#she's the greatest in the universe it needs to be understood.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Human cameramen are crazy

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

The greatest decision Intergalactic Wave 6 ever made was hiring Reggie Bradford.

At the time of Finch’s hiring IW6 was a relatively small news organization based in the outer worlds. Barely reaching four systems on a good day compared to the top contenders like Celestial Times which was broadcasted in inner core systems and pulled in an average of twenty to thirty systems each broadcast. The anchors for IW6 were locals, a Temrelien that needed a third grade translator unit just to be barely understood and a Myporie which couldn’t see the color green.

As the underdog’s underdog, IW6 more often fed off larger stories reported by other stations or small local stories relevant to a handful of worlds.  Nothing interesting happened in their corner of the universe so as long as they broke even they were fine to never reach further than the length of their arm.

Reggie Bradford was a hired on as a cameraman to work for one of the planetary studios on Orbin VIII. You’d find him either working in the back making sure the camera bots were functioning or, more often, when they weren’t he’d be manning the forty pound cameras himself. The studio crews were always amazed how this seemingly out of shape man could heft the heavy outdated camera unit like it was as light as a pen.

They wondered what a lone human was doing so far out in the boonies as he would say, but he would always shrug and say that he felt like this is where he belonged; a notion IW6 would be most grateful for in the coming days.

When the Intherax/Coalition war broke out it was the biggest news story to hit the plasma streams since the death of Empress Karen III when she was eaten by her own corganai.

The Intherax were a militaristic society, trained from birth to kill before anything else, and spanned some fifty star systems not including client kingdoms and vassals. General galactic dealings with them often boiled down to standing aside from whatever they wanted and hoping it wasn’t you or your world, lest the invasion armadas would descend and obliterate what little civilization your people had been able to achieve and then be sold into slavery.

This time however when the Intherax made a proclamation to annex the colony worlds of Jense, Shatu’a, and New Hamburg the current occupants politely told them to bugger off and formed a Coalition for mutual defense. From there dozens of governing powers flocked to the coalition and added their strength to it in what they saw as the best chance of finally checking Intherax aggression once and for all.

Ever one for a challenge, the Interax declared war on this new found coalition and opened the conflict by orbital bombarding Jense until it was little more than a cold husk of rock trapped in the decaying orbit of its system’s sun.

What followed was best described as two sides of no holds bar warfare as the Coalition retaliated with the first ever invasion of Intherax territory against the world called Kai’de.

Naturally every news organization wanted to be seen covering the war, including IW6. Sadly they did not have anyone either brave enough to send so they settled on sending someone they believed was stupid enough and sent Reggie.

They expected to get some b-roll of soldiers marching or shots of fleet warships in formation. They never expected nor asked him to go into active combat. So when the first feed came back during their late night broadcast they were surprised to see that Reggie was onboard an assault ship breaking through atmosphere.

“Reggie,” the Temrelien spoke with every other word shifting tone from the broken translator, “where are you?”

“I’m currently with brave members of the 27th Dragoons as they head to take the fight to the surface of Kai’de.”

Reggie waved a hand at the soldiers who in turn gave a rousing cheer and slammed their feet against the metal decking.

“Orders came in late last night for a massed landing to take the enemy by surprise. From what I understand the Intherax military had not expected coalition forces to invade their territory and have not had time to establish proper defenses.”

Both news anchors looked at each other in confusion.

“If that’s the case isn’t this broadcast putting the entire attack at risk?”

To their surprise Reggie laughed as the camera shook.

“The plan was to get them by surprise, but judging from the amount of anti-air fire,” he said as the assault ship rocked back and forth, “I don’t think they were fooled.”

The camera panned right suddenly as one of the armored dragoons grabbed it and spoke directly into it.

“We want them to know we’re coming! Because we’re going to kill them all!! AHAHAHAH!!”

Another chorus of cheers and whoops came from the soldiers as the soldier let go of the camera and Reggie readjusted it. The anchors wanted to continue their questions when the leader of the dragoons shouted out and interrupted them.

“60 seconds!”

With the order given the soldiers stopped their foolery and began hefting their weapons. Reggie panned the camera over them as they slapped in fresh clips or attached power cables from their backpack generators to their more heavy weaponry.

In awestruck silence the anchors and their viewers watched as the assault shuttle slammed hard into the surface and the boarding ramp flew open.

“GO GO GO GO!!!!” the dragoon leader shouted as the soldiers poured out screaming their battle cries. Reggie waited and filmed them as they disembarked but did not join the first out the ramp. A inclination that saved him as enemy gun fire began raking the ramp striking several soldiers down in clouds of viscera and gore.

The censors barely had time to cut the feed while the horrified anchors composed themselves to resume the broadcast.

In the hours that followed IW6 confirmed that Reggie had survived the battle and had been with the unit of dragoons for the entire duration. During those hours he had recorded the entire engagement from ramp down, to storming city streets as the Intherax deployed building sized walkers, to the hoisting of the coalition flag over the central governing building at the heart of the city.

With this footage viewership numbers for IW6 skyrocketed overnight as none of the other networks had been able to capture such stunning footage. In fact, by the intake of broadcasts none of them had been able to attach an anchor or cameramen to the initial assault save for Reggie. When asked how he had been able to get approved for such a deployment he did not say which only further added to the mystery. Yet for the moment IW6 was far from ready to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Reggie’s footage was shown over and over on IW6 and was soon sublicensed to other networks and shown there. Exploits of the dragoons became known galaxy wide as Reggie followed them through battle after battle; never afraid to risk his life to capture the perfect moment.

When the Intherax fleet arrived in orbit and began to bombard the planet while also fighting the coalition fleet Reggie had forgone sheltering in nearby bunker complexes to film the orbital strikes as they hurtled down all around them.

Thick columns of pure energy shattered buildings and mountains alike as the ground quaked and there stood a lone Reggie filming it all. Even when the anchors begged him to find shelter he simply panned the camera over the city to show entire skyscrapers be reduced to molten mounds the oozed and sludged through the city streets.

By the time the battle had finally ended thanks to Reggie’s footage IW6 climbed the viewership charts to be the third most watched network galaxy wide. Much to the dismay of IW6 it also drew the attention of Reggie the cameraman to the other outlets who began showering him with ever more lavish offers for employment.

Too their surprise he denied them all and said that he was right where he belonged.

[a-araiguma-a]

He loved only her

No one in particular, just an elf from the universe of J. R. R. Tolkien. Elf x f!reader

In the ancient forests of Middle-earth, where tall trees concealed the sky, there lived an elf. His people were as eternal as the forest itself, and their hearts were rarely clouded by mortal emotions. But one day, he met a woman—a simple, human, mortal woman. There was something about her that made his heart beat faster: her beauty, which could neither be captured by the finest poets nor sung by the greatest musicians, her mind, so unlike that of other humans, filled with thoughts, ideas, and philosophy, or her eyes, in which one could drown if they gazed too long. It was something he could not understand, but this only made his love grow deeper.

"Cormamin lindua ele lle"—he always wanted to tell her that his heart sang at the sight of her, but it was not the right time, not yet. From the moment of their first meeting, he sought her out and waited for her in this forest every day when the sun's rays gently touched the ground, filtering through the thick foliage.

She told him about her world, about the brief lives of humans, about how they lived and died, dreaming and suffering.

"Lle naa vanima,"—he blurted out one day, not even realizing when he had said it: "You are beautiful." "What did you say?"—fortunately, she didn't understand his words, and that saddened him. It was not enough for him to meet her in the evenings; he longed to extend their conversations, to stretch them out for an hour, two, or forever. He listened to her stories, captivated not by the words themselves but by how her voice filled the emptiness in his soul. Without her, he would never have known the need to fill it.

"Tua amin!"—But did he need help? Did he need to be saved from her? Honestly, no, he was ready to drown in her eyes, ready to die if only to meet her once more. He was ready for anything...

But the Elf did not know how to tell her about his feelings. He understood that the time she gave him was limited, and each moment with her was precious. But how could he explain this? How could he tell her that his heart, which had always been eternal and free, now belonged to her? "The more you love someone," he thought, "the harder it is to tell them." "Nin lithiach, Meleth nín"—she truly enchanted him every time he saw her, even in his thoughts. His beloved. "Guren mil gaim lín"—his heart was in her hands—"Tessa sina ten’ amin"—he asked her to keep it, but in truth, she was free to do with it as she wished, as long as it was her.

And she accepted him. She had loved him too, ever since then, but she understood that it would be difficult for him; her life was short, and what would happen afterward, when she left him? She was ready to weep over such a truth. "Amin uuma malia, Arwen en amin"—it didn't concern him. Being with her and having her even for a moment was already enough. The chance to call her his—that was his happiness. His Lady, who ruled his heart and mind.

As the years passed, she began to talk more often about parting, though it pained the elf to hear it, he couldn't disagree. "When the day comes that we part," she said quietly, "if my last words aren't 'Amin mela lle,' you'll know it's because I didn't have time." In those moments, he remained silent, lost in thought, unable to find the words to express that his love knew no bounds of time. "Meleth e-guilen, my love is selfish. I can't breathe without you,"—she was the love of his life. How could she speak of them parting, not seeing her, not inhaling her scent in the mornings, no more afternoon conversations about books, about how Ellen had messed up her work again, no more seeing her smile, or those gentle eyes full of love for him... "Aa’ lasser en he coia orn n' omenta gurtha!"—Let the leaves of her tree of life never wither, he prayed. Just a little longer, he wasn't ready yet, but how could he stretch this time?

But when the fog enveloped the forest, and the cold wind brought with it a premonition of farewell, the elf finally spoke what was in his heart. He took her hand and said: "I was destined to live a thousand years, and I belong only to you for all those years. If we were to live a thousand lives, I would want you to be mine in every one of them." She looked at him, and a tear glistened in her eye. She knew their time was running out, but these were the words she believed in more than anything in the world.

For the elf's love was as eternal as the forest itself, and he continued to love, despite their parting, carrying his feelings for her through the years and ages of his life.

"Cormamin niuve tenna’ ta elea lle au’"—My heart will wait until it sees you again. "Le me ithon anuir"—I will love you forever. "Quel kaima"—Rest well.

[yzzart]

okok but what about a fic with coriolanus based off of the unreleased version of national anthem, i want it all by lana del rey??? like she has the same ambitions and drive as him (a little coocoo) and they kind of just manipulate each other, but like they do really love each other yk?? food for thought 😙

"𝐁𝐲𝐞, 𝐛𝐲𝐞, 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲!"

pairing: young!Coriolanus Snow x f!reader.

word count: 674!

summary: if you wanted one thing, Coriolanus would give it to you.

warnings: mention of manipulation, excerpts from "I want it all" by Lana Del Rey, Coriolanus needy and wrapped around reader's finger, reader sitting on Coriolanus' lap.

The word "frustration" was so mediocre in your tongue that, at times, it burned your with pure bitterness. — With such an immoral meaning, there is no meaning in your life.

And you didn't even have a drop of pleasure in mentioning it in secret, in front of and outside the harsh and venomous gazes of your classmates. — After all, you didn't want them to be able to associate your fascinating image with that word.

Even if, at times, that feeling of relief, tranquility in your life and especially in the financial sense, turned into a knot of frustration, disappointment with factors that didn't go your way. — Taken for days, completely, fragile and indiscreet. — You would never admit or mention it, not even with your dying breath.

However, there was one person among those neat and arrogant vipers who recognized your despair, observed your fragility with his deep and beautiful blue eyes; who paid attention to you, getting to know you. — Silently admiring your steps on clumsy days. — Watching how you manipulated those who had something that marked your interest.

You loved to seduce any look to achieve your greatest desires. — Mainly, the look so full of feelings, displeasures and sensitivities

Coriolanus understood your body language, and was surprised by it; in most times and situations, you didn't even need to say a word, not even release a sigh, because he already had in mind what could have happened. — And that he could use that to his advantage.

But the prodigal boy, so admired and recognized by the university and envied by the majority, had no capacity to involve and blackmail you; no, he couldn't. — And it was an ironic play, because Coriolanus would commit such an action with anyone. — Even if your situation, his life is at a moment of failure and, intensely, unpleasant.

Coriolanus, in his reason for wanting, wanting everything he wanted most in his life, or that could help him or even favor him, he would do anything. — To enjoy his power, to lift his mediocre life from misery and poverty, Coriolanus would do absolutely anything. — Just like you, even in different circumstances.

Like, maybe, he would do anything for you. — And maybe, you would do anything for him and for him. — However, the factors that could benefit you always come first.

"Do you think you'll kill for me one day?" — Your voice, lost, in pure sympathy and your hands passing through some white and curly locks that were stuck on his forehead; a sweet gesture for a slightly inappropriate moment.

Sitting between Coriolanus's thighs, you settled, beautifully, on his lap; as if it were his favorite seat. — The distress, which didn't bother your so much, from his rich-looking fabric pants touched your skin. — You were so relaxed, carefree.

And also wrapping the young boy Snow around your finger, with an invisible string before his eyes.

Coriolanus was stunned, his cheeks red and hot, swallowing hard and trying his best to remain conscious; he was funny so ridiculous. — The one worthy of the surname Snow, the one who had a promising future and drew confident and ambitious comedians, was nothing more than a trembling and needy soul.

He had the answer on the tip of his tongue, between his bright, reddish lips, but he hadn't committed to saying it. — Coriolanus felt his heart beating faster and faster, feeling like it would leave his chest at any moment and he wouldn't even have the ability to control it.

"Yes." — Coriolanus sighed, so breathless and marking his bluish irises and poisoned by attention on your lips and, soon, your eyes. — "Of course i will, my darling."

God, he wasn't lying; Coriolanus would never do such a merciless and deplorable thing against you. — Even in his last circumstances, in his worst second of life. — He felt so pathetic, sensitive but only you could make him feel that way.

Your lips curved into a gratifying smile, feeling satisfied and fortunate, and almost brushed against Coriolanus's. — You always got what you wanted and wanted most.

[ilikereadingactually]

Lake of Souls

Lake of Souls by Ann Leckie

what can i even say about this?? i have already established my deep love for Ann Leckie's work, and this collection lives up to all possible expectations. it's spectacular. every single story is an absolute BANGER.

the first section, standalone stories unrelated to her novels, is brimming with surprises and delights. each new premise and scenario presented me with characters i understood and loved immediately, and took me on a journey of unexpected turns. fabulous for any speculative reader honestly, but so particularly wonderful to me and my adhd brain! the imagination and unpredictability of each story kept me absolutely glued, and opened doors into worlds that felt fully realized. i could easily read a novel in every single world Leckie created here, but the stories are also satisfying--i don't NEED a novel in any of them, they are perfectly satiating morsels of lembas bread.

and in the second section we get stories in the Imperial Radch universe, two of which i had actually read before during the deepest dives of my Radch obsession, but which were fantastic to revisit. again, the worldbuilding and character development both stand out as Leckie's greatest strengths, giving insight into times and places outside the scope of her novels with tantalizing bits of in-universe history and folklore. i spent some time yelling out loud about them.

the third section, i now have to confess, i haven't read yet--because they're stories set in the universe of The Raven Tower, which i also have not had time to read yet in between galleys and library books with due dates, and i'd prefer to go into the novel not knowing anything about the world. but i can't imagine, at this point, that any story in this section is going to somehow alter my love for this collection, which is already deep and abiding. looking forward to sneaking in a read of The Raven Tower and then coming back to this!!

the deets

how i read it: an e-galley from NetGalley, which i wanted to read immediately but had to prioritize other deadlines first, so it was sitting approved on my shelf for months calling to me T^T

try this if you: love SFF at its most speculative and imaginative, are compelled by well-developed characters, dig themes of language and translation and the meeting/clashing of cultural norms, or are into Leckie's other work (obv)!

some bits i really liked: it was super hard to choose, so here's connected bits that made me laugh and one that made me holler "BREQ PLEASE" out loud in my empty apartment

"And you left me behind," continued Great Among Millions. "Alone. They asked and asked me where you were and I did not know, though I wished to." It made a tiny, barely perceptible stomp. "They put me in a storeroom. In a box." ... "Eye of Merur," said the first of the Thirty-Six. "We're glad you're back." "They're glad you're back," whispered Great Among Millions, just behind Het's right shoulder. "They didn't spend the time in a box."

---

"She commands me," said Seven-Brilliant-Truths. "And I obey. Sister understands." "Yes," said Sister Ultimately-Justice, not even blinking.

pub date: April 2, 2024! That's tomorrow!!!!! Go get your copy!!

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

Hey

Want to know your opinion, how would you improve some arcs of toh characters, like Amity, Hunter, Lilith, Willow, Gus and probably anyone whose arcs you think are bad-written?

good question! let's see,

luz: i have mostly no complaints about her character but i wish they made it clear that her running off to the boiling isles was not ideal. i don't entirely blame her because she was a child and she was looking for a way to avoid going to camp, but the show starts off implying that luz's escapism was a bad thing, but then they kinda contradict that in the end, by letting her have access to the boiling isles forever.

also her s3 arc with her palisman was just overall poorly written. it was supposed to be an emotional and wholesome moment but it didn't have that impact on me. if luz's greatest wish was to be understood, they should have built on that more. i mean, it's not like no one understood her, all of her friends and found family in the boiling isles seem to understand and empathize with her. it just felt like the writers pulled this revelation out of their asses, and the fact that stringbean was inexplicably a shapeshifter didn't help their case.

amity: i would keep some parts of her initial characterization, like her ambitious nature and her resting bitch face energy. even if the idea was to make amity grow into a more cheerful person, it doesn't make sense that it happened so quickly. imo her characterization was at its best when she was warming up to luz but not entirely nice to other people (like during the grom episode). i really liked her cold, standoffish behaviour and i think it would have been nice if she had kept some of that, while still being a better person than she was in the beginning.

also, like i said in another post, she should definitely have goals of her own. her character shouldn't have been reduced to "luz's girlfriend". i would definitely show more of her interacting with the other characters (and these interactions and conversations aren't about luz) and pursuing her own dreams. i think steven universe did this best where connie liked steven a lot and she did hang out with him, but she also had her own life and her own dreams to chase.

hunter: i wouldn't put him in a relationship with willow, or anyone, for that matter. the poor boy has a lot of trauma he needs to work through and based on the stuff that he's said, it's clear that he doesn't know how healthy human interactions work, let alone a romantic relationship.

i would make his arc about slowly healing through his trauma or at least being able to express his emotions, instead of suppressing them for willow's sake. i think it could have been done, despite the time crunch. he needed time to grieve flapjack, to grieve himself after being possessed and almost killed by his abuser, and to slowly start his healing journey.

the others would definitely support him through it, but that's what he needs at the time, not a badass girlfriend.

lilith: i think her redemption arc started off okay but then everyone forgave her too quickly. it wasn't as bad as catra's because lilith did put a little effort into trying to be better, but she still needed to do more before she could have been forgiven.

so either i would extent her redemption arc and let the other characters, especially eda, stay mad at her a little longer before she gets forgiven. or i would just keep her as an antagonist.

they didn't even explore her trauma of being in a cult and the emperor's coven never chased her down after she left. not to mention, her experience of being in the emperor's coven is never relevant to the plot. she could have given luz inside information or talked about belos' potential weaknesses, it was such a missed opportunity.

willow: her arc with amity was not terrible and i like that she was allowed to take her time to trust amity. this is more about amity than willow but i think it would have been nice if we saw amity making more efforts to gain willow's trust. her apology in understanding willow was good but they kinda glossed over the fact that amity wasn't just "letting her friends bully willow", she was also bullying willow.

i think we needed more of willow and amity trying to mend their friendship, instead of lumity being the main focus after that one episode.

and in general, willow deserved a bigger role in the series. for the longest time, she was just luz's friend and then they forced her into a relationship with hunter, which did not work at all.

if her intended arc was to work on her insecurities and get more confident over time, they should have shown more of that process. even Any Sport In A Storm was mostly about huntlow (and hunter, to some extent) then willow. and let's be honest, the whole "half a witch" thing was dragged out more than it needed to be.

gus: okay, buckle up because i think i have the most grievances with gus. i need to make this clear. GUS WAS SO UNDERUSED.

i'm sorry. this guy is a child prodigy who can create illusions and use illusion spells to look into people's minds and force them to relive their worst memories?? why was this not more relevant to the plot? gus is such an insanely skilled witch and yet he's always pushed to the back for some reason. he has the most versatile and useful skillset but he never gets to use it, it makes me so mad!

even him looking into belos' mind was only used for that brief moment where he admits that he knew hunter was a grimwalker, but didn't want to force hunter to talk about it. that's it. we get no further conversation about it, gus never addresses the other stuff he saw in belos' memories like him MURDERING his brother and creating all the grimwalkers and god knows what else??

also just the fact that he's able to psychologically torment people with illusions is such an OP move that the series just kinda glossed over. it was used in a few episodes, but it could have been used to a greater extent. i just think that gus could have been such an interesting and powerful character, if he was given enough spotlight.

he also had a good thing going with mattholomule but instead of making that canon, they went for huntlow. i'm not saying that gus has to be in a relationship (or any of them, for that matter) but why create a new rushed ship when you already have a perfectly good one to work with?

i also find it weird that gus and willow were supposedly best friends but we got very few moments between them. i would have loved to see more of their friendship, and more focus on platonic relationships in general.

so yeah, if i were to rewrite gus, i would definitely give him a lot more spotlight. heck, given his powerset, he has the potential to be the main character even!

belos: i've mentioned it a lot before but belos deserved a more climatic end to his arc. all of the implications of religious trauma and puritan culture was thrown in the trash in s3.

he was actually such a compelling villain, genuinely intimidating and with an interesting motive and backstory. what was the point of crafting such an interesting character, just to be like "lol he's evil murder his ass"?

i'm not even mad that he died, i'm just mad that THAT'S how he died. i was expecting his death to be something ironic and self-inflicted, like the people from the human realm being horrified by him and killing him. maybe even burning him to death, the same way witches were burned at the stake. buuuut no, we get king, raine and eda stomping on his corpse because haha that's funny. hunter didn't even get to be a part of all this, and he was the one who deserved closure, he was the one who deserved to see his abuser face consequences of their actions, not fucking eda and raine.

and that part where he tries to convince luz that he was just under a terrible curse was just.. so childish. and not in-character childish, but just childish writing. it was just so ooc for belos, he is a manipulator but this wasn't how he manipulated people. i guess you could argue that he was just too desperate to survive but eh. i think it could have been written better.

eda: i don't have too many complaints here, i think she was probably the most well-rounded and compelling character in this show. her arc about the owl curse was interesting and very relatable to me, as someone who is epileptic. her relationship with raine was the best in the series imo.

the only thing i would change is, as I mentioned earlier, i wouldn't make eda forgive lilith so easily. i also think that she kind of lost her "morally grey parental figure" edge by the end of the series, and i honestly liked that part of her a lot, so i would keep it. but that's just a personal preference.

raine: they were definitely a very interesting character, i just think they deserved more screentime. most of their role in the story was surrounding their relationship with eda, which was very compelling, but we could have gotten more of their character outside their relationship.

the members of the emperor's coven, as a whole, could have been used better in the series. but for a side character with medium relevance to the plot, i'd say raine was written pretty well.

[multiverseworm]

If Batfamily members were part of the Avatar (The Last Airbender) universe. Which element would each be able to bend?

It’s probably been done before by other creators, but I will write each one of my headcanons and why I think they’d bend that element. You’re free to think otherwise about these.

Water: as Uncle Iroh explained to Zuko, water is the element of change. The people of the water tribes are capable to adapting to many things. They have a sense of community and love that holds them together through anything.

•Dick - had to evolve many times in order to fit, whether from an orphan to a billionaire, a sidekick to forming his own team (the titans), or even moving cities altogether and becoming his own hero.

•Bruce - the original evolving character. He had to adapt from having loving parents to being an orphan. From being a one man show to having sidekicks and a whole team formed of superheroes. Whether he realizes it or not. He’s build a community around him to help the people that are part of it, feel loved and understood.

Earth: Earth is the element of substance. The people from the earth kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persisting and enduring.

•Cass - to begin and try to explain how enduring Cass is would be a whole essay on its own. She was raised from the minute she was born to be a living weapon. Endured years of abuse towards that goal. And much like Toph, she concentrates, analyses and concludes before she attack.

•Jason - I know Jason could arguably be added as part of the fire element as well. But he’s been one of the Batfamily members that has had to endure a lot. His parents abused and neglected him, he never adapted to Bruce’s moral code, he was killed by the joker and brought back only to be another soldier for the League. He is strong in more ways than just physical strength and has never stopped persisting about what his beliefs are, even if that has created a breach with his family at times.

Fire: Fire is the element of power. The people of the fire nation have desire and will and the energy and drive to achieve what they want.

•Damian - a lot like Zuko, Damian’s drive and will was at first conducted by anger, superiority and desire for power. But the more he has immersed himself in achieving his own goals, and not the ones that were imposed to him by other people, he has been one of the most strong willed and powerful members of the Batfamily.

•Kate - Since childhood, Kate has been someone that felt she lacked power over her own life. The kidnapping, the loss of her mother and sister, her expulsion from the military, and overall control of her destiny. But this hasn’t stopped her from achieving what she wants. The will she has is enormous.

Air: Air is the element of freedom. The Air nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also, the apparently had pretty good senses of humour.

•Steph - having to detach yourself from your own blood is something incredibly difficult. But Stephanie proved this can be done in order to achieve freedom when she took the mantle of spoiler and helped Robin and Batman take down her own father. She forged her own path.

•Alfred - One of the greatest characteristics from air nomads is their ability to remain peaceful. With every single thing the bat kids have put him through, he remains one of the more sarcastic and empathetic members of the family, and also a true guide for each of them.

Non-benders: Having no bending abilities has never been an impediment for the people of the four nations. We’ve seen them being great combatants, logical thinkers and overall, people that had earned their place amongst the people that seem to be ‘most powerful’.

The following three are listed as non-benders is mainly the result of their efforts to prove themselves in order to be a part of the Batfamily.

•Tim - His own strength has always proven to be his intellect. No combat, threats or anything physical at all was needed in order for him to use his mind to act as the greatest detective of this family and find out Batman’s identity. His brain has proven more useful than any violent action. He earned his spot inside the family.

•Barbara - Much like Tim, Barbara proved her own way into the family. She started out as a potential casualty in Batman’s book, but she quickly proved herself to the family. Even after being incapacitated to deal with criminals hand to hand, her logical thinking has helped the family perhaps even more with her role as Oracle.

•Duke - after losing his parent’s sanity at the hands of the joker, Duke also proved himself with the ‘we are Robin’ movement. He couldn’t care less about how powerful anyone else was, because he knew that what the movement represented was far more important than walking amongst heroes.

*All of the above could arguably be moved from one element to the other, but this is my personal headcanon.

[i9messi]

request for Pablo Gavi x Messi daughter reader! I think it would be cool to see Gavi meeting the family or any ideas are amazing as well, please take your time don’t rush thru it love your work your doing amazing have a wonderful day,afternoon, night <3🫶

Messi's daughter — Pablo Gavi

Word count — 1,1k

gavi's masterlist

"Relax, it’s not a big deal." You tried to calm your boyfriend, who was totally scared to meet your dad.

And the truth was, in a certain way, you understood him. Your dad wasn’t just a normal guy, just like he wasn’t any normal football player. He was Lionel Andrés Messi, also known as the goat. The greatest of all times. Gavi was totally nervous to meet him in person, especially when you were his idol’s daughter.

He was really nervous about a lot of things, like for example, Lionel thinking that he wasn’t enough for you, or that he would give him a bad impression. Gavi loved you and was totally convinced that you were his favorite person and that he wanted to be with you all his life. Still, he felt insecure about meeting him and being judged by nothing else than Messi.

"It's a big deal. It’s Lionel Messi, I have admired him since I'm a kid."

"Yeah, he’s also my dad and he’s an ordinary human being. Vamos."

You had taken advantage of those days off that Gavi and you had to go to Paris, where your dad and your family were staying, due to Messi's career in the PSG. You haven't seen your family in the last months, since you were attending university in Barcelona and it was difficult to keep in touch. You missed your family, your dad, your mom and your brothers. You missed drinking mate and eating asado, things that were a tradition in your family.

You heard music as soon as you entered the house and you followed the sounds. You found your mom, Antonela, sitting on the couch in the living room. The two hugged instantly, releasing small screams and almost yelling how much you had missed each other. She began to look at you from top to bottom, saying that you had grown a lot in that time you had been in Spain. Once she finished paying attention to you and your changes, she looked at Gavi.

The boy was so still that he didn’t seem to be breathing. Pablo was nervous, so much that it made you laugh. You approached him and held his hand, inviting him closer.

"This is my boyfriend, Pablo Gavi."

"Nice to meet you, Gavi." With the kindness that characterized her, Anto approached the football player and shared a hug with him, "Want to eat something? I prepared a little of everything."

Gavi was already embarrassed and shook his head saying no. "Nice to meet you too. I thank you, I already ate."

"He’s a liar, he didn’t eat anything but he’s embarrassed to say yes." You explained and Gavi looked at you with the same look on his face when he didn’t like something. It was his typical face during a bad match. You let out another laugh.

"There’s no need to be ashamed, Gavi. You’re part of the family now." Your mother said, smiling at him.

"Where’s papá?" you wonder.

When it seemed that Gavi was feeling more comfortable, that question made him stand straight again. Your mom told you he was in the backyard and you walked with your boyfriend. Gavi’s hand was sweating a little and he looked more nervous than at any awards ceremony.

"Everything’s gonna be okay, amor."

"I hope so."

You met your dad who was playing football in the backyard with your three brothers. The kids practically ran into your arms when they noticed you, screaming your name. You let go of your boyfriend’s hand for a moment and hugged the kids. That was the moment Leo Messi approached Gavi. The Barça player hardly breathed and when Leo smiled at him, things improved for him. It was a nice start.

"Hi, I’m Leo."

As if half the world didn’t know his name already, you rolled your eyes and looked at your brothers, who asked you a lot of questions.

"Who is that boy?" asked Ciro, the youngest, pointing innocently to Gavi.

"He’s my boyfriend, Pablo. I told you about him."

"I don’t want you to have a boyfriend." the kid simply said.

You smiled, "Why? I love him and he loves me."

None of your brothers seemed convinced that their older sister had a boyfriend but they didn't say anything else. You paid attention again to the conversation between your dad and Gavi, seeing that the brunette was almost pale.

"I'm Pablo, señor Messi"

"Don't call me like that, call me Leo. You want unos mates?" Lionel smiled at your boyfriend, pointing to the argentinian infused drink, which consisted of yerba mate mixed with hot water.

"Yes, of course. I'm a big fan of you, Leo."

Gavi was completely excited now, like a little boy who met his idol in person and wanted to enjoy every second of that meeting. You came to hug your dad, who took you in his arms. You spoke a little with him, introducing Pablo to the conversation, so he could talk a little and the two men would get along. After all, they ended up talking about the World Cup, Barça and football. You saw your boyfriend smile when Messi asked if he wanted to play football with him and his sons. Since they needed another player, you offered to play with them.

You were teaming up with your boyfriend and the oldest of your brothers, Thiago. While Messi was playing with his other two children. Since you knew that both your dad and Gavi were a little rough playing, you decided to be the goalkeeper. Almost forty minutes later, Leo Messi was winning the game, along with your little brothers. You had not been able to catch any of the goals that your dad had made and it was no surprise, but at least you had caught one of your brothers' try of goal.

You apologized to go drink some water and one of your brothers took your place. You sat on the floor and started drinking your water bottle alone. Once the men finished playing ball, they talked a little longer and your boyfriend came over and also sat on the floor, next to you. Gavi was a little sweaty.

"See? It wasn’t a big deal, my dad is a normal human being." you joked, knowing in advance that Pablo was fascinated with Messi.

"I played football with Messi, I am completely satisfied for life."

"I'ma little bit jealous, you know?"

He looked at you, "I love you but you know, he is Messi."

"Bobo."

He kissed you and you smiled. Lucky him and lucky you, your family adored Pablo.

[caeliatus]

Ava asks, standing next to the greatest divine being to ever grace the Universe, “She loves me?”

She doesn’t have to say who she’s talking about. Both of them know—Reya turns to her, hands folded neatly behind her back, and regards her with a gentle searching look. “Yes,” she says, “she does.”

Ava doesn’t meet her gaze. She’s still looking at a particular spot in space, the place where Beatrice’s shimmering face vanished along with those whispered words that the Halo sings with now, almost as if she could will the two  dimensions to meet once more just so she could crawl back into Beatrice’s arms and ask her to say it again and again, forever, in every single life, until the Earth was swallowed up by the heat death of the Sun. 

I love you. Sotto voce, not even for God to hear, so gentle and soft and so, so Beatrice. Only she could ever say three words and make Ava’s word rock about its axis like this; only she could ever say I love you and have it be the great sum of all small and big things, every single moment that defined them. Ava would throw herself in front of a hundred arrows if it meant she got to see Beatrice again. She could leap in front of an unstoppable object and bring it to a standing halt, collide with a black hole and face the implosion, die a hundred times over, anything, everything—and nothing would even come close to those three succinct words. 

“She loves me,” Ava breathes. Her throat cinches painfully. She tears her gaze away from the long gone portal and looks at Reya, almost pleading. “When—?”

“Eventually,” Reya says, with the slow pace of someone who has all the time in Reality, who could scroll and browse through decades the same way Beatrice carefully sorted through invoices and files at their bar in the Alps; Ava restrains the urge to scream. “You’re hurt. You need to heal. This is the beginning of a great war, a conflict whose context and importance far superceeds your understanding. We need you at your full strength now more than ever, Ava, so please don’t rush this process.”

“But Beatrice.” 

Reya just says, “Eventually.”

The Halo buzzes with irritation. Ava presses, unable to shake her urgent feeling. “But how long—when I go back will she still be alive? Is she even still alive?”

“They’re all well. You will see them in time.”

“You’re not helping me.”

Reya gives her a look of sympathy—eyes soft, mouth turned down into a gentle grimace—and Ava’s heart sinks. “What we—this includes you too—are dealing with right now is something that transcends our souls. As much as our souls yearn for things—you for her, and her for you—we cannot let them get in the way of this. In the grand scheme of things, your lifetime will be a blink—a speck, a little grain of sand washed up on the beach. The people you love will come and go, the way it always has been, and soon enough your lives will be only remembered through the Warrior Nun’s notebook as the conflict rages on. You’ve never been religious but you certainly understand giving things up in the name of devotion—it’s a similar scenario here, where we have to put aside our lesser wants and focus on the bigger picture. There have been hundreds before you who have done the same, and hundreds more who will follow. I know you and Beatrice love each other, but for the sake of this fight you two must give that up—Beatrice certainly understood that. Stop focusing on a single grain of sand and look instead at the vast oceans in their entirety, and you’ll see His plan.”

“I don’t believe that,” Ava says, far more shaky than she’d like. 

“You have an angel’s Halo in your spine.”

“No, but that’s—that’s bullshit! Isn’t a beach like a trillion grains of sand or something? Without every single grain of sand, there’d be no beach—no ocean—they coexist with each other, they can’t be without the other. You’re telling me I’ll be a speck of sand, nothing—but then why are you asking me to make such a big sacrifice is I have such a most importance in the Universe?” The Halo starts to emit a low hum in the pit of Ava’s stomach. “And Beatrice—Beatrice realized that devotion didn’t mean giving everything up. She’s really fucking smart and she realized that devotion meant dedication, and that it went two ways. Devotion isn’t giving everything up. It’s sacrificing and having it returned. She’s given up everything she has for religion. She’s sacrified so much more for me, and I’ve sacrificed so much to her too. I love her. You can’t just ask me to leave her behind. I won’t. I can’t.”

Ava sees Reya’s eyes flick to the Halo. She sees her eyes widen, just a fraction of an inch. She feels the Halo buzzing with energy, enclosing her into an embrace—Beatrice’s embrace, with her arms fixed around her side and her head resting on the nape of her neck, her throat rumbling with a low, scratchy hum to whatever song was playing over the radio. Her body starts to shine, blurred iridescence, bright enough to wash out Reya’s form. 

“Ava—”

“I can’t leave her.” She can feel the divinium draining out of her body. The Halo grows stronger, sending currents of energy flowing through her body. When Ava blinks, she can see Beatrice imprinted against the back of her eyelids, curled up in Ava’s bed at the chapel, looking so alone and small in a way Ava’s never seen before. She sees Beatrice leaving in regular clothes, boarding a plane, going to Switzerland by herself and returning to their empty apartment. She sees the tear that runs down her cheek when she looks at their bed—it looks so small and so impossibly empty—and something in the air gives as the Halo produces a great jolt. Ava obeys the impetus, delicately tucking aside the strands of reality pushing through, and she watches as Beatrice’s head shoots up to look at her—her eyes wide, mouth hanging open in a comical expression before it morphs into a smile so bright it makes Ava’s glow dim in comparison.

Ava looks back. Reya’s standing there with a thoughtful, almost resigned expression on her face. When Ava glances back she meets her gaze, holds it, and must find something in there, within the tangle of all of Ava’s humanity, because after a moment a small smile crosses her face—the kind of smile where you’d shake your head and t wow, I wasn’t expecting that, good for them—and she gives a small nod of her head, watches as Ava slips between the fabric of reality snday vanishes with a great flash of light. 

Ava lands with a great thump onto the floor in the little apartment she’d shared with Beatrice all those months ago. The Halo glows brightly in her back, nudging her to her feet to turn and face Beatrice—still crying, but there’s a smile amongst all those tears now, and Ava crosses the gap between them in two great strides and flings herself into Beatrice’s arms with such strength that they almost go toppling over into the wall. 

“You love me?” Ava asks, muffled. 

“Of course I do,” Beatrice says, as if she’s stating a fact, “I always have.”

“I love you too.”

Beatrice says, “I know you do—you always have.”

[pawnshopbleus]

Put Me in a Movie - Chapter Fourteen

Miguel O'Hara x Fem!Reader

Summary - You’re a famous actress and he’s one of the greatest directors of all time. What happens when you get cast in his new movie? 

Chapter Thirteen

“Miguel O’Hara and the leading lady in his new film have been spotted entering a new restaurant earlier this week.” The news reporter said your name with a hint of jealousy. Everyone wanted Miguel and was disappointed that he was taken away from them so soon. You scoffed like any of them actually had a chance. 

Pictures of you and Miguel flashed onto the screen of your fifty-inch flat-screen television. You were sitting crisscross applesauce on your couch while Fern sat next to you. Today was supposed to be a lazy day until you received a call from Stella. 

“You’re needed at the TCL Chinese Theater in the next two hours. Wear that Chanel dress that I bought you for your birthday,” Stella said without elaborating further. 

“The hell? Why am I needed at the TCL Chinese Theater?” 

“Well, you may or may not have been invited to an A24 premier that I forgot to tell you about. You’re allowed to bring a guest so if you want, you can bring that fine ass boyfriend of yours.” “Stella!” Your head hit the back of your couch. “If you keep doing this then I don’t know if I can trust you. Did you not grasp onto anything during our conversation?” Stella’s sigh was heard on your end of the phone, “I know and I’m sorry. I’ve just been having a hard time with Jack and all.” Jack is Stella’s new deadbeat boyfriend. He has no job and zero ambition. You don’t approve of him and wish that Stella would break up with him. 

“Stella, you need to break up with him. He’s not good for you. 

“This isn’t about me!” Stella huffed and then composed herself. “Look, honey, you need to call Miguel and tell him to get ready, pick you up, and head over. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner, but maybe this could be good for you and Miguel. Practice before the premiere of your own movie. I need to go.” Stella hung up and you sat there for a second before you dialed Miguel’s phone number. 

Miguel picked up the phone after two rings, “Hello?” “Miguel, I’m sorry for the short notice, but Stella just told me that I need to go to an A24 movie premiere. She said I could bring a plus one and I was wondering if you want to go.” It was silent for a moment before he spoke, “To be honest, I don’t think I can go. Jessica isn’t available to take care of Gabby and her usual babysitter is on vacation.” 

Your heart sank. Of course, he couldn’t come. He was a father first before your boyfriend. He had a daughter to love and take care of. You would always come second and you needed to get used to that. 

You were about to respond before a light bulb appeared in your head. “Well, I can tell Stella that something came up. Then, if you’re up for it, you and Gabby can come over for a pool day. It’s the perfect weather.”

“Mi amor, that sounds perfect, but I can’t let you skip a premiere for us.” “I don’t want to go to premier in the first place. Please, Fern misses Gabby and I miss you.” Fern tilted her head at the mention of Gabriella’s name. If you and Miguel ever broke up, it would hurt Fern and Gabby more than it would hurt you.

“Fine. When do you want us to come over,” Miguel chuckled at the sound of you celebrating. 

You told Miguel to come over in about an hour or two. Then, you texted Stella that something came up and that you couldn’t attend the premier. She was disappointed but ultimately understood how last minute this was. 

You uncovered your pool and made sure that there were no bugs or stray leaves inside of it. Your pool overlooked the beautiful city that you lived in. Every day you thanked the Universe and your own hard work for letting you live this life that you’ve dreamed of since you were little. Words cannot describe how blessed you felt every time you woke up to this incredible view. 

You sent a text to Peter asking him if he, MJ, and May would like to join the party. He accepted the invite and expressed his utmost excitement. You missed the banter between you and Peter. He was quirky and funny in the best way possible and you were glad he was your friend.  

You were wearing a red one-piece bathing suit that cinched at the waist. You looked like Pamela Anderson in Baywatch. Fern was wearing a pink doggy life jacket and you nearly cried at the fact that just a few months ago she was living on the streets of LA. Luckily, Fern was roaming around in the right place at the right time. 

A knock at your door took you out of your head. Miguel and Gabriella were the first ones to arrive at your home. Fern happily jumped around when she saw Miguel's daughter in a matching pink swimsuit. 

Miguel greeted you with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. It looked friendly enough to the untrained eye, but if they looked a bit closer, they would see his hand rest on the globe of your ass for a quick second before returning to a modest place on your body. 

Gabriella doesn’t know that you and her father are dating. He doesn’t want her to get too attached just in case it doesn’t work out, but as he watched his daughter smile while playing with Fern, he knew there was no going back. 

“What are we eating for lunch? I’m hungry and my dad wouldn’t take me to McDonalds,” Gabriella looked at Miguel and then at you. 

You let out a little laugh at her comment. Then, you got another idea. “You know, McDonalds does sound good. I’ll order some when Peter and his family get here.” 

“Peter’s coming?” Miguel asked. He wasn’t mad, just surprised. 

“Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you. I invited him over because I miss him and his wife and his sweet little baby.” 

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. There was a knock at your front door and when you opened it, Peter and his small family were revealed all in their swim attire. 

Everyone made their way over to the pool. MJ and May were sitting on the stairs of the pool while Peter and Gabriella had a competition to see who did the better underwater handstands. Gabriella won every time and Peter took the losses like a champ. You and Miguel were sitting on the edge of the pool while your feet were submerged in the water. Miguel watched as his daughter interacted with the leading man of his latest film. 

“I think we should tell her.” 

You gave Miguel a questioning look, “Tell who what?” “Gabriella. We should tell her that we’re together,” Miguel threaded his hands through his perfectly styled hair. “I didn’t want her to get too attached just in case the worst happened, but she really liked you and your dog and to be honest, I think she already knows.” 

“When do you want to tell her?” This was a very serious moment in your relationship with Miguel. He was so secure in this that he was about to tell his daughter about your relationship.

Miguel called Gabriella over with a simple motion of his hand. She doggy paddled her way over to where you and her father were sitting. Miguel was nervous. You could tell by the way he shifted uncomfortably in his spot. 

“Gabriella, you know I love you and I’ll never keep a secret from you.” Gabriella nodded her head as she floated in the water. Miguel continued, “Well, I have been keeping a secret from you. We’re dating.” Miguel took your hand in his and braced himself for whatever his daughter would say next. 

“I know,” Gabriella shrugged.

“You know? How long have you known? Who told you?” Miguel’s brows furrowed in confusion. 

“If I tell you, will I get in trouble?” Gabriella was weary. She knew that there was a fifty percent chance that she would be grounded if her father knew the truth. Miguel shook his head, eager to know how his daughter knew such a big secret. “Well, when she came over for dinner I was kind of listening to the two of you from the stairs. Also, when I use your phone to play Minecraft I’m not actually playing Minecraft.” 

Miguel huffed and shook his head. Of course, his daughter was sneaky like his ex-wife. Like mother like daughter. The rest of the day was spent lounging and playing in the pool.

Well, the cat’s out of the bag. With Gabriella in the know, you felt better about your relationship. You felt secure and ready for whatever the future held.

Chapter Fifteen - Comming Soon

[tigerlilywithering]

𝖿𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽: 𝖺 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽.

─────────────────

𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗌&𝗐𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌.bradley bradshaw x unnamed, sad??

𝖽𝖾𝗌𝖼𝗋𝗂𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇.bradley bradshaw. a tormented, grief-stricken, lovesick soul. this is the story, of the love of his life. how they began, the lessons she taught him and the tragic ending, that seemed as if it was fated by the Gods

𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗆𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍.

─────────────────

AUGUST 13TH 2017.

My name is Bradley Bradshaw, and this is the story of the greatest love of my life. For the sake of privacy, she will remain nameless. Her name isn’t important anyway, as I do not believe our story is individual to us, or unique in any way. Our love was born from grief and pain, built to fall apart, crafted as a cruel lesson; allegorical. Our love was seemingly written in the stars, fated. The ending, also fated, but perhaps written by Shakespeare instead, as a great tragedy of the 17th century.

Yesterday, August 12th 2017, I attended the funeral of my sweet, darling girl. It was open invitation, and I am thankful it was, as I am certain not many people knew about us. Sometimes, it makes me angry to think that she did not want people to know of us. But most of the time, I am grateful. I am grateful because our love, was ours. In a world, where no-one owns anything, our love was truly ours, because no-one knew. It didn’t need to be shouted from the rooftops. People didn’t have to know about our love for it to be real. We knew, every morning that we awoke in each-other’s arms that it was real. Every laugh we shared, every time we danced together, every time we made love, every everything we ever did together made our love real. She taught me that.

Which is, coincidentally, the reason I am writing this. My love, was never one to succumb to unrealistic standards for herself. She knew who she was, she deeply understood herself, and she knew her place in life. She seemed to understand the universe’s darkest secrets. I wouldn’t have been surprised to find out, that God told them to her Himself.

My point is she knew a lot. She taught me a lot. And the older I become, I realise the more I am bound to forget. Over time my memory will fade, and the memories of the lessons she taught me, will become dusty books on the shelves of my mind. I cannot let it become that. I could remember her face until my dying day. But I know the day I forget the things she taught me, what we went through together, is the day I lose myself. So I will preserve these memories, cement them in my skull, the only way I know how; the written word.

I once promised her, that no matter what happened, no matter if she died, or I died, no matter if there was a nuclear war or if the sun swallowed the Earth, our souls would stay entwined, and I would never, ever forget the time we shared. I cannot break that promise.

I am a weak man. My life has shaped me into one. But I am strong-willed in one way. I am strong-willed in the sense that my promise to her will stay strong, above anything else.

That is what this is, for context, I suppose. A dying man’s last-ditch attempt, to keep a dead girl’s sacred promise. A dying man, reliving his glory days, the days when he was in love with the most spine-crushingly, beautiful soul, this planet has ever seen. A dying man, telling his love story. A love story that may be like every other one that has ever been fathomed, one that you may have heard a thousand times before. But I think I will write it anyway. And if you decide to read it, I’m certain you will end up like me. Inescapably, hopelessly, painfully, in love. With her.

─────────────────────────────────────

EEEK!! im so proud of myself for actually finishing something for once. i quite like how this turned out, although it is short. i just wanted to preface this by saying this series was inspired by: lolita by vladimir nabokov (not in a pedo way), norwegian wood by murakami, the fault in our stars by john green, 500 days of summer and a series of unfortunate events! playlist coming soon. also this is written in the chat font because it is supposed to be bradley writing on a typewriter!

tagging mutuals:

@mak-32 @waklman @cruelmissdior @sebsxphia @southpawbitch @roosterbruiser @roosterforme @hangmans-wingman @teacupsandtopgun @tongue-like-a-razor

[speaker-of-the-void-cats]

"When he reached a displacement of eight he told us he was dead."

"He sees the wolves have formed up around him. Eight of them."

"The greatest gaiaforms of our solar system are eight in number—or, if you prefer, [N]ine—but asteroids and minor planets have them too. And in their sidereal generosity, these gaiaforms will protect us, if we ask them."

Fist of Eight Moons

"Only in the Ascendant Plane—where a well-defended idea is a reality—do these moons, in this small way, still exist."

"Eight Barons and an Awoken prince - and only one of you. I so dislike betting on the underdog… But you are resourceful…"

"The man turned to his left and saw a familiar, weathered face staring up at the eight Barons of the Tangled Shore."

[...]

"’Sundance’ appears to be the victim of a single, catastrophic wound from a Devourer Bullet, modified to fire from a Scorn launcher. Projectile classified as ontological.”

“Define Devourer Bullet.”

“Payload matches the ballistics of a Weapon of Sorrow or a comparable Hive implement.”

"We are all pinched silhouettes impaled on the twitching of infinitely long spiderlegs."

"You must reckon with yourself. Can you see the path ahead?

Do you know the shape of your trial?"

Auseklis

Ogdoad

Guñelve

Arevakhach

Schläfli

Compass rose

Isotoxal | edge transitive

Eightfold Path

The Star of Lakshmi

The Star of Ishtar

The morning star

First light of the new dawn

Venus

[Consult Cryptarchy's pre-Golden Age stacks for more information]

"Is it a simple answer? Perhaps none who serve you have the capacity to grasp your vision. And so, rather than waste more of your time and attention on explaining something they will never hold, it is enough that they act as you will. The Witch and her Hive carving single-mindedness out of the cloth of the universe, that whispering Nightmare seeking the fullest gamut of existence, the Upender destroying all differentiation. Shadows on the wall.

In this case, it would be hubris to think I have understood your work, that I alone among your Disciples have grasped what purpose it is we serve. All of us must see darkly reflected.

But there is relief in simplification. There is kindness in winnowing. So then, why is this proliferation permitted?

The shadows, showing the truth by their casting. [...]

There: I have resolved the conflict within my thoughts, and I am at peace again. Once more, I am only your violence and nothing more.

The Final Shape will realize us as we strive."

—Unknown Disciple of the Witness, Inspiral

Who am I?

Call me Coyote. Call me mantis, serpent, Cagn, Anansi, call me Sri-cleans-his-brother's-stomach. Call me the grandmaster of semiosis, the jeweler's hammer which gilds the signal, a purposeful mob none of whose members know its purpose, the infinite regress of enigmas, a self-questioning answer, the word not spoken, black ice, cataract of mimes, the ache and fever of overthought while bedridden with illness, the intolerable thorn of frustrated inquisition, gray regret at the end of a fruitless day, the thing which is unlike your beloved but arbitrarily recalls your beloved to agonizing effect, architrave of the no-window, needle driven in flush with skin so that desperate fingers cannot pull it out, sweet petal, unmemorable, crystal death, the provably improvable.

Here at the center, I lie to you the truth. You have everything you need to know it, but I will give you a clue, as the duelist gives warning before she draws. The answer you seek to the Dreaming City is simple, not complex.

In primordial space, timeless creatures made waves. These waves created us and the others. Waves were the battles, and the battles were waves. Fleeing all W'rkncacnter, Yrro and Pthia settled upon Lh'owon. They brought the S'pht, servants who began to shape the deserts of Lh'owon into marsh and sea, rivers and forests. They made sisters for Lh'owon to protect and maintain the paradise. When the W'rkncacnter came, Pthia was killed, and Yrro in anger, flung the W'rkncacnter into the sun. The sun burned them, but they swam on its surface.

Marathon 2, Six Thousand Feet Under terminal: ax1-40^23<094.95.28.85>

Oryx went down into his throne world. He went out into the abyss, and with each step he read one of his tablets, so that they became like stones beneath his feet. He went out and he created an altar and he prepared an unborn ogre. He called on the Deep, saying: I can see you in the sky. You are the waves, which are battles, and the battles are the waves. Come into this vessel I have prepared for you. And it arrived, the Deep Itself.

Books of Sorrow

XXXI: battle made waves

Verse 4:1 — battle made waves

[royal-wren]

One of the many children of Khaos and the Elder Eros had recently caught her eye, a child of the divine. The bird of prey was striking, with eyes just like her own that pulled her in such a way that it was impossible to ignore. Athene watched from on high, among the clouds all a part of her domain and under her sway as she ruled the ether. Nothing escaped her sight as she watched with wide eyes, intent on what was now the apple of her eye.

Before she knew it time flitted away as Hemera led the gods of the sun and the day's light across the universe in their usual cycle. Her heart was struck with great love, a rare moment when the goddess was moved by all-ensnaring Aphrodite. All for a bird, one lone animal going about its business completely unaware. Boldly, she rose, making her way down to close the distance to be near them and announce herself.

Other gods may decide to blandly wait for the other to approach first and initiate a relationship, but not Athene. She was never one to be meek and withdrawn, all that she treasured knew her presence. Moving with the grace of the breeze, the imposing nature of a storm before halting as the owl's gaze became enraptured by the goddess' as she looked back. "You!" her voice like the flash of lightning, commanding attention before her voice notably softened, "Be my companion and you will know the greatest fame as you become intertwined with my name." The bird spoke the only way it could, it's typical "Whooo, whoo, whoo" answering back, recognizing a presence so grand, so tall it could only belong to a deity. To cower never crossed its mind, only knowing a fool's indifference as the owl was drawn into her magnetism.

"You are perfection in my eyes."

Her arm extended as a clear beckoning message broadcast in one simple gesture. After some thought, the owl understood, without fear, flying to land on her arm as its talons gripped her wrist with strength. The power of the owl's wings created such a gust of air it blew her hair back with such force that stars filled Athene's eyes. "Just as you are now, you're mighty, your vision, they are manifestations of my many domains. That's all you need to be with me, to have my honor, you will have my attention and affection. Nothing more to your name matters to me. You will be my symbol regardless of how smart or cunning you are or are not." A hint of a smile crept upon her lips as the corner of her mouth turned upward, soft and humored by it all. She was humored by their harmony and the arguments saying otherwise that might be had in the future trying to say the owl was a genius just like her.

Wisdom, intelligence, cunning, it was not all that she knew, it wasn't all that she favored without question. Other attributes could have a vice grip on her, she was no stranger to the sway a myriad could have over her. Athene had no shame or delusions about anything else, they didn't stop her from being herself as much as it didn't stop the owl from being itself. The owl moved, head bending downward as it began pecking at her arm, preening. Athene laughed heartily, without a care for what did not hurt and was only a sign of affection. Such a rare moment uncharacteristic of an owl with others that were not of its kind, it was a marvel to memorize forever. "Come, we have places to be. First, you will familiarize yourself with my home. After that? Who knows, wherever my whims take me, we will fly."

[knoxs2nd]

in shannon and beatrice's first meeting, they talk about how love is the single element of the world. they both live for love - their greatest wishes are to love and be loved, in turn.

kanon notably does not live for love. no, his greatest wish is to become human.

in episode 4, shannon's concept of the golden land is somewhere she can be at rest with her loved one. beatrice's greatest wish - a universe of two - lines up with shannon's idea of happiness.

meanwhile, kanon's idea of the golden land is a world where he can become human.

george likes shannon, so shannon, the furniture who lives for love, accepts him.

jessica likes kanon, & it makes him happy, but he rejects her. being loved isn't his priority. being furniture is what anguishes him. being unlovable is just another tragic fact of his inhumanity.

it's not that love isn't important to kanon! but love belongs to the realm of humans. it's an important part of the human experience that makes life worth living, but it's not a singular reason to live. to kanon, being human is having possibilities for happiness, INCLUDING love

(as an aside, beatrice, who also lives for love, was so close at the end of episode 3 to pulling a shannon and accepting battler. but she ultimately rejects that type of love that prioritizes positivity and getting along, in favor of a love where she can be understood)

if shannon cries herself to sleep because of her unfulfilled love for battler, then kanon cries himself to sleep because he wants to be human

now, this can be read as a characterization choice between shannon and kanon as two characters of their own with different backgrounds, personalities, motivations, but in the context of reading them through yasu, and how they reflect how she lives in the human world?

and specifically, how she lives in the human world as a woman and as a man

shannon, who tries to present herself and is seen by others as this perfect, ideal adult woman

kanon, who is seen as a weak, boy-ish man who has few redeeming qualities

one of the most prominent themes in umineko is about different perceptions of love, and in particular how the different women feel like they need love and partnership, in order to be accepted as a woman and by society. it's not just a part of life. it's part of their purpose.

so, shannon, who lives for love, is seen as an ideal partner who can die happy as soon as she accepts george's ring. she's fulfilled her purpose.

meanwhile, kanon, who longs to be human, is seen as a tragic, doomed boy who will always die fighting his fate. he dies unfulfilled.

shannon is loved by george and can die peacefully with the promise of eternal love. meanwhile, kanon and jessica's love is framed as being the start on a journey. in ep6, they look forward to some distant future where kanon becomes a wonderful human with jessica supporting him.

love is important to kanon as a catalyst for change. jessica adds onto that, saying that she'll be there to support him the whole time.

love is important to men because it's a motivator for change, while women are there to support men in this journey to being good humans.

(and yes, i'm also pointing to george and shannon in this too! because this dynamic is also present in george/shannon's relationship, in george admitting he wanted to change because he wanted to become worthy of shannon!)

as people, kanon faces far more unknowns in his dreamed of future. but you can think of it as, he has all these endless possibilities, as a human.

meanwhile, shannon has already decided on her set path. she knows exactly what she wants and needs, and what it'll look like.

what does being a woman mean, for one's future, versus being a man? what roles must, and can, a woman fulfill? what are they allowed to hope for and aspire to?

how much more limited do their paths to happiness appear to yasu?

shannon is happier and more optimistic than kanon, but she sees the world in a more limited sense. see: her comments in ep2 on the fish in the aquarium who can live, perfectly happy and ignorant, never knowing that they will never reach the ocean. her comments apply to the catbox, but you can read it through this lens, and view it as her comments on the "world" that women are allowed to inhabit.

kanon is an unhappy, pessimistic person, but also because he's so acutely aware of what he's missing - all the more possibilities that he's allowed to have, as a man. it's an entire ocean out there that he's been denied.

finally, looking at yasu's miracle self. what does happiness look like for lion? what sort of happiness can they aspire to?

lion's gender is intentionally unstated in episode 7. and so, clair wishes for lion, the miracle beatrice, to find happiness - and frames this wish for lion's happiness in the context of both a man and a woman's happiness

live, as a human, in happiness

live, and find love

[wlwinry]

🍫 💔 and 🦾 for gorgug and 🌟 💔 for fig?

gorgug:

🍫 - a headcanon about food

this guy COOKS. food is a huge thing in orcish culture and while wilma and digby didn't get everything right, they absolutely understood the value of food and the sharing and making of meals in orcish culture and helped gorgug explore and learn about that. he's unquestionably the best cook of the bad kids but rarely has to do it

💔 - an angsty headcanon

he is. so tired of the whole entire universe seeming to be against him actually reconciling the two families and cultures he comes from in his class and fighting style. yeah porter turning out to be evil was validating but it is fucking HARD to shrug off a teacher's open favoritism (of your best friend, no less) and their disdain for you and he still resents fig for it sometimes. he knows it's not fair, but he can't help it--he LIKES school and learning and wants to continue but was barred from learning the way he wanted to constantly, and she just. got to try everything, no real penalty (because porter protected her by marking her as a barbarian on paper), and then decided none of it was for her anyways. which is fine and he knows it's not fair to be upset with her when she tried so hard to help him. but some part of him is still so hurt from it.

🦾 - a disability headcanon

gorgug struggled with insomnia and night terrors even precanon and his ptsd from four consecutive apocalypses has only made it worse. riz's issues with sleep are more well known, but gorgug does a better job of covering for his, so...people don't really notice, because of course he's tired! he's taking four years of school at once! why would it be anything else? (it is something else but. like hell is he gonna tell anyone)

fig:

🌟 - a headcanon about their desires/wishes

she left school, but she doesn't wanna permanently leave the party--her greatest desire is for them to have one big adventure "tour," one giant reminder of who they are and how much they love each other but without the pressure of academic success or the need for world-saving to be graded to be valuable. she never wants to lose them. they're her best goddamn friends.

💔 - an angsty headcanon

as guilty as sandra lynn feels for struggling to connect with and support fig properly, fig feels just as guilty for struggling to connect with her mom, especially after learning about the dawn family's abuse and exploitation of her. she's terrified that she'll never be able to bridge that gap--and part of her is still so angry, so hurt, not even about the cheating and the lying but about the support she didn't quite get in the wake of that, and a lot of her is still so guilty and wants to Be Okay so sandra lynn doesn't have to deal with more stress and trouble and that anger and guilt kind of bounce around and rough everything up

ask game here!

[rottenraccoons]

Is there anything you all can tell us about the lunar and solar gods or worship? Are they considered opposites, like a yin-yang situation? What are considered their realms of focus (like house/home, hunting, children, seasons, etc)? Is there a stigma for worshipping one god over another? Is worship a big part of peoples lives or more in the background? Are the churches part of governments or nations?

Things like that. I’m very curious about the religions and how they pertain to the world, especially given Vesper’s situation. (Love the game, btw) 💖

Consider this a semi-canon description of the world OBSCURA takes place in, but long before the events of the game.

Once a scholar spent a decade walking the world, recording each story as they heard it. These are some of them.

"There is only one Great Church in all the world, where all beliefs are the same, in a country where the sun's heat and their many rivers have birthed a paradise. There they believe that the solar god is perfection itself, and they build great temples and sing hymns to capture a fragment of that perfection. The moon is the sun's greatest attendant, feeble and inconsistent to show humanity that the solar god accepts imperfection.

"Once I crossed the border, though, I found a village of heretics thrown out of the country who believe the solar god is the engine of a perfect creation and the moon is envious of the sun's creative power. The moon meddled in creation and the perfect paradise and perfect people the sun made were tainted, creating our world. That is why suffering exists, they say, and they do not show their faces to the moon to show their disdain.

"Both the Great Church and the heretics prayed in temples, but made their offerings in the household hearth, where the fire stood as a messenger to the solar god.

"There is a temple or shrine to the solar god in every city, town, and village in the world where the sun touches. In some the lunar god is an attendant to the solar god, in some an envious observer, and in some an enemy. The stories are passed along through poetry or song or the memories of the saints or even simply recorded as a story.

"Many people saw me writing their stories and assumed I was a pilgrim. Though I left the university as a scholar, maybe I will return a pilgrim, my pilgrimage recorded in these books and letters.

"I met one cult that almost convinced me to stay a while; their stories were so unusual. They looked at the sun and moon and said, 'It's all light.' So they chose to worship a new god, a god of light whose two faces are the sun and moon. My assistant is there, still, collecting every bit of knowledge she can. The cult was welcoming and kind to me despite the scorn they suffered from their neighbours, but I needed to continue my journey.

"I encountered a strange phenomenon as I travelled. Far from the infamous place, I could find sects and cults who worshipped the lunar god who lived in peace with their neighbours. But as I drew nearer to the infamous place there were no followers of the lunar god to speak of, or they had hidden themselves so thoroughly that none of my powers of investigation could uncover them.

"When I visited the infamous place, I understood why that was. The infamous place is where the lunar god reigns supreme. Where once I saw a lunar shrine for every ten solar temples, there it was reversed. When I asked why, I was given the history of the sect that dominated the infamous place.

"They were once a cult in a normal city, but they had conflicts with their neighbours. That conflict became a war, the city against the cult. And so the cult retreated to a place where the sun would not touch them.

"The cult was not unique in its beliefs: that the solar god's perfect creation was a static, dead one. Life is change and transformation, and so the lunar god gave creation the ability to change. The lunar god was the one with the ability to transform the world, the solar god merely the fuel to keep a spark of life burning.

"The cities that saw a cult of the lunar god thriving under in the infamous place pressured their own followers of the lunar god to renounce them. But they would not reject their own kin, and so cities began to purge followers of the lunar god. Sometimes that was simple banishment. But crueller methods were employed.

"The infamous place is teeming with cults and sects with their own beliefs. Some believe the solar god to be unkind; the moon never burned someone's skin. They say it's a sign of the solar god's envy and resentment for the lunar god's powers over life. Some even believe the solar god is not a god at all, but an inanimate source of power that the lunar god can control.

"And even down in the infamous place, there is no room for those believers who claim that the solar god and lunar god work in partnership to cause creation, with the still and wandering stars as their children.

[seriouslysam8]

i encountered the worst fanfic today 😭

i was trying to find a good hinny ff (i swear i’ve read all the well written completed ones it’s devastating) and i came across this one and it’s whole premise was just ?? it was like 5k words but it was pretty much just saying that harry would always prioritise the golden trio over ginny (even after they get married) and that he’ll always love them more and share a more special bond w them and trust them more.

and it was like watching a train wreck i just couldn’t stop and i was slowly getting more and more horrified. AND THEN ?? There was this closing scene where ron is in St Mungos after an auror mission and so hinny stay at hermiones to comfort her and ginny wakes up through the night to find harry hugging hermione in the other bed to ‘comfort’ her bc she needs it more and golden trio have a special bond blah blah and ginny just… accepted it ? like i swear there was a line that was like “she knew that they’d always come first and she understood that” ??????

and i’m just baffled i had to go read a trust hinny fic to clear my mind of that. there’s not a single universe where that is ever a premise that exists. harry is so in love w ginny, she was his last thought, and there are still somehow people out there that think he’d treat her like that ?

Yeah, that's not my cup of tea.

There's just something that changes within you when you get married and especially once you start having kids with someone. I can't describe it. But it's like you just become very content in your little bubble with your partner and your children. I can definitely see Harry, especially once he forms that solid family unit with Ginny, where he's just in complete and utter bliss with her. He would legit die for them time and time again. He would do anything for them and they would always, always come first.

Ron will always hold a special place in Harry's heart. Ron, after all, gave him a family and introduced him to his soul mate. He would do anything for Ron. I think he would die for Ron as well. But if Ron went completely insane said, "It's me or it's your wife." Harry would chose Ginny every single time. If Ron and Ginny were both hurt and in the hospital, he'd be by Ginny's bedside holding her hand and yelling at people to give him an update on Ron.

Ginny is Harry's greatest form of comfort. I know people hate when I say this and no you don't need to send me a bunch of asks to yell at me, but I don't think Harry would ever be able to live without Ginny - not once he got a taste of what their amazing life could be like. He craved his entire childhood for a family. Ginny gave him that family. She's his ride or die. He thought of Ginny when he died. I think he went back so he could be with her again. He wanted a life with her.