#Supportive friend for real

[bfdiredux]

In early BFDIA pre-hiatus, I remember Gelatin having the freeze syringe and anti-venom and stuff. Could you keep that part of his character? Somehow? Maybe by working it into his background? I mean he owns a restaurant and is some sort of chemist/inventor/just has things. He’s lowkey competent (even though he went out of business)

Gelatin !!!! He changed a lot throughout BFDI-- and I mean a lot. When we first see him in BFDIA, you're right!! He's competent and smart. But going into BFB, he kinda regresses? He becomes childish and he feels like another stock silly guy.

I love silly guys. But Gelatin deserves complexity. He places SECOND in BFB, I need to do something with his screentime. I also have a strong idea for him!!

Redux!Gelatin

Laidback, hardworking, nice, compassionate, creative, upbeat, and decently perceptive. He mostly knows when it's time to be serious and when it's time to goof off. There are a couple of moments though!! Everyone has them.

He is GREAT when he's not under stress.

He likes making people laugh. It's his way of helping and comforting others. This goes for himself, too.

Gelatin is a person who ignores his own wants and needs in order to help others. It's ironic, given how in-tune he is with people. (You'd expect his friendship with Firey to make him focus more on himself but it's quite the opposite!!)

Gelatin's creative energy has always gone to science. As a kid he loved getting science kits and messing around with them, even if he didn't really understand what was happening.

In middle school he had a biology phase, which shifted into biochemistry, and right as middle school ended, he found his true calling: chemistry.

He binged docuseries, read articles, and bought books. He got chemistry sets and found social groups online, as well as getting into an after school club!!

Gelatin waited a couple of years to enroll into a college. He wanted to make enough money to avoid going into debt. With a small job, help from his parents, and a good letter, he got in!!

However, in his second year, he had a bump-- his parents were retiring and he inherited their restaurant chain.

He does NOT want this but he can't let down his parents. They've done so much to support him. But... Putting a stressed student still trying to figure himself out in charge of a fairly successful business MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE BEST IDEA.

The business is failing. Gelatin drops college to focus on that steakhouse instead. He's growing desperate--

BFDIA applications open.

Maybe it's a stupid idea but BFDI is a famous show and people were clamoring to get in. If he gets in, he can try to promote the steakhouse and stabilize the business.

He gets in!! Yippeeeeee!!!

Gelatin meets Firey right off the bat. Friendship established. Gelatin helps him let loose.

The second challenge is to make a cake for next episode's Cake at Stake. It was originally a stew but. Yoylecake. Guys, yoylecake!

Gelatin, Needle, Spongy, Ice Cube, and Book hitch a ride onto Puffball to get to Yoyleland. Puffball is in a rush to get to Yoyleland and this causes Spongy, Ice Cube, and Book to fall off.

Puffball leads Needle and Gelatin through Yoyleland, searching for ripe, healthy berries.

They find a leaf made of metal-- a side effect of eating yoyleberries. She follows them from a distance and Needle goes up to her, Gelatin follows.

It's Leafy!! Needle has history with her. She wants to be left alone and Gelatin comes up with a wonderful idea. He asks for Leafy's help with finding berry bushes. She says she knows a good patch but will only take them if they agree to leave her alone after. Gelatin promises to.

After gathering berries, Gelatin goes back to Leafy. Yes, he promised her he wouldn't, but also according to Needle she's been out here on her own for months. He asks her to come with them and Leafy declines. Gelatin can't imagine why. He tries again and again and eventually she pushes him.

Needle intervenes, fast as lightning, and takes the crew back to BFDIA's main playing field . Turns out they lost!!! Wow!

Gelatin won't be a main focus in the season. But when he does get it, he's got relationships I'm gonna flesh out!! As well as his financial struggles.

YEAH. Mid-season his steakhouse business falls flat on its face. He has to close it down, with existing establishments either being abandoned or repurposed.

Gelatin can't bring himself to go back to college after that and his elimination. He feels like he fails as a person. He feels like he failed his parents. Firey is there to comfort him.

Gelatin eventually meets Leafy again near the end of the season. They decide to stay in contact after.

Going into IDFB, Gelatin is PIVOTAL to Leafy and Firey's storyline. He's the one who gets them into interact. Firey is snippy and insists he doesn't know Leafy while Leafy makes it clear that they do have a history. I think this song does a good job giving off the vibe.

He and Leafy eventually drift away. Leafy's just spending time with others more now!!

BFB!

I don't have much for pre-split Gelatin. Still him focusing on others and helping with contests. I swear he'll get fleshed out here.

He stays in BFB during Two's arrival. His oldest friends are there and he thinks the added prize, while silly, is FUN to mess with.

POST-SPLIT GELATIN! Now the characters have time to breathe.

Gelatin gets to know the Have Cots.

Teardrop is wildly competitive and effective at her work.

Balloony, while he didn't last long, was VERY MUCH SO the Team Dad. He was the moral support's moral support.

LEAFY'S ON THE TEAM!! Gelatin is ecstatic to hang out with her again and gets to hear more about her past with Firey.

Bubble and Ruby are a strong unit together. Gelatin knows that they went through something with their old alliance pre-split but he hasn't pried.

Lollipop is fun. She's confident and witty and makes for a great teammate.

BFB 22!! Donut's diary has gone missing and there's a court case. Leafy calls Firey up for questioning and Firey sputters out a whole story about Leafy stealing the diary. Leafy takes Firey outside to talk.

During that time, Gelatin realizes he and Lollipop are the only new folks left on the Have Cots, with everyone else being season 1 veterans. He invited her to an alliance. Say hello to the Newbie Alliance!!

TD's comic where Gelatin dies horribly? It catches Gelatin off-guard but he's able to work things out pretty quickly with Teardrop!! And then Lollipop invites her to the alliance.

They are the type of friends to flirt with each other. Lollipop always initiates it with Gelatin and Gelatin is shit at it. Post-BFB they will be asked if they're together and they're going to stare DIRECTLY at the asker and go "You thought we were romantic??" High chance one of them is gay or biromantic leaning same-sex. I have had several friends like this and it is the funniest thing ever

When Lollipop is eliminated, she gives some of her pigment to Gelatin! He doesn't keep it just because it's cool, he keeps it because Lollipop is his friend.

Gelatin isn't that close with Flower when BFB first starts but going into the end of post-split, the two of them spend MUCH more time together as the finalists.

Four's motivation has been running dry and X refuses to leave his side... And someone shows up to take advantage of that.

Announcer!! He's here to host while Four and X are out of commission.

And he runs the budget into the dirt.

Flower and Gelatin work together to gather donations to raise the budget by posting online!! Fun contests and exclusive finalist interviews-- and when Gelatin gets interviewed he feels a bit awkward.

For as long as he can remember, he's been focusing on others. Taking over his parents' business as a young adult, being there for his friends, doing what Lollipop and TD want..

He's been neglecting his own wants and needs. He was going to go to college. He was going to study chemistry and become a scientist. He wants to win. While he wouldn't change anything that's happened to him, he does want a chance to do things for himself.

During the finale, season 1 contestants get to share their grievances as Announcer tries to deny his actions and Gelatin cheers them on.

Flower wins the BFDI and BFB. This crushes Gelatin some.

Everyone is setting up a big party to celebrate the end of the season!!

She disappears for a while and comes back to Gelatin with the BFB.

"Hi, Gelatin."

"Hi, Flower!"

"I think this is yours." Flower slides the BFB over to Gelatin.

"No?" Gelatin chuckles. "You won the season, you goof!"

"Yes, I won the season. Though I think you deserve this, you clearly want it."

"Wow, I- I don't know what to say, Flower.. I.. Thank you."

They hug it out. Win!!

As the episode ends, Gelatin and Flower see Firey and Leafy off, where they are going to find their own island!

After the season, Gelatin goes back to college. It's a heartfelt goodbye!!

He returns with his Bachelor's degree in chemistry a couple of years later. Gelatin has made sure to keep up with his friends, though!! Online calls exist :]

[spacebubblehomebase]

Crazy how the person you've been following for Team Rocket memes suddenly reached for the stars. But to celebrate another artist's success, I present to you another AU! Because we need more of those in this new fandom and I like the cliché trope of a traitor love interest. XD Though I admit this small doodle idea got way out of hand. Still, do you see the vision??? (🌕v🌕) -Bubbly💙

More content:

[infinitelystrangemachinex]

The stewards of the old world are always keen to give you a glimpse of their might... According to legend, the ancients built specialized chambers to seal away false prophets.

The Arcane is waking up.

[chloesimaginationthings]

Abby let’s Cassidy meet her FNAF movie friend!

[inkskinned]

you know, you know. no gods, no masters, no kings on pedestals. everyone is fallible. death of the author. you know! you are balanced about your intake of media - you allow the wiggle room, the grace, the gratitude, the skepticism. nobody above criticism.

but still. a weird gut-punch feeling, something akin to betrayal. you read the article. surprise! an author you love is actually: a serial fucking predator.

well, shit. what now. no, you knew he was a person (all people are), but now you're wondering - what have i overlooked by accident? what messages have i internalized that are strange and cruel? and also, like, what the fuck?

his actions lay a thick glaze on top of everything. like each place is now ruined, opaque in a new way. but okay, fine, you've done this before. you knew better, right? you've been betrayed by many a cherished childhood author.

still, this stickiness. fuck. can you pick up that book again. will you read it to your children. you've recommended it to others - will you ever do that again? and of course, of course, no parasocial relationships. you were theoretically above this kind of sentiment. but the artist informs the art, right.

so it's not something as clear-cut as feeling he owed you, specifically (a stranger) better behavior - just that you kind of, in a distant and odd way... sort of trusted him to do better. it's not like a real trust or something speakable, just the faint hope that the product (good books) was a thin representation of the soul. now it feels like the product (good? books?) was a mask. in some small or insignificant way, your previous support of this person lent them power. your money and your time and your laughter.

and the thing is - you have this terrible, echoing sensation. how many times will this happen? over and over. you find out that the singer you love is actually a predator. you learn over drinks that your favorite high school english teacher is in jail for what he did to her. you listen to the news idly and suddenly discover that a woman you used to idolize has been abusing her kids for an actual eon.

what can you touch without the static melting off. you can't even really complain about it too much (you were supposed to know better, and besides, you don't want the same re-split "it's not your fault, love what you love" basic advice), but now it's here. somehow, it feels like - you let him into your life.

it's not that things need to be pure or an artist has to be like, endlessly perfect, mindful. demure. it's more just this terrible truth that has been replayed through your veins so often it feels criminally vain. power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. did you want any one person to be worth that power?

it's just that he wrote books where he seemed to understand that. he seemed to know about hierarchies and unfair systems and bigotry and privilege. you thought they were books about what it means to struggle. you thought they were about having power and still using it for good rather than for control. he spooned you a narrative of being a good guy, a kind soul. you fucking bought what that fucking monster sold.

maybe that's why they were fantasies, after all.

[bet-on-me-13]

Dark Secret

So! Danny was discovered pretty quickly after his first battle against the Lunch Lady. His hair turned white, and his body shape was a little different, but he largely looked very similar to his Human Form, so it was only a matter of time really.

Thankfully he was assumed to be a Metahuman.

He didn't look like any other Ghost, the closest resemblance was his hair and eye color, but even that could be explained away. Also his parents were adamant that he couldn't be a Ghost because he was still Sentient and not Evil, so he must just have powers that just looked similar to Ghost Powers esthetically. Probably as a result of the Portal Accident, which he used as an explanation for how his powers awakened.

Danny also avoided using the more obvious Ghost Powers like Intangiblity and Invisiblity, sticking mostly to the most basic Flight and Energy based Powers he got to be as generic as possible. If anybody saw otherwise, it was a trick of the light or a trick of the Ghosts.

Danny became the Hero of Amity Park, always pretending to be something else. It was his darkest secret.

Unfortunately because the public never saw a Ghost like Phantom on a positive light, their perception of Ghosts never changed. Nobody believed that Ghosts could be anything aside from Evil, and as the knowledge of Ghosts and the Ghost Zone began to spread around the world that perception became more and more commonplace.

If Danny had been revealed in the early days, it could have been salvageable, but nowadays if his secret was revealed he would have to convince the entire world that everything they knew about Ghosts was wrong. It would practically be impossible.

Even when he joined the Justice League when he became an Adult, he still had to hide his secret. Years of hiding made sure he could conceal his true Nature from the magic users on the team, but he still had to be distant from the team just to be sure.

While all this was going on in the Living Realm, his adventures in the Ghost Zone still happened as normal. He saved Pandora and the Acropolis, dethroned the Tyrant King Aragon, managed to defeat Pariah Dark in Single combat, and even became recognized as a Great Warrior by the Far Frozen.

After years of hiding, he actually felt more at home in the Ghost Zone than in the Human Realm. There he could be his true self without having to hide a huge part of his identity, and people accepted him for who he was. Sure he had enemies there, but he also had more real friends outside of Tucker and Sam.

He was content with his double life, acting as a Hero to the Public while hiding his true self, and secretly going to the Ghost Zone to be himself among his friends and even his enemies.

Of course it all came crashing down when he Anti Ecto Acts finally passed.

Now there was a Legal Path for Humans to enter and profit off of the Ghost Zone. Beyond just being able to legally kill and experiment on Ghosts, the Acts also allowed Humans to claim parts of the Ghost Zone as their own Property, enslaving the Ghosts residing there, and destroying the Ecosystem of the Zone because there were no laws preventing it.

And now Danny had a choice.

He could either side with the Humans to which he was a Hero, allowing them to destroy the Ghost Zone and Enslave the denizens living there with the full support of the Government, or he could side with the Ghost Zone, betraying Humanity and the people he had been protecting for years, but trying to save those who had accepted him for his true self years ago.

To him the answer was obvious.

[slfcare]

the most difficult thing about growing as a person socially, as in getting out of your shell and noticing that you are, is that there will still be times when it doesn’t feel like you’ve grown at all! times when you can’t really connect with anyone around you, times when you fail to enter into an existing conversation, times when you say the wrong thing (or nothing at all when in hindsight you probably should’ve). but that’s also kind of the best thing, because that’s the thing that helps you realize that sometimes, it’s not you or your lack of skills or any shortcoming. sometimes certain environments just aren’t for you and certain people aren’t your people, and that’s okay. that’s human. it’s okay to not feel the progress you have made all the time.

[gilsart]

okay, wait. hear me out. modern day AU where Jayce is a mathematics professor and Viktor is a physicists professor. the students are so obsessed with both of them. viktor very closed off about his personal life and a harsh judge on tests and work but genuinely fun to engage with in and out of class. he helps students like crazy. jayce on the other hand is an avid yapper who can’t stop talking about his sweet and handsome husband and all he does for for Jayce. how happy he makes Jayce and is his reason for living. viktor’s cane breaks while he’s working so he begrudgingly has to call Jayce who keeps his backup cane in his office. students start gossiping about the two and how close they seem while Jayce helps Viktor and also takes the time to tighten up the screws in Viktor’s brace after he fell because of the broken cane. someone in one of Jayce’s classes actually has the guts to ask Jayce if his husband is Viktor and Jayce is like “yeah??? I wasn’t trying to hide it?” and students are like “oh my G-d, Viktor is actually married? he never talks about his partner!? if i was with jayce i’d yap about him nonstop! crazy but we are so happy for those idiots!” after students find out, Viktor doesn’t open up about his life much more but doesn’t try to hid that he’s with jayce anymore

no bc I had this whole series of drawings in my head for this ask specifically. this included Jayce too at first but I FAILED man... it just became a very watered down version of what you said + bonus for young university student Viktor

as for the professor version I legit got so wrapped up in the hand gesture, I forgot he's supposed to lean to one side when he's older and that he probably can't stand without his crutch so I APOLOGIZE ABOUT THAT I'm heavily sleep deprived

(also as previously stated I know nothing about STEM, I have an art degree, I literally only searched some string theory schematics and scribbled it so if it makes no fucking sense that is why)

[stilinskiderek]

every movie i watched in 2025 - [6/?]

A Real Pain (2024) dir. Jesse Eisenberg

[sunandmoonseisai]

Absolutely no chemistry between these two. Nothing. Zip. Nada. This is a lesbian and a gay man who hate each other.

[uneducated-author]

Windbreaker is so good because in the same episode we get 'Nirei and Suo bringing Sakura quiet support without overstepping or pointing out the reality that Sakura is viciously aware of, not judging, not overstepping, just compassionate' and we also get 'Kotoha teasing him, calling him lonely, snatching away his food to teach him a lesson and generally not letting him get away with anything.' We get both <3

[anghraine]

Hi! Can you explain what really the power of foresight was with Faramir? I read the books earlier this year and I don't really quite understand it. He could predict the future? Like he would see it in his dreams? But how did he found out from Gollum that he was taking frodo and sam to cirith ungol and that he had committed murder before?

No problem, it's one of my favorite topics!

The concise explanation: I think Faramir's foresight/aftersight in terms of visions is a largely separate "power" from his ability to bring his strength of mind and will to bear on other people and animals, and to resist outside influence. The visions seem more a matter of broad sensitivity, something Faramir doesn't appear to have much if any control over. The second power is (in our terms) essentially a form of direct telepathy, limited in some ways but still very powerful, and I think this second ability is what Faramir is using with Gollum.

The really long version:

In my opinion, Faramir (or Denethor, Aragorn, etc) doesn't necessarily read thoughts like a book, particularly not with a mind as resistant as Gollum's. Faramir describes Gollum's mind in particular as dark and closed, it seems unusually so—

"There are locked doors and closed windows in your mind, and dark rooms behind them," said Faramir.

Still, Gollum is unable to entirely block Faramir's abilities. In LOTR, it does not seem that Gollum can fully block powerful mental abilities such as Faramir's, though his toughness and hostility does limit what Faramir can see. (Unfinished Tales, incidentally, suggests iirc that Denethor's combination of "great mental powers" and his right to use the Anor-stone allowed him to telepathically get the better of Saruman through their palantíri, a similar but greater feat.) I imagine that this is roughly similar to, but scaled down from, Galadriel's telepathic inquiries of even someone as reluctant to have her in his mind as Boromir, given that Faramir is able to still see some things in Gollum's mind, if with more difficulty than usual.

(WRT Boromir ... ngl, if I was the human buffer between Denethor and Faramir, I would also not be thrilled about sudden telepathic intrusions from basically anyone, much less someone I had little reason to trust.)

Disclaimer: a few years after LOTR's publication, Tolkien tried to systematize how this vague mystical telepathy stuff really works. One idea he had among many, iirc, was that no unwilling person's mind could be "read" the ways that Gollum's is throughout LOTR. IMO that can't really be reconciled w/ numerous significant interactions in LOTR where resistance to mental intrusion or domination is clearly variable between individuals and affected by personal qualities like strength of will, basic resilience, the effort put into opposition, supernatural powers, etc. And these attempts at resistance are unsuccessful or only partially successful on many occasions in LOTR (the Mouth of Sauron, for one example, is a Númenórean sorcerer in the book who can't really contend with Aragorn on a telepathic level). So I, personally, tend to avoid using the terminology and rationales from that later systematized explanation when discussing LOTR. And in general, I think Tolkien's later attempts to convert the mystical, mysterious wonder of Middle-earth into something more "hard magic" or even scientific was a failed idea on a par with Teleporno. Others differ!

In any case, when Gollum "unwillingly" looks at Faramir while being questioned, the creepy light drains from his eyes and he shrinks back while Faramir concludes he's being honest on that specific occasion. Gollum experiences physical pain when he does try to lie to Faramir—

"It is called Cirith Ungol." Gollum hissed sharply and began muttering to himself. "Is not that its name?" said Faramir turning to him. "No!" said Gollum, and then he squealed, as if something had stabbed him.

I don't think this is a deliberate punishment from Faramir—that wouldn't be like him at all—and I don't think it's the Ring, but simply a natural consequence of what Faramir is. Later, Gandalf says of Faramir's father:

"He can perceive, if he bends his will thither, much of what is passing in the minds of men ... It is difficult to deceive him, and dangerous to try."

So, IMO, Faramir's quick realization that Gollum is a murderer doesn't come from any vision of the future or past involving Gollum—that is, it's not a deduction from some event he's seen. Faramir does not literally foresee Gollum's trick at Cirith Ungol. His warning would be more specific in that case, I think. What he sees seems to be less detailed but more direct and, well, mystical. Faramir likely doesn't know who exactly Gollum murdered or why or what any of the circumstances were. Rather, Gollum's murderousness and malice are visible conditions of his soul to Faramir's sight. Faramir doesn't foresee the particulars of Gollum's betrayal—but he can see in Gollum's mind that he is keeping something back. Faramir says of Gollum:

"I do not think you are holden to go to Cirith Ungol, of which he has told you less than he knows. That much I perceived clearly in his mind."

Meanwhile, in a letter written shortly before the publication of LOTR, Tolkien said of Faramir's ancestors:

They became thus in appearance, and even in powers of mind, hardly distinguishable from the Elves

So these abilities aren't that strange in that context. Faramir by chance (or "chance") is, like his father, almost purely an ancient Númenórean type despite living millennia after the destruction of Númenor (that destruction is the main reason "Númenóreanness" is fading throughout the age Faramir lives in). Even less ultra-Númenórean members of Denethor's family are still consistently inheriting characteristics from their distant ancestor Elros, Elrond's brother, while Faramir and Denethor independently strike Sam and Pippin as peculiarly akin to Gandalf, a literal Maia like their ancestress Melian:

“Ah well, sir,” said Sam, “you [Faramir] said my master had an elvish air; and that was good and true. But I can say this: you have an air too, sir, that reminds me of, of—well, Gandalf, of wizards.”

He [Denethor] turned his dark eyes on Gandalf, and now Pippin saw a likeness between the two, and he felt the strain between them, almost as if he saw a line of smouldering fire drawn from eye to eye, that might suddenly burst into flame.

Meanwhile, Faramir's mother's family is believed to be part Elvish, a belief immediately confirmed when Legolas meets Faramir's maternal uncle:

At length they came to the Prince Imrahil, and Legolas looked at him and bowed low; for he saw that here indeed was one who had elven-blood in his veins. "Hail, lord!" he [Legolas] said. "It is long since the people of Nimrodel left the woodlands of Lórien, and yet still one may see that not all sailed from Amroth’s haven west over water."

In addition to that, Faramir's men believe he's under some specific personal blessing or charm as well as the Númenórean/Elvish/Maia throwback qualities. It's also mentioned by different groups of soldiers that Faramir can exercise some power of command over animals as well as people. Beregond describes Faramir getting his horse to run towards five Nazgûl in real time:

"They will make the Gate. No! the horses are running mad. Look! the men are thrown; they are running on foot. No, one is still up, but he rides back to the others. That will be the Captain [Faramir]: he can master both beasts and men."

Then, during the later retreat of Faramir's men across the Pelennor:

At last, less than a mile from the City, a more ordered mass of men came into view, marching not running, still holding together. The watchers held their breath. "Faramir must be there," they said. "He can govern man and beast."

Tolkien said of the ancient Númenóreans:

But nearly all women could ride horses, treating them honourably, and housing them more nobly than any other of their domestic animals. The stables of a great man were often as large and as fair to look upon as his own house. Both men and women rode horses for pleasure … and in ceremony of state both men and women of rank, even queens, would ride, on horseback amid their escorts or retinues … The Númenóreans trained their horses to hear and understand calls (by voice or whistling) from great distances; and also, where there was great love between men or women and their favorite steeds, they could (or so it is said in ancient tales) summon them at need by their thought alone. So it was also with their dogs.

Likely the same Númenórean abilities were used for evil by Queen Berúthiel against her cats. In an interview with Daphne Castell, Tolkien said:

She [Berúthiel] was one of these people who loathe cats, but cats will jump on them and follow them about—you know how sometimes they pursue people who hate them? I have a friend like that. I’m afraid she took to torturing them for amusement, but she kept some and used them—trained them to go on evil errands by night, to spy on her enemies or terrify them.

The more formal version of the Berúthiel lore recurs in Unfinished Tales:

She had nine black cats and one white, her slaves, with whom she conversed, or read their memories, setting them to discover all the dark secrets of Gondor, so that she knew those things "that men wish most to keep hidden," setting the white cat to spy upon the black, and tormenting them.

Faramir, by contrast, has a strong aversion to harming/killing animals for any reason other than genuine need, but apparently quite similar basic abilities. He typically uses these abilities to try to compassionately understand other people or gather necessary information, rather than for domination or provoking fear. Even so, Faramir does seem to use his mental powers pretty much all the time with no attempt to conceal what he's doing—he says some pretty outlandish things to Frodo and Sam as if they're very ordinary, but it doesn't seem that most people he knows can do all these things. This stuff is ordinary to him because it flows out of his fundamental being, not because it's common.

It's not clear how much fine control he has, interestingly. This is more headcanon perhaps, but I don't feel like it's completely under his control, even while it's much more controlled than things like Faramir's vision of Boromir's funeral boat, his frequent, repeated dreams of Númenor's destruction, the Ring riddle dream he received multiple times, or even his suspiciously specific "guess" of what passed between Galadriel and Boromir in Lothlórien. Yet his more everyday mental powers do seem to involve some measure of deliberate effort in a lot of the instances we see, given the differing degrees of difficulty and strain we see with the powers he and Denethor exhibit more frequently and consistently.

This is is also interesting wrt Éowyn, because Tolkien describes Faramir's perception of her as "clear sight" (which I suspect is just Tolkien's preferred parlance for "clairvoyance"). Faramir perceives a lot more of what's going on with Éowyn than I think he had materially observable evidence for—but does not see everything that's going on with her by any means. He seems to understand basically everything about her feelings for Aragorn, more than Éowyn herself does, but does not know if she loves him [Faramir].

I'm guessing that it's more difficult to "see" this way when it's directly personal (one of the tragedies of his and Denethor's relationship is that their shared mental powers do not enable either to realize how much they love each other). But it also doesn't seem like he's trying to overcome Éowyn's mental resistance the way he was with Gollum, and possibly Frodo and Sam—he does handle it a bit differently when it's not a matter of critical military urgency. With Éowyn, he sees what his abilities make clear to him, is interested enough to seek out Merry (and also perceive more than Merry says, because Faramir has never been a normal person one day in his life) but doesn't seem to really push either of them.

So I tend to imagine that with someone like Faramir, Denethor, Aragorn etc, we're usually seeing a relatively passive, natural form of low-grade telepathy that simply derives from their fundamental nature and personalities (as we see in Faramir with Éowyn, possibly Faramir with Aragorn). That can be kicked up to more powerful, forceful telepathy via active exertion of the will (as described by Gandalf wrt Denethor's ability to "bend[] his will thither" to see what passes in others' minds, and seen with Faramir vs Gollum, Aragorn vs the Mouth of Sauron, more subtly Faramir vs Denethor). At a high point of strain this can be done very aggressively or defensively (Denethor vs Gandalf, Denethor vs Saruman, Denethor vs Sauron seriously is there a Maia that man won't fight, Faramir vs the Black Breath given his completely unique symptoms that Aragorn attributes to his "staunch will", possibly Aragorn vs the Black Breath in a healing capacity...).

Anyway, I hope these massive walls of text are helpful or interesting! Thanks for the ask :)

[princessofghosts-posts]

Unpopular opinion (if it not this time then I'm safe from not being bashed by angry fans forever): Nico di Angelo shouldn't have stayed at Camp Half-blood at the end of HoO.

Listen,I have my problems with CHB (and CJ),no one of them are safe from my treatment when it cames to Nico mistreatment,literally no one is innocent there. And if it's not for Nico,then for Percy's mistreatment or the pressure they put on Thalia when she only come back from being a tree. Demigods at both camps take one look at a child of a Big Three God and ask themselves "Is anyone gonna mistreatment that?",without waiting for an answer.

I like Nico character development and his quest with Hedge and Reyna was probably the push he needed to understand that there are people that care for him,and it's ok to let them in. He come out of his shell,even if only a little,and started to not feel the "outsider" like always. It's mean he is finally starting healing for real,after 7 books full of pain. But his decision to stay at CHB? Where no one,beside Percy and Annabeth,showed to care for him? The same place where he felt so left out? Full of judgmental people ready to not hear him out and accuse of everything because of who is father is? No,I can't stand that. Nico would never come back in a place he knew he isn't welcomed.

Before the start of HoO,it's implied that at the end of PJO Nico started to live at camp right? With his own cabin and anything else. But with Percy disappearance the situation went back to 0 for him,after all Percy was still the only one who was fully comfortable with him. Before TLH he was already helping Annabeth in her research,and during the time-skip of 6 moths it's unclear what happened to him. But since he was there for Percy arrival at CJ,and they were already familiar with him,I don't think he stayed a lot of time at CHB. He already was doing back and forth between the two camps at the start of everything,and either Piper,Leo,Jason and Annabeth pointed out if he was at camp all the time or not. The only thing we know is that the Aphrodite's cabin thought he had a crush for Annabeth,since he was always helping her in the research (we all know how that went),but no one of them ever commented on Nico staying at camp. And he wasn't there for TLH (before Jason,Piper and Leo went on their quest,and when they come back). And since he didn't want to come back to neither of the 2 camps after the war and prophecy,I believe he stayed most of the time in the Underworld. And if not in the Underworld,then on his own (again).

So,again for the second time,CHB campers were shit to him,even after part of their victory during the final battle with Kronos was thanks to his army of undead. Apparently saving their lifes didn't count for shit when it cames to Nico. First time wasn't enough.

Nico didn't had a reason (yet) to stay at CHB after HoO. Everyone still was wary of him,even after everything he did,and Nico himself wasn't comfortable with almost all of them expect a few. He wanted to leave because he knew he wasn't going to be welcomed,the first two times it went the same way after all,why bother for a third when he knew what would happen already?

But most of this reasoning can also fall on the rush of his decision,which is also something I don't like for all the things I wrote already. BoO final battle is a mess,we all know that,it's not even 10 pages long (TLO had half of the book only for the final boss battle) and Gaia is defeat by a flying guy with a girl that has a good voice,and a guy that can put himself on fire,sitting on a dragon,that went with it. Rick really wasted himself here and it was extremely rushed,so everything else felt also rushed.

One page Nico is "I don't want to stay at CHB or CJ,I don't belong here!" and 5 pages after he is "I think I'm staying,this place it's not so bad" to Jason. And that's not how it work.

Realistically Nico should have walked away and returned to the Underworld,while visiting for Hedge,Percy and Will (he will probably hunt him down once he knew he is there to try and be his friend) and occasionally helping CHB when there is something going on,and visiting CJ for Hazel and Reyna. Let him grow on his own and out of CHB toxicity,while also trying to strengthen the relationship he already has and trying to create others. There are cabins for children of minor chthonic gods at camp too (Hecate,Hypnos,Nemesis,ecc),let Nico have some connection with them. He already know Clovis (Hypnos cabin) and he isn't weird out by him,so let Nico grow that friendship. Hecate cabin should be close to him since their mother is his sister mentor and their parents work together. Nemesis children value justice and balance,a philosophy that Nico share with them and take in consideration when it came to dealing with his enemy/people disrespecting the dead. Let him build little by little a good emotional support in people he can actually trust at camp,while in the meantime his relationship with his dad start to heal and he gets closer to Persephone.

He doesn't need to rush his decision,he has to grow into it. If he stays st CHB is because he want to,not because Jason,Will or someone else want him there even with all the mistreatment he could face again. And I can see it totally happening during ToA,where at the end of the serie he decide he want to try again because now he is aware of having people there for him. He finally has that motivation to stay.

This is how it should have gone,instead of Nico changing his mind without even a motivation in just 4 pages. There is so much hurt in being shunned away by everyone you met,knowing full well you will never be part of their "perfect little friend group" because you are the weird one. Because people want someone to use as escape goat when shit gets real and needs help,but don't even try to get to know you. You can't change that just because a guy asked if you want to stay. That's not how this type of pain and healing works.

[c-kiddo]

my favourite part of cr2 was when beau and caleb sat down and were like autism solidarity 🤝 do you think caduceus is also? and then they took him to the fantasy dungeons and dragons doctor and got him diagnosed and got a support plan in place

[mblue-art]

—ketchup breath!!

april 2022, huh... how time flies by...

[girzapata6]

More of this AU(¿¿¿

Note: This AU is about the Krew turning into children, so yeah lmao... This is just based on a RP I had with my gf @charly-mao xD

----------SPAM---------

BTW!! DON'T FORGET MY COMMISSIONS ARE OPEN!! PLEASE, CONSIDER BUYING ME A COMMISSION (Or at least share the post!), I NEED TO FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO STAY AND I NEED THE MONEY!!;;;;;

↓↓PLEASE READ THIS POST FOR MORE INFO!!;;;↓↓