#I'm literally studying this stuff

[collophora]

Do yourself a favor and go read the entire fanfic work of @fanfoolishness

(In order: Under sun and shade, Blind Side, and Breathless (patching up is one of my fav too, I just had no cool sketch idea for it)

[kazkat-draws-the-days]

Trying to figure out how to draw my favorite guy after SOMEONE (cough cough, @whataphantasia) got me obsessed with fnv

I like to imagine his face stretches horizontally when hes strained :]

[gingermintpepper]

In my Zeus bag today so I'm just gonna put it out there that exactly none of the great Ancient Greek warrior-heroes stayed loyal and faithful and completely monogamous and yet none of them have their greatness questioned nor do we question why they had the cultural prominence that they did and still do.

Jason, the brilliant leader of the Argo, got cold feet when it came to Medea - already put off by some of her magic and then exiled from his birthland because of her political ploys, he took Creusa to bed and fully intended on marrying her despite not properly dissolving things with Medea.

Theseus was a fierce warrior and an incredibly talented king but he had a horrible temper and was almost fatally weak to women. This is the man who got imprisoned in the Underworld for trying to get a friend laid, the man who started the whole Attic War because he couldn't keep his legs closed.

And we cannot at all forget Heracles for whom a not inconsiderable amount of his joy in life was loving people then losing the people around him that he loved. Wives, children, serving boys, mentors, Heracles had a list of lovers - male and female - long enough to rival some gods and even after completing his labours and coming down to the end of his life, he did not have one wife but three.

And y'know what, just because he's a cultural darling, I'll put Achilles up here too because that man was a Theseus type where he was fantastic at the thing he was born to do (that is, fight whereas Theseus' was to rule) but that was not enough to eclipse his horrid temper and his weakness to young pretty things. This is the man that killed two of Apollo's sons because they wouldn't let him hit - Tenes because he refused to let Achilles have his sister and Troilus who refused Achilles so vehemently that he ran into Apollo's temple to avoid him and still couldn't escape.

All four of these men are still celebrated as great heroes and men. All four of these men are given the dignity of nuance, of having their flaws treated as just that, flaws which enrich their character and can be used to discuss the wider cultural point of what truly makes a hero heroic. All four of these men still have their legacies respected.

Why can that same mindset not be applied to Zeus? Zeus, who was a warrior-king raised in seclusion apart from his family. Zeus who must have learned to embrace the violence of thunder for every time he cried as a babe, the Corybantes would bang their shields to hide the sound. Zeus learned to be great because being good would not see the universe's affairs in its order.

The wonderful thing about sympathy is that we never run out of it. There's no rule stopping us from being sympathetic to multiple plights at once, there's no law that necessitate things always exist on the good-evil binary. Yes, Zeus sentenced Prometheus to sufferation in Tartarus for what (to us) seems like a cruel reason. Prometheus only wanted to help humans! But when you think about Prometheus' actions from a king's perspective, the narrative is completely different: Prometheus stole divine knowledge and gifted it to humans after Zeus explicitly told him not to. And this was after Prometheus cheated all the gods out of a huge portion of wealth by having humans keep the best part of a sacrifice's meat while the gods must delight themselves with bones, fat and skin. Yes, Zeus gave Persephone away to Hades without consulting Demeter but what king consults a woman who is not his wife about the arrangement of his daughter's marriage to another king? Yes, Zeus breaks the marriage vows he set with Hera despite his love of her but what is the Master of Fate if not its staunchest slave?

The nuance is there. Even in his most bizarre actions, the nuance and logic and reason is there. The Ancient Greeks weren't a daft people, they worshipped Zeus as their primary god for a reason and they did not associate him with half the vices modern audiences take issue with. Zeus was a father, a visitor, a protector, a fair judge of character, a guide for the lost, the arbiter of revenge for those that had been wronged, a pillar of strength for those who needed it and a shield to protect those who made their home among the biting snakes. His children were reflections of him, extensions of his will who acted both as his mercy and as his retribution, his brothers and sisters deferred to him because he was wise as well as powerful. Zeus didn't become king by accident and it is a damn shame he does not get more respect.

[thepreciouspurrsian]

Basim Across Timelines: Mirage vs Valhalla vs Modern 🔎 (open to discussion)

Mirage Basim

Age & Experience: Young, passionate, eager, impulsive. Still becoming/growing.

Motivation: Wants to belong. Seeks meaning, justice, purpose and identity.

Personality: Passionate, emotional, idealistic, curious, impulsive, quietly hopeful.

Emotional Depth: Wears his heart quietly on his sleeve. Emotions close to the surface, not fully processed.

Connection to Loki: Hints and dreams, fragmented visions, haunted but unaware.

How he loves: Awkward, shy, desperate and starved for affection he doesn’t believe he deserves, clumsy but sincere.

Fears: Being left behind, being “nothing”, being insignificant, forgotten, alone or rejected.

Trust: Hesitant but possible, given cautiously, broken easily.

Biggest Conflict: His own identity, Who is he really? vs the role he’s expected to play. (این بیتی؟ من انا؟/where’s my home? Who am I?)

Symbolic Role: The seeker of truth, searching for his path.

Tone & Dialogue: Curious, emotional, sometimes uncertain. Often asks questions to understand.

Intent & Purpose: Seeking identity, meaning and justice. Driven by a need to belong.

Skills: Still learning, excellent at stealth, parkour, quick thinking.

Position in the Hidden Ones: New recruit of the Hidden Ones. Initiate. Apprentice.

Human Relationships: Craves connection, specially with his Mentor and friends. Builds bonds slowly but genuinely.

Worldview: Idealistic with a tinge of doubt and guilt. Believes change is possible.

Valhalla & Modern Basim are just down below: ⬇️

Valhalla Basim

Age & Experience: Older, mature, calculating, forged by betrayal and hardened by pain. Already became.

Motivation: Wants revenge. Seeks closure, maybe even chaos. Justice warped by pain.

Personality: Cold, intense, calculating and sharp. Logic over sentiment.

Emotional Depth: Burying emotions under layers of control. Deep emotions buried under iron discipline.

Connection to Loki: Fully awakened. Wears the burden of duality. The voice inside has a name.

How he loves: Silent, fierce , protective, his love is strategy and instinct. Quiet but he overprotects more than he speaks.

Fears: Losing control and becoming someone he can’t come back from. Losing himself to revenge or to Loki.

Trust: Rare. Earned at great cost and once earned, unshakable and defended with fire.

Biggest Conflict: The weight of what he knows and what he’s become. Who he is vs what he’s become.

Symbolic Role: The ghost in the machine. Watching. Waiting. Pulling strings. Loki guiding him. (Basim and Loki aren’t the same. Two different individuals, okay?)

Tone & Dialogue: Calm, sharp, layered with hidden meaning. Speaks less but every word is loaded.

Intent & Purpose: Seeking revenge, truth and cosmic justice. Purpose has hardened into resolve.

Skills: Master of deception, combat, stealth and manipulation. Deadly and precise.

Position in the Hidden Ones: Mentor of the Hidden Ones on an exile. Veteran, rogue. Has distanced himself from the hidden ones. Independent.

Human Relationships: Keeps people at a distance. Loyalty is rare but unbreakable when earned.

Worldview: Cynical. Sees the world as a system to be manipulated not mended.

Modern Basim

Age & Experience: Ancient soul in a modern shell. Centuries of knowledge and scars.

Motivation: Balance, manipulation. Preparing for what’s to come.

Personality: Controlled, detached, as always ten steps ahead.

Emotional Depth: Emotions turned into strategy, still present but weaponized.

Connection to Loki: Symbiosis or struggle? Hard to say. The line is blurred and he may no longer care. Have made peace with the duality inside. Basim seems to be in control of the body. Still, Loki’s motivations, rage and past relationships are clearly steering many of Basim’s modern day actions.

How he loves: Purposeful and intense. Love becomes survival —ruthless but real.

Fears: Losing control or worse; losing humanity.

Trust: Practically nonexistent at this point but if given, it means everything.

Biggest Conflict: Who he serves vs who he used to be and whether he still cares.

Symbolic Role: The keeper of truth and its consequences. The judge and holder of knowledge. (I’m not sure if Modern Basim has completely handed over control to Loki, if they still coexist somehow or if Loki is partly gone.)

Tone & Dialogue: Measured, deliberate, almost surgical. Rarely speaks more than necessary.

Intent & Purpose: Managing outcomes. Balancing agendas. Driven by foresight more than feeling.

Skills: Ancient assassin with modern tech expertise. Efficient and unpredictable.

Position in the Hidden Ones: Cooperates with William Miles. Operates independently. Wields knowledge like a weapon.

Human Relationships: Detached. Relationships are either tools or vulnerabilities. (rare exceptions may exist)

Worldview: Coldly realistic, burdened by knowledge and duality. The world is cruel but not without design.

[sinful-karateka]

I'll bite and talk about something that doesn't get enough spotlight in general, which are Demetri's and Eli's family life. So obviously several fic authors have their own twists and flavors to this, but if I may sell you something for a sec.

So far into the series, what we've got are these facts:

Demetri's Mom is the only family member to be mentioned in the show.

Eli's parents were mentioned a couple of times.

That should be enough context to deduce two things:

Demetri could be an only child to a single mother, and;

Eli's parents involve themselves in the stuff that he does — including karate, who knows — though they tend to be tone deaf with his actual needs.

There's strong evidence to why the boys act the way they act (brain functions notwithstanding, but this isn't the post for that), which is why I think these deductions make sense. How their hypothetical upbringing is part and parcel to how characters behave in this series. Of course societal influence comes in second because obviously you've got a show that encourages learning karate as defense against bullies, but this show is also about generational chains and traumas! So why wouldn't their home life inform the way it informs the LaRusso's, Lawrence's, and Nichols'? But I digress.

In the span of the entire series, I've held onto this headcanon that Demetri's neuroticism and ability to anticipate his actions carefully stem from a household that needs these systems in place, much more for someone who likes to be on top of things. Since he's just a student, the only authoritative figure who can make executive decisions... is his mom. Add to the fact that she may be a working mom, so when Demetri tells Daniel about certain restrictions in learning karate, what could have made her decide to just write a letter instead vs. taking the time out to go with his son herself? I know I know it's narrative writing but like do you seeeee where I'm at here

Eli's family life is by far gave us early indications of his dynamic with his mother — but not so a father — in earlier seasons. It's possible that his mom is a stay-at-home one, but if I were to push the bounds of this box even further, I'd even speculate that she's retired early if it meant that Eli's dad is the one making most of the living. Like of course they'd get mad at Hawk for getting a tattoo at his age, I think any parent would! But the way he tells Aisha to exclude him from her stories tells us that there's not a lot that his parents know about the life he lives as Hawk. At this point we all know the kind of effort it takes to successfully carry it out because he has to go home every night. It's either he a) puts in a lot of effort into concealing this identity once he gets home, or b) his parents are rarely ever home, which again, feeds into another assumption that maybe Mrs. Moskowitz works certain hours.

All we know is they're never around a whole lot for these boys, which is sad! and also again, very Indicative of their classification as awkward nerds pre- and early karate. When I read along certain fics that consider and include how the rest of their characters besides the found families they've formed, it gives much more depth and potency to writing them, their flaws, and how they think.

For all we know, Mrs. Alexopoulos could be a lesbian making fun of her son for not slinging pussy like she does being rizzless unlike her, but don't let me explain that when we have @demetriandelibinaryboyfriends!

[starrstruckcanuck]

What the fuck is my problem. Why did I pick these up. Better question: why did I buy them. They're fuzzy socks. It's. It's almost June.

[stopmyhearts]

what if I'm just not trying hard enough though. what if I'm just being lazy. maybe I just need to apply myself properly

[sweetevoltrap]

Sylus reclaiming Little Bomb as a teasing nickname...

[fidgetspringer-art]

✧ The Ardal stars ✧

[al-mayriti]

Noting that I went to a catholic high school in the midwestern US, I would say that between 30-40% of my classmates followed a life path similar to the following (so not even half, but still a significant amount):

1) Age 18-21: start dating someone in uni

2) Age 22/23: get a job shortly after graduation (or have one already organized, probably from a summer internship while in uni)

3) Age 22-24: get engaged to your uni bf/gf within a year of graduating, once you both have jobs basically

4) Age 23-26: wedding within a year or two of getting engaged, also buy a house if you have that kind of money lol

5) 9 months to 1 year after wedding (so 24-26 generally): baby!

I think it's important to note that this culture is able to continue because many college-educated young USAmericans are able to get a decent job very soon after graduating, which speeds up the rest of the process quite a bit. For people who are not able to get a job quickly, or who choose to do further studies, add on a few years. (And for people who don't go to uni, subtract a few!)

yeah i was gonna say, the only thing i envy of that is the getting a job so early and easy lol. i think that's also the main difference or why people aren't married so early here. in my experience (note that i went to a private upper class school so almost everyone went to university and pretty much everyone is employed right now except me lol)

1) 18-23. uni. a bunch of them were dating before uni, others during, some after, you know how it goes. and also a lot of them didn't date (like me).

2) 23-25. finishing uni, doing a master's degree, and or living abroad (usually to work).

3) 25-26. come back to spain and work here, or finished studying and got a job. they start dating seriously.

4) 26-28. if they've been dating for a while, engagement. if not, they continue the grind. if they live abroad especially which is honestly more than half of my circle rn they won't want to get engaged until they come back or decide to stay in the other country (normally their partner is from there).

5) 28-30. this is the future for me so i'm just speculating, but here is marriage + baby for those who can afford it. keep in mind most of us this age are still living with our parents so. that's another thing to have in mind.

more or less that's the idea here. you first want to have a stable job, then a stable house, and then you can start thinking about proposing and weddings and kids. and that doesn't happen soon.

[lieutenantselnia]

I'm currently unsure whether I should be happy or stressed about the fact that there are only like 5 more weeks until the end of the semester - on one hand the summer holidays can't arrive fast enough so I can rest and have free time again but on the other hand there's still so much to finish within that time frame and ugh I'm just tired😵‍💫

At least today (or more like yesterday by the time I post this) I had a fun day, I went to a wildlife park with friends (a trip we've had planned since a couple weeks already), I'm sure I haven't been to the place in like a decade but it was really fun! I didn't think to take a lot of pictures of the animals, but here's a plush trout I got at the souvenir shop🐟

[crimson-constellations]

i have a pattern for find out my fav fics in each fandom im in that consists in me looking for some quick fluffy shit to read bfr bed but being so tired i barely understand a thing forgeting about it for months then picking it to reread by pure accident just to transcend to the fucking skies over how good it actually is

[youandthemountains]

shout out to spones for helping me ace this test by mapping them onto the intimate relationships happening within our brains

[zouis-exes-to-lovers]

ay hate it here

[icewindandboringhorror]

It's always interesting to hear about people's weird/unexpected "alternate life paths". Like, something that you could have done with your life, a job you almost took, a school you almost went to, etc - that was still actually realistic enough that it could have happened, but NOW it seems to not suit your current personality.

Like for example, I currently hate advertising (how manipulative it is, brands trying to be 'relatable', social media amplifying it to an obnoxious extreme, etc.) so much that even seeing a little ad before a youtube video is grating to even witness, but there was a point in time where I was genuinely seriously considering going into marketing/making commercials as a career lol. Or like, I have a relative who was very inclined to be a pastor when they were younger, even though today they're a super strong atheist, etc. etc.

[riiviir]

hey guys so I just started reading Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott and OMG AHSBNSBSBSNSNBSHZHSHDBFHGGHFHGRJ2KSHSBSNSK AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I LOVE THINKING ABOUT THE RELATIVITY BETWEEN DIMENSIONS!!!!!!