#the problem is I don't care about any other career paths

[aninkwellofnectar]

I have one fear and its that I'm stuck like this. Stuck doing jobs I don't care about to finance the one I do care about and that I'm never going to get out of this stupid financial rut my country has been driven into and have a place to call my own.

[helslastangel]

I'm back bxtches

Random Observations #9

Y'all still need the disclaimer or will reason prevail?

🦂 Scorpio Mars are POWERHOUSES in my not-so-humble opinion. If you are prone to procrastination, especially in your career or as an entrepreneur, Aries Mars might hype you up but a Scorpio Mars (esp in 10H) is gonna make damn sure you finish your to-do list.

I had a friend with this placement and she literally bribed me with weed to come to her house, then she took my phone and house keys and made me sit and finish designing my business cards and send them to Vistaprint before she'd give my damn keys back. Made over $5K USD from my next few clients though so I wasn't even mad about it lol

🦀 I don't care what the astrology girls like to say - my observations of Cancer moons is that they are FORGIVING AF. Like it takes a lot for a Cancer moon to be really done with you and chances are you're more wrong than they are.

Cancer moons come off as manipulative to a lot of people. But when you actually dig below the surface, you'll notice this common thread where people who aren't good at seeing other people's points of view unless they need something immediately project that attitude onto people who genuinely give a shit.

Obviously there are evil Cancer moons and they're extra terrifying for the above reason, but they're the minority and the slander is unnecessary imo. The people who have literally put up with my WORST behavior the longest and genuinely dropped it after a good open conversation were all Cancer moons.

👬 Which leads me to another interesting astro trope I'd like to kick over right about now. Gemini moons. Love them but in my experience they are usually what people think Cancer moons are. Gemini moons, from my observation, don't soak up as much, if any, of other peoples' energies. They're gonna keep it moving emotionally regardless of how you wanna be in the moment. That means they can easily smile with you for years if that's the path of least resistance, but that does NOT mean they particularly like, care about or think highly of you at all. They MIGHT, but you will NOT know unless they want you to know or you somehow trigger them enough to rip the black tape off the redacted parts of their mental file on you.

If you're someone who is used to everything being totally transparent and straightforward, you're in for a wild ride with a Gemini moon in your life. I've had quite a few as friends or coworkers, etc., and I promise without fail there always came the day where I ended up wiping tears of laughter from my eyes, feet up on my desk, twiddling my thumbs listening to the 11-minute voice note from the latest Gemini moon in my life. Pretty much telling me in no uncertain terms exactly what they thought of me, where I should go, why, and how happy they would be to direct me there personally.

As a Capricorn moon, I never have the kind of reaction they'd like to this but it's always interesting to see the abrupt change as they can literally seem perfectly cool 3 minutes before the other twin takes over. I don't even think it's a good or bad thing, just how it goes.

Cancer moons seem this way but chances are you chose to ignore the VERY OBVIOUS SIGNS THAT SOMETHING (probably everything) was wrong, lol. Cancer moons can't hide their feelings for shit (reason #101 why I love them; it's easier for me to fix a problem if i can quickly see there is one 😂).

🦁 Let's change tracks and talk about Leo mercuries for a minute. Y'all get your inside and outside voices mixed up a LOT, lol. Every Leo mercury I know had trouble speaking quietly in quiet-appropriate situations but then catch them outside trying to get their friends attention at the other side of the street and suddenly it's like Tom got their tongue and tossed it to Jerry. Can barely get a sound out. Why is that? I know it wouldn't be all Leo mercuries but for those who experience this, please tell me what it is, I'm genuinely curious lol. As a Libra mercury I kinda have a similar problem. On another note, I've noticed that Leo mercuries can be highly persuasive people even if solely because of the amount of power and confidence they put behind the things they say.

My ex-husband has Leo Mercury at 24° (Pisces degree) and I promise you that man could make you believe anything against your will 😂 One time he was trying to get out of having to go to a friend's event and rather than just decline like a normal person, he crafted this masterpiece of an excuse that somehow involved me needing his attention (I had been on the couch under his arm half the day so no lol) but the way he spoke on the phone?

I swear to God even I caught myself nodding along all like "yeah, yes I did feel a bit neglected today and wanted more time with babe"... 😂😂😂 like NO TF I DID NOT FEEL NEGLECTED AT ALL but I got second-hand convinced lol. And yes he was loud when I or his friends were 12 inches away but couldn't raise his voice for shit to order through the drive-thru at McDonald's lol it was cute, though, I'd do the yelling into the intercom thing 😂

🐟 Lemme say this about Pisces suns - you are very underrated, from my observations. I've noticed Pisces suns in particular struggle with one of two major issues when it comes to others' perceptions of them - either people seem compelled to minimize/infantilize their contributions and achievements, or people fail to notice they exist altogether (or forget about them easily). I've always held my Pisces sun friends close for as long as I could and hyped them up because nearly every Pisces sun I've met has been incredibly talented and usually creative in some way. I'm talking genius levels of ability in some area that goes completely overlooked or undervalued by the majority of people in their circles.

These are the people who you vaguely notice as the cool server, hot bartender, friendly delivery guy, helpful sales associate, only for you to run into them somewhere else and you find out they run a whole personal training business or play 6 instruments perfectly and give lessons to kids, or taught themselves professional photography and have a camera in their bedroom worth more than your savings account. I've met so many Pisces suns who seemed to be one way and then there were so many layers to them that it was like reading an interactive novel.

That's what was on my mind for now, drop your favorite placement from your own chart in the comments, I'll compile them for random observations #10 😘

[theabigailthorn]

Do you think you’ll ever write a book, either philosophy related or maybe memoirs? I really love your content and your ideas and would love to know more about how you organize your worldview.

FUNNILY ENOUGH

I've been seriously considering writing a book about the way the NHS treats trans people, and more broadly about institutional pathologisation in the current global moment we're having. I've had meetings with some big publishers, even drafted an introduction and proposal, and gotten offers back!

BUT

I don't think I'm going to do it, for a few reasons. In no particular order:

Writing a book about that subject might raise the consciousness of a few folks, but does it help build material power for trans people against my country's healthcare system, and the other systems that subjectify trans people globally? Not really, no. In fact it would legitimise the elite media consensus that engaging with elite media is the path to achieving change. Books aren't just books, they're "media events," and accordingly they increase the power and prestige of the media they happen in. If I wrote this book, newspapers would review it, chart it, I'd be invited onto Radio 4 and shit to "debate" and "discuss" it... Does doing that actually help get medicine into trans people's hands? Not really! Writing books and "getting ideas out there" is pretty busted as a theory of change unless it builds power. The fantasy of writing a really good speech or article or book and suddenly the scales fall from cis people's eyes is just that - a fantasy. No minority group has ever gotten change or justice that way. All that would happen is I'd "enhance my brand" - which means that I, with my private education and privilege and opportunities, would make money and get clout whilst contributing to the elite capture of trans rights as a political struggle. I'd become "a leader in the community" and get invited to some dinners and media events and blah blah blah - meanwhile the violence continues. That media event would also enhance the brands of those cis-dominated media outlets and the "having conversations" industrial complex, who are part of the fucking problem! The struggle should be led by the poorest and most vulnerable among us and link up with other material struggles like resisting immigration raids, prison abolition, decriminalisation of drugs and sex work, etc. So I could likely do more good for my community by donating my time and money to good causes and also by some uhhhh... other stuff - let's call it 'direct assistance' - which I already do and find fulfilling.

The offers aren't that big! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Writing that book might do harm if it's co-opted into ongoing right wing attempts to dismantle the NHS and all trans care. It'd be intellectually satisfying but not creatively satisfying or fun. I'd have to immerse myself in a very bleak world for a long time: I would enjoy having done it but not the doing.

It'd ruin my career. Right now I actually fly pretty under the radar of a lot of my country's nastiest transphobes. That would end if I wrote a book about the NHS. Newspapers, editors, publishers, journalists, and probably some MPs and Lords would become very invested in tearing me down. I've seen it happen to queer writers and journalists before. Remember, Britain is a small country and our media is run out of one city by a very small group of people who all know each other and who also know all our politicians, in some cases because they're literally the same people! That book would be like kicking a hornets' nest. Maybe they'd come after me publicly, or maybe it would be more British: somebody would make a quiet phone call and I'd suddenly be radioactive. Bye-bye acting career, bye-bye any public career.

For related reasons, writing that book and doing the necessary media campaign would expose me to a WORLD of harassment and shit from some of the worst people in the universe, which I frankly don't want. That might include lawsuits.

My dream job is to play [REDACTED] in [REDACTED]. Writing a book wouldn't take me closer to that. It would cement my brand as 'trans educational writer' instead of 'actress and writer,' which is what I am.

So yeah, all in all, I don't think I'm going to do it. Not right now anyway. I reserve the right to change my mind. Think I'll write a screenplay instead!

[causenessus]

happy birthday. | oikawa t.

oikawa x reader (female reader implied, one use of word girlfriend)

written in 2nd person

"i wanna see what makes my life and all the little things, i wanna see the mountains in view and the part when i meet you <3" from when i meet you by hollow bastion

word count: 2.5k words (headcannons & little fic <3)

happy birthday to the boy whose been with me for 4+ years <3 longer than anyone else <3 all sweet toothrotting fluff!! not edited bc i'm really tired goodnight :)

contrary to popular belief, tooru does not hype up his birthday

he never tells anyone it’s coming up and he doesn’t always do something big for his special day

he’s grown a *tiny* bit more mellow since high school, from when he did always make a big deal out of it

fans continue to send in heaps of mail but like the actual day itself, he doesn’t really pay any mind to it

there’s two reasons for this:

now that he has you, he doesn’t care much for others

as long as he gets to spend the day with you, even if no one else wished him a happy birthday or gave him something he’d be happy

second of all, he likes things to be genuine

with popularity has come a lot of shallowness from others, and he’s had to put up many of his own fronts

so he doesn’t want hundreds of people messaging him happy birthday, he only really cares to hear it from his close circle of friends

and it’s no problem if he doesn’t receive a message from one of those friends, he doesn’t expect people to know everything about him (a big change from high school, he’s very proud of it)

it’s just something that he realized after graduating high school. after his last year and the underwhelming end to his high school volleyball career after the spring high playoffs, he realized that life was not all about getting as far as you can on a straight path; sometimes you take turns that diverge you from the main path a little bit, but you still keep moving forward, and sometimes you end up finding something on that little path that makes it all worth it <3 (with age comes wisdom, right?? don’t tell him that, it makes him sound old 🤭)

after all, that’s how he found you <3

at the airport waiting to fly to argentina, he just couldn’t get enough of you, even after spending the entire flight at your side.

and you were just as interested in him

he realized after your first date that he was always meant to be here. he had a restless, adventurous soul that hadn’t been satisfied in japan, and it had been fate to meet you while he was taking the next big step in high life.

and don't mistake his acceptance of where he is in life for laziness, he’s just as hardworking as before if not more, but he’s realized he doesn’t need to aim for perfection

and once he became more lenient on himself, he ironically became the best version of himself he’d ever been

with your support and love easing him through this new mindset and the bad days, he began to win medal after medal <3

you’ve been with him for it all. he wholly believes you were made for him, and he loves you so much

so the only happy birthday he cares to hear is from you

and if other friends wish him a happy birthday? he will thank them. he will say that he appreciates them and he means it, but nothing is as important as you

if you insist that he can’t stay at home with you the whole day and that he should celebrate with some of his friends, he’ll eventually comply

he likes to keep things small. it feels nice to choose to have a quiet day on a date dedicated to him with a small group of people

tooru and you had started the day together in bed. a summer in brazil had seemed appealing to you both; it was the perfect time and place for him to play volleyball on the beach by the sea and you were there to relax and keep him company. he had reconciled with shoyo, who you both had planned to meet for lunch to celebrate the day.

you had decided on the place after receiving input from both of them. tooru had been complaining for days about wanting lemonade, and shoyo had suggested somewhere small, open, and simple as opposed to an overcrowded fancy restaurant. you could easily get that experience just by walking down the hot streets of brazil.

the three of you had spent the afternoon inside a conditioned cafe. it was a cozy place, with lots of greenery and wide window walls to let in lots of sunlight. you had sat there for several hours, people watching and chattering, tooru rubbing circles on your thigh the entire time as shoyo and him recounted their time and experiences in high school and how they had traveled around the world since then.

by around four in the afternoon or so, shoyo had perked up, suggesting that they play volleyball which had riled up tooru, a smirk on his face as he teased the ginger, “oh? you think you can beat me if we play one on one, shrimpy?”

shoyo had grinned back, sitting up proudly and flaunting his sun-bronzed skin. tooru had gotten a little dark, too, but not nearly to the extent that shoyo had.

“you guys have fun sweating and running around in the sun,” you sighed, placing your hand over the one tooru had on your leg, “i’m going to go home.”

when tooru whined you hushed him with a finger to his lip, “you enjoy your time with shoyo. today is about you. i'll still be here when you guys are done playing.”

he gave you a slight pout but you knew you had won him over. he was never one to fight much, especially because he knows you only want the best for him, and he'd be lying if he didn't say he was excited to play against the orange-haired boy sitting across from him.

you had waved the two boys off as you split up after exiting the cafe, stopping by a bakery before running home. little did tooru know, this had been your plan all along and everything was going smoothly so far. shoyo was in on it too and had been assigned the job of distracting tooru while you got home.

tooru woke up with messages from his family, but none of his three closest friends. you’d seen the disappointment in his eyes although he tried to hide it, saying that they’d probably just text him later due to the big time difference between japan and brazil.

but in reality, they hadn’t messaged him because they had just arrived in brazil. they'd come to help you with decorations and to celebrate tooru, of course. you met the three at your door, each of them holding a bag or box with decorations and gifts inside.

“thank you guys for agreeing to do this with me, he’s gonna love it,” you smiled, opening the door and holding it open for the four of them to walk in.

“of course he will, he's gonna let out the most dramatic gasp ever when he sees something set up for him,” hanamaki said with an amused smile, slipping off his shoes.

“he’s gonna love anything, he’s never satisfied,” iwaizumi added with a roll of his eyes. “and he’ll probably complain that none of us texted him.”

“times never change,” mattsun whistled, stepping through the door last. “remember when we surprised him in the gym with the entire team? he wasn’t even happy until makki finally arrvied with the cake like an hour later.” 

“you gave me the wrong address, that was not my fault! and he wasn’t happy until i got there because he was waiting for me, not the cake,” makki retorted and the rest of them had laughed.

you had met his old teammates from high school a few times before on visits back to japan, and tooru continued to keep in touch with them while he was overseas. most often, on late nights that neither of you could sleep, he would ramble to you about the national volleyball team iwaizumi had been putting together.

you had also exchanged phone numbers with the three boys after hitting it off with them, which had come in handy for planning this birthday. you all worked quickly to hang up decorations around the foyer and kitchen while the cake you'd bought earlier stayed neat and pretty in the chilled fridge.

all the while, shoyo kept you updated on tooru through texts. they were on the way back to the apartment now after shoyo had insisted on walking with him back home.

“he’s almost here,” you informed, unable to contain the excited smile on your face as you slipped your phone back into your pocket. “everyone ready? iwaizumi, will you get the lights, please?”

you all waited in the dark until you heard their footsteps approaching, the muffled sound of their voices through the wall of the apartment. you lit the candles on the birthday cake, the warm, flickering flames providing the tiniest bit of light in the dark room, illuminating the neatly iced cursive that read out "happy birthday tooru ♡ " 

you heard his noise of surprise as the door swung open into the pitch black apartment before you stood up from your hiding spot behind the counter, “happy birthday, my love.”

 “y/n? is this why you left early?” he asked, a smile full of love and adoration on his face, looking at the dimly lit cake on the table.

you hummed in response, wrapping your arms around his neck, giving him a kiss before you looked at shoyo and gave him a nod.

the lights came on overhead, making tooru squint at the sudden brightness before he nearly fell forward from a slap to his back.

“happy birthday, man,” mattsun grinned, stepping into his sight before he saw iwaizumi and hanamaki as well.

“you guys?—” he started, frozen in place in surprise at seeing the three boys in his apartment. “you guys came all the way here for me?”

“no," hanamaki replied sarcastically with a shrug before giving tooru a hug, "we just happened to be in the area, you know. i’m thinking of moving to brazil and decided to stop by.

tooru lets out an offended huff at the joke, crossing his arms as hanamaki steps back. “i can’t believe you guys are really here. and even more i can’t believe none of you guys texted me! i thought you all had forgotten, you could have at least sent a message so i wasn’t moping around all day.”

you and iwaizumi both roll your eyes at his dramatic complaint as matsukawa laughs, “aw, did you miss us?”

“and where’s the fun in that, dumbass? we thought a happy birthday in person would mean more to you, anyway,” iwaizumi speaks up, revealing the gift bag he’s been hiding from behind his back.

tooru gasps, practically melting at the sight as he steps closer to his best friend, “well, i guess you guys were right. this means the world to me, thank you so much for coming.” he takes the bag from iwaizumi before pulling him into a tight hug that lasts a few seconds, and says more between the two than hours of talking could. they haven’t seen each other in months, but they’re still just as close as they’ve always been.

“and,” tooru says, turning towards you with a smile, “thank you for setting this all up, y/n.”

the party lasts a few hours, with mellow music playing in the background as the six of you catch up over a few drinks before everyone decides it’s a good time to head out back to their homes, leaving the two of you to collapse into bed. 

tooru is hugging you close, face nestled into the top of your chest as you comb your fingers through his hair and draw circles onto his back.

“did you have a good birthday?” you ask him, eyes closed as you both find rest in each other’s arms.

his shoulders relax with a deep sigh as he gives you a small nod, his face rubbing against your shirt.

“anything i can do to make it even better next year?” you talk softly, twirling his brown curls around your finger.

he hums in thought for a second before he peeks up from your chest, innocent brown eyes staring into yours. “more time with you next time,” he answers, mouth still muffled from your shirt. 

“what?” you chuckle, rubbing the back of his head, “i was with you nearly the entire day, and we live together. you see me every day.”

“ ‘s not the same,” he whines, nuzzling his face into your body again, “and today didn't count, 'cause i didn’t get any alone time with you.”

you can’t help but smile at his sweet words, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his head, “but today is your day, tooru. i want you to see as many friends as you can. because we all care about you, and sometimes you need to be reminded of that, mr. i-don’t-tell-anyone-when-my-birthday-is.”

his grip tightens on the back of your shirt, “yeah, but i don’t need any of that if i have you. you make me feel loved and cared for. your happy birthday is the only one i care about hearing.”

“is that so?’ you reply, returning to raking through his hair.

he gives you another nod before looking up, one of his hands trailing up your back and tangling into the back of your hair, pressing your head down to meet his lips. “mhm,” he hums against your mouth, “all i need is you.”

his lips trail down your jaw and then to your neck, making you laugh as he moves down your sternum before he returns to his original position, holding you close, his face buried into you. “well then, i’ll keep that in mind next year. i’ll make sure everyone texts you happy birthday whether or not they fly across the world and i promise we'll get some alone time, okay?”

he hums in acknowledgment of your words, wrapping his arms tighter around you. “what’re you thinking about?” you ask softly.

“nothing,” he mumbles, “i just feel really happy right now. i have the best girlfriend in the world that cares so much about me and plans out all my birthdays to make me feel loved. and we’re lying in bed right now and i’m just listening to her talk and i feel so comfortable. like next year we could just lie here all day and i’d be the happiest man ever.”

you laugh at his words and he likes the way he can feel it reverberate through your chest because of how close he is. “you’re sweet, tooru. i’ll keep talking until you fall asleep then, okay?”

“mmkay,” he responds happily, moving his legs around under the sheets to hook around yours, intertwining your bodies.

you press another kiss to his head, smiling the entire time, your heart full of love for the man, “and if it really means that much to you to hear it from me, i’ll say it again, too. happy birthday, tooru. and i love you so so much. you’re the best man i could ever have fallen in love with.”

[chrysalind]

sweet and sour

pairing: suna rintarou x reader wc: 880 tags: fluff, fake dating, (real) jealousy, party setting ofc, reader wears makeup and is shorter than suna

Sometime last Wednesday, Suna Rintarou had discovered inner peace.

It had been after his last linear algebra exam, during his third consecutive hour of mourning, when it finally occurred to him that it didn't matter. Of course, it mattered in the sense that it would affect his GPA, and as a result, his job prospects, career, ability to be approved for a mortgage and become a homeowner, and of course his retirement. But in a more 'in the moment' sense, it didn't matter at all.

This was because, he'd rationalized, it had already happened and there was no use agonizing over it after the fact. And so, for a few short days, Suna abided by the belief that if he couldn't change something, he simply wouldn't bring himself to care about it.

So when you drag him into the tiny bathroom of someone's apartment with a swipe of glitter under your left eye and a frazzled expression on your pretty face, Suna is fully prepared to put his new philosophy into action.

The door shuts behind you, muffling the din of music and people and he tries not to think about how precariously close your drink is to the edge of the sink when you set it down.

"I need a favour," you begin, wringing your wrists as he tries not to fall backwards into the shower. It is, in fact, a very tiny bathroom.

"Nah," he replies, managing to right himself against the towel rack.

"'Nah'?" you repeat, jutting out your bottom lip. "But you don't even know what I'm going to ask."

He rationalizes that it can't be anything worth putting in the effort for. Therefore would it even make sense for him to hear you out? He thinks not.

However, as he eyes the door behind you, your face bobs into view, obstructing his path to escape.

"Please," you whine, dropping down from a tippy toe. "Just hear me out."

He glances once at his reflection in the mirror before his gaze slides up to the ugly white light on the ceiling.

"Fine."

"Yes," you exclaim, your elbow narrowly missing the cup. Suna looks away.

"Okay, so my ex is here with his new girlfriend," you begin, your hands moving fast, "and so I would really, really be so grateful if you could maybe, possibly, pretend that we're together."

He blinks. "Nah."

Your face falls. "But I'm gonna look like a loser out there."

He wonders if the glitter is supposed to draw attention to your eyes. If so, why just one side?

"That doesn't even make any sense," he says. "No one cares that you're single." After all, no one cares that he's single. Except for himself, sometimes, although, he's learning to let go of that.

You're pouting again. "I care. And I'm pretty sure that he cares. Chiharu said that he told the other guys on the soccer team that he was bringing her because he knew that I'd be here. Like, isn't that kind of fucked up?"

Something like irritation wriggles in his brain but he quickly shuts that down. After all, what can he really change about the situation? Even if he does pretend to be your boyfriend for tonight, your ex will continue to be a convincing piece of evidence that Neanderthals might still walk amongst modern humans. And even then, you'll still be hung up on him and things between you two will just stay the same. So why should he bother?

"I'm gonna pass," he says dryly, squeezing past you to get to the door. Your elbow brushes against the cup and it falls, clattering into the sink and splashing red liquid down the sides.

"Just tell him to go fuck himself or something," he shrugs, before twisting the doorknob. "Or just pretend he's not there at all."

"But Rin," you pout as he lets the chaos of the party flood into the small space, "I thought we were friends."

And you are friends, he thinks, as he shoulders his way back through the crowd. That's the problem.

That's the fucking problem.

So when he spots you, fifteen minutes later, with your back up to a wall and that Cro-Magnon specimen crowding you, he thinks it's finally time to seriously reconsider his philosophy.

And sometime in the five steps it takes to cross the room does he finally come to the conclusion that enlightenment just isn't for him.

"Hey, angel," he says as he turns you around to face him. Your lips are parted in surprise and the glitter reflects fuchsia and gold in the low light.

He's acutely aware that the two of you are not alone, but he can't bring himself to look away. Something like a second epiphany dawns on him.

"Sorry it took a while," he murmurs as he leans down to meet your gaze.

"But better late than never, right?"

Sometime last Wednesday, Suna Rintarou had discovered inner peace.

But right now, tonight, as you let him kiss you in front of all the people you know, he decides that inner peace is entirely overrated.

[sixty-silver-wishes]

Roasting you based on your favorite of these German Expressionist films

(this post is a joke; don't take it too seriously lol)

Metropolis: You've got spicy political opinions and daddy issues. You were doing great in life until you found out how corrupt capitalism is sometime in high school or college, and it's absolutely mind-boggling to you that nobody else is batting an eyelid at all the injustices of the world because they're too busy defending the concept of a 40-hour work week. You're constantly checking your privilege and everyone else's, too. Or you just want to bang a robot. That's probably it.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: Okay, I could make a joke about you being emo, or you liking the most basic film on the list, but that's not really the issue here. Your Hot Topic fashion sense and shitty drugstore eyeliner are nowhere near as concerning as the fact that you have no idea who the hell you are without them. You constantly overthink everything and are great at solving everyone's problems but your own, and you're averaging like 4 hours of sleep on a good night. You can't get your intrusive thoughts to leave you alone and if you relate to literally any character in this film, you need to get help. It's okay; I promise your therapist doesn't secretly hate you.

M: You're a surprisingly sweet and empathetic person for someone whose favorite film on this list is about a child murderer. You care deeply about others and are very much in tune with yourself, but unfortunately, everything you say is so off-putting that most people don't get that vibe about you. If they actually gave you a chance, they'd find that you have a great personality, but they don't, so instead you're stuck at home stalking your ex's vacation photos on social media.

Dr. Mabuse the Gambler: You like the finer things in life. You're high-maintenance, your tastes are classy and expensive, and you actually know how wine tasting works. However, you're way too into conspiracy theories and pyramid schemes for your own good, and your cultured proclivities are deeply undercut by the fact that you probably got into Bitcoin when that was a thing. Your two career paths are either "businessperson" or "cult leader," and it's concerningly difficult to discern which one you're on.

Nosferatu: Your sense of humor relies entirely on recycling memes that are at least a decade old, and the fact that you communicate nearly entirely in pop culture references is your attempt at disguising the fact that you're really bad at socializing. You think you have lots of great ideas that make perfect sense, but most people don't know what the hell you're going on about. However, you've got one or two ride or die friends who love you for who you are, cringe and all. Keep being you, Nosferatu fan. Never change.

The Student of Prague: I'm not sure this one is actually anyone's favorite film, but if this was yours, you were into shipping the Onceler with himself when that was a thing. You're super competitive, but you have a tendency to overwork yourself and burn out quickly, so now you're living off of Top Ramen and protein bars. People love to tell you that you "have potential" and "just need to apply yourself," but what they don't get is that you're stressed 24/7 and won't give yourself a break because you're trying so hard to satisfy your own impossible standards. Please take a nap.

Der Golem: You're great with children, small animals, and potted plants, but that's because literally anyone else you have to deal with fucking pisses you off. The absolute audacity of everyone around you means you're never not two seconds away from throwing hands, but honestly? You're always right and you should say it. You're actually a really nice person, but people keep pushing you to your limit and you're sick of it. On an unrelated note, you probably work in customer service.

Different from the Others: If this is your favorite film and you're a member of the LGBT community, that's perfectly understandable. It was a monumental achievement in LGBT cinema in the early 20th century and, despite being somewhat dated by today's standards due to the time period it was created in, largely holds up as an educational, yet tragic, piece of cinema. That being said, if you're a straight/cis/allo person and this is your favorite film, what is going on with you. I want to study you in a lab. How did you find this film. Come to think of it, how did you even get into German Expressionist cinema to begin with. I just want to know

Der Januskopf: [REDACTED]

Genuine: You're a "Caligari" fan who doesn't want to seem basic like the rest of the "Caligari" fans, so somehow you ended up here. You don't actually like this film aside from the visuals. Nobody actually likes this film. You want so, so badly to like this film, so you lie to yourself, just like you do about everything else.

[tyrantisterror]

Your recent train of posts about you-know-who’s book series got me thinking. You once said “The Owl House works as a sort of rebuttal to Harry Potter in a lot of ways”, care to elaborate on that statement? Especially in regards to how The Owl House’s worldbuilding and themes clash with Harry Potter’s?

Oh man... I don't want my blog to be consumed by Harry Potter Hot Takes. I'd prefer to vent most of those feelings through my wizard books instead, it's more productive that way.

So, ok, short version: The Owl House is about a teenager from the mundane world discovering there's a magical world hidden away, goes there to learn magic, and in the process uncovers a plot by an abominable fascist to commit genocide. In very simplistic terms, that is more or less the same plot as Harry Potter.

But the devil's in the details, isn't it? Luz doesn't have any grand inheritance to claim, no prophecy to fulfill, nothing that makes her the most special specialest special person of all time. There's even a whole episode early on where a villain tries to lure her to her doom by claiming she's the chosen one, and the lesson is that NO ONE is "chosen" for greatness - greatness is something you make yourself, not something that's thrust upon you. She is not inherently gifted as a witch - in fact, she struggles harder because she doesn't have a a special bladder true witches are born with, and has to learn an ancient and forgotten method of spellcasting basically from scratch to cast spells at all. She is, emphatically and at times definitely deliberately, the opposite of what Harry Potter is.

So is her academic experience. There's a magic school in this setting, and (at first) it wants nothing to do with Luz because she's human, not a witch, and thus is believed to be incapable of casting spells. So Luz's primary mode of education on magic comes from a private mentor, Eda, who is also a wanted criminal and social outcast because of her disdain for the draconian rules of their society. Eda is an unconventional but magnificent mentor, one who is as willing to try new things and learn new methods as Luz herself, and who helps Luz discover ways to make possible what everyone else claims is impossible. Eventually Luz does convince the magic school to take her in, but in the process she changes how it runs, challenging a lot of its preconceived notions and forcing them to do better.

Which is vital, because the biggest problem facing the society of this magical world is narrow-minded reliance on outdated social categorization. Like HP, people are sorted into categories (covens here instead of houses), which they are then forced to stick to and never dabble in the others. It is explicitly compared to both the concept of tracking in real world education (i.e. forcing kids into a career path early and ONLY giving them education relevant to that one career) and the house system of HP:

And it's wrong. It's both presented as needlessly limiting, terrible for encouraging advancement and growth of both the students and society as a whole, and an immoral system that's only kept alive by the "Well, this is how we've always done it" inertia that keeps so many awful traditions in education alive. And I really do mean it's immoral, because it's the brain child and secretly crucial evil tool of a genocidal fascist.

I kind of cringe at writing those two words since I feel people have been WAY too quick to accuse cartoon villains from children's shows of fascism and genocide - like, Chairface Chippendale writing his name on the moon with a laser would probably kill a shitload of people in real life, but that doesn't mean he's an analogue to Hitler. But Belos, like fellow Disney villain Frollo, is clearly intended to be exactly that: a genocidal fascist. In a world full of magic-fueled absurdist black comedy beats, Emperor Belos stands out as a consistently serious threat, tonally dissonant with his surroundings in a way that makes him chillingly effective as a villain. And like real world powerful bigots, his power primarily comes from the fact that the systems of society favor his mindset over those of outsides like Luz and Eda - all the systems of oppression our heroes chafe against were either created by or worsened by him, with the express purpose of using them to kill everyone and everything in the magical world.

Luz could not be more thematically opposed to her enemy, and the story is incredibly consistent in showing how defeating Belos alone isn't enough, but that the systems that empowered him have to be disproven and dismantled. His enablers must be destroyed or humbled, the prejudices he encouraged must be torn down and fought at every turn, and innovation and progress must be embraced for the good of all. There's so much stuff you could analyze about the themes in that show regarding oppression and the othering of people who are different, and it's all so, SO much more consistent than the discussion of the same themes you'll find in Harry Potter.

[astrojulia]

PAC - Qualities and Traits in your Future Spouse

~ 5 things you like about them vs 5 things they like about you (lightly +18)

PILE 1 - PILE 2 - PILE 3

PILE A - PILE B - PILE C

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DISCLAIMER. These general free readings are made in good faith for entertainment purposes. I tried my best to leave it gender neutral, but one word or another might have escaped (Portuguese is a language where all words have gender).

How to pick a pile

When you have different cards to choose from in pile 1,2,3… look at each of those cards. Wait until someone reminds you of a memory. Perhaps a character’s outfit resembles one of your own. It is this pile that has its message. What if they all remind me of something? Go for the one with the strongest memory, one might look like her earring but another might be the favorite candy you got from your grandma when you vacationed at her house. But what if none reminds me of something? Take a deep breath and wait a little longer, without charging yourself or creating worries. Relax, some will awaken some memory in you, I promise! .

Pile 1

You love their voice and the way they talk, and it's not something that only you appreciate. But even so, you see your future spouse's voice as a melody, comforting and even exciting. I also don't just see the question of the voice itself, but the way they speak, with rhythm, without any problems pronouncing the words or doubt in their voice.

You appreciate their skills and how they handle situations smoothly. I also see different paths here, how this person manages to take care of themselves alone, clean the house, cook the food. They are truly independent. (The other way is that you appreciate their dick, it makes you feel like never before).

You like how they communicate in general. They are smart and authentic but know how to blend in with the crowd. They know how to listen to others to better adapt to the situation. They are the type of person who will communicate differently with each individual, not out of falsehood but because they understand that each person has different needs. They will convey the same information differently to a doctor and to a child, adapting their words accordingly.

You love their overall intelligence; it seems like they always know what they should do, the next step. They are someone who wants to help others with their intelligence and is always seeking self-improvement. They are also curious and always bring new information into the relationship.

You appreciate how they manage to be rational in practically every situation. They always think before acting, analyze situations before they happen. They strive to be prepared for everything and seek security in every step of life.

Astrological Placements your Future Spouse may have:

Mercury Dominant; Venus in Taurus or Libra in the 2nd house; Mercury in the 3rd house; air dominant; Mercury in Libra, Gemini, or Aquarius; a touch of Cancer, Pisces, or Scorpio in the birth chart (perhaps only one placement).

Pile 2

You like how your future spouse (FS) is an active person, always on the move, looking to improve their career, personal life, and also taking care of their body. They can be a tall, slender individual with distinct features. They are also someone with a sense of style and who values their behavior in the world, which is why they prioritize exercise and physical activity. They are the type of person who likes to wear accessories such as gloves, bracelets, and earrings.

You appreciate that they are a person you can look up to, someone you feel proud of and see as a reference for "what would FS do in my place." You like how they are patient with others, a bit playful, but also know when to stop. It seems like they have the wisdom to bring joy to tense moments and their ability to handle all situations is what attracts you.

You admire their resilience and determination. Nothing can stop them, not even the challenges of life. They carry themselves with pride and are unafraid to express their opinions and how the world perceives them, because they know they will make things work out one way or another.

You appreciate how they can handle everything on their own, sometimes behind the scenes. If we take an intimate perspective, you both know how to handle things discreetly. But even though they are confident and unafraid to be themselves, your FS is wise and understands that you can't always confront everything head-on. Sometimes you have to navigate through the edges and take longer paths to achieve your goals. They prefer to accomplish things discreetly.

You like that your FS is often right (though it can be challenging during discussions), which is beneficial for decision-making in your lives. Even if they are not a spiritually inclined person, they have a connection with something non-physical in this world that guides their decision-making. So, even if a decision may not feel right in the moment, you realize in the future that their choices were the best ones.

Astrological Placements your Future Spouse may have:

Aquarius/Gemini/Libra placements; Fire Dominant; Mars dominant; Well-aspected Mercury; Leo dominant; Scorpio Placements; dominant Uranus.

Pile 3

You appreciate how they move on as if nothing had happened. If you make a mistake, they solve it and forget about it, without judgment or dwelling on the past. Your future spouse (FS) is also someone who enjoys horror and suspense movies, which is a recurring hobby for them.

You like that you feel comfortable around them, experiencing a sense of nostalgia for a moment that never actually existed. It's as if you've been separated before and now you're together again. This connection can be both physical and spiritual. Your FS brings magical and special moments into both of your lives.

You admire that they are a person who never loses hope. They always believe in love, even until the last moment. Even if everything comes to an end, they will continue to love and protect. They are patient and will wait for you to be ready to make decisions. They hold onto the hope that everything will work out in the end.

You appreciate that they are a fun and warm person. They shine in small social circles and are always loving and attentive. Your FS values small events and moments greatly. They enjoy going out to carnivals or other places where you can have fun. They are full of ideas for new places to explore and experience.

You like how they create a cozy atmosphere and make you feel safe. If you're someone who enjoys sleeping a lot or simply sees it as a hobby, you will feel comfortable sleeping next to your FS. Being close to them brings a sense of peace and security.

Astrological Placements your Future Spouse may have:

Cancer/Capricorn or Taurus Rising; Libra/Gemini placements; a touch of Leo and Pisces in the birth chart (perhaps only one placement).

Pile A

Your future spouse (FS) appreciates how open you are and your willingness to embrace change even in the face of fear. You have an openness not just to the world but also to your own needs. There's a sense of knowing that what you deserve is more and better than what you currently have.

Your FS admires your protective nature and how you always look out for yourself and others. You often place yourself on the front lines when confronting various challenges, often keeping your experiences to yourself in order to prevent hurting others.

Your FS values the fact that you are someone who seeks to resolve problems through communication. You strive to approach others and engage in conversation before acting without careful thought. Your natural inclination towards rationality allows you to navigate and resolve situations without unnecessary drama.

Your FS appreciates your ability to keep secrets. They trust that anything they confide in you will remain confidential, making you an extremely reliable person.

Your FS admires your ability to always find a way. You navigate paths with confidence, even if it means breaking down barriers to progress. Additionally, you have a keen sense of direction and excel at using maps and location.

Astrological Placements you may have:

Cancer/Pisces/Scorpio placements; Dominant Libra; Taurus/Capricorn/Virgo placements; More planets in the 4th/7th/8th and 12th house.

Pile B

Your future spouse (FS) appreciates your adventurous nature and how you enjoy getting out of the house to experience new things. While you find comfort at home, you also have a desire to explore and bring back new experiences to your safe haven.

Your FS admires your appearance of being a more traditional person, someone who dresses and behaves in a formal manner. They also appreciate your rationality and ability to express your emotions in different ways, showcasing your emotional intelligence. If you have a fair skin tone, they find it particularly beautiful.

Your FS is drawn to the mystery that surrounds you. There is always something new to discover about you, something you keep hidden from others, and they are intrigued to unravel your secrets.

Your FS values your wisdom and the way you have transformed your pain into knowledge. They admire your belief that everything has its own time and that timing is important. You are likely older than your FS, and they seek your advice and guidance.

Your FS admires your ambitious mindset. You think big, dream big, and refuse to diminish yourself for anyone. You are unafraid to assert yourself and communicate your needs.

Astrological Placements you may have:

Cancer/Scorpio/Pisces placements; Virgo/Taurus/Capricorn placements; Scorpio Dominant; Saturn Dominant; Pluto Dominant; a touch of Gemini/Aquarius/Libra (only one or two placements); Planets in the 8th/12th house.

Pile C

Your future spouse (FS) appreciates your organizational skills and how you are always planning things and maintaining cleanliness. You take pride in feeling physically and spiritually clean, and you make an effort to create a fragrant environment, whether it's at home or at work.

Your FS likes that you are someone who goes through phases and embraces change. You don't follow a rigid routine but instead allow life to unfold naturally. You adapt and know what needs to be done when situations arise because, as mentioned earlier, you are a planner. However, you don't plan every detail of big things. You are also someone who easily changes preferences, be it in hairstyles, clothing, books, or music.

Your FS is drawn to your dreamy nature, which also carries a hint of mysticism. You frequently engage in mystical practices such as tarot, astrology, or reiki. Your FS not only accepts but also appreciates this aspect of you. They see you as someone who has insights into the future, bringing comfort and reassurance.

Your FS likes how well you can blend in. You effortlessly adapt and integrate into various environments, to the point that you might almost go unnoticed. You are not noisy or attention-seeking; instead, you are composed and can easily fit into any space without causing disruptions.

Your FS admires your dedication to studying and your love for reading. They appreciate that you enjoy learning and also have a creative side, possibly in writing or drawing. Even if you don't pursue those activities professionally, your passion for them shines through.

Astrological Placements you may have:

Gemini placements; Uranus dominant or well-aspected Uranus; Neptune dominant or well-aspected Neptune; Virgo placements.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[the-world-annealing]

A thought I commonly see in analyses of Terra Ignota is, loosely paraphrased: "Why would a third of the world population join up with the quasifascist rome larpers when there's a hive that made pokemon real."

Now of course, we're all on the Gay Sex And Pokemon website, there's a bias here and we might be wrong about what the average person is like, but even so the point still stands! What is it about the Masons that attracts people to them over all six to nine alternatives, especially given how little they actually offer except nice architecture and absolutist power structures?

Well, recall how a fact of Terra Ignota's world, one we run into time and time again, is: "Having everyone stop talking about gender and religion did not actually prevent discrimination or end oppression or otherwise solve any problems". Mycroft applies he/him to masons wherever possible, they're led by an emperor-even-when-female, they wear suits, they're powerful, they draw their symbology from supremely patriarchal times and places. It's clear that Masons are gendered more than any hive except the cousins, and one of the few organizations (the only?) to be gendered masculine.

(I think it's relevant to remark how blacklaws could have been presented as masculine tooth-and-claw survivalists, but instead we get chagatai and madame and dominic as the most prominent examples, which don't read very traditionally-masculine to us)

The cousins are explicitly identified as a sort of aggregate of feminine people, but they certainly aren't the sum total of them. And that makes sense; all the stereotypical feminine traits (caring for others, playing diplomat, cooking) are still relevant in the world that Terra Ignota presents; if you care deeply about Performing Feminine Roles you don't have to join the cousins, you can just be a mom friend or the one at the bash who doesn't work and focuses on raising the kids.

But if you care deeply about Performing Masculine Roles, you're a lot more limited in your options! Society is safe and peaceful, physical labor is increasingly rare, and at any rate nobody will depend on your labor to survive; you aren't 'working hard to put food on the table' because the food literally grows on trees!

The most 'masculine' career path remaining is probably policing (and I think it's relevant that the most prominent cop in the story gets gendered male!) but that's hardly an option for everyone.

So everyone who feels like a man, who watches fragmented bits of pop culture and half-forgotten references and constructs this ideal of masculinity out of it, who might meet the definition for gender dysphoria depending on how you look at it, who the text implies is made vulnerable by these unfulfilled desires... yeah, I think such a person would join the Masons in a heartbeat, because the Masons represent one of the few outlets for masculine urges (them and madame's roleplay scenarios). And if that describes a significant fraction of the population, it becomes absolutely unsurprising to see a 33% mason plurality at the start of the series.

[ariays]

My thoughts on Rowoon leaving SF9 as someone who stans them since 2019:

Firstly, those of you who are not even a fan, who does not even follow Rowoon throughout his idol career and are here purely for the bandwagon, please kindly take a step back.

There has always been a reason why some fans knew this was coming and it's not because of the so called 'acting disease' which ya'll seem to assume. There's an unspoken reason which only true fans would know. He has been suffering from a herniated disc since 2020. Before that, he has been really involved with group activities but ever since the injury he sustained, he has not been able to fully participate due to the intense choreographies which he obviously wouldn't be able to do anymore.

Herniated disc is no joke and it doesn't just go away like any other minor injuries. Being put into acting projects is a more manageable and sustainable route for him to contribute to the company as well as his group's brand. Participating in multiple performances would just take a toll on his health because it's not just a one time performance, it's basically hours of practices and rehearsals which would be a sh*tty thing to do to yourself if you have a long ongoing back issues. His problem was so bad at one point that he couldn't even walk without the help of crutches.

It's a damned if you do and damned if you don't situation when it comes to Rowoon because when he priotises his health by not participating and doing other things to contribute instead, people get mad saying that it doesn't feel like he's part of the group then when he tries to participate like the latest comeback, people still get mad because of his dancing and bashed him for his lack of energy and passion. The man is still struggling with a herniated disc, of course he's not going to be able to dance as intensely as he used to. Unless you want him to break his back and paralyze himself in the future maybe.

To be honest, I can see why he may have felt slightly upset about the fans because of the bashing he received due to issues he has no control over. So before anyone mentions Eunwoo or Junho or whatever other actor idols out there who manages to juggle just fine, do they have any underlying health issues that could prevent them from performing choreo? Their situation is completely different so you can't really compare.

Sure, he can stick with doing the bare minimum choreo while aggravating his condition to become worse while also taking in all the bashing comments about his lack of energy for dancing but why should he? It will only make him feel guilty for bringing the group down because he would never be able to perform on par with them and he will only stick out like a sore thumb for all their upcoming performances.

So honestly, this is a right decision he made for himself as well as for his group members. Fans will just have to accept it whether they like it or not. I don't think he owes the fans any proper or detailed explanation for his decision because only real fans would know the truth from the start. If he were to state anything and reveal his vulnerabilities, it would just sound like an excuse to some people anyway so it's best that he does not mention it at all.

I expected Fantasies to be more understanding about his situation to be honest but I fully understand that the disappointment/anger felt are completely valid. I am too. I am disappointed that he's no longer SF9's Rowoon. But as a fan, I also could understand his struggles and the decision he made with him and his group members in mind. It is for the best. It's time for us to just move on and continue to support them as a group and support Rowoon on his new path as well.

If you find it difficult to support him after all this, then fine. You do you. But please don't invalidate the times where he has been nothing but an amazing member of SF9 who have contributed a lot to the group during their beginnings. Who has always been sweet, caring, and loving towards his members and fans. When they first started out, he was literally the PR of the group, going to various shows to promote the group as a rookie. When he started acting, and when he goes on shows, he would introduce himself as SF9 Rowoon while emphasizing on SF9. When he started gaining popularity and goes on shows with his group members, he would literally try to put the attention away from him and let the other members shine more because they deserve the attention as much he does. Please don't forget that Rowoon. Just as Rowoon is going on his new path, I hope that you'll erase all the negativity you might have felt and go on your own path as well.

[transmutationisms]

sorry could you explain your chatgpt essay thing again? i get the general gist of it (who cares if they cheat) but i still cant grasp it entirely as someone who hasnt experienced the college system 💔 i had thought that essays were a foundational part of undergrad education? and so cheating on that part would essentially mean that: a) their education/understanding is "invalid" b) it discredits the work of other people in the same system/their classmates c) their future publications/written work in academia are going to be of worse quality d) in cases of people going to non academia jobs, like being a doctor or a lawyer, this would negatively impact their clients e) they have bad work ethic = will not survive job industry

my guesses are that just in general theres no direct correlation between these things but ppl assume there will be? and that if a plagiarized essay ruins everything then the system wasnt rlly that good?

the only one im rlly unsure of is the second one, but i suppose thats always been a problem with any type of academic cheating amongst peers, and will persist unless academic rankings/validation of excellence/general attitudes toward "success" r also banished. still, while i rlly dont care abt anyone i know cheating on stuff like this lol, i cant help but empathize w students struggling under that same system feeling frustrated. tho Man seeing the lack of empathy they, in turn, can have with chatgpt users. idk, is it just a lose lose situation until you get through the system?

ok sorry again and also thanks

hi, no worries. let me try to break down my position here.

i had thought that essays were a foundational part of undergrad education

i mean, this varies widely by course / degree / department. but, even when it's true, it doesn't mean that the essay is inherently a valuable or helpful exercise. undergrad essays tend to ask for one of a few very formulaic responses and ways of structuring an argument. essays also often have a specific prompt, which can be better or worse in terms of its potential to generate engagement with the course / material. often professors who are getting a lot of chatgpt essays turned in are designing essays poorly (ie, asking for the types of formulaic responses that students find unengaging and unhelpful for their own academic development), and / or failing to provide instruction and support in how to actually write an essay.

on a more fundamental level, we often take for granted that essays are and should be foundational to an undergrad education, but i simply don't think this is self-evident or always true! what are we training students to do, and why? there are certainly jobs, career paths, and academic research areas in which essay-writing is an important skill. there are others in which it's not. the assumption that all undergrads need to demonstrate the same sorts of writing skills says more about the university and what pedagogues value than it does about those students' actual chances for future career success / financial stability. if we're designing assignments that, for many students, are mere hoops to jump through, then we shouldn't be surprised that many of them find ways to make the hoop-jumping faster and easier.

so cheating on that part would essentially mean that: a) their education/understanding is "invalid"

again, what i'm trying to get at here is larger questions about what we value in education, and why. it's true that if you don't practice writing the type of essay the academy demands of you, you won't learn that skill. but, why do we assume that skill is useful, valuable, or necessary in the first place? how many people actually need to write that way outside of undergrad classrooms? even for those who are intending to pursue a career in academia, the writing taught in undergrad should be, at best, a stepping-stone on the path to more effective and interesting means of written communication. once again, if the skill being mandated by the university is not useful for students, it should not be surprising that many of them resent having to demonstrate it, and turn to tools like chatgpt instead.

b) it discredits the work of other people in the same system/their classmates

this is an argument that many educators make, and i wholeheartedly disagree with it! first of all, i simply do not believe that student a's academic performance is relevant to the assessment of student b's. if a professor is grading that way, that's terrible grading and a terrible pedagogical philosophy. if a student has learned something from their coursework, that shouldn't be undercut or devalued by anything that their classmates have or haven't done.

what this type of argument points to on a deeper level is the fact that university degrees have acquired a sort of double meaning. although the university likes to propagate high-minded rhetoric about the intrinsic value of education, the degree granted is a class barrier that serves to allow certain people access to certain (usually promised to be higher-paying) jobs, and bar others from these jobs. this is a large part of what i'm talking about when i say that the university serves to perpetuate and enforce class stratification. and their narrative about degrees being markers of individual merit and achievement is undercut by the fact that they also plainly fear losing prestige status by granting degrees to those students considered 'unworthy'. if you can make it through an undergrad education without learning the skills the university purports to teach, that's a pretty massive indictment of the university—which, remember, is collecting a lot of tuition money for these degrees.

c) their future publications/written work in academia are going to be of worse quality

lots of assumptions baked in here—that undergrad essay-writing teaches 'good' (effective / clear) writing; that many academics don't already write poorly by these metrics; that aspiring academics have no other way of learning written communication skills (eg, outside of the academy, or in grad school).

d) in cases of people going to non academia jobs, like being a doctor or a lawyer, this would negatively impact their clients

firstly, i would again point out that in many non-academic jobs, academic writing is simply not a necessary skill; secondly, in both of the examples you cite here, these are people who need to go through a lot more schooling and training after undergrad, where they pick up what written communication skills they actually do need (eg, legal writing looks nothing like standard undergrad essay-writing anyway); thirdly, MANY people getting an undergraduate degree are intending to pursue jobs for which they need neither undergrad essay-writing skills, nor further higher education—there are so many reasons a person might want / need a college degree, and so many careers in which this specific academic skillset is simply not relevant for them.

e) they have bad work ethic = will not survive job industry

again, i think this is making some pretty big unstated assumptions! in general i don't really think that 'work ethic' (or the related 'laziness') is a useful way to try to evaluate people's behaviour, and this is a good example of one way in which it fails. if, like i said, we are dealing with a system in which people are told they need to receive a degree in order to have access to jobs they want and financial stability they need; and in which many of them are being forced to demonstrate a specific writing skill they may never need again and may have no interest in; and in which they are often not even receiving adequate training and help to learn and demonstrate that skill, even if they do want to; and in which they may be working other jobs, caring for family members, dealing with disabilities the institution does not provide support for, or any number of other life circumstances that make schoolwork difficult at best to complete; and in which a tool exists that may be able to help them complete some of this work freely and quickly... like, i simply do not fault students for using that tool!

there are so many points of failure in this system long before we get to this moment: the increasing pressure to get a college degree in the first place; the poorly designed curricula that prioritise skills considered 'standard' (for whom? why?) over skills that students actually need or want to acquire; professors who don't actually teach students how to write, yet expect them to turn in essay assignments anyway; specific essay assignments that are uninteresting and / or unhelpful to students; lack of support for students who are struggling with their workload or assignments in any number of ways (and no, 'come to office hours' is not adequate support for so many students and situations).

i simply do not care about people 'cheating' a system that is so fundamentally broken and unjust. it doesn't matter. the ability to write an undergrad essay is such an incredibly trivial and specific skill, and one that most people simply do not need. it doesn't make a person generally 'smarter' (fake concept) and certainly does not make them any more competent at the vast majority of jobs, careers, or general life skills. even for those very few who do need to know this specific thing, i reject the assumption that the university is the only way to learn it, or even a particularly effective way. once again, if chatgpt is successfully completing assignments, maybe those assignments weren't very good in the first place! and even the theoretical amazing professor is simply not able to counter all of the structural issues and inequities in the university system that produce students' desire to turn to tools like chatgpt in the first place. the textbot itself is simply not the issue here.

[windvexer]

Thanks for answering my last ask, because well… I’ve been going by the book for literally EVERY CARD, pulling muddled readings 60% and then pulling more cards when cards don’t make sense to me, and I’ve been wondering where I went wrong. *obviously I know the whole “your personal method works best” but in this case it’s not working for me* But yeah, thank you chicken, it was really helpful bc I’ve been hitting a wall for a while and I think I needed to hear this.

Here is one way of reading tarot as a simple oracle which does not use spreads.

As far as I'm aware this is my original system. For me, it provides sterling omens that can be arrived at simply enough (once you are used to it) without using the book meanings.

The problem with book definitions is that sometimes they are very difficult to associate to any specific problem, and not everyone can read intuitively.

So perhaps you'd like to try elemental dignities. First, assign each card one of the four Western elements (earth/air/fire/water). This is easily done for the suits. The task is more difficult for major arcana. Lists of major arcana elements can be found.

Or, simply take all the major arcana out of the deck.

Next, assign a few qualities to each element. These qualities may be ones that also make sense for spellwork or other rituals, but remember that here our goal is divination, and it's fine to assign qualities that only make sense for divination.

Here is a starter list if you'd like to use my qualities:

Fire (wands): Very fast (the fastest). Passion and desire (carnal and otherwise). Intensity. Aligns with questions of want, creativity, and fulfillment. The spark of life and what makes us "glow." Force to get the job done quickly.

Air (swords): Fast. The mind and intellectual pursuits. Knowledge, rationality, objective truth. Matters of learning, education, and skills. Aligns with questions of knowledge, truth. Deceit and betrayal. Cleverness to get the job done precisely.

Water (cups): Slow. The heart, subconscious, and the current that runs underneath things. Feelings, poetry, and subjective truth. Matters of emotions, relationships, and bonds that tie. Aligns with questions of motivation, feeling, and wellbeing. Wisdom to get the job done best.

Earth (pentacles): Very slow. The physical bodies of things, and the institutions and structures that we use to care for and manage bodies, and create physical things. Labor, money, wealth, debt. Matters of physicality (a friend being present in body, versus in spirit). Discipline to get the job done completely.

Alright. Now, if you don't work with elements very much, you may actually need to spend some time getting on the same page with them. That's alright - it's part of the fun! (and good exercise if you want to expand your elemental sorcery)

Because next, what you've got to do is assign an element to your question.

I can't remember if you said or not what your original spell was about, that you were reading on.

But let's say that it was a job spell. To me, that would be an Earth question. If it was about a person discovering a career path that they're passionate about, maybe that would be a Fire question. If it was about discovering a career path that is best for their wellbeing, perhaps that would be a Water question.

There is a lot of ambiguity here (is a question about a friend who is a suspected backstabber in the workplace an earth, water, or air question?) but all you've got to do is pick the element you think works best for your question.

Alrighty. So we've cast a Fire spell, let's say, and we need to know how it will go. All the major arcana have been taken out of the deck. Now, find the Wheel of Fortune and shuffle it back into the deck.

Shuffle shuffle shuffle.

Hold the deck face-up, so the pictures are facing you. Pick up cards one at a time and set them aside until you find the wheel of fortune.

The card on top of the wheel of fortune is the best possible outcome for the spell.

The card beneath the wheel of fortune is the worst possible outcome for the spell.

Here is how you judge the omen:

A card that matches your question's element is a very good omen.

If my top and bottom cards are both Fire cards, that is great for my Fire question.

A card that opposes your question's element is a very bad omen.

Earth and air oppose each other

fire and water oppose each other

If my bottom card is Water, that means the worst possible outcome for my Fire question is very bad indeed.

A card that neither matches nor opposes your element is a decent omen.

Earth and water are good friends with each other

Earth and fire are just buddies

Air and fire are good friends with each other

Air and water are just buddies

Suppose my question is will this business deal go well? Which I have chosen to be an earth question.

I shuffle. The cards are as follows:

On top of the Wheel of Fortune (best possible outcome): Cups card

Beneath the Wheel of Fortune (worst possible outcome): Swords card

Now I can see that the watery cups card is good friends with my earthy question, and the best possible outcome is just fine - not perfect, but a good deal.

Unfortunately, the airy swords card opposes my earthy question - the worst possible outcome is very bad indeed.

Perhaps now I'd like to know how to prevent against this worst outcome - I may perform the operation over again, this time instead of the Wheel of Fortune using a card related to victory or protection (perhaps for a business deal I'd choose the Emperor or the Chariot), and choosing new meanings for my top and bottom cards. Perhaps this time the top card will be "best thing I can do to prevent a bad business deal" and the bottom card will be "worst thing I can do."

Because if you'd like a little more detail, you can start accounting for the elemental meanings and the card numbers.

Now, here is a note - if you are just asking for outcomes, it is easy to apply the "opposite element = bad outcome" rule. But if you are asking for guidance, opposing elements can begin to function more as warning signs than bad omens. Let's see this in action below:

Now I ask an airy question - what is the best way to stop this business deal going bad?

And instead of the WoF I choose to use the exact same swords card that was my bad omen the first time around.

I shuffle the deck and find that swords card.

On top of the swords card (best action to take to prevent a bad deal): Page of Pentacles

Underneath the swords card (worst thing I could do; would make the situation worse): Nine of Cups

Well heck! My most positive card is enemies with my question's element. How may this be resolved? To answer that, let's take a look at what to do with the card's position in the suit.

I guess you can use numerology if you want, but we're after something a lot more simple.

Aces may be high or low (that is, an ace card may be weaker than the 2 or stronger than the 10 -- choose for yourself)

Cards gain intensity as their numbers go up (the 6 card is twice as intense as the 3 card)

Furthermore, the court cards gain the following attributes (courts can be tricky, so feel free to remove them from your deck entirely):

Pages function as novices, learners, observers, students, and apprentices; lowest on the social ladder; outsiders looking in

Knights function as competent workers, people who get the job done, the person who goes out and does things; middling on the social ladder; involved in the situation

Queens function as leaders, middle managers, and delegators. The person to talk to in order to get the go-ahead. The person with many answers. Higher on the social ladder; managing the situation.

Kings function as bosses, executives, and rulers. The person who sets the game plan that the queens abide by. May be out of touch or even have fewer pragmatic answers than the queen. The person with the vision. Highest on the social ladder; controls the situation.

Let's mash a couple of things here together to try and understand why being a Page of Pentacles will help stop this Airy situation from going bad.

Because of the element traits of earth (discipline, jobs) and the significance of the page (novice, learner, low on the social ladder), I can determine that in this situation, the Page of Pentacles represents as behaving as a humble student of business is a great outcome for me.

Because of the element traits of water (feelings, connection, emotion) and the high intensity of the number nine card, I can determine that in this situation, the Nine of Cups represents me behaving in an intensely subjectively emotional way, perhaps to try and force a friendship with that business person.

I know that the Page of Pentacles card must reflect something positive and helpful (it is the best thing for me to do!) and that is how I derive the more helpful meaning.

I know that the Nine of Cups must be something unhelpful and perilous, which is how I derive the less helpful meaning.

How do I resolve the Page of Pentacles as being the opposite element of my airy question?

Here, I determine that my ideas of what it takes to succeed are backwards. The way I am seeing this situation is upside-down - by behaving as if I am so friendly to this business person, I would ruin the deal. What they want to see is that I am ready to learn the ropes and be easy to work with.

Well, anyway. I could go on and on as there are many nuances to this method.

If you've made it all the way to the end, now you can have an extra tip! If assigning an element to your own question is too difficult at this time, make the oracle even more simple. Fire is the best possible outcome, air is a good outcome, water is a fine outcome, and earth is the worst outcome.

Interpret only one card - either on top of, or beneath the Wheel of Fortune (as this variation is so simple that drawing 2 cards often doesn't make sense).

[tiktaalic]

I hope these questions don't annoy you, but whats it like working in a lab?

I'm considering the same career path cause I really like my lab classes so far

Not annoying! from what ive seen there are 3 or so types of labs, which are labs in the hospital, which are obviously a faster pace (did half of my preceptorship in one), reference labs, which get a fairly high volume since they're doing testing everybody's sending out for (did other half of my preceptorship in one), and privately owned labs which pick up samples from clinics urgent cares nursing homes etc (both of my jobs have been with private labs).

I like it! It's very routine. I have my set of tasks i do when i clock in and my set of tasks i do at the end of the night and in between I'm just sticking samples on the machines and releasing results. and there is imo enough variation to it to keep it interesting - troubleshooting failed qc, or double checking criticals, or having to do manual difs. if you're liking undergrad lab work I'm assuming you're doing stuff like pcr and gels and micro plates? which is a lot of what molecular departments do in a lab besides micro which is micro. I currently work in the core portion of a lab, which is hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, and chemistry. You really only break out the microscope for urinalysis and hem. we have a micro department that handles all the cultures, and a molecular department that does molecular testing. lots of labs have small micro factions and do lots of micro send out instead. the last lab i worked at did that. the hospital i did my preceptorship at would do plating, but then send all the plates out to be read and send out all the blood culture tubes to be cultured elsewhere. the lab I'm currently at does most cultures in house.

re: education to work in a lab you have to be ASCP certified. After I got my biology degree, I enrolled in texas tech's CLS certification program, which was 3 semesters of classes (preceptorships were the majority of the coursework the last semester). I didn't mind doing it because I was a fresh graduate and I didn't want to Career Hunt or go to grad school. so 3 sems to get a guaranteed job sounded great to me. Since I had my bio degree, I had most of the baseline credits out of the way. chem biochem ochem cell bio genetics etc etc. And the 3 sems I did were lab specific courses like blood banking, clinical chemistry, molecular methods, immunology, phlebotomy, lab management, clinical micro and hematology. there are tons of post bachelor's cls programs, and tons of them are delivered online so that you can chip away at it part time while working.

A nice thing about it is that you can get work literally anywhere. I moved to a town with a population of 90k. Applied for 3 jobs as a brand new graduate. and got 3 offer letters. the payscale's pretty variable, depending on where you are, but it is nice to know that i'm certified in like. 47 states and could get some sort of job in any of them no problem. i think once you've been certified a year you can get cali state certification, which is the route a lot of people go since cali is on the high end of the pay scale. it'll depend on what the lab you're at is like, obviously, but it is pretty difficult to get day shift positions since what a lot of places do is open internal applications for any night/evening shift people who want to move up. I work an evening shift of 2pm to 11pm and i really like it. A very common complaint i see is that there's no like... career ladder. if you're a bench tech. you're a bench tech. which sometimes gets parlayed into section leader, or section manager, but that's a years of experience thing.

My plan is to work in the same place for a couple of years so I feel more experienced, and then to take a few travel contracts which are shorter term higher pay. again, they're available pretty much anywhere, but sometimes the tradeoff is lower compensation or a worse shift or being in the middle of nowhere america. but i think it'll be fun to get paid to bop around the country for awhile. I like my job and I like that it's very secure, but I do plan to go back to school for Something Else at some point and probably shift careers. My review: good thing to do in your twenties! good thing to have under your belt in general. very dependable.

if you have other questions in general or about anything I said you can 100% msg me! Ik I had a lot of trouble finding info when I was looking into this as an undergrad

[sipipu]

"Well, hello there" (Pt.3)

P.s: I created a separate hashtag for fanfiction to make it easier for you to find it on my blog.

Geno was not afraid of anything.

Perhaps he was one of the few who rarely feared anything. He is not afraid to make serious decisions that can affect his life, he was not afraid to bear the burden of responsibility for his actions or words spoken. In this regard, he was fearless, although he hid the fact that he was scared to hell of mice and rats.

I would say that he is used to living so confidently in himself and in his choices. He is not used to making mistakes and forgiving himself for them. Self-criticism is his best friend and companion, who has served him for many, many years.

In order to achieve something, he always prepared in advance. If it was necessary to make sure that he got the highest score in a subject that he did not know well, he would do everything for that. To negotiate with the teachers? Buy ready-made answers? Get a nerd to write a test for him? Easy. His tongue was boneless. Or maybe he needed to deal with someone? For example, to stand up for the brothers? He doesn't see any problems either.

He didn't see a problem at all to do something that was beneficial to him. But, you know? There are "buts" everywhere. And even Geno had them.

One of those "buts" is happening right now. He was looking at the screen of his push-button clamshell phone, rereading the text message he had written. There was nothing so serious or scary in this message, just the usual friendly greeting. "But" for some reason, Genno reread this message 100 times, checked for spelling errors, paraphrased this unfortunate SMS and still could not send it.

The song "Steine Sind Steine - And One" was playing softly in his room, and things were scattered here and there again. The window was wide open for ventilation, so Geno was wrapped in a warm blanket. Music in his native language made him relax and immerse himself in the memories of his childhood. But now it was so inappropriate!

Taking a deep breath, he erased the text message and put the phone away from harm, so as not to think about it anymore. He decided that he should take a walk through the streets, and go to the grocery store and buy a pack of cigarettes.

After changing into street clothes, he closed the window and left the room, locking it with a key out of habit. Geno lived alone in a two-story house. He once lived here with his brothers and their mother, but over the years the house slowly emptied. First, my mother left, moving to their native country and deciding to build a great career there. Don't think about it, their mom wasn't a bad woman, she was just very single-minded. She often came to them and sent them some gifts, as well as money. Guenon never condemned her choice, on the contrary, he supported her, although he understood the burden of responsibility that fell on him. After his mother, Error left the house. After graduating from high school, he got involved in a not very good group of guys. He hadn't heard much about them, to be honest, Error had never been verbose when it came to his personal life. When Error left home, he kept in touch with Geno for a while, but later disappeared completely. The last time they were written off was about two years ago, when Error told him that he had enrolled in college as a designer somewhere in another part of the country. Well, the youngest in their family, Fresh, was the last to leave the house. To be honest, Geno never worried about his future. Not to say that he didn't care about him, but he always knew that whatever path Fresh chose, it would always be good for him. They also wrote off and called each other very often. It made Geno exhale. No matter how confident he was in him, Fresh always had a windy head, and before he needed an eye and an eye. Now, as far as Geno understood, Fresh graduated from DJ courses, and now travels all over the country, gaining experience, communicating with a lot of people and, of course, arranging concerts and creating music.

They rarely saw each other together. Mom came only on calendar holidays, Fresh looked in on him if he was somewhere nearby, and Error never came after leaving at all.

Walking along the familiar streets, Geno remembered what to buy from the groceries and what to cook for dinner. He loved cooking, but it was a burden for him to buy food every time. Most of all, he liked to bake something sweet, especially in autumn, like now, or in winter.

Going into a familiar grocery store, he bought everything he needed, while knocking out a favorable discount for some products. Everything about money was treated with special attention. He didn't buy anything extra, he always took what was more profitable for the money. And for good change, he could buy sweets, cigarettes or a new CD with music.

Speaking of music, a new album by his favorite rock band was recently released, and, deciding that now was a good reason, he headed to a record store where CDs were sold. Of course, now that the Internet was taking advantage in many ways, he could just copy some music, but it was the discs that gave him special pleasure and aesthetics.

Entering the music store, he looked through the numerous shelves, looking for what he needed. Some pleasant instrumental was playing in the background. Most likely from some popular song that Geno didn't know. Geno looked into the pop music section for the sake of interest. Of course, most of them were filled with newfangled boy bands, or rappers. He was ready to twist his ears, or go deaf on purpose, so that he would never hear these two genres. Maybe this kind of music gave pleasure to someone, but definitely not to him.

- Wow, what kind of people are in Hollywood.

Geno started when someone suddenly spoke to him. He almost dropped the disc and, after making sure that everything was in order, he looked at the person who spoke to him. And what was his surprise when he saw a familiar face. It was a Rapper, his own fucking person. Only he didn't look quite familiar, he was wearing a white T-shirt with the store's logo, and under it a gray turtleneck. But otherwise, there were familiar outlines of his style: massive boots, not too wide jeans, chains, as well as gloves on his hands.

- Hey, - Geno replied, turning to him - Do you work here?

- No, I'm just stealing music, nothing unusual, - Reaper was holding a box with a bunch of CDs in his hands. He put it on the floor, starting to sort it on the shelf.

- It doesn't look like you stole it. Rather, you just return it, - Geno grinned as he watched him.

- Pop music is stolen only by posers.

- True.

They were in each other's silent company for a while longer. Sometimes Reaper asked Geno something, to which he received a dry and not very verbose answer.

- Are you saying you want to buy a CD?

- Aha.

- Give me a couple of minutes, go to the checkout and wait for me there.

Geno just nodded. He carefully walked around the Reaper and went to the cash register, holding a CD with some band. To be honest, when Geno saw him, he immediately forgot why he came here and what he wanted to buy. He couldn't even imagine that his new friend could work in such a place. He was more imagining some more thematic places where he could be a consultant. Or even work as an undertaker. After fantasizing a little more, Geno noticed that the Rapper had already approached the counter, including the cash register. Reaper reached out to take the disc, and Geno handed it to him. He glanced at the title, copying it, it seems, into the computer, and then he abruptly returned his gaze to the disk, shifting a mocking glance at Geno, returning the disk.

- "Sweet Boys"? - It was obvious from him that he was holding back his laughter.

Geno didn't understand what he meant at first, and look at the CD he was going to buy, he was horrified to see a photo of not very good quality with half-naked 20-year-old men and the name of the band. "Sweet Boys". Goddamn it.

Okay, okay. He'll just apologize, say that he chatted with him and quickly find what he needed.

- Yes, and what's the problem?

Why the hell would he say that?

Reaper looked at him strangely, looking for a catch in his words. But as luck would have it, Geno made the most serious expression on his face, looking confident at the same time. In his head, he asked himself why he was acting like this and literally shouted at him to make a joke of it and choose what he needed.

- You don't look like a fan of this band, - The rapper squinted and leaned against the counter, looking straight into Geno's eyes, forcing a sly smile.

- I just want to expand my musical taste, - Geno, deciding that he was deliberately provoking him into some kind of awkward situation, decided not to look away, stubbornly looking back and stood up a little more confidently - Have a problem with that? Do you judge people who listen to pop?

- No, I'm not, - Reaper grinned as he punched through the disc - That'll be $21.5, sir.

- tHaT'lL bE $21,5, SiRr, - Geno ridiculously repeated his phrase, paying off.

- Hey, I'm actually the best employee here. Be polite, sir.

- Really? As far as I know, employees at the music store do not discuss the musical preferences of customers....

- Of course, I'm deeply sorry, sir, but you wouldn't listen to such shit in your life, even for the sake of interest, - Reaper theatrically put his hand to his chest, sighing as if someone important had turned away from him.

- Hey, you don't know me, - Geno smiled, rolling his eyes and putting the disc in his backpack, where there were groceries for dinner and a pack of cigarettes.

- What if I want to get to know you better, sir?

Geno was visibly nervous. He looked at Reaper and met his attentive blue eyes. Geno felt that there was some strange implication in this phrase, and it confused him a little. He liked meeting new people, but something about Reaper didn't seem right to him.

- So what? - The rapper tilted his head slightly, continuing to look at Geno and looking very confident at the same time.

- Uh…. Ok? Good luck?

Before Reaper could say anything else or ask, Geno literally stormed out of the store. He felt embarrassed as he replayed the phrase in his head. He felt his heart beating an exciting tap dance, and he did not know whether it was from a quick step or from a strange excitement.

Stopping to catch his breath, Geno took out a new pack of cigarettes from his backpack, opening it and taking one, lighting it. He looked at his lighter and remembered that Reaper had lent it to him the last time they met. Exhaling tobacco smoke and twirling the lighter in his hand, examining it, he suddenly smiled, deciding that a new experience would not hurt him. Reaper, of course, is a little strange, but nothing, it was even good for him.

Opposites come closer, don't they?

[redwinewhiteroses]

Hi! I wish to join your new fs game

My initials are A.R. and I’m a Taurus Sun ♉️

Pronouns: she/her

Preference: male

I’m rather young but I’d say my best tip for a happier life is knowing when to show acceptance and when to leave any difficult situation you might face. There are things that make you stronger and then there are things that just waste your time. It is important to differentiate between those and know how to choose. Neither to run away from your problems nor to stay expecting improvement where pain serves no purpose. This of course mostly applies for LONG TERM happiness and satisfaction.

I wish to live a life abundant with all feelings, emotions and experiences. Where you indulge in discovering what’s around and beyond. Reach a stage where you can fulfil life’s desires and fancies, yet stay grounded and have your truth resonate with you.

Thank you for hosting this game 😊

I love what you said about knowing when to show acceptance and when to leave. I'd say the tips you gave are really really important to maintain a healthy mind when the going gets tough. And the life you envision where you have your desires and fancies fulfilled, yet stay grounded and close to your truth👏👏✨️ I absolutely love your vision and direction🥹🩷 You said you were rather young, but I'd say you are wise and you have your priorities straight, and I absolutely love that for you🥳🩷

Circumstances in which you meet your fs

Queen of Pentacles, Eight of Swords, The High Priestess

You are likely to meet them when you've accquired a significant accomplishment or a social position. I think you will have a lot of material abundance and you will be a successful woman when you meet them. So if you've been manifesting a successful career and financial stability, know that you're going to have it all and you'll meet your fs around this time too. You'll be sulf-sufficient and in a way a self-made woman, you will be capable of nurturing and taking care of yourself. Although you'll be very much strong and secure in your femininity and capability as a woman, you'll still feel a bit vulnerable and have emotional blockages likely fears or insecurities. You could meet your fs through a mother figure or the meeting could be very warm and comfortable. You will feel very welcome but still have uncertainty around what will be of the future for you. The most important thing here is you will feel an intuitive connection with them, not exactly love at first sight but more like a deep understanding at first sight. You will feel an intense and mysterious bond. It could also mean that you both are quite reluctant to open up emotionally so you leave a lot unspoken initially although you feel very comfortable in each others' presence. One of you might feel like the other is kinda unreachable or unattainable at first. It's possible that in this initial meeting you don't open up completely or clear the path for something to grow between you, but still you both leave the scene feeling an intuitive hunch that you will come back around again. There will be a lot unsaid and this interaction will likely remain in your thinking within the subconscious mind. Maybe you are a keen observer, I feel like one of you will intently observe the other person in an attempt to understand and figure them out. It's like trying to gain a lot of knowledge about the person of your interest before considering initiating a connection with them. Loving from afar came to mind.

When you catch feelings for each other

Seven of Swords, Ace of Swords, Queen of Cups

So I'm thinking this could be a love-hate relationship at first😅 You'll probably hate the fact you've fallen for them. But I think you'll just go for it and talk about your feelings with honesty after a while. You both will keep communication channels open and really encourage each other to speak the true depth of the feelings. Because initially one or maybe even both of you just felt like you couldn't come up to each other and confess what you truly felt. With ace of swords here, there is an emphasis on mental stimulation. So intellectual and mental compatibility might take a center stage or you could just naturally prefer to share new ideas and plans with them. You can have interesting and mentally stimulating conversations with them. I think eventually after hanging out a lot with them and communicating ideas and beliefs, you'll come to the deep waters of the relationship and talk about feelings. Your relationship could progress through a mental/intellectual connection and lateron develop into a deep emotional connection. Both of you will feel very strongly about each other. You will find that once you've understood each other, you'll go on to care and nurture them and they too will do the same. You will always do right by your partner and have best interests at heart. You will always look out for each other with so much compassion and genuine consideration. There's loyalty and empathy right from the start of your connection. I sense an intuitive connection here with the Queen of Cups and the High Priestess from the previous portion of the reading, so one of you or both can be highly emotionally intelligent or has a deep knowing of things. Probably has an open heart space and just a lot of unconditional love to give and receive. There's a lot of feminine energy in this reading so this relationship could be very forgiving, warm and healing and I think you or your partner has the good knowledge to build healthy relationships with great emotional stability. You will prioritise understanding each other on a deeper emotional level.

This love runs deep comes to mind.

Settling into a long-term relationship with them

Knight of Cups, The Lovers, Five of Swords

It will be very romantic when you finally settle down into a relationship with them. It's like all defenses are now removed and yall can be your funny and goofy selves around each other. I think you will truly show love through physical actions and gift-giving at this phase, after you've understood each other and really developed a deeper emotional bond. Knight of Cups came out for this section and Queen of Cups for the previous one and I feel like it's a good thing😅😭 because it makes me think, you have to be tied to each other in a deep emotional bond to court each other? Also you will be lovey dovey and do romantic expressions of love for each other like buying flowers and cooking a favourite meal.

These are some intuitive messages I got for you.

• You could listen to music together too.

• Beauty is only skin deep?

Expect a lot of saying sweet nothings and teasing each other/flirting😄 Your fs could be really protective over you as a Knight in shining armour. He will show up and come to your rescue with empathetic emotional understanding. You will probably go on a lot of dates with them at this point and they will charm your pants off lol. There's sincere love and care in their heart for you. I think they could express their love through poems and songwriting. So creative expressions of love is evident in the cards. You will feel right at home in each others' embrace. I heard perfect counterparts. I think you will find each other to be a perfect match and you will never doubt your compatibility. It's a deep romantic and soul mate bond. I think marriage will bring that lovers energy more. Your union will really feel like a soul tie. I also think there's a perfect balance of lighthearted romance, playfulness and carnal love in your relationship. I also believe you will have certain lessons to learn together and to grow as individuals. You will feel like they complete you in a way. You could have a very passionate intimate life with them. There could be disagreements too and I think it's mainly because of conflicting opinions. Like you could think you are right at all times or you could have strong opinions or believe you are in the right all the time and this will cause some friction in your relationship. I'm thinking this conflict happens mainly on a mental level. I'm also thinking both of you are highly educated? and really protective about your knowledge and opinions. It could also manifest as those old couples bickering over things but with a harsh tone or seriousness. A clash of opinions over who is right and who should fix their ways. And I think its a beautiful contrast to the bubbly romance, passion and intensity you both share.

Channelled song

I don't know how this song is relevant but maybe it means something to you.

And I also thought of this song.

For the book/movie that resembles the love story with your fs, I choose Maxton Hall. I've never watched it but I felt like it was right and captures the essence of your relationship quite well. There's also a book this drama series is based on Save me by Mona Kasten.

[queen-mihai]

Hi I know that this may seem out of place. But at what point in your life did you begin to feel stable/adult. I often times have conflicted my feelings of gender discomfort or writing with these beliefs. Because of this I have abandoned myself to a point where a stranger now lives in my body. Have these thoughts ever bothered you?

Hmm🤔

This is an interesting question. I suppose it's rather gradual. And there's never a feeling really of being "there".

You always feel kinda like you're faking it in a way. People really are telling the truth that nobody knows what they're doing. Everybody's making it up as they go along

And one thing that we all eventually find is that no one can do this alone. I work as an engineer. I work in the field with machines that don't move, meaning I have to go to it instead of it coming to me.

That means that I not only have to be an expert at math and designing and troubleshooting, but also logistics. I need to figure out schedules and times and make phone calls so people know who I am and what I'm doing and if it's going to affect them.

But like that didn't happen suddenly all at once. The reason jobs measure *years* of experience, is that it genuinely takes *years* to get used to the type of things adults have to do just getting around.

My boss doesn't want to have to come pick me up to bring me to work. The regional manager I work for would suffer if every time I ran into a problem I came asking him what to do. I wouldn't have gotten this job if I hadn't been doing the stuff I do here for years already. But I didn't start by doing this much. I started in my career just kind of accepting assignments that needed to be traveled for. They might have come once every 6 months in my early career. But I jumped at them because I wanted to get out of the office and I thought that part of the job was fun.

Eventually employers got used to that idea and they sent me out more. "Oh Mihai will take care of that. She loves driving around. And with her doing that, we can have some of the other engineers do something else"

Eventually that grew into enough that I could add it to my resume and really take it on as part of whatever job I got next. Etc etc etc until the job I have now doesn't HAVE an office; I'm pretty much forced to demand a company vehicle, and I spend practically half my life living in hotels.

Regarding feeling stable, that's more a job of meditating and feeling good about being *you*.

I don't feel like the world is stable. I don't feel like people's opinions of me are stable. The political, corporate, financial, and climate world is unstable. But I know who I am, and how I make decisions. I know I'm always going to be honest about how I feel, if I am proud of my work or if I made mistakes, and I'll always try to communicate. I know I work really best alone, but I love being around people. I know I'm a leader and people tend to do what I do, so I try to do the right thing always. That's what makes me feel stable. I'm stable in myself, no matter how unstable the world is around me. And that consistency of personhood provides an anchor from which other people can latch on and help find themselves too. (Because you're not me, but you can use me to find what similarities and differences there are between us, and thus, paint a clearer picture of your own personal image)

I don't know how much I can help with the "abandoning yourself" part.

Part of what hurt me previously was being involved in a very destructive relationship. Once I left that relationship, it became much easier to construct *me*. Maybe that's not what you have going on, but it may be worthwhile to take a look at your environment and see if there's something making you feel like you can't grow into the person you want to be.

In any case I wish you well. And I hope you find your place. What I can say is that there's no finish line; there's no race; there's not even a path. There's just decisions you make every day. They're all important and none of them are important. But what IS important is that you see that you're not waiting to start your story. You're in the middle of it right now. Please know that you are loved, and very cool, and I especially appreciate you for sending such an interesting ask 🥰

Peace ✌️ ❤️