#also i got though the 8th circle

[most-fuck-able-ff14]

WHY AIN'T NONE OF Y'ALL POINT OUT I'VE BEEN TAGING THE SHADOW BRINGERS POLLS AS "shadowbrings spoilers" AND NOT "shadowbringers spoilers"???

DID Y'ALL MISS THAT TOO CAUSE I'M SO SORRY! -Mod Fisher

[iamnmbr3]

you think post war luna forgives draco or resents him because she was prisoner in his house?

I think she is more forgiving towards him than a lot of people are - and probably in a slightly off-putting direct way as is her wont. However, I don't think they just immediately become bffs or that she starts talking like she read a bunch of pro-Draco meta on tumblr. I mean, he was involved in holding her prisoner in his house, even if it was pretty clear he didn't want to be, so there's some trauma there. I think she could grow to accept him fairly easily compared to some people. Like, if drarry happened I think she'd be able to get used to Draco's presence much more easily than some people - like Fleur for example (who is NEVER forgiving him for hurting Bill) - in Harry's circle. I think she would also not be outright hostile to him and would treat him in a much more friendly way compared to most people post war.

I always imagine that during the beginning of 8th year Draco's kinda skulking around because 1) he feels overcome with guilt and 2) pretty much the whole wizarding world hates him. At one point he passes Luna - who he's avoiding for obvious reasons - and she's just like 'Oh hello Draco' like they're friendly casual acquaintances and Draco's kind of frozen there while Luna serenely explains to the onlookers that she knows Draco because she locked in his basement for a while during the war. She goes on to say that he was her favorite Death Eater because he used to sneak the prisoners extra food sometimes, which was very nice of nice of him though of course letting them all out would have been a lot nicer of him. Draco looks like he isn't sure whether he's being insulted or not.

I think it'd also be cool if later on Luna tells Draco at one point that she can't hate him not only because she could tell how unhappy he was but also because she feels guilty over the actions of her own father. I wish that last angle got brought up more.

[utilitycaster]

Level-up post: Bells Hells L13

girl help usually I draft these well in advance but I forgot about this one so it's going to be a little shorter and probably less pithy. Anyway as always: corrections on errors appreciated, but if I didn't list every single possible spell or feat someone could take then that's because I don't care. And, because we do the level-ups like this rather than at the end of a session, this will include L14 speculation. Without further ado:

Everyone's proficiency bonus goes up to +5, and the non-multiclassed full spellcasters (Imogen and FCG) get access to 7th level spells.

Chetney: Chetney took another level in Blood Hunter, granting him an ASI/Feat. On the one hand, his wisdom score is odd and so an ASI to that makes sense. On the other hand fuck WIS forever and ever amen; CON, STR, and INT are all way more important for him and for this party. Orym can perceive enough for everyone. L13 Blood Hunter is a nice one that grants him an additional use of blood maledict, as well as the Brand of Tethering which is both thematically appropriate for the campaign and could REALLY ruin Ludinus's day.

Laudna: Another sorcerer level, which grants her more metamagic, and Marisha said in the video she'd be taking Empowered Spell. She also learns another spell up to 5th level, and another cantrip. Frankly I have no idea for cantrips since between two casting classes with cantrips, her subclasses, and spell sniper, she is Cantrips Georg, but Seeming and Teleportation Circle are both pragmatic options that would help the party; Creation and Insect Plague are both aesthetically apt; and Dominate Person, while coming from her sorcery, does have that touch of Delilah. Looking forward I must admit that warlock is infinitely more useful and interesting but it's probably wiser to get 6th level spells.

FCG: FCG's main improvement here is access to 7th level spells; these are pretty great for clerics. I am personally a fan of Divine Word, and Plane Shift seems likely quite useful, but Regenerate and Resurrection are good to have available. L14 for clerics is quiet and simply improves their ability to destroy undead, as is 15, which grants them 8th level spells.

Fearne: Fearne took a 10th level in Druid, granting her another cantrip and another 5th level spell. She gets Cauterizing Flames, which is a little like Wither and Bloom or some of the Circle of the Shepherd features: when a small or larger creature dies within 30 feet of her or Little Mister, she can use a reaction to either heal a creature within 30 feet of the dead creature, or deal fire damage to it. This may become immediately useful if we're fighting Liliana or Otohan. I am hoping she levels up to 11 in Druid at the next level up, which would give her Transport via Plants and Wind Walk access, making the party a little less reliant on Keyleth. As for her cantrip, I'm thinking Druidcraft would be fun since she doesn't have it and it's been so useful on Ruidus.

Imogen: Imogen gets 7th level spells, of which Teleport is a clear winner, particularly since FCG can take Plane Shift, but there are some of my favorite damage/fuckery spells in there (Prismatic Spray, Reverse Gravity, and Delayed Blast Fireball). Level 14 gives her Revelation in Flesh. I must admit I'd be more psyched about this if she'd leaned into the slime aspects of the subclass, but I am interested in seeing how it gets modified because I don't think she should get the swim speed if she won't grow weird cilia and gills; the other features can stay though.

Orym: In addition to having the stupidest passive perception score on the moon, he also gains another use of indomitable. Level 14 gives him an ASI/Feat and really he can't go wrong here; because he got feats from his pact I'm thinking an ASI to CON to make him even more of a tank would be fun, but fighters get so many feats that he can really go nuts.

Ashton: Base barbarian ability of Brutal Critical goes up to 2 dice from 1, giving them the ability to do more damage when they crit. Eyes peeled for his next level-up, when he gets his final Path of Fundamental Chaos feature!

[writing-rat]

Christmas Carols

Pairings: Wednesday x Enid

Contents: Fluffy stuff

Summary: The school has to do compulsory Christmas carolling but Wednesday has other plans..

WC: 1153

“Attention students, we are having an assembly. Please make your way to the hall,” the intercom said, Wednesday grumbling, as it was a Saturday at 2 p.m., and it was one of her writing times. Enid groaned, her manicure being half-finished by Thing.

“Looks like we’ll have to finish later. Babe, can you open every door for me and make sure no one knocks me too? I don’t want to ruin my nails,” Enid asked.

“Of course, Cara Mia,” she spoke, standing up as she opened the door. She didn’t bother about changing even if she was wearing some loose sweatpants and one of Enid’s dark blue hoodies with the San Jose Sharks logo, even if she was a New Jersey Devils fan. Enid was wearing some purple sweatpants and Wednesday’s New Jersey Devils hoodie. They were perfect for each other.

Wednesday did her job, blocking everyone from knocking Enid, who was holding her nails out as she was waiting for them to dry. Wednesday missed Yoko’s glance over though, but Enid didn’t. That was when she mouthed at her. ‘She’s a simp for me, she is my soulmate’ she mouthed and Yoko just smirked, holding Divina’s hand before she went to the opposite side. “Might as well help out. Hello fellow gays,” Yoko spoke. 

“Call me that again and you will have a stake through your heart,” Wednesday threatened. Yoko laughed, even if she was being glared at. She knew Wednesday wouldn’t hurt her though, it would upset Enid… and also they were now friends. They shared some of the same morbid interests like taxidermy and death. Hell, she answered some of Wednesday’s questions when Wednesday finally got the confidence to ask her. Safe to say, they were much closer than before and Enid loved that. 

Soon, everyone was in the assembly hall and were sat down as Weems was at the front. She had survived the nightshade poisoning, the medics helping her just in time which Wednesday was thankful for, but she wouldn’t admit it out loud. She did suffer from migraines usually now though, so Wednesday tried to not make as much trouble as possible. She also told Weems wherever she went now, even after curfew so that Weems stressed for no reason. They were more friendly now and Wednesday had improved. In fact, she became a Nightshade, having a circle around her was good. She trusted them all in her investigations now, all having one bit if they wanted to be in it. 

“I am glad to see most of you here. I would like to apologise for interrupting your plans but I need to announce that this Winter we will be going out on the 8th of December carolling. It is mandatory and a way to try to get Normies to like you guys more so there is no discrimination. Now, I do not want any complaints unless your religion doesn’t allow it. You will be allowed to sit it out. You just need to inform me,” she spoke, the assembly soon being dismissed as Wednesday was scowling. “I am getting out of it…” Wednesday spoke, thinking of a way.

“But babe, we can go together,” Enid pouted, stretching ‘babe’ out. Wednesday mumbled, Yoko and Bianca, watching as everyone else was in conversation. Wednesday glared at them before she sighed. 

“Fine… but only because it is for you,” she spoke. Enid grinned and smiled. 

“We can wear our snoods too!” Enid added. Wednesday couldn’t help but groan, but she was way too soft for Enid. She was just like her father, slowly getting more and more physically affectionate. It was obvious, especially when she was holding Enid’s hand in the hall, and she wasn't aware until Enid squeezed it gently. She blushed but kept ahold of it and Enid grinned at that. She couldn’t wait until December 8th.

–

The day soon came and Enid was eager. She had gotten her nails into Christmas colours. Green, red and blue. She also had 1 black nail on each hand to represent her girlfriend, same as Wednesday who had 2 pink nails on each hand. Wednesday meanwhile was not excited. She was wearing some loose jeans, her usual boots and her Devils hoodie, which still smelt a little of her girlfriend. They also had on their snoods as they were outside waiting, patiently, for everyone. Well, Wednesday wasn’t patient as she was just scowling. “I could be writing but no, we have to try and get validation from the Normies. Could this night get any worse?” Wednesday grumbled as the Nightshades stood around.

“Yes, you could get frostbite,” Bianca spoke.

“That would make it better. That is why I have not decided to wear gloves as I would love to feel the pleasurable pain,” Wednesday spoke. “Wednesday,” Enid warned. Wednesday pouted and mumbled an apology before she stood still again, although her foot kept tapping on the ground. It was 4 pm before they went to the bus to start. Wednesday was not ready for this hell as she leaned back in her seat, her head thrown back. Enid meanwhile laid her head on Wednesday’s shoulder and kissed her neck murmuring reassuring things. It was working as she was slowly starting to slowly untense. 

Once in town, they got off the bus and Wednesday was stretching as she popped her back a little and Enid eyed her as she smirked. “You ready for hell?” Enid asked jokingly. 

“I would rather be chained up again,” Wednesday spoke.

“Hey! No joking about that,” Enid told her off lightly. “Sorry,” Wednesday quickly apologised and Bianca chuckled.

“You have her on a leash don’t you?” Bianca joked. 

“Yes, she is down bad,” Enid laughed as Wednesday growled just like a wolf. She was happy Enid taught her how to. Weems immediately interrupted them, giving them the books that they had used for practice. Wednesday declined hers, however, having learnt it. She had a good memory after all. Wednesday and Enid were soon walking to where they would be carolling. The stage. There were a ton of normies already there and Wednesday was uncomfortable. She would do it for Enid though and Enid was thankful for that. She loved performing, yes, but she also wanted to have her girlfriend there. She was happy to start singing, in time. Wednesday took part whenever she felt like it, but Weems was watching Wednesday, she could feel it. Weems was making sure no funny business would happen. Meanwhile, Thing was busy with the stands.

They kept singing for 10 minutes, Wednesday periodically taking breaks as she took sips from Enid’s bottle. That was when the stands suddenly went backwards and the crowd went backwards. Wednesday smirked, and Enid sighed. No wonder Thing had been on the bus but was trying to hide. She couldn’t change her, and Weems sighed too. Safe to say Wednesday was in trouble later.

[venusvity]

2022, the year Venus finally secured the Converse and a Pepsi sponsorship. Arguably, this is the least liked year of Venus for a majority of Constellations for numerous reasons. Trying to replicate the success of Summer Luv!, the girls would release their 8th mini album, VENUS HIGH! with the title track Hi-Tops, along with a collaboration with the brand Converse.

Commercially, the song peaked at number ten on the Gaon Digital Chart and topped the Billboard K-pop Hot 100, their first number-one song on the chart. Following the release of Venus High!, Venus promoted the song with live performances on several South Korean music television programs and amassed six music show trophies. They also held a concert by Converse, which sold out in seven minutes.

VENUS' collection with Converse. Each girl got to desgin their own shoe. The collection sold out in 15 minutes.

Venus would come back with their fourth full album, their last project with beloved creative director LEXA. Love, Venus would feature the title track, "So Sweet," along with eleven other tracks.

"So Sweet" won eight first-place music program awards in South Korea, including a triple crown (three awards) on Inkigayo. It also won a Melon Weekly Popularity Award.

"So Sweet" debuted at number one on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart. It remained atop the chart for thirteen weeks, becoming the longest-running number-one song in its history. The song debuted number one on the Billboard Vietnam Hot 100 chart issue. It topped the chart for three consecutive weeks. In Japan, the song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and number 13 on the Oricon Combined Singles Chart.

The music video would feature heavy Pepsi product placement but is still beloved by fans as it's the last video directed by LEXA. Lexa would make a lengthy Instagram post announcing their departure from Angelico and Venus' creative director, leaving fans and the girls concerned in what direction they would go in next.

LEXA'S DEPARTURE LETTER: it only feels right to share my favorite moments with my favorite girls, though there are plenty more. if i could post 100 images on this post i would lol. as of today, i have officially stepped down as the creative director of venus. these five girls are so special, talented, and overall wonderful visionaries i wish had more freedom over their careers. i do not wish to get sued so i won't say much, but i hope you all can use critical thinking skills as to why i've decided to leave angelico. i wish yoonah, bliss, chloe, sena, and jiah nothing but so much love and well wishes for the best. I'll always have so much love for my five favorite stars in the sky 🌟 until next time, venus! ❤️

The girls would take a short break, something unheard of in their career, to regroup and find a new creative director. In comes Adrian Reyes. Adrian would take over as not only their creative director but producer and marketing manager, ushering Venus into their most controversial era.

??? would be the ninth mini album by Venus with the title track GOTCHA. The ??? era would be defined by the marketing used to prepare for the era. Posters were posted around the world about the "missing sister of Venus" with four girls on the poster. Billboards asking, "Have you seen our moon?" would be put up around LA, Seoul, Busan, Tokyo, Shanghai, and various other cities featuring the four members Sena, Baebi, Jiah, and Bliss, but no Chloe. This led fans to believe she wasn't going to be included in the comeback until a thirty concept film, "Why Venus Has No Moons: ???" It was posted to their YouTube channel.

Venus was finally getting lore, and fans were...very mixed about it!

Stills from "Why Venus Has No Moons: ???" directed by Adrian Reyes.

The album would come, and the title track, GOTCHA, would cause a mass debate on Twitter on whether the song was good or not. The debate still goes on to this day. "GOTCHA" won 10 first-place music program awards, including a triple crown on M Countdown.

In South Korea, the song debuted at number 17 on the Gaon Digital Chart for the issue dated and peaked at number 5 in its second week. It also debuted at number 1 both on the component Download Chart and on the component BGM Chart.  In the United States, the song debuted at number 5 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart. It also debuted at number 37 on the Billboard Global 200 and 29 on the Billboard Global Excl. US during the same week.

Venus would win Artist of the Year and Best Female Group at the 2022 MAMA Awards.

[maniculum]

scorpion in a 8th/9th century manuscript from the monastery of fulda (Basel, Universitätsbibl., F III 15a, fol. 23r)

[Image ID: a rough line drawing of a creature with the general outline of a horseshoe crab. On the left side are four spikes that probably represent legs; on the right are three. It has a tail and pincers, but the pincers appear to have eyes and odd triple-forked tongues, apparently being interpreted as snake's heads. The tail has a circle and a line drawn on it near the end that indicates it might also be a snake's head, but with its mouth closed.]

Okay, that's... that's something. I've got to assume that this is the work of someone who was presented with a more-or-less-correct silhouette of a scorpion -- maybe a drawing light on detail, much like this one -- and tried to interpret it in a way that makes sense to them. So the pincers become... snake heads, because it's venomous? Right? And maybe the tail too? Honestly I kind of like the creativity. Looks like they've screwed up the legs on the right side, though, assuming that's what those are meant to be. And I'm not sure why the snakes' tongues are forked three ways instead of two.

Points:

Small Scuttling Beaſtie? ✓

Pincers? i mean, kind of? they're there, but they have tongues... ½

Exoskeleton or Shell? ✓

Visible Stinger? fine you can have this one, ✓

Limbs? 9

As for vibes, this is a tough one. The creativity is respectable, but this is generally a mess. And I can't picture this critter in any way that makes me okay with it being around me, so I'm going with a 2 / 5.

Total points:

6.4 / 10

Taking some big swings here.

[starryhiraeth]

Azriel x Reader

Warnings; Angst if you squint

Probs some spelling errors (but that’s normal here now)

He was pacing, how long had it been 30 minutes? An hour? 2 hours?

He couldn’t tell, the last thing Azriel could  consciously remember was Rhysand telling him that you, Mor’s sister, was getting married to Eris!

The relationship between you and the inner circle hadn’t been great by any means, when Mor was saved and brought to Velaris you were unbelievably happy for your sister and you waited, waited for them to save you too, knowing that you were your fathers backup plan and had already been exposed to much abuse, you waited and waited and waited and waited and no one came not until centuries later when the High lady Feyre found out Morrigan had a sister, did they come,

By then you had already mastered your way of life, you knew what to do to get out trouble, how to act and talk, of course it was all for the purpose of survival but there was something else…

When your sister was rescued you were merely 16 and it was also the time when your father told you, you would be taking her place, once you were older and trained, you would marry Eris.

The day your sister and her friends arrived and tried to play Hero, you were furious, you yelled that they had centuries to come and rescue you and they hadn’t, they abandoned you! And you didn’t need them, you would marry Eris, you would be the future lady of autumn and you will be happy.

You sent them away with your sister in tears and your cousin with a shameful look on his face. Good. They should feel bad. They deserve it.

But there was one person who didn’t say anything or show any emotional apart from slight shock.

The Shadowsinger Himself.

He felt it the minute he saw you, he felt all your rage, your sadness, your bitterness

He couldn’t say he held it against you in fact he couldn’t really say much, there was just shock pumping through his system

You felt it too, of course you did, but did your care, no…okay maybe a little-

But it didn’t matter.

You knew he was in love with Mor for centuries, everyone knew that, he was in love with the “better sister” you knew that was how they viewed you “the sister made of nightmares”

Fuck them.

Azriel kept on pacing, they were invited to the wedding for Cauldrons sake!

Nobody knew this of course but since that night, that night when he met you, Azriel visited the court of nightmares once a week for 18 weeks

At first he just had his shadows watch you and the report back, next he would watch you at balls and finally on the 8th week he spoke to you, now granted you threw a vase or 2 at him but when you calmed down it wasn’t so bad, it was definitely a journey though

1st-8th week; watching

“She’s okay?”

The shadows moved up and down in a nodding motion in response as Az let out a breath of relief

8th-12th week; Sacrifice vases

A vase flew at his head as he dodged it again

“GET OUT AZRIEL”

“Okay, okay…I just wanted to talk to yo-”

He was interrupted as another vase flew at his head

12th-15th week; I’ll talk but I’m bitter

You were sitting in a bench in your garden starring up at the sky

“You know, the stars in Velaris are much brighter, clearer and beautiful” he said, sitting down next to you

“I wouldn’t know” you snapped slightly

“Let me take you there” his voice held desperation

You just shook your head

“Why not” he ask

You didn’t even look at him, only shrugging

“Your not telling me something, what is it”

I’m marrying another male

Your head snapped to him “I don’t have to tell you anything”

“We’re mates…” there it was again, that’s hint of desperation, for a tiny bit of care, of anything, he waited for centuries for a mate, for that one special person…instead he got you…

You wanted to snap and say that, that meant nothing to you but you thought it would be cruel…and a lie, you cared, of course you cared, you didn’t exactly know why but you did. It didn’t matter though, your hand was already claimed. Azriel was Too late.

So you said nothing and kept looking up at the dull stars of which seemed to hold a glimpse of your future

15th-17th week; the first time

Those past few week were filled with happiness, it was the first time you’d ever laughed so hard, smiled so much and blushed so furiously.

Azriel was otherworldly.

“Admit it, you don’t hate me so much anymore” he laughed

You playfully laughed “I never hated you” He gave you and you kept on laughing “okay fine, maybe a little but you should feel honoured,I wasted many good vases on you”

he laughed “Ah yes, I’ll be sure to mention your brave sacrifice of the vases in my vows”

Both of your laughing stopped as you both realised what he said

His vows.

Blood practically flew to your cheeks as he started to stutter over his words before you both fell into a  comfortable silence, enjoying each other’s presence

Your mate.

The sun started to come up as Azriel went to leave, he places a kiss on your hand.

After he was gone your smile fell into a look of despair knowing you’d never hear his vows, only Eris’s

18th week; …you ended it…

You two were on the bench again

It was time

“We have to end this…us…no more flirting, laughing or talking” tears shone on your eyes as you couldn’t look at him

“Why…” tears glistened in his hazel eyes, his voicing breaking

“I can’t tell you…”

“I deserve a reason!…”

This was killing you…

You looked at him

“I’m sorry Azriel, I’m so sorry”

You left him there.

Present;

So that was why…

You were marring Eris…

What.the fuck.

Rhysand had told everyone that he had received an invitation to the wedding and that everyone would be getting their own personal invitations soon

It was true, Azriel’s arrived that evening, long story short, he threw it in the fireplace

Every word on that piece of card, every stroke of ink made him feel violently ill.

That’s why you ended it, your cunt of a father is trying to marry you off!

You didn’t want this…you couldn’t…right?

Not after everything…those months were the best in his life. You were the best thing in his life

His mind was racing of ways to stop this.

Nobody knew about the mating bond.

He could go to your house right now? No, you were probably already in autumn court.

Another flash of sickness hit his stomach and a stabbing feeling hit his heart

He…he could…He could crash the wedding…

3 weeks later

Azriel wasn’t in his seat, he was hiding behind one of the Ruby red curtains, his wings tucked in as tightly as possible, he could see his family looking around for him but they soon gave up after the music started to play.

The organ played a song that sounded like a death march as Eris look towards the doors at the end as they opened, revealing you.

Beautiful, beautiful you.

Your dress was covered in stones and shaped like a cupcake, your hair was curly and flowing down your back.

After what felt like a century you finally made it to the Alter, you didn’t hate your dress, it wasn’t what you would have picked but it was decent, your vail was removed and you look to Eris, your…your soon to be Husband…

Finally the priestess said those sweet yet also bitter words.

“Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

How nice it would be but it won’t

Or so you thought

Azriel himself walks onto the isle and all eyes go to him as he stares at you

“Don’t do this…” he said

“Azriel-” Rhysand calls out but Azriel completely ignores him

“Don’t say yes, Run away, Run away with me. Don’t be his wife…be my mate” he breath was shaky and he held out his scarred hand as you feel your own slip away from Eris’s

Beron gets up to do mother knows what-

Hurt Azriel?

Hurt you?

It didn’t matter since Eris quickly threw a wall of fire towards his father, stopping him, he looked back at you

“Go.”

Was all he said, smiling slightly

Your face break out in a smile of relief as you ran into Azriel’s open arms as you felt his shadows wrap around to you both, teleporting you away

You looked around too see mountains as tall as the clouds, the night sky itself seem to shine and a city like… like starlight…

“Where…Velaris?” You breathlessly ask

“Yeah” he breathed out, his wings wrapped around you, his hands on the sides of your face and his eye piecing into yours

He brought his lips to yours…and in that moment the world the quiet, the only sounds you could hear was your own heartbeat, the stars glistening and Azriel…through the bond, you broke apart to take a breath before putting both hands on his face and smiling like you never had before rejoining your lips.

You were finally happy.

Happy you weren’t in autumn

Happy you were no longer the princess off nightmares

Happy to be in Velaris

Happy to be Azriel mate

And so happy Azriel was there when they said “Speak now”

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Currently, you can enjoy the second half of the S7 of STARZ's Outlander which is a historical romance time travel series based on the books written by Diana Gabaldonof the same name. It follows Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe), a British nurse who travels from the 20th-century to 17th-century Scotland. In the new timeline, she meets and falls in love with a Highland warrior, Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). With only 1 more season left, we're looking forward to see what other stories will be told in future spin-offs which we're looking forward to.

We sat down with Charles Vandervaart (Holly Hobbie, The Craft: Legacy, Murdoch Mysteries) who plays Jamie's son, William Ransom to find out about how he came to this show, what he loves about it, as well as upcoming projects that he is involved.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the first film or series that made you fall in love with acting and when did you realize that you wanted to be an actor?

CHARLES VANDERVAART: I was very young. I remember going to a play at my local theatre when I was about 6, and I was just enthralled by it. In the car home I asked my parents if I could try to do a play. I got my first ever gig at that same theatre. I fell in love with acting playing Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol.

AM: What do you enjoy about storytelling?

CV: Storytelling is so very human, we come together in the telling of stories. We can learn to empathize with and learn from others and in doing so, learn more about ourselves and the world around us. We endure through stories. Beauty that may otherwise be lost is protected and preserved in story.

AM: We've enjoyed watching Outlander and we know a number of fans also enjoy the book, how much did you know about this series before you came to it?

CV: My aunt has been a really big fan for years now. I remember her talking about the show when we would get together for holidays. I watched a couple of episodes on my own before I auditioned, but after my first audition I binged the whole thing and fell in love with the story.

AM: You play William Ransom. Can you tell us about your character and how he fits into the world of Outlander?

CV: William Henry Clarence George Ransom is the bastard son of Jamie Fraser, however he believes he is the biological son of the 8th Earl of Ellesmere, who died on the day of his birth along with his mother. He was raised by Lord John as the 9th Earl. He grew up in affluent circles, learning about the world through the lens of the ultra wealthy in England. English patriotism and a loyalty to the crown became major aspects of his identity. When William learns of his true parentage, his entire identity shatters. He becomes this tornado of rage, feeling betrayed by Lord John and everyone else who kept this secret from him.

AM: How do you approach playing William and what is it like acting in a period piece?

CV: Well I get a lot of help from the writing, costumes, accent, etc to create William. Carol Ann Crawford, the dialect coach on the show was a tremendous help in finding William’s accent. Once I start talking like him, the rest of William quickly followed.

AM: We know fans of the show enjoy the cast and of course, Sam Heughan. What is it like playing against him?

CV: I remember one of my last scenes in season 7 was with Sam, even though we’ve been filming for a year at this point it only hit me then that my character’s dad was Jamie Fraser. It felt a little like I was watching the show in real time. I was feeling very grateful for this amazing journey. He's a hell of a scene partner.

AM: A few weeks ago, S7 part 2 began releasing episodes what can you tell us about this portion of the season?

CV: Identity crisis is central for Mr. Ransom. S7 part 2 involves a great deal of pain for William. He also hurts a lot of people this season. Let's hope he grows from his pain and becomes better. I think he needs some therapy for sure.

AM: In terms of filming a show such as this, we imagine that it can be long hours - what do you do to prepare when you're going on set and what do you once you complete filming for the day?

CV: Coffee coffee coffee!! The long days and early starts can be a lot, no one likes to wake up at 4am. The Scottish Highland air help wakes you up though, one of the many perks of shooting in such a wonderful country.

AM: When you're not on set, how do you stay in shape and what are 3 workouts that you do that we should consider adding into our routines?

CV: Rock climbing has been my go to over the last couple of years. I absolutely love it. It feels nice to have such a simple task to complete that requires creativity and athleticism. As far as gyming goes, my three go to’s are probably hip thrusts for legs, pull ups for my back, and shoulder press for shoulders and triceps.

AM: When you're taking time for yourself, what would we find you doing?

CV: I love a good hike, outdoor rock climbing, gardening.. get me outside and I’m happy.

IG @charles_vandervaart

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 87 Dio Anthony/Groomer Valissa Yoe | PG 88-93 STARZ/Outlander

IG @charles_vandervaart

Posted 22nd January 2025

[sophieinwonderland]

Preface: People are going to assume this is a response to recent drama. So I want to say that I started writing this draft before that one blog's response to me. It was shortly after midnight on the 8th when it was just barely what I consider my Birthday. I was reflecting on my 3 years of existence and where I am now. The fact that I got the response I did later that same day is a total coincidence.

I don't feel like I have friends anymore...

That's an awful thing to admit.

I have one other system I feel like I talk to with any sort of regularity, who I love and consider friends. But they're not involved with syscourse which is so often where my mind goes. And so I don't talk to them about it because I don't want to trouble them, which means I don't talk to them because I can't think of what to talk about.

What else do I care about?

I mean, there are other things I care about, but they probably wouldn't care about those things. And I struggle to find something to say. Something that feels worthy of their time. But again, not syscourse or something that would bring them down.

I've had other friends. But they've faded away with time. One by one.

And a lot of that is my fault. I'm not good at being a friend or knowing what to say. And I'm not very good at opening myself up.

And when I can't think of what to say, I choose to say nothing. I ghost people I like because it's hard to maintain those relationships.

And I'm aware on some level that this hurts people. I wouldn't want to be friends with someone who treated others the way I do.

And there will be times when I'll decide to do better. I will, with full confidence, say that I'm going to change. I'll be a better friend. A better person. I'll fully believe this is something I'll succeed at for the rest of the day. Then the next day comes and that conviction melts away.

I think one reason Jaiden's story of having ADHD appeals to me is that if this was the problem with us, maybe, we could identify it and then just take one little pill and it will fix me.

That's a nice fantasy, isn't it?

A naive fantasy that ignores the fact that I'm in the brain of someone who was homeschooled and barely had any friends as a child either. But it's a nice fantasy to hold onto anyway.

So, yeah. I don't feel like I have friends, for the most part, outside our system. I have a blog. I have followers. I have plenty of mutuals I like interacting with.

But there aren't people who I truly trust to let in. It doesn't feel like anyone actually knows me or who I am anymore, if anyone ever did.

Since I haven't posted on it for a week and don't know when I'll post on it again or if I will, here's a confession: I made @anti-lies! Sorry to ruin the mystery for anything speculating! Though I didn't think I was even that subtle about it.

But the only person I know who guessed it was me was SAS! Which, congratulations! But also, that's kind of a sad thought that the person who might know me better than anyone is someone who was my archnemesis for the past two-and-a-half years.

To be fair, SAS did imply that other people might have guessed it. But if so, whatever circles those conversations are happening in aren't ones I'm in.

Oh wait, I'm not really in any circles am I?

I'm on the outskirts of the community. I mean, that's sort of by choice really.

Public posts can bring more awareness of plurality and tulpamancy. Locking myself in Discord servers or some isolated community makes me feel like I'm wasting my time because I need to be talking about it publicly where the world can see. I really, really don't want to be part of a Discord server. It's my choice to stay out of those spaces and I don't regret that decision.

But sometimes it's weird when I realize that most everyone else is. That they're actually in plural communities in a way I'm not.

I wonder, do people even realize I'm an outsider? Again, by choice. I've been invited to servers and chose not to go. I'm not being ostracized or anything. I've turned down attempts at bringing me further in. No one is to blame but myself. But either way, the result is that I don't feel like I'm really part of the communities I spend so much time advocating for.

[foressfaction]

:Ticci Toby:{A Rewrite}

WARNING:: This story contains EXTREMELY triggering topics such as Domestic/Child/Substance abuse, Death, harsh language, GORE and dissociation triggers.

This story mentions mental illnesses and disorders such as Depression, PTSD, ADHD, and Tourette's Syndrome.

!!TICS MAY BE TRIGGERING!!

Prologue

So it begins. The boy tugged on the skirt of a middle aged woman. She was his mom. Her hair was short, cut into a nice layered bob, though it had grown over time, it at one point was a pixie cut. She had diamond shaped ruby earrings on, in an attempt to look formal. Her name, it rolled off the tongue very smoothly, Connie Rogers.

"Why are there so many old people here?" The brunette boy asked. Connie's son, who's name also seemed pretty vague. Tobias Rogers.

The woman was quick to correct him, shushing him loudly while murmuring under her breath with a hint of embarrassment on her face. "Toby! Haha, I'm so sorry about him," she yearned off the stares she got from her son's odd choice of a question. And a rather rude one too. Toby had always been quite the weird kid. He said what was on his mind, whatever it was, and when he wanted to say it. Maybe the question would've been better at a funeral, or a grandma's birthday party. Do grandma's have birthday parties? Toby wouldn't know honestly. He never did meet his mom's mom. That's a funny way to put it.

The two were currently at a 'meet the teacher' day. Y'know, the day about a week before the first day of school. For Toby, he will be starting the 6th grade. To him, school has always been a joke. He barely passed 5th grade and was one point away from having to be stuck doing summer school. He had never been a people person either, especially with other kids his age.

"Are any of these people actually going to be important?" Toby asked, earning a glance from his mom. Her dark circles are more visible than ever.

"I'm sure they will be, look, that's your principal, you should probably go say hi, or....something. I have a lot of paperwork to fill out. Go have a look around, stretch your legs, we've been walking all day."

Toby made a spitting noise as if he thought that was one of the most boring things she could've said. He bared his braced teeth. Meet his principal? He didn't realize going to a different school would be so tiring. Toby eventually left her side, wandering out into the empty halls. Oh so that's why there was a big sign on the door that read 'staff only.' Not like that mattered to him, no one saw, no one had to know. Despite it being a day for his entire grade to be here, it was almost like the halls were abandoned. His mind was always a little trickster, it would make him believe something when that 'something' isn't in existence. Toby took some steps forward, then found himself walking further away from the chattering of the people from the room he was just in. His entire body felt cold, chills running up and down his broken nerves.

It was kind of eerie, not gonna lie. The only thing Toby could hear was the pitter patter on his own shoes, the same old shoes he's had for years. Honestly surprised the souls haven't torn off yet. The boy found himself turning multiple corners and met with endless hallways of lockers. He's never seen a locker before. There were thousands of them, atleast, that's what his mind was showing him. 'Did I take my medicine?' was the first thing he thought to himself as he continued down these narrow halls. He was over thinking the reason why his mom shooed him away, probably because he was a distraction, or knew he needed one. As uncanny as this felt, Toby found himself quite occupied. He had started counting the lockers, every one of them, and remembered the exact number of lockers on the 8th hallway.

That's suddenly when he saw that one part of the hallway's lights were off. It was right smack in the middle of the hallway, so why did those lights not work? Toby grew curious so he started to inch towards the area. That's when he noticed they weren't just off, but flickering a little.

He knew this feeling a little too well. That feeling of being watched, judged. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He felt the air grow thick around him, as if gross, slimy water had just been poured onto him, soaking him to the heavy weight of being drenched. This of course actually didn't happen, but it felt like it did.

Toby turned around quickly, hearing something behind him, then again in front of him. He thought he was going to give himself whiplash from all of the darting of his head. Nothing was there though, nothing of sight, atleast. When Toby looked back to the hallway where the lights were supposedly off, he noticed they were working now. This caught him a little off guard, but as he looked closer, he could see that even further down than before, lights were off.

It was leading him further down the hallway?

Toby shook his head. "No that's not real." He whispered. "That's not r-real," he once again whispered with a little more voice. He felt that if the longer he looked, the more that feeling of tightness would increase.

Toby turned his back to the suffering lights, inching his way back to the room he was in not too long ago, with his mom. He turned the corner, only to nearly run into the frantic woman. "There you are, goodness, I thought you left this building." She spoke in a rather worried tone, taking his hand into hers, her rings were cold against his fingers. "You're really warm, are you okay? Are you sweating?"

Toby looked at her quickly, confusion sweeping him. "Am i?" He asked out while taking his free arm and wiping his forehead. Behold, bits of what felt like condensation rubbed off his skin. "Well we can forget meeting your teachers, I have your schedule here. I don't want you overheating again in all those layers, you know you can't feel temperatures to an extreme, you know this." She slightly scolded. Toby was just confused. He didn't feel too hot, he didn't know he was sweating. He does struggle with a certain disorder where he could technically place his hand on a lit stove and not feel a thing, despite his flesh melting off and severely damaging his hand. If anything it would just feel warm.

It was sad to be reminded he wasn't like the other normal kids in his grade, and certainly wasn't looking forward to another year of the constant reminders either. "I will be more aware next time." He stated, tone sounding a bit degraded.

It wasn't long before the two brunettes were on their way home. Toby was gazing out of the window, sitting in the backseat with his legs pulled up into a hug. The ride was silent, but his mom had never been too talkative after the last few months. Things weren't too good at home. Though he was going to go to a different school, they still lived in this dump of a house. Denver was a nice city, but in winters it was hard to stay warm, and in summers it was hard to stay cool. The house overall just about had it.

And the family knew that.

Toby finally broke the silence as the car hit a few road bumps. "There's exactly 286 lockers in the school." There was a moment of silence, but when he expected an answer there was nothing. "Mom?" He called out, not moving from his position but did lean his head over to try to peek into the rear view mirror that hung on the roof of the car.

He could see makeup running down her face, hands clenched onto the steering wheel tightly. If he listened closely, he could hear sniffling.

Toby knew better than to barge into questions but this time he knew the answer. He would have the same reason to cry, but lately he hadn't been able to feel much emotion at all. He, again, only saw life as a joke, nothing was real, no matter how hard he pushed away the reality. A 20 minute drive full of sniffles and awkward silence finally ended as the brown Subaru pulled into the cracked driveway to an old two story house.

The thing looked as if it was gonna fall in at any given moment. On the inside it was pretty big, still had carpet though it was old and stained, very stained.

A couple of whistles left Toby, followed by a few uncomfortable popping sounds from his neck. He had something called Tourette's Syndrome which caused the boy to jerk and tic uncontrollably. It was very uncomfortable for both him and those having to witness it. If he wasn't careful, he could accidentally hit someone, or himself. Which he does occasionally. Toby stepped out of the car to see the man standing on the porch, cigarette in hand. Seemed like he didn't see them pull into the driveway. Toby knew he did.

Toby noticed his mom left the folder of his school rules and other stuff in the car on the dashboard. He opened the door to reach in and grab it, his hand slipping with a slight tic, accidentally honking the horn, making the woman jump.

"Fuck- sorry, fuck! Sorry!" The boy jumped to coo out as he held the folder up. "Got it-"

Toby quickly closed the door to head inside, hearing the man spur something up. "Fuckin' boy." He muttered in a southern accent.

Toby paid no mind as it was something he was used to, rushing into the house and sitting the folder onto the counter, opening it and looking at all the papers. "Oh there were 287 lockers..I was off by one." He had his finger on where it stated the fact. He didn't understand why he was so fixated on the locker count. Gave him a distraction probably.

Toby moved the papers just enough to peer at his schedule, something he didn't have at his old school. "Wait mom? Why did you sign me up for public classes?"

The folder was snagged away from his hands, probably giving him a paper cut. "Stop complainin' and suck it up, it's about time you learn with other kids." The man scolded. Toby could see the vein popping from his forehead. The same shaggy blond buzz cut blanketed the man's head. His dad; he carried a name that would make anyone grimace just hearing it, Jacob Rogers. "Dad!" Toby tried to take the folder back but that only earned him a smack on the hand with the rather hard plastic outsides of the yellow folder.

Toby glared slightly as he took a deep breath.

The brunette woman strolled in, setting her bag down on the small island counter as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Look, Toby, I tried to suggest special education, but they said that it was time for you to get to know your grade better, plus wouldn't it be great to hang around people who...Actually respond when you talk to them?" She spoke out, slightly raising her voice.

"But they were nice to me," Toby added, narrowing his eyebrows, taking glances at the folder in his dad's hands. "Can i atleast see it closer? Again?" He eyed the man after asking.

"Your sister takes public classes, so can you. It's time we stop babying you, you're 13 years old for fucks sake. Act like it."

"Jacob!" Connie shouted with an offended tone. She knew the man was an asshole but she usually tried to defend her kid's opinions. Their marriage hadn't been the best lately, especially after her husband started to waste their money and abuse alcoholic substances. Speaking of which, the blonde man held a dark green bottle in his hand that wasn't clinging to Toby's school information.

The second Toby noticed that his mom saw the bottle, he knew they were about to bicker.

He just didn't want to be in the middle of that, excusing himself from where he took a seat.

Toby disappeared upstairs to one of the rooms he called his own. It wasn't much, just a carpeted floor, a dark blue rug with matching bed sheets. Completely unintentional. His shelves consisted of vintage toys he never touched, books, a lamp, and other nick nacks. He only ever kept one thing out, a stuffed cow. Why? He honestly grew an attachment to it. The poor thing was ripped up in many places, had patches on the stomach and left side of the head. It looked derpy as hell but he loved it to death.

Sometimes though when he holds it, he can't help but remember the time he 'played tug-o-war' with his dad who eventually ripped the head completely off while trying to take it from him. His only reason was because 'he was too old.' No one is too old for a comfort item.

Toby crawled onto the bed and took the cow plush into his hands and stared down at it. He gently gnawed at the inside of his cheek, a habit he developed a while ago. "Today isn't the best day, Mr. Cowbells, will you make it better? At least until Lyra gets home.." He hugged the stuffie to his chest and stared down at his sheets. It wasn't long before what he assumed would happen started up. He heard their loud voices downstairs. He knew it wasn't going to be too long until he heard thrashes and door slams.

It was like this all day, everyday.

All day, everyday.

••••••I

[toomuchracket]

bday boy (flatmate!matty)

(hi! day 1 of Birthday Party week, a celebration of our short king turning 34 on the 8th, organised by legend icons @the1975attheirverybest and @brownduck! i don't know if i'll be writing every day, but i thought it might be nice to kick off "your first birthday as a couple - his" with a tiny thing about the love of everyone's life, flatmate!matty. enjoy!)

the sunlight streaming through the thin curtains is what wakes matty up. it's warm on his face, a gentle caress, as if to soften the aching realisation that he's another year older as of today.

that realisation is also softened by you, tucked safely into his chest, still fast asleep. your bare legs are entwined with his, your hair escaping from the loose bun you insist on putting your hair in every night, and your nose twitches adorably as you lightly mewl (he can't think of a more accurate word) in your sleep; matty has never seen a cuter sight in his life than you right now.

he hopes you're dreaming of him, to be as contented as you are. matty's certainly dreamed of you - in the years before you finally got together, it was for sights like the one he's woken up to today. now, his unconscious fantasies are filled with diamond rings, white dresses, you in sundresses with a swollen stomach, toddlers with your sparkling eyes and his wild curls. it's been less than a year since you both braved the transition from friends to lovers, but matty knows that he wants to wake up to you and only you for the rest of his life. well, to you and several children that are half you and half him, feisty little characters with wicked senses of humour and hearts of gold.

you begin to stir in your sleep, limbs shifting and head rolling back as you awaken. matty eases you through it by rubbing small circles into your bare back, which makes your eyes flutter open slowly. the butterflies in his stomach begin to flutter in parallel - god, he loves you so much. you smile sleepily at him, before your eyes widen in alarm and you exclaim. "FUCK! you weren't supposed to be awake first!"

matty's brow furrows in confusion. "and good morning to you too, sweetheart?"

"sorry," your face softens into a sheepish smile that melts matty's heart. "i just... i wanted to be up before you, so i could make breakfast and surprise you with it. happy birthday, baby."

christ. he could cry at how sweet you are, but he just pulls you close and kisses your forehead instead. "fuck, i love you so much."

"so you're not in a mard because i haven't made you pancakes?" you giggle, as matty begins pressing little kisses all over your face, your bare chests pressed together. "i love you too, by the way, even if i did wake up late on your birthday. i swear i have the rest of the day planned out nicely, though - we'll meet your mum for lunch and then see the boys for a drink then go for dinner and i've booked this hotel in town for tonight that i really think you're gonna li-"

"-baby, baby, it's alright," matty interjects, before you talk yourself back into unconsciousness. "just relax, yeah? s'just another day. no point getting yourself all worked up about it."

your shoulders move forward like you're deflating. "but it's not just another day, matty. it's your birthday, and i'm your girlfriend now," you murmur into his chest. "just wanted today to be special for you, and s'all thrown off now."

you sound so sad about the whole thing that matty's heart aches. weirdly, though, it continues to flutter at the inherent tenderness of how much you love him, to want to make his birthday such a lovely day. "darlin', it'll be special anyway," matty says, tilting your chin up so he can look at you properly. "how could it not be? i'm spending it with you, love of my life, girl of my dreams."

"who couldn't even wake up on time to bring you surprise pancakes in bed," you mutter petulantly, looking away from your boyfriend.

matty's undeterred by your annoyance, though; he begins to press kisses down your face and jaw and onto your neck, long, sensual kisses that involve swipes of his tongue across the spot he knows makes you go loopy. when you begin to moan, despite yourself, matty gently rolls you onto your back and continues to kiss down your body, your moans continuing as background music to his actions, stopping when he reaches the tops of your thighs. "i can think of something i'd much prefer to eat for my birthday breakfast than pancakes. can i, angel?"

smiling, you open your legs, and let matty settle himself between them happily. after all, who are you to deny the birthday boy what he wants?

[masha-nikita]

How strong is his Mars?- Bernard Montgomery-

Here I am, two episodes of “How strong is his Mars? all at once. I am going to test a theory in Astrology community- you’ve got to have a strong Mars to be competent in the military.

Whether that theory is true or not, you guys know I have to talk about Monty.

Monty has Mars in Virgo; you see, I am writing about his Mars back to back with Patton’s, because Patton also has a Virgo Mars- so far, that makes 3 outstanding generals with Virgo Mars-- even though it is my opinion that Manstein’s Moon, not Mars, is where his military magic happens. Here I can say, Monty and Patton’s Mars works against the odds, and performs better, above Erich’s score.

I commented on Manstein’s Virgo Mars as follows- if stands alone without any other aspects, this Mars is too detail-oriented for its own good, especially in a fast-paced battlefield. An earth sign Mars has poor ability to take actions by intuition and improvising, unless favorably aspected by Neptune or moon. Virgo Mars possesses delicate tendencies to handle smaller details but may easily lose sight of what needs to be done on a grand scale. This Mars makes its native a fussing workaholic.

Monty’s Mars trines Neptune; this indicates that he intuits enemy actions reasonably well. With Mercury and Sun in harmonious sextile aspects, he’s supposed to be very reasonable, and his decision making process grounded in reality. A 3rd house Mars endows active mind. Any malefic astro body in 3rd house becomes innovative and stimulating to the wits (yes, Mars is considered a malefic), which allows the native to be very smart during arguments. I do not think Monty appreciates small talks—small talks would be regarded as petty nonsense by him. His speeches do have very good leadership quality, very exhilarating to listen to.

This is actually a pretty good Mars, but poor Monty has other aspects that aren’t that good.

Monty’s Sun opposites Pluto and Neptune, just like Manstein’s. This brings the native great difficulty in assessing their ego (represented by Sun). This flaw would destine them on a long, hard journey to find who they truly are as an “independent self”. Manstein’s Sun is in 8th house opposite 2nd house Pluto-Neptune; he might have been secretly very concerned with how posterity would value him after his death. What is of personal value that belongs to Erich may be a source of great illusion and inner tension, if handled unwisely. This value struggle may render him a hard cynic whose only concern is money and self-preservation.

Whereas for Monty (4th house sun, 11th house Neptune-Pluto), it looks like worldly reputation for the Montgomery family name is the struggle here—or maybe it is just his own name to be his desperate concern. Family is where a person was born into, and where they eventually establish themselves, and then dies into. He may have an exaggerated sense of patriotism if he could not agree with the family he was born into, or could not find his own family to belong to. He might view anybody who’s outside of his immediate circle “the troublesome other”, a great source of power struggle. It is not easy for him to acquire a smooth friend circle. With a 11th house Pluto, some explosive shit constantly goes down between he and his supposed social groups—he’s a bit antisocial, in a neutral sense of the word.

Now moving on to his Saturn—any planet in conjunction with the ascendant should be given special attention. I admit it is not an amateur astrologer’s place to call a person’s chart “unfortunate”, but there’s something so deeply karmic with Monty’s Saturn.

This Saturn—which symbolizes rigid structure, hard disciplines, delays and pessimism, could act like an invisible iron prison for the native; the tighter the conjunction with the ascendant, the tighter the iron grip. Either he secretly denies himself any personal enjoyments possible, or life would strip him of happiness by taking away important loved ones from him. A positive side of this aspect is that, while it does not give good creativity to weasel oneself out of a danger, it is unphased by any kind of pain and suffering the danger brings.

A Leo Saturn is not fun to deal with, because Saturn is in detriment in Leo. Leo’s natural ruler is Sun; the key words of Sun are “accomplishments, authority, and self-worth”. Saturn not only hollows out Leo’s self-worth, but the native is also very suspicious of any authority over them. Monty may constantly question how come somebody deserves such authority, and how does himself deserve anything? We could hear from Churchill’s single quote on Monty showing how bad he is in getting along with authority- “In defeat, unbeatable; in victory, unbearable.”

It is very difficult for the native to learn about love, because love always involves a level of surrender. With such a karmic aspect, occasionally when Leo Saturn finds someone to love, he'd lose that person in a traumatic fashion. The native might end up going “fuck it, I give up.” Given this Saturn conjuncts ascendant, Monty sees no problem in denying himself worldly love and enjoyment. Leo Saturn is able to maintain some lightheartedness, a little bit of warped hero complex, thus the native is capable of dark humor.

Monty’s Saturn actually conjunct his ascendant from 12th house- a 12th house Saturn doubles down on certain problems. Saturn generally seeks to hold onto anything structured and concrete, yet 12th house is anything but. 12th house rules the afterlife, the disappearance, dissolution, the invisible worlds and creatures—dreams, unconscious, psychic realms, and illusions. Saturn in 12th native secretly believes in his own original sins, and is acutely conscious of and anxious about the existence beyond death. This Saturn has a tendency to draw the native into hermetic isolation and practices, because it is the world of the beyond that he looks at, the world where his loved ones have gone before he does.

However, sometimes this 12th house Saturn gives the exact opposite effect—what is beyond death and what is out there where everything dissolves into inmateriality, is such an acute issue that the native holds onto things and powers of this world to an excessive degree. For example, Vladimir Putin has a 12th house Saturn.

This series so far does draw a conclusion that perhaps it is not the Mars that brings forth a good general—I see no fire sign Mars. I haven’t even seen a Capricorn Mars (Mars is exalted in Capricorn). But I do see an unexpected common denominator- these commanders are all psychic on some level. I couldn’t help but wonder- what does “being psychic” really mean?

Perhaps it means the special ability either to reach into death, or to walk upon thousands of men’s life and death, the strength of coming to terms with the mortality of all the mortalities.

It might be a hot take for some people, but I really don’t see much psychic power from those famous 20th century occultist, especially Aleister Crowley. Neither his 8th nor 12th house is prominent; I don’t know what’s up with him. Maybe Crowley’s strength lies in his knowledge. I can statistically compare my own psychic ability against my friend, by measuring whose Tarot readings have longer projection into the future via client feedbacks, but what I see featured the most in many self-proclaimed magi isn’t psychic power, but the ego. Ego attracts egos, so there you go, a guru whose ego as big as the universe for the rainbow unicorn groupies to resonate with.

I digress. I love that there’s always smile in the corner of Monty’s eyes despite his Saturn, that’s the sign of an indefeatable man. This song is for him. May warmth and may love conquer all.

[galactica7071]

the space jigen ramblings part 1

okay. you all know this guy, right

☝️that guy

his name's daisuke jigen. he's cool

but THIS guy👇

is ALSO named daisuke jigen. and he's the other jigen's great-great-grandson from this silly little (cancelled) spinoff series called lupin the 8th

I'm not anywhere near normal about him. tread carefully.

the family tree✨ (sort of)

present day daisuke jigen -> his daughter kyoko -> daisuke numba 2 -> his daughter akane -> daisuke numba 3

yeah yeah space jigen is the 5th (or maybe 6th? idk my various first and second-hand sources all switch between the two a bit) of his name in canon but canon doesn't exist so he's jigen the 3rd. haha get it. like lu-

daisuke was a well-liked name in this family I guess. the very wonderful and talented author203's work with jigen over on ao3 made me physically unable to imagine him with a son so bam!!💥 he had a daughter. and then jigen #2 had one too. and #3 will too but shhhh that's for later

I don't have any big ideas for what the intermediate generations look(ed) like yet (except kyoko being a redhead) but it'd be funny if jigen #2 looked nothing like og jigen and then #3 ended up being. literally exactly like him. genetics are weird as fuck so it could happen

thighs ❌ ass ❌ personality ✅

theres not much to space jigen in canon from what I can tell. if I had to make a comparison tho he's like cagliostro jigen (- me, who hasn't seen it yet), relatively chill with a heart of gold but kind of a gremlin too. but here's what I think makes him tick :)

he's japanese-italian and an earth-born

dad is a lunar soldier and mom is a biologist (this man got NONE of mama's brains though lmao)

space jigen is such a softie on the inside. so sentimental, so empathetic, and always looking out for those he cares about

really wishes he were a family man <3

5'10" king with the miyazaki-patented snatched waist

mom taught him how to shoot, surprisingly (or unsurprisingly. she is related to the daisuke jigen so)

knew lupin since they were kids. not because their parents introduced them or anything, but because they just so happened to be in the same class and immediately hit it off. these two losers only grew closer as they grew up together and then lupin was like "hey you wanna solve crimes together" and jigen was like "fuck it sure" yadda yadda time is a flat circle

definitely autistic and probably has adhd and is very undiagnosed (the adhd is me projecting)

possibly even more of a romantic than og jigen. he's bi + demisexual. yes, he has had many failed romances of his own except one but shhhh that doesn't matter yet, and no, he hasn't learned from any of his mistakes

kind of a selfish brat at times. if you go out to eat with him and order an appetizer, he WILL eat all the onion rings if no one stops him

he has a huuuuge sweet tooth. you thought the lollipops were an oral fixation? well they are but this guy is a sugar fiend. asks if he can have a bite of your dessert when he's already devoured his and licked the plate clean 20 seconds after getting his grubby hands on it, sugar fiend. do not tell him you have chocolate ice cream in the fridge when you have him over because it will be gone by tomorrow morning. yes, it has bitten him in the ass once or twice

complainmaxxing is his favorite pastime. and puzzles! theres always at least one 1000 piece jigsaw out somewhere in the arsene and co headquarters that he swears he's working on and that no one can put away because he "already spent so friggin' long on it" and he's "just been too busy to work on it" (jigen we haven't had a new case in weeks)

likes space westerns. romcoms are a guilty pleasure (don't let the guys find out)

has a soft spot for working group dogs. why? they're strong, loyal, and love unconditionally

ghosts freak him out. bro can't even play luigi's mansion with the lights off

firearms special interest got genetically transferred to him. but this is the future so he's into laser rifles and portal guns and shit. armed spacecraft too

taught lupin how to fight for realsies

where'd he learn to fight? dad made him do karate as a kid. he preferred practicing at the shooting range

banned from the local laser tag arena for being too good. shooting at each other out in the vacuum of space is funner anyway

stubborn just like his peepaw. he complains a lot but if it directly affects him he is eerily silent. toxic masculinity ftw‼️

I try to imagine him as being like og jigen but not as depressed/traumatized to try and fit in line with the ✨family friendliness✨ of viii, so he's a little more emotionally available and whatnot. look at those kind eyes. such a sweetie pie

[kirkwallguy]

17 for trevelyans or amells? i dont know which one would be crazier

omg thats so fun ty....this one got away from me a little. here's an orlesian undergraduate essay that mentions the trevelyans

---

When we look as far back as the 9th era, we have to remember that much of what we consider to be common knowledge is more speculation than anything else. Lady Mary Trevelyan, for example, was one of the most well-known figures in the South for the latter half of the century and yet we have little concrete evidence that she even existed prior to 9:41, with even less being known about the home she grew up in. While there are records of her family spanning several centuries, the waters begin to muddy in the 8th era with the birth of her paternal grandmother. Famously, Dr Thomas Alexan has posited the theory that there was some complicated traumatic event that led to the purging of so many records and the subsequent reclusive nature of the family: a child borne out of wedlock, an affair, a crime of passion. There is, as many have argued, no real evidence of this. Alexan's writings were accused by peers of being all theory and no evidence, "he claims to hear the dragon's roar but can't show me its scales or shit" (Milland, 14:76).

But what do we do when all we have is the dragon's roar? From salvaged records, we are able to determine that the Inquisitor was the youngest of at least four siblings. Her oldest known sister, Jane Trevelyan, was reportedly sent to the Starkhaven Circle as a teenager (c.9:14) though what became of her is unknown. It is likely she either perished or slipped through the cracks after the tower was destroyed in 9:31, given that there is no record of her ever arriving at Kirkwall's notorious Gallows.

We know a little more about Julien Trevelyan, her older brother, due to the Templar order's meticulous bookkeeping. He was stationed at the Ostwick Circle in 9:13 and stayed there without incident for several years before being sent to Kinloch Hold in Ferelden. Unusually, his reasons for being sent away were redacted in his official records; given that Ostwick rarely shied from its soldiers' crimes (setting it aside from several other Circles at the time) this is doubly strange. We can only speculate as to whether the redaction was due to his noble status or due to a particularly personal or terrible crime. Either way, all communication between him and his family ceased immediately after. Any records of him in Ferelden also disappear around the time of the Fifth Blight, though many of Kincloch Hold's Templars were lost around that time.

Rose Trevelyan, of course, has been widely speculated about. While some depictions of her (such as Lily Smith's sensationalised 15:02 romance novel The Thorn) are largely fictional, many are based on what we have gleaned from letters exchanged, strangely enough, by members of the Hawke-Amell family. Through Bethany Hawke's letter to her brother, (see: The Bird's Shadow: A Collection of Bethany Hawke's Writings 9:35 - 9:61, 'Something terrible happened yesterday...', p. 65), we know both the cause and date of Rose Trevelyan's death, something unusual for a Circle mage of her era, particularly a Circle mage from Kirkwall just prior to the uprising. Many historians are rightfully irritated by the mytholisation of Rose, making claims that it is "disrespectful to treat dead women's trauma as a romantic fantasy" (Clark, 15:91), and expressing worries that it "conflates fact with fiction in a way that pollutes the truth as understood by wider society" (Angel, 15:43).  In my own reading of Smith's novel, however, I find that there is far more accuracy than she is given credit for. Her dedication to exploring 9th era Andrastrianism, for example, is commendable, especially compared to other notorious erotic historical romances, such as the works of George S. Flay or Steven Mire.

It is likely that even Lady Trevelyan knew little of these siblings. As far as we can tell, she never acknowledged them publicly - though, of course, her hardline beliefs on mages (including her apparent hand in Divine Victoria's ascension to the Sunburst Throne) may have given her reason to stay quiet. Interestingly, her relationship with her parents also appeared to be strained, with there being little recorded contact between them after the disbandment of the Inquisition. Given the family's secrecy, we can only guess what went on behind closed doors by pressing our ears up against them and listening for the roar.

[An excerpt from 'Historical accuracy, Lily Smith, and hearing the dragon's roar' - Maria Lapi, Orlais University, Undergraduate

Note from supervisor: Clark's issue with Smith's novel was probably more about the gratuitous nature of the sex scenes rather than the historical inaccuracies - have you read her analysis of sexuality and 9th era mages in Tethras' Tale of the Champion? Also, perhaps look further into redactions of Templar crimes at Ostwick to see if you can spot any patterns. We can discuss when I am back from the Entropy conference.]

[just-antithings]

This is not about antis, exactly, but there's definitely a similar vibe in the sentiments and it annoys me and I want to complain, so.

Apparently there's a program in my country that schools can sign up into that offers free "art experiences" to 8th graders (so about 14-year-olds). Looking at the program's website quickly, it seems to include plays, music concerts, probably art museum tours, I don't know what all. But like, either way, any of the stuff that the program offers is vetted beforehand to make sure it's suitable, and worksheets created for the kids to do before and after the show to try and get them to engage with art and understand what it makes them feel and whatever, and the kids get to rate whatever art thing it was they got to go to, afterwards.

Now, apparently, one of the things this program has arranged tickets for is some theater's current production of a comedic play written in the 19th century by one of the more famous playwrights/authors of my country's history (whose work, incidentally, was in his own time frequently under fire for its immoral and/or otherwise inappropriate depictions of whatever). I have never seen or read this particular play, so I can't tell you much about the plot or what the content of the text itself would be, beyond that it's a comedy that probably includes at least one character making a fool of himself, since that tends to be typical for the author's work afaik.

Anyway, to get to the point, the specific production that was on the program included, apparently, a scene in which, for comedic reasons, the main character's pants were pulled down enough for his bare ass to be visible, and something was written across his buttocks. And some other scenes which maybe, at least in the eyes of some in the audience, could be considered possibly somewhat sexually suggestive, though, again, I have not seen the particular production so I can't weigh in on whether they really are or not. Either way, even at worst, it's... come on, the school groups that was shown to were kids of about 14 years old, if they've never seen anything more sexually suggestive than that in movies or tv or somewhere, I'm honestly very surprised. In any case, the play contains no depictions of actual sex. And again, the play was checked by professionals and deemed to be appropriate for the program's art experience list.

Anyway, apparently the principal of some Christian school wrote an opinion piece in some news paper about oh how terrible and unnecessary sexualized and kids should not be exposed to that and so on and so forth. Aaaaand since then, the theater's social medias have been swamped with harrassing comments and, *sigh*, people accusing various people working on the production of pedophilia. To the point that the theater has had to switch off commenting altogether on many of their posts and made a policy of not answering phone calls from unknown comments anymore, because the shitstorm just got to that point.

And I just. literally WHY THE FUCK are people like this?? like. how do you even get from "theater play includes a scene where an actor's bare behind is visible and maybe a few other things with a slight sexual tone happen" to "people working for this theater are pedophiles and putting children in danger". Just. geez. it's so fucking stupid. Also I find it ironic that this was a work from the 19th century, that in its own time shocked people and was deemed immoral, and... what do you know, a modern rendition of the play also shocks people and gets deemed as immoral, apparently.

ugh that’s so shitty. time is a flat circle

[shukraastro]

Hey 👋💕

Well I want to share something i watch some BTS videos recently alot so one day there this reading come up where the reader was saying that someone might have been doing or done black magic on her and that reader is kind of respectful though I mean read the comments too and there no such thing claiming that they are the one or something and she don't do reading daily like in months and after she did that other tarot reader follow her too and confirm it

What do you think about this

Hi,

so first of all just to clarify: Astrology and Tarot are very different forms of divinative guidance. I cannot dismiss Tarot, because it is not my expertise. I cannot claim something which I am inexperienced in as wrong or untrue and I will never do that. One thing I do know from my close relative who also practice Tarot is: that Tarot is based on changable energies. It picks up on energies from past, present and future. So there is no clear boundaries between the energies and timelines. And today it can pick up the energy of one person and tomorrow the energy of another and the next day the energy of an entirely different person. And in the end, the actual spouse could still be someone very different. So the energies are always changing in tarot from time to time. This is something which nobody can deny. So even for Tarot we need to make sure we take a step back and look at things from afar and don't get lost inside everything that is being predicted. Please don't get me wrong, as someone who wants to guide and educate my readers it is my responsibility to make y'all also aware of the realistic side of these things.

When it comes to the Astrological point of view: could it be possible that she got black magic done upon her by other people? Well, if she'd indeed turn out to be someone who has a Sun-Rahu (Solar Eclipse) in her chart, this could raise the possibilities of such a case. Because Sun-Rahu, being an Eclipse event (the rarest one especially for Sun) it symbolyzes a time where many rituals are done. But that may also not be the case as well, instead it could mean that there's a lot of evil eye upon her. Because Sun represents the Eyes and Rahu is darkness and shadow and Rahu covers it and leaves this orange-reddish colored ring around it, which kinda looks like an evil eye. And is the main event where everyone is looking up in the sky and admiring. So it can very well be possible that if she has a Sun-Rahu conjunction in her chart, she could be very prone to attracting evil eye, envy and jealousy from outside. But this woman must be someone who is very higher in energy in divinely protected in order be able to not let all that negative energy get to her. She could be someone who attracted haters easily from a young age, even in school and social circles until she found a way to distance herself from such environments and protect her energy from jealous people. She might have a very small circle of close friends because she learned to step back from bigger friend groups and learned to not trust people anymore. It's giving strong Tropical 8th house, Sidereal 9th house vibes.

So, if she would hypothetically have a Sun-Rahu in her chart, then it could be very possible or it could be more an evil eye kind of thing. Both of them are respresented by Sun-Rahu.

If she turns out not to have these placements in her chart, then who knows? She might still got such things done upon her by others. The suggested placement was just to give you an example, don't take it too literal. I mean so many Astrologers try to give some zodiac sign examples, and I am giving more placement kind of examples, you know.

In the end: May God protect them on their journey and keep them safe and happy.🙏🏼

I hope this was helpful.

Have a nice day.🌺