#affinity reality communication

[jt1674]

[elysiansparadise]

Jupiter in the composite chart

🤍Jupiter in Aries🤍

Both will feel more energetic, motivated and ambitious with each other. You will feel that spark that will drive you to enjoy life intensely alongside each other. After a boring and tired day you will only need to see each other to feel that recharge of batteries and feel that impetus and strength returning to you. They will feel very good about themselves, their self-respect will improve and the mentality of making their boundaries respected and valued will emerge. Being with the other person will bring back your enthusiasm and you will both be motivated to try new and exciting things that you have always wanted to do. You will experience all kinds of exciting sensations and feelings.

🤍Jupiter in Taurus🤍

After starting this relationship, you will feel more confidence and more stability in your life. You will easily enter into your sensual and romantic energy and you will be able to better develop your patience. This relationship will give them calm and will give them both the feeling of having finally found that cozy spot where they are safe. Both will naturally evoke in the other the desire to shower the other with meaningful gifts, details and gestures. They will give what they receive in a practical sense and will allow themselves to be pampered by the other in every way. If you decide to start a business, the presence of others in your lives can be a great push to make your goals a reality.

🤍Jupiter in Gemini🤍

It is very likely that your partner brings out your most communicative, curious and fun side. Even if they are very quiet in their daily lives, this will not be the case when they are with each other. Your partner will make you feel comfortable to share and ask about all kinds of issues. Your lives will become more dynamic and entertaining with each other by your side. This connection will feel unique due to the enormous mental affinity they feel, they will connect in many aspects and learn a lot from each other. The other will become their partner in crime, they will trust a lot in what the other says and their words and advice will remain in their minds and hearts. When entering the relationship, manifesting will be easier for both of you.

🤍Jupiter in Cancer🤍

The tenderness and affection that they awaken in each other is sublime, and they felt it from the beginning of their connection. They both teach and help each other on an emotional level, accept and adore every part of their partner's heart. They make themselves feel that they are safe and that there is no reason to hide everything their heart and soul have to offer. They feel a fervent desire to care for, protect and be close to each other, they love to know each other completely and adore each other with all the energy they have. They feel enormous familiarity with the other, they may have the feeling of knowing each other before, likewise, they feel that the other knows perfectly what you need to be happy.

🤍Jupiter in Leo🤍

You will feel more confident in yourself, more free to show to the other who you really are, and you will feel that you can be happy next to your person, who will passionately love every side of you, even if you don't often show them or feel insecure about it. You two feel like you are dating your number one fan. There is a lot of desire between you, but also admiration and respect, because you see in the other a person who inspires you. They genuinely enjoy each other's company, as it adds excitement, joy and romance. They will learn what a generous relationship is in which the other person is willing to love you as intensely as you do. You will both feel very proud to call the other your partner, prepare to show off and be show off all the time!

🤍Jupiter in Virgo🤍

The devotion they feel for each other and the relationship is noticeable from the beginning, they will awaken the other's curiosity as well as that instinct to help and support at all times. They will feel more encouraged and motivated to give the best of themselves in all areas, the other will be a huge motivator in life. It will be easy for them to give themselves completely in the relationship. They will expand each other's knowledge. It is likely that they came into each other's lives to help and give direction and stability to the life of their special person. They will give the other the feeling that everything is finally in order, that they can be calm. Likewise, in this relationship they will always look for activities that they can do together, no matter how small it is.

🤍Jupiter in Libra🤍

Oh this couple loves each other, they know it, the world knows it. Love and flirting flow naturally between both, evoking the most romantic feelings in each other, even those they never imagined they would feel with someone. There is a strong sense of camaraderie and balance, no one gives more than the other, they seek to be reciprocal as much as they can. They will awaken the sensitive, delicate and considerate side of each other. Likewise, they will teach their special person to use both their heart and mind in a balanced way without shutting the other side. They will teach themselves to depend a little on each other and not do everything on their own, they will know that they can count on the other.

🤍Jupiter in Scorpio🤍

They will see and feel that they have finally found someone who, no matter how complex your inner world feels, will try to get to know you completely without judging, only with so much love to give. The other will give you a sense of power and confidence, you will feel capable of many things and you will be certain that you have finally found someone to whom you can give your trust. They will awaken the sensual and seductive side of the other, as well as this curiosity to know each other deeply, from skin to soul. With each other, you will feel that you can express those deep emotions and in addition, you will create a deep bond full of understanding and loyalty. They will want to be there for each other no matter what.

🤍Jupiter in Sagittarius🤍

Being together makes them feel like the luckiest people in the world, the happiest and most satisfied with their lives, they feel that they have everything they need and that they can easily get what they want. The other brings excitement, moments of joy and a feeling of wanting to live to the fullest into their lives. Worries fade away and instead, a burst of hope and happiness fills your spirit. They will learn to be bolder, to take things calmly and to enjoy life a little more. You will be able to talk about deep and personal topics with each other, and you will also learn to see things differently with each other's enlightening points of view. They will become more independent and playful with the presence of their person.

🤍Jupiter in Capricorn🤍

Both of you will become more realistic with the help of the other, more focused and may have this desire to truly commit to the relationship and the other. Their responsibility will grow considerably in this relationship and they will be able to face problems with maturity and assertiveness. They will feel the energy to go after what they want, their ambitions will grow and they will be excited to plan a future side by side. You will admire and inspire each other by your willingness to work hard and strive, and you will feel that you are capable of going far with each other's presence or encouragement. Many of those things that you once dreamed of will come true with the entrance of the other into your lives.

🤍Jupiter in Aquarius🤍

They will mutually teach each other to act autonomously, to not give importance to what others have to say or give their opinion. They feel that with each other they can express in an authentic and direct way what they feel. They will learn to be more independent and true to themselves. Being with each other makes you more open, more empathetic and more at peace with yourself. They will try many new things with each other and they will always have this willingness to listen to each other and try to understand each other no matter how different they may seem. They will tend to be more understanding and compassionate towards each other, both will be as one and will ensure to be fair in the relationship no matter what.

🤍Jupiter in Pisces🤍

This relationship will give them the impression of living a dream, emotionally there will be a strong connection and they will feel that the other understands them perfectly. They see in each other the muse that inspires them so much in their daily lives, and of course, to those who are artists. They will teach themselves to feel their emotions genuinely and they will give each other's hearts a feeling of pure love, calm and peace. The other has a calming effect on you and you will feel in paradise when the other is around. The other will help them believe that beautiful things can happen, it will give them certainty that the tender and romantic side of love is something they can and deserve to experience.

🤎Jupiter in the 1st house🤎

This relationship will make you feel blessed in many ways, many things in your personal lives will begin to feel like they are going well and you will feel very comfortable in the relationship. You will see life with better eyes, you will feel more vitalized and optimistic, likewise, you will feel better about yourself as a person. They will give each other a lot of strength and motivation to achieve what they set out to do, and they will feel that with each other they are unstoppable. They will see the other as a lucky charm and a ray of light in their life. They will be the advisor, support and driving force of the other, and they will also leave great teachings.

🤎Jupiter in the 2nd house🤎

You can gain a lot of stability in your life by being together, and not just financially but in general. Likewise, your self-esteem and sense of self-worth can increase greatly thanks to the presence of the other person. When they are together they feel like they have everything they need, they feel safe and they feel like they are at a very stable point in their lives. They teach themselves to be more generous and will share a lot with others. Both will help each other bring into the material world everything they once dreamed of, they will feel strong support from their partner and they will have the common vision of improving themselves on a personal level.

🤎Jupiter in the 3rd house🤎

Talking to each other will put you in a good mood easily. They will feel that they found someone who not only listens to their ideas, but also values ​​them and is interested in them. They will acquire a lot of knowledge in this relationship, they will learn endless things not only about love, but in general. They will admire the knowledge that the other has. They will feel that they connect mentally with each other like they do not with anyone. Stress and overthink will fade in this relationship, you will become more inventive and mentally active. You will feel that your ideas are better when you are with your partner. They will see things in a more positive way and bring a lot of joy to each other's lives.

🤎Jupiter in the 4th house🤎

One of the many beautiful things about this is the feeling of genuine happiness, comfort and the great trust they feel for each other. Positive lessons await them regarding emotions, they will learn to accept their needs thanks to the support of their partner. A duo full of love, happy memories and a lot of emotional and unconditional support. They will learn to express themselves better emotionally. With this person you can form a big and beautiful family, they may have similar visions about it. It will be very easy for you to give comfort and make the other person feel safe, protected and good emotionally. Emotional healing in this relationship will be an important topic.

🤎Jupiter in the 5th house🤎

The joy in your lives will expand with this relationship, which will fill you with a lot of romance, a lot of happiness and many experiences together as couples. You are likely to take many trips together and teach each other to enjoy their own hobbies. There will be a lot of flirting and regardless of the passing of the years, they will look as in love as the first day. They will feel more creative, more authentic and more spontaneous with each other's presence, they will feel comfortable showing their feelings. It may indicate good parenting and a similar vision regarding raising children. Your inner child will feel delighted with the other, very safe and loved.

🤎Jupiter in the 6th house🤎

You will feel more vitalized, stronger and you will add interesting and fun things to each other's routine. They can advance at work more easily from the beginning of the relationship. There will be something about you as a couple, be it your dynamic or your natural affinity that will make everyday things seem like something you could do together for a long time. They will feel better in health, both physically and mentally, after entering into this relationship and they will always make sure that the other is well. They will teach themselves to take better care of themselves. The other will show a lot of gratitude and appreciation for the other's actions.

🤎Jupiter in the 7th house🤎

This is a good indicator of marriage, since the coexistence between you plus the affinity, both romantic and in terms of values, makes you think that you have found the right person to take that big step. They see relationships in a similar way, and this bond, while feeling like a strong spiritual connection, feels like something dynamic, fun and eye-opening in many ways. Relationships can be difficult at times due to the degree of commitment, but with this placement, it will be easy to commit and love the other. Beyond just loving each other and feeling attracted, they will feel a high degree of respect and admiration towards their partner, whom they will see as a master.

🤎Jupiter in the 8th house🤎

They will awaken the most intense emotions in each other, they will know their darkside better and the other will love them deeply and totally. There is a high degree of devotion among you. This relationship will bring many positive changes, they will overcome traumas or emotional wounds together. Sex will be very important for this couple and very passionate and pleasant too. You will enjoy every part of the intimacy with each other, both sexual and non-sexual. When faced with relationship problems, they will always listen to each other and face them effectively, trying to make the other person feel good without losing honesty and love.

🤎Jupiter in the 9th house🤎

This relationship will bring with it many positive learnings, the other person will take you to new concepts, experiences and places. You may feel luckier with the entry of this person into your life, more blessed even. Both will always manage to surprise each other and constantly teach each other new things. You will grow a lot as a person for the better and you will develop a lot of wisdom. The vision they have of life will become bright colors and a lot of positivity, the other person will help them see the good side of things and not get demotivated when there doesn't seem to be anything good in a situation. Joy, an exciting journey of new emotions, travel as a couple and a lot of growth.

🤎Jupiter in the 10th house🤎

Job and professional opportunities will come to you more frequently. The other person will help you think long term and have clear goals, and not only that, but they will help and motivate each other to achieve them. This relationship can make them feel better and improve as a person. It is common for people to emphasize this, because this relationship will be one of the best they will have. Glow ups during the relationship are common. Chances are good that you work very well together and have a similar work ethic. They will admire each other a lot and show the other how proud they should feel of themselves. They can easily achieve success by being together.

🤎Jupiter in the 11th house🤎

Both will feel more idealistic about each other, they will have an enormous number of plans and desires for the future in which they visualize their partner by their side, and fortunately for both of them, it is very likely that they will come true. Their circle of friendship expands with each other, being able to meet great people thanks to each other. Your vision of the future and humanity may be more positive. They will learn to have a more open mind and see things from other points of view. Promotions and raises are common after starting the relationship, likewise, several inflows of money can arrive for both. The sense of friendship is never lost regardless of the nature of the relationship.

🤎Jupiter in the 12th house🤎

When you look into each other's eyes, a feeling of calm and joy will fill you. They will awaken in the other that dreamy side, that side of their emotions, deep and sublime that they do not usually explore. The relationship will feel magical, the connection between you will be inexplicable at first, but it will not be for your souls, who connect on a deep level and tune in easily. They will give some light to that darkness of the other, they will be able to express and speak everything that they keep silent about. This relationship can be extremely healing for both of you, and can be very revealing on a personal level. Heaviness, burdens and sadness fade when their eyes meet.

[bestfurryhusband]

Im fucking mad about this. Fur Affinity has been a truly amazing thing for the furry community in that we have a somewhat mainstream site dedicated to furries that is independently owned, user supported, queer positive, etc. And one of the main people who helped make this a reality died because he couldn't afford medical care.

Here's him 7 days before dying.

And his final post to bluesky.

To see a man die simply because the system priorizes money over human fucking lives is a system failure.

[hwanghyunjinenthusiast]

Catalyst

AN: The Joshua brainrot has been at an all time high and the most recent concept photos of him didn't help.

Synopsis: A trip to your brother and niece's brings feelings your husband has been shoving down for months to the surface.

General tags and warnings: Joshua Hong x Fem! Reader, they're married, sibling bantering, mentions of food, implications of strained familial relationships, Josh being a horrible communicator, Reader is shorter than Josh, Reader has hair Josh can pull on and porn with a smidge of plot.

Smut tags and warnings: Hard Dom! Joshua, sub! Reader mention of past oral sex (m. receiving), petnames, heavy breeding kink, dirty talk, hair pulling (f. receiving), praise, breast and nipple play (f. receiving), biting (f. receiving), fingering (f. receiving), bit of a humiliation kink, degradation (f. receiving), edging (f. receiving), dacryphilia, piv sex without a condom and creampie.

Word count: 7.3k.

I will block you if you are a minor and/or have no easily visible indication of your age on your blog if you interact with me in any way.

The drive to your brother's place feels like it takes a century. In reality, you're sure it's closer to thirty minutes but, you can't help the way you fidget with your wedding ring in the passenger seat with each minute that agonisingly ticks by. 

“We're almost there,” Joshua says even though you hadn't asked him how long it's  going to be in almost ten minutes and the laugh he's failing to hold back warms your face and puts you on the defensive. 

“I didn't even say anything!” you cry a touch too dramatically but, you know he loves you for your affinity for the theatrics anyway, “I was just sitting here,” you huff, taking a sip of the smoothie you picked up from the restaurant at the hotel the two of you are staying at since you didn't have breakfast. Because a certain someone wouldn't let you get out of bed long enough to grab yourself something to eat.

You try not to think too hard about said morning because you'll be seeing your family in less than fifteen minutes and thinking about how your husband made you choke on his cock is deeply inappropriate. 

“You're sitting there very loudly,” he says with an amused tinge to his voice as he takes a left turn, a smile softening his face and crinkling his eyes and, frankly, doing horribly things to your heart. You'd think after being with him for four years and married for one, your heart would stop performing an entire gymnastics routine every time he so much as looks at you but, here you are. 

“I'm just excited. I haven't seen Aaron and Julie in months,” you sigh, sagging into your seat and taking a generous sip of your smoothie because wow are you hungrier than you realised and you know your brother isn't the world's greatest cook. 

His face softens considerably and, if he wasn't driving (rather attractively might you add), you'd reach over and kiss his cute face. “I know, baby,” he says gently, reaching over and lacing his fingers with your unoccupied hand. The squeeze he gives you makes you smile and you're sure you're looking at him like he's the best thing in the world. Which isn't totally untrue though your niece would give him a considerable run for his money. 

“I'm sure they've missed you too,” he says, taking another familiar turn until you see a home you would recognise no matter where you were in the world. 

“I think you're right,” you say with a laugh when you spot Aaron holding Julie as he waves at you excitedly. The scene is absolutely ridiculous and you wonder how long he's been standing out here with her since you sent him the text that you and Joshua were on your way. It prompts affection to bloom to life in your chest nonetheless. 

The time flies by and before you know it you're practically sprinting out of your car to hug your brother and kiss your niece's adorable face. “I still can't believe you managed to have such a cute baby,” are the first words out of your mouth and you laugh at the disgruntled look that overtakes Aaron's face as he hands his daughter to you. In the back of your mind, you were worried that she'd forgotten who you were but, her small, gleeful noises and giggles let you know she's at the very least happy to see you even if she doesn't exactly know who you are. And that's more than enough for you. 

“Yeah, well we all know I got the good genes which is why I have the cutest daughter in the world,” he says, puffing his chest out proudly and grinning when his daughter smiles at him. Julie's arrival was definitely an…unexpected one but, Aaron stepped up all the same. The thought of him being a father even three years ago sounded insane but, looking at the man in front of you, you think fatherhood suits him well. 

“Oh please,” you scoff when Joshua finally joins the three of you after parking the car, “We'll see who really got the good genes when I have babies of my own,” you snark back, adjusting Julie on your hip. 

“What is this I'm hearing about babies?” Joshua asks with a laugh, greeting your brother who readily hugs him and flashes a friendly smile at your husband. 

“Nothing,” you snort, “Just some good, old-fashioned sibling bantering and, my dearest brother over here denying reality.”

You bite back a smile when Aaoron shoots you a fiery scowl that would terrify most people but, you've had decades to grow accustomed to him breaking it out. 

“Ah, the usual then,” Joshua replies, pointedly ignoring Aaron's betrayed ‘hey!’ in favour of softening his expression to say hi to Julie. 

“You know, I was just starting to like you,” Aaron says, voice dripping with faux hurt as he points an accusatory finger at Joshua who is far more interested in drawing one of those heartstopping smiles from the little girl resting on your hip. 

“Why do you have to lie? Like you weren't tripping over yourself when I first brought him over because you were so excited about having another guy to do “guy stuff with” in the family,” you retort with a raise of your eyebrow. Joshua opts not to get involved though you do hear his barely contained snicker as Aaron falters for an argument. 

“Anyway, why are we still outside? Is this how you treat your guests? Maybe invite us inside, Aaron.” His responding eyeroll takes you back and, it really hits you in moments like these just how long it's been since the two of you have had the opportunity to carve out the time to catch up. 

Thankfully, Aaron decides to just order lunch for everyone instead of subjecting you and Joshua to more of his catastrophes in the kitchen. You just hope baby food isn't too much of a challenge for him because you worry for your poor niece sometimes.

He picks Indian food, much to your surprise since your brother is horrible with spices. “The last time you were here, you were obsessed with that one Indian place a couple of streets down,” is all he offers in explanation as you help him unpack the food while Joshua plays with Julie on the living room floor. Affection warms you to the very tips of your fingers and you're sure you look like an absolute sap as he hands you the large stack of naan bread. 

“I love you,” is all you say in response because you do and it's been painfully long since you've last told him that in person. 

His laugh is surprised but, no less boisterous, “All that over food? Man, if I knew that's all it took to get an ‘I love you’ from you, I would have bribed you with food when we were children,” he jokes but, the fondness in his eyes betrays him. 

“You act like I'm not the one regularly saying ‘I love you’ between the two of us to begin with,” you retort, grabbing a few plates and setting them down on his dining table. 

“Whatever,” he huffs, “Josh, grab Julie and come have a seat. I have some soft carrots and peas, I'll warm up for her while the two of you dig in.” Joshua follows accordingly swooping the little girl in his arms dramatically and smiling when she giggles at the motion. Small hands clutching his hoodie. The sight prompts a combination of love, endearment and another emotion you can't quite put your finger on to stir within you. 

The two smile at each other all the way to the dining table where he carefully places her in her high chair. When his eyes meet yours, they're filled with far too many feelings for you to even hope to name right now. 

Lunch goes off without much of a hitch. The hours tick by quicker than you anticipate. Aaron tells you story after story about his construction job and his apparent imbecile of a boss that he's three seconds away from throttling on a given day. Julie doesn't cause too much of a fuss (she really might be the most well behaved one year old you've ever met in your life), even when Aaron tries to coax her into eating peas which she is not a fan of. 

“Let me try,” you offer eagerly and he lets you readily. With the right amount of cooing and high pitched talks of the food airplane, Julie gleefully lets you feed her the peas. The methods you used cutting the time it took Aaron to feed her in half and you try not to look too smug about it. Though his bitter ‘shut up’ tells you that you do a horrible job. Joshua, for his part, watches the entire exchange between you and your niece relatively silently aside from a few encouragements of his own directed towards her. He's still silent as you cover her entire face in kisses and praise her for eating her peas. 

You'd consider yourself great at reading your husband in most instances but, as you sit back in your chair and meet his eyes across from you, his entire expression is unreadable in a way that is reminiscent of the time where the two of you barely knew each other. 

Your stomach twists unpleasantly. 

The rest of your afternoon catching up with Aaron carries on uneventfully. It all comes to an end when Julie, rather loudly, makes it known that it's time for you and Joshua to make yourselves scarce with a yawn. 

“You heard her, get out,” Aaron jokes, scooping up the girl who can barely keep her eyes open and letting her rest on his shoulder. 

“You should be nicer to your guests, you know,” Joshua says as your brother walks the two of you to the door. A smile spreads across your face because you know a couple of years ago he would have never dared to speak to Aaron that way but, the two had gotten significantly friendlier thanks to your (what you would consider gentle) encouragement. 

“Calling you two guests is generous,” Aaron responds, doing his best to unlock the door with a slumbering toddler occupying his arm. “On a serious note, thanks for swinging by. I know work's been hell for both of you lately so, it means a lot,” it's rare seeing your brother be any amount of serious and sincere and, it always throws you for a loop momentarily. 

“Yeah, of course, man. We've both missed you and Julie tonnes. Your sister here was practically bouncing with excitement the entire drive here,” Joshua responds before you can search for something to say. He and Aaron laugh at your sputtering reaction. 

“Can't believe you'd throw me under the bus like that,” you say, shooting your husband a scowl that is nowhere near as intimidating as your brother's, “Anyway, we'll see you on Friday. Good luck with seeing mum tomorrow.” 

“Thanks,” he says with a long-suffering sigh, “I'll need it.” 

The three (four? Does a sleeping Julie really even count?) of you exchange some hugs before you answer Joshua are making your way to your rental car. 

The drive back to the hotel is…odd. The moment the two of you slip into your seats and buckle your seatbelts, the air in the car feels heavy for whatever reason and Joshua is noticeably quieter than he was minutes ago. 

It's jarring. 

“Hey Joshie, is everything okay?” You ask him after minutes of torturous silence. Hoping the usage of his favourite nickname will help defuse the tension. 

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine,” he responds, his forced attempt at sounding relaxed clear to your ears. 

What is going on? Did something happen back at Aaron's? He was happily interacting with Julie and making heaps of jokes with your brother. The three of you were barely apart so, you're sure if something happened between him and Aaron you would have either noticed it or picked up on it. 

The weird tension remains between the two of you the entire drive to the hotel. Joshua not attempting to make conversation or supply an explanation for his drastic mood change. Once it lasts all the way until the two of you are back in your hotel room, you know you can't deal with not knowing what's wrong. 

“Hey, did something happen at Aaron's?” You ask him as soon as he shuts the hotel door behind him. Your hands anxiously clench and unclench at your sides as you examine your husband's carefully reserved expression. Your heart drops to the gaudy carpet beneath your feet. 

“No, nothing happened,” he says as though he doesn't notice the blanket of tension enveloping both of you, “Why do you ask?” 

Why do you ask!? 

You can only stare at him with a mixture of disbelief and incredulity as he walks towards the kitchen of the hotel room. His tone is light and you can hear his attempts to sweep this under the rug. 

He must know the woman he married because there's no way you're about to let this odd, unexplained behaviour from him slide. 

“Joshua, look, I'm not trying to be pushy but, you're being very weird right now and it's kinda freaking me out. And I'd really like to know what's caused all of this,” you gesture between the two of you, “If you like need space, that's okay but, at least tell me that or just tell me something,” you rush out, watching his back tense underneath his hoodie as his steps halt. 

Silence fills the hotel room for what feels like forever, only adding to the anxiety coursing through you. When he finally turns to face you, thankfully, his face isn't as impenetrable as it was a couple of minutes ago but, the emotions you manage to catch do leave you a little surprised and thrown off. 

“Julie is really cute and you're really good with her,” are the first words he says and you're even more confused than you have been since the two of you got into the rental car to leave Aaron's. 

“Um yeah?” You say but, the questioning tilt to your voice is apparent because what is even going on right now? “Is that…a problem? Did Aaron say something?” 

The sigh that escapes his mouth is drawn out and frustrated and, for a horrifying second, you're worried something did happen between your husband and your brother that you didn't notice. 

“I think seeing the two of you together, how you interact with her, made me come to a lot of important realisations today,” he explains, his words are heavy and his eyes reflect an intensity that leaves you a little breathless. 

All you can do is blink at him, your brain attempting to understand what he's telling you. “What realisations did you come to?” You ask softly but, you know he heard you clearly. The strides he takes towards you are quick and, if you didn't know any better, you'd miss the quiet frenzy in his movements. 

Joshua is a controlled man. He always has been and, you strongly doubt that's an aspect of his personality that will ever change. Even in moments where people see him act more carefree and what they would consider to be impulsively, you know better. Everything is calculated and meticulously thought out by him. 

So, when he tilts your head upwards and descends his mouth onto yours, despite the nerves you can feel rolling off of him, you know that it's a very intentional move from him. And honestly, if you still didn't have a myriad of questions buzzing around in your skull, you'd happily allow yourself to melt against his talented mouth and sturdy body. 

However, you can't stop until you get to the bottom of this. 

“Joshu–”

“I want to have a baby.” 

All of your thoughts halt in your head and all you hear is one, long record scratch. It would be comical if it weren't for your husband just dropping that he wants to have a baby with you on you. Joshua watches you carefully but, all you can do is blink up at him owlishly because your husband just told you that he wants a baby with you. 

“Wha–What?” Is all you can splutter.  

“We have talked about it,” which is true. It's one of the major conversations the two of you had when you first started dating and you were on the same page, “And you're really good with Julie. She practically lights up around you,” he sighs dreamily, resting his forehead against yours, “and you should see yourself when you're around her. It's like…magic.” 

You think it's fundamentally unfair how quickly he's getting you onboard with this idea. 

A shudder runs through your body and anticipation replaces anxiety when he places his hands on your hips and tugs you impossibly close to him, “We could have that. For ourselves,” he mutters, kissing your forehead then your cheek then the cut of your jaw. Everything feels a little turned upside down right now and all your increasingly foggy brain can think to do is grab his hoodie in an attempt to make sense of what's happening. 

“I'd love to watch you be a mum,” he sighs with that same dreamy edge to his voice and you honestly think you might melt on this shitty hotel carpet, “I think–no, I know you'd be great at it.” 

“I think I'd be a decent dad,” he says with a laugh that's too self-deprecating for your liking. 

“You'd be a fantastic dad, Joshua,” you argue with a frown, cupping his face in your hands to ensure he knows you mean it. Because it's simply true in the same way that you know the sky is blue and that grass is green. The past hour may have been a whirlwind but, you'll be damned if you let him talk badly about himself. 

“We could always test it out instead of talking about hypotheticals,” he says and the soft expression colouring his face shifts to a more lecherous one. The sounds of your blood rushing through your veins and your heart thundering in your chest are all you hear for a second. 

“I'm still on the pill,” you blurt out and it just darkens the look on his face further. 

“Well, we'll just have to see how good it is then,” are his last words before he escapes your hold and crashes his lips against yours. It's a completely insane statement and, you both know it. Your birth control pills have proven to be extremely reliable since the two you decided to do away with condoms years ago. However, based on the way he's kissing and the way his fingers dig into your hips through the fabric of your dress, you doubt Joshua is operating on much rational thought at the moment. 

Joshua doesn't give you much time to breathe, let alone think. You move totally by instinct. Clutching at his broad shoulders while his hands drag themselves along your hips, squeezing them occasionally in a pattern only he recognises. 

“Have I ever told you how sexy your hips are?” He pants against your mouth, punctuating his query with a harsh squeeze and a grind of his gradually hardened cock against your stomach. 

“I– um, probably yeah,” you breathe once you manage to catch your breath. A relief that is short lived as Joshua drags his mouth from yours to dot kisses along your cheek until his full lips make contact with your jaw. The tease of his teeth pull quiet gasps from your lips and fuel the increasing wetness between your shaky thighs. 

“Probably, huh?” He muses into your skin, pushing you backwards to the bedroom, an action you dazedly follow along with because it's really difficult to think of anything but, him and the fact that he wants to have a baby with you right now. 

“I need to do a better job of driving that fact home.” 

You nearly trip once you cross the threshold of the bedroom door but, Joshua is there to steady you. Or, rather, press your body into his while he makes love to your throat and impatiently shuffles the both of you to the massive bed. 

Every brush of his lips and tongue on your neck sets your skin ablaze. Years of exploring and memorising your body have made it extraordinarily easy for him to know exactly what causes your clit to pulse and arousal to soak through the flimsy panties you hurriedly put on hours ago. 

One of his large hands weaves its way into your hair and a high pitched mix of a moan and a gasp fills the room when he tugs on it harshly. Your lidded eyes meet his and your tongue feels like it weighs a million tonnes reading all the emotions that swim in them. 

His mouth descends on yours while his other hand impatiently tugs on the zipper of your dress. Distantly, you're worried he'll break something with how hard he's pulling on it but, the thought vanishes into smoke when his tongue licks into your mouth and forces you not to think about anything that isn't him and feeling his cock twitch inside of your fluttering pussy. 

The straps slip from your shoulders and a whine sounding not dissimilar to a wounded animal falls from your lips when he steps away from you. Blinking your eyes open, you're met with an amused and lustful Joshua who takes a second to admire your scantily clad figure as your dress pools around you. 

“So needy,” he tuts, like you can't see his cock straining in his shorts and the way his pupils are totally blown out, “Won't even let me appreciate my gorgeous wife,” he sighs while stepping back towards you. The endearment softens you but, it doesn't dull the roaring in the core of your being. If anything, it has the opposite effect. 

It's always made you feel…a lot whenever he specifically refers to you as ‘my wife.’ You're sure he's picked up on the way it impacts you and, being the menace your husband is, he's grown especially fond of letting it slip out when he's moments away from nestling himself between your thighs or when he's already kissing your cervix. 

“I can't help it,” you reply, the whiney edge making him smirk in a way that's equal parts evil and attractive. Sometimes, you really can't stand him. 

“Poor baby,” he coos without an ounce of sincerity, stepping towards you. Anticipation sits in the pit of your stomach and, you happily let him lay you down on the bed, watching him with baited breath as he savors the sight of you. 

His kisses are more biting. The sensual movements of his lips and tongue replaced by teeth and spit and messiness that make your head spin. His stupidly large hands waste no time in unclasping your bra and throwing it somewhere to be forgotten on the hotel floor. 

“Fuck,” the rasped curse is uttered into your bruised mouth as his hands grope your tits in them, kneading them and thumbing your hardened nipples while you squirm underneath him. 

“Prettiest tits in the fucking world,” he groans like hasn't seen and touched them a million times, revelling in the way the mounds mold to his ministrations and the way your body arches every time he so much as brushes one of your overly sensitive nipples. 

“Can't wait to see how they fill with milk one day,” the confessions pulls a startled gasp from the depths of your chest but, he doesn't give you much time to dwell on it as he kisses down your neck, gracing it with a few nips until he reaches his destination. 

The moment his teeth sink into your flesh, stars dance behind your eyes and you have no choice but, to shut them. The sting shoots straight to the apex of your thighs, adding to the sticky mess between them while your hands move completely on autopilot to play with his soft locks while he savors every bit of you he can with his mouth. 

The bites and nips he litters your tits with fuel the foggy state of your already muddled mind. All you can think about is him and his fucking mouth and the cock you know is leaking in his shorts while he watches you shudder and rut against him every time he bites especially hard.

The stars behind your eyes explode when his mouth envelopes one of your nipples with his scorching mouth while the other is pinched and tugged on by his thick fingers. Joshua is content to watch you grow increasingly fucked out with his mouth alone for now. Normally, he'd give you a little more grief for closing your eyes but, he's in a generous mood today. 

Plus, your perfect tits are in his mouth and hands so, he can't be too upset. 

You can feel him grin into your skin when your entire body jolts as he grazes his teeth along your nipple. Typically warm eyes flashing with every miniscule movement and shuddering noise that passes from your thoroughly kissed lips. The pain from his blunt fingernails pressing into your skin is disorientating in the best way and, fuck, are you beyond wet right now. 

A mix of disappointment and relief wash over you when he frees your nipple with an obscenely loud pop. Your eyes flutter open to watch him as he kisses your tits one last time before descending down your body. Your blood turns molten in your veins with every kiss and light nip he provides your stomach and hips, his intimidating gaze never faltering until he reaches the waistband of your panties.

With faux curiosity, he presses two fingers experimentally into you, watching the way your panties stick to you and your thighs quiver around him. 

“Guess you're more into this whole baby idea than you let on,” he muses, swapping his fingers for his thumb and rubbing random patterns against your clit. The pressure is dizzying. Your head snapping back and a drawn out whimper of his name piercing through the hotel bedroom. A few presses from his thumb is all it takes for your thighs to threaten to shut but, you know better. 

“Please, Joshie, I'm–” any further, breathless rambling is cut off by a moan as he presses his thumb more harshly into your swollen clit, his weighted gaze drinking in the way you further ruin your pretty panties and soil his thumb. 

“Please what?” He asks, glancing up at you with a facade of reservation before his ravenous eyes focus their attention back on toying with your beautiful pussy and making a mess out of you.

All he does is laugh at the frustrated huff you let out before removing his hand from your ruined panties. 

“No!” you gasp desperately, shooting a wide eyed, betrayed look at him, “Wh–Why?” 

“You know better, sweetheart,” he coos condescendingly, the tone not helping the incessant throbbing of your clit, “Good girls don't complain. Good girls use their words to say what they want.” 

All your horny brain can cling to is the desire to cum and be his good girl. Thankfully, you still have enough executive functioning to articulate yourself and your wants. Well, at least somewhat. 

“Joshie, I wanna cum. Please. Wanna be good and cum on your fingers,” you whine, tilting your hips up towards him and hoping you provide tantalising enough of a sight for your husband to just give you want. 

Based on the way his tongue runs along his bottom lip and his eyes flash, you've at least chipped away at his resolve somewhat. 

“Good girl,” he praises, “See? That wasn't so hard,” he tuts, grasping the bottom of his hoodie and tugging it off. Your lips part and your pussy clenches when his bare chest is exposed to you. If you weren't so focused on watching the way his muscles flex and contort with his every move, you'd notice the combination of smugness and amusement on his face. 

Blinking up at him in a daze, you wonder when he moved but, his mouth descending on yours intensely coupled with the way one of his hands cups you over your ruined panties evaporates the thought. You're just happy he's touching you at all. 

Joshua swallows your stuttered gasp greedily. Rutting against your thigh as his fingers drag your panties to the side and he shoves three of them into you without much resistance. It's hard to tell who moans louder at the intrusion (probably you, if you're being honest). He knows you can take it. You can take much more but, the stretch of his long, thick fingers is disorientating after what feels like hours of being wet for him. 

“Josh–Joshie,” you pant against his mouth, your eyes rolling into the back of your head when he fucks you on his fingers without abandon. No buildup. No teasing. Simply, brutally curling his fingers against the spots inside you he knows will have your toes curling and an entire galaxy dancing beneath your barely open eyes. 

“Hear that?” He asks between ragged breaths into your ear, timing his question with his fingers pushing back into and the lewd squelch reaching your ears and warming your face considerably. It's not that you necessarily feel embarrassed about how much you want Joshua but, hearing the evidence is an entirely different story. 

“Hear how wet your pretty pussy gets for me?” He practically moans into your ear and combined with the way his fingers drag along your wet walls, god, it's a lot. All you can do is squeeze your eyes shut and whimper out what you hope sounds like a confirmation to his ears. 

The tension in the pit of your stomach grows tenfold when he nips at your earlobe and introduces his thumb into the mess between your thighs. Moving completely on instinct, your hands desperately clutch at his forearm when he presses his thumb to your clit and draws an array of patterns that only make sense to him into it. “Fuck,” he hisses into your skin as his fingers don't falter in the slightest, drawing the most wanton sounds from you, “It's fucking crazy how wet you get. Gushing all over my hand and the poor sheets. What do you think the staff will think when they notice how soaked the sheets are? Think they'll wonder just how slutty of a pussy Mrs. Hong has?” 

The edges of your vision blur and your mouth hangs open letting out whimpers that increase in volume. Your orgasm is so close that you can practically taste it on the very tip of your tongue. Joshua doesn't seem all that bothered with the way your nails bite into his skin as he continues to bring you closer and closer to the precipice with every curl of his fingers and press of his thumb. 

Until he stops and pulls his hand away from your pussy. 

“Wha–”you gasp at him in confusion and frustration, your hips completely moving on their own in search of any friction to soothe your painfully throbbing clit and walls that clench and unclench harshly around a sudden nothingness. Blinking up at him through bleary eyes, the look on his face drags a whine out of you. A whine that only really makes the corners of his mouth tug upwards further. 

“Come on baby,” he coos, kissing your neck and running his fingers along your sticky folds. He's barely doing anything but, the brush of his fingers against your clit coupled with the faintest bit of friction have you reeling and grabbing at him again as weak moans fill the space between the two of you. 

“You know how much I love playing with you,” he tuts, using those same fingers to add pressure to your clit and nearly send your thighs snapping shut around his arm. The sensation sends your head lolling backwards, giving Joshua ample skin to bite while he works you up to a frenzy. Again.

“It's no fun if you just get to cum so easily,” he mutters, his smirk burning itself into your skin while you try not to cry from the frustration that scorches your insides as his fingers draw an array of patterns into your clit. You'd snark back a response if your brain wasn't melting in your skull and leaking out of your ears at the moment. All you can do is hope your watery eyes and fractured whimpers are enough for him to go easy on you. 

“Don't look at me like that,” he says with a breathless laugh, kissing the corner of your mouth while his fingers pick up the pace and cause your stomach to drop as the tension builds again. “You know how sexy you look when you cry,” he groans, watching your face intensely as his fingers continue to make your eyes roll and your thighs shake violently around them. 

“I–Please please please, can I cum? Ple–” your begging is cut off by a sharp gasp, “Ah Josh–Joshie please, I'm so close.” 

He doesn't give you an answer. Electing instead to maintain the strokes of his fingers and coaxing you to the proverbial edge once again while he watches you struggle not to fall apart underneath him. Joshua knows you better than the back of his hand. He knows you're close just from the way your nails claw into his skin and your eyes can barely stay focused on anything. From the way the heartbeat in your clit hammers against his fingers and your wetness dribbles onto the hotel sheets. From the way you stumble over every word that isn't his name and pleads to cum. If anything, he's impressed you've managed to hold yourself together this long. 

Too bad he enjoys toying with you too much. 

This time a wobbly sob does fall from your lips and you can feel a few, stray, hot tears streaming down your face when he removes his hand again. All you can do is lay there as you attempt to chase the relief of his fingers pathetically. Your pussy once again left painfully fluttering as the promise of an orgasm is viciously ripped away from you. Joshua kisses you before you can whine at him again. It's a messy and deeply uncoordinated kiss, his desire pouring out of him in waves while you try and kiss him back as best as you can. 

“So fucking hot,” he grits into your mouth as he rustles with something, “So hot and wet and needy just for me. Fuck, if you keep looking at me like that, I just might cum before I even fuck you,” he rushes out. Just the thought of that causes you to shake your head and whine into his mouth, clutching at his bare shoulders in desperation. 

His laugh is deep and attractive and it makes you want him even more somehow, “Don't worry, baby,” he soothes, positioning himself between your thighs, “I'll make sure to fill you up nice and good.” 

The press of his tip against your dripping entrance sends a shudder down your entire body. ‘When did he get his cock out?’ you wonder in a daze, using a considerable amount of effort to watch the way he grasps his fat cock in his hand and drags it along your puffy, dripping pussy. 

“We've been together for years and I still can't believe how wet this pussy gets for me,” he mutters to what you assume is himself but, you hear him all the same. You genuinely think you might lose your mind if he doesn't just push into you right now. 

“Joshie,” you half-whimper, half-sob, “I'm so–I want it, please. Did–Didn't you say you were going to ah fuck a baby into me?” 

The storm of emotions that flashes across his face causes the claws of anticipation to dig at your insides. A startled noise is forced out of you when he sinks his cock into you with one, sharp snap of his hips. The sting is minimal but, present. A few more stray tears fall from your eyes as you try to adjust to the toe-curling stretch. Holy shit. You don't think you'll ever quite be over the way his first thrust always sends you reeling. 

“So tight,” he grits out, heavy eyes shifting from watching the way your face morphs into expressions he's seen a million times and will happily drink in a million times more to the way his cock forces you open, “I think you might have gotten tighter somehow. If you wanted me to get you pregnant, all you had to do was ask,” he says with an arrogant laugh. You don't really have much room to argue when he draws more pitchy whimpers from you and you can feel the way you clamp down around him. 

“You–You're the one who told me that ah god you want a baby,” you gasp out in response, your tongue lolling out of your mouth when he harshly grabs your thigh with his massive hand. 

“True,” he concedes, using his other hand to grasp your chin, smearing your wetness on your face and forcing you to meet his eyes that threaten to swallow you whole, “But don't pretend like you're not as into this as I am. I can feel the way your pussy keeps trying to milk my cock and the way you're gushing onto it.” 

His fingers are in your mouth before you can respond. The taste of yourself invading your senses, adding to the haze clouding your mind and making your clit throb as you chase the taste of yourself. 

Your hands fly to his broad back when he uses his other hand to slip between your overheated, sweaty bodies to find your clit. Not giving you a second to catch your breath, he draws frenzied circles into you that send you keening around his fingers and your eyes rolling into the back of your skull. 

“I want you to cum,” he orders, panting into your ear before freeing your mouth from his fingers, “Wanna feel you make a mess on my cock,” he says between heavy breaths while his fingers and cock and words and just him bring you increasingly close to the edge at breakneck speed. 

It's an especially hard press of his fingertips that finally sends you careening over the edge he's been pushing you towards and pulling you back from for god knows how long now. Your entire body seizes and for what feels like ages all you can see is white. Distantly, you can hear Joshua saying something but, you couldn't hope to make out what it is. The bliss sending you to another dimension entirely, furthered by him not stopping his thrusts all the while. 

“–Yeah, good fucking girl,” are the first words you manage to catch as the white disapates and you somewhat return to your body, the sounds of skin slapping against skin and the obscene squelching of his cock bullying your still fluttering pussy hitting your eardrums. Blinking up your teary eyes up at him, desire prods at your gut despite just cumming, seeing the way his sweaty bangs shadow his blown out eyes that have never left your face the entire time you were cumming. 

You wrap your arms around his neck and pull him into a passionate kiss. A kiss he readily allows himself to get lost in as his fingers dig into your hips to keep you in place to take every one of his unrelenting thrusts.

“Want one more from you,” he pants into your lips, “Wanna feel you cum one more time before I fill up this pretty pussy,” he heaves, eyes totally glassy and nothing but, ocean deep lust reflected in them. 

“Don–Don't ah fuck know if I can any–anymore,” you whimper in response because, yeah, you really don't know if you can. You feel thoroughly rung out right now. The sparks from your orgasm are still going zipping off all over your body, fuelled by every brush of his cock against your walls and his mouth on you. 

“Of course you can, baby,” he coaxes, his hands drifting from your hips to your thighs, forcing them upwards and his cock impossibly deeper.  The depth sends your head snapping back and a choked gasp echoes through the bedroom, joining the myriad of nasty sounds ringing through it. 

“So–So deep,” you whimper, overwhelmed tears not helping in the slightest to cool your burning face. “Yeah?” He breathes, his pace unrelenting, “Gonna cum all over this fat cock? Gonna make a mess on it like the good girl I know you are?”

God. How are you not going to cum when he talks to you like that while he fucks you like that?

“Ye–Yeah,” you moan, the familiar zip of electricity courses through your entire body when he snaps his hips into you harshly, sending his tip straight into a part of you that sends your back arching, “Clo–Close. Gonna cum. Wanna cum on your big cock, Joshie.” 

“Shit,” he groans, smashing his lips against yours in a kiss that is mostly teeth and tongue, “Fuck. Your pussy is so good. It's out of this world,” he heaves, his strokes growing sloppy but, he pushes through as best as he can, “Wanna watch you.” 

The chord snaps before you even realise how slenderly it was holding on. 

Joshua greedily swallows every watery moan of his name and whatever else your fucked out brain babbles out. Large hands gripping your thighs harshly as his pace grows increasingly unsteady with every stroke he gives you as you cum all around him, gushing onto his throbbing cock. 

“Yeah, that's it,” he groans, “Cum all over me. Such a good girl, such a good pussy. Gonna make me cum so hard. Cum until you're so full that my cum is leaking out of you for weeks. Gonna get you all nice and round and pregnant with my baby,” he rambles deliriously, his cock pulsing wildy inside of you with every thrust. 

“Want it,” you cry in response, “I want it, Joshie. Want your cum. Want your baby.” 

The moan that falls from Joshua's full lips is broken and drawn out. His grip on your thighs border on bruising as he keeps you in place (as if you would go anywhere if you could even move right now) so you have no choice but to accept the ropes of cum he floods your still spasming pussy with. The warmth that fills you draws soft whimpers from you. You're always left in awe with just how much he cums. 

A quiet groan leaves your body when he drops his weight onto you, panting against your shoulder as his cock softens inside of you and his grip on your sweaty body loosens. He's heavy but, you're empathetic because your own body feels like it weighs the same as an adult elephant right now. For the moment, you're content to bask in the intimacy of mind-blowing sex. You'll nudge him off of you when it becomes too difficult to breathe. 

Your fingers move on their own, rubbing his back and smiling when he tiredly hums in appreciation. Returning your affection with featherlight kisses pressed into your shoulder. 

It might have been five minutes or fifteen or thirty but, eventually, Joshua eases himself out of you and rolls off of you. You can't help the quiet laugh that you let out when he groans at the effort before tugging you into his side. 

“So,” he starts, the scratchy quality of his voice washing over you like a warm blanket, “having a baby, huh?”

All you can do is snort very unattractively in response.

Reblogs are greatly appreciated.

Do not repost, edit, copy and/or translate my work. I do not give you my permission to do so, nor will you ever receive it.

Seventeen Masterlist | Ko-Fi

[despazito]

Honestly I think people underestimate the amount of changes cats have undergone thru domestication while also kinda overestimating the social changes in dogs in some regards?

I see the social affinity dogs have for humans kind of framed as a spontaneous development out of nowhere, when in reality most of their social behaviors are nothing new and can still be observed in wolves. Wolves are also silly and goofy and playful with their families, and I think it's silly to call that a dog trait. we just have a habit of characterizing wolves as proud serious animals.

If you wanna talk social changes in dogs, the most intriguing conversation is how they literally learned to read human faces, can conceptualize dogs and people as different entities they socialize with in different ways, and how they evolved eyebrows to communicate with us better

[gojostan-doodles]

Local farmer/ florist, Amari Vaughn 🌸💐

As a human/ demon hybrid, Amari is gifted with immense physical abilities. When she was a kid, it was very common for her to accidentally break things since she didn't know her own strength. But her affinity for flowers encouraged her to learn how to be delicate with her hands. She realized early on that she wanted to be a florist one day. During her developmental years, she was discreetly monitored by her parents, who looked for other signs of her having supernatural powers. They were relieved to learn that Amari was as normal as everyone else (for the most part). Because of that, they opted out of telling her that she was half demon, thinking that it would only be a source of stress for her if she knew.

Amari grew up in the city without much trouble. She played a lot of sports when she was in school, but it didn't interest her that much. She enjoyed taking care of plants, but found it hard to pursue that kind of work in the city. It's too much of a concrete jungle, y'know? So for a while she gave up on the idea.

Amari worked at a construction company for about 2 years before deciding to go after the life she actually wanted. So she packed her things and took a bus ride to Pelican Town, moving into the farmhouse her grandfather left for her. Settling in took some time, but Amari adjusted to her new lifestyle. She felt right at home surrounded by lots of nature.

But of course, Stardew Valley is a really weird place. So it wasn't long before she encountered the junimos, and later Rasmodius. The "tea" she drank from the wizard not only gave her the ability to communicate with the junimos, but also unlocked her dormant supernatural abilities. She immediately gained a white streak in her hair, and while in a disoriented state, accidentally set herself ablaze and fecking collapsed 💀 Reasonably stunned, the wizard puts out her fire with magic. When she finally wakes up he apologizes, telling her that he'll look into what went wrong and report back to her as soon as he can.

In the meantime, Amari tried to return to her life as a farmer, only to be met with a new set of problems. She struggled with burning her own crops (and many, many other items). During full moons, she would undergo a physical transformation, forcing her to stay home since she stood out like a sore thumb. So yeah, her first year really sucked 🥹 It was clear by her transformation that she was half demon, but it was later confirmed by Rasmodius. Amari was really confused and angry when faced with the reality that her parents didn't bother to tell her something so important.

Things eventually got better though. Over time she figured out that being stressed causes her to combust, so she ended up burning things less often. She made a lot of lovely friends in town too, some who turned out to be just as odd as her. It was really nice knowing she wasn't alone. And eventually she married Sebastian, so things were really great for a change!

About a year into their marriage someone new showed up to the farm, a demon named Uruz. Turns out he and a few others where tasked with searching different realms in order to find Lord Wynn. He's Amari's father, and the king of the demon realm. Uruz accidentally found Amari because her aura is the same as Wynn's (and since it was the night of a full moon, it was more intense). When Uruz learned that Amari knew nothing about her powers, he took it upon himself to stay and teach her everything she needed to know. Apprehensive at first, Amari eventually agreed after talking it over with Sebastian. She felt like she couldn't rely on her dad to tell her anything. So she decided to take this as an opportunity to learn everything, about herself and the demon realm. So currently there's a menace living on their farm that they have to keep in check 😭

Since Amari is only half demon, the abilities and traits she inherited from her dad is a mystery. So when she learns about how long demons usually live, she becomes incredibly anxious about her future. But she tries not to think about it.

[max1461]

Here is an observation of common attitudes I see in tech-adjacent spaces (mostly online).

The thing about programming/tech is, at its base, it's historically and culturally contingent. There are of course many fundamental (physical and mathematical) limitations on what a computer can and cannot do, how fast it can do things, and so on. But at least as much of the modern tech landscape is the product of choices made by people about how these machines will work, choices that very much could have been made differently. And modern computing technology is a huge tower of these choices, each resting on and grappling with the ones below it. If you're, say, a web developer writing a web app, the sheer height of this tower of contingent human decisions that your work rests on is almost incomprehensible. And by and large, programmers know this.

I am not dispensing some secret wisdom that I think tech workers don't have. On the contrary, I think the vast contingency of it all is blindingly obvious to anyone who has tried to make a computer do anything. But tech is also, well, technical, and do you know what else is technical? Science. I think this has lead to a sort of cultural false affinity, where tech is perceived, both from within and without, as more similar to science than it is to the humanities. Certainly, there are certain kinds of intellectual labor that tech shares with the sciences. But there are also, as described above, certain kinds of intellectual labor that tech shares to a much greater degree with the humanities, namely (in the broadest terms): grappling with other people's choices.

From without, I think this misplaced affinity leads people to believe that technology is less contingent than it actually is. But I think this belief would be completely untenable from within; it just cannot contend with reality. I've never met a tech worker or enthusiast who seems to think this way. Rather, I feel there is a persistent perception among tech-inclined people that science is more contingent than it actually is. I don't think this misperception rises to the level of a belief, rather I think it is more of an intuition. I think tech people have very much trained themselves (rightly, in their native context) to look at complex systems and go "how could this be reworked, improved, done differently?" I think this impulse is very sensible in computing but very out of place in, say, biology. And I suppose my conjecture (this whole post is purely conjectural, based on a gut sense that might not be worth anything) is that this is one of the main reasons for the popularity of transhumanism in, you know, the Bay. And whatnot.

I'm not saying transhumanism is actually, physically impossible. Of course it's not! The technology will, I strongly suspect, exist some day. But if you're living in 2024, I think the engineering mindset is more-or-less unambiguously the wrong one to bring to biology, at least macrobiology. This post is not about the limits of what is physically possible, it's about the attitudes that I sometimes see tech people bring to other endeavors that I think sometimes lead them to fall on their face. If you come to biology thinking about it as this contingent thing that you must grapple with, as you grapple with a novel or a codebase or anything else made by humans, I think it will make you like biology less and understand it less well.

When I was younger and a lot more naive, as a young teenager who knew a little bit about programming and nothing about linguistics, I wanted to create a "logical language" that could replace natural languages (with all their irregularities and perceived inefficiencies) for the purpose of human communication. This is part of how I initially got into conlanging. Now, with an actual linguistics background, I view this as... again, perhaps not per se impossible, but extremely unlikely to work or even to be desirable to attempt in any foreseeable future, for a whole host of rather fundamental reasons. I don't feel that this desire can survive very well upon confrontation with what we actually know (and crucially also, what we don't know) about human language.

I mean, if you want to try, you can try. I won't stop you.

Anyway, I feel that holding onto this sort of mindset too intensely does not really permit engagement with nature and the sciences. It's the same way I think a lot of per se humanities people fudge engagement with the sciences, where they insist on mounting some kind of social critique even when it is not appropriate (to be clear, I think critique of scientific practices/institutions are sometimes appropriate, but I think people whose professional training gives them an instinct to critique often take it too far).

So like, I guess that's my thesis. Coding is a humanity in disguise, and I wish that people who are used to dealing with human-made things would adopt a more native scientific or naturalist mindset when dealing with science and nature.

[randxmthxughts]

Chosen by Eywa - Lessons to Learn - Chapter 3

← chapter 2 | chapter 4 →

contains: arranged marriage, mentions of war and grief, angst, one-sided enemies to lovers, slow burn

wc: 5.2k

chosen by eywa masterlist | general avatar masterlist

a/n: i hope this chapter will meet your expectations, and from now on the romance will only get better

Resentment. It was an unfamiliar feeling for Y/N, something that hadn’t occurred even in the face of Kaye’s family’s open disapproval of her during the past years. But now, as she endured the constant barrage of congratulations from other villagers on her upcoming engagement to the future chief (rumors traveled faster than she expected), and the hovering of Tsahik near her, Y/N couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of hostility towards them all. The resentment had taken root deep within her, growing stronger with each lesson, when she would feel the way Mo’at’s gaze would linger on her for too long, watching her at all times. As if suddenly Y/N wasn’t herself anymore but only carried the sole purpose of being a good mate for her grandchild. All Y/N wanted was to hide, and her safest place, where she usually found solace was now unavailable. Being in the village, really, was unsafe, as she didn’t want to accidentally see Neteyam, or even worse, Kaye with his new mate.

Now that the reality had settled in, and her arrangement to the Olo’eyktan’s son was far from being broken, Y/N was too scared to face it. So she sought refuge in hiding, avoiding the pressure as nifty as she could by skipping communal dinners and retreating into the forest, once she was done with her chores. Kiri wasn’t blind to her eagerness to escape, and so she gave her space, treating her more delicately than usual. But Tsahik didn’t seem to be as understanding, and she pressed on, either being oblivious or just willfully ignorant to Y/N’s mounting irritation. 

The days dragged on slowly recently with a temporary lull settling between the sky people and the clan after a big clash. Both parties had to retreat to recover, which meant that in the past days, there were fewer warriors to treat, and Y/N, along with the other healers, had more time for studying and minor tasks. Though she wasn’t sure if it was for the better or the worse; of course, with less battles, she wouldn’t have to accidentally run into Kaye or Neteyam, but at the same time enduring Mo’at’s not-so-accidental lectures about serving the clan suddenly felt suffocating too. So, when another lesson came to an end, Y/N was one of the first to hastily rise to her feet to escape. Kiri observed her quietly with a defeated look, seeing no point in arguing. But Tsahik’s frustration with Y/N’s attitude became increasingly evident.

“Kiri and Y/N, stay behind,” Mo’at ordered.

Y/N clenched her jaw, reluctantly settling down on the ground beside Kiri, who offered her a strained smile. The silence lingered as they waited for the other healers to depart, leaving the three of them alone.

“What is it, grandmother?”

“I want you two to begin participating in our ceremonial rituals to deepen your knowledge and connection with the Great Mother. We haven’t had much time to focus on them recently, but they are integral to the Omatikaya way of life,” Mo’at settled herself in front of the two women and continued, “Tomorrow morning, there will be the communal for mothers and their newborns to connect with Eywa. As the tsakarem, I want you to assist me.”

“Thank you, grandmother, it would be an honor,” Kiri broke into a delighted smile, clearly excited for getting a bigger role than she usually did.

A small smile stretched Y/N’s lips too, happy for Kiri. Over the years of working alongside each other, Y/N had learned that Kiri had a natural affinity for animals and children. Being entrusted with a role in such an important ceremony must have felt like a gift. Y/N turned her attention back to Tsahik then, waiting to hear the purpose behind her inclusion in the conversation.

“Y/N, you must also participate alongside Kiri,” Mo’at finally granted her attention, “As the future Olo’eyktan’s mate, you must embrace our traditions and become a support for Kiri.”

“It is a great honor, Tsahik, but I do have to question your choice. I do not feel prepared to assist in such a ceremony in front of the entire clan. I fear I would be of little help,” she confessed with a pang of insecurity.

Y/N had grown accustomed to being reserved and unnoticed in the clan, attending only to people who sought her help in the quiet solitude of the healing tent, where there was no pressure of public performance. Considering how the news of her arrangement to Neteyam was already drawing so much attention to her, no matter how great the honor was, she had to refuse.

“I have noticed your increasing doubts in your Tsahik lately,” Mo’at’s voice became harsher, and Y/N had to summon all of her willpower to refrain from pleading with her to stop, “Are you doubting Eywa’s guidance too?” 

Eywa’s guidance. Y/N wanted to scoff at the words that have been used countlessly now to force her into situations she did not want to be in. Her parents’ death, Kaye’s arrangement, her union with Neteyam… everything she dreaded was justified with Eywa’s name, as if the Great Mother had a vision when putting her through it all. It seemed ridiculous.

“I am not doubting Eywa’s guidance, but I do question whether or not the signs have been misinterpreted for the benefit of somebody else, rather than mine.”

As the words left her mouth, Y/N regretted them already. She had never dared to challenge Tsahik so directly, let alone voice her concerns about Mo’at’s lifelong commitment. Kiri gulped down nervously, looking in between the two.

“Rather than yours?” Mo’at raised her eyebrows in surprise, “You dare to question if the signs that brought you to this point were for the benefit of the others?”

“Grandmother, I don’t think she meant that -” Kiri tried to intertwine, sensing her grandmother’s growing frustration but it was too late. Mo’at raised her hand to silence her, a scowl forming on her face, as she kept her eyes trained on Y/N.

“The Great mother had looked after you since the day you became orphaned. It was her that pushed you into the arms of the Olo’eyktan and his family, her, who guided you into a care. You wanted to be ‘useful,’ isn’t that what you told me?” Tsahik’s voice raised with an accusatory tone, and Y/N felt herself sinking in her seat, “The day when Jakesully had brought you to me and asked for help in guiding you… do you think it was the first time he came to me? I had no intentions of taking you in, I already had a tsakarem and students chosen, I did not need somebody with no knowledge or interest in healing. But then the Great Mother had sent me a sign, had spoken to me in my dream to give you a chance because she had a plan for you all along.”

Both Y/N and Kiri blinked in surprise at the revelation, as they heard the reasoning. They had always assumed that Mo’at had taken in Y/N out of the Olo’eyktan’s request, but they never realized that the initial request had been rejected. It dawned on them that Eywa had been actively looking out for Y/N all along. Y/N's face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and gratitude.

“Didn’t you wish for a place in the clan? To be accepted because you had lost your family, and therefore, your role?” Tsahik continued, her expression unwavering, “Now the Great Mother has given you the chance to be ‘useful,’ to stand next to the Olo’eyktan. Isn’t that a great honor?”

“It is,” Y/N mumbled, her ears lowering in defeat. Kiri shifted in her seat slightly, feeling as if she was getting scolded too.

“So, you do realize that it is an honor,” Mo’at rose to her feet, “Yet you have done nothing but complain about it. As if you had great sacrifices to make. All that is asked of you is to learn and remain strong to help your mate. As the future leaders of this clan, Neteyam and Kiri already carry a big responsibility on their shoulders. You need to be next to them, be a capable and resilient woman to offer your support whenever it is required. You have been blessed by the Great Mother, Y/N, trust in her will.”

Y/N took a moment to absorb Mo'at's impassioned words, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. While it felt awful to bear such weight, she realized that Mo’at was right. There were always greater sacrifices to make, the clan was in danger, and if Eywa had sent signs about her, it would be foolish to go against them. Kiri reached to squeeze Y/N's hand in support, and Y/N took a deep breath, straightening her posture.

“I see you, Tsahik,” she spoke, her voice steady, “I hear your wisdom, and I will not question it again.”

Mo’at nodded, content with Y/N’s answer, but there was also a hint of gratitude for the compliance. Ever since the decision has been made, her heart felt heavy for forcing Neteyam and Y/N into a union, but she was sure that it was the right path to follow.

“You are free to go,” Mo’at’s expression softened.

Kiri lingered behind, watching after Y/N left. She then turned her head to her grandmother.

“Grandmother, don’t you think that was a little harsh? She’s having a hard time already.”

“Y/N had to be reminded of her destiny instead of fighting it. Once she does, things will start falling into their places,” Mo’at explained with a sigh.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

The clinking of the metal knife blended with the crackling of the burning wood and the distant laughter of Lo'ak, Kiri, and Tuktirey. The family was preparing to sleep, with Neytiri keeping a watchful eye over her children as she silently prayed to Eywa to keep them safe. Neteyam sat alone by the fire, occupied with the sharpening of his knife. When he noticed his father settling beside him, he barely lifted his gaze.

“I think you’ve finished with that, looks good,” Jake nodded at the knife, giving his son's shoulder a reassuring pat. "Are you tired?"

"Not more than usual," Neteyam sighed, continuing to hone his weapon despite his father's approval.

"Tomorrow will be a little slow too, so use this opportunity to gather your energy. Don't stay up too late, go and catch up on your sleep."

Neteyam nodded, stealing a quick glance over his shoulder at his siblings. They were still playing that silly game, where they had to create patterns with their long beaded strings without getting them tangled. Tuk laughed wholeheartedly, as Kiri swatted Lo’ak for getting his string tangled up with hers. A pang of longing tugged at Neteyam's heart, wishing he could join in the carefree fun. But he knew his responsibilities as he grew older. Jake watched him with a slight concern, and when Neteyam moved to put his knife away and retire for the night, he gently tugged at his son’s belt, signaling him to stay a little longer.

"Before you go, there's something I need to discuss with you.”

Neteyam settled back down, his full attention now on his father. 

"Yes, sir. What is it?" he asked cautiously, sensing as if there was something bothering Jake.

“Nothing bad, don’t worry,” Jake reassured with a forced smile, but it fell short of easing up the tension, “Y/N doesn’t show up at the dinners anymore. Do you know where she is?”

“I don’t know, sir,” Neteyam shrugged absentmindedly, “She might just need some space.”

Space. Or maybe she was just hiding from him. Intentionally avoiding Neteyam because despite their conversation that night, he couldn’t shake the feeling that nothing changed. At least, not for her. Neteyam wondered if she was still repulsed by the idea of being with him. And that took a very heavy toll on his heart. Why did fate have to choose the one woman who had already given her love to another?

“Space,” Jake repeated, as if processing the word, then nodded in acceptance, “And the other day, when she came to the training camp, did you end up finding her afterward? You still haven’t told me what happened.”

“Yes, sir,” Neteyam bit the side of his cheek, as if contemplating how much he could reveal. He decided to keep it brief, like reporting a mission, “She was upset and wandered off to the forest, but she was unharmed and let me take her back home. It seems like Y/N and Kaye had some sort of misunderstanding, though she assured me that it’s all in the past now. She only acted out of her emotions.”

“Oh,” Jake was a little taken back by the revelation, “I didn’t know that.”

He fell quiet for a moment, feeling a mixture of guilt and confusion. To be quite honest, Jake felt like he didn’t keep his promise of keeping an eye on Y/N, and realized the implications of his negligence only now. Witnessing her argument with Kaye, a warrior with whom he had never seen her interact, had caught Jake off guard. How much did he miss anyway? Did something happen between Y/N and Kaye? Jake couldn’t escape the nagging guilt of not knowing. Yes, he had entrusted Y/N’s well-being to Mo’at years ago, but did he ever make an effort to make sure she was alright? Just watching her from afar couldn’t be enough, could it? To top it off, his own family was forcing her into a bond with his oldest son. Despite all the possibilities and respect Y/N could get in her new role, he still wasn’t sure if it was the right decision to make. Jake cleared his throat, speaking with a more hopeful tone.

“And how are things between you two? Are you getting along with her?”

“I haven’t spoken or seen her much lately, sir,” Neteyam replied, pressing his lips into a thin line. Of course he hadn’t, because Y/N avoided him. 

“Hey, let’s drop the ‘sir,’ okay? We’re talking as father and son right now,” Jake’s expression softened, “Be honest with me, don’t you like her? I thought she was a nice girl.”

“I think she is a nice girl too, dad,” Neteyam let his shoulders slump for a moment, almost as if he had to relax to be able to tell the truth, “But I don’t think she likes me much… I kind of think she hates me.”

“Hates you? That’s a strong word, Neteyam,” Jake chuckled, finding some humor in the exaggeration, “Maybe she’s just scared because she doesn’t really know you.”

Neteyam shrugged, though he felt a small sense of relief wash over him. Maybe his father was right.

“Look, son, you can’t expect her to like you unless you give her a chance to get to know you first,” Jake continued, his voice filled with paternal wisdom, “Maybe you should work on breaking down that barrier. Y/N is a smart girl but she needs to see you’re a good person, not just a warrior following the orders. Show her the real you, just Neteyam.”

“And how do I do that? Show her this… just Neteyam?” uncertainty swirled in Neteyam’s eyes.

“Well, for starters, try talking to her,” his father suggested with a teasing smirk, “Go visit her, ask to spend time with you. Do you think your mother fell head over heels for me at first sight?”

“Yeah, you always say that it was love at first sight,” Neteyam chuckled, humoring Jake.

“Sure, barely,” Jake let out a laugh, “Your mom thought I was a crazy sky person who didn't understand the Na'vi ways. I mean, there was definitely an initial attraction and mutual fascination, but it was only thanks to Eywa that I even survived. It took some time for your mom to warm up to me. And the more time we spent together, and got to know each other, that’s when the sparks started flying.”

Neteyam listened intently, hanging on each word. It was as if Jake was giving him a guide to navigate this relationship with Y/N. Not that Neteyam was in love with her, or liked her, for that matter, but he recognized the importance of trying. The thought of enduring a lifetime of her hostility would be suffocating. At least, he could be content with having a friend, a companion he could trust and rely on in the journey of life.

“Listen, I know that this whole thing puts a lot of pressure on both of you, but sometimes, the paths we desire don't align with the paths laid out for us,” Jake reached to pat Neteyam’s shoulder once more, “Remember, there's a reason for everything. Trust in Eywa's plan, even if it takes time to make sense of it all… I have trusted in Eywa and in our people, and it only led me to the greatest happiness of my life. I would hate to see you miss out on it. So, just give it a chance, alright?”

“And if it doesn’t work out as well as it did for you, then what?” Neteyam’s voice wasn’t defensive, more resigned than anything.

“If you genuinely give it your best effort and it’s still not meant to be, then you have my support,” Jake affirmed with a gentle voice, “Your happiness matters to me, and I don’t care if it goes against the traditions. I will stand by your side and we will figure it out, how does that sound?

Neteyam nodded, his heart quickening at the anticipation as he absorbed his father’s words. They always had shared a strong bond, rooted in a deep understanding, but with the recent circumstances, Neteyam had begun feeling somewhat isolated from his family. He broke into a wide toothy grin. 

“We got a deal, dad.”

Jake laughed, then gestured towards his older daughter to drop the game and join them. Kiri rolled her eyes, but complied nonetheless, walking to them.

“Babygirl, your brother could use your help. You spend a lot of time with Y/N, right? What can you share about her with him?”

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

He saw her during the ceremony in the morning for the first time in days, and Neteyam, for some reason, felt nervous. Not that he was closely familiar with the feeling, but there was something about the way she delicately assisted his grandmother and the women with their newborns that made his mouth suddenly dry. While his family beamed with pride as Kiri took on such an important role, guiding the clan members through the ceremony and orchestrating their placements within the intricate pattern, Neteyam couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for finding Y/N more captivating.

So hours later, long after the ceremony had concluded and he had fulfilled most of his day’s duties, Neteyam made his way into the healing tent to finish the last chore - the one his father had given him the evening prior. And the second he entered, the healers, engrossed in their tasks, were suddenly intrigued by his presence. The future Olo’eyktan had no visible injuries and seemed unharmed, which meant that there was a specific reason for his visit. And considering the news of engagement between him and Y/N spreading, it wasn’t difficult to make a connection. Mo’at had granted him not more than a mere nod, fully aware of Neteyam’s intention. And Neteyam stiffened slightly, as he walked through the spacious tent, politely greeting everyone, eliciting giggles and knowing smiles in response. 

Then his eyes finally spotted Y/N along with his sister on the far end, both immersed in their work, as they weaved fresh sets of mats. Kiri noticed him right away, greeting her brother with an exasperated roll of her eyes. Neteyam hesitated for a moment at the reactions, and suddenly felt awkward to be interrupting their work with his presence, especially when Y/N paid him absolutely no mind. He took a few more steps, coming to a halt before the two women, and cleared his throat.

The sound finally made Y/N look up and meet his gaze, and her expression immediately changed into a frown. He greeted her, and she returned the gesture politely, though in her mind she couldn’t figure out a reason for his arrival.

"Neteyam," she acknowledged him, her tone guarded, "What brings you here? Are you injured?"

He stiffened again, sensing the suspicion in her inquiries. Of course he wasn’t injured, the question seemed more like a mocking gesture, undermining his carefully crafted plan. Kiri, who had gone over it with their father just the night before, rolled her eyes impatiently.

“I am not injured, thank you for asking,” he finally answered, gaining a little more courage, “I actually came here because I wanted to see you.”

No matter how much she tried to hide it, a subtle flush spread across Y/N’s cheeks in response to the unexpected directness, knowing well that the whole tent was watching. Her gaze shifted momentarily to Kiri, who only seemed to be amused by the exchange.

"Oh," Y/N let out, regaining her composure and looking back at Neteyam, "Perhaps you meant that somebody else told you to come here and see me?”

Now she was definitely mocking him. Kiri huffed in an attempt to suppress a chuckle - her brother would have to really work to break through the underlying tension. It seemed so easy last night, when Jake was telling him how to win a woman’s heart, how communication and honesty is the best foundation for a relationship. However, right now, Neteyam wondered if revealing the actual answer would truly be helpful.

“Perhaps,” he answered, deciding on keeping it vague, "But it's not really important. Spending more time together wouldn’t hurt.”

“Fascinating,” Y/N bit her lip in amusement. 

At this, Kiri couldn't contain her giggles any longer, her eyes gleaming with mischief. A twinge of irritation flitted across Neteyam's expression, but he swiftly regained his composure, refusing to be defeated, especially not in front of his baby sister. Without waiting for a further response, Neteyam sat down crossed-legged in front of them, resting his palms over his thighs.

“Alright," Y/N sighed, her gaze lingering on his frame for a moment before averting, “It’s not like I can refuse anyway.”

The tension settled back in again at the mention of her defeat. And though there was an internal shift within Y/N since her conversation with Tsahik, she wasn’t keen on openly showing it. The wounds from the past, Kaye’s betrayal, still fueled her resentment towards the whole arrangement. But she was also tired, too hurt to keep thinking back on the past. She desperately wanted to move on, escape from her own mistakes. 

“Right, so we’re working on making some new mats for the tent,” Kiri chimed in with a light-hearted tone, finally deciding to help her brother, “There’s clearly a need for that, since we have more warriors to treat now.”

Neteyam nodded, fully understanding. Often, he would find himself sitting on the cold ground when the rest of the mats were taken, especially after heavy encounters with the sky people that left many injured warriors.

“Since it is somewhat more peaceful, we are using this time for learning and restocking,” Kiri continued, while Y/N resumed her weaving, “We've already replenished our supplies of healing herbs, balms, and bandages too. So now we are trying to make the tent more comfortable and equipped.”

Neteyam listened carefully, the information needed to be absorbed if he was to lead the clan one day. But his eyes fixated on Y/N’s nimble fingers, expertly weaving the strands of material. Her movements were swift and determined but graceful at the same time, as if her whole personality, her resilience and tenderness was reflected in the way she worked. Maybe underneath all of that cold exterior, she was concealing a warmth waiting to be unleashed. 

“Can I help?” he offered.

“That’s a great idea, brother,” Kiri encouraged. She couldn’t help but take on the role her father had asked her to, “Y/N can show you how. She’s the best at this stuff.”

Having witnessed the toll that Kaye's mating with another woman had taken on Y/N, Kiri couldn't bear to see her friend lose the spark in her eyes. Deeply empathetic, Kiri understood the pain of losing a mother, of feeling alone at times, and of being denied the love that was within reach. Yet, Kiri was also concerned for Neteyam. She knew her brother's selflessness and willingness to sacrifice, but being arranged to mate with a woman who was already taken seemed cruel. Although Neteyam would never voice his discontent, it was clear that he didn't want things to be strained between him and Y/N. He held onto hope that the situation could change. So quietly, in her mind, Kiri made a promise to Eywa to follow her signs.

Y/N paused for a moment, surprised, then scooted over to make more room for Neteyam by her side. Kiri nodded discreetly, signaling for him to move closer, and Neteyam hurried to settle next to her, almost too quickly, bumping his shoulder into hers. Quietly, Y/N passed him a bundle of fibers and gestured for him to untangle it.

“I think you got it from here, I’ll go check if mom needs help at home,” Kiri announced, rising to her feet.

Kiri did not care that her excuse might have seemed ingenuine to both Y/N and Neteyam, but there was little else they could do about it. With a graceful stride, she made her way towards the exit. And as she departed, Kiri made sure to exchange knowing glances with the other healers, her discreet smirk signaling for them to finish up their tasks too. Whispers passed, and gradually, as Y/N started to walk Neteyam through the steps of weaving a pattern, the tent began to empty, leaving the two of them alone.

“I did not expect this to be harder than weaving bracelets,” Neteyam sighed in defeat, his fingers entangled in the strings once again.

“It is only because you are rushing,” Y/N responded, covering his hands with hers, hoping to slow him down. The touch seemed to startle both of them, but neither showed it.

“But I don’t have the privilege to take my time with this when I can be called into a battle any second,” he explained, stopping his movements, “I don’t want to leave it unfinished.”

“You can finish it another time. Patience is the key.”

Neteyam nodded once more, and Y/N slowly peeled her hands away from his. Taking a deep breath in, Neteyam restarted the pattern, this time allowing himself a bit more time, as he recalled the steps she had shown him. Y/N's gaze wandered around the tent, noting its emptiness, and suddenly it felt like the air had shifted. A delicate deep blue color tinged her cheeks as she stole a glance at Neteyam. He was concentrating hard on getting the pattern right, and Y/N wondered if it was because he excelled at everything and didn't want to fail at something as seemingly simple as weaving, or if he wanted to impress her and build a bridge. Regardless of the intention, she found herself getting amused at the way his tongue poked out of his parted lips and his eyebrows knitted together.

“I did it!” he exclaimed with a relieved laugh, proudly pointing at the completed small circle he had crafted around the base. There was still a long way to go, with many more sets of larger circles to be woven around it, yet the pride was unremarkable in his voice.

“That looks good,” Y/N complimented, a small smile playing on her lips.

He returned the smile, then suddenly realized that perhaps he was being too loud. Neteyam’s eyes scanned the tent for a confirmation of his doubts, only to find that there was no one else there with them. His smile quickly dropped into a small pout. 

"Did I take that long?" he asked, genuinely upset with the pace of his progress. "I mean, if everyone else has already finished their tasks and left."

“That’s not why they left,” Y/N raised her eyebrows slightly, as if waiting for him to take the hint. But Neteyam remained silent, waiting for her to elaborate. She sighed, “I believe it was Kiri that encouraged everyone to leave the two of us alone.”

Yeah, Kiri definitely did not feel the need to include Neteyam in this part of the plan. He knew that he was supposed to come and talk to Y/N, but he didn’t know that his baby sister had made some tweaks to her own liking. He suddenly felt shy, the earlier awkwardness making its way back into the air. 

“She’s the worst, I know,” Y/N said, trying to lighten the mood with a joke, “I am only kidding.”

“No, you’re right. She can be a little cruel sometimes,” Neteyam smiled, appreciating the effort.

“Ah, she’s alright,” Y/N chuckled.

“Yeah, she’s alright,” Neteyam chuckled too, shaking his head.

A brief silence settled, and Y/N found herself studying the mats they were weaving. The weight of their unspoken connection hung in the air, begging to be acknowledged.

“Actually, Kiri’s been great to me, especially recently, you know? With the whole situation,” Y/N confessed, letting her sincerity and gratitude show through.

“I’m glad,” he replied softly, then asked more carefully, “Well, how are you dealing with the whole situation?”

“I don’t know anymore,” she shook her hand, a little distant now, as if she tried to treat it like an old memory, “He betrayed my trust and that shattered me. I loved him but I don’t think I can ever see him that way.”

Neteyam gulped, feeling the anger creeping up his neck again. He could never understand the way Y/N felt but he still couldn’t contain his resentment towards Kaye.

“But I… we don’t really have a choice, and it’s like I can change anything now, right? It’s too late.”

She let out a bitter chuckle but her gaze betrayed defeat that Neteyam didn’t miss. He felt courageous at her vulnerability, and reached out, resting his palm over her thigh. The gesture wasn’t meant to be romantic or sensual, just supportive.

“What do you say tomorrow we go for a walk instead of staying here?” he forced a small smile, his voice more upbeat, “That way the whole tent doesn’t have to abandon their tasks to give us privacy.”

“Tomorrow?” she quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Oh, haven’t I mentioned?” Neteyam played along with a smirk, “I’m making it a priority to see you every day from now on.”

A promise was spoken, and in the quiet of the healing tent, a foundation for friendship had begun to settle. The mats that they were weaving became a symbol of a connection.

chapter 4

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[ternaryanalyst]

A (not so) little analysis on why I think the 2022 Riddler has STPD

(written by someone who has STPD)

Contains spoilers for The Batman (2022) and The Riddler: Year 1 

As an introduction, a brief explanation of what STPD is: Schizotypal personality disorder (STPD) is a cluster A personality disorder characterized by odd/eccentric behaviors, pervasive social anxiety, unusual thoughts/beliefs, and few close relationships. The diagnostic criteria are listed below (the criteria that I believe Edward meets are highlighted) 

Ideas of reference

Odd beliefs/magical thinking

Unusual perceptual experiences

Odd thought and speech

Suspicious/paranoid thoughts

Incongruous/limited effect

Odd, eccentric, or peculiar behavior 

Lack of close relationships

Excessive social anxiety

Now, a breakdown of each of these criteria that I think he meets: 

Ideas of Reference

Ideas of reference refers to notions that everyday occurrences have special meaning or significance. People with STPD believe that these occurrences were intended for them.

In Edward’s case, I think that the encounter he has with Batman in the Year One comic stands out. He places great stress on this brief encounter, and while it isn’t outright stated that he thinks this was an instance of fate I think that it fits within his characterization to say that he would believe that and seems to do so. 

Odd beliefs/magical thinking

The category of odd beliefs and magical thinking is similar to ideas of reference in that the person experiencing these symptoms connects things from reality to illogical perceptions. 

The main point here for Edward’s case is the line “I begin to wonder if it is him guiding me”. This can be categorized as an odd belief because there is nothing gonding it in reality. At this point he has barely interacted with Batman, and their relationship is purely parasocial.

Unusual perceptual experiences

This category covers bodily illusions and hallucinations.

In the comics, Edward can be seen hallucinating multiple times. The shadowy figure that knows his name is almost definitely a hallucination. He also hallucinates that Batman is with him when breaking into an office.

Odd thought and speech

Odd speech can be summarized as any abnormal ways of producing language (verbal or written).  

For Edward, the majority of his dialogue to himself can fall into this category. Specifically, his written ramblings. Repetition can also fall under the category of odd thought/speech, namely his repetitions of ‘shh just breathe’ to himself throughout the comics, as well as the numerous repetitive writings he produces. 

Suspicious/paranoid thoughts 

Similarly to odd thought, paranoid thoughts can be seen in Edward, largely in the comics. Edward is shown to be extremely paranoid when conducting his investigations, revealed in his internal dialogue and writings. 

Odd, eccentric, or peculiar behavior

Edward displays various instances of peculiar behavior. For starters, following the owner of the firm he works out of the office and trying to talk to him, rather than meeting him during working hours. He even acknowledges this himself. His behavior in the movie in general also fits into this category, from wearing his mask as the Riddler to the noises he makes. His affinity for riddles and puzzles is another aspect of odd behavior, as is his elation during the arrest scene. 

Lack of close relationships

(Note that the diagnostic criteria for STPD excludes family members from this lack of close relationships, so Edward not having any familial relationships is excluded from this analysis)

Edward’s relationships are largely digital. And even then, he lacks close bonds with anyone he communicates with. Despite having a decently large social media following, he isn’t close with any of his followers. He also does little to initiate intimate relationships, and this pattern is present in his childhood as well, with him being a social outcast.

Excessive social anxiety 

Social awkwardness, often a product of social anxiety, is brought up by Edward’s coworker when speaking about him. His anxiety can also be seen in how he berates himself for how he acts around others as well as his reclusive nature. He also shows signs of severe social anxiety as a child, with him not speaking. 

[warlordgab]

Analysis of shipping: Found family and pseudo-incest?

Last year I was requested this rebuttal to detractors, but it took a long time to make because it was hard to pinpoint where these arguments came from

But, after one perceptive individual nailed it right on the head, I finally had something to work with

So, let's start with the argument: "These characters can't end up together because they're like family/siblings, so that would be incest"

This isn't unique to one single fandom. Antis had used this reasoning against NaLu and similar pairings in the past, based on the fact Natsu and Lucy belonged to the same guild, a community that treated its members as "family"

Needless to say, they stopped using it after seeing how Mashima made pairings like Gajeel and Levy, or Gray and Juvia, pretty much canon. Making it clear that romantic relationships between members of this particular circle or community were perfectly fine (That doesn't mean cheating is fine though!).

But, this argument still persists in other fandoms. One Piece is not the exception, where the anti-LuNa crowd constantly tries to paint all romantic potential between Luffy and Nami as "incest" because they're "siblings."

Let us address something first, what's incest?

"Sexual intercourse between persons so closely related that they are forbidden by law to marry"

- Merriam-Webster, 2024

"Marriage or sexual intercourse with a relative within the prohibited degree of consanguinity. In other words, incest is sexual contact between close blood relatives"

- LII / Legal Information Institute, 2024

After 1000+ chapters worth of story, nothing implies Luffy and Nami are related by blood. So, where does the argument comes from?

In reality, antis are using a concept people don't often hear about: pseudo-incest

It's not a widely known term, in fact, it's not even in the Oxford English Dictionary (OEA), the Cambridge Dictionary, or Merriam-Webster.

However, we can still find some defintions that helps us to understad what do LuNa detractors mean with this?

"Sexual involvement between family members who are not blood relations (e.g., siblings by adoption, stepparents and stepchildren, in-laws)."

- Wiktionary, 2024

Once, again we hit another wall, since Luffy wasn't adopted by Nami's family, nor Nami was adopted into his. So, why do antis claim they're "like" siblings?

Let's go from the minor statement to the big one. The first argument is that "The have a sibling-like dynamic"

This is one is odd, because it can come from actual unawareness about the nature of relationships, or the malicious use of the common traits seen in all sorts of human connections

After all, all healthy relationships, either being with relatives, companions, or potential romantic partners, are defined by affection, shared values, support, and sometimes a little bit of discord and/or conflict

If we were to use these traits to label the connection between two characters as that of "siblings," we could describe a lot of official pairings (and potent relationships) from a huge lot of stories as "siblings" instead of lovers/spouses.

Let's use a potent relationship as example: Sabo and Koala feel affection for one another, share similar values, support each other, and may have an argument from time to time...

...does that make them "siblings"? What about Ace and Isuka? Does the combination of affection, support, and occasional conflict rule out any possibility of a relationship upgrade?

If we apply this "measurement" to official pairings from other series, we're likely to jump to similarly flawed conclusions about their relationships.

However, even if there are similarites, there are several differences. For bonds outside our family circle. we may see chosen affinity, sometimes a greater attachment and/or emotional codependecy, a strong passion, and even a deeper sense of compromise coming from the willing choice of those involved.

Potent relationships have all of this, even if they're yet to become canon. And due to their emotional chemistry, LuNa seems more like a deep companionship with the potential to evolve rather than a sibling-like bond

However, that was just the minor statement from western fans. We may deduce some say this because they can't picture a romantic relationship without one (or both characters) being a total simp; perhaps they're so used to the "loveable perv" trope, that their idea of romance relies how horny the characters act with one another; or maybe they just too enamored with the cool good-looking buff guy to acknowledge anything deep, but I digress...

Still, we're yet to address the elephant in the room, the bigger argument, which is a combination of two things:

Just like some anti-NaLu fans did ages ago, a lot of anti-LuNa fans take their "sibling" argument from the same place every other permutation of this reasoning came from, a misuse of another concept: Family of choice

Family of choice, Chosen Family or Found Family, all refer to a group of people who willingly stick together to provide each other with the sense of community and belonging, as well as a feeling of affection, joy and security inherent to a functional family, without being related by blood.

It's seen as an alternative to those who faced rejection from their biological family, or society itself, and even to people who lost their relatives to tragedies or disasters.

It's a useful literary device to develop characters due to how flexible it is, given that members of these groups don't need to fill particular roles for their relationships to work, which provides authors with a lot of freedom in terms of writing.

However, some detractors have been abusing the "family" part of the term to argue against pairings that have enough development and history together for a natural relationship upgrade. How?

By limiting each character to a specific role: Father, Mother, Sibling, etc.

This allows them to claim, that characters within "Found Families" cannot become couple because that would be pseudo-incest.

As some people already noticed, this makes no sense; it replaces the versatility of the trope with a far more rigid, static, and limited form of narrative; and goes against what the idea of "Found Family" was supposed to be, which is an alternative to "family," not a carbon copy of the traditional family structure.

So, how does this argument survives logic and reason?

Well, here's the elephant in the room: in the SBS Volume 48, Oda was asked the question: "If the Straw Hats really were an actual family, who would be the dad, and who would be the mom?"

The following was Oda's answer:

Dad: Franky (Thug)

Mom: Robin

First Son: Zoro

Second Son: Sanji (Punk)

Daughter: Nami

Third Son: Usopp

Fourth Son: Luffy

Youngest: Chopper

In the SBS Volume 50, Oda added Brook would be the "Grandfather" "If you Likened the Crew to Family".

Here we have another example of a quote taken out of context, because the question was 'if they really were an actual family', and Oda later framed his answer as "Position in the crew if they were a family."

It was never about the strawhats being "an actual family," it was merely mindless fun with a "what if." To drive that point home, Sanji still gets horny for both Nami and Robin, yet nobody in their right mind would accuse him of lusting after his "sister" and "mother," because they're not actual relatives.

And this leads us to a couple of plot twists: all of this started because of the song "Family" performed by the strawhats seiyuus which, while invoking the "Found Family" trope, includes the following statement:

"We're not relatives… we're not even siblings!" (親戚じゃなくて　兄弟じゃない)

Which pretty much kills the "they're like siblings" argument used by detractors to liken LuNa to pseudo-incest.

The second plot twist comes from the SBS Volume 99, Oda says that if the cew was an actual family Jinbei would be the "father," replacing Franky who would now be given the position of "pervy granny"

This proves two things. First, that such "positions" are neither "fixed" or "absolute," they're malleable and can be changed or altered at any given moment.

Second, that this "Family" thing amounts to a mere joke, it's just a silly little game with no real impact on the story and characters. Although the idea of Frobin Vs. Jinbin(?) sounds amusing, but I digress.

So, what's the conclusion?

Even if the strawhats are an example of "Family of choice," that doesn't make the greatest potential relationship upgrade within the crew problematic, it all depends on how the author handles the situation. And given Oda is a top tier writer, we got nothing to worry if he decides to pull the trigger

And, despite what huge players within the community said before, Oda never claimed the strawhats were "an actual family." So any accusation of pseudo-incest, whether subtle or direct, is just the result of general ignorance, misinformation, and/or personal agendas

BONUS

There are times in manga/anime when one character refers to another as brother/sister/sibling, despite not being related.

One example would be Winry from Fullmetal Alchemist, who claimed Edward is like a "brother" to her. However, given that they're not related, nothing stopped them from falling in love, ending up together, and having children...

If we rely on the same reasoning used by antis, we could conclude this relationship is problematic. However, even if they have some moments when Winry goes ballistic on Ed...

...nobody in their right mind would dare to say their relationship is akin to pseudo-incest.

Oddly enough, we have a case in One Piece, when one character (Kinemon) made a similar brother/sibling claim to Tsuru, using a similar reasoning to that of Winry's...

I'll give you three guesses on how these two ended up, the first two don't count

[idontknowanametouse]

For people who hate Rowling, a nice solution to the hogwarts house classification shit is your element from the Other Side from the brazillian RPG series Paranormal Order!

(for a long time, I felt unconfortable when thinking of Hp, and I know many do to, so I want to share something that can substitute some of the parts I liked the most as a kid)

(in the series, once you get 50% close to the Other Side, the Paranormal, you connect to one of four elements: Blood, Death, Knowledge and Energy. There is a fifth one, Fear, but you can't connect to it. Anyway, here it goes!)

Blood

It is related to all you feel: emotions, heat, pain, pleasure, love, hate,it is known as the start of everything, the flux of the world. Those with it as their element are generally more impulsive and emotional, oversensitive, passionate.

Its rituals are generally about physical aggression and attacking emotions, and its monsters are violent, bestial and fleshly-like. Some Blood monsters are Zumbi de Sangue (blood zombie) Aberração de Carne (flesh aberration) Mulher Afogada (drowned woman) Enpap-X, Carente (needy) Titã de Sangue (blood titan) Aniquilação (annihilation) Dama de Sangue (blood lady) Kerberos, Minotauro (minotaur) and O Diabo (the devil).

It gives those connected to it keen senses, sensibility to pain, bulging veins, red eyes, sharp teeth and nails, intense emotions and a generally strong body.

It overlaps Knowledge and is overlaped by Death.

Some characters with affinity to Blood are Arthur Cervero, Artemis Deordelin Rodrigues, Theodore Bagwell, Agatha Volkomenn

Death

It is related to time, chronology, experiences, distortion of perception, cold, darkness, sludge, spirals and ends. Those with it as their element are generally calm, cold, hyposensitive and with small contact with their emotions.

Its rituals are generally about time distortion and organic degradation, alteration of perception, and its monsters are cruel, inconstant and with different time passing than the rest of the world. Some Death monsters are: Aberrado (scratcher) Aracnasita, Carniçal (black death carrion) Nidere, Succ, A Marionete (puppet) Ceifador Espiral (spiral reaper) Enraizado (rootten) Escutado (listened) Esqueleto de Lodo (ooze skeleton) Múmia (mummy) Sempiternal and O Deus da Morte (the god of death).

It gives those connected to it grey-like skin, white or black hair, black strips throughout the face, completely black eyes, darkened blood, spontaneous aging, aprimorated reflexes, weight loss, alteration on bones and different time perception.

It overlaps with Blood and is overlaped by Energy.

Some characters with affinity to Death are Dante, Boris Lukic, Nubi

Knowledge

It is related to consciousness, learning, knowing, reasoning, logic, calm and balance. Those with it as their element are generally hyposensitive to emotions, reflexive, logic, strategical and go for the best solution to both sides.

Its rituals are generally about perception of reality and communication both in reality and the Other Side, and its monsters are logic, intelligent and very neutral. Some Knowledge monsters are: Vulto (figure) Existido (existed) O Espreitador (lurker) Anjo (angel) Bicho-Papão (boogeyman) Ocioso (idle) Parasita de Culpa (guilt parasite) Estrangeiro (outsider) Rastejador Sombrio (dark crawler) Silhueta (silhouette) and Máscara do Desespero (the magistrate).

It gives those connected to it white or yellow eyes, writing on skin, gold aura, fingers, arms or legs elongated, fragile bones, no mouth or ears and deep eyebags.

It overlaps with Energy and is overlaped by Blood.

Some character with affinity to Knowledge are Carina Leone, Luciano Carvalho, Gal, Kian, Damir Lukic, Yuki Saito, Dominic Sy Pierre

Energy

It is related to chaos, anarchy, inexplicable, change, plasma, technology, phantom-like forms and unpredictability. Those with it as their element are generally hyperactive, imprevisible, anxious, considered insane, chaotic and very connected to technology.

Its rituals are generally about transformation of nature (water fire electricity wind etc) and technology, and its monsters are irrational, random and hostile. Some Energy monsters are: Anárquico (anarchic) Anomalia (anomaly) Anomiático (anomiatic) Ciborgue (cyborg) Infecticídio (infecticide) Perturbados de Energia (chaos disturbeds) Sukkalgir, Tempestuoso (tempestuous) Viajante (traveler) Telopsia and O Anfitrião (the host).

It gives those connected to it multicolored and glowing eyes, glowing veins, tics, trembling, burn scars, bright colored skin and hair and metallic or tech-like body parts.

It overlaps with Death and is overlaped by Knowledge.

Some characters with affinity to Energy are Kaiser Oliveira Cohen, Rubens Naluti, Rana

[the-virgoperspective]

Part 1

Hello all! I just wanted to share what I have been learning while reading up on composite charts. The composite chart is a very interesting and helpful tool to show one what a relationship looks like with themselves and another person. The composite chart is casted by using the midpoint of each planet from each individual natal chart and creating a completely new chart for the individuals as one. This method can apply for just two people or multiple people. For a better understanding of midpoints in astrology, please click here.

In this post, I will be using the writings of Robert Hand, from his novel “Planets in Composite: Analyzing Human Relations” to explain the meaning and significance of each house in the composite chart. Please always keep in mind that this is only one vital step to reading an entire composite chart and should not be seriously considered without viewing everything as a whole. This is just one piece. Enjoy!

The Composite 1H

The first house of the composite chart is one of the angular houses, which gives greater significance to any planet that is in it. Beyond that, however, the first house is the persona of a relationship and indicates the kind of impression it will make on its surroundings and how it will be viewed by others. It tells to what extent a couple will be regarded as a unit in their own right rather than as two separate individuals. The first house resembles the tenth somewhat, but there is an important difference, in that the tenth represents the reality of what the relationship is to the outer world. The first house describes the impression the relationship gives rather than what it really is. A strong first house can be an indication of a relationship that is all show and no substance. The tenth more clearly indicates substance, at least from the standpoint of social significance. Nevertheless, a strong first house is usually a sign of a significant relationship that will have a great impact on the lives of those involved.

The Composite 2H

The second house of the composite chart refers to values-what the two people value, and their relationship to what is valued. This can operate on two different planes. The second house can indicate the role that value-systems play in forming the relationship, that is, to what extent people come together because they value similar things or ideas. If the second house contains difficult aspects, particularly ones involving Pluto and Mars, disagreements over values may be a major source of conflict within the relationship. Similarly, positive aspects indicate that the couple has compatible values, which helps to bind the relationship together.

On another plane, clearly related to the first, the composite second house refers to whatever finances and property there may be in the relationship.

The Composite 3H

The composite third house has essentially the same meanings as the third house in a conventional birth chart: communication, mind, routine day-to-day environment, and relatives. In the composite chart the communications aspect is especially important. If the people in a relationship cannot communicate, they are in real trouble. Very often in a close personal relationship, each partner expects the other to understand them on some deep, intuitive level that does not involve words. When the couple discovers that this deep understanding does not exist, they are most upset and hurt. An afflicted third house usually indicates lack of communication in some way. This should be watched for.

A relationship with a strong third house usually comes about because of mental affinity. The two people are fond of talking with each other and exchanging ideas. Their only real problem arises in a close personal relationship, for mental exchange may become a substitute for a much-needed deep emotional exchange. Otherwise, a third-house relationship is perfectly fine.

The Composite 4H

The fourth house represents more than the home, especially in the composite chart. Many relationships have nothing that could be called a home, and yet the fourth house remains important.

First of all, it is one of the angular houses, which gives it added significance. But more fundamentally, the fourth house indicates the basic roots of a relationship-both literally, in geographic terms, and figuratively, in terms of mental and emotional background. The fourth house signifies the innermost depths of a relationship, which may be so far within as to be invisible at the surface.

The fourth house should be checked to see if there is an underlying compatibility between two people. Do they have compatible backgrounds in the senses just described, and are their basic emotional and psychological characteristics compatible?

A composite chart with a strong fourth house usually indicates that the two people share their innermost lives and that they probably share their actual place of residence.

The Composite 5H

The fifth house in the composite chart has many of the same meanings that it has in a conventional chart-love affairs, children (where this is appropriate), creativity, self-expression, and so forth. The interpretation of self-expression, however, is especially critical in a composite chart.

The composite fifth house represents, first of all, to what extent the relationship provides a setting for the individuals to be themselves in the most genuine and honest way possible. The fifth house signifies the ability of the individuals to be real in each other’s presence, which is not always easy. And being real should not be an effort. An ideal relationship allows each person to be real and to feel that it is easy to do so. When the fifth house operates smoothly, it is easy to enjoy oneself with the other without feeling that something unnatural is expected. A badly aspected fifth house, on the other hand, indicates the opposite.

In a fifth house relationship a couple is not together to form a team or partnership, but because they enjoy being themselves in each other’s company and because they enjoy each other. For this reason, this is the house of love affairs and of friendships (which are also ruled by the eleventh house). The staying power needed for a marriage or other long-term partnership may not be provided by a purely fifth-house relationship.

The Composite 6H

The composite sixth house can signify real obstacles to a satisfactory personal relationship. Somewhat like the sixth house of a conventional horoscope, it refers to the duties and responsibilities that the relationship must fulfill. Of course, all relationships have obligations, and in most cases they are not likely to be harmful. Duties become a problem only when they are the major element of a relationship, with no room for necessary self-expression as ruled by the fifth house. In a business relationship this is not a great problem; there are tasks to be done and obligations to be met. Only if the circumstances call for work to be done does a strong sixth house become an advantage. To make good use of these energies requires that the two people approach even a personal relationship from a strong sense of personal duty.

Health, the other traditional meaning of the sixth house, seems to have little relevance to a composite chart, except as it may indicate a business or professional relationship relating to health.

part 2

 red divider by @cafekitsune   image + support banner by @roseschoices 

[homeboundmonsters]

More Jumbled Thoughts on the Psychology of Inspector Javert

Building on the mention of Prison Mother and Law Father:

Javert exits his mother's womb into another symbolic womb: the prison, a place where transformation happens, where men are turned into beasts. Like a womb the prison entraps, monitors, maintains and sustains the life of its prisoner, but also can kill him. Because of her ethnicity and estrangement from society, Javert divorces himself from his biological mother and, in this way, the prison system holds the symbolic role of the mother in Javert's life. Because Javert is born without a father there is a symbolic void, an absence which he fills with The Law. In the philosophy of Carl Jung the Father archetype represents authority and responsibility; he is the protector and provider. Javert requires this figure to form a family triad, every child requires stability and that stability is found in parental figures- whether biological or otherwise. It is in prison where Javert adopts his affinity with observing: observing is safe, observing is a guilt-free activity because it is amoral: the observer does not partake in, and thus approve of, or disapprove of the activity he observes. In addition, observation is a passive activity. Prison and the Law teach Javert to be passive, because to be passive is to be safe from unwelcome observation, it is to be small and unseen. We see this in how Javert behaves at the barricade, like Valjean he turns into himself returning to the state of dissociation that gave him comfort in childhood. 

By the time Javert leaves the womb he is already a man and so he is trapped in a sort of psychological infancy. He cannot develop beyond the idea of black and white right or wrong. He cannot move, like a man does, away from the overbearing and domineering psychological influence of his parents. He seeks to please them and when he feels he has failed he suffers mental and emotional distress and anguish. He prefers straightforward tasks, requires reassurance and praise, and seeks out the attention and approval of his parents in all things. He has been taught to be obedient and passive from birth and has not had the experience of a life outside of ‘the family’ with which he might compare his way of living. As he divorced his biological mother, Javert divorces his symbolic mother by abandoning the prison system and moving to the Law pure to work as a police officer. This is because, as a man, he seeks to identify with the masculine identity in himself as if represented by his Father. But also because the approval of his father is the ultimate form of safety because in reality, Javert’s Father figure is the Dark Father: he is critical, often cruel, emotionally distant, he is the father who consumes their own child. For what does the Law give Javert? Not social status, not family, not community, not love, not an appeasement of hunger or the safety of a good solid income.  

Like the son who never flies the nest, he forms few to no other social or sexual relationships. How can he when all of his psychological and emotional energy is going into fulfilling his parents' perceived needs? This is part of the danger of Jean Valjean. He disrupts, he invites in Javert sentiments and psychological excitements which draw him away from his primary focus of satisfying his parents. He entices with an alternate way of life in which a man might live by his own values, independent and seeking only his own approval. And he introduces physical desire into Javert's life also, forcing him through a sort of psychological puberty from sexless child to confused and frustrated yearning adult. What emotions he should have had years to understand he is forced to process in short and destabilising bursts. He does not even have the language to express to himself what he desires, beyond the framework of service and pleasing a superior figure or destroying and harming the cause of the destabilisation.

Jean Valjean also entices because he is The Father. This can be seen in the development of his relationships: as a young man he is the father figure to his nieces and nephews, then he is Father Madeleine to M-Sur-M, then he is Cosette’s adopted father. Valjean represents what Javert has searched for since childhood, a figure to fill the symbolic void of the absent father. Unlike his cruel, judgemental Dark Father in the figure of The Law, Valjean is accepting, merciful, gentle, patient and forgiving. He offers praise, community, tenderness, but without the lack of any traditional masculine traits; he is strong, powerfully built, handsome, respectable, wise, intelligent, masterful, dominant, and holds social influence. To put it in a vulgar terminology: Javert has Daddy Issues. Valjean is the symbolic Father he has yearned for to treat the wounds of his agonised childhood. Now, this is not to say he wishes Valjean to be his father, that would be a naive interpretation. It is to say that he requires a figure to take that role in his emotional and psychological hierarchy. But it is also why he has such an internal conflict: to abandon the Law Father is to turn his back on a lifetime of programming, but worse: to accept that he is lovable and deserving of respect, mercy and tenderness without having to deprive himself and exhaust himself mentally and emotionally to earn those things. And worst of all, to face the belief that he has already proven through his acts that he is not worthy of this freely given love and approval that his potential Good Father offers him. The Dark Father is ingrained in Javert’s very psychology, even outside of his presence (as outside as he can ever be) he is ruled by the critical and cruel judgements and strict rules that his Dark Father has set for him. In a moment of agonised realisation, Javert comes to understand that he is worthy of Love and that he has made himself unworthy of it all at once: the perspectives of two warring Father symbols whose conflict ultimately tears apart Javert’s fragile psyche. 

[talonabraxas]

"The law of manifestation operates like a triangle: First, know what you want and visualize it as if you already had it; Second, see it behind the illusion of reality, practice it in your decisions, choose the people you hang out with, etc; Third, believe, have faith and work on your emotions to be at the right frequency. This triangle of manifestation is one of the secrets of many religions: Christianity, Scientology, and Freemasonry. In Masonry is seen as "heart, mind and desire"; in Scientology is perceived as "reality, communication and affinity"; in Christianity is understood as "Father, son and holy ghost"; basically, "actions, learnings and emotions". In Christianity, the Father equals reality or the Creator of the illusion, the son is the way, the path, he road of our decisions and actions, and the holy ghost is our heart, instincts and desires manifested in that same path. In word words, through Jesus, and with the power of the holy ghost, you reach God. This is an allegory that not many Christians can understand. Jesus represent behavior - right and wrong, the holy ghost is our faith, your heart and emotions reflecting back at you what you attract, it's the energy that connects you to your dreams, and God represents the Architect of Reality. So, through moral behavior and positive emotions, your understand God and life, and then you receive "paradise". This paradise is whatever you dream for yourself. Furthermore, if someone has shown you this way, he has been as an angel to you, a messenger of God; if someone stopped you from reaching it, he has been as a demon, a worker for Satan, the enemy, if you failed in seeing this path, you have redirected yourself towards hell. And if you hate your life, you are already in hell. If you want to get out of hell, you must accept the truth, and this truth is that you must know God, for He is the truth. He and the truth are one and the same." Eye in the Pyramid👁️⃤ Talon Abraxas

[lunar-serpentinite]

AU where the Potters are actually South Asian and their earliest ancestor, Linfred of Stitchcombe, was actually an immigrant from what is now known as Tamil Nadu. He came from a family of potioneers and healers who were known for their relationship with snakes and their ability to understand the language of serpents (known within Europe as Parseltongue) but their variant of Parseltongue was believed to be a blessing from their patron deity Aravan.

The Descendants of Nandhini

The Descendants of Nandhini, more commonly known as the Descendants of Aditya by outsiders, refer to a family of Tamil wix who occupy a heavily warded and hidden territory within part of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, India. They are traditionally healers and agriculturists who work closely with snakes of both Magical and mundane origins. Their affinity and bond with snakes lead them to develop the Magical ability to speak and understand the language of serpents. 

They are named after the first member of the family who mastered the language of serpents, Nandhini. Nandhini was a Tamil witch who lived at the height of the Chola Empire, specifically during the mid-900s. Nandhini was her parents’ third child and only daughter. When Nandhini began to display perfect fluency in the language of serpents, it was viewed as a sign of favour from their patron Aravan and Nandhini was then announced as the family’s next head. However, she was to disguise herself as a man and go by the name Aditya as well as take on a wife for the rest of her life.

From Nandhini, new traditions were developed. One tradition was the secretive way of succession for the title of family head. While the family head remained a male in official records and to anyone who asked. But in reality, a woman held the actual title of family head. The hereditary Magic and Relics of the family was bestowed upon the eldest daughter of the main line, which she would then pass down to her eldest daughter when the daughter came of age. This is one of the family’s best kept secrets and is still kept close and hushed up to this day.

Another tradition was keeping long-living Magical serpents as familiars and protectors of the family and carriers of hereditary knowledge. These serpents were regarded around the same level as the family’s elders and the family often spoke with them for advice or knowledge.

The descendants of Nandhini, like the other Magical families of Tamil Nadu at the time, lived in harmony with their mundane neighbours. Mundanes were aware of and lived with Magic despite being unable to wield it themselves. This carried on until the start of British colonization in India. The Magical families of Tamil Nadu escaped colonization by a breath’s width by using Magic to completely hide themselves from the rest of the world. The descendants of Nandhini in particular worked with their snakes to “camouflage” their biggest family compound within the Western Ghats, with the snakes themselves acting as the living “boundaries” of their territory who also act as natural deterrents for anyone who comes too close.

The Magical families remained isolated from the outside world for the entirety of the British’s colonization of India and even lasted a couple of decades after. However, they have managed to reestablish connection with the other Magical families as the years passed by. During their time of isolation, the caste system was slowly dissolved and forgotten and many Magical Tamil families abandoned their castes and titles in favour of simply calling themselves the descendants of their oldest recorded ancestor. In the present time, Magical Tamil Nadu are large joint family groups scattered geographically but are well-connected by an intricate communication system set up by their ancestors. They are still mostly disconnected from the rest of the Magical World but not as much as it was during the colonial era.

The descendants of Nandhini in the present time mostly use the language of serpents, Tamil, and Sanskrit as their main languages. However, their members also show fluency in Middle Tamil and Classical Sanskrit. The latest generation of the descendants are currently learning present-day English.

BRITISH BRANCH — THE POTTERS

During the 1200s right as the Chola Empire began to decline, a group of the descendants of Nandhini led by someone now known as Linfred of Stitchcombe found their way to the British Isles. Though considered “eccentric” by his British neighbours, Linfred was nonetheless well-liked due to his helpfulness and affable nature. He and his family were known for their excellent healing remedies and strange plants, but they were warned by their ancestral snakes and the local snakes to hide their affinity for snakes and their knowledge of the language of serpents for their own safety. 

This branch eventually adopted the surname of Potter by demand of the British Ministry of Magic, though there wasn’t any significant reason behind the choice of surnames. Though they are Potter on paper, they still proudly refer to themselves as descendants of Nandhini and would often use Nandhini as another surname in addition to Potter. They kept in contact with the main branch throughout the centuries until the main branch seceded during the British colonial period.

Despite their positive reputation in the British Magical community and their position of being essentially Purebloods, the Potters preferred to marry within their South Asian community. The other British Pureblood families attempted to marry into the Potter family for generations especially after the Potters rose to the top of their respective industries, but they remain unsuccessful to this day. It is because of this refusal to marry into the British Pureblood society that the Potters were exempted from the Sacred 28, not that they cared anyways. 

The Potters amassed wealth, prestige, and influence through their revolutionary contributions and breakthroughs for British healing magic and potions. Eventually, they also started to build up a business in Magical pottery and ceramics. The potions they sell are often packaged in custom ceramic bottles made by their own company. Their business partners are exclusively businesses owned and run by South Asians and South Asian immigrants and have recently begun to open their connections to other BIPOC-owned businesses as well. As of the present day, the Potters are one of the leading names in both the potioneering and Magical pottery/ceramics industry.

The Potters usually send their children to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where they would usually be Sorted into either Slytherin or Gryffindor. However since they have reestablished their connection with their main branch in Tamil Nadu, the recent generations have been considering sending their children to their ancestral home for schooling instead.

During the mid-18th century, the Potters began to republicize their affinity and connection with snakes and their usage of the language of serpents as a way of preserving their connection to their family back in their motherland and as a silent protest against the growing negative perception of snakes and serpent-speakers in the United Kingdom. It was noted by Magical linguists that the language of serpents that the Potters knew were far different than what Europe had called “parseltongue”. This variant of “parseltongue” became known as Potters’ parseltongue amongst the European populace, though the family themselves have never used the term themselves.

Despite having lived away from their main branch for centuries, the Potters still maintain almost all of the family traditions. The family is patriarchal on paper but matriarchal in practice. Their family manor in Gloucestershire had an entire green space for the ancestral snakes that they have brought from Tamil Nadu and their other snakes that they have adopted and bred. They continue to revere their patron deity Aravan, whose image decorates sacred spaces within the Potter family estate. 

In the latest generation, the Potter family is closely connected with the other Magical South Asian families within the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. They also have close ties with the Black family who claims ancestry from ancient Egypt and Persia. The current heads of the Potter family, James and Lily, have both married Regulus Arcturus Black who is the second son of Orion and Walburga Black. James also considers Sirius Orion Black his best friend and the couple have appointed Sirius as the godfather of their eldest child Hariharan "Harry" James Potter.

[dailyanarchistposts]

Foundations

José Llanquileo is four years into a five year sentence for arson. For three years he was living in clandestinity with his partner, Angelica, and for a year was one of the Chilean state’s most wanted fugitives. In 2006, the two were finally captured. She was acquitted on charges of illegal association, under the antiterrorist law. He was convicted for burning pine trees on a forestry plantation belonging to a major logging company, as part of a land reclamation action. Now he gets work release during the day, and furloughs on the weekends, so he has time to take us around Temuco, introduce us to the hungerstrikers, and tell us his story.

We’ve come here as anarchists, to learn about the Mapuche struggle, to tell about our own struggles, to see where we have affinity, and begin creating a basis for long-term solidarity.

Fortunately, we can start on a good foundation. The leftists have had a patronizing attitude towards the Mapuche, says José, but “the anarchists have been very respectful, and shown lots of solidarity. I think we should be grateful for that.” He’s clear, however, that the Mapuche’s struggle is their own. Marxism was influential at a certain moment, but they are not Marxists. One could characterize the Mapuche way of thinking as environmentalist, but they are not environmentalists. They have affinity with anarchists, but they are not anarchists. “We are Mapuche. We are our own people, with our own history, and our struggle comes directly out of that.” Contrary to the assertions of the leftists, the Mapuche are not the marginalized lower class of Chilean society. They are not the proletariat, and the idea of class war does not correspond to their reality. Consequently, they may find some affinity with the revolutionary movements that developed in the context of class war in European society, but these movements do not adequately address their situation.

“The Left consider the Mapuche as just another sector of the oppressed, an opinion we don’t share. Our struggle is taking place in the context of the liberation of a people. Our people are distinct from Western society.” Moreover, the Mapuche people have a proud history of fighting invasion, resisting domination, and organizing themselves to meet their needs and live in freedom, so their own worldview and culture are more than sufficient as an ideological basis for their struggle.

This point is stressed by nearly everyone we meet, and I think our ability to become friends and compañeros rests directly on the fact that we respect their way of struggle rather than trying to incorporate them into our way of struggle.

I want to be upfront with the people I meet, with whom I want to build relationships of solidarity, so on the first day I tell him my motivations and assumptions. The comrades who put us in touch already told José I’m an anarchist, and informed him of the kind of work I do, so the fact that he invited us into his community and took time off to guide us around is a good sign. I let him know that many US anarchists already have a little familiar with the Mapuche struggle, and our understanding is that their culture is anti-authoritarian, and they organize horizontally. Is this correct?

José says it is, but I notice a little eurocentrism on my part, a difference in worldviews, when he automatically replaces my word, “horizontal,” with the word “circular,” to describe Mapuche society. There is no centralization of power among the Mapuche, who in fact are a nation of several different peoples, living in different geographic regions, and speaking different dialects of the same language. The land belongs to the community, and it is maintained collectively, as opposed to individually or communally. Each community has a lonko, a position generally translated as “chief,” but each family has a large degree of autonomy, and many decisions are made by the whole community in assemblies. Lonkos are usually men, but have been women as well. There are other traditional roles of influence: the machi is a religious figure and a healer. Men and women can become machis, but they are neither chosen nor self-appointed. Those who have certain dreams or get inexplicably sick as children, and who demonstrate a certain sensitivity, will become machis. Then there is the werken, the spokesperson, a role that has taken on explicitly political characteristics as Mapuche communities organize their resistance. Historically there were tokis, war leaders that different communities followed voluntarily, though currently no one plays this role, as the Mapuche have not gone to war since being occupied by the Chilean and Argentinean states in the 1880s.

I ask about gender relations and how the Mapuche view things like family structure and homosexuality, making clear my own feelings but also trying not to be judgmental. José says the Mapuche family structure is the same as in European society, and there is a great deal of conservatism, pressure to marry and have children, and disapproval of anything that falls outside of this format. He thinks that maybe it didn’t used to be like that, and perhaps the Catholic missionaries and conservative Chilean society have changed traditional values. In any case, the women we meet during our limited time in the communities are all strong, active, vocal, and involved, and in the homes we stay in there seem to be a sharing and a flexibility of roles. The people in our group, meanwhile, don’t try too hard to present as heterosexual or cis-gendered and don’t have any problems.

* * *

It’s an exciting time to be in Wallmapu. All the communities in resistance are united behind the hungerstriking prisoners, but behind the scenes, important debates are taking place. The hungerstrike, based directly on the ongoing struggle (all the Mapuche prisoners are accused or convicted of crimes related to land recovery actions, such as arsons targeting the forestry companies, or related to conflict with the Chilean state, such as the seizing of a municipal bus or a shooting that gave a good scare to a state’s attorney), has focused the Mapuche nation and captured the attention of the entire Chilean population. It has won a popular legitimacy for the Mapuche struggle, undermining the demonization of the direct tactics they use and weakening the government’s position in casting these tactics as terrorism. In this situation, the Mapuche can go beyond calls for greater autonomy or land reform within the Chilean state.

“The so-called Mapuche conflict doesn’t have a solution. The demands we have necessitate a break with the framework of the state. What we demand is sovereignty and Mapuche independence. We consciously propose the historical foundations of these demands [...] Our struggle is fundamentally opposed to capitalism and the state [...] I believe we have to open a space internationally to spread our demands. The Mapuche struggle has to be internationalist, as the struggle of a people. Many of the things that affect us, like capitalism and the states that represent it, the US, the EU, are an enemy to peoples, First Nations as much as oppressed classes around the world, and that’s a point of concordance.”

“The biggest problem is the advance of capitalism, in the form of investment on our lands. This is one of the principal threats that the Mapuche face because it means the exploitation of natural resources. These resources are on Mapuche lands, so investment means the expulsion of the inhabitants,” José explains. “Even while we’re recovering our lands, this investment is going on, which endangers everything we have achieved.”

* * *

After a few days, we leave Temuco and head for the hills, to the town of Cañete, and then to the first of a couple autonomous Mapuche communities in resistance we’ve been invited into, in the area of the lake Lleu Lleu, south of the city of Concepcion. Mapuche communities have two names, or rather, the place has a name, and the group of people has another name. José’s community, Juana Millahual, at Rucañanko, sits on a steep hill above one arm of the lake. It is a small community, with just a few dozen families. José’s brother is lonko. The houses are mostly small, rectangular, wooden buildings sitting atop low stilts. José explains that the traditional houses, the ruca, had thatched instead of tin roofs, but these have been mostly burned down over the decades of struggle.

The oldest knowledge they have of the community is in 1879, when José’s great grandmother had 10,000 hectares. Now the community only has 300 hectares, but they are in the process of recovering 1000 more hectares, 220 of which they have occupied. “In these territories there is a profound transformation where big capital has exploited natural resources and where the Mapuche are trying to recompose their spaces.” They’re recovering their traditions and parts of their culture that were nearly lost, and when they retake a plot of land, they take it out of the hands of Capital “which says it exists to serve man and must be exploited. When the Mapuche occupy it, there is a revolutionary change, a profound transformation to the social, cultural, religious, and economic fabric.” When they recover land, their machis come and the whole community performs a Ngillatun, a major ceremony, to purge it from its time as private property and to communalize it.

At his house, during his weekend furlough, José tells us more about the Mapuche history. The Mapuche territories used to extend from near the present locations of Santiago and Buenos Aires, Pacific coast to Atlantic coast, south to the island of Chiloe. Farther south, on the southern cone of the continent, other peoples lived. They were hardy nations that survived the extreme temperatures without problems, but were mostly exterminated when the Europeans came.

José explains that winka, the term the Mapuche have given to the European invaders, simply means “new Inca.” Before the arrival of the conquistadors, the Inca nation were already engaging in a sort of regional imperialism, which the Mapuche wanted no part in. The Inca armies got as far south as present-day Santiago, where they were defeated and consistently prevented from advancing any farther. When the Spanish arrived, the Mapuche treated them as just the most recent invaders, and defeated them as well. It’s a point of pride that the Inca, who had an advanced, centralized civilization, fell easily to the conquistadors, while the Mapuche, who were decentralized, never did. What the Spanish couldn’t understand was that there was no single Mapuche army. Each group of communities had their own toki, and if the Spanish won a battle against one group of warriors, as soon as they advanced a little farther they’d have to face another one.

During my time in Wallmapu, I think a lot about what it means to be a people. From the traditional anarchist standpoint, a people or a nation is an essentializing category, and thus a vehicle for domination. However, it becomes immediately clear that it would be impossible to support the Mapuche struggle while being dismissive of the idea of a people.

Hopefully by this point all Western anarchists realize that national liberation struggles aren’t inherently nationalist; that nationalism is a European mode of politics inseparable from the fact that all remaining European nations are artificial constructions of a central state, whereas in the rest of the world (excepting, say, China or Japan), this is usually only true of post-colonial states (like Chile or Algeria) that exist in direct opposition to non-state nations. Many other nations are not at all homogenizing or centrally organized.

Going beyond this, though, is it essentializing to talk about a Mapuche worldview or way of life? The more I listen, however, the more I doubt my accustomed standpoint. To a great extent, Mapuche is a chosen identity. Most “Chileans” have black hair, broad faces, and brown skin, while less than 10% of the population of the Chilean state identify as Mapuche. In a context of forced assimilation and a history of genocide, choosing to identify as Mapuche is, on some levels, a political statement, a willful inheritance of a cultural tradition and hundreds of years of struggle, and an engagement with an ongoing strategic debate that perhaps makes it legitimate to talk about what the Mapuche want, what they believe, in a more singular way. At one point, when we’re talking about mestizos, José makes it clear that someone is Mapuche if they identify as such, even if they have mixed parentage. In other words the Western notion of ethnicity, which leaves no room for choice because it is based on blood quanta, does not apply. Also, the fact that the Mapuche call the Europeans the “new Inca” show that they do not have an essentializing, generalizing view of sameness between all indigenous peoples. On the contrary, many people we met specified an interest in connecting specifically with other First Nations that were fighting back against their colonization, showing that what they cared about was not a racial category, but a struggle.

So if Mapuche is a chosen identity based on a very real shared history, shared culture, and ongoing collective debate of strategy, is it actually all that different from the identity of anarchist? Well, yes: it has a longer history, tied to a specific geographic territory and cultural-linguistic inheritance. Anarchism also contains a greater diversity of worldviews, but on the flipside no one I met tried to present the Mapuche as homogenous, even as they talked about a Mapuche worldview.

In sum, the concept of belonging to a people brings a great deal of strength to the Mapuche struggle. Because the state falls outside of and against that people and their history, I find some elements of the Mapuche reality, of their world, to be a more profound realization of anarchy than I have found among self-identified anarchists. And considering that those anarchist movements that have been able to maintain just 40 years of historical memory (Greece, Spain) are consistently stronger than anarchist movements that have a hard time even understanding the concept of historical memory (US, UK), it is no surprise that the Mapuche, who maintain over 500 years of historical memory, are so strongly rooted that they seem impervious to repression.