#the people who you trust and who have faith in you. and yet you try and fail and try again to get back to the daily routine um!

[timmydraker]

Tim hates Damian, but not for the reasons people think.

It did start as him thinking of Damian as rude, violent and unworthy of something as bright and joyful as the mantle of Robin. Tim might be better than most rich folk can be, but he’s still human and was very clearly ignorant of Damian’s lifestyle and culture, and I don’t just mean being an Assassin.

There’s no arguing against the arrogant way he sometimes talks about Damian and the League even if later adaptations are lighter with it, and the only reason it’s not a big thing is that he actually learns and pulls his head out.

Tim is an asshole but he’s not stupid, he’ll learn even when he doesn’t want to, it just takes some time.

But once he started to try and see Damian differently, around the time the younger Robin started to grow more into his role and adapt to the American world, Tim was confronted by something that make him almost insecure.

Because while Tim had to overcome some of his faults, Damian did something so mind numbingly difficult.

He overcame his entire childhood and taught nature.

Tim once used Damian’s blatant disregard for victims comfort as a reason he shouldn’t be Robin, and now as Damian is becoming an adult he’s going out of his way to learn how to help people and not shut save them.

Tim would often point out how Damian never trusted anyone no matter how much proof they gave to earn it, only really putting full faith in Dick and Bruce, but then he’s putting himself I situations that make him squirm just to give people a chance. But then it’s Tim who has the most contingency plans because he firmly believes even your most trusted allies can betray you.

Tim hated how Damian was so arrogant and self centred and then he’s catching himself lying to partners just because he doesn’t think he did anything wrong even though they are clearly upset.

Tim had to work against his own body to be able to fight, changing his untrained body into a tool to be used, but Damian didn’t have to do that because his body was ready to fight from the moment he was made.

Damian grows, he becomes someone dangerous and threatening but someone equally as kind and compassionate, strange ways of showing it be damned. Damian wants to be a doctor, wants to help people o ur side of the suit, which just doesn’t make sense because Tim said at the start that all Damian will ever be is violence and cruelty and yet-

Tim is admittedly jealous.

He wants to say he’s someone great and strong, and he is really, but Damian…

Damian is more of a Robin than Tim.

They both still did good, great things and Tim will always be a good Robin, it’s just that Damian has done so much more in regards to himself. He’s grown and changed and went from being someone Tim saw as just bad to someone more patient and willing to do the hard work big for the good and it just doesn’t make sense because Tim-

Tim has become bitter and angry and every internal monologue he has is filled with venomous words and irritation. He’s making plans he claims he won’t act on, but who thinks up so many ways to permanently stop someone with violent, unethical and just inhumane means without batting an eye?

Tim isn’t hesitating when making ‘world had ended’ plans, when making last ditch plans that involve killing people and he’s stop pulling punches with certain groups because they come back to life anyway so who cares if they die in a fight?

And it’s so ironic, because for a time when he was first introduced to the family, Damian saw Tim as the goal. It was Tim who was most trusted by Batman, who was allied with pretty much every hero team, who was given free reign and his own cases, and it was Tim who his mother warned him would be in his way of Robin.

But Damian stopped being so eager to replace and started to want to be his own person. His own Robin and eventually, his own everything entirely.

And now it’s Tim who is being told to calm down, to stand down, to not be so defensive.

It’s Damian whose defying Bruce now, whose moving on from Robin and spreading a whole new pair of wings when even Tim can’t let go be cause he has to do better, right? Because if Damian, cold blooded and aggravating Damian, can become someone else and good then he should be too.

Yet even with good friends and a good rep, he feels like something lesser.

And doesn’t that just suck.

[moinsbienquekaworu]

Bedtime but oh how I wish I had coherent thoughts about. Amaris.

[hwnglx]

pick a pile - you in your own eyes vs. you in your fs' eyes

welcome lovely reader! let's take a peak into how you view yourself, compared to how your future lover will view you. breathe slowly, take your time and use your intuition to go with the pile that speaks to you the most. remember to take what resonates, and leave what doesn't. 𓆩♡𓆪

°❀⋆.pile 1ೃ࿔*:･

you in your own eyes

you see yourself as someone who isn't very easily impressed or satisfied. you might struggle with chronic pessimism and seeing the brighter side of things sometimes and seem aware of it. you are manifesting a better life for yourself.

you might lack substantial belief and trust in yourself to do well, and see yourself as someone who's more of capable of hoping and wishful thinking, rather than courageously taking the initiative and acting on your desires.

you believe you don't have the needed tools to follow your dreams just yet (financially, mentally or in terms of maturity) you also might be afraid of change; this could result in a habit of just staying in your comfort zone in the end.

you might see yourself as someone who's still too immature and inexperienced. not sure why this came through, but some of you might even think that you just aren't overly smart. (spirit is telling me you're wrong!) you might feel like a late bloomer who's been a little stagnant in their life or slower in your growth compared to others. a lot of comparing yourself to other people here.

i heard “dreamer with a heavy heart” from the song cruel world by faye. perhaps you could connect to that song; it talks about feeling like the world just challenges you continuously, but the dreamer inside of you remaining alive despite the hurt.

you might think that you're quite alone in this world. someone who's just used to being on your own, doing things on your own. you see yourself as a person who tries lighting their own path instead of relying on anyone else.

you see yourself as someone who's constantly wishing to learn from the things that life throws at you, and turning every life lesson into something that helps you grow.

you might experience fomo sometimes; fear of missing out.

it does seem as if you're still trying your best to hold on to this glimmer of hope within you.. you're aware that you're someone who could make it happen, if only they took a leap of faith.

you're very humble, dedicated and eager to learn at heart, so deep down you acknowledge that the potential and desire is there. you just aren't sure how to translate it into reality.

i think you're in the midst of slowly healing from negative experiences, which have had a profound impact on you. you're trying to practice self-forgiveness and letting go of the past, but still might struggle with self-doubts and insecurities.

you in your fs' eyes

your fs will see you as someone resilient with a strong personality, who's had to endure a lot of challenges and conquer many obstacles in their life. this gave you thick skin.

they might look at you as a person who wasn't as easy to get to, because you do have your walls up at first, and people need to prove themselves to you before they can get past them. they look at you as someone who's protective of their own space, and doesn't allow people to access them as easily.

their first impression might consist of seeing you in snappy defensive mode, where you had to stand up for yourself.

they'll think that you're someone independent who challenges the status quo; focused on first and foremost, going after what you set yourself up to, unafraid to stand out and be different. a person who's more interested in following their own rules, instead of joining the crowd or blending in.

your fs looks at you as a person who's determined to build their own financial stability and independence before relying on anyone else to do it.

which is interesting, because i do think this person could be relatively well off and wanting to provide you, but you don't seem very interested in basking in anyone else's money.

they could see you as marriage material quite quickly and think about building a future together, but soon after might realize you're not someone eager to jump into a commitment as such, if you don't feel secure in yourself first.

this has the potential to humble them quite a bit, and awaken the realization that you're someone more self-sufficient; and if anyone feels the desire to be with you, they gotta remain patient and consistent in their efforts.

you seem like a person who can make people work for your attention in order to understand the value of it, which your fs is likely to take notice of and feel even more intrigued by.

it's possible your fs isn't really used to people playing hard to get with them, which is why you might stand out a lot.

°❀⋆.pile 2ೃ࿔*:･

you in your own eyes

you see yourself as artistic, creative, passionate and warm.

you might believe that you're the type of person who's quite sure of what they want in material or financial terms, ready to realize your ambitions and goals in a bold manner; but with a soft spot when it comes to their emotional world.

like you usually have a strong character, but some sappy little things might still get you all sensitive, teary-eyed and emotional. some of you might be a little embarrassed about this too. (don't be, it's very endearing)

i feel like some of you might have fire suns with water moons

you might see yourself as a dreamy person, who's in love with the concept and idea of being in love. someone who often finds themselves seeking romance and everything it entails.

you look at yourself as a person who tries to find beauty in everything they do; just loving to romanticise life and its little things. you might love and identify a lot with art, music, etc.

at the same time, you seem to be aware of how you definitely are not as easy as you appear to be, and for sure find yourself cautious of people trying to take advantage of you.

like i see you as a person who can be willingly delusional sometimes just to beautify life a little bit, but absolutely not as a person who's easily fooled or played with.

it's almost like the more people get to know you, the easier it is for them to spot your more sensitive and soft side. the rest might see more of your more fiery and strong sides, since that's usually how you present yourself to the outside.

it seems like as time went on, you've learnt to be more wary of people's motives and intentions, and understood the importance of cultivating clear boundaries in terms of how closely you connect to others, and how much you let them in.

you can have your outgoing and social moments, but it's likely you've become good at keeping a healthy inner distance to a lot of people you're surrounded by; almost like making them believe they're your friend, when in your eyes they're not really.

you also might see yourself as someone who's not afraid to fight when necessary; a person who will not allow others to step all over them. you'll step over them twice as hard.

i see a lot of this inner fierceness inside of you coming from potential trust issues; not always feeling like everyone has your best interests at heart. you might have been betrayed a few times, which has taught you to be more cautious, and just keeping certain, more personal things to yourself.

you in your fs' eyes

your fs sees you as a vibrant and charismatic person, who has this very radiant and captivating presence to them.

they might feel like the world stops whenever they look at you; you make everyone and everything else feel less important.

their first impression is likely to consist of you being this attractive, charming and confident person, who has an inspiring and intriguing effect on them.

similarly to pile 3, they're likely to look at you as a person who's quite different to them in a variety of ways; whether that's your ethnicity, culture, views, beliefs, lifestyle, upbringing.

your fs sees in you, someone who can pull this spark of energy and motivation out of situations others would feel sad about.

like the type of person who's just eager to gets the spirits up if the mood ever gets too gloomy and negative.

they look at you as a bright and powerful person, who doesn't like dwelling on the past and isn't easily beat down by their losses, but on the contrary, sees them as an opportunity for a new and potentially even better start.

example, they might watch you go through a break up and wonder how much it'd affect you emotionally, just for you to get back up and appear as confident and vibrant as ever.

you're giving a person who has the best break-up glow ups.

like you wanna prove to whoever lost out on you, that it in no way is your loss, but definitely is theirs. it's giving princess diana black revenge dress.

as the connection progresses, it's likely for your fs to see you more and more as someone they'd want to settle down and start a family with.

for my girls out there; your fs might quite literally, want you to be the mother of their children. they're likely to look at you as someone who has great potential to be a mother, because you're so multi-facetted and wellrounded.

in your fs eyes', not only are you a strong, independent and self-sufficient character who's capable of confidently taking charge of situations, but you're also immensely nurturing, caring and kind towards the people dearest to you.

they think that you hold a lot of empathy and genuine love for the special people in your life, and have this natural ability to make them feel understood, and taken care of.

i thought of this moment when justin bieber talked about seeing hailey bieber with a baby and thinking “she is the one.”

also, this keeps coming through; they just think you're beautiful. like.. so so pretty. they might stare at you a lot.

“i could look at you all day and never get sick of the sight.”

°❀⋆.pile 3ೃ࿔*:･

you in your own eyes

you see yourself as a bit of a lone-wolf, someone who doesn't feel understood by many people, and doesn't really feel like they always fit into too many places.

a person who's in continuous search of their true belonging, and their spot where they feel safe and comfortable.

you think of yourself as a deep, reflective and introspective person who seeks profound understanding of yourself and life. you might be aware of how you need alone-time, as well as times of peace and quiet to recharge.

you long to find your own identity and true purpose, outside of what other people want or expect from you.

some of you might even feel the desire to move overseas in hopes that the change of environment could help you step into your power and strength more. there's some feelings of.. feeling like you're not where you should be, and believing that your current environment doesn't serve you. this isn't where you see your best self thriving and blossoming.

some of you might be using your spirituality to manifest a better life, and spend a lot of time on the internet trying to find guidance and ways to manifest your dream life.

you simply do not see yourself as a person, who's okay with just allowing others to take control of what you do, or your life.

you see yourself as a very driven person, who once they set their mind to something, absolutely have to get it done. like tunnel vision, this is what i want and nothing else.

while at the same time, you usually aren't someone who acts on a completely impulsive whim; you try your best to make all your decisions based on logic and reason.

you might recognize yourself as being a fairminded person, who's eager to balance your focus on your goals and your strong determination, with the importance to remain responsible and just in the way you get there.

there might be a struggle in you, between following the path you deem as best for yourself, while also making sure the people around you don't have to suffer because of it.

this dilemma between serving yourself, and serving others.

the dilemma between standing out, and fitting in.

you're strong, pile 3.. i know the road here wasn't easy, but you're persevering and doing an absolutely applaudable job.

you in your fs' eyes

your fs will view you as someone who's quite different to them. a person who's like a breath of fresh air.

they might notice that you hold beliefs different to them, proceed with things differently or approach certain situations differently, and therefore intrigue them majorly.

they'll look at you as a person who can transform them. someone who has the potential to change their life in a significant and impactful manner.

they also could see you as someone quite unpredictable, who always brings something new and fresh to the table.

your fs could be someone with masculine energy, potential earth sign. they're someone who's work-oriented, mature, possibly older than you in age, good with money and has a strong sense of responsibility.

they will see you as a person who's much more in tune with their emotions than them, and has this beautiful sense of empathy, and compassion for the people around them.

a loving person who supports others in a gentle and caring manner, and has a comforting and warm effect on them.

they will like how you bring this new sense of affection into their environment.

you could help them steer their gaze away from work work work, and make them believe in the beauty of love again.

like this person will literally have their fantasies awakened because of you. you will make them believe that soulmates are real, and that they finally found their person in you.

the puzzle piece they didn't know was missing in their lives.

it's almost like “how am i so attracted to pile 3.. when they're so different to me?” you'll quite literally have them wrapped around your finger.

this person might be someone who's usually quite stubborn and stuck in their ways, but something about your unique existence will change that; they'll want to understand someone else's opinions for a change.

they'll truly feel this desire to put themselves into your shoes and look at things from your point of view. you might quite literally teach them what empathy means.

both of you give the vibe of someone more independent, but are likely to change that for each other.

like you will make your fs want to be alone together with someone; that person will be you. and vice versa.

you'll find home in each other.

oh i could go on & on about this pile, the energy is so sweet

even as i started shuffling, i already began going into full on dreamy lovey-dovey 🥰 mode

[zairaalbereo]

“Please don’t do this.”

So after binging the whole four seasons of Black Sails last month, I’m now on a more leisurely rewatch… or so I thought.

But god everything hits so much worse or better or harder knowing about Flint’s past and motivation now. And then this scene came up, and I’m just… fuuuuuck. Crying, screaming, throwing up. I’m not okay. This is devastating. (Did I mention I cope with art?)

On my first watch, Flint killing Gates truly shocked me. He would really kill his friend just because he wouldn’t go along with his plans? To not have to give up on the Urca? Sure, Gates is going against his command. It’s mutiny, but Gates seems to be trying, and he sounds so bloody reasonable. And more importantly, he’s been a loyal friend up until now. A fatherly friend (I want to throw up). And even now he’s… trying to protect Flint, right? (Fuck. Seriously. Feeling ill.)

But yeah, I was shocked. And as he whispered broken apologies to the friend he just murdered, I wondered… could I forgive him for this?

And now…omg now it’s like watching a completely different train wreck happening, and it all makes perfect, tragic, horrible sense. The way the whole scene mirrors James McGraw’s futile attempt to convince Hennessy of their Hail Mary plan to save Nassau. Every step. The urgency when things have already gone sideways, but James refuses to give up, because it can still work. People just have to listen. Let him explain. Have a little faith. Back then he trusted Hennessy, and now he still trusts Gates. He trusts them to understand, asking them to believe in him. He doesn’t see it coming. (How does he not see it coming this time?)

And then the moment the floor is ripped out from under him. And it’s all there, on Flint’s face, in the moment when Gates says “They know.” It’s not the mutiny. It’s the betrayal. The way Flint’s face falls, and for a moment he looks just like James McGraw in Hennessy’s office. The same devastation and disbelief when he asks “You told them?” And of course for him it is the same betrayal. It is the same fight, to prove Thomas right. To stand against those who took him and everything else away from James.

And Gates, that poor bastard, doesn’t even understand what sin he is committing. He doesn’t even see it as mutiny. He sees it as doing the right thing, containing a madman. (Omggg…) And then there is Flint, reliving the worst moments of his life. And that point it doesn’t feel like it’s about the Urca anymore. It’s an emotional massacre, to which Gates seems completely oblivious. When Flint asks if he will see him get hanged, only to be promised an opportunity to flee for him and ‘Mrs Barlow’, Gates thinks he is doing him a kindness. Like Hennessy probably thought he was doing him a kindness, saving him from the gallows. It’s all right. Flint just has to leave, vanish and never be heard of again. He should be grateful. And the way Flint’s eyes close briefly in disbelief that this is happening. Again. The way he pleads with Gates, just like he pleaded with Hennessy. So unlike Flint. But once more he is told that his actions are unforgivable. Simply too much. He’s not just rejected, but he is abandoned. He is cast out for who he is and his supposed sins. A monster that can’t be allowed to exist amongst the rest of them.

The whole scene is executed so brilliantly, the way he fluctuates between James’ almost innocent appeals to be understood and Flint’s anger at being denied. But he keeps trying until the last moment. And then, when he acts, it’s not a calculated move. It’s pure desperation, the only purpose to do something, to stop what is happening. Because James McGraw didn’t. But where James McGraw hesitated, where he maybe still hoped, still didn’t comprehend, and where he still thought he had something to lose… Flint doesn’t. And yet we can see it break him. We can see how it breaks another part of his soul. 

(And of course it will happen again. Screaming. Crying. Throwing up.)

[harmoonix]

🥀 𝕻𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖈𝖚𝖔𝖚𝖘 🥀

Medusa Asteroid 149 Observations

🥀 - Medusa (149), aspecting harshly the ascendant (square, opposition, conjuct, quincunx), can have people envying them hard. It can be the personality or something they have

🥀 - Medusa (149) aspecting the ascendant harmoniously (sextile, trine, conjuct, quintile) can have people hating on them for simply being themselves, in a way they wish to be like you

🥀 - Medusa (149) in the 10H/In Capricorn, you're very magnetic, and that attracts people into you. They care because they may also be attracted to the status you have, to the things your status gives to them. Be careful not to get betrayed in the end

🥀 - Medusa (149) in the 5H/in Leo, you get lots of attention. For some, you can always be in the spotlight, and for some, you never got the attention you deserved. Your energy is manifested like a child who hasn't experienced pain yet, very pure and you know..childish. After a pain episode happens, you're basically hurt to be in that pure energy again. Maybe you got people telling you that "you're too childish," but that doesn't really matter because if you want to heal your inner child, you have to let yourself be a child again

🥀 - Medusa (149) in the 7H/Libra, relationships can get messy, so sometimes people can be attracted to you only for your looks and you can feel used because of that, make your own justice, because sometimes even your partner can come against you. Like being betrayed even for that person you loved the most. Medusa here can be tricky as hell because Libra in this position will represent Athena, you know Medusa was one of the priestesses of Athena in the Roman version, worshiping her. And she is very tied with the 7H because of what happened with her and Neptune (Poseidon) in the myth

🥀 - Medusa (149) in 9H/Sagittarius, a very enchanting energy for Medusa, you can be very wise and inteligent, you're proud of your roots but people may try to take your faith/beliefs as a joke and make fun of it, not only very disrespectful but immature as well. You can teach them how to appreciate all of these things without having to judge it

🥀 - Medusa (149) in the 1H/Aries, for some reason, you can feel like you're always guilty for something or someone. People may try to manipulate you because you're an intimidating person, and they may hate that. Is it important to always stick to yourself and not let anyone tell you that you're wrong for just being yourself

🥀 - Medusa aspecting the Moon gives full intuition and wisdom, you may know what people think of before they even say it

🥀 - Medusa aspecting Saturn may tell you that you're a very strong and capable person, you may work hard to keep all the things in order and sometimes you may need order in your thoughts

🥀 - Medusa aspecting the Midheaven (MC) gives the vibe of a very powerful and influential person, someone who can change something in the world, from rules to literally politics, you can stick for people's rights/for people's lives

🥀 - Medusa Retrogade is literally Medusa story itself (for those who know it), you can try to look for a "saving" in people, but they won't listen, you are the only person you can count on

🥀 - Medusa aspecting Venus may tell you that you can be interested in people who may not give the same energy back to you, basically you being into them, but not them into you. That's why you may be afraid to fall in love thinking they can hurt you

🥀 - Medusa in the 2H/In Taurus, your body can be very provocative, and you can feel like you have to hide it to not get others' attention, or simply that you don't want people staring at you. You may also have issues with dressing up, wear whatever makes you happy, and bring you joy. Also, for some, you can have body issues like feeling insecure with your body, and that can be a slow recovery, but trust it will change you forever

🥀 - Medusa in the 12H/In Pisces, you can feel like you're trapped, your energy in a way is sadistic yet melancholic, im thinking of a violin who sings a very emotional song for this placement is like you don't know you suffer, but in a way you're also very protected and loved..So Is like your soul can be emotional at times but doesn't know how to embrace that energy

🥀 - Medusa in the 3H/in Gemini, you're that type of person who got enough of people gossiping or talking bad or just you got tired of mean people in general, you don't always have the voice to speak up for yourself when something bad happens to you, yet you use that voice to speak for others, try to think at yourself as well. This Medusa is with one eye closed, meaning Medusa is afraid to know some "truth" in these placements

🥀 - Medusa aspecting Pluto can have people abusing your power, your human being, and your soul. Don't let people take advantage of you to profit out of you because you're a very powerful person, and you're here to evolve and rise from pain into a big ball of happiness

🥀 - Medusa in the 6H/Virgo, this energy is manifested as being drained by others, you have people with a very low energy in your life and that can drain you both mentally and spiritually, you can have some bad habits from them as well and you can feel a forced "bond" to them, like you cannot escape from that energy. I'm gonna tell ya if someone is being mean, rude, disrespectful, racist, homophobic etc they have a low energy, and you're like a magnet to that. Therefore, the key is to just let the toxic people out of your life before your life become toxic as well, like literally save yourself

🥀 - Medusa aspecting Mercury in harsh aspects can have people lying to them, hiding the truth, being very fake

🥀 - Medusa aspecting Mercury in good aspects have the people who tell them the harsh truth, like when you want to know something and people are damn honest about it with no hesitation

🥀 - Medusa in the 8H/Scoprio, this energy is manifested as someone who has been through a lot of personal and inner evolution, someone who has learned from their mistakes, someone who doesn't need nobody to make themselves complete. You're like a lone wolf because I think you got enough from people continuously showing you that they don't deserve you. They did you dirty, and they showed you their real face. And about this placement is that..you don't have to forgive people, you can just acknowledge what they did without forgiving them

🥀 - Medusa aspecting Juno (3) can indicate your marriage can involve some dramas about jealousy ane envy from others, to give you an example how mad were Selena Gomez fans when Justin Bieber married with Hailey Bieber

🥀 - Medusa aspecting the Sun can indicate you radiate a lot of popular/known energy is like you're the popular person in your domain and of course that attracts jealousy..you need the 3rd eye open to acknowledge when hate comes in your way

🥀 - Medusa aspecting Neptune is very mystical, very dreamy..that mysterious character in a movie like Megara from Hercules, though your magic is not known by everyone but in the same time chaotic if we talk about Medusa and Neptune they kinda hate eachother in one of the myths about her

🥀 - Medusa in the 11H/in Aquarius, so your energy is very welcoming you have that aura that makes people feel understood and comfortable, that makes people to just come to you and tell their feelings, your friends can mean a lot to you, you can find yourself being like the "founder" of the group and the one who unites them all, yet you can get envy from others about how easily you get others attention and about your friends/social group of people. Eventually your 'fake' friends can sometimes turn bad and betray you

🥀 - Medusa aspecting Mars is somehow that Medusa who holds a lot of anger for those who didn't found their justice, for those who need righteousness and a balance in their lives. Medusa might hate people who are simply mean on others, rude, people who discriminate and who are against others rights

🥀 - Medusa in the 4H/In Cancer, with this energy people can feel attracted to your empathic and emotive nature, your kindness can attract others, so literally a princess vibes..a princess who sometimes get to be villainized even by your own family/close relatives, to feel like you're the black sheep, I feel like you're the most calming when you're all alone by yourself and that type of person who cries when no one is around, I hope someday you can get free from those who do you wrong. You're kind but in a way hurt at the same time, you can manipulate people by their emotions sometimes without acknowledge it

🥀 - Medusa aspecting the IC (is different from the 4th house), you're like a mirror to your family, it reflects your whole persona, your roots and ancestors can be very connected with you even if you don't realize it, your ancestors could have fought with finding their own rights/and freedom back in the day (This can apply more if you have harsh aspects between those 2)

🥀 - Medusa aspecting Chiron the healer, with this energy you are able to heal the wounds from the past, I imagine this aspect as someone with scissors who cuts the "toxic" or bad lines out of their life, Medusa is in slow recovery but for sure it will change her forever. If you never found your justice, this is a good time to find it (during your healing era)

🥀 - Medusa in contact with Uranus, this is one of the very few placements where Medusa is actually more intuitive/clever than ever, she can feel very psychic, more connected with the universe

🥀 - Medusa aspecting Lilith h12/h13 are charming! It works if you have them in the same house as well, its a very intense energy because both Lilith and Medusa were neglected

🥀 - Medusa aspecting the Sun harshly can talk about how you always see and feel your dark traits, is like you look through a mirror and inside that mirror is the darker version of yourself

🥀 - Medusa aspecting Mercury harshly is not afraid to call people out, to curse/cuss, to talk dirty when it is needed

🥀 - Medusa in your sidereal chart can be more active than Medusa in the tropical chart, check it in both charts, and see where you relate more with the asteroid

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓔𝓷𝓭

🥀 Medusa 149 is noted on the list of the "negative asteroids" on the astro seek site, so therefore, the energy can be considered as negative as well. Make sure to check it out in both charts even draconic if you want to know how Medusa influenced your chart before you were born 🥀

H a r m o o n i x 🥀

[darkmatilda]

𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 | 𝐬.𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐝

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: working in an environment surrounded by cruelty and the darkest sides of humanity hasn’t made you lose faith—instead, you try to bring even the smallest piece of it into every day, into every case you work on. something spencer, secretly, finds beautiful.

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬/𝐭𝐰: spencer reid x religious!female reader, reader is an empath, refers to God, spencer uses the term guardian angel, but aside from that, there’s no deeper dive into religion, media liaison reader, longer hair reid bc why not, typical cm case in the background

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 3.4k

𝐚/𝐧: anon's request.

"Stressed?"

Walking down the BAU hallway side by side with your blonde friend, you glanced at her, tilting your head slightly. The look on your face said it all—hell yes. Honestly, you’d barely gotten a wink of sleep the night before, just stressing over the day ahead. That means, your first day as the new media liaison.

"A little bit," you replied, not even trying to hide the sarcasm in your voice.

JJ let out a short laugh. The purple tank top she wore emphasized her already quite rounded pregnancy belly—her due date was getting closer, and the time had come for her to temporarily step away from her position. When she offered you the job, saying she was sure you'd be great at it, you were intrigued. Her words made you actually believe it. But then came that accelerated training, and as your knowledge grew, your confidence shrank—classic case of imposter syndrome.

"You really don’t need to be," she reassured you in a gentle tone, rolling her eyes slightly as she did. Over the past few days, you'd been driving her crazy with talk about how much you sucked and how you just weren’t cut out for the job, and honestly, you admired her for still having any patience left. When you told her that, she merely mumbled enigmatically that she'd gotten used to listening to rambling. "I trained you myself. I know you’ve got what it takes."

Absentmindedly, you bit the inside of your cheek.

 "I trust you," you began slowly. "Still, I’m worried about how the rest of your team will take to me. I haven’t met any of them yet. What if they think differently? What if they think I’m not cut out for this?"

"Their opinion doesn’t matter. What matters is how you do your job — and I know you’ll handle it just fine. You’re responsible, diligent, you care about people..." JJ waved a hand, as if to say she could go on listing things for a long, long while. You allowed yourself a small smile. She raised a finger.

"And anyway, I’m sure you’ll get along with the team. I told you, they’re really good people. All of them. Hotch might seem a little intimidating at first, but don’t worry, he doesn’t bite. He just...judges."

"Wow, very comforting," you cut in with a snort.

Unbothered, she went on.

"You shouldn’t have any trouble getting along with Prentiss. Morgan’s going to flirt with you. My advice? Don’t let him see that it throws you off. Penelope...well, that depends on how you respond to Morgan’s flirting. But she’s lovely…"

You listened closely, your eyes locked on her, and in your mind, you pulled a tiny notebook out of your pocket and started writing down her advice, bullet point by bullet point.

"As for Spence..."

She cut off, because something unexpected happened.

Well—unexpected for you, at least.

Anyone else watching you march ahead with determined steps, eyes locked on your friend instead of the path in front of you, could’ve seen it coming a mile away. No psychic skills required.

You collided, hard, with someone who had just come around the corner. 

Letting out a surprised gasp, you instinctively grabbed the forearm of the person standing in front of you... who, as it turned out, was a man. His brown eyes widened significantly, focused first on your face for a longer, bewildered moment before shifting to your grip on the sleeves of his shirt.

"...And this is Spencer," came the voice from your left.

You looked at JJ, then back at the man you’d bumped into, raising both eyebrows.

"Seriously?" you said. Seriously, as in, why do coincidences always seem to favor my humble and innocent self? Out loud, it sounded a bit stranger than you intended, so you quickly shook your head, adding, "Seriously, I mean, what are the odds? We were just talking about you."

Dr. Reid slightly parted his lips. You noticed that his slightly wavy brown hair almost reached his shoulders.

"You were talking...about me?" he repeated slowly, shifting his gaze to JJ.

The moment he said that, you realized how it had sounded.

"No, I mean yes, but nothing bad," you quickly clarified. "JJ was just briefly introducing me to you guys. That your boss likes to flirt and I should ignore it, and some other guy...evaluate..."

"Reverse," JJ quickly interjected.

"Reverse," you agreed with an eager nod.

Spencer stared at both of you, at least thoroughly confused, but he seemed to decide it was better not to ask further. Well, maybe it was for the best. Finally, his gaze focused solely on you, and a sudden understanding appeared on his face.

"You’re the new media liaison," he stated more than asked.

Another quick nod.

"In person. And you, Dr. Reid?"

"In person," he replied.

The silence that followed those words felt strangely awkward, but you weren’t sure why. Or why it even happened. Seriously, no one had anything to say? Spencer cleared his throat. "Could you let go of me?"

A glance downward. Your hands still clenched on his shirt.

"OH, yeah, absolutely..."

The only thing comforting about it all was the fact that this meeting had exhausted all the reserves of humiliation assigned to you for the day. Probably thanks to that, meeting the rest of the team went by without any unnecessary setbacks.

*

A vaguely undefined but not alarmingly long or significantly short time later (let's say the first few days of work had blended together a bit, and you weren’t able to honestly pinpoint how many days had passed—besides, was it really important…) you kept your gaze fixed on the jet's window, occasionally making eye contact with your own reflection, which you immediately broke every time it happened.

You felt so many things that it was hard to list them one by one. Definitely, one of them stood out above the rest. And it was fear.

Choosing this case from the start had been risky. JJ had drilled one simple rule into your head: always go for those where there’s the highest likelihood that the killer will strike again soon. And where the most people could potentially end up in the crosshairs. It was hard to weigh other people's lives like that, sometimes having to choose between a serial rapist case and a child abductor your stomach would rise to your throat, forcing you to take a few deep breaths.

You were afraid to ask JJ if it would ever go away. If it was possible to get used to it. If not, you’d have to accept the fact that it would accompany you relentlessly. If it was...you weren’t sure if you wanted that to happen. Being an excessive empath in this position was quite a challenge, but the thought of complete numbness to such matters felt depressing. It seemed like a cross you didn’t want to free yourself from carrying.

Anyway, the next case was about an unsub who kidnapped teenage girls and always kept them for a specific amount of time—48 hours—before brutally taking their lives. The team was deep in discussion about what that time might symbolize, but you distanced yourself from them on the jet, listening with just one ear.

You had identified the last girl, assuming she was still alive at that point. The thing was, she had been abducted...over 40 hours ago. Her parents had reported her missing late, thinking she had simply run away, which apparently had happened before. You had only eight hours to save her.

Eight hours.

That thought was cruel and incredibly painful for you, but if you failed, not only would she die, but others as well—others you might have saved in that time. Other cases.

Eight hours.

Sometimes that was how long it took to clean up the apartment (with a bit of procrastination, but still).

Eight hours.

You focused your gaze on the team members gathered around a table, their noses buried in the files you knew by heart. Just like the structure of the victim's face—sixteen-year-old Abby, with green eyes and freckles on her nose. You had no idea where she was, how on earth were you supposed to figure that out in just eight hours?

Swallowing your own helplessness, you whispered a few words under your breath, your voice barely brushing the air. You didn’t want anyone to hear you, but you needed it—to loosen the grip that had taken hold of most of your chest. You closed your eyes, focusing solely on the prayer for a moment. You always said it for the victims, always gave thanks whenever one was saved. But you couldn’t remember the last time there had been so much pleading in it—pure, desperate pleading.

Eight hours.

Eventually, your lips pressed into a thin line, your eyelids lifted…instantly catching someone’s gaze. Spencer was standing just opposite you, likely on his way to join the others, but paused—caught by whatever it was you’d been murmuring under your breath.

The tips of your fingers dug hard into your thighs; it must’ve looked unsettling from the outside. You took a deep breath and simply shook your head in his direction, silently signaling that things were—at least as much as they could be—fine. And that you weren’t particularly in the mood to talk about it.

Reid, however, didn’t pick up on that cue, slipping into the seat across from you. His expression was the same one you’d seen on the others’ faces. You’d noticed it before. As if their faces had two layers. The first one—foundational—held constant tension, determination, and often, a trace of fear. And then there was the second, thinner layer—at times translucent, allowing glimpses of what lay beneath and helping you piece your theory together. It was on that surface that their smiles lived when they talked to each other.

Only once the case was solved did the transparency fade away.

“Are you praying?”

Spencer sat down across from you with a hint of hesitation, his forehead gently creased in thought. You waited a moment before answering, scanning his expression for any trace of skepticism. And you found it—which didn’t surprise you. You’d seen that reaction plenty of times before.

You simply nodded.

“For you to be able to find her,” you explained.

You glanced sideways at the rest of the team, still deep in conversation, and wondered why Reid had chosen to sit next to you in the first place. He was…fine. And you figured he thought the same of you. Since you hadn’t been around long, you hadn’t had the chance to form any real connections, though every now and then you and Spencer managed to find some common ground.

Still, you wouldn’t have guessed your faith would be one of those topics—judging by how he looked like he was trying not to bite his tongue.

“Really…” he began, but suddenly cut himself off, swallowing thoughtfully. His curious gaze stayed fixed on you. “Maybe let me put it differently—what exactly are you praying for? For more time? For the unsub to somehow change his mind and spare the victim?”

“Abby,” you corrected him automatically, ignoring the brief flash of confusion that crossed his face. You didn’t like referring to someone solely as the victim. Sometimes, when there were multiple or unidentified ones, it was necessary—but as long as you knew their name, you wanted to use it.

You’d sounded a little sharp, which hadn’t been your intention. You didn’t expect everyone around you to phrase things the way you did. Your mood just wasn’t the greatest, and the correction had slipped out on its own.

Spencer, after the initial surprise, nodded in agreement—which slightly, but pleasantly, surprised you.

“Abby. Right.”

His earlier questions still lingered between you as you sat across from each other in complete silence. He didn’t seem like he intended to repeat them, nor was he pressing particularly hard for an answer.

It wasn’t that you were trying to avoid them at all costs. They weren’t the passive-aggressive kind of questions people sometimes throw at someone just to point out the so-called absurdities of their faith—absurdities that, frankly, stop being absurd if you take the time to think about them beyond a surface level.

But for some, rejecting someone else’s worldview before even attempting to understand it—and immediately drowning it in mockery—was always the more appealing option. It fed their ignorance in a way that felt satisfying.

But that wasn’t what you were dealing with when it came to Spencer—though, fair enough, there was a trace of skepticism in him. Watching his face, his brown eyes, and the way his hair fell gently on either side of his head, you forgot for a moment that you’d actually meant to answer.

“I’m praying that she’s safe,” you said after a long pause, carefully shaping the words that had been sitting on your chest. Spencer tilted his head slightly to the side, his expression hard to read.

“That’s...that’s my request. I’m not asking for it to happen in any specific way. I’ll accept whatever way gets us there. Because that’s what matters most to me right now.” You had to take a deeper breath. Then, at a certain thought, a soft laugh escaped your lips.

“In other, blunter words—I don’t really care how God does it, as long as He does it. But...that’s not quite it either. I’d just be grateful. So incredibly grateful, if He did.”

Reid didn’t even have a second to process what you’d said when you quickly followed up with the next part of your statement—something that suddenly felt important to add as you glanced at the rest of the team from the corner of your eye.

“Of course it’s not like I don’t believe in your work,” you added with emphasis, voicing your thoughts about the team. Quickly. You just wanted it to be clear. “It’s like with hospitals. People…sometimes look at you a little sideways when you pray for your loved one’s surgery to go well, like you’re somehow undermining the work and effort of the doctors. The ones doing the actual job. But it’s not like that either. Sorry, I guess I kind of went off topic,” you muttered.

He parted his lips. You threw out your apologies so hastily that they blended with your previous words, making the entire statement feel chaotic, difficult to follow. With his eyes fixed on your face, clearly indicating he was listening, he seemed momentarily lost, blinking and shaking his head before responding.

“N-no, not… I mean, don’t apologize,” he said. “I was just curious. There are very few real things that could happen to increase her chances, well, if you think prayer could be one of them…”

“You know, in a way, I’m doing it for myself too,” you added quietly, honestly. You didn’t often say it out loud, and you weren’t sure what suddenly pushed you to. “Prayer…it just helps to calm down. And right now, I really, really need that—wait, what did you mean by there are very few real things that could increase her chances?” you suddenly asked, furrowing your brow. The tone of your own words made your throat dry. “Have you estimated her chances?”

“In a way?” he began, sitting up a little straighter. He sighed at the expression on your face. “I mean, human life isn’t something you can easily estimate. But… considering the amount of information we have, the running out of time…adding it all up…well—”

A long moment of silence passed, followed by a prolonged exchange of glances, as if questioning why.

“And?” you managed to croak, urging him to finish.

Spencer bit his lower lip, first barely noticeable, then harder, shaking his head.

“No, I shouldn’t…it’s very cold and logical…I think…I think it’ll be better if you just…believe it’ll work—”

“I believe,” you assured with a slow nod, not breaking eye contact. “And I will, no matter what you say, I just…want to know what cold logic says about it.”

Reid was silent for a moment, looking almost genuinely concerned. Well, it was no secret that you had less experience than the others, that you had worked on fewer cases. Maybe it was that novice's eye that explained how much faith you still had in the idea that it could work, that Abby could be saved safe and sound.

Then, in a quieter voice, he said it to you, and you felt the tightness in your chest, which had loosened with the earlier prayer, return.

*

"Abby, you're safe now."

Saying those words aloud, to the tear-streaked and trembling face of the girl wrapped in a blanket in the ambulance, felt like shedding an unimaginable weight that had been tightly attached to you.

The girl looked at you wordlessly, as if not understanding the language in which you had spoken. But she understood—she just hadn’t fully grasped it yet. Carefully, so as not to scare her, you adjusted the blanket that had slipped off her shoulders, repeating the reassurance softly. Only after a few more times did understanding finally flicker in her eyes.

You stood firm, unwavering by her side until her parents arrived. Only then, on shaky legs, did you allow yourself to step away. The night was sliced by the flashing blue and red lights of police cars, scattered all around the area. The relief at that moment was almost more overwhelming than the fear that had accompanied you earlier. That fear you had been able to push aside, not allowing it to consume you. The relief, though, you didn’t have to do anything with—except one thing.

To be thankful that you were able to feel it.

You had just finished saying another prayer when you felt someone's presence behind you. Turning around, you saw Reid, standing at a distance, sending you an uncertain smile after a moment of silence. You took a deep breath and, unable to hold back, pulled him into a tight embrace, wrapping your arms around his neck. Surprised, he responded with a delay, gently and shyly placing his hands on your back. Maybe you were wrong—maybe there were two things you had to do with relief. The second was crushing someone’s ribs.

“My cold logic was very wrong,” he said before he even pulled away, causing you to feel his words very close to your ear. He watched as you wiped away the tear that had slid down your cheek. When another one followed, slowly making its way toward your chin, you were surprised to feel that it wasn’t your own finger touching it, but his, briefly pausing in that spot. Your lips parted slightly in surprise, and before you could even take a breath, Spencer withdrew his hand and quickly shook his head.

“I mean,” he added, his voice taking on an awkward tone as he took half a step back. It didn’t pull you two apart by much. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m really glad I was wrong.”

You let out a soft, amused chuckle.

“JJ won’t believe me when I tell her you said that.”

For a moment, you both looked at each other in silence. You couldn’t help but feel there was one more thing you had to say. Spencer seemed to notice, as he nodded toward you.

“Something wrong?”

You bit the inside of your cheek. It wasn’t a philosophical question, more of a fleeting thought that sometimes crossed anyone’s mind.

“I’m wondering if it was really God,” you said.

Spencer opened his mouth, thinking for a moment. It was hard to predict what he would say to your words, and he dropped his head for a second, his gaze lowering before returning to focus on you.

“Well, considering you prayed for her in the jet,” he began, almost…hesitantly? “And how you stayed with her in the ambulance…if it was God, then you were like her guardian angel in all of this.”

You were taken aback by his words. You stood still for a moment, feeling as though he had held his breath, releasing it only when a grateful, sincere smile stretched across your lips.

not religious myself so let me know if there's anything off or inaccurate in all of this <3

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Fellow Honest - Playful Dress Vignette

"My stars, a grave insult!"

[Scalding Sands – Silk City]

Fellow: Now, ladies and gentlemen!

Fellow: What you are about to see here is a one-of-a-kind wonder.

Fellow: This is truly a genuinely invaluable show you are about to witness.

[rabble, rabble]

Fellow: Nice, them people're finally startin' to gather…!

Fellow: If you're interested in what I have to show, please, drop a few madol in this can over here. Any amount is fine～!

Fellow: And now, feast your eyes…

Fellow: On this… A one-of-a-kind puppet that can walk on its own without strings!

Fellow: What do you think, Mister? Madam? Doesn't it look so life-like? Amazing, is it not!?

Fellow: This exquisite beastman doll is the only one of its kind.

Fellow: You all are fortunate indeed to see such a fantastical sight. If your interest was piqued, I implore you to leave a token of appreciation…

[rabble, rabble]

Fellow: …Eh? It's not a puppet? A normal living being?

Fellow: HOW RUDE! WHAT EVIDENCE HAVE YOU FOR YOUR ACCUSATION!?

Fellow: Please, look carefully. It might be able to move without strings, but even if I poke or tickle it, it won't even cry out or laugh.

Fellow: It is a beautifully crafted puppet. Yes, that's right, there can be no question.

[Gidel nods]

Fellow: Ah, stop, Gidel!

Fellow: …It moved? Oh no, it must have just been a trick of the eye.

Fellow: Or, are you perhaps trying to insinuate that I, Fellow Honest, am a liar?

Fellow: You didn't mean it…? Ahhh, oh, but you've hurt my feelings so～!

Fellow: I've been known as Honest John, a man of integrity, pure and innocent, and yet you would call me a liar…

Fellow: I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SUFFER SUCH A DAY! MY STARS, A GRAVE INSULT!

Fellow: Hey now, Mister. Since you've damaged my pride like this, feels like you should provide me with a show of good faith and…

Gidel: [sneeze]

Fellow: AH!!

Fellow: U-Uhh… Ladies and gentlemen, I… Hm? You want your money and time back? …No need to get so angry… Hahaha…

Fellow: …Crap.

Fellow: RUN, GIDEL!!

Fellow: Haah… Pant, pant… Did we lose them?

Fellow: …YOU NITWIT! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE RIGHT THEN TO SNEEZE!?

Fellow: Just a little longer and we woulda gotten something extra on top of their spectator fees!

Gidel: …

Fellow: Ugh, whatever. ...All we got to show for that in the end was just a little bit of spare change…

Fellow: …And whatever small bits and bobs of jewelry they had on them.

Fellow: I stealthily swiped them with my magic while those idiots were all focused on you, but there's not much here. Shame.

Fellow: This dump ain't worth staying in. Time to move on, Gidel! Fwahaha!

[Fairest City – Crystal Galleria]

Fellow: Look carefully, fair people! What I have here is a magestone. However, this is no ordinary magestone.

Fellow: The date: 1000 years ago; the place: the depths leagues below the Coral Sea. This magestone was said to be sought even by the Great Seven!

Fellow: It may look like an ordinary pebble. So, what makes this an extraordinary find? Once you hear what I have to say, you'll never recover from the shock!

Fellow: Listen and be amazed! This is a miraculous stone where whosoever holds it becomes capable of using magic!

Gidel: ! [honks horn]

Fellow: For you, ladies and gentlemen, I risked life and limb searching high and low for this in the most secluded southern regions.

Fellow: There is only one of these gemstones in existence. We'll start the bidding at 50,000 madol (500 Thaumarks)! Come, come, all who are interested, please raise up a hand!

[silence]

Fellow: …Huh, no one wants to raise a hand? What, do I have before me a gaggle of broke spectators?

Fellow: Heh, gutless, all of you. Ah, but damn it all! Is there not a single one among you with the courage to reach out and grasp the miracle laid out before you!?

Fellow: With icy demeanors like that, even my fleas will laugh at me.

Fellow: …I'm sure you all are simply thinking there's no way you could trust vagabonds like us, isn't that right?

Fellow: You think I'm selling you a fake? You think you'll be wasting your money?

Fellow: Aah, that's no good, my dear fellows! If you mistrust me so fervently, it's not as fun...

Fellow: Don't worry. If you believe in what I tell you, there's nothing for you to be afraid of.

Fellow: COME ON TO THE THEATER!

Fellow: LIFE IS FUN

Fellow: …Ah, there we go, that was quick. 80,000 madol from the gent over there! And 100,000 madol from the one over here!

Fellow: A good call, everyone! With such wise decision-making skills, you all have a future scholar inside you!

Fellow: Fwahahaha! Look at 'em idiots believing at whatever stupid story I throw their way!

Fellow: A magestone that'll give you the ability to use magic～? If something like that really existed, I'd've used it myself.

Fellow: Even the guys who were the most skeptical leapt at the chance once I used my Unique Magic. I sure enjoy pulling the wool over idiots who try to look down on me.

Fellow: Hm, let's see how much we earned today…

Fellow: Two, four, six, eight… Oho, not a bad haul. Look, Gidel, we'll be feasting tonight!

[Gidel hops happily]

Fellow: Word's probably got around by now, especially after I raked in this much. This might be the end of the line for our earnings here…

Gidel: …

Fellow: What? You want to head south this time?

Fellow: Not a bad idea. How 'bout we target vacationers at them fancy resorts?

Fellow: Let's see if we can kindly crash their little enjoyable vacations.

Fellow: …Yeah, that's perfect. You're a genius, Gidel. This time, we'll be the fancy, rich folk out on vacation.

Fellow: We go where we want, when we want. We have nothing and no one tying us down.

Fellow: That's the least we deserve as free-spirited folk!

[Sunset Savanna – Sunrise City]

Fellow: EEEEP～～! I PROMISE, I WON'T DO ANYTHING BAD ANYMORE, I PROMISE!

Fellow: HELP～～～!

[Sunset Savanna – Sunrise City]

Fellow: SHIT! THAT MASSIVE CHEAPSKATE!

Fellow: They were carrying around a crazy fat wallet. They could've spared even a little bit and nothing woulda hurt their bottom line.

Fellow: Yet they caused a fuss just from me trying to swipe a few thousand madol… Ouuuch, it's still throbbing where they hit me.

[stomachs gurgle]

Fellow: Man, I'm starving. It's gonna suck to go another night without dinner.

Fellow: Ain't there something we can find to eat…?

[Gidel starts to drift away]

Fellow: …Hey, wait, Gidel! Don't open that can!

Fellow: Geez… Don'tcha see what it says right here? It's got OIL inside. You can't eat it, even if you open it.

Fellow: You do the same thing every time you're hungry. I've taught you dozens of times, can't you read what it says?

Gidel: …

Fellow: C'mon, squat here a little. I'll draw it out on the ground, so don't forget this time, 'kay?

Fellow: O is for Orange! It looks round and tasty, don't it?

Fellow: I is for Ice Cream! That thin, ice popsicle was pretty tasty the other day, wasn't it?

Fellow: L is for laugh! Don't it look like a smile when you look at it on it's side?

Fellow: …Why is L the only thing that's not food? I couldn't think of anything, so sue me.

Fellow: There's only so much I can teach you, too.

Fellow: Tch. If I had been able to go to school… By now I woulda been more…

[Gidel pats Fellow]

Gidel: …

Fellow: What? We don't need school to fill our bellies?

Fellow: Sigh, oh, Gidel. You know, you're…

Fellow: TOTALLY RIGHT!!

Fellow: That's right, we're living just fine even without going to school.

Fellow: Learning whatever with books and pencils is utter nonsense.

Fellow: We'll just clean out those suckers that went though their oh so lovely education, and just live a life that's even fuller.

Gidel: !

Fellow: That's right, leave it to me! Follow me, kid, and one day, you'll be a grand showstopper too.

Fellow: We'll get some halfwit students to dance for us on a stage for our own amusement!

Fellow: Now… What's more important right now is figuring out what we're going to eat tonight. I'll try to find something, so you start a fire.

Fellow: Just throw whatever you find into the fire, like wooden crates, or posters or… Hm?

Fellow: This job posting here… Oh, well, well!

Fellow: Look here, Gidel, That one prick is looking to hire someone. And this time, it's at an amusement park!

Fellow: I don't know what they're planning, but… Last time we did work for 'em, we made a killing.

Fellow: I can't stand how he looks down on us, but there's a lot more to gain out of it…

Fellow: Why don't we just go hear them out, Gidel? If we don't like it, we can just bail.

Fellow: We live only for today, never thinking about what tomorrow might bring. We do whatever work keeps our lives free and fun. 'Cause we can go and do whatever we want.

[Gidel nods, Fellow whistles as they go off]

Requested by @sakurakudo.

[lacy-oh-lacy]

do you do still do hcs for marvel girls? If so, would you be willing to write something about them x stupidly innocent reader? like, reader is blissfully unaware. Waaayy to pure to be a superhero, but they still are. just a bunch of wholesome wholesomeness. :)

oh, could it also include reader not knowing much about modern earth, if at all? Similar to how confused/in awe Mantis from GOTG was when she was on earth during the christmas special ♡ thank you!

Too sweet ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆

Summary: The Marvel women's dynamics with a clueless, pure-hearted cinnamonroll reader | hcs

A/N: This is such a cute idea! sorry for the wait

CW: Very brief mentions of Valkyrie's alcoholism, kidnapping and sexual harassment

-In many regards you and Nat are opposites, she's almost as cynical as you are innocent, but one thing you have in common is your deeply rooted kindness so you get along well.

-Your earnestness almost reminds her of Steve when she first met him but dialed up to 1000, and like with him it's a lot easier to build trust with you than she usually finds it, and you generally bring out the best in her.

-She's so protective of you. Sure, you're strong and you can handle yourself, but the thought of anyone corrupting your idealism makes her violently upset, she'd defend it with her life.

-She loves your pure-hearted nature, but she hates knowing how easily it could be taken advantage of. She's always watching out for you and scaring off anyone with potentially bad intentions.

-The blind faith you have in her, even after learning about her past, honestly makes her so emotional. You see her as a hero, more so than she'd ever dared to hope she could be, and she pulls so much strength from your perception of her when she needs it.

-You and Wanda are both outsiders in your own ways, but she could only wish to have your innocence and naivety. She’d almost be bitter, but you're just too pure to resent.

-In truth she adores you, you're the shot of light she desperately needs in her dark life, and your sweet, stupidly innocent energy perfectly balances out her more thoughtful and serious personality.

-The world's rarely been anything but cruel to Wanda, so she can't relate to your enthusiasm over the place, and yet it's infectious, she loves that the simplest things can leave you in awe.

-You're actually a good influence on her, bringing her out of her shell and encouraging her to try new things, often that both of you are experiencing for the first time which is a valuable bonding experience for someone like her.

-The almost naively positive outlook you have on her, even when the rest of the world just sees a monster means so much to her, some days you're the only thing keeping her spirits up and reminding her of who she really is.

-Carol is positively smitten by you, she thinks you're just the most precious thing in the galaxy and loves having you around.

-Regardless of your age, experience or the nature of your relationship, she can't help acting like a bit of a mentor to you, because as much as she loves how wholesome you are, she's determined to make sure it doesn't get you killed.

-You really fire up her protective instincts, she's especially quick to throw punches at anyone making a gross pass at you because you're too naive to notice what creeps they are, but she never has the heart to explain to you why.

-Usually though, she's the first to explain anything you're confused about, she'll pause any conversation you're getting lost in to catch you up, always so patiently and gently without any judgment.

-She loves showing you around all her favorite places (which is an ever-expanding list with how much she travels), finding it adorable how excited you get.

-Valkyrie’s known a lot of people just as stupidly unassuming as you are, but she also never really learned how to deal with them. So nothing about you surprises her the way it does others, but she doesn't exactly get you either.

-Despite herself, she finds you ridiculously endearing though. She can hardly take you seriously most of the time, but she appreciates that someone like you exists and respects you as a hero.

-But she’s not above trying to wind you up too, though any of her teasing goes over your head anyway, and she's very quick to tell anyone else to knock it off for doing the same thing.

-She's a cynic and she doesn't sugarcoat that for you, quite the contrary, she actively warns you about the dangers of the world. It's not like she wants to crush your innocence but she doesn't want you in any easily avoidable danger either and if that makes her a buzzkill so beit.

-As odd a pair as you are, Valkyrie likes working with you. Your positivity keeps her from face-planting into a bottle, and her street smarts keep you from following strangers into unmarked vans. All and all, you make a pretty great team.

-You're kind of like an infinitely less intimidating version of Yelena, so after dealing with her, getting along with you is a piece of cake for Kate, you're probably even drawn to her like Yelena seemed to be.

-She's used to being the more wholesome optimistic one herself, so she really matches your energy, in fact you can be each other's biggest enablers, but she'll definitely be responsible enough for the both of you when she has to be.

-She's smooth enough to make up for your ‘quirky’ brand of confused social skills, always covering for you when you say something bizzare, although begrudgingly because she loves your authentic, unfiltered self.

-She finds your awe and confusion adorable, but don't worry, she efficiently catches you up on whatever you need to know as you need to know it. You're not walking into traffic on her watch.

-She honestly loves being your tour guide, your enthusiasm is just so infectious. She's shown you around basically every crevice of New York, and if she wasn't a budding superhero she'd probably take you jetting across the world just to keep seeing that sparkle in your eyes when you discover something new.

[bettysupremacy]

hii! I was wondering if you could write a fic with reader and any marauder (they all fit) and maybe helping or becoming protective over the reader after a concert or party after a creep follows the reader? 😭

I went through a similar experience with a guy following me around after I went to the restroom after a concert, and it ruined my night if i'm being honest, I was scared 😞 I'm not the most shy of people and usually I can handle myself but it was pretty dark and idk the adrenaline from feeling happy to scared shifted pretty quickly. Luckily I found my friends and let them know and we quickly went back to our car (along with a few dirty looks from my friends god bless lol). I swore I could go to the restroom by myself- will not be doing that again :(

you can ignore this request if it makes you uncomfortable!

thank uu

i’m so sorry that happened to you! “(they all fit)”= poly marauders!

There’s something about post concert depression, especially when you’re with the band.

Your glitter eyeshadow is smudged, eyeliner untouched. You’d been shaken around in the pit of your boyfriends fans, and yet the paint hasn’t budged. God bless water-proof makeup. The world seems prettier like this, touched by alcohol and the feeling of soaring pride for your boyfriends. The glittery lights and signs of time square never fail to dazzle you, even now as you lean against Sirius morosely.

“M’hungry.” You frown, toes tipping up towards Sirius, though you fear the mumble may have been more for yourself.

His attention is diverted towards the boys as they discuss what to do now. Plans of how to get home and where to eat. His finger taps your cheek slowly, his focus paying you no mind. Words like Uber, hotel, room service echo throughout their very repetitive conversation.

“Sirius.”

He looks down, a little shocked and sorry at his own attention. “Yes, lovely?”

“M’hungry.”

“Hungry?” He asks, cringing. You’re about thirty minutes from the hotel, and even then, room service will take another thirty.

“So hungry.”

He sighs, unsure of what to do.

“There’s a hotdog stand over there.” You grab his tattooed bicep to balance yourself as you point to your right.

He thinks, peering down at you. “This won’t ruin your dinner?” It’s midnight, but still.

“No,” you sing, reaching up to cup his cheeks. “I really want a hotdog.

He flushes, looking away from your wandering eyes. Normally he wouldn’t let you out of his sight. They would never let you out of their sight in a place like this. But the cart is in eye view of the boys, and he has faith in you not to stray, even in your inebriated manor. It’s not that they don’t trust you, they just prefer to keep you safe themselves. Is that okay?

“Okay,” He murmurs, pulling out his wallet, handing you his card. “At least get the good toppings.”

“I always get the good toppings.” You pull away.

The walk is short and the cart is colorful. Red and white stripes, curvy calligraphy. It shines in your inebriated vision. Beautiful. The queues not long, just an older man waiting in front of you, but it feels like forever as the generous man (with the toppings as well) takes your order and wraps it in warm aluminum foil.

You take the hotdog eagerly. “Thank you.”

It’s heavy in your hands, warm too. You yell Sirius’ name excitedly, waving the hotdog above your head for him to see. He laughs, thumbs up until you bump into a man, smile fading, concern etching his brows.

“Oh,” you murmur, looking up. “I’m sorry.”

“No problem,” he smiles. It’s uncomfortable, not the smile of a friendly civilian.

You laugh. It’s polite, anyone can see that, but he leans closer. He smells like liquor, a disgusting discovery that has you subconsciously leaning away.

“You new around here?”

An actual laugh stumbles out of your lips. “London? No.”

He takes this as an entrance. “You should show me around.”

“No, thank you.” You try to walk past him. Towards Sirius who’s already walking over. “Goodnight.”

“Wait,” he grabs your arm, pulling you back. His fingers dig into your elbow painfully.

“What the fuck,” you gasp, pulling your arm away roughly. “don’t touch me.”

“C’mon,” The man slurs, fingers reaching for you again. “Don’t be-“

“Hello?” Sirius walks up, all stock. He grabs your forearm pulling you to him firmly, getting in between you and the man. He’s not much taller, but more intimidating in demeanor. “Do we have a problem?”

“No,” the man scoffs.

“Cause it looks like you put your hands on her.”

He scoffs again, clearly inebriated. “We were just talking.”

“Well, conversations over now.”

“She can make her own decisions.”

“Fuck off, bro.” Sirius waves his hand dismissively. Quickly, he walks you towards the boys who are peeking their eyes up from the Uber app.

“She was asking for it.”

Sirius reels back, dropping your forearm to shove the scary stranger in the chest. He pushes hard, the man losing his balance as he falls to the ground in a sickening thud. You gasp loudly, the unexpected conflict startling you. Vaguely you hear Sirius say something to him, but you’re too focused on the way the man looks up at you.

James and Remus are there in seconds, quick on Sirius’s heels. They pull at him, up and off the man. There were no real punches thrown, no real injuring blows, it wasn’t even enough to form a crowd. But still, you’re shaken. You shiver like a leaf under your James’ leather jacket, suddenly not feeling the warmth of the alcohol you’d consumed before the concert.

Slowly, you stumble back and way from your boys, to the bench next to the shitty bar you’d passed on your way home. That had been scary, but you’re safe; that had been scary, but Sirius dealt with it. You bring your hand up to your chest, setting the hotdog you had been eager to buy down next to you.

“Hi,” Remus pushes aside the hotdog to sit next to you. “Are you okay?”

You look up to the boy, blindingly beautiful in the streetlights and advertisements. “Yes.”

He pushes some stray hair from your face. “He didn’t hurt you?”

“I think it was more startling.” James sits on the other side of you, kissing your temple firmly. “I’m sorry he did that.”

“It’s okay, I’m okay.”

“She’s okay.” Sirius gruffs from where he walks over.

He sounds cooler than he thinks he looks. He’s not bruised, bloodied, or bandaged, if he were he thinks he’d look cool enough to breeze over. But then again you look mad, so maybe he doesn’t want that.

“Don’t be upset,” Sirius crouches to your level. You’re in the arms of a solid Remus. “he was a creep.”

“Are you hurt?”

“Are you trying to tell me something?” He laughs roguishly. “I thought I looked good tousled.”

He does, and you know he’ll look good on the tabloids tomorrow too. Sirius black gives black eye? You sigh at the thought.

“You do.” James feeds Sirius.

“At least someone in this relationship cares for my ego.”

“You look good.”

“Oh, now you tell me.”

You laugh, letting Sirius stare at you like you hung the moon.

“Kiss em?” He pushes his knuckles in front of your lips. His fingers throb lightly, you can feel it on your lips.

“That was stupid.”

“C’mon,” Sirius’ eyes roll as he pulls you up. “You’ve got a hotdog to eat.”

[amazinglyashy]

Crow on the Ring

Read on AO3 Pairings: Sylus x Reader, Luke and Kieran & Reader Tags: Gender Neutral Pronouns, Domestic Fluff, Getting your Nails Done Wordcount: 1,116 Summary: Sylus wonders to himself- if there was any point in having henchmen anymore. If they were going to consistently be busy with his partner getting their nails done rather than helping him with... actual henchmen things...?

It was... difficult , to say the least. 

Coming to the realization that one could no longer go out on jobs, flanked by his own henchmen. You know, the ones he had meticulously hired, trained, and paid more than living wages for for their less than savory duties half of the time. Hell, even housing and clothing them since they seemed to need it, even despite how much you paid them.

Yet, here Sylus was. Standing alone on the train platform to go home. By himself. In the wind. Trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. 

Nice.

It wasn't that it annoyed him particularly badly, no. He had done so many things in his life on his own, you wouldn't be able to count them even if you used all of the fingers of the hands of the men he had culled today, mowed down by the very pistol concealed on the inside of his coat, blocking out the chill of the season. Hell, he was even used to sending the twins home early if he didn't think he needed them for cleanup or anything- benefits of Sylus's evol was it usually didn't leave any traces of blood or carnage… that is, as long as he didn't want it to- So, that being said, he was painfully familiar with working alone.

But there was a stark difference between working alone because you were used to it, and working alone because your partner had been wanting to get their nails done for weeks at a trendy salon near the bad side of Linkon, and your own personal henchmen- you know, the ones you trained and paid for- had decided they would go with your partner to… protect them from the possible thugs lurking around nearby, spending their time daring the other to get their nails done too, without so much as a passing question to their boss about whether or not they were allowed to go.

They'd stopped asking a long time ago.

Somehow, Sylus found himself thinking that was a good thing, as he stepped past passengers and crossed the threshold of the train car. He wasn't entirely sure how he came to that conclusion, but as he stood leaning against one of the grab bars, his phone dinged with a text notification, and it showed him the path easily. He pulled it from his pocket, knowing fully well who it could be, the coat on his shoulder unnecessary to stave off the chill of the season anymore. His heart had been sparked enough to do the job on its own.

And somewhere along the line, it had become less about work- less about protocore auctions, deals gone good and deals gone sour, hitlists that spanned far longer than they should have given how much trust and faith Sylus would try and put into people- and that was because of you, only you- and oftentimes gorey scenes that Sylus had more than become accustomed to himself- and more about... You.

About the way you did things so differently from how he did, the fresh perspective perplexing at first, until he had finally fallen in with the routine. But even still, routine was a term used loosely. There was no routine to you. Maybe he could have a set schedule of when you went to cafes or hung out with your friends and coworkers, but that wasn't what he was referring to. No, his mind was drawn to the strange little things you did, to the way you were infectious to everyone you managed to cross without even realizing it- infectious to the ones that mattered. And only to the ones that would ever matter, whether you realized it or not yet- whether you had met them all or not, yet. 

Infectious in the way that he was looking at three matching nail sets in a photo you had sent in the group chat, the emojis of goofy faces popping up from Luke and then Kieran as they added their wordless two cent commentary to the image. The designs were all slightly different from each other, but a similar theme was apparent on each pair of hands. Red, black, and with a crow painted meticulously on each of your ring fingers. The caption underneath read You can see better in person shortly- we're waiting for you at the end of your line! and it made Sylus's heart warm even more than he would ever admit to anyone but you.

He moved to type.

And how do you know which line I'm taking, sweetie? Which platform are you on- the north, or the south?

The three of you had left far before Sylus had left for his job, and he distinctly remembered that not one of you had asked him where he was even going. Not a care in the world, but he guessed that would be your own undoing someday. Particularly, today- He'd been met with silence for a moment, the dot, dot, dot of texts in progress from all three of you went on painfully long, before you finally broke the silence with the shortest text to be sent after such a long period of time.

There's two of you, split up! You had texted back, not to Sylus, but to the twins, and somehow, Sylus found the act amusing enough that a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. Obviously, the three of you were still next to each other, wherever you had ended up in your search for him. There was no need to send the text when you could speak it out loud. 

But that begged the question of where was the fun in that? Where was the hilarity? If you did things the way they should be done, if any of the three of you did, it would be so much different. It would be so much worse. It wouldn’t be the way that you always handled things- clumsy, chaotic, just a little bit out there with your decisions and actions. Because what of it being harder, or more work, or senseless? It was what made sense to you, and the way you viewed the world was a magic Sylus didn’t know existed prior to meeting you. He wanted to see the way you viewed the world through those beautiful eyes of yours, and he wanted you to show him. He wanted you to show him what it meant to care for the twins and their shenanigans, to cause trouble and find the humor in the smallest things- the little things in life. 

He wanted it all from you. 

Even the weird, chaotic bits.

Sylus truly wouldn't have it, any other way.

[corvusblackk]

choose an image, get a message on what you need to know right now

1. 2. 3.

These messages are noted over imagery shuffling on pinterest because I wanted to try something new. I love divination in any way so I’d love to start experimenting with different ways and tools to practice it, so here I am!

so, it is important for me if you tell me if it works and it resonated with you, because I also used my intuition, I’m still learning.

thank you! 🦉

———————————————————————

Pile 1:

I want to remind you that finding a hobby and diving deeper into studying the laws of the universe will pay off in ways you can’t fully comprehend yet, your future self will thank you for it because the more you explore and learn the more you’ll grow into the person you’re meant to be (aka who you WANT to be).

the universe encourages you to start believing in people again despite everything you’ve been through, people can surprise you and there’s still good in the world, even if it’s hard to see sometimes, just trust the process and rebuild your faith even if it’s slowly step by step.

finally focus on building consistency while still having fun, because life isn’t just about the grind, it’s about enjoying the journey, learning, and embracing who you’re becoming, so shift your identity to align with your dreams and remember that it’s okay to evolve along the way.

if you care about what you do, keep doing it.

some other short and specific messages for a few of you who will know:

do you have a cat? I see lots of related imagery, so take care and give all of your love to them (this goes for other pets too though!)

feeling like a bird in a cage? know that it’s open, you’re just blinded by your limiting beliefs, so work on that “why are you still here? fly away now”.

are you in a band or want to be a musician? (maybe you play electric guitar, bass or piano) you’re definitely on the right path but you have to practice more and be truly dedicated to it.

———————————————————————

Pile 2:

it’s time to start focusing on finding your ideal daily routine, I know some of you hate those organising tasks BUT trust, find one that works specifically for you, cause it’s not about following someone elses blueprint but about discovering what helps you feel energized, productive and at peace, so experiment with different habits until you find your flow and remember that it’s all about consistency.

also, it’s important to work on socializing more, especially with people who can support and uplift you, some of you shouldn’t shy away from building healthier relationships with men (even tho I understand). sometimes healing and growth take time but your mindset will make all the difference.

believe in the impossible/unrealistic because you truly can achieve anything if you put in the discipline, trust that your efforts will lead you to places you never imagined, and never doubt your ability to create the life you want.

some other short and specific messages for a few of you who will know:

are you struggling with intrusive thoughts? I see you waking up in the morning with your cup of tea/coffee and getting flooded already with those, and this is your reminder that those are just thoughts and they’re not you, you’re not them

some of you really want to travel the world, I see you, and you should never decline this dream, take your stuff and go, find some friends who want to go along the way with you if you want but alone is so valid (just be safe please)

some of you I sense that are overachieving or have great dreams but feel in a slump from time to time, just remember why you started, oh and you’re so smart I promise you

———————————————————————

Pile 3:

I want you to remember that the only opinion that truly matters is your own so don’t waste energy worrying about what others think of you, “there’s no audience to perform for, just you” so focus on your own journey and growth.

take time to work on your wisdom, dive into spiritual books, explore new ideas and build a stronger soul, cause the more you nourish your inner self the more resilient and centered you’ll become.

NEVER settle for less than what you deserve, it’s all destined to happen if you truly choose it, so trust your choices, stay aligned with your vision, and believe that the best is yet to come.

some other short and specific messages for a few of you who will know:

you should give witchcraft a try (if you already practice then go on, make a spell!), learn deeply about protection first thing and then study the rest, and use it to reach your goals (this is a big topic so I won’t focus on it on this post, but I might make a series if any of you is interested, just let me know)

do you have libra placements? (specifically in your moon?) this reading was for you, I sense your beauty and desires to build your life from here lol, you have my respect

sometimes you forget about how EASY and SIMPLE manifestation/shifting is, so I’m here to remind you: 1. decide 2. done

[fairfoxie]

I think most antikin are children trying to bully other children to be honest. But if someone is an adult and still investing their time and energy into hating otherkin, I have to seriously question their capacity to truly accept queer people.

Not because otherkin is inherently queer (it isn't), but because it relies on trusting people with their own experiences despite outward appearances. I think it's no coincidence that the venn diagram between antikin and transphobes is basically a circle. Hell, antikin and racists go hand in hand too as both are bent on disregarding the validity of everything outside of the accepted Eurocentric societal standards. This is not even to mention the absolutely rampant ableism and mistreatment of the mentally ill that permeates every antikin space. I have yet to encounter an antikin who does not use some combination of ableism, racism, or queerphobia to make their 'point'.

If you have such a problem with those identifying as nonhuman things that you feel the need to actually invest yourself into hating us, I have very little faith that you have the capacity to take any other different human experiences seriously either. Because you can't even manage to stay quiet about a community that doesn't affect your life in any way. It's really not a good look.

And on the off-chance that you, as an antikin person, are not racist, queerphobic, or ableist? You are still aligning your beliefs with people who are. Get better.

[daretoassume]

the feeling of knowing it is done

it is often said, as neville pointed out, "it is done," and this is absolutely true. now, how can you live your daily life knowing that it is done? what would it feel like to go through each day, fully aware that your desires have already come to fruition?

usually, you would try to think of ways how it will happen, or when, or if you are closer to it—will it happen this year, this month, or not? and you have this narrative or belief that says, "oh, it's possible to happen this way, so I'm expecting this to happen this way more than that way because it feels more believable and not impossible." but that is not your job to know. yet that's the thing—we usually think about it all the time, especially when we are not guarding our thoughts. so, you'd rather do all these different techniques people do online because it won't hurt to follow them, right?

but what you're actually telling yourself is that you don't trust yourself—that you already have what it takes, that you already have your desires. your refusal to believe is the only thing that is keeping things at bay.

"so, do not ask how it’s going to be done. all i have to do is to completely yield to this being within me, for he has ways and means that i, on this level of my being, know not of. i rise then under compulsion. and under this compulsion, i go through a series of events, which will lead up to the fulfillment of that to which i yielded. i assume that it’s done." ♱ faith is loyalty to unseen reality, neville goddard

you put your desires on a pedestal, your focus is on wanting those desires, but WANTING something doesn't get you to the state of HAVING. the state of NOT having is thinking that your desires are going to make you feel better, or that they will make you feel like a new person, but you have to understand that the physical reality is mirroring you—your state, your thoughts, your feelings. nothing will change if you are expecting the physical reality to change first in order to change you.

that's not how it works.

your state should change first. there is literally no one to change but self. so, accept the fact that it is done. give yourself the capability to realize that it is already done. your beliefs, your perceptions, and your state should be aligned with your desires. what would it be like to have those desires? what would it be like to be the person you want to be? what does the best version of you, who has everything, think, feel, act, and believe?

when you are in a state of hurry, desperate to see your desires in your physical reality, it simply means you are not aligned with the vibration of the version of you who already has everything she desires. you are making it harder for yourself to realize that it is already done.

"to attempt to change the world before we change our concept of ourselves is to struggle against the nature of things. there can be no outer change until there is first an inner change." ♱ out of this world, neville goddard

rebrand yourself in a way that makes you feel that you have everything. because you do. your potential is buried deep inside of you, wanting to do everything that you are capable of. allow yourself to evolve, to change, to be the most authentic version of yourself. allow yourself to live knowing that it doesn't have to be difficult. allow yourself to live in the now—be so occupied in the now that you forget that you even have those desires or need those desires in the first place. because the feeling of wanting those desires resists the fact that it is already solidified. allow yourself to be the path of least resistance.

and when you are already in that state, you always have to choose to be in that state by decision. be aware of it so your mind is not all over the place.

if it is done, would you think about it all the time, or would you just appreciate that it already exists, that it is already done, and continue about your day, doing whatever you are doing, completely occupied, completely in the now?

[roguekaiju]

Long post incoming, but I've been thinking about the two quotes at the start of the Conclave novel and how they tie in with the end

"I thought it wiser to not eat with the cardinals. I ate in my room. At the eleventh ballot I was elected Pope. O Jesus, I too can say what Pius XII said when he was elected: 'Have mercy on me, Lord, according to thy great mercy.' One would say it is like a dream and yet, until I die, it is the most solemn reality of all my life. So I'm ready, Lord, 'to live and die with you.' About three hundred thousand people applauded me on St. Peter's balcony. The arc-lights stopped me from seeing anything other than a shapeless, heaving mass." -Pope John XXIII, diary entry, 28 Oct 1958.

"I was solitary before, but now my solitariness becomes complete and awesome. Hence the dizziness, like vertigo. Like a statue on a plinth-that is how I live now." -Pope Paul VI.

The ending of Conclave is ultimately a hopeful one. They've chosen a candidate in Vincent that can lead them into the future, who cares not just about The Church, but about the faith and about the people. He's the right choice, the best choice.

But it's also a deeply tragic choice.

Being selected for the papacy is inherently tragic, the novel makes a point to tell us this. Lawrence/Lomeil understands this, he even talks about how whoever is elected will never be able to browse a bookstore or sit at a cafe. Bellini, I think, understands this, but he still has ambitions, it's a necessary sacrifice for him. Vincent has no ambitions and also explicitly says he thinks his papacy would be a bad idea, but I also don't think he ever thought it would be him until it was. Tedesco, Trembley, and Adeyemi, they only see it for what they can gain/impose.

There's also the way it warps and changes you. It's not mentioned as much in the movie, but the book makes it clear that at the end the role had taken its toll on the late Pope. At the end of one of the bank statements of the College, he had written a part of St. Mark's Gospel: "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made a den of robbers." In the end, he had next to no one he could truly trust or rely on, he was paranoid, he had eyes on everyone, he was frantically trying to weed out corruption before the end almost entirely on his own. He was on that plinth, he couldn't see anything other than the shapeless mass.

And now, the ending. If Lawmeli had been chosen by the end, it would've made the story a tragedy, since we can't see in Vincent's head, it leaves the ending hopeful. But there's no getting around that this is a tragedy for Vincent.

He's a man used to hands-on work, being among the people, and now, like in the second quote, he's a statue on the plinth. It's the best choice for them all, except for Vincent. At first I was trying to concede that, how this is tragic for one character but still the ideal ending, but I realized that's the point.

In his first scene, Vincent says, regarding his plans to go back, that he will "face the consequences of my faith, like thousands of others", and that's exactly what happens, just not how he expected. He is prepared to be made a martyr for his faith if he has to, and he is.

It's a hopeful ending and it's also a tragedy. A good man is sacrificed for the greater good. It's an echo of the story that the Catholic faith is built on. Jesus dies for humanity's sins, Vincent "dies" and becomes Innocent VIX for the future of the faith.

The consequence of his faith is the papacy. And he faces it and he accepts it.

[alltheboysandgirlsiloved]

It's super interesting that despite both of them choosing not to chase after Brooklynn, Kenji and Sammy have slightly different reasons for that decision. And it speaks volumes about their personalities.

Kenji's reason is exhaustion that manifests through the lack of trust, meanwhile Sammy's reason is feeling betrayed. (explanation under the cut)

Yes, at first, Kenji felt betrayed (rightfully so), but in his experience, it was just yet another... fierce emotion that he felt towards Brooklynn. Kenji experienced Brooklynn through a string of passion and life-altering events – falling deeply in love, losing her emotionally, losing her physically, grieving over her, even learning that she was alive was brutal. Dare I say... he is tired of going through a windmill of emotions because of one person, and truth being told that it is valid. I don't think it's even fully internalized, but my boy is simply emotionally drained. No wonder that the sense of betrayal sizzled out quickly – he had invested too much already, he doesn't have the energy to fight and protect his heart yet another time.

At the same time, a massive part of Kenji's plotline in jwct (in jwcc too to some extent) is learning how and who to trust – it started with his father (jwcc), then it was Darius (jwct s1), at the end of jwct season 2 and at the beginning of season 3 – it was Ben. Kenji is quick to doubt people's intentions (makes sense considering his past) and he has to put a lot of physical and emotional effort into trusting someone again. Which is why him trusting Darius again is so beautiful, which is what makes his goodbye with Ben so heartwarming – despite all, Kenji crossed the bridge and chose to trust them again. But Brooklynn didn't give him a reason to try again. Instead, he feels tired of chasing a ghost – not in the physical sense, but in the emotional sense. He's just out of energy.

On the other hand, Sammy feels utterly betrayed by Brooklynn's behaviour, and that also makes sense for Sammy's past and personality. Sammy is much more than her love and kindness, but we need to admit that "family" – all types of families – is what she puts faith in. Again, it all started in jwcc – remember that she went to camp cretaceous behind her family's back, in a way she betrayed them for a better good. Yes, she found a new family there but that choice also bit her in the ass – ultimately, her initial actions didn't bring the results she was aiming for (even though in jwcc s5 at the end we learn that Sammy's family provides Mantah Corp Island with meat). Sammy was a family person even before that, but after her Nublar experience, dare I say, family became even more important for her. She realized that staying with people you love is what makes you stronger.

And then, she was suddenly alone. She no longer spoke with her family members, Yaz was distancing herself from her, Brooklynn was "dead", and the rest of their friends were trying to find a way to live their lives in this new reality. Sammy was left alone, abandoned. Her argument with Yaz... She was right, Yaz should have put more consideration and understanding into her situation; Sammy completely lost her footing. At the same time, Yaz made a good point – Sammy's animosity towards Brooklynn in season 3 is absolutely tied with her past experience – both with her family and with Yaz. And it all finally bubbled to the surface. In Texas, Sammy focused on running a farm. She distracted herself. Then, when she and Ben picked up Yaz, the positive feelings (overall) outweighed the negative ones. But when Brooklynn left them at that airport, Sammy (maybe for the first time) saw someone physically walk away from her and it brought back everything she buried in herself out of love. She is not just betrayed by Brooklynn, she probably also feels betrayed by life.

[aromacaque]

Quick S5 Analysis and Theory

I AM GOING TO RAMBLE ANALYSIS BECAUSE THEY ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY

I cannot stop thinking about the way Wukong reacts to Macaque when he goes "oh no 'gee thanks for saving me macaque!...'" cause if this were before the S5E2, he would have snapped back at him, like he always does.

We know Macaque does this solely to rile Wukong up. It's how we're introduced to his character in S1E9 and he does it throughout the series. This is why he did it here too (or at least partially), BUT WUKONG DOESN'T TAKE THE BAIT THIS TIME.

While he's obviously still reeling from seeing the memory of their fight he was forced to watch,

you can still see that, for a split second, Wukong almost does snap back, but he instantly rethinks that and decides to be passive

Macaque, again, pokes at him trying to get a reaction, but this time Wukong doesn't even think about snapping back. He simply responds casually/lightly (before then realizing that MK is in danger)

This tells us possibly two really important things

Macaque sacrificing himself in S5E2 was a turning point for Wukong's perception of him. An increase in personal trust/faith/etc.

2. Seeing the memory of their fight made him rethink his behavior toward Macaque

For the rest of the season, they don't get a lot of moments because of, well, Everything, but we see Wukong is not only more willing to show concern for his wellbeing, but also seems to be more open/emotionally vulnerable in front of him than before (in little moments, anyway).

Granted that has been building up since S4E11, arguably before that but I'm not going to deep dive analyze season 3. He's being more communicative with Macaque in S5E1 about MK too. In other words, not completely shutting him out or pushing him away, which seems like their natural progression from S4E11 as well.

All of that being said, this brings me to The Scene. Which I am completely normal about because there's so much to unpack about it and I am so normal about that. Evidently.

First of all, they wanted to hold hands during their final moments. MK and Macaque are the two most important people in Wukong's life, I feel like that speaks for itself.

BUT it's Wukong who reaches out here.

This is Wukong's first major attempt to bridge the gap between them, at least in such a direct way. In my opinion, it's almost a wordless forgiveness on top of acknowledging how Macaque has changed and improved himself, as well as his reciprocation of that behavior. He wants to fix their relationship too, just as he has seen Macaque willing to do the same.

This moment being interrupted was actually a good thing. It's a good visual reminder that, despite them both wanting to reconcile, they aren't Quite there yet. There's still a lot left unsaid between these two, most importantly Macaque's death. (I'LL GET TO THAT. HOLD THAT IN YOUR BRAIN)

For macaque, this moment has another important meaning.

AND NOW I GET TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITING TOOLS HELLO PARALLELS!!!!

In S2E7 we are introduced to this shot of Wukong on a pedestal over Macaque, turning his back on him and abandoning him. This is firmly established in that episode as one of the main reasons Macaque resents Wukong.

He is also portrayed as above him, subsequently nodding at Macaque feeling inferior to him.

In S4E11, we actually watch how this dynamic destroys their friendship. It is a MAJOR reason for their falling out. Macaque feels neglected, overlooked, ignored. Promises are broken and trust is lost. To him, Wukong is selfish, self-righteous, egotistical, uncaring, etc.

Obviously we as the audience are aware Macaque has a rather skewed perception of Wukong that seems to be influenced by his projection of his own insecurities, but that is a whole other analysis for a different time.

In S5E10, this shot is paralleled. Visually demonstrating that Wukong isn't forgetting about him this time. He looks for him. Macaque is being considered in a way he had previously believed was lacking in their friendship.

Not only that, but they are on level ground. Balanced and equal.

Macaque is reluctant to reach back out. His trust in Wukong is practically non-existent, has been for a while (understandably), so it's a little hard for him, but he reciprocates because, like Wukong, he's acknowledging that he has changed. He wants to try to fix this too.

TO RECAP!

They know they both want to fix things

They can see and have acknowledged changes in their behavior on both sides

Wukong seems to be less prone to arguing back, which will most likely make Macaque less likely to try and provoke him. All in all, they will be more civil with each other and most likely argue much less.

They are being held back by things left unsaid.

WHICH LEADS ME TOO...

WHERE DOES THIS LEAD THEM IN S6?

The obvious is they need to address Macaque's death. If they don't do it in this season it's bad writing and they are dragging it out for too long. It's the obvious natural progression here.

This is where they will have an actual, long overdue constructive conversation. It is literally singlehandedly the only thing preventing them from reconciling at this point.

Now, the problem, is how this would happen. Because we all know neither of them are going to randomly apologize out of nowhere. It's gonna take something to push them into that direction. And that should be how it happens otherwise it'd most likely feel forced in the script.

WHICH BRINGS ME TO A THEORY. A GAME THEO-

I'm not going to get into the nitty-gritty details of this particular theory, but just know that I am a firm believer in the "Macaque was consumed by his own powers and that's what killed him" theory. I do think Wukong played a substantial role in his death, enough for Macaque to reasonably believe Wukong killed him, but ultimately it was less Wukong directly killing him and more indirectly causing it and not saving him.

That being said, Wukong and Macaque's relationship is a major subplot in this show with a considerable amount of focus. They have been slowly building to their inevitable mending relationship since Macaque's first episode, which means that they're going to want to reach that climax in a pivotal emotional moment. Not a random conversation smacked into an episode.

And what is going to be plot-relevant next season??

MACAQUE'S CHAOS POWERS.

S5 built up to Macaque being an established member of the group

(Also the VO here being "change can be terrifying" is absolutely foreshadowing to some degree)

Now, there's also something else I need to address. Macaque has gone out of his way 3 separate times, 4 if you count the LBD fight, to save Wukong. On the other hand, Wukong obviously cares about Macaque, but ultimately hasn't had many opportunities or reasons to try to save him specifically.

With all of those details in mind, I think Wukong will need to take direct action by either saving him/protecting him/etc. because I think it would be a high-stakes moment that inevitably kickstarts an apology/conversation between them. Maybe it's something that reminds Wukong of their fight or that macaque can die (hence the chaos powers potentially harming Macaque in some manner or maybe a potential difficulty controlling them reminds Wukong of their fight, something along these lines).

Why this route?

Macaque has regained Wukong's trust. He basically says as much in S5E2. And while it's fairly obvious with Macaque's behavior and choices that he has learned from his past mistakes and is working on his faults, he definitely needs to acknowledge his wrongdoings. However, I think that would naturally happen during any conversation they may have (or the aftermath) regarding his death and their feelings.

That leaves Wukong because he made a promise to Macaque that they’d spend eternity together and that he would protect him and their home. A promise he broke multiple times and has not made up for yet. He needs to mend that and make it right to solidly regain Macaque's trust in order to reconcile.