#strengthened effects my beloved

[ubejamjar]

Come now, don't brood. Chin up! Unless you're looking at me of course, then feel free to keep looking down!

[haladriel]

What was the purpose of Sauron stabbing Galadriel with Morgoth’s crown?

I suspect I could, and will, talk about this all year. But, aside from the possessiveness, the ownership, the sexual energy, the really messed up declaration of love and/or obsession that it is…

I think it strengthens the ósanwë (mind speech).

Ósanwë is ‘an inherent ability that all Ainur and Incarnates possess, however the power is lessened by having a body or hröa, so it is generally weaker for Elves and especially for Men’:

A mind can only be communicated to with ósanwe if it is open (sanwe-latya, "thought opening, telepathy"). Any mind can be willed closed, and this is a barrier that cannot be overcome by anything or anyone, not even Melkor applying all his power and will on a mind could do so. The ability can be strengthened through various means: from affinity between the persons communicating, urgency on the part of the person sending the thought, or their authority lending effectiveness, allowing thought to pass through bodies more easily.

— ösanwé, Tolkien Gateway

What if this moment, before he tells her he would have had the whole of Middle-earth kneeling before her light, is a silent conversation between them?

What if this is the moment when Galadriel knows she has been infected by his darkness in a way she will never be rid of?

And what, my beloveds, did they say?

[suzannahnatters]

Historical inaccuracy is not bad, historical inaccuracy is not good, historical inaccuracy is a TOOL.

The reason you DON'T want to use historical inaccuracy? Is if it WEAKENS the story.

The reason you DO want to use historical inaccuracy? Is if it STRENGTHENS the story.

There are in fact a ton of ways that you can use anachronism and historical inaccuracy to strengthen a story!

Obviously, sometimes historical inaccuracy is a dramatic liberty necessary to fit a piece of history neatly into a book, movie, or television show. Sometimes characters, timelines, and events need to be consolidated or telescoped. Literally no one should complain about this.

But you can also use historical inaccuracy for fun! Stephen Sommers' THE MUMMY and VAN HELSING add mummies, vampires, Kate Beckinsale in a bustier and tight pants, flesh-eating scarabs, and fully automatic crossbows to nineteenth century history. Is this realistic? No. Is it a whole hecking lot of fun? You bet. I wrote multiple stories where Tsar Nicholas II of Russia is a failpire with a lisp, because I thought it would be hilarious, and it was. A huge part of why this works is because nobody is going to go away from these stories believing that a word in them is true. The bigger and sillier you get, the better off you are.

Use it for relatability! A KNIGHT'S TALE is a justly beloved classic that works better than almost any other movie I can think of at conveying a realistic flavour of actual medieval life. It does that despite being riddled with historical inaccuracies. I am pretty sure that medieval people did not party to David Bowie, for instance. But the music they did dance to would have been as much fun for them as David Bowie is for us. That's the point of the anachronism, and the same technique works gorgeously throughout the movie in a host of different ways, from dialogue to fashion.

Use it for the aesthetic! Anna Bright's beautiful book THE HEDGEWITCH OF FOXHALL is set in a version of early medieval Wales that definitely never existed, for example with modern style pubs in every village. This works because the story isn't meant to teach us history - it's a cosy adventure story that's meant to evoke a timeless, fairytale ideal of Welshness. Bright's inaccuracies aren't a mistake - they are a feature of the setting. And while badly handled historical inaccuracy will make a setting feel blurred, indistinct, or unconvincing, properly handled anachronisms like the ones in this book will sharpen and enhance the sense of setting.

I'm sure that this is not an exhaustive list - but the whole point is that historical inaccuracy is a FEATURE, something that can be used to achieve a desired artistic effect.

There's one kind of historical inaccuracy that I can't forgive, however. Let's talk about my nemesis, Ridley Scott. The reason I can't even with that man is that he so clearly imagines that he is making Serious Movies about Serious History. All his historical movies are pitched as the stories of great historical people whose lives created the world we live in today. The problem is that none of the stories he tells actually happened that way. His characters are imaginary. Middle Eastern nobleman Balian of Ibelin wasn't raised as a blacksmith in France. Legendarily faithful Queen Sibylla didn't cheat on her husband. Famed peasant hero Robin Hood wasn't a champion of BARONIAL rights. I could go on, but I won't. Ridley Scott wants us to think that he's teaching us Real History…and that's the one case where I really cannot excuse the rank historical inaccuracy.

[transparentbeardmentality]

People on twitter finally figuring out what @dekacchannn has been saying forever:

Bakugo is connected to OFA.

Yah! He can see All Might's vestige! He has OFA stars in his eyes!!!

....

Now for my interpretation and speculation that I don't see anyone talking about...

Bakugo freaking KNEW he was tapping bits of OFA WAY before the battle. That's why he's not at all surprised to see the AM vestige, and just says "Oh. Right.."

It perfectly explains why at UA again, he is looking so uncomfortable, sweating bullets, explaining his new (saving Izuku unlocked) move to Izuku/Deku. He's not just sweating because that's his thing. He never just sweats in battle like that!

Sweating bullets gets used a lot to convey intense/awkward discomfort. I think he was panicked about breaching the topic of OFA power up! But Izuku totally blanked him... Bakugo didn't really wanna have this confusing conversation to start with (but I believe he was trying to broach it anyway). So when Izuku doesn't respond openly, he drops it immediately.

Like Deku, he withheld important information about how he unlocked it -and what it means- because their relationship feels like a fragile, intense mess. It's way too important for him to jeapordise.

Bakugo was very insecure and afraid here!

And I don't think Bakugo knows what to make of the OFA thing, or do about it. Izuku clearly has no idea, or he'd say something, right? He had an opening, and nothing?

He knows his feelings for Izuku are intense.. Everybody does. But the well goes deeper, or he wouldn't be afraid to talk about something so important, involving feelings he's already revealed.

I totally agree with theories that it's a love connection, not a reminant of a non-manga movie -even if some crossover characters appear. There's no way Horikoshi doesn't want his beloved manga to stand on its own.

And his beloved manga talks about people being in love, what's in their hearts, feeling like dying without their person, overwhelming emotions bending rules, and Deku's control your heart (over Bakugo) plotline.

I also wonder if the reason Bakugo reacted so strongly to Deku holding his hand out to Aoyama is because it was symbolic of Deku lending his strength (and compassion) to him. Bakugo may have worked out that his OFA connection works, because in some way, honorable Deku has had his hand extended to him -for as long as he can remember. Because that's what Deku does. Deku is a saint. And maybe OFA is an extension of that for him.

I think that OFA connection strengthened too, when Bakugo learned how DEEP that part of Deku went for him.

He cannot dismiss Deku's feelings as him being a bleeding heart over every person when Shigaraki is telling him that for Deku, he is 'The' person -and is bent on killing him because of it! That's shocking (also terrifying) information.

Remember Bakugo said he didn't expect the apology to change anything between them, but Shig knowing about 💚Bakugo💚 means he was unmistakeably Deku's closest person, before he even apologised!

Bakugo feels so much for Izuku, but thought he had to start mending things to even be considered a real friend... Especially since Deku has so many friends and close people! He just saw them all pour out their deep affections to bring him home to UA. He does not think he is special.

But Izuku has a secret! (At least from Bakugo, no one else could possibly be confused at this point.)

So Shigaraki taunts Bakugo for falling behind Deku. He's just a minnow. But all he can focus on is something to the effect of -'Holy shit. He loves me. He loves me.. I need him to know that I-.. I need to live up to him! Izuku...'

The secret feelings reveal made him brave and honest with his own heart. There's nothing left but longing to be worthy of him, and be with him. He makes his last stand for him. And in the end, he reaches out for Izuku too -even though Izuku is not there with his own hand this time.

And this is when we first see the AFO stars are in his eyes. He does reach him. Or at least their connection. And that's why we see All Might, and why Bakugo is not surprised. But Bakugo seems resigned as though it's too late. He's already reminiscing.. But I believe All Might is going tell him it's not over. That he has to save Young Midoriya, and how.

What else could he possibly be there to say?

I can't wait for Izuku to find about Kacchan being OFA love-bonded to him.

[lurkingshan]

Love for Love's Sake Episode 5 & 6

Holy shit, y'all. This drama continues to blow my mind and be so smart about its world building and narrative structure. With each episode drop the show has been very smartly toggling back and forth between relationship development within the game and lore drops about what is happening outside the game, and these two episodes are no exception.

So we begin this week with relationship development, which was so fucking sweet. I love how honest Cha Yeowoon is about how he feels and what he wants. This boy has no ability to hide himself whatsoever, he wears his heart on his sleeve and his vulnerability on his face for anyone to see, and he's had a hard life with a lot of pain (who wants to join my murder squad to take out his dad?). It's no wonder he has kept his distance from people until he found someone he believed he could trust with it.

I love, too, that Tae Myungha's hangups have nothing to do with queerness--we probably won't ever know his dating history in the real world, but I think it's safe to say Yeowoon is not the first boy he has been in a relationship with. Instead, as suspected, his hesitation is all rooted in the fact that he's an adult in a game world he can't control, and he has no idea whether he can stay with Yeowoon. He is trying to be responsible, but the pull of those puppy eyes and pouty lips is simply too strong to resist (you're so valid for that, Myungha). I love that part of the game is also forcing Myungha to reckon with his own hurts, with his grandma and now his estranged mother challenging him to face his own trauma.

Which is why seeing these two bruised boys fall in love is oh so sweet. I love that even amongst the impending doom of the game malfunctions, we got to see them strengthen their bond, confirm how they feel, and grow comfortable with physical affection (though I would have liked to see more of that kissing lesson, show!). The kisses (complete with my beloved Gay Feelings sparkle effect), the hand holding, the flirting and public displays, it was all adorable.

And we needed that to hang onto when the game started experiencing server errors and Myungha became unmoored and unable to navigate the game universe effectively. It seems that his "friend" who trapped him in the game is indeed the one sending the anonymous mentions, and he's now messing with the game to change the conditions after Myungha has successfully altered Yeowoon's life. I like that this was rooted in another reveal about them discussing fate--Myungha is determined in his belief that our choices matter and we can always change our destiny, and it's clear his "friend" resents that stance and wants to show him he doesn't have control after all. And he is really not playing fair! Forcing Myungha to choose between his grandmother and Yeowoon is straight up cruel (our murder squad will also be taking this man out, we will be busy, besties).

Poor Myungha. I am so excited, so scared to see the big conclusion tomorrow, I trust that Myungha will find a way out of this situation. All I know is they need to find a way for our boys to get their happy ending or murder squad will be making another stop.

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#26: We Should Go To Washington (S5E09)

This moment - Powerful. Pivotal. Romantic. I’ve said before that I believe Rick and Michonne more fully fell in love with each other by the end of season 4. And to me, how they interact with each other throughout season 5 just further confirmed my theory, especially in this stunning episode 'What Happened And What's Going On.' And part of what's going on is Rick and Michonne falling for each other even more as they make a big game-changing decision rooted in the love and trust they've developed. I love that this is where Rick shows he would truly go the distance for Michonne...

(Sidenote: Now this scene ranking might be my most controversially-placed one because I know this is a very beloved classic Richonne scene that would understandably make a lot of ppl's Top 10s and even Top 5s. It’s a super significant moment between Rick and Michonne and I love it, I promise. Richonne's journey is just that abundant with top-10 worthy moments so I had to make some sacrifices on my list because I adore every second of every moment they’re on screen.😅)

So I already just love the way Rick and Michonne are color-coordinated in their brown outfits. So much of season 5 really established how R&M are a pair and each other's match.

And in this ep, Rick touches her, I believe, for the first time since she told him never to touch her again in s3., showing their growth and the strengthening of those magnets.

Something I appreciate about the Richonne 5B scenes that occur before they arrive at ASZ is that they really did an effective job of confirming the depth of their bond. During this period, we consistently see just how much Rick and Michonne's attraction to each other is more than skin-deep because they've built a genuine love and trust with each other.

They cement their partnership in so many ways during this time of searching for a home, and it's important to see this depicted before they enter ASZ because it lets you know that while there will be situations that could potentially cause a divide between them at Alexandria, it's 5B scenes like this Washington one that tell you Rick and Michonne's bond was too strong, too battle-tested, and too important to them for anything in ASZ to break it.

It’s also very clear throughout this season 5 mid-season premiere how much Michonne’s well-being is on Rick’s radar and really matters to him, and it becomes extra clear in this #26 scene here. 

Michonne is making her case for why this place could maybe still work as a home, only to find that the community clearly was brutally attacked as severed body parts lay scattered around. Michonne is quietly disappointed as she walks and observes, and Rick’s attention immediately shifts to her as he follows behind her. It’s one of the clearest cases of their damn-near literal magnetic connection. 🧲

She doesn’t leave his sight. Even when Glenn says, "it doesn’t matter," Rick stays staring at Michonne. I love that their “you're okay, I'm okay” interconnectedness is so visible. Michonne isn’t okay, and that so clearly doesn’t sit well with Rick, so she’s top of mind for him in this scene.

Glenn starts speaking, and Rick peels himself away from looking at Michonne to hear Glenn share a very bleak perspective on how it wouldn’t matter who killed Dawn. Michonne turns around and pitches that they go to Washington. At the end of this season, a very special scene will have Rick admitting the way Michonne can influence his decisions, and this moment in 5.09 is an example of that. 

Michonne turns to Rick and tells him they're close, and it's 100 miles away - and one thing I love about this point in their relationship is that she and Rick have established enough trust with each other that Michonne can be vulnerable enough to really show some raw emotion here and speak her mind. 

Rick listens as Michonne questions what if there are people there and what if it’s a chance to be safe. “It’s a possibility. It’s a chance” This is the season of Michonne really wanting tf to find a home and I know so much of that would be rooted in the fact that she was one of the few who knows what it’s like to extensively wander out in the woods and go a bit mad. She doesn’t want that for her and her new family.

Michonne gets more emotional but still with such poise as she suggests going to Washington is better than just being out there and just making it since making it looks like all those bodies sprawled on the ground. I love that she’s pouring her heart out to him. And what a great man that Rick is so ready to not take this lightly and to really hear her.

And we get another one of those long lingering looks from Rick as he stares right at her, listening. The arresting effect she always has on him is gold, and I appreciate that he lets her words seep in. Especially when Michonne asks, “Don’t you want one more day with with a chance?” 

Danai again slays the vulnerable delivery of that line and it’s also deep for Michonne to pose this question hoping Rick also wants to live and not just survive. This is important for her to know too because her last man had given up on trying to have one more day with a chance and so it’s great she gets this confirmation that Rick is different and far more aligned with her.

(Also watching s1 back, in the finale, Dr. Jenner asks what they want, and Rick says, “A chance.” which just further indicates how he and Michonne are cut from the same cloth) 

Then I love the romantic way this next part plays out cuz the walkers draw near, Rick says we should go, and Glenn and Michonne think he means we should leave the area. So Michonne turns away thinking her words fell on deaf ears, but then Rick reveals no I heard you and I will go where you lead, when he repeats her words and says, "It’s 100 miles away...We should go to Washington."

Hearing this gets both Glenn and Michonne to stop in their tracks and turn to look at Rick  Cuz this isn’t a choice Rick would make this quickly for just anyone. And Michonne’s look of surprise is so touching. I was just looking at this moment thinking - that’s right girl, he’d do anything for you.😊

I’ve always felt like in this scene Glenn is an adorable third wheel to the Richonne bubble because Rick is completely facing and staring at Michonne solely when he says this. It just makes it clear that he is declaring this because of her. Like of course he wants to secure a home for his whole family, but in this moment what's especially evident is Rick wants to give a home to Michonne.

So Rick makes this big decision for the group fully based on what Michonne thinks is best and once again it really was giving romantic when he looked right at her and said, "We should go to Washington."

And then Michonne's subtle smile...that’s an “I love this man” reaction, y’all. Better yet, she's looking at Rick like...

I appreciate how Rick and Michonne’s love for each other makes them do things differently, because while in the past it was said by Lori that Rick would never just go somewhere on a hunch, here he’s showing that he would go somewhere and bring all of tf with him if Michonne’s instincts say it’s a good move.

I love that here Rick can’t help but be so focused and in tune with her and Michonne can’t help but look at him with so much love. Again she gets confirmation Rick is different from her past and cut from the same cloth as her. The way Rick looks at her and looks away, I really feel like it’s a brief moment of him knowing that he so swiftly agreed to this for and because of her because he loves her. Whipped in the best healthiest way.

It's also great watching scenes like these back and knowing Rick is looking at the woman who he will go onto happily make his wife, and Michonne is looking at the man she will fully embrace as her husband. 🥰

All of Rick and Michonne's s5 scenes suggest that they had fallen for each other and were becoming more and more aware of how special and influential they were in each other's lives. And this moment was a beautiful illustration of what Richonne means to each other and what they’ll do for each other. Scenes like these - weighty, quiet, but full of love, just solidify that this is a beautiful love story for the ages. 😌

[gardenofnoah]

hi bea 💕 saw your note from a few days about gently pushing a writing prompt in your inbox 💌 if you're still taking them, here's a thought i've let run wild in my brain. hope it helps with your writing rut! bakugou and kirishima coming home to a non-pro hero!reader after a grueling 2 month stint overseas. it's the first long mission they've gone on since starting this fairly new relationship. it's a little awkward, but everyone underneath is brimming with longing. no one's not sure how to break the ice and settle back into a rhythm. maybe some insecurities come out as dinner is awkwardly made. how do the three of us get back to a safe and vulnerable place? a lil sweet? a lil angsty? all up in our feels? 👀 is it a soft kiss that breaks the tension? a lingering touch? a massive dam that breaks with clothes haphazardly ripped off down the hall?

i am kissing your brain directly for this one omfg

it doesn't feel like you thought it would.

to have your beloved heroes back home should have filled you with the familiar contentment that only they bring you. the knowledge that katsuki and eijiro are here and safe, back to you like you made them promise, should be a welcome thing.

but the hours that scratched at your loneliness until it bled are between you now. a great divide—one that widens with every touch the two exchange in front of you. you stand on the other side of it alone—an unfortunate voyeur to the very thing you've yearned for but could not have. how odd it is that the very people you have loved bring up a completely different sentiment now.

how strange it is that some part of you wishes they were still gone.

the apartment that felt too big now suffocates you. the mahogany under your fingers seems a far better sight than the alternative. they chat idly about situations you aren't privy to, missions you haven't gone on—you keep your eyes trained on the wood grain to ignore what's looking you straight in the face: you are othered—you are outside of this. you trace a chip in the tabletop and think with some detachment that you could get up unnoticed.

"you tired, babe?" eijiro's head turns to you as you stand. it feels foreign to have his eyes on you. you gather your bowl and utensils in your hands and fight the urge to tell him to look away.

"yeah, no, i just—i'm not hungry."

"oh! do you want to pick a movie to watch?"

you shake your head, looking anywhere but him. your feet take you past him, headed straight for the kitchen or anywhere else but here. "no, that's okay. don't worry about it."

"oi," katsuki's rasp commands a pause in your steps despite intending the opposite, "what's that s'pposed to mean?"

you don't move an inch—it's enough effort to contort your face into something resembling a smile. something to appease. you can't look at either of them—you keep your eyes on the floor and will it to open up and swallow you whole.

you jump when you feel katsuki's warmth in front of you—far too close. he takes the dishes from you, setting them on the table.

"don't worry about what?" he murmurs, reaching up to tip your chin up. forcing you to meet his gaze.

it doesn't take much else to make you crumble.

you whimper as your eyes burn, blinking furiously to fight the way his face blurs in your vision. he keeps you there and it's torture—fighting the wave that won't stop coming when no one has taught you how to swim. full of fear that it might be the thing that washes away everything.

"baby—" eijiro gets to his feet, startled at your outburst.

"sit down, red," katsuki mutters, holding a hand to the side to stop him. it's absentminded at best yet still effective—and the only thing you can notice is the unspoken between them. there is a trust there that existed long before you and has only been strengthened in the months without you. eijiro settles back in his seat. the canyon deepens—you get farther away.

you know that fighting katsuki's grip on you is futile and you try anyway. he lets you get as far as arm's length away before his fingers close around your wrist and drag you back to him. distantly, you can appreciate the metaphor.

the palm that cradles the back of your head and traps you against his chest is a cruel one. heart to heart, something inside yours breaks.

"it hurts," you gasp. god, does it hurt—the wound sears as hands that feel familiar and wrong hold you tighter.

"take a breath,” he says it so gently that you’re not convinced he’s not someone else in this moment, “tell me what’s goin’ on.”

you do as he says—shuddering and staggered, all torn up in his arms. you feel put on display here in front of both of them—an actor who’s been the butt of the joke the whole time, unbeknownst to them until the final act.

"you left and i—" you squeeze your eyes shut, bearing down on the sob that would love nothing more than to punch its way out of you, "y-you had each other and i was alone."

neither one speaks—the silence stretches and waits patiently for you to fill it.

"you left and i was the one to miss you. i—i feel like i missed everything—i don't feel like i have a place in this anymore—"

the grief knocks the wind out of you when you get to the root of it. it was silly of you to believe you could ever have a place in this, really. two heroes at the peak of their careers, and you—a chain around both of their ankles. how could you have ever held on to those that are held just as tightly by a whole nation? would it have ever mattered, with the hold they already have on each other? there could never be enough room.

"do you think we didn't miss you?"

the blatant hurt in eijiro's voice brings you back to the present moment. katsuki moves back just far enough for you to see it etched on to the red head's face in a way you haven't ever. something about it makes you want to step back into katsuki's warmth, as if it could shield you from it. you can't answer him—and the silence is more shameful truth than you're willing to part with.

"baby," eijiro breathes, strained and thick, "i—we—thought about you every single second we were gone. every single second, i thought about how you'd be spending your day, and i was so excited to get to call you to hear about it. at night we would talk about how you were probably burrowed in blankets and our clothes on the couch, and about how badly we wanted to be there with you."

"you are a part of me," he goes on, goring you any way but softly, "you are a part of us. this doesn't work without you. i know you're hurting and i'm so sorry we had to leave—but sweetheart, you are what we come back to."

your knuckles are white as katuski brushes his thumb over them. he brings them to his lips—brushing over each one softly. you shake in his grasp and he doesn't falter.

"i'm tired," you whisper to no one in particular. it's a half truth—the why hangs in the air between you—but the fatigue is bone deep. it hurts.

"alright," katsuki's voice is raw in a way that feels like a knife in your side—stoicism given away to something far too vulnerable for him, "shower first. then we're goin' to bed."

the ritual you had in place before distorts under the weight of the night. the act takes on new meaning as you let him peel the clothes off of you and corral you into the shower. you're only under the spray a short second before he's gathering you in his arms again--warm and damp in the steam as he dips down to press his face into your neck.

"don't you run off on me," katsuki’s lips brush your throat and it only feels melancholic. he whispers his fear against your skin and all at once you realize that it mirrors your own. you feel eijiro's chest at your back, and when he reaches over your head to wrap a palm around the back of katsuki's neck, the pain fizzles out into something like remorse. how blind you'd been to the knowledge that they held the whole time—that you were the thing they'd wrapped themselves around and sworn to protect.

there's nothing left to say, and yet you speak your apology anyway, hoarse over the patter of water against tile. much louder is what you don't say: i love you. i need you and i'm afraid.

katsuki dries you off slowly, like he's trying to commit you to memory, and it makes you ache. you let him preen you in some animal attempt at strengthening the tear in the bond.

but it's only a tear. blood dries and wounds repair themselves just as the connection between you will. when you settle into bed, it gives under the familiar weight of the two halves of your heart. it's almost comical, the way they both wrap themselves around you—nearly swallowing you whole.

it might be to keep you there—but your heart settles under their tangle of limbs and love and for the first time in the months they'd been gone, you sleep through the night.

[sirdolraan]

Old Ghosts

(( DWC August 2024 Day 2, Violence/Tenderness, CW: guns, death, murder, blood; @daily-writing-challenge ))

As he did every year around this time, Drogar sat in his study, examining his old, trusty revolver, surrounded by old ghosts.

"NO!" Moira screamed, as Drogar emptied his pistol into the Dark Iron Emperor, finally avenging his clan's suffering from Dagran's plotting. Far from breaking free of the control, Drogar watched, dumbfounded, as she fell to her knees, cradling the un-moving form of Dagran Thaurissan. "Thaurissan was a great and honorable dwarf," she sobbed, "You ruined my life and the life of my unborn child!"

With a sigh, he tenderly and methodically disassembled the pistol piece by piece, giving each component a proper cleaning and oiling. Lorellai had used it extensively in her adventures, and taken fine care of it, but it had been one of his first successes in gun-making, and had accompanied him throughout his adventuring career. He'd made other, more effective and ornate weapons, but this one bore the weight of history. It was important that he be the one to give it a proper deep clean.

"Drogar, reinforcements are coming in, and they've got more of those fire lizards at their back, we have to go!" the mage had yelled, beginning to cast his portal.

Moira had looked at him with hate in her eyes, Thaurissan's blood staining her dress as it pooled beneath him. "Return to Ironforge and tell my father that the heir to the Kingdom of Ironforge will be a Dark Iron dwarf. Whether he approves or not, it shall be."

Piece by piece, he restored the pistol to its functional state, clean and ready to be loaded and used again. It felt heavier in recent years, though he knew nothing had changed physically.

Some weights weren't physical.

The blue light of the teleportation spell surrounded Drogar and his allies as they made good their escape ahead of the howling cries of the dark iron soldiers and their fiery masters. Moira stared daggers at Drogar, helpless to do anything but cradle her beloved husband's corpse. Everyone else was looking elsewhere, but their gazes were fixed on each other as Drogar raised the pistol once more, pointing it at Moira.

Click.

And they were back in Ironforge, mission complete, if not successful. Thaurissan was dead, but Moira had not been rescued. "We're going to need to tell the King what happened, come on everyone," his friends had said, as Drogar lowered the pistol, staring at the empty space where moments ago and miles away he'd seen Moira Thaurissan.

Drogar set the pistol on the table, and sighed. In hindsight, it had been damn lucky the weapon had been empty. Despite his hatred for the dark irons, and the difficulties of the Cataclysm, Moira and her loyalists had not only saved Ironforge, but strengthened his home. The Council of Three Hammers had done well by his people, and their future was bright. He'd done what he was commanded to do. He'd assassinated the ruler of the enemy who warred against them. He'd avenged his uncles, aunts, cousins and more who had died to Dark Iron machinations. And only now, with success and family and everything he'd ever have wanted, was he able to appreciate the cost of what he'd done.

"Th' Butcher of Blackrock. Cannae believe I used t' take pride in it, eh boy?" he asked, gently scratching behind Balinore's ears. The great bear huffed at the disturbance, but leaned into the attention.

A noise from the stairs interrupted his reverie. He turned to see Lorellai coming down the stairs, holding her pack in one hand and looking worried. "Hey Da', do yeh have a minute t' talk?"

Hours later, the sun had risen over icy Dun Morogh, and Lorellai was saying her goodbyes. That minute had turned into hours as they'd learned that Lorellai wasn't the only meddler having the visions, and the decision had been made for those hearing the call to join Dolraan in Dalaran to lend their aid to Khadgar.

"Lass, one last thing," Drogar said, holding his daughter's hand as he drew forth the pistol. "Got it all cleaned up for yeh. May it continue t' keep yeh safe. I love yeh, lass."

Lorellai took the pistol and casually slid it into her her shoulder holster, under her coat. "Thanks Da', we'll both be back before you know it, I'm sure!" she declared, giving her dad a kiss on the nose before hoisting her pack and stepping towards the portal. Moments later, Drogar stood in a smaller crowd that began to break up and return to their work.

"Titans, if yer listenin', keep her safe. And let her give that tool a better destiny than I did."

[thevulturesquadron]

Potential explanation as to why Erik went from having a strained relationship with Wanda to Pietro despite getting along reasonably better with the latter:

Wanda subconsciously/intentionally made it that way.

Writers try to paint Pietro as the only one with mental instability, but Wanda very clearly has a history of her own issues that show she is not nearly the more sane and emotionally mature twin she is recently made out to be.

In my opinion, despite Wanda occasionally making a show of demonstrating how she does not need Pietro as much as he needs her, and how much she hated Magneto for all that he put them through, I think there was a part of her deep inside that was envious of how Erik and Pietro made efforts to get along better and strengthen their relationship.

I know that writing wise, the editorial and writers have their own reasons for making the choices I don’t agree with, but here’s my take.

Wanda subconsciously hexed both her and her twin so that their blood ties with Magneto would be severed because she couldn’t stand how Pietro was always willing to try to make things work with the latter because he was their “father.”

Because the familial relationship was gone and now she and Pietro were “no longer” mutants, it became easier to subconsciously manipulate her brother’s mind and Magneto’s against each other so that they would appear in their lives less.

Oh, but relationships/hex doesn’t easily create/destroy. It relocates and replaces. So where does that father/child bond now go?

It goes to her. Because despite resenting him for the majority of knowing him, I think there was a part of Wanda that did want that emotional connection with him. But instead of bringing herself to forgive him and easing up on her pride, it was easier to switch her antagonistic relationship with her father’s with that of her “beloved” brother’s to elevate herself up and bring her brother down.

Again, not consciously on her part, and definitely not intentional on that of the writers, but given Wanda’s track record of handling her emotional repressions and outbursts, that would make more sense as to why the dynamic has changed.

I.LOVE.THIS!!! I love this and ever since it landed in my asks my mind has been here.

I am a sucker for finding explanations/reason in things that don’t work or make little sense in what I am watching/reading/playing. I am a sucker for analyzing character’s choices or behaviors even if they are something I don’t agree with. And this!! Honestly I just want your interpretation to be out there because it’s so complex and tasteful.

Wanda has a HISTORY of emotional instability and I say that not as a complaint but in a way that acknowledges the complexity her character can have. It has been a bit of a frustration of mine in how Marvel has handled her in recent years (either as a villain in Dr Strange or infantilizing her in comics). I hated that they took away her agency and responsibility for the events in House of M and redconned it as Doom’s doing. I hate how they portrayed her ‘sacrifice’ in the Trials of Magneto because it was cheap and void of meaning for her redemption. Marvel stripped her of the importance of her emotions and chaos; took away the responsibility of her rage and the consequences of her unstable emotions because she needed to be pure and good, effectively telling women that your raw emotions are evil and only villains can own them. Fuck that noise! Her powers are chaos! Let her mind and feelings claim that as well, and let her explore that instead of forcing her into a maturity and wisdom she has never earned. 

Once again, I love what you're proposing. It justifies so many of the weird exchanges, it adds layers to her and it has a fantastic potential to explore some strong themes.

[aerynlallaboso]

theory post:

(spoilers for AW1/AN/AW2)

AW2 Zane is not the original Zane; he is a new version of Tom Zane that has overwritten the original, both in the Dark Place and in the real world.

Part One: Contradictory realities

The idea that this version of Zane has been written into reality and displaced the original Zane is, I think, pretty much textual - I'm very interested in the fact that despite the fact Zane the poet wrote himself out of the world, he did still exist in certain places e.g. in the memory of Cynthia Weaver, who kept that memory alive by writing newspaper articles about Zane (dismissed as urban legend by everyone around her), in actual physical evidence via the shoebox loophole that he created himself (the box of books in the cabin, which are real copies of books that don't exist), and in the memory of the Dark Place (Diver's Cabin at the bottom of the lake). When Zane dismisses the poet/diver as 'a beloved character I played in one of my films', that may be what he now believes (I think he's either not fully aware of the disconnect or doesn't particularly care), but it hasn't always been the truth. There was a real poet called Thomas Zane, and there wasn't: two contradictory truths.

Besides the box of books in the cabin in AW1, the most compelling evidence that reality has been rewritten is the existence of the manor that became Valhalla Nursing Home. Cynthia Weaver's journal indicates she still retains her memories of the original Zane and is very confused when people start referring to him as a filmmaker. She also has in her room a photograph of Zane and Jagger standing in front of Diver's Cabin, which is an object that absolutely should not exist - Zane was never a diver, right? In the basement of the nursing home, you can find a newspaper article with an identical photograph of Zane and Jagger, this time standing in front of their newly purchased manor home. The manor did not exist in the original version of reality as it is in AW1; Norman has dialogue referencing this ('Isn't it strange that I've lived in Bright Falls my whole life and I can't remember this house?'), which Mandy-May refutes ('The house has always been here') just as Saga's memories of her original reality are refuted throughout the game. The manor and the cabin are, similar to the filmmaker and the poet, the same building in different versions of reality, occupying the same role in the history of Bright Falls, which is why the Writer's Room exists in both of them. The same place, the same person - but different.

(Jesse Faden's therapy tape referencing Zane the poet in Control is an additional piece of evidence similar to Cynthia's memories - I assume that Polaris's influence protected Jesse from the effects of that reality rewrite.)

Okay. So Zane was rewritten into reality as a filmmaker. By who?

Part Two: Who else?

This part is more speculative, but it makes so much sense to me that I don't even feel like it's reaching too far 😭. Alan Wake is constantly writing drafts. Constantly cycling through loops that even he's forgotten. He wrote Thomas Zane into Departure as a way to free himself from the cabin, as a guardian angel for himself who would feed him manuscript pages and lead him to the end of the story. It seems almost impossible that over the course of 13 years, it wouldn't occur to Alan to try that again. Bring Zane back, rewrite him for his purposes, maybe as a collaborator this time? American Nightmare provides some excellent context for this, since the final piece Alan needs to rewrite reality and kill Scratch at the end is Alice's short film - you could say he's collaborating with her in absentia. Their two pieces of art strengthen each other, similar to the idea Zane presents to Alan in Initiation 5 of 'your magnum opus, Return, and its companion piece, my film'.

It feels natural (to me!) that Zane the filmmaker was created to fulfill this role of collaborator in a different medium, down to the way he describes himself as a fellow 'celebrated auteur'. He's here to help Alan get out. But as Alan forgets his own actions after a certain amount of time, Zane's role becomes murkier - Alan no longer trusts his intentions, no longer wants to give up control of his story, and the new Thomas Zane is left adrift in the Dark Place with little besides the desire to create to escape (with Alan). Again more speculative, since Zane's objectives are left relatively ambiguous throughout the game, but I do believe his desire to help Alan get out is sincere (even if his motivations for it are unclear). What this will mean if/when he escapes the Dark Place himself is another story :)

Side note: why does the new Zane look like Alan?

I don't know if this is a question everyone has? I do, because I'm not sure as to the current canonicity of the photographs of the original Zane in This House of Dreams, but those appear to show a blonde man with a different build to AW2 Zane, and Alan himself questions why Zane looks like him. Frankly, if we're going by the 'Alan created him' theory and given Scratch's existence as his evil doppelganger, I don't think that Alan would have intentionally written the guy to look like him - Zane's appearance feels like a reflection of the fact that this is Alan's dreamscape, a 'performance the Dark Place [is] putting on' which is 'all about me, but I [have] no control over it'. I also think that Zane is a reflection of the traits Alan would value in a collaborator, and that Alan Wake has a hard time letting anyone but himself write his story... You see where that could go.

Theorising more about this one would require going deep into my beliefs about Wake and Zane as reflections of each other in a creator/creation loop paradox that continues from the first game and fulfillers of the same archetypal Creator/Hero role within a larger metanarrative of the Story of Cauldron Lake (hence why various important characters refer to Alan as 'Tom') and I don't have time for that right now but probably the true answer has to be. They wanted to give Ilkka Villi a guy to play without dubbing. And I could listen to that man talk forever so alright post is over thanks for coming

(Side note 2: Self-promotion

I wanted to write a full 'setting out theory' post about this but I did also incorporate a lot of it into my fanfiction. Which you can read if you want to if you're interested in edging for creative inspiration 🙂)

[tumblingdownthefoxden]

TAATS Magic System 🪄

General foundation

Magic, like energy, is neither created or destroyed. It can be stored, transformed, strengthened, weakened, lost, and most importantly absorbed.

For humans, there is a small amount of magic that builds the soul. Based on the line from I’m a Star. “So your dust is my dust?” Humans have a little bit of stardust that supports and drives the soul. It is why stars form attachments with humans and why humans enjoy creating things. The stardust also gives human potential magic. Magic that needs to be awakened and honed.

Potential magic is awakened with belief in oneself and drive to become better. This allows any ordinary person to learn and master spells.

For magic users, magic works like muscles. The more you use and train it, the stronger it gets. The less you use it, the weaker it gets. Spells require care and intent to be properly executed.

Emotions also play a big part in the use of magic. They can amplify a cast, sabotage it, or cause it emerge without intention (think of Magnifico attempting to bottle his rage and it gives him a deadly aura). Strong emotions such as excitement or fury can cause magic to reach its peak but also become harder to control. Fear and anxiety can often sabotage a spell if it overrides the intention, such as the woman from chapter 10 who tried to stop the fire. Her fear of the fire catching on was so strong that it made the fire catch on.

How Dark Magic works

Dark magic is not evil by intention or performance but it demands a sacrifice for its service.

Dark Magic will take anything with value. Pay with your energy, a beloved plant, an animal, a body part, a whole body, or even metallic money. How big and much depends on the scale of the spell being done.

Let's say you want to heal a bird's wing in little time so you give up a few strands of hair. That would be enough, so the bird's wing recovers faster than normal. Let's also say that you are planting pumpkins and want a plentiful harvest. So you sacrifice several fresh, high quality salmon. The magic likes the offer and now you have the best and biggest pumpkins of the season.

It's preferred to sacrifice something prior to a spell, and despite what some snarky sorcerers will try, you can't get away from not paying dark magic. If you can't give, don't worry, it will take something anyway.

This is why dark magic users have a higher mortality rate than light magic users.

*Think of Dr. Facieler and his debt to his friends from the other side. Every transformation and conjugation they've done for him was with anticipation for adequate payment. Many souls were a good deal but when things switched up and he couldn't pay them back?

Well ...

How do our magic users use magic

• Magnifico

Magnifico's magic is based on his star ancestry and has been honed for service and performance purposes. It is amplified with feelings of joy and excitement. Through his studies, he discovered his magic could be concentrated to perform powerful spells with less bodily energy. Which is why he uses a staff.

With years of practice and study, Magnifico learned how to extract a wish from a person and contain it in an orb. Forgetting what your wish is a side effect of the matter. However, extracting the wish takes a person’s stardust with it.

The yellow on their chests and hands? That is stardust summoned forth. It doesn’t take all but the new lack of stardust destabilizes the heart and soul. Even when it's outside of the body and contained, the stardust is still connected to the person and is pining to return to them. It’s why there is so much excitement for Wish Ceremonies, people are getting their stardust back.

Magnifico is aware that wish extraction is upending for a person but he hasn’t found a way to take a wish without the stardust. It’s a few cracks in the “utopia” but it’s a flaw he can accept. What happens if the wish is destroyed? If the wish is only shattered, the wish inside will find its way back to the person it belonged to.

•Amaya

Amaya has more experience with dark magic than most know. In her youth, before Rosas, she ruled another kingdom where she used dark magic to maintain herself and her people. Sacrificing whole animals for fertile land and lard to look young. As a ruler of Rosas, she switched to mainly magic study. Having read nearly every book in the Grand library and is well versed with magical properties of herbal and metal materials.

The magic she does use is potion magic. She can create potions for healing illnesses, sleep, containment or binding.

•Altan

Altan is a talented star and is a noble apprentice but is known for having a temper. Evangeline had to stop them from killing a person several times during a mission. It was the hardest for them to control and still is when he was a hair away from bashing Sabino's head.

Altan is a good shape shifter but like most stars, he needs to understand the anatomy of whatever he turns into. First time he turned into an animal was messy and barely resembled what he wanted to be. After a few years practice, he got animals down and grew more fascinated with animals all over the Earth. Humans are a different case. Altan has been gently criticized for having sharp ears on his human form when facing humans but they would swallow a whale before he reworked on their human form for the umpteenth time.

Altan's abilities rely on intention and mood. When he wants to fly, he needs to think about flying and their mood affects how they fly. Calm or elated - Gently float. Sad or frustrated - Hover. Estatic or happy - Zip. Angry or hate - Zoom. Fear/panic - Gone in a flash. Worry or edginess - barely off the ground. He can also give abilities and transform things. He can give animals the ability to speak by sprinkling stardust on them. They can eat it or not.

There are a few abilities he still wants to master such as summoning storms, entrapment, and astral visions. Astral visions are when you pull someone and yourself into a dream-like realm for a meet-up. This is Evangeline did in chapter 8.

•Madok

Far back in this AU, Madok was a large and vicious force before they were trapped inside the book. Thanks to their lack of activity from their imprisonment, Madok shrunk down to the size and power of the average python. They are far from pleased with that.

Dark magic applies to dark spirits similar to light magic and Stars as it also a part of them but unlike Stars, they experience hunger and need to eat. They will eat energy or magic to strengthen themselves and their magic.

When a spirit lacks energy, dark magic takes from them similar to how the body takes from itself when it lacks intake of something. The body will use its fat when it lacks food; it will take from the bones when it lacks calcium. If a dark spirit is employed by someone to do spells for them, that person is responsible for feeding them and the spirit names the price.

Madok is well versed in forms of dark magic and how it can be weaponized against someone of great power. The only things that can counter Star magic is Dark magic and Star magic itself. Madok is also bent on catching a star but not for the sake of Magnifico or Rosas.

@rascalentertainments @annymation @signed-sapphire @chillwildwave @uva124 @your-ne1ghbor

[highgroundanimations]

How old are you?? What made you decide to dip your toe into animation?

As of now (2023) I'm 26 years old, next birthday is on January 24. 😁

Also great question! I'll go a little more in-depth below if anyone's interested. 😊

I've been interested in animation, art & story-telling in general ever since I could think! Starting with drawing & crafting a LOT in kindergarten & making flipbook & stopmotion/brickfilm animations in elementary school. Eventually got into shooting fun little shortfilms with friends & adding visual effects to them (those films were WEIRD, but soo fun to make! 😄).

That got me more & more into 3d animation as a hobby which turned into a career once I finished school & started a 3 year apprenticeship as audio-visual media designer at an advertising agency (I was 16 back then). After that I worked there part-time as 3d generalist for 3 more years while starting to freelance on the side. Eventually made the jump to full-time freelancing & that's what I've been doing the past 4 years.

Love the creative freedom of often times being booked as "one man studio" by my clients & the variety of projects is fun! Advertising has to move fast & you're never stuck with one project for too long.

Being a freelancer also makes it possible for projects like Tukk Tales: The Rescue to happen, because I get to chose what I want to work on & when I want to work on passion projects (as long as I'm not broke lol).

And of course one of the biggest sources of inspiration & motivation throughout this journey was our beloved Wars in the Stars! ⭐⭐ I've been a Star Wars fan ever since elementary school & been drawing characters from it constantly, especially droids & clones. And then came THE CLONE WARS! I don't think I would've followed through actually teaching myself how to use 3d software back in 2008 if I hadn't seen the Clone Wars movie around that time. A full-CG, stylized show with my favorite characters in my favorite era? Sign me up! I was so intrigued by how a show like that was made, I HAD to find out!

If you have seen my Youtube channel, there are still some The Clone Wars animation videos on there, from back when I just started learning how to use the 3d software Blender: https://www.youtube.com/@HighGroundAnimations/videos

So The Clone Wars kept me going, inspired me to learn this, to be able to create my own scenes from that universe. But then, eventually you want to grow beyond that, so I wanted to try other styles, other ideas & especially once I started working, I just didn't have as much time for personal "fun" projects anymore. So very little Clone Wars from now on. Fast forward a couple of years, it's the pandemic & the perfect time to go back into hobbies! The animated Star Wars shows have progressed & met a new bar of quality with Clone Wars season 7. What an inspiration! I really wanted to try & see what I could do with all the skills & knowledge I had accumulated since last time & a project like that seemed like a great chance to further strengthen my skills as generalist. So that's when I started again, December 2020 & the name High Ground Animations was born, along with a dedicated Instagram, a renamed Youtube channel & more. No Captain Tukk yet, or any plans for a shortfilm, all that developed during the many months after that. But I've been at it again ever since & there are no plans for stopping anytime soon! 🤘

[randomwriteronline]

Do you think love can bloom even despite Greg Farshtey if we don't have mouths between two sets 15 years apart?

so a friend got me a g2 Kopaka--

Mata Pohatu was a gift from my beloved beautiful chum @cantankerouscanuck and when i went to pick up my other boy my friend n i ended up doin a lil photoshoot at their house bc i couldnt resist trying to make them kiss, which was Fucking Hard due to the mata build's terrible posability but thank god Pohatu's got at least one loose leg and Kopaka has many more joints and is so stable. homeboy was holding this whole thing together all by himself like the gallant gentleman he is

my only regret is not having a proper camera with cool lenses and all to properly devote an insane amount of effort to this stupid thing... have a documentation of our tribulations under the cut instead XD

first problem we incurred in (aside from my shaky ass hands making some pictures blurry) was the height difference.

it doesnt look terrible bc kopakas got his knees bent in the photo but effectively the only way pohatu got to his face was by standing on his tippy toes, and while his steel toed boots did give him the added cms necessary they did NOT let him stand on his own, so either we held him up or he fell over even when propped against a wall. we tried pinning him to the wall with kopaka but he still slipped so both cute ideas had to go down the drain

(we also tried a classic kabedon pose but kopakas fucking pauldrons SUCK for arm mobility so tragically, that was also scrapped)

the good news was however that they COULD hold hands! sorta. kinda. im still counting it. the mata hands have axels for fingers, so they fit snugly in the handpieces the 2015 gang has :)

only problem with it is that

straight in the tits.

(me trying to browse a tag in peace but overly horny fanart pops up)

BUT ANYWAYS. the hand holding did provide some stability and so we started trying out poses by seeing how far we could tilt pohatu while keeping him standing - this because he has another problem, that being that his head bobs up and down with no way to keep it up or down on its own, so we had to work with gravity

came out a lil foreboding, like kopaka is threatening him. but we're getting closer!

thankfully me being a big ol sap helped in figuring out how to make the whole thing more tender bc i love that shit. so we decided to push pohatu's loose leg out to balance him and one of his arms up, like he was reaching for kopaka's mask, which was also very good bc kopaka's hand lodged itself right between pohatu's tiny elbow and hip so he looked like he was wrapping it around his waist. then we adjusted them a lil bit, teaked them here n there, and

OH YEAH.

OH YEAH BABY WERE GETTING SOMEWHERE NOW

we had to uh. briefly stop. and laugh really hard for a second bc pohatus entire head fell off. i dont have photos for that but it was so sudden and unexpected that we had a fit of hysteric giggles

as you can see however, their faces are Not touching. this is due to the aforementioned problem with the Mata neck, plus the fact that kopaka couldn't bend further down to close the gap on his own, though tbf cut him some slack hes already holding the both of them up as best as he can

so we meddled a lil bit to pull pohatu more upright and strengthen kopakas pose so they wouldnt topple over, considered a maskless version, scrapped it bc they looked VERY silly, and THEN. AT LAST

THE ELUSIVE BONKLE KISS..........

from as many angles n lightings as possible bc im Unwell

AND a cool version from the hand-holding side bc the transpieces look great and i find it very sweet :)

but yeah that was a fun time :D it was great and the lads have been untangled and retired on a shelf where theyll stay nice and tight hehe

hope yall enjoyed these, they were great fun to make and i think they came out really well despite my shitty hands and cameras. maybe ill do more or not, who knows ahah wait what was that.

that sound... its like. plastic smacking plastic... to mimic kissing...

you dont think... the bionicles... they couldnt... no...

oh... oh good heavens. oh theyre canoodling in there

[albertfinch]

WAITING ON THE LORD

It is essential to our spiritual health that we spend quality time in His presence, waiting upon Him. Only then, will we have the spiritual energy to face the challenges, testings, and problems of life.

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

During these times of intimate fellowship, we are brought into a closer union with Him. In the closeness of this communion, we will receive of His life and strength, and along with this, we will come into a deeper understanding of spiritual principles and an unfolding of His Word, which will draw us yet closer.

"...The times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3:19

"Waiting upon the Lord" is the key to a victorious, overcoming life. Throughout the Psalms, whenever David found himself in difficult circumstances, he constantly reminded himself to "wait upon the Lord."

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27:14

It is here in His presence that we will begin to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom. There will be a realignment of our inner being, and our priorities will change from the natural to the spiritual. Our spiritual senses will be energized by His presence and restored to respond to His purposes.

 SOWING TO THE SPIRIT

As we wait upon the Lord, we will experience a genuine encounter with the Lord. Then wherever we go, the result of this "manifest presence" that we have experienced, will cut through every bondage and fear in those who are witnessing the result of our life being the expression of His life.

During these prolonged times spent in His presence, we are "sowing" to the Spirit – enlarging our capacity to flow with the Holy Spirit. It is always costly to the natural man, but this provides us with the occasion to overcome.

Many "early morning risings" may seemingly bear no spiritual experience at all, but the continued lifting up of our desire for Him, along with our worship and the obedience of seeking after Him, rather than things, will in time bring forth within us an accumulative effect that will surprisingly produce a profound spiritual result. We will have "become" a prophetic vessel that is available to Him.

These times of "waiting upon the Lord," in His presence, do not produce quick results, but rather, lasting ones. Jesus commanded us to abide in Him, adding that it will cause us to bear "fruit that remains” as we experience revelation regarding God’s purpose for our life that will advance His Kingdom.

"I love them that love Me; and those who seek Me early shall find Me... that I may cause those who love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures." Proverbs 8:17, 21

OPEN THE DOOR AND INVITE HIM IN

Indeed, the Lord is knocking on the door of our hearts and our lives. He is seeking to enter in. He is seeking a people that will respond to His knock and that will open the door and invite Him in, that they might "wait upon Him."

Come apart from all activity and sit quietly in an attitude of worship.

Sit quietly in an attitude of worship and expectancy, as if looking at a door expecting at any moment that the door will open, and a person will enter (Jesus).

Spiritual strength is renewed as you bathe in the love of Jesus that flows out from the throne into your heart and back to Him.

Maybe you have felt nothing after several minutes or hours of waiting -- but after the time of waiting, everything that you do is accomplished much better, and you notice a glow in your spirit.

Now you can say with confidence:

"...Let my Beloved come into His garden, and eat His pleasant fruits." Song of Solomon 4:16

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[natsuki-bakery]

⁎˚ ఎ CG! Prussia headcanons ໒ ˚⁎

hello :0 may i request some caregiver prussia (hetalia) headcanons? thank you!

•Prussia has a naturally protective instinct, stemming from his time as a military nation. He often checks in on those he's caring for, ensuring you are safe and comfortable

•While Prussia enjoys being playful and joking around, he knows when to be serious. He balances fun with responsibility, making sure that the people he cares for feel both entertained and secure

•Care giver Prussia might not be the best chef, but he puts a lot of effort into cooking for those he cares for. He often makes traditional German dishes, believing comfort food is the best way to make someone feel loved and cared for !

•He loves sharing stories from his past, often exaggerating for effect. His tales are not just for entertainment but also to impart lessons and values

•Gilbert is not shy about showing affection. He often gives bear hugs, ruffles hair, and offers reassuring pats on the back. His physical presence is a constant source of comfort

•He would love being called : Gil, dada prussia, cap/captain or guardian !

•He pays close attention to the likes and dislikes of those he’s caring for, tailoring his actions to their preferences. Whether it’s choosing the right kind of tea or picking out a movie to watch together

•Gil believes in the power of shared activities to strengthen bonds. He often engages in hobbies and interests of those he cares for, whether it's playing games, going for walks, or working on projects together

If you're being bratty while age regressing :

•Prussia understands the importance of rules and boundaries, but he also knows that a heavy-handed approach isn't always effective

•He would uses redirection to channel your energy into more positive activities. He might engage you in a game, start a creative project, or take them outside for some physical activity

•Prussia believes in the power of positive reinforcement. He sets up a reward system where good behavior and adherence to rules are recognized and rewarded with small treats or privileges !

If you're feeling sad while being little :

•Immediate Comfort : Prussia would quickly notice the change in mood and offer immediate comfort. He might sit down next to you, wrap an arm around your shoulders, and speak to them in a gentle, reassuring voice. He’d let you know it's okay to feel sad and that he's there for you

•Prussia would encourage you to talk about what's bothering you. He'd listen attentively, showing genuine concern and empathy. He'd ask gentle questions to help you express your feelings, making sure you feel heard and understood

•To help lift your spirits, Prussia would suggest doing something they enjoy together. Whether it’s playing their favorite game, watching a beloved movie, or engaging in a fun outdoor activity, he'd do his best to bring a smile back to your face <3

•Sfw interactions only | read my dni before interacting my blog

[dgdraws]

mARTch days 2 & 3, Inspirations and Favorite Things to Draw

My art philosophy is summed up pretty well by @/drchucktingle

Every piece of art is important and special because it was made by YOU in that particular moment. Any action you take can be art, because art comes free with being alive. Seeing inspiration, magnificence, in the world around us is a muscle you can strengthen.

When it comes to things I like to draw, I thought about this for a while and it's really HOW I like to draw, for me. I draw because the process is really fun! I love discovering new tools and techniques; trying a million little settings and stumbling on something funky, wanting a certain effect and searching for ways to reach it, combining them all together to achieve even newer and cooler stuff!

Here, I just followed my heart and messed around with my favorite brushes and settings and what nots (velvet texture my beloved <3)