#A Grim Destiny

[nelkcats]

Grim Reaper

The moment he gained consciousness as he emerged from the Lazarus pits, Jason noticed a curious thing: A shadow was always following him, waving with happiness, even though it was rather threatening in his opinion.

At first, the shadow looked harmless, greeting him and hiding most of the time, almost like they were friends. But when Jason returned to the streets of Gotham and killed the first person he considered "bad" as Red Hood, his "friend" came out of the shadows and revealed his identity: Death.

Jason was sure it was Death, with the scythe in his hands, his black hood up and his green eyes judging him completely serious (he even saw him collect the soul of who he had killed!). At that moment he knew that he had made a mistake and began to escape from it. He wasn't going to die a second time, and death was not going to catch him. This of course, started some kind of supernatural persecution in Gotham.

But contrary to what Jason thought, the Grim Reaper wasn't trying to kill him. Danny was actually trying to prevent Jason from becoming a Grim Reaper like him, this being one of the worst punishments in his opinion.

Many years ago, the Observants punished him probably in an attempt to prevent his fate as Dark Dan after the death of his family. For what reason was this punishment assigned to him? Killing everyone associated with the G.I.W. Danny considered what he did fair, they had attacked and he had responded.

In his opinion they deserved no mercy, not after what they did to his family and friends, not after what they did to Amity.

But his thirst for blood and revenge only got him so far. After leaving that bloodbath behind, the ghosts told him that the Observants were waiting for him in the Realms; When he arrived they gave him a punishment for his actions by assigning him as a "Grim Reaper" supposedly to "teach him the value of life" he still thought it was absurd, it's not like they knew it themselves.

But when he saw his own mentor looking at him sadly he accepted. He was immortal, it's not like he had much to do. But the duty of a Grim Reaper was arduous, exhausting and sad, Danny didn't want anyone else to go through it. That's why when he heard that another immortal could be punished just like him, he rushed to meet him and try to avoid it.

But he had spent so much time alone that he didn't know how to approach, he had forgotten his humanity and only knew Esperanto! How was he going to keep Jason from getting lost in the path of blood and vengeance if he couldn't talk to him? He even tried to smile but the guy looked terrified!

Other than that, Jason kept running away every time he saw him, was it impossible to stop him from turning into a Grim Reaper like him!?

[screebyy]

A something about Warlord's Ruin dialogue and Petra's exile and Uldren and Petra's relationship

“Petra, I’ve… never apologized to you. For what you’re still going through.”

The somber tone of Crow’s voice echoing through her radio sends an all-too-familiar jolt of unease down her spine. It’s uncanny how much the guardian sounds like him sometimes.

With a grimace, she shakes off the sensation, and clicks on her mic. “There’s no need,” she says, tiredly. “It wasn’t you.”

“I’m sorry,” The guardian radios back anyways. “He is too. Completely.”

She flinches again. He’s so much like the prince, it makes her nauseous sometimes - so self-obsessed he can’t help but shoulder the blame for any misdeed he can find some tangential reason to feel guilty over. What does Crow have to be sorry for? 

And what exactly does Uldren have to be sorry for? For the thousandth time she replays all the decisions she made during Mara’s years-long absence, all the mistakes she made. Uldren’s arrest, and the cold, cramped cell she left him in, because she didn’t know what else to do with the shell of her former prince, her former friend. The prison break, the hunt, the squeeze of her trigger finger…

Her hands curl into tight fists, her fingernails digging painfully into her palm. There was more she could have done. She knew there was something wrong with him, she knew that he was sick. Even before Mara’s sacrifice - after the Garden, she could tell he was no longer himself, that a darkness she still does not understand had burrowed into his heart, and taken root. She could have found a way to help him, to save him maybe - but… after Saturn, the Reef, it was all too much, she wasn’t enough, not on her own. If only Mara had been here, the Queen would have been able to…

“If I could wish it away…” Crow’s voice over her radio snaps her back to the present. A wish - he’s such a fool, she could almost laugh. Almost. She clicks on her mic.

“No,” she says, sternly. She won’t let him take the blame for this - not for Uldren’s mistakes. Not for her own. “You’re helping break the cycle. That should be more than enough.”

She kills the connection before he can respond. She suspects her words will do nothing to ease his misplaced sense of guilt - they never helped Uldren much, either. And she’s in no mood to listen to him find new ways to twist the lingering stain of Uldren’s mistakes into his own responsibility.

They are so much alike, more-so every day. She leans heavily over her desk, and closes her eye, remembering another apology, a lifetime ago…

—

The sun is so much brighter on Earth. Especially this time of year, mid-summer - it hangs high in the cloudless sky, just beyond the Traveler’s looming figure, and it’s so bright that the white concrete and iron railings of the Vanguard's Tower shine like marble and silver. Somewhere deep down, Petra knows it must be beautiful - but allowing herself to admit that feels like a sleight on her true home, the gentle golden rays of a sun always sitting low on the horizon, the refraction of purple light off the amethyst-studded walls of the Dreaming City. 

With a frown she sinks deeper into the shadow of the awning she's standing under, and squints against the blinding light. This place is a prison, she reminds herself - nothing here is beautiful. 

A hand on her shoulder startles her out of her musing - she whirls around, her knife whizzing up to the intruder’s throat, and finds Uldren Sov smiling ear to ear, hands held up in mock surrender.

“Your highness-!” She stammers, jumping back in surprise. “You shouldn't be here!”

“I'm not,” Uldren grins, pulling the hood of his cloak further forward to obscure his face. “Come on, let's get something to eat.”

—

They sit at a rickety metal table, in a cramped alleyway un-befitting a prince, with two bowls of hot noodles in a delicious, savory broth between them. It’s humble, but the noodle shop is one of the few places Petra has come to enjoy during her exile to the Tower - and discreet enough that Uldren is unlikely to be recognized.

“Everybody misses you back in the Reef,” Uldren says, picking absently at his bowl with a pair of chopsticks. “Jol says hello.”

“He isn't with you?” Petra asks, squinting up at the rooftops around the alley shop - searching for the silhouette of Uldren's shadow.

“No,” Uldren answers as he carefully pulls a few noodles up with his chopsticks, regarding them suspiciously. “He doesn't care for the Last City.”

Finally, he takes a bite, slurping the noodles into his mouth. He considers it, then scowls - Petra thinks for a moment it must not be to his liking, but the glimmer of irritation in his eyes betrays his true feelings. It's not the taste of the noodles that bothers him, but where they were made - he must be furious that such a delicious dish could possibly have come from the Vanguard’s Tower.

Petra smiles, and shakes her head. She wonders if he even bothered to tell Jolyon about this little excursion, or if he had just assumed he was doing the man a favor by leaving him behind.

“Anyway,” Uldren sighs, pushing his bowl across the table towards her. “When are you coming home?”

Her smile breaks, her heart twists with grief.

“Uldren,” she stutters. “You know, this isn’t-.... Queen Mara, she said-...”

Emotion wells up in her throat, sharp as knives, and she bites her tongue to keep it from spilling into her voice. This position is an exile, a punishment for her mistakes. She's never going home again.

“I know what she said,” Uldren sighs, waving his hand dismissively. “But do you really think she meant it? Come on, you're smarter than that.”

Petra stares at him blankly, mind racing. What does he mean? Did the Queen say something to him? About her? Uldren rolls his eyes, and leans forward.

“Petra,” he says seriously. “How long have you been away - five years? Six? This is a waste of your talents, and everyone knows it. You belong back home, with us.”

“All this-” He gestures around at the bare concrete walls, which look nothing like marble in this dark, dingy alleyway. “It's just a stupid show Mara had to put on, a political farce to stay in the Vanguard’s good graces. It doesn't mean anything, and it’s high time the show ended.”

He looks away, brow furrowed as he considers his next words for a long moment. Finally, he looks back at her, eyes flickering with emotion.

“I'm… I'm sorry, by the way,” he says. “For all of this. It's my fault you're here. For-”

“No,” Petra cuts him off, raising her hand. She will not allow him to debase himself, not for this. “I was the one who called for the bombing run, it was my decision that killed them. And this is my punishment.”

“But I was the one who dropped the bombs,” Uldren hisses, eyes burning. “I should have seen those guardians, I should have noticed-...”

He breaks off, biting his lip angrily, then slumps back in his chair, sulking. Petra looks down at his bowl of noodles, delicious and untouched.

“If you had seen them,” she starts, cautiously. “Would that have stayed your hand?”

Uldren frowns, and looks away.

“If I had known what would happen? That you'd be the one to take the fall for their deaths?” His frown tightens, the corners of his lips curling down in disgust. “Yes.”

Emotion swells in Petra’s chest again, but this time the feeling is warm and bittersweet. Pride, and gratefulness, for a prince who acts earnestly as a friend, not a sovereign. A friend so fiercely loyal he would try to take her guilt from her, and wear it himself.

“This isn’t your fault,” Petra says, quietly. “It was my mistake. My decision.”

“It was the right decision,” Uldren says, eyes snapping back to her with renewed ferocity. “It may have been an accident, but it was no mistake. You know that, Mara knows that. And she knows you don’t deserve to be rotting away in this tower for making the right call.”

Her eye opens wide, she sucks air into her lungs as she considers the truth in his words. He’s right. Of course he’s right. The Queen, she knows everything, so she must understand the depth of Petra’s loyalty, the veracity of her fervor. She must understand that there was no other call Petra could have made, there was no way to predict the guardians’ interference, no reason to believe they’d be anywhere near that valley. She must understand…

Uldren leans forward again, prodding his finger declaratively into the table.

“Write to my sister, plead your case, and she will listen, I promise you that,” he says. “The City’s had their pound of flesh from you.”

“If you truly believe the Queen will hear me…” Petra starts, but treacherous hope flutters wildly in her chest, sending a smile bursting across her face before she can finish the thought. She laughs, suddenly giddy. Of course, Mara will understand. The exile, it’ll be lifted, her guilt absolved, and she’ll finally, finally-

“Come home, Petra.” Uldren smiles, lifting his finger to point directly at her. “That’s an order.”

[thefirstknife]

Iirc, Saladin joined Caitl's forces to make up for Crow accidentally murdering a Psion? Have we heard from him lately? Is dad ok

Yes! Saladin is having the best time he's had in centuries. He quickly rose among the ranks (went from Bracus to Valus) and serves on Caiatl's war council. He is having a blast honestly, because Caiatl and her soldiers are really the closest thing to Iron Lords. He even broadcasts Iron Banner for them and they cheer for us!

Caiatl is super invested in Iron Banner and we'll see some changes to it this season which is explained in lore as Saladin and Caiatl colaborating on new rules.

He also had plenty of voice lines in Season of the Haunted at the end of Containment activity. For example:

Caiatl: Valus Forge. How fares our defensive perimeter around the Leviathan?

Lord Saladin: The blockade holds. Nothing in, nothing out. Your forces guard the H.E.L.M. as if it were part of their fleet.

Caiatl: You are a member of my War Council. What manner of empire would I lead if your soldiers were not afforded the same protection as my own?

Lord Saladin: An empire doomed to ruin. We stand together, Empress.

Another one that makes me happy for wolf dad:

Caiatl: Another rousing success. Tell me: will we ever see you smile again, Zavala?

Nightmare of Safiyah: You can't coax a smile out of him. I've tried. He's too much like Lord Saladin that way.

Caiatl: And yet, I've seen Saladin smile. It is a glorious thing.

Also a playlist with updated Iron Banner dialogue that reflects Saladin living with Caiatl's fleet. Some faves:

This one when you lose: "The Cabal have a term for such a display: "uro'ok nur." You don't want to know what it translates to." LMAO. They taught him swears first, as it should be.

This one when you get heavy ammo: "I just heard a Centurion cheer for you." We have fans :)

This one on match start: "Caiatl's Gladiators whisper about you between matches. They think you're unkillable. Prove them right." More fans! I love that they watch us and cheer, of course they would love our Crucible.

Caiatl recounted some of this back in Risen at the end of the season. Her comments have my favourite part:

He has also started a version of the Iron Banner aboard my flagship, at my request. There were many volunteers for his training. He calls his Legionaries "Iron War Beasts."

He trains them and calls them Iron War Beasts.... Instead of Iron Wolves. There were a lot of soldiers that did not respect him at first because he's human, some even went as far as to desert Caiatl's fleet. But those that remain apparently trust him and love him a lot and think it's an honor to be trained by him. They wouldn't volunteer for training otherwise. And Saladin has an endearing nickname for them.

Grandpa is having a great time!

[thechaoticfanartist]

the ending is already written

revenge of the sith novelization // the clone wars gets a new victim // return of the jedi script // as long as there's light

[themadamwizard]

What if the Dread had Ghosts? Grim Ghost Shell

[bearded-shepherd]

News Article Here

On Friday morning, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) will kick off a four-hour live stream from a Washington rooftop overlooking the White House with some of the biggest political Twitch and YouTube live-streamers. The creators include Clara Sorrenti, known online as Keffals; Steven Bonnell, known online as Destiny; and Ian Kochinski, known online as Vaush. The agenda says they will discuss issues such as climate change, affordable housing and student debt relief. But the significance of the event may be what it says about the way Democrats and Republicans are seeking to engage with potential voters online. “The new generation of Americans aren’t getting their news from MSNBC, CNN or Fox,” Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley in Congress, told The Washington Post. “That’s just not how millennials and Gen Z consume news or get inspired. One of the ways they’re making decisions is engaging with streamers. It’s the equivalent of talk radio or cable for the new generation.”[cont. on MSN]

Better than expected. Ro Khanna converse with Emma and Ian along with other popular YouTubers/streamers is something I never thought I'd see. I would love to see this sort of stuff continue; especially cause this gives insight to disaffected youths online, instead of the same politicians and talking heads beating around the bush in every topic and receiving light punches.

[kekkuda]

i stg I cant be watchin German expressionist cinema I’m simply not straight enough to resist going feral over old goth daddies ,, u can’t just perform an abstract metaphysical philosophical post term abortion like like that and not earn my undying infatuation

[meredoubt]

...the Guardian is fucking nuts lmao

[filthy-mudeoki]

Guardian: The lonely and great god 쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 – 도깨비

Review and rambles

4. Guardian: The lonely and great god (9/10)

(16 Episodes) (2016)

[Gong Yoo, Lee Dong-wook. Kim Go-eun]

Synopsis: 

A once highly decorated military general from the Goryeo Dynasty, Kim Shin is framed as a traitor and killed. He is cursed by the Almight to stay immortal forever and has to endure seeing his loved ones die as punishment for all the soldiers he killed. He becomes an immortal goblin who helps people with their problems. The only way to end his painful existence is through the Goblin bride who is destined to pull the sword embedded in his chest and thus ending his immortality. Enter Ji Eun-tak a bubbly and jovial high school teenager, despite the tragic life she has had. Through chance and fate, she summons the Goblin and their lives become intertwined. In addition, Kim Shin’s nephew leases his house to a Grim Reaper and the three end up living together as they try to wade through their fates. It’s not all left to chance as the story unfolds, it reveals that they’re not mere strangers but people with closely related relations. 

Review: 

When it comes to fantasy kdramas – or just kdramas in general, this one carries the entire genre on its back. It’s breathtakingly, heartbreakingly beautiful and filled to the brim with everything you want in a kdrama. 

Not going to lie, it’s pretty heavy on the plot and intense dialogue. There is a lot of self -reflection and a lot of the characters are wrapped in tight angst blankets. But … is that not what we live for?

 The chemistry between Kim Shin and Ji Eun-tak  was interesting because its not quite what you’d expect but somehow it still manages to tear your heart into pieces (don’t worry, they put it back together again). I felt like we definitely could have had more from the nephew (Yook Sung -jae) as he was particularly enjoyable. The secondary couple, the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) and  Sunny (Yoo In-na) steal the show more than the first at times and its beyond charming. They’re amazing together and bring a much-needed touch of light-heartedness to an otherwise very heavy on the feels plot.

The issues surrounding life and death, mortality and such are well introduced into the show. The whole series is quotable and don’t we just love that from a drama? They give you plenty to think about yet it somehow doesn’t feel too heavy on the mind. 

The cast and performance: 

The amazing performance by Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook is unforgettable. Honestly, they steal the whole damn show. I’d watch a whole spin off series based on the adventures of the Goblin and the Grim Reaper. A good source of the humour and heartfelt moments comes from these two. Its almost unintentional and that what kinda steals your heart and breath all in one go. Kim Go-eun is a stunning female lead. She lends a good performance to a very demanding role and her character develops well over the episodes. 

OST: 

This is a therapy kdrama. If you need the emotional release, this what you should be watching. And if you don’t want to watch it, just listen to the soundtrack because that too was flawless. Seriously, just go listen to this OST because it is one that you will not regret. It’s got some of the most iconic and well-known tracks to come from a kdrama series. I’m pretty sure Stay with me has its own fanbase at this point. There are plenty of wonderful tracks that could float the entire fandom with all the tears you’re bound to shed. 

 Final thoughts: 

The first episode opens with a heartbreak and the last episode does not hold back any punches either but it does provide you with an ending that fills you with hope as there is a semblance of a happy ending. This kdrama takes you on one helluva emotional rollercoaster but you won’t regret it one bit. It’s an absolute journey and for anybody wanting to appreciate Kdrama at its ultimate peak should definitely give this a watch.

[bastardtrait]

tw: drowning

well I’m glad it was a great day because that evening Dallas fucking died. hey TS4 does that look like dying of old age to you? cause that looks like dying of FUCKIN drowning to me

transcript:

[Cutaway: Dallas dying of old age, apparently.]

DESTINY/DAKOTA: (sobbing) DAKOTA: Oh god, no...dad...

LIONEL: WHATTHEFUCKITSTHEGRIMREAPER. GRIM REAPER: Yes babe! Take a picture to remember this moment by. Although idk if it’s something you’ll necessarily want to remember but...

[Cutaway: Tucker’s sad moodlet mourning his new status as a widower.]

TUCKER: ... (deep, shuddering sigh)

[abracaxfuckxyou]

@destiny-unchained​ || hand holding how scandalous!

“Oh, no darling, it’s just right~” Taako said, moving to stand right beside him, resting his head on the reaper’s shoulder.

[jesseevelann]

Just for reference, MY FAVOURITE GAMES in no particular order

The Legend of Zelda franchise (especially Majora's Mask and OoT)

The Super Mario franchise (Mario and Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story my beloved ❤️)

Stick It to the Man!

Grim Fandango

Never Alone

The Pokémon franchise

Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns

Skyrim

Minecraft

Illusion Connect

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4

Undertale

Not as great, but still good games;

Animal Crossing: New Horizens

Destiny (preference of 1, as I have more memories, but the Witch Queen campaign was excellent to play. Despite the headache)

Stardew Valley

Sekiro and Nioh (Haven't played them through yet, maybe one day)

Jak and Daxter 1, 2, 3 and X

Rachet and Clank

Little Big Planet

The Sims

[eorzeashan]

*listens to beserk ost again, jolts upright* I FORGOT-

Jadus absorbed the Dread Masters in Eight's timeline after they defeated them together, and the gold etching on his veil is from their melted masks. If one listens closely in the Force, you can hear a minute ringing that turns agonizing if focused on for too long, a tinnitus like a multitude of voices.

[thechaoticfanartist]

Need, fire and DNA for the OC asks?

more oc asks

(Replying both as myself and as Grim for these because I said I wanted this as Grim however I can write a mini essay on two of these)

need: has your OC ever experienced desperation? how has it affected them? what do they do when something they need is out of their reach?

Grim: I have. It clouds me when I do, it messes me up. If I can't clear my mind I do not think. I have revealed secrets in desperate bids. I don't know what to do when what I need is out of reach. Sometimes I am just a fool.

Yes, Grim has experienced desperation. She panics in this state and makes choices she wouldn't make. She says things she will regret. She does things she regrets. Most notably her fight with Anakin on Mustafar. She had accepted the fact that she had failed. But she had one more thing she could change. She couldn't save the Jedi, and Anakin had fallen. So she went with the intent to kill Anakin in a mix of revenge and a desperate attempt to change something. If she could kill Anakin she could stop his future crimes. And because of her desperation it clouded her, mixed with her anger and it became just the mix to result in Anakin defeating her. If she had listened to Obi-Wan and Yoda she may have changed that fight so Vader would have been killed, but that ending was never known.

fire: what’s one thing they’d destroy if they could, and why? would that destruction bring them any satisfaction or catharsis?

Grim: Easy! The Sith! It would bring great satisfaction, and the Jedi would be safe.

If she could, Grim would destroy the Sith. I mean her whole goal is to defeat them, which in the best timeline destroy the Sith for good.

dna: does your OC believe in fate or destiny? what about soulmates? is this all a coincidence?

Grim: No. Destiny implies things are written. Fate is the same. Soulmates are another way to say that people are tied beyond themselves. There is no such thing as fate or destiny...and yet there is a reason behind it all. We write our own stories and nothing is set, but there is a reason for it. I don't quite know how to explain.

Okay I'm not going to lie I was hoping someone would ask this one because it is answered in tcwganv. I'm going to let Grim speak for herself again but this time through her story.

 “Then is tragedy destined for us?” Anakin asked her.

 “I do not believe in destiny, and I doubt you do as well, for destiny means life is written in stone. If we believe this, then why do we strive to save those we love from a terrible fate?”

-The Clone Wars Gets A New Victim, Part IV: The Storm, Chapter 35: Checkmate

Can you tell this is one of my favorite moments in the whole fic yet? Shippers keep your hands off my platonic sad tragedy moments or I swear-

Anyways as you can see from the above snippet Grim says herself she does not believe in it. However earlier she described the ending as being destined for tragedy, and in the next chapter thinks that to be true, it is not a case of Grim believing in destiny or fate but rather her devoid of any hope. At this point in the story Grim is hopeless. She is fully convinced that nothing can change now. All her chances had been spent. Continuing the conversation and ending it, Grim sets the ending in stone. Not because it was destined, but because she gave up.

Anakin lowered his head, he knew exactly what Grim meant. “Then it can be changed,” he said.

 Grim shook her head, “it is already too late.”

Also fun fact that was the last thing she says to him before Order 66 :)

Anyways long answer short no Grim does not believe in fate or destiny. She spends The Clone Wars fighting against the concept, because the very idea of it implies to her that she would never win and was set to fail from the beginning.

[necromancindencin]

I have note books filled with snippets of words no one will see in their fullness nothing but small glimpses into other dimensions

[hlysins]

tag dump: characters part three