#i will continue to be cautiously optimistic

[haxorus612]

hey no offense but it's a little hypocritical to declare moral superiority over a different show when acro trip has these little tidbits: a grown map declaring his romantic/sexual attraction to a teenager in both the first and second episodes.

even specifically calling out her age

in the second episode, he doubles down on the masochism, declaring this after watching the magical girl perform the aforementioned clothesline:

then, in the same 2nd episode he lies to and entraps the main character (a 7th grader) to force her to sign a contract with his company. real sleazy stuff!

the difference is in the framing: in this show, it's comedic, the deliberate, creepy shit he's doing is all jokes, for fun! but even though mahoako treats the subjects lightly too, they are still assaulting each other. certain characters wind up having pretty humiliating PTSD, which they call out by name. they aren't "jokingly" assaulting each other, it is as real as a comedy anime about magical girls is willing to push it.

and like. i'm not going to argue against or for watching either show. that truly is not the point here. instead, why force this moral argument in the first place? it is cartoon entertainment. none of the subjects are real, and none of the writers live in a perfect blissful paradise where they're disconnected from societal influences. you're going to get some baggage in there.

i used to do a lot of this same sort of social justice arguing myself, screaming for or against one piece of media or another. and ultimately, it just made me feel awful and combative. it didn't help me, and it certainly didn't help anyone else. instead, what helped me was learning about why these subjects are approached in the way that they are. what is the author's intent? what cultural associations are they drawing from? who does this serve?

those are much more fruitful questions to answer than "is this thing problematic?" and y'know what? even if you answer them, you still might feel the same way. not everything is for you, and you don't need to appreciate everything. but also: they are drawing from similar influences, and are absolutely in conversation. i just don't think these two shows are as different as you think they are.

Local cringefail villain and fangirl seventh grader bond over being turned on by a magical girl punching his face in.

Furiously recommending Acro Trip to everyone I can! The premise is a main character is a huge fan of the local magical girl Berry Blossom, but unfortuantely the villain she fights is so pathetic she doesn't get to show her stuff. Said pathetic villain notices she has a lot of good ideas to beat Berry Blossom, and starts trying to recruit her to his villainous organization. She's very torn to not wanting to be Berry Blossom's enemy and salivating at the chance to see her more.

it's such a cute premise (fairly similar to the book I just got an agent for) and it's so nice to finally getting new magical girl shows that are FUN and not some half-assed Madoka rip off (I like Madoka, I do not like its legion of imitators) and this one is a shoujo on top of that. There was such a dearth of non-Precure magical girl shoujo anime for a while.

(It also shows you can hint at a seventh grade girl maybe awakening to a little bit of a lesbian magical girl kink without it being super gross noncon loli shit, ahem. I swear, if Gushing got a second season this better too.)

Come and enjoy a hype magical girls who's kind of a loser and something just clotheslines opponents, pathetic wet cat villain who works retail, and the girl whose fangirlism will likely win out against her commitment to justice.

[strawberriesinmoominvalley]

the fact that BOTH lando and oscar are saying the track isn't great for the car and yet they finished p6 and p8... i am very excited for this year

[vigilskeep]

pleased to be more interested in blackwall this run. i like him on paper but i’ve not really felt a connection before

[teabookgremlin]

femme version of van and i have gone from tinder messages to text and the other day when we were talking she mentioned when we eventually get to meet up so feeling good i think :)

[exopelagic]

buckland is probably a prick but man if he managed to change the tone of the conservative party like THAT when like nobody knows who he is?? if this is how they differentiate themselves from reform as a centre right party that’s like. so much better

[little-eye-guy]

honestly it feels weird putting my joint problems in my colon problems tag but isn't it wild how the human body works. why are these things connected

[starrdream]

Wounded

Anakin Skywalker x f!reader summary: Anakin takes care of you while you're injured. (in more than a medical way..) includes: SMUT and fluff, gentle sex, missionary

After a nasty fall during training, you ended up in the medical wing with a sprained wrist and a painful bruise.

Your wrist was iced, bandaged and then put in a hanging cast before you were discharged.

You had to lay off training for a while which meant laying around your room the entire day.

It was earlier in the night, around 9 PM. Anakin heard about your little accident and decided to come see you as soon as he could

"Here, let me see." Anakin said softly as he gently took your hand and moved it around in a circle slowly.

You hiss, pain spreading throughout your whole arm.

"'m sorry." He mumbled, quickly stopping his movements and kissing the top of your head. "Don't worry my love, everything will be alright." He assured you with a smile.

"You'll recover just fine." He kissed your cheek.

Thankfully, you hadn't injured your lightsaber hand. That made you more optimistic about a quick recovery.

"You have to be more careful from now on, okay? I was really worried when I heard you were brought to the med wing. I thought it was something serious.." He brushed some hair away from you face.

"I will, I promise." You smiled softly.

"Okay, good." He chuckled quietly before placing a lingering kiss to your lips.

He pulls away slightly, staring into your eyes before kissing you again. Only this time, it was more passionate.

His tongue slid into your mouth with ease, his hand tangled in the back of your head.

A few quick kisses turned into a desperate make out session.

Anakin picked you up effortlessly, carefully lowering you on the bed and kissing your neck while his hands roamed your body needily.

Quiet giggles and soft gasps could be heard as he undressed the lower part of your body.

"I'll be careful don't worry.." He teased, pressing himself against your core as he took your shirt off.

You giggled once again when his hands ghosted over your ribs while he fumbled with his belt.

"You're slow today.." You joked.

"Oh really now?" He threw his shirt to the side, hovering over you.

He then took your injured arm and wrapped it around his neck. Your other arm wraps around his back, feeling the tender muscles tense and ripple under your touch.

"Mhm.." You answered as he trailed kisses and soft bites from your collarbone up to your neck.

"Mhm.." He repeated in a soft, mock voice.

Anakin slowly entered you, drawing gasps of pleasure from both of you. His hips started rolling against yours in a slow gentle pace, not wanting to hurt you further.

Labored breathing and muffled moans filled the room as you two continued.

"R-right there Ani.." You whimpered softly, back arching into him and allowing him to go deeper-increasing the pleasure.

He nodded against your jaw and continued placing open-mouthed kisses down your neck.

"You doing okay?" He whispered, breath hitching as he hiked your leg up on his waist.

"Mhm.." You moaned as Anakin hit a particularly sensitive spot.

"Good, good.." He claimed your mouth in a sloppy kiss.

His hips worked at a deep, gentle pace the entire time, drawing out your pleasure for as long as possible.

Your nails dig into his back as you feel yourself convulsing around him. Walls tightening and eyes rolling back, you unravel before him.

"Anakin" You moan, the sound muffled against his shoulder.

"That's right baby.." He continues, still chasing his own pleasure.

He finishes too, spilling inside of you with a soft whimper. Giving a few shorter and quicker thrusts, he rides out his own orgasm.

He lowers himself on you cautiously after he pulls out, wrapping his arms around you for cuddles.

[starcurtain]

Detangling Mydei's Backstories Backstory?

My last post, casting doubt on 3.2's revelation that Mydei's immortality is deliberate on his part, led to some interesting discussion in the comments that definitely reinforced my earlier thoughts that the inconsistencies in Mydei's backstory are too numerous to be accidental. Star Rail is not known for its flawless continuity (Robin and Sunday's backstory, I'm looking at you lol), but usually the inconsistencies are not so overt, and repeated so many times, that they become central to the entire plot of a character.

So I wanted to refine my earlier theory a bit: I'm cautiously optimistic that there are enough signs that the inconsistencies in Mydei's backstory are deliberate, and that the Mydei of the current cycle in Amphoreus is actively experiencing an entanglement between two different timelines, without (yet) consciously recognizing the incompatibility of his own "memories."

When we work from the standpoint that the events of Mydei's backstory can be separated into two distinct timelines, the inconsistencies vanish:

The "Sea of Souls" Timeline

This is the most prominent timeline, and the one that appears most accurate for "our" Mydei. In this timeline, Mydei was thrown into the Sea of Souls as a tiny infant and spent the first nine years of his life there. This is confirmed both in the flashback we're provided early in 3.1, as well as in Mydei's voicelines and character stories.

After nine years, he crawled out of the sea (possibly motivated by witnessing Tribbie's "star" in the sky). On the same day (or very near it), he met with a band of Kremnoan exiles.

Whether this was a larger group already, constituting a small "detachment" army of exiles, or just started with the five exiled friends and Mydei then grew into a small army by picking up other exiles over time, is still unclear. However, at this point, Mydei makes no mention of returning to Kremnos and instead goes straight from "leaving the sea" to "living ten years in exile:"

This is the key point of inconsistency between the two "halves" of Mydei's story--either he lived in Kremnos or he didn't. We can handwave here and say "Yes, he returned to Kremnos with his friends and they just hid their identities, leaving Kremnos years later in a self-imposed exile," but the story gives us absolutely no indication that this realistically could have happened. Mydei never once mentions hiding his identity, changing his appearance, or living a double life in the city, and never explains how he would have had access to the inner city of Kremnos ("as befitting a crown prince") and the royal library, yet still go totally unnoticed by his father or anyone loyal to Eurypon, including Krateros. (There's also no explanation at all for why he would have wanted to return to a city ruled by someone who tried to murder him and where he would have had to live life under a fake identity just to get by, but you know...)

Instead, the game does give us several pieces of information indicating that the five Kremnoan exiles did not return to Kremnos after meeting Mydei:

First, Mydei's character stories confirm that Mydei deliberately hid his name while traveling in exile across Amphoreus, indicating that he knew he would be recognized by Eurypon/Eurypon's loyalists if he didn't hide his identity. This awareness suggests it is extremely unlikely that Mydei could have returned to Kremnos without being identified:

This also suggests that, at this point in this timeline, no one in Castrum Kremnos knew for sure that Mydeimos had survived being thrown into the Sea of Souls and returned. This is further confirmed by a memory fragment where Krateros says there has been a "rumor" that the leader of the exiled Kremnoan army is one who "defied death." Krateros alone makes the assumption that this could be Mydei and decides to defect to aid him:

This memory suggests two things clearly: Mydei was not living in Kremnos at the time Krateros defected, and the exile of all of Mydei's friends must have taken place before they met Mydei, years in the past, as there is no way an entire small army could have been exiled from Kremnos, with Mydei in toe, and not at all attract Krateros's attention until after they were gone.

The idea that Mydei never returned to Kremnos is further enforced by Eurypon, who did not recognize Mydei when he confronted him, to the point that he didn't believe Mydei was even Kremnoan. This suggests that Eurypon not only didn't know Mydei's true identity--he'd never seen him before at all, making it extremely unlikely that Mydei was walking around Castrum Kremnos, talking to Chryseus Leo, and reading in the royal library all under some false identity for years. Eurypon certainly wouldn't have been capable of exiling someone he'd never seen before from Kremnos, in any case!

Therefore, we can assume the series of events in this timeline is pretty straightforward: Mydei entered the Sea of Souls as a baby, came out nine years later, went straight into a life of exile with his five friends, amassed power and support for ten years, and then returned to seek vengeance on his father.

The only remaining question in this timeline becomes "When did Mydei join up with Okhema?"

I think, in this timeline, it makes the most sense for Mydei to have only joined up with Okhema after killing his father. In 3.1, Mydei confirms to Phainon that all his friends died before he was able to kill his father, and that none of them ever made it to Okhema:

Therefore, the final order of events for the more prominent timeline is:

Dumped into the sea as an infant, nine years in the Sea of Souls

Ten years in exile with his friends amassing strength and support

Returns to Kremnos, kills his father, and the last of his friends dies that day

Then he defects to Okhema, leading any of the Kremnoans willing to follow him there.

By itself, this story makes perfect sense. If this was all the information we'd been given, there wouldn't have been any gaps.

Unfortunately, we also have a whole other set of information that massively conflicts with these events, which can only really be explained two ways: Either Hoyo messed up (again) and really dropped the consistency ball when it comes to writing Mydei's backstory... Or there's an entire separate timeline going on. Personally, I'm leaning toward the latter, because there are just too many seemingly deliberate fingers in the story pointing toward the inconsistencies for them to feel entirely unintentional to me.

Therefore, I propose that Mydei's memories are actually getting infiltrated by a second, entirely different timeline:

The "Gorgo Lives" Timeline

From 3.0 all the way to 3.2, we're given numerous pieces of information that point to a wholly different order to the events of Mydei's life, contrasting the story that Mydei tells Phainon in the Garden. At first, these events seem scattered and nonsensical, contradicting the "main" timeline in too many ways to be anything but errors... But when taken as a whole, we can build a second coherent timeline out of these events if we make one assumption: There is a timeline where Gorgo lived longer.

In the second timeline which is intruding on Mydei's memories, there appears to be one key point of divergence: Gorgo did not die dueling Eurypon. Either she never challenged him to the duel, or (more likely) she was never successfully poisoned, and therefore it's possible she won the duel, allowing her to rescue Mydei from the sea.

Working from that possibility, a second complete timeline emerges:

Mydei was thrown into the Sea of Souls as an infant but did not drift there for nine years. Instead, he was rescued and brought back to Kremnos, where he was allowed to grow up in the inner city, with access to both Chryseus Leo, who served as his teacher, and access to the royal library, which he is proud enough of to call "his" library. He is able to lead Phainon and the Trailblazer around Castrum Kremnos even in its ruined state because he grew up there, spending enough time there to know the city like the back of his hand:

This is where we can slot in the inconsistent memories Mydei has of Gorgo:

(By the way, although Mydei writes this scene off as a dream, you can actually hear Oronyx's whisper play in the black screen seconds before this "dream" occurs...)

But okay, let's say this is just a wishful dream. Maybe this scene never happened. If all we got of Gorgo supposedly raising Mydei was this moment in 3.1, I might agree that it was just a dream (other than there being no reason to play Oronyx's sound effect there, but you know). However, in 3.2 they then hit us with this:

That's multiple moments now pointing to a timeline where Gorgo raised Mydei. Once is handwave-able--twice? That's deliberate.

In this secondary timeline, Mydei appears to have grown up as Kremnos's beloved crown prince, being warmly embraced by his people (at least until Kremnos fell into calamity). Apparently his days consisted of eating pomegranates, training for combat, playing with Kremnos's kids, and hanging out with his five friends. We see snippets of this idyllic life (along with his five friends appearing to be roughly the same age as him--something that likely wouldn't be true in the "main" timeline, by the way) on Mydei's long march back into Castrum Kremnos:

I know some people took this to be Mydei hallucinating or just wishfully imagining a life where he was able to be happy with his friends, possibly even some metaphorical "encountering the souls of the departed in a paradise," but I don't think this is true. Every single time Mydei phases in and out of this "hallucination," the visual effect and the sound effect of Oronyx are distinctly played--the exact same sound and visuals that play when Trailblazer activates Oronyx's prayer to jump between timelines.

Mydei himself doesn't seem to quite understand what is happening to him in this moment, as you can hear him stumble and pant as he repeatedly goes through flashes of Oronyx's power. You can listen to comparison video clips on the prior post I made about Mydei's backstory.

Furthermore, if we work from the assumption that these moments actually represent a rupture between timelines, then the rest of the inconsistencies can finally be cleared up:

In 3.0, Mydei says that his choice to leave Castrum Kremnos was not a forced exile but a "self-imposed" one:

And this aligns with what he stated in the Garden of Life to Phainon, that he and his friends "left Castrum Kremnos" to go into this self-imposed exile, rather than having never returned to Kremnos from the sea:

Furthermore, this also aligns with the angry NPCs in the past version of Castrum Kremnos that Trailblazer and Castorice travel back to:

Remember that this version of Castrum Kremnos was supposed to be occurring while Eurypon was still alive, so there is absolutely no way this line makes sense in the same universe where Eurypon didn't even know Mydei had survived. There isn't any way, in "our" timeline, that Mydei could have been both the "crown prince" of Kremnos for these NPCs and completely unknown to his father, the king.

These NPCs, furthermore, directly accuse Mydei of "deserting Kremnos," suggesting that Mydei was living in Castrum Kremnos as their prince, and then abandoned them to join Aglaea in Okhema, getting himself and everyone who went with him labelled as "traitors to Kremnos" in the process. None of this makes sense in the context of a timeline where no one in Kremnos knew he had even survived.

Instead, all of these elements point to a different sequence of events:

Gorgo lived, likely winning her duel and thereby (likely) giving her the right to save Mydei from the Sea of Souls and bring him back to Kremnos. He was raised by his mother as the beloved crown prince of Kremnos. Then, years later, as his father and Nikador both descended into full madness, Mydei and the Kremnoan detachment defected.

But what would have triggered this sudden need to defect after years of leading Kremnos as a well-liked prince?

The flashback between Mydei and Eurypon actually suggests a possible reason:

Apparently, at some point, in some timeline, Mydei knew about Eurypon's plan to break Nikador's divinity into separate parts and seal him away, harnessing the power of their titan for himself.

Yet the Mydei of 3.0 seems to have no idea about any of this, never able to give any explanation for how Nikador has degraded so much nor why Nikador is seemingly unkillable. Castorice, Mem, and the Trailblazer have to come up with the idea to go back in time to the past Kremnos by themselves, because Mydei never makes any mention of there ever having been a plot to break up and seal away Nikador's divinity, even when they walk past the very blades that did the sealing.

Finally, there's one last piece of conflicting information: While talking to Phainon in the Garden of Life, Mydei states that all of his friends died before the detachment could ever join up with Okhema and that all of their deaths occurred by the time he went to kill his father. But this conflicts with the NPCs above, who state that Mydei had already defected to Okhema and joined the Flame Chase Journey as a Chrysos Heir while his father was still alive.

This inconsistency is further reinforced by a memory fragment with Krateros, who confirms that Mydei had joined up with Okhema already before killing his father:

Putting all of this together, the complete series of events for this second timeline becomes:

Infant Mydei is quickly rescued from the Sea of Souls, is instead raised by his mother, and grows up as the crown prince of Castrum Kremnos with his five friends.

At some point, years later, he discovers Eurypon's plot to break up and imprison Nikador's divinity, and he and his friends and supporters defect from Kremnos as a result.

Either they go straight to Okhema (I'm inclined to say that "ten years of wandering" doesn't fit, chronologically speaking, into this secondary timeline) or they do wander a bit, but ultimately, Mydei reaches Okhema and aligns with Aglaea before killing his father.

After aligning the Kremnoan Detachment with Okhema, Mydei returns to Castrum Kremnos to kill his father, possibly to halt Eurypon's evil plan to harness Nikador's power.

At some point in this timeline, presumably before Mydei returns to kill his father, Gorgo likely still dies (possibly killed by Eurypon and/or Nikador), which explains why the Gorgo in the Sea of Souls seems to be the one convinced that she raised Mydei.

And this is just pure personal speculation, because there isn't enough evidence to really confirm it, but I almost feel like we can even pinpoint how/when the whole decision to defect to Okhema took place. At the end of Mydei's flashbacks to the "peaceful" Kremnos, Peucesta says that Mydei has been away from Kremnos for a while.

Leonnius assumes that Mydei was away on some apparently extended training trip, but this moment specifically ends with Gorgo welcoming Mydei home and asking him one very important question:

Obviously these lines are doing double duty, symbolically welcoming the present Mydei back to the ruins of Castrum Kremnos and asking him whether he's finally ready to take on his role as the "Guardian of Amphoreus." But as the wiki notes, this takes place in a flashback to the past, and for the "Mydei of the past" (aka the Mydei of the alternate timeline), this could very well have been Mydei disappearing from Kremnos to make contact with Aglaea in Okhema, and Gorgo questioning him about his decision to commit himself to the Flame Chase Journey, leading up to an ultimate and permanent defection from Kremnos. (This is just speculation though, trying to tie the last few loose ends together.)

Anyway, when taken from this perspective, that there are two separate backstories here, one from a world where Gorgo lived and the more prominent one where she died, we can sort all the seeming inconsistencies in Mydei's backstory into two surprisingly tidy and complete timelines.

I haven't yet found anything in any Mydei scene that doesn't fit one of these two scenarios, so I'm starting to definitely feel optimistic here that this writing was intentional, and that the "contradictory" backstory we're seeing for Mydei isn't "the worst continuity Star Rail has served up to date," but instead an actual deliberate choice to present us with a character whose memories are a hodge-podge of two divergent timelines, snippets of one timeline constantly erupting and "filling in the blanks" of the other.

I think this would be a fascinating way to lead up to the idea that Amphoreus's world isn't real, that it's a cobbled together story or set of memories that someone is barely holding together, and that it's constantly cyclical in nature, with events repeating with slight variations across times. The idea that Mydei is actually experiencing two different sets of memories crushed together into a tangled jumble and that he's only just now starting to become aware of the discrepancies would be such an excellent way to reinforce the "unreality" of Amphoreus's plot as a whole.

I really hope this is the direction that they take the story... Or at least that I won't one day be looking at all my Mydei posts and sadly thinking to myself that I put a lot more thought into the character's backstory than his own writers did, RIPPPPP. 😂😂😂

Cope with me, people!

[schoolhater]

the ceasefire was supposed to begin about an hour ago as of writing, but the israeli army has admitted to its continued bombing of the gaza strip, violating its own agreement. netanyahu claims he cannot honor the ceasefire until hamas hands over a list of names of settler hostages to be handed over first; hamas blames this on technical issues.

my friend and gazan journalist siraj abudayeh @siraj2024 (#219) tells me there is shooting along the border between gaza and '48, both in the north and south of gaza. he is also, despite everything, cautiously optimistic that things will settle themselves out soon and the ceasefire can properly begin. here's the message he sent me on the matter (before we got the notification that the ceasefire had been violated):

The ceasefire entered into force in the Gaza Strip after agreements were reached between the Palestinian factions and the Israeli occupation, which gave an opportunity to calm the military situation that had led to the death and injury of thousands of civilians and the widespread destruction of infrastructure. But despite this temporary cessation of fighting, the humanitarian need in Gaza remains dire and persistent. The temporary ceasefire came after months of military escalation, during which civilian areas in Gaza were the target of air and artillery attacks, resulting in the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. Although the fighting has stopped, Siraj's family still needs significant humanitarian support. Siraj's family is still displaced and suffers from a severe shortage of basic materials such as food, medicine, and clean water. The next phase requires support to mitigate the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

there's still a strong chance that aid will be let into gaza in the coming days, and the process of rebuilding gaza will begin - whether under israeli fire or not. after gaza has has everything stolen. i ask that whoever sees this reblogs or donates to siraj's campaign. he has lost friends, family and colleagues, gofundme has deleted his survival campaign twice, and he's lost his livelihood over the course of this genocide, funded by america. we don't know what is coming next, but we know that these facts cannot change. what matters most right now is getting aid to people who need them.

[stayinlimbo]

Unsaid (Not Unwritten)

pairing: lee minho x gn!reader genre/warnings: established relationship, hurt/comfort, previous communication issues being resolved, mentions of not feeling loved, forgiveness because they do actually love each other, like one swear word lmao, self-indulgent af because i have free will word count: 0.6k note:  is this based off a true story? yes. what's the moral? communication requires effort but is so worth it. i feel like i couldn't portray this fic in the way i wanted to but i tried my best ♡

Minho’s front door is chipping. That’s to be expected, considering the apartment complex is ancient, and his landlord is unwilling to give the place a much-needed paint job. You’ve never really taken the time to inspect the old wood or notice the small patches of discoloration, revealing the original color scattered along its expanse. You’ve never hesitated to knock on his door, either.

Stalling the inevitable is pointless; you know that. However, it doesn’t stop you from hesitating, hovering a fist inches away from the very door you’ve stood in front of for the past five minutes. The carefully folded piece of paper crinkles in your other hand, tightly gripped by your side as you take a steadying breath to calm your thumping heart.  

Eight rhythmic knocks echo against the wood. There’s no going back; he’s sure to know it’s you now.

Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds. The wait has never been so daunting. There’s no one else in the hallway to see you rocking back and forth on your heels—no one to see your cautiously optimistic gaze glued to his door.

Forty seconds. Maybe he needs to prepare himself before he sees you. Fifty seconds. Or maybe this was a bad idea. You can feel yourself physically deflating. Maybe he doesn’t want to see you yet. One minute. But what if he didn’t hear you? Should you knock again? There’s no harm in trying.

You raise your fist again, and the door creaks open. 

You quickly shuffle backward a couple of steps in surprise, retracting your hand back down to your side. Minho peeks his head out of the door, his downcast eyes slightly widening and then squinting when they meet yours.  

Minho opens the door further, shuffling around the entryway to face you directly. He scans over your disheveled figure, a small consequence of rushing over to his place and taking the stairs instead of the elevator, with a pensive look. “What—“

“I’m sorry,” you say, cutting him off and watching his lips part in surprise. “I’m sorry I haven’t been making you feel as loved as you deserve.”

Minho slowly nods, his gaze softening and brows quirking up in a way you know it’s okay to continue. You give him a small smile, closing the distance between you until you’re less than a foot away from him. 

You grab his hand, gently turning it upward, and place the folded paper in this palm. “Because I do love you, even if I’ve been communicating it in a really shitty way.” 

Minho looks down at the paper, scribbled writing peeking out from the interior, and back at you in question. 

“I’m not good at verbally telling you how I feel, so I tried writing down everything I could,” you murmur, seeing a look of astonishment cross your boyfriend’s face. 

“Can I read it now?” Minho asks, smiling as he flicks his gaze between you and the letter. 

You lightly shrug, trying to ignore your warming cheeks. “If you want to.”

Minho unfolds the letter, bringing it closer to his face. You wait with bated breath, wringing your fingers in front of you as your boyfriend’s eyes trail over the letter you poured out of your heart and soul. 

“If you don’t like it, you can burn it,” you say, half-joking. 

Minho snaps his head up at your voice. “Do you mean it? Do you mean everything you wrote?”

“Of course, I do, dummy,” you laugh, sending him what you’re sure is the epitome of a lovesick smile. “I love you.”

Minho crosses the door’s threshold, wrapping his arms around your waist as yours simultaneously wrap around his middle. 

“I love you, too,” he whispers into your neck, pressing plush kisses along the skin. “Thank you.”

liked this work? want to let me know how i did? please like, comment, and/or reblog; they are greatly appreciated my asks are always open ♡

taglist : @linospuddin @linocz @spicyhyunn @inlovewithstraykids @stayyyyyyyyyyyy21

@hwangism143 @feelikecinderella @celebration88 @ssickmagnolia8

[funhouse-mirror-barbie]

Okay. I gotta talk about it.

Warning for major spoilers for season 2 of Hazbin Hotel and discussion of leaks—I will NOT be posting any links to the leaks or posting pics/screenshots from them here. Just going to be talking about a particular character.

Okay, last chance if you don’t want to know anything about the spoilers/leaks!!!

Im serious!!! Last warning!!!!!

Lute is now unironically the most compelling character in the entire fucking show and I am not kidding.

Whoever wrote the little bit of her character that’s been leaked did a really good job. She is incredibly interesting to me now because we get to see her when her entire way of life and ideology is challenged.

Lute is a very flawed and cruel person, but she has always been extremely sure of herself and that she is unambiguously CORRECT in her way of life. And now she’s being faced with the fact that she and everything she lived for is WRONG and they just CANT accept it. So much so that it appears that she’s now hallucinating Adam to cope.

Lute cannot accept redemption is possible and her viewpoint is SO black and white that it’s likely going to end up killing her or at the very least will drive her to madness. She would rather burn the whole world than accept change. There’s a tragic element as well that comes with every character that lives in the extremes—she fully believes she’s in the right. So much so that she can’t understand why EVERYONE else in Heaven seems to be horrified by the exterminations. She thinks she is doing the best thing for everyone, and is now resisting the reality that is front of her.

What would be really amazing, and what I’m hoping for is that Adam really did fall and became a “Demon” in Hell. Because then she would have to deal with the person she looks up to and admires the MOST becoming what she’s sworn to annihilate. I don’t know if she could handle that.

The question of whether or not she could reconcile Adam, someone she saw as being heavenly and perfect, could fall and become what she hates the most, a demon, is really interesting. She’d be forced again to question her ideals and beliefs about what is right and wrong. That is the sort of deep character exploration I had been hoping to see from season 1 of Hazbin and didn’t really get.

This small glimpse into her character reminds me of other characters that are so lawful or black and white that they can’t accept change or realities that conflict with their worldviews. Rorschach from Watchmen and Javert from Les Miserables come to mind.

It would be really cool to show her in direct contrast to V (not calling her that sexist ass name at least I can pretend “Lute” is named after the fucking instrument) and have Lute be the foil to V’s continuing character arc from season 1.

Please please please don’t let this characters complexity be reduced to “evil bad villain is bad and evil” for the rest of the story please please please. (Gotta say tho, given Hazbin and Helluva’a track record with writing women villains….and tbh just. Women in general. I am going to be VERY VERY cautiously optimistic)

(Also I don’t care if her song is cringe I think it fucking SLAPS)

[theonion]

Cautiously optimistic that the trend would continue to arouse no suspicions from readers, executives at AARP reportedly wondered Wednesday whether anyone would notice that Kathy Bates was appearing on the cover of the nonprofit’s bimonthly magazine for the ninth time in a row. “I don’t even think we need to change the photo—this one is good,” said Bob Love, editor-in-chief of AARP: The Magazine, referring to the smiling portrait of the 76-year-old Oscar winner, who has graced the cover of every issue for more than a year under a headline that alternates between “Kathy Bates Makes A Scene” and “Matlock Is Back!” “I really don’t think anyone will notice or care. I mean, everyone loves Kathy. 

Full Story

[mlm-fictions]

Blind Date in Hell’s Kitchen.

Matt Murdock x M!Reader

(All photos and gifs are all not mine, and provided by Pinterest, and all credit goes to those o/p’s)

a/n: okay so… this is such an old account and I literally never wrote another and now I just started Daredevil, in my journey through the MCU, and he’s officially my super boyfriend. I needed to write something to get it out of my system, so… heres that, this is the first short thing i’ve ever actually finished 😭

Oh, also. I only JUST started watching daredevil. only made it to episode 5 of season one this morning so… be kind if I’m just yapping, and maybe more parts to come…

synopsis: Foggy sets Matt up on a blind date to get his mind off a particularly overwhelming case. Reader uses he/him pronouns and is flavored as a journalist friend of Foggy.

cw: Nothing but a fluffy little fic I couldn't get out of my head, and obligatory ‘i didn't proof-read’

words: >2K

“Matt, come on, just one night. If you never want to see them again, you don’t have to—and by see—”

“Yeah, yeah, Foggy, I get it,” Matt interrupted, exasperating, running his fingers through his hair. He leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under him. His hand rested on his cheek as if the weight of the conversation—and their current caseload—were dragging him down. The only light in the office came from his desk lamp, casting a warm but lonely glow on the scattered papers.

“Is this seriously the time?” he added, motioning vaguely toward the chaotic stacks of documents that seemed to multiply every time he looked away.

Foggy crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe with confidence that only came from years of friendship. “Exactly the time,” he said firmly. “You’ve been working yourself into the ground, Matt. And don’t think I haven’t noticed the dark circles under your eyes or that you’ve skipped two meals today.”

Matt gave a noncommittal grunt, his jaw tightening. He couldn’t argue with Foggy’s observations—his senses made him painfully aware of his physical state. But that didn’t mean he had time for distractions, not when Nelson & Murdock was drowning in cases, and Hell’s Kitchen was always one step away from erupting into chaos.

“Look,” Foggy continued, softening his tone. “You’ve been running yourself ragged, man. You deserve one night where you’re just… Matt. Not the some big shot lawyer, right?” He teased playfully. “Just a guy meeting another guy for dinner. In the worst-case scenario, it’s awkward, and you never do it again. Best case scenario…” He shrugged. “You meet someone who makes you happy.”

Matt’s lips twitched into a small, reluctant smile. Foggy had always been the optimist between them, who could find a silver lining in the darkest cloud. With a teasing lilt to his voice, Matt raised an eyebrow and asked, “And you’re absolutely certain this guy isn’t just someone you dragged in off the street?” His tone held a mix of playful skepticism.

Foggy laughed, the sound light and genuine. “Of course not. I’ve got standards for you. He’s a friend of a friend. Great guy. Thoughtful, smart, funny. And—bonus—he already knows who you are.”

Matt’s brow furrowed slightly. “Knows who I am?” he repeated cautiously.

”He hasn't had the… pleasure to meet you personally yet, but he’s seen some of your work in the papers,” Foggy clarified quickly. “Just… be Matt Murdock. But… I might’ve hyped you up a little, though. Sorry about that.”

Matt sighed, but there was no malice in it. If he was honest with himself, the idea of a quiet dinner with someone who didn’t expect anything from him—no legal advice or superheroics—was more tempting than he wanted to admit. “Fine,” he said at last, shaking his head. “But if this goes south, I’m blaming you.”

“Deal.” Foggy grinned, already pulling his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll text him that you’re in. You won’t regret this, Matt, I promise.”

—————————————————————————————————————

Later That Evening

Matt adjusted his tie for what felt like the hundredth time, his fingers brushing against the smooth silk. He stood outside the small, cozy restaurant Foggy had chosen for the date, the warm sounds of conversation and clinking silverware drifting out every time the door opened. His heightened senses picked up the faint scent of spices and fresh bread, mingling with the crisp winter air.

“Okay,” he murmured to himself, taking a steadying breath. “Just dinner. No big deal.”

He stepped inside, his cane tapping lightly against the floor as he navigated toward the host stand. Before he could introduce himself, a soft voice spoke from nearby. “Matt?”

He turned toward the sound, his sharp ears picking up the nervous energy behind it. “Yeah,” he said, offering a polite smile. “That’s me.”

“I’m Y/N,” the man said, stepping closer. His voice was warm, tinged with curiosity and a touch of humor. “It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

Matt chuckled, already feeling some of his tension ease. “That makes two of us, then.”

You hesitated momentarily, then said, “Do you want to sit? Our table’s just over here.”

Matt nodded, allowing you to guide him to the table. As they settled in, Matt found himself relaxing more than he expected. The conversation started easily enough—introductions and small talk—but it quickly delved deeper, flowing with a natural rhythm that surprised him.

Matt forgot about the cases waiting for him back at the office for the first time in what felt like ages. Instead, he focused on the way your voice shifted when he was excited, the steady beat of his heart when he laughed, and how he seemed genuinely interested in getting to know Matt—not the lawyer, not the vigilante, but just Matt.

As the evening wore on, Matt found himself smiling more than he had in weeks. Maybe Foggy was right, he thought. Perhaps this was precisely what he needed.

—————————————————————————————————————

After Dinner

The cold air of Hell’s Kitchen nipped at their faces as Matt and his date stepped out of the restaurant, both of them still chuckling from a joke about the overly elaborate dessert menu. The streetlights cast soft amber halos on the sidewalk, and the hum of the city surrounded them, a symphony of distant traffic, muffled conversations, and the occasional bark of a dog.

“I can’t believe you actually argued with the waiter about the cheesecake,” Matt said, a smile tugging at his lips.

“That wasn’t arguing,” you protested, gripping Matt’s forearm lightly as you strolled. “It was clarifying. It’s not my fault they didn’t list the toppings. That’s basic menu etiquette. And… what if i was allergic or something!”

Matt laughed, his breath clouding in the chilly air. “Well, you made quite the impression.”

“Oh, please,” you said with mock indignation. “He was totally charmed. You could tell by the way he kept refilling my water without me asking.”

“Is that your measure for charm?” Matt teased.

“Absolutely,” he replied, grinning. “Speaking of charm... You’ve been holding out on me, Murdock. This neighborhood is incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever been to this part of the city before.”

Matt tilted his head, his lips curving into a soft smile. “It’s not much to look at,” he said, his voice low and thoughtful, “but it’s home. Let me show you around before you head back. There are a few spots I think you’d like.”

He hesitated only for a moment before nodding, his hand sliding from Matt’s forearm to his elbow in an easy, natural gesture. “Lead the way, tour guide.”

They strolled through the winding streets of Hell’s Kitchen, Matt navigating with a confidence that left the journalist quietly impressed. The city felt quieter here, less overwhelming than the bustling avenues he was used to.

“That diner over there,” Matt said, nodding toward a small building with a faded neon sign, “has the best coffee in the neighborhood. Foggy and I used to come here after late-night study sessions back in law school. Pretty sure half our grades were fueled by their bottomless cup policy.”

He laughed, imagining a younger Matt and Foggy, bleary-eyed but determined. “Do they still do bottomless cups?”

“They do,” Matt confirmed. “But the coffee tastes better when you’re sleep-deprived and broke.”

"Well, lucky for me, I happen to be both of those things more often than not!" The young man quipped, a playful grin spreading across his face, only half-kidding.

As they walked further, Matt gestured toward a tiny bookstore tucked between two larger buildings. Its sign was nearly illegible, the letters worn and faded. “That’s Marleen’s”

Matt chuckled softly, his hand brushing over the top of his cane as they slowed their pace. “It’s not much of a story, really, but…” he said. “Marleen’s been here forever—one of those places you only find if you’re looking for it. She sells rare books, first editions, that sort of thing. And she’s got this Braille copy of To Kill a Mockingbird that she swears she keeps just for me.”

The young journalist tilted his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “Let me guess—you’ve read it a dozen times, and she won’t let you refuse it.”

Matt grinned. “Something like that. Marleen one of the good ones. She has this way of making everyone who walks through her door feel like they belong, even if they’ve never stepped foot in the neighborhood before.”

They lingered a moment longer outside the shop, the young man’s gaze flicking over the dimly lit windows as if trying to see through the mystery Matt had painted. “This place sounds like something out of a novel,” he said, his voice soft with a kind of wonder.

“It kind of is,” Matt replied, his tone fond. “Hell’s Kitchen has its rough edges, but it’s got a heartbeat. Places like Marleens’ keep it alive.”

He looked back at Matt, his grip on his elbow tightening slightly. “You’ve got a real love for this place, don’t you?”

Matt turned his head slightly, as if listening to the city itself. “I do,” he said quietly. “It’s not perfect, but it’s... real. It’s my city.”

They stood there for a beat longer before Matt gently shifted the conversation. “Come on,” he said, his tone lighter now. “There’s one more spot I want to show you before we call it a night.”

The journalist smiled, falling into step beside him again. “Lead the way, Murdock. This is turning into the best after-dinner tour I’ve ever had.”

Matt laughed softly, and together they disappeared down the street, the city buzzing quietly around them.

THANK YOU FOR READING~

[hapuchika]

The Alliance - Part 6

Warnings: None really, some swearing i guess?

A/N: Hello my darlings, this is the last chapter for the main story. I will be writing more one shots for this universe cause I fucking love it and I want to. Anywayyyyy, enjoyyy.

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

X--X--X--X--X

Your return to the Avengers’ compound was less than welcoming. The entire team came to the main entrance to greet you, weapons ready.

Tony and Clint seemed to be the only two who didn’t see you as an immediate threat.

“Good to see you surrendered,” Steve commented, cautiously optimistic.

You snort, confidence radiating from you.

“I know you saw the footage. If Robocop can’t make a prison sophisticated enough to contain me, what exactly is the point of locking me up?” you ask, nodding towards Tony.

“Speaking of…” you continue, focusing on Tony. “I owe you an apology. In my defence, I told you not to do it, you bit-“

An elbow from your witchy girlfriend made you stop mid-sentence.

Taking a deep breath, you start again. “I went too far. It won’t happen again. Not unless you fuck up.”

Tony looks unimpressed. “That was the worst apology I’ve ever heard.”

Clint rolls his eyes. “I’ve heard worse from you, Tony.”

The archer looks at you and your girlfriends, a smile forming on his face at the proximity. “So, after months of pining, you finally asked her out?” he asks the spy.

Natasha stiffens imperceptibly with a cool “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Steve relaxes his form at the casual banter, holstering his shield. 

“Since you’re not here to cause trouble, how about we talk inside?”

X—X—X—X—X

You sit down on the chair, the Avengers currently present, looking at you expectantly.

You stare back, “the fuck you want?”

This earns you a punch on your shoulder by a certain spy.

“If you’re not here to surrender,” Steve begins, “then why are you here? You’re a criminal. Why would you come here?”

You shrug. “I fell for a certain witch and spy.”

You hold back a smile in excitement at the way Wanda’s hand tightens on your thigh.

You hear a low whistle from Tony, “You’re definitely punching above your weight there, Kratos.”

There is silence as you stare at him in disbelief. 

“…Bitch, did you just call me ashy?” you ask.

“What? No! Cause.. cause of your daggers.” he says, a hint of discomfort in his voice.

He looks at you apprehensively as you chuckle.

“Careful there, Stark,” you warn, “Or I might just have to tell your bride-to-be about you sleeping with her best friend on her birthday…”

“Okay- HOW do you know that?” He shouts, half shocked, half frustrated. “How do you just… know all these things? You shouldn’t have known about that, and you definitely shouldn’t know about Project GK57”

You sigh, then proceed to give them a general gist of your abilities.

Banner looks at you with intrigue. “So how does it work? The moment anything happens, you know about it?”

You nod at the scientist, who gives you a look of pure fascination.

Bucky looks at you suspiciously. “Everything?”

You give him a soft look and ask for a pen and paper. You scribble something onto the paper and fold it, handing it to him.

He reads it, eyes widening into a look none except Steve had ever witnessed.

“Really?” he asks.

You nod gently. “Free of cost, too.”

He nods, his features cooling, yet his eyes contain a certain excitement that couldn’t be quenched.

“So you’re not actually smart,” Tony remarks, “it’s just your power.”

You roll your eyes.

“I thought you, of all people, would know the difference between ‘knowing’ and ‘understanding. ’”

Tony processes this and nods curtly.

“I have a question”

You look at the captain expectantly.

“You’re clearly smart. Why not just get rid of all your opponents? Why not take over the world? You clearly know everybody’s weakness.”

You sigh, expecting this question.

“Ae, begin example 3 level 1” you call out.

“Sure thing, y/n/n”, Ae replies.

Tony doesn’t even look surprised, just annoyed. He grumbles to himself about how long it took him to completely reboot FRIDAY the first time.

Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake plays from the speakers.

“Now, captain,” you say. “I want you to focus on the cymbal playing in this piece.”

Steve looks at you, confused.

You sigh, “The violin, then. That will be one bad guy in particular”

He focuses for a second and nods.

“Level 2, please”, you call out.

A few more songs play simultaneously.

Steve winces, still trying to focus on the original song. 

You give him an understanding look. 

“This is the knowledge in my head for this room in the past five minutes.”

He looks at you, shocked.

“Ae, make it city wide,” you say solemnly.

Hundreds of songs start playing, and the room fills with harsh cacophony.

Clint grimaces, lowering the sensitivity on his hearing aid.

“Global,” you say, a slightly fatigued look on your face.

The speakers begin to tear as many, many more songs start to play—perhaps all the classical songs known to man.

Several members of the Avengers cover their ears.

“Still able to focus on the violin?” you ask, chuckling humourlessly.

Wanda clenches her fist. She’d initially been able to relate; the ability to read people’s minds could be similar. However, her power’s radius was a few kilometers at best. This was—this was too much.

You stand up, a grave look passes on your face, and you whisper.

“Show them, Ae.”

The result is immediate; the only way to describe what is going on was sound. It is an absolute, utter chaos of sound, a song being added every second.

Clint had turned off his hearing aid, but his body could feel the vibrations reverberate throughout his body. He was beginning to feel nauseous.

You raise your voice, “This, Captain. I feel this. Every fucking second. Every moment of time. All of history, every history. The beginning, every single atom, every attosecond. All of it. All the fucking time. Every little secret. This ever-expanding universe. It never ends.”

You turn and look at your girlfriends, looks of abject horror on their faces. You smile sadly.

Moments later, the speakers tore. Complete silence caused a ringing in everyone’s ears.

Nobody spoke, the temporary tinnitus fading.

“Now that you have an idea,” you start, “let me get to why I am here.”

That got everyone’s attention.

“I will make a deal. An alliance, of sorts. You leave me alone to my devices, occasionally help me out with something I need. In return, I shall give you valuable information. The kind you won’t get anywhere else, well, not until it’s too late anyway.”

Steve ponders on this.

Tony stood and sat nearer.

“Negotiable?” he asks.

You smirk. “What kind of deal isn’t?”

He nods. “You help us with projects.”

You raise an eyebrow.

“Banner and I have our experiments from time to time, as much as I hate to admit it. You’re good. I could use your help.”

Bruce perks up at this, nodding his head energetically.

“Me, too. Maybe we could find a way to stabilise the transformation between me and… the other guy.”

You think and nod.

“Projects and experiments cost extra, amount to be decided based on project requirements. Payment up front.”

Tony nods in agreement.

“Wait.” Steve calls out, “No more bank robberies or injuring civilians.”

You huff in amusement. “I do not need to rob banks. I never have. My business is plenty.”

Wanda looks at you, confused. “Then why did you rob all those banks?”

You look at her with a sheepish smile.

She looks at you in disbelief. “Don’t tell me…”

You shrug, “It was the only way I would meet the both of you.”

You turn back to the rest of the group.

“Captain, I agree to yours and Tony’s demands.”

You grab the tablet from Tony’s hands, entering the password as though it was your own.

Tony grumbles, “I’m only using biometrics from now on.”

You ignore him and tap away, then call out. 

“Ae, write up the contract and add in my signature. You have my consent.”

The tablet beeps, and a small “Sure thing, Y/n/n” can be heard from the speakers.

Tony ignores the fact that you downloaded your AI onto his device and snatches it back from you, going through the contract.

“Y/n/n, huh?” he teases to no one in particular.

“Call her that again, and I leak your bikini photos to everyone.” Came out a short reply.

Tony scowls while the rest chuckle; even Bucky lets out a small smile in satisfaction.

“I like her,” the super soldier murmurs.

You hold back a smile at the interaction, your heart warms at the thought of Ae getting to make friends.

Once both parties have signed the contract, you clasp your hands.

“As a bonus, I have some information for you,” you tell the group.

Once again, you scribble down on the notepad, this time tossing it to Steve.

He shoots up the moment he reads it.

“We need to leave, now," he tells everyone.

You raise a finger, relaxing into the chair.

“Everyone except Wanda, Natasha, and James,” you say with authority.

All eyes turn to Steve, who looks at you and Bucky.

The winter soldier nodded in reassurance.

As the rest of the team files out to their urgent mission, you play with a fidget you brought along with you.

Wanda stands and stretches while Natasha looks at you quizzically.

“Where did you send them?” she asks.

You smirk mischievously, “To a three-month-long goose chase that will result in the capture of some very important Hydra operatives.”

Wanda laughs out loud, planting a kiss on your cheek for that.

Bucky asks, an easy smile gracing his features. “Why’d you ask me to stay back instead of just you and your girlfriends?”

Your smirk widens into a smile as you stand walking towards the door.

“Well, I did say I would fix that thing of yours. Also, I know you could use a break from Steve’s activities.” You say teasingly, patting his shoulder gently.

Natasha uses all her will power to not let out a ‘I FUCKING KNEW IT’ at Bucky’s red face.

Wanda lets out a laugh.

“Great. Now you don’t need to scream all that stuff in your head,” she says, grinning.

The three of you leave the Winter Soldier there, spluttering and blushing.

“So… what now?” Wanda asks, giddy with excitement.

You give her your most mischievous smile.

“Whatever. We. want.”

X--X--X--X--X

ITS DONE (THE MAIN STORY NOT THIS UNIVERSE.)

THERE ARE A LOT MORE ONESHOTS AND STORIES COMING FROM THE MACHIAVELLIAN UNIVERSE

PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS

ALSO, IF YOU HAVE ANY ONE-SHOT SITUATIONS OR SUCH YOU'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND, SEND THEM TO ME!!!!!!!!

Pls comment and tell me how it is and what you'd like to see next.

OKay thank you byeeeee

[loveschoice-if]

Progress Check (01/13/25) + some character art!

We're almost halfway through January, so I thought I would share a little update on writing!

I've finished pseudo-coding the entire planned demo, so I have a good sense of where everything is going from beginning to end. I'm also 50% done with the actual coding, including an extensive character creator. As for the writing, I've word-vomited basically all of the information/things I want to convey but I have to edit everything. I have debilitating perfectionism when it comes to writing but I'm working to overcome that here. I am cautiously optimistic about releasing a demo by the end of this month, but I'll let you guys know!

For the character art, I used Piccrew to make chibis of what I imagine the main love interests (main versions) to look like! This is just my current headcanon though, which is subject to change as I continue to develop these stories. Also, if these characters don't align with your imagination, then please feel free to ignore!

Top to bottom, left to right: the Boss, the Idol, the Childhood Best Friend, and the Grim Reaper.

Credit to @NUEH_NANA on Piccrew!

[soaringwide]

Pick a Card: Month Ahead #01

This was written for May 2024 but with the intention to be timeless, so even if you find it later there might be a message for your next month.

We'll look into your energy coming into the month, but also what will be the theme/area of focus and what you'll need to pay attention to, as well as the surprises that might come your way.

It's my first time doing a pick a card like this so we'll see how it turns out! I love doing those privately though.

As always, be mindful that this is a general reading meant for multiple people so it might not be 100% fitting for your situation, and that it's based on the energy you hold at the moment of selecting a pile that draws you to one of them.

PILE 1

Cards: Page of Cups, Queen of Wands, 9 of Cups, Ace of Swords, the Emperor, Strength, 5 of Cups, the Moon, Queen of Cups, 5 of Wands rx, Ace of Pentacles, 4 of Cups, Page of Wands

For your energy coming into the month, I see you being in a state of being in tune with your heart, opening up to the possible rise of a new romantic connection. I get the sense that you're cautiously optimistic about it, because while you feel confident within yourself and in a happy place, you're also aware that it's too early to tell. But you're not letting that deter you and you're fully embracing your own power, feeling good about yourself and where you're at while looking ahead hopefully and waiting for an opportunity to move forward. I think for you the process of the month ahead has already started a bit before the start of the new month and you're continuing the process.

When it comes to the theme of the month, I see the importance of putting your emotional fulfillment at the forefront and being actively working towards it. There is a need to bring clarity about the situation, clarity that will bring you contentment and tie loose ends. You will be determined to work through that with willpower and determination by taking the lead and stop wasting time around. I think you are seeing the path forward for this connection and you're determined to go for it and not let it escape. You got four cards here and they all represent a different element, which I interpret as the fact that harmony within and for yourself will be a big theme as well. Between your feelings, your thoughts and your actions, everything will be grounded in your authentic self.

I think these past few months have not always been great for you and you're determined to leave that behind and enter the new chapter of your life. You've learned all you had to about your old ways and now you're ready for a change. So for the goal you'll have in mind, you will be focused on not falling back into the same patterns of thoughts and behaviors and keep moving forward with determination and a sense that you can't go back to what you once where.

The challenge that will arise will come from your own psyche. I get the sense that you still have unresolved issues within yourself that may cloud this great picture, so you will have to be extra careful about not letting your fears and doubts making you spiral down and do or say something that doesn't align with your truth. You might go through times where you feel irritable or anxious and you may take that as a proof that things are going to shit again and you might want to run away, but it's an illusion. It just means that you still have some inner clutter to sort out. Be careful about not shutting yourself off from others as a reaction to your inner pain.

When it comes to a surprise coming your way, it seems there will be an event that will create a shift from a confusing and chaotic situation to one of open communication of feelings, laying out a more positive base for the future. I'm getting the sense that this is what the theme of the month was referring to, and while you seek it, you don't really know how it will unfold so it will still be a surprise when it happens. When this even happens, be as open and honest as possible in order to clear out any possible miscommunication, be kind and listen to what the other person has to say with empathy and love at heart.

What you'll have gained by the end of the month will be a stable and solid start towards the future. Things are blossoming but you'll have learned that there's no point rushing into anything and that things come when the time is right. You'll be set to build on that for the months to come. Maybe the start of a new commitment although things are in their very early stage.

As a final advice, it is important not to shut yourself off from your emotions and not to stay stuck in your old ways of remaining passive. Stay open and assertive, go after what you want and I get the strong message that you need to communicate openly about everything that isn't clear in this connection. Don't just wait around for things to fall onto your lap. Be passionate and enthusiastic and again be clear about your intentions. Also, you're learning something new and important so be gentle with yourself if you don't get everything perfectly from the get go, what matters is to do your best.

PILE 2

Cards: King of Wands, Queen of Cups, the Lovers rx, 8 of Cups rx, Queen of Pentacles, Ace of Swords, Memento Mori, 10 of Swords, King of Pentacles, Queen of Wands, 2 of Wands, The Chariot, Knight of Pentacles, 6 of Pentacles, 3 of Cups rx, 7 of Cups

For the general vibe of this pile, it feels a bit overwhelming like there is so much to pay attention to that you are somewhat disconnected from yourself as a result, because your feelings are so confusing that you get lost in them. There are A LOT of court cards, which may mean that there is a situation that brings the intervention of a lot of different people, perhaps it will be busy at work, or something involving family, creating a very messy situation where everyone has something to say and you can't hear yourself anymore. Really there is so much external influences here that I had a hard time picking up on YOU until the end of the reading.

For the energy you have coming into the month, I really think you are in a committed relationship with someone (and if not it's not your pile), but there is a big disharmony here. It seems one of you is on the way out of the relationship (represented by the King of Wands), and the fact that the Queen of Wands shows as a challenge later in the reading, I'm getting that this person already has someone in mind. It seems you are longing for the way the relationship used to be and it feels over, but you are having difficulties moving on right now. It's also possible you're just longing for the idea of Love altogether and wishing you could drop everything you have right now to run towards it. There is a choice to be made but right now at the end of the month, you are not making a move one way or another.

The theme of the month to come for you pile 2 makes a lot of sense considering what I already wrote. You will have to focus on your own clarity and get grounded in yourself, trying to find stillness in the chaos that surrounds you in order to get the answers you need, based on your own guidance. I'm also getting that you feel resistant to change and the call of life, and that you may feel a bit dead inside and numb as a result. There is a need to find excitement for the miracle of life again which has been lost due to your complex situation. ''The meaning is in the Middle'' is what's written on the card and writing down in case it speaks to anyone.

For what you'll consciously focus on this month, I'm getting just like...trying not to break down completely and at the same time keeping up with your demanding job and practical life issues. Perhaps this impending breakup is causing financial stress and you don't know how things will turn out. So your goal will be navigating that in order to stay on top of things both mentally and professionally/financially.

Okay this is where it finally clicks because I was confused whether you where the one with the third party of the one who is perhaps cheated on. With the King of Pentacles longingly looking at the Queen of Wands (the third party I mentioned before - don't take gender into account though) standing next to him, I'm getting that YOU are wondering how to welcome this new passionate connection into your busy life and how to make it fit from a practical standpoint with your current relationship. The Queen seems to be both a challenge and an opportunity, I don't necessarily get that this Queen is a bad omen, it's just a difficult situation that require a choice on your part.

For the unexpected thing that will happen this month, I'm not getting a particular event but rather, how it will change the course of what you're doing. This surprise will force you to weight your options and start pursuing what you desire, getting out of that rut you are in. There will be progress moving forward as I don't think you'll be left indecisive for too long. There is a sense of urgency here, whether it's perceived or true, you will feel it deeply and it will push you into actions. You will be surprised by how determined you suddenly feel after the indecision of the past.

What will be gained after the month ends is a newfound stability as you'll have regained your footing. From that point in the spread it's like things have cleared up a bit and there's open space. There is a new beginning on the horizon but unlike the urgency that led you to that point, there is now the need to take things slow and build strong foundations.

The advice you got was that, well, it's time to choose what you want to do with this third party. You can't keep holding things like that without making a choice. You might also need to distance yourself from bad influences around you like friends or family and again focus on yourself. The second advice is about restoring some type of balance between giving and taking. It seems someone has or will give you something and you'll have to give something in return so that not to break the flow of the relationship.

PILE 3

Cards: 4 of Swords rx, 8 of Pentacles, 4 of pentacles, 3 of Pentacles rx, 7 of Pentacles, 9 of Pentacles, 5 of Wands, 9 of Wands, Justice, 4 of Wands, King of Cups, the Moon, 9 of Swords, Temperance, 6 of Swords, the Fool

For your energy coming into the month, I see that you might have been feeling burnt out for a while now due to over-exhausting yourself with work or your studies, something you've put a lot of care and energy into in any case. You feel stagnant and somewhat demotivated and the whole thing is weighting on you. It's like you've put so much effort into working on this issue that you feel totally depleted emotionally. However, you can't seem to let go a bit in order to get things flowing again and you remain stuck, fearing everything is going to go to waste if you relax a bit.

The theme of this month will be to find your support system and reach out for help in order to get you to find new solutions to your issue. Not everything can be done alone. Furthermore, not every project can be rushed through all the time, sometimes you have to let it rest for a bit and let it grow under the surface of the soil. You will find great benefit from focusing on your own enjoyment and pleasure for a change in order to find a new perspective on your situation.

Despite that, it seems your mind will still be set on proving yourself this month. It's like, you feel burnt out and stagnant, and instead of getting the cue that you need to slow down a bit, you look at others and wonder why you can't hustle like them. Basically you're sensing there is an issue but you're trying to solve it in a toxic way by comparing yourself to others and feeling threatened by their success, triggering your self esteem issues.

The challenged you will have to face have to do with accepting to restore the balance in your life and take a break to have a bit of fun. Sounds like a false problem but it seems it's quite difficult for you to do at the moment because you're so focused on your tasks. It's a critical point though because if you don't cut off the toxic behaviors that are burying you into the ground, you will face the repercussions of your own non-action further down the line. You might have a hard time socializing because your heart is not there and you might feel left out, even though it would do you good to get a change of scenery and get out of your cave for a while.

For the unexpected thing that will happen this month, this will have to do with some type of emotional reconnection that will lead to more balance. It's very possible that it'll be uncomfortable at first as all the negative feelings you've been pushing under the rug all this time are resurfacing, but if you manage to stay afloat you will find a greater sense of mastery over them. I'm not getting anything precise as to what's gonna happen, but it will have to do with you being forced to take the blindfolds off and finally pay attention to your mental health. This might be the inner crisis you need to get back in a better shape.

What will have been gained by the end of the month has to do with leaving behind this way of doing and thinking you were holding onto at the beginning of the month. You will finally be able to get moving again, even if it will feel somewhat bitter and hard to do, remember it's for the better because you could not keep going on like you did.

The advice for you to help you navigate things is to not take everything so seriously all the time. Don't focus too much on what's not working or what you could do better or even on what you can't control, but try to find hope and the sense that a new beginning is at hand if only you open yourself up to it. Whoever is sending you this advice really encourages you to enjoy the little things and find your youthful spirit again. Things won't stay bleak forever so the best thing you can do is let yourself move along the stream.