super traumatized him in the book, the socs messed up his wings, and now he can’t exactly fly right or for too long?

[defiedlife]

HC: AVENTURINE ; BLESSED BY...?

Sunday: "Do the Avgins have any ability to read, tamper with, or manipulate one's own or another's mind?" Aventurine: No. Does it matter?

Contrary to what the interrogation scene told us at first glance, I will be keeping my headcanon that Aventurine's eyes are capable of hypnotizing another person.

I can't recall if I've stated the caveats to this on my blog or just in dms to a few people ooc, so I'll put them here now for clarity's sake. These stipulations are in place to prevent godmodding ooc, as well as an ic choice: Aventurine's eyes are capable of hypnotizing someone if and when he chooses, but only if the ability is utilized deliberately and alongside a verbal command or commands, and eye contact is maintained while a command is given. As a personal rule of his, he detests this ability and uses it sparingly; usually only if he feels he has no choice or if his target gives him informed consent.

During the interrogation, Aventurine denies that Avgins—as in, all Avgins in general, because Sunday kept the question broad—have any kind of ability to read or manipulate another person's mind. It's my take on it that Aventurine's answer was just barely technically true, but also not the full truth either. Not all Avgins have or had such an ability, but he does, and I'd go so far as to speculate that Sunday understands that as well after asking the question, given the way he visibly reacts to the answer. The devs and animators of hsr use body language extensively to help tell the story when possible, and this was one of those times.

Sunday's expression and mannerisms were fairly neutral during the questioning process until that answer, which tells me it was the first answer that at least came close to a lie, with Sunday's subtle nod and sudden smug expression very much reading as a nonverbal "gotcha" moment in my opinion.

Thus, working under the assumption that Aventurine alone has that kind of ability, it stands to reason that it's actually part of his blessing from Gaiathra Triclops. The story tells us repeatedly that he is blessed by her, and that her gift to him is the source of his uncanny good luck. Directly from his younger self, we also learn that "pretty eyes are a gift from Mama Fenge," aka Gaiathra, as told to him by his older sister.

I may be reading too much into it, but that almost—almost—sounds to me as if his eyes are a rarity even among Avgins, and that if we were to ever see full art of any member of his family up close with their eyes visible, his eyes would not match theirs. (Slight supporting tangent worth noting—he's extremely sentimental, going to great lengths to keep the good luck charm from his mother and his father's old shirt, yet not once does he liken his eyes to either of theirs in remembrance.)

Therefore, his eyes are a physical representation of his blessing, a direct gift from Gaiathra, and grant him the ability to directly manipulate another person if he so chooses. If you've seen some of the popular theories surrounding Aventurine lately, you've probably already guessed where I'm going with this. Until further notice (aka until canon proves me wrong), I will be adhering to theory that Gaiathra Triclops is/was actually Ena, the Aeon of Order.

Ena is described as a control freak, and though ancient civilizations often flourished under them, those same civilizations and planets would always shine brightly and briefly before an inevitable total collapse into ruin. (Sigonia, anyone?)

Not only that, but the eye that physically represents Ena (because the rest is just a puppet that they control) is a perfect match to Aventurine's own eyes. It's uncanny, just like his luck. At first glance, the concepts of "luck" and "order" could be viewed as total opposites—luck is completely random, in theory. But from a different perspective, when so much of life itself is random except for the predetermined end of death, an unnatural degree of luck conversely brings a certain level of order and certainty to it all, if only in the wielder's favor.

If this "blessing" ultimately comes from Ena, I could even go so far as to say that Aventurine is an Emanator of Order and simply isn't aware of it. It would explain his eyes, the ability he possesses through them, and his luck.

Also worth noting, before I wrap this post up—in the very first flashback scene of Aventurine's pov during 2.1, his mother lets a little something slip, referring to him as "a gift from THEM to Avgin," and still presumably referring to Gaiathra with the all-caps pronoun. If Gaiathra can referred to as both "SHE" and "THEM," that makes her sound a lot like an Aeon, doesn't it? Food for thought.

[sapphire-weapon]

They are waiting for 6 remakes to prove to you that you were wrong.

imagine having so little going on in your life that you're sitting around waiting for a game that won't come out for at least five years because someone on the internet made you feel insecure about whether a fictional relationship will be portrayed a certain way in a video game.

like, dude. these mfs think way more about me than i ever think about them or their ship. because, at the end of the day, i don't really care.

aeon's been a feature of RE's canon for 26 years, and it hasn't impeded my love for or enjoyment of the games. if aeon continues to be canon, then nothing in my life will have changed. i'm not going to get upset about something being the same way it's always been. it doesn't matter. RE will still be the same series i've always loved.

all i'm doing over here on this blog is interpreting the games' stories as they were written and providing analysis with evidence based in the text itself. that's why i have a giant wall of text post defending leon and ada's relationship as it's portrayed in OG -- because that's what the story is.

me liking or disliking the relationship has no bearing as to whether or not the relationship is canonically romantic. i don't have to like something for it to be true. and the fact is -- the truth is -- that for a majority of OG RE's runtime, leon and ada have a romantically coded relationship. and so i interpret it and analyze it that way, because that's what it is.

the fact also remains, however, that their relationship is no longer romantically coded in the remakes' version of events. and i'm not saying that because i dislike the relationship. clearly, as evidenced above, if the relationship was portrayed as romantic, i would treat and talk about it that way, regardless of whether i liked it or not. i'm saying that leon and ada's relationship is no longer romantically coded in the remakes' version of events because that's how the story is told.

and if that's upsetting for you (ubiquitous "you"), then maybe you should take it up with capcom's division 1 studio, because they're the ones writing the story. i didn't write the fucking story.

and, not for nothing, but like

i'm also wrong all the fucking time. i was wrong in predicting a wesker boss fight in SW. i was wrong in predicting more DLC coming for RE4make. i was wrong with my initial reading of remake ada from just base RE4make alone, and SW rendered all of my prior meta about her completely worthless.

and if i turn out to be wrong about aeon, i'm not going to be upset. i'm just going to add it to the list of shit i've been wrong about and move on with my life and continue analyzing the text with the new information we've been given.

but they keep trying to drag me into their ship wars as though i give a shit, and i don't. i don't fucking care about what ship is fucking canon, bro. i care about digging into the text and accurately interpreting the story because that's how i personally have fun in a fandom. it's not about the ship, for me. it's about the story.

like, eagleone isn't my only ship. it's not like i'm sitting over here concocting ways to twist the narrative in such a way that it looks like my ship is canon. i fucking ship leon with five other goddamn characters. and yet you don't see me making a case for any of those other ships being intended romances.

RE also isn't my only fandom. i play and talk about and care about other things and the industry in general all the time. i don't care about any of this RE ship shit nearly as much as they do, because i'm busy doing and caring about other things.

it's just so stupid, man. it doesn't matter. none of this matters. and it still won't matter when RE6make comes out.

we're all just trying to have fun here, and what i'm doing here on this blog, i do for myself. for my own fun. because this is how i have fun in fandom. it should have absolutely no bearing on anyone else's ability to have fun in the fandom -- and, if it does, then that person needs to stop fucking looking at my blog.

because none of this matters.

you know

i keep begging aeons to play other games, and this is exactly why.

[epithet-beloved]

scuttles in here with mr. krabs noises. could you possibly do some romantic stuff with dan gansley? i love my unlucky boy very much but there’s literally nothing for him and seeing him in the master list got me so excited.

DAN GANSLEY DATING HEADCANONS

synopsis… headcanons about dating dan gansley!

ft. dan gansley, mera salamin (mentioned), indus tarbella (mentioned)

tags… epithet erased spoilers, relationship study

word count… 822

a/n… seeing this ask in the morning genuinely woke me up grinning and delighted like THIS is the reason we made this blog!! i humbly offer you food – do enjoy!! (i think my excitement is obvious…) ✧ 🦝

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 You are God’s strongest soldier.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Dan is a good guy, honestly, but he’s also consistently dangerous to be around for a variety of reasons. (Mostly the horrific luck.  The crime too.)

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 I can just imagine him trying to rizz you up and then when he goes to lean on the wall he falls over, and then falls down the stairs that are conveniently there as you watch, dumbfounded.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 He fancies himself a smooth-talker, but he is sweating BULLETS anytime he’s confronted with having to have a conversation with you he’s a WRECCKKKKK.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 I imagine he’ll fall for you because you almost seem to cancel out his bad luck.  You remember his keys, help him out when he’s using his abilities, and you wait for him, never straying too far ahead.

You watch as Dan pats his pockets, brow furrowing and moustache moving as he scrunches his face in realisation.  As he’s about to lament loudly for everyone to hear about how he lost his keys, you swoop in like an angel and take his hand, leaving the item in his palm.  He stares at them as you simply walk away, then he looks up at you.  For once, Dan Gansley is shocked into silence.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 You’re kind of his blessing in disguise, and everyone can kind of tell his soft spot for you.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Despite this… when he’s actually in the process of falling in love, he’s a bit stuck by a river in Egypt for a hot second.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 It probably takes someone like Mera or Indus to mention how obvious the crushing is, or already congratulating him on a relationship that doesn’t exist yet.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Being the easily flustered guy he is, he’d sputter and insist that they’re dead wrong, but the deadpan or blank look he gets in response makes him realise he probably has to think deeper about what you two are.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 UGH, can you imagine his confession??  He probably tries to create this grand gesture of affection for you and it’s all on fire (literally) by the end of it.  He’s convinced he’s ruined it.  And yet you just take his hand???  And return his feelings??????  Dan Gansley could die right now and he’d die the happiest man on the planet.

It’s over.  Well and truly over.  Dan stares on in horror at the display he had prepared for you in flames.  It had been going so well, too well, and it just had to go wrong while you’re standing in front of him. “Ah– d-don’t look!  Listen, I have another thing to show you; something, uh, better!”  He insists, the wild magic already manifesting in his hands.  “I’ll do something, prove I’m worthy of your…” He trails off when your hand takes his, and the magic vanishes into the air as you meet.  Dan glances up at you questioningly before noticing the amusement shining in your eyes and the gentle smile you give him. He understands, and he returns with a lopsided grin of his own.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 That post like “if i had a lame ass boyfriend i would hype him so much”???  Yeah that’s the dynamic.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Omgggg you’re like those parents who are so affectionate with one another it makes the children (Mera) groan loudly and crave death.

“Mera, if you do not take care of the paperwork, Dan Gansley over here, ah, is gonna hit on his beautiful partner in front of you for all to see—” ”OH GOD NO FINE I'M DOING IT I’M DOING IT.”

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 (Credit to 🦇 for that one.)

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 You are the richest person in the world, if you count your Gansley bucks.  (However, this dumbass does expect payment with them for kisses.)

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Talks big and hits on you, but shoot right back with flirtation of your own and he’s down for the count god rest his soul.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 You’re introduced with your surname being Gansley at least once.  At LEAST.  He can be so confident at the most inconsistent moments.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 When people ask about your relationship he likes to weave tales about how he’s your daring hero and you depend on him and his power.  Please butt in with the truth and you’ll bear witness to this man beet red in the face.

“Ahhh, you should’ve been there!”  Dan laughs, as if remembering a fond memory.  “There was a pit, right in the middle of the railroad, and though I was at my wit’s end, I saved my dearest with a—” “Hold on.  Weren’t you half-covered in gold for that entire chase?”  You, passing by, interrupt.  Dan pauses, and drops his head down as the other begins to laugh while you tell the real story.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 He’s slightly afraid of endangering your life, what with his bad luck.  He’d hate to lose you.  Where would he be without his angel?!  (Which, actually, became his favourite nickname for you.)

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Ugh I wrote so much for this i love him too much.  Live laugh love Dander Fun Gansley. 

[motherthroat]

ok see now i'm gonna go down the list again n send u a novel bc quite frankly i'm relentless n want to know wht three emojis u wouldn’t give me + clown around Together 😇

🍪 - this is a given and my motivation behind handcuffing us together for all of eternity duhhh<3

💥 - this is visible to anyone with eyes but i do understand tht it may be nice to hear so yes mori ur layout is very pleasing 👍

🚬 - you Are cool, n perhaps intimidatingly so, but not to me bc you’ve been soft w me before n even tho you're taller.. in my heart, you're my height. or shorter :3

🍜 - see i can’t say this bc i feel like ur skills cannot be imitated bc wht infuses such flavor into ur work is the fact tht it comes from You n it has ur heart in it. so. i will leave all of tht to you n all of the fawning n rabid cheerleading to me 😌

🧠 - yes i learn that there are indeed intelligent life forms out there which is always reassuring and desperately needed in these dark times amen 🙏

suddenly blind and unable to read idk wht the next emoji is omg 404 blue screen of death currently buffering only to finally load…..

🍧 - yes. u are. n i remember sometimes going “omgggg am i special… seeing the soft underside… 🥹👉👈” heheheheheh but again this is jus a Given like. nods at u

🧢 - see idk if i have the proper qualifications to determine whether or not ur a Bro and i would hate to be misdiagnosing out here 😞

🫀 - ok so see the thing abt this one is tht i’m actually a goodie two shoes tht can’t fight n has nonexistent arm strength so this whole killing someone n digging a grave thing would have to perhaps fall to u like . it’s almost a cannibal au situation except we’re not eating them yk? 🫶 but i would offer emotional support ofc n a moist towelette to wipe the blood off. sooo ride or die as in that + i'm your chihuahua guard dog tht would bite anyone's ankle <3 (but this is also a given bc again: the handcuffs. would i cuff us if we weren't ride or dies? exactly.)

🗣 - the thing abt this one is i’d be happy tht ur out there thriving living ur life or i’d assume tht u were here but deleted ur posts before i woke up / logged in bc the alternative would also kill me immediately </3

the only time i’d ever send u a tomato is if i were gently placing one in ur hand bc we were in the kitchen cooking something delicious n u asked me to get u one :) peace n luv on planet earth

i made tht small text n it's still long as hell . rip

𝄢 hey 😎

🍪 ─ u're v fascinating n i mean that. even if u do smth incredibly weird that'll annoy me i'd still go hmm i can fix them. or not bc i'll most likely be knee-deep joining u on wtvr u're doing. u make my ti-dom...... ti-domming

💥 ─ the fact that i'm ur moot rn is prove bc ppl w horrid sense of aesthetic just existing piss me off

🫂 ─ a given. in fact, u can bring up the most outta nowhere, embarassing topic n i won't ever think fuck this lil weirdo asking me stupid shit. tho if it's trivial matters like a post reminding me of u, i prefer to interact publicly. for no rzn................

🚬 ─ no ♡ u are cool... the way i find will byers cool. unintimidatingly so. n the fact that i'm shorter in ur heart is actually sickening to read ngl. this is us denise, this is how we look side by side ↓ 1.) i can rest my chin on top of ur head 2.) if i'm any shorter then we'd both be chihuahua material which is wrong

🍜 ─ ur ability to befriend anyone quick n be generally likable instead of mr. oversuspicious who yells at anybody stepping on his lawn due to a few bad experiences x

❤️‍🔥 ─ do i need to say anyth. c'mon. c'mon. everytime i log in, i wonder what's denise gonna say today abt raggedy ass ppl n what cute stuff is denise gonna come up w. u helplessly dying on the floor due to ur lactose intolerance for the 5th time is Content. atp i'm an enjoyer of a whole denise* not just denise the st blog

🧠 ─ maybe. not necessarily learning new things but being reassured that smone hasn't forgotten the thing

─ ok? i was making a creamy red sauce rigatoni w flan as dessert n u gotta pay the kiss the cook toll to even get the flan i put on the upper shelf but ig smone is full. more for me 🙄

🍧 ─ another given. n here's the thing: i don't like it when ppl get 💗💞💓💕💖-coddly w me. s not inherently bad, just that a lot of em expect u to match energies/respond similarly which is. i don't do that. n i don't like how fragile sm mutualships can be over it. but i don't mind u barfing ur love all over my activity partly bc ik uk how i am n none of my painstaking push n pull will deter u + it's U. that's it

🧢 ─ pft no. never even crossed my mind. u hv ZERO bro energy

🫀─ i knew u have the arm strength of soggy fries so i alrd fully assigned myself to do the brute work yes. on a srs note, u're my Friend friend. now me making a distinction between a friend n a Friend friend seems terrible but the latter isn't just existing in the same space peacefully, no, i wanna get to a point where u n i fight over small things n make up 5 mins later. i want us to bonk e/o on the heads. i want sm henpecking going on when necessary. ik u can be relied on for that level of #trust

❤️‍🩹 ─ *n this is why i wanna meet u irl. i want this so bad it's actually embarassing

🗣 ─ yes but if u're enjoying life away from this lawless wasteland n its chronically online weirdos i can do nothing but let u be. get that fresh O². touch that grass

🍅 ─ why the hell would i give u this. why. not in a million yrs. unless... ☹ peace n luv on planet earth indeed. later i'm peeling chilled fruits n sharing it w u on the front porch as we watch the sun set alongside édith piaf's hymne à l'amour

[thankfulguy]

Using Tumblr for note-taking

I am the kind of person that takes notes in a haphazard, but frequent way. On average, on my phone, I add to or create 1-2 notes. If we count journal entries on my work computer, that goes up to maybe 3-4 notes a day on average.

My problem is not generating ideas, but ensuring that if I have the same idea twice, I don't accidentally write it twice.

This is similar to Joe Armstrong's talk at strange loop a few years ago, "The Mess We're In". I need a note reducing system.

Naturally, I looked into Zettelkasten, and nominally I still use it using Protesilaos Stavrou's excellent Denote package for Emacs. But when it comes to the linking process, it is really difficult for me to link the notes meaningfully. I have a feeling that this is why Luhmann was a genius and I am not. Perhaps I should reread How to take Smart Notes.

But Luhmann didn't think of himself as a genius. He said so repeatedly, and he likely thought that because he was following what was to him a pretty mechanical process. It just takes a lot of focus. I suppose this gives credence to the notion that genius is almost always the manifestation of one's ability to focus, and the degree of genius is proportional to the degree to which a person is able to focus.

I wonder if, however, what John Carmack talks about in his Facebook deep thoughts talk is related to this. That is, difficulty in refactoring notes is mostly the emotional attachment we have to our ideas.

Actually, I think it might be even deeper than that. There are lots of notes that start off small, but it feels like I'm just on a role and keep writing. (Is this blog post like that?) But atomic notes that make Zettelkasten go are the opposite of such a writing. However, the truth that I submit to suggests that Truth is static and stable. The Truth employed in a long essay is the same as the Truth encoded in a set of atomic notes that are linked together. So why do I find it so difficult to refactor a long, meandering journal-essay-idea-investigation into a set of reusable atomic notes?

The problem is two-edged. There is the doubt that doing so will yield atomized notes that are comprehensible at all, and then if the atomized notes aren't comprehensible, doesn't that mean that the essay's presuppositions are wrong via Occam's Razor?

There is also the difficulty of knowing at what level of analysis the notes should be atomized. Should a note title be a sentence? A single word? An assertion? A question?

At one point, I started putting tags on the notes in order to categorize them based on how confident I was that they were actually true, but that ended up being just as discouraging, and also difficult to stay consistent with.

Lastly, there was always the issue of personal duplicity. There would be days that I would think that a certain note contained a statement that was insightfully true. Then another day, after some strange experience, that note's truthfulness was cast into doubt.

But objective reality is objective reality? Innit? Well, yes, but that's not the issue here. While I believe by faith that objective reality exists, I have no way of proving this. My senses are not totally trustworthy. They're probably less than 99.999% trustworthy, which means at least 1 out of every 100,000 perceptions of mine are totally inaccurate. (What exactly a perception is is another discussion.) It's probably closer to 99.99%, actually. The reality-homunculus in my head, that is, my model of reality, is only accurate to a point. While I hope that it is convergent towards 100% accuracy, the simple truth is that any analog system has noise, and the brain is, I think, an analog system in the most literal sense.

Clearly, if a note that seems obviously true one day seems obviously false (or at least problematic) some other day, what do I do? Occam's razor would say, disabuse yourself of such tenuous "truths". Delete the note. Get rid of it. It's holding back better, even more obvious truths that might bolster the 99.9% of your perceived reality that hasn't changed.

Maybe that's why there were times where I felt like I was going insane: I was choosing to hold on to the tenuous 0.1% at the expense of the 99.9%.

-.-.-.

However, that leads to an interesting Question. With a capital Q.

"What if I told you that everything you believe is a lie, that everything you think is real, is fake, and everything you perceive as true, is false?" Matrix style.

The question then becomes, what subset of reality is necessary for survival? But that also presupposes that survival is a more fundamental good than the things in question.

How quickly can you rebuild your system of perception to a point where it presents a similar interface to the objective institutions that you, in some part of your soul, care about (society is what I'm thinking of in particular), so that you can effectively continue caring about them and enjoying them? I think this is sort of what Jordan Peterson was doing when he was in college, as he writes about in Maps of Meaning. I sort of think that this is what I was doing during my last job, when the only salient emotion I remember of that time was depression on the brink of despair, realizing that the job to which I was shackled for 8 hours every day was likely a net negative on society.

Questions like these invalidate the previous section if we assume that objective reality exists outside perceptive reality of our minds, and we subordinate perceptive reality's consistency to objective reality. What if you do need to risk the 99.9% if the 0.1% presents enough reason to claim that it is correct and the 99.9% is incorrect.

What kept me partially sane during that time were a few simple propositions:

God is Real

There is profit in all work

You don't know everything

Maybe you're just being proud and arrogant for questioning the system. Wait and see.

what I see now is that I was holding out at that job for something better for myself. I was resistant to asking questions because everyone seemed so busy. Wasn't I hired to be a help?

I had a lot of fear during that time. I was glad that I had a well-paying job, and I was afraid that life would become too difficult and that others' expectations of me would be squashed, and that who I wanted to be before others (as a good example) would be called into question. And I still can't decide if this was mostly pride or mostly humility.

Anyway... I'm not making any progress on this line of reasoning. And I didn't think I would really, but it needs to be stated in some canonical form. Of course, there are so many problems with how I've stated it; it's not very objective, and my biases are bleeding through these paragraphs still.

-.-.-.

Nonetheless, this is about belief in one's work and ability. I think the end conclusion is that truly, I don't know much. Each atomic note isn't created in service of building a system of truth for myself, but rather in hopes of revealing the objective Truth of reality. The moment it starts smelling untrue, I might see if it can be reworded without too many problems, but deleting it is probably the right course of action.

Yeah, refactoring a zettelkasten is a big project. Deleting a note or changing a note means potentially changing dozens of other notes.

As such, a very real question is about whether or not I should pursue a zettelkasten style in the first place. Do I find it fun like a hobby, or is it part of my "Christian Duty"? It's definitely not part of my duty as a Christian. I would be hoping to be able to write essays, keep track of ideas, and conceptually support my arguments.

But most of the time, conceptually supporting arguments lies in the realm of logical reasoning and mathematics. So maybe zettelkasten will work so long as each statement and idea is in some way linked via a logical or mathematically modeled relationship. Maybe we need typed edges between nodes in the zettelkasten?

[pietrasgreeklitblog]

Reflections on a Year of Reading Greek Literature

This year I have read: Greek Gods, Human Lives by Mary Lefkowitz; Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller; and Circe by Madeline Miller.

Each book has described the setting of Ancient Greece in its own distinct way. I have learned specifically about Mount Pelion in “Song Of Achilles” by Madeline Miller, I found out that It’s composed of a river with cool and mossy rocks on the bottom, with fishes that the book refers to as “loaches, vimbas, and perch”, that usually hide in muddy holes or quieter waters upstream when they are frightened. The summer is also described as harsh: “The sun bore down on me, hot and hard in the summer sky”. However, it also snows hard in the cold winter as well, to the point where the river would freeze, which was new to me, I wasn’t aware that Greece was a four-season country,  I had always assumed it didn’t snow, and it would just be a little bit cooler around the winter time.  Mount Pelion is also composed of several mountains.

I also became very aware of Greek history, which I had always been interested in, and also why I chose Greece in the first place. I have always been curious about Greek mythology and the reading/blog project was a perfect opportunity for me to begin learning. In “Greek Gods, Human Lives” by Mary Lefkowitz, I was surprised by her interpretation of the gods, I remember specifically learning about Zeus, and how he’s depicted as powerful but blunt and indifferent towards humans and their problems. In “Song Of Achilles”, the story talks about the Trojan War from the point of view of Patroclus, with the Trojan War itself beginning because of a Trojan Priest wanting to free his daughter from Agemmenon (The leader of the army). As a consequence of his refusal, Apollo sends a plague until Agemmemnon agrees to give back the hostage. As a result, Agamemnon is extremely upset with this, and he ends up taking one of Achilles’ dear friends.

In “Circe” by Madeline Miller, I learned about the different societal standards between men and women. I wasn’t able to read most of the book, however, I believe the story mentions issues with themes of misogyny, how many men are praised for the same things women are looked down on, and how women are seen as less significant just because of their gender regardless if they accomplish the same things as their male peers. Regarding cultural foods, in “Song Of Achilles”, there was a reoccurring theme with figs, with possible symbolic significance towards it. I believe the figs reflect Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship throughout the story.

In “Greek Gods, Human Lives”, I learned how you can use many of these mythological stories about the gods in your own life, and learn a lesson from each story. In “Song Of Achilles”, I learned how you shouldn’t let power blind you, and remember the significant connections you have had between the people you love before it’s too late. In “Circe”, I learned that you should never let other people drag you down, and always be confident in your ability to achieve incredible things to prove them wrong.

This project has opened my eyes to several things, I was able to fall in love with reading again, and this project was the push I needed to break that cycle of procrastination. I was also happy I could get creative with the posters that were assigned, I love drawing and I’m glad I had the opportunity to get in touch with my creative side. Overall, this project has taught me so much about myself and Greece, and how important it is to apply each lesson I read about in my own life.

Word Count: 603

[meditationsbyalma]

The intention behind why you do what you do.

I have a very wild tendency to align my life and "work hard" on myself. That includes plotting a plan that involves a bunch of habits and routines that I must commit to in order to measure my progress and success over a particular period of time. whether it is going to the gym five times a week, sticking to my diet, or even writing this blog on a weekly basis.

In the presence of any perturbation in my life, if someone very precious to me passes away or something negative takes place out of my zone of control, I take all of the sadness and grief into my routine of "self improvement" and use it as fuel in order to look back a few months on that moment and feel proud that I managed to walk out of it with progress and value instead of being vengeful and resentful towards what "happened to me".

Lately, I have been meditating on this belief of mine, and I'm starting to realise the flaws that it hides in its shining purity of wisdom and positivity.

To meditate on one’s actions, to take a step back and study your own patterns, is leverage that could save you years of making the same repetitive mistakes in life and give you a better approach to taking decisions in the future (aside from a lot of other benefits). Self-consciousness (a personality trait that could be interpreted as the ability to be mindful of one’s actions and the intention behind them) is a quality that could be developed and worked on throughout the years, but it only starts by taking matters from a broader perspective and questioning the intervention of your actions and beliefs into the scenarios that you repeatedly find yourself a part of, whether negative or positive (asking oneself, "How did I end up being here? or what can I learn from that person's experience to avoid finding myself in their shoes in the future?").

But this is not why I’m writing this blog. Behind self-consciousness and awareness (after you manage to identify what you have done wrong or why you keep on doing whatever you are doing, "the patterns"), there is an aspect of purifying your intentions and setting a healthy basis for your future plans in order to achieve them while maintaining the ethical and cleansing spiritual aspect of you as a human being.

It is good to aim for self-improvement and work on one’s flaws. But it is extremely unhealthy for you to do so as a way to take revenge on someone for letting you down or breaking up with you. Or to prove a member of your family wrong for not believing in your dreams and not supporting you when you needed that support. Or to fill that void of feeling that you do not deserve to be where you are or that you will not be able to achieve your goals (imposter syndrome).

The reason why I am writing this blog is that it took me a lot of time to understand the importance and sensitivity of the intention behind our goals and vision. Nothing fuels me to start working on myself more than the grief as a consequence of the deaths of those who were close to me. Nothing fuels me more to be a better student than being rejected in a group for a project related to my studies because of my mediocre skills in my field. Nothing fuels my need to be ethical and spiritual more than my deep knowledge and belief that I can deviate and become a very dark and vengeful person (those tendencies are deeply rooted in me, just like every man who has the clarity within himself to admit to their presence in his own character).

In a study that was conducted, they found that the three most common traits of highly successful people are:

superiority complex: a deeply rooted belief that one’s value, achievements, and actions are more valuable than others. As well as a highly unjustified sense of deserving.

Insecurity: something to cover and hide from the world

Impulse control: the difficulty of setting a limit to one’s behaviours and patterns

I guess whatever I’m trying to say is that you can be successful even by the standards that you set for yourself (or others set for you) at the beginning of your journey of self-improvement. But that is definitely not a neutral indicator of your level of spiritual and healthy progress as a soul living a human physical experience.

Ask yourself the following: Would you rather be where you want to be and still hold to the grudge that you have towards whatever happened to you? Or would you rather be successful by your own standards while making sure that the intention behind your actions comes from a place of love and abundance?

Take a step back and meditate on whatever happened to you. You probably know exactly what unhealthy dark shadow you’re still holding on to in order to justify whatever fucked-up situation you are part of at this moment or whatever sort of revenge you will be taking in order to bring "justice" into the world. Work on that sensation and spend as much time as needed on addressing it and making peace with whatever happened. Realise that it’s not your fault and decide voluntarily that you will move on from it without holding grudges or harbouring dark feelings. The process is not as easy as it sounds, of course. But it could save you years of unjustified pain, and it would set you free from the mental blocks you've set for yourself.

In the future, when you decide to pursue a passion or aim for something meaningful, ask yourself, Why do I want to do this? Is the intention behind it coming from a place of love, or do I need to work on that part of me that refuses to let go and chooses fear instead of love? Am I doing this for myself? Or do I want to prove someone wrong? Will I be satisfied if I do not reach that goal? or does all my value and self-esteem hang on reaching it?

Maybe when I write this sentence, it is more directed to myself (Yassine) than to any of you. But I hope you realise and, most importantly, hold on to the belief that you can be who you want to be while maintaining your pure, loving essence along your journey.

Yassine Said.

Comments from the writer:

1- I tried to find the accurate resources for the study that was mentioned, but I could not find them. Nevertheless, I take the words of Alex Hormozi seriously, and I trust that he would build his opinion on a scientific basis.

2- The topic of intention goes way deeper than our physical dimensions. Intention is your use of will, the manifestation of your consciousness into the world, and most importantly, the interpretation that you decide to adapt for your soul into its physical reality. Intention is fundamentally your spiritual gate for interacting with your world (it is very soon to write about this, but I will definitely do so!).

[nevis-the-skeleton]

Would Starscream make a good leader?

So today I'm going to answer a new question about Starscream. Yes I really like this character, so it's often on him that I do analyses X). Anyway ! The question is: Would Starscream make a good leader?

Here, I will answer on each series that I know, except RID15 since it's linked to TFP. So, I will be presenting on these series: G1, Animated, Prime, and Cyberverse.

*

G1:

First, the G1! So I honestly think yes, he could be a good leader. In Decepticon logic. Let me explain. Starscream is rather quite head-burned in this series, it's true, as well as a little oblivious sometimes (not to say often).

But that is what is expected of a soldier, and especially of the leader of the Seekers. If he doesn't set an example for his troops, it's not Thundercraker and Skywarp who will go into battle, very clearly…

The Decepticons need a leader who does not hesitate to fight, and Starscream never hesitates, he is even the first indignant when Megatron sounds the retreat. In fact, the G1 Starscream is the bravest of the Starscreams. The only thing that seems to scare him is Megatron (and still, not that much).

He proved himself capable of creating effective plans, and his scientific knowledge kept the Decepticons out of terrible trouble.

Also, I remember an episode where everything went wrong with the Decepticons, mainly because Megatron was not there, but also Starscream, because of Blitzwing and Astrotrain. And just because the leader and the SIC were absent it became a huge mess!

To summarize: Astrotrain created an army of trains, Blitzwing took a football field hostage, and the Constructicons created a large labyrinth, at the request of Blitzwing. And in the end, it ended in a general fight against Blitzwing and the Constructicons. While Astrotrain was flooding the city…

Starscream and Megatron were out for an hour maximum, and the other Decepticons had time to do all this disaster…

Also, some of those who reblogd my blog "Why Megatron keeps Starscream in his ranks" talked about a theory that said Megaton didn't kill Starscream, because he kept him always alert. And that if Starscream was able to defeat Megatron, that would mean the Seeker deserved the place of leader. Well, of course this is a theory that can clearly only work in the G1… In Prime, that would greatly surprise me, and let's not talk about the other series. But, in the G1, it could easly be true. It's in fact a really good theory.

But, therefore, that would mean that Megatron sees leadership potential in Starscream, otherwise he wouldn't give him a chance of living.

* Animated:

Next, let's see for Animated. So, I'll be honest: no, he clearly wouldn't make a good leader… I remind you that he isn't even capable of managing his clones…

And those are just parts of himself, so kind of like him. Plus, there are some that aren't necessarily insubordinate, but the original Starscream can't even handle those…

Imagine the carnage it would be with an entire army… Not to mention that as soon as Megatron “died” all the Decepticons jumped ship, leaving Starscream in the lurch… He's a strong fighter, but he hasn't really shown anything that proves any form of leadership abilities.

*

Prime:

Now let's see for the Starscream from Transformers Prime. So, my answer is simple: yes definitely! There's no doubt that he would make a good leader. In fact, the only thing stopping him from being one are his doubts and psychological issues, most of them because of Megatron.

Without Megatron, Starscream has proven to be far more capable and gifted. It's Megatron who blocking him, but in truth, he would surely make a better leader than him.

As a reminder, he lead the Decepticons for 3 years on Earth. He allowed them to have one of the most thriving energon mines, he didn't specifically mess with the Autobots for a long time, simply because it wasn't necessary. In fact, prior to Megatron's return, the Decepticon cause was doing extremely well. And even better.

Also, if Starscream led the Decepticons during Megatron's absence, it was because the latter asked him to. Megatron realizes that Starscream is capable of leading, if he wasn't, he would never have given him leadership. Whatever Megatron says afterwards, telling him that Starscream mishandled things. It was clearly a lie to belittle Starscream, so that the latter would lose the self-confidence he had regained during the absence of the leader of the Decepticons.

But it could also indicate that Megatron sees Starscream as a threat. I think that's why Megatron hurts Starscream so badly it's because even if the Seeker is power hungry, he would still make an excellent leader, and Megatron know it.

Not to mention that Starscream was a political leader of Vos, and the Commander of the Seekers on Cybertron. He has leadership experience, no doubt on that. Also, he was the one who created most of the attack plans, not Megatron. He is practically the mastermind of the Decepticons, Megatron is just the representation.

Without forgetting that when things degenerate, Starscream is aware that it's not necessary to be stubborn! Kof Like facing a space bridge that explodes Kof. So, even if Megatron is intelligent, it does not prevent Starscream from being more thoughtful and less oblivious than him (running away from a space bridge which is about to explode is not cowardice but common sense).

*

Cyberverse:

And finally, Cyberverse. So in the series, after "killing" Megatron, he seemed incapable of making decisions. When the others asked him what to do, he just looked confused.

But I just feel like the directors forgot he's the leader of the Seekers. In addition, he seems to be perfectly respected by them. So if he can lead the Seekers, why can't he lead the Decepticons? Even though it was quite comical, I still found it quite strange. The Seekers are still more loyal to Starscream than to Megatron, so that means they respect his leadership, right? * So, it can be concluded that basically Starscream has the abilities to be a leader, and even a good leader. It's just that his own issues and flaws prevent him from fully reaching that potential. * So, that was my answer on a few series. Of course I can't answer all of them, simply because there are some that I haven't seen ^^; … But, whatever X).

Do not hesitate to suggest me analyzes that you would like me to do ;). Have a nice day (～￣▽￣)～.

[wearepaladin]

You know, that "argument" of whether humans are inherently good or bad is one that has featured on your blog a lot, and I gotta say, it's a really stupid argument. I mean, the people who say humans are inherently evil are obviously wrong. And the people who say humans are inherently good are also, equally wrong. Humans are not inherently predisposed to do good things, or bad things just by virtue of being human. A person's predisposition towards morality is shaped by the circumstances of their birth and life, and their actions and choices as pertaining to those circumstances. Just as blindly declaring that All Humans Are Bad is a thinly veiled attempt at absolving oneself of guilt and removing the impetus to improve, so too is mindlessly declaring that All Humans Are Good a pathetic attempt at saying " I could Never do anything bad, because I'm just a normal person!" It lays the groundwork for declaring that anyone who acts outside the established morality isn't actually human, and that's a road I'm sure you don't want to walk down. It's high time people accept that humanity's defining characteristic is CHOICE. Your choices are what defines the very patchwork of your soul, a person's choices are the only things that matter. And your choices aren't inherently bad, or good, just because you made them.

I shall indulge you briefly. This after all a blog about paladins, and I am here to reflect the paladin ideal by sharing paladin ideals and imagery, not get lost in nitpicking every potential flaw in the things I choose to reblog, for fear that I might do the world harm by running a paladin blog.

You're using sophistry to prove your point by trying to put me in the position of defending the notion that people are inherently good when it's more of a case of trying to encourage people to see the goodness in themselves and others. Believing the best in others is not stating it as a fact, but a hope. I encourage others believe in themselves and others to better be able to recognize goodness and the growth of virtue by reminding them of that choice.

Because you are correct, it is a choice, but our ability to make the choice to be good is what gives us the potential to be good and I feel that isn’t something that should be dismissed. Virtue Ethics, my personal philosophy on what makes us good, choosing again and again and growing our decency. There is room for nuance, for reasoning and need and growth and change, even conflict, and still conclude that goodness is thing to hope for and see everywhere. Beyond that, there's simple fact: humans thrive when we are good to one another. We are creatures of community, whatever our individual foibles, we achieve more, live more, thrive more when we do so together, encouraging each other.

In my case, I state what I believe to be good, and hope it prompts more of that in others. I encourage people to choose it also and trust that they're wise enough to understand the difference between believing and encouraging in goodness and somehow disregarding nuance and contemplation on how to achieve these things.

[goldengoddess]

it looks better on you - nikolai lantsov

pairing: nikolai lantsov x reader 

request: Hiii! I recently discovered your blog and I love everything you write, your Nikolai content deserves so much love (as does everything else)!But speaking of that cheeky bastard, would you be up for writing headcannons or in a style you’re comfortable with about Nikolai (Strumhond in this case) where reader is new to the job and packs light and forgets a coat, but Tamar tricks them into wearing Strumhond’s coat (being oblivious that it’s his) and Strumhond makes a sarcastic comment but in the end is fine with it? Don’t worry about if you’re busy - it just came to mind! ❤️

a/n: thank you sweet thing! i love my baby nikolai,,, this is so cute by the way i love the concept so much 

warnings: cursing, suggestive comments

you could not have been so stupid. 

it was your first week on this job. you were new to the crew of this ship, and you had done everything right up until that point. you wanted to make the best impression possible. strumhond’s crew was legendary. there wasn’t a single sailor on the seas that didn’t know his name.

and you, of all people, had been lucky enough to be chosen to help his crew. if you proved yourself, you hoped, you could get an actual permanent job with the crew. 

but of course that wasn’t going to happen, because you were going to freeze your ass off before you even got the chance to do anything useful.

your inability to think ahead had caused you to forget to bring a warm coat. most days at sea were warm, sometimes too warm, with the sun hitting your face and body at every angle.

but there were days like this one where the winds were too rough and the air to cold, and every part of your body felt like it could fall off due to frost bite.

you searched the deck of the ship around you, hoping to find a spare coat, but mostly to make sure that the captain of the ship didn’t see you freezing in the corner.

you’d seen him a couple of times in the last couple of days. usually giving an order or messing around with the closest of his friends on the ship.

he was cute, you couldn’t deny it. at a distance there was nothing wrong. but closer up it was easier to see that there were parts of his face that seemed.. wrong. you’d been around long enough to know a tailored face when you saw one.

you tried not to linger on the reasonings for his tailored face, it wasn’t your business and it didn’t change his ability to lead a crew. despite that, you couldn’t help but imagine what he looked like for real. he had this royal presence to him.

even though he was a pirate, sorry, a privateer, he knew how to hold command. how to get people to listen when they didn’t want to. to make deals and compromises whenever a fight broke out. to leave both sides satisfied. he was like a prince at sea.

okay so maybe the prince had caught your attention more than you wanted to admit.

but it was hard not to be interested in him when every time he made eye contact with you it felt so intense that your knees felt weak.

the sudden gust of cold air snapped your thoughts back to the reality of your situation. your arms were wrapped around your body, as if this position could make the light jacket you had on suddenly sufficient against the cold.

you saw tamar walk onto the deck from below deck. she turned and saw you huddled near the wall. you gave her a sheepish and embarrassed grin. tamar had been the first person to speak to you and though you’d only known her a couple of days, you knew she was the kind of person one trusted.

she walked over to you with an amused smile. you could practically feel the teasing retort that was about to come out of her mouth.

“you look a little warm y/n, you sure you don’t want to take off your jacket.” she sarcastically said, her grin growing on her face.

you rolled your eyes and let out an annoyed huff, “if i die from hypothermia i’m going to make sure to haunt you.”

she let out a throaty laugh. “good, i happen to like your company. you can help me scare the shit out of tolya. he could use a ghost visit.”

the two of you shared a laugh and then you looked at her with slightly sweet puppy eyes. “tamar, please please tell me you have a coat. i stupidly forgot to pack one, trying to keep my bag light.”

she nodded her head at you, “yeah i’ve noticed.” she thought for a moment and then her face broke out into a mischievous smirk. “well i don’t have a coat to lend you but i know someone who has a spare.”

you nodded your head rapidly with enthusiasm. “saints, yes. i won’t get any work done today without a coat.”

she smirked at you and some part of your brain was telling you that her smirk had something hidden behind it. an extra plan. the look of many of the criminals you’d met during your time in ketterdam.

she linked her arm through yours and pulled you towards one end of the ship where a long brown coat was laid on top of the helm of the ship.

you looked at her sceptically, “who’s coat is this?”

she shrugged, grabbing the coat and easing it onto you. “think of it as a community jacket. we all like to share.”

you grinned and let yourself slip into the warmth of the cloth. you shuffled around a little and grabbed onto the ends of the sleeves since the coat was on the bigger side.

“i like it”

tamar smirked and motioned for you to spin, “it suits you. like it was made for you to use it.”

you narrowed your eyes and her words but before you could say anything she was walking back below deck.

the rest of the day went by without a hitch. the cold stopped bothering you and completing your daily task were actually easier. the coat smelled of the sea, the feeling of the sun, and an oddly familiar cologne that you couldn’t quite place.

it was too late before you realized how badly you’d fucked up.

you were on the right end of the ship, tying knots as the sunset around you. tamar was sat on a box talking while you worked quietly.

“nice coat y/n. i didn’t know we were at that level in our relationship just yet.” you heard a voice say from a couple feet away.

your head jerked upwards at the voice and you met the eyes of the one and only strumhond. he wore a smirk on his beautiful face and he was leaning against one of the beams of the ship.

you looked down at the coat you were wearing and had grown fond of throughout the day and your eyes went wide. you snapped your head to the girl sitting next to you, only to find her laughing silently into her hands. you threw her the most menacing glance you could manage before turning your attention back to your captain.

you got up and started wiggling out of the coat, “i am so so sorry. i was freezing and i under packed and i knew i wouldn’t get any work done today if i was cold so i asked tamar and she gave me this one and i never would have borrowed it had i known that-”

you paused your rambling and the sound of strumhond’s laugh. he took a couple steps forward so that he was closer to you and tamar.

“y/n, sweetheart, it’s really okay. we wouldn’t want you to freeze now would we tamar?” he shifted his attention to the girl next to you, throwing a teasing threat.

she hopped off the boxes she was sitting on and began walking away. “nope.” she said, popping the ‘p’, “we wouldn’t want that.” and then she was gone, leaving you and the privateer alone.

you gave him a small, embarrassed, smile. “i really am sorry. i wouldn’t have taken it.”

you finished taking it off and tried handing it back to him. he grabbed it and opened it up, an invitation to step in.

you looked at him curiously. “what are you doing?”

he nodded his head, motioning for you to step into the coat. “just use it. it’s cold. plus.” he paused and slipped the coat onto you, popping the collar. “it suits you.”

you blushed and turned to face him, suddenly aware of the closeness between the two of you.

he looked you up and down. “yeah,” he said in a breath, “it looks better on you.”

your breath hitched and your blush grew down onto your neck.

he leaned forward, his mouth closer to your ear.

“but it would look better on my floor.” he teased before walking away.

oh fuck.