#all things strive

[hearsayhorizons]

The fifth thing Tak did, he wrote a geode, an egg of stone. ... Then Tak looked upon the stone and it was trying to come alive, and Tak smiled, and wrote All things strive. 

And for the service the stone had given, he fashioned it into the first Troll, and delighted in the life that came unbidden.

—The things that Tak wrote, Thud, Terry Pratchett, 

+++ Dear Hogfather, For Hogswatch I Want

OH, NO. YOU CAN'T WRITE LETT... Death paused, and then said, YOU CAN, CAN’T YOU.

+++ Yes. I Am Entitled +++

Death waited until the pen had stopped, and picked up the paper.

BUT YOU ARE A MACHINE. THINGS HAVE NO DESIRES. A DOORKNOB WANTS NOTHING, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A COMPLEX MACHINE.

+++ All Things Strive +++

—Hogfather, GNU Terry Pratchett

The TL;DR is that I had a tough but worthwhile experience as a kid at a bear-themed park and wanted to use this quote along with the constellations for ursa minor and major in some combination for a tattoo, but I wasn’t sure how to do it—runic font for Tak? Something more DOS for Hex? My husband recommended an idea but I am on the fence. I just realized that his idea doesn't solve my font questions, but one issue at a time.

As preteen, I had the opportunity to hike the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes in Michigan with a cohort of kids my age. The only hiccup is that my slight cerebral palsy means my right foot turns in and I walk on the side of it. I need a solid surface to push off of—ice is only slightly worse than sand (I can roller skate, at least, I could fifteen years ago, but it looks goofy as hell as I’m in a constant shuffle of failing to fall so hard I should be flying instead).

It took a dozen ace bandages and a lot of sweat, but I kept up with everyone else and I still really value the experience.

All things strive has stayed with me for years since I first read Thud. I know I want those words as a tattoo, probably on my calf because everything else fluctuates with the weather. I want the constellations with the words. But what font? What will look nice over time, and fit both myself and the context?

Apparently, my husband has been sitting on “it should be a dung beetle pushing uphill—striving!” but he didn’t want to recommend a... tattpoo. 

But you know what, I don’t mind scarabs. And I could see what he was talking about, so I spent way too long hashing out an approximation

This is a rough draft I hope could be enough for a real artist to work off of: indistinct, placeholder font, the sphere of constellations looks like a dragonball, and I couldn’t get the text to curve despite tutorials! The blue-white is negative space/skin.

I think this could be a largish interesting tattoo. Just the text with stars scattered around it would grab much less attention but be much simpler. I dunno, my husband recommended it, and while he was reluctant because he wasn’t sure how I’d take it, my oversensitivity to being made fun of didn’t alert.

ALL things DO strive!

[kneeldknight]

i love sports

[godblessyoublackemperor]

The Saga of the Cannibal Ants in a Soviet Nuclear Bunker

And how scientists tried to free this formic Donner Party.

According to Maák, the most significant implication of this research is how wood ants will maintain colony organization in even the most dire circumstances, in total darkness with no food save each other. “They couldn’t predict that we would come in to save them, but they were still surviving and fighting for something,” Maák says. “And that is exciting.”

[kvothbloodless]

All things strive

[pornosophical]

hooooo boy my mom is... famishted? famischt? oh god according to this it’s farmisht fucking yiddish whatever anyway she’s in town but it sounds like she’s just going to nap at my grandmother’s so I’m probably still free until tomorrow

[bonesandpoemsandflowers]

Mmm, I see wish and concept posts on here, meant to be positive and dream goals and shit, and it’s like, “in our tiny apartment we eat noodles together and I make you laugh” and like, that’s nice, I wish you the best, but like, not to be a bitch, you guys, but my fantasy life is like, 

“concept: in my big ass yet energy efficient mansion, you are massaging my muscular and shapely calves with a variety of lightly scented oils. you are wearing that shirt i really like. i have bought you tickets to see your favorite show as it plays on another continent. we leave tomorrow. our suitcases are already packed because we are organized and efficient people. i am madly in love with you and you are madly in love with me. the dog is well behaved and sleeps through the night. my hair is flawless. my wardrobe is impeccably tailored. my plants are vibrant and healthy. we are vibrant and healthy. my animal sanctuary is successful and self sustaining. i check my messages. my agent tells me the movie deal went through. you kiss me to celebrate. i make you laugh and you are so beautiful when you laugh that it is exquisitely painful. i am still the prettiest, though. my calves feel better; good job.”

[pornosophical]

The first words that are read by seekers of enlightenment in the secret, gong-banging, yeti-haunted valleys near the hub of the world, are when they look into The Life of Wen the Eternally Surprised.   The first question they ask is: 'Why was he eternally surprised?'   And they are told: 'Wen considered the nature of time and understood that the universe is, instant by instant, recreated anew. Therefore, he understood, there is in truth no past, only a memory of the past. Blink your eyes, and the world you see next did not exist when you closed them. Therefore, he said, the only appropriate state of the mind is surprise. The only appropriate state of the heart is joy. The sky you see now, you have never seen before. The perfect moment is now. Be glad of it.'   The first words read by the young Lu-Tze when he sought perplexity in the dark, teeming, rain-soaked city of Ankh-Morpork were: 'Rooms For Rent, Very Reasonable.' And he was glad of it.

Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time

[mark-gently]

The first thing Tak did, he wrote himself.

The second thing Tak did, he wrote the Laws.

The third thing Tak did, he wrote the World.

The fourth thing Tak did, he wrote a cave.

The fifth thing Tak did, he wrote a geode, an egg of stone.

And in the twilight of the mouth of the cave, the geode hatched, and the Brothers were born.

The first Brother walked toward the light, and stood under the open sky. Thus he became too tall. He was the first Man. He found no Laws and he was enlightened.

The second Brother walked toward the darkness, and stood under a roof of stone. Thus he achieved the correct height. He was the first Dwarf. He found the Laws Tak had written, and he was endarkened.

Then Tak looked upon the stone and it was trying to come alive, and Tak smiled, and wrote All things strive.

And for the service the stone had given, he fashioned it into the first Troll, and delighted in the life that came unbidden.

These are the things that Tak wrote!