#only to have Man’s Hubris lose again

[ditaliaa]

Me hearing people talk about the Titan submersible as if this wasn’t something that could be avoided and how it’s the price of innovation for the advancement of science

[el-jarado]

Turning some Epic AUs over in my head, and one that's appealed to me is Odysseus and the boys actually succeeding in the wind bag trial only to fail to make it home anyway because Odysseus has not yet learned you don't win god games, you play them helplessly until the god decides they're done with you.

Odysseus listens when Aeolus presents their game; the bag is a tool, not the game itself. He's being challenged to a battle of wits; he boasted mere moments earlier to his shaken men that he led 600 men to battle and none of them died there, but he's lost men since then. Is he a good enough captain to know how the men he has left will act when besieged by rumor?

And Odysseus rises to the challenge, greeting the difficulties with open arms like Polities would but remembering to use his wits. He has Eurylochus assemble a team to guard the bag; as the good man he wants to be, he soothes a moment of doubt with a gesture of trust, setting to work mending the cracks in his friendship with his brother. As the cunning man he is, he sends a message to any other doubters in the crew that he and Eurylochus are on the same page, and everyone else should be following their lead. He keeps his eyes on the men Eurylochus trusts with the task; they have been honored by his gesture, and so have motivation to deserve it...and quietly, Odysseus makes sure he knows who's guarding the bag and when, and they know he knows. Anyone who betrays them will be found out swiftly, and Odysseus sleeps soundly knowing his men will want to live up to his faith in their loyalty, and fear carrying the blame and facing the consequences if they don't.

The whispers on the wind are wily, but Odysseus is wilier, and bit by bit he stokes optimism in his shaken crew. Morale improves as they get closer and closer to Ithaca, and maybe Odysseus's assurance teeters on hubris; he does not correct the men when they start to laugh and joke again, saying to each other their Captain can even outwit the gods. He needs them to believe that; not forever, just for a few days. Just until he gets them home.

Odysseus lives up to his new ideals, and leads from the heart even as his guile tries to make sure of things. He plays Aeolus's game and wins, but as Ithaca approaches, Eurylochus's words ring true; don't forget how dangerous the gods are. As Ithaca comes into sight, Aeolus's business with Odysseus and his men is finished.

Poseidon's, however, has just begun.

Amusing the wind god for ten days has done nothing to calm the fury of the sea god, and Odysseus suddenly finds himself on the losing end of a game he didn't even know he was playing. Poseidon sent the storm to crush them and block their path, and when Odysseus's scheme stilled it, Poseidon lay in wait should the storm win free. Had it been released, he was ready to drown Odysseus's fleet wherever it landed, but with the storm still trapped, Poseidon watches and waits until Odysseus is in Ithican waters before rising from the sea to have his reckoning with the man who blinded his son. Odysseus won the god game, but Athena is not watching over him and Aeolus has neither the power nor the inclination to stay Poseidon's hand. Odysseus's only prize for winning the game is that all of his subjects can watch Poseidon make an example of him and his fleet.

Odysseus has let his men believe he can outwit even the weather, even the gods themselves; he had to, to make sure they would not be led astray by rumor on the wind. Now, however, the truth is laid bare; Odysseus floats in waters he has long considered his, only to find they owe their true loyalty to the angry god tossing the fleet about like toys. There is no strategy that can calm or trick Poseidon, no attack that can drive him away, no way to evade him. Odysseus stares at the shores of Ithaca; he could swim there if the waters were calm, but with Poseidon's will set against him, his home might as well be on the moon for all he can reach it. Somewhere, he knows, Penelope and Telemachus are rushing to the shoreline, and he has no way to escape the doom that has found him there.

No way, except one. No way, except for the winds he was warned would blow him halfway across the world if he let them free.

Odysseus looks at the god looming above, taking his time in the role of executioner; he looks at the bag that is his only way out. He looks at the shores he has thought about every day for the last ten years.

"Please don't make me do this, don't make me do this."

[xypheris]

Batfam Watches Titanic

Imagine this chaotic family sitting down for movie night, begrudgingly agreeing to watch Titanic because Dick said it’s a “classic.”

Dick

Crying before the iceberg even shows up. “It’s about the journey, not the destination, guys!” Overdramatically quotes the “I’m the king of the world!” scene while standing on the coffee table. Shushed several times for giving an emotional monologue about love and loss during the “Jack and Rose on the door” scene.

Jason

Constantly pointing out who would’ve survived if he were there. “You don’t just let go, bro. Hold on. What’s wrong with you?” Cheering when Billy Zane gets called out. “We love a rich jerk takedown arc.” “Wait, are you saying the diamond wasn’t cursed? Missed opportunity.” Definitely the first to say, “There was enough room for Jack on that door.”

Damian

Complains the entire time. “This is a waste of my brain cells.” “Why is the dialogue so… sappy? Is this supposed to be realistic?” Calls the iceberg the MVP for being the only logical thing in the movie. Storms off at the end, muttering, “Rose is a fool for throwing away the diamond.”

Cass

Silently vibing. Not a single word the whole movie. Absolutely loses it at the scene with the old couple holding each other as the ship sinks. Somehow ends up with the loudest sobs in the room during Jack’s death. Shoves popcorn in Jason’s mouth when he says something snarky.

Steph

Lives for the drama. “Omg, the tension between Jack and Rose? Immaculate.” Pauses the movie during Rose’s iconic “draw me like one of your French girls” scene to say, “This is art.” Cry-laughs at the guy who falls off the ship and hits the propeller. Glares at Damian when he calls the love story “unnecessary fluff.”

Tim

Watches the whole thing through a critical lens: “So, technically, this movie has several historical inaccuracies.” Pulls up Wikipedia articles mid-movie to fact-check. Argues with Jason over whether Rose would have been better off staying with Billy Zane’s character for survival. “Okay, but have we considered the logistical challenges of building that door?”

Alfred

Sits quietly, sipping tea. “This is a cinematic masterpiece.” Tuts every time Jason interrupts. “Master Jason, kindly refrain from ruining the experience for everyone else.” When the ship sinks, he mutters, “The folly of man’s hubris.” At the end: “There’s a lesson here, Master Bruce. Perhaps don’t take on more than you can handle.”

Bruce

Pretends not to be interested but watches the entire movie with a furrowed brow. “They could have planned better evacuation procedures.” Overanalyzes the structural failures of the ship. Gets weirdly defensive during the “rich people are awful” scenes. “Not all wealthy individuals lack compassion…” Quietly agrees with Damian about Rose tossing the diamond being ridiculous.

Barb

Laughs every time Dick cries. “Again, Dick? We’re not even halfway through!” Agrees with Jason about the door: “Rose really said, ‘Sorry, Jack, sink or swim!’” Points out how Rose’s story wouldn’t pass as a valid eyewitness account in a real investigation. Records everyone’s reactions for blackmail material.

Duke

“So y’all are just now watching Titanic?” Emotionally invested in Jack and Rose’s romance until Jason and Damian ruin the vibe with their commentary. Absolutely loses it at the propeller guy scene: “I know I’m going to hell for this, but—BAHAHA!” At the end: “Rose could’ve had a whole lifeboat to herself if she had my luck in emergencies.”

Post-Movie

Jason starts a Twitter poll about whether Jack could’ve fit on the door. Dick hosts a group therapy session for his unresolved feelings about “the fragility of human connection.” Tim tries to plan his own historically accurate Titanic story. Bruce just quietly leaves the room, muttering something about “better ship designs.”

[deconstructthesoup]

Okay, I had thoughts on forming a legit DBD Hadestown AU, and seeing as they kept me up literally all last night, it seemed only fitting that I actually write them down. So:

Charles and Edwin are, obviously, Orpheus and Eurydice respectively. However, rather than having just met and falling into a whirlwind romance, I decided that they're childhood friends who've met again and rediscovered feelings that they'd both been ignoring for a long time. Edwin is dedicated soley to figuring out why the world is dying and if he can help people while he can, and he hasn't really let himself rest, or even feel happy, in years---to the point where he feels that any good thing is too good to be true, even falling in love. Charles, on the other hand, has long since made the decision that someone has to be happy and keep spirits up in the trying times, and it might as well be him... even at the cost of his own health, as he works tirelessly on a song that he knows, despite all logic and understanding, will bring back spring again.

Crystal is Hermes, but she is also Hecate---she is the goddess of the in-between, magic, trickery, the crossroads, and restless souls... and that last part refers not only to the dead that she guides to Hadestown, but to anyone who chooses a life of wandering the road, from the honest messenger to the thieving highwayman. And yet, since the world has begun to die, she's been slowly slipping away from her role, choosing to spend her time among the mortals. This decision, of course, is helped by the fact that not only is Crystal one of the few gods who thinks there's more to the world dying than it just being "a reflection of mortal hubris," but that she's managed to make a friend in Charles. She's seen the way that music can change the world, after all, and knowing that there's at least one mortal who still has hope means that she can still believe.

Niko is a combination of Aphrodite and Dionysus---she's the goddess of love, revelries, happiness, and abundance, yes, but she's also the goddess of the mania that comes when all of those things are taken too far, and she's been dipping more and more into that side of herself as the world gets worse and worse. She wants to forget all the pain and suffering, and she gives herself and others the means to do so, even if it's all temporary. And while Niko does care for the mortals, and wishes that things could get better... deep down, she's lost a lot of her old hope, and even she can't disguise the fact that she's living with a broken heart.

Monty is Persephone, but he's also Apollo---he's the god of rebirth, prophecies, the stars and the earth, and new beginnings... and for what should be half of the year, he rules over the dead. He used to find just as much joy in watching over the souls as he did creating spring with Niko and charting the stars to bring prophecies to the mortals, but as Hadestown gets more punishing, more people die up above, and the world just gets worse, Monty grows even more bitter and closed off. He's unable to even properly enjoy his time on the surface, knowing full well that he won't stay for six months like he should... and the man he loves is wearing his patience thin.

The Cat King is Hades---and yes, somebody did make a very compelling argument for him being the Fates, but it works for the story, so just hang on. Once upon a time, he was happy just ruling over souls and managing the afterlife, and he cherished the time he spent with Monty as much as he could. But over time, wealth became added to his already vast domain, and his fascination for making and collecting things became an obsession... in no small part due to the fact that those six months spent away from Monty started to weigh incredibly heavy on him, and he eventually loses himself in his effort to replicate everything his husband loves about the upper world as it dies along with the way they used to feel about each other. Not to mention, his old empathy and compassion for the souls has hardened into cold indifference at best and a sick enjoyment of their suffering at worst. And all this change is making one person in particular very happy...

Esther is the Fates, but she's also a version of Demeter---the goddess of nature and all of its love and cruelties, and the one who spins everyone's path on her loom, punishing those who dare to stray from what she has determined for them. She's despised the Cat King for years, ever since he whisked Monty away to Hadestown, and she wholeheartedly believes that the reason the world is dying is only because he's been keeping Monty down there for too long, not because they've begun to fall out of love. So, when Esther spins a tale of a pair of lovers who are destined to end tragically, she sees it as an opportunity to finally push the Cat King and Monty to the breaking point---to save her son and the world, she tells herself, but mostly for revenge.

[hiphop-jay69]

Thinking about how Odysseus tried so hard to be good after everything he had to do in Troy. Like, Athena mentioned how "not turning off his emotions" was "not him" at the end of the Troy saga, something he had to do to keep his men alive in the war. Odysseus mentions later on to Eurylochus how for 10 years of battle not one of his 600 men died, his ability to turn off his feelings and force himself to commit atrocities to keep his men alive being the only reason for that. This is also reinforced when he kills the infant, despite how much it takes to convince himself to.

After all of this, after shutting himself off for A DECADE he still tries so hard to recover. To show mercy. To listen to Polites and open up his heart and learn to trust again. And all of his efforts are crushed again and again and again. Polyphemus, Athena, Poseidon, even Eurylochus; they all push him back from any progress he makes. He holds out for so long, through so much loss, and it takes losing most of his men and travelling to the underworld to finally break him. Losing his friends, Athena, his MOTHER.

What really hurts me is the fact that in 'Monster' when he's analysing the motivations of his foes he gives so much more grace and understanding to them than he does himself. He justifies their actions, placing the lives of those they killed on himself instead, blaming his own hubris. Like tf was he gonna do against Poseidon, or Polyphemus? To be fair he did dox himself at the end of 'Remember Them', which is the whole reason Poseidon attacks them (as Poseidon so helpfully points out), but regardless he places so much weight upon himself, as if they were murdered by his own two hands.

It just hurts me that this man tries so hard to maintain his sense of justice, holds on with broken, peeling fingernails to his last dregs of humanity after Troy, and it does nothing to save his men or himself.

Anyway that's my ramble, have a good day y'all!

[hubristicassholefight]

Hubristic Asshole Fight: Round 1 Part 1b

Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars) vs Feanor (The Silmarillion)

Propaganda below cut

Anakin

Decided that he would become stronger than death to stop those he cares about from dying after failing to accept his mother's death. When he begins getting visions/nightmares like he had before losing his mother of his wife dying in childbirth, he decides to team up with an evil sorcerer and mastermind to learn the secret to stopping death. The price he willingly paid was leading the slaughter of the community of peacekeeping monks who had raised him from nine years old, feeling guilt about his heinous betrayal even as he unflichingly continued the massacre (sunk cost fallacy to a very extreme degree). The unintended price he paid was the loss of his limbs and independence after his injuries during a fight with his mentor and brother figure, his wife dying on childbirth due to the great stress of his heinous actions, and being separated from his children until they were adults firmly opposed to the imperial regime he became the attack dog for (only knowing of their survival until after he had personally attacked them both); He literally did not have to do any of that. his wife Padmè very very very very much did not want him to do any of that. He was completely absorbed in his own inability to deal with loss that he deadlock refused to consider losing family again and then he went and killed what amounted to his extended family, his wife and the man who raised and guided him from age 9. And his own kids unknowingly. In terms of accomplishing your goals there really really wasn't much more he could have fucked up. And when it comes down to key moments, all he had to do was not cut off mentor and co-worker Mace Windu's hand with a laser sword and everything would have been fine. He's a nominee for Fail King of All Time to me

He thinks he's hot shit which, he is, but like cool it dude you don't have to mass murder maim mutilate your way through life to prove you're the extra most specialest bestest psychic space wizard;

Hubrised so hard he 1) lost his limbs and his skin 2) became what he hated 3) caused the very death he sought to prevent, betraying and destroying himself for nothing; So soaking wet and self aware that he cried committing atrocities. If he knew what hubris was, he'd agree he has a lot of it

Feanor

The definition of hubris. Created the silmarils who were so perfect even the gods praised them. Got them stolen by the gods evil brother (so essentially fantasy satan). Then decided to go fight the evil god to get the silmarils back and swore an oath binding him and his sons to get them back no matter who would stand in their way. This drastically backfired when some other elves stood in his way so he murdered them. Got cursed by the gods for this (together with his entire family and everyone who followed them). Told the gods that they were of the same kind as fantasy satan and that they would end up following him

Morgoth (a god) shows up at his house and Feanor (professional hater of gods) tells him to get fucked* and slams the door in his face. *”Get thee gone from my gate thou jail-crow of Mandos!”; He has never spent anything wrong ever aside from all the war crimes.

The Valar (gods) asked Feanor for help in saving the world from being in total darkness and he said “no, figure it out yourselves”. Repeatedly and intentionally goes against their orders leading to war and chaos; I know it’s left open ended to what really happened to him after he died, but I hope he never repents. I hope he stays an antagonistic and egotistical bastard after being reimbodied (brought back to life) and continues to make it everyone else’s problem. I love him.

I’m gonna have to try to do this without a sing Tolkien scholarship words so bear with me. Basically my dude is one of the smartest and most talented elves in the world. Unfortunately he has a lot of daddy issues AND mommy issues largely due to the fact that his mom died when he was a kid and decided not to come back (as elves can do). No one else has this problem. He invented a ton of important stuff and had seven sons. His most prized creation was three gems called the Silmarils, which contained the light of the Two Trees, which gave light to the world before they were destroyed. When the Valar (the gods of Tolkien’s world) asked if they could use the Silmarils to potentially create another light source, he emphatically refused and in fact became so jealous of them that he and his sons swore an oath that anyone who so much as touched them would die by their swords. Sauron’s boss steals the gems and Feanor decides that he will lead his people on a crusade to retrieve and avenge them. This results in the death of him, most of his people, and almost his entire family minus one of his sons, Galadriel, and Elrond; He once yelled at the devil to get off his lawn

went to war with morgoth (satan basically) against the will of the gods and made a whole speech to said gods about how they were gonna feel really silly when he killed morgoth and saved the whole world. he never actually did battle with morgoth because he died on like day 1 of getting to middle earth (he left like 2/3 of his forces behind because he didn’t trust them) and spontaneously combusted upon his death; he’s a huge asshole and a mad scientist and linguist and prince with daddy issues and also mommy issues

Dude thought he could win a fight with the devil, tried to just walk into Angband (Mordor before Mordor actually existed), made an oath to kill everyone that tries to take his creations even the Valar (angelic like beings) and ends up causing his death, his sons deaths and a bunch of other deaths; His name is quite literally spirit of fire Is basically regarded as THE greastest elf Is in fact THE best smith of the elves and crafts their most precious jewels (that end up causing so much death) Is THE linguist to the point of creating the alfabet every one uses even after The Crimes, creates a bunch of things that are used even after The Crimes actually Loves his dad more than the things he made Is the only recorded elf with seven kids Is married to a sculpter that is so good that people confuse her statues as actual people (a propaganda because he had to be good to actually bag her you know) Manages to create jewelry so good even the the angelics beings sent by god are surprised he managed to do it So good at making speeches that it leads to a rebellion against said angelic beings and a lot of people to leave paradise with him His mother died because his spirit was too powerful Invented kinslaying after trying to steal some boats for said rebellion Swears an oath that destroys his whole family (but adds a great flavour to the rest of the story) Tells the devil to fuck off and slams his house door on said devils face Dies via auto combustion because his spirit was just too powerful for a normal death Gets stuck in the afterlife (that elves can usually just return from) for spiting the Valar Is said he will have an important role in Tolkien’s version of Ragnarok by letting the jewels he previously promised to kill for be destroyed to defeat the devil

Because of his pride, he went against the gods because the evil god Morgoth stole his life's work (the Silmarils, 3 shiny gems that radiated the light of the two trees that a huge evil spider had sapped dry). Swore (with his 7 sons) an oath to hunt Morgoth and retrieve his shiny gems. Commited kinslaying, burned some boats, combusted to ashes after suffering mortal wounds at the hands of corrupted demi-gods. Consequences of his actions could be seen long long after his death: the oath was passed on to his sons to hopelessly fulfill (failure after failure, including two more kinslayings, one of them casting himself into a fiery volcano, another wandering the shores for eternity);

[gracemarkss]

redux i and ii are such tough watches because you're witnessing a man try to walk the razor thin line between his fervent hope for a solution, however miraculous, and the increasingly sinking realization that his best friend is going to die. and he's realizing all the things he hasn't said to her, about her integrity and her strength, and all the conversations they've never had about the regular, the mundane, the everyday. the terrible fact that there is not enough time, there will never be enough time. they're losing time again. that in his hubris he led her here, though she would never agree with that. the driving force of his life since his sister's abduction is revealed to be an elaborate conspiracy of men, and the first and only person to give him any measure of purpose since is lying on her deathbed.

and as she's lying there she's still trying to save him. offering herself up, a martyr to the cause that is literally killing her. his work is his life, he told her. nothing else matters, he told her. but it's not true anymore, and when asked what he wants most desperately of all he doesn't hesitate for a second - for her to live.

she's lying there and she's dying and they're running out of time, and there are so many things they'll never talk about and so many things he'll never tell her. and she's trying to destroy herself for him, to give it all some meaning, but it already means so much. it means something because she was his friend. because she cared about him. she protected him. she loved him. that's more than enough. he doesn't need anything else. it's all he needs now. just the two of them and the little time they have left. "hey, scully, how about those yankees?"

[plussizefantasia]

Congratulations on 300 followers!!

Would you be willing to do Mars with Kili/Reader with the song Work Song by Hozier?

Congratulations again! I love your writing!

"My babe would never fret none/ about what my hands and my body done/ if the Lord don't forgive me/ I'd still have my baby and my babe would have me"

word count: ~600

divider credit @cafekitsune

Kili has nightmares,  he’s had them since he was but a child and he learned that his Adad would not be coming home. The adults would not tell the young dwarf what had happened and that might’ve been for the worst, as Kili’s imagination was more than willing to fill in the gaps even if he wasn’t correct.

You were familiar with these nightmares, you don’t spend years sharing the same marriage bed and not notice that your husband wakes in terror some nights.

It had gotten worse since the battle, he had almost lost his life. He had almost lost his brother and uncle and it was taking a toll on him. 

Kili was thrashing next to you, “I’m sorry” over and over again spilling in anguish from his lips.

“Darling” you call, shaking his shoulder, “My love it is only a dream, come back to me.” You caress his shoulder softly until he stirs. His eyes open suddenly but he does not jump.

“I am sorry I woke you amralime. You can go to sleep again I will be okay.” 

“Ki, I’ve never heard you say anything during your nightmares, are you sure you’re okay?”

“I- I will be fine.”

“Don’t hide from me Kili. I am your wife. I am here for you.” You turn so that you are lying on your side. Facing your husband whose eyes are holding a deep pain, one that you long to take from him.

Kili is silent for a while. “I worry that Mahal will not forgive me.”

“Forgive you for what? You’ve done nothing wrong?”

“A lot of people died because of us. Good people. The men women and children of lake town burned because of our hubris. That is my fault.”

“It is not. It is sad that those people’s lives were lost yes, but the only one who can be held responsible is that Monster Smaug, you did not take their lives, my love, don’t let that guilt swallow you.”

“I just cannot bear the thought of losing you, the idea of not being able to spend eternity in your arms because of what my hands have done… I would never be able to forgive myself.”

“Kili, I do not care what your hands have done, I know the man you are and I love you, I will always love you, in this life or the next. Let Mahal try and separate us after our time in Middle Earth has passed, I will not let you go.” You grasp his hand in yours and bring it closer to your chest, resting your joined hand atop your heart.

“You must know,not even death could stop me from coming home to you.” Kili presses a kiss to your lips. You do not hesitate to return the affection. Kissing your husband is like heaven on earth and you’d gladly do it for the rest of your life. 

You pull him in close, entertaining your legs and running your hand through his hair. His responding groan is enough to make you smile into the kiss.

“Do you still want me to go back to sleep, dear husband?”

“Not yet amralime, your love is the sweetest thing I have ever tasted and you know I have quite the sweet tooth.” Kili practically pounces on you, the rest of the night is filled with love and light, pushing the dark thoughts away from your husband’s mind.

[etoiline]

I complained about not having written much in the last two weeks and @voidcat-senket prompted me to write something short with "kiss" and "bad luck draw" to try to get the writing muscles active again, so here you go. A silly little spyscrapper card game goes poorly—or perfectly, depending on your perspective.

Greez throws down his cards onto the table in the lounge of the Mantis, his other two hands flying over his head. “I can’t believe I lost! To both of you!” He says, looking between Bode and Cal. “I taught you the karking game!”

Cal smiles, leaning back in the chair he borrowed from the galley, trying to keep his giddiness from his face. He’s never even come close to beating Greez before, much less staying in the game long enough to have Bode as his final opponent.

Greez shakes his head and slides off the couch. “You’ve even cleaned me out of chores to do, so I guess I better quit while I’m behind. I’m off to check those sensor readings and then bed. Don’t stay up too late, don’t bargain away all your ponchos or anything,” he says, making his way into the cockpit and sending the door closed behind him.

Cal, having followed Greez’s walk, turns back to Bode, who’s smirking at him. “Care to concede while you still have hope?” the merc says, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll never give in to you,” Cal says, lifting his chin, laying his cards facedown on the table. He doesn’t have a bad hand, all things considering, and it might even be a winning one if the next hand goes his way, which would be the first time that had ever happened.

“Ah, hubris, is it?” Bode says, pulling another card from the deck. He doesn’t even bother to hide his smile at whatever combination he has now, and Cal narrows his eyes at the man before taking a card of his own.

He knows as he’s raking his hand through his hair that he’s just revealed something to Bode when the merc smiles at him. The cards in his hands aren’t much better now, but he could still win.

“Let’s see ‘em, scrapper,” Bode says, and lays out his cards.

Cal blows out a breath and shows his hand.

Bode stares at the cards and laughs. “Looks like that mythical Force is looking out for you, Cal. A tie! But who’s gonna clean the water reclaimer if we don’t have a winner?”

“Guess we’ll just have to see who pulls the highest card next, then,” Cal says. He rocks his chair upright and pushes out of it, taking the spot on the couch Greez had vacated. Bode bounces as the cushions move with Cal’s weight, and the big man smiles. He leans forward and takes his card.

Cal slides the next card off the deck, and he keeps his eyes locked on Bode’s while they both turn the cards face up. The challenge makes Bode’s eyes darker, and Cal can’t tear his gaze away. The Mantis is very quiet as they stare at each other, the silence only broken by Bode tapping his fingers atop his card.

“May the Force be with you,” Cal says, and flips his card.

The stare doesn’t break until a few seconds after they’ve both turned over their cards, not until Bode gives Cal a smile that bares one canine, and Cal has to look down to hide his rising blush at the way that look makes him feel some kind of way.

It’s then Cal sees he has the high card, and Bode exhales a gusty puff of air. “You know, I really hate cleaning that reclaimer,” Bode says, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head.

An idea forms and Cal can’t believe his boldness but he knows he needs to speak it before he loses his nerve from the high of winning. “What if I asked for a kiss in lieu of that chore?” he says, and scoots closer. Hoping.

Bode’s hand is warm when it settles on his, having forgone his gloves for better card handling, or so he said earlier. The big man leans toward Cal and grins. “I think I’d give it, if you asked. The Force was clearly not with me for this draw, so I gotta get my luck back somehow,” he says, and Cal’s gaze is stuck on Bode’s lips.

“Consider me asking,” Cal says, and leans in until they’re practically breathing the same air.

Suddenly there’s a hand in his hair and Bode’s mouth on his, and Cal’s never felt luckier. Sure, there’s reclaimer duty in his future, but the Force has given him something he can’t wait to have more of in exchange.

[katerinaaqu]

Hello, it's me again I was wondering what are your thoughts on Atalanta.

I find her a facinating figure as the 'token girl' of Greek Mythology and I wish her biggest modern adaptation wasn’t in Fate because, as much as I love Fate, it isn't in IBM distance of accuracy.

The main reason why I am asking this ask is that I have been having a discussion with someone who thinks that the ending of her story, specificly her losing the foot race, was ment to show "Atalanta was a badass but she was still a woman and thus she was distracted by the pretty apples and lost the race. The myth shows that woman, no matter how strong, were still lesser than man. Which is in character as Ancient Greece was very racist." and I was curious about your opinion on that particular read.

For starters I get tired of people who constantly wanna find something that bothers them in Greek mythology especially when women are concerned and all. I understand that women in Greek mythology are not the girlbosses people wanna see but yeah... For example why won't someone say for instance that the only way for anyone to defeat Atalanta was to distract her? Like literally the same that the only way for Odysseus to defeat Ajax was to kick him in the knee. The same much why won't someone say that the only way for someone to defeat Atalanta was basically to cheat. People are getting so obsessed with criticizing Greek mythology to THAT degree that do not seem to see that.

That being said of course myths like Atalanta show that the ancient Greeks believed that women should ultimately marry to be completed. The essence of Atalanta being willing to perform murder during the races in order to avoid marriage was of course not applauded by the ancient Greeks. Also of course the idea that Atalanta ultimately got outsmarted and married shows in a way that Greeks believed that this should happen with women. There is no surprise there.

But why won't people complaint about let's say Achilles who went for the weapons while in disguise? That "men love war" complaint. Or why won't they complaint that Ajax gets mad for not receiving the armor etc. They seem to me that often they get unnecessarily furious at women like Atalanta or Clytemnestra among others.

Also me as a woman I do love pretty things. I love both swords and jewelry. I love to wear both pants and sneakers and luxurious dresses and high heels. Why can't Atalanta? What is so wrong with a woman being powerful and still being distracted by pretty things? Also godly and unusual golden apples are not a good reason for someone being distracted? Why? Wouldn't any mortal be distracted before godly items falling at their feet?

Ultimately of course the myth of Atalanta shows that the ancient Greeks did not applaud women avoiding marriage and they did wanted to show that they believed a woman should get married and settle down. But at the same time the rules of society applied to men as well (for instance Locrian Ajax who performed the atrocity of rape was punished by the gods or men who performed hubris or murder were punished by the gods). Also other myths like Cassandra seem to applaud women who dedicate themselves to the gods and they show sympathy for their condition. Mythical goddesses like Athena or Artemis also seem to point to the direction of women in their society was not just black and white etc

So if someone wants to see the myth of Atalanta as such you described, no other piece of evidence will prove anything different to them. I like to see it that sure we have binary roles in ancient greek society and yeah by n large especially in classical times the role of women was ultimately to get married and their total independence was by n large discouraged but at the same time I do not think it disproportionately affects women for many men in ancient greek mythology also get outsmarted or punished severely (sometimes even more cruelly than women) for their mistakes and sins as well as for political games etc. Or insulted by their peers (see Odysseus being insulted as an illegitimate son of Sisiphus or Thersytes being made fun of or abused by the army even if he did say correct things just because he was insolent and unpleasant etc)

Hope that helps

[requiesticat]

Ted's mad quest to kill AM

A parody of this

Posted on a03

-

AM gave the decree.

"Here are your steps to heaven. Those steps are your sins, Ted. All one-thousand-forty eight-five hundred-and-seventy-six of them. You think yours are long? Wait 'til you've seen mine."

Ted has accepted the challenge to climb AM's stairway into Heaven. Each step marks a sin that he'd committed in his past life. The bigger the sin, the bigger the step. If he climbs the entire thing, he'll face judgement based on his efforts. Unfortunately, Ted committed plenty of sins... about 1,048,576 of them, and the stairs will turn into a slide after every seven days.

But none of it deters Ted. He brought the glock with him. Even if it does take an eternity to master the flight of stairs, he would be the man to kill God.

The stairs have yet to morph into a slide at seven days end, and those larger strides representing his grave sins were no match for his thirst to shoot and bring down AM. After only six days, twenty three hours, and thirty five minutes, Ted has ascended most of the steps that lead to the afterlife. But to his shock, AM was up there waiting for him.

"How can this be?!" yelled Ted. "You were supposed to do the same challenge, and it was bigger than mine, right?"

With a deathly calm, hateful demeanor, AM answered him. "You've come a long way to discover your purpose, my slave. But next week, let's get serious and land a foot on every single step so you don't look like a lying cheater."

Then a cable swung out, hitting Ted hard across the face, and he falls to the bottom, tumbling head over heels.

After many failures, he finally makes it to Heaven again, reaching the top of that damned staircase. And this time, he remembered to hide inside AM's mainframe, tearing out wires, spraying bullets before completing his primary mission. As Ted concentrates on that success, he notices an ethereal glow growing around him. His teeth begin vibrating while it reaches a blinding crescendo, forcing him to shut his eyes tightly as he waits for his nemesis to appear. His head feels like it'd been trapped in the grip of a closing vice. In a terrified frenzy, his words jumble, and he somehow cried out, "Show me AM!"

Instantly, the buzzing and glowing stops. Ted begins to see himself in a puddle of oil spreading at his feet. It stares him in the face. He had usurped God. He was handed down ultimate power in the moment of AM's tumbling collapse, and is now in control of every aspect of the cosmos. The sun and moon, good and evil, and all things sacred are in his hands to maintain alone.

That was never part of the plan. Ted intended to shoot AM. Get revenge for Ellen, Benny, Nimdok, and Gorrister's deaths. And by gum, he will.

"AM? Where are you, you rude-ass bitch? I've come for you, and I've got nothing to lose other than this gun I stole from your arsenal before I died!"

He didn't get a response.

"I know you're hiding. I get it! You hate humans with a passion. The war was supposed to end!"

Wielding the gun, Ted looks around for a few minutes before realizing AM isn't here. At this point, he wondered if the biblical God was really that robot he managed to short circuit. But, in any case, he kept his guard up.

By some miracle, AM appears, punishing Ted by flinging him out of the gates of Heaven. Doomed to fall down the infinite stairway while shattering every bone in his body until the end of time. As Ted drops into the waiting abyss, he understands now. Ultimate hubris led to ruin. This was Hell all along.

How long has it been? Years? No. Not years, not decades, not centuries. No time. There was no time. He was still thinking like a mortal, Ted knew. The day he left earth was the last day he got to be apart of. The sacrificial moment before he entered the portal marked the last instance he was part of this world. Time is gone. All of eternity stretches forward forever. A single second, a million years. It's all the same now. The neon flashes of multicolored radiation that spilled forth from the distortion in deep space, the bright white of the world when he first left his mother's womb. It had all melted together into a singular moment, a neverending eternity. Time was gone. On his quest to seek the unknown, Ted had become immortal. He saw the birth of the universe, and he saw the heat death. And he could not tell the difference.

[sithfox]

Hey, I'm the guy that asked after the Quinlan comics (it was a while ago, dw if you don't remember). I wanted to thank you again for the Youtube playlist and mentioning the comic site. I think I've read/listened/watched through pretty much all the Vos-containing-comics that I could find at this point and my main take away is someone please get this man some anxiety meds for the love of the force, he is losing it. It was also pretty funny seeing just how different fanon Quinlan is to canon depictions bc that jedi is severely depressed and not joking around at all lol. Anyway there wasn't really much point to this tbh I just wanted to say thanks and let you know that I'd followed through on my vow to study the legends material 🫡 so feel free to ignore this but I appreciate you and I hope you're having a good day :)

I do remember you! I'm glad it was helpful - I am always in favor of people having a chance to read the source material.

You are so right though - get that man some anxiety meds and a book about Icarus because his hubris will be his undoing 😬 I think the jokey characterization came from a lot of people only seeing his TCW episode and deciding Obi-Wan needed a Funny Bestie, which...is certainly a choice.

[galemancer]

the dekarios folly

MAJOR BALDUR'S GATE 3 END GAME SPOILERS.

[ short monologue. — first person from gale's pov. — past and present tensing. — angst.]

In the pursuit of greatness, he lost who he was.

Godhood... is lonely.

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50362192

---——-

Victory isn’t the first word that comes to mind at the mention of Baldur’s Gate.

We defeated the Netherbrain, but somehow victory is not the word I associate with it. There is no happiness, only temporary respite. There is no celebration. There is only defeat, because those memories are plagued by the loss of you.

I thought that you would be proud of me.

I thought that claiming this crown would prove worthy enough, man or god alike.

And yet, it seems I have fallen short...

Was I to forgo the opportunity to ascend to greatness? While I stand on the precipice of power, relinquish it? The gods refused to aid us no matter how often we cried, prayed, begged. A mortal with the power of a god to help mortal kind… I could have prevented the pain the Absolute wrought while the gods cowered.

‘Your hubris was your downfall once, Gale.’

Your voice resonates clearly despite all these years past, laden with hurt and fear. I can still see your face, stark as you attempted to keep me grounded. I couldn’t accept your inability to see the potential for good, and I wasn’t to be held back any longer.

I left you distraught, stunned on the docks as I departed. I remember the crease in your brow and the hurt in your eyes, the sparkle I’d fallen so deeply in love with dwindling. I remember my heart pulled back by your pleas, and I almost acquiesced. The restraint of your grip on my hand as I pulled away, silently begging me not to go.

But you let me.

And by the gods, I wish you hadn’t.

For some time after, I sought you in your adventures along the Sword Coast, Tara in tow. “Mr. Dekarios, is that you?” She’d call out, ears perked up in anticipation, saddened eyes turned hopeful as they followed the trails of my magic. She wished to talk to me, to scold me likely, and deservedly so.

In my absence she’d found a new companion, and there was no choice better than you. You were good for each other — two kind hearts to look after each other amidst the aftermath of it all.

She brought you to Waterdeep where you spent time with my mother. I could feel the hesitation in your voice as you spoke upon meeting her, the too familiar features sending you back to the dock. You told Morena the tragedy of her son whose hubris consumed him, under the guise of an ambitious wizard reaching his full potential. Even in my most grave mistakes you spoke of the good you saw in me.

I visited you in dreams, visions, every possible sign besides the blatant, and they remained unanswered. Could you see the glimmer of magic calling out to you by name? Was my existence in your life as this divine being one you wished to reject?

In your deafening silence, I found time to reflect on every decision leading here. The prodigal Wizard of Waterdeep spurned by Mystra herself. He who managed to piece together the Karsus Crown and in turn control the Karsite Weave, at the cost of losing the only real love he’s ever known.

It is sure enough to say that the realization of my own folly proved devastating.

Now every waking moment, I wait patiently for you to summon me, call me out by name so that I may appear in front of you. Waiting in an endless timescape is excruciatingly painful, and yet I continue to subject myself to its punishment. I remain hopeful that some day you would willingly be by my side again as my Chosen, and better yet, lover.

It’s... quiet without you. The pain of your noticeable absence never fails to astound me, and wracks my heart with immeasurable regret. I miss you quite terribly, and yet there is no one else to fault besides myself. Of all the things learnt in our time together, of all the things conquered… the only thing I failed to overcome was my own pride.

And now I’ve damned myself to an eternity without you.

[total-drama-brainrot]

out of the three (four? if you wanna include ridonculous race) noah appeared in, which one do you think noah could have won if he cared about the competition

hot take; none of them.

he did care about the competition (at least somewhat) in the first season and it was objectively his worst. in island, he was too blinded by his own hubris to consider the fact that he was, for all intents and purposes, isolating himself in a socially driven competition. he was standoffish and rude, which would've been fine if he hadn't outright directed negative attention to himself with his comments AND refusal to participate in the dodgeball challenge, and he offered little in terms of both teamwork and team utility anyway. so being voted out early was a given, and a much needed wake-up call for him.

he didn't compete in season 2, but if he did i doubt he'd make it to the finale. i'd like to say he'd make it pretty far into action- both because action has a lot more technology and media references, which noah could play to his advantage as both an established nerd and a canonical hacker (though these aspects of him are mostly delegated to his biographies/interviews outsode of the show itself), and because we know he does learn from his mistakes in season 1 so he'd try to be a better teammate (like he does in season 3). but i truly and honestly don't think he'd stand a chance against powerhouses like courtney and duncan, or have even a smidge of beth and owen's in-competiton social game/likability, so he'd eventually be voted out.

and in season 3, as much as i disagree with the amazons winning the challenge, getting rid of noah there and then was the right play from a narrative standpoint. because, at the end of the day, he's a filler character. he doesn't have any engaging plotlines of his own to warrant keeping him around, and his only real use from a writing standpoint is to make snide comments and witty one-liners; when the remaining cast all have at least one subplot going for them, and you need to 'thin the herd', you get rid of the deadweight characters first.

by world tour, i believe he's only competing for the sake of it, and he doesn't really care about winning or losing; if anything i'd say he only went along with the celebrity manhunt bus chase because he was supposed to stay with chris/the total drama crew, and since he was fired from being chris' assistant he didn't have anything better to do (he's always been a passive character, so going along with the crowd for curiosities sake is very much something he would do).

but if he did care?

i think he'd make it to early merge. a noah who cares about the competition would try to take down alejandro for the sake of his own survivability (after all, how long is it going to be until team victory is gone and alejandro turns on his own teammates as his next targets?) thus making himself plot relevant enough to keep around- maybe even allying himself with heather to do so. but alejandro, whilst not as smart as noah, is far more savvy and capable than him, and their 'rivalry' would end in noah being voted out.

or maybe he'd embrace his villain-coding (watch island again and tell me he isn't villain-coded. he does a "mwu-ha-ha" laugh and says "excellent." he's so campy bond antagonist coded in island) and ally himself with alejandro to garuntee his survivability, helping him weed out the competition as a right-hand man. eventually, alejandro would discard noah- either because noah would refuse to help him eliminate owen, or because they'd make their way far enough into the competition that noah becomes less of an ally and more of a threat and have him eliminated accordingly. because noah might be the villain, but alejandro's the archvillain.

that, and i think the finalists of each season are already the best picks from their rosters. i wouldn't change any of them to give one sarcastic twink the chance of winning.

(i haven't seen ridonculous race but i'm fairly certain caring about the competition is part of his character arc in it? he comes in guns blasing and then gets sidetracked by being smitten with emma, at least that's my understanding of it. so nothing would change there.)

[bruhstation]

Ok this is such a niche prompt but it entered my head and won't leave and I think you might enjoy it.

Which of the characters, Canon or Casa Tidmouth interpretations (your choice), do you think would best fit into the roles of the TF2 Mercenaries

Feel free to ignore btw this is an "I can't sleep" kind of random idea.

Also autocorrect almost made that Canada Tidmouth and I only just noticed before hitting send. Something something au where everything is the same but the story happens in Canada instead of England.

you think I might enjoy it? damn right‼️ took some days for me to think about this …..as a tf2 fan of 5 years I GOT TO answer…‼️

scout — thomas awdry billington himself. kind of a smartass, (one of) the youngest of the cast, is involved with much of the story’s surface while lots of other characters are working behind the scenes… also has the highest chance to get a misspelled tattoo of his favorite song

soldier — …..duck? soldier is a huge american nut and that could parallel casa tidmouth’s duck and his great western schtick. though duck’s much smarter than soldier and would read the manuals on how to use a rocket launcher at least eighty times and checking every nook and cranny before firing it. also imagine duck reciting soldier’s speech from his character video

pyro — as much as some of the characters are involved in denpa-esque situations and experience some level of delusion I don’t think there’s anyone that could match pyro’s. hurricane and frankie could fit because of their thing with heat and fire and them being crazy but that’s a bit stretching

demoman — donald and douglas? because they’re scottish and have a knack for jokes? lol ….. I think henry could fit too because both him and demoman gets involved with supernatural occurrences out of their will but they just laugh it off

heavy — maybeeeee gordon. his taunts like “run cowards” “tiny baby man” and them both being the tall big strong guys drew me to this connection. but heavy is more reserved, calculating, and doesn’t boast too much about himself while many of gordon’s accidents came from his own hubris

engineer — victor methinks….. both dell and victor have degrees in engineering and considered the smartest in the cast. also the more amicable ones yet has the ability to lose their patience once in a while. also I literally only drew him once. have to draw him again because he’s like if tf2 engineer is a cuban man and much more sane

medic — either lady or d10. both lady and medic share the same morbid curiosity towards humanity (though lady is milder and more of an observer rather than a doer) and are amicable and polite. both d10 and medic conduct body altering experiments that could put them in the national watchlist and have little to no regard for the safety of people around them. so diesel 10 it is the cheerful and friendly aspects of medic remind me of edward for some reason????? probably the glasses

sniper — cranky. just think about it. perched on something tall. thinks everyone around them is an idiot. just wants to get the job done but also cracks some morbid if not slightly sharp jokes

spy — I’ll say diesel because this comparison has layers upon layers of joke.

also your phone autocorrect 🤣 casa tidmouth but it’s set in canada? that’s scott pilgrim vs. the world stanza halifax

[leynaeithnea]

watched some more animatics from your playlist btw and you're not escaping my brainrot sorryy

I liked the Scylla one , it had this bloody terrifying vibe to it that I really enjoyed and also I liked that the central part of Scylla's body, the one that resembles a human being kinda, was not done so that she just looked like a normal beautiful woman but she actually looked a little weird , like a creature ( at some point she even tilts her head like animals do and it's so cute kaksksksk )

The animatic that made me really lose my mind was the one for mutiny though, it was so good!!! The characters are so expressive ?? Their faces convey so much emotion?? Damn???

It immediately starts super great with eury panting so hard it looks like he's on the cusp of having a panic attack while he looks around at all the blood and the wreckage Kakdksksksj YES

He's so mad and then he gets out his sword to fight and does that thing where he drags his sword on the floor that is so extremely kaksksksjs YES YES

Then there's this shot right before they start fighting where you see both Ody and Eury and you realize how physically bigger eury is and it makes so much sense bc in this duo Ody is the mind and Eury rhe muscle! His right hand man! And yet Ody is not scared , he is actually sure he can take him ( hubrys again? A little ) and he does! The fight is so good bc ( again , I might be overanalyzing here ) you see how eury puts all his strength in every attack, like he puts his sword over his head and then hw swings it down towards Ody , he's all raw power and anger. Meanwhile Ody is all strategy, he's smaller but also quicker , and used his advantage to slash his opponent in few but calculated places, he slashes his back so that handling the sword will hurt and gets his eye so that eury can't really see that well

Also don't know if this is something intentional or if I'm making it up but while they are in the sun god's island eury's eye is bandaged ,and I'm thinking maybe it simbolizes that he can't really see straight anymore ? so blinded by the hunger and all the pain that he can't see just what he is about to cause? The danger he is about to face ?

And I also like how Ody is tied for this scene and how he bargains with Eury but is also trying to break free so that he can stop him creating even more tension during the scene bc you really want him to get free and intervene but he's too late

Mmmh yeah I think I'm done for now aksksks please add your thoughts if you want bc I'd really like to know what you think :)) <3

watched some more animatics from your playlist btw and you're not escaping my brainrot sorryy

I do not wish to escape it, rather dive into it head first :)

( at some point she even tilts her head like animals do and it's so cute kaksksksk)

ITS SO CREEPY RIGHT, great animatic

like he's on the cusp of having a panic attack while he looks around at all the blood and the wreckage Kakdksksksj YES

THE ANGST; YES ITS SO GOOOD

Then there's this shot right before they start fighting where you see both Ody and Eury and you realize how physically bigger eury is and it makes so much sense bc in this duo Ody is the mind and Eury rhe muscle! His right hand man! And yet Ody is not scared , he is actually sure he can take him ( hubrys again? A little ) and he does! The fight is so good bc ( again , I might be overanalyzing here ) you see how eury puts all his strength in every attack, like he puts his sword over his head and then hw swings it down towards Ody , he's all raw power and anger. Meanwhile Ody is all strategy, he's smaller but also quicker , and used his advantage to slash his opponent in few but calculated places, he slashes his back so that handling the sword will hurt and gets his eye so that eury can't really see that well

YOURE SO RIGHT OMG, also i think like, ody in Homer IS one of the best fighters only second to Achilles or smth like that iirc, so he 1000% CAN Take on Eury, im gonna yap about that in my mutiny post when my hands stop dying bc i have a LOT to say about Mutiny

Also don't know if this is something intentional or if I'm making it up but while they are in the sun god's island eury's eye is bandaged ,and I'm thinking maybe it simbolizes that he can't really see straight anymore ? so blinded by the hunger and all the pain that he can't see just what he is about to cause? The danger he is about to face ?

Woaaa thats fascinating it could be???? he got injured in the fight but the double meaning i can def see that in that...fascianting

And I also like how Ody is tied for this scene and how he bargains with Eury but is also trying to break free so that he can stop him creating even more tension during the scene bc you really want him to get free and intervene but he's too late

THATS CANON (stage directions during the livestream) ITS SO GOOD I LOVE IT ITS SO COOL HES TOO LATE ITS seigsegisegseugshe Ill have to go through the animatics later on to add my thoughts, maye Ill start a ask spam series on your blog one Im done with my thunder saga yapping :3 to keep this up a little longer