#succeeding-in-life

[thepersonalwords]

The most successful men work smart, not hard

Bangambiki Habyarimana, The Great Pearl of Wisdom

[bet-on-me-13]

Lex is Vlad reincarnated

So! Lex Luther, the greatest person to ever exist, had recently made a discovery.

A few weeks ago, a Cult of moronic simpletons had managed to kidnap him. Him! All for some stupid Demonic ritual where they sacrifice the wealthiest man they could find in return for something meaningless like "No More Poverty" or "No More Starvation".

He had survived, of course, and was unfortunately save by Supermoron.

But before the Man of Steel had busted in, he overheard something from the Cultists. Apparently they had chosen him for more than just his wealth, there was something more about his Soul that they were after. It felt "Divine", as if he had the soul of a God stuffed in a Mortal's body.

And obviously it must be correct. He was already the most intelligent man in the world, One of the wealthiest, and held more political power than any single man on the planet, so of course "God in disguise" was the next logical addition to that List.

Over the next few weeks he studied and prepared.

He needed to make sure that his efforts would be rewarded, that those Cultists had been correct about him despite their idiocy.

After buying up as many Magical Artifacts as he could related to Identity and Soul, he tested himself on Each and Every One. And Lo and Behold, he is truly a God.

Well, the Reincarnation of One. Apparently this was common in immortal beings such as himself, reincarnating themselves into mortal bodies as a sort of Vacation from their Duties. All he needed to do now was find a way to regain his Memories and Power without dying, and he would truly become a God On Earth.

A few more weeks of Preparation, and he was ready.

Apparently the Manchild of Steel had caught onto his plan in that time. His Ego probably couldn't bear another God living in the same City as himself, so he tried to stop Lex's plans of Ascension. Thankfully, in his research he had discovered his Rival's vulnerability to Magical Attacks, and set up countermeasures for him and his Breakfast Club should they attempt to interfere.

He stepped into the Ritual Circle, and began his Ascension to Godhood.

Try as they might, the League could not foil his plans this time. The Ritual Circle lit up with a sickly green light, and expanded to cover his entire body. The Ritual began to finally complete itself.

He had Won.

...

Oh.

...

Vlad stood at the center of the circle for a few moments. He took in all his Memories of his most recent Life, and Facepalmed so hard he was sure The Badger heard it back in the Realms.

Ten Tousand Years of Therapy specifically to curb his egotistical tendencies, and That is how he decides to spend his most recent Life? Acting as a Billionare Supervillain attacking a well meaning Hero for nothing less than Ego?! He even Cloned them!? Had he learned NOTHING!?!?

"Careful Team, we don't know how powerful he is now." He heard his current Nemesis say.

Oh right...they were still there.

He didn't really feel like explaining everything to them, and he technically still had about 40 years left on his Vacation...

He simply turned his back to them, flew back to his Mansion, turned back into his Human Form, and set about his Day. Maybe he could right a few of the wrongs he had done on this life?

It would certainly throw his current Nemesis for a loop. And while he may not Hate him anymore, he definitely still liked to Mess with him.

Maybe this would be more entertaining than he thought?

[radioactive-mouse]

i keep thinking about like. how the brutality levels vary between seasons and how secret life is the natural culmination of everything these people have been through and the watchers pushing everything to extremes. i’m going to try to articulate how crazy this makes me

3rd Life: god. 3rd life was a clear cut war. we haven’t seen a season since where nearly everyone has such an intense devotion to their chosen faction. the fact that there’s no precedent that they’re coming back next season, the fact that as far as they know, dying means staying dead, makes just how much they’re willing to go down with the ship that much more heartbreaking. grian ended the season exactly how it was played by damn near everyone else— i love you, i would do anything for you, i would rather die than keep going without you. the season of widows.

Last Life: and then they come back. and then ending things isn’t an option. and all of a sudden it’s not a war, it’s a death match, and damn is the competition is vicious. deaths are more often than not a vague, impersonal thing— not get away from my king, my husband, my charge— just the flash of a knife and a quick sorry, just playing the game! if 3rd life told you to hold the ones you love close, defend them to your last breath, last life urges you to burn that love out of your chest entirely.

Double Life: but everything slows down eventually. no more dying for the one you love— just learning to live with them. double life is about knowing that when you die, you will go together, hand and hand into the dark. a soap opera, the players joke. a small kindness, the universe replies. again, pearl wins the same way everyone else lost— no, not yet, please, just give us a little longer together, i’m not ready, i’m so sorry—

Limited Life: but the clock, unyielding, ticks ever onward. and god, everyone is starting to feel it. that sick, nauseating feeling of dread creeping up on them: what if it never ends? what if this is it, this is all that’s left for us— tearing each other apart over and over and over again, and for what? for a show? to feed those hungry things lurking in the dark? we’ll give them a show. bombs rain from the sky, the world shaking under the weight of it. there isn’t a thing left by the end that’s not rubble. we’re all doomed! the players cry, laughing with nothing but nihilistic, unrestrained joy. none of it matters! we come back again, and again, and again, have a little fun with it! light the fuse, collateral be damned. when death means so little, what’s the point in pretending they don’t take a little joy in it? we settle this like grian and scar before us, scott jokes, armor and weapons tossed to the side. are you insane? martyn thinks, remembering the hollow look that would wash over grian’s face when he thought no one was watching. it ruined him. it will not ruin me. this is a death match for a reason.

Secret Life: and here it is. the natural conclusion. this season is candy colored, the map dotted with cute pink houses and silly builds, the players all running around doing these ridiculous tasks. it’s so easy to forget how bloody this season was. unclosing wounds, bruises that don’t fade, the sting of fire or falling from a simple misstep. the hurt never goes away, but it gets easier to ignore— distract yourself with something silly to pass the time: spyglasses and frogs and the ugliest house you’ve ever seen and matching leather jackets and the doghouse and the relationSHIP and a weird tunnel full of doors and secret soulmates and god it’s almost, almost, enough to forget how much it all aches, how much the grief weighs on you, how many times someone you love has died, sometimes to your own blade. almost none of the grudges you hold are real by now, not really. not when you’re going to live and die with these people for as long as the hungry, many-eyed things delight in your suffering. you love each other, in the strangest way— sure you’ve all killed and betrayed each other in a thousand different ways, but at the end of the day, they’re all you have. clinging to each other in the face of the vast, unknowable horrors that drive you to slash each other to pieces. it’s still a game, after all. they’ve gotta figure out how to be good sports about it eventually.

[tapakah0]

@somerandomdudelmao sensei, here is another little gift ;-; Probably, this is the only work in which I was able to invest more than a couple of hours, and also pour my whole soul into it… how did you do it... now it’s empty inside… I was afraid that something would go wrong, so I set a certain time so that you know when it will be, and can prepare for that moment... Um… well… yes… I don't know what to say ;-; *put it here* See you later, I guess ;-; Based on Cass apocalyptic series "The little things" episode ;-; [The one that broke me one morning]

[starryeyed-seer]

me: I'm not a bat

Mr pages: (stuffing novels under its robe): I must abscond

[idontcaboose]

Haunted car au?

I am writing this purely on mobile, so format might get weird, sorry in advance.

Danny didn't mean to get stuck, honest. But a dare is a dare, and damnit if he wasn't going to get that fifty dollars from Jason, "I stole the wheels at the age of 12" Peters. Danny would bet that same fifty that Jason was just waiting for him to come back and tell Jason he got zapped so he could laugh at him. Jerk.

But... accidentally possessing the Batmobile after the zap was completely unintentional. Wait, would this mean he gets double the money? He did get the sticker put on before he possessed the car.... He did also technically successfully hijack the car, which would totally constitute a bonus.... Would this be grand theft auto if he is the car... can a car steal itself? He was dumped out of his slightly hysterical panic by a weird feeling in his... engine? and felt himself? move in a way that he did not control. Where was he going? Why was he going? HOW FAST CAN THIS THING GO?

Needless to say, Danny's night was going poorly. Failed dare, grand theft kidnapping, unwilling participant of picking up an injured Batman, and now knowing the exact route to get to the super secret Bat Cave, that is, in fact an actual CAVE. If Jason doesn't pay him triple the amount AND cook him food for a week, he will riot.

Now.... how to....

HOOOOOONNNNNKKKK

...... oops

_____________

Next?

The prompt by @kizzer55555 is linked Here

@trappednyourheart

@candeartist422

@sebas-nights

@fandom-life-corrupted-me

[edennill-archived]

We laugh at Sauron for not realising a golden-haired Aman elf with the audacity to challenge a fallen Maia with song can only be Finrod at this point, and conclude that Finrod's spell must have worked in part -- but I've never heard anyone ask how on earth did he never come up with the idea that Celebrimbor might have given the three rings to his three remaining family members!

Who made the spell this time?

[thepersonalwords]

The road to your success is not a highway. You have to create it as you go

Bangambiki Habyarimana, The Great Pearl of Wisdom

[imminent-danger-came]

“I felt the red-winged man gaze, I heard him speaking. I know who you are, he said, there are two ways this can go, no, three ways. I don’t want to count the ways, I said, I just want to finish it. I need to get to the end. His wings lifted and sanked. Oh my darling, he said, you’re a long way from the end.”

— Anne Carson, H of H Playbook

[discoidal]

almost nothing !!

[sforzesco]

I got. thoughts. about valens and voices in imperial roman history. but I also got a lot of thoughts about uhhhhhh choosing your brother for co ruling the Fratricide Foundation Story Empire. many thoughts about themistius' oration too

Brotherly Love, Themistius (trans. Peter Heather & David Moncur)

⭐ places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app / insta

[shanklin]

For the Shellfish Stanley au where he raises Shermie

Should that offshoot of the au because the Surviving Shellfish because there’s two of them and while Stanley is the main focus, Shermie is there too.

Also it’s pretty long to type the Shellfish Stanley au where he raises Shermie au each time.

Headcanons I have:

- Shermie despite growing up with his brother who has a flexible moral compass, I think it would be ironic if Shermie just had a really strong moral compass for no reason. Everyone is confused by this.

- There are some nights where Stanley is gone for longer periods than others. Sesame Street becomes like Shermie a comfort for Shermie as nervously waits until Stanley gets home.

- Shermie wants to get a job, or to do what Stan does so he can at least support his brother. He feels like he isn’t doing enough

-Stanley has a phobia of adults, he feels threatened by them.

- Maybe the trunk incident happens but Shermie was on the other side trying to get Stanley out. Stanley manages to get out of the trunk without loosing his teeth but both are scarred from the incident

-Shermie and Stan actually are friends with a lot of street animals. Because the boys are lonely and sometimes finding smart birds like ravens or crows, they bring the boys back some money or food in exchange for something shiny

-Shanklin is part of the Shermie Stan and Soos squad. The Big S squad

- When they meet the family again, Shermie and Stan make the “Safe Hut!” No adults or anyone that Shermie or Stan does not trust can enter the Safety Hut.

- The abandoned car they live in, the boys are too attached to it to leave it, so they steal a tow truck and drag it everywhere they want to “permanently” settle down. It becomes the new Stan-o-war but instead it’s called the ElmoMobile (Stan hates the name)

Selfish Shellfish AU - Masterpost

What do you mean pretty long? Technically, the name should be

“The Sad Selfish Shellfish and the Curious Case of the Deadbeaten Dad! Stanley AU where he raises Shermie” 😂 

I’m not too sure about the name “Surviving Shellfish”, as most Shellfish Stans with or without Shermie are surviving.

You know what that name would be great for, though?

A title for a fic or a series 👀

Anon, you’re cooking here with your headcanons. Gimme gimme!

At this point I wanted to comment on your headcanons, but instead I ended up sobbing in public :/

Stan raising Shermie the way you describe here is so deeply tragic. Shermie wanting to get a job? Feeling that he’s not doing enough? 

At his age, he shouldn’t even consider the possibility of getting a job, let alone think about morals any farther than surface level.

Stan means well, but he’s messing Shermie up big time.

Now I need a version in which Stan realizes just how badly he’s doing as a guardian. 

And yes, he’s scared of adults, and yes, so is Shermie, but he cannot provide Shermie with what a kid like him really needs.

Stability, safety, friends, an education, a full stomach…

Stan hates it, and he hates himself for it, but if he wants Shermie to have a chance at happiness, he needs to let him go.

As a child, Shermie won’t understand.

He will cry and apologize. Was he not good enough? Was he too much of a burden? Why doesn’t Stan love him anymore?

As a teenager, Shermie will hate Stan and say he’ll never forgive him for all the trauma and pain he put him through. 

For leaving without him. For abandoning him.

So Shermie will tell anyone who will listen just how much of an awful and selfish brother Stan has been.

And as an adult?

Shermie will spend his free time looking for the brother he lost. The brother, who protected him from an abusive father and sacrificed everything to make him feel safe and loved. 

The brother, who willingly chose a life of loneliness so he could gift his little brother a better one. 

Thanks to Stan, Shermie didn’t have to go hungry or feel cold at night anymote. He got to have friends and a childhood. Shermie was able to go to school and college, to get a job, a wife, a family.

And when his children ask him about their uncle, he will tell them stories about made up picture books and sleeping under the stars. He will tell them about a broken car that could fit an entire home inside and about watching puppets together curled up under a blanket.

They will learn about a childhood with magical animal companions and an older brother strong enough to fight the monsters lurking in every corner, but also kind enough to share his food and warmth. 

And in the end, when they fall asleep to tales of his brother, Shermie will hope his children feel as loved as he did when he was their age.

“Oi Forrester, someone’s here to pick you up” the prison guard shouts as Stanley steps out. He looks too old for his age and much smaller than Shermie remembers. 

Shermie waits for a spark of recognition to enter Stan’s eyes, but nothing.

The man before him looks like a caged animal, weary and ready to pounce the moment you make a wrong move.

“Daaad, can we go say hi to Uncle Stan already?”

Shermie smiles at his daughter and squeezes her hand.

“Not yet, sweetheart.”

He looks back up and in the place of the tiger he saw just a second ago, now stands his fourteen year old brother all hurt and alone. Lost.

“Shermie?” 

The crack in Stan's voice is enough for Shermie to run forward and lock him into a tight embrace.

“I’m here to take you home.”

Stanley breaks

[polvsketchbook]

thaumaturge!Ligia Szulska who left Warsaw 15 years ago to study abroad, not without a massive fight with her father & teary good bye from her brother, now she's back ready to solve some crimes & eat pączki

[anney-baker]

NANDOR & GUILLERMO's Dynamics | S6E11 "The Finale" | Part III

[starryrock]

Imagine how funny it’d be for everyone else when Kaito finally finds Pandora. The jeweler is nervous but otherwise resigned because, hey, at least he returns what he steals and the press coverage is able to cover most of the costs in property damage.

Then 3 weeks go by and the gem still isn’t back. Somehow, in some way, Kaito KID comes out with his statement: “I destroyed it. Sry not sorry lol ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It’s for the best, just trust me.”

[felassan]

🔍 Leafing through some old posts

releasing the Evanuris (Blighted?) and ALSO MAYBE the Blight? as in THE Blight. not a blight, the mother of ALL blights

-- 5 year old post

IGN preview: "The Blight, well, it was a slow-moving wall. It didn't have this almost-sentient, this almost-thought behind it. We've talked about how the gods that are out are Blighted. That probably has something to do with it."

I think [the Evanuris] sought to harness [the Blight], to use its power too. a bioweapon. 

-- 6 year old post

IGN preview: "The Blight is an organic weapon."

bindings, weaving, meshing, grafts (like different parts of different beasts being stitched together); the aim to improve coordination and sharpen the heart (the new darkspawn are more clever than the old ones) [...] given that organic life in our world originally crawled out of the sea during evolution (not unlike Mythal), I wonder if, with the saltwater pools and all, Ghilan’nain was trying to do what amounts to recreating the conditions which lead to the formation of organic life from inorganic materials. abiogenesis - the origin of life

-- 4 year old posts

IGN preview: "She uses Blight like a medium, to sculpt and warp. There are Blight pools, the darkspawn aren't just coming out of nowhere. The Blight is spawning them. Ghilan'nain, who has always been focused on using the Blight as essentially a crafting material, a way to alter life itself."