#like. take it a step further

[cherrystonefemme]

Guard Dog butch who makes you wear his studded collar and leash while he fucks you possessively

[sublimerences]

Just a burning memory

[monicaeidolith]

it's been 8 years and she's still down bad for her neighbor (who wouldn't)

and so there she is: Step 3 Athena! 🌙✨

Step 1 & Step 2 here

(Infos about Athena in every steps except 4 below if you're interested)

(watch out it's long.)

Step 1 -

At 10, Athena is a very curious girl, somewhat nosey and a bit clumsy (main reason why she often has bandages). She likes puzzles, creepy stuff and drawing (but nothing that serious about that hobby yet). While she isn't very shy, she's still uneasy around people she doesn't know and moving to a new town isn't helping. She has trouble accepting changes, and this whole situation is a way too big change.

Athena is very close to her mom during step 1. Unfortunately for her, she doesn't really look like her that much and she's kind of bothered by that, especially because the person she obviously looks like, her "dad", isn't there. Not having a dad isn't really a huge problem for her, but Athena fears a little bit people's opinion on that subject: "Is it weird that I don't have a dad...?".

She's feeling sad and scared about moving out, as she has to get used to a completely different world (in her eyes). "At least I have my mom", she thinks. But if moving in Golden Grove was scary at first, meeting Qiu and Tamarack was a huge help for Athena to feel included.

She thinks Qiu, aka "Autumn", is funny but also a huge show-off, haha. She LOVES to tease Qiu. But Athena's also genuinely worried about Qiu sometimes, because that kid is a huge people-pleaser.

When it comes to Tamarack, man... Athena totally puts this girl on a pedestal. She thinks Tamarack is amazing and pretty. And should Tamarack say anything positive about Athena, you can be certain the latter will go crazy internally. At 10, Athena doesn't realize she actually has a huge crush on Tamarack yet, though.

Step 2 -

At 14, Athena became a sort of troublemaker, she barely cares about rules. She's not mean but she grew to be more blunt and direct than she was as a 10-year-old, this and her current appearance make her seem unapproachable. However she kept her soft side, a side that she ironically doesn't even keep that much hidden but that you still have to deserve. If at 10 she would often have bandages because of her clumsiness, at 14, it's mostly because she's reckless. Some things that remained are her love for puzzles, creepy stuff and drawing, in fact, she started to get interested in visual arts.

In fact, the tough side of her personality grew when her first group friends with Qiu and Tamarack slowly fell apart. She couldn't do anything to prevent that from happening, so she felt like she had to toughen up. But to be honest, she's becoming tired of being the sole link between them, she's barely trying to now. Maybe Qiu and Tamarack won't become friends again. She has to accept it... but maybe Athena still has troubles accepting changes, no matter how old she is, after all.

Despite all that, Athena still treats both of them nicely. She still teases Qiu whenever she can (watch out Athena, the teasing could backfire on you). Her worries about them are still present too, but for different reasons than in step 1. Even 4 years later, Athena still retrieve Qiu's lost papers because they would NOT do it themselves. No matter what, Autumn remains her dear friend and the feeling is mutual.

Tamarack, aka "Tam", is her best friend! ... and the girl she has a crush on, Athena realized it now. Athena doesn't know if Tam feels the same way or not, though. Athena still thinks Tamarack is the most amazing and most talented person out there, she wishes Tam could see it too. She's highly worried about Tamarack potentially leaving Golden Grove at any moment but she tries to hide it from Tamarack. "Tam probably has enough of people walking on eggshells with her", she thinks. Athena dislikes Tamarack's parents for not only never being there for their daughter but also for making her situation so uncertain, only for their own interests (in her eyes).

Another feeling started to grow: jealousy. Athena will feel jealous of anyone who seems a bit too close to Tamarack. Does she think she's no match for Tamarack? Yes. Does that stop her from being jealous? No. She knows she has no right to be, Tamarack is a wonderful girl, it's impossible not to like her, but she can't help it.

Athena grew to be even more bothered by her lack of resemblance with her mother. Some times before turning 14, she started to dye her hair cranberry, just like her mom's hair color (let's say Opal didn't really like to see that her daughter started dyeing her hair at her young age, reaction Athena didn't appreciate, all she wanted was to look like her mom, what's the problem?). Ironically, while Athena wishes so hard to look like her mom, her relationship with her became somewhat strained. As if resembling a completely unknown guy wasn't enough. Living his best life nowhere to be found, uh? Resentment is the word here. Never towards her mom, even if their relationship is not that good at this point, but towards this guy who gave her his physical traits she never wanted and started to despise.

At least she became used to live in Golden Grove.

Step 3 -

At 18, Athena is not the rough troublemaker that she was at 14 anymore. Now she's more like a silly prankster, seemingly always up to something more stupid than before, although she remains reckless and blunt (but less on purpose and more out of habit). Of course, her interest in visual arts remained intact. Her liking for creepy stuff turned into a huge love for horror and its aesthetic.

Her relationship with her mom is getting better than it was 4 years ago. Athena grew out of the resentment she had for her "dad" during step 2 and learned to accept she may not look that much like her mom, but that it doesn't cancel the fact she's Opal's daughter no matter how she looks. Plus "some bits of [Opal] did end up in [her]" after all, right?

Athena's relationship with Autumn is what you could describe as "siblings by hearts", Athena does consider them as the sibling she never had.

Athena and Tamarack are still officially "besties for life", but little do they know that they both ended up falling in love with each other, plain and simple.

Her jealousy and resentment did tone down, but when she thinks back to her 14-year-old self, she feels bad, so bad. For being jealous of Tamarack's friends, for being resentful of a random donor and basically making many things about herself. "Man, I was such a prick. And for what?".

If when she was 14, Athena felt like she was no match for Tamarack because she put Tam on a pedestal, at 18, she now thinks she's simply not good enough as a person for Tamarack. She kind of "accepted" that if Tamarack only wants to be friends, then it's fine, she cannot force Tam to love her back. It's silly to think someone like her could be extra-special in Tam's heart anyway (girl if you knew.), it's nice enough to be her best friend.

Between step 2 and 3, Athena managed to put a label on herself: she's lesbian.

[phoenixwithapencil]

Ya ever find it weird that Bahamut barely has his role talked about in game? How strange his role really is?

Bahamut, the bladekeeper

Bahamut, the draconian

Bahamut, the keeper of prophecies and creator of the crystal

Bahamut, the god of war

Bahamut, the god who never provided a real reason for why so much blood had to be spilled for his prophecy to come true

Bahamut, who misled Ardyn and Somnus both into petty violence

Bahamut, who told Ardyn to spread the scourge upon the world for decades

Bahamut, who let Ardyn go on a vengeful killing spree just long enough to really hate Lucis- but not get his revenge- and then let him go back on his merry way to Nifilheim and Verstael Besithia who had ambitions of war and tin soldiers powered by scourge

Bahamut, who enabled a war that killed nearly everyone on both sides not to mention those who were caught in the crossfire- a war that would not have been so bloody had Ardyn not had such a hand in it

Bahamut, who demanded a blood price 2,000 years in the making- who really demanded two sacrifices- Ardyn and Noctis- who did not need both for there is a world where Noctis at least lives and the sun rises and no one else needed to die for it.

Bahamut, the god of war, the creator of the crystal

It’s a strange pairing when taken with the story of ff15. That’s all.

[fleshwizard]

La Vie

[sforzesco]

POMPEY & SULLA

Pompey, however, was not cowed, but bade Sulla reflect that more worshipped the rising than the setting sun, intimating that his own power was on the increase, while that of Sulla was on the wane and fading away

Plutarch, Pompey

political alliances are like bets, you know. sometimes you come out winning, sometimes the guy you were grooming to be your heir has ambitions beyond you and you can’t fully get rid of him. sometimes an alliance is like sharing a pomegranate, like a bad deal. hand in hand, & you’re stuck with them till the end of the line.

⭐ places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app / tip jar!

[cobra-creampuff]

fic where losers on the internet start calling Jamie "Barbie" because of his hair and the fact he dares to wear pink sometimes, and Jamie is like Very On Purpose taking it as a compliment ("she's everything, right there on the box innit") and like he's not fronting exactly but it is clearly taking at least a little effort to not let it feel like the insult it's meant as.

until Roy gifts him the Olympic soccer Barbie + a custom England uniform for her. then it's pretty easy.

[little-mouse-adventures]

@orangerosebush's post here, with my comment and @fowlblue's tags today got me thinking.

Artemis Senior has been teaching his son matters of business from a young age. Not only was Artemis, at 11 years old, discussing stocks with his father, but Fowl Senior had been imparting his wisdom onto his son for years by that point, discussing the ever-increasing value of gold with him before tucking him into bed. Even outside of pure monetary value, Sr. had tried to go legitimate with his business dealings, leading Artemis to have a few legal ventures of his own.

We also see very early on in the books that Artemis has been regularly using Butler as a resource for his plots: bouncing ideas off him was apparently a fairly common tactic when he was scheming.

Both Artemis Senior and Butler are interested in (or at least, not opposed to) educating Artemis on the ways of their lifestyle(s). It would be Artemis Senior who would have taught his son the value of banks and safety deposit boxes and hidden safes but it was Butler who was actively working with Artemis to rob those safety deposit boxes.

In the same vein of breaking-and-entering, TLC also gives us the fun little moment where Butler hands Artemis his own lockpicks, to get into the workings of the bomb.

With one line we learn that Artemis knows how to pick locks, but does not have his own set of lockpicks. Butler, on the other hand, has both the tools and knowledge how to use them. Partnered with a brief mention in TTP of some the specific trades of those previously employed by Artemis Senior (including such things as crime lords, insider traders, and cat burglars), we can extrapolate that Artemis Senior would generally hire someone to pick a lock for him, rather than do so himself.

It's pretty logical to conclude then that Artemis learned big-picture management from his father, and day-to-day skillsets from his bodyguard.

Essentially, Artemis Senior taught Artemis how to run a criminal empire. Butler taught Artemis how to be a criminal.

[angelsdean]

cas asks dean (and sam) about john in 10x09 to get a better understanding of what a father should do re: claire's situation (bc he says he never knew his father). dean, imo, embellishes and says john was always "there when [they] needed him." sam then prompts dean to tell a seemingly "funny" story abt a time john swooped in to save dean. cas then parallels this moment when he barges in to save claire from the men that were attempting to assault her and traffic her. dean, with his own past experience fresh on his mind--and perhaps letting himself acknowledge what almost happened to him (and my own belief that john didn't actually magically show up to play hero but in fact let dean sneak out to teach him a "lesson")--decides to take things a step further. it's not enough to just save claire from these men, they need to be eliminated, so they can't do this to anyone else again.

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

TBB- 1 year later

I can't believe it's been a whole year since The Bad Batch concluded its final episode. I remember that day so vividly: my cousin came over, we had dinner, got late night snackies, and set our alarms for 2:55 am (EST and Star Wars don't mix folks). The anticipation was building and building and I couldn't stop thinking about whether or not Crosshair was gonna make it.

But in the end, we got a beautifully bittersweet ending for Clone Force 99, with the knowledge that all of them now have a chance to heal and rebuild their lives. It's not going to be easy, but they now have that chance.

The Bad Batch stands out for me amongst the three main animated shows because it's the one I got to see unfold from start to finish. I was young when Clone Wars first came out and I wasn't into Star Wars when Rebels started (I'm late to the party, I know). But I was there for TBB. TBB is a show whose themes and characters struck a deep chord with me. I see so much of myself in Omega and Crosshair.

Crosshair in particular will always stand out because of his journey. His redemption arc is my personal favorite in Star Wars because of how raw it is. He struggled so much and it took a combined effort from his side and then Omega to help him come home. And you know what? He did come home. He found it and I couldn't be more proud of him.That internal struggle he went through is something I really relate to (for different reasons). I love Crosshair so, so much and I am so thankful for TBB and how the team chose to write his story (even if I would've added certain things).

And the themes of family that TBB radiated is another thing that will always stick with me. Clone Force 99 are a family. They've been through many trials and have faced losses (Tech 😭), but they're still here, forged by their bond. Omega held them together when everything seemed to be falling around them.

Ultimately, TBB came at a time when I needed it the most. I started and ended a big chapter of my life with Clone Force 99. I've learned a lot about myself through them, made new friends because of them, and I know I will cherish the memories I've made watching this show. TBB might just be a show, but it still means so much to me a year later. It is 100% perfect? No, and I think all of us know the flaws. But is it something that will live on in our hearts? To that, I can say 100% yes.

Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, Crosshair, Echo, and Omega have all taught us so much and our little community wouldn't be the same without any of them. Thank you TBB, for everything ❤️

[kabutoden]

listen i know i said they dont have godtier powers but au where they do. list. listen. are you hearing me. mage of time ceruleanblood with intense and volatile emotions and low emotive knight of doom rustblood. its doomed yuri. its timed yuri. ill love you forever but we dont have that. and we never will. duty. knowledge. resignation to fate. a single moment between enemies/lovers to last an eternity the scorpion and the fly..........

[hotmessmaxpress]

vale is a god that marc was raised to worship. raised to be devout, spending long weekends on pilgrimages. his mother touches his cheeks gently when he tells her about god, about reverence. she blesses him until he's old enough to bless her, and he gently wipes away her tears of joy.

marc is a shining star of the religious order. as he grows older and travels more, spreading the word of god, he becomes more recognizable. he's charismatic and personable and people love him.

so he meets God.

God seeks him out, greets him when marc is alone. he's kneeling in the church, surrounded by a comforting blanket of incense and candle smoke, when the feet appear in front of him. when he looks up, God is standing before the altar. marc is terrified and awed and madly in love with the man before him.

he has spent so many hours in adoration, speaking to God like they're friends, and now God is in front of him, speaking back.

God continues to talk to marc, appearing when marc kneels for adoration. for their first few meetings he stands in front of him, talking while marc stares with starry eyes and sore knees. eventually he sits beside him, and they talk like friends. it never becomes less intense for marc, who always shakes slightly for hours afterward.

marc loves him. marc loves him with his entire heart and soul.

marc starts talking to others about his experiences. telling the world how he talks to God, what he's really like. he's as popular as ever, and people beg to meet him and to learn what insights and wisdom he's gained from his meetings with God. people flock to hear his sermons, to receive blessings from the man who is so connected to God. the man who is so holy by association.

and God doesn't like it.

how dare marc become so popular using his name? vale is God, and marc is only a man. how could the world treat marc with reverence when it should belong to Him?

and God spits snakes the next time he talks to marc. marc begs, explaining that the reverence the people have for marc is only because marc brings them closer to God. marc would never try and take the love that belongs to vale. he wouldn't. and isn't God the one who made marc this way? charismatic and popular? how could God be angry at marc for bringing people to the light?

but God doesn't see it. He doesn't understand.

he sneers at marc, no longer sitting with him. he casts glares down at marc while marc kneels, begging. marc spends hours wanting desperately to feel vale's love.

it never comes.

and then the church burns.

alex drags marc out of the building while marc sobs, palms burned and dirty with ash. he screams and sobs and people watch on. people know, somehow, that it was God himself who burnt the church. they know that marc is cast out, no longer holy. how dare he claim to be loved by God, when God would go so far as to burn his temple?

so marc goes into exile, with his patient brother for companionship.

the worst part, though, is that marc never stops praying. he never stops dropping to his knees to speak to God. even if God has abandoned him, marc can't help but pray.

[bigrhet]

Frankly I think that if we get a DA after TV, and Illario ends up being the crow companion, that would be be a really good way for BioWare to worm their way out of the Crow sanitation hole they wrote themselves into. Lucanis talks good about the Crows? Yeah of course he was Grandma’s favorite, Gods little prince. He says his training was torture, and he has panic attacks, but frankly I can definitely see a ‘his training was actually softer, to the point where his empathy and care for others made it out unscathed’. Which is not the case for an assassin who probably went through the actual Crow training, like it seems Illario “Lesser” Dellamorte did. Or potentially even more rigorous Crow training, since Illario always seemed set up for failure.

Lucanis is more willing to risk failure for others as we see in the Wigmaker job, and Illario is the one concerned out this. Lucanis isn’t, probably because subconsciously, he knows the consequences for him failing would be minimal or null.

Just take it as a “if Lucanis had to kneel on gravel for hours, I had to kneel for days” type take on Illario. Just say Lucanis kind of got the softer stick, everyone we see did, honestly. I think it would be a notable if not acceptable re-retcon.

He definitely wouldn’t hold back telling the truth and shit talking grandma as even though he is technically ’crow nobility’, unlike the others (even Rook bc Viago is not hurting their ass let’s be real), he was never treated that way. Illario is so oddly at the bottom and top of the social ladder that if he’s written in as a returning Cullen-type character, they could prob go ‘yeah Lucanis was given the privilege of rose-tinted glasses kind of, and was able to make it out with his humanity intact because of his Grandma’s weakness toward him, Illario wasn’t given that minuscule affection so he didn’t’ and then go from there.

[peridot-tears]

During the main quests, this appears p often. It literally means "Jin's Journey":

But the kanji for "Jin" -- 仁 -- also means "benevolence," emphasizing a respect for humanity. So 仁之道, while it means "Jin's Journey," can also be read as "the path/way of benevolence."

He isn't following the bushido, or 武士道，the way of the warrior/samurai, but rather 仁之道, the way of benevolence, a path that diverts sharply from the "honor" that samurai follow.

[thenormalenjoyerr]

my conclusion is people love a demure motherly charlie. well my charlie is pissed and does not want to be in the role she's been assigned anymore. my charlie wants william dead just as much as cassidy (until she doesn't anymore but don't worry about that)

[twipsai]

please do not, under any circumstances, separate Sonic into different characters based on the source material. do not do it its a trap.