#and nowadays i think about meeting my past self a lot

[sirompp]

"it would just be really easy comedy," i say, imagining myself twirling around and having fun as a boy in a dress in a flower field

#this comic is based off a real very vivid memory i have of being like 8 and thinking this while sitting by my bed #i changed the last bit though it was more ''i have a feeling im going to think back on this moment when im older. thats annoying.'' #thats genuinely the funniest thing though #bc like #guess when i realized 100% that i was trans. GUESS. #it was DECEMBER. THIS YEAR. #this comic takes place ALMOST A DECADE AGO. #i used to think about meeting my future self a lot when i was younger #and nowadays i think about meeting my past self a lot #its really funny bc im thinking about the same ''time travel events'' but its just from a different perspective now #sorry. thats not relevant. #art tag🍭 #<-i know i know its just an ms paint doodle but i want to save this. also i think anyone going through my art tag should see this comic als

[hexed-padlock]

Thinking about how elves can reincarnate. What if there are a few individuals besides elves that have a similar ability. Take our dear Tav for example. What if in a past life, they were a great Artificer. Nowadays, they’ve settled for a simpler life alongside their beloved Astarion. What Astarion doesn’t know, however, is that his partner has been working on a special ring for him. Tav went on a small journey without Astarion to look for the Cloak of Dragomir, study it’s enchantments, and create a ring that has the cloak’s enchantments but is able mitigates its negative effects. It takes them months, and the one year anniversary of saving Baldur’s Gate is fast approaching. The last month is spent in a haze of furious work, getting the ring done just in time. They’re always away, spending long hours getting everything perfect. Gale and Tav have been spending a lot of time together researching and working on the ring as a team.

Then the one year anniversary of the Absolute’s defeat comes around. The whole city is in a joyous mood, a massive festival is set to run all throughout the night.

The old gang is back together, standing by the docks once again. It’s dark, but sunrise is just a few minutes away. Tav is by Gale’s side, and he hands them a box with the ring inside.

Astarion sees Gale hand Tav something as Tav gives him a peck on the cheek in thanks. Ah, so this is why Tav’s been so distant lately. He sulks in a corner, self-loathing taking hold. But Tav bounds over, grabs his hands and pulls him out of the shadows.

Astarion looked at their happy expression, noting that daylight was coming. Is this how this’d end? Burning in the sunlight as the love of his life leaves him for that damned wizard? He looks away, refusing to meet Tav’s eyes.

Tav finally registers the expression on his face as guilt grips them. “Love, I’m sorry. I’m sorry if you felt like I neglected you, but all this was for our future. Please look at me.” Hours spent perfecting a gift for him were still hours spent away from his side, they kept it a secret, not wanting to ruin the surprise.

“Starlight, my beautiful night sky. Please.”

And he finally looks at them, and they’re on their knees, holding a box out, a ring with a single glowing stone shining out in the darkness.

“Astarion Ancunin, my love, will you marry me?”

Astarion stares, awe, disbelief, confusion, all warring inside him—But above it all, relief, fear, and love.

Breathless, he whispers, “Yes.”

Tav slips the ring on and pulls him into a kiss, just as the first rays of sunlight bathe the city in a golden glow. Astarion panics for a moment, trying to find shade, before he feels only the warm caress of the sun, and the gentle touch of his lover.

The party once stood upon these docks as the wreckage of the city lay around them, incomplete and fractured as Astarion disappeared into the shadows and Karlach vanished back into Avernus. It was a solemn celebration. Now, they were all finally together, standing in the glorious light of a bright future as the rebuilt city celebrates it’s continued freedom.

The future is bright and the world is so full of color.

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #tav bg3 #astarion ancunin #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 tav #astarion #bg3 astarion #bg3 post game #astarion x tav #astarion x tav bg3 #im sobbing goodbye #marriage proposal fic #bg3 fic #astarion fic #bg3 spoilers #short fic?? #baldurs gate astarion #baldurs gate tav

[weixuldo]

Allow me// ch 10

Vader x Reader

a/n: so in this Vader is just a lil delulu… he still thinks Padme didn’t love him fully, but its only cause he’s been under the manipulation of the emperor for so many years. also ngl this ch is a lil disorganized at the beginning oops: just lots of vader overthinking

Slight NSFW

warnings: cursing, kissing, grinding, premature ejaculation lol

_____________________

Vader found that the longer he held his position- the more trivial certain matters became.

For years he had been hearing the same complaints and issues circulate through the ranks in different forms. It was old. 

He often let his mind wander during the frequent “highly classified” meetings; nowadays the main thing he would think about was you. He just couldn’t get you off of his mind, ever since that night when he showed you his face. 

He hadn’t removed his helmet since then but he still saw you as much as he could. Of course he already had an inclination towards you even before the reveal, but your reaction to him just kept looping in his head. 

You weren’t scared or disgusted, you didn’t ogle him as if he were some horrible specimen from another system. 

No. you continued to look upon him with the very same expression that you always had- you accepted all of his flaws… you accepted him.

Never in his time as Vader had he yearned for the attention of another being, but you were special. 

He knew the interest was obviously reciprocated but he couldn't tell to what extent. No matter how much you said you cared- how much of that was true?

It pained him to dig up memories of the past, but they were still a part of him- of Anakin…

He believed wholeheartedly that Padme loved him unconditionally and yet she still denied him. In the end her promise of everlasting love was just an empty one. 

But you seemed to care for him regardless of what he did- there was no hiding what he had done as Darth Vader, everyone in the galaxy knew his infamous name.

But even with all his controversial history, your eyes still lit up when he would walk by, your force signature still felt refreshing and flowery, you still found time to ask him how he was doing, you still invited him into your room…

He wouldn’t be able to bring himself to ask you the extent of your feelings until he was more certain of the answer, but of what he could see; it seemed that you were offering him unconditional admiration- something he had chased after all his life. 

Of course a while back you told him that you were his, but he couldn’t help but over analyze that phrase; did you mean you were his in the sense of his personal mechanic; professionally (and sometimes flirtatious sense)? Or in the way that you were really his?

And were you just saying that because you feared denial? No. You were more authentic than that.

So why could he not shake the feeling of worry that washed over him when he would imagine asking you how you saw the dynamic?

_______________________________

You entered his private sector with a warm signature; even inside of his chamber he could feel your electrifying presence. 

As soon as he finished his thought he motioned for the capsule to open so he could meet you halfway. He stepped over the mechanical barrier and straightened his cape before strutting towards the door that you were behind.

You reached for the button to open the only obstacle between you and the man you so desperately wanted to see. 

He slid the door open before you could, making you jump. 

“V!” you smiled, walking past him into the room he occupied. 

His watchful eyes trailed all the way down your body before responding.

“Y/N, how are you today, my dear?”

“I’m good, I got all of the work done so now I'm here to bug my favorite man in the galaxy”.

You and Vader had been exchanging more playful banter (flirtatious, even) and Vader felt like his awkward 19 year old self trying not to blush when you would say things like that.

“Ahh, I see, you just want to distract me from my duties- like running the empire…You must be a rebel spy, my darling” he quipped back. 

Your cheeks warmed at his playfulness; it was a rare thing to have Darth Vader sharing jokes with you. 

“Oh no, my dear” you taunted back using the name he often called you.

“I wouldn’t dream of attempting to infiltrate the almighty Darth Vader’s fortress of a mind…” you said with doe eyes and a stupid half smile. 

He stepped closer and tilted your chin to look into his lenses, “what if I told you that you already have”.

In a moment of pure need, you stepped closer to him and pulled his helmet down to face you and kissed him over the grated mouthpiece. 

You heard the familiar sound of his respirator work a little harder to keep up with his quickened breathing. 

A few weeks ago or even days, you would have completely freaked out and done damage control immediately.

You would’ve tossed out every apology in the book and asked if that was alright; but now you didn’t need to – you could feel his desire lurking in the force around you. 

He stood stunned for a moment before picking you up and carrying you towards his meditation chamber. 

“V, what are you-”

“If you want to kiss me, I should at-least give you a proper one” his deep voice boomed as the top of the chamber descended. 

Soon the air tight seal was in action and a claw-like mechanism from the ceiling came down to remove the helmet. It was only the second time you were seeing his naked face and you were even more excited than the last time.

When his face was finally revealed he blinked a few times, trying to get accustomed to the brightness, before his cerulean blue eyes honed in on you; your hair, your brows, your eyes, your nose, your lips…

“May I?” he asked, waiting for the signal to capture you in a deep kiss.

You nodded furiously and draped your arms around his armored shoulders, before his lips met yours.

Sparks flew.

Sure, the first kiss was a lil too soft and a lil odd, but after you figured out a groove with each other, the kisses became ravenous. 

When was the last time he had felt the sensation of another’s lips on his own? 

He couldnt help but rake his gloved hands up and down your back, pulling you closer to him. He was in heaven, nothing could beat this feeling. 

His insatiable need for you made your core ache for him. Maker, how you wanted to fuck him so badly. Your thoughts raced through your mind and you let a small moan slip against his mouth. 

Fuck. 

Vader felt his pants grow tighter and his dick throb. You were so enticing. It had been so long… so long. He felt like he would combust at any moment. 

He broke away from the kiss to keep himself at bay as he let the building sensation of an orgasm subside. Of course he was embarrassed that he almost got to that point by simply kissing; but to be fair, he had gone from no skin to skin contact in years, to…this.

You, on the other hand, had more experience with this thing than he did.

You placed a gentle hand on the side of his face and breathlessly asked, “Why’d ya stop?”. 

His eyes faded into the beautiful blue you had seen the other day before he attempted to answer; he was cut off by you starting to grind your hips into his, as you dragged your core against his codpiece. 

Vader’s eyes momentarily rolled back and an exquisite noise escaped him before he gripped your thighs tightly and began to kiss your neck.

“Oh, Vader- that feels so-”

Before you could finish your sentence he clawed his hands down your back (not hard enough to hurt) and plunged his face into the crook of your neck as his body jerked forward. Much to his chagrin, he couldn’t hold out any longer, not with you in his lap. 

He came. Hard.

He didn’t even know he still could; it felt weird… the burns of Mustafar made the familiar sensation feel a twinge different. It wasn’t bad by any means, just…new.

After the overwhelming feeling passed he exhaled sharply before tapping your thigh twice. 

You had no idea what just happened and if he was ok or not, so when he tapped your thigh you took that as a sign to get up. 

“Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?” you asked, genuinely worried. 

“No, I-I mean yes! Well no, you didn’t do anything wrong and yes I'm alright. I just remembered I was supposed to discuss a new tactical plan with one of the Moffs. My apologies my dear.” 

and without another word, he left as quickly as he could. 

Only you remained in the meditation chamber, feeling confused and a little sad. 

You worried you had been too forward and upset him- but he assured you nothing was wrong… So you ended up chalking it up to a loss and going back to your quarters with a walk of overthinking.

Did he not like you being like that with him? He didn’t stop it before though…

When you got back you decided just to go to bed- it was pretty late anyways.

_____________

Vader forcefully slid the heavy door to his private room closed and marched up to the platform where he dressed and undressed. 

He called upon the droids to begin undressing him and stood in shame as they disassembled him. 

When they removed the codpiece there was a damp spot on his pants. Great. 

He was glad the droids couldn’t talk (to him at least, they probably exchanged quips about him all the time). 

Since it was late and his duties were fulfilled for the day he opted for a bacta soak- he needed to get clean and to think (as if he weren’t already torturing himself with his thoughts). 

The droids strapped him into his harness and soon his body was submerged in the soothing bacta; the most relieving feeling.

He took a deep breath through the large oxygen mask covering most of his face; what the fuck just happened?

Obviously he knew he came- that was pretty damn evident. But why? (also evident).

He cringed again at the image of him cumming from kissing… was he really that pathetically desperate? 

You probably went back to your room laughing at him. Fuck. What if you thought it was gross?

He groaned and thrashed in his tank at the embarrassing scenes. 

Should he address it to you? Or just act like it didn't happen? Would you bring it up?

He attempted to enjoy the rest of his soak; it wasn’t successful. 

_____________________

You woke up to your details for today; it was an uncharacteristically complex task.

Of course you didn’t mind the difficulty, but what bothered you was that it wasn’t even one of Vader’s machines. In fact it was a totally different department deep down in the belly of the ship… probably the furthest from him. 

You thanked the messenger droid and got ready to go. Unfortunately, you couldn’t stop the intrusive thoughts from barging in; he must really be mad at you to not want you near him.

Did he think you were gross or shameless for what you did?

All you did was kiss… and he was the one who brought you into his chamber. 

He promised you that he wouldn’t let any harm come your way, so you weren't worried for your life; you were worried for your position.

Would he send you back to your own system or transfer you to another unit far, far away from him? 

Maker, what was going on.

***

a/n: ahhh yes, the ever loved miscommunication trope- both y/n and vader need to stop overthinking (also the way they’re both thinking the other thinks they’re gross lmfaoo). i was gonna make this ch longer but then i thought it was alr a little long 😳 ty for ur support and the patience for my shitty upload schedule!

taglist: @vadersassistant @sxoulohvn @khaleesihavilliard @kashasenpai @darling-murdock @beautifulbearpolice @salvatoresister1 @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @blueninjablade3 @jujuba096 @missmannequin @jellydodger @mirastark @wyvernthekriger @duckyhowls @monada43 @lauriidoesstuff @vienettacream @ray-rook @itswhatever06 @ilovenielperry

#darth vader #darth vader x reader #anakin x reader #vader #sw darth vader #anakin #darth vader fic #star wars #star wars x reader #anakin x you #allow me #anakin is so hot #vader is hot #darth vader smut #crispy vader #burnt vader #sw x reader

[winterxgardener]

What makes Shourtney stand out to me (as a possible couple) is that despite all the LA influences and insane talent, they kinda seem like two people you could see hanging out in your neighborhood. They are so special but normal at the same time if that makes sense.

I also feel that neither of them are particularly great at hiding their true feelings about people and things around them - and I love that about them. I'm sure they do a loooooot of self-censoring but at the same time, have hard time maintaining a proper poker face.

Actually, there are some 2019-2020 videos where Courtney and Shayne start acting silly/flirty together, and the other person in the room (usually Ian and Damien) has a slightly amused but uncomfortable "here we go again" expression on their face. The expression is so relatable 'cause I've been in similar situations myself at the workplace and kept thinking "you guys really need to do something about this romantic tension 'cause we have a meeting with the boss in two minutes and she might have some questions". So awkward but hilarious at the same time.

Similarly to the previous anon, I also wish we could hear their own experience at some point since what we discuss here in Tumblr, is mainly just speculation/interpretation. Even if it turns out that Shourtney never happened and we shippers have been living in delulu, I'd still love to hear what their shared journey has been (bts) since it feels like they rarely talk about their friendship/something-else-ship anymore. Ian and Anthony discuss their friendship frequently in videos, Shayne and Damien make references to their shared past experiences from time to time, and I've even heard Amanda and Angela commenting on how close friends they are. But I can not remember the last time Shayne and Courtney had even a brief discussion about them as a duo, despite being one of the more iconic ones.

I actually think that it was the contradiction between their non-verbal language and verbal treatment of each other that led me to speculate (1-2 years ago) that something is going on bts. For me their "heart eyes" alone are not really a proof of anything since they keep looking at half the cast with similar endearment. However, I found it weird that they would look at each other so lovingly (at least in brief moments) but rarely ever say anything friend-like directly to each other or even act politely, like normal coworkers. Some people will explain that with their long friendship but they are close with Damien and Ian as well and rarely act in the same contradictory way with them. I just can't explain that with anything else but "something's going on".

As a background info: I started my Smosh journey with videos from 2022 and 2023, and initially, knew nothing about the Shourtney shipping that happened in late 2010s. Despite this (or because of it?) I sensed something between them and was not surprised to hear that they might be more than just coworkers. However, I def understand why shippers got a bad rep in Defy era because I can not sense the same chemistry between them in older videos and would have needed a fair amount of delulu to convince myself that they are together. Nowadays, it's the other way around: you need to make a lot of mental acrobics to explain why they are most probably just friends.

Btw, sorry for a long, not-so-cohesive ramble on this. I'm writing this in a sleepy mode, and am not sure myself what is the red thread of this anymore. :D

I am speechless while reading this. What do you mean by 'not cohesive'? This is a well-structured narrative. 🤯🤯

I agree that between 2019 and 2021, Shourtney appeared different, especially during their Twitch streams since they were unedited, unlike now, where they can easily censor or edit some of their moments.

Regarding their chemistry, from 2015 to 2018, it was just full-blown flirting as friends. (I don't know if I'm just being delusional), but something changed in 2019.🙉🙈

#shourtney #shartney #satire #i am delusional #dont mind it

[tizzyizzy]

Why Ed Got Kraken: The Benefits of Being Blackbeard

As the climactic emotional turning point of the season for Ed’s arc, we pay plenty of attention to the confrontation between Ed and Izzy in the captain’s quarters. Here’s my take.

“I should have let the English kill you. This, whatever it is that you’ve become, is a fate worse than death.”

Right out of the gate, Izzy speaks what are actually his harshest words in the conversation. He says he should have let Ed die, that what ever he has become is worse than being dead. Between a different pair of characters, these cruel words would be the point of the scene. Ed would be dealing with his longtime friend and ally thinking so little of him. Wishing he was dead.

But, whatever bond they may have forged over the years, one of the most consistent things we see over the course of the series is how little Ed takes Izzy’s emotions and concerns into account. Sure, Ed listened and bowed to pressure when Izzy and the other crew members had a meeting about Stede being a pet. But Izzy both had back-up and was holding Ed up to his own rules and standards.

In general, Ed doesn’t pay much attention to Izzy’s emotional state, and when he does, he finds Izzy’s anger more amusing than upsetting. That’s not to say that Ed doesn’t care about Izzy at all, or that they aren’t friends. However, as their relationship has strained over the years, Ed seems to have gotten into the habit of tuning out Izzy’s ever growing list of complaints. Makes sense for the emotionally stunted pirate guys. Instead of leaning in to the relationship and dealing with the issue together, Ed leans away to escape Izzy’s pressure, only for Izzy to push even harder, which makes Ed lean away, etc.

And let’s be honest, Izzy can be pretty dramatic when he gets upset; it’s very possible Izzy has made over-the-top statements about how Edward will “rue this day” or whatever in the past in the heat of some fight only for things to cool down and return to normal.

So while Ed seems taken aback by how harsh Izzy is here, he responds more or less the same way we saw him respond in episode 4, where he just looked at Izzy in bafflement while the latter frothed and ranted.

This is just Izzy being Izzy. He’ll get over it.

“Well, I am still Blackbeard, so-”

Ed’s obviously got insecurities, but one thing he is absolutely proud of is being Blackbeard. He enjoys showing off his weather reading genius. He likes sauntering about the Revenge after rescuing Stede and co., basking in the awe of the starstruck crew. Ed worked long and hard and smart to have a reputation so legendary merchant ships surrender at the sight of his flag, and people the world over speak of him in hushed whispers. “I can do anything,” Ed said about running a restaurant. Blackbeard can do anything, and Ed is Blackbeard, so he can do anything.

Yeah, maybe Ed hasn’t been at his best the last few days, but who cares? He’s still, at his core, the infamous, skilled, indomitable Blackbeard. 

Thing is, being Blackbeard comes with a lot of perks. Automatic respect and fear. Spanish Jackie holds her fire because she wouldn’t risk crossing Blackbeard by murdering the Genital Pirate. It may be more boring nowadays when you don’t  have to fight to take a ship, but that’s reliable, safe booty. Dangerous people stay out of your way. Potentially useful ones compete for your favor. Izzy Hands says you’re the most brilliant sailor he’s ever met, and makes you tea and ties bows in your beard and is loyal no matter what.

Most importantly, as long as you’re Blackbeard? You’re somebody. By the time Ed appears in the story, the persona of Blackbeard has started to chafe. The excitement has been replaced by routine, and people see an exaggerated version of him with nine guns instead of his true self. But consider what Ed had before Blackbeard.

He was nothing. S lower class kid with a drunk for a father who wasn’t entitled to the simple pleasures of his aristocratic betters. Being Blackbeard might not be perfect, but it’s brought him so much more than whatever fate his lowly origins would have confined him to.

Back in the day, Ed was probably acutely aware of this. He started his career as nothing. Must have been exhilarating when people began to fear and respect him for the first time in his life, spreading his name far and wide.

But that was a long time ago, and Ed’s gotten complacent. He’s started to look for more out of life. However, he’s paid less attention to what earned him the security to worry about more than day to day survival. Ed didn’t think his slipping mattered, really. Sure, maybe he had made a few questionable decisions as his attention wandered from piracy, but he was still Blackbeard. Nothing’s going to change that.

But then Izzy, old, reliable Izzy, says he isn’t Blackbeard.

“No! This, this is Blackbeard! Not some namby-pamby in a silk robe pining for his boyfriend.”

These are the words that make him go from sedate to violent.

From episode 4 onward, Izzy has been a representative of Ed’s career as Blackbeard when he still had the passion for it. He’s a barometer that tells the audience how the Present Ed compares to Past Ed. In 10, he tells Ed and the audience that ratings are at an all time low. For the first time, Ed believes him.

When Izzy called him a “shell of a man who is merely posing at Blackbeard,” in 4, Ed didn’t bother to acknowledge it. Despite Izzy’s complaints, Ed was still confident that he was Blackbeard. In 4, despite his mistake with the date, Ed managed a brilliant plan with Stede’s help. Izzy apologized at the end of the episode, taking back his words. 

But a lot has changed since 4. 

Ed has fallen in love and had his heart broken. He’s become more open to his softer feelings, willing to express vulnerabilities. He found a friend, and lost him, and saw a different way of running a ship. He gave up his freedom for the love of a man who seemingly didn’t actually care about him. He learned he loved marmalade and wrote a song about his feelings and spent a week hiding in a pillow fort.

Ed has changed.

“Blackbeard is my captain. I serve Blackbeard. Not Edward.”

Know all those benefits I mentioned before? Izzy is one of them. Izzy was drawn to Blackbeard because of his brilliance. He is attracted to Ed as the daring, frightening, cunning pirate captain. Izzy even fell in love with him, and followed him with devout loyalty. Edward’s gotten so used to Izzy being there. It’s as natural as breathing to first reach out to Izzy when he needs something, even something intimate, or to chatter to Izzy about whatever has caught his interest.

Despite their rupture over Stede, their reconciliation wasn’t even worth a scene to itself. They fall back into their dynamic without question, because Izzy’s loyalty is that deep and Ed’s trust is that strong.

But Ed has taken the Blackbeard title for granted. Now, the ever loyal Izzy says he does not deserve it and he will no longer to submit to the authority it represents.

And when Ed is alone, having been abandoned by his most stalwart crewmember, he hears the crew calling him to sing again.

If Izzy doesn’t respect him anymore, no one will. The crew saw his vulnerable side. He has traded the respect of Blackbeard for...possibly nothing. To be treated as a joke. As someone who can be trifled with.

By trying to reach for something more, for real happiness beyond the security of infamy, Ed has risked the Blackbeard name he earned. Stede abandoned him. Izzy’s abandoning him. He’s on a boat with a crew that want to throw a talent show. If he doesn’t act soon, the name of Blackbeard could be dust...or worse, an object of ridicule (Remember how he feared being seen treasure hunting?). Then Ed will be back to the bottom of the barrel, same as the poor, lower class kid he started as, sneered at and looked down upon.

“Edward better watch his fucking step.”

This line is sometimes taken as a coercive threat, Izzy trying to intimidate Ed into bending to his will, but I’d argue that is not what is happening here.

When Izzy says these lines, he isn’t saying, “You’d better do what I want or I’ll make you regret it.” 

He’s saying: “I will obey Blackbeard and submit to the will of Blackbeard. But you aren’t Blackbeard anymore. You don’t get to slam me into a wall or command me like Blackbeard does. If you try it again, there will be consequences.”

It’s not, “Become Blackbeard again or else.” It’s “You’ve changed so much I am no longer loyal to you.”

This is why I disagree with the view that Ed is coerced, bullied, or intimidated by Izzy into becoming the Kraken. This isn’t a scene about Ed buckling  due to the fear of Izzy’s violent retribution, taking desperate measures to protect himself from The World’s Most Pathetic Man. It is about the threat of losing everything he’s built as Blackbeard.

This is why I find arguments about Ed resorting to maiming and forced auto cannibalism as semi-justified by his fear of Izzy, or some form of self-defense, particularly problematic: Ed wasn’t afraid of Izzy hurting him; he was afraid of Izzy leaving. Which is, uh, a very different thing.

Though it only kept Izzy from leaving because he’s loyal to the old Blackbeard, not due to fear.

“Hey Eddie, give us another song!”

(Interesting thing to note: Edward had just told the crew that he wanted to be called “Ed” instead of Blackbeard. He did not give anyone permission to call him by the cutesy, overly familiar diminutive “Eddie”. Perhaps a demonstration of how once he lost the aura of Blackbeard, the crew’s apparent respect for him began to diminish immediately.)

I think it does a disservice to Ed’s character to place the blame for his backslide into krakendom on Izzy. Izzy didn’t trick or manipulate or intimidate Ed. Ed isn’t scared of Izzy, for god’s sake. He isn’t being played. Izzy just exposed Ed to the very real potential consequences of his choices: losing everything he built with Blackbeard. And once Izzy is gone, Ed has hours to decide if he agrees with Izzy. In the end, he does.

I think, if Ed looked back at this moment, he wouldn’t be brooding about Izzy being mean or cruel. He’d think about being left alone in the captain’s quarters, a pit forming in his stomach, realizing that maybe what will give him true happiness and what will keep him safe are incompatible. Looking back on his past behavior in a panic, wondering if people are already beginning to hear tales of the newer, softer Blackbeard, and how that might change how they view him. Wondering, if Izzy is done with him, what does that mean about the rest of his crew? Wondering if he has nearly given up the legend of Blackbeard for an illusion of love. Looking around at all these trinkets left behind from Stede, how he used to long for them, but now they just look like the meaningless baubles of a man so rich he can afford to buy trash like Ed twice over.

“I am the Kraken.”

But it’s not too late. Ed just has to act fast. By the time night falls, he’s made his decision. He throws the member of Stede’s crew that has seen him at his most vulnerable, Lucius, off the boat, along with all his wisdom about relationships and emotions. He proves his commitment to being this version of Blackbeard to Izzy by performing a grotesque act of violence upon him. “The old Blackbeard’s back and he’s worse than ever,” is what he’s saying. “Don’t give up on me yet.”

Then all of Stede’s things have to go. All the baubles Ed was so excited about in 4, the big library, down they go into the drink. Then he maroons the foolish, trusting, ridiculous crew. They’re useless, and they’ve seen to much. Just more of Stede’s toys to play pirate.

He’s going to be okay. He’s still Blackbeard. He slipped, but he clawed his way back up at the last moment. He still hurts, but he can hide in his room to cry. And there’s the alcohol that we see him with, coping with pain like his father did. (Fang’s drinking now too. Bad times are coming again.)

The stabbed heart is sewed in his new flag, as a reminder not to let anyone in again.

He doesn’t have anything else, but he’s still Blackbeard.

#Edward Teach #Edward Teach meta #ofmd #ofmd meta #izzy hands

[freepandahugs]

i was thinking and i would like to add my grain of salt onto the mor/elain thingy regarding azriel's feelings towards the both of them, because apparently some people love to keep bringing this up. i will go book by book:

ACOTAR: we literally don't know of the existence of these characters

ACOMAF: we are introduced to them, az's crush on mor is set up, mor states that no matter how much of a crush he has on her he has never and probably will never do anything about it. we get some glimpces of azriel being infatuated with mor but that's about it. mor states she has no interest in him but doesn't know how to reject him.

regarding elain, he barely knows her. they meet halfway through the book and get along well. elain is at ease with azriel around and azriel waxes poetics about flying because she asks. we can assume there were some off-page meetings because of the letters they were sending the queens but that's assumptions. elain gets turned into fae.

ACOWAR: azriel starts being attentive of elain, he pays enough attention to her to be able to figure out she's a seer. spends time with her in the gardens and seems relaxed around her (aka him sprawled on the garden chairs sunning his wings). we have the moment where she calls his hands beautiful and he BLUSHES. azriel starts initiating physical contact with elain. azriel goes on a literal suicidal mission to save elain. elain does what she can to help azriel in order to escape the hybern camp. the truthteller scene and then elain appearing out of thin air to kill the king of hybern.

we get feyre, the mc of the book, questioning elucien's bond.

azriel is shown to be exasperated with mor sleeping around, not reacting outwardly but instead WALKING AWAY from her. mor is hurt by rhys and azriel making deals with keir. we learn that mor is bisexual but leans more towards women.

ACOFAS: mor gives azriel a solstice present that he barely reacts to. we don't have much in page interaction, if any. mor is going to the continent.

azriel helps elain carry the potatoes to the table, elain becomes self conscious about her appearence and goes to clean up a little. azriel makes everyone wait for her before eating. azriel looking out windows into the garden (a place elain usually frequents). elain gifts azriel the headache powder and he laughs so much that everyone seems surprised. "this will be invaluable"

unrelated to azriel but we also get elain show the first signs of not wanting lucien. not talking to him, getting annoyed with feyre for trying to make her interact with him. "i don't want a male", elain is probably still getting over graysen

ACOSF: mor is off to the continent for the vast majority of the book. cassian notices azriel doesn't react as much when mor is around and wonders why he would give up now.

azriel being protective of elain, reacting outwardly to mentions of her being upset (his shadows look like serpents ready to strike). we are reminded three times about azriel rescuing elain. we get a charged glance pass between them, witnessed by nesta. azriel can't be near lucien and elain because of the smell of the bond. bonus chapter happens around here and azriel stays away from elain for the rest of the book.

BONUS CHAPTER: (i will tackle this one separatedly because it's not part of the main book and a lot of people don't have access to it so i don't want to mix it up with the main story)

elain and azriel seek each other out to exchange gifts. azriel buys elain a necklace that reminds him of her. we learn he has been thinking and pleasuring himself to the thought of elain for the past year, he can hardly sleep nowadays. sexual tension, both elain and azriel are aroused. azriel wants to have sex with elain and also wants to eat her out. they almost kiss. azriel says that the encounter was a mistake and elain is hurt. rhysand orders azriel to stay away. azriel is questioning the cauldron. elain gives the necklace back, and azriel gives it away because he can't stand keeping it. azriel keeps away from this point on.

rhysand asks azriel "what about mor?" and azriel doesn't answer.

-----

i would like to point out, out of the 5 books, there's only 3 in which mor and azriel are physically in the same territory, and only 2 in which they interact more than just one or two lines. out of those 2 books, azriel doesn't know elain for the most part of the first one and then pays a lot of attention to her in the other one.

obviously azriel did like mor, but it doesn't seem like that anymore. and more importantly, we never get azriel talking about his crush on her nor does he acknowledge it, it's always everyone else (a bunch of busybodies) so personally i take their words with a pinch of salt.

mor is not a point of comparison in whatever petty fights people want to start.

(if i have to be honest, my personal theory is that azriel never told anyone he moved on from mor a long time ago to keep the status quo until mor is ready to come out to her family. everyone already knows mor is not interested in azriel and that's why she rejects him, if he were to give up and some other guy came along, everyone would question why she doesn't want him. he's the spymaster and he knows how to keep secrets, i would be surprised if he honestly didn't know about mor liking women. but that's me)

#elriel #elain #azriel #moriel #mor #pro elriel #stop messing with mor #and stop putting elain as second best because that is not what we see

[tales-from-nocturnaliss]

One thing about me: I like community. I like to make people feel at home and welcome, moreso if they make me feel the same.

About two years ago, the husband and I started a guild on Mobile Legends: Adventure. Gained little traction in english, so we decided to switch over to french and go recruit in those channels.

Nowadays, we're a thriving community of 50 people with very rarely an open spot. I befriended a few of these people and generally just enjoy watching them having fun (I'm guild leader, fyi).

Yesterday, I was chatting with one of our two Swiss players who asked a lot of questions about my writing. Not gonna lie: it made me feel sooooo good that she asked. I do crave attention (don't we all?). And with my plans to get some stuff ready to self-publish, I figured I'd talk about the first story I intend to release.

I narrowed the theme down to: Vampire guy struggles with trauma and ends up encountering a creature more dangerous than himself that ends up playing with his head.

Her response was, basically: that's different, usually Vampires are shown as supreme beings, so it's cool that this one'd get manipulated.

I had to take a mental double take on that. Because: I'm so used to my world that, for me, this sort of situation is like... normal. Vampires are apex predators to be sure, but there's still more dangerous things than them lurking about, and this guy happens to meet such a being (with reason). It never struck me that this story could be interesting just because it shows Vampires in a different light. I guess I can no longer tell if something is 'cool' or 'different' because, well, my nose has been stuck in Aeyuu for so long that it sometimes even affects my perception of RL normal (for example, blue is warm, red is cold, yes my brain sometimes thinks these colours are inverted irl in terms of temperature).

All this to say that it made me happy to hear her thoughts, happy in a way that goes beyond excitement. It's a wide, calm sort of happiness, mingled with hope, mingled with premature contentment that reading my stories might make other people happy (even if the themes tend to be dark and tragic XD). This is the feeling I've been hanging onto lately, to try and get past the utter anxiety and dread of self-pubbing something and it 1. getting hated 2. getting ignored.

In that line of thought, I've finally reached out to an editor (on PillowFort) and gotten the first reactions to this story yesterday. A lot of it is pertinent. It sure as hell drove my anxiety through the roof since, y'know, there was criticism in there... but I'm also glad to finally be taking yet another step forward. And I'm liking their style, be it a bit too brutal for me in places, but then they do see things that I've either overlooked, ignored, or that need a tad better wording to make the meaning/reason clear.

Additionally: today, I find I have 7 more followers on here. Which... wait, just, wow? How? And I check my notificiations and see: oh yeah, I reached out in a nice, encouraging, honestly-me way to people. Not gonna lie: much as that is my personality, I'm also still autistic, chronically tired, and some days I don't have the spoons to socialize, let alone to like people. But when the energy allows, I enjoy just going to the quiet places and leaving a friendly message. Creating a sense of: you belong with the community, too.

This said, I do have plans to 1. write a real writeblr intro sometime, 2. make feedback asks available. With my potential/likely editor not being a pro but someone like me who is self-taught and picks up instinctively on issues, I feel like this is something I want (and am allowed!) to give out in turn.

Creating community, y'know? And the world I want to see, which is a world where people are nice to each other, help each other out, but also get to have boundaries and see them respected without a 'no' turning into an argument or anything. Utopic to be sure, but what's wrong with having ideals?

[knightofhylia]

Hello there, how do you get into the trance state? As I want to go into a trance to connect with spirit.

Also, how is your relationship with Hylia like to you?

Hello! I learned everything about how to do trances from Doors to Past Lives & Future Lives: Practical Applications of Self-Hypnosis by Joe H. Slate. I read this book once and was able to put myself and multiple others under trances. I'll cut to the chase and share the method I started out with which is a very typical hypnosis procedure of moving your eyes and counting backwards called EM/RC (Eye Movement/Reverse Counting). It is also very similar to the sleepover game Doors to the Mind.

I used this method when I was trying to get my most in-depth results but I don't find it necessary for every trance. The above book is specifically about doing a trance where you go to a corridor and each door is a past life, but I think that's a little much for connecting with spirits. It's a good method for practicing letting your mind wander. The feeling you are looking for is similar to daydreaming. Any time you've spaced out is technically a hypnosis/trance! If you are having trouble I suggest trying out some guided trances/meditations on youtube to practice going under. I'm also not going to legally suggest using the aid of alcohol or drugs like marijuana, but I use them in moderation and it helps. just be conscious enough that you can still focus on the spirit and don't just fall asleep or get sick.

My method nowadays is pretty typical of most meditations. I lay down or sit usually with my head tilted back or forward, listen to music and focus on my intention (usually I want to talk to xyz). Highly suggest Weightless by Marconi Union, Inside the Deku Tree, or Awen by Mind Orchestra ). I recommend making a 'safe place', basically where you want to meet these spirits. Most of the time people choose forests or the book talks about oceans, any sort of calming scenery. It's best to keep an open mind because most times you aren't going to see what you expect! Many spirits will talk in the forms of animals, other people, fire, water, or have no form at all. When I first started I was doing hour long meditations talking to spirits and now my visits are about 20-35 minutes long now. It's better to do many short trances than long ones.

I like to think my relationship with Hylia started when I was a kid, but I didn't OFFICIALLY meet her/commit spiritually to her until March of this year (2022). I have always felt a very intense spiritual connection to the Zelda series and it was a big part of my childhood. I had a lot of dreams about being in the world, specifically, I had a very jarring dream as a kid of the Shadow Link encounter in Ocarina of Time. Later in my 20s I had another dream about Twilight Princess Kakariko Village that I wrote a poem about it for class. Even as a kid I believed that the songs had power and would sing the Song of Healing and Song of Time in spells (I've been doing magic since I was in middle school). I did a trance to ask my main spirit guide to help me figure out what the connection between me and the Zelda series was. My guide then took me to a giant golden owl and when I asked her who she was she said 'Hylia' so suffice to say I was shocked!! She looked like this (except she did NOT have a purple triangle on her forehead)

She sounded like Fi from Skyward Sword, Like there was three people speaking at once and once of them was a robot. She grabbed my shoulders with her claws and we flew into a TV screen to Hyrule Field from Ocarina. The entire time I was absolutely TRANSFIXED by her piercing glowing eyes. She said that she was very close to my main spirit guide and I just haven't really questioned it since.

I treat her as I do any of the other deities I work with and she fits in well with the spirits in my house. A lot of my wedding ceremony was also based on Zelda stuff (the Couples mask, my ring is the Zora Sapphire) I have an altar for her, I also have a master sword tattoo that I see as our 'bond'. To me, she is a light spirit. The closest I can think of in similarity is Apollo (light, music, prophecy are all things associated with both).I charge her tarot deck with sunlight and feel her presence most when outside in nature. She uses bird imagery a lot in her signs. She also doesn't mind using technology to communicate and loves music. She seems to be a bringer of hope and creativity! She talks to me most when I'm trying to fall asleep and likes jokes. I have not yet FULLY sworn myself to her but she has told me the means by which to do so, which I will be sharing once I am ready!

Okay, I know that was a lot, let me know if you have any questions or want any clarifications! I am more than happy to share my practices and methods!

Thank you for the ask!

#mudora #mudora magic #hyrulian pc #hyrulean pc #pop culture magic #pop culture pagan #pop culture deity #hylian pc #legend of zelda #witchcraft #pop culture witchcraft #pc magic #pc pagan #hyah! #bokh dva'

[hunter-the-sad-skeleton]

Cesar in my AU!

Cesar is interesting in my AU, as he survived the Alternate Encounter by faking his death(Look at him. He’s a theater kid. ), waiting until the Alternate moved on, and then hurried to pack a bag in a fit of panic and hurried to leave the house. More under the cut!

Trigger warnings for: Mentioned suicide, implied near-death experience, religion mention, loss of belief mention, stuff like that, please be careful, guys!

After this, he changed his name, cut his hair, quit singing entirely(No matter how much it pained him since it was a hobby he absolutely loved, but his voice was too recognizable, so he HAD to give it up. He still talks, but mostly uses sign language, despite how difficult it is for him to learn.), took on a job that he would never have taken up if he weren’t attacked by an Alternate(grocery bagger), gave up religion entirely(“What God would allow this to happen to me?”), and just changed himself almost entirely, only showing his true self if he trusts someone enough.

He has no clue about Mark’s death and just thinks he lost his phone, hence why he never answers Cesar’s calls. When he finds out, he’s crushed, but shows it in what most people would see as a “mild reaction” to being told your best friend killed himself.

This isn’t because Cesar doesn’t care, far from it, actually, he cares a lot, he just hasn’t really slept much due to the aftermath of encountering an Alternate and surviving due to him playing dead.

When Cesar is overly stressed, if he doesn’t go nonverbal, he just falls back to speaking in spanish. Jonah(haven’t talked about him yet, but I also have thoughts about him, my funky stoner pizza-loving blorbo <3) typically translates whenever he’s nearby if Cesar shuts down.

Cesar is a HUGE recluse nowadays, typically only going outside if it’s an ABSOLUTE emergency.

Overtime, Cesar breaks out of his shell, going outside slightly more often. His apartment is really well kept, as he cleans often to make sure he stays awake as long as he can.

The instant Cesar first meets Sarah, he just…hugs her. He hugs her and, for the first time since knowing about Mark’s death, cries, because he can’t imagine how badly it’s affected her.

He knew how close Sarah was to Mark, so he tries to see if he can help her in any way, which, in his eyes, is a good thing, although on Sarah’s end, it’s sorta annoying/condescending.

As time goes on, Cesar tries to understand the whole “BPS” thing, but it’s a little hard for him to wrap his head around.(When someone tells him “It’s just Ghostbusters but with Alternates” is when it clicks for him lol.)

Honestly, Cesar is a BIT of a coward, running away at the slightest bit of danger, but he slowly gets better!...slowly…VERY SLOWLY…

Oh, yeah, he has a shotgun. Did I mention that? He has it in case he runs into another Alternate.(Yes, they don’t work on Alternates, but he doesn’t know that.)

He accidentally runs into Thatcher one day. Thatcher pulls a gun on him because “YOU LOOK LIKE THAT ONE ALTERNATE”. Cesar merely sighs defeatedly because he’s too fucking tired to deal with this.

Honestly, that’s a good way to describe Cesar Post-Attack. Tired. He’s so tired, thinking can be hard for him somedays, but he never lets himself rest for too long, lest the nightmares get to him again or he risk encountering another Alternate.

If he ever met Stanley, he would scream as loud as possible, pulling EVERYONE away from him, putting himself in front of them.

He runs into Alt!Mark at one point. That goes about as well as you can expect. Most of the time, Cesar runs from danger, but this time-THIS ONE GOD DAMN TIME-he doesn’t. He can’t bring himself to move. He’s frozen in place. He has to get dragged away while he screams “WAIT, NO, PLEASE, THAT’S MY BEST FRIEND, THAT’S MARK, NO, NO, PLEASE!!!” because he can’t see past the flaws in the Alternate. He just sees Mark.

He’s still as good a cook as ever, he just seems a little…sadder whenever he does, because he can’t sing and cook like he used to. The most he does while cooking is tapping his foot and humming.

After a while, he does start singing again, as he realizes “OH SHIT I’VE HIT PUBERTY MY VOICE SOUNDS DIFFERENT I CAN SING AGAIN!!! :D”

That’s what I’ve figured out so far, but feel free to ask me anything you have questions about!

#mandela catalogue au #my au #cesar torres #mark heathcliff #jonah marshall #sarah heathcliff #adam murray

[spaceratprodigy]

OC Superlatives Tag Game

Thank you for the tag @the-lastcall 💖💫

The Favorite

I don't think this comes as a surprise to anyone. Faith is so very dear to me she is quite literally a part of myself. She brings me so much comfort and has been an outlet for me for the past like? 3 years?? Gosh look at how far she's come. She helps remind me that everything is going to be okay.

The Oldest

While technically I have some ocs that are even older than her, Cookie is my first self insert lmao. Nowadays I don't think any but a couple of y'all would even know who she is and that makes me a lil sad! She's very special to me and was very beloved by people who meant a lot to me. Very few know me and her story well enough to see how on the nose it is an escape from my own life. Not shown here but she has burn scars on her right wrist/forearm. An exaggeration of my own burn scar in the same place. Cookie has always been there as a way to not feel alone, to see myself in someone who has been through similar experiences and made it out through the other side. To remember why it's so important to keep fighting.

The Newest

Okay maybe not the newest.. but Iris is the newest oc I've actually been putting a lot of time and love and effort into! I love her a lot! I know I still don't talk abt her as in depth as I would like to but I swear she's got more going on than I share. I just can't help wanting to draw her so self-indulgently full of love all the time, it makes me happy to have silly fun! I really really have been meaning to doodle her more vulnerable and serious moments because she's got a lot of grief in her heart she isn't letting out.

The Meanest

I suppose she was going to have to make her debut sooner or later.. okay but I genuinely don't have much to say abt Poppy. She's been a priv exclusive oc for a lil while and she's not developed.. like.. at all.. I ramble about her a LOT but I'm also literally every day scrapping everything bc my ideas are constantly changing so she's fr not ready yet lmao. Even I don't fully know what her deal is yet! But I can confirm she is the most ruthless (should I admit she's my lowkey nuka-world raider oc I made specifically to fuck Porter Gage nasty as hell likeeeee)

The Softest

Maril is my BABY!! She does not have a mean bone in her body and the closest she'll ever get is when she's defending her friends! She's so generous, she wants to help others any chance she gets and sees the best in everyone.

The Most Standoffish/Aloof

Faith is quite reserved, honestly. Becoming Captain wasn't exactly the life she chose for herself but it was the role she had to take on. For Phin, for her crew, for Halcyon, it was something she would grow to take seriously in time. She doesn't like to let on just how stressed and overwhelmed she is until she crashes and burns and has to be forced to rest before her stomach ulcer incapacitates her (speaking from experience, it's excruciating). When allowed to, she's pretty quiet and keeps to herself. She was never exactly the most social person and struggled to maintain any sort of relationship with anybody. She'll eventually warm up to her crew and come out of her shell. Sometimes you just need to meet the right band of misfits who get you.

The Smartest

I swear this isn't just me tooting my own horn. I genuinely built her character favoring her intellect and charm. Her highest levels were in engineering, science, and medical. She's got a head on her shoulders, and she's often pretty lost in it. Faith loves to build and tinker with things and loves reading and learning as much as she can. One her own comforts, really. Maril and Iris aren't necessarily too far off on this one, Faith just has a little more under her belt. (Maril is also dedicated almost exclusively to being a gummi ship mechanic and Iris is best at carpentry!)

The Dumbest

Poppy is by no means a moron and shouldn't be underestimated. But her skills and knowledge are very strong in fighting and survival. She does however qualify as my dumbest oc here because.. she was my melee heavy idiot savant build! Girl never at any point got a single level put into her INT lmao.

The One I'd be Friends With

Hands down Maril would be the bestest friend I could ask for. She would be so sweet and considerate and let's be real.. I'd want to also work on the gummi ships with her. I love my gals but I just know Maril would be a ray of sunshine and a great friend. She'd also love to listen to me talk abt all my own projects and we could build so many cool things together..

#this was super fun I've been wanting to work on it for a while but!! i wanted cool lil oc banners too #okay it's super late and I should def be sleeping so I'm gonna pass tf out as soon as I hit the post button fr fr #hopefully everything I wrote was coherent lmao I try to save these for when I'm actually awake but I was too excited to finally work on it #ocs #captain of the unreliable #sole survivor #maril highwind

[neptune-ian]

this is a different anon from before but how to stop feeling things for someone you wont ever be with? ik im likely going to be single for whatever portion of my life hasnt already been wasted and in the long run i really do not care if for instance my fs meets someone else yet its always that feeling like i have too much regret about my life as it is.

it does and doesnt feel important to date if that makes sense? maybe if things had panned out differently or better i wouldnt feel this way about relationships but honest to god it was like my birth chart gave me skin issues from the very start just to make me feel worse about my appearance. and i really cannot stand needles or any sort of skin care procedure type thing whatever its called like the ones they do in south korea cause i dont think that would make me feel any better yaknow? like putting on makeup would make my skin feel so much worse or id probs get more acne and other issues with applying the amount that folk need nowadays. i wouldnt look good with or without makeup. but it really feels like my birth chart set me up for failure in so many areas bruh, id either like a refund or an exit button.

if its not the fact that im too sensitive for social gatherings or others energies affect me a lot then its something else like being too quiet or not having enough confidence to go for something while i still could yaknow? sorry for rambling but your replies are so relatable and i love your kpop readings!

To stop feeling the way you feel? Well I struggle with that too so I am sorry I won’t have meaningful advices 🥲 my anxiety doesn’t help me to get rid of past feelings and my current ones. Maybe let time do its work and focus on your well being. To be honest, I had a crush on/was attracted to a guy but everything was messy within me, so eventually I didn’t want to know of him any longer but it still didn’t stop me to feel the way I did about him but I still didn’t reached him or looked at him. I saw him some months ago after one/two years of not seeing him at all and I felt weird but neutral enough to ignore as much as I could he presence, but I don’t love him the same way. I might still love him but you know, I couldn’t care less how he feels about me and how I might feel about him anymore. It took me time, efforts and compassion with myself (which I don’t really have most of the time) but you’ll eventually get there or nearly there.

Usually what I do, work on myself and keep going with my life, block the person on the internet, ignore him irl, not focusing on their presence and how they make me feel at the moment, focusing on my friends/what I am doing. So basically self-discipline. It’s not always easy but it’s worth it!

Additional : I am not that friend with astro you know. Soo i’ll tell you « stop believing in it to begin with » because if you base you whole life on it then anon I won’t help you because you will just not listen to me as you’ll only believe your astro placements. That’s toxic for yourself and others. If you want that help with astro then seek an astrologer but even though some could be really trustworthy, you’ll in a way get « scammed » because that’s not what astro can really guide here. That’s what you only have to deal with and find for yourself. Astro could tell you « applying that type of cream is good » but it’s like tarot : it’s interpretation and personal. Why don’t you see a dermatologist instead? Or try natural plants? Do your own things and/or ask for [direct] advices from people around you or on the internet? You could even ask in my blog and people could give you advices! I could even ask my cousins that know more than I do and share it here!

#neptune’s anon ask #neptune’s talk

[call-sign-shark]

Hi, Shark! I paused for a while my chaotic morning. I didn't stopped since 7am (it's 2pm here now) and my back said, bitch, calm down 😂. So, I listened to my body, I'm in bed now, and I decided to send you something I thought yesterday:

Would Heaven fall in love with the other Arthur (Rat's Arthur)? And vice versa, what about Rat and canon! Arthur?

I know they're the same character, but still there are differences between both of them.

🤔

Hey baby Flor, thank you so much for your awesome question because this is so clever and got me thinking a lot. But before answering, I hope you are feeling better and that your back doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m sending you a wild Alfie to massage your sore back! 😌

Regarding Modern!Arthur, even if I try to keep him as canon as possible, the modern context in which he evolves ultimately changes a lot of things in his character. For example, even with anger management issues he cannot just go in a boxing ring and kill a boy with his bare fists without the slightest consequences. Same goes for slashing someone’s face out of jealousy. Regarding his mental illnesses, they also have to be kept under a minimum of control to fit our modern society. While we still need to make progress in treatments of mental illnesses, the access to therapy is easier nowadays than it was in the 1920’s. Which explains why he has some kind of self-control, and is less prone to emotional outbursts than his Peaky Blinders Self. Taking this into account, we can conclude that they are different. Now we can answer the question properly.

Heaven and Modern!Arthur: In a modern setting, they would still fall for each others. I like to think them as soul mates who find each other in every life. Moreover she has this supernatural ability to calm down wild spirits, which is something Arthur needs even in a modern setting. They would meet right after his divorce with Linda, and would have helped him overcome his drug addictions — contrary to the canon!version in which he kinda cheats on Linda with her but is also already clean. Besides, she is also quick witted and bratty, which are traits he appreciates a lot. I guess she’s just more subtle than Rat, who goes full berserk 🤣

Also, what kind of job Modern!Heaven would have? War doctor, forensic doc, nurse, something else?

Rat and canon!Arthur: Here comes the trouble. Arthur and Rat would not fall in love with each other. At least not in a conventional way. Rat is too brutal and unpredictable, while Arthur lacks of control and is mentally unstable, so they would end up fighting with fists for real. Also, Rat would not be able to bring the softness and care Arthur needs. I don’t think he would be happy with a brutal and straight-forward girlfriend. Imo, Arthur needs a woman with an iron fist in a velvet glove. Someone who’s soft, gentle with him, but who’s still in charge. That’s partly why the first version of Heaven could not work — she was way too similar to Rat.

I can picture them meeting on the boxing gym, beating the shit out of each other regularly (like. Really hard.), and then getting high and drunk together, maybe fucking rough like animals, but they won’t be good for each other. Rat is also a very traumatized character: she would not be able to carry both her past and Arthur’s trauma/problems on her shoulders. Surprisingly, they wouldn’t hate each other. Pretty sure they could even grow close. But ultimately their relationship would be quite destructive and I don’t think their love-story would end well. *coughs* Rat would prolly overdose or get killed during a boxing fight *cough*

Note: Rat is shaking Modern!Arthur like a tree while yelling “eh see? She called you Rat’s Arthur. You’re my property now, dumbass. Go make me mojito.”

• Heaven is reader in the ongoing Arthur Shelby x Reader!OC séries Heaven in Your Eyes || Latest chapter here

• Rat is reader in the Modern!Arthur Shelby concept Loose Cannon.

#Heaven Shelby #Arthur Shelby #Arthur Shelby x reader #Arthur Shelby x oc #Heaven in your eyes #peaky blinders #Peaky blinders imagine #Peaky blinders oc

[aisaariel]

Hello! Can you do a Yoongi fs energy reading?

Yoongi FS Energy

Welcome to my first BTS reading after a while! I thought this question might be a nice one to start off on. I hope to post more readings today - super excited!

Let's get started! 10oW, 4oC, QoW, Judgment, 4oS rx, 7oS, koC; The Lovers

I remember that in a past reading, I shared that FS is withdrawn and taking time to find what they value, taking time for self-care and such. I think they're at the end of that sort of reflective time and withdrawn energy. They are represented as the Queen of Wands in this reading, who is known for being very outgoing, social, extroverted, and essentially a leader, but it seems like through the spiritual awakening they may have had or this reflective time period they had, all of that fire energy didn't really have an outlet to be released. I see FS feeling like things in life is stagnant for them. I also see that they may have had a relationship with a Knight of Cups figure, so someone romantic, charming, and caring, but FS faced some form of betrayal or deceit due to this Knight of Cups person. In fact, I see this Knight of Cups figure chasing after FS after FS most probably left the relationship after this Seven of Swords moment. The song describing the situation seems to be "I Need U" BTS. The back of the song lyric deck also shows "On" BTS, and the lyrics talk about the idea of not knowing how they are supposed to match to people's likings, the idea of a step forward feeling like a larger shadow is being created. So really, it seems like they're going through a tough moment right now, but they're nearing the end of this time period. Just a little more and they'll be fine. Other songs I got were "Stay" BTS, "Spring Day" BTS, and "Inner Child" BTS. The theme is healing and also the idea of missing someone they love. Perhaps they're aware that there is someone out there that is meant for them and is missing this person's presence.

Other cards of clarification:

Love Song: Have you been listening to a song nowadays? A song suck in head? Listen. Significance. Meaning.

Scent: Smell familiar? Trigger a memory? The essence of a being.

Delayed: Lack of work. It's delayed now. Get back to work.

Imagination: Become creative. Dream your dreams.

Cautious: Be watchful. Be alert. Don't trust all.

The 'Delayed' card seems to indicate that there was a possibility of FS and Yoongi-ssi meeting, but one didn't do the amount of spiritual work that they should've done (likely FS). 'Cautious' also indicates the idea of being careful of who they trust, which in this case, may relate to this Knight of Cups figure they may have been in a relationship with. Also 'Love Song' and 'Scent' make me think that there may be a lot of spiritual synchronicities on the FS' part. 'Imagination' seems to encourage FS to look bigger and dream bigger.

I'd say the reading itself isn't that negative. They're headed in a positive direction at the moment, it seems! They just need to finish off this period of reflection and solitude well, and the experiences that came within this period of stagnation (possibly due to a relationship?) may serve as a lesson to FS.

#aisanakismet #aisa🩵anon #aisa & bts #aisa & yoongi

[lingshanhermit]

Lingshan Hermit: This Isn't Cultivation

Over the past two decades, the world has undergone tremendous changes. During these years, I often see all kinds of people who have their own jobs and families, spending everyday posting photos of their kids, meals, and vacations on social media, yet at the same time claiming themselves to be spiritual cultivators. They are my idols. I deeply admire how they can work, go on vacation, raise children, and cultivate spirituality all at once, without missing out on anything - something even great sages like Longqinba and Huineng could not achieve. I also often see people who, after a trip to Tibet, taking some photos, meeting a few teachers, return and declare themselves spiritual cultivators, embarking on their endless Buddhist-style journey of self-satisfaction.

Many believe this to be a cultivation phenomenon unique to our era, but I'm quite skeptical about it. The cultivation I know has never been like this. The cultivators I know have never been like this either. Those who have truly cultivated know that it is an extremely arduous and risky endeavor - even if you devote your entire being, success is not guaranteed, let alone half-hearted efforts. If you believe you can live a happy secular life while achieving spiritual accomplishments, it shows you have no idea what real cultivation is. The traditional cultivators of the past were very prudent when they started their spiritual paths, received empowerments, and established teacher-student relationships. The teachers of the past were very meticulous in choosing disciples. They did not accept just anyone - they assessed the character of disciples and demanded a lot from them. If they saw some teachers today with tens of thousands of disciples, they would be astonished. Nowadays, people can impulsively decide to become Buddhists during a car trip to a temple. They don't need to understand Buddhist rules, assess their own capabilities, go through trials, or contemplate Buddhist teachings seriously. To them, becoming a Buddhist is no different than becoming a gym member. This rampant and indiscriminate taking of disciples has lowered the bar for true cultivators, letting many poseurs believe they are genuinely cultivating.

Why has this happened? There are many reasons, and I believe greed has played a significant role. For some, if anyone wishes to become a disciple, they accept readily (often justified as an act of Bodhicitta). And many who wish to become disciples want to obtain something to show off when they return. So they easily come to an agreement, with both sides getting what they want and feeling satisfied. The only one that suffers is Buddhism. The plethora of terrible "cultivators" we see today is the consequence of this rampant and indiscriminate initiation.

Some people think establishing karmic connections is also important, but I see this kind of indiscriminate initiation more like irresponsible flirting everywhere without commitment. Besides, you already have ample karmic connections - being born in a place like China, you can see Guanyin Bodhisattva on TV anytime. So you certainly don't lack connections. With the current glut of Buddhists, you see all kinds of people everywhere claiming to practice tantra yet without even basic human decency. You need to understand that becoming a Buddhist practitioner is not as simple as brewing a cup of hand-drip coffee for yourself. This is an extremely serious decision that will affect your future lifetimes, whether you can still be reborn as a human in the next life, and the well-being of your children. You must assess your capabilities before making the decision. Nowadays many are trying to convince the masses that anyone can become a practitioner, so few would think receiving empowerment is a more dreadful thing than going hiking in the suburbs. This is truly a tragedy. Buddhism does not need sheer numbers, it needs genuine practitioners. It doesn't need a bunch of posers filling the ranks. If a teacher has tens of thousands of disciples, I wonder how he can teach them properly. One consequence of not being able to teach them well is they will go and find their own ways, reading books and speculating randomly, thus developing all kinds of peculiar understandings.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche once said among his thousands of students at Buddhist academies in India, it would be very good if just one could become someone who truly benefits sentient beings. So if anyone tells you that becoming a practitioner is easy and anyone can do it, don't trust them.

Written by Lingshan Hermit on August 24, 2023.

灵山居士：这不是修行

[transmissionsfromthebattlefield]

“Take My Word For It”

Thank god for classes starting up again so that I can pivot my screen time away from people making me lose faith in humanity and towards PDFs of textbooks. The weather is hot and the AC in the library is pumping. Kent State once again brims with life. I tabled at our freshman orientation club fair yesterday—so many little babies, yet over half of the girls seem to be taller than me. (Thanks, genetics.) It really does make my heart swell to be back, though. I am SO pumped.

Aside from classes and Task Force and all my friends and the best burritos in the world, I’m also very excited for the return to basic principles of human interaction. I’ve been people watching a lot online lately. Too much, in fact, and I need to stop. But the emotions and the news are pertinent, and they must be processed. I’ve been seeing a lot of exchanges online lately that are basically negative recommendations. Someone says they don’t care for something for whatever streamlined reason, and someone else agrees with zero visible actual external research on the subject. Asking for recommendations nowadays always has to come with some disclaimer. Disclaimers have become a big part of internet culture in general, and it’s a real shame. Weighing positives and negatives after even just a simple article or two or accepting that a friend likes whatever seems to be a thing of the past, in the digital sphere at least, in favor of following a herd to keep those whom we perceive as our friends or want to be our friends with. Have conspiracy theorists tainted the concept of “doing one’s own research”? Or maybe COVID as a whole wrecked us—we got so used to isolating ourselves from absolutely everyone that it has become second nature to shun anything deemed hypercharged bad buzzword, or alternatively “slime”. It didn’t even take a generation.

You might as well be taking somebody’s world for it, not just their word—one must be in to-tall alignment with the politikal perspektives of their frendos, or else we might have an astrologist’s worst nightmare on a self-worth scale: the planets are out of wack! I’m an idiosyncronous, imperfect ball of flesh on the same planet as many more of the same despite their abject differences from me! Help!

My anxious psyche leads me to distrust humans in general, but I think society has gone too far in its stagnant polarization. We bitch and we fight, to quote crappy post-Roger Waters Pink Floyd (most society as it currently stands is basically “Learning To Fly” on repeat blaring very loud in my ears, I think), and most of the time it’s about how we perceive the influence and morals of actively powerful forces in the world. You can have a great, insightful, constructive conversation about that. But we resort to stereotype and self preservation. And as those gears keep on churning in the background, as they always do and always will, we get nothing done. We forget that we have more in common with one another than we think, while preaching that same concept. But how much do we truly believe the preprogrammed responses we’ve taught ourselves to repeat?

Do we really want a free exchange of ideas, or do we crave that overtone addendum, “but only if they’re the right ones”? Do we even want to be right, or do we always need some abstract, accessible boogeyman to jab at while the powers that be pulling the strings only grow stronger? Do we want to grow stronger ourselves to someday defeat them, or do we succumb to the overwhelming complexity of the world at large and retreat to where we feel safest? Do we seek change, or do we only call for it, not work towards it? We praise the sacrifice of others, but how comfortable would we be with sacrificing ourselves—in any capacity—for the same cause?

Yet when you meet people in person, even these people, they laugh. They actually have senses of humor. They invite, most of the time. And if they repel, they repel. The intention becomes obvious. The experience can be learned from. Another side comes into view, separate from the PR-primed pop star we all fashion ourselves to be, secretly. The blood and guts are there to spill. The humanity is on full display.

And that’s why a damn good conversation beats nameless, faceless, face full of constructed ideological perfection protection any day of the week, regardless of whether or not class is in session.

#blog #rant #virtue signaling #the internet #humanity #human interaction #long post

[deus-ex-mona]

why are they still like this?

(attempted) tl below the cut!

Always Giving It Their All! A Full Throttle Interview☆

Please introduce the unit, as well as yourselves.

YUI: I’m YUI, a vocalist!

RIO: I’m RIO, and I’m also a vocalist.

MEGU: We’re the performers, MEGU and—

DAI: DAI.

YUI: Also, he’s not here right now, but IV, our pal who does the soundwork for FT4 and works the DJ booth at our lives, says hi too!

Please tell us the origins of the name of your unit.

YUI: There’s quite a lot to say about the origins of our unitname, but… well, we’re always going at full throttle! We’re always accelerating at top speed no matter what we do! We can’t be stopped! Such were the feelings behind our decision of the name!

Please tell us what your individual duties within the unit are.

MEGU: I’m in charge of the choreography~. And the emceeing!

DAI: But that’s just you being your usual chatty self, right?

RIO: DAI is in charge of the designing and the restyling of the costumes.

DAI: There’s no one else here but me who could make us look as cool as can be.

MEGU: RIO seems to be the token serious one of FT4, yeah? He even helps IV out sometimes.

DAI: I imagine that IV, too, consults with RIO whenever he has problems with his songwriting.

YUI: What about me?! What am I in charge of?

RIO: You’re in charge of firing up the crowd, aren’t you?

MEGU: To put it another way, you’re in charge of keeping things lively☆

DAI: Well, at an actual live, us performers will be sure to liven things up, though.

YUI: We vocalists won’t lose to you guys either!

RIO: Oi, don’t go off-topic.

MEGU: As expected of our token serious guy, good work bro (lol).

There are both Third Year and Second Year High School students in the unit, so is there an atmosphere of clear distinction between the “Seniors” and the “Juniors”?

YUI: Such an atmosphere existed between DAI and RIO in the past, but nowadays, it doesn’t seem to exist at all. Rather than being divided into seniors and juniors, we’re more like friends! Ah, IV is really scary when he gets mad, though. He’s the most senior-like person in that sense, I guess… Ah, I really shouldn’t have said that! If he finds out that I called him scary, he’ll flip out on me later.

All of you work harmoniously with each other, but when did you first meet?

MEGU: DAI and I met when we were Elementary School students, didn’t we? He had a really sharp look in his eyes back then. Ah, but that doesn’t seem to have changed till now?

DAI: Huuh?! You’re the one who was a total wolf in sheep’s clothing as an Elementary School student. Your eyes weren’t smiling at all.

MEGU: We met RIO and YUI in Middle School, right? I was unexpectedly drop-kicked by YUI during my first meeting with him, y’know?!

DAI: But well, all of us did hit it off pretty quickly, yeah?

Please tell us if there are any places where the five of you have created memories.

MEGU: The four of us would often hang out with IV at the hospital, so it’d be there, I guess?

RIO: We made music there, fooled around like idiots while talking about the most inane of things there, and we occasionally studied there too.

MEGU: We hardly ever studied, though (lol).

DAI: You at least open your textbook before a test, right? Well, it’s not like you could even keep it open for 10 minutes… We also decided on the name of our unit at that hospital, yeah?

MEGU: Yup, yup! I remember that we got so hyped up that the nurses got mad at us.

A Must-See for Fans who Want to Know More About Them♪

Please tell us more about your upcoming album.

RIO: The instrumentals are cool, and I think that it’s an album that is uniquely us. Some of the songs have lyrics that spell out the thoughts and feelings of us members. I hope that our feelings will be able to reach the listeners of the album.

DAI: The photoshoot for the album’s jacket flew by real fast. Everyone had gotten really into it, and we were all fighting over who looked the coolest. Well, the three of them weren’t as good as me, though.

What do you talk about in the dressing room, as well as backstage?

YUI: When I get way too pumped up, I tend to forget what I’m gonna say in the actual performance, or what the next song we’re gonna sing is, so I’m often the only one who’s doing a final check instead.

Please tell us about a topic that has created a buzz among the five of you as of late.

DAI: Ah, it’d be about LIPxLIP, I guess?

MEGU: It has to be about them, right? We’ve really been buzzing about it, right? (lol)

DAI: It has been a while since MEGU and I have seen LIPxLIP at work, but those guys weren’t talking to each other in the waiting room at all.

MEGU: If it were us, the very notion of silence would be completely unthinkable, right? At least someone would definitely be talking, no? And then we got to talking about how amazing LIPxLIP, who’re the complete opposites of us, are. When it comes to work, they’re able to understand each other really well, so maybe they’re using telepathy? That’s how it seems, at least (lol).

DAI: Those guys are performing better than they did back when we watched their dance lessons, no?

MEGU: The two of them are really amusing, aren’t they?☆

Please tell us if you have anything to reveal that’s along the lines of “I haven’t told the other members this, but the truth is…”.

MEGU: It’s kiiinda embarrassing, but I’ll reveal a very special secret! To be honest, I… witnessed YUI drinking DAI’s protein without permission, y’know? Many times too!

DAI: Huuh?!

YUI: Hey, don’t expose me! Wait, that’s not even MEGU’s secret, that’s mine!

MEGU: Ain’t that obvious? My secrets don’t come cheap, y’know?

DAI: I’ve been wondering why it’s been decreasing so quickly as of late… So it was your doing, YUI!

YUI: Ah, MEGU you idiot! Now I won’t be able to get into DAI’s protein anymore!

RIO: Don’t you have the option of just buying your own?

Are there any places that you have gone out with the other members to recently?

RIO: If you’re talking about places we’ve been to recently, we, along with IV, went to MEGU’s family’s vacation home as a group of five, I guess? We’ve been there a few times, but it’s a place that’s a ways off from the city. It’s a nice place that’s surrounded by nature. We messed around till dawn… somehow, it was kind of troublesome.

By the way, is there anything that you would like to do with the other members when Spring arrives?

YUI: I want all of us to take a break and go on a trip together!

RIO: Yeah, going away for a while does sound nice. Also, what do you think about going cherry blossom viewing?

YUI: That sounds great too! Make lunches for us, RIO. I want rice balls, wieners, and omelettes in mine, okay?

RIO: I’d like to make that for you, but I’d have a lot to handle if I had to take everyone’s requests.

YUI: And when it gets warmer, I wanna go out and skateboard as much as I can. You should try it too, RIO, I’ll teach you!

RIO: Sure, why not?

Lastly, please give a message to your fans!

MEGU: Have you guys gotten waaay more interested in us?

DAI: We call our fans “SICKS”, with the intended meaning of being addicted to FT4.

MEGU: Yup, yup! All you guys out there, go ahead and get drunk on us, get drowned in us, and get captivated by us☆

RIO: Yeah, we definitely won’t make you regret it.

YUI: Also! There’s the meaning of being the sixth member of FT4 in “SICKS”! We’ll be continuing to go at full throttle from here on out, so don’t get thrown off and be sure to follow us! Got it, SICKS?!

#many liberties were taken in the tl loll. why do all of them speak like *this* #no yuis were hurt in the interview… probably #dai bby ily but you speak reallyyyyyy funny :( #at least the next interview is shorter :)))))) 10 questions compared to this interview’s 13 :))))))) #fedora throttle4 #fedora translations4 #instant ramen instructions comprehensions