#or a passion to try to join any one specific group

[mihai-florescu]

I appreciate the dedication to preserving niches but im too bored with the concept of labels and ultimately uncaring towards circlejerk communities and maintaining a "lifestyle", perhaps at this point of burnout uncaring towards aesthetics altogether, to be able to meaningfully participate.

[aphrodeiities]

ᴛʜᴇ 1° ɪɴ ᴀꜱᴛʀᴏʟᴏɢʏ - ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴇ

involves my own research along with the help of janduz.

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you can leave a tip at my ko-fi

THE DEGREE IN THE SIGNS.

THE DEGREE IN THE PLANETS.

THE DEGREE IN THE HOUSES.

♱ the 1° is the first degree to belong to a sign, which is aries. this degree specifically means being in unity for something, being a singular, and individual and being the divine. it speaks of the possibilities that can be reached, taking control of the future and embracing changes, where you are innovative, in risk and doubtful. it is a degree of the universe and being a trendsetter.

what does it mean when the 1° occurs a lot in a chart?

person needs to become independent, might depend on other people too much and takes time to learn lessons on their own. the native is bright, and charismatic and need to be unafraid to take the jump when it comes to new opportunities. person has to be unafraid to try new things.

THE 1° IN THE SIGNS

♱ 1° in aries - pioneers, trend-setters, dare-devils. they're willing to grab any opportunity they come across, they see the potential in themselves and everything along with other people. they're confident but can be very arrogant and even too violent/aggressive. they like to take the control of their lives, hate it when other people tell them what to do.

♱ 1° in taurus - divine beauty, can be stubborn to embrace changes, this could make them be considered as bratty people. could over-spend and are likely good at cooking, unique way of creating/embracing art. independency with money, possessive as well.

♱ 1° in gemini - can be very mean people, could make people do whatever they want. pretty hands and trendy people. though they might follow the crowd too much and be very anxious. intrusive thoughts and doing things impulsively, indicator of being popular online. beautiful siblings or children.

♱ 1° in cancer - protective over family, willing to do anything for them. a momager, or has one. sometimes can be lazy; could come from a well-off family or could make it happen for theirs. could be the first to move out or could move out really young. great mother, and doing something different to what family expected. emotional outbursts.

♱ 1° in leo - very arrogant and prideful people. known for something specific. can be very optimistic and wise. likes to be challenged, and challenges a lot of people, could change a lot, and has much passion for stuff, the type to make their passion into a job and can succeed.

♱ 1° in virgo - has many skills, being very competitive, can be honest people and very anxious. can achieve success in many ways/work-fields. sport/health oriented and can be religious. the type to realise their destiny is their own, and other people might find it hard to have the native with this degree listen to them. spiritual healing is important.

♱ 1° in libra - dresses like a goddess, like to be spoiled. generous and gentle, likes to please people and be liked by others. a popular person in their friendship group, popular in general. likes to feel like they belong into a friendship group. learning how to be dependent on themselves.

♱ 1° in scorpio - generous. could lead or join a cult, a magician, a survivor, being a successful person, wealthy. other people might copy them a lot. they inspire a lot of people. they're popular and magnetic. can be obsessed with wealth, the type to betray others over it.

♱ 1° in sagittarius - creative people, other people could look up to them. divine knowledge, can be very stubborn, active and direct. likes to be the centre of attention, could get in trouble a lot and can doubt beliefs, specifically systematic religion.

♱ 1° in capricorn - owning a company, very intelligent and clever. being a leader, the oldest relative/sibling. confident, might have authority doubt them and their beliefs. they oversee a lot of stuff, they could sometimes feel like they have the entire world on their shoulders.

♱ 1° in aquarius - innovative and unique people. popular people in their group, the face of a group. successful and wealthy people. intuitive/psychic people. known online or in a community. first to do stuff and having others follow their ideas. divine knowledge.

♱ 1° in pisces - very magical people. psychic dreams and divine energy, can be very insecure and doubtful. sacrifices a lot and strong ancestors/ancestry. believes in strong principles and morals, and can be people who can be lazy and care free.

THE 1° IN PLANETS

♇ 1° in sun - definitely being someone who gets much attention, and can be unsure with what they want to do in life, they inspire other people to creative. having divine aura and likely can have a respect father figure, or they're the person who is respected, can be given lots of opportunities. native can be explosive.

♇ 1° in moon - beautiful people. intuitive/psychic people. "divine woman" and divine wisdom. might follow the heart too much. can be explosive and has unpredictable feelings. beauty spots and having the need to belong to a tribe.

♇ 1° in mercury - very straight-forward people. can be excellent at marketing, and are popular people online if they try. can adapt to new situations easily and might have the habit of speaking over people, loud relatives and a clair. can be very articulate.

♇ 1° in venus - normally the one to initiate the first move. other people could want to copy their style or their beauty. likes to make money and be around friends. face of the beauty standard/conventional beauty, divine beauty but could get insecure easily. can do risky stuff related to beauty like botched surgery. likely to have envious friends. can imply of having a beautiful spouse.

♇ 1° in mars - explosive anger, likely to get into arguments with men/the same sex. very competitive and are likely to get into accidents, be careful with cars! though could have an infatuation with cars. "you only live once" attitude and can be very confident and controlling. can be aggressive as well, depending on the aspects. can imply having a beautiful husband.

♇ 1° in jupiter - very creative people, innovative and directors. could have a God-complex, could be worshipped or could worship others. can be someone with a strong belief/moral system. could have a high horse and can be someone who takes control of their lives. can make many possibilities for themselves and can be very direct.

♇ 1° in saturn - could like to be alone. leader of other people. owning a business. politicians/strong political views. struggle to believe in themselves and being someone who has controlling authority figures around them. can be one themselves; respected people.

♇ 1° in uranus - first to do something and could appear as other-worldly to other people, whether it be aura or features. something about them stands out. popular friendship group, unpredictable/doing stuff on the whim. psychic people. car racing, likely to embrace changes or bring them to other people.

♇ 1° in neptune - clairvoyant or has another clairy. always in their mind. maladaptive day-dreamer. doubts themselves a lot. beautiful person, can get walked over, can be someone who is one with the universe. can be unsure with how they look, very dreamy people.

♇ 1° in pluto - fiery person and mean. possessive and has a specific life path. always aiming for opportunities and can be someone who can be arrogant and conceited. stubborn to embrace changes but life is working hard for them to listen and go through stuff. much influence and popularity. could be prone to accidents.

♇ 1° in north node - very bright path. fame indicator. first to accomplish something. hot-headed. scars on the face and distinct features and can be someone who likes to be dominant. they see the potential of other people, the type to take on any path they want.

♇ 1° in black moon lilith - could be known for something specific, can be hated on. could surprise everyone by doing better than expected. slut-shamed and having dangerous beauty. Dark Goddess like beauty. vengeful and can be against authority. indicator of from rags to riches.

THE 1° IN THE HOUSES

♱ 1° in the first house - divine beauty, structured faces and prominent cheekbones. confident person, sees possibilities every where and can be an opportunist and innovative. they can be very head-strong as well. taking direction of their own lives.

♱ 1° in the second house - beauty indicator, always finding a way to make money. family-oriented, can adapt to different financial changes, nice/divine singing voices. great money-makers.

♱ 1° in the third house - main sibling/cousin, pretty relatives and pleasing or direct voices. might have a lot of siblings/cousins. might've had to change schools a lot. popular on the internet, nice nails ideas. but can be hesitant when it comes to do things. but can sometimes say whatever is on their mind.

♱ 1° in the fourth house - main family member. mother is top-dog or doubts herself. native could get embarrassed easily. religious/active family. supportive family and can sometimes be the black sheep family member. beautiful home, could be ancient or historic.

♱ 1° in the fifth house - performers. karmic children and love life. broadway or influencer. beautiful children and also someone who is generous and sympathetic. ego can get them into trouble, main child in the family, could be someone who wants everything.

♱ 1° in the sixth house - competitive people or has competitive enemies. can be someone who is spiritual/religious. can be a person who wants to make it, can be someone who is anxious. could doubt their own skills, might change workspaces a lot, loves/close to pets. could live a risky life or do a risky job.

♱ 1° in the seventh house - risky relationships. can be an insecure person. someone who gets hesitant with relationships, likely to believe in soul-mates. successful spouse and being someone who wears the pants in the relationship. could be obsessed with romance. can easily get partnerships, could like to feel like they belong somewhere.

♱ 1° in the eighth house - be careful with finances and drugs. could be obsessed with sex. can find out secrets/information about other people easily. can change their life around easily, could be protective over friendship groups, over themselves. could have religious psychosis; lucid dreams and shifting. likely to be in a cult.

♱ 1° in the ninth house - cult indicator. can be a leader or preacher for/to others. having adventures around the world and can teach people new information. parent might've been a priest and could be very spiritual and taking life in their own hands. could have unique opinions and can be someone who appreciates other religions ad cultures.

♱ 1° in the tenth house - having a career they want and not following what other people want them to do. ceo energy and competition in the work-space. much responsibilities and can be the face of a company or a product. any career can suit them, they're confident but needs to learn how to take the leap of faith.

♱ 1° in the eleventh house - internet famous. loved on the internet and can be people who are seen as a Goddess or teacher. can be seen as someone who starts new trends. unpredictable future, unsure of what to do. finds new way to make more money or friends. karmic/soulmate friends, but could be paranoid of them.

♱ 1° in the twelfth house - spiritual psychosis. anxious person. mind can be their own enemy or even fame. manifestors and feels like they have to teach or protect everyone. hesitant people. another indicator of shifting and lucid dream; can be a victim of bulling. expressive eyes. can stall a lot.

masterlist

degree theory masterlist

[necronatural]

Context on Project Moon discourse

I did some digging and watched some internet slapfights between Korean users, and collected as much context as humanly possible, trying to avoid hearsay where I can:

Misogynistic dudes start complaining about how sexless and non-waifu-female-heavy the game is, feeling the skimpy Sinclair outfit with the thotty little collar VS the fully covered Ishmael outfit is pointed feminist jeering (a law Hawkeye Initiative). Korean anti-feminists are really sensitive to pointed feminist jeering. More on that in a bit

Upon learning the identity artist is male, they trawl the rest of the staff to prove their stupid-ass theory.

They latch onto the lead CG artist, who has tweeted about feminism before.

Project Moon receives countless threats and people marching on their office IRL demanding to speak to the CEO.

The resulting hate campaign leads to Project Moon firing the lead artist for violation of contract; it was specifically requested by the company that all users delete political statements and controversial topics before joining, and the tweets the incels are using seem to prove that the worst case scenario for not adhering to the request has come to pass.

The thing is, she did delete the tweets.

This user has screencapped incels scrambling to justify their belief the game is for man-haters, including a statement that he had dug up deleted tweets. These are old records.

These are the retweets, all made before joining the company (but again, the policy was that the tweets like this should be scrubbed). Most of them are just being catty. The most extreme statements are a scathing satire even a child could understand, and some general feminist sentiments which are not incendiary in any way. It seems they were screencapped to cement a pattern of passionate feelings on feminism.

In Korea, feminism is considered a wedge issue, which means basic activism becomes extremely politically charged. Think of it like how trans issues are being treated in America at the moment, or how "Critical Race Theory" was a wedge issue like 2 years ago. Nevertheless, the most hateful statements in these tweets are not "feminist", but rather annoyance at misogyny, and pretty obviously jokes.

The tweet that the incels are latching onto here states "if being a feminist makes me Megalia, I am Megalia. If being against patriarchy makes me anti-social, I am anti-social". Megalia was a scumbag leftist radfem group originating from Korea's 4chan (anonymous messageboards). It was bad enough that banning gay slurs created a splinter group. Megalia was well-known for mirroring misogynistic behaviours back onto men. They were reviled. An actress lost her job for wearing a T-shirt this group sold, even though the funds were going to supporting women seeking legal actions. Association with Megalia was reputation poison.

Notice I refer to them in the past tense, because Megalia shut down in 2017. The tweet was in 2018. You could not get any more obvious that the statement being made was "you can insult me by calling me Megalia, but I still believe in feminism". There is no association with this incendiary group.

Incels "supported" their argument with an image of Yi Sang holding a vial in basically one of the only 2 ways you can hold a vial, calling it a reference to 🤏, an emoji used as the Megalia logo interpreted to mean "men have small penises". This insane interpretation is being used to cement the whole company as misandrist.

Therefore: Project Moon fired their lead artist even though she didn't violate her contract because insane incels did a "how dare you say we piss on the poor" bad faith misinterpretation of deleted tweets in order to justify their belief that Project Moon is a man-hating company, and as a man-hating company deserves to be annihilated, leading to threats to staff.

The artist for Leviathan later stated that Project Moon pushed the comic forward with no buffer, and when the schedule became unbearable, they just cancelled it. They were told there was an issue with production (supported by the fact the company dropped the translation in favour of focusing on the game), but this news has made the artist pessimistic about the company's treatment of their art team. (Update: deleted, with a statement they feel they felt attached to their debut work, and struggle with feeling like they ran away.)

Here's the artist Vellmori's twitter if you would like to support them through this period.

[mozzaremi]

got too silly, made omori magic au, that i'm calling MAGIKOMORI indodump in read more! (it's long)

Magikomori (Infodump)

The whole premise of the au is that the world of omori takes place in an alternate universe where magic is real

Magic and witchery have only recently become a viable career choice in this world, with magic academies popping up to help other witches to properly hone their craft in their efforts to make a living profit from doing what they love and are passionate about.

Both Sunny and Mari come from a bloodline of witches, making them generally talented in magic and spellcasting. Their mother isa witch, while their dad is just a regular guy who doesn't have the best outlook on magic users. 

Mari develop a people-pleaser side of herself that oftentimes is directed at her father, always trying her best to receive validation from him, resulting in Mari dropping all thoughts of becoming a professional witch in the future to instead focus more on her regular school studies and perfecting her skills on the piano.

Sunny, being the opposite, fully embraces the magic side of himself. The specific type of witch ability he's good at being illusions. He can summon lifelike recreations of entities from his dreams without much trouble. His summons are able to interact with the real world around them while also having a mind of their own. Although with Sunny being a less-experienced illusionist, he cannot control them or summon many at a time (he works around this problem by being able to conjure chibi versions of his dream entities into the real world).

While Mewo is still the pet of the family and she is recognised as Mrs. Suzuki's familiar. At the time of Sunny and Mari being toddlers, they would happens to accidentally cast spells and it was Mewo's job to reverse them and babysit the children when the parents were busy.

Other noteworthy magic users from the friend group is Aubrey. While she’s not from a family that's magically inclined, after seeing all the cool stuff Mari and Sunny are able to do with their witch heritage, saying that she became inspired to dabble in magic would be an understatement! 

The particular magic Aubrey specializes in is alchemy! She’s able to use spells to conjure, combine and transform items. One of her first successful alchemy attempts was being able to transform a simple wooden broomstick into a wooden bat 

The other magic user of the group is Basil. 

His family is part of an ancient bloodline of seers, and are able to see visions of the future. On top of that, Basil's lineage are bearers of a curse of being subjected to frequent nightmares, taking away any semblance of peace in their day to day life, leaving them with restless nights of poor sleep, night terrors, and insomnia. This curse also affects Basil's abilities to see visions, as it's hard to separate possible future events from a bad dream.

With the help of his grandma, Basil combats the curse by creating magical potions to suppress the nightmares and give himself a better night's sleep. 

Potion making becoming his speciality, he contemplates joining a magic academy to get a permit to sell his very own potions to the public! His brews range from tea- like elixirs that help with staying calm, helping with concentration, and clearing up general sickness (so basically like the stuff you can find at a regular pharmacy but make it magical)

Both Hero and Kel staying fairly faithful to their canon counterparts, both not having that many ties to magic, but still appreciating the craft! The brothers often contemplate on learning spells for their daily use, whether it's to help with chores or to enhance the taste of a special valentine's treat for a special someone! 

Now here's the deal breaker question... does Mari die in the au?

Well... yes and no. The accident does occur, but after Sunny pushes Mari, instead of freezing up, he attempts to cast a spell to save her from the fall, but instead he fumbles the spell so bad, that Mari phases between the world of the living and the dead, Sunny and basil being the only ones who can see her.

Their dad was already showing slight agitation from the witchery mischief that that family takes part in and the accident is the last straw for him. He leaves the family right after, convinced that the spell cannot be reversed and that mari was basically murdered by Sunny's hands and magic. 

Their mom tries her hardest to reverse the spell that might as well have been a curse. But without being able to detect mari, and with Sunny and Basil being the only ones to see her, it's their responsibility to attempt to undo the spell.

Instead of framing it as a suicide, Sunny's mom filed it as a missing person's case just so nothing bad happens to the two boys. Since magic has only been recently integrated into daily life, there weren't any good sources to turn to for help, so all trust was put into basil and Sunny to fix this.

Attempts to find a way to reverse their mistake were made with the two worried boys collecting countless books on spells and curses in effort to find a solution to their problem. After months of research, things were looking hopeless. Sunny, not being able to deal with the pressure, falls into a depressive state, barely leaving his own headspace while sleeping all day and night.

After the incident, he develops the headspace that we know, though with more magical elements sprinkled in, alongside Omori and his headspace friends. Omori is almost a stand-in for Sunny's own familiar, being able to effortlessly enter the real world and also disguise himself as his cat form. Omori would cause the young witch to procrastinate on finding the right spell to bring Mari back, ensuring that Sunny doesn't become too stressed or depressed when his attempts lead him nowhere. While not doing it out of any evil reasons to keep mari stuck between planes of existence, he just wants to protect Sunny and make sure that he gets some semblance of rest and peace in his life.

Basil's mental state also worsens alongside his best friend. With his best friend shutting him out and not having that much spare time to brew potions for his nightmares, all his time is devotedto finding a way to bring back Mari even without Sunny's help.

After the disappearance of Mari, instead of Hero becoming a chef or a doctor in the future, he chooses the career path of a detective, even purchasing a very expensive crystal ball to try to contact Mari if she were to be dead. Coincidentally he has no luck with being able to contact her, leaving Hero with some hope that he might find her someday. 

Aubrey still ends up becoming a delinquent, while also using her alchemy abilities for mischief. She forms a friend group of other delinquent magic users, causing occasional acts of misbehavior in faraway town.

She still owns Bun-Bun as her pet bunny, and while not having any magical abilities, Aubrey still refers to him as her familiar companion.

Kel is still... same-old Kel, still into basketball and a personification of a ball of sunshine. He still attempts knocking at Sunny's door to see him again, with things not going well until Sunny has to move. Kel also pitched in to get Hero the crystal ball for some closure, even being surprised as well when nothing came up. 

Being stuck between being dead and alive, after the four years Mari loses any resentment she might have had for Sunny and instead feels bad for her dear little brother. While Sunny can still see Mari, it's almost as if after Omori came into the picture Sunny started ignoring Mari's presence. Noticing this, Mari would attempt invading the boy's dreams to talk to him, causing all the headspace reset shenanigans.

When it comes to magic being used to cause other people harm, it all follows the "rule of three". Whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times. Being aware of this magical law does help with preventing any possible person using magic for evil. 

In Sunny's case, while it was accidental, he did cause his sister and his friends a lot of grief, so it all returned back at him, the negative energy being a lot of emotional turmoil. This feeling of physical and mental unwellness is what helped develop Omori as his supposed familiar to help him cope. 

The plot of omori would still play out as it normally would withthe main difference being that people think that mari went missing instead of her committing suicide. 

Bad and neutral omori endings are still plausible options for the plot. But in the good ending, once the friend group forgives Sunny and Basil for keeping up the lie of Mari's disappearance, they attempt to work together to undo the spell keeping Mari in limbo.

[shesluxuriousx]

🌟 6-Month Glow-Up Challenge 💗

Month 1: Self-Care & Wellness

Physical Health: Start a new workout routine or enhance your current one. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise, 3-5 times a week, and incorporate a daily goal of 10,000 steps.

Mental Health: Begin a daily meditation or journaling practice. Set aside 10 minutes each day for mindfulness.

Skincare: Establish a skincare routine tailored to your skin type. Cleanse, tone, and moisturize daily.

Month 2: Personal Style & Grooming

Wardrobe Refresh: Evaluate your wardrobe and add a few key pieces that make you feel confident. Experiment with new styles or colors.

Hair Care: Try a new haircut or hair color. Maintain regular trims and hair treatments.

Grooming: Establish a grooming routine that includes regular nail care, eyebrow shaping, and other personal grooming habits.

Month 3: Learning & Growth

Skill Development: Take up a new hobby or skill, whether it’s cooking, painting, or learning a new language.

Reading: Read a book related to personal growth or a topic you're passionate about. Aim for at least one book this month.

Courses: Enroll in an online course or workshop that interests you.

Month 4: Social & Professional Development

Networking: Connect with new people in your field or area of interest. Attend networking events or join professional groups.

Career Goals: Set clear, achievable career goals. Update your resume or LinkedIn profile and work on a project that showcases your skills.

Social Life: Strengthen relationships with friends and family. Plan a gathering or reach out to someone you’ve lost touch with.

Month 5: Nutrition & Fitness

Healthy Eating: Incorporate more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your diet. Try meal prepping or cooking new, healthy recipes.

Hydration: Aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Keep track with a water bottle or app.

Fitness Challenge: Set a specific fitness goal, like running a certain distance or achieving a new personal best. Continue aiming for 10,000 steps daily.

Month 6: Reflection & Celebration

Self-Reflection: Review your progress and reflect on how you’ve grown over the past 5 months. Write down your achievements and any areas for improvement.

Celebrate: Treat yourself to something special. It could be a spa day, a new outfit, or a fun activity you enjoy.

Future Goals: Set new goals for the next 6 months based on your experiences and growth.

[strayrumia]

Road to Relationship (Ch. 2)

lee know x fem!reader

Synopsis: [Y/N] and Minho have been best friends since childhood. The two have never talked about the possibility of a romantic relationship between them, but then again, why risk losing a friendship? As they continue their college years, [Y/N] starts to take interests in the guys around her. Unbeknownst to [Y/n], her best friend may actually take that risk the more she goes after guys who don't really deserve her. - or - [Y/N] starts to crush on other guys, but Minho doesn't like the idea of other guys being beside her romantically but him.

Follow these best friends as they navigate their feelings for one another!

Genre(s): fluff, best friends to lovers, angst, love triangles Other tags: jealous/possessive minho, bts side story, fake texts au, semi-social media au + written Content Warning(s): swearing, suggestive themes, mention(s) of forgetting to eat/take care of yourself -> will be updated every chapter! This Chapter in specific has: mention(s) of fighting physically and verbally

Minho stared dumbfoundedly at his message with his best friend. 'She actually got his number? Wow...' he thought to himself. He honestly expected her to text him about her failed attempts and how she looked like a mess trying to entice Jungkook, but he did not expect an immediate number to be shared. 'Knowing that they have a class together, they most likely got lucky being paired together for an assignment. Jungkook hyung is a nice guy after all, so I wouldn't be surprised if he offered his help...'

Jungkook to Minho was his superior, his seonbaenim (except Jungkook would never let him call him that and resorted to 'hyung'). He often had classes with him as Jungkook's field aligned with Minho's and their passions went as far as joining the on-campus club for dance. He often shined in his rehearsals and group performances, which caught the interest of many local professionals that suggested he have his own show to perform. These rare times that Jungkook took these offers and required back-up dancers, he would extend the invite to Minho, to which he accepted immediately.

Because of their similar passion and talented charisma, it was no surprise that they would get along so well. It was a surprise, however, to hear how much [Y/N] would talk about Jungkook. Minho didn't think she would be interested in him because her awful situationship made it seem like she liked the more reserved, mysterious guys. Jungkook did fit the criteria, but he was widely known to be an all-around nice guy.

'Maybe she learned?' Either way, Minho's attempts at logically thinking about the situation did not erase the unease he started feeling in his heart.

How would Jungkook even treat her if they were together? How would he react if he knew how [Y/N] was really like? Would he treat her any differently? Would he like her knowing that sometimes when she has a really good slumber, she would wake to a pool of drool on her pillows? Would he actually be attentive enough to her to know that she forgets to check both sides of the street sometimes before she crosses, that she almost never sees that last car be stubborn enough to go despite the pedestrian light being on because she was too busy spacing out? Would he even make sure she ate because she loses track of time and forgets to eat in a day?

There were many questions coming one after another in Minho's head along with many possible scenarios. He even thought about the possibility Jungkook gets turned off by her that he would come up to him and ask about her, or even the thought that [Y/N] would be so aloof on the idea of him walking out because she's just too comfortable.

Would he even take care of her?

After a long time thinking, Minho tapped on a certain someone's contact and put his phone to his ear.

"Minho!" came a familiar, cheery voice from the other side of the phone.

"Chan hyung, did Jungkook hyung ever have a relationship?"

"Hmm... he's a pretty private guy when it comes to his relationships. I'm honestly not sure... maybe he had a situationship beforehand?"

'Ah... so there's no way to know.' Minho thought. He did get the feeling that Jungkook was all about privacy when it comes to his love life, but if even someone as close as Chan is unsure, then who would know? At this point, Minho felt like it would be better to assume that Jungkook was too focused on his career goals and passion to really go after anyone.

"Why do you ask? Hey, Is this about [Y/N]?"

The sudden mention of his best friend's name took him aback. Minho blinked a couple of times before he made out his reply. "Why? What do you know?"

"I know that the chances of you knowing about [Y/N] being interested in Jungkook is very high. What do you plan to do with this information, Minho?" There it is. Although Chan is the only one that Minho allows out of his male friend group to tease him and get away with it, there's no beating him when his big brother side comes out - not only to him, but to [Y/N] as well.

"It's nothing. If she is serious about him and Jungkook hyung might go out with her, then I just want to make sure my best friend is in good hands. We remember what happened the last time she got with someone?"

Her situationship.

Before [Y/N] was ever really interested in going after Jungkook, there was someone that she impulsively decided to get with for a bit. However, it was not a very good memory for anyone to remember. What she thought was a real relationship turned out to be nothing more but a situationship, especially on the other's end. They had their fling with her, lead her romantic feelings on, called her for their own selfish desires, and neglected her emotionally for as long as anyone can remember. As much as her friends told her to leave that situation, she was naive and believed that there would be more.

She was in so much pain, yet continued to believe in someone who didn't treat her the way she deserved to be treated. With every second that she would cry to Minho, it was every second Minho had to fight the urge to go up to the individual and call them out on their behavior, let alone resist throwing a punch or two. It was also at that moment when she cried on her decision to walk away from them that Minho realized just how fragile and gentle this girl actually became after the hurt.

"Listen, Minho," Chan began. "I know how protective you are of that girl, because honestly, me too, but you and I also know Jungkook well. He wouldn't hurt her, interested or not. He's not that type of guy. You're just gonna have to trust them both."

"Trust her? I trust her to not put herself in dangerous or hurtful situations, but she still puts herself in them! If you nor I are there, who's to say Jungkook won't really be a bad guy behind the curtains?" Minho retorted. His blood was boiling at the possibility of [Y/N] being put in another situation because the guy she's with didn't care or respect her enough to treat her better. His memory of her crying, disheveled, and saying negative comments about herself was etched in his brain. He would never forget the feelings she entrusted to him, and in turn, the ones he felt when he held her in his arms.

"Then I ask you this, Minho. Who can you trust to be by her side and not harm her?"

The question caught the air in his throat. There's not a lot of people he can trust right now to be by her side, knowing how she portrays herself to be and how she really is. He's not sure if there's anyone he knows other than himself who knows her through it all and can stay beside her regardless.

'Wait... Other than myself?'

"Minho?"

"I-"

Before he can continue, he felt sudden vibrations from his phone, leading him to check his screen. A new incoming call. He doesn't know if he was either saved or had the worst timing.

"[Y/N]'s calling, hyung. I'll have to answer you some other time."

"Don't stress about giving me an answer, Minho. I think it's more important that you figure out yourself before you can even tell others. I do hope you give others a chance, not everyone is a bad guy, and you know it."

Chan was right, Minho knows it. ''You figure out yourself'? What?' That was the only statement that made him confused. While his words were getting to Minho, he couldn't help but feel upset. Seeing his best friend like that did something to his heart that he couldn't explain clearly. Maybe that's what he meant by 'figuring out himself' or maybe he needs to actually think about who he can even trust to be [Y/N]'s significant other without hurting her as deeply as her past experience did. Maybe he meant both.

Either way, the conversation stayed in his mind as he exchanged goodbyes and recollected himself to answer [Y/N]'s call.

"Minho! Hi, are you busy?" Her voice was coming in a little fuzzy and muffled yet still audible.

"No... what are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm driving home now!" she nervously laughed, knowing full well what she's about to get into with her response.

"[Y/N], what did I say about being on your phone while driving?"

"Don't worry, I called you while I was parked! Now, I'm gonna start driving." He swore he can feel his worry increase everytime this girl doesn't think about her safety. As long as she's being safe, it's alright.

As they started their conversation, they asked about each other's day. Minho told her how he was up early to go to the gym and that he had finished eating breakfast before the call. He omitted the information regarding his call with Chan. He was sure that if she knew, she would be curious and ask more questions that would not help him. More importantly, he wanted to hear her out first.

[Y/N] told him about how she was thought she would be late to class because she overslept again, but made it with 5 minutes to spare. She also immediately added that she'll eat her first meal once she gets home and recuperates after the lecture-filled morning and...

She told him about her class with Jungkook.

The uneasy, now with the addition of uncertainty, feeling slowly continued to rise.

"Maybe I should try to talk to invite him out over a lunch date or something. Just a little thing to do to be more comfortable with each other before we work on our project and it would probably make us be able to call each other friends!" She pondered happily. "Maybe we can do something like barbecue? Maybe even invite another person, that way it wouldn't be too awkward? Maybe not barbecue though if that's the case, for it to be a first platonic date and it's with others, I would-"

"[Y/N]."

"Oh, yes?"

"Why exactly are you crushing on Jungkook hyung?" he asked, trying his best to sound normal or confused, though it was coming off more accusatory than anything he intended. Worrying a little, he tried to play it off. "I mean, I was assuming you liked the more mysterious types."

Luckily for him, his best friend thought nothing of it. "I don't blame you, but I think maybe my interest towards the type might've been the problem. Also, a lot of you guys kept trying to warn me but I didn't listen. So, maybe it's important for me to listen now?"

'Oh, it's important to listen to your friends now?' he thought, slightly bitter from his own memories of trying to tell her his warnings and her continuing to deny them.

"Anyway, I think you wouldn't mind Jungkook! After all, aren't you good friends with him? I know Chan is! I thought to myself, 'if my friends are friends with him, then surely, Jungkook is a good guy'! So, that's pretty much one of the main reasons. Other than that, he's a really attractive guy, multi-talented, passionate, and a good guy to be around. I think he might be a nice person who can treat his partner well... and I hope I can be that partner."

Hm... that explains it. Although Minho wants to convince himself that it's most likely a crush and it won't go anywhere, her feelings are valid. If she really likes Jungkook enough to want to even try going on dates with him, then why not? Maybe he really should try to put his unease away for her sake.

"Maybe this might be my chance to be in a real relationship, and who knows, Minho? What if he and I are meant to be? I won't be hurt ever again!" she said, her feelings of hope and yearning clear to him as day. Minho remained silent, but she didn't notice as she got distracted with something that happened during her drive that gave her a good laugh. She began to explain the story, but unfortunately, the story was falling on deaf ears.

Now her words were getting to him. The possibility that she won't be hurt again, that was something he wanted and hoped for her, but something about what she said wasn't sitting right to him.

What if he and I are meant to be? I won't be hurt ever again!

He should be happy and he should trust his hyung - both Chan and Jungkook actually - that the latter wouldn't hurt her. He knows he's a good guy, he knows he wouldn't harm her whether or not he has a romantic interest with her. Hell, he even looks up to Jungkook! If anything, he really would be the best candidate in making sure [Y/N] never has to cry over a relationship ever again. He should trust him, he would make her happy if all works out. In return, if she's happy, then so is he. That's the way it would be.

Right?

...

But it's not.

Minho doesn't want that.

No, Minho does want her to be happy and if she's happy, then yes, he will be too. But not with someone who's barely had more than five conversations with her. Not with someone she barely knows and only bases off her feelings from how he portrays himself to be. Good guy or not, no one ever knows anyone's real intention but the individual themselves.

He knows deep down he should trust Jungkook and [Y/N], but there's just this feeling he's getting over the thought of her being with another guy. Another guy who not only has the chance of not hurting her, but also has the chance of actually hurting her. In all honesty, Minho doesn't know Jungkook very well other than them having the same interests and having their normal conversations every now and then during club meets. It's more of a reason to trust Chan's words, but no.

Unfortunately for [Y/N], Minho isn't going to be supporting this possible relationship. Unless he can see and say for sure that he won't hurt her and she won't be sad, he can't support it. So far, she's only talking about the things she's planning to do to make her moves, which is fine - she can take the lead to get what she wants. He'll emotionally support her then, but to actually help out? He doesn't want any part of it.

'No, I don't want some stranger by her side. He doesn't deserve her. She can try all she wants for him, but the moment I hear him make her shed a tear? It's over.'

Is this the realization Chan wanted him to figure out? He's not so sure. He's not sure if he's feeling so riled up because of the fact that Jungkook is a stranger to her and she barely knows him, that as bright as Jungkook shines, there's still a possibility there's something darker behind the curtains that isn't so safe for her, or if there's another reason he can't quite put his finger on. Either way, there is one absolute thing he knows he feels and will always stand by.

To be continued...

Prologue | <- Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 (You are Here) | Chapter 3 ->

Profiles | RtR Masterlist

TAGLIST (OPEN): @nappynapnaps @jisuperboard @kaiyaba

[rubykgrant]

I finally figured out the new version for the design of my musical super hero! She's part of the group of hero and villain kids I've been playing around with for about 16 years (dang). I started the story with my best friend, and the characters have all gone through a LOT of changes, but because I've had them so long, I sort of know how to keep the core of who I wanted them to be~

(also, thanks to some of my friends for giving me some suggestions on her look in the past! @v-voeux and @bonkalore I appreciate it~)

As a regular kid, Min is 14 years old, a new student at school. She's a social butterfly, who is also very smart and creative (her main talents are music and fashion, but she also takes gymnastics and ballet). She's studied a lot of classical instruments, but she also has a passion for modern styles of music, so her personal taste is very broad. Min participates in a lot of talent shows. chorus groups, and plays. She makes her own fashion designs, for herself and people she knows well. Her signature outfit has a little bit of an 80s-vibe; loos short-sleeve shirt tied at the side (with a rainbow of sunset colors), over a seafoam colored jumper dress, dusty-blue leggings, and pink shoes (her favorite colors are pink and different shades of blue/turquoise). Her hair is black (with a rosie-brown shine), cut in a bouncy-bob, with two little pink hairclips. She has a pink bracelet on one wrist, and a pale-pink scrunchie on the other. Min is chubby, but also very athletic.

Her fun personality makes it easy for people to be drawn to her, but she's very aware of how fickle and fleeting popularity is when people become demanding... and then get upset when you aren't what they want you to be. Although she's sweet with a pretty face, Min is perfectly comfortable confronting people who try to boss her around, and isn't afraid of rejection (this also goes for teachers; she's a straight-A student, but pushes back when adults try to put pressure on her to succeed). At first glance, she's a bubbly and cute, and while that isn't UNtrue, Min is also subtly tenacious, capable of deep thoughts and emotional insight, and very self-assured. She truly values real friendship, and loves making the people she cares about happy with fun activities. She's also very good at being motivational and encouraging.

Her mother is Chinese, and her father is Japanese, both working with animals (for years, they've been doing wildlife studies and rehabilitation, meaning they've moved around often, visiting different places. recently, they've started working with a zoo and an emergency animal care facility). Her aunt (father's sister) is recently divorced and living with them, with her two sons (Min herself is an only child, but gets along well with her cousins). She can be flirty at times, but isn't interested in anything serious yet. She casually dates, but because she's always nice, nobody feels too upset when she kindly lets people down/ends a relationship (when she gets a little older, she figures out she's polyam, ace, and attracted to any gender identity; she uses the pan flag because she likes the color combo~).

When she begins to develop super powers, Min discovers she can literally create "musical energy"; turning sounds into something with a shape. She can do anything from snapping her fingers to send out a chock-wave, or creating vibrations in the air that take the form of a musical instrument (interacting with it, and using it for attacks or defense). Things around her that involve music/sound can also be influenced by her (such as radios, or loud bells in towers). She can manipulate sound to isolate a specific noise, use echolocation, imitate another person's voice voice, and translate any language she hears. Because music can have an emotional response, she also has powers that follow "musical rules"... that is, breaking into song, and having her friends join in, literally has an effect on reality (she often provides mood music when the hero group needs some motivation while fighting various bad guys).

She has an affinity for butterflies, so she creates little wings made of the pink musical energy, letting her fly like a fairy (they aren't connected to her, instead floating behind her back, and disappear when she isn't flying). Min designs her own outfit, as well as the ones the other hero kids wear. Hers is similar to a marching band uniform, a dark pink vest and shorts that are cuffed. Part of the vest is a pale-gray, with lines styled to look like a violin. Her leggings are also pale-gray, with two different patterns (one leg has vertical stripes that look like piano keys, the other leg has thin horizontal stripes that look like sheet music). She has dark pink boots with little butterfly designs on the toes/heels. Her shoulders have short butterfly sleeves, and the vest also has a pattern of musical notes with butterfly wings at the edge, Min's super her symbol. She has the same shape made out of the musical energy as a headphone/mic. Her mask is shaped like a butterfly as well. Min's hair is more curled, and pulled up in a side-ways ponytail, with one final butterfly clip.

In the past, I've had Min's hero design look like a simple "super hero swimsuit" with pink butterfly sleeves, and I've also had versions with a skirt so she has more of a classic magical girl look... but I wanted to really try for something more unique, make the music theme very clear, include her butterfly designs, and also make it a little more sporty~

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

Enhypen Dynamics (Sunoo's Perspective)

Alright, time to check on Sunoo's perspective here, so I am not surprised his cards are confusing and contradicting, as his energy tends to be this way, no shade, he is a Cancer, sorry for the Cancer's out there, but energy wise, I tend to get confusing messages from them. Let me try to decipher what this means. Anyway, this does not say all about their dynamic, just an insight to an aspect of it, and energies change, so it can be different any moment. Friendships/dynamics will always have its ups and downs.

Heeseung (Conjunction/4 of Pentacles)-Okay, so the first card of conjunction seems good, they seem like a united front right now from his perspective. They may be joining forces for something. I mean duh, they are in a group together, but specifically their energies seem to be working towards a similar goal. But man, the 4 of Pentacles is a possessive, protective energy. So many things I get from this, he protects this bond, finds it valuable, or he shuts him out, and keeps things to himself regarding the bond. It could be both, but I say the former sounds more like it, or he leans towards that more. Anyway, this dynamic is confusing at the moment, but there is a sense of possessiveness on both ends, saw it in Heeseung's perspective as well. Ya'll these two are something energy wise.

Jay (Venus/5 of Swords)-So, I see the Venus card and I am like aww, then the 5 of swords pops up and I am like wtf man lol Anway, they are close, there is a lot of love they have for another, but when you are close to someone, you will tend to have more fights and arguments. He may find Jay annoying at times, maybe a bit combative. He may have the strong need to be right that may annoy Sunoo at times, but overall, there is love here. You won't like everything about a person you are close with, especially around all the time.

Jake (Trine/Page of Pentacles)-I believe Jake also gave the trine card for Sunoo as well, so partnership wise they are cool, things are working smoothly with these two, it is a peaceful harmonious time for them. Now these cards don't really indicate a close bond. They work well together and get along. It seems they are both focusing on their work and craft right now. I never get much from these two sides, didn't get much from Jake's perspective either. It is like yeah, we cool, that's it lol Their dynamic isn't that complicated right now.

Sunghoon (Water/5 of Wands/Ace of Wands)-So, two cards decided to come out. I couldn't pick one, so went with the two, felt they both needed to come out, okay, this one seems complicated to, so the water card seemed pretty good, they are very compassionate towards each other, they understand each other intuitively, but I don't know, with the other two cards it gives me sometimes they clash and it can frustrate Sunoo at times, like sometimes he blows up at him, like he can have a short fuse with him. I can also see him as seeing Sunghoon as a very competitive and passionate person, which I do believe he likes in him. This was was a bit messy as well.

Jungwon (House 6/10 of Swords)-Okay, this is interesting. House 6 is about mundane task, tending to health and practical details, that doesn't share much about a bond. Health may be a focus for both of them, maybe they look to each other for that, or maybe he thinks Jungwon should be more health conscious. 10 of Swords in this deck is about releasing negative thoughts, moving past a difficult situation. Maybe they are both trying to work through that, or he is helping Jungwon deal with that. This was weird to decipher, tried my best here.

Ni-Ki (House 4/The Magician)-Bruh, all these members really love Ni-ki's talent and skills. Okay, I really like seeing the House 4 here, it shows there is comfort here. They feel safe with one another. They seem to be in a comfortable place right now. With the magician, I just see him seeing Ni-ki as a talented and skilled person who may be too heavily focused on achieving what he wants to kind of have time to tend to relationships with him. I just see this man looking down at what he is creating, not really focused on anything else. And this could possibly be Sunoo's energy as well. But overall, they feel like family, there is love there, but at the moment they aren't too connected with one another.

Okay, I think I made some sense of this. I thought there were interesting messages here.

[theaceofwords]

Like. We do very much all understand that Russia is trying to interfere in all western elections, right? Russia, China, and Iran have ideological and territorial goals which they cannot realise in the existing global status quo.

Russia wants Ukraine (and really I think they want as much of Europe as they can get). They want to own it, stomp out everybody who fights back, and force them all to speak Russian. But they know also that the EU (and, I guess, NATO, the e bugs of the situation) will supply Ukraine with weapons as long as they keep fighting (which I also think is monstrous, frankly, but that's another thread).

China's government wants Taiwan. The US has been one of Taiwan's most vehement allies (which. you know. not always a good thing), but until recently it was taken as a simple fact that any move China made towards Taiwan would get stomped into the channel by the nearest US aircraft carrier.

Iran's leadership wants more regional control--they sponsor a variety of, let's say passionate nongovernmental activists, throughout the surrounding nations, and their current government is pretty strongly opposed to "modern" (Western) values like freedom of speech, human rights, etc. They're also pretty boxed-in by nations which are propped up by oil money, mostly US oil money.

These nations are coordinating. We know this for a fact; in the most obvious example, Russia is using Iranian drones and Chinese manufacturing to supply its ongoing violence against Ukraine. They all understand that their foreign policy objectives are perfectly compatible, and in fact more than compatible, are mutually reinforcing--because the cases of Ukraine and Taiwan are analogous, these industrial/agricultural centers which are not ostensibly part of regional alliances but which have been trying to join the modern world for decades.

But here's the thing. Now we have these hard-right political movements brewing throughout Europe and the Americas. Not by accident--hard-right groups are coordinating and sharing notes in south, central, and north America, as well as in the EU. And these hard-right political parties are not at all interested in the status quo of Western force projection--they take an isolationist, authoritarian view of foreign policy where the great powers do what they like and the small countries deal with it and are absorbed.

Russia, China, Iran, and the smaller, shittier nations that work with them (the governments of which are shut out of the modern world largely for being such shitbag authoritarian despots that even the US can't swallow working with them)--these nations all recognize that their best chance to achieve their goals is to help the hard right win in Europe. In America. Everywhere. Anywhere they can get someone into party who, like Trump, will refuse to honor treaties with Ukraine and Taiwan--who will go on record saying that he doesn't give a shit about Europe, that the US should pull out of NATO.

This is the state of the world. Do you understand that this is the state of the world? This is why Russia/China are pushing such massive disinformation on the internet, why there is so much pro-PRC and pro-Russian brigading on reddit and Twitter and Tumblr. It's not because they're nebulously evil Red Threats that we think are malevolent for no reason. They have extremely specific policy goals which they cannot achieve without a shift in the current world order. This means they have a strong interest in changing the world order as quickly and radically as possible.

These relationships are not the matter of speculation. These are not my personal conspiracy theories, they are facts. The A to B in this situation is extraordinarily clear.

The internet is not a neutral ground. There are hostile actors here who have decided that the internet is one of the best means by which to realise goals which are antithetical to free, open, and civilized society. You cannot take information here at face value. You must do your own research, confirm facts across multiple sources with different interests, draw and hold your own convictions and change your opinions when the evidence dictates it.

And above all else, do not be taken in by the idea that the world is awful and nothing can be done to save it. That nihilism is being pushed upon you. If you believe the world can do nothing, there is no point in defending Ukraine. If you believe the world is beyond saving, there's no reason to recognize Taiwan. If you believe both sides are awful, there is no point to pressing for Palestinian statehood.

Apathy does not serve a brighter tomorrow--because the world never remains good. It is made good every day by the effort of billions. The world we live in is the result of centuries of people giving their lives to push the needle further to peace. To international cooperation and understanding.

Get your head in the game. It's the only game going around here. You're playing whether you like it or not, so you might as well know who you're playing against.

[leannareneehieber]

I'M GOING TO BE IN A SHOW! AND YOU CAN GET A $13 VIRTUAL TICKET FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!

*Pops head out of hellish book deadline, while I am ALSO in the hospital caring for a loved one in the ICU, to shout about this show and hope you'll help crowdfund it!*

When I joined the Actor's Union, Actor's Equity, I promised myself I'd only do full productions I was really passionate about while I spent the bulk of my time and energy on my books. Well, the time has come for a one of those productions! And we really need your support because my *being* Union costs the team a lot more than if they didn't honor my status. I am so grateful that a brand new company founded without any institutional support, wants to pay equitable rates.

LET'S MISBEHAVE is a Jazz-age romp of a play about a group of marginalized identities trying to find their way in a restrictive, often dangerous world. This is a sweet (sometimes saucy) play about love and acceptance, written by a trans playwright about queer and trans identities and their allies. THE COUNTESS, my role, is a delightfully batty force-of-nature who protects her little community of darlings in the only way she knows how: by throwing massive parties.

This is a brand-new production company doing grass-roots theater, rather than relying on a specific institution, this team took matters creatively into their own hands and we need your help to fund it! We're Kickstarting now, and you can pledge at all kinds of levels! This is A GREAT way to celebrate Pride Month, by directly supporting LGBTQIA+ identities and their allies, all of whom will be paid a union and union-comparable rate to do this show, and YOU can be in the audience! Win-win!

Please share? Thank you! Happy Pride!

[stoopid-turtle]

moar made-up thoughts about dd's thoughts

Some of the replies on my previous post left me re-evaluating, and I don't know that I was incredibly effective at what I meant to communicate (honestly, that is really frustrating for me). So I just want to clarify and maybe add some context.

I assume it goes without saying that everybody in turtleland adores dd and gg and that we think dd is a sweetie-pie (I can't conceive of being a turtle without that belief). And as a group, dd and gg's sweet moments get highlighted a lot, which I adore. These posts I have on dd are more about stuff I don't see discussed quite as much and they're not meant to encapsulate all that dd is because, wow that's a lot. For the previous post, I'd been thinking a lot about dd's mentality and how he approaches things, as seen in SDC, because his captaining style seems really distinct in a way I wanted to dig into.

Honestly, we've known dd for years at this point, and he's grown and changed throughout that time. He's been influenced by gg and by other friends and mentors. And like most people, how he acts is variable and dependent on context. 

I do think dd was sometimes thoughtless when younger, but I don't think that's anything out of the ordinary for his age at the time, and I think he's grown out of it. In any case, it was never mean-spirited. Still, I think the way he expresses his feelings is pretty reserved and that he's not incredibly prone to sentimental gestures, like the gifts he sent Yang Kai. I think he can be thoughtful in that he's responsive when people indicate what they want, but I don't think he's the type to think up a gift idea on his own. Given that Yang Kai actually knows the guy and said as such, I don't think it's too far off-base to say that. I honestly think he probably gets help from gg with that sort of stuff, and he's likely to have gotten better at it as a result. But dd has never struck me as a sentimental guy.

(though with the captain gifts, I have no idea the logistics of how those worked, and I suspect, like most things on reality shows, that production assistants helped with suggestions and such)

I think he's a fantastic captain! I don't think I said that, because it's one of those things I assume goes without saying, especially as it's often said as such in turtledom. I think even back to Produce 101 when he was mentoring the young girls who were fawning over him. He did the cutesy dance with them to support them, even though he hates being cutesy (and bless him for it. That dance is a gift (and led to cute bts moments of gg poking fun at dd)). He's passionate about dance and he's passionate about helping other people improve (and learning from others). Dancers want to join his team because of that passion, and because dd just has a natural talent for it that is incredibly inspiring.

But he does like winning. He explicitly said as much himself. And that one episode I highlighted where his team lost is pretty tense. The rehearsals were tense, the performance was tense, dd's response to everything was tense. During one round, his team only gets 4 votes compared to, like 40 for the other team. I can't recall the score ever being so lopsided, especially when the losing team is full of top-tier dancers.

And dd's behavior then is incredibly relatable to me. He laughs about it, joking about how he only got 4 votes. But it's the laugh you get when you're really unhappy and kinda embarrassed but trying to keep a good, positive face on things (or at least, that's a strategy I have for those moments, and given dd's switch to serious-times when he's doing the team debrief, I think he's somewhat similar). 

And dd recovers well. He has a debrief with his team. He talks to Han Geng about what his team is lacking (they specifically talk about his team performance not being thematic like the others) and realizes they need a choreographer to pull everything together and give them direction. And the very first round of recruitment, he gets a choreographer for them. 

I don't think dd only likes winning. The reference to "not here to make friends" thing was a bit of rhetorical exaggeration for fun. Like I noted, he makes friends. He learns a lot and he mentors a lot, and that's definitely a big part of the draw for SDC for him. And while dd never intentionally cultivates a family atmosphere (as opposed to the other captains who explicitly tell their team that they're like a family), they come together like a family anyway. But he still likes winning, and I think he has trouble enjoying everything else as much if he's not winning. 

It's not a bad thing to be competitive like that (I once got into a fight with my wife because I kept losing in thumb wars against her. I personally know when competitiveness becomes stupid). DD has a passionate drive to succeed. This is how he's managed to excel at basically everything he tries (except cooking). I think way back to the auditions in SDC 3, when dd impresses his group by being savvy about street dance gestures (like the plagiarism gesture) and by knowing how to appeal to dancers (by having them warm up with some freestyling). He quickly overcomes any doubts the dancers have based on his idol background by being genuine, sincere, and passionate and that's why people want to join his team.

 *rereads all this* Hmmmm...feedback and replies are good. This is a better post.

Also, this judge is the one who always says nice things about dd. He's said at one point that dd has an extraordinary natural talent for dance even among professional dancers. He's right and he should say it. Best judge. A+ I hope they keep bringing him on.

[novlr]

As someone who just finished writing their first original novel and wants to know more about the American publishing process, where should I start? Any advice? Blogs? Articles? Twitter users?

A Writer’s Guide to Navigating the Publishing Industry

There’s something undeniably enchanting about seeing your words come to life on the printed page and connecting with readers from around the globe. The allure of sharing your ideas, stories, or even your expertise with the world is the dream for many writers.

While the idea of publishing a book may seem exciting, navigating the publishing process can be a labyrinth. It requires a blend of passion, persistence, and a solid understanding of how to wade through the murky waters.

So, let’s take a look at the ins and outs of the publishing process and what you need before you start sending your manuscript out to the world.

Identify your genre and target audience

Before you start thinking about publishing, it is essential to identify your genre and target audience.

Knowing your genre will help you determine relevant publishers and agents who specialize in that genre. Understanding your target audience will help you tailor your writing to meet their expectations. For example, if you write young adult fiction, you will want to write in a style and tone that appeals to teenagers and young adults.

Publishers and agents are all about work that sells. If you can show that you know firmly where your book sits in the market and that you know the people your book will appeal to, you will have given yourself a head start. When you publish, your work ceases to be just about you and starts being about your readers.

Get feedback on your work from editors or beta readers

Feedback is crucial for any writer. You want to make sure your work is the best it can be before submitting it to publishers or agents.

If you can afford it, consider hiring an editor to review your work. If you can’t, then try joining a writing critique group or finding beta readers who can offer suggestions and feedback.

When you receive feedback, take it seriously and use it to improve your work. Don’t be afraid to ask your readers for specific feedback, and most importantly, never take their criticism personally.

Betas are your first readers, so try to choose people who read in your chosen genre. Don’t get friends and family to beta read for you, as they’re often not the audience you’re writing for and will find it hard to give you objective opinions. Also, avoid using only other writers as your beta readers, as they’ll often approach your work from a technical view, and not from a reader’s view.

You can learn more about how to get the most out of your beta readers in this post.

How to Get The Most From Your Beta Readers

Research Publishers and Agents

Researching publishers and agents is an essential step in the publishing process. Agents often have specialisations or work closely with specific publishers, so knowing that in advance can help you avoid a lot of wasted time, and save you from unnecessary rejections.

Not only will agencies have specific types of books they look for, but each individual agent within those agencies will also have specific genres they represent. For instance, a children’s book agency might have one agent who deals only in picture books, while another represents only YA. If you pick the right agency, but the wrong agent, you’ll get a rejection, so be sure to be diligent.

Research is also important because you want to find publishers and agents who work in your who are reputable. Not all agencies are created equal, so you want to make sure you’re vetting your agents. See who they represent, and also make sure they actually manage to sell books to publishers; there are, unfortunately, a number of scam agencies out there, so it doesn’t hurt to be diligent. Check online reviews, and ask for referrals from other writers.

Want a little more help on how to vet literary agents? We got you!

How to Vet a Literary Agent

Start Querying Agents

Once you have identified a list of agents and publishers you’d like to submit to, it’s time to start querying!

Agents, and publishers if you decide to submit directly, have very strict submission guidelines, so be sure to read them carefully in the research stage. And incorrectly submitted query will be an instant rejection.

It is essential to be patient during this process as it can take time to hear back from agents and publishers. If you’d like to learn more about querying agents, we’ve got a detailed outline in the Reading Room!

How to Pitch Your Novel to Agents Like a Pro

Don’t Stop Writing

While you’re waiting for responses from agents and publishers, it’s crucial to keep writing. Do not stop writing, even if the rejections come in. This might not be the book that makes it, but you’ll learn so much from the process that it’ll be even easier to navigate the next time.

Rejections will be part of the process, so be mentally prepared for that. But throwing yourself right back into the thing you love takes away a lot of the sting.

If you love to write, keep writing, and then keep trying. There are no quick wins when it comes to publishing. It’s hard work, and it’s not always joyful. So keep your eye on the prize, and make sure you stay on that horse. The world deserves to read your words.

Resources

Twitter is a great place to find information from agents. Agents will often post threads on what they’re looking for and will announce when they’re open for submissions. There are also fantastic Twitter pitch events that can help authors find agents. You can learn more about them here.

The Writers’ and Artists Yearbook is an annual publication from Bloomsbury that covers most of the big agents and publishers, going through their genre specialisation and submission guidelines. While the majority of the book is specific to UK agents, there is a useful section on US and overseas agents, too, that will list the biggest ones.

Before querying, try to keep up to date with industry news sites like Publisher’s Weekly or The Bookseller. That way, you’ll know what kind of books are trending and get a feel for where your book sits in the market.

[autiezo]

The idea of Emo Teen Jean Vicquemare lives rent-free in my head

[It comes from @slonechnik 's DE AU where Harry's still a gym teacher and Kim has to go undercover as one of Harry's new students, for an RCM case. JV's 15, so Kim's 24 and Harry's 25]

It's so fucking funny picturing Jean V. trying to talk to Undercover Cop Kim. I'm gonna strive to make JV such a cringy loser. BTW, I think emo kids are cool, but not Jean lmao.

Anyways, here's a list of JV emo teen headcanons (below the cut):

- Nicknames himself “The Dark Mare”, based on his surname Vicquemare (reference to in-game Narrator's incorrect pronunciation of his French surname)

- No one used to respect Jean or call him by his preferred ‘title’, calling him “Jelly Boy” instead. That is, until the Hex incident happened. Jean finds that any student using his actual name, ‘Jean’, is disrespectful; unless he gives them exclusive permission, then that means he really likes that person. He also loathes being called by his initials and all of Harry's nicknames for him (e.g. Mean Vicky, J.V., Emo emo emo, King Void.)

- If Jean is late for gym class, Harry will jokingly and loudly mimick an alarm that goes, "Emo emo emo" to announce the teen's arrival. Jean a.k.a The Dark Mare obviously hates this. In Harry's defense, HDB does this specific alarm thing for all the regular latecomers. Every student has their unique, mocking call.

- JV hates Harry with a burning passion, despite the man genuinely wanting to support him. JV also does everything to weasel out of group sports.

- When he was 13, he used to get bullied and shoved in lockers a lot. So he has learnt how to pick locks from the inside and outside.

- He has also stabbed his bullies with a sharpened metal fork before, to the point where he made them bleed. Thrice. Harry helped him to prevent JV from getting expelled. Jean did bite his bullies several times, and has bitten Harry before. Harry laughed it off and said, “Son, you can bite me anytime if it helps you relieve stress. You have my permission, I don’t mind”. Which appalled Jean, so he doesn’t bite Harry anymore.

- This is the Hex incident. One day, Cuno's uncle (Kubo) stole Jean's diary and tried to read it out loud to everyone, but J.V. used big words Kubo doesn’t understand, so only part of JV’s secrets got out. J.V. got mocked severely, and Kubo + his gang of idiots ripped JV’s diary into several pieces. Jean yelled that he’d curse them all.

The next day, Kubo got into a car accident, which resulted in him never being able to play football again. Someone’s parents divorced. The gang proceeded to lose at football against the girls' team three times in a row. They begged Harry to talk to J.V. so he did. After much of Harry’s pestering, J.V. reveals that his curses didn’t actually work since curses are specific and they didn’t do what Jean commanded. Jean refused to tell Harry his secrets and said he just wanted everyone to leave him alone. And so, a deal was struck, and everyone stopped being mean to Jean, but people avoided him a ton. Rumours did spread, so many students really did believe that if they upset Jean, they’d be cursed.

- Jean actually has great parents and an ideal emotional support system outside of school lmao. Loser.

- Does actually get decent grades in school. He advanced two years in education

- makes his own emo music and song lyrics. Gave up on his music dreams after studying Literature and Music in community college, when he realised that being an outsider musician won't support himself financially. At age 21, he became a cop and joined the RCM at the same time as Harry (HAHAHAAHAHA)

- Has a lil gay baby crush on Kim but would never admit it to himself. He's also terrible at hiding it. Kim is the only ‘student’ he'd allow to call him by his real name.

- Secretly loves disco music but pretends to hate it. Will subconsciously bob his head up and down to disco music slightly if it plays for long enough.

- Has two pet cats he adores and drops the emo/cool guy facade for. JV pretends and boasts to everyone that he actually wants a pet snake instead, but he's a fuxking LIAR

- Has a chronic need and desire to seem 'cool' whenever people are around(except his family)

[nerdnag]

Hi Sara! You are wise and cool and I'd appreciate advice if you have any! I am trying to make friends especially with fellow autistic people in real life but it is very very hard and scary also I don't know how to find people who want friends. Do you have any advice? (Please only answer if you want to!)

Thank you Ghostly!! 🙏 You are so valid - it *is* hard and scary to make irl friends!! (... Online friends too, tbh)

I don't know if I have any helpful advice, but I'll try!

I think what's worked best for me is to meet people in contexts that are related to specific, niche interests. I'm not entirely sure I have any IRL friends anymore who are only autistic, I do have a bunch who are both autistic and have ADHD though. And all of them, I've met through various kinds of special interests.

For example, several people in my TTRPG group are neurodiverse. How did I meet them? I happened to sit next to a guy I'd never spoken to before while at a work lunch, and we got to talking fantasy books (... I don't really remember how), which got us into RPG talk, which eventually led to him asking me by the end of the lunch whether I'd like to join the TTRPG group that he and some of his friends were starting up soon. That was 3,5 years ago, and we're still playing together to this day!

Another, I met through Magic: The Gathering - we were going to the same weekend event (not related to MtG) and I saw him post in a thread about looking for people to play some games with, so I replied to him, and we pretty much clicked right away because it turned out we had lots of other similar interests as well.

A third, I got to know through playing social deception games at yet another event, in which we sort of fell into a banter-y jargon while trying to convince everyone else to vote out the other. (We were both the wild cards in every game, because I had a habit of grinning wildly and looking generally untrustworthy regardless of which role I was given, and he had an absolutely straight face regardless and was really hard to read, so we pretty quickly identified each other as friendly rivals.) Then I figured out he lived in the same city as I did, and my train was cancelled, so I used my Charisma™ to hitch a ride with him and his dad back home :D

... So based on my own experiences, it seems I've mostly met other neurodiverse people through various kinds of games, which is one of my great passions in life! Depending on what your interests are, maybe there are events, groups or such that you could be on the lookout for? Sort of like it usually happens on Tumblr I guess, but IRL it's a bit harder since you have to do more work and research to find those places and communities.

The thing is though, it will always be scary. The first time I went to play with the TTRPG group, I was super scared. I barely said anything during the first hour or so, and even after several sessions, it still took some time each time to get back into it and relax. But I always have a lot of fun while playing, and I know they appreciate having me there, so that makes it easier to relax and not worry so much. It was the same thing with the MtG friend - I rewrote that first message sooo many times, and then had a racing heart by the time I went to meet up with him. The trick for me has been to recognise when it's worth pushing through that discomfort, and try to be accepting of the fact that sometimes it won't work out, but sometimes it will; sometimes it will lead to amazing friendships, but sometimes it will fizzle out or face plant before it could even start. And that's fine.

It gets easier with time in my experience, but it never gets easy. I've sort of had to accept that I usually don't make a great first impression. It's not that I make a bad impression, I just don't think I make much of an impression at all - I probably seem more shy than I really am, and sometimes my fears make me behave really awkwardly. But after a couple times, as I start to relax and get more comfortable being myself, I think I can make a really really good impression! And I stress a little less about first impressions when I remind myself of that.

Oh, and one more thing: I've personally found that it's a lot easier to meet new people if they are there by themselves. People who already hang out in groups are much harder to approach. Because of this reason, actually, I tend to avoid going to places together with my friends if my aim is to meet new people. It means I won't have the comfort and safety of my friends with me, but it increases the likelihood that I'll approach people I wouldn't have talked to others - or that they will approach me! (The friend I met through social deception games is the opposite, though. He says the comfort of having friends with him makes him more relaxed and confident, which makes it easier for him to meet new people.)

[cryptidsurveys]

Sunday, November 10th, 2024.

One of your friends tells you they are going to train to become a cop. Your reaction? It would surprise me if Ollie told me that because they've never expressed an interest in that profession, but I probably wouldn't have much of a reaction. I might ask them why out of curiosity, but that's about it.

Would you ever consider working for the government? Naw. Honestly, working at the animal shelter is the only job I can see myself doing long term. I don't think I could bring the same level of passion and commitment to anything else.

If you had a magical pencil and everything you drew became real, what would you draw? Lmao, if only I could draw.

Your boots were made for: Nonexistence. I am considering purchasing a pair of boots, though. My flimsy ass 15 dollar Walmart shoes are not holding up against all the slush and snow.

The last person you would want to be stranded on a desert island with is: Excluding serial killers, cannibals, and obvious answers like that…let's go with Alex.

Your partner takes an airplane trip. The plane disappears and is never found. How long do you wait for them to return before you begin looking for a new partner? I would probably just assume they were deceased, but that doesn't mean I would immediately begin looking for another partner. Even if they died from some more common cause, I would still have to go through the grieving process, and I can't exactly predict how long that would take.

What would you like to touch? A few weeks ago, I would have said HUMPHREY. But we can pet him now. :')

Does anything you own glow in the dark? I have some glow-in-the-dark stars on my walls.

Would you rather ride a dragon or a unicorn? Dragon.

Do things just always go right for you? They do have a funny way of working out in the end, but I have to go through a lot of shit first.

Are you more like Spongebob who does nothing right but still everything good happens to, or like Squidward who tries to do things right and ends up having nothing good happen to him? Both. Considering how stupid I've been, life has been incredibly merciful. But then there are times when I'm just like…fvck. I'm trying my best. Can I puh-lease catch a break?

Has learning to spell become obsolete? No.

Who do you find yourself in constant conflict with? Why the conflict? I'm not in constant conflict with anyone, but like I mentioned in a recent survey, tensions are arising in cattery again. I'm going to do my best to stay out of it and refrain from choosing sides, but I'm also kind of bummed out. I guess it's human nature, though. Can't group people together without some inevitable gossip/drama.

What subjects do you refuse to talk about? Why are you hiding from them? There are things I won't talk about with just anyone, but it's not as though I never talk about them. I "hide" a lot about my personal life because it's no one's business. I don't want their input or judgement.

Are you every parent’s wet dream? I mean…why you gotta say it like that…

Everyone starts in the garden of Eden but no one can stay there. Why not?

Would you want to join a club that would have you as a member?

When you are exposed to the artwork (poetry, painting etc) of a friend, family member, or acquaintance, how likely are you to criticize it? Unless they specifically asked me for a critique, then I probably wouldn't give one. I would just enjoy it for what it was.

Do you mentally reject people? Before speaking to them? Depends on the situation. Sometimes I don't need to speak to someone to know I want nothing to do with them.

Are you arrogant? About what? I don't think so.

Name the ten bands you are the biggest fan of: This is tough because I'm more of a "song here, song there" type of person. I'm not a big fan of any one band (or ten bands) in particular.

Big nose, is it ugly or does it give the face character? I don't really care what someone's nose looks like.

Who has rejected you? Who have you rejected? Diane still won't make eye contact or interact with me unless she absolutely has to, and I'm just like damn, do you really despise me that much? Over what was essentially your own behavior?

Natural body odor or perfumes and colognes? I don't wear perfume/cologne, but I do wear deodorant.

When you hear someone make a joke about something, will you later make the same joke to someone else as if you had just thought it up? Maybe not as though I made it up, but I'm not necessarily going to interrupt the flow or delivery just to be like, btw, here's my source.

What if someone just says something intelligent, would you use what they said later as if you had made it up? Same as above. Not trying to steal credit or steal someone's thunder, but at some point, I'm going to consider the information integrated into my own thought process.

Ever think about moving to Alaska to live as a hermit? Every fvcking day of my fvcking life.

You are interested in a potential mate who is already attached. Do you encourage him or her to leave their current catch or try to find someone all alone? Not interested in trying to wreck someone's relationship. Plus, if they would leave their partner for me, then they would probably leave me for someone else just as easily.

Do you play in the snow? I have.

Are you an angel in disguise?

Are you a rockstar only no one knows it yet? Naw.

Why do you choose to listen to the music you listen to? Makes me feel good.

Does music these days suck? Some is good, some is bad. That's probably true for every era of music.

Do you find desolation and darkness sometimes beautiful? I am a huge fan of darkness. Maybe not so much desolation (although I do often find it beautiful), but darkness is just so cozy. I have the opposite form of seasonal depression. I hate it when it's all sunny all the time. I need snow and rain and gloom to thrive.

[aziraphales-library]

Hello!! I love all these suggestions you guys find! I was wondering if you knew of any Band AUs? Like Crowley learns to play electric guitar over centuries and eventually starts his own band or like he loves playing music and sings about azi a lot and thats how he confesses? Sorry i know that sounds very specific but just anything along the lines of Band AU is great thanks!! If not i can always write my own xD

Hi! Here are some band AU fics for you...

greatest hits by attheborder (M)

“But my dear, I just can’t believe you never told me that you had joined a musical group. I would have come out to support you— at your gigs!”

“First of all, never say ‘gigs’ again. Second of all, not my fault you never noticed when I showed up to dinner with a great big guitar case slung over my shoulder.”

(Aziraphale accidentally discovers Crowley’s secret: he was in a band in the 90s. And he wrote a whole album of love songs…)

Private Gig by madrabbitgirl (NR)

Aziraphale is on a miserable date with Gabriel, his most recent Grindr mistake, and is considering breaking things off when a sweaty musician in tight trousers appears before him, basically making the decision a snap. Aziraphale hasn't seen Crowley in a few decades, but their reunion is... passionate to say the least. Will they ever talk about why they stopped speaking in the first place? How does a stuffy bookseller go about dating a rock star?

Reunion by snae_b (E)

Aziraphale runs into an ex that he's never quite fallen out of love with.

Never Have I Ever (Been Myself) by FeralTuxedo (M)

Aziraphale Fell, BAFTA-winning actor of stage and screen, is bored. Bored of playing middle-aged divorcees in dull BBC dramas. Bored of answering the same questions on chat shows and breakfast television. Bored of keeping the real him hidden away. So when the opportunity presents itself to collaborate with up-and-coming rock band Witching Hour, he takes it, against his own common sense and the condescending advice of his agent. Witching Hour’s mysterious guitarist Crowley, flame-haired, moody, and a good fifteen years his junior, certainly seems worth the risk.

A human actor/rock star AU.

Soho by Lurlur (E)

Aziraphale lives a quiet kind of life, running a quiet specialist bookshop in one of the liveliest districts of London. He's content with his lot, happy with his friends, tolerant of his probably-human housemate, living vicariously through the gossip pages.

One day, a chance encounter with Anthony Crowley, lead singer of wildly successful rock band The Demons, threatens to turn his whole world upside down.

Win a Date With Anthony J. Crowley! by Caedmon (E)

Crowley is a world-famous rock star who sells out arenas. His name is synonymous with 'rock-n-roll', and he thrives on the spotlight. When he agrees to raffle off a date with himself for charity, he's expecting to meet an overzealous fan that wants to wear his skin and very well might try to roofie him. What he's not expecting is to be instantly attracted to the quiet man with the unusual name who shows up for the date at the Ritz... and he's certainly not expecting for Aziraphale to have no clue who he is...

- Mod D