#works get interpreted on their own fortunately or unfortunately

[pubbamoon]

Misconceptions about Astrology

Hello! It's been a while since I posted the last observation here and I kinda miss that time. Since I'm turning more to traditional tropical astrology than before and learning about this topic, I've found out some misconceptions about tropical astrology, specifically made by modern tropical astrologers. Even I used to interpret some astrology placements and now I find some of these interpretations objectively wrong. Which are these misconceptions I'm talking about, you're gonna see in this post. I hope you're gonna learn something new today.

Myth: Houses are connected to the zodiac signs. For example, having planets in the 2nd house is exactly the same as having planets in Taurus.

Fact: Sadly, houses are not connected to any zodiac signs. No, Aries does not rule the 1st house. No, the 6th house is not related to the Virgo sign. No, Aquarius is not connected to the 11th house etc. That is false. Back in June, in one of my first observations, I used to think this way, that houses are somehow related to zodiac signs, but I found out this was the wrong interpretation of placements and I deeply apologize for that. In Hellenistic (traditional tropical) astrology, there's a thing called planetary joys, meaning that every planet has the most joy in a certain house. For example, the Sun has its joy in the 9th house, the Moon has its joy in the 3rd house, Mercury has its joy in the 1st house, Venus has its joy in the 5th house, Mars has its joy in the 6th house, Jupiter has its joy in the 11th house, while Saturn has its joy in the 12th house. All of these planets function very well in these mentioned houses.

Myth: Our natal chart represents our personality, who we are, our purpose, what our soul wants and what we are supposed to do.

Fact: Our natal chart actually represents our whole life and what is possibly going to happen in our life. It's not only about our personality and who we are. There's a common belief that our natal chart is about our own individual path we're meant to take, making us feel more individualistic, special and powerful, which I find very empowering and I appreciate if some people want to take control of their own life and to know more about themself. However, our natal chart also tells us about our father, mother, siblings, cousins, partners, boss, professors, working class, children etc. It is also about both of our fortunate and unfortunate events in our life we cannot fully control. So, if you're struggling to find your suitable partner or to make some money and you think you're the problem here because you're not manifesting enough or something else, maybe it's not that you're the only problem, maybe you're in an environment that is not serving you to get succeed in relationship or in finances. Or something unexpected might happen in your life which may delay your success. Trust me, your life will be much easier when you stop thinking that your natal chart tells you what you're supposed to do.

Myth: The degrees are also related to zodiac signs. For example, The 10th degree (10°) and 22nd degree (22°) are Capricorn's degrees. 5°, 17° and 29° are Leo's degrees etc.

Fact: That is completely false. Degrees do not work like that in tropical astrology at all. In Hellenistic astrology, we use the terms, mostly the Egyptian terms, to interpret the dignity and condition of planets through the degrees. Let me give you an example! So, If you might have the Sun at 22° of Gemini in your natal chart, that doesn't mean you have the Capricorn's degree or that your natal Sun in Gemini is influenced by Capricorn or Saturn at any point. Actually, your natal Sun at 22° of Gemini is placed in Mars' term (Mars' term in Gemini sign goes from 17°00' of Gemini until 23°59' of Gemini). So, your natal Sun in Gemini is not only influenced by Mercury, your natal Sun in Gemini is also influenced by the planet Mars. I'm gonna post a picture of the Egyptian terms table, so you can see how degrees actually work in tropical astrology.

Myth: Venus in man's chart represents his partner, while Mars in woman's chart represents her partner.

Fact: Venus in both man's and woman's chart represents their partner and which kind of people they might be attracted to. Venus also represents sex, not Mars. The planet Mars represents war, violence, destruction, impulsiveness, which danger shows in our life, taking forced actions we don't want to do etc. Love is supposed to be balanced, harmonized and peaceful, definitely not violent, destructive and dangerous. But that may hit different if you have Mars in the 7th house, or even Mars aspecting Venus (conjunction, opposition or square). Sex is also supposed to be balanced and harmonized. Two people sleep together because they both chose that freely, not because someone forced another partner to have sex. So, Mars cannot represent sex and your partner if you're a female, I'm sorry.

Anyways, I think I said everything I wanted to say about this topis. I hope you enjoyed it and found this observation useful. I only want to help you to interpret astrology placements with accuracy. I wish you all the successful week ahead!

Best regards,

Paky McGee

[hanzajesthanza]

"the michael kandel translation of "the witcher" short story can't hurt you!!"

the michael kandel translation of "the witcher" short story:

[justaghostingon]

Shi Qingxuan and the Quest to Win the Heart of the Hot Ghost

A beefleaf au to soothe my soul since i’ve reached “that” arc in the series

It all begins when He Xuan makes a mistake. A mistake that almost cost him centuries worth of work

He accidentally saves Shi Qingxuan in the wrong form!

He meant to save him as Ming-xiong, the trusted best friend, but due to an unexpected flux from Taicang mountain, he couldn’t control his form, and slipped into his true form.

Fortunately shi Qingxuan did not see him transform, and he was able to quickly get out of sight to change back

Unfortunately, Shi Qingxuan interpreted He Xuan suddenly appearing, saving his life and then leaving as a sign that He Xuan a hero!

His hero!

His Ghost king who wants to be friends just like Hua Cheng and Xie Lian!

But he’s shy! That’s why he ran away! So its Shi Qingxuan’s job to seek him out and thank him.

And treat him to dinner, and go out on the town, and hold his hand… you know, sworn brother stuff!

Shi Qungxuan might have a bit of a crush.

And Ming Yi, good old best friend ming yi, has to listen to all of it. Every excruciating detail, every inch of his face painted with such flowery language he wants to throw up.

Is he jealous of himself? No way! Not a chance! He’s just worried shi Qingxuan will put sowmthing together before its time!

At first ming yi hopes it will go away, a passing fancy, if shi qingxuan never sees he xuan again

But shi Qingxuan is way more determined than ming yi was expecting. He hunted down his layer, and threw his favorite foods down into the sea as an offering

How did he know he xuan’s favorite foods? They were ming yi’s favorites too! Did he know???

He xuan had to throw him off his trail, so he shifted in to his true form, just to reject them and throw him off the scent.

Shi Qingxuan then asks what his favorites are

He xuan panics and says super rare dishes like “cinnamon” and “corn” thinking the fetch quest will deter him.

It does not. Instead shi Qingxuan drags ming yi on a quest to find a whole nother two continents just so he could bring back food for his new “friend”

And of course, he brings his trusty friend ming yi with him. So ming yi has to go on his own impossible quest

He xuan has just about had it with this, ans vows never to appear before shi Qingxuan again, except…

Shi wudu comes to visit him.

Shi wudu wants to recruit him, ming yi, to keep he xuan away from his brother. To stop this disastrous crush before it destroys everything

He even offers to support ming yi’s own endeavors to court shi qungxuan, because clearly that’s ming yi’s goal here.

“This is that is that important to you?” Ming yi asks

“He xuan and shi qingxuan together would be the worst thing to ever happen to me” shi wudu says (not exactly in those words, but its what he xuan hears)

And suddenly he xuan sees a perfect opportunity to hurt shi wudu in a way that is intense and long lasting

Forget physical torture! Let him watch his brother fall for his greatest enemy!!!

So he begins to court shi qingxuan in his true form. Offering gifts of precious treasures from the sea bottom, eatinf his food, giving him the smoldering look that shi qingxuan will not shut up about to ming yi

Only one problem: he xuan is a little too good. He knows all of shi qingxuan’s favorite things from being his best friend, and bringing them up in courtship…that’s kinda creepy

He doesn’t want to come off as creepy. He needs this to go well.

So he tries to dial it down, but he’s not nearly as good as he thinks

Because one day shi qingxuan looks ming yi right in the eyes and goes “you know there’s nothing that would make me love you any less right? He xuan?”

And ming yi/ he xuan, realizes he’s been caught

But he’s also got a boyfriend, and shi wudu’s worst nightmare has come true, ao its all good

[sciderman]

Currently reading through the spiderpool blog and just finished the civil war era. That alternate timeline where Pete is an assassin, of course we know Ben is alive but what happens to that version Ben and May? I wonder if they know what he is doing and if they are still even apart of his life.

oh, anon. anon... it's a sad little tale,, it's a sad little story. i do imagine that this specific peter parker pursues his career of fame and fortune, and becomes vain and horrible. a real "talk to my agent!" kind of asshole.

and initially, he still cares for uncle ben and aunt may. they're the only two people in the world who loved him properly. but... but. fame goes to his head. the old cliché. he's making bank, and – there's less urgency for him to stay to support aunt may because uncle ben's still around, so, peter kind of goes his own way. very quickly he can afford his own apartment by doing tv deals and very quickly he's signed on for a movie deal. he is hot shit.

of course all of that fame and being so busy and being so secretive and spider-man's identity still being a secret to the public and to ben and may means that he ultimately grows distant from may and ben. he skips school to pursue fame, doesn't think he needs it. and i mean, the guy hates high school. it's a living hell for him. he's given an out - of course he'll take it. he doesn't graduate high school. doesn't get a college education. doesn't tell uncle ben and aunt may because obviously they wouldn't endorse him dropping out of school.

they wouldn't get it. they wouldn't understand. he becomes a mystery to them. they don't know where he goes, what's going on with him. he's barely home and then he, so very quietly, moves out with all the money he's made.

fame is fickle, though, and - spider-man doesn't capture peoples hearts for the long-term. spider-man doesn't inspire heroism in this world. he doesn't waste his effort on selfless deeds. he doesn't become a heroic figure. hence why wade doesn't join weapon x.

the spider-man of this turn of events doesn't amount to more than a quick cash-grab, and the people are over him so quickly. people who worked with him realise he's kind of a jerk, and isn't even pulling in money anymore. spider-man becomes a has-been before he even reaches his twenties.

so, this spider-man lives alone - can't face uncle ben and aunt may because he's quickly realising that yeah. he made the wrong choice. he dug his grave, and he has to lay in it. he's a drop-out, and he feels like peter parker is entirely worthless. he can barely look at himself in the mirror. at least as spider-man he has some power. some reputation. something. peter parker? peter parker disappeared off the face of the planet some years ago, and nobody knows who or where he is. peter parker is dead and neglected. there's no future for peter parker. so he builds a life with the skills that he has, as spider-man. he does what he's good at. becomes hired muscle. becomes hired muscle for anyone that can pay his rates. those are usually bad guys.

he falls deeper and deeper into that rabbit hole. and the further he falls, the harder it is for him to conceive he could ever come back to uncle ben and aunt may and have them welcome and accept him, with all the mistakes he's made.

unfortunately, in this particular timeline - as bex and i'd plotted it out for the alt!verse fic where wade winds up trapped with this sad, isolated peter parker - it still takes uncle ben dying to destroy peter's barricades and have him finally reach out to aunt may, in his way. first distantly offering her financial support before he, after months, eventually gains the courage to face her. and she can see the scars on his face.

i think it kind of universally takes uncle ben dying for peter to learn "great power great responsibility" - not as peter interprets or misinterprets it, but... the loss of uncle ben meaning peter recognising he has a responsibility to the people around him. he can't disappear from it. he can't isolate himself from it. when uncle ben passes, he finds out he has a responsibility to aunt may. that's kind of the whole thing, that's what great responsibility is. him filling uncle ben's shoes.

i think that's something i'm obsessed with - that peter knows that the loss of uncle ben means he needs to step up and fill ben's shoes, but he's still not entirely sure what it means. what he has to do to be able to fill that void that's left empty by ben's absence. what ben meant. what manhood means.

great responsibility is about manhood, and looking after the people you love. it's not - it's not about what you owe the world.

i think peter unfortunately has to learn that lesson the hard way, every time.

but, eventually, at some point, peter comes home.

[bella-rose29]

deep analysis of a very obscure thing in lockwood and co (bc why not)

Omg ok (spoilers for episodes 2 and 3 of lockwood and co, and also the books)

So the song that plays when Lucy is holding the ring in episode 2, during the experiment, that she says is Annabel Ward and her lover’s song (“it’s their song”), is Peer Gynt Suite No. 2: Solveig’s Song. 

The version I listened to that made me go “oh okay this is the same song” (after playing it through my earphones in one ear and playing the episode in the other and desperately trying to get the timings to match up to see if there were differences in the singing) is by Edvard Grieg — Yvonne Kenny, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra & Vladimir Kamirski. From what I could work out, the song starts in the episode from just before the singing starts. 

The story behind the song is as follows:

"The long-suffering Solveig is devoted to Peer and she sings the song just as he – once more – abandons her. As she sits at the spinning wheel, she sings that although the years may pass she knows that he will come back to her – and that he will find her waiting for him, just as she promised.”

Lyrics:

Perhaps both winter and spring will pass by And next summer and the whole year will expire But surely you will return to me, I am certain And I shall be waiting as I once promised. 

May god give you strength, wherever in the world you may go May god give you joy, if you before his footstool stand Here I shall wait until you come back And if you wait above, we’ll meet there again, my friend.

I did an initial analysis and stuff and then did further research, so I’ve rejigged the document I had before to make more sense here :D

Story of the whole play:

The title character, Peer Gynt, is based on a Norwegian folk hero who is a rogue and will be destroyed unless saved by the love of a woman. 

He is described as a lazy and arrogant peasant youth who leaves home to go in search of his fortune. He’s very confident that he’ll succeed, but he keeps having disasters on his journey. 

At one point, he goes to the wedding of a wealthy young woman (that he might have married), where he meets Solveig. She falls in love with him, so naturally his first thought is to abduct the bride from her own wedding and abandon Solveig. 

Then he has really cool and awesome adventures, going around the world and gaining wealth and fame from all his different exploits, but he is, at the middle of it all, deeply unhappy. Eventually, when he is old and disillusioned, he goes back to Norway, where Solveig awaits him, welcoming him home and redeeming him. 

Annabel and John Fairfax are sort of foils to Solveig and Peer respectively, in that they are what happens as a result of a different kind of abandonment (Annabel’s murder). 

Solveig is what Annabel would have been had she stayed alive and Fairfax had simply broken things off in a more traditional sense (i.e. if he hadn’t killed her), and while Peer is redeemed and saved by the love of a woman, Fairfax is destroyed by it, because he twisted the love into hate. 

Now for the parallels between Fairfax and Peer:

Peer is a peasant with little success in life -> in episode 3, as they get off the train, Lockwood notes how Fairfax “came from nothing”. 

Peer has a series of unfortunate disasters on his hunt for success -> Fairfax (in the books), before the Problem, spent his time drinking, gambling, and getting into show business, instead of going into the family business. In the show this does not seem to be the case, but it’s a nice parallel that includes the books!

Peer abandons Solveig to run off with the bride -> I interpreted this as Fairfax abandoning (murdering) Annabel for his own bride, which is his desire for success. In a way his bride is the Fairfax iron company, because he’s practically married to it. 

After the abduction, Peer has really successful and fantastical adventures, very different to the disasters that he had previously experienced before the kidnapping -> after Annabel, Lockwood again (Lucy says he has a hard-on for Fairfax which I think is hilarious) in episode 3 (just before talking about how Fairfax came form nothing) notes that Fairfax “succeeded in everything he’s tried. Publishing, show business - he didn’t even start smelting until he was in his thirties. Now look at him”. Fairfax by his own admission also worked in casinos, adding another job (or adventure) to his list. 

Peer gains wealth and fame -> Fairfax gains wealth and fame (just dropping in “miss Kingston got her hair done special” because I love it and it's vaguely related)

And this is where the similarities split off from one another:

Peer is deeply unhappy -> Fairfax seems to be perfectly fine with his situation. 

Peer comes back home old and disillusioned -> Fairfax in a way comes home, as he ends up back in Combe Carey Hall (although this is not where Annabel was killed, it is still one of his properties), and he is old, but he is not disillusioned. He says in episode 3 that he doesn’t regret buying the ring, he regrets “leaving it behind when I bricked her into that chimney” and that he “knew it was monstrous. But I couldn’t throw my whole life away for one mistake. Not then, not now.” He still isn’t willing to give up his life, because he is perfectly content where he is. 

The final parallel I want to note is between Annabel and Solveig. While one was murdered and the other neglected but still devoted and in love, both women wait for their old lover. In completely different ways, sure, because one is sitting at her spinning wheel hoping that he’ll come back and see that she’s the right one for him (cue “you belong with me”) and the other is bricked into a chimney as an angry Type Two ghost that kills people, but both are waiting. 

“She’s been wanting to see you for a very… long time, Mr Fairfax” Lucy says.

Annabel is devoted to Fairfax, and as she dances and sings along to the song, he abandons her (kills her). while waiting in that cavity in the wall, and her spirit is bound to the ring/necklace, she is waiting for him. 

We see in episode 3 that when Lucy lets Annabel out of the ring, throwing it in the air to set her ghost free, Annabel doesn't attack the agents, or even Ellie who is stood nearby. 

She goes straight for Fairfax, because she's been waiting for him. Her devotion to him may have changed into devotion for revenge over the years, but she was waiting for him nonetheless. In a way he did come back to her, even if it was unintentionally, and he ended up being greeted by her one last time. 

He is not saved by coming home and finding his version of Solveig, he is instead destroyed, because his version of Solveig was killed along with any love she might have had for him. 

[ohwell-itsme-but-danganronpa]

Dragons & Thieves (Saiouma fantasy AU)

seems like the kind of trouble our boy protagonist could find himself in, and then, he could seek out help from someone who's, you know, great at disguising his own magic and deceiving people

Okay, so I think Kokichi should have some dragon ancestry for it to work. His mother is half-dragon and from a noble family, his father is a regular human and a thief. His mother send him away asap to avoid a scandal and he grew up at the guild of thieves. After his dad didn't come back from one of the missions he was told to start earning his keep, probably at around 7–10 years old. The guild used his identity becoming apparent as his ability to use dragon magic manifested to blackmail the noble lady and get some funds, some of it actually was invested into teaching him useful spells. So when they meet he's a seasoned thief and magic user.

THE DRAGON THAT DIED IS KAEDE

I just thought of it, but like. She disguised herself as human and became friends with Shuichi, just wanted a peaceful life, is one human lifetime too much to ask for? Can't an old dragon get some normalcy? Apparently no, a hunter got her (Tsumugi?)

So Shuichi ends up with the magic and gets chased by the very same hunter, goes to hide in a very unassuming, plain looking building. It's the thieves hideout made to look like this with Kokichi's magic. And to any person who has less magic than Kokichi it would be the least attention grabbing background to other buildings in the area and then hardly noticeable to the few that can notice it, so damn. This guy is powerful and desperate. Striking up a deal with him sounds like a great idea, this is a job for the one and only, Kokichi Ouma

It quickly becomes obvious that Shuichi doesn't know how powerful he now is, didn't even know his friend was a dragon before the fated day (the chase either happens really fast or over the course of several months, I am leaning towards the latter because I want him to be over the initial shock and mourning + running out of places to turn to so he doesn't have better ideas than accepting Ouma's help)

So Kokichi has the opportunity of a lifetime to put a really powerful magic user in his debt and takes it. "Sure, I'll protect you and teach you to use dragon magic, you'll just owe me a favor"

Unfortunately for his devilish plan to employ Shuichi on the biggest heist yet, when the time to claim the favor comes he wants something else much more (kiss kiss fall in love, he has to ask him out instead or maybe, maybe "stay")

returntozero: I'm also curious to know if Kokichi thinks Shuichi also is part dragon/has some dragon lineage since this stuff is typically not shared with humans and there may also be a barrier to entry with humans just not taking well to draconic magic anyways.

that could be a funny misunderstanding, and technically he could interpret Shuichi's lack of knowledge on the topic as him being another orphan with even less fortunate circumstances, hmmm

and since he doesn't do well with sensitive topics like that he just leaves it be, and he doesn't ask him to reveal his dragon form when he still has to be in hiding, because no matter how curious he is that's a risk he knows not to take

so he'd learn really late if he didn't know from the get-go, I mean late like at the very end, when it's already safe and he asked Shuichi to stay with him and they can relax so he asks him to go flying together

"But I don't have wings??" "You what?" the end

[bonniesbowtie]

“Just stop talking, you silly”

Her head was gently resting on his chest. He wrapped his right hand around her neck and some of her back, next to her shoulders. It was soft. It was light.

Mike was the first to wake up and, the moment he realized he was hugging her, he restrained himself. “Oh my– “ he thought, as he blushed a little and tried to recompose himself. Vanessa was still sleeping, as anyone at 6 am of a Sunday would be or, at least, anyone whose sleeping habits weren’t heavily affected by the memories of your little brother being kidnapped.

They had fallen asleep while watching a corny comedy show the night before. Of course, the blanket-sharing sleepover wasn’t planned; they were just friends, that is, if taking care of someone you’ve known for 2 weeks in your own house could be qualified as such.

The early sunset orange reflected in Vanessa’s blond hair as if God had painted it just to match her strands. Mike couldn’t help but admire it for solid 3 seconds while he tried to put a pillow under her head and, at the same time, not to wake her up so she wouldn’t notice the position they were in. What would she think?

Thankfully, Abby’s bedtime is around 9 pm, and their comedy night had only started after 11 pm, when she was already dreaming about being a princess or whatever kids her age dream about. And, also fortunately, children aren’t very fond of arousing as soon as the day starts. They were alone, at least for some time.

Unfortunately, Mike wasn’t very successful at his task, and ended up waking the former officer up. “Hmmm…” — Vanessa murmurs as she slowly scrubs her eyes, barely awake. As soon as she processes what happened, she gets up and recomposes herself as if her head — and body — were never there.

Mike sees that she basically had the same reaction as him. “Hey, it’s okay” he says as he gently smiles as if he were saying “you can do this whenever you want to”, but Vanessa is too flushed to even look at him. “I don’t even remember falling asleep, I guess these pills I’m taking weren’t lying about the sleepy symptoms, sorry” she tries to explain herself, although she is still kind of flushed for using him as a headrest.

“Don’t worry. It’s still early in the morning, you can keep on sleeping… o-on the bed by the way if you want to” he middle-phrase realizes the possible double interpretation what he just said could have as she raise a little of her left eyebrow and laughs at him. “I mean there’s no problem if you don’t wan’t to go there I’m just saying because of the comfort but—“ he is surprised with Vanessa resting her face on his chest again and hugging him tighter. He paralyzes for 1 second and, as his cheeks go completely red, his lips are touched by white, soft hands, in a “shhh” way. “Just stop talking, you silly.”

[…]

Hey, guys! I’ve been working on a fanfic, here’s the link on ao3 if anyone wants, it already has two chapters

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

Part 2

For Esmund and Kul'Zak I had to get a bit creative but I feel like it works really well. (I couldn't choose just one for either of them, unfortunately fortunately.)

Esmund - Joel Edgerton as Lord Bertilak in the Green Knight OR Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman. I lean more towards Joel Edgerton because in my personal headcannon Esmund is the only true human and therefore ages like a person but either work

For Kul'Zak I had some issues because we know nothing about him but it does mean it is fully up to my interpretation! I do have 3 options for him

Kul'Zak - Ode Dev Patel as Gawain in the Green Knight OR Tenoch Huerta as Namor in Black Panther. Soley based on if they would look hot as a mermaid.

ALSO IF YOU WANT TO GO ALL POC ROUTE FOR THE DIVINE WARRIORS OR IMPLEMENT YOUR OWN MIGHT I SUGGEST ODED FEHR AS ARDETH BAY IN THE MUMMY AS A SUGGESTION FOR ENKI OR ANY OTHER CASTING OPPORTUNITY! He was my second choice for Enki and my third for Kul'Zak.

Gonna remove your brain to make out with it passionately and then put it back in your skull like nothing happened

[thesirencult]

Pick A Card Reading : Taurus-Scorpio Eclipse Season

"These things, dear boy, you must bear in mind, and you must know that the fondness of the lover is not a matter of goodwill, but of appetite which he wishes to satisfy: “Just as the wolf loves the lamb, so the lover adores his beloved.” 

- Socrates (Plato, Phaedrus)

IMPORTANT NOTE

Everything below is written by me and it's copyrighted. If you want to use my writing give me credit. I also do private readings, you can message me if you want one ! Lastly beautiful souls, keep in mind that this is a general reading. Not everything will resonate with you. Feel free to read multiple piles in order for you to "stitch" your own personal interpretation. Listen to your intuition. TW : mention of Persephone's myth

The first lunar eclipse in Taurus on November 19 2021 marked the start of "Persephone's Abduction". On October 28 2023 the day of the last lunar eclipse in Taurus, she will finally be crowned the Underworld's powerful Empress.

As a collective, we've been going through our own descend in the Underworld. We were thrusted into it by harsh Hades, but along the way we learnt (and continue to learn) that some obstacles are the way to our freedom. Unfortunate events turn into our fortune.

Dark and broody Hades fell in love with beautiful and innocent Persephone. She was young, fresh and saw beauty in everything. He kept watching her for months, lurking in her shadows and feeding off her energy. He placed a flower as delicate as her on the green grass, beneath her feet and as she bend down to pluck from the earth's soil his chariot emerged from the earth's core. Persephone was taken away from the safety of her mother's womb. She lost her innocence* but learnt to love Hades and found out that through that sacrifice she would gain her power. What was a low rank goddess is now the Queen Of The Underworld. By eating 6 seeds from pomegranate, the fruit of fertility and wisdom, she now had to see the truth and she had to live in the Underworld for 6 months per year.

Life comes in seasons. Without the darkness there wouldn't be the light. Everything comes in polarity and relation to something else.

*This is a myth set in a different timeline. I used the phrase lightly and I obviously condemn this beastly act of violence. Thank you for coming in here, this will always be a safe place for people who have suffered.

1-2

3-4

5-6

Pile 1

The Pomegranate (abundance, fertility, life, death, wisdom) :

6 Of Swords, Page Of Swords, 3 Of Swords

2021-2023 is extra turbulent for you pile 1. You're going through a major realignment. You feel as if you're being tested by the universe, specifically when it comes to your beliefs. This has shaken you up to your core, it makes you question your beliefs and ideas. With each step you get closer to your light and the truth. It seems to me like you've been on quiet the journey of learning, you may even study on a higher level like getting your PhD.

If you went through a traumatic loss remember Persephone's loss lead her to her destiny. Pain makes us stronger and we move on burning all the bridges.

Pile 2

Hades and Persephone (love, loyalty, power couple, sensuality, life and death, innocence and truth) :

King Of Swords, Queen Of Swords, 3 Of Pentacles

( Scorpio or Taurus in your 1/3/7th house, air sun and mercury energy)

If you have not met a soulmate up until now, then it's going to happen till the end of this cycle. This doesn't have to be someone you're romantically involved with, although it could be. This could even be your own animus/anima, your feminine and masculine energy alchemising together to create something stable with strong foundations.

Either way this union will help you go from student to teacher (if you feel drown to pile 1 check it out too) and realize that essentially all teachers are eternal students.

You may have found like-minded people at work and a strong partner that acts as a mentor to you. This reminds me of people who come together to go after a good cause.

Those cards signal marriage to me and business partnerships based on shared values and logic. After all love sometimes is not enough for a marriage to thrive. Yours will surely do if you're both logical and communicate clearly !

Pile 3

The Rose (beauty, Aphrodite and Eros, timelessness, Beauty and The Beast, forbidden yet intriguing) :

The Lovers, 9 Of Swords, 2 Of Wands

As above so below, as within so without...

Not making a choice IS a choice sweet reader and maybe you're staying confided in by not making the choice to go out and after your dreams. Planning and preparing is important but execution is even more important in the long run.

You're a very talented person with high aspirations don't let your fears hold you back.

Those years will be all about manifestation and planting the seeds. If you're trying to manifest a loving soulmate, now is the time.

Pile 4

The Apples (sacred knowledge, High Priestess, "apple of my eye", the fall of man from heaven, sin, Adam and Eve,"the truth will set you free but first it'll piss you off") :

The Tower, 7 Of Pentacles

This is pure eclipse energy. You may be a Scorpio or Taurus (Sun, Moon, Rising, Mars) Expect the unexpected dear seeker. I truly believe that people who go through this chaotic energy are highly evolved and on the brink of something amazing. This is the universe's last push out of the dark. You experience this shifts deeply, in your core and you're left out in the open of the fight.

You already are a spiritual soul and you have faith. You get signs and indications that beneath the surface your seeds are growing. Have faith and before you know it the seeds will be strong olive trees bearing the fruits of your labour ready to be harvested and get used to create more and more abundance !

Pile 5

The Full Moon Eclipse (endings and new beginnings, cycle of life, moon goddess, feminine power, death and rebirth, power, "every ending is a new beginning) :

4 Of Pentacles, 3 Of Swords, King Of Cups, The Star

Losing and learning, getting back down to step one. You're a very emotional person with an open heart and mind. You are always ready to open your arms for those in need.

But eclipse season makes you question if you gave too much. Sometimes you feel drained, like your cup of love is empty. No one has been pouring in to you and you're in desperate need for that.

Have faith and hope, I know that life has been hard (read pile 4 if you feel called to) but there is always light at the end of the tunnel (or better eclipse season).

Pile 6

The Sacred Chalice (union, wedding,"we trust in God", The Last Supper, Holy Spirit, sacred womb, women who run with the wolves, "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Death, Moon, Hanged Man

Strong Scorpio/Cancer/Pisces

energy.

You're going through an archetypical dark night of the soul.

At first you felt like everything was lost. Money, love, family and pets... Loneliness was your best friend.

But when time came you went deep into your subconscious and unconscious mind. You got uncomfortable searching through the dark corridors of the Underworld Palace.

There, you found God and yourself. Hidden truths were unveiled to you and you're surrounding yourself to Universe's will.

You will emerge a completely different person from this cycle of eclipses. Like a hero going through his journey and then coming back a different person, full of stories to tell, awaiting his next adventure. People from your past won't recognize you. This won't hurt you at all, because you know that this is who you truly are and not the shadow of the past. Forgive and let go. Surrender to the stream . . .

[triptychgardener]

I've always been kinda curious about what the precise origin point was for June Egbert. Like I know it was a largely collective thing birthed from the source material, but nontheless I remain curious at the exact inflection point at which June Egbert, more specifically June as a transfem interpretation of John Egbert, became "a thing" so to speak. So I did a little digging, though I am not a researcher, I am a woman with limited patience. This mostly started when I was scrolling to the back of the (new!) June Egbert tag, and found something odd! Previously, all the earliest fics were from 2019, but lo and behold, there was a SINGLE fic from back in 2017!

It's actually just a very well done, short, bittersweet work about June being alone on Christmas! Now this was notable, as I would (historically, as a modern person with limited experience in the fandom pre uhhhhh this year) consider the big Inflection point to be the Toblerone Discovery! Obviously for that tweet to become a thing, the concept was obviously floating around beforehand, but that's the moment when it started get floated into pseudo-canon spaces. But I was curious if I could find anything before that time! Sadly, my results came up relatively sparse. The most I could find was some pages that were clearly NOT from before then, and a couple of curiosities! First off was this very cute art by CallMeYukari on Deviantart! But, it's supposed to be Egbert's descendent. Nontheless, very cute.

Also, this was just a fun little tangent, I got a couple of bandcamp pages which showed up, which turned out to just be a reviewer who had June Egbert Is Valid as a blog title.

But I knew that the best place to search would be Tumblr. Fortunately/Unfortunately, the June Egbert tag is Fucking Enormous, and I do not have the patience nor the nohow to journey back to the beginning. But you know what isn't quite as large of a tag? Joan Egbert, which appears to have been (afaik again) a pretty commonly used name for a fem version of John! I scrolled back as far as I could, which was abouuuut 2013! Now obviously, here we come back to a bit of a conflict! Which is that, there is actually a lot of girlbert content! Buuuut most of it tends towards Genderbend and Rule 63 stuff rather than trans stuff specifically, which ain't really what we're looking for! Though I was finding transfem John stuff as far back as 2015, and likely earlier if I was more thorough, most if not all of it went under Joan! There's still a few more recent posts that use Joan, which is quite fun to see!

Here's an example of a trans Joan post by the way.

But! Lo and behold as I scrolled to the bottom of the tag:

A mention of June! Granted, it is again specifying a genderbent, not transfem version, but this is the earliest I was able to find on a cursory glance. So that was my little shallow dive into history! If you have more detailed information or wanna do your own digging, feel free to share more!

[tenaciousdecapitator]

To Boldly Go: A Camilla Noceda Character Analysis

I am of the opinion that Vee Noceda might hold a record for how fast a fandom changed their opinion on a character that they once considered untrustworthy and suspicious (and I’m sure the very intentional casting of the 2010s’ most sympathetic voice for a shapeshifter helped with that) but in terms of characters we already knew, very few other shows handled the reveal of a character’s true depth better than Thanks to Them did with Camilla Noceda. And a significant portion of that-at least from what I’m interpreting-is inherently linked to another major reveal of the episode: that Camilla and Manny Noceda were both involved in the early generation of what basically amounts to Star Trek fandom.

Bear with me here, and let me explain. (Info/theory dump under break)

When Cosmic Frontier is first mentioned in the episode, it’s in the context of Gus pointing out the similarities to their current situation. When he lists names like Captain Avery and Chief Engineer O’Bailey, the Trek fans watching (particularly those familiar with DS9) have a little chuckle about the reference and how Gus and Hunter will definitely identify with the characters, assuming that will be the extent of this amusing copyright-friendly shout out.

And then Gus reveals the closet, and we learn so much about Luz’s parents in this one brief shot (though I’m sure the TOH crew would’ve preferred a full episode): 

The sheer amount of merchandise, years upon years of ‘Galaxy Con’ loot and collectables and homemade props The amount of guest lanyards, each from a different summer of memories.

The subtle but important suggestion that Manny had worked hard to update and improve his Circuit cosplay, countless hours of research and studying paused frames and crafting the fine details.

The implication of Camilla getting prepared in a hotel bathroom, making sure her turquoise body paint was properly sealed and Manny’s mask was comfortably positioned before heading out to the familiar sanctuary of the convention hall.

The realization that some viewers might have, a link between Star Trek’s real-life impact on how many people who watched the show would later pursue scientific and medical careers and Camilla’s current job as a veterinarian. 

How narratively fitting, that a girl who engages so passionately in modern fandom traditions like AMVs and commissioned fan art would be the child of two people who shared a love of the fandom that started it all, and quite possibly was how they met in the first place.

But then we wonder, why is this all hidden? What would cause Camilla to hide these clearly still important relics of her past down in the basement?

We get part of the answer soon enough: She grew up, became a parent, and became far more conscious of how other people perceived and judged both herself and Luz. She tries being supportive of her daughter’s enthusiastic interests and strange habits, but social and societal pressure, along with the weight of her own past regrets, causes her to try to steer Luz away from making the same “mistakes” that she once did.

Though, maybe when Luz was younger, she had a bit of time to go back to old habits. Manny’s enthusiasm would’ve been infectious, helping her remember the good times instead of dwelling on the bad. Perhaps one night they hired a babysitter for Luz and managed to watch a movie that, despite its unfortunate choice of lead actor, was an affectionate parody of Cosmic Frontier that showed its appreciation for what the series meant for its actors and fans.

But without Manny, that spark of enthusiasm and nostalgia wouldn’t last long. Every record and reminder of what Camilla used to share with him would be boxed up, hidden, and left behind as another childish pursuit that she couldn’t afford to waste time on as a single mother.That plan to bury that part of herself deep and never let it grow too much within Luz might have continued as she expected, but Manny, fortunately, had other ideas. He must’ve recognized that spark of creativity and passion within Luz, he surely knew what would be left behind once he was gone.

So he leaves Luz a gift, a memento, something that she would identify with and obsess over and create social bonds through like he and Camilla once did with Cosmic Frontier.

And wouldn’t you know it, ol’ Circuit’s calculations were correct. Luz becomes hooked, enamored, she sees herself within Azura like her parents must have identified with their favorite show’s characters.

Her love of the series is a constant theme throughout The Owl House, it inspired her to express herself, face challenges, make friends, defend the people she loves, and find someone who enjoys the fandom enough to understand her like nobody else could.

What does Camilla do in response to her daughter’s newfound hyper-fixation?

She supports Luz, as much as she can, despite the weight of expectation on both of them. Helping her buy the next books, the new merchandise, even costume parts. One year, not long after they move to Gravesfield, they manage to have enough money to buy convention tickets. Entirely for Luz’s sake, of course, Camilla is too old for this sort of thing, and hardly recognizes most of the characters kids are dressing up as nowadays. But if her eyes linger on some familiar faces at the autograph tables, or she starts absentmindedly humming along to a certain show’s theme song being played over the loudspeakers, well, that’s her business. Old habits are hard to shake.

Speaking of which, I only noticed this after a rewatch, but Camilla’s fandom experience arguably makes an appearance earlier in the series:

When Jacob’s doing his whole “delusional defeated villain trying to claim he’s the hero” bit, Mrs. Noceda’s response before delivering the righteous justice of La Chancla is “Yeah...a lot of bad guys say that.” On first watch I thought this was simply calling out IRL examples of scumbags with a self-centered ego, but later I realized she’s commenting on it in terms of its use as a somewhat cliche trope. As if she’s watched and read this kind of speech dozens of times before.

For a long time, possibly almost a decade, Camilla manages to avoid directly confronting her past. She works as much as she can to support Luz, the forbidden relics are locked away downstairs, everything’s fine. But then the Hexside Kids show up at her doorstep, bringing with them a bit of the same Boiling Isles culture that allowed her daughter to express herself freely.

She tries to keep it quiet, awkwardly denying any knowledge of the merchandise in her basement, but these new kids are her kids too, for now, and she supports their interests as much as she did with Luz. So if Hunter needs help stitching together an Engineer O’Bailey cosplay, or Gus needs some show-accurate props for his own outfit, well. She’s just being supportive, in a neutral and parental way, that’s all.

Once the portal is open and Luz starts to say something she’ll regret, however, Camilla can’t maintain the facade of a responsible, respectful, socially acceptable parent any longer. That old spark within her, the part that never really left, shows itself more than it has in years.

She offers an alternative, something Luz would’ve never expected, defiantly and proudly stating that she’d be going into the portal to the Isles alongside them. It’s the specific wording that gets me, though, “It is our DUTY to help your friends get back to their families!” Seems to invoke the sort of “I’ll be your fearless champion” type speeches that Luz sometimes makes. However, we recall from Yesterday’s Lie that Camilla knows she isn’t great with on-the-fly improvised roleplay scenarios. She’s “not imaginative enough”. So it’s entirely possible that Camilla’s taking inspiration from lines that she hasn’t heard in a while but still knows by heart, after hearing it recited at the beginning of hundreds of episodes. A socially acceptable single mother and hard-working veterinarian would never consider something like this, it’s too risky, too dangerous, too many unknown variables on the other side of that portal.

But Camilla Noceda grew up watching others face the unknown, for the safety of others, because it was their duty. Their “ongoing mission”. 

She might not understand anime yet, but for Luz’s sake and Manny’s legacy, she’s willing to learn.

[twilightmalachite]

Raison d’être - The Nameless Girl 11

Author: Akira

Characters: Shu, Mika, Kuro, Nazuna

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Très bien, truly magnificent."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Spring

Location: Raison d'être Stage

Two weeks later. On the stage of the opera “Raison d’être” by Valkyrie, the best work from the Funeral Contest…

Shu: “This opera is dedicated to my beloved grandfather—”

“And “MADEMOISELLE”, who was his “beloved lady”.”

“♪~♪~♪”

Mika: “~…♪”

Nazuna: …♪

Kuro: My bad, I’ve arrived late.

Looks like everythin’s smooth sailin’ here, but we had some trouble at the very last minute.

Nazuna: Ahh, so AKATSUKI’s going through some trouble too, huh~… Surprisingly, I think everything will work out somehow on my end.

Kuro: Haha, you Ra*bits are always holdin’ out strong ‘til the last moment.

Anyways. I had the incentive given I was worryin’ over all sorts of things, so I figured to might as well see Valkyrie’s performance since I was invited.

This is the project they submitted to that Funeral Contest, right?

A livin’ funeral… While at first glance it looks like an ordinary opera, it seems strangely cheery for a funeral, ain’t it?

Well, that gramps does like things to be cheery.

Nazuna: I don’t really get it either, but… This was chosen as the best entry in the Funeral Contest by Itsuki’s grandpa himself for his living funeral.

Even if I don’t understand the logic behind it, it was chosen as the “right answer”, wasn’t it?

???: “—That’s right.”

“Those children brilliantly grasped the “truth” through logic and intuition, through reason and passion.”

“And they interpreted that obtained “truth” through their own aesthetic senses, and worked to express it through this one beautiful stage.”

“Très bien, truly magnificent.”

“Right—This is exactly the answer I had been seeking.”

Kuro: ……

Hey, now… That just knocked me speechless. Ah, right. Is that who I think it is?

Nazuna: Yeah. That voice is coming from that notebook laptop held by the “person next to me”.

It’s the true identity of the man we’ve been hearing so much about, Raffaello.

Raffaello: “Fufu. Should I be telling you, long time no see—Ryuu~-kun?”

“Please excuse my appearance. The doll I had been using as a terminal was destroyed by Kagehira-kun.”

“Fortunately every cloud has a silver lining, I haven’t been bereaved of all "Mademoiselle"s…”

“As you’d expect, it is difficult to get dolls installed with communication terminals through customs.”

“Another doll was used as a proxy in Paris, thinking it’d be too much a risk if she were confiscated or damaged.”

“Although it’s very unfortunate that she was destroyed, you could say that doll was Mademoiselle’s sister.”

Kuro: Hey… So that’s what was goin’ on. So ya were callin’ yourself Raffaello and messin’ around with Itsuki and the others…

—Gramps.

Raffaello: “That’s right. It’s really been a while since we’ve got to see each other, Ryuu~-kun.”

“You’ve gotten big.”

“Fufu, I don’t think the name you’d be called as a child suits you anymore—Kiryu Kuro-kun.”

Kuro: Ah, yeah. Long time no see…

Nazuna: (Whoa, amazing, this is rare. Kuro-chin’s acting as meek as a lamb.)

(This is someone he’s known since he was a child, and it’s someone who used to scold him all the time too. It’s no wonder he can’t hold his head up.)

Raffaello: “Fufu. As you can see, due to my youthful indiscretion, I smoked too much and developed cancer in my throat, so I’ve got a hole in my throat.”

“I can no longer speak normally, so excuse me for using a synthesized voice like this.”

“This is a body that should remain resting at a hospital, to begin with.”

“But I wanted to see my grandson perform at whatever cost, so I was allowed to go out temporarily after raising a fuss and threatening to sue the hospital and get it shut down if I couldn’t watch it.”

“My precious grandson worked hard on this gift to me. I am grateful to be able to see it in person instead of through a screen.”

Kuro: What’s this all mean… So the real identity of that Raffaello bastard that was treated like a con man was actually just Gramps…

But why’d ya go around callin’ yourself the son of your own affair, manipulatin’ around Itsuki and the rest of his family?

Wait, you’re also Itsuki, aren’tcha, Gramps. This is complicated.

Raffaello: “Fufu. Then, for the sake of distinction, shall I call him “Icchan”, just like he was called when he was a little kid?”

[ ☆ ]

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[ethicalarcana]

Tarot// The Hermit at the Mental Gym

A quick Google search of how to become happier or improve mental health will often list “Time with friends” as a solution. For a shy person, this advice may not be sound. We are at the ninth card in the Major Arcana. Loneliness and shyness are not the primary issues this far in the hero's journey. More research is needed to get to the next card, The Wheel of Fortune. The next step towards release and growth is different for each person; to find our own unique solution, time alone and in study is needed.

A seeker may have to combine a variety of spiritual modalities or have a meditation and exercise practice that makes them both happy and emotionally available for others. A business owner may need to go against market trends after reviewing the sales data specific to their customers. They know that their research and approach must be homegrown. When a child is meant to perform for their parents academically and socially, she may look back on a life of empty achievements and repressed feelings. Pressure in family family begins so early and is so relentless, that many teens and young adults just need a break. If the adherence to family traditions and unspoken rules continues well into adulthood, we see family cut-offs and quiet quitting. The same is true for go-go-go social careers like sales, modeling, or acting. When the Hermit is alone it may feel like the first time they can think for themselves.

A life review can be the last-minute stopgap before a mental break or unfortunate change in personality. Taking a break from shopping, working and pandering can be awkward. You cannot question illusions while maintaining them. You can't quit drinking at the bar with the bros or gals. Sometimes turning a hobby into a new job requires are period of unemployment, when long hours can be dedicated to a start-up. Many people see this card as spiritual, and this is true. However, solitude is practical. Sitting with oneself is not mystical or strange, In times with less technology than we have now, there was time for a meandering walk to market or a person had to sit by a phone and wait for a phone call. Breaks in the day are less likely today. Mental health content creators seem to be begging others to sit with themselves and put down their phones. The irony of this is unavoidable.

The brain is an organ. This organ produces thoughts the way other organs secret hormones and fluids. A liver exhausted from processing alcohol, cannot break down toxins in food and medication. If a person is overindulgent, the toxins remain leaving a mark on appearance and health and even stressing other organs, triaging important maintenance. Similarly, when a person is flooded with toxic thoughts and experiences, the thinking organ becomes a coping organ. This coping may include fantasy, addiction, workaholicism, exhibitionism, bullying, or deading with sleep and drugs, These all can be interpretations of The Hermit card when drawn in reverse. Upright this card is about enjoying moments of peace and contemplation without being forced into exile.

Mental health and spirituality require a quality of time that resembles the happiness and wisdom we seek. When the profit goes up on the mountain to be alone, they remain their old selves on the ascent. Only at the pinnacle of their pilgrimage can the truth thinking become integrated into the personality. We have to become a person who practices mindfulness or take long hikes for many years before achieving sen status. This person is the Hermit. A life filled with odd habits and denied social engagement may seem cringe-y. This impulse away from the self is the real cringe. Life will allow bring us moments when we must work alone. Ironically. the ability to do this is crucial to fame and fortune. Think of Kobe Bryant practicing alone in a gym. Odd and compulsive to some, it was the only physical path to his greatness and he took it. The Hermit is happy without being satisfied and at rest during hours at the gym.

[rivalsforlife]

Hey!! No pressure but I would love to hear about the takarazuka musical threequel!

I'm glad you asked about this one, because when I was skimming through my old wips I came across this line that completely knocked me out:

“Dude,” Larry whispered, reverently. “You’re telling me you scored a MILF?”

takarazuka musical threequel is currently a bunch of disjointed ideas I have about what would happen after the events of all the AA takarazuka musicals (which at the time I wrote this was only up to musical 3). Created June 2021 and last updated November 2021 but I think it's very funny so if my brain goes down that rabbithole again I want to keep working on it. It is also specifically based on my own interpretation of the musicals which is not at all how I was supposed to interpret the musicals. And since it's based on the musicals everyone is out of character compared to the games.

The story focused on Phoenix, Lucia (the almost-love interest from musical 2 for those who don't remember), and Edgeworth. Phoenix is refusing to move on from Leona and it's deeply damaging his personal relationships - since he has the attitude he has towards Maya in the musicals, Maya gets fed up with it and leaves and goes to live with Franziska, the only person who kinda gave a shit about her in musical 2, in New York running a fortune-telling business out of Franziska's apartment. She's out of most of the fic and is saved from the musical's characterizations.

Lucia's ex-fiancee Roland gets out of jail after a very short sentence (??? extenuating circumstances I don't think I fully figured that bit out) and, following Phoenix's advice, tries to get back together with him but she's struggling with it. I think she and Phoenix were supposed to hook up at some point? But eventually she realizes there's something Seriously Wrong With Him. And she runs away to another city or something to restart her life away from both Roland and Phoenix.

Edgeworth gets caught up by an international time-travel investigation organization (which Lang is an agent of because I felt like dragging him into this shitshow) which leads him to reunite with his love interest from musical 3, Emilia, who is muuuch older now because time travel and has kids (but for whatever reason is not currently in a relationship). They try to have a relationship but Emilia's kids are understandably weirded out by this. They eventually break up, Edgeworth questions his sexuality, tries to confess to Phoenix, but at some point realizes that he actually murdered his father and has a crisis about that. I don't think I decided if he actually did or if MvK just got away with it... oh well.

It ends with Phoenix having a breakdown at the ocean about Leona. Unfortunately I have not written very much. Under the cut (since it's a bit long for a tumblr post) is one of the scenes I did write where Maya leaves Phoenix:

“Oh, Nick! You’re back early…”

“Hi, Maya.” He took in all the bags again, and a feeling of dread rose through him. “It’s not another vacation, is it…? I swear I didn’t agree to anything --”

“No, Nick.” Maya dropped the bags to the floor and her face took on an unusually serious look. “I’m moving back to New York.”

“What?” Maya picked up the bags again and moved them to be with her other stuff. (Had she always had this much stuff?) “Why back to New York? I told you I wanted to stay in California…”

“I know.” Maya spun around, tears welling in her eyes. “I was talking to Franzy. I mean, Prosecutor von Karma. And I realized some stuff. And I want to go back to New York. She’s going to pick me up in fifteen minutes. I…” She wiped her tears on her sleeve and pulled a letter from the pocket of her weird robes. “I’m sorry. I just wrote it down here for you.”

Phoenix took the letter from her and opened it. It was weirdly long for something Maya wrote. He didn’t think she could keep her focus long enough to write something like this. “What’s this really about, Maya?”

“I-I wrote it all in the letter!”

“I know, I know, I’ll read it later.” He didn’t plan to. “When are you coming back?”

“I’m not coming back, Nick!” She pouted and stomped her foot. Oh no. He hoped she wouldn’t throw a fit. “This is why I’m leaving! You’re always like this! You never take me seriously!”

Phoenix sighed and gestured to her robes. With that getup, how could I? “What brought all this on, all of a sudden? You said you were talking to Prosecutor von Karma? She told you to do all this?”

“No, I decided that for myself.” Maya crossed her arms. “I didn’t want to move to California. I’ve been in New York all my life. But I came here because I wanted to continue to work for you, Nick. I mean, you remember how we met, right?”

… He couldn’t remember. “Yeah, for sure.”

“I didn’t know what to do with my life otherwise. I mean, I left the spirit medium trade for a reason. And -- see, you’re making that face again!”

“What face?”

“The ‘oh, Maya’s going on about spirit channeling again’ face!” More tears rolled down Maya’s cheeks. “You never take me seriously! And it’s not just about this. You never explain what’s going on in crime scenes or at the trials.”

“Because I don’t have the time to explain it to you, Maya…”

“Every time I suggest we do something fun like go to the beach, you go off doing something else…”

“Again, I’m too busy for that, Maya…”

“Every time I make you lunch or coffee you don’t care. Even when I was kidnapped! You totally forgot about me, didn’t you? Franzy was the one who had to come and save me! Even after she’d been shot!” 

“I didn’t forget,” Phoenix lied, because he hadn’t. Well, except for most of the trial. But a lot had been going on then, in his defense, like helping Lucia.

“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as -- as a comic relief sidekick!” Maya shouted. “I had dreams and ambitions too, Nick! I gave them up to be your legal assistant! But ever since that trial back in New York, you’ve been so strange. And I started realizing that I’m really not helping you out, am I?”

“You help out lots, Maya,” Phoenix tried to assure her. These sorts of outbursts were quite unlike her. “Your smile has encouraged me many times.”

“That’s it? That’s all you can say?”

“Your quips in court can be entertaining, too.”

For some reason, this didn’t seem to make Maya feel better. “Well, I’m sure you’ll be fine without them,” she sniffed. “You’ll have to be. Because I -- I’m really leaving!”

Phoenix sighed. He could tell he wasn’t going to win this one. Women can be so stubborn. “Alright, Maya. Just let me know when you’re coming back.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“No. I do believe in you.” Phoenix smiled and spread his arms out. “After all, you’ve always been my legal assistant. Even if you stray from that path, I’m sure you’ll come back. I believe in the Maya I’ve known all this time. I’m sure she won’t change, I just know it.”

[stories-me]

Potential Character for Mrs. Kelsey and Tumblr 8/24/2023:

Groot, Guardian of the Galaxy – He Is Groot:

Spoiler alert! Watch out and take care!

Background:

It’s unknown how Groot came to join Rocket Raccoon, but likely it began somewhere after Rocket escaped from the High Evolutionary. At the time, Rocket was grappling with survivor’s guilt, and was afraid that if he befriended Groot, Groot would be killed and it would be Rocket’s fault. Unfortunately, Groot refused to go away, no matter how many times Rocket ordered him to. Ultimately, Groot convinced Rocket to let him stay on for “one job”. After that, that “one job” turned into “one more job”, and “one more job” after that, until Rocket ultimately made Groot his partner or sidekick (besides, Rocket was kind of small, and Groot was big, so he could use the muscle). Also, Rocket (being a brainy sort) quickly figured out how to interpret the only phrase Groot ever said: “I am Groot”.

Rocket and Groot ultimately went on to (alongside Peter “Star Lord” Quill, Drax the Destroyer, and Gamora) found the Guardians of the Galaxy. During their first adventure together, Groot willingly sacrificed himself to protect his friends. Fortunately, Groot was reborn from a small clipping of himself.

A lot happened after that.

Personality:

Groot is usually very gentle and warm, displaying kindness towards innocent life. However, he can also be merciless and brutal towards his enemies, especially if they threaten his friends. He once extended his arm and put it into a row into numerous Kree before they got to him, Drax, and Quill.

As a baby, Groot can misinterpret the simplest requests, which was exhibited when he was having trouble bringing Yondu's prototype fin and pressing the “death button” on the bomb used to kill Ego.

He is loyal to Rocket and the other Guardians, and was even willing to die to protect them, as shown in the Battle of Xandar, when he willingly sacrificed himself to save his friends. Before his sacrifice, he told Rocket that they had to save their friends when Star-Lord and Gamora were being held by Yondu and the Ravagers.

As an adolescent, Groot displayed the typical behavior of a human teenager, such as being rude, making a mess of his own space and getting obsessed with playing video games. Unlike his father, he hardly smiled and seemed to be unaware of his surroundings most of the time. He frequently snapped at his Guardian companions when he got told off (as most teenagers do), resulting in them, notably Rocket and Peter murmuring about how they miss the old Groot and how annoying the new Groot is. Nevertheless, Groot’s loyalty to his companions remains as strong as ever and he staunchly stands by them during fights, fully retaining his old courage and headstrong nature. He even went as far as to resist the pain of the newly heated pieces of Stormbreaker (Thor's axe) and sacrificed his arm to create the axe without hesitation. He also seemed to look up to Rocket, referring to him as “Dad” in his native tongue as he faded away due to the Blip.

How he is like me:

We both want to protect our friends and are quite strong.

How he is NOT like me:

He’s more even-tempered. I can TRY to be more even-tempered with calming strategies and the like. Also, I can try to practice being even-tempered.

Kelsey Notes:

Groot is always quiet, especially in battle but this does not stop him from knowing when he needs to take action. 

            This is important for you because in a moment of frustration, you have the instinct to speak out and if a problem isn’t solved quick enough, it might lead you to make verbal threats. 

Not only do people need time to help you solve a problem, they need to be able to talk you through the process that helped them to solve the problem.  This way, it is more likely you will know how to handle this problem in the future.  

It’s important to remember Groot’s patience.  When we are working to control our own behavior, being patient is a critical aspect to prevent us from lashing out at others.   

[curiousorigins]

I know that we talk some about whether piracy is ethical and all that. But I rarely here people talk about if someone's intellectual property goes out of print, if the company that purchased the rights has the ethical duty to allow that creator to distribute it at their will? (The following assumes U.S. Copyright Law. Be advise that I'm not a lawyer, nor have I consulted one about Copyright laws (and frankly they're so complicated. I wouldn't encourage someone who needs correct information to consult a lawyer who isn't a copyright specialist... when pursuing legal matters related to Copyright.). I knew there was a good chance that I'd work in the arts from an early age and thus have read many books on copyright laws and articles and all that. They were books mostly written for people who were not lawyers and thus were interpreted by their authors and who knows how accurate that information was. )

It's been a somewhat standard practice for Film Studios to purchase the rights to film scripts that are similar to ones they have already optioned to make that year in order to prevent the other studios from making a film that has the same market and could be a direct competitor. The screenwriter gets paid, but the studio has no intention of ever making the film. They often plan on sitting on the rights pretty much forever and all that. Of course rarely is the writer informed of these intentions during negotiations because most unless they really need the money wouldn't accept that.

I'm sure that all creative industries (including games) have similar situations. Sometimes when a publisher goes under the rights that they held default to the originator of those intellectual rights. The idea is then that an Author has the option to find another publisher for their book, and that they can get more copies made... despite the publisher going out of business. (unfortunately in the U.S. very few Authors are aware of this or don't have the opportunity to hire a lawyer to confirm that. And so when a publisher goes out, a lot of Authors who don't get those residuals from book sales because the business is gone... just end up believing that however much time was spent on that thing... they just don't get anything out of it anymore.)

(There's also this practice that makes it hard to tell who may hold your rights after you've sold them off to a company. Because as a business is going under... some may parcel out intellectual property rights to try to save the sinking ship.

Like Early two thousands if Scholastic was going under, selling the rights to Harry Potter might have been enough to save them. And thus, if/when scholastic went under J.K. Rowling might have not known that Penguin acquired her work until either Penguin contacted her asking for another book in the same universe or when she saw books under Penguin being printed. And if Penguin decided to not produce new books despite purchasing the rights she may never know who holds the rights to print her work in the U.S. [I use JK Rowling not to endorse her horrible views but simply because she a celebrity author who made a serious cashcow and thus a good example of how much money holding intellectual property rights may deny an author or make a company... at best case scenario.]

Another thing we've seen happen in my Dad's lifetime is it used to be that when a company acquired another one... they had to honor all those contracts that they inherited with it. Like back when Pensions in the U.S. was a thing that couldn't be touched (yeah... Reagan changed that and Trump made most of his fortune taking bankrupt businesses and looting their pension funds for his own gain. Because the pension funds were not allowed to be part of the valued part of a company. But Reagan made it so people could take money out of those funds and use them elsewhere... and Trump most did that to fill his own bank account. And ethical vaguely moral businessmen still wouldn't have touched pension/retirement accounts unless they thought they could save the company with them and still make enough to pay back those funds. Pension funds started being used as collateral with loans at that time too. Which obviously was bad. Because some of those loans were bad. And people lost out on their retirements that were promised to them.)

At some point they made it so because such and such a business signed this contract and now this business which is not that business but bought out that business... they now own the intellectual property of that former business but are now no longer required to pay out residuals and royalties on that intellectual property because they didn't sign those contracts.

Now I don't know if this is because they're taking advantage of how little funds the majority of freelance and working class people have to pursue the matter in courts and get those funds they're owed. Or if there's been a legal change in it or too many judges not understanding the situation... or just the standard making the opponent hemorrhage funds while you're tying them up in court like businesses enjoy doing.

Pretty much I don't know how legal this practice is where Disney bought all the rights to various Fox Projects and then decided to not make anymore specifically to deny the creators who worked on them funds... or to sell the work anyways and then not pay the people on them because they didn't sign that contract and thus do not have to honor it.

I believe, but any creator who has their work tied up in a now defunct business... should double check this with a copyright lawyer, so long as the rights were not sold off... got their rights back with the liquidation and dissolution of that business. And thus, the majority of these games should be able to put up for sale by the people who actually worked on them. (Where with any hope they'd be able to sell those games in perpetuity to make up for their work going out of print and the historically sorry wages that people working in software, games etc make.)

Frankly if the creator (mind you in my opinion this includes all creators of the work... including the intern that got the programming team coffees) is okay with a work fading off in memory while they still live and it going out of print... I guess that's okay. But in any other case I think that it's the ethical thing to do when stuff goes out of print... to copy and archive it. And perhaps offer the copies to the creators so they can distribute it and perhaps sell it to the world at large at their leisure. (In case they didn't archive a copy themselves for those purposes.) If those creators feel like they got plenty of money themselves off of that work and then, decide to gift the world free downloads of that work... or free permission to print those copies as well... then it's ethical to inform everyone you know who may be interested and copy and distribute those as well.

The thing is, many people create works that are commercialized and sold as intellectual property out of love; They sell it either out of the need to survive or to get it distributed to as many people as possible to share that love. And sometimes people fall in love with those works. They gain greater meaning. It becomes a bittersweet memory where every time you play that now-out-of-print game... you think of a loved one that often played (with or without you) that game. And it carries a little piece of that person for you. And most of the time, those creators that made the work 20 years ago... who know that you lost your copy and you can't get a new one... would love for you to have access to that little piece of a loved activity with them. But it's tied up in legal stuff... and so they can't... without potentially incurring legal trouble themselves.

It's not necessary ethical to steal. But it's also not necessarily ethical and moral to purchase rights to a work that one has no intention to distributing or sharing access to. And there is a point where a work is culturally significant. We shouldn't take from individual creators... as the majority of them cannot afford to be stolen from. (Frankly I try to utilize online tip jars for creators who allow their works to be distributed for free. Even if previously they were paid for those works. Because residuals and the like are piddly and the people make squat.)