#villain main character

[bee-barnes-author]

rewrites for Warden of the Damned are going well! I was hesitant to go back into this universe but it’s actually nice revisiting these characters.

[serephinastardust]

Dreamsequence chapter for Eystria

Finding herself in an etheral plane, she has no memory of why she is here or what she was doing. Unsure if alive, dead, or dreaming, what will she do now?

-----------------------------------

I found myself in a realm of ethereal twilight. I wasn’t sure how I got here and honestly; I didn’t even remember what it was I doing. So, I observed my surroundings, trying to get stock of my situation. If I was dreaming, this was a pretty fucking hard core lucid dream, one I never experienced before. I noted that the air seemed to crackle around me with energy, and the beneath my feet pulsed an unseen power. And looking at my feet, I realized the ground looked like my surroundings, so I really had no idea if I was standing or floating here.

As I took a few more minutes to observe myself and my surroundings, I slowly came to hear echoes of the ritual still resonating within me, intertwining with the whispers of ancient promises. I felt like my choice to slightly alter the ritual was a good one. One minor, completely harmless ritual, for the ability to obtain knowledge faster? I couldn’t fathom there would be a downside.

With my confidence confirmed, I decided to explore this ethereal twilight a bit. I couldn’t see anything worthy of note, and I needed to know why I was here and how to get back to the library. I really wanted to delve into those books. What felt like forever and no time at all, a tapestry of stars unfurled itself before me. For a moment I felt small beneath it, but the echoes of my ritual spurred me on and made that feeling quickly disappear.

“What are you?” I said out loud knowing no response would come. I could see all the constellations of my world on the tapestry, woven in an infinite number of combinations, like trying to tell a story. And I was no tapestry weaver, but it almost looked like it was still weaving as I analyzed it. Are those new constellations being woven? I was dumbfounded, were new constellations forming above my world?

Slowly observing old and new constellations alike, I could vaguely make out a telling of a tale of cosmic mysteries from them. Each individual star whispered secrets, their voices both seductive and menacing. There was promise of power beyond measure, the ability to rewrite fate, to reclaim what I had lost. The ethereal twilight, wrapped around me, slowly becoming pure darkness while I wasn’t paying attention. It was both comforting and suffocating at the same time.  

In the distance, figures began to emerge from the obsidian shadows. My family, their forms luminous yet translucent, walked toward me with smiles that held both love and sorrow. Their voices reached me like distant echoes, their words a haunting melody. It took all my strength not to break down, I missed them oh so much.

“Elystria,” [Insert name] voice murmured, a whisper of wind through the ancient tress. “You need power to bring us back, to reunite our souls.”

With that sentence, a feeling of wrongness crept over me, if felt wrong. I was fairly confident it was something they wouldn’t say. Did I miss hear, then again it’s not like this was something we ever discussed. Do I even have a right to doubt them, considering I was the one that unfairly ended their lives? If only I could tell if this was dream or hallucination.

“What’s the cost mother?”, my girls said in unison, harmonizing like a choir, resonating in my ears. “Mother, the path you tread is perilous. What would you sacrifice for us? Everything?”

The stars overhead began to flicker, their lights dimming as if in warning. The promises of power intertwined with the many doubts that clawed at my heart. I reached out, my fingers brushing the translucent forms of my loved ones, their presence both tangible and intangible.

“We are always with you,” [insert name] voice echoes, a bittersweet melody that wrapped around my very soul. “We go where you go. We will support whatever decisions you make. We won’t judge. We never judge. My Star, my shadow, my dreamer, just remember, the darkness you are looking to embrace may consume not only you but also the very essence of who we were.”

Darkness? What darkness? I take a moment to look around at the ethereal twilight, trying to see what they see, but don’t. My surroundings started to waver now as I’m wondering about this darkness. Reality and illusion blending into an enigmatic dance, my very being, being torn between the allure of promises and warnings of my beloved family. The power I sought was getting closer to my reach, yet I was reminded of the price that hung heavy in the air. One I didn’t want to think about.

It was a reminder of the precarious balance between ambition and sacrifice. Slowly, everything faded, including my family, their words still echoing my mind. I awoke with a gasp, my heart pounding with a mixture of awe and dread.

So, it was a dream. I sigh in relief, and start to check where I am. Which was still in the same place I did the ritual. Even though echoes of my dream lingered, I felt some sort of conflict within.

Why do I feel this way over a dream? What even was that dream? Did something important happen? More self reflection for a time later I suppose.

I groan as I sit up, cold floor under my stomach making me shiver. I take a moment and try to recall what exactly it was that caused me to pass out. When it suddenly clicks, I take a moment to check the symbols on my body. I don’t see anything different about my body, no symbols, no blood, nothing but near flawless skin staring at me.

I suppose it’s a good thing that even I can’t see the symbols. I would probably always be distracted by them when talking to others, and if others saw them… I shrug, those things are better revealed in the future when I have enough power.

I pulled back on my clothes and put away my dagger and ink. I wonder if anyone here at library felt my ritual? I suppose if someone did, they would have already been here. I highly doubt I was unconscious for less than a second. I had to have been unconscious for multiple minutes, if not hours, right? Regardless I need to figure out how to activate the symbols so I can go about the rest of my business.

I walk over to the book I set on the table, and as soon as I touch it, I notice symbols light up on me, and knowledge pours in. I had originally thought I had finished this book with that learning about that last ritual but now, everything I missed or overlooked the first read through, is sifted, and organized into my mind. Like I had been researching this for decades.

Shell shocked doesn’t do justice to the state I’m in. But now I know how to work my symbols. I can utilize my symbols both verbally and mentally. That’s good. I nod at the inconspicuous nature of the ritual.  And I specify what books I absorb…. Hmmm…. Interesting. I guess I don’t have to worry about those trashy romance novels trying to clog up my brain.

I chuckle a little, I’m glad I can specify what knowledge I’m in search for. Too bad I’ll have to experiment with how much knowledge I can take in at one time. I would hypothesize that if I tried to take in a whole library, I would run a high possibility of dying on the spot.

On that morbid thought, I try to get a read on how many books are in the room. I also briefly wonder if any of the symbols to bring me to books I seek. Taking a deep breath, I decided this room can’t be as big as the library outside. It’s big but I can at least see all levels and walls, whereas I couldn’t easily do that outside.

Absorb all books in this room.

With that thought all the symbols on my body light up so bright I’m forced to close my eyes. I pray I still have my vision after this, but I know I need to get out of here soon before someone figures out what I’m doing. And then pain hits my head like a meteor, but I will myself to not pass out. I could pass out when I was safe again.

-----

I found myself trying to shove onto Elystria, between dreaming, confusion, and lots of unintentional pain. I'm certain there are some area's I can shorten, or change all together. On another note, for all these ancient tomes shes' absorbing, will Elystria find more on the Convergence, or will she have to go searching elsewhere. And what about Dr. Marlowe and the Institute of Paranormal research, what do they want with her research. Is it strange that Elystria didn't notice the darkness even though her partner litterally told her she's all wrapped up in it. What will Elystria do now?

[definetorule-blog]

Is the era of villains as main characters and/or very charizmatic villains over or is it still on-going??

[tekodoodle]

when she lives rent free in your head, but it's not mutual </3

[nenoname]

"And now I know why! He hates me!"

[turtleblogatlast]

I love Raph and haven’t said that enough so to be more specific I love that Raph is a soft boy who loves bear plushies, a gross boy who eats an assortment of things that are definitely better left alone, a smart boy who is more than capable of taking down villains through planning and fortitude alike, a strong boy who is dedicated to training his muscles and fighting prowess, a teenage boy who loves his brothers but is more than happy to tease and roughhouse with them, an angry boy who sometimes lets his anger take a hold of him to cover the fear, a gentle boy who is generous with hugs and affirmations to those he loves, a capable boy who takes on more than should ever be expected of a teenager, a good boy who just wants to be a hero and slowly comes to realize the cost of that duty, a good boy who has no reservations about putting himself in the way of harm coming to his family, a good boy who’s a great brother and son and person and deserves only the best the world has to offer.

[kurawastaken]

Havin fun redesigning Himawari

[mollysunder]

The thing I never got about the fan reaction to Mel and Jayce's relationship (in general) is that people were incensed on Jayce's behalf that Mel used him for political gain, but like... that's what happens when the government sponsors your research. Obviously the funding mechanisms aren't the same because Piltover is an oligarchy where civic functions such as the Enforcers and even Zaun's ventilation system are privately funded instead of through a common pool of taxpayer money, but the purpose is the same, which is to benefit from the conclusions drawn from the results of the research.

I don't understand how anyone in the audience could be shocked or angry that when Mel, a high ranking representative of Piltover’s government, chose to invest in hextech it wasn't clear that she and Piltover would benefit. And it's not like this foreign concept to Jayce, he was originally being SPONSORED by the Kirammans', which is almost the same relationship except it's more explicitly private to the Kirammans' benefit, but I didn't see any pitchforks out for Tobias and Cassandra.

It's just such a double whammy headache to end up reading posts where Mel is hypervillainized while Jayce is practically infantilized because as an adult man in his 30s he simply can't understand complex relationships or make his own decisions. The way some fans have been offended on Jayce's behalf straight up erases any agency or even intelligence he has.

[vacz]

I present to you my idea of a alternative bad ending for Wirt...

THE HUNTER

Instead of Beast!Wirt is Woodsman!wirt

After accepting the deal with the Beast, Wirt became the new lantern barer in hopes to keep Greg alive. He took the job to cut down the ellewoods and make them oil to feed the lantern so Greg's soul would never turn off, exactly what the woodsman used to do with his daughter. But as different from the woodsman, Wirt does know where the ellewoods truly came from, so the Beast has decided to take advantage of it and included him a little bit more into his chase for new victims. Now having Wirt helping the Beast to guide lost souls to the wrong path, it has become so much easier for the Beast to trap new souls

Wirt's role was this for a time: Becoming the new woodsman and finding lost kids to give them wrong directions or ideas. Despise how much he refused in the beginning, soon the Beast made him understand that this was the price for his mistakes, unless he wanted to Greg pay the price instead...

Until one night, Wirt had to confront a travel soul. A boy like him, wanting to save his little brother from the cruel breaches of the tree growing on his helpless body, and finally leave the woods with him, like Wirt himself once did. However, the Beast pressured and demanded him to take action himself, but unlike the old woodsman, Wirt did cut the boy down.

And since that incident, Wirt now has a new task to commit every time a new soul enters into the unknown.

He could barely sleep at night before, now he can't sleep at all. Wirt has stopped taking care of himself, at least he washes his hair and clothes once in a time but time itself seems so uselessly long for him until the point that things don't seem to matter anymore, nothing matters for Wirt, not even himself and his feelings... except keeping the lantern lit

The Beast knows better than anyone that Wirt's mind has become so weak until the point that he can't even survive by himself. He had succeeded in destroying this boy whole identity, only leaving a white paper to work on, so now he tries mold Wirt according his own twisted needs. Ironically, thanks to the Beast's influence, Wirt remembers the reason why he has to keep going with this but also he slowly starts to see people in a similar way that the beast's twisted perception does; trees to feed the lantern, not ready to burn yet but they must be prepared.

It's not surprising how much he has given up to the Beast. But unlike him, Wirt doesn't like to "play" or manipulate their victims, because he doesn't want to know them at all. Wirt already knows how these people will end, and he doesn't want to feel worse than he feels now, so he mostly tries to make his interactions shorter or cut them down directly, the quicker the easier it is for him to adopt this 'human dissociation' mentally

Of course, when he chooses violence, people tend to run rather than do what he plead, so he has to chase after them. Running after someone is exhausting for Wirt because he isn't that athletic in that aspect, and it's frustrating when he can't reach them. There are times when they manage to escape and some others that they don't

Wirt hates running after them, because it makes the situation more torturous and he gets exhausted. But if they don't start running, he is the one who tells them to do so. He doesn't understand very well why he does this but he likes to think that is a way to give them a chance to escape so he doesn't have to be the one to end with them, after all Wirt wants to believe that he is not evil

And yet, at the same time Wirt finds some kind of satisfaction on it... He is scared of what he is becoming.

Of course, he has this little duality inside his brain. The Beast has done a good job to keep Wirt in his role but still that doesn't make Wirt's guilt disappear at all

At least, his guilt has been manifested into a voice, represented by the rock fact. Even if the rock fact was meant for Greg to make silly but un-true facts, Wirt's interpretation of his own rock facts are the cruelest truths he refuses to believe. The rock fact represents that honest and logical part of him that is still there, under the tone of the self hate Wirt has grown on himself.

Of course, when he is around people for a longer period than he feels he should, Wirt stops trying to act normal and let himself to act a little... dramatic, in hopes to scare them or "prepare" himself mentally to go and chase them down with the axe

For this, he likes to use the rock fact. He always keeps it in his hair and uses it to try to re-create a rock fact like the ones Greg used to make, but instead of charming or adorable he looks insane, and he already knows that. Of course, he tries to re-create them seriously when he is alone but still fails miserably

Wirt does this in a poor intent to feel in touch with Greg, even tho they usually talk a lot with each other

Jason Funderberker has been gone for a long time by now, so the Beast is the only company Wirt has left, but most of the time he is alone.

He doesn't devout that his brother is there anymore, after all, Now Wirt can hear Greg's voice coming out of the lantern so what would be a better proof than that?. Greg is the only person left who seems to not hate him or is scared of him, the little ray of sunshine in his poor cruel life. If you tell him otherwise, Wirt won't want to believe you, even if deep down somehow, someway no matter how delusional he may be... He knows is true

Of course, I wouldn't recommend saying this because after having a nervous breakdown he will absolutely go after you with all pure rage.

Now here are some questions and its explanations:

Where does this idea come from?

Where does the name "The Hunter' come from?

What's Wirt and The Beast's relationship?

Wirt, The Woodsman, The Hunter and The Beast

Where does this idea come from?

It's no surprise that it comes from the idea of a bad ending for Wirt, one that is more fitting with the logic of the series. Because let's be real;

If he accepted the deal he wouldn't turn into the new beast because The Beast's motivation was to survive, he doesn't seem to want a replacement or transpass the role to anyone. In that case he would have already done it with The Woodsman.

The unknown was completely fine with the Beast gone so is not that he is THAT important for the forest to need a replacement.

Also, remember this little scene? it's from chapter 1: The Old Grist Mill. When Wirt and Greg just entered the unknown and suddenly heard the Woodsman cutting wood, before talking to him, Wirt said:

"Do you think it's some kind of deranged lunatic with an axe waiting out there in the darkness for innocent victims?"

So I thought; What if in the bad ending... He became that deranged lunatic?

Where does the name "The Hunter" come from"?

In the concept:

Since there are times when Wirt's victims escape, those who survived spread the word of a maniac who is wandering around the woods, looking for new victims, and once he finds them he will chase them until he can cut them down to the bone with his axe

They named him "The Hunter"

Wirt knows about his new reputation, since the travelers call him that once he reveals his real intentions, but he isn't really aware of all the rumors and stories people of the unknown had made about him, he knows that he will not like them but at the same time he is very curious about it. Some of them are true and others are just exaggerating. But at this point, Wirt Hunter had accepted that now he is one of the particular characters of the unknown.

In technical explanation:

In Over The Garden Wall we saw that most of the characters are named by "the what" for example: The Beast and The woodsman, they had no name by their own outside of their archetype. So I thought that in Wirt's case he would have a name like that, losing his own as a representation of how he has lost his own original identity. Wirt is no longer "the worthy one" anymore because he is more lost than the woodsman ever was, and there is no chance to bring him back, so he became "The Hunter" for the unique faction that makes himself distinguish from The Woodsman: The killing

The woodsman is just a man who lives in the woods and cuts trees, it just happens that the Beast used one to keep the lantern on. However.... The Hunter is someone that hunts, the whole point of a hunter is that he chases living beings and strap them, mostly for need. That is something The Beast himself does in his own way, which makes Wirt and The Beast more similar and unionite than the previous dynamic with The Woodsman, or even I dare say they are just alike; The Creature and The Man who hunts for surviving

Also, more into Bad End Friend's territory; Every evil alternate version has their own unique name, for example the icon trio, Bipper and Ice Finn (Also officially named "The Snowman") but then we have just "Beast Wirt" and until now NOBODY has come up with an actual name that fits him. I remember that someone already suggested the name "The Hunter" for Beast Wirt but it didn't make much sense (At least to me). However, in a woodsman context I think it could work better.

What's Wirt and Beast's relationship?

In Wirt's perspective

Basically a case of Stockholm Syndrome: At first he felt more like a prisoner, The Beast was a figure who he should follow if he wants to keep Greg alive, he is more than Wirt and his power overcomes his young self. However as the time passed, Wirt realized that the Beast can also be very merciful and at the same time rightfully ruthless as his monstrous nature allows him, as he has 'shown' him acts of trust. For Wirt, The Beast is a dark but fair being, not as evil as everyone told. The Beast acts similarly like a father would do towards Wirt, but without that human openly caring love. He is strict and cold, but is for Wirt and Greg's own good

In Beast's perspective:

Wirt is nothing but an interesting experiment. The Beast has been manipulating every little detail of Wirt's surroundings, so he decides to obey him by own choice, which worked out way better than expected. He has seen Wirt changing to fit into his needs, becoming more useful and useful than last time. Anytime the Beast has thought he reached the limit, Wirt proves him wrong and finds a way to pass it and go on anyway. His determination is so fascinating to the Beast that he continues to see how far he could go

Their dynamic:

Naive teen being manipulated by his father figure to be useful for his plans or desires (but even more mess up)

Examples of this kind of dynamic are Rapunzel and Mother Gothel from Tangled (2010) or Hunter and Belos from The Owl House (2020)

Wirt has been alone for so long to the point that he holds tightly to anything that could give him a minimum sign of love, and The Beast knows that more than anyone

He has taken advantage of this, so by convincing Wirt to isolate himself and showing barely love, Hunter would listen and obey him without any doubt. It doesn't matter if The Beast is the main responsible for his situation, things have been twisted so much to that point that Wirt fully believes that this is all his fault. He must do the right thing at any cost, after all, he would do anything for the ones he loves right Gregory?

Wirt, The Woodsman, The Hunter and The Beast

These are the four identities Wirt adopts in the time on the unknown, like states of his sanity slowly decaying

Wirt

The anxious teen we all know and love, the guy he has been during his journey until the point where he faced the Beast face to face

The Woodsman

Wirt post-deal

At first:

He doubts that Greg may be in the lantern, and now he regrets his decision. However he doesn't know what to do now because the guilt for Greg will not leave him in peace, and so Wirt feels like he doesn't deserve to go home, he can't go back, no without Greg. So he still lives in the forest, feeding the lantern and hearing the Beast's words, however The Beast insists that Greg is indeed in the lantern, but Wirt isn't sure whether to believe him or not

Even if Wirt knows he needs the ellewood, like the woodsman, he tries to help and warns about the Beast to those who came into the unknown

The Beast warned him about helping people, but he didn't listen to him until one night. There was an incident where he almost lost Greg's light forever for the lack of ellewood. Since then, Wirt finally cooperates with the Beast

At last:

Wirt knows what he must do. He misguides those who pass through the way in forms to get enough ellewood for Greg, always making sure to keep himself distance and not get too close with them. However there are times where he can't NOT sympathize with the travelers and so he offers his genuine help

The Beast wasn't comfortable knowing that Wirt still kept helping people.

The Hunter

Wirt post-murder

At first:

After his first kill, Wirt felt so guilty that he stopped taking care of his health (He stopped eating, bathing, and stuff) and encaged himself inside the house with all the bottles of oil, fearing that he would hurt someone again

At this time Wirt started to hear the voices of Greg, the rock and the crying of the lost souls, and talk to them until he ran out of oil

When he finally went outside, his body was too weak to even walk and he fell on the grass unconsciously. At that moment the Beast thought Wirt died and so he was about to take off the lantern, but the boy's hands wouldn't stop grabbing it with all the fury. The Beast kept trying until suddenly Wirt woke up and said to him that as long as his brother needs him he would be still here. For his stupid unbreakable determination, the beast didn't see any other option but to take care of the kid

As he recovered, The Beast started to convince him of the idea of taking people as nothing but ellewoods he needs. Wirt didn't like it at first, but the Beast's kind act and the poor health state he put himself into finally made him accept the new task.

At last (actual state):

Most of the time he is alone, searching around the forest for more ellewood to feed Greg with, day and night. He doesn't fully sleep, he takes naps in the afternoon so he can be wake up all night as he wants. To eat he hunts animals, fish, rabbits and some other birds or frogs, whatever living being he finds. To entertain himself he recites poetry and sings songs that the Beast has taught him, all loud like someone would listen to him. At home he writes his poems and composes his own music, mostly for clarinet.

At times the voices are louder and other times they are quiet. If it's Greg then it would be a nice time, if it's the rock fact it's a guarantee he would be at least pissed off, and if it is the distant crying of the lost souls then paranoid it is.

When someone crosses his way, it depends on how things are going to see how things will end. When he just indicates the direction you'll better leave as soon as you can, because the longer you stay and talk to him Wirt will act weirder in hopes for you to leave him alone, otherwise, if you cross the line with your words, he probably will run out of patience and starts to prepare the axe

But it also depends on how likeable he finds you. He could not care and warned you before he attacks you as usual, he could hate you so much to the point that he attacks you with no warning, he could like you and give you five seconds of advantage, and if he likes you a little bit more he would become obsessed with you and will maintain you inside his house so the Beast will not know about your existence as long you don't go outside

The Beast

The Beast (According to the Woodsman's words) is the death of all hope. How low would you have to go so you lost your whole humanity to become the living embodiment of one of the darkness concepts in human kind?

If Wirt ever became the Beast, he should have been falling in grace until the lowest point a person could go. So in my idea of The Hunter, I like to imagine that the differences between The Beast and Wirt would slowly fade away until they are one in the same

Inside The Hunter, Wirt has not only become lost in life but he has also lost his identity, his spirit, his desires and his home. The one thing left to lose is his humanity... His soul

The only thing that separates him from The Beast, is him holding on to the last piece of humanity he has left; Greg

Day after day his sanity is drifting away, but it's because of Greg's existence that he is connected with his humanity, because his actions are meant for Greg's surviving, not his

If Wirt descends to absolute madness and forgets completely about Greg but also openly enjoys his cruelest actions, to the Unknown's eyes, he would no longer be worthy of humanity, and as a punishment he would be cursed to be the successor of the Beast

And becoming worse.

Like I have been having this idea in my mind for a while now and I wanted to share it. I hope you liked my idea and the drawings I made because it really took me a lot of time trying to finish this post because you know... Christmas and happy new year (ah yes, what a happy post to show in these lovely times, yeah!)

SO WHAT YOU THINK?

[serephinastardust]

1 completed chapter 1st draft, for my villain

The days and nights had now blurred together since I left the hospital, leaving no one the wiser. I have no way of knowing how long it’s been since I became a specter hidden in the shadows. Months maybe? The first couple of days, I managed to transfer all my funds into a new account and withdraw the cash, so I could leave a trail. I even managed to get my research from my experiment room and classroom at [insert academy name]. I was in desperate need of answers and answers I would get.

Come hell or highwater.

I had left the city ages ago, bunkered down in a motel. I had changed my appearance again, so no one could tale me. The authorities were after me, my colleagues were searching for me, and even what friends I had were searching for me. Before I disposed of my smart phone to obtain a burner, I listened to some of the messages.

But listening to their voices full of concern, it all sounded so fake. They didn’t truly care I lost my family; they didn’t care I needed answers that, and no one cared that I felt the authorities were just trying to get their hands on my research. I was super relieved that no one was able to break my runes and glyphs to get their hands on my research.

I created some rune and glyph rituals that I didn’t publish for my peers to review. And sadly, I also knew someone had tried to break my ritual. And that just raised my hackles even more, and since I didn’t know who tried to get my work, everyone was suspect.

Now I sat alone in the dim light of the motel room, surrounded by stacks of scrolls, ancient texts, and tattered parchments that held the secrets of Eldoria. The flickering flow of a single lamp cast eerie shadows across the walls, amplifying the silence that enveloped me. In a moment of un-focus, I found my fingers tracing the delicate lines of arcane symbols, my eyes scanning pages filled with cryptic incantations and fragmented prophecies. Every piece of information I had gathered seemed to pulse with potential, promising power beyond mortal comprehension.

What am I becoming? A question seeps unbidden into my mind at this time, a whisper of doubt amidst the cacophony of my ambition. I shake my head at this thought, dismissing it as an insignificant pest. Knowledge, power—they are worth this sacrifice, and I am more than willing to oblige.

Look back at all my hard work, the words on the pages—crpytic, elusive—mock my attempts to decipher them. I continue to trace the curves of ancient symbols, the very embodiment of knowledge that could reshape the world. With every passing moment, the line between curiosity and obsession blurs. The Convergence holds the answers I seek, the mastery I crave. I can feel it, like an electric current beneath my skin, urging me onward, deeper into the abyss.

Perhaps I’ve already lost myself.  Another brief though I dismiss. It’s a thought of the weak. I’m not weak. I am driven, the pursuit of power is the essence of life itself; to shy away from it would be a betrayal of my very nature. And yet, in the depths of my soul, a voice—a mere whisper—begins to question the cost.

I again lose myself in the texts and my notes, a surge of exhilaration courses through me. I am on the brink of revelation, a moment that will elevate me beyond the confines of mortality. The Convergence will yield its secrets to me; I can almost taste the knowledge, the eldritch wisdom that waits just beyond grasp. And when I finally seize it, I will be unstoppable. And with that power, I will know what went wrong that day, and why. Nothing will be outside my grasp of knowing and understanding. There was no doubt about it with that.

The world outside the motel room becomes inconsequential to me. A fervent need to understand all my research continues to drive me. The nights bleed into days, and still, I’m stuck in this confining motel room, and haunting visions of power dance behind my eyelids. Sanity, morality—these are feeble constructs, shackles that bind the weak-willed. Shackles that bind and blind them to all in the world. If I must embrace the darkness, so be it, I will do anything for answers, anything to learn and master this convergence.

I heave out a sigh as I realign myself to my research, so far all I knew of The Convergence was that it existed. The research I had been doing, though I originally thought was extensive, was but a drip in the ocean known as knowledge. Is this like a birthright? My own demented destiny? Why did people I love need to die if I was meant to learn this anyways.

I can almost hear the voices of reason creep back to the forefront of my mind, of caution, the cons that this path would lead me. But my newfound ambition drowns out the thoughts before I can focus on them; the tide of my ambition cascading over them. The thirst for knowledge has been becoming an insatiable hunger, consuming me entirely. The work before me, slowly becoming obsolete.

“I am Elystria Ashe, and I will not be denied!”, I all but yelled in my small smothering room. “The Convergence, whatever it might be, will bow to my will, and in its embrace, I will ascend to heights undreamed of by any mortal!”. I started cleaning up my work, starting to plan out a way to gain the knowledge I need. The world may see it as an obsession, a form of insanity to my grief, but oh world, you be mistaken, I am perfectly sane in this moment. I will call this destiny.

I nod at what I’m calling my new life path. And destiny is a force that bends to the strongest of wills. I finish collecting my things, knowing my next path will be [insert library of magic name].

Elsewhere, the world was moving on as it should, people in [where Elystria was living/working], were on a manhunt for Elystria. Worried for the widow, and grieving mother, they were searching high and low, even in places they didn’t think she would be. The authorities were aware that her funds had all been moved, but following that lead led to a dead end. No one resembling Elystria emptied the bank account, and trying to follow that person was next to impossible, they vanished within moment of leaving the bank, and no security cameras were able to find them. Friends, colleagues, and students were slowly beginning to fear for her.

In three other areas around Eldoria, three people, unrelated to each other were busy doing their daily work. One was [character description, and where and what they are doing], taking a break by his mentor’s tower, he stares up at the sky, his nightly ritual of observing the constellations, questions could be seen flickering behind his eyes. Suddenly he stiffened, he noticed an abnormality in the stars. And with that, he ran to his mentors library, he needed to figure out what this meant.

Another, [Character description, and where and what they are doing], trying to figure out the importance of the ruins. She was hoping if she found the right information within the glyphs and runes carved into the stone here, she could get protection rights, and have the time to research the whole structure, and hopefully with those rights, she would get dibs on some treasure. Just as she was about to move further into the ruins, a wind whispered around her, whipping up her hair and she frowned. She was unsure what they meant, but she knew where she needed to head to learn the information she needed.

A wise sage stands alone in a forest, he looks up through the canopy feeling the world around him. He had been wandering around Eldoria since he became an apprentice. Learning all things and hiding away all things forbidden in nature as it went against his code to destroy knowledge. His robes billowed around him and his sharpened. There was an anomaly in the stars, and the spirits were clearly frazzled. He needed to figure out which of many prophecies or predicted events were about to happen. If he didn’t the spirits wouldn’t leave him until he knew. He didn’t know what knowing would do for him, but for peace from the spirits he would learn.

[escargoonie-goo]

cuphead fans be like "omg look it's my favourite character!" and they show you a picture of a spoon or something

[lotus-pear]

rewatched madoka magica again today bc i fucking hate myself and to absolutely no one’s surprise i went through all five stages of grief in a single evening

[videogamelover99]

Lowkey love the redesign they gave Bill at the end. The glitchy crack in his eye? He was defeated. He'll never be the same again. He might come back, but never with the same unreadable cosmic horror thing he had going on.

[turtleblogatlast]

No but like every time I think about Splinter and what he had to go through just to keep the boys alive, my heart hurts for him so badly. Is he perfect? No not at all, but none of them are and by god does he love his sons.

The fact that all of them are alive, and grew to thrive despite the circumstances surrounding them is a testament of how much Splinter loves his boys. He raised four babies following the most traumatic time of his life, all alone with nothing but the sewers to house them (to hide them.) I feel like he’s not given the credit he deserves for all he’s done.

And I get that it’s easy to hold up his flaws and faults when it comes to parenting, I myself like looking into them because flawed characters are super interesting and said flaws make them more realistic and engaging, but he tries, and again, so many others would have given up on the boys or failed along the way but Splinter didn’t.

He’s their father, for all his faults he did his damndest to make sure they survived.

[rigginsstreet]

IWAN RHEON as TENAX THOSE ABOUT TO DIE (streaming on Peacock July 18th)

[szfiction]

they were so insane for this. Doflamingo using Luffy's romance friendship with Law to taunt him. Sneering Luffy's nickname for Law at him, telling him essentially that Law was waiting for him (his miracle worker) to come save him, and that he failed to. How Luffy lashes out and calls him a liar, gets visibly pissed off and it looks like makes himself bleed out of genuine distress.