#and then just make out about it philosophically

[transgenderer]

attention conservation notice: atheist butchers proclus' theology

ive been relistening to some of the SHWEPisodes on proclus and i think proclus could have saved abrahamic theology (which like. okay obviously they are different. but like. theyre really not different. the amount of cross-influence in abrahamic theology is crazy. and also mutual influence from the same greek philosophers, which leads to cross-influence via cribbing interpretations of nominally secular philosophy. anyway).

so okay, religion has basically two threads, nirguna (without attributes) and saguna (with attributes). yknow, god as transcendent, indescribable, beyond comprehension, totally detached, etc, vs god as earthly, specific, with attributes and symbols and statues. just the former is boring and sort of without content, leads to deism, just the latter isn't even god, its just like... a powerful guy who might exist. not god, really. so you need both

but how do you have both? theyre contradictory. well, christianity tried to solve this with jesus and it sucks. so. not like that. BUT a mere 400 years later proclus figured it out. and a little bit of it spread around the greco-abrahamic tradition, because his elements of theology was shared around by people who thought it was by aristotle. but mostly, he didnt influence that much, which is too bad

okay so here's proclus' idea. first of all, there's the one. it's the ultimate nirguna. totally transcendent. cause of all being. etc. we cant talk about the one. we cant even talk about what the one ISNT. BUT below the one, there's the henads. the henads are not the one but theyre sort of. related to him. theyre the closest thing to the one than anything else is. and the henads "are" the greek gods. but actually, they just correspond to the greek gods.

from each henad there is a chain to lower and lower levels, with the earth at the bottom. and a statue of athena doesn't look like athena-the-henad. but it resembles her MORE than other earthly things do. and in fact everything is in the chain of one of the henads. so like, if you know a guy, and he has some of hermes' traits, and maybe a facial feature associated with hermes, thats because he's in the henad of hermes. some things, or traits of things, have a better "resonance" with the henads than other things. and because everything is connected via the henads you can do magic, by yknow, influencing things higher up in the chain, which then send their influence back down to other things in the chain (i guess it's less a chain and more a tree).

its a good theory of magic! its a good way of having the saguna and nirguna together! it makes the transcendent aspect do metaphysical work, its not just a trait its the mechanism by which ritual functions (another thorny puzzle for theologians!)

[girl-lostconnection]

Babes, I just need another dad joke from Ghost please 🥺 I'm a slut for them.

I can give you a few actually. One of these I used previously in Unsweetened lemonade, but I love it too much.

1.

“What came first — chicken or egg?”, Simon drops a question on you out of a sudden, when your fork is halfway up to your mouth. You hum in question, your brows furrowing. What’s up with philosophical moods out of nowhere? Since when he like these kinds of questions.

But Simon looks at you, practically vibrating with anticipation and you jerk your chin up in question and watch how his eyes crinkle with the force of his grin.

Oh, this can’t be good.

“The rooster did”, he announces, actually cackling when you smack his shoulder, blush creeping up your face. Fucking insufferable this man and his jokes are.

2.

The mission is taking longer than expected, rain pouring down like it wants to fucking drown you but the steady stream of information from Ghost in your comms makes it somehow tolerable.

Not the worst conditions you worked in, at least you found some semi-dry part of the roof to hole into while you wait with a sniper rifle, eye pressed to a scope.

“How do you call a medieval spy?”, Ghost suddenly asks and you can’t help the twitch to the corners of your lips. Fucking hell, here it comes.

“How?”, you murmur quietly, laying in the shadows and rubble, not moving an inch of your body while you wait for a target to arrive at the place.

“Sir Veillance”, he shares like it’s a good joke and now you never can tell him that it’s not because your shoulders visible shake with silent laughter as you press your eye harder to the scope. Can’t get distracted on the job no matter how fucking ridiculous it gets.

“Have one for you too, L.T.”, you say and you know he can hear that your voice is a little breathy after laughter. When he speaks again you can feel the force of his smirk, the smug bastard enjoys making you laugh a little too much.

“Give it to me, sergeant”

“Why Sir Veillance would wear only leather?”, you prompt and fall silent for a few moments, giving Simon time to think about the question. He hums after a beat, eyes still monitoring the surroundings

“Why?”, he finally asks you and maybe you understand why he has all these cheesy dad jokes. Gives a right little kick.

“Because it’s made of hide”, you announce and your voice is shaking with laughter, breaking into practically a whisper as you force it down. There is a silence over the comms and then a small hoarse crack — barely half a chuckle.

“Not bad”, Ghost finally says and you can hear smile in his voice, your own grin widening. “Now eyes on the spot, we have our target arriving at the place”

“Roger that, sir”, you murmur, pressing yourself lower and curling a finger around the trigger.

Soap will tell you later not to indulge lieutenant Riley and his one dry sense of humour but you come to find out that maybe, just maybe, it does work on you a little too well

[gf2bellamy]

Hello !!

I really enjoy your writing and thought that I’d submit a request for a Spencer Reid x Reader fic :)

Essentially, Spencer and Reader just recently moved in together and are getting ready to go on a date. Reader is putting on makeup around the time Spencer finishes getting ready, and Spencer just takes a moment to admire her and says some sort of sweet comment?

(Sorry if that isn’t broad enough)

Thanks! 🫶🏻

- B

admiration — spencer reid

pairing: spencer reid x fem!reader ( no use of y/n ) content warnings: nothing i think ? a/n: thank you so much for your request B !! <3333 i love it such an adorable idea ! i hope you like this

You stood in front of the bathroom mirror, rummaging through your makeup bag. Your brows furrowed in concentration as you dug past mascara tubes, eyeliner pencils, and a stray hair tie. 

“Where is it?” you mumbled to yourself, frustration creeping into your voice. 

Finally, your fingers brushed against the smooth tube of your favorite lip gloss. Triumphantly, you pulled it out, unscrewed the cap, and paused for just a second to look at yourself in the mirror. A small, excited smile tugged at your lips. 

Tonight was another date night with Spencer—one of many you’d shared—but the excitement never faded. Even now, standing in the bathroom of your shared apartment, it still felt just as thrilling as the very first time.

Spencer always had a way of making things special, whether it was a night out at a fancy restaurant or an evening spent curled up on the couch with a stack of books and takeout. 

You leaned in slightly, applying the gloss with careful precision. Just as you capped the tube, you heard Spencer’s voice outside the door. 

“Hey, I’m ready,” he called, followed by a soft knock. 

A small smile played on your lips as you glanced toward the door. “You can come in.” 

Spencer slowly opened the door just as you finished applying your lip gloss, the soft click of the handle barely registering as you focused on your reflection. But when the silence stretched longer than expected, curiosity got the best of you. 

You turned to find him standing in the doorway, staring. 

His lips were slightly parted, eyes wide with something that looked a lot like awe. He wasn’t even trying to hide it—his gaze traced over you with the kind of admiration that sent warmth blooming in your chest. 

You tilted your head slightly, a small, amused smile forming on your lips. “Spencer?” 

Spencer blinked, seemingly snapping out of whatever daze he had fallen into. “You—uhm. Wow.” His voice wavered slightly, his brain clearly scrambling to form a coherent sentence. 

You bit back a smile, amused by his flustered state. He always did this—always got a little tongue-tied when you dressed up, like he was seeing you for the first time all over again. 

“Well, thank you, Dr. Reid,” you teased, stepping forward until you were close enough to catch the faint scent of his cologne. Your hands moved to his tie, adjusting it with practiced ease. “And you look very handsome yourself.” 

He smiled shyly at your compliment and then his voice softened. “You know…I’ve read about beauty before. Poets, philosophers, even mathematicians have tried to define it, to measure it, to explain what makes something—or someone—beautiful.” 

Your hands paused on his tie as your breath caught slightly. 

His gaze never wavered as he continued. “But I don’t think words could ever really capture what I feel when I look at you.” 

Your heart practically stopped. The sincerity in his voice made your chest ache in the best way. 

For a moment, you just stared at him, your fingers still lightly resting against his tie. 

Then, a small, breathy laugh escaped you as you shook your head. “You always know exactly what to say, don’t you?” 

Spencer smiled sheepishly. “Not always. Just when it comes to you.” 

You exhaled, feeling warmth spread through your entire body. 

“Well,” you murmured, smoothing your hands down the lapels of his suit, “you’re pretty impossible not to love, you know that?” 

Spencer’s expression shifted—his eyes softened. But instead of responding right away, he did something else. 

He leaned in, pressing a feather-light kiss to your forehead, lingering just long enough to make your heart swell. 

“I love you too,” he whispered against your skin. 

[philsdrivinglicence]

It's midnight! I officially see Dan and Phil. TODAY!

My big 26 year old self is going alone to a city an hour away to honour little 11-16 year old me who lived too far away and couldn't afford any of the previous tours. I'm so fucking excited I could cry.

[kaija-rayne-author]

Do whatever you want, believe whatever you want. And using Veilguard as any sort of source for anything remotely related to canon Lore is just ridiculous. It's so... awful, IMHO, to use it to defend any sort of point.

I'm not certain if this would be considered critical, so I'll put it under a cut. Potentially critical of Veilguard.

Though I'm really just talking about the Lore.

I point out 4 massive retcons in Veilguard that blew my mind and that I see people commonly using as arguing points. And yes, if someone wants to pay me for the time, I can prove all of it with sources.

What little canon Lore they actually used in Veilguard? They twisted beyond recognition.

Just a few examples.

1. The blight is NOT, in fact, (or even in Veilguard) 'everywhere in the Fade'. It has always been contained to the Black City, that floats disconnected from everything else in the Fade. It's why the previously golden city is black ffs! Even in Veilguard, it's really damned obvious that the Fade isn't full of blight. We hop in and out of the Fade throughout the whole damned game like it's a shopping mall.

2. The Fade is not full of demons. Demons are spirits (people) of emotion. What usually twists them into demons is coming through the veil! The only reason there was the big demon in DAI is because it was attached to Coryphyfish. There's probably some, but it's an arguable point that an emotion spirit of, say, anger, or spite is actually a demon. Emotions aren't bad. They wouldn't automatically be demons simply because they reflect a negative emotion.

3. The veil has been canonically choking the life and magic out of Thedas for thousands of years. If the veil didn't come down, there would be no Thedas. This is clearly spelled out in canon. The veil was never meant to be part of the world. At the end of Trespasser, the veil is as holey as my grandmother's doilies. It's not as they tried to depict it in Veilguard, a firm, whole wall holding hordes of demons and the blight of blights back. That's such a bullshit retcon, and I make weird faces every time I try to figure out the mental gymnastics necessary for someone to come up with that idea.

4. It's also a massive retcon that Solas lies. (Sigh. Yes. It really is. No matter what you believe.) He canonically does not. They rewrote his character for DAI so that he doesn't lie because it weakened the character. He was originally written as much more similar to Blackwall. They decided it weakened Solas as a character and made sure he doesn't lie. He obfuscates, misleads, doesn't answer, and is really good at letting people make assumptions or even leading people to make assumptions. Because that is what a Trickster does! But in all of DAI and Trespasser, he does not lie except once. At the Winter Palace when you ask him where he got the experience of court. No. A 'lie of omission' is not a lie by the definition or philosophical understanding of what a lie is. You, as the player, not paying close attention to what he says doesn’t mean he lies either! He is not the 'god of lies'. That's Epler's hate shining through. Throughout 3 games, many dlcs, books, comics, short stories, the Dread Wolf is known as the Trickster. The god of rebellion and sometimes the god of betrayal. He is never once referred to as the god of lies in anything pre-veilguard. It's. Bullshit.

And Solas is an absolutely terrible liar. He stumbles all over himself trying to do it in the winter palace. It's hilarious tbh.

There were more retcons. But I need to go help with dinner.

Just, even if you liked Veilguard, don't use it as a defense in any sort of discussion of Lore. Perhaps listen to us Lore fiends, instead? Because they shat all over the Lore for Veilguard.

Real talk? It makes you look ignorant to anyone who actually has been paying attention to the Lore.

FWIW? I'm not in the best of moods right now. Please think twice, then a third time before responding/reblogging in disagreement. (Unless you're polite and actually have sources I haven't seen. I'm usually willing to have polite discussions or answer questions. I'm also willing to stand corrected if people actually can prove me wrong with sources attached. A 'nuhn unh, Solas lies cause I believe he does', won't get you far with me.) Nor will using anything from DAV to support an argument. I've relegated DAV to the graveyard of not-canon because of the complete disrespect of the Lore.

And I'll just laugh at you if you try to attack me. Internet randos filling my responses with shit doesn't phase me, bother me in the slightest, or make me upset. I find it incredibly, laugh out loud amusing because I've lived through so much more than that in my life.

[yoichiin]

isagi yoichi's fluff alphabet !! (from a to k)

as stated, it's a fluff alphabet for isagi!

no notable warnings. gn!reader. fluff. second person pov.

note : first post !! i kind of repeat myself im ngl but it's okay probably. also no j because i couldn't think of anything sillying

a is for activities (what does he do in his free time with you?) :

isagi is somewhat of a simpleton. his life is eat, sleep, soccer so the things he does with you reflect that. if you feel like switching it up, you’ll have to tell him directly.

when he does have free time with you, quiet cozy days in or spontaneous brunches on the weekends are his go-tos. they’re simple, yes, but with yoichi, less is always more. he isn’t the type of person to find value in super extravagant outings and in his mind, the memories that ring loudest are the mundane things that no one else seems to remember. so even though his heart aches when you don’t recall the late night conversations when he fell in love with you for the first time, isagi doesn’t mind. the warm winter naps and simple mornings over not-very-luxurious breakfasts may melt like snowflakes in your memory but as long as you’re content in that moment, it’s all he could ask for.

b is for beauty (what does he find most beautiful in a partner? what is his favorite part, inside and out?):

the simple answer that yoichi says is someone with a nice smile and laughs a lot. the real answer is a bit more complicated. 

as someone who has observed and analyzed his whole life, he’s noticed the kind of glow joy seems to have on people. from the small perk of the shoulders to laughing so hard you feel like throwing up—this phenomena sings to isagi. the existence of real, visible, audible emotion.

when he’s on the pitch with his teammates there’s a fire in every one of their eyes—all-consuming like the sun. it’s that light that pulled him into blue lock in the first place. the joy of victory, of evolution and change. seeing all of these emotions on someone’s face is yoichi’s favorite thing about human connection and he treasures it with his life. 

(and he likes thighs too, i guess.)

c is for comfort (how does he help his s/o when they’re sad or overwhelmed?):

it’s a nice surprise that isagi’s soccer awareness translates well into relationships. he can assess your state immediately and run to your side and comfort you with verbal affirmations. his words are so real and from the depths of his soul, it’d almost be an insult to call them sweet nothings. 

yoichi’s feelings come out as easy as gentle wind upon autumn leaves, even philosophical at times. if you weren’t overwhelmed by your own emotions, you’d be racking your brain a bit trying to figure out his. it gets theoretical to the point where it flies over your head but that’s how you know it’s genuine. no matter how he layers his words, his intentions remain clear. “it is a privilege learning to understand you.”

d is for dreams (how do they picture a future with their s/o?):

before isagi got with you, he had never imagined being in a relationship. not like he didn’t want one but it just slipped his mind. his first love is soccer, through and through. he thought he never needed anything else.

still, his vision has always been simple. win the world cup, become the greatest striker in the world, and now you’re there too. when you’re with such a simpleton, he’ll always have space for you in his future and now that he’s got you, you’re never leaving.

e is for equal (are they the dominant one in the relationship or passive?):

as much as i want to be self-indulgent and say that isagi would be submissive, i think he leans towards being dominant in a relationship.

perhaps before blue lock, when he was unsure of his ideals, he’d follow his partner with no question. but that’s not the person he wants to be. now that blue lock has reassured the things he’s been thinking for years, he likes being in control, leading, and making decisions. he doesn’t disrespect you or dismiss you, of course, but yoichi feels most secure when he voices his opinions freely and decides things for himself. yoichi can lose sight of you at times because of this so your relationship might have to be negotiated to be more equal but in a way where he doesn’t have to compromise his values.

f is for fight (how does he argue? how do you work through your problems?):

while isagi is good at voicing his thoughts, he’s a little too good. his thoughtful words and passionate soccer theories can quickly turn into paralyzing venom when he’s angry and it comes out in hyper-specific insults that pierce some of your deepest insecurities. fights happen infrequently but when they’re bad, they’re bad. he’s not so stubborn that he’ll drag on a fight but he says things so out of turn, it leaves you needing space.

recovering after these arguments takes a lot of time and talking and trying your hardest to understand each other. it’s hard to make sense of everything isagi is thinking because he thinks so much, but know, after all is said and done, he wants you two to come out of these fights stronger.

gentle (how gentle is he, physically or emotionally?):

as good as he is with his words, isagi doesn’t really know much about physical affection. he’s gentle the way a child takes care of a pet or baby, cautious and a bit eager. you can feel his nerves travel up your spine as he hesitantly puts a hand on the small of your back to hold you. though awkward, it just makes it even more endearing.

h is for honesty (what’s something he keeps secret? any rules for honesty?):

isagi doesn’t have any specific rules when it comes to honesty. obviously, he wants you to trust him but if there’s something you want to keep to yourself, it’s fine with him and he’ll do the same. 

i is for inspiration (a trait about him that you might look up to):

how much he thinks. isagi’s mind is an endlessly growing puzzle—a garden of ideas and theories he’s been nurturing like he’s been at it for fifty years. you watch him in awe as he sits studying a match, eyes slightly squinted and nose all scrunched up. yoichi’s constantly redefining and reorganizing his thoughts and you can’t help but giggle when you say something random and he perks up with what you’re sure is a fresh idea. his drive is a beacon not just for his rivals but for you as well.

k is for kiss (what was the first kiss like?):

i imagine your first kiss is after a match. isagi has shot the winning goal and both of you are full of excitement and adrenaline you don’t realize what you’re doing. after swimming past all of his teammates surrounding him and seeing you in the front stands, he’s so overwhelmed he pulls you in for a kiss. it’s warm, exceedingly so, and a little awkward, noses softly bumping against each other. yoichi’s hair is somewhat stringy from his sweat while his face glistens under the stadium lights as you realize what has just happened.

truth be told, he’d been stressing himself out wanting to kiss you and he revealed he’d have rather done it in a smaller, more secluded place but his red cheeks while he bashfully explains himself is too cute that you go in for another peck between his brows.

fin.

[hexb0nes]

Reaffirmation - Vows to You

word count: 1.6k

warnings: mentions of dying/death, illness complications, hospitals, violence, parental loss

summary: one night, in your shared bed, viktor reflects on his journey from the depths of zaun to the skyscrapers of piltover, his relationship with you, and the future.

a/n: trying out a new format for my fics!! hope they like them <3

There’s something funny about knowing when you’ll die. 

Viktor’s fingers trace over your sleeping body. The pads of his nimble appendages brush softly, as he memorizes every nook and cranny you have to offer. He admires your curves and dips, your hips plush and fit the grasp of his hands like a missing puzzle piece. Your facial features, the barely audible snores that escape your oh-so kissable lips. You stir in your sleep and grimace, murmuring something under your breath. Viktor presses a kiss against your temple and pulls you closer into his frail arms. You relax and snuggle into his bony chest, as if he was the world’s most comfortable pillow.

Viktor’s hands move from your hips to your hair, entangling his fingers into the locks and combing them quietly. Your hair is silky, smooth to the touch. He remembers your various hair styles over the years; long braids, then a bob, followed by shaving it all off when one of your friends began their battle with cancer. Your hair is an extension of your energy, your soul. It reflects your journey and carries memories. Each time a person cuts their hair, they cut off the old memories with it and begin anew. Viktor hopes you cut your hair after he passes on. 

I should tell them.

Viktor rests his chin on top of your head and exhales. Behind the curtains in your shared bedroom, the dazzling lights of Piltover dimmed by the thick fabric. You rub your face against Viktor’s chest and sigh, a deep but content sigh. Viktor’s lips quirk up into a miniscule smile.

But they would try to stop me.

On his nightstand, an assortment of opened mail lay still; medical bills, electricity bills, HVAC bills, and so on, these are the costs of staying alive. A calendar is pinned on the wall closest to the balcony, scribbles of appointment dates and work events present. 

If there is a God out there, damn you. Damn you for this, damn you for–

You squirm in your sleep. Viktor strokes your hair and gives you another peck on the head, you simmer down and continue to peacefully snooze.

Oh, little dove. You have a knack for sensing my distress, huh?

His chest rattles with an impending cough and Viktor stifles it back. He reaches for his nightstand and grabs his handkerchief, a belated birthday from his colleague Sky Young. Viktor muffles his coughing with the handkerchief, praying that his attack didn’t disturb your slumber. 

Damn you, God. 

The coughing soon subsides and Viktor pulls the handkerchief from his mouth. Splatters of crimson blood stain the handkerchief. It’s wash friendly! Sky reassures him upon gifting the embodied cloth, Just add some soap to hot water and scrub, then it will be good as new.

Miss. Young is a thoughtful woman.

Viktor sets the handkerchief and makes a mental note to wash it in the morning. He lowers his hand down your back, feeling each vertebrae. Your back is smooth, untouched by bolts and screws implanted deep within. His hand reaches the small of your back, your pajama top somewhat lifted and exposing your skin. Viktor brushes his thumb against your back and lets out a low hum.

What a marvel you are, my darling; it’s as if the Heavens forged you of holy light and pure, unabashed love for humanity.

Viktor recalls the day you two met; it was an act of total coincidence that you and he touched that book at the same time, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. At the time, Viktor never met someone who enjoyed such literature, not even Jayce, who preferred science fiction and mystery over anything philosophical or classical. It sparked a conversation on Friedrich Nietzsche’s characterization and the various elements introduced. The conversation led to a friendship, a friendship led to a spark of romantic feelings, and a spark of romantic feelings led to you confessing to him during a terrible thunderstorm.

No matter the weather, you promised to show up for me.

You had spoken from the deepest depths of your heart and soul, proclaiming your love for Viktor while thunder roared and lightning crackled above. In soaked clothes, you cried out to Viktor how you couldn’t keep hiding your feelings from him, that you loved him with every fiber of your being. You held your head low after your confession, your face hot with embarrassment and fear. Viktor extended his hand out to you and pulled you inside his apartment.

You were drenched to the bone, I couldn’t let you catch a cold.

Viktor remembers how his lips connected with yours that day, how foreign but exciting the sensation was. He kissed you, mustering up each ounce of energy and willpower to express his reciprocation of love. You grabbed at his hair and tugged on it to stabilize yourself, inciting a muffled moan from Viktor. 

I could have kissed you for eternity, if my lungs allowed for such a gift.

From that day onward, you were no longer just you and Viktor–friends and nothing more–but you and Viktor, two souls intertwined. You said so yourself at the altar during your vows, how you and him were one and the same. In the present, Viktor chuckles to himself at how teary-eyed he was at seeing you beside him at that altar. 

I vowed to stay alive for as long as I could, to spend every day and every moment left in my weary bones with you by my side.

The milestones you two went through–the move to more spacious living quarters, your first ever wedding anniversary, and so on–were done so with the utmost glee. Soon, your friends followed suit, some getting married and having babies while others relished in the single life and their roles as aunts, uncles, and such. Even Jayce, Piltover’s most eligible bachelor, finally settled down and married Councilor Mel Medara, having three adorable kids.

What a spectacular life I have lived with you, my little dove.

You push yourself off Viktor and spread your limbs out, tussling the linen sheets for a new position. Viktor lays back against the bed and faces you, entranced by your beauty. He lifts a hand and puts it on your stomach, a small bump protruding outward. 

I don’t have much time left.

The pregnancy was unplanned, a flunk. Viktor was unsure if he could pass down his conditions to the hypothetical child, so it was better to be safe than sorry. Yet, the day you held up that pink stick and showed him the two lines was the day Viktor reaffirmed his vows to you.

I vowed to stay alive for as long as I could, to spend every day and every moment left in my weary bones with you by my side.

The idea of fatherhood terrifies Viktor. He has no recollection of his own father, nothing more than a patron at the brothel where his mother slaved away to raise enough money to make a better future for herself. A child complicated things; sometimes, Viktor wonders if he cost his mother such a bright future. However, whenever those doubts would arise, his mother would shut them down with a wave and smile, You’re my new future, Viktor. You’re my winner.

Yes, winner. My name means so. I strive every day to be a winner.

An act of senseless violence stole his mother’s life. She switched to working the counter, collecting and maintaining the bills, something better for herself and her son. A robber came for the money and the women, she stalled as long as she could for the workers to evacuate. She played hero, saving at least ten lives that day. Yet, for every heroic act, someone had to pay the price. The robber shot her straight in the head, brain matter and blood splattering and coating the wall behind her, as she crumbled lifelessly on the floor.

I vowed to make the Undercity, Zaun, a better place.

Viktor rose from the bottom to the top, climbing up the rusty rungs of Zaun to the shiny rungs of Piltover. He studied by day, worked odd jobs at night. He worked and worked until a Yoddle named Cecil D. Hemingdinger found him and took him under his wing. Every day, Viktor fought to be a winner. Soon, Jayce came along with his grandiose plan to revolutionize magic for the common man. He was Viktor’s ticket to promotion, life as an assistant was never in the cards for him, Viktor was a scientist.

We made the world better.

Hextech became a reality and shot Piltover into the stratosphere as an epicenter for trade, the arts, invention, and progress. A few years after the invention of Hextech, a slow day in the lab with no Jayce in sight led Viktor to visit the nearby library. A colleague had recommended Thus Spoke Zarathustra for him to read.

Yet, it was you that made my world better.

Exhaustion weighs Viktor down, his body demanding sleep. He tries to remain awake, but his need for sleep overtakes his desire for introspection. His eyes flutter, as he falls deeper and deeper into sleep.

Goodnight, my darling.

Viktor falls asleep, his hand wrapped around your arm. The entrance to the balcony near your bed creaks open just a bit for some wind to blow inside. The wind knocks some mail off Viktor’s nightstand and reveals a letter underneath.

Dear Mr. Reveck,

I write this letter to you with my deepest apologies and condolences. Your recent lab work has shown concerning results, despite your ongoing treatment. I fear that your prognosis has diminished from five years to two years. Yet, there is hope! A clinical trial has opened up, testing a new treatment that may extend your life for another decade. The researchers have informed me that they’re willing to offer you a spot in the trial if you desire so.

Please contact me at your soonest convenience to express your acceptance or refusal.

Dr. Kuwayama, MD 

Pulmonologist – West Piltover Hospital

[seafoamreadings]

week of february 2nd, 2025

these are written predominantly for the *rising* signs but they are also intuitively "channeled" enough that they should work for any dominant energy you have! (try your sun if you don't know rising, or more advanced readers can try moon, anywhere you have a stellium, etc and see what works best for you!)

aries: venus moves into your sign this week. while venus is classically debilitated in your sign, it just means the energy is not very natural to her. venus in aries is actually lovely as a force for the beauty of justice, and she can make you quite charismatic as well. embrace aesthetics and a little romance.

taurus: while many parts of your chart are active this week, the epicenter of activity is your career, reputation, and public image/status. there are changes coming to this realm and you will do well to put some effort into aligning those changes with the legacy you want to leave, the imprint you wish to make on the world.

gemini: you have great money vibes this week, especially if you are pursuing higher education, spirituality, or foreign travel. jupiter also goes direct in your sign this week, likely bringing helpful people. remember, it's auspicious to also be a helpful person yourself.

cancerians: if you need to do any reputation damage control or prettying up your social media or resume/cv, this week is a perfect time, especially once venus is ensconced in aries. in general you're going to have sort of low energy, so get lots of sleep!

leo: if a friends to lovers story is your idea of fun it's quite probable this week. you'll need to be looking out for it but it will be unmistakable when you do see it. and if that's not really your thing (or in addition to it) you can still make the most of the week's astrology by doing something really nice for a close friend, and appreciating them when they are there for you.

virgo: it's not the sort of week that you can expect things to go according to even your most impeccably laid plans. lean into your natural mutability and embrace unexpected changes instead of letting them chafe and irritate you.

libra: good air vibes continue. these are hard times broadly but for you on a personal level many good things occur and beauty exists everywhere. try to spread some of that to people who struggle more to see it.

scorpio: no matter how developed and complete you may have thought your spirituality to be, your philosophical approach to it continues to develop at light speed this week. don't try to dig in your heels about it but go with the flow instead. you are meant to change and not stagnate, fixed sign though you may be.

sagittarius: your ruling planet jupiter goes direct this week and you may even instantly feel like any stuckness in your life is magically undone and you can move forward (or at all) again. if stuckness hasn't been an issue rest assured good things are occurring for you behind the scenes if not before your eyes.

capricorn: your week consists of mainly minor influences but there is overall a push that you should be having fun, and not forcing yourself to go through rote motions for money or corporate points. it's not a bad time to "touch grass".

aquarius: jupiter direct brings you fun and even romance if you're open to it, but at the same time ceres in your sign square uranus in taurus is a strange standoff that can put you in somewhat unhealthy situations. try to form, or improve, a healthy and stable foundation so that when wobbly aspects like this come up you can regain your footing easily.

pisces: a surreal quality continues into this week. but now you may find you are a little bit more in your head than in some alternate dimension or dreamscape. keep one foot on the ground, and continue to avoid excess or addictive tendencies. indeed, it's not a bad idea to relax at home and see what good fortune just lands at your doorstep for now.

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[whereserpentswalk]

You're a cyborg. You didn't choose to be a cyborg. You were so badly injured it was either giving up most of your humanity or dying.

It's pretty extreme. You've lost almost everything. You don't have any of your original body parts left below your neck. You don't even eat or sleep anymore. It's uncomfortable, it feels a lot different to exist in this body then it did you old one, just moving or having things touch you feels so much different. You don't feel like you look like yourself, you don't want people to look at you and see the body you're in now, you want them to look at you and see the body that you once had. You hate the fact that people will see you and see a cyborg before they see anything about you that you'd like them to think of you as. When you walk outside you're in a body that is so hard to hurt, but it feels like you're walking with an open wound, like you are an open wound.

The process was long, and it was strange how you were seen differently throughout it. At your weakest and least built up, you were treated with so much sympathy and warmth. But now that you're fully built up, and all the dying parts have been cut out of your body, people have lost all that sympathy. They don't expect you to still be fragile, to still be grieving what you lost. But at the same time they treated your body as a tragedy in a different way then how you ever could, like you're just a sad reflection of your former self, like you'll never be the person you once were. It's like all your relatives treat your worst anxieties as a sad truth. A freind posted a picture of you celebrating your birthday with them, and someone commented on how sad it is to see someone so young in a body like yourse. And it was literally a happy day for you, and there's something so disturbing about seeing people sad for you when you were having a good time.

People also just don't see you as safe the same way you once were. Even your progressive human freinds, who post things like "no body is broken" don't see you as being as in need of kindness or respect. They just think of you as less of a person. You've literally had someone with an ally shirt answer questions about your needs as a cyborg for you. You've had so many people touch your body without asking, because they don't see it as a person's body, they just see it as a peice of machinery. Just seeing how people touch your limbs is bad, but you once had someone grab your crotch and when you told her she was assaulting you she said it was ok because you don't have reproductive organs. And you understand that she didn't mean to assault you, but it just felt like you were assaulted, and then forced to confront the fact that you're missing those body parts now. Everyone is willing to fight for your humanity on a philosophical level, nobody is willing to treat you like a human.

You tend to hang out more with robots and cyborgs. Your city has a lot of them, which probably makes you safer then most cyborgs. Robots are more likely to be allies but it's not always the case, radroids exist of course, but even a lot of accepting robots think of cyborgs are being "robot-lite" rather then their own thing. Robots and cyborgs are also your only options for dating, a human would either be a fetishist or be afraid of you, and your body is more equipped to be intimate with machines then it is to be intimate with humans. You could even see yourself dating someone whose a bodyless AI. Still, right now you can't imagine someone loving a body like yourse, you're not sure if you could bring yourself to do it.

Your new roommate is a cyborg. More then that, she's somebody who chose to be a cyborg. It's weird to see her excited about getting a body that's less like the one you used to have and more like your own. Seeing her euphoria over becoming more and more like a machine makes you feel weirdly mournful. Like, one part of you wishes you could stop her, wishes she won't lose what you did lose. Part of you is disturbed when she's so excited about these things, disturbed at her choosing to have those healthy muscular arms cut off and replaced with arms like yours. To have her lungs replaced to never take a breath again, and be happy about it, while you feel as if you're always drowning a bit. But at the same time, seeing her so happy about getting a body like yourse makes you like your own a bit more. Seeing her euphoria makes it rub off on you a bit. You can start to think that if she can be happy like this then so can you.

There are things they never tell you about having a body like yourse. They didn't tell you how much different time feels when you can't sleep. They don't tell you how weird it is to touch where your skin meets metal. They don't tell you what it's it's like to constantly have fans cooling off your insides, and how you feel this heat inside you constantly burning.

Sometimes you think about remodeling your form. If you try to look more human you might be treated a bit better, but physically you'll be less capable and comfortable, and people who think you're trying to trick them might be a danger. Also you don't want the approval of anyone who sees your personhood as conditional. You also could get more creative with it, it sounds better, like, it will give you more euphoria mabye. Or mabye you'll just give yourself retractable spikes to stop people from touching you when you don't want them to. You know some people will be afraid of you, and you certainly know that the fear from rich human women is something that can ruin a cyborgs life. You know if you kill I'm self defense, they'll call you a murderer. At this point you can't care anymore, at this point you'd rather your body be your own then anyone else's.

[prncesschloe]

ϧ୧ someones knocking at the door, welcome in.. flower!reader

white soft sand god is a woman

colored tattoos & matching piercings

flowers on flowers on flowers on flowers on flowers on flowers

will always question the meaning of life, gets a new hyper-fixation on different philosophers, poets, authors, artists, singers etc

smoking>>drinking ethereal-being

spring showers, part of her gets high off just being in the rain

high-key finds kooks scary

decorating her long locs— puts them up in pigtails with long ribboned bows

loves dying her hair, each time she colors it represents a different stage of her life

hand-made clothes sza and beabadoobee

her heart aches for long soft sex, but only receives harsh fucks. she blames it on the fact she does onlyfans and only attracts ‘losers’

both a girl and boy kisser, don’t get her started on that one girl

deeply connected to mother nature, being nude constantly in the solitude of her small house— resided on the cut, providing her a quiet life

a frog in another life polaroid pics gardens in her surprisingly large backyard

ϧ୧ her real name is blythe iyora, whos single mother cut her off at the ripe age of 16 all marren yearly type of shit

ϧ୧ believe it or not, but has the kookiest mom— she even lives on the mainland, or she did last time flower!reader checked

ϧ୧ has two dogs, both adopted— don’t shop. a dalmatian who’s spots are brown instead of black, and a cream colored, long haired dachshund

ϧ୧ not only does her social media portrait her aesthetic, but her onlyfans does as well. posing in her lush backyard full of flowers and tall grass, or just posting a random pic of a squirrel on a log. her subscribers love it

ϧ୧ speaking about her backyard, she absolutely adores it. references to it as the ‘garden of eden’, a big large pond on the side that took days of convincing barry to help her build it, home-grown fruit + vegetables, flowers that she considers her children, etc etc

ϧ୧ is so self-kept, that when her name gets mentioned anywhere. It’s 85% chance they’ll have no idea who she is, and if they do, the only words they describe her with is ‘that one fairy lookin bitch?

ϧ୧ flower!reader who gets her weed from barry, he even wraps her shit up in lacey bows— he has no clue on why he does it. only excuse is that he thinks of her as a sister

ϧ୧ flower!reader who is still oblivious to the fact that as soon as she left barrys trailer, he almost knocked out rafe when he asked barry for her number, and said she looked like ‘a strange hot lookin’ girl’

ϧ୧ thought she was tweaking every time she saw rafe out in public more often than the week prior, then proceeded to be even more tweaked out everytime he tried to make his advances on her. would hit him with the “are you talking to me?” line as she looked around for anyone around the two of them.

ϧ୧ she finds herself up at night sometimes, sitting on her hammock wondering what her mom was up to, in to which her wondering turns into her getting reheated all over again at the fact that she left her all alone.

ϧ୧ her house is whimsical as shit, blames it on the fact that she missed out on half of her teenage experience. and overall being forced to grow up and get her shit together.

ϧ୧ whenever any of her onlyfan subs asks flower!reader about all the toys n stuffed animals she owns, she tells them that she’s a collector, when she knows damn well that all 19 of her stuffed animals are named and cared for

ϧ୧ brushes off the fact that she hallucinates a tad bit, barely though.

[spaceorphan18]

The Lady Whistledown Papers : 2x06 The Choice (Part 1)

Welcome back, Gentle Readers, to The Lady Whistledown Papers, where I’m taking an in-depth look at Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton’s character arcs and romance within the show Bridgerton!

For previous issues, follow tag : The Lady Whistledown Papers

Time for an entire episode centered around the Anthony/Kate/Edwina triangle. Yay? You know what really is the most fascinating, though? There's a lot of Pen and Colin in this episode and yet it feels so disconnected from the main story.

Which. Look, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be sitting here doing this if I hadn't been having fun dissecting this show. But one of it's faults is the fact that it doesn't seamlessly blend its story lines together. Season 1 tried when they had Daphne and Marina's stories merge a bit at the end. But all of the Lady Whistledown stuff, Colin's arc, Pen and Eloise, Eloise and her publisher boy, it's just on another show as the Kanthany stuff. And yes, I realize the Queen is something that does tie all of it together. And sometimes the family scenes do get things right. But for an ensemble show, sometimes these plot lines feel just a little too disconnected that it makes it jarring when they intersect. (And yes - I have had this issue with all three seasons now.) Anyway... enough of my diatribe.

Bachelor Party

Oh, this scene. I love a good ABC Brothers scene - I hope they still manage to have them post-Season 4. Anyway, while Kate and Edwina are reflecting on love and their changing lives while they have their girl night, the boys are having a drink and playing pool. And I just think the presence of the pool table in Bridgerton house (I mean, I assume that's where they are? it looks like Anthony's study, and it doesn't look like it's at a bar, so...) is really funny. Like, they hauled that thing in for this one scene and is never to be seen again. I wonder which of them is the best pool player. Hmmm.

Also - Season 2 is just full of a lot of games isn't it? Fencing, pall mall, pool. Is it a metaphor of all the games Kate and Anthony play??? Okay, I'm probably stretching there, but it is kind of fun to pick out threads like this.

Anyway, back to Colin. Anthony's being moody. Benedict is being snippy. And Colin is just hanging back being the little sass master he usually is -- teasing Benedict for drinking too much and sniding at Anthony for being a sourpuss. It's amusingly endearing. I love their dynamics so much.

Obviously, Anthony really isn't happy about who he is marrying, but there's an interesting kind of rift between him and his brothers. Anthony's story is all about obligations and duties, and feeling the weight and burden of having those things spelled out for you at birth. While Colin's story is all about feeling adrift and feeling as if he has no purpose. Anthony envies Colin (and Benedict)'s freedom to do as they choose, while Colin is envious that Anthony has some kind of meaning in his life. The grass is always greener.

Though, not that Colin is really being all that philosophical in this scene, as he is too busy being tipsy and playing pool, giggling in the background as his brothers take potshots at each other.

(I love this scene so much.)

Also, a couple technical-ish things to point out. I kind of love the way this scene is shot. The camera is meandering around, shakey and always moving, and is on angles all the time -- not only to make a nod at the amount of alcohol being consumed, but also to visually represent that disorienting and dizzying predicament Anthony has found himself in.

I also really love their outfits in this scene, just because they mesh and complement each other -- Anthony, btw, is in a dark navy blue, that is almost black, and almost looks like he's in mourning. Benedict in his deep red and golds, I haven't noticed Benedict's color patterns, huh, while Colin is in his usual pewter blues. Idk, historically accurate or not (and usually not) the costuming is just fascinating to look at to see how it represents their characters.

Also, also - Colin through the mirror shot! It doesn't mean anything, I was just amused by it. Just wait until I don't shut up about mirror imagery in Season 3. ;)

Hard to tell in the screenshot (and may bit slightly the lighting) but there is some gold embroidery in his clothing, and I'm fascinated by how much creams and yellows end up in Colin's wardrobe. I'm also fascinated by the cravats because he's going to start ditching them in Season 3 and... I have a whole lot of thoughts about that. More on that later, stay tuned...

Anyway, the scene moves on to Benedict continuing to rib Anthony, and teasing him about having an heir who will just be a mini-Anthony. And Colin jokes that hypothetical mini-Anthony will be just as much of a tyrant as his father. (And I mean, I do think Colin will actually end up having a good relationship with his nieces and nephews... this comment is merely a reflection of how much a pain in the ass older brother Anthony can be.)

Bottoms up, Colin! (This is the clearest shot I could get.)

They're toasting to the 'disagreeable sister' and, interestingly, Colin's toast is to besting her. I don't know that I even know what to do with that - other than reiterate that Colin does, indeed, have a competitive streak. And also he likes sticking it to Anthony almost as much as Benedict does.

Oh, also, there's a really tiny detail in here that I'm sure no one notices but me since I've now watched this scene like ten times in a row. At the beginning of the scene, Colin makes it a point to mention that the alcohol they're consuming is meant to be sipped. And then at the end, he downs it like a frat boy on a mission to get drunk, and chokes on it. Idk, I was amused. But considering how the rest of the episode goes, while I do think Colin very much appreciates a good drink, I don't think he spends a whole lot of time downing as much alcohol as Anthony does.

Whispers

I'll have to look up this director, because they very much are into all the camera movements this episode. Genevieve shows up for a house call, but it's really because Penelope has summoned her? The writing is slightly fuzzy. But the point is that Genevieve and Penelope need a moment to talk. And the camera swirls around them. The camera movement adds tension to the scene, as it's never settled and always suspicious.

(I went and looked, it's Tom Verica - who has worked a lot with Shonda Rimes. Interesting. Also -- the way they do directing for this show is also interesting, in that there's one director for two episodes a season. I'm going to watch for stylistic changes.)

Anyway... Penelope is seeking out info about Theo -- asking if Genevieve if she knows anything about him. Genevieve doesn't, but she picks up on the fact that Penelope is panicking slightly, and does a little herself. She tells Pen that her business is too important to let little things slide, and Penelope reassures her that her business is also important, and she'd definitely let Genevieve know if something is up.

The camera lands on Penelope and pushes in when Penelope lets it be known firmly that Lady Whistledown is not a joking matter, though she doesn't really see a problem yet.

Btw, the scoring is tense and ominous here, but comes to a point when Portia enters the scene. I love these technical details so much! It just adds so much to the drama of it.

Portia doesn't understand why Genevieve is there, but Genevieve is quick to cover saying she meant to deliver something to the Bridgerton house instead.

I love Penelope's abrupt change of demeanor. Two seconds earlier, she was hardened business woman trying to protect her interests, and while still very young, able to be an equal peer with Genevieve. And then her mother appears, and she is youthful, dutiful, childlike Penelope again, all smiles and innocence. I'm just so fascinated by performances today, apparently.

As Genevieve leaves, Penelope faces away from her mother to watch the modiste leave, her face falling, a look of worry on it. Meanwhile, Portia walks by scoffing at the fact that a woman runs her own business -- stating it's no wonder her mind is scattered. An obvious judgment, and an ironic statement since Pen, too, is a woman running her own business.

Btw, despite the fact that the previous episode made it a point that the Featheringtons are no longer getting invitations to things, they're on their way to the Bridgerton wedding. Did the Queen decide to just invite everyone then? Huh.

Pre-Wedding

What being in fandom feels like sometimes...

Ah, Bridgerton memes, you will never not be funny.

Violet is trying her best to get a move on of things -- they have Anthony's wedding to attend! I love the family chaos of it all.

Colin is hung. over. The light bothering him. His family being too loud. The stinging headache. (Ngl, it's kinda funny) I LOVE Violet's remark to Benedict -- 'Whatever you've done to your brother, undo it.' It is such a mom line and I love it so much.

Colin comments that he doesn't have the same capacity for alcohol as his brothers. And I mean, this checks. Anthony was downing bottles of alcohol last season, and Benedict gives off more fratboy energy. Unlike his brothers, Colin is usually more in tune with living with his feelings, and doesn't usually use narcotics to suppress them. It's really only when they get extreme does he reach out for something external (such as getting high in Greece or getting incredibly trashed in season 3).

Casual drunkeness isn't Colin's style.

Benedict's suggestion for the hangover, however, is more alcohol! Is this payback for Colin getting Benedict high? Or just amusement on his half? Idk, it's interesting. But Colin is going to take it. I want to point out, now, that Colin is drinking in nearly every scene of this episode, and I do think there's more to it than just an attempt at nursing a hangover.

We'll get there. For now, we have a wedding to get to!! :)

[folkdances]

things i read this january ❄️ it was an interesting, eventful month, and a very philosophical one (for me, at least)! i've been reading on the bus, on the metro, while walking to class, and i'm pleased with myself for it, and it's done me good! i wanted to write this preface in such a way that would lend it some sense of grandeur, but as i sit here typing, i don't think that's really necessary. things are as they are. some of these are for class and some of them i read on my own…!

articles, essays, and papers

preface to lyrical ballads, william wordsworth

preface and conclusion to the renaissance studies in art and poetry, walter pater

poetry and plays*

we are seven, william wordsworth

mac flecknoe, john dryden

a satyr upon reason and mankind, john wilt

the country wife, william wycherley - found this one shockingly funny and was deeply upset by this fact. there’s something about a character named pinchwife getting cuckolded that has been making people laugh for centuries, and the latest of those people is me.

myself and pangur, anon., trans. paul muldoon

the blackbird by belfast lough, frank o'connor

the vikings, james carney

the scribe in the woods, máire macneill - he’s just like me for realll

the sea, james carney

storm at sea, frank o'connor

to an old psalm-book, james carney

books

private rites, julia armfield - I REALLY ADORED THIS ONE. 5-stars will be returning to it. absolutely phenomenal vaguely apocalyptic horror story set in a drowning world and following three estranged sisters in the wake of their cruel father’s death.

file under: 13 suspicious incidents, lemony snicket - really really charming! i’ve been wanting to reread atwq and realized i never read this addendum to the series when i was a kid :-)

annihilation, jeff vandermeer - shockingly i tried reading this one, like, three times before this month (the last time was two years ago(?)) and i could never properly get into it. this time around i tore through it and absolutely loved it…! sci-fi story about a biologist and her team as they explore the mysterious area x on the behalf of a secretive government agency.

song of solomon, toni morrison - i’d been putting off reading this one for a while, not out of disinterest but because it is such a weighty book and i wanted to wait for a good time. i read it over the course of a week. it’s wonderfully written, compulsively readable, profound and inquisitive and odyssic. absolutely loved it. unravels the family history of the dead family, honing in the youngest sun, milkman dead.

waiting for the barbarians, j.m. coetzee - had to read this one for class and i’m a bit conflicted about it. ultimately i think it works as a very concise and clear analogy, but i found it a bit ‘white guilt’ about the whole affair.

open water, caleb azumah nelson - unfortunately did not enjoy this one very much :-( heard a lot of good things about it and it just wasn’t for me in the end. a love story between two young black british artists.

martyr!, kaveh akbar - was looking forward to this one and really enjoyed it! i feel like it could have gone deeper but for what it was, i liked it. it was very poetic and i loved how it was structured. follows a suicidal iranian-american poet as he strives to write about martyrdom and plumbs his own family history in an effort to understand it.

* i tried finding links to all of these but i got lazy lol. you could probably find them quite easily snooping around the internet :-)

[vigilxntesht]

𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙠𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙖𝙚-𝙗𝙮𝙚𝙤𝙠 — headcanons

𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 — kang sae-byeok x female reader

𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 — i wrote these at 3am so these aren’t my best work bear with me pretty please

she’d definitely be quiet at the beginning of your relationship—rarely talking at all, actually. she cherishes simply being in your presence, finding comfort in the silence.

she’s cold and tough with everyone, but when she’s alone with you, a much softer, almost shy side emerges. she’s not used to affection, so at first, she gets flustered when you hold her hand or compliment her.

her love language is acts of service. she’s not one to say “i love you” frequently, but she expresses it in small, meaningful gestures—like gently fixing your hair when it’s messy.

though she doesn’t say it often, sae-byeok actually was the one who said “i love you” first. it happened out of the blue during one of your movie nights, catching you off guard in the most unexpected, yet perfect moment.

she gets jealous easily, but tries to hide it. when she sees someone flirting with you, she’ll step in, scaring them away with her signature warning glare. if you call her out on it, she’ll casually shrug and say “i wasn’t doing it for you.” (she totally was.)

she would remember every small detail about you, like the way you take your coffee or the songs that make you smile.

sae-byeok didn’t grow up with much, so it’s the little things that mean the most to her. your dates would be simple yet special—lying on a rooftop and gazing at the night sky or taking quiet strolls along the riverside rather than going out to fancy restaurants.

she’s not a fan of public displays of affection, but when you’re in a crowded space, she’ll instinctively reach for your hand, her fingers intertwining with yours, holding on just a little tighter.

she would give you rocks she finds pretty, handing them to you with a dry “here.” you’re not quite sure what to do with them, but they seem to mean a lot to her, so you end up storing them all in your bedroom.

if you get sick, she becomes surprisingly more doting than usual. she insists you rest, makes you tea, and even checks your temperature with the back of her hand. if you tease her for being soft, she’ll smirk and say “shut up and drink your tea.”

she has a bad habit of kicking you in her sleep.

she loves seeing you in her clothes. she’ll “accidentally” leave her jacket lying around at your apartment, hoping you’ll wear it later.

she has trouble sleeping, so sometimes, she’ll wake you up in the middle of the night just to ask the most random philosophical questions. “do you think cats know we love them?” “what if we all see colors differently, but we’ll never know because my orange could be your green?”

forehead kisses are her weakness. no matter how grumpy or tough she tries to act, the moment you kiss her forehead, she melts instantly, eyes fluttering shut as she relaxes into the touch.

a total cat person—if you have cats, expect her to be all over them literally all the time.

she steals your clothes, but won’t admit it. she’ll insist she doesn’t care about couple-y things, yet somehow, all your hoodies and shirts mysteriously disappear into her closet.

she’s a strange texter. her messages are always short and to the point, like “eat.” or “never mind.”

she’s a terrible cook, so instead of helping, she’ll sneak up from behind while you’re cooking, wrap her arms around your waist and rest her head on top of yours.

one time, you took her to the arcade, and she got way too competitive over air hockey. she was dead serious the entire time, and when she finally won, she crossed her arms smugly and said “loser.” (you let her win, but she doesn’t need to know that.)

[greenerteacups]

OK need more on this delicious idea:

The most obvious example is the Regulus plot (which in retrospect reads like maybe vestigial foreshadowing of a different outline for Deathly Hallows?)

What do you think this different outline of DH could be?

Totally! I might have been off, but I thought the #LocketGate reveal at the end of Book 6 was meant to indicate Regulus had some role in Book 7 — possibly as a plot mechanic or as the central "mystery" of the book that the Golden Trio have to work out. Like, maybe Regulus left clues for them to find in order to figure out how to destroy the horcruxes, or to find the hallows, or to find a secret weapon to kill Voldemort, something, whatever. Because having Regulus defect from Voldemort and successfully steal/swap the lockets, only for him to die anyway and for the locket to end up stuck in a cabinet in Grimmauld Place, is like... kinda disappointing and weird for something that's so important to the plot? Because it cuts the legs out of the pre-climax of Book 6, i.e. Dumbledore's sacrifice and Harry's fight with the inferi, for the horcrux to have been stuck under the floorboards at Grimmauld Place the whole time.

Also, sorry: lame!! That's a lame development. It is dull. It is boring and dry. It gut-punches your dramatic tension for any re-reads of Book 6 and it means the ultimate "finding the horcrux" moment gets shunted into the first act of Book 7, which should have been about setting up the war conflict. It also violates the fantasy author's Rule of Cool, which demands that, all else being equal, you should choose the option that is more badass, fun, or sexy, precisely because it is more badass, fun, or sexy. Sometimes it's fine to just make a decision because it's going to be more fun to read! If it doesn't injure the story, there's nothing wrong with that! And I think the locket in the cave should have EITHER been the real thing, in which case Dumbledore's sacrifice and Harry's struggle would have been rewarded with another horcrux being destroyed and we could have dived headfirst into the "how do we kill them?" plot in 7 — OR, it could be a fakeout, but then make that note/clue part of a bigger and more interesting mystery plot in Book 7.

Also, not that it matters, but all the other Harry Potter books have central mysteries in them. It's usually what they're named for: the philosopher's stone (what's behind Fluffy?), the chamber of secrets (who's the heir?), the prisoner of azkaban (what does Sirius want with Harry?), the goblet of fire (who put in harry's name?), the order of the phoenix (what's in the Department of Mysteries?) and half-blood prince (who is he?) But then the hallows just. Aren't. I'm not interested in what they are, I don't care what they do, I'm never given reason to think they're relevant to the story that currently exists — at BEST they explain why Voldemort isn't pursuing Harry more intentionally in the story, because he's obsessed with collecting Hallows first, but was that necessary? Because i would have believed that dude was just busy prosecuting his literal war effort against the government. It would have been way cooler (imo) for the final mystery to be Harry figuring out the nature of his connection with Voldemort, unveiling the horcrux mystery for himself, rather than Ghost Dumbledore dropping it on him via Mind Limbo. So that's my case for Regulus being the setup for the central mystery of Book 7.

[juh-wasnt-deactivated19691231]

tumblr note: this is a living document. Tap the original post header to see the most updated version.

a weary traveler’s guide to the poison bogs of tumblr

welcome to the land that cannot be killed in a way that matters. we have plenty of in-jokes, but this post isn’t about sightseeing: it’s about survival. there are many things to be wary of.

bots, nefarious

most of our evildoers appear to be automated. they spread lies and hate, but mostly they spread inflammatory language, with the goal of wasting your time and making you mad. often you’ll see that these blogs have no pfp, or they are Single Issue Bloggers, or they leave an inflammatory comment on everything they share. block and move on.

bots, annoying

i would classify the gazabots, pornbots, and thirst traps here. gaza is a real tragedy, but the bots sending spam aren’t helping. porn is wonderful, but the bots are scams. the thirst traps have little substance to them, but they must exist for some greater purpose—i think they metamorphose into full-fledged scams or maybe evildoers later in their lifecycle? block and move on.

terfs and other fascists, human

similar to the nefarious bots, but seemingly more human. this does not change their goals or my recommendations, though. they are not here with an open mind, and you cannot reason with fascism, because it has no root in reason. block and move on. do not engage.

morality

mos eisley cantina is our spiritual ancestor. this is the “lying, cheating, and stealing for fun are good and morally correct and you should do them always” website, at its extreme. there are folks who think you shouldn’t hold a food sharing program unless all of the food is stolen. BUT there are also folks who just think sharing is good. we really run the gamut here. trust your gut, you can ask questions once in a while, but don’t be surprised if a stranger bites your head off. understand that if something seems fishy, there’s a good chance it is, and you need to factor that into how much thought you give their statements and how much you care about the discussion.

on that note

yeah so tumblr is a very queer place (in spite of its management, as with everything else we do). there’s a lot of pro-queer stuff, there’s occasionally someone who thinks they’re pro-queer but would get mad at me for using the term “queer” for some reason (? block and move on, or point and laugh, dealer’s choice). if you are not some form of Not The Default, or if you just feel Too Normal, it’s okay. i am personally granting you permission to be here and to have fun. if someone has a problem with that, block and move on, or even just ignore it. a lot of people here are not good at conveying their points, a lot of people are angry, and we are famous for our piss-poor reading comprehension. don’t take it personally. they’re just Like That.

seriousness

most of tumblr ranges from neutral to deeply unserious. if someone’s discussing a heavy topic or making sense, they might be serious, we do have some of that, and sometimes there’s really good things to see here. but don’t expect a whole lot of Genuine Discourse and Thoughtful Discussion on average, unless you find your way into those circles. i tagged a post #christianity once and my notes were clogged with people having philosophical discussion about forgiving satan and it was weird.

argument

I once saw advice here that said, some people like arguing, and others don’t. If you like arguing, it’s super important to find other people who enjoy arguing, so that you can have your stimulating discussions with them, without totally burning out your friends who just want to get along. this really cleared up a lot of things for me, and i saw the light. (it turns out i don’t like arguing)

the bottom line

you’re here to have fun! so do that. our motto is “do whatever you want forever.” if you’re not having fun, take a step back to wonder why. you don’t have to post, or comment, or add tags, or even like the posts. you can just scroll if you want. if you like interaction, you can curate a blog (original posts and reblogs) that you like or that you think other people will like. my blog is mostly shitposting, cats, and advice, and sometimes computer things, but i moved most of that to my datacenter blog. you can send asks, you can receive asks (but don’t be disappointed if you never get any—most of us don’t. be the change you wish to see in the world!). understand that there is no Algorithm, and the only way to find something is to tag it and remember that tag later. godspeed mooncat.

further reading

[cairavende]

Worm Arc 24 thoughts:

. . . fucking . . . fuck. Just . . . fuck. Fucking fucky fucking FUCK, THAT WAS SO BADASS!!!!!

ALL OF IT HOLY SHIT I DON'T CARE, JUST PICK ANY MOMENT!! EVERYTHING EVERYONE DID WAS BADASS!

LIKE. FUCK. COLIN GOT TO LOOK BADASS.

He even got "yelling in caps" badass. Just for the one scene when he picked up Chevy. He did one fucking thing right, which was help someone up and then let THEM be cool.

And speaking of . . . HOLY FUCKING SHIT CHEVY! YOU DIDN'T GET KILLED BY TIME TRAVEL CHAD!

WHICH MEANS I DON'T HATE YOU ANYMORE!

WHICH MEANS I CAN SHOUT ABOUT HOW BADASS THAT WAS!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fuck waiting for my interlude section to talk about this. That final scene with Behemoth was one of the most visually badass things I have ever read in my life! Fuck. I get fucking chills just thinking about it.

I can see that entire last fight in my head very clearly, almost like remembering an anime scene. Perfectly written.

And Regent! Look at you go, that's character growth!

I mean sure, you died. But growth!

Besides, you dying legit made Imp cooler. She was already great but "I'm going to fucking kill his dad for him" is even better! And Wanton's apparently got jokes so we still have a funny guy.

Basically if someone had to die I'm happy it was you. Sorry not sorry.

ALSO FOIL WHAT THE FUCK YOUR POWER COULD ALWAYS DO THAT AND YOU'VE JUST BEEN SITTING THERE SHOOTING THINGS?

I . . . I just . . . girl! How?? You could literally have turned a piece of rebar into a sword that Alexandria could have cut Leviathan in half with! And that's just what I thought of in the first few seconds after seeing this! Spend some time actually thinking about what you can do lady!

But luckily my daughter is here to do the thinking, and be FUCKING AMAZING AT IT!!!

LIKE HOLY SHIT TAYLOR, YOU CUT OFF BEHEMOTH'S LEG!

AND THAT PLAN HOLY SHIT! YOU MADE A PLAN THAT SET RACHEL UP TO BE THE BADASS HERO WHO CUTS OFF BEHEMOTH'S LEG, AND SETUP REALLY POWERFUL HEROES AS HER SUPPORT!

Fuck half of Eidolon's fucking job was "Catch my girlfriend and fly her back to me."

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOLFSPIDER WOLFSPIDER WOLFSPIDER!!!!!!

And the snuggling at the end, as they were leaving!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my god and the lightning rod! That was insane!

Golem just has really cool powers. Glad Theo is doing ok.

And Alexandria's power preserves the body so Pretender can just puppet her. That's wild. Kinda annoying, my daughter just killed her!

And and and Taylor talked with Contessa!

AND CONTESSA SHARED HER POWER!!!

I was pretty close, didn't have it that specific, but basically was expecting something similar. Fuuuuck it's so cool!

Also the underground cities and the secret capes were wild. Kinda unfortunate that you guys set things up for Behemoth to be able to collapse the entire city, gave him lots of existing tunnels and such to work with.

My daughter could have done a little less bonding with Phir Sē. Ideally. Would have made me feel a little better.

But holy shit a time portal bomb made of looped light?? GOD DAMN. That sure hit like a truck. Just not a big enough truck.

Also Grace and Cuff are dating. I don't make the rules I just enforce them.

And the rules are "make it gay"

God and the whole "thinkers stuck on a roof" bit. Christ that was planned badly. They almost died because nobody had some rope. Embarrassing.

I'm glad Tattletale is doing ok. She got her girlfriend to steal a dudes phone for her, which was pretty funny. And I loved how she still got to do her big reveal to Chevy, she needs that.

HOLY SHIT AND TAYLOR TELLING RACHEL HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IMP?? SHE UNDERSTANDS HER GIRLFRIEND. GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAAAAAAYYY!

And fuckin Tecton just trying so hard to do the same thing with Rachel first and just failing so completely. And then trying again. And again. Bless his big himbo heart he's trying.

Fuck there's so much, I'm sure I'm missing a dozen other things. Every chapter had 20 moments I could mention.

Seriously though, sucks for New Delhi. "There’s nothing left to protect here" is a heck of a line and it is not what anyone wants to hear.

Chevy interlude (the rest of it) thoughts:

Holy shit Chevy's shadows! I wish he had described more of them, I wanted to know everyone's image! Just so much data there.

Fun to see the early Wards. Fun to see that Colin was always like that.

Hero's death was absolutely a targeted hit, he started asking too many questions, pushing back on things.

Chevy's whole power is just really fascinating. Really interesting to think about.

RIP Mouse Protector

Also the fact that her shadow was her laughing makes me think she might have lost the ability to be sad when she triggered, which is unfortunate if true. I mean Bonesaw got you either way so I guess it doesn't matter now.

Loved getting a wonderful list of Endbringer attacks. Sure it still wasn't all of them, but up through Simmy showing up is still pretty great.

Extremely curious about Mr. Keene, keeping an eye out for more info on him.

Tattletale just needed this poor man to read her texts and let her do her fucking THING! It's all she wants.

Anyway ya turns out powers (except Scion of course) can't touch the actual core of the Endbringers and I'm like 95% sure I have a good idea as to why it works like that, but still got a little bit of that uncertainty.

Endbringers are directly related to Eidolon in some way, I am pretty sure of that. Created by him. Previous bodies. Sentient poop for all I know! They're connected though.

HOLY SHIT WHEN HE SEES TAYLOR'S SHADOW DURING THE FINAL FIGHT!!!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! SHE LOOKED SO BADASS!!!!

Aftermath interlude thoughts:

Pretender and Satyr are so gay. That one's easy I don't even gotta try.

Everyone just starting to freak out about how things are gonna escalate instead of just celebrating the win is really unfortunate.

I mean, they aren't wrong. Another Endbringer is gonna come. But it would be nice if they could live in happy ignorance for a few days.

I'm guessing it'll either be two Endbringers that always attack at the same time or one Endbringer that uses teleportation to swap to a different city after a certain period of time. In either case basically fucking up the organized response ability.

Already mentioned this, but Rachel and Taylor fell asleep on each other!!!! GGGGAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!

If Dragon comes back wrong I'm putting all of the blame on Colin.

Fucking Danny just fucked that phone call up so bad. This man can not get it fucking right. FUCK.

GLENN YOU FUCKING FUCK I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR REASONS ARE YOU DON'T PUT SOMEONES PRIVATE VIDEO THEY TOOK FOR THERAPY ON THE INTERNET!!

AND YOU NEVER EVEN FUCKING SAID "SORRY"!!!!! YOU EXPLAINED YOUR ACTIONS AND WHY YOU HAD TO DO IT EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD HURT HER AND YOU COULDN'T ASK HER CAUSE SHE WOULD HAVE SAID NO BUT YOU NEVER EVEN SAID SORRY!!!

Like for real. Taylor says "You could have asked" and you respond with "You would have said no." Fuck at least just say sorry!