#Leo is such a fascinating character to me

[arise-for-turtle-time]

The dynamic in Rise between the rest of the team and Leo is. so fucking funny. Because like you've got these three extremely talented individuals who all seem like perfectly reasonable people at first glance, right, but then if you squint hard enough you realize they're actually all batshit insane (affectionate) and the clown boy standing behind them is secretly their common sense.

Clown boy will occasionally put himself and the others in danger to Prove Himself or Prove Someone Wrong (see Minotaur Maze and the movie) but like otherwise... i think people forget Leo's overwhelmingly the voice of reason in most situations?

Raph, Mikey, and Donnie are all incredibly powerful boys with very specific skill sets. They are also, as a direct result of this, the WORST decision-makers on god's green earth lmao. When presented with a problem, Raph will smash, Donnie will blow shit up, and Mikey will razzmatazz. They will all run straight toward death with the same oblivious enthusiasm of a dog about to run straight into a screen door. None of them realize this and all of them think they are Extremely Good At Problem-Solving.

And the guy cursed with the common sense to realize this is literally the LAST person anyone would expect.

When you look closely, the entirety of Rise is actually a chronicle of Leo trying to find new and creative ways to keep this team of superpowered fools alive while simultaneously white-knuckling his Cool Fun Guy persona so the others don't realize he's secretly the Boring Responsible One. Haha, you know what would be Cool and Fun, guys? Not going after the Spine Breaking Bandit lol. Getting home before the sun goes up lol. Evacuating that civilian lol. Not telling the guy dangling me off a roof "you won't, no balls" lol.

The sacred struggle of every iteration of Leonardo is thanklessly wrangling the most trigger-happy siblings in the world, and Rise Leo has not escaped it. He just does an occasional shenanigan to avoid detection and his brothers fall for it every time.

[aroaceleovaldez]

i have suddenly become obsessed with a theme that HoO established but never proceeded to extrapolate on, which is:

You are Percy Jackson, and you have been swapped with a boy who was allegedly everyone's favorite person, but they have decided to replace him with you. They just met you. You stand next to his best friend and the people he's known his entire life. In his home. In his cloak. In his place. They stopped looking for him.

You are Jason Grace, and you have just found out you have a long lost sister who completely replaced you in her life with this girl you just met. Your lives and personalities are mirrors. She is you, living the life you were robbed of.

You are Annabeth Chase, and you have just become starkly aware that you have been inhabiting the void left behind by your best friend's long lost brother. You and Luke were just replacements for him. Now you have to look him in the eyes when he has nothing and know you took that life from him.

You are Piper McLean, and you have just found out your relationship is fake and built entirely on the memories of Annabeth Chase. You have been given a boyfriend when hers has been taken away. You have no idea how much of it is real or not but regardless you feel like if your relationship isn't exactly in their image that you have failed.

You are Leo Valdez, and you have just learned that you are the echo of your great-grandfather. You are not your own person. You just exist to be a mirror of him. A doppelganger. An actor and stunt double facing all the danger he never had to but wearing his face. To be there for his best friend decades later simply because he couldn't. You are playing a role. A seventh wheel and a pawn for a goddess who carefully sculpted your entire life for her own purposes.

You are Hazel Levesque, and the only reason you are alive is because your brother couldn't save your his sister. You are a consolation prize. An apology. Your existence here is misplaced in every way but you inhabit it anyways.

You are Frank Zhang, and you are a shapeshifter. Inhabiting your own body feels strange and clumsy when you could be literally anything at any time. You are anything and everything and live your life with the simple certainty of knowing exactly how you will die.

[thaliagrayce]

y'know what we don't talk about enough? Hazel died. We talk about how she grew up in the 30's and 40's and we talk about how out of place she feels in the modern world, but! She died! She was dead! She has spent more time dead than alive, and not by a close margin!

How does that effect a person??? We got some of it in the flashbacks, but once those caught up with her present timeline and she shared them, they just kind of... disappeared. And she was a regular girl with some weird past experiences. That's one way of doing it, sure!

I think it would have been a lot cooler if she was just a touch creepier. If she felt a little bit Wrong. Yeah, in general she's more approachable than her brother, she's more sociable and less closed off, but. If you actually spend any time with her, it can be difficult to tell which child of the underworld is actually more unsettling.

Hazel is bright of personality and has a dazzling smile, but sometimes she'll just... shut down. She'll go completely blank for like half an hour and nobody knows what to do with it. Sometimes she forgets she's alive. Sometimes she'll spout the grimmest shit you've ever heard like it's nothing, she won't even notice it's weird until the room goes quiet. She spent decades in Asphodel, which is designed to make people forget about themselves and wander around for eternity, only she didn't have the luxury of forgetting! Wild! After she comes back to life, sometimes she forgets that she's allowed to Do Stuff now. She can spend so long sitting and staring at nothing. Sometimes she'll start crying on cloudless days because it hits her again that she can actually feel the warmth of the sun on her skin and she can hear birdsong. Every little mundane experience is a blessing and she will make you remember that in the most foreboding way possible.

[safirescribbls]

This fandom fucking got me

[callixton]

i do fully understand the other layers to this but leo losing his marriage bc. simply put. he is more loyal to bartlet than his wife. will Never cease to make me insane. their dynamic is so….

[ladysqueakinpip]

at the end of the day the thing i love the most about tmnt is that it's not just boys being boys (in the wholesome way), it's brothers being brothers

[starry-nocturne]

did you know the wonderful meteor shower known as the perseids can only be seen between mid july to late august

and local star girlie was born right in between, of course she was

[neanderthyall]

Finished rereading the lost hero and it was certainly a book. Its weird because it follows the riordan formula pretty well and yet i was so underwhelmed for the most part. Like Jason is afraid of letting people down but it doesnt really amount to anything. Leo is... like that. Piper cant stop being Not Like Other Girls and also dragging out the keeping the truth from her friends plot until the last possible second like... girl pls just tell them about ur dad

[jadenvargen]

free online james baldwin stories, essays, videos, and other resources

**edit

James baldwin online archive with his articles and photo archives.

---NOVELS---

Giovanni's room"When David meets the sensual Giovanni in a bohemian bar, he is swept into a passionate love affair. But his girlfriend's return to Paris destroys everything. Unable to admit to the truth, David pretends the liaison never happened - while Giovanni's life descends into tragedy. This book introduces love's fascinating possibilities and extremities."

Go Tell It On The Mountain"(...)Baldwin's first major work, a semi-autobiographical novel that has established itself as an American classic. With lyrical precision, psychological directness, resonating symbolic power, and a rage that is at once unrelenting and compassionate, Baldwin chronicles a fourteen-year-old boy's discovery of the terms of his identity as the stepson of the minister of a storefront Pentecostal church in Harlem one Saturday in March of 1935. Baldwin's rendering of his protagonist's spiritual, sexual, and moral struggle of self-invention opened new possibilities in the American language and in the way Americans understand themselves."

+bonus: film adaptation on youtube. (if you’re a giancarlo esposito fan, you’ll be delighted to see him in an early preacher role)

Another Country and Going to Meet the Man Another country: "James Baldwin's masterly story of desire, hatred and violence opens with the unforgettable character of Rufus Scott, a scavenging Harlem jazz musician adrift in New York. Self-destructive, bad and brilliant, he draws us into a Bohemian underworld pulsing with heat, music and sex, where desperate and dangerous characters betray, love and test each other to the limit." Going to meet the Man: " collection of eight short stories by American writer James Baldwin. The book, dedicated "for Beauford Delaney", covers many topics related to anti-Black racism in American society, as well as African-American–Jewish relations, childhood, the creative process, criminal justice, drug addiction, family relationships, jazz, lynching, sexuality, and white supremacy."

Just Above My Head"Here, in a monumental saga of love and rage, Baldwin goes back to Harlem, to the church of his groundbreaking novel Go Tell It on the Mountain, to the homosexual passion of Giovanni's Room, and to the political fire that enflames his nonfiction work. Here, too, the story of gospel singer Arthur Hall and his family becomes both a journey into another country of the soul and senses--and a living contemporary history of black struggle in this land."

If Beale Street Could Talk"Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin's story mixes the sweet and the sad. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned. Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions-affection, despair, and hope. In a love story that evokes the blues, where passion and sadness are inevitably intertwined, Baldwin has created two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche."

also has a film adaptation by moonlight's barry jenkins

Tell Me How Long the Train's been gone At the height of his theatrical career, the actor Leo Proudhammer is nearly felled by a heart attack. As he hovers between life and death, Baldwin shows the choices that have made him enviably famous and terrifyingly vulnerable. For between Leo's childhood on the streets of Harlem and his arrival into the intoxicating world of the theater lies a wilderness of desire and loss, shame and rage. An adored older brother vanishes into prison. There are love affairs with a white woman and a younger black man, each of whom will make irresistible claims on Leo's loyalty. 

---ESSAYS---

Baldwin essay collection. Including most famously: notes of a native son, nobody knows my name, the fire next time, no name in the street, the devil finds work- baldwin on film

--DOCUMENTARIES--

Take this hammer, a tour of san Francisco.

Meeting the man

--DEBATES:--

Debate with Malcolm x, 1963 ( on integration, the nation of islam, and other topics. )

Debate with William Buckley, 1965. ( historic debate in america. )

Heavily moderated debate with Malcolm x, Charles Eric Lincoln, and Samuel Schyle 1961. (Primarily Malcolm X's debate on behalf of the nation of islam, with Baldwin giving occassional inputs.)

----

apart from themes obvious in the book's descriptions, a general heads up for themes of incest and sexual assault throughout his works.

[crazilust]

astrology observations pt. 5 (i believe)

remember, if this doesn’t resonate, leave it, scroll away and forget it. i wanted a summer theme, so i’ll do it on this post why not 💛

🐬🍋🌊🌅 🐬🍋🌊🌅 🐬🍋🌊🌅 🐬🍋🌊🌅

▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄

🐬 I wish I could look a Sag sun in the eyes and tell them that no matter how little or big they achieve, they’re worth something. That they don’t have to chase the next big shiny thing, that they don’t have to be a millionaire by age 30, that they don’t have to « be someone » because they’re already someone.

🍋 We’re always talking about how lucky Jupiter natives are and how free spirited they are, but the truth is, Jupiter is also about expansion and sometimes I feel like that expansion translates in a pressure to be exceptional. And in this society, in this world, being exceptional is only valued at a material level. The number of Sag suns that I’ve met that felt like complete failures at like 20 years old is not normal. They’re so harsh on themselves. I wish I could give them all a big hug

🌊 The power of pisces mercury lies in their intuition. As virgo’s sister sign, it makes sense that Pisces mercuries don’t find their answers through logic and evidence-based facts but rather intuition and feelings. It can be hard for them to trust that gut feeling or to feel intelligent cause if someone asks them « well how do you know? » their answers most likely will be « Eh, just a hunch » But trust it, it’s one of your many gifts

🌅 I used to be so fascinated with people with Aries and Gemini in their birth chart cause I found them so comfortable with people, the life of a party type of people and so damn charming. As I grow older though and begin to see life in nuances of grey instead of straight black and white, I’m able to realize that those people often suffer from people-pleasing tendencies, a sense of self that is either broken or fragile and codependent behaviors. It’s like their sense of worth is tied to how much people like them.

🐬 Cancers are very loyal, I know it’s not a popular sign on mainstream medias and people love to shit on them, but the truth is, Cancers will have your back, no matter the placements. If you’re ever loved by a Cancer, make sure to treat them right !

🍋 People who are not that much into astrology will meet a Leo and be like “omg, you don’t act like a Leo at all, you’re not arrogant or an attention whore�� When we look at Leos celebrities, it’s easier to see that arrogant, flashy, extra side. But irl, we rarely meet that “kind “of Leos, right? (Except at bars lol) The reason for it, I found, is that Leos, for the most part, have personas. First of all, they’re a lot more private than you’d think. I believe that most Leos loooove attention, but they also know when it’s appropriate to show it or not. Depending on their other placements, they’ll decide when to grab that spotlight and when to leave it to others.

🌊 I had this girl that I knew that was a Leo sun (and I’m sure a bunch of virgo placements) and everybody was shocked of her sun sign because she was introverted, quiet and observant. But she was still a theater girl, wanted to be the main character (preferred the villain), veryyyy assertive when it came to her boundaries or what she liked and didn’t liked, and very extra and colourful in her outfits. The reason why I don’t like mainstream astrology is because it’s a bit childish in the way it describes a sign. You can love attention but show it in a way other than screaming and dancing on tables. This girl, for example. To me, she was a Leo sun to a T.

🌅 Aquarius placements 🤝🏽 their desires to connect with someone through intellectual stimulation, but refusing to show and acknowledge their deep rooted fear of intimacy and vulnerability

▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄

and that’s it from me, folks.

-B.

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Do you write for 2012? If so I wanted to know if you write Donnie but if not this can be for Mikey (aged up if you want to put it)

Date night for reader and the turtle (2012/of your choice) , reader teasing the turtle under the table as the waiter/waitress is trying to talk to them to hear their order but some words coming from their turtle boyfriend is slightly slurred (reader can be female bodies but overall gn 🤷‍♀️). After date night (turtle of choice) drags reader to their shared bedroom and then the fun starts 👍

If requests aren't open ignore me 🙌 byeee ✨

Table Tease (18+)

2012!Donatello x reader

A/N: I do write for 2012, I just haven’t done a lot for them yet😅 I’ve changed it from a date night to a family dinner setting, but otherwise it’s the same. Hope you like it💜

---------

All characters are aged up.

Warnings: Spelling, public foreplay, turtley anatomy.

---------

What do you do when you’re in the mood, but your boyfriend is in a deep discussion with his oldest brother? You know what, double that. What do you do when you’re in the mood, but you and your boyfriend are sitting at the dinner table with all of his family and closest friends, eating pizza? Well, your first instinct was to push it away. You were an adult after all. You were perfectly capable of pushing any needs away for a more appropriate time. And that was what you decided to do, turning towards Donatello, so you could follow along in the conversation he was having with Leonardo. But you quickly found that your attention wandered, turning their conversation to background noise as you took in your boyfriend's appearance next to you.

You had been with Donnie for so long, yet his face, body and personality never seized to amaze you. His brilliant mind inside of his beautiful head. The way he saw the world and his intricate thoughts had always fascinated you. Almost just as much as his body did. You had always found yourself drawn to Donnie. His tall standing stature and his strong muscles. Even the small details, such as the vein on his neck that would stand out on his neck when he was concentrated, or the veins that ran down his forearms and over his hands.

His hands… If there was one thing that could send you into a dream zone, it was Donnie’s hands. The amount of times you had caught yourself staring at his hands, thinking about all the things they had done to you in the past was too many to count. And now, at the table with Donnie’s family, that was exactly what you did. Watching his hands move as he talked, remembering what they did to you last night. How they had held your legs open for him, giving him all the space he needed before devouring you with his mouth, while using his skilled fingers to bring you closer to the edge. You rubbed your legs together at the thought. Suddenly it seemed very hard to push those before mentioned needs away. And with that, an idea came to the forefront of your thoughts, bringing a smug smile to your face.

Unable to contain yourself any longer, you slowly let a hand slide under the table, before it made its way to Donnie’s knee. For you to place your hand on your boyfriend’s knee was nothing new. It was just yet another way for the two of you to show affection, just like a couple normally would. It was therefore that Donnie’s reaction to your hand was so stubble, with a sweet smile shut in your direction, before he continued his talk with Leo. He even moved his knee closer to you, enjoying the feeling of your warm hand against his skin. But you had no intention of just letting your hand rest there.

A few moments later, while you acted like you were listening to a conversation between Raph, Mikey and Casey, you moved your hand further up Donnie’s leg, letting it rest on his thigh. His leg jumped a bit at this, as a reaction to a surprise. But Donnie did not move his leg away. Instead he gave you a look out of the corner of his eye. He knew what you were doing, but he had no intention of stopping you. So therefore you let your hand slide up even further, just to the point where Donnie’s thigh met the rest of his body, your pinky finger grazing softly against his plastron. Donnie shuffled slightly in his seat at this, a small sigh flowing through his nose as he strained his concentration on Leo’s words. You bit back a smile, nodding at something Mikey said.

Your hand slowly moved across the lower area of Donnie’s plastron, until you found the slit of his already sensitive cloaca. As your pointy and middle finger slowly traced his slit, you felt him tense up slightly, his breath becoming ever so slightly heavier. You could feel the effect you had through his cloaca, the feeling it retract and twitch under your touch. You noticed how Donnie had stopped talking, and was now nodding at whatever Leo had to say, before answering with one or two words. That was when an idea made its way into your head.

Your fingers played around on the outside of Donnie’s cloaca, teasing him ever so slightly with each touch, just waiting for their moment to paunch. That came when Donnie calmed down ever so slightly, getting a little used to the feeling of your fingers against him. Then, finally, Leo ceased to talk, giving Donnie the que to talk. And as he opened his mouth, your fingers did their move. Your two fingers moved through his slit, smoothly sliding through his slice.

“I agree, that move is too slow. It should be more like-”. Donnie stopped mid sentence, his last word being stretched out and slurred. Leo looked at his brother in concern.

“Donnie? Are you okay?”, Leo asked.

“Yes!”, Donnie quickly answered, holding up his pizza slice for his big brother to see, his speech continuing to be slurred ever so slightly. “It’s just, you know, when that bit of pizza hits the right spot”. He punctuated the last word with his knee nudging against yours. In turn you asked Casey about the thing he was talking about, before thrusting your fingers into Donnie’s slit once more, threatening to make the poor guy drop on the spot. This made Donnie hide a moan with another bit of his pizza slice.

You continued your torture on Donnie, until you felt the familiar hardness against your fingers. Donnie took in a big breath, bracing himself for the drop. But then, just before he could allow himself to slip out, you removed your fingers, wiping his slick off on his thigh. Donnie snapped his head towards you, his eyes boring into you and your smug smile. Leo once again asked his brother in concern if he was okay, forcing Donnie to turn his attention back to their conversation. How Donnie was gonna make you and your smugness pay for that.

As people finished their food and got ready to leave the table, you knew you had to act fast.

“Well, that was fun”, you smiled as you stood from the chair. “Thank you so much for dinner, but I should probably get home now-”.

“Oh no, you don’t!”, Donnie exclaimed, jumping from his chair, grabbing on to you before you could walk too far. The shocked expression on everyone's faces brought him back to reality, remembering that the two of you weren’t alone. Flustered and unsure of what to do, he picked you up and threw you over his shoulder, before running to his bedroom, leaving them staring after you in confusion.

Once inside Donnie’s bedroom, he slammed the door shut with a loud bang, using his foot. He wasted no time before throwing you onto the bed with a yelp. He climbed on top of you, holding your arms down by your head, and forcing your legs apart using the knee you had felt on a few moments ago. You giggled up at him, already knowing what danger you were in.

“What do you have to say for your defense?”, Donnie smiled mischievously, his face mere centimeters from yours, his thumbs stroking your wrists, and using his other leg to spread your other leg open for him.

“Upsi?”, you smiled innocently, giving your shoulders a small shrug.

“You just fingered me while I was talking to my brother, until I almost dropped right under the table, in front of my whole family, and all you have to say is; ‘upsi’?”, Donnie asked, giving you one last chance to redeem yourself.

“Yup!”, you nodded with a big smile, almost eager to see what your boyfriend was going to do about it.

Donnie tsked and shook his head from side to side, bringing your wrists to one hand, allowing his other hand to move down your body, feeling your sides as he moved his hand down to the button and zipper of your pants. “That was not the answer I was looking for, (Y/N)”.

“It wasn’t?”, you said, acting oblivious, fighting a satisfied smile as Donnie’s hand ran down past your pants and into your underwear. “I had no idea”.

Donnie’s hand grazed your sensitive folds, just like you had done to his cloaca just a few moments ago. At the feeling of your slick against his finger, Donnie smiled down at you. “Already wet?” He smoothed his finger against your wet folds, enjoying the way you curled your legs up around him. “Is that from teasing me during dinner?”

“Maybe”, you sighed, slightly grinding yourself against his finger to gain some friction.

Donnie removed his finger from your pants, causing you to whine, until he moved his attention back onto your pants, letting go off your wrists to use both hands to pull them down along with your underwear.

“Luckily for you”, Donnie said as he threw them onto the floor, before moving to pull your shirt off of you. “I feel like we’ve been through enough foreplay already”. He threw your top and bra onto the floor. “So lay back and let me fuck that tease out of you”.

Fair to say, your idea worked on Donnie like a charm.

[ruija]

Some of my personal favorite parts and drawings from the Firefight animatic based on @remedyturtles's fic.

I really like the 'characters rotating anime opening'. And I love the symbolism of the twins starting with reaching for each other, only for Leo to limply keep spinning past and drifting away. Would love to have it animated slow and smooth.

This scene is one of my favorite scenes. I'm very happy how the cuts match the music and especially the last drop to shocked Leo.

I like his face, very handsome. I'm not as established with how I draw the rise turtles compared to 2k3 boys, so it was fascinating to see how it'd morph over me drawing them like 100 times in a short period of time. They definitely got more elongated facial shapes and Don a sturdier body build compared to canon (I wanted to emphasize him being a bit blockier compared to Leo).

Reeeeally like Don's pose in this and the overall composition and movement of the shot. Very dynamic and dramatic.

Aaand the money shot #2 All the previews I shared while I was working on the animatic, were ones that I'm very happy with. But this one is very special. I like that someone was able to guess Firefight based only from it, haha.

I'm a big fan of the visual trope of characters turning to gaze at each other meaningfully, conveying things without saying anything. So there's a lot of that in this animatic. I really wanted to get Donnie's expression right, his sorrow and determination, and I'm happy with the result.

Back shots are fun. They can express a lot of emotion while concealing what the character is truly feeling. The drawing of Don grappling fallen Leo is one of my top favorites from the animatic, I just really like how it looks. Overall I like this whole scene a lot.

And of course, THE money shot #1. The culmination of it all. I'm very proud of the animated bits too, but I made them their own post.

[rainydetectiveglitter]

꒰ ♡ ꒱Astrology and The Female Archetypes ꒰ ♡ ꒱

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ:

I've always been fascinated by Carl Jung's archetypes, and I thought it would be interesting to merge them with astrology. Take a look and let me know what you think—it's all in good fun, so if it doesn't quite line up, no worries!

꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎ

The Sage

Key Traits: Wisdom, knowledge, philosophical insight, intellectual depth.

Astrological Placements and Aspects:

Sun: Typically in Sagittarius or Capricorn, emphasizing a quest for truth, higher learning, and wisdom. Sun conjunct Ascendant highlights a strong personal identity tied to wisdom.

Mercury: Often in Scorpio or Sagittarius, indicating deep thinking, insightful communication, and a probing mind. Mercury conjunct Pluto intensifies depth of thought and investigative skills.

Jupiter: Strongly placed (in Sagittarius, Pisces, or in aspect to Sun/Mercury), emphasizing expansion, optimism, and a philosophical outlook on life.

Pluto: In Scorpio, contributing to a transformative approach to knowledge, deep psychological insights, and a profound understanding of power dynamics.

Celebrity Example:

Oprah Winfrey (Sun in Aquarius, Mercury in Aquarius, Jupiter in Sagittarius)

Jane Fonda (Sun in Sagittarius, Mercury in Sagittarius, Jupiter in Capricorn)

The Mystic

Key Traits: Spiritual depth, intuition, connection to mystical realms.

Astrological Placements and Aspects:

Neptune: Strongly placed in Pisces, indicating a deep connection to spirituality, dreams, and the subconscious. Neptune conjunct Venus enhances sensitivity and mystical experiences in relationships.

Moon: Often in Pisces or Cancer, enhancing emotional sensitivity, intuitive abilities, and a deep connection to the collective unconscious.

Pluto: In Scorpio, contributing to a transformative spiritual journey, profound psychological insights, and the ability to uncover hidden truths.

Celebrity Example:

Stevie Nicks (Neptune in Scorpio, Moon in Gemini, Pluto in Leo)

Björk (Neptune in Scorpio, Moon in Sagittarius, Pluto in Virgo)

The Wise Old Woman

Key Traits: Maturity, wisdom, nurturing, emotional depth.

Astrological Placements and Aspects:

Moon: Typically in Cancer or Taurus, highlighting emotional nurturing, intuition, and connection to natural cycles. Moon trine Venus or Jupiter enhances emotional intelligence and nurturing qualities.

Mars: Often in Cancer or Capricorn, indicating protective instincts, emotional strength, and caregiving abilities. Mars in aspect to Saturn can add discipline and responsibility to nurturing roles.

Saturn: Well-placed (in Capricorn, Aquarius, or in aspect to Moon/Mars), emphasizing wisdom gained through experience, structure, and a grounded approach to life.

Celebrity Example:

Meryl Streep (Moon in Cancer, Mars in Leo, Saturn in Leo)

Judi Dench (Moon in Virgo, Mars in Cancer, Saturn in Aquarius)

The Queen

Key Traits: Leadership, sovereignty, regal presence.

Astrological Placements and Aspects:

Sun: Often in Leo or Capricorn, indicating leadership qualities, strength of character, and a sense of authority. Sun trine or sextile Saturn enhances leadership abilities and a structured approach to authority.

Venus: Strongly placed (in Taurus, Libra, or in aspect to Sun/Saturn), emphasizing grace, diplomacy, and a balanced approach to relationships.

Saturn: Well-placed (in Capricorn, Aquarius, or in aspect to Sun/Venus), highlighting discipline, responsibility, and the ability to lead with integrity and longevity.

Celebrity Example:

Queen Elizabeth II (Sun in Taurus, Venus in Taurus, Saturn in Capricorn)

Cate Blanchett (Sun in Taurus, Venus in Aries, Saturn in Pisces)

The Mother

Key Traits: Nurturing, compassion, caregiving.

Astrological Placements and Aspects:

Moon: Typically in Cancer or Taurus, emphasizing emotional nurturing, protective instincts, and a strong bond with family. Moon conjunct Fortuna enhances themes of emotional security and caregiving roles.

Mars: Often in Cancer or Virgo, indicating caretaking abilities, nurturing energy, and dedication to others’ well-being. Mars in aspect to Moon or Venus adds passion and protective instincts.

Fortuna: Well-placed (in Cancer, Taurus, or in aspect to Moon), highlighting themes of home, family, and emotional security.

Celebrity Example:

Angelina Jolie (Moon in Aries, Mars in Cancer, Fortuna in Taurus)

Michelle Obama (Moon in Pisces, Mars in Gemini, Fortuna in Cancer)

The Maiden

Key Traits: Youthfulness, innocence, new beginnings.

Astrological Placements and Aspects:

North Node: In Leo or Aries, indicating a path towards personal growth, independence, and creative expression. North Node trine Sun enhances self-expression and leadership potential.

Mercury: Often in Gemini or Virgo, enhancing communication skills, curiosity, and adaptability. Mercury conjunct Uranus adds originality and a progressive approach to learning.

Venus: Well-placed (in Libra, Taurus, or in aspect to North Node), highlighting a playful, flirtatious approach to love and relationships.

Celebrity Example:

Emma Watson (North Node in Leo, Mercury in Virgo, Venus in Virgo)

Taylor Swift (North Node in Cancer, Mercury in Sagittarius, Venus in Scorpio)

The Huntress

Key Traits: Independence, strength, courage.

Astrological Placements and Aspects:

Mars: Strongly placed (in Aries, Scorpio, or in aspect to Uranus), emphasizing assertiveness, courage, and a pioneering spirit. Mars conjunct Uranus adds a rebellious streak and innovative energy.

Uranus: Well-placed (in Aquarius, Aries, or in aspect to Mars), highlighting independence, originality, and a progressive approach to goals and challenges.

Jupiter: Can enhance optimism, exploration, and a quest for freedom and adventure.

Celebrity Example:

Serena Williams (Mars in Gemini, Uranus in Libra, Jupiter in Capricorn)

Amelia Earhart (Mars in Aries, Uranus in Gemini, Jupiter in Sagittarius)

The Lover ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Key Traits: Passion, emotional depth in relationships.

Astrological Placements and Aspects:

Venus: Strongly placed (in Taurus, Libra, or in aspect to Moon/Mars), indicating a love of beauty, harmony, and a deep emotional connection in relationships. Venus opposite Mars can highlight tension between desire and affection.

Moon: Well-placed (in Cancer, Pisces, or in aspect to Venus), enhancing sensitivity, empathy, and emotional receptivity.

Mars: Can contribute to passion, desire, and intensity in romantic pursuits.

Celebrity Example:

Beyoncé Knowles (Venus in Libra, Moon in Scorpio, Mars in Leo)

Marilyn Monroe (Venus in Aries, Moon in Aquarius, Mars in Leo)

Each archetype can be further explored through additional astrological traits that uniquely resonate with individuals. Feel free to explore and see what aligns best with your personality. This is all for enjoyment and entertainment, so share your thoughts—I'd love to hear what resonates with you!

[randoimago]

I dowloaded the aasimar mod to my Baldurs Gate and I just want !!! More winged beauties is this game ;;; how would Gale, Astarion and Halsin react to meeting the reader who is an aasimar? Maybe they’re the first the guys have ever seen!

Meeting an Aasimar For the First Time

Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3

Character(s): Astarion, Gale, Halsin

Type of Request: Headcanons

Note(s): Hopefully there's some patch in the future or expansion that adds more races and subclasses to the game. I mean, there's goblins, Shadar-Kai, and Deva NPCS. Why can't we play as those too 😖

Also, while I love the idea of Aasimar, I can just imagine the angst/comfort with a Fallen Aasimar. Maybe that's just cause I'm a SadoMasochist tho

Astarion

Oh he is so fascinated when he meets you. Thinks your wings are a bit much (if reader is a fallen Aasimar with the featherless wings then Astarion will probably comment about "There's enough brooding without you one upping me").

Debates rather to ask you for a feather. The only reason he debates it is because he doesn't want to take a piece of you away, he's had that happen to himself enough times that he doesn't want to do it to others.

I will say that Astarion probably would either get along the most or avoid a Fallen Aasimar the most just because the darkness those Aasimar carry reminds him too much of himself and his past. While it would be good to talk to someone that might have an idea of the level of trauma he has, he also would rather repress it all and act like he's fine instead.

Gale

He finds you fascinating. Of course he knows what Aasimars are and it does make him feel a bit bittersweet. I mean, here you are, a champion of the gods. And yet he can't even get a message from his own.

If you are an Aasimar with feathered wings then he'd love to have a few (maybe after you've molted or if you're willing to just part with some) to add some new quills to help him with his writing and transcribing spell scrolls in his book.

Now if you're a fallen Aasimar, that just makes him more curious. He's probably heard an unreliable telling of the fallen ones from Mystra so he'd want to hear more about your story. Maybe you both can both lament about losing your connections to your deities as well as help build each other back up because who needs those asshole gods anyway.

Halsin

Halsin has probably heard of Aasimar but has never had the pleasure of meeting one before. He finds you to be beyond beautiful. Might chuckle and make a comment about being under-dressed while in your presence.

He would love to sit down with you and learn more about what it's like to be a champion of the gods. Of course, if you're a fallen Aasimar then he can only imagine the weight and burdens you must carry, ones that he'd gladly help you carry so you don't feel so alone.

Should your wings need grooming and you trust Halsin enough, then he'd like to help. He's befriended (and sometimes bedded) quite a few winged friends that he'd be gentle and delicate with helping you take care of your wings.

Taglist:

@reo-the-leo @unhelpfulnpc

[witchhazelevesque]

Bianca had fire powers, or something related to fire, "she whipped out her hunting knife and stabbed the warrior in the chest. The whole skeleton erupted into flames, leaving a little pile of ashes" (Titans' Curse 169)

Nico did something sort of similar- “Flames erupted from the fissure, and the earth swallowed the skeleton" (Titan's Curse 308) But that seemed more like… something that was going on in the Underworld.

Maybe it's not meant to be anything, but it would have been really cool if she had fire powers and if she had lived and how she would interact with the prophecy of seven, and with Leo and Frank about fire business.

It's actually really funny to think about her and Frank interacting because Frank isn't scared of Hades or Pluto kids, I don't buy the retcon that Nico scares him, BUT he is afraid of fire so a Bianca with fire powers- hellfire at that- when he's like 'I’d set myself on fire for Hazel’ - well her sister might just do that to you. Plus, I love any opportunity to have Bianca and Hazel meet and be sisters.

Plus, I think that the Hunters of Artemis are under utilized in the plot, so it'd be cool to get to see one as a main, main character if she was one of the seven

Frank's losing his damn mind with all these fire wielders around and they aren't even doing anything-

She's still twelve! She's tiny and twelve years old and not even doing anything and Frank is terrified of her

Another hat to throw into the 'storm or fire' ring! I think that since she and Percy have like, history questing together and are like, ya know, cousins and friends and whatnot, they might expect to be the pair from the prophecy, I am always on my possible fire and storm alternates agenda, it's fascinating to me

So there's like five possible people and they make a chart, just because they don't know what else to do

Honestly I'm not sure we got enough of Bianca to know if she'd be scared of her powers, in general and of this theoretical fire, but her interacting with Leo would also be interesting. Because again, she's twelve and Leo's fifteen and he's like, horrified and of course he's gonna be like, uh, ‘whose sassy lost child is this’. Also Hazel and Leo are the best best friends so yeah, no way he's gonna let her sister die.

But yeah, them talking about their experiences, bonding over mom trauma, whatever stigma came from their parentage and this ability, it’s nice and also deeply unsettling to find someone who understands

Do I know how this ends- no

Do I want to decide how it ends- no

Oh also it’d be sweet for Bianca to be one of the three going to Delos and her getting to reconnect with Artemis

[centaurianthropology]

Oh man, I think the Circle of the Crimson Mirror might just be MY Candela circle. I enjoyed the goofy schlock horror with the Circle of the Vassal and the Veil, and really enjoyed the amping up of horror in The Circle of Needle and Thread (though the horrors of war theming was not specifically for me, it was still well done). I haven’t gotten to watch the Circle of Tide and Bone because life happened, but from what I’ve heard it was very good.

But I was laughing out loud with glee for the first episode of the Circle of the Crimson Mirror. All these characters are delightful. The setting is fascinating (starting out OUTSIDE of Newfaire and expanding the world was really fun), the theming of Irish folklore horror gives a folk horror mixed with cosmic horror vibe that I’m really excited for. And Liam is just the sort of ruthless DM that is perfect for a horror game. Because for me, keeping your players wrapped up in the horror, making them at least a little genuinely afraid (after talking through Lines and Veils of course) in a fun and contained way IS the heart of playing a horror game. It’s the same as watching a horror movie, in that you WANT to be scared, that’s part of the enjoyment, but in a horror game the fun is having it happen to you.

And both folk horror and cosmic horror are some of my favorite subgenres, so this is hitting all my favorite sorts of horror. And because it’s me, see below for my much longer thoughts about this first episode and the characters. Because I’ve never found a topic I enjoy that I can’t write an essay about.

Liam comes for everyone straight out of the gate, doesn’t he? While I found the train cold open in chapter 2 exciting, I found this even more harrowing. With NPCs we barely know constantly imperiled, all the investigators are really sketched so clearly right off the bat with their actions rather than their more open explanations later. I love that all of them lean heavily into being out of their depth, even sometimes making poor choices because of it. The players are aware they are in a horror game. The characters are not.

So let’s talk about those characters:

MALCOLM TRILLS

Imari Williams was the player at the table I had no prior experience with, and I love what he’s doing here. He puts his whole body into acting out the scene, even at the table. Even before we know he was a Sole Survivor of a massacre during the war (and I found it deeply entertaining that Imari couldn’t help but dump his backstory all over the floor. Liam’s gently encouraging everyone to hold it back for dramatic moments, and Imari is just so excited he’s like “NO! HERE IT IS!” not once but twice in the very first episode), we knew that. Because Imari is clearly dedicated to acting that out through what Malcolm chooses to do. He believes in saving others, especially after losing his entire squad. He has to do it, even (or maybe especially) for those civilians he doesn’t know. His entire point in being in Candela is saving people. So when Liam dunks two unnamed sailors in the ocean, Malcolm goes in. His friends are horrified. They love and value him, and they value him more than two randos. But to him, the randos are the point. Saving people is the point. So no matter how many disappointed dad-lectures he gets from Leo (and this is clearly not the first one he’s gotten), Malcolm is always going to be this way. He’s always going to try to play the hero in a horror setting, which is such a delicious choice for a horror player to make. Everyone at that table knows how perilous it is, but Imari is fully committed, and I love it.

We already know a lot of his background, but there are things we don’t know. We don’t know his relationship with his family, or why Leo is so disdainful of the Trills as a group. There seems to be an implication that the Trills are old money in Newfaire, perhaps, or at least a legendary family for other reasons. And apparently reckless heroism is a family trait. But what does Malcolm do in his day-to-day? He’s the one we don’t have a career or life for back in Newfaire yet, and I am interested to see who he is when he’s not playing the hero for Candela.

LEO AMICUS

I love the description of “I’m going to lie a little and say ‘early forties’” as an explanation for Leo’s age. It tells me a lot about his character right off the bat. We know he’s older (but not how much) and that he doesn’t want to admit he’s older. There’s just a touch of vanity already there, and given that he’s also a man in a dressing gown on a ship in a severe storm, who thinks that his presence is deeply inappropriate? Who asks if there’s a bar on a tramp steamer? We know so much about Leo already, and I love it all. Taliesin plays a dandy so well, his table reactions are so expressive, and it’s so clear that a setting like this is NOT where Leo shines. He shines in social situations, in parties and bars and places where his charms mean something beyond keeping a crewmember calm long enough that she can be knocked unconscious. But he’s so great in being totally overwhelmed and being useless in an action sequence.

And once the storm is over? We find out that Leo is very much the mother hen of the group (probably the oldest member). He knows Malcolm well, and treats Grimoria like a beloved niece. We haven’t gotten a lot of interactions between him and Edgar, but I’m excited to see what their relationship is like, as the two more cautious members of the group.

It was in his interactions with the other members of the circle that I realized how much like family this circle is. They are VERY close, despite ostensibly just being coworkers. There is such a deep care and concern for one another here and I love knowing how dangerous that also is in a horror game. And Leo is the one most open about his attachments here. We know he doesn’t have much blood family, and doesn’t talk to them. We know he looks at these people as his family.

And I love that, for that family, we see a REALLY different side of Leo. While he was overwhelmed and trying not to look at the blood on the boat, the second the Murphy girls (or whatever was masquerading as them) tried to murder Malcolm and the others, Leo was grabbing kitchen knives and trying to kill them. His perspective from his talk with Malcolm also remains consistent: you put your family first. When his family is threatened, meek Leo melts away and we have a man who will do whatever is necessary, kill whoever is necessary, or let anyone die to protect them. He seems to have few moral convictions, but an enormous amount of love, and that excites me for this character.

And I love that we actually know very little about him right now. We know he lives in Red Lamp (because of course he does) and that his apartment doubles as their chapterhouse. So he can be Team Dad at every meeting.

Also congrats to him for getting laid in the very first episode. Hot sailor dude propositions him, and Leo is all about that life. This Professional Man of Leisure is clearly gay catnip.

DR. EDGAR LYCORIS

I was so excited that Alex was finally going to be in a filmed Candela game (he was apparently one of the play-testers during its development, and it’s so clear he knows the rules). Dr. Lycoris is cool, calm, almost robotic in his presentation. He’s definitely a classic Alex character with his calm and his normal-guy-in-a-group-of-weirdos vibe (while secretly being very much a weirdo himself), and filled with casual competence and rudeness. But at the same time there are hints of how much he cares about this circle too. Him quietly calling Grimoria ‘Grim’ when she’s unconscious and he’s tending to her, telling her, “You can’t sleep forever, Grim,” in such a fond tone. The two of them clearly have some quiet history together, and there is a real softness between them that I’m excited to see them dig into as they get deeper into the game. There’s clearly a long-standing connection with Malcolm too, with both of them extremely aware of one another’s skills and weaknesses, working together seamlessly, especially in moments of extreme stress. I want to see more of these soft moments, these personal moments when his icy demeanor cracks, and I imagine we’re going to get plenty of them, given that THIS is how intense the first episode was.

He and Leo are the two characters we know the least about at this point. We know that Edgar is a surgeon working in the main hospital in Newfaire. We know that he is cool under pressure, and that he is both used to fighting (his immediate shift into using his scalpel as a precision weapon to go after arteries and tendons is such a nice touch for the character), but also can really be shocked by sudden violence (I love that he totally freezes after THAT happened to Declan’s mother). He states that he wears nice and fashionable clothing, but the clothing is almost wearing him rather than the other way around, like someone picked them out for him. I want to know who that other person is (is it Leo???). I want to know who he is when he’s not trying to wear what other people expect of him.

I am so excited to get to know Dr. Lycoris.

GRIMORIA

Likely a stage name, and I do wonder if we'll get her birth name, or if that even matters to her at this point. Mechanically, I am thrilled to see a Candela player try to homebrew a multiclass in this system. She’s essentially gone for a Medium/Magician hybrid. We know she works as a procurer of esoteric artifacts. She performs shows with smoke bombs, so likely is a stage magician, and that she has been able to channel spirits since she was a small child.

And we know that she’s 18. In a group in which consists of a man who is at least in his mid-forties, a man who is 32, and a man who is a surgeon (so has at least obtained advanced training, and is probably in his late twenties at minimum, and is likely in his thirties given the hints that he served as a battlefield surgeon during the war), Grimoria is YOUNG. Absurdly so. The guys care about her in a different way than they do one another. They look out for her in subtle ways, though are all very careful not to treat her as a child. The softness between her and Edgar is reflected in the overtly familial way that Leo talks to her, treating her like a very clever niece, but also the person he finds the most calming in the group. It’s fun to see that, even though he treats her as his relative, he doesn’t treat her as a child. She’s the one he goes to when he needs to clear his head. He just wants to listen to her read aloud. He finds talking with her soothing, and it’s clear why. She has a good head on her shoulders, and is rising to the occasion, so while he is caring for her, he also intrinsically understands her need to care for him as well. And Aimee really sells that in-between nature of being 18. It’s such a great portrayal of someone on the verge of being an adult, but not quite there yet. Someone her friends want to care for, but also want to treat like an adult and like any other member of the group. There is a tension in those relationships purely because of her age.

I also like that she’s the most pure investigator of the group. She’s the one who pushes for information, who has a burning desire to KNOW. And that’s a great flaw and danger for a character in a horror setting. The desire for knowledge in cosmic horror is so dangerous. Her willingness to channel spirits right off the bat is dangerous. She is, in her own quieter way, just as reckless as Malcolm and I love to see it. Aimee is throwing herself into this, playing a character who doesn’t know she has limits let, and is eager to push every boundary. I can’t wait to get to know her even more.

CONCLUSIONS

I love that we have two cautious characters and two reckless characters. I love that we have a balance, and we have a group that instantly portrays exactly how close they all are to one another. We’re not sure how these bonds were forged, but they are so well portrayed and so clear. These people love one another. They would do terrible things for one another, and I can’t wait to see what they go through together.

Count me very excited and very eager for next month’s addition to their story (and count me already sad we only get three episodes with them).