#me when im so brave quoting things that are quoting things

[bluerosering]

Laura Palmer x 1921 Times theatre review quoted in Claude Rains: An Actor's Voice by David J. Skal and Jessica Rains

[another-cliche-title]

everyone on the internet when a artstyle exists: OMG i HATE this ARTSTYLE it's fucking EVERYWHERe it's always THE FUCKING SAME I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT FUUUUCJKK

everyone on the internet when the entire animation industry of an entire country (Japan) has been basically using the same artstyle for years (Anime): this is good actually :3 (Gains ability to complain about the western (read: american) industry but not the japanese one because weeb)

[soft-spooks]

this is for. a fic that will most likely never be written but i just love the idea of. character who is usually closed off no vulnerable emotions ever bejng soooo worried that the shell breaks

just the. something terrible happens and they run over and hold your face in their hands and wont let you go like what did she do to you are you okay come on lets go home

[feyburner]

In ur version, does Batman or Superman even approve of Kon and Tim being together?

Lol sorry I’m sure you intended this as an art prompt but instead I used it as a silly little writing exercise.

Clark Kent (Daily Planet) »

Hi! Do you have a moment to chat?

« Bruce Wayne

That depends.

Clark Kent (Daily Planet) »

On what?

« Bruce Wayne

On the subject matter, Clark Kent, Daily Planet Reporter.

Clark Kent (Daily Planet) »

Shoot. hang on

Superman (Justice League) »

Hi! Do you have a moment to chat?

« B

How many times a day does that happen

Just tell me. I can take it

Superman (Justice League) »

Not… that many…

« B

How many records are we scrubbing.

This week.

Superman (Justice League) »

Listen

You are the one who chose to make secret phones that are identical to normal phones

I don’t know what you were expecting

« B

It’s precautionary. In case they get lost.

They’re not identical. The Batcell’s haptic interface hardware is superior to the iPhone’s.

Slightly bigger too.

0.3mm.

Superman (Justice League) »

I’ll refrain from the obvious comment

But know I am thinking it

« B

So there’s a visual difference.

You have x-ray vision.

Superman (Justice League) »

If you think I’m going to x-ray my phone to figure out if the haptic interface software is 0.3mm larger than an iPhones every single time I need to send a text you are nuts

That’s you

« B

Learning memes are we.

Superman (Justice League) »

That’s not a meme. It’s a reaction image

I think

« B

Doesn’t a reaction image have to be sent in reaction to something? By definition?

Superman (Justice League) »

I dont know.

« B

I don’t either.

Superman (Justice League) »

Okay.

« B

You said you wanted to chat?

Superman (Justice League) »

Yes

And let me just preface this with:

I am about to tell you something and I need you to be, with all due respect, so normal about it

« B

Jesus fucking Christ, what happened?

Superman (Justice League) »

Nothing!! bad

Nothing bad

« B

Where are you? Can you call?

Superman (Justice League) »

Ok calm down, I’m fine, everything is fine

I can theoretically call but I think this is the kind of thing you’re going to want to sit with, on your own, for a second

Maybe 30 full seconds actually. Maybe sit for 30 full seconds before taking any action

« B

Kal El, I am catastrophizing at the speed of sound.

Superman (Justice League) »

Then I bet it will be such a huge relief to learn that all Im going to say is I have it on good authority that Superboy has something to tell you, and normally I would never breach his trust like this, but again: I cannot emphasize enough that I need you to be so, so normal. When he tells you. Which I have reason to believe he will, imminently

« B

Alfred has just informed me that Superboy is on the doorstep.

On the doorstep, Kal.

Of my home.

Superman (Justice League) »

Huh!

« B

He’s asked to speak with me in the parlor.

“In the parlor.” Quote.

I forgot we had one of those.

What is this.

Superman (Justice League) »

Well

I think there’s a chance Kon is about to be very, very brave, to your face

And—keep in mind I’m saying this as someone who thinks the world of you and has boundless trust and faith in your ability to be kind, selfless, and accepting—

If he doesnt leave that house with a smile on his face and a spring in his step I will ruin your life.

« B

Jesus.

I know you’re only threatening me because of that, thing I said. Last time.

And yet, it’s still effective.

Superman (Justice League) »

« B

Yeah.

Superman (Justice League) »

Yeah?

« B

Yeah.

Superman (Justice League) »

:)

« B

:)

I have to go meet your kid. “In the parlor”

Superman (Justice League) »

Be nice :)

« B

I will.

I know what he’s going to say anyway.

Superman (Justice League) »

Oh?

« B

He, and coincidentally also Robin, needs to work on his situational awareness.

With an emphasis on remembering to scan the environment for CCTV cameras.

Superman (Justice League) »

Ok to be fair there are a lot of cameras these days

« B

The incident in question took place on the rooftop of Wayne Tower.

Superman (Justice League) »

I see.

« B

Yeah.

Superman (Justice League) »

Yeah.

Unrelatedly are you coming over later?

« B

So you can ruin my life?

Yes.

Superman (Justice League) »

See you then :)

« B

Yes.

Wait.

It’s not weird now that…?

Superman (Justice League) »

Holidays may get awkward but I’m sure we will all cope.

« B

Okay.

:)

Superman (Justice League) »

Tell Kon I said hi!

« B

I will.

*

« B

Hey it’s Batman. I fucked up.

Superman (Justice League) »

What??

« B

Not with Kon’s thing. That went fine. But we kept talking and I mayh ave let something slip and I’d liek to apologize in advance bc I htink he’s on the way

Superman (Justice League) »

Kons at my window???

« B

Sorry.

Superman (Justice League) »

I will ruin your life!!!!!

« B

Nuts.

[thel0v3hashira143]

❝ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐂𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐄! ❞

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ yuuji megumi gojo nanami n choso ☆ how jjk men act when they have a crush on you!

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⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ fem!reader, black coded but anyone can read

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ notes: ahhh the comeback post!! let's just say my old works were...less than coherent. but im here and ready to slay the day after 2-ish years!! take these crumbs while i try and find my footing again. stay hot lovies 🎀🎀

yuuji itadori 🌸

my babyyy (sob sob) yuuji would def try to impress you with his athleticism, bc girls like that stuff right? (gojo told him that...save him)

he frequently challenges you to friendly competitions when sparring to showing off his skills.

he def let's you get quite a few hits on him and he may even let you win from time to time (seeing your smile makes getting knocked on his ass worth it)

he might act a bit bashful, but he's straightforward. he knows he has a crush on you so why would he hide it?

expect nice gestures like him wanting to carry things for you, buying you food, watching all your fav movies, ect.

speaking of which, movie hangouts!!!

every friday usually you, megumi, nobara, and yuuji all get together and watch a movie

buuuttt if he's feeling especially brave he'll invite you to his dorm to watch the newest movie in your favorite series! (yes, he keeps track of when they come out)

he loves that it becomes y'alls thing and he loves it even more when you lay your head on his shoulder and doze off <;33

he also gives hella compliments cause something in my gut says his love language is words of affirmation.

anticipate many "isn't [name] just the coolest?" or "you look great today [name]!"

im telling you he could never run out of nice things to say to you, whether it be about your looks or personality

as soon as he realizes he likes you he takes down those pin up girl posters in his dorm

he also obviously thinks you're more beautiful than jennifer lawrence argue wit ur mama

he is also obviously a personality over looks guy so dont act surprised if you see him looking at you with a lovesick grin if he catches you doing something kind for someone

expect him to confess his feelings sooner rather than later

"yeah, why wouldn't i have a crush on [name]? shes beautiful and badass! but don't tell her, okay?"

megumi fushiguro 🌸

megumi, unlike yuuji is quite reserved, even with his friends

honestly gives no indication that he likes you at all 💀💀 he stares at you pretty intensely at first (to admire your beauty) but quickly catches on that you think its weird..

once you two get closer though, megumi would frequently express his crush through small gestures

he strikes me as a reader so i can see him recommending his favorite books to you or even lending you some of his.

you two exchange books often and he highlights quotes that remind him of you

i can also see book shop hangouts where you two sit and read together in some small bookshop he found in the city.

(he's just admiring you read)

he's not a huge compliment/affirmation guy but quality time is a big one for him

whether it be on missions, sparring, or out with the rest of the first year's, he enjoys any time he can have with you.

megumi is also very protective but like...subtly

he secretly watches out for you during missions, making sure you're safe without drawing attention to it

he'll insist you two split up but send one of his divine dogs to accompany you to wherever you go.

even when you're out and about in tokyo he always likes to stay close to you. he follows you around (not in a creepy way more like a lost puppy way)

follows you into stores you like even if he has absolutely no interest.

all in all he's just a shy guy who's whipped for you <3

"i enjoy spending time with you. a lot."

teen!satoru gojo 🌸

gojo...you bastard...(affectionate)

erm ngl i can def see him being a bully to you at first...

not like a bully bully but he def teases you a lot and it gets under your skin sometimes. (you hate him)

but in reality hes jus a spoiled litte rich boy in love.

once he realizes his feelings he still pokes fun at you sometimes, but tones it down hard and turns on his charm.

gojo's approach is confident and playful. he teases you, always with a charming grin, creating a dynamic that keeps things lighthearted and enjoyable.

he'll find excuses to spend time with you, whether it's offering to train together

unlike yuuji he doesn't care if he likes you this son of a gun will NOT let you win istg

it's like he's trying to rile you up, saying ridiculously cheesy one liners as he dodges all your attacks.

"thats the best you got? oh [name], we'll never get to be together if i keep beating you!"

one thing he does enjoy doing with you however, are snack runs.

gojo is a big back in disguise with too much money to spend so you already knows most of that goes towards food.

he has a huge sweet tooth so i can see you guys browsing multiple sweets shops in the city. if he sees you even look at something for too long he'll buy 10 of them.

every trip you guys both leave with full bellies and full hearts <3

gojo wants to be around you, and he makes sure it's fun for you both

his confession is likely to be straightforward. ccompanied by his trademark smile and his sparkling blue eyes peeking from his shades.

"you know, i've been thinking... i'm kind of into you. what do you say we make things a bit more interesting?"

teen!kento nanami 🌸

my emo boy ❤️‍🩹

nanami, with his composed demeanor, expresses his feelings (though you were unsure if he even had any) through thoughtful actions.

he remembers every. single. detail. of anything you say to him.

your favorite attist dropped an album today? he already bought you the cd/vinyl. you never got a chance to go to the store to get your favorite snack? he went 2 days ago.

he revels in the fact that he knows so much about yousnd the surprised look on your face gets him every time.

(haibara claims he's seen nanami smile at you multiple times but he vehemently denies it.)

despite his serious appearance, he'll occasionally crack dry jokes when it's just the two of you

look at that man and tell me he doesn't have a dry sense of humor 😭😭

you help him to relax and he feels he can truly be himself around you. when you two are alone its like hes showing a different side to his personality.

like megumi, i can see quality time being a big thing for him since attending jujutsu high leaves him quite busy

hes also not a huge talker so whenever you two do spend time together its probably somewhere intimate like your dorm or the library.

no words, just vibes. which he appreciates since he's around a bunch of yipper yappers all day.

nanami's confession is understated but sincere.

"i appreciate the time we spend together. it's made me realize there's something more i feel..."

choso kamo 🌸

my babyyyy no. 2 (i need him biblically)

let's get one thing straight tho. choso is a curse. in my opinion curses have no idea of love in a healthy, positive way so let's just say bb is confused.

he obviously knows what love is. he loves his brothers but he doesnt wanna kiss them...and cuddle them...

he goes to yuuji for advice (was it a bad idea? perhaps.)

"bro you totally have a crush on [name]!"

"a crush?"

after some further investigation hes pretty much got the gist of it.

one thing he becomes quite fond of doing is giving you small gifts from his missions.

these aren't typic gifts persay, like food, clothing or jewelry but more like knickknacks such as shells or rocks.

these tokens become a way for him to express what words might fail to convey.

i headcannon choso likes nature documentaries and after seeing that penguins mate for life by gifting a rock to their mate he's hooked.

idk but i also feel like he's very touchy.

he always has an eye on you in public and ik he does the thing where he guides u with his hand on the small of your back or he locks pinkies with you UGHHHH

with him being protective, he also subtly keeps an eye on you during missions.

he's not one to voice his concern directly but prefers to ensure your safety from the danger.

choso's confession might catch you off guard, but it's filled with honesty and sincerity.

"i've found myself caring about you more than I expected. it's strange..."

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⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ omg i actually really like this...(watch me hate it in a week) but reqs are open!! i have 1 or 2 more pieces planned to get me in the swing of things but take this before then. love y'all!!

𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐲 ♡

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𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚!

𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙡0𝙫3𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙖143 2024

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

thinking about the fe games w/ routes (fates and three houses specifically but probably others idfk)

i think there needs to be more tragedy there. or opportunities for it i guess? or that fire emblem has to make unique death quotes for characters in general man

death in fire emblem feels so blah for me. more of an inconvenience than in other media. like when im playing DnD and an npc i love dies it isnt "man that sucks. anyway" but even w characters i love in fire emblem its just "man do i wanna reset the chapter for this that was so lame"

make death and especially betrayal related deaths Hurt More.

lets say youre byleth. youre teaching the black eagles, yay! but you have a b support with claude. you and claude are good buddies, maybe you just like claude as a character or its accidental because of x y z does Not matter. either way you are one of claudes closest friends. then the war starts, and you choose to side with a woman claude sees as a future tyrant (or at the very least a driven warmonger who might crush the alliance underneath her boot). imagine the hurt. the absolute fucking agony for claude.

and for byleth! byleth wakes up and their friend is gone. on another side, unreachable, 5 years of emotional distance *yawning* in front of them.

and then they reunite in the midst of battle, weapons drawn. theyve both come so far and have goals they *have* to achieve.

"I don't want this."

too bad. if you roll over, you get a game over because you fuckin failed the route. or you have to make someone else kill claude because sumn sumn mechanically you have a 0% hit rate bc of that b support. you cant do it.

too bad. claude cant run away, hes the last line of defense for a place hes responsible for. if he leaves what is he? a coward? a turncoat? would he have to believe in edelgard's future? would he have to slay his own allies, friends, the people who relied on him?

he cant. you cant.

he begs you to reconsider. you cant.

as he falls he reaches out a hand. you kneel beside him as he says a few things. calls this whole battle a clever gambit, praises your cunning in using effective weaponry, etc etc. but his voice is weaker. theres no option to spare him, you couldnt spare any *other* unit, could you? couldn't spare hilda. cant spare claude.

he mentions sometimes dreaming of the monastery. the food was good, right? hope the foods good in the future you build with edelgard. hope you name a town after him, thatd be fun. dont get stupid, teach, dont join him too soon. maybe he'll even wait for ya. keep a seat warm.

(fire emblem unit death sound)

then also: units in your own army.

lets say youre playing black eagles. its nearish endgame but not too close so i dont say any spoilers, but regardless bernadetta and yuri have an A support. they might get hitched postgame man, you havent done the A support of anyone else w those two. its a rough battle, your healer is severely low on psychic uses, you sold all your fucking vulneraries because you thought dorothea was more of a beast than she is. its dire.

unexpected sniper crit. yuri is on 0 hp.

bernadetta is within 5 tiles and instead of yuri's canned death quote, bernie interjects with one of the most well voiced anguished screams youve ever fucking heard. on the next turn, bernie gets +50 hit *and* crit on that enemy, and if she kills it the rest of the scene plays.

bernie is holding yuri, one of her few friends in her hellish fucking life. hes not gonna make it, she knows that, but shes still gonna try. shes wailing and begging him to stay like she wished she had all those fucking years ago, shes babbling about all the things he'll miss if he goes, all the things shes planned for them to do now that shes brave enough to leave her bedroom. he cuts her off to laugh. now is when she gets brave and honest with her feelings? when hes dying? oh bernie come on. he wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her in for a hug, kissing her temple like an old boyfriend and not a quiet yearning crush. he murmurs that hes glad she left her bedroom. that hes glad she can see the world beyond what abuse happened to her behind closed doors. that she'll find some other person to hold in his stead, one who wont so rudely get his blood on her battle leathers. one who wont leave her time and time again like he has. she wails into his shoulder as she drops the scraps of cloth she had been trying to use to stop his bleeding and just holds her dying friend.

(fire emblem unit death sound)

if death felt like An Event and not An Inconvenience i'd play with permadeath more man. make me sad fire emblem youre so shit at it

.

[lankayu]

euyyyghhh today im diving into my sanusoverse headcanons and todays topic is playing PRETEND because they are fated to pretend (MGMT🫡🫡🫡) i have this long ass twitter thread of quotes that remind me of sanuso and i happened to add two back to back that have similar themes and I think they really go hand in hand, showing how each of them yearn

i think majority of sanusoers agree that sanji is without a doubt the one in the relationship to deny his feelings, and we’re talking over the course of MONTHS… the only thing that forces him to confront them is the exhaustion of the front he’d have to put up in front of his bestfriend, of having to pretend. sometimes he feels like hanging around usopp is almost dreadful and it hurts because he hadn’t done a thing. sanji’s getting all up in his head and he knows but it’s a force that simply can’t be stopped!! usopp is his best friend. the one who tells him jokes that make him laugh harder than he ever has and he hates himself for feeling this way and making things so complicated. he tells himself he can longer do this. everyday he looks at usopp and thinks, “i can no longer pretend i don’t want to love you” because it’s all he’s ever wanted since he got to truly know him. yet, he won’t do a thing. he won’t say a word about his true feelings. he cannot, but he forces himself to keep pretending, because he’s not as brave as usopp thinks

USOPP, on the other hand… he KNOWS sanji likes him and he KNOWS the cook is pretending he doesn’t feel the sparks between them and he pretends it doesn’t bother him. but it does. it will for as long he yearns. it’s the worst feeling in the world, knowing your best friend is in love with you and watching him laugh pretending he isn’t. usopp was always a bit off put by sanji’s obnoxious infatuation with women so like. he gets it, but would loving him really be such a scary thing? usopp knows the answer to sanji’s inner turmoil and he fears he’ll fight those feelings forever. but he doesn’t mind waiting for him, even if this longing goes on forever. so he pretends too. he puts on a brave face and pretends that sanji’s denial doesn’t bother him

and when those sparks end up igniting a flame, then what?🧐🧐

[mothgardens]

im back again with another lyric analysis <3 this edition is for Sastiel (my beloved).

State Of Grace by Taylor Swift (preferably the acoustic version)

All Sam has known for his whole life is touch and go. He has never been in one place for more than a few months at a time (other than his escape to Stanford).

He also has been more aware and open-minded than Dean his whole life; he has a changing mind when given new information, like how he learns to understand that the ‘monsters’ they fight aren’t always evil, and that he can empathize with them. He learned this far before Dean.

He has always loved whole and hard; his love always bleeds, he has been hurt so much through losing the people he held dearest. They fade away.

“You come around and the armor falls” <— is literally the Gadreel grace retraction scene. Cas telling Sam “The only person who has screwed up things more consistently than you, is me.” !! So delicate and intimate.

They have each other. Even when Dean is missing or gone, even when they feel like they have messed everything up, they have each other. They don’t let go, they can’t, they won’t. <3

“Just go to my room and turn on Netflix, you will figure it out” is such an important line to me (even though i couldn’t find the real quote). Sam feels comfortable enough with Cas to let him be in his room, his private space, alone. Cas feels comfortable enough in Sam’s room to take his beloved trench coat off. They trust each other; when they are together, everything is wiped clean.

THIS IS THEM !! ^^^

Cas was never a saint. He didn’t succeed as God. He didn’t succeed as an Angel of the Lord. He didn’t succeed in Dean’s eyes. (“Something always goes wrong, Dean”; “Why does that always seem to be you.”).

Sam loved a werewolf. Sam loved a demon. Sam loved a witch. In Dean’s eyes, Sam always loved in shades of wrong.

They learned to live with the pain, separately at first, but, they also learned to live with each other’s pain. Cas literally told Sam, “I was lost until I took your pain”.

According to Google, Mosaic is “an individual (especially an animal) composed of cells of two genetically different types”.

Sam and Cas are systematically different on a surface level, obviously, as angel and human, but Sam also has demon blood running through him. It’s part of him. Sam and Cas, on an inner, biological level, are opposites. They’re LITERALLY “Mosaic broken hearts”.

When they’re together they’re brave. Especially when Cas is looking for Sam, or protecting him.

- “Who are you, and where is Sam?”

- “You wont take Sam Winchester. I won't let you.”

- “You come near Sam Winchester, and I will kill you.”

But, also, their love is wild, they have such s chaotic energy as a duo. They are unhinged, but also mean well.

To me, grace is literally their entire theme. (I am a bitch for the grace drinking ‘purification’ idea, too.)

Cas believes Sam is a worthwhile fight: “Nothing is worth losing you”.

This last line, to me, is totally post-Jack era. They have a family together, a son, that they both would die for. They love each other. Sam sent so many texts with Cas left, he was so worried. When Cas showed back up in the bunker he looked at him like he could make his world continue spinning.

Lastly, the chorus:

Sam never thought Cas would come into his life. A real angel. An angel who would later become one of the most important people in his life.

Cas never expected Sam to be this important to him. He thought of Sam as the ‘boy with demon blood’, an abomination. But, Sam proved himself to be so much more than that.

Neither of them would ever be where they are without each other, and they will never be the same.

———————

Okay :3 that is all.

[lgchyoseop]

LGC5TH GIFT FROM CHA HYOSEOP, CHA SORI, KIM CHERRY AND JUJU!

wow... has it really been so long? five years is a lot of years, i've come and gone a couple of times, but soon i'll have a muse turning three years ! (congrats cha hyoseop, my idiot, i love you). this is an incredible community, i've gotten so many friends here, and i've had so much fun, me and my muses truly love legacy <3 as a gift for you all, i've gathered a bunch of quotes (around 200-ish), then given the quotes a number and used a randominzer to pick which quote each muse should have, so it's basically fate giving you this quote! thanks to legacy, the mods and members!

(you can use ctrl+f to search for your muses name)

ahn jaehwa “you have not failed, until you make failing stop you”

ahn yein “don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where they are, had to begin where they were”

bae heejin “tough times never last, but tough people do”

bae nathan “define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live”

bae sojin “take chances, make mistakes. that’s how you grow. pain nourishes your courage. you have to fail in order to practice being brave”

baek byeongkwan “there is nothing on earth that blooms all year long. nature wasn’t created to do that and neither are you.”

baek seona “some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go”

carter jaejin “focus on the step in front of you, not the whole staircase”

cha hyoseop “sometimes our limitations tell us when to stop. but sometimes they can show us where to look next”

cha sori “it is not our abilities that make us who we are, it’s our choices”

chae rua “the only time you should ever look back, is to see how far you’ve come”

chen maylin “i wasn’t afraid to fail. something good always comes out of failure”

cho iseul “if you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. if you don’t, you’ll find an excuse”

cho minkyu “make failure your teacher, not your undertaker”

choi junkyu “i’d rather attempt something great and fail than to attempt nothing and succeed”

choi kai “in youth we learn, in age we understand”

gong hyejoo “there’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in” 

han hyunhee “do not fear mistakes, there are none”

han jisoo “a failure is not always a mistake, it may simple be the best one can do under the circumstances. the real mistake is to stop trying”

han noeul “hope is being able to see there is light, despite all of the darkness”

han rowon “if you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine” 

han seunghyun “one that want the fruit, must climb the tree”

hirawa emi “if you focus on results, you will never change. if you focus on change, you will get results”

hwang minki “rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine”

im yunseo “nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘i’m possible’”

ito mio “you learn more from failure than success. don’t let it stop you. failure builds character” 

jeon haru “doubts kill more dreams than failure ever will”

jo eunwoo “the secret of getting ahead is getting started”

kang maximillian “success is a state of mind. if you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success” 

kang minjun “remember, you can regret things you did not do”

kang sarang “i hold it true, what’er befall, i feel it, when i sorrow most. tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all”

kang yojoon “to be a champion you have to believe in yourself when no one else will”

kim cherry “i have not failed. i’ve just found 10.000 ways that won’t work”

kim jinhyuk “if you look closely, most overnight successes took a long time”

kim jinseo “turn your wounds into wisdom”

kim jinyoung “the best way to make your dreams come true, is to wake up”

kim nayoung “failure is a detour, not a dead-end-street”

kim sehun “only put off tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone” 

kim seyoon “don’t be pushed by your problems, be led by your dreams”

kim yujin “always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. do not bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. try to be better than yourself.”

kuramoto misaki “follow your dreams, they show which way to go”

kurosawa akio “in order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear for failure”

kwon baekhyun “life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced” 

kwon hyuntae “the only thing that doesn’t change in life, is that thing changes” 

kwon sena “the sea is dangerous and its storms terrible, but these obstacles have never been sufficient reason to remain ashore”

lai wenjun “being lost is not bad, as it is what happens before you find your way”

lee hyunsoo “the elevator to success if out of order. you’ll have to use the stairs… one step at a time”

lee jiho “if opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door” 

lee minji “don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant” 

lee yushin “time you enjoyed wasting, was not wasted” 

lim sanghyun “i will either find a way or make one”

liu yuxi “to lose is still to learn”

mae jasper “if you can’t fly, then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving” 

min chaeyeon “i can’t change the direction of the wind, but i can adjust my sails to always reach my destination

min hanbin “failure is simply the opportunity to try again, this time better-knowing”

min soyoun “some people want it to happen, some wish it to happen, be someone who makes it happen”

moon hayoung “don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great”

moon jiah “success only comes to those who dare attempt”

moon jino “you can’t connect the dots looking forward. you can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that they will somehow connect in your future”

moon somin “do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do”

nam gyuri “the best way to predict the future is to create it”

noh areum “it is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it”

oh eunhye “life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards” 

okamoto kentaro “life isn’t about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself”

park chaekyung “we may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated”

park hyukjae “don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom”

park seojin “exhale the past, inhale the future”

park sujin “scars only show us where we’ve been, they do not dictate where we’ll be”

park taeha “be not afraid of storms because you are learning how to sail your ship”

park zoe “difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. the human spirit is to grow strong by conflict”

seo minseo “sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall together”

seo nina “it does not matter how slowly you go as long as you don’t stop”

seo yura “your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change”

shin jieun “in three words i can sum up everything i’ve learned about life: it goes on” 

son nabi “you need to let go of the past’s hand so you can catch the hand of the future”

su parker “you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”

sung haneul “if you fell down yesterday, stand up today”

takanashi asami “fairytales are more than true: not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten”

watanabe miyu “let the past take care of itself, and let the present move towards the future”

won yeonwoo “tomorrow is a mystery, yesterday is history, and today is a gift, that’s why they call it present”

xu lili “asking for help isn’t giving up, it’s refusing to give up”

xue yichen “never give up on a dream just because of the time it’ll take to accomplish it. the time will pass anyway”

yamashita ichika “anything is a journey if you start somewhere” 

yang aeri “you cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.”

yoo haemin “dreams do not have an expiration date, you can always keep trying”

yoon bitna “aim for the moon. if you miss, you may hit a star” 

yu milan “getting lost is part of the journey” zheng leo “don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning”

[thegeminisage]

STAR TREK UPDATE TIME, holy shit! tuesday we watched ds9's "a time to stand" and "rocks and shoals."

a time to stand:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGH

i feel like ds9 is so fucking good every episode i rate "watch" on ym spreadsheet would easily be "must see" in any other trek show. where do i even fucking start

i love that theyre just casually mentioning bashirs darkest secret in playful banter now. theres something in there that makes me very emotional but also it's extremely funny. also, he really DOES quote percentages like a vulcan. whatever he and garak were doing, i don't know what that was but i loved it. literally his boyish smile

oh speaking of couples. KIRA AND ODO. they've got the station all to themselves...um, e quark. i did get deluded for a hot second, when they were all at the bar together, into believing in kira e odo e quark. i don't think that's going to be a permanent feature in my psyche but it was fascinating to experience just once

ODO. MAKES HANDS. TO TOUCH PEOPLE WITH!!!!!!!!!!!

no one made this gifset so i have to make do with a screencap

HE MAKES HANDS TO TOUCH PEOPLE WITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i may have had to pause the episode to start screaming

also. hi. "im glad you can still smile" "only when im with you" what if i threw myself into the sun

dukat and kira, holy shit. i've never been so scared in my life. i think about it all the time that he essentially called leeta into his office to fuck him. he BLOCKED KIRA'S EXIT. jesus christ we've come so far from his gay little fireworks show and the thron in his ass

odo manipulating weyoun who's obsessed with him <3 king. but he only did it because <3 kira asked him to. he literally said i've walked this horrible horrible line before i can do it again...their relationship is somehow moving forward because they are going back in time

and like GOD she knows he loves her and she hasn't decided how she feels back but somehow it's still comfortable because he doesn't ask for anything...IMPECCABLE fucking vibes. WHO is doing it like them

on the spaceship side, all of that was very fun, especially sisko and his <3 headaches. but even funnier was them getting stuck 17 years away from help. JUST like. star trek voyager

rocks and shoals:

AND IT GETS BETTER!

kira in this episode. mwah. she quite literally can't live with herself and it's SO clever because at first you the viewer are also like aaaa no dont let the bajorans protest aaaaaa theyll get in trouble and then kira has the change on heart and youre like oh shit. oh fuck. whose side am EYE on?

also, the fact that this was also odo's kneejerk reaction, and she said "don't make me fight you too" and he immediately fell in line. that's love.

garak's "oh, NO" as they were falling. please let the man say "oh shit"

o'brien ripping his pants <3 incredibly funny i felt like i was getting loopy right along with them. the wide shot of the flaming ship sinking into the sea as they laughed their asses off.......cinema

poor dax!!! she tries so hard to be brave but man she really did get fucked up

the little vorta freak in this episode...i want him dead. what an evil thing to do to your own guys AND one of sisko's people died too because of it. ik they won't kil him but they should kill him

i wasn't expecting the thing between garak and nog to have like consequences but it was funt hat they brought it back up. good for them and good for nog, even though i still wish it had been bashir on the post

julian being so chirpy and cheerful w the vorta after fixing him up as though he is a normal patient...sir please control yourself

my only complaint is i wish jake had more to do...right now he just seems to be getting underfoot, when staying behind was supposed to be a sign of maturity. hopefully all his reporting isn't for nothing!!!!

TONIGHT: voy's "day of honor" and "nemesis"

[cookiekitkat8484]

ive seen gravity falls a million times at this point but I've never been able to bring myself to rewatch weirdmagedon, not because its bad its amazing but its just always felt special and I didn't want it to end again. I rewatched it with my friend and wow it hits hard. the first time I watched it I was mabels age and id never related to a character more. i can remember sitting on the floor with my dad in silence and crying while the credits rolled. everything felt so big and scary and unknown and if I could have stayed in my own mabel bubble I don't think I can tell you I would have left back then. there were times in my life I really thought I wouldn't make it to 18, but I grew up. watching it now I think I've been able to get a new message from the show aswell. if you told her I relate more to old man mcgucket then wendy I don't think shed believe you. not only can I be brave enough to keep growing with the help and love of those around me, but I think I can look back on myself then and love her too. now Im able to relate more to some of the older characters there's a big theme of self forgiveness. once you know what growing up was like its easy to remember the bad bits and hold mistakes against yourself, but there's a quote from an old interview alex hirsch did that "With this series, there’s a chance to give a fictionalized version of myself all of those wishes I wished would come true." maybe we cant ignore reality and the bad stuff that comes with it, but that doesn't mean we don't deserve the fun and love and wonder and adventure we hoped for. i grew up but I never stopped being that little girl crying as she sat on the floor. i wish I could make all her wishes come true, and so the best I can do now is to keep living and making new adventures for the both of us. I've still got a lifetime of growing to do, but I did it. i made it guys. i just wish I could tell her we made it. maybe ill rewatch again when I'm stans age and ill think the same thing.

[youremyheaven]

AHEM. I WILL BEGIN MY INFODUMP ON THE FREAKINESS OF SOLAR MEN NOW. this is just a pt. 1 because idk how y'all will take this so um i'll just to do the most tame stuff rn.

to preface i'm a lunar woman down & a masochistic sub. that's relevant bc all of my exes are solar doms who happen to also just be doms in the bedroom TT. and i need y'all to remember that when you read this bc all of this is consensual & i dont want to paint it as otherwise because like i said i'm not here to slander them!

anyways so to start these men get off so much to psychological & physical domming of others. literally anything that falls into this category of domming they're into - roughing you up, degradation, wildly imbalanced power play etc.

the weirdest part abt it is that they can sense submission in others from the get-go. despite all my solar exes being doms surprisingly i've never met them off any bdsm dating sites/apps. i met them all in an organic very meet-cute kind of way and yet when we get into the relationship eventually and reflect on our early days like talking abt things like our 1st impressions they will alw admit they could sense that i was submissive from the jump. so that's another thing they can smell that on you immediately.

so i'm going to talk about my latest ex specifically bc i think he exemplifies what i'm most trying to get at here. he's a uphal moon, krittika asc, and pbp sun. and like all my other exes he was a dom too but he took it to lengths i had yet to seen till him.

1st of all solar men's sex drive is insane. mind you no joke i'm clinically a hypersexual myself but it's a lot trying to keep up with them omg. they constantly want it and will shamelessly go for it. it seems almost unconscious to them even (e.x. feeling you up mindlessly)? so with my last ex we were fucking like rabbits so much that it got to the point where i exclusively wore dresses and skirts around him because it was just easier. and we eventually agreed to have me forgo wearing anything underneath if we were hanging at his or my place tg because it was kind of like ... what's the point? we're just gonna end up rolling around with each other at some point today💀

that's why when you said that you love sex i felt so seen because im the same way. it quite literally feels like turning my brain off and i get so dopey happy and calm afterwards like it'll put me straight to sleep. i get rly whiny and sad if i go even a day without soooo stay strong sister you will get through this

anyways a lot of semi-public sex too with solars. like in the car before events, in bathrooms if we can sneak away from said events etc. and they get turned on really easily like it's just not difficult to get them in the mood if they're not already in the mood. solar men also rly like the whole daddy/dad thing. you can literally see their whole face perk up when you acknowledge them in that regard. i cant speak on ddlg specifically because that's not for me personally but in my experience with my exes they've explained the whole daddy/dad kink as just feeding into their powerplay kink so that's how i've come to understand it for them.

the last thing i'll touch on for now (that is if i ever decide to be brave enough to continue sharing with y'all ummmm) is impact play! they seem to like this kind of thing. but not in the way i've seen it manifest for other naks like not in the same way it's depicted in 50 shades of grey for e.x. - in fact i think that guy is a mercurial so def different. solar men are a lot more fun with it. like when they spank you, gag you, slap you etc. it's not rly because they're trying to discipline you or quote on quote teach you a lesson or punish you. it's just bc it's fun to them to see you in that position and it thus feeds into their ego (which is i think at the root of why they like the kind of sex they like. it's an ego thing ultimately) - and personally i'm the type i'm in a giggling fit when i'm getting roughed up like that so it's truly just two ppl having fun and getting off in a weird grossish way one another.

thank you for sharing this 😳I miss sex more than ever and now I'm also intrigued by the idea of banging a Solar man 😳😤

[typenull]

how do you find the courage to open up about parts + distinction? its nice in theory (i like being understood and accepted) but in reality its scary. im currently finding it difficult & near impossible to do so with my closest (IRL & online) friends + group therapist. (even names/pronouns). i feel like a trapped deer in headlights. what about you? i think of you as brave and admire that trait about you for being so open about it. sorry if this message is weird. i dont know how else to say it.

wow hi anon, first of all thanks for the ask; i'm really honored that you'd think of me that way about something like this in the first place... and it's not weird at all, don't worry! this subject is definitely something i go back and forth about all of the time, and i think that fear you're describing is completely normal; especially if you're only just beginning to try sharing about having parts at all. so don't worry, i think the fear is actually kind of "baked-in" to the disorder itself, imo.

this got pretty long, so i'm going to put it under a cut!

i think a large part of what you may be picking up on from me has just come from time. i've been formally diagnosed for about 3 years now, but i first identified my symptoms about 10 years ago; i've had a really long time to make a whole fuckton of both mistakes and tough decisions when it comes to how i want to present being dissociative online. compared to how i was when i was younger, i actually consider the amount of actual information i share to be fairly low (so it's surprising to me that i seem as open and not like a private recluse lol) - but my overall acceptance of the disorder and what it means for me to have it has definitely solidified in the past 3 years. that's allowed me to curate a fairly generally cohesive "collective" image, but that can sort of be a pro or a con. i tend to view any information i share online as just being a small "segment" of the overall "chimera" - as long as what sections i share don't put me at risk, it just becomes another facet of how people see me overall. basically, i try to incorporate my view of the disorder into my presentation of my self, i guess. i wouldn't be who i am without my parts, so they become part of me. this mindset largely stems from having to backtrack on a lot of old ideas about the disorder; viewing parts as external figures, presenting parts as Quote Unquote "Completely Separate", etc. you'll have to put your own time into thinking what those sorts of things mean to you, and how you collectively think of it when it applies to yourself.

despite how it looks, i actually have comparatively very few parts that feel fully comfortable "presenting" solely as themself nowadays, and to have that luxury is actually fairly rare. as the guy who's writing this I personally only recently (within the past 2 weeks or so) worked up the courage to present as anything personal to me at all. this is mostly because having a collective name online gives me (overall) the freedom to hide behind that moniker and image that i've spent so long curating, and trying to step outside of that is a pretty big source of risk.

for the most part, i deliberately try not to share information about parts that could put myself in danger, or that would cross those part's boundaries. there are some disagreements when it comes to this; some information that certain parts feel strongest about sharing / feel is strongest tied to their personal identity online can sometimes be information that others feel like "if you post this online we will actually die" about, lol. as always, communication is the most important part of dealing with any part of this disorder.

building off of that, i think the most important piece of advice or what have you is going to sound kind of cliche if you've been deep in the paint on reading advice for DID, but it will get easier as you get to know your parts - and more specifically, each parts boundaries. i would take the time to ask your self and others what exactly it is that makes you freeze up when trying to share or present in a way that's comparatively more open. i'd even ask myself what you consider "being open" means to you, because it's different for everyone. i found myself realizing that a lot of my hangups with it were from other parts' fears or worries, and had to talk it through to come to a middle ground with them.

this is especially true when it comes to wanting to be open to therapists. i've never been in group therapy outside of inpatient before, so i can't exactly be the best help there... but i personally try to remind myself that despite how it feels, i'm technically the person in the position of power in a therapeutic relationship because i'm paying for their service. if i share and i feel it alters our relationship in a way i dislike, or that it puts me in danger, i have the authority to terminate that therapeutic relationship. i would start small and just see how it feels to share about the existence of parts at all in a group setting like that before diving into anything more personal.

i feel like i had more to say, but i've already typed up a whole novel, lol... i hope at least this can give you some insight on where i come from when sharing things online. thanks a lot again for the ask, it means a lot that you'd look up to me in any way. i'm not at all an arbiter of DID advice or anything, but if you'd ever like to shoot me a message off anon you can certainly give it a shot. (even though i'm bad at responding to dms.)

[blorb-el]

hullo! I read your chapter of your au with the Very Horrible Lex and the Very Baby Kon and the Very Sad Clark and i love it sosososo much! The GOOD ANGST my dood.

I want you to know i’ve been daydreaming abt it. Heck, i was daydreaming WHILE reading it- i mean that’s actually normal for me when i’m invested in smthn, but fr i kept getting distracted by So Many Thoughts and Feelings tm. Took me longer to read than it should’ve but rest assured that’s a positive thing!

i read the fic you based it on, and it was great! But so far im liking yours better >v>

I wanna see the rescue and the recovery! I wanna see it get worse first! I wanna see Clark attempt to raise Kon the best he can in the worst of circumstances! The love and human connection thriving even in the midst of a hurricane of cruelty— it’s so good bestie!

uhh anyway! The point of this ask: I wanna know, how did you come up with the title? “We shall be free; we shall find peace”? oVo?

Thank you!! That's basically how it came about, daydreaming about the fic that inspired it!

So I really love the fanfic tradition of using lowercase AestheticTM song lyrics as titles. Fic is already inherently intertextual, and I think it's fun to add another layer of intertextuality onto that; I named one of my other fics with a lyric mostly because 1. the lyric fits their relationship! and 2. the juxtaposition between Wholesome Radio Pop Lyric and soft d/s xeno tentacle pwp still makes me laugh.

At first the draft was just called 'horrible lex au,' and then I thought about using two other quotes before settling on the title. That's the tl;dr of it all, the rest of this is under a cut for plot spoilers for the overall arc of the entire fic, and also so, so much rambling:

The first title I was thinking about was be sure your heart is brave from Aeschylus' Agamemnon, but that quote is the chorus speaking to Cassandra right before she's about to be killed; her bravery is a heavy burden reaction to the monstrous injustices that have brought her to that point, like Clark and Kon... but then she's brutally murdered. Plus the power dynamic situation is... let's say, very different. It's an extraordinary, immortal line but the narrative arc I've got planned strays too far from the original arc, and in the end I decided I didn't want the shadow of a way better tragedy hanging over my little fanfic.

Chorus: Woman, be sure your heart is brave; you can take much. Cassandra: None but the unhappy ever hear such praise.

The next line I was thinking about went too far in the other direction, taste a morning out there, which is from one of the best 'I Want' songs, Out There from the Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame. Quasimodo's story of being thought monstrous and being imprisoned and gaslit by a socially powerful manipulator parallels Clark and Kon better than Cassandra's, but in the end the literal line itself doesn't fit right with either Clark or Kon. Clark, at the beginning of the fic, has atrophied to the point where he can only conceive wanting for such things through wanting them for Kon, and Kon, as we'll see soonish, isn't locked up underground the way Clark is. Plus, the fic is... lighter than the Orestia for sure but a hell of a lot grimmer than Disney, lol. I do have it on my writing playlist though.

So in the end I went back to one of my absolute favorite pieces of media ever, Fidelio. We shall be free; we shall find peace is a line from the Prisoner's Chorus in that opera. The solo prisoner that sings the line invites the rest of the prisoners to begin hoping, and from there, despite the sobering reminders of the dangers they face, that they're being watched, the music swells into a yearning for freedom so powerful it's difficult to understand how it passed the censors in 1805.

First solo: Hope whispers softly to me: We shall be free, we shall find peace. Chorus: Oh Heavens! Salvation! What happiness! Oh freedom, freedom, will you return? Second solo: Speak softly! Be on your guard! [The jailer's] eyes and ears are on us.

And then - the head jailer returns, and the prisoners are brought back to reality, forced back into their dark cells at the end of the act. The temporary respite is over.

Farewell, warm sunshine - how quickly you fly from us. Night is fallen upon us, from which no day shall break.

The simple act of hoping is like a breath of fresh air, temporarily alleviating their suffering, but it doesn't materially change their circumstances; it takes a number of outside forces to do that, which will be paralleled in the fic. Love and hope is all they have, and it's not enough, but it does make the torment bearable until Bruce/Leonora uncovers the extent of The Horrors and Diana/Don Fernando can deus ex machina everyone into the sunlight.

All in all, the line is a very succinct summary of the plot. Clark and Kon will be free, and they will find peace, but they have to find out what both of those mean, reclaiming their agency in the process.

oooor at least that's the plan. chapter 2 is about 90% edited and can probably be ready this weekend, I hit a little plot snag in chapter 3-5 so chunks of that are undergoing rewrites, but the good news there is that the rewrites are SO much better than the original draft and there will be some bats showing up earlier than there otherwise would have been. I did uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh kind of lose my job a few days after posting the first part, so updates will be slower than I'd like, especially since I'll have to move to a different state if I get the positions I'm currently applying to 😓

[the-gayest-tree-you-ever-did-see]

What's your favorite character from The Hunger Games trilogy?

Why do you like this character?

Favorite quote or moment from them?

Please state one (or more) thing which you don't like from them.

Thank you 😊

@curiousnonny

sorry this took forever it sent me into a spiral that wouldnt stop until i literally had to have my sister shake me back to normal (in a good way)

my favorite characters in the hunger games are a tie between cinna and johanna. cinna was like... the dad i never really had. when i first read the books and watched the movies, i found myself daydreaming about what he would say to me in random situations because i never really had anyone in my corner growing up. he was who i wanted to be and who i wished i had in my life simultaneously. sometimes i look in the mirror after doing my makeup and be like damn. cinna would totally do this look on me/on himself. the gold eyeliner? i do it whenever i possibly can -- i also sometimes do colored eyeliner to match my outfits and it is very much because of him. also, growing up around white girls who were absolutely gorgeous and wore dramatic makeup and got surgeries very much affected me, who grew up a brown girl who never wore makeup and Definitely couldnt afford or would be allowed to get surgeries, but thinking of cinna and how he wouldnt approve always made me feel better. i dont know, i just have a lot of love for him and i dont know where i would be if i didnt have a piece of him in my heart. my favorite quote from him is "i always channel my emotions into my work. that way, i don't hurt anyone but myself." it just speaks to me so much as someone who tends to internalize anger and pain, and had to learn how to put it into an outlet (which is usually music, for me). plus it lends such a sense of complexity to cinna -- makes you wonder how he got to rooting for the girl on fire, really. i love nearly everything about him, but if i had to change one thing, i wish he was more of a fighter. physically more than mentally, because you can really tell how strong he is mentally. i just wish he couldve fought back against the peacekeepers and escaped and lived. i wish he lived.

okay i was VERY soft about cinna but johanna?? oh im nothing but soft about how i love her. shes everything to me. she is me. i come off as a very gentle person but babe my internal monologue in johanna all the way. she is so fucking strong and brave and sharp and incredible and to see a woman like that face all these odds and bite them down to the quick? she could kill me a thousand times over and i'd ask her to do it again. shes everything i want to be and more. my favorite quote from her is actually from the movie specifically, not the book, where in one of the mockingjay movies, she says, "they messed us up pretty good, huh?" to katniss. i just think the way the line is delivered and the situation under which she said it just make it such a poignant and simple line. it is so, so difficult to reckon with the fact that you have accumulated trauma and it will not go away just because you know about it. thats something i can really relate to. i just!!!!!!!!!! love her a lot. there isnt a single thing i'd change about her. i love her for all of who she is<33

of course nonny!! i love these asks so much its so fun, so thank you for spreading this joy around<3333

[fintan-pyren]

i feel like you’re the person to ask this

do you have screenshots of any good Fintan Quotes im making a collage playlist and would want had at least one of his quotes because i know he had a few good ones.

Oh, I absolutely do

“We both know I’m never leaving this cold, empty room with no warmth, no kindling—nothing but solid metal and fireproof clothes. A life with no heat—no fire—isn’t worth living.”

“Our world is broken, Alden—and all the Council does about it is condemn anyone brave enough to acknowledge that we have a problem. Break our minds, lock us deep in the earth, convince themselves that we are the criminals. But who are the ones ruining lives? Destroying families? Forbidding people from using their abilities, relegating them to working class—”

“Left to their own devices the Council will let everything we’ve built crumble to dust. Someone had to stand up and fight for what matters—and while I’m not the one who cast the first sparks, I am willing to help keep the flames alive.” “The flames have been extinguished!” Alden shouted. Fintan snorted a laugh. “That’s the funny thing about rebellions. You can’t stop them until they’ve consumed everything that fuels them. And from where I sit I see plenty of kindling.”

“Why?” Councillor Emery asked, his eyes focused on the Neverseen figure. “Why would you harm so many innocent gnomes?” “Because sometimes you have to let things burn to let something better rise from the ashes.”

“That’s become the elvin way, secrets and lies, while those who depend on you suffer in ignorance. But things don’t have to stay that way!”

“I’m tired of disguises,” he said. “Tired of living like I’m the one with something to hide. Tired of letting you think I fear you. I stand before you now as the future of our world, every bit as unstoppable as my flames.”

“And there we have the greatest lie of the elves,” Fintan interrupted, struggling to stand with his clunky chains. “We talk of freedom and equality—but demand authority and superiority.”

“But I won’t be silenced!” Fintan shouted. “Because the old ways are failing—and have been failing for centuries. This world doesn’t need diplomacy. It needs quick, decisive leadership from someone who offers actual solutions. Someone not afraid of making the hard choices. Someone willing to make changes.”

“They emit a unique form of bioluminescence when they bloom—a light that only exists for that rare moment in time. It doesn’t travel—it absorbs. And you can’t bottle it or preserve it. You have to be there to witness it—which I suppose is why the knowledge has been lost. No one has any patience anymore. They want what they want the second they desire it. But some of us are still willing to wait for the opportune moment.”

“I have no control over my craving for flame. Fire will always call to me—and yet I still try my best to comply with your unjust rules. I resist every call when I’m in public—no matter how great the struggle. I resigned from the Council and allowed myself to be relegated to a Talentless status. But when I’m home, in the privacy and isolation of my own property, I should have the right to be myself. I’m harming no one when I do this.”

“Am I boring you? You’re welcome to leave anytime. Or feel free to start the lecture I’ll be ignoring.”