#and it sparked some thoughts

[paragonrobits]

"One thing you will unfortunately have to combat," Iroh says, slowly walking a meandering path around a pond, Aang walking beside him, the both of them moving at a similar steady pace. "Is that far too many people of the age believe that the will to harm, and ruthlessness as a whole, is a sign of maturity."

Aang sighs, tilting his head up towards the stars. His expression is solemn, his face young, and his eyes unbelievably old. There is wisdom there; wisdom from a century ago, and echoes of wisdom even older than that, going all the way back to the foundation of the world.

The wisdom of the Avatar is something built from pain. The pain of past lives, the pain of countless generations that will not learn or are made to forget, the pain that comes from a thousand sources. The world is locked into an endless cycle, he thinks, and that cycle turns on pain.

"I think too many of the world's problems today," Aang says, in the soft and steady tones of one who is stating a fact that he ill likes, but does not ignore. "Is that people keep saying things like 'harmony and spirituality don't matter, all that matters is that we do whatever it takes to get what we want'."

"Indeed." Iroh stops, turning and looking at the water. His eyes seem younger than the Avatar's. For a moment, they almost glow with dragon-flame, or a mirror to the sun. It's a different sort of fire than that burning in most of his countrymen these days.

"I'd guess Sozin thought something like that, back before I went into the ice," Aang says.

The grandson of Sozin nods somberly. "It's one of the great illusions we see in these days," Iroh suggests. Something in tone implies that he may be thinking out loud; wondering, pondering, guessing at things that he cannot definitely say for sure. Pain, and uncertainty; that is the hallmark of the world today. "Thinking that because you are a different one from your enemy, that doing the same things as them doesn't carry a risk of repeating the harm they bring, because its you doing it, not them."

Aang nods. He is silent, for a time, and then he speaks. His words bear the weight of a great distance, and Iroh knows that he has made some kind of a connection, or an old fear. "Do you know the death toll of the Fire Nation navy at the battle of the Nothern Water Tribe?"

"Yes." Iroh gives Aang a concerned side glance. "Do you?"

Aang breathes in deeply. He looks down, calmly, at his hands, and his expression is tired, and looks older than he should.

It was not his will that happened there. He was the channel, that was all. Through him, the Ocean Spirit did as it willed, as was its right.

Nonetheless, it was his hands that had carried the deed. It was hard, to remember it, to accept it.

"Yes," the Avatar says simply.

Iroh is silent, and waits for the Avatar to speak.

When he does, he gives a heavy sigh. Aang continues, "I know that in the future, people are probably going to write about the... the Ocean Spirit being wrong. That it was vicious, or cruel, or that it might have attacked the Water Tribe too if things had been just a little different. Judging the Ocean by human attitudes, by the way humans have to be."

"And what do you think?" Iroh asks.

"That the Ocean Spirit isn't human," Aang says. "That the spiritual rightness of humans doesn't apply to the Ocean. Something like... our ways are not their ways. And in any event, things like how abstaining from the slaying of another liberates people from the ties of the world, or the flow of pain in the world... I don't think that CAN apply to spirits, at least not the world-defining ones like the Ocean. They are what they are. Their natures are tied TO how they are a part of the world. It's not really about making a moral decision for the Ocean Spirit. It's simply doing what it does."

"And as humans, it is our duty to seek harmony with the spirits, and the nations of humanity," Iroh says, stroking his beard; he strikes the image of an old master, and together with Aang he looks the part of a master and pupil. And yet, it is the reverse; there is so much he does not know, and that Aang does. He is the student, and the young man the teacher. "If the Fire Navy had not attacked with intent of conquest, they would have lived, and the Ocean Spirit would have no need to take retribution."

There was a certain way to things; if one wronged a spirit, it had to take retribution. It was like a pendulum; if you pulled it far enough back and let go, it would have to swing the other way just as far. It was simply the shape of the world. It was human error to attribute human morality to gravity moving the way it did. And it was greater human error to expect the most ancient and mighty spirits to abide by flawed human belief that the nations were fundamentally separate.

Aang's expression was solemn. For a moment, a thousand lifetimes of understanding shone forth, and beyond that there was an intelligence far older than that; the world itself in human form, regarding itself.

It was a look of sorrow. Sometimes that was the only response to human foolishness.

[cubbyhole-for-flea-bee]

give it up for Mr. I-don't-really-talk-about-my-feelings-maybe-I-should, everyone, any donations made to the theatre are going straight to a therapist fund!

[rooks-dagger]

Neve Gallus - The Winter from Tevinter, badass from Minrathous❄️

[andorerso]

rebelcaptain + the hunger games au

When Jyn Erso was eight years old, her mother died and her father left to become a gamemaker for the Hunger Games. Adopted by Saw Gerrera, her mother's friend, she became Jyn Gerrera and was forbidden from ever revealing her true identity to anyone. Ten years later, it's Jyn's last reaping. Saw, the forgotten victor of the 32nd Hunger Games, had rejected every reward the Empire offered him, preferring to live as a recluse at the edge of the forest in District 12, as opposed to the luxury in the Victors' Village. It's been decades since anyone in the district even recalled that Saw was once a victor himself, but he had made sure to teach Jyn all he knew of self-defense and combat training. It's the only thing she has of him left since his passing two years ago. Now, Jyn just wants to get through her last reaping and survive. But when she hears the name of the young girl she trades with sometimes, Jyn doesn't hesitate to volunteer in her place. She has nothing to lose, except her life, and every reason to believe that with Saw's training, she has a chance at winning the games. A chance that 12-year-old Kerri Andor wouldn't have. Things get a little more complicated when Kerri's brother is picked as the other tribute. Jyn is good at surviving, but Cassian, with his quiet cunning and surprising talent with a bow and arrow, could be a threat. Not to mention that Jyn knows he's the sole provider for his young sister and aging mother; a family who needs him. Who may die without him. Nobody is waiting for Jyn back home. When their mentor's plan to make them seem like star-crossed lovers triples the attention and sponsors they receive, Jyn is forced to play along with the scheme and pretend she has feelings for Cassian. Worst of all? She's not sure where pretending ends and where genuine feelings begin. The gamemakers say they can both go home if they're the last two tributes standing, but Jyn knows better than to believe the pretty promises of the Empire. Soon, she'll have to make a choice. Will she do anything to survive? Or will she let Cassian Andor go home to his family - even at the cost of her own life?

[bookshelf-in-progress]

I love how a well-written romance is so often structured as a mystery. A person starts with a certain idea about another person, and over the course of the story, they uncover more evidence that gives them a fuller picture of who the other person truly is. They learn about layers to the personality and backstory that give the other person more depth. They learn how the other person's personality meshes with theirs. Even the third-act misunderstanding fits the mystery structure--it looks like they've uncovered the final secret to the other person's identity, which is that they're not the worthy person they seemed to be, but then discover that they misinterpreted that evidence, or the other person takes steps to apologize and repair the level of trust. When the mystery is resolved, they've reached a full understanding of each other and know they've found a partner they can trust their whole future to.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Wei Wuxian eats a watermelon. Yep!

[thatfriendlyanon]

disclaimer: these options are based on responses i've heard different people give; they do not necessarily reflect my own personal beliefs

*if you feel comfortable doing so, i would love to hear what passages support your opinion!

please do not use this post for debate. i am genuinely curious what different people's opinions on this idea are. please keep this post friendly, informative, and simply a space to listen and share.

i'd appreciate it if you could reblog if you vote (you don't need to share your answers in your tags if you don't want to!), to get a larger sample size. thank you!

[fuzzyspiderpawz]

I have a vision

[voiceofthelionhearted]

i've changed my stance on tpatd opportunist. think about how you get him -- you stab yourself to get at the princess. why would he think that you'd be any different in the following chapter? why would he have any reason to believe that you wouldn't be against dying if it meant killing her? he's not going against you -- he's doing exactly what you did to get him. and when you rejoin the body and he backpedals? well, it's uncertain whose side you're on, really. you were just one with the princess -- maybe she got into your head and now you're playing the opposite team. (plus, it's just typical opportunist behavior to play games like that)

[aether-link]

Having some dumb thoughts/hc for Amir once again. I really do love others hc of him having static hair, I adore that and like thank goodness I’m not the only one who thinks that. But after while of thinking about his hair and static, what if Amir could move his hair on queue? As well as static affect from emotions?

I can mentally see him sitting around on the couch with my drifter going “ooOOooOOooOOoo” making his own hair flare up for some giggles. Specially the back of his head and neck area having the most effect. Like he’s some exotic bird showing off. And for static, I mostly think that experiencing high emotions mixed in with an ability like that would make his hair outright go all over the place. Maybe even having a fine current higher then static coursing through his hair making pretty loud zaps that’s a little intimidating to a point.

[kogglyuffs]

experimentingggg

[lover-of-mine]

Okay, but Buck being all "Eddie won't go go-karting with me to be with his girlfriend, but will go to fights with someone else, he won't pair up with me for basketball, does he hate me now? Am I just a coworker?" and full on panicking is actually great. Let the abandonment issues shine kspkpakpakspokplsps

[sparkp18]

Hey so remember when I said I’d have time to draw??? I was LYING apparently (I will soon) but in the meantime have some doodles for a street racing AU I developed with @artisathingidoapperently

Fun fact I took a screenwriting class and just. Wrote transformers fanfiction for it. So I do in fact have a 30 page pilot episode script for this AU sitting around

[ourlittleuluru]

I got my hands on the new Promise Memory for Xavier and I just can't.... He's so pouty at that one part 😭

So.. maybe spoilers??? It's really only one line but... just be fairly warned :c

The first time I heard it in my usual CN dub I could not stop laughing because it's just so cute (with the very kid-like expression)

And of course now I have to go listern to that one "Ah." in every language... for research!

It's so interesting how even just this one "Ah." is so differently voiced out in each of the languages.

The way that small pouty disappointment sounds.

CN and EN both lean towards a more "disappointed" tone. with CN sounding more pouty to me. EN just sounds like he lost energy. just sad over it.

JP was more reluctant. And KR just straight up, a hmph. 😂

This is so interesting...! (just how many times can I re-use the same exact word in one post...? yes... Vocab brain cell did not call in for work today)

[eyesore-boi]

CAPTAIN MAGNA

CAPTAIN MAGNA

CAPTAIN MAGNA

I've actually been on a pretty good art streak lately, all of which connecting to Markiplier in some way, huh...

....anyways DID SOMEONE SAY GIANT MUSCULAR WOMAN??? >:DD

But yeah, like everyone else I was gobsmacked when Mark oh so casually reveled that Captain Magnum had a great great granddaughter that was supposed to be in ISWM, but when I heard that I immediately knew i wanted to try and design her! Cause I have nothing else going on *shoves aside midterms* Nothing elseeeee :]]

Also originally I was just gonna leave it as a sketch and some doodles, but the more I drew her...the more I r e a l l y liked her design, so I knew I had to at least color it XD (possibly for future use who knowsss 👀👀)

I really like how this came together tho! Think I did well keeping Magnum's main traits but still wanted Magna to feel like her own person and not just girl Magnum, was fun figuring out her clothes, scars, keeping the log legs (that was always my favorite part of Magnum's design), and muscles ohohoho, all the while adding just a bit of futuristic touch!

Overall, I absolutely love her...and I love a woman who could crush my head between her thighs wHO SAID THAT-

Also bonus doodles below why not rmrmsbs