#I’d choose that cat over so many things

[trust-me-i-just-get-weirder]

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[matsunoluvr]

୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ how you tamed monster!sylus…

warnings: descriptions of some violence, blood, injuries, rushed ending (lol)

character: sylus

link to master list here!!

author’s notes: i saw some theories that sylus is actually inhuman and i’d fucking love if in a past life MC resonated and ‘tamed’ him which is why he’s particularly fond of her, like i’m such a sucker for ‘inhuman’ things gaining humanity through love

my requests are open since i’m running low on ideas hehe :3

more under the cut!

monster!sylus was indifferent to everything at first, if you got hurt you got hurt. why would he feel anything?

he’d hurt many things before, killed many things before. such trivial matters did not bother him.

that was until, somehow he managed to get hurt.

watching you, a human, far more fragile than he could ever be panic over his wound was confusing for him.

the way you frantically dug in your bag to wrap his arm in gauze - his blood seeping into the pale cloth as he watches you, intrigued.

he could stop the bleeding at any moment, any time, but he doesn’t. instead, he opted to watch you flailing over his injury with a neutral expression.

only when he noticed his human form growing a little pale did he decide to stop blood flow to the wound, choosing to inspect the bandage you put on him carefully.

“What use is this?”

picking at the uncomfortable material, you scold him and tell him to ‘keep it on until it heals’ - monster!sylus decides not to tell you he already healed the site as soon as you finished fussing over him

the next time he got hurt, he decided not to heal himself and instead present his injury to you.

holding up his finger which was (basically) broken in half, he looked at you expectantly.

if you weren’t so utterly dumbfounded at the nonchalant manner in which he presented you with a severely mangled appendage you might’ve made a comparison to him and a cat looking at its owner after bringing them a dead rat

monster!sylus who proceeded to watch you freak out a little, fix him up then scold him (again) for being so reckless.

he was interested at the care you took to make it as painless as possible (it was safe to say you were terrible at it, he was trying not to wince the whole time. yeah he was a monster, but why are human bodies really fucking fragile and sensitive?), eyes flitting between your hands and your face

this was probably the first instances of sylus receiving care, being cared about, and holy shit he didn’t know what to do

monster!sylus that would inwardly sigh every time you’d ask him ridiculous questions such as “have you eaten today?” or “do you think the sunset today is pretty?”

half the time he would scoff or shrug it off, the other half he would respond

when he responded he noticed the excited buzz in your voice as you’d give your own opinion on it - something that he grew to care about

“What do you think of this flower, isn’t it pretty Sylus?”

“It is?”

“It is! At least to me- [insert you talking about your favourite flower].”

*Sylus watching you with intent, beginning of a smile forming at the corners of his mouth.*

monster!sylus who, at one point, sat under a tree with you, looking over the N109 zone towards linkon when his deep voice split through the silence

“Do you like me?”

the sudden and blunt question probably shocked you - your flustered response causing him to grow confused

what was wrong with the question?

was the point of asking not to find out answers one wants to know?

he would simply sit and stare at you until you responded, no matter how long it took you he waited

monster!sylus who finally realised what it felt like to be cared for when you answered ‘yes’, the warm sensation flooding his senses, and he was utterly confused.

it wasn’t as if you’d devoted yourself to him, nor had you sworn your loyalty for life - but the idea that you liked him…

he gave you no response, looking off into the distance as he tried to process the information.

when you asked him ‘Aren’t you going to respond?’ he’s give some bullshit answer along the lines of “You haven’t asked me anything.”

he knows what you were asking.

for some reason, he can’t say anything back.

monster!sylus that slowly began to seek your presence, your company. waiting for you to show up became tiresome, he wanted to be with you.

showing up out of no where - when you were on a walk or entering your residency, he would all of a sudden appear and demand your attention (which you secretly didn’t mind giving).

each visit he’d stay longer, get a little closer, feel a little more.

you taught him how to laugh - well at least give an amused huff, how to do his hair ‘properly’ rather than having it sit erratically on his head.

moving his hair out of his eyes, you swoop it into a neat parting muttering something about not hiding his ‘pretty eyes’, arching over his lids and settling neatly.

however after looking in the mirror, he immediately ran his hand through the hair causing you to almost murder the man on the spot

you taught him how to appreciate cuisines, especially the different variants of drinks.

“This is what brand of wine? Ah… I see.”

you taught him how to treat wounds, how to cook simple foods, each visit a little date on its own.

monster!sylus who inevitably grew fond of you, watching you with a small smile no matter what you did.

if you ever pointed this out, he’d just shrug his shoulders and carry on with whatever he was doing before.

he didn’t notice at first, but you’d somehow managed to work yourself into his life - despite having tried to rid you many times before.

now, your company was second nature. for a solitary creature, he had never before had the chance to appreciate companionship.

you taught him how to.

monster!sylus who quickly learnt your interests. you loved the small, infant cats that would roam the streets - every time you’d stop at a shop, buy some food and nudge it towards the creatures.

you’d take him to ride on a horse - which he complained about being ‘too slow’ and that he could run several paces faster, so you introduced him to motorcycles.

sitting behind you, arms wrapping around your waist as you both sailed through the night air, the city lights your stars.

monster!sylus who you sat next to, head resting against his shoulder.

“Relaxing so easily against me, have you forgotten what I truly am?”

if you’re confused, he’ll spell it out for you. he’s grown used to your obliviousness after all.

a monster

a being birthed by abhorrence, the dirt and filth that humans try so desperately to conceal. no amount of flesh, skin and bone could hide that fact, no amount of blood that spills against his hands could cloak such a stench.

cruel, disgusting, selfish. malevolence was second nature.

sylus who learnt what it felt like to be unconditionally loved in your gentle embrace.

eyes widening with surprise, he’ll ask you if you’re scared of him, you say never. you say that you could never be disgusted by him.

you tell him with so much conviction it may as well have been indoctrinated in the stars.

he couldn’t help but smile at your innocence, your ability to love the unlovable.

sylus who learnt how to feel fear as he watched the wanderer pierce your body - blood spurting from your chest.

his hands are covered in blood - palms slipping against your chest as he tries to plug the hole in your chest.

the warmth of your body, your soul, gushes from you in violent pulses - sylus can feel your trembling breaths, his eyes wide with panic. he fumbles around, cursing louder and louder as he watches you fade away.

“Fuck- fuck. Hold on, keep your eyes open - I can do something about this just wait.”

sylus who watches in despair as the life drains from your eyes, feeling the sharp throb in his eye propel his evol at the wanderer that murdered you

monster!sylus who rips the wanderer’s limb by limb, ensuring that the subject experienced each and every sensation as its soul parted from the mangled corpse

no mercy was shown as he suffocated the creature to death, crushing it’s neck as it squealed.

monster!sylus who stood over a corpse. the corpse of the person who taught him love.

monster!sylus who didn’t attend your funeral.

you never taught him how to grieve, never taught him what to do when you’d leave him - damned with immortality.

monster!sylus who never got to say the words he wanted to.

he could only see you where you lay, sitting helplessly by your tombstone.

it feels as though he’s been stabbed, a burning wound ripping down his throat. he knows the answer now.

“I love you too.”

AN: not proofread as usual i had fun writing the beginning but i had no idea how to finish it - i feel like sylus and MC had a tragic end which is why he’s so forward with his love for them now that he knows he loves them and that their time together can end any moment, unlike their previous life this life he’ll make sure MC knows he’s theirs! :3

[birdiewritessometimes]

I’d love if you could do a Fred Weasley x Reader where he comforts the reader for Umbridge harm/quill. Thank you so so much!

A/N: Hi!! I really loved this! I hope i made your vision justice! Thank you so much for requesting <3

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader

Themes/warnings: Umbridge, pain, the quill-thing, hurt/comfort, fluff (because i love fluff)

Word count: 1500-ish

Please do not copy or translate my work!

It had been one of the worst days in your school year yet. You had overslept, missing breakfast and the first 15 minutes of charms. Then you had spilt food on your uniform shirt during lunch, making you rush up to your dorm to change, this made you late for your defence against the dark arts class. You felt the cold familiar feeling of dread rise in your stomach as you hurried along the corridors, already 5 minutes late for Umbridge’s class. You knew you were in for detention, you just hoped it would be normal detention and not detention in her office. You stopped outside the door to the classroom, taking a deep breath you quietly opened the door. You saw that the rest of the class was reading quietly, you groaned inwardly, there was no sneaking in. Then your eyes met the cold ones that belonged to the most hated teacher in this school.

“Miss l/n, care to explain why you’re late?” She asked in that sickeningly sweet voice she always used. You swallowed before walking in, letting the door close behind you.

“I’m so sorry professor, I had to change my shirt, I spilled food on it during lunch.” You mumbled, feeling the embarrassment hit, you noticed that the whole class was watching now. Umbridge cleared her voice in her normal fashion.

“Detention, for a week, now take your seat.” She said making your eyes widen. Sure, you had prepared yourself for detention today not for a week.

“A week? But professor, I’m only 5 minutes late?” You said in disbelief. You don’t know where it came from, you usually didn’t argue with teachers, choosing to keep your head down. A week felt unfair though.

“Miss l/n, sit down before I make it a month.” She said, her eyes glaring at you, but you stood planted at your place by the door.

“But prof-” You didn’t even finish when she interrupted you.

“Enough, miss l/n, my office after dinner.” She then said, that sickeningly sweet smile on her lips. You, however, felt like a bucket of ice water washed over you as you slowly made your way to your seat. Her office. You knew what happened to people who had detention in her office. Your eyes quickly met Harry’s, who gave you a sympathetic look, he out of everyone knew what awaited you. The rest of the afternoon went by in a haze and all you could think about was your detention with Umbridge. After dinner you slowly made your way to her office, that feeling of dread making yet another appearance. You knocked on the door and heard a faint ‘come in’ before you stepped in. Her office was covered in pink and pictures of cats and kittens.

“Good evening miss l/n, you will write some lines for me today.” She said, a wide smile on her face as she gestured for you to sit at a small table in the corner of the office. You went over to the table, bracing yourself for what was to come, you had heard stories of what Umbridge saw as ‘fit punishment’ and how it hurt, you had even seen Harry’s hand after he was sent to her office one time. You swallowed thickly as you sat down on the uncomfortable chair.

“What do you want me to write?” You asked, Umbridge made her way around her desk and walked up to you, placing a quill beside the paper that was laying on the table.

“I want you to write ‘I must not argue with authority’ for as many times as it takes for the message to” she paused, a satisfied smile on her face “sink in.” You nodded and grabbed the quill with great apprehension. You took a deep breath and began to write the line. It took a couple of lines before you could feel the pain form on the back of your left hand. You continued to write the lines, the pain white hot on the back of your hand. You felt the tears pool in your eyes as you wrote in silence, the only noise in the room consisted of Umbridge’s sighs of satisfaction. Around thirty minutes later you stepped out of her office, hand red and raw with tears streaking down your face. You dragged your feet through the deserted corridor, now letting your tears fall freely. Sniffling while clutching your hand you turned a corner and came face to face with the one person you didn’t want to see you like this, Fred Weasley.

It wasn’t like you didn’t like him; it was the exact opposite. You have been crushing on the Weasley boy for quite some time and you didn’t want him to see the mess of tears you were now. Before you could turn around and walk away, he grabbed your arm, his eyes wide with worry.

“Hey, y/n what happened?” He asked, worry evident in his voice. You felt your last resolve crumble when he looked at you with those eyes, his hand large and warm on your cold arm. You let out a hiccup when you showed him your hand, sobs falling freely from your lips now.

“Come here darling.” He said softly, pulling you into a hug, guiding you to sit at a bench in the corridor with him. He softly rubbed your back as you cried into his shoulder, his other hand gently stroking the knuckles on your injured hand.

“Ssshh, it’s going to be fine, it will fade and the hurt will go away.” He said softly before placing a kiss on your hair. He held you in that corridor for you don’t know how long, comforting you as you cried. The frustrations from the day slipping further and further away with Fred’s comforting gestures. Your sobs finally subdued, and you looked up at the boy. He gave you a soft smile.

“There she is.” He said, placing his hand on your cheek, wiping away the remaining tears, his hand lingered on your cheek. You sniffled as you looked up at the older boy, your eyes big in realisation that you cried on Fred Weasleys shoulder. He had in fact seen you as a crying mess.

“I’m sorry” You mumbled in embarrassment as you looked away from his eyes, quickly pulling your hair behind your ears, a habit you did when you were nervous.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, come on, let me clean your hand.” He said, soft smile on his face, as he took your good hand in his larger one as he led you through the castle and to his dorm. He sat you down on what you assumed was his bed as he gathered what he needed to clean your hand. He kneeled in front of you, gently taking your hand before dabbing it with a cotton pad. When you flinched he muttered a low ‘sorry’ before continuing. While you could feel the pain you were more aware of the way he was holding your hand, like it might break. He was trying to be as gentle as he could be as he slowly wrapped your hand to protect it while it heals. You were studying his face as he was wrapping your hand, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, his lips in a frown. You were close, so close that you could count each individual eye lash on his eyes. When he finished wrapping your hand he looked up, making your breath catch in your throat.

“Better?” He asked in a low voice, his hands found their home on your thighs as he gave them a squeeze. You gave a slow nod, your eyes never leaving his.

“Thank you, Fred.” You whispered, the atmosphere around you were heavy, you could feel you heart thumping loudly in your ribcage as the two of you sat there looking into each other’s eyes.

“You’re welcome darling.” He mumbled, his eyes flicking to your lips and for a split second you thought your heart stopped. Did he want to kiss you as much as you wanted to kiss him? Your eyes traced his handsome face, stopping for a short moment at his pink lips before meeting his eyes again.

“Please tell me you want to kiss me as much as I want to kiss you.” He said with a strained voice making your breath hitch, you gave a small nod. His lips were on yours in no time. It was better than you ever thought it would be. His lips were soft and gentle as he kissed you like you were made of porcelain, his hand moved to the back of your neck while yours found his shirt, fisting the collar. When you pulled apart for air Fred had a huge grin on his face as his thumb stroked your cheekbone, his smile was contagious, making you smile as well.

“If all I needed to do to make you smile was to kiss you, I would’ve done it sooner.” He said before kissing you again. You could almost thank the vile which who liked to torture children for the outcome of this very rotten day.

[marlynnofmany]

Secondhand Solutions

Mur gave me a smug look, curling and uncurling one tentacle like a yo-yo. “Told you it was a waste of credits,” he said.

I sighed. “If those human ships were here, it wouldn’t be. This stuff is prime Earth nostalgia.” The small pile of items on the hoversled had seemed so full of promise when I’d bought it at our last stop: cat posters, harmonicas, and a dozen packs of googly eyes.

“Pity we’re far from Earth,” Mur said.

“Yeah,” I agreed, eyeing the locals of this alien marketplace. Lots of scales and exoskeletons. Not many hands that would appreciate the softness of a cat’s fur, and very few mouthparts that would be able to do much with a harmonica. The merchant I’d gotten the stuff from had been a Heatseeker all too happy to unload her stock of cut-rate human nonsense. These folks would likely have similar opinions. I said, “At least it doesn’t expire.”

Mur straightened the individually-boxed harmonicas. “And it shouldn’t take up too much space in your quarters until we meet up with more humans eventually. The captain won’t want to hang around here waiting for them to show up.”

“True,” I admitted. It was gossip from our last stop that had told me they’d be here now. I should have known better than to trust it.

“Well, back to the ship,” Mur announced. “Maybe you can cheer yourself up by decorating your quarters with eyeballs.”

I had to smile at that. “Maybe.” He was already walking back to where we’d parked, on the far side of an over-cultivated garden area. I towed the hoversled after him.

Then I caught sight of some locals who’d run afoul of multiple birdlike beasties, and an idea started to form.

The locals, a half-dozen Heatseekers whose scales ranged from red to pale yellow, were trying to eat a nice lunch at the dining section of the garden. The squawking bird-things, which were half-lizardy with speckled brown feathers and wide beaks, had apparently claimed the bushes for their own. They were contesting this claim by spitting at the Heatseekers every time their backs were turned. These looked like pretty gross spitballs, impressive for birds.

It occurred to me that I’d seen those feathery characters all over the place here. A look behind confirmed it; they lurked in nearly every tree I could see. And judging by the way the locals were abandoning this picnic table, they were a known hazard.

They still only spat at fleeing enemies, hiding or freezing in place when pinned by eye contact.

And that was my idea. “Hey Mur,” I said. “I’ll bet you one shanty sung on a table that I can sell some of these googly eyes right now.”

He stopped and looked around, full of skepticism. “To who?”

“Do you take the bet?”

“Ah, sure. There’s no way anyone here is interested.”

“You say that now,” I said, grabbing a pack and waving down one of the hurrying locals. “But you don’t know how we deal with tigers and magpies.”

“With what?”

I didn’t answer, busy as I was explaining to the local that the false eyes were adhesive, and would give the impression of eye contact from both directions. They were just as interested as I’d thought they’d be.

After a demonstration, during which I strolled through the picnic area and didn’t get a single spitball on me, the birds were unsettled and the locals were more than happy to buy everything I had.

This was a new colony town, you see, and no one had come up with a good solution for the annoying fauna that came with the territory. But these folks were prepared to make everyone’s day.

They certainly made mine. That was five times as much as I’d paid for the stuff in the first place. And they didn’t even want the posters and harmonicas.

I waved goodbye, but they weren’t paying attention, so I turned my grin on Mur instead. He had draped a tentacle around his pointy squid head in exasperation.

“I knew I shouldn’t have taken the bet,” he declared. “But I was so sure it was pointless.”

“And I am sure that whichever song you choose to regale us with at dinnertime will be delightful,” I said, tugging the hovercart around the bushes. The birds watched me carefully, noting the eyes still stuck to my hair, and leaving us both alone. “If it’s a song I know, maybe I can play a backup melody with a harmonica.”

~~~

The ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. More to come! And I am currently drafting a sequel!

[holylulusworld]

Every breath you take (10)

Summary: There is a shadow following you. He doesn’t know what he got himself into.

Pairing: Stalker!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Warnings: stalking, being stalked, loneliness, a man out of time, secret admirer trope, longing, first date, fluff, rusty flirting skills

A/N: You all made me do it! Here’s the series to this random idea: Stalker Bucky & Crazy Reader

Catch up here: Every breath you take (9)

Every Breath You Take Masterlist

Bucky is a gentleman. He’s just perfect, and you are swooning.

Gentleman he is, Bucky held the door for you, pulled your chair, and let you choose your food first.

He barely ate his food, busy watching you feast on your dinner. “Do you like your job?” Bucky asks as you take a large sip of your water.

“It’s…” you try not to make a face. “Well, it’s a job, you know. I make money and can pay for rent, food, and knick-knacks. Oh, and plants. I like plants.” You giggle. “Sorry if I talk too much.”

“Plants,” he hums. “What plants do you like.” Bucky already knows that you love orchids, but you’ve got other plants too and he wants to buy you all the plants and flowers you love.

“I like orchids, but all plants are pretty,” you smile dreamily. “I live in the city, without trees, and green grass. I try to have as many plants as possible because I want  my apartment to become a green oasis.”

“Why don’t you live outside of town if you don’t like it here?” He softly asks, making your heart flutter.

“I wish I had the money to buy a farmhouse. I’d have flower fields and harvest tomatoes and lots of strawberries. I’d run barefoot to feel the grass under my feet,” you giggle. “It’s a stupid dream, I know.”

You drop your gaze and shake your head. Hopefully, you didn’t scare Bucky off with your stupid daydreams.

“A farmhouse,” he hums and licks his lips. Bucky can’t believe you want to move out of town, just like he planned. “That’s a nice dream, doll. I always wanted a peaceful life, away from the city too.”

You feel the heat rise in your cheeks hearing the sweet pet's name roll off his tongue. Bucky smiles softly, making your heart flutter even harder.

“Do you like your job?” It’s your turn to ask questions. You’ve never been good at conversing with men and only hope you won’t ruin your chance with Bucky. “I mean…” You stumble over your words. “Did you ever dream of just dropping everything and running?”

His eyes darken for a second. It happened so fast you’re not sure you saw it right.

“We all do, don’t we,” he casually says, but his voice is a little deeper and rougher. A shudder runs through your body, and you press your legs together. “We dream of a better life and a nicer place to live.”

You touch your cheeks because they feel too hot. Bucky understands you so well. No man before him understood you, and your silly dreams.

“Do you want chickens too? Oh, maybe a dog,” you shake your head. “No, you’ve already got Alpine.”

“I like dogs too, but Alpine is…” He smiles fondly while thinking of his cat. “I couldn’t bring another pet into our family yet.”

You smile because Alpine means family to Bucky. “Aw, that’s so nice of you,” you swoon a little too hard. “Alpine must mean a lot to you.”

“Yeah. Even when I was at my lowest, Alpine was there to keep me going,” he murmurs. “Sorry, I didn’t want to ruin our date.”

“No, no!” You hastily say and grab his hand to squeeze it. “I know what you mean, Bucky. Sometimes we need someone or something to distract us from the things going on in our life.”

“You too?” He shifts in his seat. Your hand is still holding his, and it makes his heart flutter.

“I got an annoying colleague, my boss wasn’t always nice, and I got bad luck when it comes to love,” you feel safe around Bucky and are not ashamed to admit that things aren’t always easy for you. “Life is hard sometimes, you know.”

“Yeah,” he nods. “Especially with a past—” Bucky bites his tongue. You didn’t mention his past yet. Maybe you’re too kind. He doesn’t want to keep his hopes high believing you don’t know about his past and the things he did.

Bucky decides to enjoy the rest of your date and to lay a foundation for the future.

You eat together and talk about your life. Bucky makes you laugh, and your heart flutters more than once.

After dinner, he holds your hand while walking you home. He’s nervous, and unsure if you want him to kiss you goodnight. Bucky decides to kiss your cheek, lips lingering for a moment.

He wants to take things slow and win your heart over. Bucky crosses many lines while following you, but he wants to do this right.

“Alpine, look what she got you,” Bucky laughs when his cat immediately pounces on the toy you got for the white feline. “I see you like the toy mouse.”

Alpine toys with the mouse. The feline flings it across the room only to catch it and carry it toward Bucky to place it next to his foot.

“Our date was nice. So nice.” He sighs dreamily. “I knew she’s nice, and kind, and just perfect. Imagine Y/N dreams of having a farmhouse, chickens, and a peaceful life.”

“Perfect!” You do a little dance with the plushie your secret admirer gifted to you first. Pressing it to your heart you sigh. “Bucky is so sweet, and a true gentleman. Even though, I wish he kissed me goodnight.”

Bucky inhales sharply. He missed the chance to kiss you, but this can’t be helped now. He already asked you on another date and will kiss you next time he walks you home…

Part 11

Tags in reblog.

[apomaro-mellow]

King and Prince 14

Part 13

Steve’s schedule kept him busy, which he was certainly glad for. He didn’t have a lot of time to think about his father, or the kingdom that wouldn’t miss him. Any thoughts of his uselessness or his failure at being a proper prince were pushed out when Dustin asked him a random question, or Lucas needed his help, or he had to go up against Max’s wit.

About every other night, he was visited by his feathered friend. It didn’t come bearing food. And in fact, didn’t really come in. Steve would just catch it sometimes, peering at him from the window for a moment before flying off. Almost like it was checking in on him.

Steve made Lucas stop in his attack and nudged his foot with the tip of his staff, widening his stance. Steve was making Lucas try out different weapons and fighting styles to see what truly fit him.

“I know swords are really popular. But there’s more than one way to defend yourself.”

He’d been watching his movements closely and paying attention to how he reacted to things. Honestly, Lucas seemed more suited to something long range. Perhaps archery. Steve had yet to see a range but any castle would employ some sort of archer garrison. 

Steve saw black wings soar briefly overhead, but of course he didn’t connect it to the ones that flapped by his window most nights. Why would he?

He was given the task of reshelving books in the library. An easy task since the sections were labeled for organization. At the tail end of this task, he noticed Dustin and El pouring over a book, seeming deep in their studies. Interest piqued, he approached them.

“What are you two getting into?”, he asked.

“Animal husbandry”, El answered.

“Eddie said if we’re responsible, we can get a pet”, Dustin said. “So we’re trying to decide what sort of animal to get.”

Steve looked over their shoulders to see what kind of creatures they were looking at. He didn’t know whether to expect a demogorgon or a cat. Either one seemed likely with these people. He honestly wasn’t prepared for the picture of an octopus. Steve was no stranger to the ocean. His kingdom had a shore that he had been too often and he was a talented swimmer. This place was landlocked though. 

“Where are you going to find and octopus?”, Steve asked.

“The ocean”, Dustin said like Steve was a child.

“You think it’s going to be that easy to transport it?”

“It’s funny you think that’s the issue”, Robin said, appearing from one of the shelves. “How are they gonna keep it here?”

“It’d be fine in a bathtub”, Steve reasoned.

The look on Robin’s face could only be described as exasperation as she blew out a breath and shook her head. But Steve was used to it at this point. The kids saw him as just a new fixture to their home, had just about accepted him completely. It was everyone else that continued to treat him for what he was, a prince who had wanted this kingdom’s downfall until just recently.

But sometimes…

Sometimes there were moments where he felt something changing between himself and them. Robin didn’t always look like she was the one babysitting him anymore. It was still obviously a chore to her, but not as bad as it had been at the beginning. She was even beginning to tolerate him.

A week before the festival, the kids were given new clothes, both for the celebration and to look nice for the performance. Steve couldn’t help but be a tad jealous of the colors and patterns. His own meager wardrobe was an assortment of brown, gray, and white. But he kept his feelings off his face, choosing instead to encourage them to appreciate the new outfits.

“Why can’t we just wear what we normally do?”, Dustin asked.

“Because it’s a special occasion”, Steve rolled his eyes. “Do you know how many people would kill to have a royal seamstress make them a custom outfit?”

“I think I’d kill to not have to wear this”, Mike said, holding up something orange.

“Big talk from someone who squealed at a spider the other day”, Eddie said, entering the room. 

Steve noted that the king’s clothing was usually dark, typically blacks and deep reds. Even as others were moving to brighter, more colorful looks for spring. He didn’t know why he expected different. He didn’t like admitting it, but the king’s appearance was striking in its own way. He always cut an impressive figure, despite being about the same height as Steve. It was a combination of the way he carried himself, his silhouette, and having pointed canines didn’t hurt either.

Among them all, Steve felt like a piece of the background which was…new. And he was sure if he liked it. He supposed it was better than wearing a sign that said he was the son of the Harringtons. He already got glares from people in the castle as it was anytime he was alone. Steve wasn’t fearful for his life. He was pretty confident in his ability to defend himself in a fight. It was a question of what would happen to him once he did. Would the king be so welcoming if he snapped the neck of a guard trying to end him?

—----------------------

Robin and Eddie stood and listened as the kids played the song they’d been practicing in the music room. A lilting piece that heralded the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Robin’s expression was pleased at the progress they’d made in such a short time. It wasn’t perfect, but most of them hadn’t ever picked up an instrument seriously before. Eddie was clapping his hands so loud, it sounded like the pop of a firework with the acoustics of the room. Steve was leaning against the wall, prepared to help put things away once they were done.

“You guys were incredible!”, Eddie praised.

And hearing it from someone they admired so much had even the more prickly of them blushing bashfully. Steve still remembered Dustin grumbling for the first couple of practices and Mike complaining when he’d been moved from lute to flute. But Robin knew what she had been doing. Steve was impressed, truly. 

“That’s why we practice”, Robin smiled.

“And it’s still days before the show”, Eddie said. “For now though, I think you all deserve a reward. So let’s head on down to the kitchen for some tarts.”

The kids all rushed out at that, Robin and Eddie following behind to make sure they didn’t bulldoze anyone over on the way. Only Steve stayed behind, getting started on putting their instruments away. He paused when he passed the clavichord. An instrument no one had picked and wasn’t included in the current arrangement. Steve felt a wave of nostalgia for his own music teacher. She was always so patient and doled out praise whenever he did well.

He let his fingers brush against the keys. He looked to the door, closed, and it sounded like the group was no longer nearby. So Steve sat down and tried out a little melody. It felt like so long since he had played and he couldn’t even blame it on his imprisonment. His parents had never been impressed with music, even when his instructor told them how good he was. He would play from time to time, just never in front of anyone.

“You shouldn’t mess with Robin’s things.”

“Agh! Fuck!”, Steve jolted in the air when the king’s voice sounded from right next to him. “Must you move in shadows?”

Eddie smirked. “It is the best way to travel, but this time I just used the door. I didn’t know you played.” He put a hand against the frame, steading himself as he leaned over, hair falling over his shoulders. 

Steve looked away from him, not understanding why the gaze felt so intense. “I don’t…much.”

“What other hidden talents are you hiding?”

At that, Steve raised a brow, wondering what he was getting at. Did the king still think he was harboring something? Was he of the same mind as Nancy? Steve had nothing up his sleeve and nothing to hide, so he answered.

“I can also play the hurdy gurdy, but that’s not as popular as this.”

And then the king laughed.

At something Steve had said.

“Come on, I promised a sweet for all those who put in good work. That includes you, little prince.”

The king offered his hand to help Steve to his feet. Steve stared for a moment before taking it.

Part 15

Tag team

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[morgcn]

Dating Will - Headcanons

i’m sure there’s so many more but here’s these ones. i’d love to know how you guys think will is in a relationship

requests and asks open :)

You often go out to eat, the big idiot loves eating

Walking on the outside of the sidewalk

Will is very much a cat person

Going on fancy dates

Big on PDA, doesn’t care who’s watching or where you are

PDA paparazzi pictures getting released all the time

The two of you crying over movies together

Facetiming when either of you are away

Him calling you love, darling, etc.

Surprises you with starbucks in the morning

Definitely the boyfriend that’s always asking if you’ve eaten

Will likes to talk about the future a lot. about your kids and your wedding and the house you’ll live in

Will isn’t the jealous type, he trusts you and knows you wouldn’t entertain a guy that was very obviously flirting with you

Going on walks especially when it’s raining, which happens quite a lot since you stay with him in london

He holds the umbrella for the two of you

You hold onto his arm when you walk with him a lot

He’s busy a lot but will always make time for you no matter what

He’s basically your biggest fan

Most respectful gentleman alive

Always walks ahead and opens the door for you

Never let’s you carry your own bags at hotels or airports. ever.

Always is the one to put the groceries in the car

Definitely a flower boyfriend. every 4 or so days he gets you a fresh bouquet of flowers to put on the counter. you adore the gesture.

Even when he’s away he arranges for flowers to still be sent to you

Will is very good at making you feel special, like you’re the only person in the world

Will cooking you breakfast a lot

Will obviously loves sweets. cake, candy, junk food, all of it. And so do you

Hates seeing you upset to the point that it basically ruins his day

Won’t drink that much if you’re drinking so he can get you home safe

Not one of those weird boyfriends that polices what you wear

Will actually encourage you to wear the more revealing outfit of the ones you ask him to choose from

Whispering in your ear when you’re out

“You look good”

Will’s love language is touch

He’s extremely touchy

He can’t help himself

Very open with talking to you about his mental health and how he’s feeling. being in touch with his emotions is likely a factor that keeps your relationship healthy

Very emotionally intelligent

Loves seeing you in his clothes. loves it. One of his favorite things

Comforting Will when his anxiety is especially bad

You barely argue but when you do it makes him very upset

He’ll sit in silence after a while of arguing

He doesn’t want to keep going with it, making it worse

Can’t stand when the two of you aren’t on good terms

Gym buddies

Keeping a watchful eye out for you when you’re at the gym

Creeps sending his blood pressure through the roof

Him watching as men try to help you and you turning them away

[tuliptic]

Horizon: I’m In My Big Dream

Henlo working adults here, this is a reading for y’all. There was an anon who asked me if I’d be making a career reading so here it is! Not sure about how this connects with those who are still in school/college, but y’all can still try it out.

And yes, we're back with Ateez now hehet OvO

Close your eyes, meditate on this topic and ask yourself the question: How am I supposed to manoeuvre around this adulthood that builds on the basis of status and career? Breathe in and out, make sure your mind and heart is calm. Then, open your eyes to see which pile talks to you the most/draws you in the most. Once you’ve found your pile, scroll down to the respective parts to see what are the messages for you.

Pile 1    -     Pile 2

Pile 3    -     Pile 4

Disclaimer: This is solely for my entertainment purposes. Take only whatever that you feel like it. If it doesn’t resonate, it’s okay to just drop it. That aside, I do not consent to my work or here to be used by third parties on this platform or other websites.

Decks used: Luna Cat Tarot Deck (Major Arcana), Linestrider Tarot Deck, Flower Petals Oracle Deck, Sweet Dreams Oracle Deck, Starcodes Astro Oracle Deck, self made lyrics deck.

Pile 1:

One card to represent you: The Tower

Weirdly, I don’t see you being that catalyst of change. Which could only mean that there’s some huge changes that are happening in your world. It may be people around you, people close to you, or you yourself. Those changes are very visible and impactful to the point you’d be able to feel it even if it’s just happening to acquaintances. Imagine how heavy it could be if you’re in the centre of the impact. This change may be happening in your workplace or any place that has authority in play, where there’s this high possibility of lacking balance, especially power balance.

1. What am I hoping to achieve? - Eight of Wands rx, Page of Wands

From the cards, I see that you want to achieve a steady and comfortable career life without rushing yourself. You probably have something else by the side, or you tend to have a lot of activities once your working hours are over. To you, work is just… Work. You’re not letting it get in the way of the little happiness in your life. It feels like quite a few people have commented on how you live, saying that you’re not expanding or focusing on your career, which probably made you wonder if you have a career goal or not. Although you may be inclined to start a side hustle that fulfils your interests. Say for example, you enjoy doing art and mayhaps want to accept commissions.You’ve been having those thoughts in your head and heart, wondering if you’re supposed to take that first step out.

2. What’s stopping me from achieving it? - Ten of Swords

There are a lot of past hurts that I’m seeing here, which you may be using as an excuse to limit your thoughts, to limit your options. The past hurt is not healed, and to some, it’s still far from being healed. You thought you have moved on from it but everytime you see hints of it, or bits and pieces of it, you remember those times that you’ve gone through that pain and you break again, in another sense. To some, you may even be having physical pain or discomfort in your bodies. A weak constitution, perhaps, stopping you from taking the opportunities offered to you, or making you question your capability in completing a particular task. You realise a lot of things are more than just the surface, and the underlying conditions that you have just keeps holding you down.

3. What do I have in me to counter those hindrances? - Two of Swords rx

I would say that you have a very personal skill/talent that not many have: you have the ability to see the truth. Quite a few of you are capable of immediately finding out the root cause of a problem. Some of you may choose to work around the problem, but for most of you, I see that you have the tendency to attack the problem and the ones who created the problem. There’s a certain… Anger? Resentment? Towards things that are unfair and unjust. With that, you won’t be able to hold those in you and eventually lashing them out to the people causing the problem. This may have displeased a lot of people in the past, and you’ll continue to think that you’re on the right path. Your uniqueness is lovely, but also, maybe… See the next paragraph.

4. How do I counter those hindrances? - Ten of Cups

Maybe be kinder to yourself, to build a family where you can select who the family members are. There is quite a lot of pain and anger in you, and most of all, you guys don’t really have a place to rest. This is the time for you to rest with your family, your loved ones. There is help around you, and what you need to do is to find them out and use them well. You’ll realise that the emotional connection you created with the people around you is your greatest asset. They’ll not only be able to help you through the lows and the hindrances, I’m also seeing that some of them will be clearing the path so that you can walk through them without difficulty. It took quite some time for the cards to fall out so there may be some stagnation, something else that's stopping you from this. Take your time to dissect what you're going through.

5. What should I focus on for now? - The Hermit

I’d say that you should tune into yourself. Take some time off and rest, meditate even. The fatigue is running on you. Make time for self-maintenance before your body and mind decides the time for you. There’s a lot of self-healing and introspection that you need to do. You can discuss this with your friends and family, or the people around you. However, you need to remember that the final call is in your hands, you need to make your own decision on what you want, how you want to achieve. It’s difficult when you’re standing in between the crossroads. Nobody said that you should pick only one path to walk, so just have faith and run towards where you want. Expand your choices, try as many things as you want.

6. What other suggestions for my possible career path? - Five of Swords

What I’m seeing here is conflict resolving, so probably a very specific job in HR or customer services? Customer service cuz that’s where most of the conflict rises, and you probably know how to look at things from both parties, or even from a third party point of view, and provide the necessary help and solutions to the problem at hand. HR cuz of the conflict between the employees and employer. For some reason, I do not think of you as the spokesperson of the company, but for the employees, where you phrase your words and make the top management agree with the point you’re trying to make. These career paths probably never crossed your mind but you can have a look at them and see if they can help you in your career growth, as stepping out of your comfort zone from time to time is also important, as it helps you to see the different sceneries, reminding you that you can go further.

Overall energy: The Empress; King of Cups rx

You guys (gender neutral) probably have a more emotional side to you, which is pretty fitting to be in fields that focus more on interpersonal relationships and interactions. Some of you are probably doing something similar at the moment, but not all recognise this skill of yours. There are a lot of themes of exploration here, so it’s best that you take your time and try, explore and expand your choices and views, welcome the limitless magic into your life and see how your life changes in wondrous and unexpected ways. You’re not alone. Your friends and families, your guides, and sometimes even strangers will be supportive of you. Take care.

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Pile 2:

One card to represent you: Judgement

Most of you feel like the angel blowing the trumpet, being the bearer of the message; being the one who’s siding with the judge who passes on the final judgement. However, there are also some of you who are the ones being judged; being under the eyes of many and not knowing how you should react. This pile gives me the feeling that you do know what you want/need to do, but it doesn’t stop that fear and anxiety you have when you are under the eyes and judgement of others. However, you guys have a community or a friend group behind you, supporting and fighting for you as you walk on the path you choose.

1. What am I hoping to achieve? - The Sun

Recognition is one of your main drives in terms of career. You don’t really mind people fronting a project or being the main speaker, but you mind a lot when your efforts are not acknowledged and you were not given the proper credit. In your point of view (and honestly speaking, most people’s POV), a group project is made up of many people with different tasks, and it irks you a whole lot when someone tries to take credit for everything, including your efforts. You want yourself to be seen, to be noticed, to be recognised for your skills and work. In a sense, you want to build your own brand, you want to be known for what you’re good at, and if possible, you’d probably want to join some team that is efficient and aligns with your career objective in achieving the best. Incompetency stresses you out a whole lot. It’s difficult but it’s not impossible, and eventually you’ll be able to find the abundance that your career can offer you.

2. What’s stopping me from achieving it? - Five of Swords

You’ve probably been disappointed for quite a long time repeatedly, making it difficult for you to have that faith again to do things with that fervour you used to have. Right now, there’s a high chance that the feeling of defeat you’ve been feeling is dragging you down, where you’re just doing enough to pass by the days. This can be due to the lack of boundaries that you have not set properly, or you couldn’t really stop anyone from overstepping your boundaries. You probably have been known to avoid conflict for the sake of harmony, which kinda lets people take advantage of this.

3. What do I have in me to counter those hindrances? - Ten of Pentacles; The Empress

Ten of Pentacles to me usually refers to family, but what I’m picking up from here is work colleagues and weirdly, a King of Pentacles energy as well. There’s something here that I can’t really put into words, as it’s like a combination of masculine and feminine energies here. It’s like these energies form you into an all-rounder, allowing you to connect to people easier. You can have a hard/tough exterior, yet still soft and gentle in the heart, able to understand the inner clashes of other people easier. Maybe this is why you tend to get involved in conflicts, as you’re very susceptible to the energies of others.

4. How do I counter those hindrances? - Temperance

I’m getting a feeling that you’ve probably heard this from a lot of people, where they tell you to take a step back and regain your balance, to not put too much energy on others and to focus on yourself instead. This is exactly what you should be doing to regain your sense of self back. Meditation is something you can try, but most of all, you need to give yourself ample time to return to your optimum state. You’ll probably think that hanging out with your friends or doing things that you like is something that can help you regain balance, but it’s more than that. You need to be at peace with yourself, to listen to what your heart wants to tell you, to analyse what your head is telling you. Dreams may have some meaning and messages, so do pay attention to them. If you’ve decided to try out meditation, you can try communicating with your higher self. You may get some inspiration and guidance from it.

5. What should I focus on for now? - Nine of Pentacles rx

Discipline is one of the main keywords, which gives me the vibe that you should be very aware of where you use your finances and energy, to not let anyone out there drain your energy. You may have an ideal self that you wanna be, but some of you are pretty content with where you are right now. Either way, you need to remember that you are still you, no matter what you’ve done, what you’re changing into. You’ll need to recognise your own strength and your skills, to not take them for granted. It’s time where you take some time-off to do some self assessment to see where you are standing in the path of life, to see where you want to go and which step to take.

6. What other suggestions for my possible career path? - Four of Swords rx

For some reason I’m seeing counselling which kinda makes me laugh as you’re probably in need of therapy currently. I guess it’s that thing where you understand the importance of therapy when you go through them, and you in turn would want to help those who need that help. But yeah, counselling or therapist, or anything that helps with relieving stress and helping others to sleep. ASMR? Yeah those. Jobs that can help yourself and others to let go of the tension in their shoulders, to be able to breathe again. They come in different forms, but that’s the ultimate goal.

Overall energy: The Star, Page of Swords

Overall speaking, I think this pile is called to remember who you wanted to be. There’s a lot of tension here, but know that hope has always been with you. The Star has been lighting your way as much as it can, letting you receive the messages that the Universe wants you to know, and in turn, asking you to be that messenger to spread the good news to those who are in need. I believe that there’s a calling in you, telling you that you’re not fulfilling your purpose yet. You need to remember that you’re the co-creator of your life and destiny, and you’re supposed to write the story of your life, you’re supposed to determine what’s your purpose here.

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Pile 3:

One card to represent you: Justice rx

There’s a lot of things going on in this pile, where there’s a side of them that wants to hold control or be in charge of some projects, yet there’s another side of them that knows they have no power over them as they can’t even do justice to themselves. This pile probably tends to self-sabotage themselves more than other people, and may have faced unjust situations lately. Also, there may be a certain past that has been catching up with you. Remembering a situation that happened a decade ago? Someone who’s no longer in your life kept popping up in your head recently? Yeah that.

1. What am I hoping to achieve? - Ace of Pentacles rx

Financial stability or a favourable financial situation is the first thing that came to my mind. You’re probably in a not-so-okay state in terms of finances, which is why this card popped up in reverse. To you, being in a decent financial situation is like a new beginning, where you can do the things you’ve wanted to do without worrying about the potential financial difficulty or backlash. This would probably be one of your main goals, and is something that is considered a huge personal achievement, almost like a dream. It’s best to not daydream about it too much but to take action.

2. What’s stopping me from achieving it? - Nine of Wands rx, The High Priestess rx

You’ve been stretched out, constantly pushing yourself to achieve whatever temporary goals you’ve set. There’s also some self limiting thoughts, and some of you may be neurodivergents, which makes you not quite capable of being not-stretched-out.  You have not been kind or gentle to yourself, and have been ignoring the gentle voices in you that’s asking you to rest. You probably have lost connection with your intuition and/or your inner voice, focusing too much on the external world. It’s time for you to work with your dreams and your spirit’s energy to reach your highest good. Stay still, breathe, listen. There’s always some messages out there, in the wind, in the flipping of pages, and in you. Be gentle and kind to yourself, you deserve them more than anybody.

3. What do I have in me to counter those hindrances? - Nine of Pentacles

You have the skills and abilities in you, and I’m also seeing some connection and network you’ve built up throughout the years. This card talks about self development, providing for yourself, and that’s one of your main strengths. You have them in you to achieve the independence that you’ve wanted. Sometimes, you also need to invest in yourself, so that you can level up yourself and to also enjoy the fruits of success. Self-control is also something this card talks about, so it’s time for you to put a knot on impulsive spendings. Show appreciation to the little things, the little success, and happiness shall follow.

4. How do I counter those hindrances? :- Seven of Cups, The Fool rx

One thing I’m picking up from this is that it’s time to wake up. Stop living in your fantasy and start taking charge of your life. Unlike The Fool, who goes on a new journey with the heart and mind of a child, you’re going through this second journey of exploration and growth with the heart and mind of an adult, and with it comes more responsibilities. Dreaming about success is fine, but actions speak better than thoughts and empty words. Spend some time to listen to your heart, break free from the illusions that your brain is painting, and to embark on this new journey. You’ll meet similar sceneries and similar people, but you have to remember that they are no longer the same.

5. What should I focus on for now? - Nine of Swords

First and immediate thing I’m picking up is that you need to rest, that you’re in a burnout right now. You may disagree with this, but you probably have been experiencing an extended period of burnout, to the point you see it as something daily and natural. No, it’s not natural. You can’t expect yourself to achieve something because others did as you’re built differently, and you need to adjust to your needs accordingly. You’re suggested to reconnect with your inner child. Find something that you used to enjoy doing, and maybe find a friend to do them together. You need to understand and accept that you’re built differently with different needs, and then figure out how to work around it.

6. What other suggestions for my possible career path? - The Chariot rx, The Hierophant

Hmmmmmmm. What I’m picking up here is that you’re not suitable to work on something that has a tight deadline, or sudden projects. Some may require a fast paced project with clear directions given, but most who are picking this pile are not comfortable in a fast paced environment, hence The Chariot in reverse. You would prefer to work out your schedule based on the requirements given and go through them meticulously. First thought was freelancer but at the same time, you’re someone who needs stability and a fixed job. Being in a project team would be good for you, but not as the project leader. At least, not yet. By being in a project team, you’ll continue to gain experience little by little from various roles, and you’ll be comfortable with your tasks as time passes because you’ll get used to it. But in short, just do what you want and run ahead. Trust and believe in yourself that you’ll be able to work things out.

Overall energy: Death, The World rx

There’s a heavy message on change and rebirth, and your cycle is far from complete. It’s like… There’s a lot more to go, and a lot more challenges that are waiting in front of you. To some, this may feel like a very difficult period to go through, but you’ll realise that you’re receiving powerful messages from your guides right now, and you know that you’re on the right path. It’s like you’re covered in scars from all the battles you’ve fought. But look at it in a different light, think of those scars as battle medals, cuz you’ve fought through and came out winning. Everything you’ve done, you’ve fought for, has made you who you are right now. And this will continue, where you’ll continue to change and learn and grow. Abundance will land on those who work for it, so stay strong and keep going!

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Pile 4:

One Two cards to represent you: The World, Justice rx

You’re probably arriving at your goal, achieving what you’ve wanted to achieve. However, you’ve been working yourself to the brim and may have outdid yourself in the process. You’ll need to regain your balance and do justice to yourself. Take some time to rest as you’re completing this cycle, lean in to what is easy and comfortable and use that comfort to renew, grow, and expand. Gently expand your world through compatible people, collaborative skills, and through doing what you love. The World is a lovely card to get in any reading, but you also need to be aware that this marks an end of whatever you’re doing. Take this chance to ease yourself as you prepare for a new journey ahead.

1. What am I hoping to achieve? - Wheel of Fortune rx

I feel that you’re looking to gain control over your career and your life. You probably have lived a life that… Doesn’t give you any chances to make decisions on your own, and you probably hated it a lot. Now that you have the time and chance, you’d wanna take things into your own hands and feel how it is like to make your own choices and to live the way you want to live. You don’t mind falling, failing, or even climbing up from that pit. To you, it’s a chance for you to grow and to see how far you can go without having people to pave a beautiful path for you. There are so many people out there that you wanna connect with, and it’s great to activate that part of you. Just remember to remain true to your intentions, and you can’t go wrong.

2. What’s stopping me from achieving it? - Knight of Cups

I hate to say this but I’d say your home/house/family have been pulling you back. Your family probably has been doing what they think is best for you without considering your wishes. It’s like… Forcefully spoon feeding you things that you don’t like, or maybe even things that you’re allergic to, which in turn, ruin your health or may have tampered with how you view things. Part of you may think that suffering is beautiful, and may have romanticised pain cuz that’s what you’ve felt growing up. It's as though saying that the pain you're experiencing right now is something well-deserved. Now that you’re your own person, you’ll need to find a way to pull yourself out of those uhhh… excess sentimentality. 

3. What do I have in me to counter those hindrances? - Ace of Cups rx

Yes, we’re talking about that excess sentimentality here too. You have to keep everything in check, to not let that cup of yours overflow. For those who have no idea how the Ace of Cups look like, go ahead and google an image of it. Generally, it is a card talking about an overflow of love, affection and happiness. However, this card in reverse talks about the opposite, how these emotions have turned from positive to negative, and how it has taken control over your life. You have it in you to recognise this pattern, to know that this is not helping you, and you’re ready to wake up from this. The process of awakening. That’s what you’ve gone through, or going through. 

4. How do I counter those hindrances? - King of Pentacles

King of Pentacles is practically the last card of the minor arcana, and to me, it embodies a wisdom that is very different from The Hermit or other cards that talk about wisdom. The King here talks about earthly wisdom, something that is learnt from age, failure, success and growth. You’ve learnt through so many things in life, and it built you to who you are right now. It feels like career and materialistic items give you the reassurance and stability you need, and you use your skills to attain those. You may feel scared as you try stepping out of your comfort zone (aka stop letting others to shelter you and start to voice out for yourself), but pay attention to your heart and mind, do not allow fear to distract you.

5. What should I focus on for now? - Eight of Pentacles

Focus on honing your skills. Find one or two that you like most, or you think that would help you in the long run, and focus on them. Work hard and improve, get better day by day. Do not wait until you’re good, only then you market your skills. Market them now and grow better along the way. There’s no better time to start other than now, because you know that once you start, you have no way out and you can only grit through it. Listen to your life, listen to your heart. They know what you want to do and you’ll be surprised at how much you’re capable of doing.

6. What other suggestions for my possible career path? - Three of Cups

First thought that came into my mind is PR. You’re more suited to be involved in fields that require interpersonal relationship skills, such as PR, corporate communication, emcee, being on a writer’s column, even doing interviews, etc. You tend to have a way with words (puns, maybe?), and you may be known for how your words light up someone’s day. You want to be the Sun, without knowing that you already shine. There’s a lot of themes about sunshine here, where you can be the light at the end of the tunnel. Cultivate this skill and you will be able to see a huge difference in how you view and handle your current relationships. From there, you’ll be able to bring it to the corporate world and put it to use.

Overall energy: Judgement, Two of Pentacles rx

There’s a heavy judgemental energy you have towards yourself, and there’s also a lack of balance. It’s as though you’re trying to find your own purpose and what you’re meant to achieve, career wise and personal life wise. There’s a lot of pent up frustration (and a little bit of anger) here, but you need to be kind to yourself. It’s alright to not be able to do things on your own, as you’re meant to achieve great things along with people. Remember, you are stronger when you’re not alone. Collaborating on projects doesn’t make you less important, as we all play our own role in everything. There’s this personal experience that I want to share as I type this out. I used to be in charge of doing the introduction and conclusion of group projects, and this made me wonder if I’m just terrible at providing pivotal points and arguments. My teammates told me that I play a huge part in it as they find doing the introduction is the most difficult part for them, and it’s important to have a good start to build up the inquisitive side of the reader. So yeah! You may see it as something small, but small things build up big success. Good luck, and get on your way to see the new you in the future.

[scarletwinterxx]

your beginning and middle and end - mark lee imagine

hello🥺 sooo this one is a bit longer than my usual posts. think of it as a valentine special. i loved writing this one, i hope you like it too🤍

if you have a request or scenario you want me to do, just send me a message I'll see what I can do😊💌

For my other works you can check them out here, and for my other story series’ you can check them out here.

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2024 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

(gif not mine, credits to rightful owner)

FEBRUARY 09, 10AM

"That's the fourth date you declined, girl valentines is around the corner" Yun-jin tells you the moment the other guy walked away

"Genuine question, do I need a guy to celebrate it or do I even need to celebrate it?"

"If Valentines has a version of the grinch it would be you"

You laugh at her statement, reading over the small note that was given to you along with a single rose. It was cute, you appreciate the thought but you really didn't want to go out with the dude. You'd rather let them down now than pretend to have fun during a date.

"It's just not my thing" you tell her

"Then what's your thing? Tell me and I will personally look for him"

Looks like luck is on your side because you spot the big clock behind her, your next class about to start.

"Once I know, I'll tell you. I'm gonna be late. Bye" you gather your stuff and rushed out the hall, you can hear her protests making you laugh on your way out.

When you got to your next class, the other students are just arriving. A lot of vacant seats, you choose the one in the middle. You get your notes and laptop out to skim over your notes from the last session.

"Another one?" you hear someone say from behind you making you look up

"Yep, want to read it?" you chuckle, passing the rose over to Mark.

Mark Lee, the boy you sit next to class with. You see him enough around campus to get acquainted. He's friendly, known by many, a poet by heart. And he's also well aware of the failed confessions to you.

The first time you brought a flower to class he didn't say anything, the second time he thought it was from the same person but then the third time it happened right in front of him. He witnessed how you gently turned down the poor lad who was asking you out after handing you a rose.

Mark takes his usual seat beside you before reading the note

"You and Me, on v? huh like Valentines?" he laughs, holding the little card in his hand

"I'd give it a 4 out of 10"

"Ouch, so the lowest one then. I'd say my favorite is still the one about cats" he tells you, passing the rose back to you

Do you like cats? Because I’d like you to take meowt

You remember that one too. You thought it was cringey, but Mark smiled when he read it. You even let him keep the card.

"Do you still have it?" you ask "The card? Oh yea, I drew like little cats all over it. I'm sure it's somewhere in my bag"

"Why? Planning to use it on someone?"

"Yeah right, I think I'd have a bit more game than that" he jokes

"Ha, we'll see about that" you snorted. Missing the way Mark is looking at you with small grin on his face. Trying to be as inconspicuous as he could be.

The two of you might be on good terms but he wouldn't put it past you to reject him too. Since he got to know you, one thing he learned about you is that you're always so sure of yourself. To you, no is a full sentence. You like what you like and say no to what you don't. You're unapologetically you and he likes that.

He's not sure yet whether he likes you or likes you.

"Earth to Mark?" you wave your hand in front of his face, making him break out of his thoughts

"Lost you there, where'd you go" you joke

"Was just thinking about this paper I have due on Tuesday" he says, it's not a total lie. He does have a paper he needs to finish before Valentines day.

"Need help? I have a few works to catch up on too"

"You don't have plans?" he asks, it's like asking if you have a date on Valentines without asking if you have a date on Valentines day.

"Not really no, and if I'm being honest I heard this guy planning to ask about dinner and I'd rather not..."

"Am I... the getaway car?" You chuckle at his question

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but if I could avoid it I would. So library or the cafe near campus?"

He looks at you like he's weighing his options, playfully hitting him on the arm making the guy laugh "Cafe it is, I'll see you there?" he says

"It's a date" you grin at him

FEBRUARY 12, 11AM

"It's not"

"You said she said it was" Jungwoo says, looking at Mark who is currently trying to find something to wear. After that little moment with you, Mark made sure to clear up his schedule for that day. Ofcourse Jungwoo being the nosy bestfriend didn't let it pass without making Mark tell the whole story.

"Also if this wasn't a date, why are you freaking out about what to wear? You're just going to study, are you going to study her?"

Mark throws the hoodie at Jungwoo's face before looking through his closet again, "Maybe it was just a slip of tongue. It's Y/N, she rejects everyone who asks her out" Mark says while his head is buried deep in his closet

Jungwoo rolls his eyes at his bestfriend, Mark swears he doesn't like you like that and yet here he is. He only met you a couple of time, Mark introduced you before when he went to give Mark a book he forgot to bring.

"I can think of something else you want her tongue to slip in" he mumbles, "Shut up, don't talk about her like that" Mark stands up straight, looking at the other guy. Jungwoo holds his hands up, "Sorry"

Mark gives him another glare before getting a hoodie inside his closet, "Whatever, I'll just wear this. Should I bring an extra one just in case?"

"Just in case what? You spill something?" Jungwoo jokes

In case she gets cold, Mark thinks to himself.

"Just cause" Mark grumbles, walking back to his closet to get another hoodie then stuffing it inside his backpack.

"You're going to be late, go have fun at your not a date date"

About an hour after that, Mark is waiting for you at the cafe. He got there first and sent you a quick text. After a few minutes, the door chimed making Mark look up.

And that's when you walk in, a bouquet of blue tulips in your grasp. You look around, quickly spotting Mark. You make your way towards him, Mark stands up to pull the chair out for you. Saying a quick thank you then you set your stuff down.

"Sorry I'm late"

"Nah, I'm just early" he tells you, "You uh the guy caught you?" he jokes, pointing at flowers

"Oh these? No, I got them actually like I bought it this morning. Yun-jin forgot to buy milk so I had to go out this morning then I saw these. Here" then you're handing the flowers over to him

When you notice the confused look on his face, you giggle. This made Mark look more confused at what's happening, "What? No one ever gave you flowers?" you joke

"No, it's suppose to be the other way 'round?" he asks but accepts it nonetheless

You shrug, getting your stuff out

"I don't like flowers, main reason why I always say no to those dudes. I appreciate the effort, I do but it's not my style. But I remember you said these are your favorite during our class introductions, so I got them for you" you smile at him, he smiles back.

"Thanks, no like really thank you" he says, this made you chuckle finding the situation cute.

"Okay, back to business. I do have like three agendas to finish today" you tell him, gesturing at the small stack of papers on the table

"I'll buy you a chocolate cupcake if you finish it all" he offers, your face lighting up at the mention of the sweet treat. Mark also remembers something about you during that class intro.

Actually he remembers everything about you and that day. The professor asked everyone to say their name along with two random facts about themselves.

"Hi everyone my name is Y/N, I love chocolate cupcakes and I can recite the graduation speech from Twilight"

That earned a few laughs from the class, and from him. You really did leave an impression on him. As days, weeks and months passed by the two of you got acquainted.

If someone asks (mainly Jungwoo) Mark when was the exact moment he felt different about you, he can't pinpoint the exact moment. It just sort of happened for him. Maybe from all the small gestures you unknowingly do, or how it's easy to talk to you. You just get him.

"Can you make it two?" tilting your head to the side for effect, making Mark laugh and nod his head "You got it"

A few hours later, and a few cups of coffee the two of you finally finish. Mark actually finished his paper an hour ago but you weren't done with the last module you had to do,

"Are you done? Am I making you wait?" you ask, noticing he stopped doing anything and was just looking at you

"Huh? Oh uh yea, but don't worry about it. I can wait" he tells you with a smile

"You sure? I'm almost done"

"Don't rush it, I'll still buy you the cupcakes" he tells you, you shoot him a smile before going back to work. Meanwhile Mark goes to the front of the store to get you your cupcakes.

You didn't even notice he stood up, focusing on saving the file before sending the final file to your professor.

"And done! Mark?" you look up only to find the seat infront of you empty. You spot him over the counter, choosing to wait and tidy your things in the mean time.

"Hey, you done?" he asks when he got back to your table

"Mhm, finally. Sorry for taking up your whole afternoon"

"No worries, I finished my work too and I enjoyed your company. And as promised, here's your cupcakes" Mark then opens the box, he might as well presented you with a pot of gold with the way you're grinning from ear to ear. Your joy radiating, making him smile too.

"For me?" you asked, he nods his head

"These are the chocolate ones, I got two. The others are their best sellers, then this one I just thought you might like" he points at the cupcake with heart sprinkles on it.

You laugh, getting the box from him "Okay fine, I believe you. You definitely how to make a girl say yes"

He shakes his head, suddenly feeling shy "Believe me I'm not an expert when it comes to girls" he mumbles

"No, but you got this type of vibe about you you know" you tell him, getting one cupcake from the box

"What vibe?"

"You know like someone could've been in love with you for ten years without you knowing, a classic case of unrequited love but not in a mean way you just don't really know. It's the way you see the world, it's always nice, forgiving, full of chances. You see meaning even in little things. You got this boyish charm about you, the kind that girls would pick over their fictional boyfriends. You're better than any guy written by anyone" you tell him not noticing the way he's just staring at you

"I follow you on your socials, it's cute when you take pictures of the moon or the sky. Makes me remember to take a breath and be in the moment every once in a while"

He don't say anything, still processing what you said. He has never heard himself be described that way, atleast not to his face but he doubts anyone can be as eloquent as you.

"Can I ask you something?" he finally finds his voice, you nod at him

"Why do you say no to all the boys who ask you out? besides the cringey one liners and flowers"

You chuckle, "Because I know me. All of them would've just ended one way or another. I know what I want, what I like. I like a guy I can have an actual conversation with from philosophical point of views to something so random. Someone that makes it feel easy to talk and listen to"

"Do you know how hard it is to control my expression when I'm in public? Yun-jin said my face is too judgy" you jokingly add "I'm an open book if you know how to read it exactly, if that makes sense"

"No, I totally get it. You're not complicated or hard to get, they just don't know how to. You deserve more effort than that" he tells you

"See, that's what I'm talking about. If you keep on doing that I'm gonna be the one asking you out" you tease him, the guy across you laughing. Trying to hide his blushing cheeks and fluttering heart.

The two of you talked some more before he offered to walk you home. It's almost sunset when Mark got back to his place,

"And he's back, how was the date?" Jungwoo shouts from somewhere inside. Mark spots him lounging on the couch, taking a seat beside him with the bouquet of flowers on his lap

"You got rejected too?" Jungwoo asks and Mark just shakes head

"Did you forget to give it? Got too shy? I'm pretty sure you're suppose to give it to the girl not take it back home"

"I didn't get it, I mean I got it but I got it from her. She bought me these" Mark clarifies, taking the bouquet to look at it again,

Jungwoo looks back and forth between Mark and the flowers, "Let me get this straight, the girl whose notorious for turning down guys who gives her flowers gave you flowers on your not a date date?"

Mark just stares back at his bestfriend because honestly it doesn't make sense to him too.

"Homegirl got more game than you" Jungwoo says with a chuckle

"She said she remembered I said these were my favorite. I mentioned it once during freshmen orientation week and she remembered"

"Oh my god, he's in love" Jungwoo laughs

"And you know, I gave her cupcakes and she got so happy I actually thought about signing up for baking classes" Mark grumbles, setting the flowers on the coffee table before taking a thrown pillow to bury his face in.

Jungwoo watches his bestfriend realized what he's known for a while now. Mark likes you. He just never said it. It's Mark. He thinks everyone is nice, most time he overlooks the nice gestures of other girls to him thinking it's normal when in reality they were trying to get his attention.

"Oh. This must be serious then. You don't even know how to cook"

"Yeah I know! Like I know I like her, I didn't know I like her." it felt surreal finally admitting it out loud.

"So you do like her? like like her"

"I think?"

"It's a yes or no"

"No, I don't"

"You got him flowers"

Meanwhile back at your dorm, Yun-jin is also interrogating you. You just finished giving her a recap of your day, she was half listening half watching her show when you suddenly mentioned you got flowers for Mark

"Just because I got him flowers don't mean I like him, I just remembered it was his favorite" you shrug, trying to not make a big deal out of it.

"What's my favorite flower?" she asks, you blink back at her coming up with a blank answer

"See! Oh my gosh, my baby girl is growing up" she dramatically hugs you

"Was that weird? That I gave him flowers?"

"No, it's the 21st century. Guys can get flowers too"

"He got me cupcakes too" you mumble, looking at the box on the table.

Yun-jin watches you, smiling to herself. She's with you twenty four seven and she's never seen you like this. There are a few times she's seen you on campus with Mark, you always smile whenever he's around. Choosing not to push further, she gives the topic a rest and changing it to something else

"So what are you doing for valentines? because if you're free I know this dude who's free also-" "Actually Mark and I are hanging out again" you cut her off

"You're spending valentines with Mark?"

"Yea, so uhm actually I'm gonna call it a night. I have classes in the morning, we're meeting again around lunch. Night" then you're making a beeline towards your bedroom.

FEBRUARY 14, 10AM

Come Valentines day. Yun-jin thinks you're out with Mark while the boy is completely unaware he's being mentioned.

Choosing a place you know Yun-jin won't find you, you stayed at the farthest lounge area after class. Most students won't even walk all the way here since it's a long way going back and forth.

Finding a spot to sit on, you spot someone sitting alone on one the benches

"Mark?"

The boy looks up, immediately smiling when he sees it's you

"Hey, you. What are you doing here?" he asks, getting his stuff from the seat beside him to make room for you. Putting your stuff on the table before taking the seat beside him

"I just finished for the day, and currently hiding from Yun-jin"

He chuckles, "Why?"

"She's trying to set me up with a blind date so I pretended I had plans" leaving out the part he was mentioned

"You don't have plans?" he asks, giving himself a pat on the back for not sounding too nervous

You shake your head, "I have something to say though, I might have told her I had plans... with you"

Mark just looks at you, feeling shy under his gaze you look away.

"With me?"

"Yea, sorry. You don't have to stay though if you have plans don't worry about it. Go enjoy your valentines day" you told him a bit too energetic than you intended.

Then he smiles, Mark smiles at you like he's keeping a secret he can't wait to tell.

"What?"

"I don't have plans, I was going to ask if you had plans yesterday but I didn't want to overstep"

"What do you mean? You're just asking" you smile back at him, "Did you think I was going to say no like always? Oh my gosh I swear I'm not as heartless. I wasn't-"

"No no no, of course I didn't think that. I mean I don't think you're heartless" he pauses to collect his thought because right now words are flying out faster than he can think of them.

And if he got one chance at this, he'll make sure to do it right the first time.

Then you start speaking again, surprising Mark once again with your words

"Yun-jin said I smile a lot when I'm with you, now that I think about it I think I do. It's just you're easy to be with, and I feel relaxed like I can talk to you about anything and you listen. It's also so fun to listen to your stories, especially when you get this animated look on your face. And when you laugh before you can even say the joke. Am I rambling, sorry I'm rambling"

He takes your hand, holding it in his. Testing the waters to see how you'll react. When you don't pull away, he gets a card out from his notebook. Then he hands it over to you,

Today we are obliged to be romantic And think of yet another Valentine. We know the rules, and we are both pedantic. Today’s the day we have to be romantic. Our love is old and sure, not new and frantic. You know I’m yours, and I know you are mine. And saying that has made me feel romantic, My dearest love, my darling valentine.

You read the note carefully, a smile slowly forming on your face while Mark watches you. When the thinks you finish it, he speaks up

"I read that, and I thought about you. You're worth more than a one liner, more than a single flower. You deserve poems to be written about you, gardens to walk through with the prettiest flowers"

You playfully hit him, reading the card again before putting it in your bag for safe keeping

"I love it, thank you. Now I feel bad I got you nothing"

"It's okay, I didn't even know I was going to give it to you. I was ready to just hide it in my bag for the rest of time" he admits

"Why? It's so nice though"

"Yea but I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable"

"I appreciate it really. Out of all the notes I received, I'll keep this one"

At that he smiles.

Like how the story began, with one liner notes and a single flower, who knew you'd find a friend and now something more. Mark is someone you didn't expect you'd have something romantic with especially since you're not really looking for it but it makes sense that you'd end up with him. He makes your days brighter, it's like he bring everything that is good into your world.

When you said he's the kind of guy who beats every fictional character, it's true because he gave you something better than a fairytale; a reality worth living in.

And yes spoiler, you do end up with him. The story ends with you and him. Spending all of your valentines together.

end.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

https://youtu.be/0nugWOaC8lU?si=L9gDvlcLg_F121gx

I came across a post with music that you associate with something or someone, and I also had some associations when listening to some of it. Or to be more precise, when I listen to this, I imagine how complicated the relationship between Color and Killer/Delta is.

Do you think that their relationship is like that, or are there other views on this? (and I will add that I like both ships, and sometimes I even consider the possibility that this could even be a triple)

Oh thats a kinda cute song, even if a little repetitive at points. Does anyone happen to have any more song recommendations? 👀

And yeah I do think the dynamics between Color, Killer, and Delta could potentially be rather complicated; regardless of romance or not. In fact it works just as well with friendship.

Color’s Delta’s first and closest friend, and Color’s Killer’s first real, genuine friend.

I’d imagine that a lot of the issues is mostly because of Killer. As said before, its not like he has much grasp on healthy or equal relationships of any kind; and with every other “friendship” he’s had most recently—Chara, possibly Nightmare—they were always possessive over him.

Wouldn’t be surprised at all if Killer is a little possessive and territorial over Color, too. Whereas Stage 1 may experience things like emotional jealousy, insecurity, feeling undeserving of it—fears of being abandoned.

Stage 2 would possibly view it more as losing a very valuable resource, someone he not only views as very important to his stability and happiness and happy ending, but someone he’s actually grown to want around.

As said I mentioned before, Color is one of his “red lines.” Someone who knows a lot about him, someone he’s trusted with a lot about himself, eventually. And even if he’s growing to trust Color, that doesn’t mean he trusts Delta.

He notices how close Delta and Color are, and he thinks of all the ways that can be used to hurt Color, which in turn, hurts him. If Stage 2 is ever jealous or afraid of being left behind, or that Color likes Delta more or would choose Delta, I doubt he’d ever willingly acknowledge that. Let alone say it.

Killer wants control. He sees so many things he can’t control about Delta and his relationship with Color, they’re so obviously close, and he doesn’t like it. It doesn’t feel safe.

If Color is the hope that brought light into his world, then I’m sure the concept of sharing that with someone he doesn’t know—someone who has made it obvious that he doesn’t like Killer and would prefer if Color wasn’t around him—feels less like sharing, and more like Delta is trying to take from him. Like Delta is tryna hurt him specifically, or control him, or punish him—by taking or stealing who makes him happy.

Killer doesn’t often think he deserves to be happy, and for awhile im sure he thought it wasnt possible. But now that he knows it is possible, he still doesn’t think he deserves it, and he doesn’t think anyone else besides Color would probably think he does. He doesn’t really offer people much trust, does he.

Delta already doesn’t like him, and he’s close with Color. But he doesn’t need Delta to like him, he just needs Color to like him (to like him so much he stays), and he needs Delta to know how much Color likes him.

But you know, instead of voicing all these concerns and needs like a well adjusted person, he will instead gaslight, torment, fuck with, and manipulate. (Someone once said Killer is like a cat because he plays with his prey. Which is basically what he’s doing here lmao.)

He will create little scenarios that make Delta feel unsure and frustrated, he will do and say things to subtly make Delta feel left out and insecure—and he will do it all so casually that Delta starts wondering if he’s actually the one causing the problem here.

He likes having control over this. He likes that he can do or say something to have Color’s attention and focus on him, he likes that Color is so kind, sweet, attentive, despite still knowing not to trust him completely when he’s like this.

He likes that Color is smart like that. He likes laying down these little games and tests of loyalty and seeing how much Color cares about him. He probably likes pushing boundaries and buttons just see not only how much Color will tolerate from him, but exactly how much he cares despite it all.

But Color also cares for his friends, and he also understands Killer, and so he will eventually realize what’s happening—and he will realize that there’s more reasons going on for this behavior than only territorial and control reasons. And he will seek to try and talk to Killer about it—and lay down some firm boundaries with Killer.

Ultimately I think things will ease up a little when Color gets Killer to understand what’s going on, what he needs from Color, and gather the courage to learn how to ask for it.

It’s not like Color’s going to have any issues with showering Killer with any validation, reassurance, praise or comforts he needs but feels either too weak and vulnerable (Stage 2) or ashamed and guilty (Stage 1) to ask for—let alone the hard work of teaching killer that he can ask for something and expect to have it given to him happily with no other strings attached for no other reasons than Color loves and cares about him. Because its not something to be ashamed of needing, and it doesn’t make one weak to need.

[krakensdottir]

Why you can’t just ‘release’ dolphins

In case anyone who follows me was wondering about the captive cetacean stuff, I thought I’d type up a little thing about why they’re so difficult to return to the wild compared to many other animals.

Because animals differ widely in how easily they can be reintroduced to their habitat. It depends on how many life skills they need to learn, whether they have a complex social structure they also need to learn about first, how dangerous their habitat is, and how much they’ve already been accustomed to humans. Wildlife rescuers take in animals as babies and release them as adults on a regular basis, by taking pains to make sure they don’t bond with their caregivers. But this doesn’t work with all species.

Cetaceans are really complicated for two reasons: they’re predators, so they have to be able to hunt, and they’re extremely social, so they have to learn to navigate a pod structure. If they’re interrupted early in their socialization process, they actually fail to develop these skills. It’s why there’s a cutoff point around the age of 3, below which a stranded dolphin cannot be released. Like, legally. It’s not aquariums deciding this, it’s a national policy. A bottlenose dolphin that strands as a calf is not eligible for release, ever. It will not grow up into a wild dolphin at that point. It’s like the reverse of a feral cat.

(There are exceptions to this rule, typically involving less social cetacean species like harbor porpoises. They can be rescued as calves and later released, because the life skills they have to learn are less complicated. But bottlenoses and most other oceanic dolphins, orcas, pilot whales etc., cannot be released alone, and wild pods often don’t accept them. Hence the policy.)

They also bond to humans, like, hard. If a cetacean was captured or rescued as a youngster, or born in human care, it’s pretty much impossible to de-socialize them to humans. Every effort was made to do exactly that with Keiko, the whale who played Willy, and he just would not do it. Teaching him to hunt, trying to get him to interact with wild whales... he played along to some extent, but he wouldn’t take the final step of breaking ties with humans. He kept seeking them out. And since that wasn’t according to plan, he wasn’t allowed to return to human care. Wasn’t an option, it would’ve looked bad. Instead, when he refused to integrate, he was confined to a netted cove, where he died. This is on top of multiple cases of attempted releases, mostly of bottlenose dolphins, that resulted in the animals either starving, stranding, or coming up to humans in the wild and begging them for food and attention. (Including one in the 90s that was conducted by notorious anti-captivity advocate Ric O’Barry. The project failed miserably, one animal was killed in the attempt, but he didn’t learn his lesson and is still on his bullshit today.)

We’ve seen it again and again. Animals trained to go out to sea, who are reluctant to leave their pen and then reluctant to leave the escort boat. Animals that escape sea pens and come back, literally jump right back in as soon as the novelty of freedom wears off. On a few occasions, wild cetaceans have even tamed themselves. That’s how people used to end up with ‘pet’ dolphins back in the day when it wasn’t yet illegal.

Now, there have been successful cetacean releases. All of those cases involved adult animals which had only been captive a short time, usually after being rescued. They re-adjust just fine. But if the animal has adapted to living with humans, it won’t un-learn those behaviors. It is functionally no longer a wild animal. Ironically, considering their presence in captivity is more controversial than any other animal group, cetaceans are among the very hardest to ‘return to the wild’. And part of the reason seems to be that they don’t want to. Contrary to all expectations, they often choose easy meals and safety over freedom. A lot of wild animals will do this, given the chance, but dolphins are really stubborn about it. Releasing a captive cetacean involves convincing it that it WANTS to be free. And sometimes that seems to be the hardest part.

So yeah, we’ve tried it several times. We know what works and what doesn’t. It’s not a hypothetical, we have a very good idea what will happen if we try to release all captive whales and dolphins (most of which, by now, were born in captivity, since Western facilities haven’t captured wild animals in decades). We know that the odds of success are dismal, and animals will almost certainly die in the attempt. Hence the big clash between people who have practical experience with cetaceans, or in-depth knowledge of their care, and animal rights activists (and the public they’ve been misleading for years now). It doesn’t even matter at this point if you think they should be released. That’s not relevant. It doesn’t work, it’s dangerous, and it flies in the face of all welfare concerns. It shouldn’t even still be on the table at this point. I don’t know how many more times we’ll have to watch it go wrong before we accept that.

[laindir]

Still mildly amused and laughing at how apparently the key to saving Megumi’s soul was really just:- Yuuji: I don’t have the right to ask you to continue living... But it’s lonely without you, Fushiguro 🥺 Megumi: ….. Megumi: Well Sukuna be damned, guess I’ll just HAVE to live for Yuuji Also really loving how the opening scenes for Ch.266 and Ch.268 parallel each other with similar panels. In Ch.266, Yuuji, as the protagonist and a symbol of compassion and mercy, is shown reaching out to Megumi and sharing his sincerest feelings and wishes, which rekindled a spark within Megumi. Then in Ch.268, Sukuna, as the antagonist who has been a force of destruction and evil incarnate throughout the entire series, tries to quench and stifle Megumi's will and what little spark of hope (by Yuuji) with overwhelming despair once again. sorry Sukuna, but it seems that Megumi will always choose Yuuji over you LOL I think knowing Nobara is still alive and fighting back with defiance also made Megumi realise that there were just as many other people, like him and unlike him, who are still struggling to live on despite their own loss and hardships; that maybe he too could still continue to struggle on alongside his friends despite all the pain and suffering, because he’s reminded yet again that he's not completely alone even with the loss of his cherished sister, Tsumiki.

Ahhhh seeing my OT3 back together again makes me so happy I LVOE THEM.... !!! ❤️‍🔥 I've always believed in (HOPED FOR) a bittersweet conclusion and ending for JJK but it's different to read it happening now :__) But as evil and cursed as the Cyclops Cat can be, I had always gotten the sense and suspected that Akutami-sensei is actually sentimental (?) about wanting wrap up things up in a more hopeful note for the Jujutech kids and future generation of sorcerers.

MEGUMI OPENLY SMILING AND LAUGHING?? FOR YUUJI AND NOBARA TO SEE??? AAAAAJAKDJF MY PETULANT BRAT CHILD The way he just laughed after learning that his deadbeat dad was long dead because Gojou had already off’d him is so fucking funny lmfaooo Papaguro must be rolling in his grave XD If he were still alive to see it, I think Touji would laugh at Megumi’s reaction too though, because he would probably do the same LOL.

Not too sure how I feel about Sukuna just letting himself fade away in full spite because he still can’t stomach Yuuji’s pity and compassion even at the end, but that’s also.... Very Sukuna. "Accept human compassion and mercy? Eugh how revolting, I’d rather just DIE!” Rest in pieces, Sukuna, you are truly the funniest JJK villain and the King of I Don't Give A Fuck I Do What I Want!! lol

[mugiwara-lucy]

Wow just when you think Couch Boy can’t sink any lower:

So he’s not only applauding a woman for being trashy and crass but he’s also saying women voting for Harris are doing so on “Menstrual Madness”:

And DON'T forget, he admitted to LYING about Haitians eating dogs and cats just for clicks:

This guy is a disgusting piece of shit and with nine days until the election, I’d just like to say this serves as a reminder to NOT get complacent just because things are going great for us! If we take our feet off the brakes and stop now, not ONLY does that mean Trump wins but given his poor condition (the mother fucker has been canceling events and sways like a lost puppy), I have no doubt we’ll end up with PRESIDENT VANCE after a year or two. 🤢

And given his comments; DEFINITELY expect for the 19th Amendment to be repealed. If not outright repealed, I have no doubt it’ll be “sent back to the states” 🙄 And sadly that's best case scenario.....

BUT to AVOID that hell; Here is the link to register to vote along with the deadlines varying by state! Also, your own vote isn’t enough! Get as many people as you can to vote for Kamala be it your friends, cousins, parents, grandparents, old friends from high school and college, coworkers, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, stepchildren (if they’re 18 and over) and the list goes on and on but every vote counts! ALSO PLEASE check your registration DAILY because MAGA WILL purge your voter registration!!

And early voting has started! And if you don’t wanna vote on November 5th, Early Voting is another option! Like I said get as many people as you know and try early voting that way you can avoid MAGA fuckery on November 5th! Here’s the link down below listing the dates by state:

Mail in Ballots are ANOTHER option I highly recommend!! And like I said get as many people as you can to take advantage of this option! BUT if you decide to go with Mail In/Absentee Ballots; PLEASE mail your ballots at the ACTUAL USPS office!! That way MAGAts won't fuck with it.

And lastly voting abroad is something I’ve seen people take advantage of and i HIGHLY recommend it!! Here’s the link!!

I'll end this post with this:

If you get complacent AGAIN like in 2016, you WILL end up with PRESIDENT JD VANCE.

Choose Wisely.

[moocha-muses]

Big news, gentlesims! The lovely Lorelei Lee is looking to fall in love! Could your sim be The One?

I: So, Lilo, give us the scoop. What made you send in an audition tape?

L: This is going to sound so lame, but, I’ve never been in love before! And I know what you’re thinking. Lorelei, you’re twenty-three. Get over yourself. But everyone else has been dropping the “l-word” since high school. I’ve been confessed to, but I’ve never been the one doing the confessing. I’m here to meet someone that'll make my heart pound.

Full interview (and the submission rules) beneath the cut!

I: That’s why you’re here . . . why should the contestants bother showing up?

LL: Ouch! Haha, I mean, I don’t know? I’ve got a killer smile, great legs, I’m not a bad cook . . . I’m sure they’ll have their reasons.

I: Tell us a little more about yourself.

LL: Sure. Let’s see. I’m pretty competitive. I don’t think I’m an asshole about it, but if I was one of the suitors on this show, I’d probably end up as the villain. I swear I'm nice to the sims I date.

I: Ha!

LL: I love cats, I have mild insomnia and I drink way too much coffee. I'm great with people, I love making new friends, but I tend to hold onto a grudge. Sometimes I really get into moods where I just feel all my feelings.

I can play pretty much any instrument by ear, and I absolutely slay at karaoke night. I think a lot of my college professors expected me to drop my major at any minute, like it was a giant prank, and go into the family business - should I talk about my mom? No? Well, I am going into the family business. People forget my dad’s a social worker. He’s my hero.

I: You sound great.

LL: Are you sure? I don’t know if I’d date me.

I: She’s funny, too! This sim's a catch. Speaking of . . . Lilo, what kind of sim are you looking for?

LL: Someone passionate. I don't mean that in a sexy way (though clearly that's a plus) but the sims I've been attracted to have always committed to the bit, you know? I'm into people who don't back down, or try to make themselves palatable. I love listening to sims talk about the things they're completely weird on.

And blondes! Love me a blond.

______________________________________________________________

Now for the entry rules!

To submit an entrant, just make a post with cute pics and a bio (see below) and tag me! The finalists can be sent as in a private DL once they've been chosen.

Contests get an all-expenses paid trip to a tropical vacation for a shoot that will happen right after the end of this round. All entries should include a personal bio with an aspiration, a personality/sign (Lilo's a Popularity Taurus), a list of traits and a set of TOs (at least one of which should be for black hair, fitness, or creativity). Feel free to include a career and job level too. And a LTW! Why not?

Winning entrants will be expected to provide their own wardrobe (Everyday, Formal, Swim, and Undies) suitable for a tropical environment.

All genders welcome, but only the following supernaturals: witches, werewolves, and aliens. Go ahead and include any accessories/jewelry and tattoo boxes you'd like. I'll recolor hairs and adjust skins/eyes as necessary to match my defaults. Go ahead and include an CC you like! The more the better.

(No real entrant deadline because scheduling this within the next two/three months is probably optimistic. Let's say September 1st-ish, until the producers say otherwise. Otherwise, I'll cap it when we hit too many sims for me to choose between!)

Good luck, and don't forget your hearts! Or your swimsuits.

[dragonflight203]

Mass Effect 2 replay, beginning:

-Right from the start the vibe is obviously different.

Mass Effect 1 has a slow, exploratory intro. You get to walk around the Normandy and have the option to talk to different characters in the depth you choose. Then you’re dropped on Eden Prime and alternate between combat and talking to survivors.

Mass Effect 2 drops you right into an exploding ship, then into a base under attack. Far more cinematographic, but noticeably less world building and less talking.

Neither is wrong, per se, but I greatly prefer Mass Effect 1.

-Miranda’s introduction centers her sexuality. First you see her back and ass, then you see her stride forward shaking her hips to an excessive degree, all in that cat suit.

This never helps my first impression of Mass Effect 2.

At the start, Miranda’s the only female main character* – next up are Jacob, then Wilson, then TIM. There are other female characters, but they’re all in the background.

So the only prominent female character in the introduction of ME2 is heavily sexualized, much more than the average female character in ME1.

This does not make for a promising start. While it’s not enough to ruin either game, the increased sexualization of female characters through ME2 and ME3 remains irritating throughout. I prefer the greater gender neutrality in ME1.

*Excluding Shepard, who can be either gender

-It’s odd that Miranda blames the Council not listening to Cerberus on their low opinion of humanity. I’d wager Cerberus being a terrorist group is a greater problem.

Then again, at this point Miranda genuinely believes all the cells we destroyed in ME1 are “rogue cells”, so I suppose she doesn’t consider Cerberus to be terrorists.

-The game intro states the attack on the Citadel is officially blamed on the geth and Saren.

This is the line the Council will stick to later when speaking to Shepard – does Shepard ever consider that they’re getting the “official line” treatment because they’re with Cerberus?

There’s no indication of it in the game, but it’s a reasonable extrapolation.

-Why don’t the Collectors target the escape pods?

We know that must of the Normandy crew survives. Ergo, the escape pods make it away.

Shepard was the Collectors target – how did they know Shepard wasn’t in one of the pods?

This can probably be credited to some kind of advanced technology if you want to do so, but it feels like an oversight.

-The Alliance was right to ground Joker. He is the reason Shepard dies – if he had obeyed orders, both he and Shepard could have made it to the escape pods. And since the Collectors didn’t target those, they would have survived.

-What is the popular opinion of the art for the Genesis comic? Personally, I’m not fond of it.

-Shepard still refuses to acknowledge that the Council had a point in the first meeting about Eden Prime. They state that the Council refused to believe one of their spectres could have attacked the colony, and that they wanted evidence so Shepard had to go and find proof.

Why is wanting proof that someone committed a crime before convicting them of it a bad thing???

-The comic skips Feros completely. I suppose that’s reasonable, since it’s main purpose is to let players make some of the major choices that carry over to ME2 and Feros doesn’t have any.

The cipher isn’t critical to any plot points in ME2, so no need to review it.

-The comic takes many poetic licenses.

I was never interested in romancing Liara, but the comic certainly makes it sound like I was.

Benezia also doesn’t die in Liara’s arms – you might not even have recruited Liara at that point. However, the comic always says that she does.

-It also keeps talking about relays into dark space. There’s only one known relay to dark space: The Citadel relay. That’s a major plot point, so odd that it’s not correct.

-It says Saren died believing the Reapers would save him. That’s not true – if you kill him, there’s no indication that Saren expected the Reapers to intervene.

In my playthough Saren actually killed himself, but again this comic is intended for players that did not play ME1. I suppose the game defaults to you needing to kill Saren.

-Since I went neutral on the Council choice in ME1, I did have to choose a councilor in the comic. No neutral option here.

I went with Anderson. At least that way the first human councilor dies a hero, rather than a traitor.

-As many others have said, how does Shepard know that the pistol is missing a thermal clip?

I thought they might have been familiar with some prototype weapons created to use thermal clips and recognized it as such, but Shepard dies only a month after the attack on the Citadel. Feels a bit too soon for thermal clip weapons.

-Ah, ME2 combat how much I dislike you.

Insanity is much harder. My shields are worthless.

-The irony here is rather sad. Shepard (from their perspective) just killed Saren, who preached about how they’re the pinnacle of evolution as an organic and machine intertwined thanks to the enhancements Sovereign gave them.

Now they’re in a lab hearing about how Shepard is a mix of flesh and synthetics. Just like Saren was a mix of flesh and steel.

The game could have really added some depth by leaning into the horror aspect of all this, maybe some fears that Shepard will become like Saren. Shame it did so little.

-The game emphasizes repeatedly, over and over, how Shepard is just how they were before they died.

This is waste of a Chekhov’s gun – the repeated protestations feel like they should result in some kind of dark reveal, but they don’t.

So instead it feels like a plot thread left hanging, and you’re left wondering why the game won’t shut up about it.

-The game doesn’t even try to hide that Wilson is up to something. Every line out of his mouth is suspicious, and most noticeably when he’s in the party you can’t go to the squad menu.

Given you just recruited Jacob, you likely went into it to distribute his powers. So when you go to do the same for Wilson you’ll notice it’s disabled.

ME1 and ME3 handle this better with Jenkins and Anderson.

-And ME2 is already massively downplaying Cerberus’ behavior in ME1. If you go paragon, Shepard says it’s some kind of pro human splinter group they ran into a few times.

Really? No mention of killing Admiral Kohaku? All the experiments? Attempting to use the Thorians and Rachni as weapons/tools? The colony they murdered? The squad of marines fed to thresher maws?It’s just a pro human splinter group?

I’m playing Sole Survivor Shepard. This is ridiculous.

-Once again, ME2 is structuring it so the human female companion is renegade and the human male companion is paragon.

Notably, however, Miranda is cold compared to Ashley’s warmth and Jacob is emotional compared to Kaidan’s logic.

-Miranda first says that it’s fine to abandon the other survivors, because Shepard is the only person on the station worth saving.

Then she says that’s completely fine leaving to you to rot on the station with the mechs if you refuse to go with her.

Make up your mind.

-Very irritatingly, when you speak to TIM you can’t choose any of the investigation options AND go paragon.

Let me find out everything I can and still tell him to fuck off because he’s not trust worthy, damn it.

-TIM claims the Alliance isn’t acting on the missing colonies because they don’t have the resources. Nice of him to throw shade at Shepard for saving the Council – I take it that the lack of resources are because of the ships lost doing so.

Also, this is a lie – the Alliance is upgrading colony defenses. In the description of Freedom’s Progress it notes colony defenses had recently been increased, and later we see the Virmire Survivor doing so on Horizon.

(I’m also reminded of the codex entry where humanity is seen as unusual for having so many colonies without dedicated defenses. Humanity insists this is fine because the Alliance can quickly move to any colony’s defense as needed, but the evidence certainly indicates otherwise…)

-I do believe that TIM genuinely believes Cerberus to be acting in humanity’s best interests here. Cerberus is a pro human group, and this is protecting humanity.

That it also aligns with his long-term goal of obtaining Collector technology is a bonus.

-If you go paragon, the game says you can part ways with Cerberus if you don’t believe what TIM’s telling you. Shame that’s not actually true.

-Shepard asks TIM if Miranda and Jacob are trustworthy. This is recurring question that they’ll ask later companions as well – they spend most of the game making up their mind on the two.

-Why is Freedom’s Progress in the Terminus Systems? I thought the Alliance was settling the Attican Traverse?

-Jacob, if you go neutral (paraphrased): Most Alliance soldiers hate Cerberus on principle.

Jacob, Cerberus murdered an Admiral. And a squad of marines. And a colony. It’s not on principle, it’s for an abundance of good reasons.

[melimata613]

As a woman who is 30 years old, I’d like to say I think I know a thing or two about myself. I’ve had the “ability to get pregnant “ for 2 decades now and going on my 3rd. I remember vividly when I got my first menstrual cycle my mother was almost a little too happy about it. She went on and on about now being able to create a life and carry inside. For as long as I can remember have never had any want or desire to take care of children or to have my own. I remember saying to her that I did not want to be a “young woman” and did not want to be “able to make a child.” I was 10 at the time and she had just laughed at what I said. And for many years after that, she continued to scoff and roll her eyes at the thought of me not wanting to be a mother.

Growing up I did not like hanging out with children my age. I always wanted to be with the adults. I have never looked at a mother and thought gee I want that. Nothing about motherhood interests me. Not getting pregnant. The act of childbirth. Taking care of the said child. Or dealing with school functions, recitals, games, and or anything to do with child events.

I do not wish any ill or pain to any children. I get mad when I hear or see mistreatment. But do I wish to step into the role to fix it, no.

I grew up with parents that I do not believe should have had children. They were young and children themselves at the time. My mom was pregnant at 18 and again at 19 and again at 21. That always seemed nuts to me.

I remember being forced against my will to take care of my cousins growing up. Did not appreciate. I understand that adults need time but I am not your resident babysitter especially when I was 16 or so when that shit would happen.

Growing up in LV I would always see large families of unruly children and it always upset me. The lack of supervision of the kids I truly did not understand. I know that kids are still learning but as an adult and their parent you should be teaching them right from wrong. Right? Your child should not be screaming at the top of their lungs because you didn’t want to buy them a stupid toy. Your child is not supposed to be climbing up strangers and asking for what they are eating. Don’t you teach them stranger danger???

Kids are gross to me. They shit on themselves. They throw up on themselves. They piss on themselves. They always get dirty no matter what. They smell. I don’t understand why they are always sticky. It is just not for me.

I do not have the patience nor do I want to gain the patience. I feel for kids the way someone might feel about animals. Some people are not pet-friendly people. Which I get. I am not too crazy about dogs. I prefer dogs over kids. And I prefer cats over dogs.

Just a rant. I got to the point where I am tired of acting like I can just suffer in silence with children around when I can’t. They are too loud for my comfort. Too hyper and active for my comfort. Hate when I catch one just staring at me. Like no. I can not.

I can choose to avoid them as much as possible and that is what I want to do. No offense to any parents. I just feel indifferent to every child.

Now that I have explored social media and just the internet I know that I am not alone. I am a child-free woman who does not like children. Just because I have ovaries and a fucking vagina does not mean I automatically love children and want to step into a role to take care of them and love them.

Plenty of people become parents that should not be. Plenty of people wish to be one but can’t. Life is shitty sometimes. I doubt my thoughts of children will change since I am 30 and it has never floundered but who knows.

I am done faking a smile when your annoying child annoys me. Will I be mean to them no but I will walk away and not engage. I think my patience is at negative at this point in my life.