The Struggle Every Night

Free Palestine!

Y'all remember that scene in phase 1 where Val aknowledges that the thing that most sets her apart from other people her age isn't magic but knowing what she wants to do with her life?

That shit hits way too close home.

I'm about to graduate amd I have like no idea what I wanna do... it's kinda scary. Like how am I supposed to chose sth to do for the rest of my life when I can't even remember the last thing that actually made me happy

My favorite dramatic new Skulduggery headcanon for book 13 is this: 

the gang (which will def consist of Tanith, Dexter, Saracen, Skulduggery and Valkyrie right) finds out that Darquesse is still existing, still apocalyptically dangerous, still linked to Valkyrie. There is a grave silence upon them after they find out. Then suddenly Dexter grabs Skulduggery’s gun and points it at Valkyrie’s head. Her face shows signs of shock, but it vanishes quickly to make space for another emotion: resigantion. She understands. She agrees. The crew reacts less understanding. Saracen gasps and makes a step forward. Tanith jumps to them and puts her sword under Dexter’s chin. Skulduggery pushes Valkyrie back with a rush of air, but she blocks it. She shouts STOP very loudly, making everybody freeze. The only sounds that can be heard anymore are the sounds of heavy breathing from everyone. Dexter’s blue eyes are hard. But his voice cracks when he speaks. “We can’t make the same mistake.” Saracen steps up to him very closely, sweat running down his temple, sheer panic in his eyes. “How can you know that killing Val will do any good? How can you know that it will destroy Darquesse, Dexter? How can you know this? Please. Lower the gun.” Tanith keeps the blade on Dexter’s throat, she doesn’t budge, her look is stern. But her nose is twitching and her lips are trembling slightly. Dexter is her friend. They are all friends. Dexter and Valkyrie have danced together, they have laughed together. Skulduggery is very quiet. But the wind he is conjuring and ready to toss at Dexter is pulling at his clothes. There are fireballs in his eye sockets. Never has that happened before. “Dexter. Drop the gun.” Tanith urges. In Dexter’s eyes is reflected everything and everyone he has lost already. There is the fear of losing even more. And there is the fear of everyone who has lost just as much and more. People he thinks he must protect from even more harm. He lowers the gun. Valkyrie looks at him with surprise and hurt. Surprised he didn’t shoot, hurt he even considered it. “It is not your fault.” He says with a sudden conviction and drops the gun. He looks sad, so tired and sad. “None of this is your fault.” Tanith pulls the sword away and takes a deep breath. Saracen closes his eyes in relief. Skulduggery is still raging with wind and fire. Valkyrie takes a shaky breath and raises a hand in Skulduggery’s direction. “It’s okay.” She whsipers and Skulduggery’s rage disappears almost instantly. Dexter looks at her with a grief-stricken expression. “Val…” He starts and is cut off, when she steps close to him and pulls him into a hug. They stay like this for a long time. When they let go off each other, everyone is still in shock. Skulduggery walks over, pushes Dexter out of the way and picks up his gun. The wind starts to ripple through his clothes again. Valkyrie takes his hand and pulls him back slightly. “Calm down.” He looks at her and the rippling stops again. He wraps an arm around her waist. “We’ll be back in an hour.” then he flies away with her to talk in private about the Darquesse situation. Mostly because he knows he won’t kill Dexter then. 

this turned out longer than planned

He's such an underrated character and like the only sane person in the earlier books

does anyone else just occasionally rlly miss kenspeckle grouse tho

you vs. the guy she tells you not to worry about

I mean now that Saracen's power was revealed it is basically canon that he knew since he first saw Vile... so either he didn't tell anyone or all the Dead Men (or maybe only Dex?) knew as well and just never mentioned anything.

so it seems like Skul’s Lord Vile secret will probably be made public in phase 2 with more and more people finding out about it

I hope when that happens Nef will be still alive so he can crack all of the Jekyll and Hyde jokes every time Skul enters the room

So I looked it up and turns out the German translation actually says buttocks muscle

we all talk about tanith being a bicon but let’s just have a moment of appreciation for these two

YES please

I pose you the following: Robert Sheehan as Nefarian Serpine. He's Irish, has the devil smile, and, most importantly, astonishing real green eyes. Search his name + "BAFTA" and you'll find pictures of him with hair like you draw Nefarian's + a suit.

And you can search “Mr and Mrs Jones Billy Delaney” to see the devil smile level in action

Ooohhhh, he certainly would make for a pretty Nefarian! I would not be opposed to him playing Nef, not at all  👀

He also got the kicked puppy look down which is very important considering how Nef gets treated like a punching bag in the books lmao

Especially in this gif he feels very Nef-like .3.

[ Gif taken from here, had to crop it to at least save the quality somewhat when converting from webp to gif ]

Ngl tho, with those thick eye brows and the brown hair Robert Sheehan would also make a neat teen!Mevolent.

On of the less intuitive things about love, I've found, of any kind, is the importance of needing things.

I didn't realize it until recently, but I've always seen love as something requiring sacrifice, selflessness, patience, and generosity- to ask for nothing is to be the best person I can be, small and quiet and never in the way, always happy and helpful, self-sufficient and present when desired.

It's only as an adult, now, that I'm beginning to see the selfishness of wanting nothing.

I cut my friend's hair in my kitchen the other day. They wanted a trim and I had the skills, so I offered, and was genuinely excited when they stopped hesitating over "bothering me" and took me up on it. It was a peaceful afternoon, and we had tea and chatted for an hour or more.

My brother and I shared popcorn at the movies a while ago. When I came time to pay, I pulled my card out like a wild western sheriff and slapped it on the machine before he could fight me for it first. The satisfaction was delightful.

Someone called me crying on the phone the other day. Kept apologizing for disturbing me at work, talking about how they were bothering me on my lunch break. I was telling the truth when I told them that really, I was flattered and honored and relieved, knowing that if they were hurting I would know, that I didn't have to worry in silence. It felt good to hear them slowly come down, and to know that they knew it would be better soon, and to hear them laugh wetly on the other end. We're getting together for a visit next week.

It's hard to need things, if you've trained yourself not to. It's hard to want things, when you don't know how to want anymore. Trusting people is difficult, and so is relying on them, but I don't know where I'd be without the people who rely on me.

I've heard a lot of people say, "Nobody will love you unless you love yourself". I've had a lot of thoughts about it. It's not right, but it's not wrong, either, I think.

"Nobody will love you unless you love yourself"... I've always taken that to mean, "You will not be lovable until you develop a positive view of yourself as a person".

Now, I think it's sort of inside-out.

"Nobody will love you unless you love yourself"... because nobody can show their love to you in a way that you can accept until you treat yourself kindly, and learn what you need, and what you want, and how to ask for it, and then give that vulnerability away.

Love, for me, is someone I ask for a ride to the airport. Whether they end up doing this or not is irrelevant.

It's not needy, or selfish, or taking up energy. It's giving the gift of being wanted, and needed, and thought of. It's giving someone the security of being part of someone's life.

still kinda into that “Anakin Skywalker becomes a trophy husband and gets really into Naboo fashion” idea, tbh. 

He resigns from the Jedi Order sometime during the clone wars all “I know we’re having a war and all and it’s reeeeeeally important but Padmé is currently wearing space Dior and my head is just not in the game, okay??” Padmé of course immediately welcomes him with open arms because look, she knows they both have duties but Anakin already told the Council to go to space Hell soooo … 

There’s gonna be a wedding. She is gonna make it EPIC. 

Meanwhile the Naboo tailors are like dropping his Jedi robes in the trash pit all “mister naberrie what would you like to wear?” and Anakin’s like “… cccclothes?” and they immediately realize they have been given a BLANK SLATE and are DELIGHTED. Anakin gets a crash course in how to dress like the Naboo and also discovers that he is allowed to wear things like SILK and SATIN and ACCESSORIES and is just entirely floored. Really he can wear this? You’re SURE? And there’s a place to hide a lightsaber in it? 

What do you MEAN “and throwing knives”. Tell him more about the throwing knives.