#symbols of fear and hope

[arbitrarycategories]

Putting a running joke into my reverse robins au where Bruce wants to call everything Bat-whatever but hadn’t gotten around to it yet when Duke showed up, and now Duke won’t let him because it’s “lame” and “kind of weird, B.” When itty bitty Dickie Grayson shows up and starts Bat-naming things nobody can tell him no because he has the most irresistible puppy dog eyes in the whole wide world. Bruce is fucking VINDICATED.

[blue-uppercase]

"All because of that most insidious of emotions; hope."

[divine-motion]

i'm the only motherfucker who understands armored core 6 fully and completely actually

[indooroutdoorboyfriend]

it's Harassing You o'clock so i am gonna discuss my oc some more in the tags

[sulfurrrr]

Caitlyn's storyline is super interesting to me bc I think even though she has a lot of sympathy for the undercity, the biases she was raised with lead her to view it as one separate entity that is inherently different from her, rather than a group of people who all were systemically forced to pursue lives that are vastly different from hers (and this mindset is, in part, what's led Jinx to become a symbol of Zaun).

That subconscious mindset is why Jinx murdering her mother so easily led to her hatred and violence. If it had been someone from Piltover she very easily would have been able to see how isolated the attack was, or understood what led to it—but because it was Jinx, and because Zaun, in her eyes, has a history of directing extreme violence towards Piltover, to Caitlyn this is a unified attack from Silco's agent—and, by extension, the undercity as a whole— against Piltover (more specifically, against her mother).

That's why she said "It's her blood in your veins." She thought Vi was different and "not like them" because to her, while Piltover is, of course, nuanced and deeply flawed, Zaun has always been one separate entity to Caitlyn—and, from what she's seen of the undercity (under silco's leadership) Vi isn't "like them."

Jinx, however, is. Moreover, Jinx, as Silco's number one agent, the perpetrator of all the violence she's seen (against piltover), and the face she's been chasing since the beginning, is, in Caitlyn's eyes, the violent and destructive undercity Caitlyn always heard about personified.

And, by treating her like she is, Caitlyn's unknowingly propped Jinx up as Silco's successor and leader of Zaun—which, with the turf wars leaving so much violence and destruction, is exactly what the undercity wants and needs, so they rush to reinforce this narrative in the hopes that it'll come true and give them back some stability.

[wackywatchdotcom]

one of the first few things i remember noting about the show when i watched it all for the first time (i dont quite count when i initially watched the pilot a yr ago cus i dont think i was giving it enough attention) was the idea that a person adapting fast to the circus is Weird. like it doesnt mean that the person likes it so much as it implies the person either 1. is just adaptable, thats a factor, or 2. they already are used to awful situations and adapting to this one IS still likely a challenge, but their ability to slot into the setting can sorta imply a person was already used to despair or fear, potentially to an extreme. and i remember noting how pomni adapted fast. like she definitely hasnt fully gotten used to it and i think that will take a Long While. but i think her ability to treat it as Life, her ability to give up on leaving so fast speaks to the idea that i feel like she gives off that she was absolutely miserable or had a history of being absolutely miserable before the circus....

[supersuperdupersecretnerd]

Oh my God, this lore is so dark what

So Urbanshade can include 'making deals with Satan' and 'kidnapping and torturing an ACTUAL ANGEL' to their list of crimes, huh.

[acourtofquestions]

Fenrys whispered, "Holy gods."

Not at the bridge that snapped down, soldiers teeming in the dark depths inside. But at who emerged from the keep archway behind them. What emerged. Rowan didn't know where to look. At the soldiers pouring out of the siege tower, leaping onto the battlements, or at Aelin.

At the Queen of Terrasen.

She'd found armor below the keep. Beautiful, pale gold armor that gleamed like a summer dawn. Holding back her braided hair, a diadem lay flush against her head. Not a diadem, but a piece of armor. Part of some ancient set for a lady long since buried. A crown for war, a crown to wear into battle. A crown to lead armies.

There was no fear on her face, no doubt, as Aelin hefted her shield, flipping Goldryn in her hand once before the first of Morath's soldiers was upon her. Rowan launched into movement, his blades finding their marks, but still he watched her.

Aelin slammed her shield against an oncoming warrior, Goldryn slicing through another before she plunged the blade into the soldier she'd deflected. She did it again, and again.

All while heading toward that siege tower. Unhindered. Unleashed.

A call went down the line. The queen has come.

She planted her line before the gaping maw of that siege tower, right in the path of those teeming hordes. Every moment of the training she'd done on the ship here, on the road, every new blister and callus—all to rebuild herself for this.

The queen has come.

Goldryn unfaltering, her shield an extension of her arm, Aelin glowed like the sun that now broke over the khagan's army as she engaged each soldier that hurtled her way. Five, ten—she moved and moved and moved, ducking and swiping, shoving and flipping, black blood spraying, her face the portrait of grim, unbreaking will.

"The queen!" the men shouted. "To the queen!"

And as Rowan fought his way closer, as that cry went down the battlements and Anielle men ran to aid her, he realized that Aelin did not need an ounce of flame to inspire men to follow. That she had been waiting, yanking at the bit, to show them what she, without magic, without any godly power, might do. He'd never seen such a glorious sight. In every land, every battle, he had never seen anything as glorious as Aelin before the throat of the siege tower, holding the line. Dawn breaking around them, Rowan loosed a battle cry and tore into Morath.

[arbitrarycategories]

*scribbling down how Red Robin and Ethiopia are going to go down in my reverse robins au* I simply think that if Damian were one of the older brothers that he would be violently protective

[the-feral-quill]

The Rabbit’s Leap

Timid, shaking, eyes dart wide, The rabbit trembles, seeks to hide. Afraid of true rejection’s sting, The kind that leaves you frozen, clinging.

Yet trembling, it steps ahead, Though looking back, its heart is dread. The forest, dark, once felt so near, Now whispers endless paths of fear.

What if this journey leads to none? What if freedom leaves it undone? Chains of wounds still fresh, still raw, The rabbit bleeds, its breath in awe.

Each step forward, growth and pain, Each step back feels cursed again. Its white fur stains with every fall, It hates itself, yet braves it all.

With a fox’s drive and deepened breath, It shakes off nature’s quiet death. The rabbit dares to break its mold, Embrace the new, though weak and cold.

It finds the sun, its warm embrace, And faces nights alone in space. Some would call it prey by name, But not all see it quite the same.

For even sitting still’s a choice, The rabbit runs to find its voice. Time waits for none; it knows this best, Wonderland is a self-made quest.

With wounds still healing, soul still worn, The rabbit hops through paths forlorn. Softly, it speaks of rewards unknown, And lets the past stay overthrown.

Each day’s an adventure, bold and bright, Even for a rabbit afraid of the night. Though fear still lingers after the fall, The rabbit moves, despite it all.

[aromanticasterisms]

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT.

[lavenderjewels]

jjk 267 leaks + spoilers in the tags. ill be completely honest i understand the jjk criticism I’ve seen for this chapter but i also don’t care

[good-beanswrites]

Just wanted to plant an idea if you wanted a bit of fuel: Mahiru asking Yuno to come to her cell before everything goes down.

Edit: I forgot the ask didn't say it but this is part of Kyanako's incredible Order Of Attack AU!

Didn't mean for this to become a mini Mappi study but here we are ✨ Thank you for the request! I fully intended to write them hanging out, but it's more right before they hang out lol. Went a bit on-the-nose with foreshadowing, but isn't that the fun part? It has become Emotional Over Mahiru Hour...

I kept things vague, but TW for mentioning her boyfriend's state of potential self-harm

Mahiru tried not to act superstitious, she really did. As much as she loved the idea of little luck charms, or avoided easy signs of misfortune, it was easier to keep quiet about such ridiculous things.

Maybe catching a bride’s bouquet meant no guarantees; maybe there was no real harm in stepping underneath ladders, maybe a coin tossed into a fountain had no real magic to its wish. However, the one thing she knew for sure held power was a lucky presence. Being in the right place at the right time could alter everything. And today was the right time for something. There was this waiting in the air. The prison had been holding its breath. Mahiru knew it was time to release it all.

“You must be so lonely, why don’t you let big sis Mahiru keep you company?” She beamed at Amane.

She often recalled the good fortune that she and a certain young man had crossed paths on the university terrace. She used to laugh with him about the wonderful coincidence of bumping into each other outside of the bakery, then the convenience store. 

Though she’d never spoken about it to him, she was also grateful for many occasions where she walked in on him at the precise moment to talk him out of something reckless. She always told him that they’d do everything together. He didn’t need to be alone anymore. 

“I wish to be alone. I need peace of mind to think.” Amane turned away from the cell door.

It was a good thing, too. Mahiru’s smile wasn’t as convincing as she said, “o-oh. Of course.”

She made her way around the panopticon, hearing Fuuta pace his cell in anticipation. He must have felt it too, this holding of breath. 

Or perhaps not. He turned down her offer for a bit of company, including a few more colorful words than Amane had. Mahiru just apologized for bothering him and headed back to her cell. She wasn’t sure where Mikoto was at this hour, but she didn’t feel like smiling through a third rejection.

She shook her head back and forth. She wished the motion could rattle the voices inside, she wished she could shake them all away. With her arms secured in place she could no longer cover her ears. She used to hum to keep them at bay, but lately they’d been too loud to stifle. They just kept on talking.

Their words told her the two were right. Nobody needed her company. No – nobody wanted it. Being together hadn’t helped her boyfriend. In fact, being together had been the very thing that got him killed. No wonder Amane and Fuuta wanted to avoid her. 

So then, this was for the best. She would rather deal with the brief sting of refusal than stumble in one day to find them hurt… or worse. As much as she tried to avoid the superstition of it all, the voices reminded her that her very presence could mean life or death. 

“Mappi, are you alright?” Mahiru hadn’t realized a tear had slipped down her cheek until she hurried to swipe it away in front of Yuno. 

“Hah, I’m fine! Just fine.” It was impossible to fool her, Mahiru had learned, but that never stopped her from trying. 

At least she always spoke tactfully. “Rough morning?”

Mahiru shifted her arms in her uniform, making a small sound of agreement.

“Can I do anything to help? What if I stay with you for a bit? I can do your hair, and…”

The voices were right. Amane and Fuuta knew it, too. Presences did hold power, and Mahiru’s was cursed.

But she would sound foolish admitting such a fear to Yuno. She'd heard plenty from the voices about how stupid and airheaded she was, there was no use in getting the same lecture from someone as grounded as her.

Mahiru managed a weak protest, unable to explain her real reasoning. Yuno was insistent. She didn’t give much of a choice. Could she feel the strangeness of the prison, as well? 

At last, Mahiru allowed her shoulders to sag. Yuno was lucky. And kind. Having her nearby would do her good. Amane and Fuuta would be alright. Mahiru had tried spending more time with them after verdicts were announced. Now, she made a mental note to pull back. If her love couldn’t save anyone, at least she could spare them from her curse. They would be safe. 

“Yes. Please stay. The truth is... I don't want to be alone.”

[lightspeedrigmarole]

PS: I dream about you too.

Moonlit Winter (2019) dir. Lim Dae-hyung

[sigmaelxgr]

I was just here, sketching to help me fixing ideas and concepts of characters I write about... and while I was messing with Xangr's hair of the period he left the mage guild to listen to some obscure designs, I fell on... Darra. @downontheupside

Hi, 2E male Darra.

[arbitrarycategories]

I’m writing chapter 7 of my reverse robins au and this is basically how it’s going so far

11yo Signal, worried about a recent Arkham breakout: god I hate fighting Poison Ivy, it’s been a week and she hasn’t pulled anything yet?? That just means it’s gonna be EXTRA BAD

Harvey Dent, showing up at Wayne Manor: Bruce I don’t think I want to be a criminal

11yo Duke: I didn’t plan for this?? What the fuck-