#i'm gonna kneel

[jangmi-latte]

aa.s.a.aa..A.D.A..ASD..W.A.W.D.A.F.D..C.V.X.RG..HGR.E.S..F.SY.U..XC..C.K.EE.M..E.R.E.A.S.F..H..RTJ..EAT5HUJRT554E35[]T/;4[[;.W3;.[pqek3ej3ui8′eijf eufjsoliujfes’;sigu88efyolsle;fg’siekgkijuujfi’seuhn ehsi33201 v573]4W3\5 46TW Y

#twisted wonderland #rook hunt #twst #pomefiore #this is..toodmuchans frsose mje #TOO MUXCHVUISELNFS I RT5SELSEL UYOU #IT'S HIKSEJ LITERAL ANMNKELSL??????? #THIGHS??? #THE FUCKING THIGHS #THE THIGHSFRNAUJKISEWFBNAHKUFIBNSKRGB RJGKUHBA GV #KEHYAB GKAEG #THEY SH9OIWEEWSAD SKIBN #TOO MCUIHANW SKIHN #COVER UPO COVERNUYPA #i'm gonna kneel #THEY DID NTO WNEWED O PUT THE SLIGHTR THAT HIGRHS UP #IT'S ONHIS FUCKIGN THIGH

[andy-clutterbuck]

Black T-Shirt + Sling | requested by Anonymous

#*gnawing on him* #Rick Grimes #* #rg #The Ones Who Live #*runs hand down his arm like it's a staircase bannister* #H A N D S #why do you get hands that are big and manly AND deft and elegant #that sounds like a crime #tbh #F O R E A R M S #yes biceps obv but forearms don't get the attention they deserve #also his arm hair but i'm not gonna be that weird right now #v e i n s #tag yourself i am under the desk #investing in those kneeling pads people who garden a lot use

[vegancas]

...or forgotten ⟿ for @starcrosseddeancas‘s disneynatural event 💖

#disneynaturalmagic #destieledit #deancasedit #spnedit #gif #wasn't originally gonna do anything but well i'm not super happy with what i already posted for their anniversary #so here's this too :3 #better late than never right? #if i wanted to be evil i'd put or and forgotten over dean kneeling next to cas in 12x23 and on the floor of the bunker from 15x18 #but i won't do that :3 (it's late anyway and i should go to bed gotta be up early tomorrow :\)

[larkoneironaut]

Part of Elikai's POV banner for my Din Djarin romance fic 🩵 Gonna post the whole banner when my fic is finished because it’ll contain the title of the fic ✨

#My art #My fanfic #My OC #The mandalorian #The mandalorian fanfic #Din djarin romance fic #Elikai Vidis #I love her SO MUCH you have no idea #She's so pure and if you call her pretty she'll end all your enemies for you #She'd die for someone who's been nice to her #She has so many great and interesting parallels with Din's character and past #She can be chaotic good but also chaotic neutral #I love her hair sm #Like I crave such waves #My hair is so straight ugh #Din is obsessed with the waves btw #He's like fuck don't look at me cause I'm gonna kneel for you and do everything you want me too #And like same Din my dude #I'd also kneel for her and do everything for her

[direwombat]

woe, the first wip wednesday of the 2024 be upon us

tagged by @socially-awkward-skeleton to share some wippy goodness today. here's some more katc interlude ii from gus' pov. please enjoy this VERY ROUGH draft (with brackets and everything!)

There, sitting in the chair beside Augustine’s bed, is none other than Joseph Seed. 

Augustine nearly doesn’t recognize him at first. Not without the sunglasses. They’re a common source of ridicule among his co-workers -- “What kind of asshole wears piss-colored glasses, anyway?” is a common refrain amongst the townspeople whenever the preacher is spotted outside the island where he built his Church. 

Once, back when Augustine was naive and new to town, he’d made the mistake of coming to Joseph’s defense. “Maybe they’re prescription,” he’d posited, believing it to be harmless speculation. “For migraines or something.” 

He’d never been more quickly ostracized in his life. 

It’d taken weeks to get back into his fellow rangers’ good graces, and even then it was only because Ben had convinced them to give him a second chance. “C’mon, he’s new. Kid didn’t know any better.” 

Augustine learned to keep his mouth shut when it came to Joseph Seed and his family. If it’s taboo to say anything nice about the man, then he’d rather not say anything about him at all. 

Hastily, Augustine lifts himself into a seated position and combs his fingers through his hair, trying to make himself look more presentable. “Mister Seed,” he starts, before realizing he has no idea what the appropriate honorific is. “Uh…Pastor Seed?”

“Father is fine,” he smiles. The corners of those bright blue eyes crinkle warmly. 

“Father Seed,” Augustine corrects, but the way Joseph lips thin like he’s biting back a laugh tells him he still didn’t get it quite right. Anxiety coils tightly in his gut -- Already fucked it up -- but he swallows around the lump in his throat, pushing it down. “I ain’t mean for this to sound  rude or ungrateful, but,” he hesitates a moment, warily eying the man in the doorway. Broad shouldered and donning an army field jacket, the man has a hardened and calculating look in his eyes; one that’s very similar to the look Sybille has whenever he drags her out to meet new people. He’s being sized up. This man is judging his actions, weighing his worth, and the rhythmic beeping on the heart monitor quickens at the idea that he may find Augustine wanting. His attention returns to Joseph’s curious gaze. “What are you doing here?”

“My brother, Jacob,” he motions to the man in the doorway, “told me about what happened to you last night. I wanted to make sure you were alright.” 

Although Augustine’s pulse slows to its normal rhythm, blood rushes to his cheeks. “Oh,” he says dumbly. “I -- uh…” His hands clasp together and he bashfully averts his eyes to stare at his worrying fingers instead. “I’m okay. Been better, but…I’m alright.”

“That’s excellent to hear,” Joseph says gently.  

Augustine nods and a long stretch of unbearably heavy silence settles over them. He chews on the inside of his cheek until the bitter metallic tang of blood bursts on his tongue, wracking his brain for a topic of conversation, but he comes up empty. “I’m sorry,” he says after an awkward cough. “I ain’t much of a conversationalist and I’m…Well, I wasn’t…”

“You were expecting someone else,” Joseph nods. [insert something about the compassion and understanding and warmth in his voice, rather than the anger and hostility augustine anticipates]

A lame, “Yeah,” is all Augustine can muster in response. His fingers fidget nervously in his lap. “You, uh…You ain’t happen to know if my sister’s here, do you? I gave Ben my phone so he could call her, but.. Um…” he trails off again. Whatever drug they’ve been using to sedate him and numb the pain has also stolen the second half of most of his thoughts as well. 

Joseph sighs heavily and his brows knit together. He removes his glasses, neatly folding the arms and tucking them into the breast pocket of his vest. A warm hand comes to rest on top of Augustine’s clasped ones. 

Augustine knows what that gesture means. It’s what Mama did when she sat him down to tell him that she had cancer and what the kind paramedic did when she told him she was sorry for his loss after he’d found both Mama and Daddy dead in the living room. It’s the kind of comforting gesture one gives before delivering bad news or condolences. Yet as Joseph’s long, spindly fingers wrap around his own, the warmth, accompanied by a sympathetic squeeze manages to keep the knot of anxiety in his gut from growing larger. 

“The phone lines have gone down,” Joseph murmurs. “I’m afraid we haven’t been able to get through to her yet.”

Augustine’s eyes go wide. “The phone lines are down?” he repeats. The County is no stranger to strong winds ripping through the valley, but last he checked the forecast hadn’t predicted anything strong enough to knock out the phones. “What happened?”

taglist: @marivenah, @florbelles, @statichvm, @fourlittleseedlings, @wrathfulrook, @harmonyowl, @ivymarquis, @carlosoliveiraa, @cassietrn, @poetikat, @confidentandgood, @strafethesesinners, @trench-rot, @miyabilicious, @simplegenius042, @g0dspeeed, @inafieldofdaisies, @josephslittledeputy, @aceghosts, @adelaidedrubman, @madparadoxum, @voidika, @strangefable, and anyone else wanting to share a piece of their wips!

#wip wednesday #wip: kneeling at the crossroads #i'm turning off editing brain until i finish the chap so things are gonna be rough #also yes. ben was playing 'secret peggie' the entire time. for intel purposes. no one suspected he was one of jacob's chosen #at least not until he slaughtered his co-workers who were on duty during the reaping <3

[norringtondeservestheworld]

Detroit: Become Human -> Daniel & Emma

#detroit: become human #detroit become human #dbh #dbh daniel #daniel pl600 #look you all know who is my favorite pl600 #but I love Daniel too so much #he is the definition of a tragic character #the way he is in only two scenes and has less than 5 minutes of screentime #and he killed three men and nearly killed the girl he cared for #and yet so many people including me loved him and felt sorry for him #they were really able to make me care for a character like that #also Ben Lambert playing not one but TWO different characters in a single story #two characters who have an opposite personality like Daniel and Simon #and delivering a stunning performance for both of them #If one day I'll meet Ben Lambert I'm gonna kneel because honestly he deserves it

[starlit-hopes-and-dreams]

Happy Whumpmas (੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭*🎅⛄❄️!!! You have just been snowballed by a secret whumper. Help to keep the snowball fight going by anonymously sending this to five other whumpers with a whump-related question of your choice.

Here's mine for you: What's one whump trope you can never get enough of, no matter how often you read it?

Oooh, nice question, thank you!

I am an absolute sucker for a Rescue - which segues nicely off I'm an absolute sucker for a captivity arc :D (But i chose rescue for this bc it's the end result and i wouldn't like a captivity arc nearly as well with no escape/rescue - rescue obvs preferred)

And actually, the less agency the character has in their own rescue, the better, imo.

All the hate for the "helpless, poor abused female with no power who gets rescued by a big strong man"? I love that.

Agency can kiss my ass lol okay, perhaps that's a bit blunt. I prefer a blink and you'll miss it sort of agency - defiance that gets you nowhere. having that small bit of spark left even after all hope is gone and they're ground into the dirt. when rescue arrives, making the choice to cooperate instead of being like, what's the point. wanting to die but eventually choosing to live.

small acts that may not be as flashy as "i can kick your ass six ways to sunday and i don't need nothing from nobody i can take care of myself", but feel infinitely more satisfying to me

*cough* ANYWAYS

ITS THE RESCUE

#starlit asks #Anonymous #whumpblr #obligatory i don't give a shit what the genders are really i just tend to write and read m/f but i would still like this trope with any #combo of gender/nongender #also me not really giving a shit if thats a trope or smth else - its what i thought of :') #i can't keep that shit straight i swear #anyways #im gonna write this someday #maybe #i seem to churn out spicy females one after another so uh #carr and her i can kick your ass six ways to sunday 😅😂 #honestly i think Riah has the most potential but its kinda Nykim hanging from broken arms kneeling on shattered knees rn soooo #hehe #but i'm still planning on bricking her into a wall so there's that :))

[shih-coulda-had-it]

FEBUWHUMP DAY 9 | VOICE LOSS | wc: 330

a/n: what’s an event month without AUs, huh? kudos to @boss-the-goofball's tolerance for an increasingly unhinged homebrewed fantasy AU (whatever the hell is going on here) of an AU (prequel to the OG otome) of an AU (OG otome)

//

When the dawn breaks, Sorahiko’s throat is still raw with the last scream that clawed its way past his crumbling control, and he wrenches upright from his bedroll, sweat chilled on his skin. He can hear himself hyperventilating, and it turns out that Shimura does too. She stirs at the sound.

“Sorahiko?” she calls, her voice muzzy with sleep, and all Sorahiko can muster is a gargled rasp. Even that much brings blood to his tongue. “Eh? Sorahiko, you up?”

The sword. Where’s that twice-damned sword? Sorahiko pats blindly at his sides, and finds that the cursed weapon is still sheathed (good), but the paper talismans plastered over the leather are peeling away and disintegrating (not good). He holds one hand over it, holds his other hand over his throat.

All for One’s particular brand of magic burns cold, like a handful of snow slipped past his collar, but Sorahiko concentrates past the reprimanding sting. There’s a curse locking his vocal cords together. All because Sorahiko’s stupid--whatever--is feeling petty and jealous.

“What’s wrong? Did the seals stop working--whoa!”

Shimura stares at him; her outstretched hands hover, unoccupied and pointedly not grasping, even as Sorahiko scrambles away from making contact with the paladin. Her eyes flash an otherworldly blue, and her mouth tightens.

“Overnight?” she asks.

He nods, because it seems that’s all he can do. Nevertheless, Sorahiko opens his mouth to at least try out his newly limited range of sounds--only to come up with nothing. Words are off the table entirely, he’d known that, but to not even be able to hum without tasting copper…? His last attempt ends with a coughing fit.

“Let me see,” Shimura entreats, gentle. She shuffles closer and Sorahiko--for all that he’d brought this on himself, in spite of suffering the lesson that he should not let her closer--Sorahiko tips his head back and bares his throat for Shimura.

There’s red in the sky. Sorahiko wonders if he should take that for a sign.

#bnha #afohiko #nanahiko #shimura nana #gran torino #torino sorahiko #febuwhump 23 #boss's otome isekai au #homebrewed fantasy!au #shih.txt #see this is what happens when you can't COMMIT #sorahiko: it's not cheating if i haven't vowed anything #afo: ok well now you can't vow anything. what now? #sorahiko: well now i'm gonna go kneel to nana. moron.

[wildmelon]

i regret using astarion as raphael's stand-in on my first lorelai playthrough bc 1. he is her best best friend and i don't get to see them together and 2. ascended-astarion-as-raphael-kiss is immersion-shattering bc lorelai would never in a million years get on her knees like that for anybody

#like MAYBE raphael YEARS into their relationship but it's unfathomable that she would kneel at that point lol #i just stopped kissing. i'm gonna use gale or wyll next time #lush.talk #oc: lorelai zoar

[x-adoringvoid-x]

Part 23

How ambitious!

#self shipping #oc f/o #f/o art #fictional other #brixcomic #As much as I love Hadri...I don't think I could be like 'omg yes!!' here #this would be immensely overwhelming #But...they want to know more about me q///q #That's one big reason I like Hadri. Even if they feel like they're above everything they are genuinely curious #and I'm a weird little thing they can figure out #Well once they kneel down to get a better look at me I'm gonna charm them so much they'll willingly live on my level #cause they'll feel like they can have a place there or something...! #btw if you can tell I love god stories and stories of mortal people interacting with gods/other supernatural stuff #there's a big soup of reasons for that that I don't really know how to bring up #Though it's probably just I think the supernatural/normal person relationships are so cute and comfortable #That's a big plus to the selfship community I'm really glad I could be in a space where there's so many diverse couples;; #Also ya I had a lot to say today ^u^ #watched a sad video but it was cathartic

[slverblood]

oooooooh feeling things about when you ask what Isobel intends to do now and she's like "take care of my angel, of course"

#OOC / HOLLY. #the whole like . . . she's been through horrors and it fills me with rage and I'm gonna love and support her . . . #I think with Aylin being the daughter of a goddess and the Moonmaiden's Sword etc etc #there's been this acceptance her whole life that she can handle everything and doesn't need support or to be taken care of or any of that #something she herself has bought into. she's immortal and kickass and of divine lineage filled with holy purpose #it's a given that she be indomitable and tireless at all times right? #Isobel was probably the first time someone told her she can be vulnerable and weary #and that that's not a failing. that she can lay down her sword a moment. take off her armor. and rest #lot of thoughts of Aylin immediately kneeling when she saw Isobel again #there's So Much to that gesture but relevant to the current discussion — Aylin putting her head in Isobel's hands or her lap #and letting some of her weight being held by another for a while #do you see what I mean do you get it

[falling-hand-in-unlovable-hand]

will my legs STOP getting random infected spots PLEASE I STG

#idk even what it is but it sucks so bad 😭😭 #kiwifae says shit #like. i go to kneel. NOPE IT FEELS LIKE I AHVE AN OPEN WOUND BCS WHY NOT #i'm not gonna put a picture bcs it's kinda gross looking but whyyyyyyy #i've literally gone to a doctor abt it and he was just like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and gave me a medicine that didn't work -_- #so i just have to wait for it to go away #(and leave scars!!!!)

[andy-clutterbuck]

9x02 | The Bridge

#oh lord he comin #Rick Grimes #* #rg #S9 #(✪‿✪)ノ♡ 🐻 #💕 Fuzzy Daddy 💕 #Papa Bear 🐻💕 #me over this look? sounds fake #THE SANTA BEARD #still want to rub his head like it's a crystal ball and i'm a cheap ass fortune teller at a county fair #HELLO MY GORGEOUS OLD MAN #one second i'm fine and then there he is and i'm like fill me to the brim #straddle him and nuzzle into the santa beard #imagine rick controlling his cowboy daddy swagger #sounds fake #kiss me on the forehead and tell me i did a good job #gonna invest in those kneeling pads people who garden a lot use first though #tell everyone you saw me with the devil

[fluffs-n-stuffs]

Pokémon Horizons Episode 26 spoilers under the cut!

OH SO WE WEREN'T BEING JUST DELUSIONAL,,,,,, THEY'RE DOING IT,,,,,,,,,,,, THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING IT,,,, , ,

#fluff binges !!! #not a spoiler but can we talk about how they also switched Liko and Roy's parts and added new verses for the ending rap it was SO cute 🥺💖 #I'm also gonna miss the first opening since I got attached to it but OH MY GOD THE NEW ONE............ SO INSANE. ACTUAL PEAK. I KNEEL. #ok with my spoiler tags in place now I can AKJSDHAJSNDKASJKDFNSJDFSND #OH MY GOD THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO IT THEY'RE ACTUALLY EXPLORING MY ANGSTY SON'S CHARACTER HOLY SHIT #AMETHIO BBY PLEASE I KNOW YOU'RE BROODING RN AND BEATING YOURSELF UP MENTALLY FOR THAT LOSS BUT DON'T PUSH YOUR LOVED ONES AWAYYYYYYYYYY #ZIRC AND ONIA ARE WORRIEDDDDDDDDD DO YOU SEE THEM WONDERING ABOUT YOU THEY EVEN TRIED TO TALK TO YOU BUT YOU WOULDNT BUDGEEEEEEEE 😭😭😭😭😭 #I need a moment where Amethio gets to be hugged by these two fr they're legit his guardians at this rate #Amethio also only seems to open up about his vulnerability to Ceruledge from the looks of it and something about that makes me So Insane #WHAT WAS HE TRYING TO SAY IN THIS SCENE ACTUALLY LIKE . IS HE APOLOGIZING? DOES HE BLAME HIMSELF FOR THE LOSS??? #IS HE AFRAID OF LOOKING WEAK TO HIS PARTNER MON OR IS HE DOUBTING THE TRUST HE HAS IN THEM................... #/head in HANDS #we're gonna get to see the explorers together again next episode and it seems like Spinel and Hamber reacted to something Amethio said #is he proposing that he go after Terapagos himself? that the others don't interfere because it's a Personal matter now from that loss? #they're not gonna like that if that's the case........ Hamber might insist on reinforcements or pull extra strings without Amethio knowing #everyday we get one step closer to Amethio redemption #(or alternatively corruption like can you imagine this all weighing on his mind and just twisting it in all the wrong directions) #(though now that I mention that it seems more like a possibility for Spinel --- I still think he's the most capable of betraying everyone) #(like he seems the most malicious at this rate and his capabilities can be quite terrifying- he may as well decide to-- #--erase the other explorers' memories and make them work for him if he was pushed hard enough . Like . Can You Imagine.......... /deranged) #I'm rambling at this rate ASKSDJHSDKFNSD but this series gives me so much serotonin and I'm so grateful to have started it 🥺🥺🥺💖💖💖 #pokemon horizons #anipoke #pokeani #amethio #explorer amethio #amethio pokemon #zirc pokemon #onia pokemon #ceruledge

[direwombat]

wip whoops i missed wednesday

tagged by beloveds @henbased, @adelaidedrubman, and @socially-awkward-skeleton for some wip sharing!

plugging away at katc while waiting for my connecting flight, so have some augustine pov bliss tripping, hot off the keyboard

Augustine dreams of a garden. 

The ground is soft underfoot, a plush carpet of grass and moss that tickles between his toes and makes every step feel like he’s walking on a cloud. A soft, warm breeze caresses his skin, playfully tousling his hair and wrapping around him like a warm hug. It carries on it the sweet scent of flowers, and the sound of music, singing, and laughter. “Come, Augustine,” a voice, ghostly and  childlike whispers in his ear. “Come join us! We’ve so much to show you!” 

His feet move of their own accord, drawn forward by the same desire that pulls a child from his home when the neighbors ask if he can play. 

His friends are calling for him. 

It’s been so long!

Each step quickens in excitement, the wind gently pushing against his back to guide him. Through fields of raspberries and kumquats  -- fruits of his home, fruits of his childhood -- he runs, and he can’t contain the bellow of laughter as he does. Fond memories of hazy summer afternoons spent playing in the neighbor’s backyard, picking the berries fresh off the bushes and staining his face and hands red with their sticky juices come rushing back to him. 

Mama’s at work and his sister is at track practice. Daddy lives somewhere else now, and he’s too young to stay at home by himself after school, so Mme. Renard lets him stay with her until mama comes home. Every day she waits for him at the bus stop, and every day he helps her pick berries from her small backyard garden to help make his after school snack. Without fail, he eats more than his fill straight off the branch, but rather than chastising him, Mme. Renard laughs and guides him back inside to get cleaned up. 

His pace slows, from a breathless sprint to a leisurely jog, until finally he’s walking once again, savoring the richness of the dirt beneath the soles of his feet. Coming to a stop, he reaches out to pluck a raspberry off the branch and pops it in his mouth. With a pleased sigh, his eyes fall shut, savoring the tart sweetness of its juices bursting in his mouth as he pops it between his teeth. 

But the wind doesn’t let him rest long. It allows him just long enough to stain his beard and hands sticky red before it nudges him down The Path once more. Plucking a final handful and pocketing them, he laughs again. “Alright, alright, I’m goin’,” he says when a particularly strong gust pushes him forward. 

Yet despite the wind’s insistence, he’s in no hurry. He feels he could stay here forever, eating berries and napping in the sun. It’s peaceful here in a way the waking world is not. No worries. No fear. 

Just Bliss. 

As he emerges from the berry fields, he crests a hill overlooking a small valley. All around him are similar hills, all covered in soft green grass and various fields and orchards, yet at the very center of the valley stands a single tree. Even from a distance, there’s no denying its might. A thick trunk supports a vast canopy. On its boughs hang vibrant red apples, and sitting underneath, taking solace in the shade, sit a group of people all gathered around its base. One turns around and sees him, waving their arm and beckoning him towards them. 

“Come on!” they call. “We’re about to start!” 

Start what, he doesn’t know, but whatever it is, he doesn’t want to miss out. He cups his hands around his mouth and shouts back, “I’ll be right there!” 

Just as soon as those words leave Augustine’s mouth, the wind gives him a forceful shove, sending him tumbling down the hill, rolling and rolling and rolling. His head spins and he lets out another delighted cry as the hem of his shirt rides up and the grass licks and tickles his belly. 

After what feels like an eternity and an instant, he slows and comes to a full stop, that final push of momentum landing him on his back. Squinting up into the bright blue sky, he watches the white, fluffy cotton ball clouds drift lazily across the sky. A contented hum rumbles in his chest and his eyes fall shut. The cozy blanket of darkness embraces him, and his body feels light, lifting off the ground and floating directionless through the void. 

“Come Augustine,” a calm, soothing voice murmurs from all around him, and in a place like this, he thinks it might be God. “It’s time to wake up.” 

His body suddenly feels heavy, the weight of it dragging him downward. His heart jumps at the sensation -- too much like falling; too much like being dragged -- and a white-hot burning sensation sets his leg alight. For a moment, he fears he’d been cruelly shown Paradise only to be denied and pulled down into Hell. A pained moan slips from between his lips, his brow furrowing. Yet rather than the flames of Hell, his leaden limbs come to rest on stiff and scratchy bedding, and rather than the agonized screams of repenting Sinners, the only sound in an otherwise quiet room is the familiar rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor. 

Augustine opens his eyes, and he’s in a hospital room.

taggin: @florbelles, @statichvm, @fourlittleseedlings, @wrathfulrook, @harmonyowl, @ivymarquis, @carlosoliveiraa, @cassietrn, @poetikat, @confidentandgood, @strafethesesinners, @trench-rot, @miyabilicious, @simplegenius042, @g0dspeeed, @inafieldofdaisies, @josephslittledeputy, @aceghosts, @madparadoxum, @voidika, @strangefable, and anyone else wanting to share a piece of wip!

#wip wednesday #wip whenever #this is clunky and i'm gonna have to do some tinkering/wordsmithing but ugh i'm just so happy i figured out a way to start his pov section #it was giving me so much trouble #anyway #wip: kneeling at the crossroads

[striving-artist]

They Choose to Rise and Help.

That's is it. That's the metric that decides if a character is going to carve their name into my soul. The world is dark and too big for them to fight and they shouldn't even be there but they choose to stay anyway. To rise anyway. To fight anyway. To just keep going.

Bilbo Baggins. Samwise Gamgee. Steve Rogers. Phedre no'Delauney. Bucky Barnes. Tony Stark. Frodo Baggins. Freya. Xander Harris. Eddie Munson. Sansa Stark.

Bilbo Baggins: gentlehobbit of substantial means, unaccustomed to anything more adventurous than a long walk, trips and falls into an adventure where he is wildly unsuited, inexperienced, untrained, and by all rights should turn around and go home, but instead chooses to rise and help.

Samwise Gamgee: a gardener, who has never even left town, unaccustomed to danger or anything grander than the harvest plan, is pulled into an adventure, where he never stops holding onto the peaceful life they left, even as he chooses, over and over, to step beyond his comfort and capacity in order to rise and help.

Steve Rogers: a scrawny punk, who really shouldn't have lived long enough to hear about WWII, who could be snapped like a chicken or taken down by asthma, and ought to be in bed, sees that there is something more important, and chooses to risk everything so he can rise and help

Phedre no'Delauney: a concubine, touched by the gods, but only insofar as to make her consider pain and pleasure to be intertwined, is trained to use her sexy to learn secrets for someone else to weave or unwind, finds herself in ever increasing danger, and should, realistically, become one of her captor's or enemy's favorite whore, but who chooses instead, over and over, to risk everything, so she can rise and help.

Bucky Barnes: a traumatized POW who was tortured and then miraculously rescued, who really should have taken the out and gone home, chooses to stand by his friend. Then, gets tortured a lot more, traumatized a lot more, continues to try to do the right thing, finally escapes, and really really ought to be allowed to eat plums and hang out with goats, but who chooses, every time things go south, to use the skills he has, and risk what he has, so he can rise and help.

Tony Stark: a spoiled brat of a man who has never been in a situation he couldn't buy his way out of, who has lived in luxury and ignorance, never sacrificed anything more significant than a napkin, is confronted with the reality of his actions and despite having no training or experience beyond second hand knowledge chooses to start wiping out his past sins, even though no one would judge him for only doing that via money and activism, makes the choice to rise and help.

Frodo Baggins: gentlehobbit who liked to read, but was still working up the courage to try out something as adventurous as real travel accidentally comes into the possession of the ultimate threat. Is too young, too inexperienced, and is literally to weak to handle what has to be done, but sees that no one else can, so rises and helps.

Freya: random girl dropped into another universe with approximate knowledge of events and no shared language, who others actively try to stop from helping, whose only power is her eroding knowledge of whats to come and who really should have sat down and gotten drunk with friends the whole time, but chooses to rise and help.

Xander Harris: random teenager without ancient gift, magic powers, epic training, or notable physical prowess who is in a room full of people with those things mostly by accident, finds himself in a situation too big for him to handle, from which anyone rational would run, but who grabs what weapons he can, so he when they gear up, he can rise and fight beside them.

Eddie Munson: outcast, disliked, distrusted member of the town, wholly unaware of the larger threat who is accidentally and traumatically brought into the know, who rightly runs the fuck away from the horrifying and inexplicable, hated and persecuted and lacking in any directly applicable skill, finds out that shits going to go down, is still the correct level of terrified, but when faced with it, chooses to rise and help.

Sansa Stark: overlooked as anything but a decoration and potential bride, weaponless, toothless, held captive and controlled, manipulated, lied to, and beaten down over and over again, manages to survive it, manages to keep going, avoids making the choice over and over because she is terrified of the risk of a real choice, eventually reaches her line, chooses her side, and decides to rise and help.

#Rise and Help #that's what makes me love them #they could have run #they should have run #they chose not to #and yes thank you #Freya is an OC but this is why I still adore her #and honestly why most readers probably do too #that guy in A1 who refuses to kneel to Loki #Bard of Laketown #the girls in Cranford #there are more #but this covers my point #actual actions and circumstances don't matter #but if you choose to set aside what you should #and decide to risk yourself on something that you feel you must do #I'm gonna love you forever