#ad astra✨

[justalittlelogophile]

Mountains, where man gets to brush his fingertips against the heavens.

With the Lights Out ~ Michael Bollino

[justalittlelogophile]

Thoughts

It’s hard to explain my thought process

A galaxy filled to the brim with stars bursting into life in an explosions of shapes and colors

All interconnected through delicately and painstakingly woven spiderwebs

And somehow I have to fit that immeasurable heaven through this here mouth?

Or put said thoughts to application through this here measly vessel that merely contains my soul?

Is it any wonder then that every attempt to try to explain or paint this expanse is woefully inept

Often coming out rushed, disorganized, random and even slightly crazed?

To the point it’s become my mark of ridicule? A quirk of mine for the rest of the populace to shake their heads with those wry smiles on their faces

Making me feel awkward and ashamed as I try desperately to explain the wonder that I experience

And yet knowing my poor attempt will never do its grandeur justice, and so I end up just falling silent.

Can you imagine the fervor in which it takes to try and contain this? Especially as it expands and fills with time

Can you imagine now my sense of wonder and awe throughout the years of my attempted endeavors at said containment

When someone ends up taking the time to ask

“Hey.

Talk to me.

What’s going on inside that beautiful mind?”

~Po✨

[huginsmemory]

On ad astra per aspera ✨

Can we talk about the repeated use of ad astra per aspera? Cause uhhhh it shows up twice, once on the website and once in the Book of Bill, and OH BOY this has connotations, both for Bill and Ford's relation in the literal and figurative meaning on the word, and for Bill's own history:

(extra addition added 16/09/2024! 🌝 )

First, in the website (if I recall correctly) if the phrase ad astra per aspera is inputted into the computer, you get the two pages on Bill's 'funeral':

And within, in the pages, at the very end before signing there names is the phrase itself (highlighted in red) .

Secondly, a joke version of it is seen in the Book Of Bill, specifically on the night where Bill and Ford fucked 'one thing led to another':

In this one, it's clearly a joke off of aspirin used for his hangover, used again to close the entry.

Now the phrase ad astra per aspera itself means 'through suffering to the stars', which also has... wider connotations then just these two piece alone, which I'll unpack later. But first, the interesting choice of connection of these two pieces;

Both times the phrases occur, they occur closing the entry; a bit too much of a coincidence to me (and in this fandom there is no such thing as a coincidence). Considering that the 'one thing led to another' night is a night that was important to their relationship as it hints at the intimacy they had with each other, it showing up again in Ford's 'funeral' entry about Bill feels very much like an allusion to that night. Especially considering in the funeral entry Ford is very open about how much he cared about Bill, with how he at one point "considered him the centre of his life". The entry from Ford reads as someone who is moving on, and part of this is acknowledgement of the grief and sadness for the more positive part of the abusive relationship that he lost. As a result, having him acknowledge the intimacy of their relationship, it makes sense for him to tongue in cheek allude back to his first writing down of the phrase, where they were quite clearly implied to fuck be intimate.

While it alludes to their Bill and Ford's intimacy, the literal and metaphorical meaning of the phrase also rings true here; through suffering to the stars. If we talk literally, then through Ford's relationship with Bill, something that ultimately was full of suffering, he built the portal, and ended up wandering the myriad worlds out there in space; one may say out there among the stars. He literally was out there wandering the stars as a result of suffering.

Now metaphorically, the phrase means through suffering/adversity one gains beautiful/worthwhile things. Considering this entry is Ford moving on from Bill, this is very apt; again, their relationship caused Ford immense suffering, and as he is now letting that relationship and suffering go, he's instead prioritizing creating healthy relationships with Stanley, the other twins and Fiddleford (the something beautiful and worthwhile part!). In fact, the entry on Bill's funeral is half on him strengthening his relationship with Mabel, the shooting star, another layer of wordplay; case in point about the healthy relationships. He's weathered through his abusive relationship, to discover and create a loving family.

It doesn't quite end there however; although that's fairly it for specifically Ford and Bill's relationship, we also haven't talked about what the stars mean to Bill himself. Which, well; it's very clearly implied that Bill accidentally killed everyone in his dimension in an attempt to show his parents (and other people in his dimension) the stars. And on top of that, to quote; "I looked up and saw the stars. And I was ready to become one of them". Which he then in a way, becomes, considering the page in journal 3 on constellations, in which Ford remarks that one of his favourite constellations is the constellation 'William' (obviously Bill). It's a bittersweet immortalization of himself after everything that occurs around trying to see the stars for Bill.

So I find it very interesting that for Ford, a phrase about suffering and stars is something he ends up correlating to his relationship with Bill, considering that to Bill, to get to the stars is something he deeply suffered for as a result. It's also important to note that Bill's suffering was something that occurred out of love, and ultimately an attempt to be understood and create a deeper relationship with his parents where they could trust him. And then for Ford, all this while later, to look up to the stars (to see them) and to see the Bill constellation and go 'oh that's one of my favourites' is fulfillment. Because Ford during that time trusted and cared deeply for Bill, fulfilling that relationship of trust, love and understanding(at least surface level, considering the way they banter together), that Bill had yearned for when he was younger and killed his plane.

So all in all(tldr): ad aspera per astra, (through suffering the stars), is quite the fun phrase to unpack in regards to Bill and Ford's relationship, considering the deliberate reference to the phrase on the entry about the night 'where one thing led to another' and Bill's funeral entry. The phrase is a combination of references; tongue in cheek allusion to the intimacy, but also references to the literal (space fugitive) and figurative (abusive relationship, to loving family again pipeline) hardships Ford endured as a result of the relationship. There is also irony in the way that Ford seems to correlate this phrase about suffering and stars with Bill and his relationship, considering that out of an effort to be understood and share the stars with his parents, Bill accidentally killed his whole dimension; later he also made a constellation of himself. As well, as Ford says that one of his favourite constellations is a constellation that's clearly Bill in Journal 3, it alludes to that Bill's wish to show his parents the stars and be recognized is fulfilled by Ford (pre-portal incident that is).

EDIT: extra details added on the constellation piece as of Aug 14 2024 (less than 24 hours after og posting, because I'm deranged). Big thanks to @bowl-o-nudel for the nudge :)

Edit (16/09/2024): I've had a few people say that the saying has appeared in Journal 3 multiple times, and having reread journal 3, to my delight it is indeed correct! And oh the CONTEXT they give. The two instances are those seem below; the first appearance in the title page of Journal 3, and second time is a page from when the twins graduate.

As well as all the parallels of how the phrase is applied for both Bill and Ford, as @zoizyboigy suggested, it seems to be a phrase that Ford takes as his own motto. It seems to be a highly personal motto to him; after all, they all are written around important turning moments in Ford's life; graduating, the journals which where to be his ticket to fame, fucking a triangle finding acceptance and intimacy with Bill , and lastly, moving on in his life from Bill and his destructive obsession with recognition. 

And it makes sense WHY this motto is one that is highly personal to Ford; the first time it is seen chronologically is when he's graduating, chosen when he believes he's going to be accepted into the university. It's a motto he chose because he was excited, because he thought he was already through his suffering and arriving to the stars of his fancy university, where validation and acceptance would abound; only that doesn't happen, and the suffering part within the motto is the only thing that's accurate, especially as that's when he rejects Stan. It's a motto chosen in celebration, that becomes a reminder of the failure to become someone who is accepted and important (and his prioritization of validation over relationships); it's now something he holds that reminds him of the validation he believes he deserves and he obsessively chases. 

And that's why you see it in the journal pages, because these journals are going to change his life, he's going to become finally a person of importance and be accepted with the information he's compiled in the journals. And in the same way, you see it after Bill (and interdimensional being of ancient knowledge) and him are intimate; he's become someone of importance to Bill, he's been accepted by Bill, even attractive to Bill (romance Ford seems to have terrible luck in).

And that's why you see it at the end of Ford's farewell to Bill; it's another turning point, it's Ford letting his obsession with world validation go which characterized it's meaning from the beginning, Ford letting go of his relationship with Bill, which it also came to mean, and instead celebrates his acceptance within his family and the strengthening of those bonds, and of prioritizing healthy, loving relationships.

Ps, if you enjoyed this meta post, I've also made another one, on exceptionalism!

[desertduality]

pov you're gods favorite ✨💞

(once again attempting fanart for my own fic - ad astra)

[senyafern]

Ad astra abyssosque!✨

(a little magic with color and the stand version is ready)

[headcazed]

for your cc requests, can you draw the original ad astrans or zoevid (Zoe x Jones)??? They are my favorite things about cc fr (sorry if I don't have a specific scenario, my mind doesn't think of anything rn)

[REQUESTS] Ad Astra Fanart!!

here's another of those "I've been itching to use this photo/reference blablabla" (see more below) and "trust the process" but this time, it comes to shading... but woo!! I'm finished and at least it didn't take me 20+ hours cough cough my 2023 ad astra fanart on Instagram... it only took me 7 hours to draw this. I hope you like this!!

additional notes: this will be spoilers for the next art, not requests, but art. i've already told akira about this, but it's a zoevid related one. you're not gonna like what i'm about to do because i'll be drawing angst once i'm done with these requests!!

this'll be my last drawing for this year, 2024, and i'm honestly amazed i drew so much for this past few weeks. thank you to those supporting me!! i wish you all nothing but, the happiest new year!! ✨💋

this is the reference, or the original photo from the game itself... whatever you call it, but I'm honestly happy I got to recreate this photo of them!! (I love them sm aaaaaaaaa)

[squawkshowencore]

PJ Masks: Romeopolis AU

Romeo Mécano succeeded in turning Tarabiscoville into his own private city. All night time villains gain enhanced Cyberpunk augmentations and new mechanical features to their powers. The Pj Masks (not including Power Heroes) are now outcasts and spend their lives hidden away from constant surveillance of the flybots.

•••

AU Characters:

1) PJM Romeo:

Romeo D’Amour > Romeo Mécano

2) PJM Luna Girl:

Lunamaria Kore > Sorceline

3) PJM Night Ninja:

Natsuki Mikage (夏希 御影)

4) PJM Lilyfay:

Layla Fabel > Lilyfay Ad Astra

‘Lilyfay going to the stars’

5) Juliet Arsenault (Romeo’s distant cousin), the only character who isn’t in the original PJM show.

•••

What do you think? 🤔✨

*Further backstory and name explanations will be in another post!

[rontra]

sic itur ad astra, pages 140-144

to stay on the path, knowing where it leads.

i've been looking forward to this specific sequence for a while... overall this update was very concerned with where kirsten is at right now, so it was fun to poke into her goofy mind<3

anyway this is my AU comic where saria stomps on the brakes right when kirsten gets the keys in the ignition and now no one is happy. you can read the whole thing here ✨

[loll3]

✷Ad Astra ©Lolle (2024) 🌝🌜🌞✨

👉🏻 a brand new celestial themed design currently available on REDBUBBLE | TEEPUBLIC | THREADLESS 🤍🌙

✧ I made these illustrations as preparatory drawings for my Major Arcana series at the beginning of the year…Moons, Stars and Suns are among my favourite subjects to draw…so I decided to collect them all into a dreamy pattern design! 🌞 and I’ve to say that they looks great on the wide range of products currently available on my other stores! ⭐️

- - - -

✧ “Ad Astra” ©Lolle (2024) | media : sakura micron pens (different sizes) on mixed media paper 200gr + photoshop editing || ©please, don’t use/modify without permission • don’t repost without credits ♡

[serendark]

ok ok SO! what are your favorite gf fics you've read??? I think it's super rad you've sorted them into categories!! ✨

:D :D Thank you!

Okay okay so, the ones I've marked as my favorites were pulled aside into their own alphabetical lists outside of the original categories, but I'll mark down here what category they're from too!

I'll start off with just my current top favorites in this reply, and can put together a post with my secondary favorites later if/when you want. ^^ I didn't expect to write so much this time, and might try to hold back a little in the next one.

Fic entries in my big list all include the title of the fic, the word count and chapter count, the author name, and a summary (usually just copied from their AO3 page, though not always)!

There are so many fics I've liked and enjoyed a whole a lot; these are the ones that stand out the most to me as especially excellent for often personal reasons and biases.

⭐Ad Astra Words: 103,406 | Chapters: 18/? (Queen_Mab) Dipper just wanted to close the portal. He didn't want the world to be destroyed. He didn't mean to push Mabel in before it closed. [Portal-Related AUs: Drifting Stars] ----------

This was one of the first Drifting Stars AU fics I ever read, which was also back before I had read very many fan depictions of Ford's character. The more Drifting Stars stories I read afterward, the more this fic stood out as especially unique among them, with various qualities I hadn't seen anywhere else until Maviigirl's "Among the Stars" came along more recently. (I'm pretty sure Among the Stars will end up being added to this list once the sequel finishes <3)

I loved how the town of Gravity Falls as a whole and the people there felt like as much of a living, relevant, entity as what was actually going on beyond the portal with Ford and Mabel, who are usually the only focus in these fics.

What really stood out to me was the author's handling of the Nightmare Realm and dimensional travel and the prose they use, which is... hard for me to describe, but it's so mystical and otherworldly and abstract in a way, like it's very artsy but ethereal and alien all at once! It's just awesome! This fic also goes to some... darker and I suppose edgier places, when it comes to Bill being an active threat, but I really dig that and don't mind that it's not to the tone of the show. I think this fic was also what originally made me fall in love with the idea of Pacifica, as part of finding her own identity and rebelling against her parents, pushing herself to work with animalcare like for llamas (heh) or horses or the like.

I'm also a huge fan of story moments where a character essentially hallucinates people from their past like ghosts who remind them of their mistakes and try to put them down. Let's just say that I really, really liked a certain location that Ford and Mabel ended up at once, hehe. I remember being a big fan of the progression of Ford and Mabel's bond, the different places they went to, and the experiences they had been having, in addition to how cool it was to me to see Pacifica and Gideon's involvement.

Honestly it's been a while and I've read so many fics since this one, I should really reread it sometime and see how it holds up, especially now that I feel like I understand Ford as a character better. I anticipate it still being on this list and very awesome, which is all the more reason to reread it, haha!

⭐A Shock to the System Words: 3,627 | Chapters: 1/1 (MaryPSue) It starts with little things. Minor anomalies, things Ford can - and does - easily brush off. But as their number grows, he finds himself growing more and more uneasy. Something here isn't right. [Sea Grunkles: Adventures] ----------

This one... It was hard for me to understand why this one stuck with me SO much. I think a big part of it is that I just generally love the idea of what Ford goes through here! But I also rather like how the presentation is handled throughout the course of the fic, and how the... tone, and atmosphere evolve as the situation continues to unfold and the characters sit on it? It's such a short fic but feels like an excellent and well-delivered slice that I am dying to be able to read more of because it's just that compelling! I like the ending. That scene with the blood sample is something I still think about surprisingly often.

⭐by the skin of your teeth Words: 70,144 | Chapters: 10/10 (apathetic_revenant) In which Ford's attempt to survive entirely on caffeine and paranoia suffers some pitfalls, and things happen differently in 1982. [Canon Divergence: Researcher & Mullet Pines 80's Era] ----------

This was one I heard mentioned around the community repeatedly before I finally got around to reading it recently, and that was a fantastic decision. I really like how the author handled the interactions and emotional minefield surrounding Ford, Stan, and Fidds. Honestly I was shocked when I saw the year this fic was written, because it has various qualities or observations that are so astute that I would have believed you if you told me the author had read The Book of Bill prior to writing, haha.

I really just thoroughly enjoyed this experience all the way through, but something that stuck with me after I finished was how.... simple things ended up being, in a way? It wasn't convoluted or overly complex or out of left field, and the resolutions or ideas it went with and how those were handled just.... made sense, and were very effective in their simplicity. While also being unique compared to other 80's era fics I've read, even! By the end I found this to be a very cathartic and satisfying fic. That one scene with Ciphord and Fidds is still rent free in my head.

⭐Déjà Vu Words: 59,043 | Chapters: 13/13 (interlude) He wakes up in the backseat of his car on the morning of the day he went to see Ford. Then he wakes up again. And again. Stan and Ford get stuck in a time loop on the day of the portal incident and are forced to work through some things. [Canon Divergence: Researcher & Mullet Pines 80's Era] ----------

I LOVE HOW THIS FIC HANDLES THE TIME LOOP STUFF AHHHH

okay okay so like. Because the time loop forces the brothers back together, essentially, they are able to really scream and yell and have multiple poor-communication relationship-destroying arguments at each other that bare their own insecurities, hearts, and misconceptions all the while, and yet their relationship isn't actually destroyed because they can't actually leave each other, which gives them time to cool their heads and talk again. I liked how varied the arguments felt, and there was this sense of forward progression where, as more arguments happened, the closer both brothers got to actually understanding each other deeply and finally managing to let themselves be honest and vulnerable. Like peeling back the layers the more they talked? And they come out so much better for it, and with so much love for each other, by the end.

I'm also really fond of how the time loop in this scenario, due to how it works, has an.... interesting interaction with the way Bill's typical possession contract with Ford works, and I like Ford's own response as he, well, realizes this, and what that does for him exactly. Additionally, this fic is entirely from Stan's POV which I think really highlighted how he was coming into this situation with no information. All he has to work with, all we can see him work with, is based on his own observations and whatever it is that Ford communicates to him intentionally or not, so Stan has a lot of incomplete information or incorrect first impression biases of stuff. I know some people wish this fic had more Ford, but in my experience I feel like he was characterized as strongly and profoundly as Stanley was, precisely because of how the POV is handled and how Ford and Stan interact with each other and evolve over the course of the fic.

I think some people think there's out of character stuff in this fic? I'm honestly not sure, I suspect it has to do with some of the arguments that happen. IMO though if you dislike some of the arguments or points of contention, there's also so many more that the fic brings up and goes over-- so the complete picture by the end is made up of multiple varied parts instead of just being defined by any one argument as the whole point of the story, per say, which smooths anything over for me, personally.

⭐Greyscale Words: 11,713 | Chapters: 1/1 (impish_nature) The world lost a lot of its colour the day it happened. Weirdmageddon ended with the world taking a sacrifice, leaving the Pines family splintered and lost. An unexpected visitor on the Shack's doorstep might be the healing salve they need to process their grief. [Portal-Related AUs: Reverse Portal, Portal Stan] ----------

God, this fic still messes me up. I don't want to spoil it but like, just look at the category: Portal Stan. I... really like how the conversations and relationship developments are by the end, and just how impactful and meaningful Stan's presence is despite him being in the wrong place. It's like he's a messed-up ghost of their recent tragedy that helps them all find the emotional stability and enough peace to be able to accept moving on, despite how terrible the situation is. I love how much like Stan that, well, Stan is, despite him being an outsider and without personal connections to any of these people when he arrived, especially the niblings.

⭐Journal #4 Words: 181,798 | Chapters: 43/43 (Percival_T_Honeybee) In an alternate dimension where Stanley went with Ford into the Nightmare Realm, the two of them are separated in the vast multiverse. While Ford searches for a way to defeat Bill Cipher, Stanley looks for his brother and a way back home. The multiverse is an unpredictable, dangerous, and absurd place, but the Pines twins will have to find a way to adapt to it--or die trying. [Portal-Related AUs: Portal Stans] ----------

This fic is a JOURNEY, good lord. It might also be the first GF fic where I got that invested in OCs. They don't take away from Stan and Ford's characters and stories, oh definitely not, this fic is just huge and the multiverse is huge and there's a lot of situations that warrant our dork twins interacting with other people, willingly or not, and some of these people are around for the long haul. I think what really sold this fic to me was how it ends, how the entire resolution was handled. It felt like such a good and satisfying bow on what was already a good story, really cementing its identity, I think. I swear the Quantum Destabilizer is fated to never actually work out in almost every fic, lmao. That scene with both Stans near the end... my heart, dude, oh my god. I really like how this fic handles the idea of the multiverse with regards to how this fic exists alongside the actual show canon, which I can't say I've seen depicted very often in ways I super like; I'm usually just kinda neutral on it? but I think it's awesome here. Honestly the depiction of the multiverse itself in this fic isn't one that I usually think of as a favorite either, but it's just awesome here, again. This fic just does things right for me.

⭐Stan Pines Words: 13,901 | Chapters: 1/1 (dotYoo) Stanley has memory gaps because his mind hasn’t finished piecing itself back together, and Ford doesn’t recognize Stanley’s ticks and quirks because he picked up new ones while they were out of contact. There are plenty of reasonable explanations for Stan’s behavior. Weirdmageddon is over, the kids are back home, everyone is recovering nicely, and Stanley is the town hero. Ford would know if he was dealing with someone else. Right? [Post-Canon: Amnesiac Stan-Related] ----------

This fic.... I can't say anything, I must hold my tongue. I just really like the ideas!! I got to the end and I just had to sit there for a while and go back to reread some sections! I'm rather fond of what the... uh.... "solution" ends up being...! I sure love being vague.

⭐Statement Abnegation Words: 87,201 | Chapters: 10/10 (Anonymous) Stanford Pines and Bill Cipher are impossibly entangled with one another, like a knot beyond unraveling. To break the bond between them would require cutting the knot out entirely, severing a large portion of each of them in the process. Or, Stanford knows about the barrier keeping Weirdmageddon contained prior to being captured, changing the course of the apocalypse. Statement Abnegation is a psychological horror novel following the complicated relationship between an imprisoned Ford Pines and his captor. [Billford: Post-Betrayal] ----------

THIS FIC. DUDE. Every time I think about the ending it just ruins me, oh my godd. I enjoyed it throughout but the ending really cements this fic as fantastic. I just.... where do I even begin? This fic is an actual, terrible, fantastic, wretched, nightmare, and the way it ends is HAUNTING and gut-wrenching and just so messed-up yet makes so much sense as the followup to the throughlines we've been seeing develop throughout the fic prior to that point. It hurts me. It hurts me so much and I adore it for it but, but!!! ahhhh. There's a lot about how the..... situation develops that stands out to me as pretty darn cool. Like, I damn near hollered when certain conversations or events happened, repeatedly, and it was just so interesting, and I had so many questions about where things were going.

People have different opinions but IMO this is a very very bad (as in negative rather than positive) and very very tragic ending that's trying to roleplay as a bittersweet or happy one and you should not fall for Bill's narrative!!! sorry. sorry. I just. ,,,,,, I had to stew on it and think about it for a long time and it's still in my head.

Mind the tags on this one, please, this is a fic that has some fangs. Also, this fic is mostly SFW but there is some narratively meaningful NSFW at some point, if that is the sort of thing that might be a dealbreaker for, well, this context. Thank you Billford for always being so wholesome and healthy ahahaha pain. :)))

⭐State of Dreaming Words: 8,374 | Chapters: 1/1 (SandyQuinn) The landscape reminds Stanford of something. Despite the fact that his brother is a constant source of bafflement and annoyance and annoyed bafflement, Stanford feels a little grateful, a little relieved, at how easily the bickering makes him remember how to be a human again. [Other AUs: One of Us AU] ----------

This fic feels like it was specifically made to hurt me specifically. I'm... how do I even talk about this one. I finished reading it and had to sit there. It stuck to my head like some kind of sick glue that I couldn't stop thinking about. My favorite aspects of it would be mega spoilers to talk about, but I've gotta, so I'll do it in a general sense. Or try to, anyway.

Spoilers for Madoka Magica incoming. So, you know in Madoka Magica how Witches have their own Labyrinths that are like these reality marbles made up of the nightmares of the girl who became the Witch, to continually torment her? And how Rebellion is mostly like that for Homura except for much of the film it's secretly pretending like it's completely normal and isn't a fucked up reality marble at all? Um. So. so. uh. Mabeland. I like thinking of Mabeland as kind of a similar sort of thing for Mabel. Similar to the Magia Record anime where Iroha's Doppel keeps her trapped in her Doppel dream reality marble thing before Yachiyo and Kuroe rescue her out of it. Iroha was pulled into hers as an escape from the terrible reality and difficult emotions she was going through; her Doppel kept her in a gilded cage full of illusions of fake but wonderful dreams to try and protect her. Not that dissimilar from Rebellion, exactly.

And I will repeat again, Mabeland. I really like this stuff. Anyway what if someone had complete control of this type of contained, caged reality, and what if..... things about this caged reality began to change, and change the owner in turn, and there were influences here that... people in it didn't realize until the changes were already happening, and maybe someone who thought they were in control ended up emotionally trapped in it and not in as much control as they thought......

Also depictions of Ford when he has.... ascended past being, or being able to be, a human because of the power he's been given by joining Bill's side... god. How his connections with his loved ones grow more tenuous by the day, and maybe even.... feel less important, tragically, despite where his original intents started, but he doesn't let them go either, but he's. well. mentally and soulfully trapped and caught up in something terrible.

This fic's summary was just a quote from the beginning, which I replaced with a different quote of my choosing from elsewhere in the fic which... just sits really right with me, I guess, when I think about this fic.

Also, NSFW warning for some Billford. Mind the tags ^^

This fic just left me feeling lost and dazed at the end in some kind of remarkable way.

⭐Studio Space Words: 2,868 | Chapters: 1/1 (thesnadger) It's the future. Mabel's older, possibly wiser and away at college when she gets an assignment that sends her back to the summer of 2012. [Post-Canon: Piedmont]

----------

I LOVE THIS FIC AHHHHH

I adore how much care and eye for detail was put into the exact depiction of, well, Mabel creating a triptych of Mabeland and what that means for her at the age she is now, looking back at back then. This fic is actually from the POV of one of her classmates, who doesn't know Mabel very well iirc but starts to develop more of an understanding as she witnesses Mabel's approach to this project over the course of hardworking days full of Mabel also being on call with the people she loves, family and friends alike, offering her their support. I like how Mabel reflects on it, and where she takes it in the end. I have a huge soft spot for further depictions and explorations of Mabel's character when it comes to Mabeland, and how Mabeland may have stuck with her after the summer. This is just an awesome fic.

⭐Theseus' Guide to Ruining a Perfectly Good Boat Words: 70,862 | Chapters: 7/8 (stump_not_found) Stan's got his brother back, at least, but Stanford isn't the same as Stan remembers. Looks the same, sure, talks the same, absolutely - but he's got a 'professional working relationship' with Bill Cipher that Stan'd really rather not interrogate. Stan and Ford must now find a way to kill Bill, get the family back to Earth, and try to keep the ghosts of their past from tearing them apart. Again. Same boat, different planks, and neither one can deal with their own reflection in the water. Well, whatever. They can handle this. [Canon Divergence: Summer 2012] ----------

My primary first impression of this fic was that I really liked how it handled the tone and character writing, it just feels so thoughtful and perfectly silly yet serious and, like.... amazingly in character I guess? Or rather, their personalities are SO vivid! I found that I had a rather strong positive impression, at the least, with what the fic does with them. As I caught up on the first couple chapters and followed along with new ones, I found myself feeling very impressed with how this fic was presenting the situation and handling the characters within it. Every chapter feels so planned, and pieces that are mentioned are relevant again later as more of the situation and our understanding of it unfolds around and with the characters. I really like the whole theming this fic has going on with the title, chapter titles, the boat metaphor compared to Stan, etc, and the art is really cool.

It also has some very fun Billford which I completely did not expect when I started reading this fic, so that's been nice, haha. I'm always a sucker for cool depictions of Portal Era Ford and this fic has so much of that. I'm STILL thinking about that damn golden Cipher statue, oh my god, it's ridiculous how much you could analyze that thing and what it means here and it's wonderful. I haven't checked the author's tumblr but I'm pretty sure the final chapter is coming out like any day now? They haven't taken very long to come out, I feel like I recall, so I would not be surprised to see ch 8 suddenly drop in my email inbox (would have been ridiculously funny if it happened while I was writing this lmao). Even if it takes a while, I'm eager and can happily wait for forever. I hope the author takes the time they need.

⭐Triptych Words: 1,117 | Chapters: 1/1 (scribefindegil) Men like Stanley Pines are born tragedies, and tragedies don’t get happy endings. Two times this was true, and one time, miraculously, it wasn't. Musings on Stanley Pines' lives. [Canon Compliance / Mid-Canon] ----------

I ADORE the way this fic puts Stan and Ford together as opposite weights on a scale that balance each other out-- Stan being the one who flies too low to the sea, Ford being the one who flies too close to the sun, and they need each other for counterbalance or else they drive themselves to doom or are driven to doom by how they struggle to deal with the cards they've been dealt. I'm a huge fan of the whole concept of including Stan in Ford's Icarus metaphor, and I really love all the ways you can read into components like Stan feeling like he's dragging others down into the sea with him because he's that much of a screwup and ruins everything he touches, not super dissimilar to how one can read Ford's self-blame and guilt about how all he can ever manage to do is burn his loved ones and every good thing he's ever tried, pulling them into his mess.

I'm really endeared to the sentiment that these brothers need each other, to help each other be less like the bad and wounded parts of themselves, if that makes sense? I don't think it's impossible for either of them to have lived happy lives apart from each other or with more distance than when they were kids, exactly, had things not exploded in all the ways that they did, but I really do love pushing these two that close together in such meaningful ways and thinking about what that means, including how them not being together might be fundamental to them both reaching what I think of as the lowest parts of their individual lives: Stan hiding from Rico, and Ford hiding from Bill-- and Ford saving Stan from Rico unintentionally/accidentally by sending him the postcard, only for Stan to unintentionally/accidentally save Ford from Bill by pushing him in the portal, in a way.

('Save' in the sense that I don't exactly have confidence that Ford was actually going to survive the paranoid era if Stan did take the book and leave, and I would not be surprised in the slightest if he was actually planning or would eventually resort to suicide to finally remove his body as a tool for Bill to use. Sure Stan pushing him into the portal landed him in the Nightmare Realm literally right there by Bill more than Ford had ever been, but you get what I mean. We also don't exactly know much about Stan's situation with Rico or whoever else was chasing him, but I like to think that he was really, truly at the end of his rope when he received Ford's postcard. Truly in virtually the same sort of profoundly shitty and terrifying situation like Ford was after Bill's betrayal especially, that was ready to swallow him if he made so much as one misstep.)

⭐Wasting Away Again in the Goldilocks Zone Words: 405,100? | Chapters: 79/? (ckret2) Bill escapes his postmortem imprisonment via an unauthorized reincarnation—but half his powers are sealed off and the Pines family immediately captures him. He has until the Pines can obtain a god-executing weapon to escape the Mystery Shack, his body, or death row. No prob! He can befriend his captors; but THEY'LL never befriend HIM— enter Mabel Pines, with Ford watching closely. And by the end of summer, all of Gravity Falls is befriending Bill Cipher. A story about a soul trapped in a body it doesn't fit; the psychic scars left on children whose parents ask them to be adults; giving a monster a second chance he doesn't deserve but needs; and Bill getting cursed to forget how doorknobs work. [Post-Canon] ----------

Truth be told I'm not super into reading fics on Tumblr itself and will choose AO3 instead every time, but I kept seeing posts about this fic on my dash and, eventually, when it had like half as many chapters as it did now, I spontaneously began reading it. (As a note, it is on AO3 now! Far behind, but it'll catch up eventually.)

My first impression was that this fic was spectacularly hilarious. I was SO amused by the whack situation and seeing what the characters were doing and feeling about it. It just really tickled my funny bone and I just felt like I was having so much fun as I read! Then I kept reading, and kept reading, and I was very impressed as I began to realize how much this fic is about mindful, meaningful, and serious (and not serious) character development and story progression. It wasn't just a funny fic, it was really really competent and informed and executed really well across the board and it felt so satisfying to keep reading and seeing where things would go and develop further!

I think one of the early (or early-ish? not sure) experiences for me that really solidified this fic and my enjoyment of it was the whole thing pertaining to Ford and Mabel's trip to the crystal shop. More recently, one of my favorite chapters bar none is the 'Bill escapes from the Theraprism' one (which can be read standalone btw!!!! wink wink. ch 6.) My absolute favorite highlight of this entire story so far is the finale of season 1, ending at ch 60, which even inspired me to draw fanart (and my first ever human Bill in the process, haha).

I was also very pleasantly surprised to be treated to Billford in this fic. It's..... really not a fic that's about Billford so far, exactly, but what I mean are the depictions of Ford's character wrt what Bill used to mean to him and how hard it is to let go of that, and how Bill being back is, frankly, disturbing for many reasons. I think it was around the crystal shop stuff where Ford started talking to Stan about this stuff and I hollered, ahaha.

[zibiscusinfandoms]

Per aspera ad astra.✨🚀

[spiaem]

ad astra per aspera ✨💫🌟

[myownwholewildworld]

wip wednesday

thank you so very much to the lovely @almostfoxglove for the tag ✨ it's like a few minutes past midnight now but it's still wednesday somewhere else c: i do have a little snippet to share from my PER ASPERA AD ASTRA drabble series 👀 considering i already posted how the story ends (lmao fr...), i thought it would be good to share the beginning hehe. i started writing this months ago in spanish, so now i'm slowly chipping away at translating it into english. please enjoy :D

Marcus walked between the marble columns of a secluded hallway in the Domus Flavia, the public area of ​​the Imperial Palace on Palatine Hill, as if he was an umbra. He put one foot in front of the other automatically, his mind on a land more than six hundred Roman miles away.

The siege of the Dacian capital to the east had been especially bloody. The enemy had presented a good strategy; the thread of many souls being skewed by the Parcae on both fronts. Among them, that of his own son, Augustus. At eighteen years old, he had been a great military promise, the best candidate to one day replace his father.

If Marcus closed his eyes, he could still remember Augustus’ warm, battered body in his arms. His empty orbs, observing the infinite, reflected the horror of his last seconds in this world. A thick and rudimentary pilum protruding from his chest was a macabre picture Marcus would have trouble forgetting. Its tip so sharp, it had pierced through the segmented lorica with ease, embedding itself in his heart, blood still gushing out.

By the time Marcus’ knees hit the ground by Augustus’ side, Pluto had already claimed his son to join His ranks. The bloodshed had continued to unfold around him, a maddening dance of swords, as if the world had not just stopped —as if Marcus had not just lost the only reason that kept him standing.

His reality had just sunk into the blackest misery and the rest of humanity was there, present yet impassive, blind to his pain.

But there had been no time to grieve — not there, during his darkest hour.

np tags (i have already seen a few ppl on my dash doing this so apologies in advance if you're one!): @inept-the-magnificent @orcasoul @punkseyes @iknowisoundcrazy and anyone who wants to join in the fun!

[thecodecoven]

#4. Ad astra | Portada

Acá tienen el cuarto código para el codember2023 de @elalmacen-rp. Esto iba a ser un código para ficha de personaje, pero por cuestiones de tiempo terminó siendo sólo una portada. Quizá más adelante lo terminemos como lo teníamos pensado.

La imagen es cuadrada de 260px. Los iconos son de Bootstrap, si desean cambiarlos, acá está la biblioteca de iconos.

Si hay errores con el código, háganoslo saber por ask <3

i. No retires los créditos, por favor. ii. Los colores, fuentes, imágenes (backgrounds) son modificables. iii. No cambies la estructura o uses como base. iv. Si tienes dudas o necesitas soporte con los códigos, no dudes en enviarnos un mensaje. v. Like/reblog si la utilizas, nos ayudaría mucho ♥︎ vi. ¡Disfrútalos! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ～:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

Puedes encontrar el código en pastebin, sólo da click en el enlace. ✨

Inspiración en el link de source.

[desertduality]

Ad Astra Scar moodboard lmao ✨

Bonus Grian thinking about Scar ^

[astra-galaxie]

🌺🍕🥊❤️🍀🧠💎 for elijah young, our favorite bunny man :)

Another fan-fave OC of mine! He’s the OC I created to be Amy and Duncan’s father and Miriam’s ex-husband. Let’s see what answers I have to your request, Issy!

🌺- Do they have any love interest(s)?

Yup! Vukašin “Vuk” Zima-Valt is Elijah’s love interest and also Marina’s uncle in my series! You’ll be seeing the two again once we return to the present!

🍕 - What is their favourite food?

Ice cream. Elijah enjoys eating and drinking anything cold, but ice cream has always been his favourite. It's also a treat he and Amy have a shared love for, so that’s an added bonus! Duncan isn’t as big of an ice cream fan as his father and sister, but the three have plenty of treasured memories together involving the icy treat.

🥊 -What do they love to do? What do they hate to do?

Love: Prepare for Christmas! Christmas is Elijah’s favourite holiday, and he loves getting ready for it. From trimming the trees to decorating cookies, Elijah is in his element when the holiday rolls around! If he could have a Christmas tree up all year round, he would! (Not that there is anyone to stop him, so he may leave the tree up instead of packing it away this year…)

Hate: Going to parties. Elijah has been an introvert his whole life, and while he will attend parties, he prefers to stay for as long as minimally required and leave the first chance he gets! It's not that he hates people; it's just that the excitement can become too much for him, so he tries to avoid overstimulation. But if it's a small party with close family and friends, Elijah will always enjoy himself and can stay for hours with the right company.

❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories?

Holding his children for the first time. Elijah loves being a father, and when he held each of his children for the first time, his heart filled with so much love and pride that it felt like it could burst. And no matter how many times he holds one of his children or how big they get, he will never forget the tiny newborns they once were and the innocent wonder in their eyes as they explored the world for the first time.

🍀 - What originally inspired the OC?

The fact that I wanted Amy to have a relative who showed her love and whom she could rely on. After Duncan was arrested, we know she and Miriam struggled even more to have a good relationship (and personally, I’ve never liked Miriam), so I wanted to create my version of her other parent so Amy would have someone in her corner when times get tough. While Elijah and Amy have had their issues in the past, they have worked not to let them define their present and become a family again.

🧠 - What do you like most about the OC?

His design. It’s simple but cool, and I’ve always been a fan of the scar I gave him over his eye! I have a thing for giving important OCs unique eyes, whether it is through their colour or other things… I also like how, because of the necklace he wears (a mixture of pink, blue, and purple beads), he was made bisexual!

(Thank you, Ticcory, for making the connection and helping make the idea canon!)

💎 - Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC?

I don’t think I will. For one, he’s very important to Amy and many other characters, and while I do enjoy writing angst, I would hate to take Elijah from them. At least at this point in my series planning, he will survive! But who knows who I’ll end up killing off down the road? (Not me sometimes!)

Astra Fact: I recently decided to make Elijah’s birthday December 25th, so I guess this post is a Christmas gift to you guys and a birthday present to him!🎄🎁❄

And that’s a wrap! (Get it? Wrap? Wrapping presents? Ha! I’m hilarious… Not!😆)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!❄❤✨