#trouble the saints

[dirtgrubber]

everyone loves a party trick!

a scene from the incredible fanfic by @morningstarwrites

[specialagentartemis]

been having a run of just, absolutely shitty luck with technology (bike car computer phone screen phone charger…) so I was trying to find out if there’s a patron saint of technology I can do a devotional to before I give up and just start sacrificing to Hephaestus or something

And uh

bad technology luck continues: I now have Google AI Answers.

“Isidore was the bishop of Seville in 600 AD, a few years before the internet was invented.” Well you sure could say it that way!

[stoshasaurus]

another saint wip from the same project as before

his flower crown consists of:

1. purple hyacinth - guilt, seeking forgiveness

2. white poppies - "never again", remembrance (of war, typically)

3. peace lilies - sympathy, healing, hope, purity, and peace

[ask-the-colony-tree-siblings]

To Inv: How do you normally help Saint calm down from his panic attacks? I’m sure Saint deeply appreciates the help and feels a little better afterword too.

Inv: Oh, well…

Saint’s panic attacks normally happen ‘cause there’s too many thoughts running through their head. Then Saint spirals because having a panic attack makes them panic even more, and it just keeps going. 

Well, if I’m good at one thing, it’s talking. So that’s what I do. I talk to them, just about anything other then the fact that they’re having a panic attack or whatever made them anxious in the first place. It drowns out all the voices in their head, and it reminds them that I’m there. That normally helps.

[lab-gr0wn-lambs]

suddenly forcing myself to learn all the countries of the world because of that one fucking poll. I now know the names and locations of all the countries of Europe, Asia, Oceania and South America and also the 50 US states. It hasn't even been 24 hours this is clinically unemployed behaviour

[aleksanderscult]

Was Aleksander power-hungry or wanted power to use it for the protection of his people?

This question is one of the most hotly debatable in this fandom and I decided to clear this out not by analyzing his words through the POV of other characters (who don't believe him and therefore the reader finds him a liar) but through his own perspective in "Rule of Wolves".

So let's take an objective look inside his own thoughts and find out.

His very first thoughts were how could he reclaim his powers, describing the whole experience as somewhat painful and confusing to him. His second were about Alina.

And these are his third ones. He explains how utterly worthless Nikolai and Zoya are to save Ravka. How immature and weak. Aleksander finds himself to be the only one able for this task. His powers, experience and general abilities are testament to that.

But note how he calls Ravka "his country". From the carved woods decorating his bedroom to his knowledge of "every pebble and branch" of it, this country is special to him. He loves it, feels a connection to it and wants to protect it.

(You just can't call the Darkling "unpatriotic")

He displays bitterness for his loss and Ravka's new state just verifies to him that his plans would only prevent this decaying fate.

Yuri: "Sankta Alina who gave her life for Ravka"

Aleksander: "Am I a joke to you?"

And indeed is he?

Aleksander displays a very strong resentment for the lack of recognition he has gained. His statement: "I gave my life for Ravka" probably doesn't only allude to his death from Alina's hands but also his total commitment in the protection of the Grisha and Ravka that lasted for centuries. He gave his life away by pushing his personal happiness and well-being aside and wholly dedicating his life and skills to a selfless goal. He wasted years, allies, soldiers, endured otkazat'sya Kings that rule him, a bitter mother and his own immortality only for others to hurriedly erase any memory of him once he's gone.

So it seems that his desire to be seen only stems from his long-awaited and secret wish for his actions to be recognized.

Based on the last screenshot, he views his actions as justified not because of a "power-hungry nature" but out of his efforts to help others. Whether these actions are justified or not depends on the reader.

I believe this is one of the most concrete evidence that Aleksander truly cared about the Grisha.

He felt intense anger for those who were ignorant and apathetic towards the Grisha's fate and he himself cared about who was gonna sit the Ravkan throne.

No matter how much humanity he shed as the years passed, it seems that he didn't shed all of it by the time of these books.

Apparently Aleksander had two main goals in this book:

- To protect his people and country as he always strived to do.

- For others to finally give him some credit and have their acknowledgment that yes, he has done something for this country all these years.

In order to help the Grisha and change their fates he needed to be in a position of strength, hence his desire to take the throne. He views himself as a fatherly figure towards his people. A protector and guardian.

But he also wants to become a Saint and king. For people to look up to him. So many Saints had done less than half in comparison to Aleksander and they still won people's love. Now it's his turn and he thinks he deserves it.

I'm adding a short parenthesis here.

His concern didn't only extent to the Grisha but to his blind, otkazat'sya followers as well.

He cared about what would happen in the battlefield and seemed ready to create nichevo'ya to protect them. Merzost is extremely painful but this "selfish" villain is ready to use it to protect his naive but innocent army.

A hundred of years ago Aleksander refused the King's gold as payment for his services. Instead he opted to plead for the construction of a palace. A home and haven for all the Grisha that were hiding out of fear from the persecution against them.

He saw his chance and took it to make the lives of his people a little better.

So this whole "the Darkling created the Fold out of his desire for power" was bullshit after all.

He wanted power but only to use it to end the wars. Ironically, the result of it (aka. the Fold) only aggravated the problem.

And the Darkling's dream never came entirely true. He gave them a home but never a safe life. Ravka was almost always at war, Grisha were never accepted, the Ravkan kings never paid much attention to the Grisha's problems regarding their role in society which placed them almost at the bottom of the food chain.

All these things worried Aleksander and pushed him to action both when he created the Fold and when he started the Civil War.

The Darkling has a very different mentality than those who don't have the burden of immortality on their shoulders.

Aleksander uses time as an advantage and has a remarkable patience. He bides his time and strikes when he sees the opportunity, leaving other people to die since they're only just a part of a whole. He probably thinks: "Well, I'll meet plenty more new otkazat'sya in the future so why should I be concerned for this bunch here?"

But the bleak future of the Grisha make him stop and think. They're the only reason why he stays and fight and why he proclaimed Zoya a Saint.

So it's obvious that Aleksander only used power for the benefit of his people and country.

- When king Yevgeni offered him a handsome reward, Aleksander turned it down and chose to appeal for a better future for the rest of the Grisha.

- When the wars didn't stop coming and Grisha were again getting killed, he tried to use merzost to augment his powers and put a stop to it.

- When he tried to use the Fold as a weapon with Alina at his side, he did it to place Ravka in a stronger position in comparison to his enemies.

- He viewed Nikolai and Zoya dangerous to the rest of the country.

- He was concerned of what would happen to the Grisha if Demidov became king.

- He was determined to save Ravka and lead it as their king and protector.

- Even though he thought of leaving, he stayed out of concern for the Grisha (again).

Contrary to the people who say that the Darkling began selfless but by the time of these books became selfish, it seems that he never lost his selflessness. He still kept thinking about others and his last moments he was unrepentant for his crimes since he did them for others not for himself. It's true that he had pride and an ego but rightfully so. No one else was as powerful or as capable as him to make a change and, honestly, no one else made a decent effort but him.

He also displayed a strong bitterness for the fact that others were so quick to forget him and his actions. He felt wronged that after all he had done, none wanted to acknowledge his own part in the protection of Ravka. He wanted to be seen and appreciated. His anger and indignation came from a place of injustice as he saw it. Whatever he did was labeled as wrong and people only feared him, never feeling gratefulness or love towards him. The Darkling wanted others to give him his due for what he went through, did and tried to do. Recognition after so many years of feeling invisible and hated.

It was something that even his enemies admitted about him:

The strongest evidence of his yearning to shield his country is how he willingly gave his life for it at the end. He would be tortured forever but at least his people wouldn't forget him and he would have fulfilled his desired role as a protector of his country.

[farah-o-0]

Found some time to color it😌

[vynnyal]

Actually you know what, I'm gonna post this. Check it out, I'm fiddling with this PMV. Spoils the whole game ofc. And the name of the song is pure imagination by Fiona Apple!

Also I'm apparently a big fan of drawing moon laying down 😂 total count including scrapped drawings is 5 (technically 6)

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

The West Passage

medieval fantasy set in a giant crumbling palace of traditions with forgotten origin, ruled by giant eldritch Ladies

when winter weather comes in the middle of summer, and a beast below the palace begins to rise, two teens from Grey who have suddenly gained a lot of responsibilities set out on separate journeys to the other towers to find a way to stop it, and meet all sorts of strange people and creatures along the way

world where pronouns/names are based on people’s roles

tons of cool medieval-style chapter illustrations by the author

[paxny]

feral screeching from offscreen

No, I definitely haven’t been thinking about this scene nonstop for almost a week straight, that would be absurd, hahaha

- The Saint (1997)

[the-hilda-librarians-wife]

Considering the ask I got about christianized speech in Hilda fic writing and Sadie’s tags about the idiom I mentioned, the topic of “do christians exist in the Hilda universe?” has been on my mind. And then, I remembered that there’s canonically a place called Saint Guglow’s Cemetery

So I thought “hey, that’s interesting. Is that a saint I don’t know about?” and looked it up. But nope, not a single positive result to tell me who the hell mr. Guglow might have been. Which leaves me with two options:

1- There aren’t christians in the Hildaverse, but whatever religions there might be there is at least one which utilizes the concept of saints and canonization, or-

2- There are not only christians, but also specifically catholics in the Hildaverse. And they have access to exclusive secret saints over there

[justana0kguy]

2024 APRIL 26 Friday

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

~ John 14:1,6

[lilho-ho-bo10]

Clark: It's saint Patrick's day🥳

Bruce: We really don't care.

Clark: ?

Diana: Clark, it's just that it's not one of the major holidays.

Bruce: It's really not, you act like it's Christmas.

Jor-El: Fuck you and Saint Patrick's Day.

Clark: !?!?

[parasitic-saint]

silly little decaying priest sona :3

[kittiegun]

the hatzgang are drawn with disgustingly big heads and im tired of hiding it.

seriously the shapes are so clashing and dont fit together at all (not to mention, inaccurate?? super inaccurate)

robert looks like a thumb. his head is shaped like a thumg LOOK AT THIS SHIT.

HIS FACE IS AN OVAL YOU ASSHEADS!!!

[missallanea]

                                         trust belongs to you // trust is for fools

                                            ind. sel. pri. multimuses featuring                                                         Demona & Macbeth