#there's a lot of good resources out there

[thedivinetarot]

'Cause I like you quite a lot, it's you who I adore though I make boys fall like domino's

Who has a crush on you?

☆ How to chose your pile?

Close your eyes and clear your mind. Take a deep breath and ask the question in your head. And shall the picture you are drawn to the most be your pile.

☆ Disclaimer:

This is a general reading so take what resonates and leave the rest. In this reading I won't do an energy check since many of you are not resonating with it anymore.

Mood board from @divinationsanctuary19

Pile 1 - Pearls

☆ Who?/ physical description:

I see that this person has self esteem issue. I see them as someone who really might have confidence issues. And it affect their life in a really negative way. Okay, also this person is workaholic until the point of exhaustion. They may stay up at night because of tiredness. I see that they work a lot. This person might be a soulmate/twin flame of yours. This person might be a co-worker of yours. They have a lot on their plate. This person is someone who is really family oriented. Someone who values family and find emotional fulfillment within a family. Someone who is managing their family finances. They might have a family (wife/children) or they are spending their money on their parents. Or maybe this person is already married omg (this is so spicy I can't😭). The 10s cards are repeated twice so this person might be someone who is socially in a higher place than you. It also gives me boss energy, someone in a higher status with lots of money and resources. But they got it all from their work, their own work. Now with their physical appearance: this person has dark brown hair, brown or black eyes. Someone who look younger than their actual age. Someone whose physical appearance to them is a source of insecurity or they are closed off. This person's aura seems very calm and soothing. I see that their shoulders are slightly wide and their body proportions almost equal. Physically, this person is average like nothing really make them stand out and you can easily not notice them in the crowds. The thing (I'm going to add a note here) this person is happily married to their spouse/ wife. And they have a legacy with them but now we will know why they are crushing on you.

☆ How do they see you?

Will first I see that their first impression of you was quite sharp. They saw you as someone who is quick witted and quite sharp mentally. You might appeared very smart to them which really attracted them to you. They also got attracted to your confidence and your youthful spirit. This person physically saw you as someone who is cute and baby doll. I don't know why I got baby-daddy/mommy dynamic. This person sees your beauty now as soft and delicate. Like their first impression on you was nothing like how they see you right now. I see that right now they see you as someone who is delicate, sweet and pure. Also I got the 9 of cups which is quite weird position for it. Well, even though this person is married and have a legacy they see that you might be someone who is good for them or their wish fulfillment. In addition, your cold and aloof attitude draws them to you even more. I see that you make them remember someone, to them your aura is very familiar. You remind them of someone they used to know when they was younger. (Idk why I'm picking on someone who is OLD and established).

☆ Placements for you:

Pisces, cancer, Aquarius, Gemini and mars in Aries.

☆ How do they feel?

Well, I see that you took this person off guard when you appeared in their life. You wasn't on their plan and meeting you was something unexpected at all. I see that what they feel for you is quite delightful. I see that this person really get distracted whenever you are around. I see that when they see that you are around they stand and stare, a wave of excitement and emotions overwhelm them. They feel that they want to protect or get possessive over you. This person either fear those emotions or they keep them to themselves. I see that whenever you are around they get quite and just STARE and you. Like your whole presence put them at ease. They also feel giddy and happy but can't seem to show it off because it will put them in a questionable place.

☆ Placements for them:

Aries, Sagittarius, virgo, Gemini, Pisces, Capricorn. Or mercury, dominant for them.

Pile 2 - Doves

☆ Who?/ their physical appearance?

Well, I see that this person is quite sad. I feel like you see those guys who listen to lana? Beautiful but sad? he gives of the same vibe. I see that this person gives off the impression that they work so freaking hard but they don't get paid enough. You see those people who works in malls? At the cashier? I think also that this person might work in a job that really don't pay them enough. They look so tired and above all they are stubborn. They don't wanna let go of that job. I see that this person is very emotionally content on their own and also I see that there's a distance between you two. You might meet them when you are traveling. I feel like this person might work so hard to prove themselves but their efforts go unnoticed. Which frustrate them even more. I see that this person is quite smart and detached but their stubbornness is the only thing that cause them trouble. I see that they know when to strategically use their wit. They might be someone who is considered smart academically. I mean I got the king and queen of swords. This person whenever you see them they display a bitch face. Or they look grumpy. They look emotionless, no expression. I see that they got heartbroken before but they got over it and found peace with it. I see that they took the lesson and healed so don't worry that they will break yours. But anyways, I see that might build up a lot of walls around themselves so you can't hurt them again. Now for the physical appearance this person have brown to black hair. Or espresso black hair. Their eye color is definitely brown or hazel. I see also that they work out a lot. Their body is defined and considered fit. Their hair might be wavy or a little bit frezzy. They are average like from 5'3 to 6'0 (173 to 182 cm). Their face is always serious, they look angry all the time. They might also be an introvert too. Like you won't see them hanging out with more than 2 to 3 people.

☆ How do they see you?

Okay, first.... I see that this person see that you are someone who is apathetic. Like especially in work settings. They see that you should not be in the place you are in at all. This might be their initial impression of you. You might come off as someone who lack motivation or apathetic and even lazy. I also that this person might see you as sorceress 😭. I see that they see you as someone who is very alluring like... alluring emotionally. You might be someone with a lot of charms, like you know how to treat people with kindness and compassion. I see also that they see you as someone with a lot of calm and serene aura with a mix or confidence and authority. You come off to this person as someone who is confident, authoritative with a hint charisma and emotional maturity. I see that with alot of this they see you as someone who is a bit conservative about your social interaction, like you don't associate yourself with a lot of people or you keep your interactions limited. I don't know why I feel like this person really want to reach you but they feel like you are distant. It feels like they are reaching for the moon when they are dealing with you. Also, you might intimidate them with the way you walk. Like you seem sharp when you are walking, you don't look at people you only look at where you are going.

☆ Placements for you:

Gemini, Scorpio, Aries, Leo, Capricorn. Mercury, Mars, Pluto, Saturn, jupiter. Sun or moon in the 1st, 3rd, 8th, 5th, 10th house in the chart, Pluto and mars making aspects to your ascendant.

☆ How do they feel?

This person feels very at peace when they look at you. I see that since you have a very calming and trusted aura they feel very at peace with the thought of you. I see that they feel very confident that one day you'll be their wifey lol. They feel this unconditional love towards you, I'm not joking at all the cards are very positive. I see that the first time they interact with you might happen through text or a following request on social media. They might be so sure that they want you. I see also that whenever they look at you they feel this feeling that they can leave their bad days and heal from bad experiences. Maybe the thought of you put them at ease. Like your aura is incredible to the point that they feel very calm when they think of you🥺. I see that they have a hint of passion towards you too. They might act more energetic and confident around you just to get you to notice them. I hope that by now you knew them pile 2. Take care💕.

☆ Placements for them:

Fire placements (leo, Aries and sagittarius) , Taurus, Cancer, Gemini, Mar in gemini, Venus in taurus, Jupiter, moon, Venus dominant in their chart. Sun or moon in the 1st, 9th, 5th, 2nd, 4th, 3rd house.

Pile 3 - Hands of a lady

☆ Who?/ physical appearance

Well, that's huge but what I'm seeing is someone that is very skillful, they embody the magician card. Someone very skillful, very good at turning their wishes into reality. They are very strong individual with a charismatic aura. They might be student in your school or college. I'm picking up on someone who studies at the same institution as you and if not then they might have took the same class as you (doesn't have to be school or college it might be as simple as pottery class). I see that this person really travels a lot. And very successful in their work (if they do so). This person is very fair. When they love you they give more than they receive, someone who is selfless and patient. They might have forward thinking because they worry alot about the future. They also get very doubtful about opportunities and they sabotage it by themselves unfortunately. This person has a lot of potential, and skills but they are either too lazy or too doubtful to work on them. Now their physical appearance, this person is in their 20s as I said above they might be a college student or still in school. Hair is silky and straight and for a very little group here this person has curly hair. Their hair color is unique or they dyed it. Their natural hair color might be blonde and they dye it black or the opposite. The way that they carry themselves is very elegant. It gives off someone who is rich. Even if they are not rich their aura seems very rich and elegant. They might wear a potato sack and appear beautiful. They possess natural beauty. They might be sad too, or they appear sad or their mouth drop downward like this face (😞). They might wear a lot of green? Yes I guess so. I guess this person wear alot of green and it look fabulous on them. Eye color might be mixed, like you see that person whose eye color change with lighting? I'm getting brown greenish or green or brown or even hazel. Did it resonate with you pile 3? Tell me if so and take care💕.

☆ How do they see you?

Well, I'm getting that this person sees you as someone who is intimidating. I see that they get terrified whenever you are around. Also, someone unpredictable with sharpness around the edge. Maybe you are enneagram 8? Or ISTP? I see that you dress in a way that is quite edgy. Like not the typical good girl way of dressing. Something very black edgy and emo. But you beauty is very alluring to them. I see that the way you dress might be revealing? Like you might show your boobs or wear mini skirts or you intend on revealing lots of skin or cleavage. I see that they like your cleavage or your boobs. I see that it is the thing that really attracted them to you. This pile feels more physical and sensual, like this person's main focus in your physical body. I see that they really see that you are someone with very alluring beauty. Something like a siren. You put a lot of thought into your appearance. And you take care of your health and body. I see that you appear as a mystery to that person, someone who is beautiful, and mysterious. They see the potential of this to grow into something more lighthearted and healing.

☆ Placements for you:

Pisces, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, Aries, Aquarius. Venus in virgo, harsh aspects between Mars and sun in your chart. Mars, Mercury, Sun, Moon dominant in your chart.

☆ How do they feel about you?

They want to come towards you. I see that they already thought about it and it seems very sure of themselves. I see a grand gesture, something carefree and diplomatic. They might gentlemanly help you in something you are doing so they can be close to you. I see that whenever they think of you a strong feeling of love and nurturing take over them. They want to take care of you. They feel also like your relationship with them is fated. Like you both are meant to be. I see that they try to move on from you but whenever they try they fall harder lol. You might not study in the same class but meet in the hallways and they feel very electrified whenever you are around. You see that feeling of electricity pass through you when you see your crush? They feel the same way. But generally, they feel very positive towards you. So, enjoy it baby💋. I hope you enjoyed the reading pile 3.

☆ Placements for them:

Gemini, virgo, Libra, Aries, Scorpio. Mercury, Saturn, Pluto, mars. 1st, 3rd, 7th, 8th, 6th house placements.

Pile 4 - Lady and sea waves

☆ Who? Their appearance:

Pile 4 is that your ex? I feel like this is someone who is very earthy. I mean someone who used to keep you close to them but now they are far away? I see that you had a fight with them and it was because of their possessiveness or jealousy towards you which was unbearable. I see if you are away from this person they want to start all over but in a tricky way. Like they might reach out to you in a way that might not hurt their ego. I see that even after this they are unsure if this is going to last or not. They just want you back. I see that they used to carry a lot of uncertainty and they felt super unsure of where things are going and now if they return it won't be how you expected? I mean this person hasn't changed yet and they do not intend to change. I mean they want you back just to prove to themselves that they can have you back. I think this person was dedicated? And all of sudden things just changed. I don't know if you should get back to them or not. I don't like their energy, it feels very tricky and deceiving. I guess that they are attached to you emotionally. They do not intend on breaking free out of this toxicity. This person is toxic they do not want to change and at the same time they want you back. Now for their appearance, this person might wear heavy clothes even during summer. Their hair is wavy or straight, I see that the color range from blonde to light brown. And they are pale AF, also for some they have a very dark undertone. I'm picking up on someone who wears a lot of white shirts too. This person has medium height and for some they are short lol. For their eye color mostly brown and other have blue eyes I'm not picking on anything specific could be hazel too.

☆ How do they see you?

Well, I'm picking up that this person see how emotionally distant and cold you are. You might have given them a lot of attention that made their confidence sky rock. I see that they know how much anxiety they caused you, they know that they are the reason that you are distant and cold towards them and other people. I kept typing void? So you might have filled the void inside them and they got attached? I got the devil card twice and no it doesn't have to be that they see you as someone who is sexy. They see that they are attached to you. I see also that you bring them a lot of anxiety. Because as I said before, because they are toxic; they know how tick you boxes and use you whenever they want. And they are very sure that you are going to satisfy their ego (please don't you are more than this). They give off the vibe of someone who is emotionally distant... avoidant to be more specific. They know how much they have caused you and doesn't intend on making things better, they want you because they are attached to you emotionally not because they love you so be careful pile 4 you are amazing🤍.

☆ Placements for you:

Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Capricorn, jupiter, mars, Sun as dominant planets in the chart. Or those placements as sun moon or ascendant.

☆ How do they feel about you?

They feel very sure of themselves that you are going to fill up their void. I see alot of imbalances in this relationship, someone here is taking more than they receive and the opposite. I see that they have quite mixed imbalanced feelings towards you and they are not sure of how to deal with all of them. One day they feel like yes, they love you and they will do better and other times they feel like you are too much and they doesn't understand themselves. I hate their energy, maybe you are with them because you feel pity for them not because you love them. If you end this I assure you that you'll get better soon. I mean the general dynamic between you two is quite toxic and imbalanced. They don't know how to keep you and how to let you go so please be the reason for this to end. Sometimes, leaving is better than staying for something that is no good for you. Take care pile 4 💕.

☆Placements for them:

Taurus, virgo, Scorpio, gemini, Libra, Sagittarius. Saturn, Pluto, mercury dominant in their chart. Or their moon, sun or ascendant in those signs.

Post date: 30th of Nov/ 2024 - Sat

* Feedback is appreciated

[omgthatdress]

Hello! This may seem random but could you perhaps provide some information or resources about historical Chinese clothing? Especially from the Ming and Jin dynasty?

I am kind of making an oc and I want to do my research before designing her outfits, and as I was looking for resources I remembered you!

It's okay if you can't or don't want to, of course

Have a good day/night!

I really don't know anything about non-Western fashion, and even for Western fashion, I only really know about fashion from the 18th century onward. Clothes only last so long and extant garments from before then are extremely rare.

There's a lot of Western bias in museums, so finding historical clothes from other cultures can be next to impossible. There's some Chinese stuff out there, but it's pretty much entirely court wear from the Qing Dynasty.

[helianthus-tarot]

SELF: Your natural talent

Natural talent: Something that comes naturally to you, that you don't need to work on, except in situations where the talent is blocked by personal issues like insecurities.

I posted the extended version on my Patreon which includes your potential (other qualities that can flourish if you tap into them) and possible career for you ❤️ There are other 80+ fun and juicy readings on Patreon so definitely check it out!

Disclaimer: Here | Instagram: Here

Instructions: Focus on the topic and ask yourself the question. Choose a number/picture that you feel the most drawn to or that you can’t stop looking at. Trust your intuition. May the message resonate. Let me know which pile you choose! Feedback is appreciated!

Like my readings? Tip here!

PILE 1 

Natural talent: 10 of Swords, 9 of Wands, Queen of Cups, The Magician. 

Your natural talent is probably connected to the theme of your life. I think it’s your ability to transform your experiences, especially difficult experiences, into something more or something better. Most people learn from their mistakes, but some people may take several tries to learn the same lesson (as in, they keep experiencing the same thing over and over before the lesson actually gets through to them). But you learn quickly from your mistakes, because you probably have a tendency to think and analyse your mistakes (or things that happen in your life) to death. Which can be good and bad. You have an active mind; your mind can understand something in multiple different ways, in multiple different perspectives. If you don’t have a healthy control over this, it can lead to problems, especially health and emotional problems. 

You have a strong empathy, an ability to put yourself in other people’s shoes and to understand other people’s experiences. Partly because of your own personal experiences; these give you the perspective and ability to understand what people are struggling with and why. But another reason is that you just have that ability to understand people and their situations without having to experience those things yourself. I'm not just talking about caring for people, I’m talking about really understanding the layers in people’s problems; how different things lead to this terrible situation and why people with this kind of problem behave in a certain way.

Some of you may be into psychology; cognitive psychology, social psychology, positive psychology, or clinical psychology. I hate saying this because it sounds kinda shitty, but your pain and experiences are a part of your natural talent, or they’ve had a part in the development of your natural talent whether or not you realise it; it's like a curse and a gift at the same time, or a gift that blooms through a curse. Don't take this as me calling your difficult past experiences a curse tho. I mean, you can decide it yourself; I’m just trying to explain the message lol. 

The Magician can be about mixing different things together; so a lot of you are creative thinkers. You don’t have to be an artist, creative thinking does not only belong to artists. Creative thinking is closely related to resourcefulness and innovative thinking. You are naturally resourceful. While other people choose either A or B, you are out here having the ability to see how to combine A and B to get C.

You know how to use certain information, experience or knowledge to create something in your life, and I don’t think you need much advice or guidance to be able to do this. Some people really need to be led, like, they can’t really figure it out themselves or know where to begin. I’m not looking down on them, people have different strengths, I’m just describing the difference. You, however, know how to start, how to create things for yourself, where to go, what to do, what to have. There’s an independent energy to this, like someone who takes charge of their fate. You also have a natural talent in manifesting; some of you could find this ability a bit blocked, but you can manifest very easily if you put your mind to it and stay determined. 

EXTENDED VERSION IS ON PATREON! What is your potential? What qualities can flourish if you put effort into them? 😳 And what career paths should you consider? 🤔📝 There are also other 80+ fun and juicy readings on Patreon, do check it out!

PILE 2 

Natural talent: Knight of Pentacles Rx (The High Priestess), 4 of Cups (The Chariot), King of Wands, Knight of Swords. 

You have the ability and strength to be yourself, to do what you want, to think what you think. Some people wait to be told what to do and who to be, but you aren’t really like that. I’m not looking down on those people, people have different strengths, I’m just highlighting the difference. You have a strong independent, bold energy, and this comes naturally to you, like someone who can’t help but be who they are and say what they believe in. You naturally know what you want, what your beliefs are, what you want next, and so on. You feel the pull or have the desire to leave a legacy in this world, to express your vision, to see your vision unfold and to make impacts on your surroundings. Like the previous pile, you may be good at manifesting, you can manifest what you want, especially by envisioning / visualising it.  

You are inspirational; your words and actions are, the way you go after your goals. For some of you, maybe you don’t actively try to be this way, but it still happens, when people look at you, they feel challenged, inspired, and motivated. Some of them may feel threatened or offended though, but if you aren’t unkind towards them then... that’s their issue to solve, really, it’s not your problem. You have a natural talent for leadership. A lot of you may often find yourself being chosen as a leader, or you prefer leadership role, or at least you prefer to be able to do your own thing and make your vision happen (good leaders are usually independent people who have the boldness to believe in their own ideas and don’t mind to assert those).

You are a visionary, some people have to actively learn visionary thinking, but it comes naturally to you. You can see the big picture easily, you can imagine how things may happen, or what something may lead to, you can see the potential in things around you, the opportunities, the possibilities. You have a critical mind too, so you probably have a lot of opinions about a lot of things, because you can see their potentials. 

You are passionate and intuitive. Passion and intuition can be the drives or the sources of energy that’s needed to take actions. Some people have to search for this externally, they need other people to motivate them. You don’t, you have a lot of that in you. You are the type of person who can motivate yourself and stay determined through beliefs alone. So your passion and intuition help you stand strong in your conviction, which takes guts and confidence to do.

Those also make you ambitious and daring. You don’t really doubt yourself, and even when you do, emotional hangups, pessimism don’t really have much power to stop you from pursuing what you want once you have decided that you want what you want. You have a stubborn streak that can help you push through obstacles. However, you do rely more on your instinct than careful, methodical actions. Some of you can be prone to impatience and make quick judgments, so just be careful with that. I mean, you have a strong intuition, so you are probably right in many cases but at the end of the day you are still human so mistakes can happen.  

EXTENDED VERSION IS ON PATREON! What is your potential? What qualities can flourish if you put effort into them? 😳 And what career paths should you consider? 🤔📝 There are also other 80+ fun and juicy readings on Patreon, do check it out!

PILE 3 

Natural talent: Knight of Pentacles Rx, The Moon Rx (2 of Swords), The Chariot Rx, Knight of Swords (Page of Pentacles Rx).  

For many of you, this talent may be blocked, or you may not have been very productive with it, as in, you don’t really use it to its full potential. This talent is related to your mental energy; so it’s likely that you are smart, mentally sharp, you have a lot of opinions. You have the ability to lay things out in the open (a subject or a topic or a problem) making it clear for other people to understand.

Some of you are quick on your feet, you think fast, you learn fast, you see opportunities, you notice problems and can come out with solutions to those problems, you see ways to break limits; I'm talking about being able to think outside the box and being innovative. But it feels like this talent just stays in your head, as in, you don’t really share it? Or you don’t really do anything much with the insights that you have, or the opinions and ideas that you have. Some of you share those things, but you don’t practice what you say. It does make you seem knowledgeable and like an expert though (when you express your opinions and thoughts). 

But with all these reversals it feels like the cards are telling you that you may want to try building something with your talent, properly act on it basically. Create something tangible with it, instead of just letting it stay in your head or in random conversations. I guess, it’s like, when someone has a lot of knowledge about a particular thing, they talk about it with their friends, but they don’t really ground it in something tangible; for example, they could start a business and make money from it but they don't, or they could start an actual class and teach people in a way that is more organised and productive, but they don’t; they just share it informally and not bother with properly recording and organising the info or not thinking much about how to grow the thing. Some of you may not share it at all. I wish I could get more details about what talent this is, but this pile is probably for a specific group of people who know what their talent is but haven’t done much about it.   

One of the main reasons for this blockage is probably your insecurities, or something you are avoiding; there’s something in you that is feeling conflicted about acting and grounding your talent and building something with it. And this internal conflict creates this back-and-forth energy and a lack of commitment. For some of you, it’s because you don’t trust your intuition or gut feeling about it. Which is interesting because I think you believe in your ideas/stance, you know it's good. You are also determined, or you could be a determined person if you tap into that determination.

For some of you, this sounds a bit odd to say but your determination is also a bit blocked. To unblock or tap into your own determination and ability to stay committed to your pursuit, you may want to try placing your need for security and need for assurance/certainty on the fact that regardless of your concerns about your talent or what you’re doing, believe that effort and hard work will never betray you. Many of you are also aware of how to solve your blockages here, you understand human psychology or your own psyche, but you haven’t properly, consistently acted on that understanding for yourself.   

EXTENDED VERSION IS ON PATREON! What is your potential? What qualities can flourish if you put effort into them? 😳 And what career paths should you consider? 🤔📝 There are also other 80+ fun and juicy readings on Patreon, do check it out!

PILE 4 

Natural talent: 5 of Wands, The Magician Rx, 4 of Pentacles (The Lovers), The Star. 

I wonder if some of you have recently questioned your ability, especially your ability to make things happen. Because when I took clarifications for The Magician in reverse, the cards that came out were mostly quite heavy. And the reversal doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the cards in this spread. So it’s either you have recently doubted yourself, are currently doubting yourself, OR this is a quality (i.e. being able to make things happen) that you may feel a bit blocked in yourself; like you can’t seem to manifest what you want, to produce/create what you want, to think outside the box, to do something more. 

You have the talent for it though, I don’t know why it’s a bit blocked but sometimes it’s not you, it’s your environment or it’s life itself, sometimes it’s just timing. There’s probably nothing wrong with your ability and what you have been doing. Maybe going out or leaving the house can help the energy flow. This is like a talented writer experiencing a writer block; it doesn’t mean they are not talented. 

You have an eye for good investment; and I’m not just talking about financial investment, I’m talking about things or pursuits that can help you maintain, build and protect your stability. You know what’s good for you, what you need, what can make you a better person. This could be something like, knowing which skills to learn so you can maintain and build more stability in your life. Probably the type of person who puts effort into preparing an emergency saving, saving money in this bank, saving money in that bank, saving to buy land, paying attention to security features, this and that.

You also have the ability to see the big picture, the ability to find (or create) meanings and wisdom in your experiences that you then use to motivate yourself or to feel positively about your life. You have a spiritual outlook or a spiritual bent that actually helps you remain centred in yourself, retain your hope, be more resilient in the face of challenges. Inner knowing, a connection to the Universe. Some of you may know when to act, you feel the pull to do this and that, you can't explain why but when you look at the astrological transits, those can actually explain your behaviour. So it’s like, you are in tune with the Universe.  

You know when to flow and when to push and fight. You are competitive, or you have a knack for figuring out how to win a competition, or how best to compete, or how to be among the best in a competition. It doesn’t have to be about an official competition, like a tournament; it can be as simple as knowing how to work with the algorithm on the platform you choose to post your work, or knowing what makes something stand out in your field and how you can emulate that, being aware of what people are seeking and being able to give those things to people, etc – which all help you come out on top. That’s very specific so I’m not sure how many of you find that resonating. But yeah, it’s a unique ability I’d say.

A lot of you also enjoy challenges, you like things that keep levelling up and challenging you; this is advantageous because everything in life’s got challenges lol. Challenges can’t really deter you or stop you from acting if you have decided you want something. Some of you may take some time to recover from setbacks, but you often get up and try again.  

EXTENDED VERSION IS ON PATREON! What is your potential? What qualities can flourish if you put effort into them? 😳 And what career paths should you consider? 🤔📝 There are also other 80+ fun and juicy readings on Patreon, do check it out!

[druid-in-hiding]

Weighed in on a "Left eating itself" post re: Dropout TV and representation. Got blocked. Not entirely a surprise, since I write a lot in a little amount of time.

My sole regret is that one of my allies in the fight I didn't immediately follow and because I didn't follow, I can't find them again (So... crystal gems poster, thank you for your work on that post and if you're not a mutual, hope you see this. Damn my brain for not remembering your handle.)

Summary of post was: Dropout doesn't represent X demographic ENOUGH so they must be FULL OF MALICE AND SPITE AND THEY HATE X

If the post had been "I want to see more of Me represented; please represent me MORE!" I would have been all on board. It's 100% okay to speak out and speak up and to ask for representation. And if Dropout was a major corporation, hells you absolutely can claim malice.

But Dropout is the scrappy underdog. They are the one with limited resources and limited time working their best to support all of us. I literally messaged @samreich to ask for more local, native rep. I've written a post praising @quiddie for her rep. Because they DO listen. But everyone cannot be everywhere at once.

So consider this a message from a devoted fan who wishes nothing more than a healthy expansion for Dropout and a wish that they continue to do the Good Work. They don't have my faith; they EARNED IT.

[niyasruledbyvenus]

Arudha Lagna in the Signs

Arudha Lagna is how others perceive us (especially society/public/media). It is our projected and illusionary personality. Referred to as “the seat of Maya” Maya=illusion/Rahu. Which usually differs from our true personality represented by our Lagna/ Ascendant.

How to calculate Arudha Lagna?

1. Find your Lagna/ascendant the Lord (Aries ascendant-> Mars)

2. Count how many houses from your ascendant Lord to your ascendant. (ex. how many houses mars is from ascendant= 8 houses)

3. Count that same number from Ascendant lord. That is your Arudha Lagna (ex. 8 houses away from mars= Aquarius AL)

Benefics sitting in the Arudha can give a positive public image. Making one appear good and trustworthy, even if they aren’t.

Malefics sitting in the Arudha/or ruling the sign can tarnish one’s reputation, making the public distrustful or critical.

For example- Saturn, Mars, Rahu, Ketu sitting in AL can tarnish one’s reputation

Signs ruled by Malefics such as Scorpio (Mars & Ketu), Aries (Mars), Capricorn & Aquarius ( Saturn) doesn’t have as severe of an effect as a malefic siting in AL. But it does make one appear controversial or questionable to public at some point in time.

AL In Aries- Bold, competitive, intimidating, leader, pioneer, aggressive, action oriented, sexual/ promiscuous

Women tend to be accused of competing with other women or men competing with other men

Ex. Marilyn Monroe, Christina Aguilera, Muhammad Ali, Tyra Banks

AL in Taurus- Stable, grounded, Sensual, refined, gentle, patient, charismatic, trustworthy, noticed for voice, stubborn

Usually seen as harmless or down to earth. Like Libra, Venus ruled, they tend to be known for their sensuality & looks

Ex. Keanu Reeves, Rihanna, Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars

AL in Gemini- intellectual, witty, youthful, curious, versatile, social, communicative, recognition from siblings

Tend to be recognized for their unique voice

Ex. Beyoncé, Madonna, Rita Hayworth, Mariah Carey

AL in Cancer- Sensitive, Gentle, Homebody, Comforting, Nurturing, Proud of country/heritage/family, Protective, intuitive, Caring, Empathetic, Moody, emotional

Home dynamics or family life can be put on the spotlight. Others see them a caring, mother like figure (unless malefic influence)

Ex. Princess Diana, JonBenét, Brandy

AL in Leo- Charismatic, Authoritative, creative, dramatic, Natural Leader, Arrogant, Center of Attention, Performer/arts, fashionable, someone of importance, Extroverted

Spotlight is always on them so they tend to gain fame & attention in whatever they do. Type to feel like all eyes are on you when entering a room.

Ex. Al Capone, Catherine Hepburn, Halle Berry, The Weeknd

AL in Virgo- Analytical, practical, intelligent, resourceful, reserved, health conscious, detail oriented, logical, rational, educated

They come off as controlled and put together. Can’t get them to react easily.

Ex. Prince Harry, Bruce Lee, Jennifer Lawrence

AL in Libra- Charming, diplomatic, balanced, harmonious, sociable, peaceful, intellectual, good at negotiating/comunicating, influential, Justice seeking

Tend to be either known for their beauty, charisma, or justice/law industry.

Ex. Monica Bellucci, Oprah, lady Gaga, Aubrey Hepburn, Barack Obama

AL in Scorpio- Mysteroius, intense, powerful, secretive, magnetic, respected, morally grey, dark, sexual/sexy, controversial, sensual, occultist/witch/astrologer, taboo, hiding secrets, Spiritual dangerous, seductive

Due to malefic Mars/Ketu influence they do tend to be very controversial but despite this they still turn out to be respected

Ex. Angelina Jolie, Sharon Stone, Pamela Anderson, John F Kennedy, Jim Morrison, Bill Gates

AL in Sagittarius- Optimistic, philosophical, adventurous, independent, wise, free-spirited, benevolent, Justice seeking, educated, Humorous, experienced, travels a lot

They are seen as knowledgeable and in-tune with other cultures. They make good comedians, business owners, teachers

Ex. Jeff Bezos, Jacqueline Kennedy, Adam Ant, Demi Moore, Hugh Hefner

AL in Capricorn- Ambitious, disciplined, responsible, structured. authoritative, grounded, serious, mature, dignified, sturn, wiser than age, melancholy, pessimistic, cold

The list is questionable because Saturn influence can, like I said, make one appear questionable depending on other influences. But they make good leaders, business owners.

Ex. Lana del Rey, Adolf Hitler, Charlie Chaplin, Angela Merkel, Brad Pitt

AL in Aquarius- Innovative, unconventional, intellectual, humanitarian, forward-thinking, eccentric, unorthodox, friendly, good with media/technology, rebellious, cares about welfare of society/world, leader, influencer

People usually say their style, ideas & attitude are ahead of their time, due to Rahu.

Ex. Steve Irwin, Cher, Tamera Mowry

AL in Pisces-Spiritual, imaginative, empathetic, dreamy, otherworldly, artistic, siren like, mysterious, gentle, kind, serious, spiritual/devoted, adventurous, open-minded, philosophical, interested in higher learning/knowledge, introverted, emotional

Seen as creative, artistic (music, art, acting etc). Inventing/creating something new. Emotional imbalance/mental illnesses might get public attention

Ex. Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Elon Musk, Picasso, Ariana Grande

Disclaimer- some of the people I listed have two Arudha Lagnas (ie Scorpio Asc or Aquarius Asc) ex Princess Diana Cancer & Aquarius AL

I tried to find both positive & negative representations

Astromartine has a very knowledgeable playlist; going more in depth for each Arudha Lagna & Arudha houses

[spaghettioverdose]

I need to make sure we're clear on this: this post is not an invitation for you to jack off about the EU, NATO or USR. I think you are beyond pathetic if you do this. Romanian liberals are genuinely worse than US or UK liberals in this aspect. At least when US liberals cry and shit themselves about NATO, they actually get a lot of imperial benefits from the existence of NATO.

Maybe finally wake up and realise that "we need to be like the west who are so enlightened and progressive and dismantled all our industry and put us in international debt forever and bought up all our natural resources and now millions of us have to work in their warehouses and their fields and etc. but that's a good thing" is not a good nor sustainable position.

Why did Georgescu win? Because his platform at least acknowledged the problems that the average Romanian faces. That's why. Not because of moral degeneration or manele or the Kremlin or whatever. USR is a neoliberal party who is vaguely "anti government corruption" which is a meaningless political position, and especially means nothing to the average person. The neoliberal line doesn't work anymore. People prefer Georgescu to Lasconi because he promises things that they give a shit about and not just "we're going to (somehow) fight corruption better than anyone else and privatise more things and kiss the ass of the US". Everyone's tired of this shit. We don't have anyone to give better analysis with better politics anymore, so there's no one else to turn to. That's why they're siding with that fucking guy. Your stupid EU/NATO bootlicking isn't gonna fix that.

We are not making it out of this century on neoliberalism!

If you don't know what's happening in Romania, basically everyone is losing their minds over this presidential election. People have had SRI (Romanian Intelligence Service) knock on their door over incredibly mild jokes about the elections. The platform of most of the candidates has been jacking off about how good the US and EU are, and how we need to give them more access to our resources right now. This one independent guy (some guy who left AUR because he was too anti-NATO) won the first round of presidential elections very unexpectedly (and by a significant amount). People are resigning over it. The candidate from his old party endorsed him, while the vice president of the same party condemned him. Everyone is blaming tiktok, AI, Russia, or the diaspora for this. PNL and PSD (the two biggest parties) have started bickering over this (and might shut down the government again who knows lol). A lot of people have no idea who the fuck he is. Liberal political analysts are making unhinged articles about this guy etc.

And like. This guy is fashy but 90% of the criticism against him is that he's anti-NATO.

It's gonna be the first time in 30 years a candidate from PNL or PSD didn't make it into the second round.

Like it's not even surpsising that this guy and the AUR candidate had a lot of success. They're the only ones that address even slightly the effects of imperialism on Romania and the conditions that the average Romanian lives in, while all the other ones talk about vague wank and push for more privatisation and more NATO shit. Really sucks that it's the fascists, but that's what happens when you heavily suppress communists for 30 years.

[anisespice]

“ PARTY AT A RICH DUDE’S HOUSE ”

synopsis: after getting dumped, your friends propose you crash his house-party and completely wreck the place using the guise of the rambunctious partygoers as cover. little did you know, someone's been watching you.

warnings: mature language, mentions of violence, vandalism, suggestive undertones, MDI. tesla slander(?) hate those cars so so so much. i honestly don't know, i think this one's pretty tame :))

notes: kesha lives rent free in my head lol. also got inspired by that scene from the movie “bottoms” where they blow up the douchbag’s car >:))) not sure how i feel about it :// but it was fun to write helped with writer's block sooo hope you enjoy!!

notes ii: yall WHY WON'T WORDS WORD ANYMORE I-

It wasn’t difficult infiltrating the party. With all the commotion pouring inside and out, people taking full advantage of their host’s endless bounds of resources and bottomless pockets, blending in was a snap. Immediately, your senses were overwhelmed with the stench of sweat and bad decisions. Smoke clouded your vision as did the rumbling bass of the music, the music rattling you to where you could feel it in your bones.

An annoyance builds every time a partygoer bumped into you as you sifted through the crowds, driving you to start elbowing and shoulder-checking everyone around you. You received stank looks and slurred curses, but it merely molded with the rest of the noise surrounding you.

They were all basically there to celebrate your misery, so fuck them.

Even though you were on the prowl for the douche-nozzle himself to give him a piece of your mind, at some point you got caught up with various cups of who know's what in your hand, downing them like a fish out of water. You welcomed the delightful burn as it rolled down your esophagus, seeping into the wounds of your broken heart, and right into your stomach like a hot stone. You fought back the urge to vomit fire, body vibrating as you mentally set your mission on a different course...the garage.

“Y’know, that’d go a lot quicker if you used this.” 

You yelped. Nearly slipping off of the cyber truck you were currently jumping on you regained balance in the last second, crouching down to slap your hands on the cool metal to steady yourself. While attempting to put a dent through the aluminum foil-ass top, you failed to notice your lone audience member chilling in a corner of the 10-car garage. How long he’d been standing there, you had no idea. All you knew was you had about four seconds to either teleport or hightail it to the nearest exit before he got a good look at your face.

“Shitshitshit,” you hissed, hurriedly and clumsily sliding down off the car, ready to book it. You really wished you hadn't drank as much before attempting to do this, but in your defense, you weren't expecting to have...company. However, as soon as your feet touched the floor, the stranger coaxed out to you with a free hand raised in peace, delaying your panicked scrambling. 

“Hey, hey, relax. Believe me, if I wanted to narc on you I would’ve done so when you lit those firecrackers off in the guest bathroom. Hilarious, by the way."

Your heart sunk. An uneasy feeling formed in the pit of your stomach, not sure whether to be relieved or devastated—Question is, why didn’t he tell anyone?

Remaining vigilant you peered over your shoulder at him, guard up. “Who're you?”

He raised a brow. “Pretty sure that’s my line, sweetheart.”

You glared, turning around fully to scrutinize him. From the way he was dressed—Designer from head to toe even if on the casual side, blinding Rolex on his wrist paired with a few rings, equally icy studs in his ears along with a thin, and golden chain rested upon his toned, inked chest—He had money, no doubt about it. Not too bad on the eyes either..

Shaking your head of that last thought, you scoffed, “Don’t call me that. ‘m not anyone’s ‘sweetheart’.”

He shrugged, coyly. “Be happy to fix that, if you’d like.”

“Do I look in the mood for funny shit?"

He chuckled, tilting his head. “Nah, 'course not. Look more like you’re itching to bust some more shit up. But, gotta say, how you’re going about it s’kinda redundant. Those things may look like they're made out of construction paper, but you’ll tire out before you even make single scratch. So.. figured you’d appreciate a more practical approach.”

Too preoccupied giving him the stank eye, you hadn't seen the weapon rested in his other hand. Once you set your eyes on it and allowed his words to fully register, they slowly widened. The stranger’s grin sharpened at your muted interest, flicking his wrist to spin the slab of metal around before resting it coolly on his shoulder.

"Ah, crazy girl’s in the mood now?"

Your curiosity morphed back into annoyance instantly at his cheeky comment. “I am not crazy.”

He hummed. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“Look, smartass, I'll have you know that I have a very good reason—” you pointed, ready to dump hours of alcohol-fueled rage on this stranger, only for him to immediately extinguish it with a mere wave of his hand.

“And you can tell me all about it when we go out for dinner after this. You want the bat or not?"

You paused, confused. Flabbergasted, even. Did this fool just ask me out?, you thought. Maybe you were just a little bit too tipsy and misheard, so you let it slide for now. With a huff, you finally said, skeptically, "Why...are you helping me?"

The stranger merely shrugged once more, eyes coated in mischief as he gave another spin of the bat. "Doesn't every criminal need a henchman?"

BAJI, HANMA, kazutora, mikey, draken, most of toman really, rindou, ran, izana,[insert anyone else who would fit].

© 2024-2025 anisespice ッ all rights reserved. likes, comments & reblogs much appreciated!

[drdemonprince]

Hey! I want to explore kink in my life but I don't know if I have a good perception on what I would even like? Is there a way to attend events/flag myself in such a way where people are both aware that I am a) deeply inexperienced and b) not sure what I'm into but looking to explore. Are there certain types of events I should be on the lookout for?

It's actually quite common for dungeons to have kinky fair-type events, with demonstrations from a variety of types of kink practicioners in different niches. Most dungeons in general will have a whole calendar of classes, panels, and demos, and visiting those can help you get a sense of some of the more common kinks that are popular in your area. They do run a bit...tame and obvious for my taste, to be honest, so if you're interested in a fuller sense of what's out there, you'll have to dig into Fetlife and find local groups dedicated to specific niches a bit more.

I think it's worth understanding that kink encompasses a whole range of interests and activities, of varying degrees of complexity, risk, and attainability in real life.

Your more accessible kinks are things like simple bondage with things like handcuffs, blindfolds, gags, plugs, controllable vibrators, light impact, and the like. It's easy to find a whole host of people interested in activities like these, classes and resources are widely on offer, and frankly the kinks are so normalized that lots of just generally kinky-identified people have them worked into their repertoire.

Then you have more skills- or gear-intensive kinks, things like rope bondage, puppy play, latex, leather, age play, hypnosis, sounding, or the like. These kinks are hardly niche, but they do require some real dedicated interest to get good at (and to accumulate enough stuff to do it well), and so you'll find the most success learning about them by joining dedicated groups. The people who are into these things do also tend to be passionate enough about it to form groups, offer classes, and so on. If any of these intrigue you, you'll should check those specific community spaces out.

A bit father along the spectrum you have more heady, risky, or stigmatized kinks like blood and needle play, brainwashing play, 24/7 Dominance/submission, diaper play, drowning, etc. People who are into this stuff ARE in the other aforementioned kink spaces, and you'll encounter them, but they tend to be a bit harder to find and if you're wanting to explore these kinks, there's a higher barrier to entry.

I'm not saying you *have* to prove yourself as a capable flogging top before somebody will let you shove some needles into their face, but it does help to develop some general kinky communication skills and community connections to help you develop the kinds of close relationships necessary to explore this stuff better. The alternative is to just research it on your own and try it out on a partner, and that can go really badly. If you want to try this stuff out, just try courting kinksters in your area, attending events, going to groups, and expressing curiosity and enthusiasm toward the more extreme stuff. Eventually you'll be a safe enough person for someone to introduce these kinks to you, once you've put some real work in. You can also get introduced to these kinks by finding and hiring a professional.

Your main question was how to flag yourself as inexperienced but looking to explore, and my real answer is that you don't. People will be able to tell. And there are generally a lot of people who fit that description who enter into kink spaces. Many come and go for a variety of reasons, and not all of them behave respectfully or with gratitude toward those who extend the effort of introducing them to the subculture -- and some get take advantage of ! -- so it's better if you play a more active role in involving yourself. Look up local dungeons and play parties, fill out your Fetlife profile, look around for groups on there, explore people's profiles and tags, attend local Munches and meet-ups. Take classes, show an appreciation for teaching and resources. Ask questions. Ask people who have caught your interest to show you the ropes, but develop your own kinky communication skills so that saying yes will be more attractive to them. Say hello to other newbies and learn things together. Try out milder stuff that interests you. Help fold up chairs and sweep floors after events. Attend the annual clothing swap. Give back, and be engaged and interested in growing, and it will pay off, and you'll learn a lot about yourself along the way.

Good luck!

[glamfellens]

i've been thinking about how often (well, twice but that's enough for me to want to talk about this) new instalments this year (fallout and dragon age specifically) have come along and... gone scorched earth on previous settings/factions that a player may have invested a lot of time in saving, working with, or just getting to know in previous games... and how in these two instances, i don't think it was done in interesting ways at all.

i'll talk about fallout first because that happened first and well... honestly, i hate the fact that the show nuked shady sands and had the NCR go into complete (?*) decline. i've seen a few people say that they think this makes sense, because fallout new vegas demonstrated to us in several ways as to how the new california republic wasn't doing so well, so for it to end in this way is fitting. i disagree. new vegas tells us that the NCR is on the verge of food shortages because of its population increase, hence their interest in the plant growing experiments of vault 22. chief hanlon tells us there are no lakes or vast water resources left in california, because of the climate and the fact that there was never any action taken to preserve them. the NCR is over expanding, and we can see this in the way the mojave campaign is handled. its underfunded, the soldiers are poorly trained and poorly equipped, and president kimball is sending veteran soldiers and rangers to deal with things that brahmin barons have an interest in rather than whats for the good of the NCR as a whole. is any of this to do with the collapse of the NCR as shown in the fallout show? no. the NCR goes into decline and disappears because shady sands is nuked by a vault-tec guy who got mad that his wife took the kids, left him, and settled somewhere new. it feels so incredibly lazy and boring to me and i think a lot of other people have the same issue with this decision. (also the fact that the nuking of NCR's capital would lead to the collapse of an entire country and making it all but disappear in the space of 15 years is. fucking stupid frankly but that's a different conversation). and then october comes along, dragon age veilguard releases and it turns out that they've pretty much done the exact same thing to ferelden, orlais and the free marches. the entirety of southern ferelden falls to the blight, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. not entirely the same as what the fallout show writers did to the NCR, but similarly enough... there are myriad factors that could have affected the fate of the south that just don't. some that come to mind:

was awakening played? was the grey warden order in ferelden rebuilt?

what is the feeling between the grey wardens and the general populace? amicable, because the city of amaranthine was saved, or resentful because vigil's keep was saved instead?

what did the warden do with the architect? kill him, or make a deal? would the architect have been able to awaken the darkspawn sent by elgar'nan and ghilan'nain and maybe turn a few of their number? would it have betrayed the warden and felt compelled to assist the gods because they are gods and it only a magister?

in dragon age inquisition, were the orlesian wardens exiled from orlais or were they allowed to remain?

how did the schism between the northern and southern grey wardens effect the blight in the south? did the southern wardens break away from weisshaupt and begin directing themselves, therefore leaving the south better defended?

i understand that this is a lot to consider when it comes to branching decisions and storylines in an RPG, where certain choices may not be as popular as others and therefore not a worthy investment in terms of time and money... but like. I feel like at least whether the wardens were banished from orlais or not should have had an impact on the fate of the South. i suppose my broader question is, why this need to go scorched earth on these two places? why the disdain for the lore foundations of which your entire series is built on?? and this isn't even me being pissy about the fact that they've done this at all. at least if it was done in ways that made sense narratively, i would be like, ok! i dont love this but i can see why it would go in this direction - but no, it just feels soooo... lazy and unnecessary. the only justification i can imagine for both of these decisions is if they go back to visit these places in future instalments, then they want blank slates to work with so it's less work to introduce to new fans. which is like... well, okay. is this the new cycle now? make things, build them, then destroy them and start over when they become too complicated to maintain? instead of starting something new? is it all for brand recognition? lmfao i would like to circle this all back to a similar decision but one i think was handled way better - the destruction of caed nua at the beginning of pillars of eternity deadfire. Like, yes, caed nua is (potentially) something the player sunk a lot of money and time into rebuilding. It became the watcher's base of operations, the source of their influence in the dyrwood, and ultimately the thing they came to the dyrwood looking for in the first place: a new home. and it gets destroyed in the first two minutes of the game. why was this handled better (imo) than the destruction of shady sands/the ncr and southern Thedas? Because the player accomplished enough outside of it. Yes their home is gone, but they still saved the Dyrwood from the Hollowing, they still defeated Thaos, they still managed to get a hold on their watcher abilities before it unravelled their mind. The loss of caed nua also spurs the watcher on into the events of the second game - you have a reason to chase after Eothas, not just to find out what he's up to but it's also personal for you because he crushed your home. The thing you worked so hard for. it's a loss, but there is something gained from it - motivation for the player, and it drives the plot forward. when it comes to shady sands and the south of thedas i don't think it really drives anything forward. it all happens off screen, in ways that we cannot change, and is never really dealt with appropriately. it just is. (The loss of shady sands isn't even really a driving force for Maximus, who was THERE when shady sands was bombed. lol.) soooo.... yeah. i just had to get this out, hopefully it makes sense to somebody. (*I say complete decline but apparently Todd Howard has confirmed in an interview that we haven't seen the last of the NCR, but they were barely present in the show so I'm going by what we've seen)

[andromeddog]

Oooo jumping off the previous anon ask, do you have any websites/books that good for reference that you’d recommend?? Or is a simple Google search/going from there good enough to start with

I’ve always been interested in uniforms n stuff but idk where/how to actually FIND info (especially for accuracy) but idk if Wikipedia/Google is the best for that lol

i’ve talked about this (here) and (here) before, but i will elaborate a bit more (a lot more) for you!

again my first response is to ask, what kind of uniform are u looking for? bc there’s just more info on some types than others. like, ww2 american paratroopers? sooo so so much stuff out there, maybe bc there was a wildly successful miniseries that is often listed as one of the best tv shows ever made and it mythologized the paratroopers and now everyone has a big ol boner for them and their uniforms and you can’t got two searches deep without tripping over those jump boots (said w all the love in my heart). but that being said, sometimes just a google search is enough!

this is where being familiar w each of the components of the uniform comes in handy. like oh damn i need ref of that one specific small pouch the marines have on their guns, what was that called?? oh duh it’s a carbine butt stock pouch, sometimes they wore it on their belt, i can just google that and get the exact result i want

buutttttt sometimes the online sources/pics u get are undated/unlabeled, and you have to piece together what ur looking at based on ur own knowledge of a uniform. this is especially true the older you go, and ive run into this issue with ww1 stormtrooper uniforms specifically, where you don’t have an exact date and u have to be like “welllllll i can’t be 100% sure if this is from early or late war, if this is german or austrian, but it’s close enough to what i need and i can’t find any other source that even comes close and ive spent four hours looking so im going to use this” and then you get someone in ur dms like “well actually 🧐 they didn’t wear those specific suspenders/have that patch on their uniforms/use that limited issue pouch in this theater” and then you feel kind of silly. but it’s like damn dude i spent hours looking for ref and found the only like five jpegs still remaining of this uniform pls cut me some slack. ig this is just me saying that i dont get it right all the time and inevitably there will be someone out there who has a better grasp on it and will clock your tiny error from 200 yards

to stop my pointless rambling and actually get to your question, google is a pretty good place to start but u gotta know what to be looking for. wikipedia can b helpful for kind of an intro/getting names of items. pinterest is a big one for me, i mostly like that you can save pics and organize them. i’d also check out reenactment websites/forums; those guys are dedicated to being 100% accurate and can also provide some good action shots. youtube is also a resource that i forget exists haha. following artists who are into that kind of shit, taking notes from the uniforms they draw (careful w this one, as i said earlier even ppl who draw uniforms a lot still mess up occasionally). honestly any big website is bound to have some military history enjoyers and so u can do a general search and see what comes up, that can help point to users/a community that will often have their own sources/discussions that can be helpful. ive said it before but watching movies/shows about the specific era ur looking for is great, you can see how a uniform sits and moves with a person 👍

also books! there isn’t a single catch all book for uniforms, again (again) it’s all by era/country you’re looking for. ebay is GREAT for finding super specific books on topics only you and five other people care about. sometime u can get lucky at an old used book store but that’s a real gamble and only happens veryyyyyy rarely hahah

i always use these sorts of references in tandem and double check to be sure, i swear i have like 12 tabs open and two books open per drawing just so i can get everything as close to accurate as i can. but like ive said im kind of obsessive about details (negative) and can’t be chill about anything ever. what a super cool and very practical skill set that makes me very popular amongst my peers and interests everyone once i have two beers and won’t shut up about it

ending this with my standard “did any of this make sense?” i’m going to turn on my computer now and spend the next eight hours staring at reference pics and drawing my silly little war boys have a great day everyoneeeeeeeee

[earhartsplane]

The insanity of French politics in the last few days is re-kindling a deeply buried instinct to start a podcast.

[feroluce]

For some weird reason, I've always been fascinated by how wildly different Sampo operates in the Underground vs the Overworld.

Sampo is present in both places and even in official sources, he's not really counted as one side or the other- now that the theory has been confirmed in-game, he's generally just lumped in with the Masked Fools.

But there really is a big difference!

Probably the most obvious and well known instance of Sampo's...business practices *cough burglary and fraud COUGH* in the Overworld is from the Belobog Museum event. In it, you don't find out Sampo is the main culprit until near the end, because Pela has to set up a sting just to catch him in the act. And that sting is necessary all because the initial suspect they arrested, Norbert, had pretty much no idea of his partner's identity. Sampo wouldn't even speak to him face-to-face.

And whereas Sampo is normally very pleasant and friendly with the trailblazer...when he thinks he's talking to Norbert here, he straight up says that they are NOT friends. Like he really shuts that shit DOWN.

There's also an Overworld NPC, Chavez, who heads the "Dark Blue Scam Support Group." And he. Really really really does not like Sampo fjkdasjklfdj

Chavez clearly wants Sampo caught, and has literally no positive feelings about him. So. Why call it the Dark Blue Scam? Why not just out him by name? Chavez obviously doesn't give a single shit about Sampo's dignity or privacy. But he never once refers to him as "Sampo," and even the pamphlets he passes out make no mention of it. No one in the entire support group seems to know how to identify him or how to refer to him except by his hair color. If the trailblazer says his name, Chavez reacts as though he's never heard it before.

(I've seen people say this means Sampo Koski is an alias and not his real name? But Ray pointed this out, and honestly I agree; even the Fools call him Sampo, after all. I think it's just that Chavez never knew Sampo's name in the first place, and given his immense distrust, immediately assumes it's an alias.)

And then there's his characters stories, where he proceeds to pull off a heist in the Overworld while in disguise as Brughel Poisson the entire time. Literally his own stories don't mention Sampo's name even once.

So anyway, all this shows that when he's up in the Overworld working cons, Sampo is incredibly slippery and secretive about his identity. The only people who seem to know him are Pela, Serval, and Gepard. He doesn't get close to anyone else, and is even surprisingly unfriendly. Nobody knows his name. No one knows his face. He has zero qualms about backstabbing or double-crossing, and even plans for it in some cases.

Meanwhile, down in the Underground, I'm pretty sure literally the worst thing we hear of him doing is scalping tickets in front of the Fight Club. Which isn't even illegal in a lot of places (although it's certainly a dick move).

In Hook's companion quest, a vagrant miner steals Fersman's equipment and tries to sell it to Sampo. Even before the trailblazer and Hook jump in and out the vagrant as a thief, Sampo hesitates to buy it because it sounds like stolen goods, which he doesn't want any part of.

Even knowing that a geomarrow detector is rare and incredibly valuable in the mines, Sampo makes no attempt to double-cross Hook or profit off of her loss, and even tells her who to go to to get it fixed.

And my favorite example of Sampo in the Underground is the Survival Wisdom adventure mission. In it, Sampo starts up a business with Peak, another miner. And like. In wild contrast to all the cons he pulls above ground, Sampo is actually super nice and helpful here.

Just the same as with Hook's quest, Sampo talks to Peak face-to-face, with no disguises or barriers. When the trailblazer finds them, they're just in the Great Mine, no secretive meeting places. Peak knows Sampo, is familiar with him, and calls him by name. It's not even a con! There's nothing illegal going on; it really is just a business partnership. Peak is more than happy with their deal, he's even pretty enthusiastic about it, because thanks to Sampo he can now make enough money to get by while also accommodating his chronic fatigue.

The only person Sampo lies to in this whole ordeal is the trailblazer, who he manipulates into getting Peak's mining equipment back from the vagrants that stole it in the first place. And when it's done, he rewards them with a legit treasure map.

So when he's working in the Underground, Sampo is MUCH more upright and lawful. Part of this is probably to do with his "business" model- Sampo only takes advantage of the wealthy, and poverty runs rampant in the Underground. When he charges Peak an extra 30% (the same percentage he charges Norbert as a consultation fee in the museum heists- Sampo seems to go by percentage instead of a flat rate, which means his prices are more fair for lower incomes) for carelessly losing their supply, Peak literally starts counting out pocket change.

Dude's working for pennies and good will down there dknsmdmd

And you can twist this into a Robin Hood thing if you want- Sampo IS technically working to feed orphans and heal the sick. He says himself he's more than happy to make up the shortfall between the greedy and the marginalized- I mean he says it in the shadiest way possible, but I doubt the people benefiting from his work really care that he's a slimeball if it means they can survive another day. Even the two heists he pulls in his character stories are literally just him stealing absurd amounts of food.

Personally though I think it is solely because of Natasha, and Sampo is hilariously well-behaved specifically for her, because she keeps him on a short leash JSKZJMSMSKS

[hedgehog-university-au]

I love all my ships so much!

One of my favorites in this one is Silvaze. They're super cute friends-to-dating with lots of pining on Silver's side until Blaze gets absolutely hit with a trainload of feelings all at once (the epitome of "He fell first she fell harder).

Sonamy is really cute here as well, with Amy having a huge crush on Sonic (of course) and Sonic not being interested at first but slowly becoming really good friends with her that eventually blooms into something more. They have a lot of silly moments that are cute both platonically or romantically because they are both huge shippers of all their friends and share all the gossip with each other.

I also am really enjoying Espio x Jewel in this AU. I haven't posted much for them yet but they're both such perfectionists that are secretly disasters, and each think the other is way too perfect for them. They're also the two shortest of all the characters and both wear scarves.

Now to give a few of the characters the chance speak for themselves:

Amy: I absolutely adore Sonic! He's so cool, and has such a good heart and sense of adventure! I don't know if he'll ever like me back, but that's okay! For now, I just love loving him.

Sonic: Amy drives me crazy sometimes, but she's actually really sweet and has so much love for everything and everyone, not just for me. She's a really great friend and always so supportive. If you'd asked me freshman year if I could ever see myself with her, I'd have laughed or run away, but now... I don't know. I just don't think I'm ready for a relationship yet, but if I was... I could definitely do a lot worse than her.

Tails: I'm so lucky to have Cosmo as my girlfriend. Heh, that word still feels so funny. My... girlfriend. I'm still a little scared that it won't last, cuz... I don't know, it's just hard to believe that anyone would actually want me. But... I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

Cosmo: Tails is so smart and passionate. I love to listen to him talk about all his science stuff, even though I don't really understand most of it. And he listens to me talk about all my plants. I definitely wasn't expecting this when I first came to college, but I'm just so happy.

Knuckles: How do I feel about dating Rouge? Eeeeeehhhh... She brings out the best and the worst in me. Sometimes she drives me absolutely insane. Half the time I don't know why we keep getting back together. But... I love her. That's about the size of it.

Rouge: Knuckles is hardheaded, uncouth, and an absolute pain in the neck. But he's also extremely hot, so I deal with it. ...Okay, okay, he's also a really good guy. He's got a heart of gold. But the fact that he's got huge muscles doesn't hurt a bit.

Silver: Blaze is so cool, and kind, and smart, and pretty, and... and... How could anyone not fall in love with her?

Blaze: Silver is one of the most diligent, resourceful people I know. He's noble and kindhearted. I couldn't be prouder to have him as my partner.

For kinda both creators and characters?

Creators: Are there any ships in your au that show up that you really enjoy? Or any that are very important(like mc's having relationships)

Main Character(s) of the AU's: if you're in a relationship how do you feel about it? What's your relationship like?

Question for both awesome!!

[royalarchivist]

[A sad violin song plays over an image of a sad hamster]

Pac: This doesn't have anything to do with me – I wear a blue sweatshirt, you're crazy, this mouse doesn't even have a sweatshirt, this hamster! [Reading chat] Am I a depressed hamster?

[ Transcript continued ↓ ]*

–

Pac: Actually– that's fine! I embrace that idea – of course I'm going to be depressed, are you crazy? [He hits his desk, then starts counting off people on his fingers] Fit is gone, Richarlyson is gone, Ramon is gone, Bagi and Empanada who were always there when we were there are also gone, I haven't seen them! It's just me and Tubbo, and sometimes Philza shows up.

Pac: I lost Chume Labs, I lost the Favela, I lost Murder Mystery, I lost Ilha Chume Labs, it's crazy! Look at how much I've lost, and I've gained nothing! Of course I'm going to be depressed, are you crazy?! How am I supposed to be happy?!

Pac: [Reading chat] "You have us Pac," that's true, thank you. No, that's true, sorry.

* NOTE: Please note that this is an incomplete transcript, as I was primarily relying on Aypierre's translation mod at the time and if I am not confident of the translation, I do not include it. As always, please feel free to add on translations or message me corrections.

[reel-fear]

Genuinely so curious who Mike thinks is gonna be buying The Cage or the new DCTL GN bc with the way he tweets as far as he's concerned, it's not gonna be:

The queer people he has actively admitted he will never show any representation of in the games.

2. The POC he has actively fought against representing in his franchise. [Who he also mocked for thinking they would be represented in his franchise]

3. The Bendy fandom which has always been concerned with topics of diversity esp in the sense of queer people since its creation. Who he has responded to really poorly esp in regards to the GN.

4. The fans who critique him. [He blocked me for doing so lol]

5. His fans in general who he tweets about like this currently. [He's being vague about why people were mad at him or sent him 'nasty messages' because if you actually looked into why you'd see he was in the wrong. Either way, a very hateful way to speak abt ur own fanbase.]

Reminder while Mike is trash talking his fans he has always treated them rather poorly. The fans who won the fanart contest for Chapter 5 never got their posters actually in game due to it being rushed. Not only was chapter 5 a big slap to the face story wise, but it was literally so rushed he couldn't be bothered to add in the art his fans gave him for his game FOR FREE. [Meatly blames this on a crazy timeline, reminder him and Mike are the literal ceos of this company. The proposal of future updates here is also pretty cruel considering Mike nowadays happily admits he corrupted Chapter 5's source code and therefore literally can't update it At All currently. Because he is a moron]

At least they got to be in Boris and the dark survival, and by that I mean that was the Only game they got to be in so far, isn't that just treating your fans like you love them? Shoving their hard work into a spin off game almost nobody has played or addresses much. [Hell, who knows if with the Lone Wolf rebrand they'll even stay there. In which case they'll be in None of the games, only in the credits of BATIM]

6. The Bendy fans who just generally disagree with him on stuff. Like the new ink demon design where there is literally a public poll showing people generally prefer the old one.

7. The Bendy fans who can see he is actively lying to them. To their fucking faces.

He says this has always been the case, but screenshots and links to tweets regarding the books being canon prove it was not. Does he really think bendy fans are stupid or something? [Unless he's admitting here he lied to Kress when he told her the books were canon which sounds worse!]

8. Anyone who doesn't like the idea of giving money to a guy who laid off tons of employees then afterwards thought it was a great idea to express his anti-union views! Also brag about how good of an employer he was, according to his employees, he was not!

So in summary; Mike is an awful person who has not learned anything from the awful things he did. I will not be purchasing The Cage because, combined with this and his absolute refusal to take any kind of critique or see any differing interpretation of his franchise, I have no reason to think my problems with the franchise will ever be addressed or fixed. I probably will pirate The Cage along with any future Bendy Products [Including the movie] and will do my best to avoid giving it any kind of monetary support. Unless this changes any time soon, I can't see myself making anymore positive Bendy posts soon.

Mike has just managed to make it so hard to speak positively or optimistically of this franchise when he's so willing to broadcast how little he cares about it or its fans. I'm at the point where I refuse to pull any of my punches with my problems with it. What's the point of trying to play nice with my critique when either way the people creating it don't care?

So with this post, I want to invite anyone who feels similarly about the franchise to tell me, make a post or send an ask talking about how all of this makes you feel. It may not change how things are, but genuinely seeing other people share my feelings of anger makes me feel better. It feels nice to see when other people share our same concerns and worries. I'd also love to know if anyone else thinks they'll be avoiding purchasing Bendy products over this.

I'm not forcing anyone to participate in it nor trying to say anyone who doesn't supports mike but genuinely maybe if we can collectively decide to boycott things like the movie, graphic novel and The Cage... It might at least make the bendy devs acknowledge how much they have destroyed their own fandom's faith and trust in them.

The way Mike tweets about his actions like he had no control over why people were mad at him at least proves to me he takes NONE of it back nor regrets it. If you didn't know about his actions and only went off his tweets, you would be led to believe Mike has been needlessly picked apart by fans over things he couldn't control [or in his own words, had his words twisted and taken out of context]. That is not how you speak about your actions if you have actually learned better from them.

anyway, that has been my bendy dev callout post. This is an open invitation to anyone feeling similarly upset about the way the franchise is going to talk about it. It's genuinely nice to see how people feel about this and the more we talk about the more it's likely the bendy devs are forced to address our concerns. I don't think they will but hey, that's why I'm not gonna support them with my money anymore nor am I gonna be nice to them in any content I make critiquing Bendy. I mean I'm also basically making this post just in case anyone asks me Why I feel this way towards to bendy devs/as a way to respond to anyone who thinks I am too harsh in my critique in the future.

As always, it seems the best part of Bendy isn't actually anything about canon but about what the fan's are creating with the ideas Bendy failed to do anything interesting with.

Also the books, the books slap.

[greencarnation]

If you're in the UK, here is a quick & easy way for you to email your MP about Palestine:

https://www.foa.org.uk/campaign/mp