#Conquer Your Fear

[draganadimitrijevic]

Otvaranje izložbe "Strah i hrabro srce'' 58. Dečji oktobarski salon, Beograd Opening of exhibition ''Fear and Bold Heart'' 58th Children's October Salon, Belgrade

@ Dragana Dimitrijević

[gravityr00m]

🇨🇦🇺🇲

[nightingaleatdawnwrites]

Life Is Beautiful: Hopes and Dreams

Excerpt 2

March 17th, 2024

I have often questioned God about all the struggles that I have been through. Is He testing my faith in Him? Sometimes, I feel that I can’t go on, however, something inside tells me, “Ally, life needs to go on and you have to be strong. God will always have your back.”.

All the never ending battles I’m going through makes me stronger everyday. If ever I won’t see the light, please reach out to me and ask if I’m okay. I know that my real and rare friends would feel if I’m going through something. I don’t need to name names as you know who you are!

I know that God will always lift up my burdens. He will always take me out of the dark if ever my world is crumbling. That’s the reason why one of my favorite colors is gray. I love colorful people, places, and things, however, I see “gray clouds” when I’m in my lowest or whenever I am going through my battles.

My fifth favorite color now is yellow as it symbolizes the sun which is the source of light for all living things on Earth. I will keep shining and illuminating the paths of those in darkness. I will lead you out of the dark and pave the way to the righteous path. Together we will climb the highest mountain and swim the deepest ocean. I will be with you every step of the way! We will all have purpose-driven lives and we will have amazing journeys!

To God be all the glory!

[wiltkingart]

"In the ruined lands of Old Humming Vale is it said a Fairy King once ruled cruel and unforgiving."

bonus cover art for another short story of mine, this one following a dewinged fairy's attempts to survive a viscous insect pit, even as they start to poke at (and burrow into) his warmest wettest holes.

Crystalline is the 2nd story in Mouth to Mouth to Mouth, an erotic transmasc horror collection, available on [itch.io].

[vorbarrsultana]

i finished rereading the first four vorkosigan books (+ "the flowers of vashnoi" because ekaterin!!!), and you really have to feel for piotr vorkosigan because what a nightmare life, truly.

imagine you are born just in time for your world to be unified by dorca vorbarra and rediscovered by people from wider galaxy. things are finally looking good, for the first time in 600 years of isolation there is no more feudal infighting, and the promise of galactic medicine and technologies being available lightens everyone's perspectives. sure, your grandpa is called count pierre "le sanguinaire", but who doesn't have terrible relatives?

then you are 15, and suddenly your planet is attacked by the aggressive eugenecist space empire hell-bent on subjugating your people and turning them into disposable material for unethical genetic experiments. you flee into the mountains, away from your family, and create guerrilla forces from locals sworn to your dad, and it's really terrible for a very long time. you have no high-tech weapons and no food, you sleep in a cave in the dead of winter, and the cetagandans try everything (from carpet bombing to chemical weapons) to murder you.

but hey, at least you now have your bff ezar vorbarra, and (from the bff's words on his deathbed) it sounds like you two had so much fun between unimaginable horrors and despair, and it's not surprising, since no one really believes in death after life at 20. then the emperor makes you a general at the tender age of 22. fortunately for him, you & bff make a frighteningly competent dream-team, and the joke's on cetagandans.

then, several years later, you ask the emperor for weapons, because you still sleep on the bare cave floor, there are little resources, and every ghem on the planet is trying to murder you. he offers you the hand of his granddaughter instead, like it's some sort of twisted fairytale, but you grow to love your olivia more than anything, and the tide of war is finally turning, and you allow yourself to entertain the idea of peaceful life, and then...

the space eugenecist empire nukes your hometown, killing your mom, dad, surviving brothers, and two hundred thousand of your people. plus your bff (ezar) gets a radiation doze large enough for it to cause severe cancer thirty years later. great.

but you win! your district is in shambles, your capital is an irradiated crater, your castle is in ruins, but you win! the old dorca dies, and yuri ascends the throne, but politicking is secondary to the fact that you are alive.

yes, you are probably not entirely sane, and you've long forgotten what the peaceful times look like, but you are alive, just under 35, and your entire life is ahead of you. olivia is alive too, and ezar, and you now have three wonderful children, and the extended vorpatril-vorbarra family that hosts regular get-togethers. sure, your mom-in-law is a betan with all sorts of crazy ideas in her head, but she is not pierre vorrutyer. small mercies.

but then the new emperor goes mad, and decides to murder your entire family overnight. your brothers-in-law are gone, one of your sisters-in-law too, and all your nephews and nieces except little padma. but all of this pales in comparison to the facts that olivia is murdered, and that your heir and daughter lay dead beside her.

all you have left of her, of your house, of the family you've lost in vashnoi not a ten years ago, is aral, whom you keep by your side throughout the bloody civil war to put your bff on the throne.

but you win again. you are 43, and ezar vorbarra is now the emperor. you are responsible for the imperium's entire ground forces. you are also responsible for a severely traumatized boy of 13, and the only children you've interacted with without olivia's genle guidance were little messengers of guerilla companies.

what a mess.

[trappedinafantasy37]

There are multiple gods in the game that you can directly interact with and they all have ties to the narrative. You can interact with Shar via Shadowheart. You can interact with Mystra via Gale. You can interact with Myrkul via Ketheric when he takes on the avatar form. You can interact with Bhaal via Durge and in the fight with Orin. You can interact with Bane after killing Gortash and using "Speak with Dead" in which the soul you speak to is not Gortash, but Bane himself. I would include Vlaakith in this list but Vlaakith is not a god, she is a lich presenting herself as a god. And, of course, there is the Absolute which doesn't really become a god until it ascends into the Netherbrain (although that is debatable).

But, did you know that Lolth will also interact with you? As far as I am aware, Lolth is the only non-story related god in which you do have interactions with. One of them is only available if you are a Lolth-sworn drow, and the other is only available if you are a Cleric of Lolth (you do not need to be Lolth-sworn for it).

The first instance is in the goblin camp with the spiders in the pit. This does require that you are a Lolth-sworn drow and that you have the ability to speak with animals. When talking to the spiders, you will have the option to present yourself to the spiders as Lolth herself. If you fail the persuasion check, Lolth gets pissed off as she was listening to you and is not happy that you tried to present yourself as her. And she tells the spiders you are an imposter and they attack you. But if you succeed the check, Lolth doesn't do anything and the spiders will think you are Lolth. So, Lolth doesn't really have a problem with you pretending to be her. But if you are going to pretend to be her, you better do it right. If the spiders think you are Lolth, you can ask them about what's going on in the goblin camp and the spiders only talk about one thing. They immediately tell you that there is another drow in the camp who has forgotten her way and that she is forsaken. And, as I said, Lolth is here. She heard the spiders admit this. Lolth does nothing about it.

The second instance is in the Underdark with the Phalar Aluve. When you interact with the sword, you have two different checks, a Strength check and a Religion check. If you do the Strength check, you can just pull it out of the stone and be on your merry way. If you perform the Religion check, the narrator will tell you different things depending on certain conditions. If you are a Lolth-sworn drow and/or a Cleric of Lolth, the narrator will tell you that the religious rite to pull the blade from the stone is blasphemous as it pays honor to the weak. If you are of any other race and/or cleric of any other god, the narrator will tell you that the sword is of Eilistraee and the rite pays honor to the fallen. The religious rite is that you spill a little bit of your blood and the sword will rise out of the stone on its own. If you do this as a Cleric of Lolth (you don't need to be Lolth-sworn) you will feel hundreds of spiders crawl all over you as Lolth is warning you not to do shit like that ever again. Not only did you perform the religious rite of another god, you performed the religious rite of a god she hates. And she is letting you know how much she hated that.

These are the only two instances in the game that I have found in which Lolth interacts with the player but there are plenty of other moments in which Lolth could interact with you, but doesn't (such as with the Phase Spider, the baby spiders in Grymforge, Kar'niss, or the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar). Of these two moments where Lolth does interact with you, one of these instances is in the goblin camp, and the other is in the Underdark not too far away from the goblin camp. I don't think it is much of a coincidence that these two interactions occur in close proximity to Minthara. Almost as if Lolth has a reason to be in that area specifically to watch and monitor things, and you just so happened to be there. And the only things that compel her to interact with you is because you pissed her off. But, as long you don't piss her off, she will do nothing and she will say nothing.

When Minthara was being tortured by the Absolute, she prayed to Lolth and begged Lolth to give her the strength to fight her enemies. But Lolth does nothing and Lolth says nothing. In fact, that was the full extent of Lolth's "punishment" for Minthara, nothing. All Lolth did was not answer Minthara's prayers and not show up when Minthara needed her the most. Lolth did not torture Minthara like the Absolute did, Lolth did not turn her into a drider, nor did Lolth eat her. All she did, was nothing. And yes, Lolth is known for abandoning drow and no longer interacting with them. A drow has to do something incredibly awful in order for Lolth to just back away from them entirely. But you cannot convince me that Lolth is going to let one of her Baenre's go so easily. It's not as if Minthara has done anything truly awful either to make Lolth that mad.

According to Minthara, she herself has sinned against the Spider Queen, but it's not as if she chose to abandon Lolth, she was forced away and mind controlled into being devoted to another god. But would this make a difference to Lolth? Does it really matter if Minthara was compelled to have faith in another god besides Lolth? It isn't until Minthara is freed and feels the absence of Lolth that she chooses to no longer follow Lolth. Minthara even mentions how turning against Lolth is a big no-no in Menzoberranzan. Minthara herself at one point has hunted down and killed those who turn their backs from Lolth so she knows the same will be done to her if she were to ever return home. In fact, if you are a Lolth-sworn drow or a Cleric of Lolth, you are given unique dialogue options with Minthara to kill her because she is a traitor to Lolth and these options continue to show up until you recruit her into your party and she joins your roster. Despite all of this, Lolth does nothing. Minthara spews anti-Lolth rhetoric left and right, and Lolth does nothing. If you take Minthara to the tabernacle, she will spit on a shrine to Lolth, and Lolth does nothing.

Minthara is also able to walk through the Gauntlet of Shar, which is in the Underdark, and Lolth does nothing. Sure, you could argue that its connection to the Shadowfell and the fact that Shar is there via Shadowheart is enough to keep Lolth away. The lore of DnD does not make it quite clear what the relationship between these two goddesses are. But I am willing to bet that Lolth is smart enough not to step on Shar's toes because Shar would annihilate her. However, there is a small little section of the Gauntlet where it actually does spit you out directly into the Underdark and into Lolth's territory. Minthara can walk right out there just fine, and Lolth does nothing.

But most importantly, Minthara's default ending is her returning to the Underdark with the sole purpose of destroying House Baenre and then killing Lolth. Destroying House Baenre could lead to a chaotic and political disaster in Menzoberranzan, and Lolth does nothing. Minthara quite literally wants to kill Lolth and has intentions to do so after taking House Baenre, and Lolth. Does. Nothing!

If Minthara goes into the Underdark and destroys House Baenre, this will cause chaos and death. And the Baenre's won't be the only ones she has to destroy, but any and all allies of House Baenre in which they do have a lot. And Lolth will feed off of all the death and carnage and chaos that Minthara is about to bring to Menzoberranzan because Lolth loves chaos more than she hates traitors.

Maybe, Lolth has not abandoned her as Minthara thinks she has. Maybe, Lolth has done nothing and said nothing because Minthara has not actually upset her. Maybe, Lolth has done nothing and said nothing because Minthara is already doing everything Lolth wants her to do. And all it took, was making Minthara think that Lolth abandoned her. There was no need for Lolth to answer Minthara's prayers, because Minthara always had the strength to fight her enemies.

[krimreader]

Funniest thing about Kassandra has got to be that her deepest childhood trauma is getting thrown off a mountain, and you, as her, regularly jump off cliffs, to the point where she just stops taking fall damage

[windsweptinred]

@bobbole I'm absolutely doing a Corinthiel redraw of this because the UTTER perfection! 😅

[raskolnikovsneighbor]

this is a message for everyone on my “some clothes should be ironed” post who insist that they are afraid of irons. hi. i’m holding your hand. if you are worried about damaging fabric with an iron (even after checking the tags, the setting on the iron, etc.) then take a piece of cotton — you can even use a cotton tshirt — place it over your wrinkled garment, and iron it that way. the cotton will protect it but the heat will get through. okay. bye

[not-kamenx]

thoughts on Chrome in Beyblade X Ep. 38

Okay before anything and before I end up ranting I GIGGLE EVERYTIME I SEE CHROME AND SIGRID ON SCREEN TOGETHER NOW. The time they spend together is usually her looking like she’s silently judging Chrome and not understanding why he’s so…. obsessed? with Jaxon. The fact she was like “oh you’re watching someone else’s match? That’s unusual for you” AND THEN SAYS “is Blader X… on your mind?” HER TONE. HER TONE. I AM GOING TO SCREAM.

okay back to actually analyzing

The fact we don’t see ANY part of Chrome’s face except his smile is, well, concerning to say the least. It’s like he’s slowly losing himself and his identity in the process. I noticed how in Proof of the Fastest and in this episode he mentioned “X” but he wasn’t talking about Blader X. Like he’s talking about a concept itself, because he says “it” and not “him.” Or maybe I’m reading too much into this? But it’s like he’s trying to become whatever this “X” is. This honestly makes the message at the beginning of the episodes creepier where it speaks “X, whatever it is, is in your hands.” Well, Chrome has this “X” in his HEART. He was clutching at his chest talking about how “the only true X is deep within me” and we see a little ball of light amidst this ocean like interior. Whatever “X” really is, Chrome is. Well. He’s going a little insane about it.

I mean, look how he’s leaning towards the glass. He’s not casually viewing the match like it’s a basketball match you’d casually view and cheer for a team or see how it’s going. He’s actively invested, he’s emotionally invested. One hand is clutching at his chest again, the other is holding onto the glass, almost like he just wants to get out there and actually be in the vicinity of the stadium, close to it to view.

Hey that’s actually CRAZY Chrome is slowly losing it through the episodes

Back onto the concept of X though, I do think that it does tie in with Jaxon though. X can mean a lot of things, but after Jaxon left, Chrome was starting to, well, not take it well it seems from what we’ve seen so far. So it does make sense “X” would relate to Jaxon in a way. Still, it’s like Chrome’s going for a part of this “X” that Jaxon has.

Remember how I said how Chrome clutches at his chest when he talks about “X”? In the 34th ep where we meet Sigrid, Chrome talks about how Jaxon was “definitely there” and how Chrome “felt him, right here” as his hand tightens. The same place where “X” is.

what am I going on about again help me

I also wonder why Sigrid is pretty much, well, indifferent to this behavior? Has she always known this side of Chrome and wasn’t bothered by it? Or does she just not care in the first place? They are teammates, but why hasn’t she up and went like Jaxon? What is her goal? Did she just want to stop at the top of the X just like Chrome and defend their championship? Has Chrome asked her to stay by his side? Or is Sigrid trying to help him out? Is she genuinely concerned for him? I have SO many questions and not enough answers.

also….

WHAT IN THE DAGGER DRAN WAS THIS.

We see Blader Y returning! Or at least I’m pretty sure that’s them.

I’m PRETTY sure that’s the same fit. Also. That hand. If Blader Y is Chrome. I. Will not. Be able to react properly. CHROME RYUGU IF THAT IS YOU I’M GOING TO SHIT MY PANTS.

I mean sure skin color isn’t something we should automatically go by as evidence, but who else in this show has that exact skin??? And also the elephant in the room— not the one Robin rode on after Zip and Zoom— WHO ELSE’S HAND WOULD CRACK IN A MANNER THAT MADE ME PHYSICALLY CRINGE SEEING THE MATCH BETWEEN QUINN AND JAXON?

that aside for a moment I like the backpack Blader Y has. This show should really sell merch other than Beyblades, I would buy Team Persona plushies in a heartbeat and the Blader’s masks. Though I know it couldn’t just happen like that unfortunately. Maybe an acrylic stand at least, one day… I can only dream.

can we tell I’m normal about Chrome

also, please no spoilers. I beg of you. None. I just wanted to speculate, thank you.

[afunky-jester]

GOT MY IDEA PINNED WOOOOOOO

[hellesponts]

The Hellespont Twins moodboard.

[dreamnotnapss]

Can we talk about George basically confirming that he’s been traveling with Sapnap this whole time to keep him company since he’s scared of flying? We were actually right. There is so much love between them.

this ask was from back in april but i think it's relevant rn bc Sapnap was proudly announcing to Dream and George the other day that he flew all by himself and Dream said he was proud of him. like you can observe from this interaction alone that the topic of Sapnap's fear of flying is seriously discussed b/w the dteam :') they always aim to have someone fly with Sapnap so he's not alone, and George and Dream are more than willing to be by his side for that ough

they just love and care for him sm it hurts

[unoflavored]

the imagery of mikey and donnie being responsible for my shitty brain chemicals made me laugh hard enough to conquer my fears and get more tea 💪💪💪

[justmetessaanne]