#if you reached this far thank you

[greenqueenhightower]

A Paradise Lost Reading of the Alicent x Aemond and Helaena x Aegon Scenes in 2x05:

As Gwayne and Criston parade Meleys' head through the streets of King's Landing, Alicent and Aemond are high up on the Red Keep's walls. The scene is infested with religious imagery. Satan took Christ up to "a pinnacle of the temple" in Jerusalem during his temptation (Matthew 4:5). As the shot gradually zooms in to Alicent and Aemond looking down on the parade, it reminded me of a passage from John Milton's Paradise Lost, where Archangel Michael (Christ) takes Adam on top of the "Hill of Paradise" to reveal the aftermath of his sin to mankind.

"So both ascend in the Visions of God: It was a Hill Of Paradise the highest, from whose top The Hemisphere of Earth in clearest view stretched out to amplest reach of prospect lay." [Book XI, 376-380]

From this elevated vantage point, Adam, much like Alicent, was offered a panoramic view of his son's body, Abel's, who lay slain in a pool of blood. Alicent gets to glimpse her son Aegon's body as he is laid in a horse carriage covered with rags and brought back to her.

"Adam, now open thine eyes, and first behold th' effects which thy original crime hath wrought [...] from that sin derive Corruption to bring forth more violent deeds." [Book XI, 423-428]

The angel beckons Adam to open his eyes and comprehend the act of violence before him. Alicent does the same. She examines Aemond's face for answers. Has he become the embodiment of violence to the extent that he would burn his own brother to achieve his ends? Have her own actions somehow led to this? Is her original crime of wanting Aegon on the throne being retributed through her sons' rivalry?

As she surveys Aemond's countenance, she is worried about any future escalation of brutality and violence. Does she expect more atrocities to come her way as a form of punishment?

"These two are Brethren, Adam, and to come out of thy loins; th' unjust the just hath slain, for envy" [Book XI, 444-446]

Alicent quickly discerns Aemond's possible involvement in whatever predicament has befallen her other son. As she watches Aegon and Aemond, does she wonder how their contention was germinated? Did she who gave birth to both, also give birth to their fate?

Aemond stands beside her, a saint or a devil in disguise, dressed in his Green Hightower outfit, his brother's dagger on his waist. Like Cain, Aemond yearns to please his mother and seeks to claim what belongs to Abel-Aegon. He has already managed to salvage and claim something from the pyre and that wasn't his brother's body, but his dagger. Cain was moved by envy for his brother's privileges. Is the same force now guiding Aemond?

"Much at that sight was Adam in his heart dismayed [...] Is Piety thus and pure Devotion paid?" [Book XI, 448-452]

Alicent takes a closer look at the carriage bearing Aegon's body. There is fear and uncertainty in her eyes, while Aemond appears composed. Is he wearing his poised assuredness as a facade to conceal his growing distress?

Alicent's dejected expression reveals her inner turmoil. Much like Adam, she too is dismayed by the possibility that one of her sons is dead, and the other is responsible. How did a life of duty, sacrifice, piety, and devotion lead to this? How wasn't she able to prevent it?

"Alas, both for the deed and for the cause! O sight of terror, foul and ugly to behold, horrid to think, how horrible to feel!" [Book XI, 461-465]

Alicent gives one last glare to Aemond before she departs. She is afraid of him and what he has become: another dangerous and violent man in her life. Does the sight of him so much repulse her or does she find the mere thought of him as a kinslayer unbearable?

As Alicent leaves to tend to Aegon whose life might be over, Aemond is left alone on that vantage point. His battle impulses having cooled down, does he now perhaps get to see the bigger picture of what he attempted to do? Does he feel some remorse over the act that he buries deep within because it is too horrible to feel it, too foul and ugly to let it show?

"Death thou hast seen in his first shape on man; but many shapes of Death, and many are the ways that lead to his grim Cave, all dismal" [Book XI, 466-469]

The coffin that carries Aegon like Death that carries Cain in Paradise Lost, is transported through various rooms. As he is being slowly led to the King's room that will soon become his reclusive cave, Aegon's ascension up the stairs mirrors Helaena who climbed them up in 2x02, after Jaehaerys' funeral. At that time, they did not speak but exchanged a glance of mutual understanding. This time, it is Aegon who finds Helaena at the top of the stairs, waiting for him.

"Yet to sense more terrible at th' entrance than within. Some, as thou sawest, by violent stroke shall die, by Fire" [Book XI, 470-472]

Did Helaena foresee Aegon's predicament in one of her many visions? Has she penned his new deformed shape in one of her sketches on the walls? Without uttering a word, Helaena understands what befell Aegon. She knows he has been burned by dragonfire. Once again, words are redundant; just a look is enough.

"So must thou live, till like ripe Fruit thou drop [...] in thy blood will reign a melancholy damp of cold and dry to weigh thy spirits down, and last consume the Balme of Life" [Book XI, 535-546]

And yet, as she stares at Aegon who is taken into the King's chamber, Helaena offers a small glimpse into her psyche. She cannot help but worry for him, but maybe she already knows that his life is not in danger. Maybe she already knows that he will survive longer than her. Will his maiming further contribute to her melancholy and spiral her to madness? Will she completely break an already frail Aegon to pieces when she takes her own life?

One thing is certain: he and she will never be the same.

Her whole family has been abruptly kicked out of the Garden of Eden, and the pangs of suffering have begun. Any Paradise they could have had is lost forever.

And she knew this was coming all along.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

I'm not going back to Gusu with you.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[manageablemischiefs-blog]

Let's Reflect On: Peter Pettigrew's erasure from The Marauders by a big portion of the Harry Potter fandom.

Peter Pettigrew was an 11-year-old boy who happened to be in the same compartment of the Hogwarts Express as James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. They all befriended each other through that interaction - through being sorted in the same house, being dormmates, having things in common, being comfortable around each other.

Peter Pettigrew was a twenty-something-year-old man who was threatened to sell his friends to Voldemort. He was a coward, not a follower.

Even Voldemort himself says it:

“[…] Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?" He looked down at Wormtail, who continued to sob.  “You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don’t you?”“

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, Chapter 33: The Death Eaters

In the end, at the moment of his death, when ordered to strangle Harry he hesitated. Now, we have seen him murder without batting an eyelash, why would he not do the same with Harry?

Here's my take on it:

I believe Wormtail saw Harry as more than a chore, a body to dispose of. He saw him as James' son. His best friend whom he helped killing son. All the guilt and grief he had been trying to justify and push away since that fateful night dawned on him.

Peter had been there for his beginning; for James and Lily’s beginning. He was there at their wedding, at the baby shower (if there was one), for every Christmas since first year... He felt, not sure love, but definitely guilt. He looked at Harry and saw the face of James and the never-quivering eyes that once belonged to Lily. It was much easier living without carrying the responsibility of having cast the spell that ended their lives.

He hesitated, which caused the silver hand Voldemort had given to him to sense that as a sign of weakness and/or disloyalty, leading him to be strangled to death. With such a choice, he saves Harry’s life and, to me, finds redemption for his treason.

I’m not saying you should love Peter or that he was a wonderful human being who should now be showered with flowers and kisses by any means, but he has a story and he has a past. He has a built-up of growing insecurities until he betrays his friends. All of this is essential to understand that the twenty-something-year-old Peter Pettigrew is not the same as Hogwarts student Peter Pettigrew. There’s background and nuance to each character - If we ignore it and pretend he was an idiot through and through it just turns him into an empty character with no real importance in the plot, which is not the case. Don't reduce the complex relationship of the marauders to that.

To expand on the topic, the extraordinary @theprogressofspring has quite an extensive section on their blog labeled In Defense of Peter Pettigrew, with essays that go much more into detail and actually gave me the courage to post this entire thing. In addition, they also began a while ago writing The Life Cycle of the Common Rat; a story from Peter's point of view, tackling the first Wizarding War and refreshing characterizations of young adult marauders and Lily; it was a really tricky time, and sometimes the people we love are cunts and the people we hate are not pure evil.

[vynnyal]

Turns out Sunlit Trail isn't quite done just yet, so after all that they just send you to a dead end 😂

[charcubed]

oh everyone and their DISCLAIMERS about how “lokius will never be canon because disney and marvel are awful, but”........ well I have nothing to lose so. fuck disclaimers! this is my idea of fun! what if it CAN and WILL be canon, huh? what if the story is gonna go where it seems to be headed. what if I say they’re going to kiss on international streaming television. who’s gonna stop me

[ganondoodle]

something i didnt say over here but probably should-

i, in truth, dont know if im actually as annoying or "childish" or aggressive as i feel like im being

i feel like, i got a uniquely bad case of autism obsession and over-emotionality, constantly guilty for feeling so much, like me failing to keep my own emotions under control is purely a failure on my part, like i shouldnt feel this much, i am not allowed to feel like this, no one else seems to fail it like i do, over and over again i get overwhelmed by my own feelings and even if it isnt a full breakdown-

(meltdown? which i think is soemthing else and honestly ..... i do not want to have ever again, its the ultimate loss of control where i dont even feel like im piloting my own body, like im possessed by something, which is not really something that happens online, that is a thing that happens to me rarely in real life)

- i still feel so overwhelmingly stupid, like you jsut watched yourself turn into a toddler screaming bloody murder bc mom didnt buy the thing you wanted, and then are suddendly back to yourself but to everyone else you didnt change at all so everyone looks at you like you just lost your mind over nothing and thats just how you are normally

that together with being online and people likely seeing only a fraction of who you are, plus my tendency to ... be like this mostly when im not liking something just .... makes me feel so damn guilty, maybe something like public shame too? or the old problem of feeling like a burden?

i dont know, i cant seem to imagine people can see me like that and not be annoyed or weirded out by it, especially when they only realyl see that side of me, and i feel so damn guilty for it, the class weirdo who randomly starts to cry over seemingly nothing like i have always been, and i shouldnt be, i should have grown and gotten better and be in control at all times by now i just ... "havent tried hard enough"

[giddlygoat]

Hey about the ghost Luigi au. But. Would he fade with time? Or would he be forced to watch everyone’s lives continue without him? Would he be forced to watch his friends and brother die? Cause that’s angsty as hell my dude

oh, he’s in it for the long haul. i think after time has done its damage, he would go from being inconsolable to a long period of complete and utter shutdown. who knows, maybe he takes to scaring folks in the end. at some point, that becomes the only thing a ghost can really offer, right? when connection is that temporary it loses its meaning. the only way he can touch the real world anymore is through fear.

or you know, he could fulfill his dying wish and ascend to the afterlife. i want him to have a happy ending in one universe or another

[p3girlsweek]

Persona 3 Girls Week 2024 will be starting in 8 weeks! Have you started planning your entries? Tell us about it in the tags! ✨

2024 Prompt List ♡ Rules and Guidelines ♡ AO3 Collection ♡ Askbox

[boyswhowawa]

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

YOU CAN'T FATHOM THAT REACH BUT NEVER CATCH

[ I'm really really proud of how this came out ]

this was TONS of fun to do and I feel so CONFIDENT IN MY WORK

I'm hAPPY

delighted to be where I am, to have th friends I have, and to be doing this tumblr thing, to have the opportunity to share this creation, to share all my work, and keep growing better and better

ANYWAYS MORE GOOFING UNDER THE CUT

SONG ASSOCIATION

early sketchings

then with the base colors of the different three colors they have in this piece!

here were base colors almost done !!

oh also fire spear ajd;sflkajsdflakjdsf

here's me goofin' off with some color filters gyehehhehehe

here was a rough sketch of the background partially

here was the front layer of the background

then here was the background prior to effects!!

then here's the whole piece zoomed out!! which shows off the sparks better, I lvoed the sparks they were such shape y to do asjdf;lkaksdjfal;ksdfja

this piece was delightful to work on, and I really love how it turned out

I had this idea yesterday, which was whwen I designed Foxificer too, but putting it to action was such fun??? my goodness, Foxificer is just fun to draw ajsd;flaksjdf;klasdj;lfkas

thanks for reading! hope to see ya around

[mako-neexu]

a 'beginning' and 'end', a place to feel grounded, a place of bottomlessness, a place of safety and familiarity, the feelings of the living to a journey that seemed to feel as if there is no end in sight can be a burden no one can bear. a familiar feeling of floating as you fall almost endlessly, as if suspended in time, a memory that reminds you of someone from years past, a nostalgic feeling of soft gloves and pink hair, of a small smile of happiness and the faint smell of chemical and antiseptic... so close like a star. all the things you lost, all the sorrow, all the memories of cherished pain and joy shall be your guide until the end. you will reach that destination as one of the living. should you falter and feel as if time had stopped and nothing grounds you to the earth, and you feel that you have been falling endlessly without hope, may the bonds you have gained pull you up. again and again. should you fall, should your heart waver in the face of mind numbing ache to bittersweet nostalgia, everything that you keep close to your heart shall save you, one way or another. as long as there is an end to the fall, you are alive. you are alive.

[regulatedstrawberry]

Hi everyone! I was on a writing kick the past few days, so I got the next chapter out a little earlier than expected. Hope you enjoy!

Reaching New Heights: A Tails Adventure Chapter 11

After the mainline events of Frontiers, Tails, Amy and Sonic go their separate ways to grow stronger, travel the world, and reflect on their experiences. But when Tails stumbles upon a mysterious relic, and natural disasters disrupt the world and its future, the three heroes attempt to take matters into their own hands. As they search for answers in a race against time, they continue to uncover the threads of the Ancients’ forgotten history, the fantastical power of the Emeralds, and the very being that seeks to destroy them.  Rating: T Chapters: 12/? Words: 54.1k

Click here to start from the Prologue!

As always, thank you to my partner in crime, @franticmelody for being an awesome beta reader. Please check out her work!

[mickey708]

DUDE I POSTED IT LIKE 2 DAYS AGO WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE COMING FROM!?

OMG IM LITERALLY SPEECHLESS HOW DID THIS EVEN HAPPEN!?

[akkivee]

my hypster fc magazine came in the mail, and it was full of bangers as usual, but it is so important to me that you all know that kuukou, out of concern for the youth who can’t afford to travel to a temple, or that it’s too far etc etc, has decided to create a temple in the metaverse and therefore accessible from your smartphone LOL

[lostxmelody]

ah yes. right on time for pride month - what do you mean it's almost over?

my apologizes for the delay again but as you may find, it is quite long. 40k words long, to be exact. please take your time reading as i will now hibernate for the rest of the year (/j)

happy ch.3 !!!

[danothan]

everyday i log onto the internet i am forced to fisticuffs combat the halbarry default yaoi allegations. THEY’RE NOT A BASIC BRUNETTE/BLONDE JOCK/NERD DYNAMIC THEY’RE MORE THAN THAT (coping)

[eggsnatcheskneecaps]

Let me out of this wretched nail prison