#love return with divinity

[septemberlikestea]

every friend group has the freak, the homie thats not gonna make it & the bad bitch/literal angel he fumbled.

[bluebirds-stuff]

Tang bo return au inspired by ge's and azu1as Tangchung arranged marriage au

Something Something happens and chung myung ends up needing to be (faked) married for a short awhile so the tang family offers the hand of a distant tang cousin who's been making waves in the cultivation world and getting stronger during the last 3 years (*note that this is after cm is 21 ) who seems to REALLY hate the demonic cult and the great sects who won't meet each other until the wedding day

Now on the outsider pov we have people up and down making sure everything is doing good on said wedding night , and it is ..... except for the fact that said wedding grooms seem to be late for THEIR OWN WEDDING

Thankfully the mount hua disciplines see their youngest coming, not so Thankfully he's coming covered in blood dragging a (dead or unconscious ? ) demonic cult member and all of you are worrying about the poor groom who doesn't deserve to be tied down to this heart attack inducing menace ,except the groom ALSO Shows up covered in blood dragging a (also dead or unconscious ?! ) body without a care in the world, then all of you see your youngest FREEZE at the site of him as if he saw the dead coming back to life he did

And the tang groom freezes too and whispers in awe and confusion " taoist hyung-nime!? "

The crazy bastards proceed to drop the bodies and launch at each other with desperation

And all of you are hit with a horrible gut feeling that this isn't going to be a "fake" wedding after all .

[yaseraphine]

2024, the year I lost my crown.

Pluto in aquarius / Sun / Ego / Leo stellium / Ego death / Karma

I will say it loudly and proudly : In 2024, I entered my flop era (and it set me free)

This post will sum up the major lessons I learned this year through the prism of astrology.

INTRODUCTION - This post is a post I was looking forward to sharing for a while. 2024 seemed to have been a crazy year for a lot of people. Mine could be summed up by “emotional release” or the release of a karmic emotional cycle as well as connecting with my inner child. This year was charged with deep epiphanies about my childhood, which I realized I romanticized and erased key moments from my memory. Realizations came in waves always accompanied with the identification of intense deep seated insecurities and fears that stemmed from my childhood and the way I was nurtured. All of those intense and hidden emotions bubbling up to the surface together made this year really emotionnally charged with negative emotions. This eventually unwillingly forced me to neglect superficial aspects of life, such as appearance and charisma. I was slow, insecure, tired all the time, felt like sh*t all the time, lost drive. You could say that, basically, in chronically online terms, In 2024, I just entered my flop era.

This made me realize the extent of our society's obsession with glowing up, being the best version of ourselves at all times, pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone. Entering our so-called “bad bitch” era, focusing on self-care, being the best, having people admiring us, standing out, being that b, making people do a double take on us,etc... Most of our life is spent relentlessly  trying to be unique, appearing at the top of our game. We always aspire and desire to appear and seem , but we never just are. 

Capitalism has its ways of trapping us into a vicious cycle of superficial constant change and improvement. Like it creates new problems to solve for the mere goal of selling a new product to us, it creates a weird transactional and selfish sense of self, where we almost aspire to be alienated from the community and stand out. 

I decided to share this post as a reminder, in the sea of “how to glow up in 2025” videos and posts, that, sometimes, divine timing has its ways and it prevents us from shining the way we want to. Not every year is a year to glow up, you cannot be at the top of your game all the time. Like during the reign of a Queen or King, your empire will have an apogee, but also a decline. Your power and influence over your empire will always fluctuate, and you will only get probably one period of apogee, followed by a pretty intense empire decline. Despite going through all of this, something will always remain and that is faith. The faith you have in yourself, in the future, maybe even in God or a Higher Power. The faith that is deep inside yourself and that guides and helps you to push through even if you’re at your lowest.

This issue behind this obsession with “glowing up”, and all the external validation that comes with it and avoiding “flopping” at all costs, is what led me to go insane and completely give up this year.

Start of college : a beautifully humbling experience

-> from the top grader to a “mid” grader, an average student

-> highly political place 

-> Politicians and rulers : ruled by Leo BUT political parties, independent parties, ideology : ruled by Aquarius

-> I started to not only take interest in my own endeavors but also the country’s / humanity’s condition

-> I attended riots and protests multiple times, even during exams seasons

-> I assisted to GM’s hosted by students there to protect students’ rights but also for Gaza (GMs = General Meetings)

-> I read books about feminism, learned about communism and just politics in general

-> Unlearned a lot of myths surrounding the working class, rape culture, cultural appropriation, ..

-> Made new friends quite different from the ones I had in High school > anarchists, feminists, really woke people.

Why did all those changes occur ? 

SR Chart of the year 2023-24 : North Node in the 11th  house > letting go of ego and individuality to embrace community

Lilith in the 9th house transit : with all this new knowledge, I literally felt like my brain was being rewired. All the old thought patterns and life limiting beliefs I have been clinging to all chattered, bits per bits. Of course, I started that shadow work way before I got that Transit HOWEVER this transit did boost the process of getting rid of those limiting beliefs.

Gemini rising > my 7th house sign, my shadow, was my rising that year. I have to say the year prior to this year prepared me REALLY well to deal with it since, that year, I became friends and hung out with a bunch of people with gemini stelliums (i genuinely don't know how I survived tbh)

North node return -> events that pushed me to get out of my comfort zone

Chiron in the 9th house transit : my natural ability and talent to think abstractly got tested by this transit. The more theory I learned, the foggier my mind got. I kind of felt like the more times passed, the dumber I got. Which, I know, sounds crazy. But my comfort zone of having philosophical thoughts, disconnecting from my direct environment, this sagittarian hyper-independence (and ego..) became uncomfortable to embody and I felt a sense of loss every time I was ought to have abstract ideas and see the bigger picture. My natural intellectual talents “decreased” and I had no choice but to ask for help and interact with other students to understand certain concepts (so becoming the student even though it’s not comfortable to me). Along with my North node return in the 3rd house (my natal placement), this pushed me to trust other people’s knowledge and experience and learn from them. To show up daily, interact with people from all walks of life and not think to myself before doing so that “there is no point anyway to talk to them it’s useless/ a waste of time / we’re too different” or whatever bullshit excuses my ego would create to prevent myself from socialising

"Let them eat cake"

My obsessive desire to be perfect and to handle everything by myself got too far. I wanted to look my best every single day, but, by the second semester I just couldn't keep up. My timetable was heavier, my classes less interesting and even harder. But, what truly pushed me, or more so forced me to change, was my final exams results of the first semester. In high school, I did not have to study much to excel. To be a top grader, better than everyone else was easy for me, it was a routine. I was never surprised by my grades because I knew I topped as usual. However, going with this mentality/ belief for those exams was what slapped me right back to reality. My grades were bad. When I saw them, my heart shrinked, I was completely shocked. I did not expect much to be fair, but I thought it was going to be okay. Oh boy, it clearly WASN’T. And what made it worse was the people around me, who did not seem to take school as seriously, who consistently skipped classes, who cheated and lied for homework. These people, these people that I consistently judged as immoral, those people that I despised so much , THOSE, they got better grades than me. This made me go CRAZY. I cried for days on end, I couldn’t go to classes because of how badly I felt. This was the final straw for me : what is the point of being such a straight, invested person who came to classes even when I was sick, who always looked clean and hydrated. A perfect student with a perfect attitude. An independent student who helped her classmates. A perfect student who gets exploited by a system where cheaters and liars pass just as well, if not better, and get complimented as much. I realized how much pent up rage I had inside of me. I wasn’t just sad or disappointed, I was deeply disgusted. 

Leo stellium, Sun in Cancer conjunct Saturn, Pluto and Chiron in the first house and 9th house south node : unrealistic standards, lack mindset, low self-confidence, strong ego , scared of being bad at something, of being the worst, self-loathing, “there is no point in doing that anyway” , “i am not like them anyway there’s no need for me to go to this event” : 

As someone with a Leo stellium, I never realized how strict I was to myself. Only people around me could see it, but, because of how headstrong I am, I thought they just didn’t have enough standards. The thing is, I couldn’t see how perfect a lot of things in my life were because I was only fixated on what I lacked. I only focused on the defaults, the problems, the parts I wasn’t good enough in. And even the vocal and direct feedback of people wasn’t enough for me to believe I was just fine, maybe even great. And while I always focused on the parts I have failed in, I also had this unrealistic expectation that I needed to have a neutral, linear emotional life. In my head, it was like : I had a period/ period of emotional disturbances now I cannot have one again, or at least not as intense. It’s simply impossible. Now I used all my “jokers”, cards , I have no choice but to only go higher. This strange way of thinking was what made me only put positive/confident songs on my spotify playlists and avoid any songs that expressed “negative” emotions, outside of anger and rebellion. You could say it's a good thing in a way because I did my best to lift my head up. I knew how music affected my mood so I adapted my playlists accordingly. The thing is, whenever I was feeling anything other than confidence or anger, I did everything in my power to dismiss it. I obsessed over avoiding feeling low because in that state, no one will like me. People will see me in a vulnerable state and it’s too embarrassing. People have to admire me, compliment me, heck just like me at least. But if I’m not on top of my game, they will realize I am like them. I am part of the “plebs”. I have to be a queen, a princess, not a goddamn peasant! (really harsh wording, I know, but it felt like that looking back). I can’t. I just can’t. ... Unfortunately, trying to desesperately keep up with my reponsabilities as a Queen, not caring much for people as they were mere peasants who had nothing to do with me, is what led me right into my empire's decline.. Up in my fragile papermade castle, seating on my throne, I truly always felt so lonely...

The last straw  : getting rid of the lion’s mane

I shaved my head. Crazy but I did. By myself. A monday afternoon, 3 days before halloween. Right in the middle of the sinister season of the Scorpio : I shaved my head. I shaved my long, luscious and golden curly hair. This mane that held all those limiting beliefs and toxic standards. My hair was my signature look, one of the first things people noticed about me. One of the first things people complimented me about. “Look at those beautiful curly hair ! I wish I had hair like you!” “They look so healthy omg!”. All this external validation was like a drug to me, therefore, I never DARED to even trim it. Yeah. Looking back, I was crazy for that.

Sr for the year 2024-25 + Pluto in Capricorn last turn around : my experience

SR Chart 2024-25 : Virgo rising with the chart ruler Mercury in Leo in the 12th house.

Pretty gloomy and bleak period. I was feeling quite depressed to be fully honest. I started the new school year with every symptoms of depression, exept the su*c*dal thoughts. I was slow, my body was heavier yet I lost weight. I moved slower, thought slower, slept more, was always tired, taking a shower, doing the dishes, eating and every other simple daily task was a burden, harder than usual. My solar leonine energy, my vitality all disappeared without me realizing it. I had low self confidence, didn’t get ready in the morning, and stopped feeling any sense of pleasure. I was empty, crying on the train to my campus. The last time I felt like this, it was in 2018, I was 13, depressed and entering the darkest phase of my Dark Night of the Soul.

Guess what, I am Not A Robot

You've been acting awful tough lately

Smoking a lot of cigarettes lately

But inside you're just a little baby, oh

It's okay to say you've got a weak spot

You don't always have to be on top

Better to be hated than loved, loved, loved

For what you're not

You're vulnerable, you're vulnerable

You are not a robot

You're lovable, so lovable

But you're just troubled

Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot

Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot

Once again, I had no other way but to ask for help. I went to see a doctor after years of avoiding it. I confessed a lot of things to my mom with whom I always had/have a really distant and tense relationship. Our conversations were really eye opening for the both of us. I went to see a therapist, and I am still looking for one. I didn’t have enough energy to attend class (I live 1h15/1H30 away from my campus.. so my 8 am classes were awful, especially since not attending is a risk to failing in that subject.. I was in a really problematic period.) But, I met a friend, an Aquarius sun and rising student who helped me throughout all of this. She was the contrary of me in many ways : really social, open and relied on other people. easily opened up to others. She didn’t have those perfectionistic obsessive thoughts. She trusted people, had a bunch of friends, and didn't overthink every single one of her interactions. She quickly became the air that tempered down my fire, which was burning myself out. My ego was killing me and my body (symptoms of depression) was warning me. I couldn’t control these feelings. I hadn't felt that depressed in a while. Like the type of depression that makes you stare at the wall in the morning, struggling to get out of bed.I thought it was behind me. I thought I was better than this. I thought “yes other people have depressions and struggle on a daily basis because of it and that’s okay but me ? I am over it. I had one at the beginning of my teenagehood. Now it can’t happen again, at least not actual depression.” But no, unfortunately for me, It did indeed happen. This showed me I was vulnerable, like every human being. I wasn’t immune to failing, to lose, to being bad, to being average, to needing help. I was simply a human being. I wasn’t a superior entity, a god flying above the rest of humanity.  I was just like them. Was I considered a bit weird for liking astrology, tarot and for listening to kpop ? Was I considered a bit weird for having Halloween as my favourite holiday ? Was I a bit edgy and had a certain sensitivity to anything grotesque, deadly, macabre, taboo ? Yes, I was all of that. But I am still a human being. I am just like other people in many ways, and even if I have more quirks than the average person It shouldn’t stop me from socialising. I need people and people need me, and, honestly, that is totally fine. Connecting with others is beautiful. People are here to help each other and share their experiences. That is the most beautiful part of existence : everyday frivolous conversations with people, interacting with them, exchanging ideas, sharing our daily frustrations and struggles, laughing. All of that is the simplicity I never expected I needed so badly. On the quest of finding this truth, I went faraway in the abstract realm of ideas only to realize that this truth was right in front of me since the beginning.

Life really wasn't as complicated as I made it to be.

A song that sums up this overall energy

Fear and Loathing - MARINA : "I'm done with tryin' to have it all and endin' up with not much at all"

Marina called Fear and Loathing a turning point in her life, after which she stopped being a "bitter person" and began to work with new people and try new things, even though she wrote the song alone in her bedroom in London. She placed the track last on Electra Heart because she views it as a "letting go" song.

In this process of losing myself, I am gaining something precious and that is the construction of a true authentic self-confidence. Not one that is out of fear : out of fear of being perceived like a loser, a compulsive fear of being like my 12 year old self, a scared and terrified pre-teen who hated herself, from the way she looked to her personality and non-existent talents.

I am finally starting to cultivate something solid, something that comes from a deep sense of self. 

[Verse 1]

I've lived a lot of different lives

Been different people many times

I live my life in bitterness

And fill my heart with emptiness

And now I see, I see it for the first time

There is no crime in being kind

Not everyone is out to screw you over

Maybe, yeah just maybe they just wanna get to know ya

And now the time is here

Baby, you don't have to live your life in fear

And the sky is clear, is clear of fear

[Chorus]

Don't wanna live in fear and loathing

I wanna feel like I am floating

Instead of constantly exploding

In fear and loathing

Albums that accompanied me during this period

Traumazine - Megan Thee Stallion

Something to Give Each Other - Troye Sivan 

All year long, I was drawn to artists with an 8th house North Node. Lately, I’ve been drawn to slower, more sensual and jazzy songs, which isn’t something I listen to usually. Songs about intimacy, vulnerability.

-> both artists have a North Node in the 8th house, which is currently the energy I am encouraged to embody as it is the North Node of my solar return for the year 2024-25.

EDIT 030425 : Troye sivan doesn't have a north node in the 8th house

This north node is all about trust and intimacy, sharing oneself, the deepest parts of ourselves with others, sharing our resources, accepting loss and not compulsively clinging onto things, and possessions.

Just in the title of Troye Sivan’s album, this 8th house aspect is instantly identified : we have something to share, to give to others, to exchange with someone. It hints at an exclusive exchange between two people.

Something to Give Each Other hits especially now. Traumazine, it was more in February/March, which was the period I was starting to release things and started healing, feeling deeply angry and sad at the same. (around the astrological new year). Since September/October, especially now and for the next few months if not year, I have been feeling more like Something to Give Each Other. Now more than ever I am discovering the beauty of connecting with others, sharing my true self, throwing myself fully in the unknown nature of human relationships. All of those things , despite being a Pluto dominant and 8th houser, truly terrified me for years  even though I obsessively and terribly craved it at the same time.

This album is my something to give you - a kiss on a dancefloor, a date turned into a weekend, a crush, a winter, a summer. Party after party, after party after after party. Heartbreak, freedom. Community, sisterhood, friendship. All that.

— Sivan describing the album

At the end of the day, we all have something to give to someone, and to give each other.

[duskerot]

i disappear inside myself / my friends don't know it can't be helped

[Pure You - Nothing But Thieves]

[esotericawakenings]

New Moon Report

12-30-2024 1627CST

Those most affected this New Moon are those with strong positions in about 5 to 15 degrees of Capricorn, Aries, Cancer, and Libra. With the Cardinal signs most involved here, this New Moon brings a self-starting mentality right at the calendar New Year when people are making resolutions and plans for new projects and goals. Sun Conjunct Moon 10 degrees Capricorn Strong Capricorn energy is in force for this New Moon cycle. There is very little to challenge the power of this conjunction despite the appearance of the chart. This is an excellent time for planning long-term projects especially in finance, business and career matters on a personal level due to the Sun and Moon together. Make those New Year's resolutions with long-term goals in mind! It is important to lay firm, practical foundations now. This is the Capricorn way. Also, we should remember to align these goals and plans with our true natures as our day-to-day Solar egos blend with our Lunar emotions and subconscious. Capricorn also has its deeply buried wild side (remember Pan the Goat Foot God?) so some celebration is allowed! Within reason, of course.

Jupiter Retrograde 13 degrees Gemini opposition Mercury 28 degrees Sagittarius with Saturn 14 degrees Pisces at the Square midpoint (T-Square) Well, it's never that simple, right? There is a challenging T-Square based on the Jupiter (Rx) –Mercury opposition with Saturn at the Midpoint Square. Saturn rules Capricorn, so he has some input on the energy for this moon cycle, challenging and restricting Jupiter trying to communicate new ideas and exciting ideas for expansion and growth, which may be excessive or confusing due to the retrograde. This T-Square may cause some overthinking with the challenging aspects to Mercury as well, though Mercury in Sagittarius may also encourage some out-of-the-box thinking. Careful definition and thought will be required to meet the Capricorn mandate for long term planning.

  Mars retrograde 2 degrees Leo opposition Pluto 1 degree Aquarius (Mars is also trine to Neptune and North Moon Node on the cusp of Pisces-Aries) Mars retrograde in opposition to Pluto continues, getting closer to an exact aspect as the red planet moves backwards out of Leo. This could be indicative of some unconscious desires and cultural movements toward change resisted by less desire to achieve or some violent responses that seem random or without reason. With Neptune challenging boundaries and the North Moon Node lending a sense of destiny to these events, there is a feeling that change and boundary extension is inevitable destiny and resistance is futile.

Finally..... So there you have it. Set some solid, practical goals with long-term planning in mind this New Year. Don't let doubts or fears or overthinking shake your resolve or prevent decisions. Don't procrastinate. It is important to align yourself with your inner self and set the tone for this Moon Cycle and the next year because this will be accomplished in the next two weeks, whether or not you are taking action. Celebrate, too, victories small and large as we head into a New Moon cycle and a New Year. And of course, May you be blessed and may the stars guide you! guide you!

Blog Post by Steven Galbreath for Esoteric Awakenings

[movingthisblogcelestialtarot11]

could you talk about gemini venus in the 12th?

gem venus always gets a bad rep & i am someone who is devoted in love 😅

Gemini venus 12h—

—May have questioned whether relationships were for them. They felt excluded, unloved, unseen, and silenced. They also felt their love life could have been nonexistent, or rather filled with non committed relationships.

—They approach relationships with a sense of curiosity and interest. They are open minded individuals, who understand the gravity of a long term relationship.

—Rather be alone than to feel lonely in relationships. As these natives embrace solitude and peace, they realize the stress of crash and burn relationships aren’t their friend. They are not necessarily closed off, but they won’t compromise themselves to stay in unhealthy relationships.

—Needs an open, communicative partner to talk to. They love openly and deeply, and their words have the ability to penetrate deep into peoples subconscious. I believe some people become afraid of what power this native holds—it’s as if their words strike deeply. Even if it isn’t harsh, rude, or abrupt. There cadence carries so far.

—People may run from this native because this native can see deeply. And they can analyze themselves and others to a point of stripping them bare psychologically. It isn’t a horrible thing, they’ve had to do this to understand themselves. They’ve had to see themselves psychologically bare firsthand.

—Therefore they need a partner who will embrace these deep conversations, moments and experiences. Someone who will open up, and not shut down.

—Spirituality follows their relationships somehow. They may find themselves synchronizing with others, receiving dreams and messages. Their intuition is strong when acknowledged, but if they ignore it, it becomes dampened. Their intuition is their saving grace in relationships.

—Their intuition is their compass. It will tell them who they can settle with and who they can’t. They may have had moments where they doubted their intuition severely and now they embrace it. They will never forget the mistake of doubting themselves.

—If well aspected the native can experience “get out of jail free” moment. Venus does well usually in the 12h, but if negatively aspected it can cause issues regarding mental health, hospitalization, and issues with prison life.

—High sexual energy. Not in the way you think, more so these natives carry a healing energy sexually. An energy of liberation and intrigue, it helps create a safe place of comfort. It induces a playful energy, and it feels receptive. It’s subtle, yet travels powerfully and deep. It permeates through barriers. Comes off as subtle charm, wit, humor.

—May prefer dates in a dimly lit place, where it’s soothing. Nature where its open and quiet, so they can ground themselves. These natives need calm. Their mind may work fast and hard, so they need environments conducive to bringing in calm.

—Dreamers. They love to dream and concoct scenarios where they feel loved. They want to experience a beautiful connection as what they see. Amazing at manifesting in general due to their attractive, receptive energy.

—Can be tempted into staying in unhealthy relationships. Self sabotage repeatedly comes up, and partners who enable this behavior can hurt the native more. The native can do well with self analyzation and detaching themselves from further harm.

—They have a young, youthful vibe to them in relationships. They love a good banter, playful jokes, and thrive on communication.

—A lovely inner child, vibrant and curious. Adventurous. It helps others feel naturally at ease.

—Might enjoy writing song lyrics, poetry, or writing in general. It’s a way in which they express themselves, finding ordinary conversation to sometimes lack.

—Spends a lot of time alone. They protect their peace, energy. They may have protected their peace a little too hard and have no hot people lined up in their roster (jk love yall)

[blackboxtheater]

mumbo’s newest episode got me thinking (u should watch it got mumbo lore also the context):

since mumbo’s the only one aging, that means that the rest of them are immortal or something, and he doesn’t want to be left behind (since he wants to put his conscience in a chicken)

and that means the rest of them are… god like

pearl is a goddess

she was the one getting worshipped by the mooners

and now mumbo can’t let her or the rest of his friends go, but he’s still is getting older, meaning he would sacrifice his body for the sake of staying where the people he loves live, or used to live when a new season starts

what happens if pearl tries to convince him to stay in his human self? and she embraces all the wrinkles and sunspots? what if she’s there when he eventually dies? would she find a way to bring him back forever? would she accept it with grief?

or what if mumbo stays as a chicken? will they stay, keeping their friend? will they leave him behind or visit? he’s still gonna die there, maybe near big ron’s? how insane will pearl be, that her biggest worshipper, her love, one of her best friends, is stuck to a place that she has to leave someday?

and don’t get me started on everybody else- (gets dragged into the void)

(I haven't seen the episode yet but I wanted to have my first existential meltdown before I watched it, so it could be spaced out from my inevitable additional meltdowns after watching. Basically stay turned and I shall also report back once I have seen it and probably crash out for another 2k words)

"what happens if pearl tries to convince him to stay in his human self? and she embraces all the wrinkles and sunspots?"

My friend, I do believe you are trying to kill me.

Because personally, I come from a lineages of ancestors who have lived long, physically healthy lives while they completely lost their memory and minds long before they were done on the earth. I literally work on detecting and treating cognitive decline. When I think about aging its not just physical changes. So this has thrown me into the existential dread of what something like aging could look like for a redstoner, an inventor like Mumbo.

He's slower with a sword? Okay, well he was never great at PVP anyway so not much has changed. He can't build for as long or lift as heavy stacks anymore? Okay, he'll take it slower. Quality over quantity anyway. His friends still enjoy his company, they tell him his builds and creations are wonderful. It's fine. He'll be fine. The thing he wanted to preserve wasn't any of those traits, it was his mind.

But what happens when he can't remember how the redstone component work just one too many times? When his friends come to ask him to help him build a farm he's sure he's made in the past, but he just can't remember? When he tries to create something new that he's sure will work, but he just can't figure it out?

He knows that a younger version of him wouldn't have had any of these issues. This all would have been easy for a young, spry Mumbo. And now its too late. Before when he wanted to preserve his brain, it was working perfectly. Now? Now it's not. Now there are pieces missing, degraded and lost to time. Sure, if he uploaded his conscious before he would have been a chicken. But he would have been him. The one thing he could wholly maintain when he swapped over into a new body is now gone too.

Pearl said he still looked good when his hair started to grey and the wrinkles around his eyes deepened. She said she still loved him even as his joints started to ache and his strength faded. He wants to believe that she will still feel all those things when its his mind that isn't what it used to be instead of his body. But he has his doubts.

And Pearl, an immortal goddess, would know that everything has a time to begin and end. She would convince him to stay a human and love him until his final moments. She would grieve and also come to accept it. But also...what is a 1000 years of grief if your timescale is eternity? There is no pressure to move on quickly when you will be around forever. So yes she eventually comes to terms with it, but there are whole generations that only know of a weeping moon. (I swear there is a thing about phases of a moon where one one phase looks like the moon is bowl filling up and the other looks like a bowl emptying out. If that's a real thing then entire generations only know of a moon that eternally looks like it is spilling out across the eternally darkness, pearlescent tears shimmering across the sky.)

....And thats just me going off on ONE of the things you said here. Every single sentence of this ask is an entire fic prompt on its own. And I haven't even watched the video yet. Jesus.

[apollokyler]

NOBODY MOVE *flower petals fly across the screen and music from a romance dorama starts playing*

[gingermintpepper]

I don't want to bother you while you're in your art challenge, take your time to answer! I just loved your analysis and opinion of Branchus, and i saw in the post you said we could ask you for others Apollo's lovers... I want to know (they're not lovers, they're grandfather and grandmother lol, but i would like to see your thoughts) of Koios and Phoebe 👀 Not in relationship with Apollo, just your opinion of them...

We don't know so much about Koios, we know a bit more about Phoebe because of her tie to Delphi and the Oracle.

Oh, how sweet! Thank you so much for the consideration and hey, no worries at all on asking about his grandparents rather than a lover, I'm always ready to ramble about Apollo's genealogical line since I find it extremely interesting!

Since information on a lot of the older Titans in terms of how they were worshipped and seen is scarce (Phoebe does have mentions in her mantic right but very little is mentioned in reference to Koios or her daughters apart from establishing genealogy and Koios himself seems to have been more of an abstract establishment, the way a lot of Hesiod's old gods were) I won't go out of my way to quote or base my opinions here in any literature that I've been exposed to, so just keep in mind that what I'm going to say is very much my own opinions mixed with things I understand and very influenced by my own love of familial and romantic parallels in god-pairs being symbolic of various natural and abstract relationships!

I see Koios and Phoebe, like a lot of the older Titan pairs, as abstractions of the original pair of Gaia and Uranus. Power often originates with and is exerted by women in these older pairs while glory is what is passed on, and consequently fought over, by the men - in Gaia and Uranus' case, it is Gaia who is older and it is from Gaia that Uranus is born. Uranus is her match but is also her subservient and so when Uranus is unable to love his children and seeks their destruction, it's Gaia who bestows the power and means by which to silence him. This 'equal but subservient' dynamic is definitely alive and well with Koios and Phoebe and I even think they mirror their parents from a symbolic standpoint as well.

Koios and Phoebe are the knowledge duo. They represent the two sources of knowledge/wisdom in the old world - that of heavenly (male) knowledge which pertains to the nature of the physical world and its realities and earthly (female) knowledge which pertains to the nature of intangible and unobservable reality such as time and space. I like having them mirror each other; what with them both being associated with their respective world axes (Koios as the heavenly axis if you syncretise him with the Roman Polos, Phoebe as the earthly axis if you take Delphi as the centerpoint of the world), having serpent symbolism (Koios with the hundred-headed star-serpent Drakon who guards the Hesperides which is sometimes said to be located in the land of the Hyperboreans and Phoebe with Python who guards the fount of knowledge at Delphi) and splitting their essence equally across their descendants (Their children and grandchildren perfectly embody one half of their partnership - Asteria with her heavenly magic and night-prophecies and Leto with her earthly power and wisdom and their grandchildren following likewise; Hecate who works beneath her grandfather's skies and has her grandmother's wisdom but who has chosen to reside neither in the sky nor on the earth, Artemis who could not be more of a daughter of the soil and Apollo who has his place among the brightest of stars).

It all leads back to that really fun dichotomy of equal but subservient honestly! Knowledge (and wisdom/intelligence) in general in Greek myths are female in nature so already that kind of puts Koios in an interesting position as a direct male descendent of Gaia and Uranus who didn't represent some physical, tangible element (in contrast his brothers all had some level of physicality to them - Oceanus the oceans, Cronus the harvest, Crius the winds, Hyperion the light, so on and so forth) but there's also that element of Koios' glory also being female! After all, his only male descendent is two generations removed and what should be his seat of power - Hyperborea - became Leto's the moment she was born there.

In this way, I admittedly find that a lot of comfort in Koios and Phoebe's partnership. There's a lot of respect both ways between them with Koios' respect and regard of Phoebe reminding me a lot of Uranus' original adoration of Gaia (and his return to said quiet, constant adoration after his castration) while Phoebe's overseeing of her mantle being very reminiscent of Gaia's own kingmaking both for Cronus and later for Zeus. For me, theirs is a pair without ego. A lot of the friction and instability in the younger generation of gods comes from the battle between intelligence and power - toes are constantly stepped on, glory is constantly being sought and the efforts made to counteract these moves results in conflict. Koios and Phoebe seem to have it all figured out by comparison. They've both handily passed their mantles down to their children, they've both overseen and instructed them and can rest easy knowing that they will not misuse said mantles and they've both just kind of retired now, content to spend their time in the evergreen Hyperborea, wrapped up in each other's arms like their father and mother before them and like, honestly? Good for them.

[forgotten-retrouvaille]

@superboyandtheinvisiblegirls from here

Jill hadn't ever expected to fall for someone this quickly , but one thing had led to another — and well , here she was now . She'd taken the moment of impulse to kiss her fast and passionate and with all the longing in her while they'd been on the floor messing with the equipment, and Jill had been quick to return the same motion. Her own arms wrapped around Mel's neck, hands rifling through the back of her long hair as they lost themselves in the kiss , in the heat of the moment.

The bartender was pretty quick to kill the moment , but Jill was still left reeling and with the taste of the musician still on her lips as the other pulled away. A light smile was left on her expression as she let out an amused exhale, that same glimmer of fire and passion left in her steel blue gaze, exhilarated.

"You're telling me ."

[localgasmaskliker]

Legit being friends with and respecting artists is so amazing. like you're telling me that theres this cool person that can draw????? and sometimes if they're feeling good they can draw you stuff???? as a sign of friendship????

Legit an amazing feeling knowing someone was kind enough to take time out of their day to draw something silly for you.

Just being kind to people goes a long way. Its what keeps us human.

[drakulateeth]

In defense of resting in your masculine

First off, you can enjoy a soft life, but if you ground yourself in reality and leave out the delusions… it’s not difficult to arrive at the conclusion that in order to be free, you must be financially independent. You don’t get financial freedom by relying on your family or partners, you will need to do some type of work.

On a personal level I would rather be bound by a work contract based on law, than the free will of a parent or a partner that can change in the snap of a finger. I titled this in defense of resting in your masculine, because your main responsibility in life is you, and you need to constantly create the life you want for yourself. Quite frankly I do not think you can achieve that by repeating 50 affirmations in front of your mirror, and consuming femininity content. The same way you bash the state of being stuck in masculine energy, you should also bash this outdated mentality that you can just “protect your peace”, wear pink clothes and drink a smoothie or matcha and manifest your dream life.

💋

snow

[puppetsoftomorrow]

re: avalance fic dump-

ooo the angel one sounds really cool!! would love to hear a bit more about it! (and also side note i've coincidentally Also had a guardian angel au floating around where ava is sara's guardian angel. mine is kind of inspired by a song from my favorite band!!)

(also side note 2, this fic dump ask game sounds fun, i may do it as well over on my legends tumblr!)

ahh thanks!! sorry for the delayed reply, i got back into writing the angel one beacuse of this ask aha but then i started writing a new one... as is my curse lmao

here's s tiny piece from it:

"Why did you save my life?" Sara whispered into the darkness. She felt Ava shift next to her. 

"What do you mean?" Ava said softly. "I didn't want you to die, Sara." 

"But I -" Sara stopped, her throat closing. "I've done terrible things, Ava." 

"I know, Sara. I was always there - you couldn't see me, but I was always there." 

"Then why -" 

it's very bitty at the moment which doesn't help me finish it lmao

and i'd love to hear more abt ur guardain angel one!! theyre so fun!!

[hariolor]

@flamesignite liked for a starter!

❛ Don't bother. ❜ Spoke the revived Lust, spiteful toward the monster who runs through her veins like royal blood. The homunculus knows it could be a risk to her, but she was never a woman to bow to those who did not show her the manner of the powerful entity she was. [ roy mustang, &, in hand, her father, made her feel human. ] Something she found to loath, to despise, so she seeks Roy to play a game, to see the tides shift & the undoing of the blood-soaked land. ❛ I'm hardly here for a fight, I wouldn't be stupid enough to do so in public with your precious kind lingering. You wouldn't want collateral damage, would you? ❜

[the-travelling-witch]

no clue if i'm doing the valentine's ask game right at all BUT-!!

i'm curious how cass & leona / selene & angelica / carmilla & jade would spend valentine's day 👀 (you can pick which ones to yap about i know it's a lot ghdlkjs)

omg ian, hiiiii!! first of all happy valentine's day, i hope you're having a great day <3 also i think it's less of an ask game and more of a "i'm okay receiving valentine's day asks" kind of thing, but !! ofc i'm more than happy to yap about my ocs (when am i not, is the real question)

i originally wanted to write sth for all of them but i have such a headache (+ i'm still struggling with wrist pain bc i just can't give them a break), so i decided to write a drabble for carmilla and jade bc it came easiest to me and then give my brief thoughts on the other pairings instead

Carmilla & Jade [Surf and Turf]

“I admit I’m not closely accustomed with land dwellers’ Valentine’s Day traditions, but to think that it would encompass kidnapping your beloved into the woods… How very intriguing indeed.”

“Oh shush, you. It’s not much further now,” Carmilla giggled, continuing to lead the way into the woods just shy of NRC’s campus. The sun had already begun to settle in for the night, cosying into her bed behind the horizon and illuminating the students’ trail with the last golden rays. It wouldn’t be much longer, however, until their path would be lighted by the flickering blue flames at Carmilla’s command. “So Valentine’s day isn’t a thing under the sea?”

“Hm, as many of humankind’s customs do, it has started catching on with merfolk. Though mainly with those living closer to the surface,” Jade answered easily, still placidly letting himself be led up one of his favourite hiking trails by their intertwined hands. His mood had been rather cheerful ever since the fox had appeared in his dorm with an enigmatic grin and the promise of a surprise. “It has yet to sink into the waters of the deep sea, if you will. And I reckon our Valentine’s gifts would be rather unique, too. Perhaps I could interest you in a seaweed bouquet?”

“If anyone could make that sound appealing, it would be you, I’m afraid,” the fae laughed, equally bright. With all her Valentine’s shoots wrapped up ahead of time, she’d been eager to spend time with her merman. Though confident in what she had prepared for him, there was still an undergoing current of nervousness within her. “Without wanting to spoil anything, I guess you could say my gift isn’t your typical bouquet of roses either.”

Putting his free hand over his chest, Jade gasped in faux surprise. “And here I was thinking you were leading me up the mountains to grant me with an overpriced armful of cut flowers and a heart shaped box of chocolates.”

“I should have known you’d figure it out. Oh dear, you know me too well, it appears,” Carmilla played along with a heart wrenching sigh. Then, she stopped in an inconspicuous part of the trail. “Ooh we’re here already. You trust me, right?”

“I do, of course,” Jade replied, tilting his head to the side, intrigued by the implications of her question. When Carmilla untied a silky ribbon from her outfit, he understood her intentions immediately. A shiver of electricity zapped down his spine in anticipation as he leant forward slightly, so she could tie it gently around his eyes. My, wasn’t she the most darling girl ever, keeping him on his toes and surprising him at every turn?

In the end, the blindfold didn’t stay on for long in this terrain, only serving to ramp up his anticipation even more at the last moment. After a few careful metres over the forest soil -though he noted that someone seemingly removed all tricky obstacles- the ground beneath his shoes became softer with the texture of grass and moss, leading him to believe they’d arrived at a forest clearing of some sort. With his vision blocked, his other senses had sharpened but instead of taking in nature’s sounds, Jade honed in on the company of the person next to him. He didn’t need to see her to be conscious of Carmilla’s presence surrounding him, flickering in and out like one of her fairy lights but never leaving his side.

Then, the knot in the silk scarf came undone, the ribbon fluttering down to rest over his shoulder. Jade blinked a few times, trying to process what it was he was seeing.

“So, what do you think?” Carmilla supplied, slinking next to him and wrapping an arm around his, gently encouraging him to take a closer look.

They were indeed standing in a small glade, one Jade had never noticed despite his frequent hikes around the area. Looking back over his shoulder, he could say with certainty the path the two of them had taken had not been there before. Or had been very well concealed. Small, floating lights illuminated their surroundings, dipping the pine trees and moss in warm light. What caught his attention most of all though was what was growing inside clearing. Mushrooms of varying shapes, sizes and colours -some even glowing with bioluminescence- were sprouting all around them, decorating the area. It was clear they were not native to Sage Island, for he had never seen them before. Also obvious was that someone had taken great care in growing them.

“Do you like your gift?” Prodding the eel a little, Carmilla carefully studied his reaction. Perhaps the silence would have felt intimidating if she couldn’t spot that particular gleam of fascination in his heterochromatic eyes she loved so much. “I remembered how interested you seemed when I told you about the mushrooms I saw back in Briar Valley. So I contacted an old friend who still lives there to see what I could do.”

Strong arms wrapped around her in response, pulling her fully into his space, coaxing a surprised laugh from her. Reciprocating the action, Carmilla leaned fully into him, savouring the closeness and the safety of happily burrowing into his chest. Even as Jade let go, he didn’t allow her to float past his reach. Instead keeping Carmilla anchored to him by cupping her cheeks in his gloved hands.

“My dearest pearl, you didn’t seriously believe I would dislike this surprise of yours, did you? Surely you know me better than that.” He sealed his warm words a telling kiss, one that Carmilla all too happily tip-toed up into. There was rosiness to both of the students’ cheeks as they parted again, their fingers intertwining instead. “In case I must make myself even more clear, I doubt I have ever received a more thoughtful gift. You’ve set a high bar for me to clear when it’s my turn.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to make it too easy for you, right? I’d hate for you to grow bored of it,” Carmilla teased, giving his hand a fond squeeze. There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she added, “Perhaps, however, you should check the entire gift before you start scheming with revenge.”

“Oh? What else could you possibly have prepared? You really do love going all out, don’t you?” Shaking his head affectionately, dual-coloured eyes tracked the movement of her arm as she reached behind her and pulled a book out of thin air. Handing it to him, Jade recognised the handwriting on the cover as hers immediately. “Is this-“

“A compendium of sorts, written by yours truly,” Carmilla offered, winking at him. “Someone once imparted on me the importance of taking notes when it comes to horticulture.”

“How is it that you make me fall in love with you even more than I already have?” Carefully flipping through the pages, ghosting his fingers over delicate writing and detailed illustrations, it really started to sink in how much planning had gone into this surprise. It spurred his motivation to plan what he would give her in return. Oh, he couldn’t wait to return to his room and get creative.

For now, however, he was content to stay in this small sanctuary a little longer. A blanket was spread over the grass for the two to settle down on, Carmilla happily leaning her head against Jade’s shoulder as he poured over the book and compared it with the mushrooms in front of them. Every now and then, she would point out certain things to him, adding bits and pieces to his fascinated rambling. Mostly though, she was just happy to listen to his voice, basking in the tranquility and peace of his presence and letting his excitement infect her, too.

Even without using her unique magic, Carmilla could feel the love between the two of them, spreading a warmth throughout her like no other. A few years ago, the fae couldn’t have phathomed going out of her way for somebody else like this, let alone spending days and weeks on a mere present. Now she was glad she did.

Cass & Leona [Golden Hour]

“Oi herbivore, do you know what day is today?” 

“Friday.” 

“…It’s Valentine’s Day.” 

“So you guys have commercial holidays too huh?”

In a total reversal of expectations, Leona is probably the one who brings up Valentine’s Day as a topic during lunch break in the botanical gardens. While Cass is also aware of the traditions, it’s not something she particularly cares about and she didn’t think Leona was the type to either. Which she is kinda right about, to be honest.

The only reason Leona entertains the custom in the first place is because, despite himself, he really didn’t want to disappoint any expectations he thought Cass might have. And, secondly, he’s not dumb. He knows Cass is well-known and well-liked by quite a few people and he’s normally not all in people’s faces with their relationship. Meaning, he wants to shut down the possibility of anyone getting any funny ideas about confessing to her.

So, he very unceremoniously gives Cass a present in the form of a piece of jewellery. This could either be a beaded or golden bracelet, a necklace or a charm for her camp necklace or a hair accessory he can braid into her locks. As long as it’s unmistakably his and easy for others to identify as such, he’s content. There’s a high chance it’s actually a piece of his jewellery that he already had on hand and decided to give her on a whim. Definitely not because he cares about some herbivore and enjoys the idea of her always carrying around sth that he gave her. Definitely not. (He cares. So much.)

Cass lets him do as he pleases, both because she is actually a little flustered over the fact that he’s very openly staking a claim over her and because she thinks his attitude about it is funny. Sure, he is very nonchalant about it, which probably would’ve soured the day for others, but Cass is all about someone’s actions and the meaning that’s read between the lines. 

Leona’s lucky she knows he cares for her because if she didn’t, he wouldn’t get away with pulling her down for a nap after that circus. As Cass tells him about his day, he’ll hum and absentmindedly run his fingers over the jewellery, half considering if he should get her to also wear his jacket.

(At least other beastmen should get the hint by now not to try anything funny…)

Selene & Angelica [Shipname tba]

Selene and Angelica’s Valentine's Day is a lot more low-key than others might first suspect. Not because they’re not head over heels for each other. No. It’s because for them, every day is Valentine’s Day (more or less). They give each other gifts and affections throughout the year as the mood and inspiration strikes them. So sure, they’ll hang out but it’s business as usual for these two.