“The Pitt” Characters + Tumblr Posts That Are Definitely About Them Part 1 (original Posts: X, X,

Happy Birthday Steve Rogers! Fuck You America!

Actual footage of Steve if he saw the shit happening right now in this fucking country.

I think the most radical thing the hunger games does is tell young people that the most revolutionary thing you can do is have unconditional love for humanity. Katniss throughout the entire series is guided by a deep sense of compassion for the people around her. It is what causes her to volunteer, to bury rue, to mercy kill cato, its why she tries to save peeta, why finnick telling her to remember who the real enemy is works, and even though her compassion for the larger world falters when peeta is kidnapped, it comes back when she visits hospitals and asks for mercy for other victors and ultimately, it is love and belief in a better humanity that makes her kill coin. Through it all, she maintains an unfaltering belief in the fundemental goodness of humanity, which is diametrically opposed to dr gaul's and snow's worldview. Peeta is even more unwaveringly compassionate

So the series tells young people that the most revolutionary thing you can be is compassionate. Let compassion drive your politics. Let yourself believe in the fundemental goodness of people. And i think that's deeply important in a world that touts the superiority of pure reason or logic, to allow yourself to be guided by something as emotional as compassion. Katniss everdeen tells us that your politics should be rooted in compassion in a world that thinks detatchment or cynicism is intelligence and i think thats v cool

Rick Riordan’s response to the racism and hatred directed at Leah after she was cast as Annabeth:

“Leah Jeffries is Annabeth Chase”

“This post is specifically for those who have a problem with the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase. It’s a shame such posts need to be written, but they do. First, let me be clear I am speaking here only for myself. These thoughts are mine alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the opinions of any part of Disney, the TV show, the production team, or the Jeffries family.

The response to the casting of Leah has been overwhelmingly positive and joyous, as it should be. Leah brings so much energy and enthusiasm to this role, so much of Annabeth’s strength. She will be a role model for new generations of girls who will see in her the kind hero they want to be.

If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me. You have no one else to blame. Whatever else you take from this post, we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. As strong as Leah is, as much as we have discussed the potential for this kind of reaction and the intense pressure this role will bring, the negative comments she has received online are out of line. They need to stop. Now.

I was quite clear a year ago, when we announced our first open casting, that we would be following Disney’s company policy on nondiscrimination: We are committed to diverse, inclusive casting. For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to disability, gender, race and ethnicity, age, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other basis prohibited by law. We did that. The casting process was long, intense, massive and exhaustive.

I have been clear, as the author, that I was looking for the best actors to inhabit and bring to life the personalities of these characters, and that physical appearance was secondary for me. We did that.  We took a year to do this process thoroughly and find the best of the best. This trio is the best. Leah Jeffries is Annabeth Chase.

Some of you have apparently felt offended or exasperated when your objections are called out online as racist. “But I am not racist,” you say. “It is not racist to want an actor who is accurate to the book’s description of the character!”

Let’s examine that statement.

You are upset/disappointed/frustrated/angry because a Black actor has been cast to play a character who was described as white in the books. “She doesn’t look the way I always imagined.”

You either are not aware, or have dismissed, Leah’s years of hard work honing her craft, her talent, her tenacity, her focus, her screen presence. You refuse to believe her selection could have been based on merit. Without having seen her play the part, you have pre-judged her (pre + judge = prejudice) and decided she must have been hired simply to fill a quota or tick a diversity box. And by the way, these criticisms have come from across the political spectrum, right and left.

You have decided that I couldn’t possibly mean what I have always said: That the true nature of the character lies in their personality. You feel I must have been coerced, brainwashed, bribed, threatened, whatever, or I as a white male author never would have chosen a Black actor for the part of this canonically white girl.

You refuse to believe me, the guy who wrote the books and created these characters, when I say that these actors are perfect for the roles because of the talent they bring and the way they used their auditions to expand, improve and electrify the lines they were given. Once you see Leah as Annabeth, she will become exactly the way you imagine Annabeth, assuming you give her that chance, but you refuse to credit that this may be true.

You are judging her appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks. She is a Black girl playing someone who was described in the books as white.

Friends, that is racism.

And before you resort to the old kneejerk reaction — “I am not racist!” — let’s examine that statement too.

If I may quote from an excellent recent article in the Boston Globe about Dr. Khama Ennis, who created a program on implicit bias for the Massachusetts Board of Registration for Medicine in Boston: “To say a person doesn’t have bias is to say that person isn’t human. It’s how we navigate the world … based on what we’re taught and our own personal histories.”

Racism/colorism isn’t something we have or don’t have. I have it. You have it. We all do. And not just white people like me. All people. It’s either something we recognize and try to work on, or it’s something we deny. Saying “I am not racist!” is simply declaring that you deny your own biases and refuse to work on them.

The core message of Percy Jackson has always been that difference is strength. There is power in plurality. The things that distinguish us from one another are often our marks of individual greatness. You should never judge someone by how well they fit your preconceived notions. That neurodivergent kid who has failed out of six schools, for instance, may well be the son of Poseidon. Anyone can be a hero.

If you don’t get that, if you’re still upset about the casting of this marvelous trio, then it doesn’t matter how many times you have read the books. You didn’t learn anything from them.

Watch the show or don’t. That’s your call. But this will be an adaptation that I am proud of, and which fully honors the spirit of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, taking the bedtime story I told my son twenty years ago to make him feel better about being neurodivergent, and improving on it so that kids all over the world can continue to see themselves as heroes at Camp Half-Blood.”

(x)

Happy November 29th, everybody! If you didn't know, today is International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People!

Please, for those of you who have been protesting and fighting for the freedom of Palestine and the justice of their people, continue to do so! And if you haven't, well it's not too late to join. There are a ton of ways to help and show your support!

Free Palestine! 🇵🇸

Eye of Madness / Eye of Greatness

pairings: targaryen family x platonic! velaryon oc

tw: blood, prophecies (?), my first tumblr fic, kind of dark idk, au, self-harm, helaena is kind of ooc

description: Elaena Velaryon was born during one of the worst storms that the Red Keep had ever faced. King Viserys even believed it may have been the start of the Long Night, but no, it just marked the birth of Princess Rhaenyra’s second-born child. A girl. A beautiful little girl with amethyst eyes and a shock of curly brown hair that matches her older brother’s. The Gods had picked the girl for something special. A change of fate. A coin was tossed in the air that day and started its spin.

a/n: hey! hi! hello! so first tumblr fic... exciting. I mostly wrote stuff on wattpad and do a bunch of random short stories in my own time but I've never actually written a one-shot anyways I hope you enjoy this random little fic I wrote on a whim. Also I did choose Elaena as a name because I'm spiteful and wanted something that followed the whole Targaryen same name thing

p.s. I am taking requests so send any hotd stuff in and I'll get to it as soon as possible

part 1 / part 2

Elaena Velaryon was born during one of the worst storms that the Red Keep had ever faced. King Viserys even believed it may have been the start of the Long Night, but no, it just marked the birth of Princess Rhaenyra’s second-born child. A girl. A beautiful little girl with amethyst eyes and a shock of curly brown hair that matches her older brother’s. The Gods had picked the girl for something special. A change of fate. A coin was tossed in the air that day and started its spin.

Sitting next to aunt Helaena, I absentmindedly turned the pages of the book but barely paid attention to the words. My third brother, Joffrey, had been born earlier that day with the same brown hair that rested on the heads of herself, her brothers and the Commander of the City Watch, Ser Harwin Strong. I knew I wasn’t my father’s child ever since I was capable of identifying human faces but it still hurt to hear about mother’s misdeeds gossiped about in the halls. Poison seeped into the walls of the Keep and blood was tainted green. That’s why I preferred to stay by the side of my aunt, who even with her little peculiarities was more similar to Elaena than anyone gave the girls credit for.

The door of the bedroom slammed open, making the girls jump and in strode the Queen. Helaena’s mother and my step-grandmother - even if she was the same age as my mother. She carried a mask of annoyance and her scowl only deepened when she noticed me sitting next to Helaena on the ledge. 

I quickly abandoned the book and curtsied. Even if she was going to be cruel it was better to bear it with a brave face. I enjoyed spending time with Helaena and we shared an affinity for bugs but the Queen never liked me or my brothers. She didn’t want bastards tainting her children by spending time with them.

“Your Grace.” Alicent's face pulled up into a strained smile and gave me a little nod of acknowledgement. “I shall be going then, my mother most likely requests my presence so soon after her labours and the hour grows late. As always it was a pleasure, my dearest aunt.” Helaena gave me a small smile and threw up the hand that was stroking one of her little critters to give a wave. 

“Very well. It was nice to see you, Princess.”

“Your Grace.” I gave her a nod before slipping out the door and shutting it behind me. Ser Erryk or Arryk stood outside the door, I could never remember which was which. 

“Princess, would you be needing an escort?”

“No, I am quite alright, Ser. Thank you.” He gave me a stiff nod and I walked off slowly until I turned the corner. There I started off into a full sprint toward mother’s room. I bounded through the halls and burst through the doors, catching mother’s stern glare.

“What did I say about running through halls?” I pouted but relented under her calculating glare.

“Only to do it when you wouldn’t disturb the servants. Sorry mother, I just wanted to come visit you.”

“Very good and it’s quite alright, sweetling. How was your time with your aunt?”

“Splendid, we found this beautiful spider that shimmered with different colors in the light.” I came over and gave her a tight hug, careful to not put too much pressure on her stomach. Knowing it must be painful after giving life to another human being. Slipping under the covers and having mother tuck me under her arm was when I noticed that mother’s handmaidens were picking up clothes and packing things away.

“Mother? Why are you packing?”

“We’re leaving, sweetling. Your aunt Laena died, we are going to Driftmark for her funeral. We should have left a long time ago.” Mother murmured the last bit under her breath, making me tuck my chin up and look at her quizzically. 

A familiar shiver of unease ran down my spine. The hairs on my neck raised up in warning. The words of prophecy and the smell of scorched flesh clouded my senses. Voices whispered in my ears, their usual muttering turning fiercer. Flames encase the flesh while a man becomes a kinslayer, but not by his own hand. No, but by his treacherous mind. Brother against brother for a green Queen. Green with envy and red with spite. 

“El? Sweetling?” I felt mother shaking my shoulder and I realized I had been straying again. The smell of burnt flesh still remained on my mind as I gave her a reassuring smile. Madness gains roots and grows. A coin had been tossed. Greatness and madness. A Targaryen born of a storm. Gods. Coin. Tossed. I cuddled into her side and gave her a little smile.

“I’m alright, mother. Are we finally going to meet our cousins?”

The salty smell of the sea drifted past my face as I watched Aunt Laena’s coffin being lowered into the water. Vaemond’s insults lost to the torrent of ice and dragons that roared in my mind. I knew I would gain a dragon one day but today was not for me. Today was the day for Aemond. I brought my eyes up and looked to my left hoping to catch his eyes or Helaena’s as mother’s hands tightened around my shoulders in response to the Valyrian spewing from Vaemond’s mouth. 

Jace’s warmth permeated through my cloak as he intertwined our fingers. Giving his hand a little squeeze, I moved my eyes to the front and found the eyes of a tall, handsome man with shoulder-length Valyrian hair. Daemon Targaryen. Not my intended target but an interesting one nonetheless. He continued locking eyes with me as he took the attention from Vaemond’s insults with his laughter. Bold. Laughing at his late wife’s funeral. Well it was said that he murdered his first one, so this behaviour was really not that unexpected. I gave him a small nod of gratitude as I let my eyes stray once more. 

I finally catch Helaena’s eyes and return the knowing look she sends my way. So she knew, of course she knew. I offer her a small wink and smirk which she responds in turn with a small laugh that she quickly hid behind a cough. The sound of a loud splash caused me to look back over the ledge and into the churning water.

I traced patterns on the rough stone as Jace stood next to me, overlooking the sea. We had gotten the news that Harwin had died in a fire at Harrenhal. I knew Jace was grieving in his own way. He was angry as well, probably because we couldn’t attend his funeral in favor of going to one of an aunt we never knew. I felt my mother's warm presence behind me as she joined us at the railing. 

“Have you seen your father? Your little cousins have lost their mother, could use a kind word.” I nod but Jace only gets angrier, he takes the chance to voice his thoughts before I can interrupt him.

“I have an equal-”

“Not now, Jace. The days grow darker and night will shroud us all in blood.” Jace’s eyes widen and mother sends me a sharp look. I needed to warn them in the only way I knew possible but mother was always careful to never have others hear my mutterings, vastly different from the Queen’s behavior with Helaena.

“Go to your cousins, Jace. I shall speak to Elaena on my own.” He nods and surries away, giving me a small reassuring smile. His eyes still holding the fear he obtains whenever I speak the whispers out loud.

“Darling, what did you see this time?”

“Nothing of consequence, mother. You cannot temper fate.”

“Elaena.”

“You know I can’t tell you more. You know I’ve tried.” I pleaded softly, disastrous consequences had come from me trying to tell her more than riddles.

“I know, sweetling. I know.” She pulls into a hug which I quickly reciprocate, my shoulders relaxing and the whispers ceasing for a moment - a comforting blankness surrounding my head.

“Why don’t you go see your aunt, hmm?”

“Of course.” She gives me a little smile and I bound across the courtyard where my aunt and uncles are located, giving the King a small smile which he returns with a larger one.

“Spool of green, spool of black…” I crouch down next to my aunt and slowly offer my hand to the spider which easily climbs over my fingertips. Hel ceases her mutterings once she notices my presence and offers a kind smile, lightning sparkling behind her eyes.

“Hello.”

“Hello Hel. She is quite the beauty.” I offer the spider back to her, the little creature gracefully climbs back into her pale hands. Helaena hums back in approval and I sit there crouched next to her as I thumb the hilt of my dagger, overhearing Aegon’s disgusting remarks. Sometimes I imagine how easy it would be to just take the blade and drag… no, not yet. It’s not the time for that yet.

Hel and I had moved over to one of the ledges and we were contently looking over one of the critters I had found hiding under one of the stones. Nursing a small cup of wine and leaning my head on Hel’s shoulder, I saw mother approach our little bubble from the side.

“Hello Helaena, El.” Helena gives mother a small nod before looking back down to the little beetle.

“Mother.”

“You better prepare for bed as the hour grows late.”

“Of course, mother.” She nods and squeezes my shoulder before making her way over to Jace and Luke. I give Hel a little kiss on the cheek and she gives me a contented smile as I leave, joining my brothers as we head over to our assigned rooms. 

The raised voices of my cousins and brothers outside my room waken me from the lightest of slumbers - dreams of a past filled with dragons and conquerors. It had started.

“We should wake her.”

“Nothing good comes out of waking El. She’s…”

“Well?”

“Different.” Luke pipes up.

“What do you mean different?”

“We don’t have time for this! Let’s just leave her be and we’ll come find her when it’s over.” 

They rushed away from my room and I slipped out from under the covers. Taking the dragonglass blade that sat at my bedroom table and tucking it under the sleeve of my nightgown, I sat down next to the fire and watched the flames dance. Dragons must not dance. Waiting. Waiting for the Gods’ coin to stop spinning. And waiting for a decision to finally come to be.

A while later after I heard Vhagar’s screeches outside of the window, my grandmother and grandsire arrived at the door. Slamming it in the progress of frantically trying to find me. 

“Elaena! Come quickly, girl.”

“What has happened?”

“We do not know but we are needed in the Main Hall. The King has requested our presence.” My eyes widened and I quickly bounded up from my place on the furs. The hilt of my dagger secured against my palm, we flew through the halls. The torches painted wild stories against the stone walls - about the future, the past and the bloody present.

I enter the fire-lit hall to find people fussing over One-Eyed Aemond, my bloodied brothers and cousins. Rhaenys instantly rushes to the sides of my cousins and Luke and Jace pull me into a hug, Jace’s arms protectively enveloping both of us.

“Jace! Luke! Are you two alright?” I gingerly touch their faces and they give me strained smiles.

“I’m glad you weren’t there, dear sister.” Was the only thing Jace supplied me with as mother burst through the doors, her hair in a frenzy and Uncle Daemon walking in behind her.

“Jace? Luke? Elaena!” She rushes over to my bloodied brothers and then looks to me for answers. I shake my head and she nods, knowing I didn’t have any part in this. Sensing the same confusion in my eyes that mirrors her own. Moments later chaos erupts as everyone starts shouting, I close my eyes in a grimace but the ringing in my ears increases. The sound of a coin spinning gets louder. Metal twinkling and grating against stone.

Everyone continues to debate about the events that transpired. Voices intermingle as insults are thrown and people are questioned. The words suddenly become so clear. 

“Blood for blood. Green for Black. The threads weave and interweave. The girl born of the storm will be at the mercy of the coin…” The song starts but it is not all clear yet. This song must not accompany a dance. Blood is demanded by the Queen, who rushes at my brothers in determination but mother intervenes. The blade of prophecy is aimed at my mother’s heart as Alicent harshly speaks against my mother’s face.

“Where is duty? Where is sacrifice? It’s trampled under your pretty foot again.” 

In that moment I feel the hilt of the dagger fall into my hand. It is time. I take out the shining steel, ripping the seams of the white gown. No one is watching the second-born Princess. The coin stops spinning. The Gods have chosen. And they have chosen…

I grip the dagger hard, fate has a funny way of balancing the scales. This will prevent a future where my brothers die. For my sacrifice, the Gods will accept my plea. The plea I made when I was only a babe in my mother's womb. Eyes open to the prophecies and bloody future of my house.

The dagger slides over my left eye. An amethyst iris forever lost. The steel cuts through flesh and blood runs down my face. I feel none of the expected pain. Maybe because I have had so long to prepare for this moment that pain has become a distant echo. Blood for blood. An eye of madness. An eye of greatness. 

Ringing fills the hall as I let the blade drop, the steel resounding throughout the room. Blood drips, drips, drips. Heads turn trying to find the source of a noise and when they notice the little girl with a deep laceration over her youthful face an echoing gasp is heard. That is when a second blade is heard fall. 

“Elaena!” Mother turns to face me with a horrified look.

“Blood for blood. An eye for an eye. You have now found your justice. Let us play no more foolish games.” I give a grand bow and smooth out the now blood-stained nightgown. My mother rushes in front of me and gingerly cradles my face, tears forming on the edges of her eyes, making them misty. The Queen’s hands cover her mouth as she stumbles back. They say Targaryens are closer to Gods than men but the Gods still have cards to play.

…madness.

so... thoughts???

I'm curious. Reblog this if you know how to cook

I don’t even care if it’s macaroni, ramen or those little bowls you stick in the microwave. Please, I need reassurance that most of the population on tumblr WOULDN’T STARVE TO DEATH if their parents couldn’t fix them food or they couldn’t go out to eat. 

I think the most radical thing the hunger games does is tell young people that the most revolutionary thing you can do is have unconditional love for humanity. Katniss throughout the entire series is guided by a deep sense of compassion for the people around her. It is what causes her to volunteer, to bury rue, to mercy kill cato, its why she tries to save peeta, why finnick telling her to remember who the real enemy is works, and even though her compassion for the larger world falters when peeta is kidnapped, it comes back when she visits hospitals and asks for mercy for other victors and ultimately, it is love and belief in a better humanity that makes her kill coin. Through it all, she maintains an unfaltering belief in the fundemental goodness of humanity, which is diametrically opposed to dr gaul's and snow's worldview. Peeta is even more unwaveringly compassionate

So the series tells young people that the most revolutionary thing you can be is compassionate. Let compassion drive your politics. Let yourself believe in the fundemental goodness of people. And i think that's deeply important in a world that touts the superiority of pure reason or logic, to allow yourself to be guided by something as emotional as compassion. Katniss everdeen tells us that your politics should be rooted in compassion in a world that thinks detatchment or cynicism is intelligence and i think thats v cool

I don’t even like men, but oh my god he is my fucked up little meow meow

“there is nothing here please go away”

David Lynch

The betrayal scene was everything we could’ve asked for and I’ll tell you why.

Luke taking Percy to where he taught him how to fight. Percy being the one to figure out Luke’s the traitor and Like trying to defend himself. Luke realizing what we’ve all come to realize: that Percy is just like him. Percy, who has been screwed over by the gods over and over in the span of a few weeks. Percy, who has almost been killed and lied to and taken advantage of by gods he hasn’t even met. Luke Percy, who has been limited to what the gods want and what they think and what they believe.

The fireworks illuminating the two boys, one in blue and the other in red. One destined to save the world, one destined to destroy it. Two minds thinking alike but two souls acting in contrast.

Luke isn’t the bad guy in this story. He was a choice. He was the path that Percy just as easily could’ve chosen if Luke hadn’t chosen it first. If didn’t see the good in people the way he does or if loyalty wasn’t his fatal flaw.

I’ve read the books so many times and I’d be lying if I said I was 100% convinced Percy wasn’t going to join him. If I said I 100% didn’t agree with Luke or believe he was in the wrong. If I said I didn’t wish that something could’ve changed this time and one boy saved the other before the end could begin.