#two lies and a truth

[thekingsheroes]

i have been thinking about "two lies and a truth" Basically nonstop since you posted the first chapter and the second one absolutely KNOCKED MY SOCKS OFF!!!!!! i have so many thoughts about it i ranted in a discord server for about an hour and i'm going to leave an obscenely long comment later so apologies in advance for that 〒▽〒

but anyway i saw you said you're new to the fandom and i just wanna say i am SO glad you're here (*^▽^*)

Oh??? My gosh??? This is so incredibly sweet, I don’t even have words, thank you so much omg. I’m so so glad that you’re liking “two lies and a truth” so much!!! And don’t apologize for long comments, they’re my favorite!!

And ahhh thank you, I’m so glad to be here!! :))

[gayofthefae]

We don't envision season 5 right when we talk because what is that actually gonna be like? This isn't a romcom. Mike finds out about the painting but Will is like throwing up blood and slugs in the corner.

edit: to clarify I wasn't saying "no time for romance" I was saying "it's horror show with raises stakes and angst. Mike will have to figure out how to bring up this truth bomb he discovered when more important things are clearly going on and there aren't the most conversational opportunities". I mean MORE juice, not less.

[probablybadrpgideas]

A Riddle

You are trapped on one side of a river. You have a boat, and can use it cross the river. However, you need to get three wolves, three goats and three bags of grain across. If there are ever more wolves then goats on one side of the river, they'll eat the goats, and likewise for goats and grain. You can take up to two things per journey, not including yourself.

Who the fuck let this happen?

[lovelylittlegrim]

A little snippet of Vacancy signs ch. 17 because work is slow right now and I was left unsupervised.

[mysteriousanderfels]

Sometimes you see a picture, and you know immediately the song that would bring it to life.

https://twitter.com/memento1113?s=20&t=NOytWLlRmIZMRLlamP3sig

[fromxxthexxashes]

Buck and Eddie have always felt like they were disappointments. For Buck, he’s always been “too much”, and Eddie has always been “not enough”. both of them have torn themselves up to try to be worthy. Buck puts himself in dangerous situations with little to no regard for his own life, because he grew up knowing he was only worthy of his parent’s attention when he was bleeding. As he got older, he took what he learned as a child, and decided his life was only worth the effort it takes to save someone else’s. Eddie tears himself apart in an attempt to fit into this perfect mold of who he’s expected to be, and when he doesn’t get it just right, he breaks. He self-destructs because he feels the need to punish himself for failing at being who he’s expected to be.

Then Buck and Eddie meet and bond, and they don’t look at each other and see failures or disappointments. They looked into each other’s eyes and decided there was nobody in the world they would rather have their backs than each other.

Help was always offered to Eddie under the pretense that he was a failure for needing it. Buck stepped in with Eddie and Chris, and he offered his help and his presence with no judgment and no strings attached. He wanted to make things easier, and maybe he wanted to belong somewhere, with people as amazing and loving as Eddie and Christopher Diaz.

Buck viewed his presence in other people’s lives as fleeting because at some point everyone gets tired of him. Eddie welcomed Buck with open arms and a smile on his face. People looked at Buck and saw someone who was “too irresponsible” and “too immature”, but Eddie looked at Buck and saw someone who he trusted, more than anyone, to protect and love Chris, his child, and the most precious thing in Eddie’s life. Eddie looked at Buck, saw his self-sacrificial tendencies, and told him, right to his face “You think you’re expendable, but you’re wrong”.

No one will ever understand Buck and Eddie the way Buck and Eddie do. They have seen each other at their absolute worst, helped each other through it, and came out stronger than before. The love they have for each other is so strong. It’s built into their very foundations - and it didn’t just happen by accident, they built it themselves. It’s unbreakable. They might tear themselves down, but they could never break what they built with each other. And it all started because they looked at each other and just saw each other for who they were, who they truly were, and they loved each other anyway.

[michyeosseo]

Do you know why she is honored as goddess? Bedridden for a long time due to her incomplete celestial roots... a deity everyone thought could not be saved... Lord Xingzhi came to take to the Extranatural Heaven. And cured her. Therefore, the Divine Realm's Heavenly Lord gave her a title: Luotian Goddess – blessings from the sky. The girl blessed by the [ancient] gods.

Li Jia Qi as YOULAN

THE LEGEND OF SHEN LI (2024) 1.17-1.19

[mikeyisbrooklyn]

It’s Share A Song Sunday!! If you have trouble reading the caption for it, I brought up a playbill for Hadestown signed by the cast, gifted to me my ride or die, I love her so much💛.

Anywho, this one is called “Two Truths, One Lie”! Denial is a river in Eygpt, but I’m a terrible swimmer, so I’d rather play silly kids games with myself. Everyone’s played Two Truths, One Lie before, right? Right??

Link for those who want it: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR3xuVct/

[hanayoyo-art]

There are two doors. Behind one door, certain...

Saddle up comrades, we're writing riddle yaoi now!!!

Inspired by

by @microsff and @hb-not-the-pencil

[aressida]

[icy-watch]

That

That makes a lot more sense than tea that makes you shapeshift.

[everlastiingiimmortals]

Notes on Dr. Ratio: Design, Philosophy, and Culture

That's right, I'm back with another big thinkpiece! This time, I'll be doing a very long overdue analysis on Ratio and drawing notes to the real-life inspirations behind his character. I'll be having quite a bit of overlap with existing headcanon posts I've made, so if there's anything I repeat I apologize. I'll do my best to link the major posts I've written before as they come up!

I'll be splitting this piece into three different sections: design, kit and naming conventions, and miscellaneous (that gorgeous E6, his personality and backstory, statues, etc). So, without further ado, let's begin! This will be lengthy, just as a general note, and has a lot to point to, so the notes will be bulleted.

Design:

To start, Ratio has an overall blue and white theme. This immediately struck me as very Greek, especially since the colors in his chiton are of a similar shade to the national flag of Greece.

He has a modernized and modified version of the chiton and himation or chlamys, all of which are traditional articles of clothing in Ancient Greece. The chiton is the blue half with the sleeve, and and the himation is the white cloth. Both are tucked under a zone (the girdle), with it only partially hidden on one side. Usually the whole belt would be hidden under the folds of a chiton, but HYV likes their belts. An interesting note regarding the himation is that it's fastened on his left shoulder, rather than the right as it would traditionally be done.

The button fastening Ratio's himation in place is actually a Roman button! An example of one can be seen here, in the Met.

The sandals he wears are more of Greek origin than Roman, I think. It was hard to find the exact type or name, but this site points to several examples.

Naturally, the owl pauldron is a reference to Athena (Minerva in Roman mythology), the Greek goddess of wisdom and strategy. This is a motif that also shows up on Ratio's codex.

His hairpiece is a representation of a laurel wreath, which were awarded to skilled, accomplished people as a symbol of triumph -- though usually intended for victors of athletic or musical and poetic competitions (and for the Romans, martial victory), they have also come to represent academic success and achievement.

The column he summons in his Ultimate is a composite column, noted by the large volutes (reminiscent of an ionic order) as well as the acanthus leaf motifs similar to a corinthian column.

Similarly, acanthus leaves -- a popular design in Ancient Greece and Rome -- make repeated appearances on Ratio's outfit. We can see some sort of acanthus leaf with volutes on his belt buckle, acanthus leaves on his bracers, and also on the hem of his pants.

Throughout his clothing (particularly the flowy bits) we see endless vitruvian scrolls (also called wave scrolls) on his cape wings and the hem of his chiton. Though I didn't see anything suggesting symbolism, it was a very popular design in Ancient Greece all the same, and was thought to represent the Meander, a winding river in Turkey.

His alabaster headpiece looks nothing like him, but I wonder if it could possibly be modeled after Athena instead? The hair is long enough to be braided and curled into a bun, and it does look vaguely similar to some statues and depictions of Athena. It's hard to say.

He wears a signet ring! While the use of signet rings in academics is largely a tradition within the US and Canada from my research, they date back to the Bronze Age of Ancient Greece and were popular in Ancient Rome as symbols of status. Interestingly, Ratio wears his on his left middle finger, rather than his right (which would traditionally symbolize power and strength).

Ratio has a few gems on his person: an amethyst on his gold neckpiece (??? what is that thing, I still have no idea), and a sapphire or lapis lazuli on each bracer and sandal. Amethysts traditionally represent clarity of mind, while both sapphire and lapis lazuli can symbolize wisdom. Interestingly, all three stones have names of Greek or Latin origin.

Seriously, what is that neckpiece? It has wings that sit below the amethyst, and it occurred to me that it looks vaguely similar to a caduceus, with the chain being reminiscent of the intertwined snakes. It should be noted that the caduceus is not a medical symbol, as is commonly misunderstood here in the US, but rather a symbol of Hermes. It has associations with wisdom, eloquence, deception, and trade, which obviously don't all apply to Ratio as a character, but given his alignment with the Intelligentsia Guild/IPC and his role in the Penacony arc, it's interesting to note all the same.

His codex! This is actually a silly marble (??) version of a wax tablet, popularly used in Ancient Greece. Here is an example of a foldable wax tablet from Byzantine Egypt, but the general idea is the same. They were in Greece, too.

Kit and Naming Conventions:

First off, the man himself: Veritas Ratio. I've talked about this at length, so I'll link the most recent post on his etymology here.

His banner title, Panta Rhei. This is Greek for "all things are in flux," and attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. He was insistent on change and the idea of the world being in constant motion; that is to say, all things being in the process of becoming, but never realizing that final limit. This idea of people constantly changing and growing is something reflected in Ratio's philosophy as well.

Ratio's Lightcone is named "Baptism of Pure Thought," which is particularly interesting to his character. Baptism -- notably the act of immersing one in water -- is largely known as a Christian practice (which did originate in the Roman Empire!). While Ratio himself has never struck me as religious, it's obvious that his baths are an incredibly spiritual and sacred habit for this reason. It's cute lol

His Talent, Cogito Ergo Sum. This is Latin, and translates to "I think, therefore I am." This was most famously used in Descartes' philosophy. Descartes was a French philosopher around the tail end of the Renaissance, and is commonly associated with the rise of modern rationalism and epistemology -- both of these are central to Ratio's character.

Ratio's fifth Eidolon, Sic Itur Ad Astra. This phrase translates to "thus one journeys to the stars," and has its origins in Latin literature. Two noteworthy origins are Virgil, a Roman poet, and Seneca the Younger, a Roman philosopher and playwright. Given how he used to wish to reach for the stars (the Genius Society) and also quite literally travels among the stars, this is a fitting, if a little sad, name.

Ratio's (beloved) sixth Eidolon, Vincit Omnia Veritas. There's no literary or philosophical origin for this from what I saw. It simply means "truth conquers all," a nice, final declaration of Ratio's philosophy.

Miscellaneous:

Ratio's statues from his Technique have three famous real life references. I was unable to find the reference for the one where he's holding his book and lifting his hand up like he's giving a speech, but I saw some speculation that it was in reference to a pope statue. Nothing to really speculate on since I can't find a definitive reference. The flexing statue seems to be in reference to Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous flexing pose, which is certainly A Choice, but it does make sense given Ancient Greek celebration of physical fitness and athleticism. Ratio himself is also fairly muscular and fit, and in his backstory he was noted to exercise frequently on top of his studies, so depictions of said fitness is not surprising. The most important reference, however, is to the Discolobus, an Ancient Greek statue, which also ties back to the idea of athleticism and fitness.

That beautiful, beautiful E6. It's a direct reference to Michelangelo's David. Interestingly, Ratio seems to have quite a number of nods to Michelangelo. Beyond the amazingly lifelike statues -- which Michelangelo is famous for -- he was also known to be generally unpleasant and reclusive, which does fit with Ratio's personality.

The strongest and most important influence, however, comes down to Leonardo da Vinci, and doesn't have any direct references like the others. Rather, the ties to da Vinci come in Ratio's accomplishments, philosophy, and appearance. The both of them are incredibly skilled geniuses technologically and artistically, and have made countless inventions. Like da Vinci, Ratio is a polymath -- that is, a person whose knowledge spans many fields and subjects. This was a fundamental aspect of Renaissance humanism, which posited that humans are limitless in their potential and knowledge and that all should seek to better themself through education and personal cultivation. Through the idea of the individual pursuing their own development, humanists advocated for the autonomy, progress, and equal dignity of all people. da Vinci was one such humanist of the Renaissance; this is something I've said before, but it is absolutely fundamental to Ratio's philosophy and motivations. He is a humanist just the same as da Vinci. Given that Renaissance humanism was a philosophy revolving around the revival of Greco-Roman culture, it is no wonder that Ratio ties back to those influences so strongly as well. (As a side note, like Ratio, da Vinci was supposedly a very beautiful and graceful man, who had a particular fondness for animals.)

Overall, it's really interesting to see how each section can more or less divide his inspirations: his design being Greek, his naming conventions being Roman, and his personality and philosophy being the Renaissance, with only a little overlap. I've mentioned this in passing I believe (I can't find where I initially put it), but Latin overlapping with the Renaissance is actually a very fundamental aspect of education, given that Greco-Roman culture was seen as the pinnacle of philosophy and knowledge during that time in Europe, and knowing Latin was considered proof of a good education and social standing. All this is the reason why I argue for Ratio being a representation of the Italian Renaissance, rather than Ancient Greek and Rome on their own.

Honorable Mentions (not tied to the themes of his origins! Just fun things deserving of recognition):

Isaac Newton's apple in his idle!

Heart statue :)

Jojo pose statue

Jojo pose in his trailer thumbnail

I'll also plug my piece on his parents here, not because they don't tie to his origins but because they're not relevant to the analysis itself.

[ionlypostmymeemocs]

PLAY TWO LIES AND ONE TRUTH WITH ME!!!

I love to have art block

I tried to burn down a school by using witchcraft

I hate chocolate

[greypetrel]

RULES: post a 24-hour poll containing two truths and one lie about your oc. Have your followers try to guess which is the lie.

Thank you for the tag, @shivunin (you're tagged back if you want!) ! I already did these for everyone months ago and I was doubtful on whom to use. In the end, I don't think Max has much following here, so I'll go with DadWolf!Aisling. Aka the DreadPup or Pikachu. If you wante someone else I'm open to requests tho, this meme was fun xD

Tagging: @salsedinepicta @ndostairlyrium @vitaeplaysda @dungeons-and-dragon-age @heniareth

@jtownnn @zencetera @rowanisawriter @theluckywizard @cao-the-dreamer and YOU!

[slimslamflimflam]

Wait if all the journal 3 pages were restored after Weirdmageddon why does Bill’s book insist there were still missing pages that just conveniently happened to pertain to his incredibly sad backstory and concepts brought up earlier in that same book

[backpackingspace]

Okay so this purely applies to the odyssey. Not epic but the way odysseus's crew is so so stupid like actually the worstest people to be stuck on a boat with. Just the the most incompetent crew ever. So what if they were on odysseus's boat because they needed his personal supervision.