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jyeshindra · 6 days

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MARS, SCORPIO, & ARIES

Mars: Ambition, drive, power, courage, instincts, anger, passion

Aries & Scorpio (Pluto)

Both are ambitious, driven people. Motivated by goals and desires. They want to take action and are independent people. Do not easily obey or submit to others. Passionate people and can be spiritual as well. They can both resist temptation and focus in on what they want.

Solitary people. Mars likes to operate on its own. Undisturbed and un-influenced. Can be loners or they just like to lead the pack. Both positions are lonely.

They both have excellent instinct and trust their natural talents. They have a strong sense of self built on their accomplishments. They are hard-working and can put their noses to the grindstone!

Scorpio is more subtle and reserved (yin/water) but ultimately has more stability and focus (fixed). Scorpio studies, analyzes, processes, interprets, understands. Pluto is the destroyer, so Scorpio has a lot of concentrated power. If Aries is a cannonball, Scorpio is a laser.

Scorpio has more endurance (Scorpion). They can weather a lot of different situations and will defend themselves if they have to. But this won’t be their first response (yin). They’ll likely figure you out first, pinpoint your weaknesses, and keep their head above water. But best believe, they know what buttons to push and how to hit where it hurts. Cold people, ruthless at times. More feminine-leaning Scorpios can display this easily. Spiteful people, can hold a grudge if they really are emotionally invested. Eye for an eye kind of people. They will linger emotionally in situations and fester.

Scorpio’s expression of Mars + Pluto creates this desiring nature. This kind of speaks to a Scorpio theme which is suffering. Scorpio can have a relationship with desire where it is extremes of grasping and staying away. Hot and cold hot and cold. Never satisfied. They are (yin) so they need something to fill them. Something to warm them up. They like to hold onto things. Some Scorpios can be indulgent (Taurus/Venus opposition) but it’s more like Scorpio will indulge their feelings. If they really want something and they’re fixated on it, they will indulge that desire.

Aries on the other hand can be more dynamic and bold (Fire/Cardinal). They like to explore, try different things, and make progress towards what it is they have set their sights on. Aries is not like Scorpio in terms of endurance. They can burn out more quickly, get frustrated, quit, or just throw themselves at the same wall repeatedly.

Aries is the baby (Ram/Lamb) of the zodiac so there is this theme of maturation with Aries. They need to master themselves and their abundant fiery energy. Scorpio is more likely to have the introspection available to understand their motivations and why they do things. Aries can be like this as well, but they can also be childish in their approach to matters.

Overestimating their abilities, underestimating their abilities, biting off more than they can chew, taking on too much at once. Their Martian energy wants to do, do, do, do, do, and it’s firing on all cylinders.

On the other hand, because Aries is so dynamic, their Martian energy is geared towards leadership (cardinal). Where they go, other people tend to follow or mimic. Something about their nature (fire) is infectious and inspiring. Their Martian energy manifests as a light for others to follow through the challenges they face.

Aries clears the path (cardinal) and breaks down walls. As it matures, it learns to focus its energy and apply itself in the right ways. It picks the positions that are suited for it. It does not only think of itself, it thinks of others too.

Scorpio learns to balance their control and surrender. They learn to investigate themselves and kill off the parts of them they no longer need. Ultimately, Scorpio achieves an inner peace and builds their inner security so there is no need to fixate or obsess. They channel that focused energy on the things that give back to them. On what makes them emotionally content.

Both energies are incredibly inspiring though, Scorpio + Aries. These people can bear a lot and are fierce protectors of the people they love. Aries may be more demonstrative (yang) while Scorpio will be subtle and quiet in their affections (yin).

#zodiac #astro observations #astrology #astrology signs #horoscope #natal chart #astro notes #astro community #astrologer #scorpio #aries #mars #martian #mars astrology #zodiac breakdown #zodiac aesthetic #zodiac signs

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physalian · 2 months

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The Hero with Dead Parents is not Cliché, it’s Necessary

The staggering number of protagonists in sci-fi and fantasy with dead parents grows every single year. Frodo Baggins, Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker (before the retcon in ESB), almost every Disney Prince and Princess, the Baudelaire children. Beyond the realm of fantasy into action, thriller, romance, mystery, slice-of-life, and bildungsromans.

Dead parents, or parent, is the curse of being the hero of the story and for a very good reason:

Parents are inconvenient as f*ck.

Unless the mom and/or dad is the villain of the story or the entire story is about the relationship with the parent/parents, the “dead parent” trope serves many purposes and while it may be “cliché” that doesn’t mean this trope is bad or, in my opinion, overused.

It’s one less liability the hero has to worry about protecting

It’s one less obstacle in the hero’s path to their adventure

It’s one (or two) less characters to find excuses to stay relevant in the story

It’s a juicy backstory a lot of people can relate to

Trauma. Is. Compelling.

It’s an excellent motivation

And their murder is an excellent inciting incident

Living parents and guardians get killed off both for internal plot reasons, and meta writing reasons: Living parents are a pain in the ass to keep up with. You’re stuck with a character your hero should still keep caring about, keep thinking about, keep acting in relation to how their actions will be seen and judged by that parent. That parent becomes an obvious liability by any villain who notices or cares.

Living parents can of course be done well, unless they’re the villain, but they just kind of sit there on the fringes of the plot, waiting around to be relevant again and they kind of come in four flavors:

There when the plot demands for pie and forehead kisses (Sally from Percy Jackson)

A suffocating but well-meaning obstacle in between the character and their independence trying to do right (Abby from The 100, Katniss’ mom from Hunger Games, Spirit from Soul Eater)

A mentor figure (Valka from HTTYD 2, Hakoda from ATLA)

The only rock this character has left (Ping from Kung Fu Panda)

*Notice how many of my examples lost their partners shortly before or during the plot, thus still giving the hero the “dead parent” label.

Most of these are self-explanatory so I’ll say this: I think this trope gets exhausting when the parents are written out without enough emotional impact on the hero. These are their parents and a lot of the time, the emotional toll of losing them isn’t there, like just slapping a “dead parents” sticker is all you need to justify a character’s tragic backstory and any behavioral issues they might have.

Like, yes, the hero has dead parents, but you still have to tell me what that means to them beyond obligate angst and sadness. When the “dead parents” trope reads as very by-the-numbers, usually the rest of the story is, too.

How present the parents were in the character’s life should be proportional to the death’s impact on the narrative (as with any character you kill off). If they were virtually nonexistent? No need to waste a ton of time. If they didn’t matter to the character before, they don’t need to matter now unless the plot revolves around some knowledge or secret their parent never shared.

Sometimes, the hero’s dead parents are a non issue. Frodo being raised by Bilbo doesn’t impact his character at all. It’s a detail given and tossed away. On the other hand, sometimes the entire centerpiece of the work is revenge/justice/catharsis surrounding the parent’s death—Edward and Alphonse Elric’s entire story is defined by the consequences of trying to bring their mother back from the dead.

As someone who kept one of my protagonist’s parents alive and didn’t make them villains just to spite the trope, I have all the more respect for this enduring legacy of fiction. You can of course keep the parents alive, but I don't think it's seen as lazy or cheating or taking a shortcut just killing them off, so long as you remember that your hero is human and should react to losing them like a real person.

#writing advice #writing resources #writing tips #writing tools #writing a book #writing #writeblr #character design #character development #fantasy #scifi #dead parents

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betonlosingfrogs · 5 months

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⍟ 3am [geto x reader] ⍟

academic rival!geto suguru x reader (college au) synopsis: your arrogant over-achieving classmate who never has to study finally starts getting bad grades. the only person he can ask for tutoring sessions is you, because although he hates to admit it, you're terribly smart. of course, you would never want to be caught seen with him...so of course, the answer is late night tutoring sessions! word count: 3,294 words warnings: 18+ under the cut! mdni! gn!reader till the cut, fem reader below the cut, explicit language warning, slight academic angst, smoking, making out, hair pulling, mitski lyrics about yearning, fingering, cunnilingus, squirting, oral sex (m! receiving) slight-sub!reader, slight-dom!geto, size kink if you squint

the rules of your college dorms were pretty strict, but the people who were supposed to enforce them were quite the opposite. it wasn't unusual to find students in rooms they weren't meant to enter at night. if a student was caught doing something, they'd tighten security for about a week, and then go back to the same old routine. it had been the highlight of your month when you had found out that suguru geto had been caught smoking at 2am near the supply closet window.

but it had been a few weeks to that incident, and he was getting cocky in class again, flirting and arguing with you during discussions, waving his test sheet in front of you when his grade was higher than yours. he would make witty, yet relevant little quips in class, easily charming the professors. it was frustrating to see him excel so effortlessly. he was always goofing off, you had never seen him actually read a textbook. granted, you weren't his friend either, you just had a lot of the same classes. but you toiled and struggled, putting in hours of study, just to be outdone by someone who really couldn't care less about his academic standing, other than the fact that he could use it to lord over you.

you sat in the lecture hall, tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. just as class began, someone threw their bag down near your feet, flopping into the empty chair next to you. you looked up to the side, a frown decorating your features, only to see the one face you'd rather not. suguru flipped his bangs out of his face, and smirked at you. "mad that i got a higher grade again?"

you scoffed. "bullshit." you slid your answer sheet over to him, pointing at the score. it was an a+. suguru's eyes widened ever so slightly before narrowing. "well," he paused, "not bad for an idiot, i guess." you scowled, snatching the sheet back away, neatly putting it into your bag. "oh? who's the idiot who got a c?" you taunted him. the smirk disappeared from his face as he frowned. "fuck off." he said, and looked away from you. conversations between the two of you usually went this way; throwing insults and challenges at each other. he was so smooth while talking to other people. he just had to ruin your mood, and you had to ruin his. it was petty, but spite was an effective motivator.

class went by without him saying anything more to you. little did you know, he watched you as you took meticulous notes, how you squinted your eyes to read the presentation on the board, how your tongue poked out the side of your lips when you concentrated, how your hair fell into your eyes. god, how he wanted to be the one to push it behind your ears.

he was irritated with himself for falling for you. but there was something about your anger, your pettiness that made him gravitate towards you. he tried to stay away, but he could see your confused glare from across the room when test results were announced. if he had to choose one moment when his perception of you changed from classmate to cute classmate, it was that one time you had been carrying some papers for a professor and you had tripped in the hallway. he had caught you before you fell, his large hand on your back, your hand gripping the front of his shirt, papers flying everywhere. you had been so flustered, your gaze frantic, face flushed and all embarrassed; it was like a shot to the heart for him.

before you could exit the lecture hall, suguru's arm blocked your path. "i need to talk to you." he tilted his head down slightly to meet your eyes, although his gaze looked nothing but condescending through his lower lashes. "yeah yeah, you want to gloat about your grade in another subject, i'm sure," you said, pushing past him. "[name]." his voice was hoarse, pained almost. you turned to face him. his eyes were rimmed with red, dark circles extending to his normally chiseled cheekbones which now seemed slightly sunken.

it felt oddly good to see him like that, defeated. but it felt infinitely worse to see him like that as well, like the moon had suddenly disappeared from the night sky. "what do you want to talk about, geto?" you asked him, my voice less harsh than usual. "not here," he said, grabbing my arm and dragging me to a quiet corner.

he leaned against the wall, his tall figure shrinking slightly as his eyebrows furrowed together. "i'll be honest about this. i've never really needed to put in hours of studies for college. i'm a natural scholar." you frowned. was he, in fact, just gloating? "but," he continued, "recently i, i haven't been able to pay attention in class. i've been stressed, and i," he paused again, "i need tutoring..." he mumbled the last part. my eyes widened. "say that again?" you pinched yourself. he grimaced. "i need tutoring. from you."

you couldn't believe it. this was basically the equivalent of him announcing to the entire college that you were better. "say please." you might have been pushing it, but he gave in any way; you did feel a little guilty for taking advantage of his desperation, but you also felt powerful. so powerful. "please tutor me, [name]." he said through gritted teeth. you pulled a post-it note out of your bag and wrote something on it before neatly smacking it onto his chest and walking away.

suguru's heart skipped a beat when you touched his chest, the sensation of your hand lingered there. he read the post-it. it said: "thursday, 3am, room 682" along with a phone number, in the neatest handwriting he had seen.

neither of you wanted to be seen 'fraternising' with each other, so the obvious solution would be to meet when no one else could see you, that is, past curfew. but unlike suguru geto, you weren't a repeat rule-breaker. you had second thoughts. and third and fourth thoughts, but part of you was determined to follow through with this plan.

phone on silent, you creeped out of your room, quickly tiptoeing through the halls to get to the abandoned room 682. things were going well, even though your heart was still hammering in your chest. you heard footsteps from the turn behind you. you had jinxed it. you looked around frantically, trying to find a place to hide. a hand grabbed your arm and pulled you into a small supply closet. you were surrounded by cigarette smoke and suguru's cologne. he had been smoking in the same place he had been caught. "geto-" you began. he pressed his hand onto your mouth, shutting you up. "shh." you were caged between his arms and the shelf. one move would've toppled something over. but it was hard to not squirm when he was this close to you.

you could feel his heartbeat, equally as frantic as yours. the footsteps got closer. you looked up to find his face in the dark, only to see him looking down at you. your heart skipped a beat, you tried to get over the feeling by blinking a few times. the sound of the footsteps receded into the distance. "idiot. who starts talking when they're trying to hide?" he scolded me in a whisper. he moved his hand away from my mouth, gently opening the door of the closet. you had no response. you snuck out.

when you had made it to the classroom, you finally relaxed. you set your textbook and notes down on a table. "geto, what do you want to start-?" you saw him lighting a cigarette. "seriously?" you were annoyed. "yeah, sweetheart, seriously. helps with the stress. especially when i'm with the source of my fucking stress." he retorted. you clicked your tongue. "oh i'm the source of your stress, geto? i could leave." you snapped back. "wait- shit. sorry, i'm just on edge." he apologised. he took a drag of his cig, letting smoke billow out of his mouth. "at least crack open a window." you walked up to the window and opened it just a little bit, enough to get the smoke out. you looked back at him. he was gazing at you, bangs in his eyes, the cigarette loosely hanging from his lips.

you cleared your throat. "so, what do you want to start with?" "psychology." he muttered through puffs of smoke, ashing his cigarette on the window sill. he moved to sit on the bench near the table. you coughed before following him. you switched on your torch and pointed it at the book and began to explain the lesson to him. he took scratchy notes in the torchlight, his eyebrows furrowing as his hair fell into his eyes again. you set the torch down. you shifted closer to him. his eyes widened as your arms circled his neck. you tied up his hair and clipped his bangs back without a word. "what?" you asked when you saw his flustered expression. "just focus so i can go sleep," you sighed.

and he did focus. for a good hour. it was irritating how quickly he understood things. he expertly answered each question you asked. "correct, geto." you spoke in a low voice.

"why don't you ever call me by my first name?" his question caught you off guard. "i- i don't see how that's relevant right now." you stuttered back. "say my name," he said. "no. you need to focus on the lesson." he closed the textbook, leaning towards you, too close for comfort. "say it. once." you got up from the bench, moving towards to window. he followed you, "why won't you say it?" "we aren't close enough!" he frowned.

"you're the only one i thought of when i couldn't understand stuff in class. i thought we had some weird academic respect for each other. guess not." a muscle in his jaw twitched. he picked up his notebook agitatedly, and stuffed it into his bag. He strode towards the door.

"you're acting like a baby! you're the one who called me here, and you're leaving because i won't say your damn first name?!" you were getting so frustrated with his lingering looks and with your own confused feelings. but he didn't show any signs of stopping.

"suguru!"

he froze. his breath caught in his throat. his chest tightened. he hadn't expected one word from your mouth to have so much sway over him. he turned around. "suguru," you said again, "just, i can't see you like this anymore." "like what?" he asked, taking a few steps back into the room. "like you're not yourself. you've stopped arguing with me in class. stopped flirting."

he let out a chuckle. "you miss my flirting?" "n-no, that- ugh, you've lost your spirit. you're burnt out. i don't find it fun to have a guaranteed win. i might stop working for it." you looked into his eyes. you cared for him more than you realised. and he for you, except he was fully aware. he moved closer still. "can't let that happen, can we?" he whispered. "do you pity me?" he asked. "no, are you stupid? you, you're the reason i push myself. you-" you sighed, "i study for hours to keep up with you, so you don't think i'm stupid."

"i've never thought you were stupid." he replied.

"but you're always so irritating, so condescending-" my mind was reeling. it was hard to force yourself to dislike him when he looked at you so genuinely. "i just like to see you riled up," he admitted, chuckling to himself. "you're doing it again, and i'll never be good enough to-" "who the fuck is telling you that you're not good enough?" he grabbed your face in his hands. "you're- you're way more than enough, [name]." he looked into your eyes.

his eyes flitted to your lips, and back to your eyes, almost begging for silent permission. butterflies fluttered in your stomach. you stretched up to meet his lips, leaving a soft peck on his lips. his eyes widened. "fuck." he whispered. his lips crashed into yours. his hands grabbed your waist, pulling you into his body, closer, as close as possible. he moved his lips against yours, pulling your lower lip between his teeth, softly sucking on it. one of his hands cradled the back of your neck, supporting it as he pushed his tongue into your mouth. soft hums left your mouth, your hands grabbed the front of his shirt. you broke the kiss to breathe, a string of saliva connecting your lips to his, glimmering silver in the moonlight from the window. sounds of heavy breathing filled the room.

I don’t need the world to see That I’ve been the best I can be But I don’t think I could stand to be Where you don’t see me

"maybe you tutor me for class, and i can teach you other things~" suguru spoke low, suggestively. you whacked his chest lightly. "shut up." he grinned. "make me."

you kissed him again, pulling him down to your height. your hand wandered from the back of his neck to his hair, pulling the scrunchie out, letting the dark waves of his hair fall over his shoulders. your fingers tangled themselves with his tresses. you felt like if you let go of him, this would all disappear. he held you with just as much fervour, grasping at the flesh of your waist, your thighs. his touch was hungry, possessive. he was almost overwhelmed by the relief that came with returned feelings.

but kissing didn't feel like enough. both of you wanted, no, needed more. as the kiss broke, your eyes met. he grabbed your arm, pulling you out of room 682, down the hallway. "s-suguru! we need our stuff!" you whispered frantically. "hell no, i need you, we can get that shit tomorrow," he replied, heaving. he opened the door to his room, pulling you inside.

he shut the door and pushed you against it. his lips found yours again, passionate, voracious. his tongue pushed into your mouth again, harder this time. you mewled a little, trying to keep up with his movements to no avail. he grabbed your thighs and lifted you up into his arms, your back still firmly pressed against the wall. your arms were placed around his neck, gripping his lean shoulders, pulling at his hair. he groaned, rutting his hips into yours for friction. he kissed your neck, licking a long stripe down to your collarbone. you sighed, your fingers still playing with his hair.

he turned with you still in his arms, and brought you to his bed, laying you down. he backed away and tugged off his t-shirt. your eyes scanned his torso. he smirked when he noticed you staring. "take a picture, princess, it'll last longer." you looked away. he crawled onto the bed, hovering over you. he tugged at your shirt. "strip."

he couldn't help but wonder what you looked like under your clothes. you gingerly pulled your t-shirt up. his breath hitched. his hand touched your stomach and it set your skin ablaze. you moaned softly when he began to caress your waist. "suguru," his name left your lips in a sensual whisper. his eyes raked over your naked upper body. "beautiful..." he murmured. he couldn't wait any more. he pulled your shorts down to your ankles, swallowing as he saw a growing wet patch on your panties. you pressed your thighs to together in an attempt to hide your arousal. he pried your legs wide open, pushing them into your chest, smooshing against your breasts, practically folding you in half. he prodded at the wet patch with his long fingers, gaining mewls and a twitch from you. he wanted more. he wanted to see your reactions, he wanted to hear your voice scream out his name.

he pushed his fingers against your underwear again, rubbing with more force. you cried out. your legs shook, but he held them open and in place. he lowered his face to your clothed cunt. "stop- suguru, it isn't clean-" you began. he shut you up by sucking your clit over your panties. "mnngh~!!" you moaned. "don't care, it tastes too good to stop," he pushed your underwear to the side and licked you again. and again. harder, faster. he sucked on your clit, giving you a break only by stuffing long fingers inside you, curling them to push against your gummy walls. and then he went back to kitten licking your clit at an insane speed. you were losing yourself under him, you thrashed around, unable to move freely because his hand held your legs firmly in place. "suguru~! nghh~ hah~!" you moaned his name, head thrown back, eyebrows furrowed. your hips twitched and bucked up to meet his lips.

he looked up to meet your eyes. his chin was covered in slick that shined in the low light. he smirked and immediately went back to eating you out. the knot that had been tightening in your stomach, snapped. lewd sounds of liquid sloshing against skin, of suguru's licks and your strangled moans filled the room. your eyes widened as you saw the spray, coating suguru's chin, lips and your thighs. what had you done? "i'm sorry, i-" "again. squirt again for me, princess." it wasn't a request. he was going to make you do it again.

he thumbed your clit, you shivered. you were still sensitive. "w-wait." you grabbed his hand. he tilted his head at you. "i..." you took a breath, "...i want to taste you too." he blushed.

"fuck. you're going to be the death of me." he let go of your legs. he unzipped his pants, pulling them off. you sat up, kneeling on the bed. he sat down beside you and you touched him over the fabric of his underwear. it looked tight enough to tear. you gently hooked your fingers under his briefs, tugging them off to let his dick slap against his abdomen. it wasn't going to be easy to fit him, well, anywhere. you tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear. suguru did the same on the other side. you touched his hand, smiling a bit, before placing your lips around his angry red tip.

you sucked him off, trying not to let your teeth touch him. but your teeth did graze past his sensitive shaft, he shuddered, gripping your hair. "no teeth, baby, please," he grunted. you nodded, and realised it felt good for him. satisfied sighs and moans escaped his mouth. "doing so well, princess," he praised. you alternated between licking and sucking, and then used your hands to pump the length which you couldn't reach with your mouth. "good fucking girl," he rutted into your mouth, chasing his pleasure. his dick was twitching near your throat, and his salty precum was smeared on your lips. his hand found your cunt again, drawing quick circles around your clit. you moaned and gagged around his length, tears stinging at your eyes. he was groaning, panting, hips rutting into your face. your hips shook with pleasure as he flicked your clit just right, making you release again, and he fingered you through your orgasm. "fuck~!" he shot his cum into your throat, with a loud moan. you slid your lips off his dick, swallowing. he kissed you. you could taste both him and yourself. he pulled you into his arms. "if this is how all our tutoring sessions are going to end, i think i should let my grades drop further," he panted suggestively. "you're insufferable," you sighed, and you kissed him again.

hello! this was my first time writing smut (T^T) i hope you liked my style of writing, and i hope i haven't messed up any of the warnings. anyways, this was fully a guilty pleasure piece of writing because suguru is literally my husband <3 my requests are open, i would love to write for more characters, so please send in your ideas!

(p.s. if you noticed the action of geto finally getting to tuck reader's hair behind their ear, ur a real one <3)

love, BetOnLosingFrogs

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gothiccharmschool · 4 months

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Today’s advice from your Goth Auntie

Drink some water! Take your meds!

Remember that when all else fails, spite is an excellent motivator. Choose spite.

The Lurking Horror is having nightmares about getting its pseudopodia trapped in playground equipment.

❤️ Auntie Jilli

#today's advice from your goth auntie #auntie jilli's tiny cryptids

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noangeleither · 6 months

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yin and yang: carmy and sydney's creative processes + menu planning

what i love about analyzing carmy and sydney is the way they mirror each other. their similarities and differences, and how they have the potential to complement each other well. truly make each other better at this.

this is most evident with the way they approach creating a dish.

sydney's creative process

evidenced by sheridan (s01e05) and sundae (s02e03), sydney is very imaginative when it comes to creating a dish. the editing in these episodes gives us an intimate view of her creative process. recipes often come to her in dreams/daydreams.

sydney gets inspired by her passion for cooking, her family history and her city/world around her (architecture, nature, other restaurants in Chicago). this really fits into sydney's motivations as a chef.

Sydney uses food to make people happy. She likes to take care of people. someone on here explained the significance of sydney wanting exactly one michelin star, which would signify affordable high quality food that normal everyday people have access to. in braciole she mentions to marcus that her dad and her didn't really go out to eat so when they did, they made it count and it was special. she wants to create an experience like that with her own spot (the Bear).

so naturally that is reflected in her food. its not simply a great meal, but a fabric/archive of her culture, history, worldview and entire character.

while sydney has a very imaginative creative process, she often just jots down her ideas in her little notebook(s), for later reflection.

carmy's creative process

carmy has a more tense relationship with cooking. while sydney and carmy are both amazing chefs, carmy seems to be more jaded and detached from his work.

for carmy he grew up in a household where food was a big part of his family. his mom, mikey, and nat can all cook well. he is naturally very great at it. he uses food to be closer to the people he loves. thats why in the face of rejection from his brother, he goes off and becomes one of the best chefs in the country out of spite. why he uses the beef to try and fix his relationship with mikey. why he was so devasted when syd quit and why he started his dream restaurant with her after she came back.

because we dont get an intimate look into carmys psyche when creating a dish, its harder to say but based off his monolouge in braciole (s01e8) and the way he uses food to connect with people he loves rather than having passion for it independently i can surmise that carmy isn't imaginative as sydney. food is more like a math equation (ironic)/a science.

“he’s the best bc he didn’t have any of the bullshit”, emotional ties/relationships of any kind. his career esp at EMP were isolating, rigid and cold. he was the best bc he was calculating, precise and competitive. which breeds excellence in his field while straying him further away from love and true passion.

i imagine carmy to be more pragmatic with creating a dish.

but carmy is a creative person at his core and while creating a dish might not be as colorful as when sydney does it. we do know that carmy can draw and visualize his ideas onto paper. "Sistine Chapel" level drawings according to syd.

sydney + carmy - potential true partnership

on my 3rd rewatch, i couldn't help but feel so dissatisfied with their partnership. granted this is on purpose since the show is only 2 seasons in and they are trying to do a slow burn in all aspects, not just romantic.

it really hit me that carmy and sydney have never - at least on screen - created a meal together. in s1, we never see the risotto come to fruition, we just get carmys input but never the finished product. in s2 finally, carmy and Sydney work together now that their dynamic has changed from boss and employee to partners. we get like what? 4 scenes of them creating the menu, and having this amazing professional chemistry but ultimately leads to two failed dishes, which would be ok if they worked together after that. but they dont...

instead for the rest of the season, we see them (mainly Syd) working on the menu separately. the menu is....alright. mainly has carmy written all over it (he has a the seven fishes + cannolis, weird homage to one of the worst nights of his life).

*putting on another pair of shipper goggles to say this makes the whole "you make me better at this" confession, even more mind-boggling bc better at what? you guys haven't even worked together all season. this = life , i rest my case*

in s3 and beyond, im excited for them to truly start working together as partners and actually see them create a dish together.

i want to see how their approaches to creating a dish can help the other.

how sydneys creative process can help carmy

besides the obvious romantic implications of the palette cleanser outing, the potential for them to understand each other on a deeper level in regards to food is something i mourn everyday.

after sydney goes on her trip solo, we see her ride the ferry and just take a look at her surroundings. shes thinking about the food she ate, shes looking at buildings, windows, looking at the snow. all inspiration for a dish.

imagine if carmy was there with her. he would be curious about what she's thinking about, get insight on how she creates and maybe want to learn to see food in a less practical way.

i mean he hadn't drawn in years it seems until he was inspired by sydney and the chaos menu to draw again....now imagine if he didn't ruin the moment by bringing up claire (LMFAO). the point is, sydney naturally sparks creativity and passion in him, even when they aren't together.

i know many people are theorizing that carmy will leave the culinary industry (and i agree most of the time) but i also think sydney is slowly but surely helping him discover/re-discover a passion for cooking. i think that carmy likes that sydney likes to take care of people because subconsciously he knows he does the same thing or has the potential for it (i.e making tiff sprite from scratch when she was experiencing morning sickness). evidenced by fishes (s02e6), care often feels like an obligation (he takes care of drunk donna when shes going through an episode) but it doesnt have to be this way. and now carmy wants to get a star for her....their interests are slowly aligning.

how carmys creative process can help sydney

this isn't as concrete as the one above but i found it interesting thinking about how carmys more pragmatic approach and sydneys idealistic approach can work in tandem.

first scene in pop (s02e5) shows sydney and tina late at night working on the tasting menu. later in the episode we find out that carmy has been pushing back menu planning leaving sydney on her own. she trying an elements concept which is extremly creative and impressive but even tina says, which sydney later agrees, that its a lot for a tasting menu.

im stretching maybe....but based on carmys comment on her risotto from the season before (needs acid) + his practical approach, it seems like he acts like a buffer when sydneys ideas get "a lot".

*in chemistry buffers are solutions added to resist pH changes when acidic and basic components are added*

so if carmy needs to be more creative and sometimes sydneys ambitions gets ahead of her....

sydney is the heart, while carmy is the brain (???)

one cannot work without the other. when they truly come together to create the menu, they both need to learn from one another to elevate the restaurant. not to mention with carmy's italian american roots and syd's Nigerian-Caribbean/southern roots, they have the potential for amazing fusion dishes and real partnership. i and others want the menu to physically reflect both of them.

conclusion

i literally dont know where im going with this. sorta kinda meta but its more like hopes and dreams for next season and me wanting to type my ideas down.

they complement each other well ok? and have potential for a great partnership once they communicate better. i like this part of the definition of yin and yang: Their interaction is thought to maintain the harmony of the universe and to influence everything within it.

carmy and Sydney are the leaders of the bear, their relationship is foundational to the success of their restauarnt and team, once they work together truly, play to their strengths and weaknesses, then will come true harmony in their universe.

bonus

more sydcarm parallels/similaries/differences/yin yang moments:

carmys gold chain, syds silver earrings

carmys white t-shirts, syds white button ups

carmy is bad at math, syds great with numbers

carmy wasn't really great at school, this is sorta fanon but i can imagine syd excelled in school

both wear birkenstocks (more a chef thing but i still think its cute)

sunshine x grumpy trope but like better...usually the sunshine (syd) is more emotionally vulnerable making a space for grumpy (Carm), but they switch positions. carmy allows sydney to be more emotionally vulnerable often initiating deep conversations, while syd is more closed up/guarded

overall tho i think its cute that they are both shy/emotionally stunted but i do think purely aesthetic wise, sydney has a softer exterior ( doe eyes, colourful scarves, awkward) while carmy is more intimidating (tats, smokes, looks angry all the time)

both fight dirty - i.e their individual fights with richie (review, the bear)

carmy tho is more prone to outbrusts of anger/violence while sydney lets that shit shimmer until she explodes on you

both their passcode being 11111

carmy having dark mode on his phone, syd having light mode in s2

their matching clothes moments earlier in the second season and in bolognese

if theres more, pls comment/reblog, bc i always think of this shit and need more to cry about

fin!

credits: gif 1&2 , gif 3 and gif 4

#the bear #sydcarmy #the bear fx #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto #sydcarmy meta #carmen x sydney #chefs kiss #its so late man i dont even care if this doesnt make sense im rambling #the bear meta

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kitkats-and-kittens · 18 days

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I know everyone talks about Damian being really good with animals and loving art and stuff, but I personally headcanon that he really excels at gardening.

Idk something about growing up in an eco terrorist cult (depending on which comic run you read. The leagues motives tend to vary) makes me feel like he’d just have a knack for it, plus even if he doesn’t follow his grandfathers extremist ideals he’s still shown to very much care about the ecosystem and animals in general.

I think even if he wasn’t a natural he’d end up teaching himself how to garden through spite and sheer force of will.

#robin damian #damian wayne #dc #dc comics #Batfam #headcanon #pushing my green thumb Damian agenda #league of assassins

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starsreminisce · 2 months

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The bonus chapters do provide context and throwbacks to the main books, and it's frustrating to think they wouldn't impact the overall story. After all, the ACOMAF bonus chapter cemented Nessian's relationship and added depth to their story. SJM excels at weaving these elements seamlessly. Therefore, it feels like a step backward to argue that Elain will face a choice when the bonus chapter clearly shows Azriel's feelings for her and his developing friendship with Gwyn.

Elain demonstrably showed interest in Azriel, but he rejected her. Rhys reminded Azriel that Elain and Lucien still have a bond, and Lucien has the right to defend it. Elain returned his necklace, which Azriel then gave to Gwyn.

Both ACOSF bonus chapters establish context. Azriel's chapter clarifies his sullen behavior at the solstice, and Gwyn starts calling him "Shadowsinger" after he reveals the title. Feyre's chapter explains their choice of the name Nyx for their son.

Therefore, it's confusing why SJM would regress Elain and Azriel's interactions. The bonus chapter clearly showed Azriel hurting Elain to the point of returning his gift. Additionally, it focused on his growing investment in Gwyn. Elain's book likely won't start with a love triangle involving Lucien and Azriel. The bonus chapter suggests Elain has already made her choice.

Ideally, Elain's book will explore her reasons for accepting Azriel's rejection and delve into her feelings for her true mate. Most importantly, we should see Elain stand up for herself against Azriel. This is the third time he's acted without considering her, similar to how Tomas motivated Nesta to overcome her fear.

ACOMAF Bonus Chapter:

He didn’t care. Didn’t give a shit as she rose up on her toes, her mouth nearing his— Pain exploded between his legs, knocking the breath from his chest as that gods- damned knee of hers indeed found its mark. Cassian staggered back, swearing viciously. She snorted, looking down at him as he fell on his ass into an armchair, clutching his stomach, trying to reorder his brain— “You’re all the same,” she said, imperious as the night and cold as the dawn. “Perhaps being an immortal makes you predictable.”

In ACOMAF:

I’d had one break from Cassian’s brutal training—just one morning, when he’d flown to the human realm to see if my sisters had heard from the queens and deliver another letter from Rhys to be sent to them. I assumed seeing Nesta went about as poorly as could be imagined, because my lesson the following morning was longer and harder than it’d been in previous days. I’d asked what, exactly, Nesta had said to him to get under his skin so easily. But Cassian had only snarled and told me to mind my own business, and that my family was full of bossy, know-it-all females.

In ACOSAF:

He didn’t know why the hell he cared. Why he’d bothered. Even from the start. Even after she’d kneed him in the balls that one afternoon at her father’s house.

ACOMAF Bonus Chapter:

No, she had not been with any male, Fae or human. Tomas had wanted to, and she . . . some part of her had known no future lay with him. Knew about his hateful father, and that he did nothing to prevent the man from beating his mother. She had barely let Tomas kiss her, and that day when she had ended it, he’d . . . She swallowed, shutting out the memory of what he’d said and done. The sound of her tearing dress. No—it hadn’t gone that far, but . . . The blind terror in those moments he’d tried, before she’d screamed and clawed her way free. And never told anyone. Something must have shown on her face, in her scent. Because his annoyance vanished—no, it shifted. Into something else, something . . . Rage. That’s what stilled Cassian’s face. Pure, burning rage.

In ACOSF:

Three days afterward, Nesta broke it off with Tomas. Enraged, he’d launched himself at her, pinning her against the enormous woodpile stacked along the barn wall. Spiteful whore, he’d growled. You think you’re better than me? Acting like a queen when you haven’t got shit. She’d never forget the sound of her dress tearing, the greed in his eyes as his hands pawed at her skirts, trying to raise them as he fumbled with the buckle on his belt.

#elucien #pro elucien #elain x lucien #antie/riel #antielriel #gwynriel

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thecreaturecodex · 4 months

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Seething Spirit

[Thank you, Paizo, for introducing more types of incorporeal undead in PF2e. The fact that, by default, the seething spirit speaks Dwarven and Giant (well, Jotunn in PF2e) has some interesting world building implications.]

Seething Spirit CR 11 CE Undead (incorporeal) This reddish spectral figure is humanoid, its outline wavering as if seen through a shimmer of heat. Its eyes are furious, and its features contorted into a hateful grimace.

A seething spirit is an undead creature of pure anger. The souls that create seething spirits died in a state of extreme wrath, and the seething spirit carries that sentiment into the world. Seething spirits are particularly motivated by the specific target of anger—romantic resentment, a persecution complex, racism and straight-up spite are all common factors that might empower a seething spirit. Seething spirits remember little of their lives except their rage, and cannot be put to rest by resolving any unfulfilled business or the like. Seething spirits seek out people with similar resentments and possess them, turning them into a vessel to channel that anger into violence.

A seething spirit cannot willingly leave a possessed target, and so steers its host’s life into its campaign of hatred. They are excellent liars and capable of strategy, but often short-sighted and impatient around their focus of anger. Their ultimate goals are always violent ones, and if they can incite others into destructive mobs, all the better. A creature possessed by a seething spirit radiates rage as an almost palpable aura, and even their punches and kicks strike with the force of a greataxe. Appropriately enough for a being of extreme emotions, they are nearly powerless in the face of a calm emotions spell, which ejects them from their possessed hosts or tears away at their spiritual forms.

Seething Spirit CR 11 XP 12,800 CE Medium undead (incorporeal) Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +13, taste anger Aura raging (20 ft., Will DC 23)

Defense AC 24, touch 24, flat-footed 17 (+6 Dex, +1 dodge, +7 deflection) hp 138 (12d8+84) Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +8 Immune incorporeal traits, undead traits; Weakness vulnerable to calm emotions

Offense Speed fly 40 ft. (perfect) Melee 2 incorporeal claws +16 (1d12+7) Special Attacks furious possession Spell-like Abilities CL 12th, concentration +19 (+23 casting defensively) Constant—tongues At will—detect thoughts (DC 19), invisibility (self only), ventriloquism (DC 18) 3/day—paranoia (DC 19), suggestion (DC 20) 1/day—remove fear, song of discord (DC 23)

Statistics Str -, Dex 23, Con -, Int 14, Wis6, Cha 25 Base Atk +9; CMB -; CMD 33 Feats Combat Casting,Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (incorporeal claw) Skills Acrobatics +18, Bluff +19, Fly +29, Intimidate +22, Perception +13, Stealth +21 Languages Common, Dwarven, Giant, tongues

Ecology Environment any Organization solitary Treasure none

Special Abilities Furious Possession (Su) As a standard action, a seething spirit can attempt to possess an adjacent corporeal creature. This functions as a greater possession spell (DC 23), except that the possessed creature gains temporary hit points equal to the seething spirit’s HD, and whenever it deals damage with a melee weapon, natural weapon or unarmed strike, may choose to use the seething spirit’s incorporeal claw damage instead. A seething spirit cannot end its possession voluntarily. A creature that succeeds its saving throw cannot be possessed by that seething spirit for the next 24 hours. Temporary hit points granted by this ability refresh every 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma based. Incorporeal Claw (Ex) A seething spirit’s incorporeal touch attack deals slashing and piercing damage, and the damage is modified by the seething spirit’s Charisma bonus. Raging Aura (Su) When it is possessing a creature, the seething spirit radiates rage in a 20 foot aura. All creatures in the area must succeed a DC 23 Will save or suffer the negative effects of a barbarian rage, suffering a -2 penalty to Armor Class and being unable to use any any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration. A creature so affected gains a +2 morale bonus to all damage rolls against the seething spirit’s enemies. This lasts as long as the creature remains in the aura and for 1d4+1 rounds thereafter. A creature that succeeds its save is immune to the raging aura of that seething spirit for the next 24 hours. A creature that fails its save automatically fails its save against the raging aura of that seething spirit for the next 24 hours. This is a mind-influencing emotion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Taste Anger (Ex) A seething spirit can sense the presence of anger and hatred within 1 mile, and detect angry and hateful creatures within 30 feet as if it had blindsense. Vulnerable to Calm Emotions (Ex) A seething spirit cannot possess a creature under the effects of calm emotions, and if a creature it is possessing fails its saving throw against calm emotions, the seething spirit is ejected from its host. If a seething spirit outside of a host is targeted by calm emotions, it takes 10 points of damage per caster level (Will save for half damage).

#seething spirit #pathfinder 1e #pathfinder 2e #undead #incorporeal

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