#they so epic...

[dapper-lil-arts]

Top two characters that would have made the most worthy-awesome-incredibly cathartic alicorns

[druid-for-hire]

There's this sort of anthropomorphizing that inherently happens in language that really gets me sometimes. I'm still not over the terminology of "gravity assist," the technique where we launch satellites into the orbit of other planets so that we can build momentum via the astounding and literally astronomical strength of their gravitational forces, to "slingshot" them into the direction we need with a speed that we could never, ever, ever create ourselves. I mean, some of these slingshots easily get probes hurtling through space at tens of thousands of miles per hour. Wikipedia has a handy diagram of the Voyager 1 satellite doing such a thing.

"Gravity assist." "Slingshot." Of course, on a very basic and objective level, yes, we are taking advantage of forces generated by outside objects to specifically help in our goals. We're getting help from objects in the same way a river can power a mill. And of course we call it a "slingshot," because the motion is very similar (mentally at least; I can't be sure about the exact physics).

Plus, especially compared to the other sciences, the terminology for astrophysics is like, really straightforward. "Black hole?" Damn yeah it sure is. "Big bang?" It sure was. "Galactic cluster?" Buddy you're never gonna guess what this is. I think it's an effect of the fact that language is generally developed for life on earth and all the strange variances that happen on its surface, that applying it to something as alien and vast as space, general terms tend to suffice very well in a lot more places than, like... idk, botany.

But, like. "Gravity assist." I still can't get the notion out of my head that such language implies us receiving active help from our celestial neighbors. They come to our aid. We are working together. We are assisted. Jupiter and the other planets saw our little messengers coming from its pale blue molecular cousin, and we set up the physics just right, so that they could help us send them out to far stranger places than this, to tell us all about what they find out there.

We are assisted.

And there is no better way to illustrate my feelings on the matter than to just show you guys one of my favorite paintings, this 1973 NASA art by Rick Guidice to show the Pioneer probe doing this exact thing:

"... You, sent out beyond your recall, go to the limits of your longing. Embody me. ..."

Gravity assist.

[itsajollyjester]

“Would fall in love with me again if you knew all I’ve done?”

[gigizetz]

Penelope waiting

[chloesimaginationthings]

Poppy playtime got a guy worse than William Afton

[mushyooms]

"Then they recognized me. Each embraced me tightly in his arms, and started sobbing in desperation. So the house rang loud with noise, and even [Circe] herself pitied them."

[lillids]

Post-wisdom saga Athena’s reaction to a sudden hug would be to remove her armor to not hurt Ody- change my mind

[autisticblitz]

silly sketches

[thebeeper]

now that the ithaca saga is out i'd like to just put it out there that, in the original text, after they reunite odysseus and penelope immediately run off to fuck - obviously (20 years at sea away from your wife call that the wettest dry spell mankind's ever seen). BUT while they're getting all hot and heavy, athena decides to put her owl motif to good use and wingman for odysseus by quite literally holding off the dawn until they're fully satisfied (od. 23.345-348). which is just. what a way to end off one of the greatest pieces of storytelling in human history

[sysiheart]

Odysseus playing a guitar ANGRILY at his wife

Penelope playing a violin EVEN MORE ANGRILY at her husband

[mythology-void]

girl you are killing it! girl i think it's dead! girl you can stop STABBING

[shadebloopnik]

Penelope: Would I fall in love with you again? Hmmm, well. Can you also move our marriage bed over there? Hmmm? What? I thought we were pretending to be stupid by asking the most idiotic questions.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Penelope's final gambit, you will always be famous, no matter the subtext.

[aetherixart]

"Just know, I'll be here waiting."

[pastellpeachz]

https://x.com/JayHerrans/status/1872662244233724011?t=euCRsoPjWy1yV8uegkn44g&s=19