#tenebrius excellium

[perrypixel]

Toby & Darcy for the ship bingo?

They deserve better! Honestly they should have but back on the jlaire screen time for some Darby!

[inhonoredglory]

Read that you're literally writing your master thesis in myths and fanfiction which is THE MOST AWESOMEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD and I need to know did you ever read C.S. Lewis' thoughts about the power of myths?

YOOOO. I have to note that I was being a bit dorky with that one; I'm not technically taking an MA––still trying to shuffle through a BA lmao. But I'm working with my professor to edit my essay for publication to a student journal, so there's that.

Most of my thoughts on myth have come from Joseph Campbell, Native American writers like Thomas King, Tolkien, Neil Gaiman, and deep green environmentalist writers like Derrick Jensen.

The basic thesis I came away from all of them is that Myth and Stories have power and that, more importantly, Stories Are All That We Are, that our entire worldview is shaped by the cultural narratives we implicitly believe, and that the only way to truly change the world is to change the basic mythic narratives by which we operate on. Often these stories are religious (the Bible, the Koran, etc), but they aren't always. Cultural myths include such foundational cultural concepts as, say, the theory of evolution, which implies certain ideas about our place in the world and history, or the idea that Humanity is above all and therefore more important than Nature, which imparts tremendous and dangerous ideas about how much we can morally justify the destruction of habitats and environments.

All ideas we as a culture believe in come from stories, which is why it's important to use stories to shape the future, because that's how knowledge and belief was passed from one generation to another since ancient, oral storytelling days.

Combined with my own experience on this site and fandom in general, I've really come to believe that the reason these stories become so important to us isn't only because we're hyperfixated on shows and books, but because these stories have become part of the fabric of our beings. Fandom is our personal Mythology, giving us a space to validate who we are and give us direction in life, while also being a canvas upon which we shape the world around us and re-orient it to the kind of reality we need (especially regarding queer issues). True myth has always been adaptive; fandom is the modern adaption of cultural stories.

Anyway, I haven't read Lewis' thoughts in particular; I definitely ought to! Any recommendations of books or articles which are good places to start? I should note that I've read Tolkien's "On Fairy-stories" and his writings on eucatastrophe (which for me is the best and most profound emotion I can experience).

[everlastingfable]

You did NOT just casually bring up the Grounded Dungeon...this sent me down a Tumblr spiral all the way back to Sept 18, 2014 where the great prison escape happened... the Httyd 3 predictions were so bad lol... I'm crying... how it was all founded on Stoick the Past jokes... did you know the term was invented by thecube42 on August 25, 2014?? Now I'm thinking about how this was the time where internet memes started, and Httyd2 turned out to be so wonderfully memeable, and how Haddock's blog is seriously like an internet archive for all the old lore of the Httyd fandom, and how much of it will be lost if he ever deactivates. I'm also thinking how it was easily the worst year of my life and about how perfect this roleplay was and how it's somehow, 8 years later, the equivalent of Miette.

lol I actually don't remember most of it aside from the initial prison escape which I believe started from peachdoxie whose icon was of the witch from the httyd books. I don't think I was ever even thrown in the dungeon in the first place, I just decided to join in

stoick the past sounds like something cube would have come up with— I'm suddenly remembering the let it go parody with stoick the past jokes

[tenebrius-excellium]

Tenebrius Excellium

from Latin

Tenebris = Darkness

excellere = surpass, excel

Meaning: to beat/outmatch/overcome darkness

[piracytheorist]

If anyone knows, it's you: Is there any occasion where Colin O'Donoghue sings a slow rock ballad or something? Asking for Douxie inspiration

Hey, so sorry I didn't answer yesterday! I saw the message while I was on mobile, wanted to answer from my computer to give links, but forgot by the time I got back home 😅

Anyway, Colin was in a film called The Dust Storm where he sang in three songs: Nora, Over and Over, and The Dust Storm. I'm pretty sure he's also the one playing guitar, ukulele and lead guitar in them, respectively. Here are the full versions of the songs:

Probably Nora is the closest thing to what you're looking for, if I'm getting it right, though the beginning of The Dust Storm probably hits the same vibes.

Now Colin was in a rock band called The Enemies, but he was on guitar and back vocals so as far as I know, there aren't any songs from that band where he's the leading voice.

There's also the classic cover of All Along the Watchtower that definitely hasn't ruined any other version of this song for me nosiree

I don't think this counts as a ballad? But hopefully it helps with the inspiration!

I might be missing something yet, so if someone remembers any other ballads he's sung (obviously I'm not forgetting Revenge is Gonna Be Mine, lol, but that's not a ballad so) you're welcome to add!

[inhonoredglory]

Hi Glory <3 I'm not yet through with The Sandman but I can already see why this story means so much to you. I got to the episode where Dream verses Lucifer and it's... magical to say the least. It's a little dystopian and strange for my taste but the messages are breathtakingly good. I can't wait for the rest. Ohhh and also it's another "The King's Things" show like the Httyd books, isn't it? Wonderful! Please, if you have anything to say about it, ramble. Go for it. I can't stop wanting to hear you say stuff.

I think I clicked on the Inbox when this came in and then plum forgot to click again to answer. I apologize, hon!

First of all, thank you for popping by to say you've been seeing The Sandman!! It's such an important story to me (in my top 3 fave stories of all time) and I'm happy you tried it out! The first season/comics volume is very much a "king's things" search like the HTTYD books (omg I've never connected them that way before; my old HTTYD soul is absolutely chuffed). It doesn't last long though, as you've probably discovered when you finished the first series.

As for rambling, like I said, The Sandman is immensely important to me, as a vehicle for everything that Neil Gaiman represents to me and why his work is important. The Sandman is the most Mythic thing I have ever experienced. True myth that is both ancient and ever-evolving, changing to the needs of the human species energized by Story. The Sandman is about humility in the face of death, about finding beauty and peace in the span of time you've given on this earth, no matter how long you've got. The Sandman is dark and violent and grim and horrific, it's about abuse and misogyny and the ugly brutality of human nature, but it's also and more importantly about hope and optimism and the reality of good things and good people and the ultimate resilience of humanity to create life and purpose and beauty in the fabric of reality.

A shining crescendo into empathy, as this one Twitter user so aptly put it (credit):

[inhonoredglory]

Post your top 5 comfort characters

~tagged by @tenebrius-excellium thank you hon!!

Hiccup (and Toothless) - You can’t have one without the other. Hiccup sent me on the path I am today, on the person I am today. Nothing can ever take that history and importance away. A love that defines the word for me.

Tenth Doctor - Elevated my moral landscape, deepened by emotional resonance. The most humble, cathartic character/story I’ve experienced.

Tony Stark - Was with me in my depression, let me know I am not the sum of my actions, but the heart and belief of my intents.

Douxie - A selfless hero that inspired me to be creative again, to aspire and challenge myself again. Quiet, immensely compassionate, humble, bold.

Levi Ackerman (and Erwin Smith) - A love and loyalty I cannot express. SNK expanded my moral landscape the most since Doctor Who, and Levi embodies so much of its complex morality and compassion.

(Bonus) Zuko - His anguish and growth embodies the hopeful catharsis of redemption.

[perrypixel]

THANK YOU for blessing my dash with the Spain post. I'm WHEEZING... the void is nice, it's where my tomatoes come from

Ajzjwkzkwn

VOID TOMATOES

That sounds yummy