#man there is. So Much terrible stuff out there

[haveihitanerve]

Oracle, Come In

Tim thought he was being reasonable. 

“Just a quick lone patrol! Please B! You won’t even notice I’m gone!” He begs, offering up his best puppy dog eyes, courtesy of Dick’s teachings. 

But Batman’s lips remain a thin, impenetrable line. “No.” The word isn’t spoken so much as it is barked, a simple order. A command. 

Tim scowls, mask crinkling with annoyance. “But-!” He tries, maybe going for the logical approach, after all, this is Batman he’s talking to, but Bruce cuts him off with a quick flick of his wrist, like he’s dismissing Tim or something. “

No, Robin! And that is final. It’s too dangerous alone.” He turns, tugging out his grapple line. 

‘End of discussion.’ Tim mocks in his head, but doesn't dare say aloud. What’s the point? It’s not like Bruce is going to change his mind. He’s stupidly strict over stuff like this. 

It doesn't matter that Tim has been Robin for over a year, now. Doesn't matter that they’ve already basically finished patrol and are going to head home now anyway, so most crime has been dealt with. Doesn't matter that Dick is also home and patrolling, so things are doubly safe. 

No. None of that matters. Bruce still doesn't trust him to go off on his own. To try to spread his wings a little without the lurking bat. 

“Robin?” Bruce’s voice is sharp. Commanding. Tim cringes, looking up from where he’d been scowling at the rooftop. Batman’s white lenses narrow at him, displeasure practically emanating from the man. “Yes, Batman?” Tim returns sulkily, uncaring that he sounds childish. If Bruce is going to treat him like a child, then he is damn sure gonna act the part, that’s for certain.

“Home. Now.” Batman growls, and his tone offers no room for argument. 

Tim scowls harder. “Right.” He agrees, smiling maliciously. “Of course, Your Darkness. I’ll make sure to head home straight away. Wouldn’t want the Estate to gather dust with my absence, would we?” He drops off the roof before he can see Bruce flinch back, before he can witness the effect of his words. Fine. If Bruce wants him to go home so desperately, he will. 

He’ll go to the Drake Estate and he’ll stay there, until Bruce either ferrets him out or apologizes. It’ll likely be the former, but Tim doesn't much care. He’s too angry, now. The anger might die by the time Bruce’ll come for him, but it’s not dead now. It feels better than it should, the fact that he knows Bruce is guaranteed to come for him, even if he’s not going to apologize. 

“Wow.” A comm line crackles to life in his ear, and Dick’s ringing laughter rings out, clear and true, as Tim finally fires off his grapple gun, as close to the ground as he dares- because he knows Bruce won't leave until he hears it, and wants the man to feel as much panic as possible before alleviating it- moving towards the Drake Estate. “You’re ballsy, little brother.” Dick cackles, utterly delighted by Tim’s moves towards Bruce.

Despite himself, Tim finds his lips twitching upwards too. “Is he following me?” He mutters, not daring a glance behind him.

“Nah.” Dick returns, still chortling. “He won’t. B is many things, but he’s not a total asshole. He’ll give you your space. You’ve drawn a line and he’ll respect it… for now.” It shouldn't feel so good to have Dick confirm that Bruce will follow him. That he will come for him.

“Yeah.” Tim agrees, smiling lightly. “Great.” A wonderful, terrible idea overtakes him. “Okay, N. I’ll catch you tomorrow or something.” He tries to dismiss his brother quickly, glancing around. “See ya.”

He can practically feel Dick’s grin. “Gotcha, Robin! See you tomorrow. Sleep in late or something, y’know? Really make him feel your absence.”

Tim laughs, feet tripping over themselves a little as he lands on the nearest roof, catching his breath. “I gotchu. Bye.” He murmurs cheerfully, and switches off his comms. 

~

Up in the Clocktower, Barbara Gordon leaned over her computer, squinting at the screen.

“Okay, Oracle. I’m heading back to the Manor.” Bruce informs her stiffly, and she can practically hear him tense, anticipating a lecture. But Barbara’s in no mood to argue about his parenting styles. Not tonight.

“I'll see you in the morrow, B. Try to get some sleep, yeah? Oh, and actually apologize, this time. Don’t just order him to work with you again.” Okay, so maybe she is in the mood. Just a little.

Bruce huffs a sigh back at her, but she knows he’s nodding. “Noted, O. Thank you.” Barbara laughs, offering him a two finger salute even if she knows he cant see it. He can feel it, and that’s all that matters.

“Not a problem, Batman. Over and out.” His voice brims with a smile as he answers.

“Over and out, Batgirl. See you tomorrow.” She refuses to smile at the old name, but allows her lips a brief moment of exercise before moving to lock down the computer for the night.

Tonight was deliciously slow, and even though she agrees with Bruce that Tim shouldn’t be out on the streets alone, she still would have gone about it a different way. Still, it’s not her place. Not yet, anyway.

She bites back a yawn, rubbing a hand over her eyes as she stretches back in her chair, letting out a sated sigh. “Nothing better than a good nights work.” She murmurs to herself with a grin, spinning her wheelchair towards the elevator so she can head home.

She’s almost reached it when the speaker crackles, drawing her attention back to the desk. “B?” She offers, frowning, and rolls back slightly. “Nightwing?” The speaker sputters again, distorted and scratchy.

“B? This isn't funny.” She warns, but rolls back over to the desk anyway, starting up the computer to try and clear up the signal and check the boys’s trackers.

Her heart leaps into her throat as she beholds the blinking red dot that is Tim.

“Oracle, come in, can you hear me?” The speaker explodes to life and Barbara heaves a breath of relief, keys clacking as she switches tabs, finger pressing the comm button.

“O here, I read you Robin.” She murmurs back, other hand darting to alert Bruce that his bird has flown the nest. There’s no answer from Tim, and Barbara’s frown deepens for a second, before the comm line activates again.

“Oracle, anyone, can you hear me?” His voice is bordering on panicked, but still controlled.

“I hear you, Robin, loud and clear.” Barbara repeats, firm and loud, but again, there’s no answer. Panic bites her throat.

“I’m heading to his location now.” Dick reports promptly, grim, firm, and disconnects before she can say hurry. He knows. They all know.

“All comm lines active, can you hear me?” Tim says again, breathing heavy, and Barbara bites her lip hard enough to draw blood, routing coordinates to Bruce and Dick, the formers tracking device moving so quickly Barbara is almost certain he’s breaking every law ever created.

“I read you Robin. Loud and clear.” She repeats dutifully, resisting the urge to scream at Bruce, at Dick. Hurry. They all know. They won’t lose another Robin. Not today.

“Anyone,” Tim is sobbing now, breathing labored and wet, ragged as the sounds of gunshots reaches her ears through the speakers. “Come in.” he pleads, and there's nothing Barbara can do, nothing but press down that little button that lets them talk, that button that is supposed to connect them, and repeat.

“I can hear you, Robin. I’m here.” 

~

“Move! Dammit!” Bruce snarls, spinning the wheel as he flies down the unpaved roads of Gotham, swerving around the few lone cars that still straggle around at this time of night.

“I’m almost to him.” Dick murmurs in his ear, his eldest son’s voice more soothing than anything.

“Hurry.” Barbara bites out, and Bruce knows the word has been pressing on her for a while. Neither Dick nor he responds, but his foot grows heavier on the gas pedal.

It's pure luck he’d reached the Batmobile when Barbara had alerted him Tim had, in fact, not chosen to go home, but was instead down by the docks, patrolling by himself.

“Dammit Tim.” Bruce grumbles, but he can’t fight the rising panic welling in him. He won’t lose another Robin. He won’t.

“I’m at the warehouse.” Dick mutters, and relief, cascading like a wave, breaks over Bruce. He sucks in a breath and his lungs devour the air greedily, hungry for absolution.

“He’s stopped asking.” Barbara’s voice is deceptively light, but Bruce can read her underlying panic as easily as he can his own.

His tires scream as he screeches to a stop, but Bruce hardly lets them cool before he’s leaping from his seat, flying up the stairs into the warehouse.

Four men await him, each with a gun in hand, but Bruce moves on autopilot, and they’re down before they even have the chance to scream. Tim must have stumbled right into a gang meet up, because it’s like that down almost every hall before Bruce finally reaches the place that Tim’s tracker beeps from.

“Robin?” He whispers gently, pushing open the door carefully. Tim is silent, eyes wide, mouth covered by a gloved hand, pistol pressed against his temple.

“One more step and the birdie gets it.” The man threatens, and Bruce can hear the fear in his voice as plain as day.

“Robin,” Bruce repeats, ignoring the man entirely. “Are you hurt? Tell me you’re okay.” Tim’s eyes are wide with fear, wet with tears, and a roaring starts in Bruce’s ears.

“Don’t you get it, man?” The goon, or whoever he is spits, pistol knocking a little harder against Tim’s head, drawing blood. “One move and-”

“I recommend you let him speak.” Dick’s voice is lethally calm, his appearance so silent that the man startles, gun moving from Tim’s temple to point at him for a moment before resuming it’s placement against the slowly oozing wound.

“What?” The goon is thoroughly confused, panic and fear making his stumbled steps backwards shaky, his grip on Tim tighter.

“Let. My. Brother. Speak.” Dick repeats, slowly, words clipped. “If he cannot reassure my father that he is safe, then you have no chance of survival, my friend.” Dick smiles, the look so eerie and chilling that the goon actually obeys, terrified, hand dropping from Tim’s mouth to wrap around his neck instead.

“I’m sorry.” Tim whispers, the moment he can open his mouth.

“Robin.” Bruce repeats, firm, as Dick hovers around the edges of his periphery, forever watchful of his back. “Are you hurt? Tell me you’re okay.”

Tim’s eyes flit upwards to the man holding him, then back to Bruce’s eyes. He swallows. Dick’s hand on Bruce’s arm keeps the man from moving and ripping Goon’s hands off.

“It wasn't him.” Tim whispers. “I’m sure you got the ones that did it already.”

A low snarl rips from Bruce’s throat. “Your head is bleeding because of him.” He spits. “Your eyes are wet because of him. You are scared, because of him.”

The goon swallows hard, eyes growing wider by the second. “I didn't do shit, man.” He whimpers. “Please, you can take him. Just please let me go.”

It’s all Bruce needs. He’s across the room in a second, gun knocked from the man’s hand in two, a quick swipe to the back of his neck all it takes for him to sag to the floor, unconscious.

Tim’s knees buckle, but Bruce catches him, sweeping him into his arms with ease as he cradles him to his chest. “The warehouse is clean.” Dick reports, eyes thunderous, but stays at Bruce’s side. Does not impart more judgement than the one Bruce has already served.

“Good.” Bruce sweeps past him, and they ride to the Manor together in silence, Tim hissing at every bump and swerve. Bruce’s hands tighten on the wheel with every sound, until the very metal bends under his anger.

Alfred is waiting, already prepared due to Barbara, and Tim goes under quickly.

Bruce changes while the butler works, ordering Dick to do the same, and then they wait, anxious, at Tim’s bedside, for him to wake again.

When he finally does, he flinches back in fear, drawing together. “I'm sorry.” He whispers, miserable, and won’t meet Bruce’s eyes. “I shouldn't have- I’m sorry.” Excuses seem to be too much for him, maybe because he knows there is none.

Bruce lets out a quiet sigh, leaning forward, and takes Tim’s hand in his own. “Tim. Look at me.” The boy raises his head, shameful and afraid, but meets his eyes.

“I’m… yes, I’m angry at you for disobeying me. And getting yourself hurt. But I am not…” He sighs, uncertain of how to both be firm and yet comforting.

“What B is trying to say is that you scared the shit out of him, and don’t do it again.” Dick comes to his rescue, as he so often does.

Tim’s lips twitch with the briefest of smiles. “I’m sorry.” He repeats.

Bruce squeezes his hand. “It’s- well, it’s not alright, but I’m just glad you’re safe, Robin. I’m glad I got to you in time. Please don’t ever do it again, though, Tim. Alright?”

Tim smiles, small and subdued, but nods. “Yeah. Okay.” He agrees. “I won’t.”

@pixelsbuildmysoul @blue--orangeade @alex-blanc141

it is farrrr too late, but I did finally get around to writing my "oracle come in" fic, so here it is :) tada!! I am dissappointed in the ending, I do not like it that much, but it's finished and I figured I'd give you all something since it's been too damn long. I hope it lives up to your dreams :)

[letloverule1111]

FanFic Share "Challenge"--What are the last 5 fanfics you've read that you LOVE?

HI--this is my post from reddit...sharing it here because I really want to know what y'all are reading!

I'm always looking to discover wonderful fanfics and I soooooo many fics that I love have come from suggestions here! So I want to play a fun "challenge" (challenge isn't really the right word for this but we're going to use it anyway, k?)

HERE'S WHAT TO DO:

Go to your History

Starting from your most recent read scroll back and note fanfics you've LOVED...(meaning, if in your 5 most recent fics you've read you've only truly LOVED 3 of them then keep scrolling back until you have 5!)

When you have 5 of them, list them/link them here!

I'll start!!!

Just Like North by anincompletelist (soldouthaz) This is a Maze Runner au. I have personally never read or watched Maze Runner but trust me, the writing and story telling is SO GOOD that it won't matter. If you like dystopic future/badass Alex fics YOU WILL LOVE THIS!

love thorns all over this rose by theprinceandagcd  @theprinceandagcd HOLY SHIT. This fic killed me in all the best ways. The writing is amazing. It will tear your heart apart before it is put back together so if you like angst, READ THIS IMMEDIATELY. Alex thinks he's incapable of being a good boyfriend due to a past experience--together with his "not good enough" stuff this is a potent combo. So when he hooks up with Henry, he makes it clear it is just sex and friendship...of course, Alex is a tortured soul...you guys--this fic is so good and my summary is lame...just trust me--EXCELLENT.

all i wanted (was you) by ksmalltalk Author's summary: It's been nearly a decade since exes Henry and Alex have last seen or heard from each other. After one unexpected night of reuniting thanks to the meddling of their mutual friend, the pair find that neither time nor circumstance can stop their flame from rekindling. With the complications of Henry's marriage to another man and his scheduled return to London looming, the two must navigate life's difficulties as they grapple with what a possible future could mean for them. NOTE: the epilogue hasn't been posted yet but no reason to think it won't be. This is a reliable poster. AND even if the epilogue never gets posted, the story is complete and SO SO SO WORTH READING!

With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) by kiwiana  @kiwiana-writes Dare I say, one of the absolute best fics in our fandom. This is actually a re-read I did. Author's summary: Alex is a former child star struggling to make the transition into being seen as a serious actor. He jumps at an opportunity to perform on stage in the UK, seeing it as a way to break free from the typecasting and show what he can really do. But he wasn’t prepared to star alongside someone he hates. // Henry is a recent theatre graduate who accepts an amazing role in a queer reimagining of Much Ado About Nothing. And then it turns out his co-star is none other than the man he’s been hopelessly pining after for years—even though Henry made a terrible first impression when they met. // It’s… well, it’s practically Shakespearean.

Breathing In, Breathing Out by smc_27 One of the best writers in our fandom, I believe. Author's summary: He can’t believe just when he started to get the sense he actually knew what he was doing, Henry would pull this. Like, as far as Alex knows he hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s on time for dates and he calls when he says he will. He remembers what Henry likes to eat and what his favourite drink is. He doesn’t watch movies alone that he thinks will be fun to watch together. He tries not to be distracting when they’re supposed to be studying.

He’s been thinking of Henry as his boyfriend in his head for like two weeks now.

Worrying Henry’s been lying about how much he likes this - how much he likes Alex - fucking hurts.

Okay! I can't wait to see what you've been reading (that you love)!!!! Yay! Thanks for playing!

BONUS--CURRENT READ IS

Bluebonnets and Polo Mallets by Chamel. @cha-melodius. Another one of the best writers in the fandom. Fic is a WIP but WILL get posted to completion. If you ever wanted to know what would happen when Polo player, Henry, and Rodeo star, Alex, meet up...this is your fic. SO GOOD!

[see-arcane]

Terrifying Transformations: An Anthology of Victorian Werewolf Fiction – Assorted Lycanthrope Flavors

After meandering through it for months—I cracked this book open in March—I finally picked my way through Terrifying Transformations: An Anthology of Victorian Werewolf Fiction, edited by Alexis Easley and Shannon Scott. The categories I parted them into:

SPOILERS BELOW

Stories I Would Return to Out of Enjoyment

“The White Wolf of the Hartz Mountains” by Frederick Marryat– Actually a segment taken from a larger novel, The Phantom Ship, but an excellent classic Beware of the New Woman who is Scary and Evil horror. Has a good helping of Fair Folk elements too. 

“Lycanthropy in London; or, The Wehr-Wolf of Wilton-Crescent” by Dudley Costello – A rare somewhat comedic take, displaying what looks to be Mr. Costello gleefully calling bullshit on the entirety of physiognomy and the type of people who latch onto pseudoscience and faux mystic intuitions to declare a stranger has Bad Vibes ™ and is probably a vicious werewolf in disguise! Has a happy ending though.

“The Gray Wolf” by George Macdonald – Leans almost in a folktale direction. Hot wolf girl seeks wandering young man. Some blood is shed. It’s fine.

“The Were-wolf of the Grendelwold” by F. Scarlett Potter – A rare case of the werewolf having something like the usual vampiric seductive-coercive power over a target, nearly to the point of a devilish archetype. A lot of corpses by the end.

“Dracula’s Guest” by Bram Stoker – Proto-Jonathan Harker being a proud and haughty Englishman disregarding the locals’ fears only to nearly get chomped by a vampire horde! Dracula in a werewolfish role! Sharing wine with the manly soldier who shared his horse with you! Fun stuff. 

“Where There is Nothing There is God” by William Butler Yeats – Period typical problematic bits with the poor kid involved, but a surprising twist on dubbing the werewolf-adjacent character a kind and magical holy figure in disguise.

“A Ballad of the Were-Wolf” by Rosamund Marriott Watson – A decent Victorian stab at ye olde English poetry regarding a bloody werewolf tale.

Stories I Would Return to Only to Reference in a Period Piece to Highlight What a Terrible View People of the Time Had Regarding People They Want to Demonize By Calling Them Werewolves (or Were Otherwise Just Not That Engaging)

“Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf” by G.W. M. Reynolds – Skipped entirely! The intro pointed out the guy was a plagiarist. Immediate pass.

“The White Wolf of Kostopchin” by Gilbert Campbell – Dragged too much for me to get interested. More imperiled children, more Scary Evil Powerful Lady wolf.

“The Mark of the Beast” by Rudyard Kipling – Old-fashioned Scary Magic Retaliation Curse from Scary Indian (actual India, not Native American) after an Englishman was a jackass in a temple. Too much colonialism glaze on this one for me. Pretty straightforward man-to-beast gimmick, nothing fancy. 

“The Were-Wolf” by Clemence Housman – Starts out as a promising Nordic-flavored shapeshifter tale, but ultimately peters out into an incredibly on-the-nose ‘Christlike sacrifice for the Greater Good!’ end. Good effort on characterization, but ultimately felt like a letdown.

“The Other Side: A Breton Legend” by Eric Stenbock – Once again, comes with the Christianity cure-all sledgehammer at the end. Has a refreshingly witchy buildup, at least. Fairy tale angles.

“Morraha” a Celtic tale recorded by Joseph Jacobs – Not great, not terrible. Would have been more enjoyable if the telling was worded less like a rambling Madlibs game of ‘and then this happened and then this and then this.’ It does have a cadence pretty close to old fairy tale recitations which are notoriously incredibly condensed and very hit or miss for me, so I could just be biased.

Stories About Regular People Being Mistaken for Werewolves via Trickery, Idiocy, or Belief in Lycanthropy/‘Wolf Madness’ as an Actual Mental Illness

“Hugues the Wer-Wolf” by Sutherland Menzies – Every other paragraph had me going, “Hmm. That’s a bit fucked up. (depressing)”

“A Story of a Weir Wolf” by Catherine Crowe – Simultaneously vindicating and deeply saddening.

“Lycanthropy in London; or, The Wehr-Wolf of Wilton-Crescent” by Dudley Costello – See above.

“A Pastoral Horror” by Arthur Conan Doyle – Crazy murderer in the Alps. Bit of a stretch to include this one, I think. No real wolfish traits on display, but it does nod to the old ‘if you wound a werewolf in lupine form, it will show the mark in human shape!’ trope a little. Not Doyle’s best, not his worst.

Not Stories, Just Victorian Attempts at ‘Educating’ on Lycanthropy

“Wolf-Children” from Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal

“Wolf Lore” from Once a Week

“The Book of Were-Wolves: Being an Account of a Terrible Superstition” (Excerpt) by Sabine Baring-Gould

Overall I was deeply surprised at seeing so little in this collection that had anything to do with werewolves within England as a setting. So much of it is just tucked away in other countries happening in 'uncivilized' (read: not England) territories. I suppose that keeps in parallel with the vampire fiction fascination, with all these blood-drinking undead having come from far off places or older less-than-modern corners of the world. But even Dracula got around to menacing London! And yet there’s not one measly wolfman wandering around the cities? Genuinely shocked.

[koshercosplay]

alrighty folks buckle up for the fifth year of menorabilia ratings! I've scoured the internet (and my eyeballs) so get ready for the best and worst chanukah merchandise of the year

okay first I just need to get these fuckin gnomes out of the way. ideally permanently. this guy's hat has so much going on I don't know where to begin. the menorah? not kosher. also wrong. the dreidels? certainly have,,, something written on them. everyone knows reindeer love chanukah, the lighting fires holiday. 5/10 at least it's got SOMEWHAT of a cuteness factor

turning old CDs into fake sufganiyot is certainly creative bc that's the only explanation for those monstrosities that I'll accept. please don't spin your spontaneous combustion menorahs on top of your dreidels. it won't bring the next season any faster. 4/10 I'll put up with a lot if you're offering to pay for my netflix account

they are Setting That Torah On Fire. is that why there's an oil jug next to a candle menorah. 6/10 the פ instead of a ש‎ on the dreidel is because the miracle is just the torah not bursting into flames

this really puts the messy in messianic. it's got the wrong amount of branches. why is the shamash just two stacked cups. the cross looks like an airplane. oh god it also has the jesus fish. -76162802492/10 never knew a single image could contain so much No.

some of these menorahs are kosher and some are not which really spices things up. what a fun little game of I spy for me. I enjoy the addition of various happy animals celebrating chanukah but were the santa hats really necessary? 7/10 that bottom dreidel has two נ‎s. none dreidel with left coins.

I can acknowledge that it's an attempt to jewish-ize a christmas thing but tinsel is, unfortunately, occasionally, pretty. weird choice to have all the menorahs have נ‎s but sure. what's that? those are dreidels? wrong. take a look at the helpful next image of this item.

do you see it yet? here let me help.

clearly those are menorahs. we light them on fire and spin them as fast as we can. first one to die loses. 5/10 google is your friend

move over fiddler on the roof chassidim with bottle balancing skills, here come some cats with impressive candle dexterity. this may not be a kosher menorah but their TAILS are the BRANCHES. 7/10 I am easily won over by the presence of cats okay

canon jewish representation, a spinning dreidel, a kosher menorah, some chocolate gelt, and they're eating fresh latkes. I needed these yesterday. 10/10 rugrats my beloved never lets me down

(previous years 1, 2, 3, 4)

[narsildur]

So because of the length of the new DW seasons, Ncuti has been doctor for I believe only 5 more episodes than Christopher Eccleston. Now I love 9 he is one of my favourite Doctors I think it’s an absolute crime he didn’t get more time and the situation around that is criminal too, but I’m gonna put that aside for a second.

A Doctor who has had 2 companions, the return of multiple major Classic Who characters, references to the MASSIVE lore changes during the previous era, as well as involvement in currently two specials has FIVE more episodes than one of the shortest incarnations of the Doctor.

Now I can’t find anything concrete that Ncuti’s run is ending after this season, only comments that he hasn’t been ‘axed’ but no dispelling of the rumours of regeneration (or show cancellation lets be real), but if he is leaving??? That feels so wrong.

The length of these seasons is appalling we don’t get enough time to develop ANYONE properly, almost every episode seems to be out competing the others, and the huge classic Who things the entire fandom is talking about have taken place over what is to be THREE episodes. Obviously they’ll likely continue into possibly further seasons but now? With Ncuti? With Varada? It’s three episodes.

Eight episodes will NEVER be enough to tell stories like these. Longer seasons allow for an episode or two that feel a little out of character because we have enough to come back around with whereas eight episodes doesn’t do that - Belinda’s immediate forgiveness and affection after seeing the Doctor torture someone is the best example so far, she literally Would Not Act Like That.

I hope this isn’t the end for Ncuti, him as the Doctor is what’s keeping me watching every week because I LOVE where he’s taking it. I just wish the plot and scripts allowed for more exploration of his version of the character and his wants and wishes (lol) and Ruby and Belinda’s character arcs (if you can even call them that).

I hope I eat my words I hope he gets more time I hope characters start to feel fully fleshed out. Mostly I hope we see the end of 8 episode seasons and go back to actual creative freedom and not a streaming set up show. I hope a lot of things.

[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.

[chalkrub]

art trade stuff for @sharkflan ! love these thangs

[hanzajesthanza]

the training montage in crossroads re-ignited a headcanon i had of geralt waking up and doing gymnastics, performing kickflips and mid-air spins around on a fencepost outside an hour before sunrise to ‘limber up,’ and bleary-eyed dandelion wrapping himself up in a blanket to be like "heyyy... what the hell are you doing 💖"

[kalied0skull]

Really scared because a lot of my friends think I’m autistic but every time I tell people they say I seem normal. I have a small list of symptoms I was given by my friend and she said she’d write me more

I’ll update you later…😞

Love your stevepop art🩷

research is the best you can do in a moment of curiosity over a diagnosis, and look especially at symptoms that showed when you were younger !

autism shows in as young as infancy, and if you're curious you should probably ask a parent (or whomever family you may feel most comfy asking) about subtle signs of autism, just things that seem most out of the ordinary that ur curious about

AND THANKYOU !!! just for you anon, a little doodle of them being silly ...

[catkin-morgs-kookaburralover]

questioning sexuality is so exhausting

[fictional-worlds-are-exquisite]

i'm going to get a bad grade in appreciating films

[laugtherhyena]

Last but certainly not least is my boy Cachkea with a very much needed redesign (I was so lost on that first one)

[hana-bobo-finch]

jørgan clan my beloved. you guys are so messed up

[lemonynuggets]

honestly I’m still not over the HOO Cupid scene

[thelingering]

brain tired from Latin so have an appreciation post for humanity

[f1owermoon]

sorry i just. need to rant for a second