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somehow-a-human · 7 days

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Good Omens & Visual Tarot - Part 1

I have been fiddling with a few different posts that are going to take a while longer still to complete. In the meantime I decided to do a little bit of a Good Omens Tarot visual analysis.

*Disclaimer* I am not a tarot expert, I am using visuals simply to equate these scenes to the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. Most of the limited meaning and analysis have been pulled from various tarot websites.

I hope you enjoy looking through these! They are not super deep or intensive but were very fun to put together :) They are ordered first by Major Arcana, then Minor Arcana, and finally Court Cards.

THE FOOL

The Fool represents the willingness to take risks, being inexperienced, improvisation and beginners luck. Aziraphale and the 1941 magic debacle are very fitting for the fool card. He doesn't know he's just endangered Crowley in front of Hell, doesn't know about the miracle blocker, and what they are about to face. Teetering dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. Yet, they've just somehow successfully escaped the stage unscathed.

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THE MAGICIAN

The Magician represents one's potential, and capability to harness one's potential, especially in a situation where transformation is needed. It brings to mind the change that's needed in Heaven, the work Aziraphale needs to do to fix a broken system.

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THE EMPEROR

The Emperor sits on a throne, flanked by dual rams heads. This card represents leadership, power, authority, courage, and intelligence. The Emperor is considered to be someone who is very powerful. Crowley's powers and past angelic identity are still somewhat of a mystery to us, and we have good reason to believe he was indeed a powerful figure. Could this be foreshadowing as well?

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THE LOVERS

While The Lovers in modern decks often has a romantic reading, traditionally this card represented a crossroads in a relationship. Choices between life paths, and commitment. Aziraphale and Crowley choosing their side at the end of season one reflects this crossroads and decision very well.

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THE CHARIOT

The Chariot represents overcoming conflict and moving forward, but the charioteer is warned to be wary of the way ahead. Crowley rushing back to Aziraphale after the Book of Life threat is ready to move past their earlier conflict and move forward. But danger might lie ahead.

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THE HERMIT

The Hermit represents the ability to recognize a 'teacher in a humble disguise', wisdom and enlightenment. Though it takes Aziraphale millenia, I think he eventually does recognize Crowley is a teacher or a guide in disguise for him, helping him sort through the abyss of human morality.

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THE WHEEL OF (MIS)FORTUNE

The Wheel of Fortune card reminds us that life is ever changing and moving, we cannot stand on top of the wheel indefinitely, where we think we finally may see and understand things clearly, it will always turn. Looking at the Good Omens Wheel of Misfortune, it has interesting items like "going abroad" - a nod to season 3 possibly being set at least somewhat in New York?

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THE TOWER

The Tower represents disaster, distress, and upheaval. There is an unforeseen catastrophe that will need to be weathered. I believe Aziraphale's emotional journey in the Job minisode exemplifies this perfectly. His realization that he has reached a turning point in his beliefs, his willingness to fall to save Jobs children and defy the Almighty... The path going forward will be difficult.

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PART 2 (coming soon)

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #aziraphale #michael sheen #david tennant #crowley #crowley x aziraphale #good omens theories #good omens clues #good omens tarot #tarot #tarot cards #rider waite tarot

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zenkindoflove · 2 months

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I've been thinking about a comment I've seen thrown around in the great "whose book is next?" debate, which is "we don't know enough about Elain yet."

I wouldn't say I'm confused as to why people say this. I know it's because for many people, Elain is easily forgotten and purposely ignored because of her character archetype. Especially in fantasy, female characters who are more soft spoken, traditionally feminine, and have a penchant for following social norms or being generally agreeable as a way to get by in the world are often pushed to the side. You see it not only in how other characters act towards them but also how readers value them. We specifically see Rhys and Feyre actively choose to put Nesta's needs (and ultimately her story) before Elain's by focusing on "one sister at a time" which is explained by Nesta being the squeakier wheel.

But let's take a moment to understand what we have seen of Elain's journey so far.

We have seen Elain: live in poverty, witness her sister's kidnapping, mentally manipulated by fae magic to forget, see her family return to riches, have to navigate high society again, find a fiance and become betrothed, host queens in her home to help her Fae sister which she hides from her betrothed, kidnapped, made into a Fae against her will, have a mating bond snap with someone who isn't her fiance, grapple with becoming fae, learning the nature of her new powers, mourn the separation with her love, processing that she has a mating bond to another, receive visions of a powerful death god, try to get back her fiance and is horribly dumped, kidnapped again, present in a battle, killing the King of Hybern to protect her sister, losijg her father,process some more her trauma of losing her human life and grieving her father, trying to fit in with her new family and her new life, insisting she wants to help the NC and to learn more about her powers, pursue a crush and be rejected... Again, grapple with the codependent relationship she has with Nesta both in setting boundaries and trying to heal, reconnect with her sister Feyre, and witness her sister die and be resurrected in childbirth.

To me, that spells out quite a character journey of experiencing trauma of many types, overcoming adversity, and trying to find her identity and place in the world.

What is most important is on all three of those counts we have seen the start of this process but we haven't delved deep or had any resolution. And more specifically, because these are romances, we haven't seen how Elain will grow and make sense of her mating bond that she feels a lot of reluctance towards. I point all of this out because there is a lot of tension in Elain's narrative. There are several unresolved plots and actions that have happened to her character that we are sitting and wondering what she is going to do and what she thinks of all of these things.

I just don't think the statement that "we don't know enough about Elain yet" for her to have the next book is a valid argument to make when you actually sit down and take the energy to see Elain. To focus on what her specific experience has been so far in the books.

Her story is geared up and ready to go. Specifically her story with Lucien. And this is leaving out how connected she is to the overall fantasy plots because the bigger point I wanted to make is that as a character, Elain already has a lot to her story and even more to explore. She is more than geared up to be a FMC.

I know especially with the ship war it's easy to get caught up in rooting for what we want to see happen. But at the end of the day, this is a character we've known since the first novel, who has been integral to many parts of the story and directly affected by what has happened in the story. So the entire attitude that it's preposterous to think Elain is ready for her own book is really just doing what everyone else in her life does to her - underestimate her. And I can't wait for people to see how much they have misjudged and ignored her.

#elain archeron #pro elain #pro elain archeron #elucien

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anarcoqueer1994 · 1 year

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Still on a Steve likes Barbie kick and I'm going to keep putting that into the universe.

When Steve was 5 years old, he used to go to the store whenever his parents were in town, where they would buy him toys to make up for the fact that they were never there. It was back when they would still pretend they cared, feigning love between long bouts of absenteeism and moments of his fathers violent temper. He could get any 'boy' toy he wanted. Over the trips, he had gotten baseball stuff, a Fisher Price Farm set, a toy plane, Matchbox and Hot Wheel Cars; honestly, he had any toy a boy could want. But he wanted something else.

He would always pass the pink aisles filled with toys that were supposed to be for girls, and he was enthralled with one toy in particular. Nestled between the baby dolls and the easy bake ovens were pretty Barbie dolls with fantastic outfits and soft brushable hair. And he wanted one so badly. He would always ask for one and every time he was met with harsh words from his father. "Steven, don't be a pansy. Boys don't like Barbies unless they are sissies. Are you a sissy, Steven? Do you want your friends at school to find out?"

Steve always shakes his head, dejected. He then goes and picks out a boy toy, a toy his dad won't be mad at him about. But one day, something changes. One of the nice women who worked at the store, Mrs. Munson, had watched as Steve continuously was shot down by his father . She felt bad for him, so that day, as she checks them out, she slips a Growing Hair Barbie into the bag discretly along with the Lincoln Logs, before handing little Steve the bag, winking kindly at him as she does.

And Steve immediately goes home and runs up to his room, hiding the packaging under his bed before playing with the doll. He loved her hair and dress, and everything about her. She was glamorous and beautiful, everything Steve wanted.

He would sneak her with him everywhere, even slipping her in his backpack when he would go to the playground. Today was one of those days, going to the park with his nanny, as his parents were in Chicago. He would run and hide behind a tree, out of sight from his nanny, where he could play quietly with the doll.

He is so wrapped up in his game that he doesn't notice someone walking up next to them until they sit down on the ground beside them. Steve looks over to see a boy from his school in the grade above him. Panic fills his face as he tries to hide the doll. Even back then, his father instilled shame in him whenever he was doing something that wasn't traditionally masculine.

But boy smiles at him, one tooth missing from where the baby tooth fell out. "Hi, I'm Eddie. Can me and my dragon," he motions to the plastic figure in his hand, "play with you? Your doll looks cool and maybe can be a princess. Or knight, or a knight princess." Eddie starts to ramble.

Steve scrunches up him nose, confused that the other boy isn't making fun of him. "Wait, you wanna play with me and my Barbie, even though I'm a boy?"

"Yea! It gets lonely playing by myself and you looked like you were having fun!"

"Oh." Steve looks down, unsure how to feel. He really wants to play but what if the other boy just is playing a joke on him. "My dad says Barbie is a girls toy."

Eddie laughs. "My dad says that junk too, but my mommy says toys are for everyone, no matter what. We can play with whatever. So can we play, um...I forgot to ask your name?"

Steve can't help but smile at the kind words. "Sure! And I'm Steve. Oh and Barbie is definitely a princess knight and she is going slay your dragon!" He giggles.

The boys spend the rest of the afternoon playing together until his nanny calls for him. On the bench near her, he sees the lady from the store and watches as Eddie leaves with her.

They play again the next few times they are at the playground, always hiding the Barbie from the nanny so he doesn't get in trouble. But Steve loves it, making up adventures for Steve’s Barbie and Eddie’s dragon. Steve thinks Eddie could be his best friend.

One day, though, his parents are actually in town, and they make a show of taking him to go and play instead of the nanny. He doesn't think anything of it. They do this all the time to show other people they care. Steve and Eddie fall into their regular routine, but Mr. Harrington seems far more observant of Steve than the nanny, always acutely aware of Steve's actions so he can meet sure his son does not embarrass him.

He can see Steve's legs sticking out from behind the tree and the legs of another boy. He decides to walk closer to "check on" (read: make sure he isn't hanging out with the wrong kids). Steve does not notice until he is being yanked up by the back of his collar, fear filling his eyes as he looks at Eddie. He drops the doll out of panic.

"Steven Michael Harrington, what the fuck are you playing with?" His voice is low but stern.

"I...I..." Steve begins to stutter, a tear forms in his eye.

"You're not that stupid boy, answer me." His father is still speaking with gridded teeth.

"A Barbie, sir." He whispers.

"Where did you that?" His dad presses

"I...." Steve looks around, doesn't want to get Eddie’s mom in trouble, and is unsure what to say as he stands in front of his father scared.

"I gave it to him. It's mine." Eddie lies before Steve can say anything, watching what is happening, seeing the same fear in Steve’s face that he has felt when his dad has one too many drinks.

Steve goes to speak, but before he can, Mr. Harrington is pulling Steve away, leaving the doll abandoned on the ground. He yells out "Do not talk to my son anymore." Steve tries to protest, but his dad just grips his hand tighter around his wrist, shutting him up.

Eddie goes home with the doll that night, knowing Steve won't be allowed to talk to him anymore. He spends the night crying on his mother's lap, as Steve cries alone in his room over the loss of his first friend and his special doll.

Years passed, and they don't talk, Steve too scare when he was younger to disappoint his dad, and by the time he is old enough to stand up for himself, he thinks iits too late. Things change, the Harrington parents being around less and less, Eddie’s mother passing, and his uncle Wayne taking him in. Steve grows into the all-American boy his father wanted him to be, and Eddie leans more and more into letting his freak flag fly.

But then the upside-down happens, and Steve grows some .ore, and then there was Spring break, and he is running with Eddie’s near lifeless body out of there, barely getting him to the hospital in time. But Eddie recovers, and they grow close again.

Everyone around them can see their mutual crush, but it is Eddie who makes the first move. Nearly 5 months after Vecna, Steve finds a shoe box wrapped in newspaper on his front porch. The note attached reads

"Would you still be my princess-knight? Maybe we can try our play dates again, except maybe we make it a real date?-Eddie"

When Steve opens the box, inside is his original Barbie from all those years ago with a pretty pink rose. Eddie had kept it all this time. He can feel a tear rolling down his cheek. Eddie cared enough to keep her.

It doesn’t take long before Steve is heading to Eddie's, ready to show him how appreciative he is.

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #ficlet #barbie #steve liles barbie

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sapphic-bats · 2 months

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Let’s talk about Pre-Fall Crowley’s choir.

I’m still learning, so if someone more expert than me has a correction, be my guest.

There are, by my awareness, nine choir of angels. A helpful list is below.

Muriel claims that they are of a lower rank, and hence cannot open the logbook.

"You'd have to be a throne, or a dominion, or above."

And once Crowley manages the book open, at the nonchalant claim of an unchanging password, it stuns Muriel.

This, to even an untrained eye, is intentional. They want us to know which two options could fit Crowley, seeing as evidently he is, or was, quite powerful.

So let's talk about that.

First Argument: Throne

The description of a Throne angel is:

"The 'thrones'; also known as 'ophanim' (offanim) and 'galgallin', are creatures that function as the actual chariots of God driven by the cherubs. They are characterized by peace and submission; God rests upon them. Thrones are depicted as great wheels containing many eyes, and reside in the area of the cosmos where material form begins to take shape. They chant glorias to God and remain forever in his presence. They mete out divine justice and maintain the cosmic harmony of all universal laws." [Wikipedia]

So we can break that down.

Thrones are supposedly submissive, and peaceful angels. They are the chariots, or literally, thrones, of God. Being in the First Triad, with direct contact to God, they contemplate Her/His power and judgement.

Sound familiar?

Let's lay out a few of the reasons Crowley could have been a Throne.

"Submissive" angels. If he had foregone that demand, and questioned God by unintentionally challenging Her decisions, he would have been an unworthy angel.

2. He would have had direct contact to God, and therefore could have asked Her himself. That would have been inexcusable, and perhaps a seeming abuse of power.

3. To contemplate Her power and judgement, he could have truly and utterly contemplated. Been too good at his job, and disagreed with a "flaw" in the plan.

All evidence points to Throne, right?

Second Argument: Dominion

Now, the definition of Dominion angels is:

"Dominions are a group of angels in Christianity who help keep the world in proper order. Dominion angels are known for delivering God's justice into unjust situations, showing mercy toward human beings, and helping angels in lower ranks stay organized and perform their work well." [LearnReligions]

Right, not a huge eye-catcher, there. Doesn't sound like what we've seen of Angel Crowley.

But wait.

"The Dominions (lat. dominatio, plural dominationes, also translated from the Greek term kyriotētes, pl. of kyriotēs, as "Lordships"). Traditionally, they are held to govern the movement of stars, planets, and other celestial objects." [Wikipedia]

Oh.

Now that sounds more likely.

So, our reasons here are:

Being in the Second Triad, they fulfill God's plan, and directly govern the procession of it.

2. They, quite literally, rule the stars, planets, and celestial objects. What more evidence do you need?

3. They're known for delivering justness into unjust situations...

In summary, there are many different options for what Crowley's hierarchical position once was. The two most blatant, and likely, were not being an Archangel (in my opinion), but rather either Dominion, or Throne.

That being said, I am unsure which one he was. There is more obviousness in seeing that he made the stars, and saying he was a Dominion. But, then again, there is more logic and reason in imagining he was a Throne.

What do I think? Hard to say. I'd imagine, considering the blatancy of the plot, that Crowley was a Dominion, but in theory, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a Throne. Honestly, while writing this, I started thinking he might have been a Throne.

Please, do share your thoughts and theories!

#cw for possible frightening imagery #it's just biblically accurate angels though #good omens #crowley good omens #crowley #angel crowley #pre fall crowley #nine choirs of angels #analysis #gomens #good omens 2 #mythology #religious nerd alert

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rubye402 · 4 months

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Happy Holidays to everyone! Huge shout out to @portal-secret-santa as always for being EXTREMELY patient with me as I fail to get my prompts again this year (We figured out WHY and shouldn't have problems anymore, but WOW it took a bit to figure it out.)

Anyways. My person is @radioproto ! A fellow Wheatley enjoyer! Sorry if this is too non specific, I looked through the blog but still had NO idea what to do aside from just an X Reader. I mean, I did include Fact just so you technically had both in one present...? So hopefully a present for you and the rest of the fellow Wheat kissers is good enough!

Also, here's an AO3 version!

Mistletoe Mayhap (Wheatley X GN!Reader)

Note: Does NOT include "Y/N" or talking for Reader, with minimal responses or descriptions for the sake of immersion.

Word Count: 1,213

“Sorry- You want to hang up a MISSILE?” Wheatley gawked. Well, as much as a core could, anyways. Fact sighed, optics pinching shut with a small clink of metal.

“MistleTOE, Wheatley. The plant?” He opened the lower plate, barely looking up to meet the blue optic of the fellow core.

“Plant? Mate, we have an entire tree! Threw lights and small little trinkets all over its branches, PLUS that star thing on top. Spacey was EXTREMELY excited on that one. WOULD NOT stop talking about it so I'm FAIRLY certain-” Wheatley paused when he heard one of the claws the cores were using to decorate picking up something, and Fact held up a plant book of some kind, page turned to a small bushel of plants. Two words stood out in the center of the page, indicating what the said plants were. "Holly" and "Mistletoe."

“These.” Fact spoke up.

“Ah.” Wheatley squinted, trying to stretch his optic slightly to see. He read the description of Mistletoe. “OK… "Scientifically called" blah blah blah… "More commonly called Mistletoe… Poisonous plant when consumed," that's grim for… "A holiday staple?" Really? "Traditionally hung up from the ceiling, and when two people are under it…"” Wheatley suddenly wheeled back on his railing, immediately feeling like his processor was heating up, and his fans whirred to life to cool him down.

“I figured you would like an excuse.” Fact set the book back and closed it as he just rolled his eye.

“An excuse for wot?”

“Kissing a certain test subject. You know who.” Fact looked over at Wheatley as he said that. The fans kicked up another notch. “I figured that if you weren't going to say something, out of whatever fears you have, that it would give you an excuse if they didn't reciprocate. Play it off as just a traditional thing and cut your losses.”

“Wh- Hey! Do you SERIOUSLY think they're going to reject me?!” Wheatley defended. Then thought about it a moment longer, handles faltering as he clarified. “...Would they actually, you think?”

“I never said that.” Fact glanced over as he grabbed a plant, assumedly the one in question, and handed it over to Wheatley. Doing so in an underhanded motion just so he didn't hold it above him and Wheatley. “I'm entirely neutral to whether or not you two work out, I was merely offering a way for you to try to find out if they DO like you, that gives you an easy out if they DON'T.”

“...Huh.” Was all Wheatley could muster. He looked at the plant… Then slid off on his railing to find somewhere to hang it.

It wasn't a big party. It was only two other cores, the two testing robots, GLaDOS, the companion cube as a VIP, and both Fact and Wheatley. Oh, but mostly some turrets facing away from the door and "talking" amongst themselves, and someone thankfully had the foresight to mark out where they'd not only be put, but where their eyesight ended. That was for the last guest.

A certain test subject that had to equally watch their steps around the turrets, much like P-Body and Atlas, who were currently dancing to the holiday tunes newly coded into the radio, curtsy of GLaDOS, much like the fruitcake on the table. It was just a fake decoration since nobody could eat, but it was decoration for any other human Christmas party too, so it was fine.

Wheatley watched as they entered from his corner of the room. It was one end of the table that had the fake fruitcake, that wasn't near any of the turrets, GLaDOS was on the other end, and most importantly, had the mistletoe hanging on the ceiling above him. He just flexed his handle up and down as he nervously waited for them. Mercifully, it didn't take long for them to walk over to talk to him.

“Oh-Oh! Ello! Happy holidays, luv.” Wheatley's smile was obvious through his voice as he spoke. They regarded him with a grin and nod. “So uh, this might take you for a shock, you'll wanna hear this. Me and Fact over there, yeah? Pink optic guy? Decorated this whole space! By ourselves. Managed to set everything up! Well uh, not the fruitcake though. SHE did that one, not sure why though THAT'S decoration...” The test subject still looked around the room and did some small claps for him. “Hm-? Oh! Thank you! Glad you seem to like it then. That 's all… Accurate and things. Being honest, cards on the table, Fact definitely manages to gather up how to decorate this place properly like humans very well. Nicely done, all in a good day's work on his part. And-And myself of course. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I DO want to give myself SOME credit, y'know?”

Then they glanced up, spotting the plant. Here it goes…

“What's uh- What's that you spot?” Wheatley looked up, feigning surprise as best he could. “Ooooohhh… Look at that! That's that mistletoe thing, yeah? Isn't that rather-”

“...Wheatley, that's Holly.” Fact piped up, rolling over to them.

“Wot?” Wheatley turned to him.

“Holly has the pointed leaves and red berries. MISTLETOE has smooth leaves and white berries.”

“...Ah. I- hm. I seem to have gotten my plants mixed up.” He glanced over at the tester muffling a laugh. “Not! Y'know ENTIRELY my fault. I read up on this FAIRLY well, and in everything I saw they seemed PRET-TY sure the thing was spiky and-and RED. Very BRIGHT shade of red, might I add.”

“Fact: That is a bold face lie-”

“And here's a fact: YOU handed that plant to me.” He growled out.

“I thought the ONE BOOK I showed you said it was Holly.”

“There were TWO ENTRIES in the middle! How was I supposed to know which one was what?!”

“It DESCRIBED what the plant looked like!”

“Well! That's…! Good to know!” Wheatley huffed. Fact just groaned and rolled away.

“...So uh. Egg on my face, I guess. Yeah… Yeah I hung it up. Caught red handed, so to speak. Red handled, for me and my case I guess?” Wheatley dryly laughed, fans whirring more obviously as he lowered his railing down to them. “I uh… I guess what I was trying to do is… Not exactly a secret anymore. I uh, wouldn't exactly BLAME you if-if you don't want to. Especially seeing as it's not ACTUALLY mistletoe- Ah!”

Wheatley paused as the bottom panel of his optic got a kiss pressed up against it.

Oh. Oh they were anyways.

Wheatley took care that he actually stayed quiet. Kisses meant no talking, right? So he just, gently shut his eye, pressing his optic into it, to reciprocate as best he could.

When it ended, he felt the world around him almost melting away as he just focused on them.

“Oh WOW. So uh. So that's a kiss. Yeah, I can see why humans like it so much, feels nice, makes you all warm. In a good way. VERY very good way. Not complaining one bit about that. In fact uh. Could I have another?”

With their nod, Wheatley shut his eye, and felt a now familiar press into said optic.

#feel free to message me if I can do anything to make it up to you #wheatley #portal 2 #portal secret santa #wheatley x reader #core!wheatley

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bippot · 3 months

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Summary: Jake is preppy and charismatic and dumb and talk, which is the complete opposite of Beth's niece. Why do they work so well together then?

Additional Tags: Opposites Attract, Dorks in Love, Love at First Sight, Fluff, Shyness

The Crew, Jake Martin Masterlist - here

Jake was a generally happy go lucky guy. People often told him he was like the human version of a golden retriever but he'd grown up with one and, in his experience, Starsky was a really intelligent and well behaved pup so he didn't think of himself that way.

The dog he felt that suited his personality the best was a beagle. He was fast and friendly and, though he wasn't traditionally smart, he was really skilled in one particular area - hunting for beagles, and racing for Jake - and who doesn't want to have the same personality as Snoopy?

He had an awesome life. He was living his childhood dream. He was a god damn NASCAR driver! He lived in a really nice apartment. He had enough money to make sure his family lived comfortably, and had plenty left over to spend on useless little trinkets that had no purpose other than making him smile. Like, his collection of Hot Wheels would make any little boy jump with joy and that's so sick!

And as of five months ago, he had a girlfriend. That was a big change for him. None of his other romances had ever lasted that long. It was a change, that was for sure, but a good one. If Jake was honest, he'd always be more sad and self-pitying than he let people see whenever his previous relationships fell apart.

For as long as he could remember, he wanted someone to share the good life with. And after so many false starts, he was so surprised when Y/N stuck around. He was planning to keep her around as long as humanly possible, if she was willing to.

They'd met when Beth gave her niece a tour around Bobby Spencer Racing one day. Y/N had just moved to the area and her aunt was forcing her to spend as much time together as possible. Beth hadn't let Jake know that someone was accompanying her that day, so he had not been prepared for the most intimidatingly beautiful woman he'd ever seen to be introduced to him on one random work day.

Y/N walked right in with a leather jacket and completely stoic face, her combat boots making a slight echo in the garage as she strode across the concrete floor, and Jake was drooling. He'd always had a big boner for two fictional characters - Trinity from The Matrix and Belle from Beauty and the Beast - and he'd soon come to find out that Y/N was a mix of the two.

On the outside, she was Trinity. Lots of black. Leather. Tiny sunglasses perched on the top of her head. She looked like she owned clothes with a lot of straps and corsets and safety pins. But on the inside, she was a lot softer. She was quiet, not because she was rude or uncouth but because she was shy, and was far more likely to be found in a reading nook than out at a goth rave.

If Jake was like a dog, Y/N definitely was like a cat. She even owned a British shorthair and he could see the similarities between pet and owner.

"Am I dreaming?" He mumbled to himself but said it far too loud and both women picked up on it. Beth nudged him and pointedly shook her head to discourage him from whatever flirting was about to fall from his lips so he settled for a happy "Hi, I'm Jake."

"I'm Y/N."

Everyone else had only received a wave. Jake had gotten two whole words out of her. Beth was astonished. Y/N sometimes would still be all quiet around members of her family that she'd known since she was born, yet she'd chosen to speak to a famous pro athlete within seconds of meeting him. With Y/N's disposition and Jake's fame, Beth never would've expected that.

And she never would've expected that her niece continued to speak to him either. At lunch, Beth left Y/N for two minutes to yell at Kevin for something stupid he'd done and she came back to find the pair chatting away. Well, Jake was mostly doing the chatting but Y/N contributed the occasional hum or laugh or affirmative comment.

Why not give them some alone time? Beth retreated back into Kevin's office and watched through his blinds at what was unfolding before her.

What Beth didn't know, however, was that Jake had charmed Y/N enough that she gave him her phone number. He immediately added it into his phone and started a text chat. Then, they began calling each other every chance they got. One date was arranged. That went well. Then a second. A third. Fourth. Fifth... on and on. They soon got to the point where Jake spent more time at her home than his own.

His coworkers didn't know the extent of his relationship with Y/N, but Jake had been acting like such a lovesick idiot - more of an idiot than usual - that they assumed that things were going well. Beth frequently grilled her pal with so many questions, yet he stayed tight-lipped because he knew Y/N was a private person and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

As a teen, Jake had been a jock who was prom king, captain of the soccer team, and spent his weekends at whatever party he could find. Y/N had been one of the emo kids who had her nose in a book and earphones glued into her head.

Even the way they dressed was so vastly different. Jake liked yellow and baseball caps and workout gear. Y/N was more accustomed to messy eyeliner and leather jackets with patches on them and combat boots. She thought he looked adorable. He thought she looked badass.

It was Taylor Swift with a side of Metallica. Cars. The Evil Dead. Arthur the Aardvark. Are You Afraid of the Dark? They were very different people. So, how the hell did they end up together? And why were they still going strong?

As soon as Jake used his key and walked into her house, he knew Y/N was around somewhere. Her shoes were neatly placed in the foyer and her jacket hung up on a hook. It was no surprise when he found her on the couch, sitting criss-cross applesauce with her nose in the book she'd been reading in bed the night before.

"Hey, pretty girl," he greeted, walking to the back of the couch and leaning down to kiss her temple. She smiled up at him, the light in her eyes bright and kind. He felt his throat tighten at the sight of her.

"Hiya, Jakey," she replied. "Did you have a good day?"

"It's better now I'm with you."

Yes, it was one of his lines. It was cheesy. And he'd said it to women before, but those times he'd been trying to charm the pants off them. With Y/N, it was true. Her cheeks still got a shade or two pinker, though, and that was the desired reaction.

Sitting in the corner of the couch, he opened his arms wide and waited for her to crawl in and nestle her head on his shoulder. Like always, it didn't take long. Her head fit against his collarbone as if they were sculpted to perfectly go together.

Ozzy, Y/N's cat, was joining the embrace in no time. It had taken him a while to grow to like Jake. Hell, the first time Jake came into contact with the sour puss, Ozzy scratched a few shallow cuts into Jake's cheek. After so long, now they'd come to a truce.

"Hey, Oz. How you doing, buddy?" Jake cooed, stroking behind the cat's ear until he began to purr. "You miss me?"

The cat's reply was a little nip on the hand. "I'm going to take that as a yes."

Presumably as an apology, Ozzy licked at the two little tooth holes he'd just made - or maybe he was savouring the drip of Jake's blood - and hit Jake in the face with his tail before jumping to the floor and running under the kitchen table.

"Ozzy might not have, but did you miss me, baby?" He asked, brushing some hair off Y/N's forehead with gentle fingertips.

"Always do," she replied, closing her book and placing it off to the side so he'd get her full attention. He leaned in, closing the tiny gap between them into an even tinier gap, and nudged his nose into hers affectionately.

"How much did you miss me?" He asked, his voice a little deeper than usual.

Whenever he sounded like that, it made her pulse do funny things. Especially when he let his hand rest on the side of her neck, his thumb rubbing back and forth over her jaw line.

"A lot," she admitted, her voice getting a bit breathier than intended.

"Yeah?" He let out a huff of air. "Then where is my 'welcome home, Jake, I missed you so much' kiss? The one I'm dying for?"

Y/N tilted her head up so she could place a sweet peck on his cheek. Clearly, that quick press wasn't enough since Jake got a hold of her chin and held her in place so she could shy away from the big, sloppy smooch he planted on her lips.

"I missed you too, baby," he said before going back in for another kiss that Y/N gladly reciprocated. She melted against him, her body soft and pliant for hands to roam over, his fingers finding their way underneath her t-shirt to rest on her bare skin.

After a few minutes of being pressed up against him, she pulled back and broke the kiss. "Are you going out tonight?" Y/N asked, her voice muffled by the way he was chasing her lips with his.

"Kev did say that some of the crew were meeting at The Pit Stop later on. But, I wanna spend my night with you."

"I'd like that, but are you sure you don't-"

He stopped her before she could go on. "I'm sure, beautiful," he said, leaning in to kiss her again. "I wanna be glued to you all night long."

That sounded nice. Yet, she knew he was an extrovert. He used to go out clubbing and hang out with his buddies and do all kinds of things. Ever since he'd met her, they'd spent a lot of their time at home, just with each other for company.

"What if I came with you?"

"To The Pit Stop?"

"Yeah, would you like that?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," he beamed, his entire face lighting up. "Are you sure you want to go with me? You don't have to-"

"I want to go."

With Y/N on his arm, Jake spent the evening getting a beer or two with his coworkers and Beth would come to realise how the couple worked as she watched them interact.

Throughout the evening, Y/N spoke a bit more. And then a bit more. She kept tucked into Jake's side as his coworkers asked her so many questions but she answered them all without cowering away or clamming up. If anyone happened to take a peek under the table, they'd see Jake's thumb rubbing comforting circles in Y/N's palm any time she was pulled into a conversation.

Then, the moment some of the crew went up for refills and less eyes were on them, Jake was giving Y/N a soft kiss on the temple and whispering, "You're doing so good," against her skin.

"You think?" Y/N asked, her voice hushed.

"I know, sweetheart."

Her cheeks reddened and she tried to push his head away, but Jake wasn't having it. He got a hold of her waist and tugged her into a hug, attacking her cheek with a bout of mushy kisses until she was a giggly mess.

"Stop it, Jakey. Stoooop," she whined, although it was half-hearted and she was smiling through it. He stopped so he didn't make her uncomfortable with all the PDA, but couldn't help the way his fingers were itching to gently tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

So, he did exactly that and was rewarded with the sight of Y/N's big, round lovesick eyes looking right at him. "Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?"

"For making this less scary."

"Anytime, baby," he replied, giving her another quick kiss on the temple.

From the bar, Kevin nudged Beth at the display and muttered, "That's disgusting."

"Disgustingly cute!" Beth giggled and punched Kevin in the bicep. "Y/N always was a lonely kid, this is a nice change."

"Yeah, at least we don't have to worry about getting him STD checked every other month now," Kevin joked, getting another hit for that comment. "Ow! Ow, watch how hard you hit me with those man hands of yours! I have sensitive skin, you know!"

Y/N nodded her head in the direction of her aunt. "Are they a thing?" She asked Jake, having noticed the pair huddled together.

"No. Not yet."

"But they will be?"

"Yeah, once Kevin gets the balls to fess up."

Eventually, the group outing fizzled out for the night and everyone went home. Their confusion about whatever was going on in Jake's personal life completely figured out as they'd endured how content and relaxed he looked in Y/N's presence.

Despite how different they were, it was impossible now to see them as sole beings. They were a pair, and it was clear that Jake had been waiting for a day like this to come to fruition. A day where he'd finally found someone to exist in the metaphorical passenger's seat in the vehicle that is called life.

#jake martin x reader #jake martin #the crew

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sourdoughservitor · 4 months

Text

The Twelve Days of Omen

Merry meet and welcome to the Twelve Days of Omen are a tradition associated with Yule in pagan circles. Traditionally, these days were seen to present gifts of knowledge from nature. On each of the twelve days following Yule, practitioners who knew where to look would receive a message about their future: a warning about an event, advice about their actions, or perhaps insight into their innermost questions.

But where does one find these omens?

The answer is both simple and complex. The omens arrive, typically from nature, in a quantity equal to the number of Days of Omen that have occured (this cycle). For example, on the third Day, a witch will encounter an image of some kind of triplet.

"But grizzly, lots of things come in ones and twos and threes and so on. How do I know what's just random or normal and what's a message?"

Great question! And here is the beauty of magic, witchcraft, and this form of divination in particular. It's up to you. See, this omen is coming to you, specifically. It's a message for you. So what meaning you derive is up to you. Whether you choose to see it, to accept it, is up to you. This kind of intuitive/interpretive gnostic "sight" is a skill acquired through practice, but a good rule of thumb to follow is asking yourself "What speaks to me? What do I feel calling my name, versus being simply there?"

Again, this comes with time. But today is the first Day of Omen, and if you're staring at every single rock you find, every lone branch, and the single leftover chocolate (probably one of those fruit-filled ones) leftover in your office holiday assortment, I do have one more piece of advice. Look for things that seem out of place. Yes, many things come in pairs and quadruplets. Not every dozen eggs in the supermarket is a dire warning for someone. But maybe you stumble across a trio of twigs on Day Three, placed in a perfect equilateral triangle, by chance. Maybe it's Day One and you see a single blade of grass poking stalwart through a sheet of crisp, white snow. Maybe you grab that last carton of eggs for your breakfast scrambles on Day 11 and--what? You're one egg short? What does that mean? Should you take the eggs, or leave them?

What Omens Mean

We've talked about how to identify the twelve omens, but understanding them is another manner. I wish I could provide more advice on that matter but that part is up to you. Do some journalling and reflecting. Why did this message come to you? Why was it presented in the way that it was? What about it is special, and how does it relate to you, your past, and your future? Consider too the circumstances surrounding the omen. It's not just the shitty baker's dozen, it's the fact that it was the only one left at the back of the freezer, and the missing egg is nowhere to be found. What does that mean? If you're still struggling, think outside the box. Ask a friend for an outside angle. I'm confident the meaning will come to you.

Enjoy observing the Twelve Days of Omen! I wish you good tidings moving into the coming cycle. Blessed be 🐻💚

see my Year of the Wheel masterpost for more!

#witchblr #witchcraft #witches #witches of tumblr #witchy things #eclectic pagan #witchy vibes #folk witchcraft #year of the wheel #wheel of the year #winter solstice #solstice #yuletide #yule #happy yule #divination

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osakaonryoif · 5 months

Note

This might sound weird but...

I want to hear more unhinged train rants. Please provide your answers to the following questions:

Your favourite train model.

Detailed information about the model you chose for question 1.

You 100% have a model train set in your basement. Please provide pictures and nerdy ramblings.

Ever thought about writing an IF set fully on a train? I think you'd knock it out of the park.

That is all. Thank you.

Ah, someone who enjoyed the train rant in the demo. I appreciate you, Anon.

And no, no no, it isn't weird, in fact I find it flattering!

Fun fact, that train rant is 742 words, which is just over 0.5% of the total current word count! But, onto the questions.

Easy, BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 Steam Locomotive. Although a close second is the Pere Marquette 1255, but that's just me being nostalgic for a Christmas movie.

While yes, the models used on the Shinkansen lines, (such as the N700S Enu-Nanahyakuesu series, which is the train the MC rides in Act one), I am and always will be a sucker for the steam trains over modern electric trains.

Main reason, the big smokestack. Now I know, I know, environmental pollution and all that, but you can't deny how cool they look, as well as acting as a visual signifier of an approaching train from a distance. Second, the whistle. Ohhhh the whistle. Modern trains have whistles, yes, but they are more akin to the horns on cars than traditional train whistles. There's just something distinct about them, but I love the noises. (I may or may not listen to distant steam train noises on youtube while trying to sleep.)

Also, the bell. Of course, not every model had a bell, but they might as well have done. When you think of trains, there's a good chance you associate them with bells, and for good reason.

Finally, the chugging of the wheels as they move along the tracks is iconic, and frankly one of my favourite noises.

Ah, went off on a bit of a tangent, should've been justifying my choice of specific train model, rather than steam trains as a whole.

The 9F Steam Locomotive was the last steam locomotive designed and constructed by British Railways during the 1950's. It was also one of the most powerful steam engines ever built.

I love this model because the front of the locomotive has these side plates, which to me, looks cute because it looks like it's trying to hide it's face because it's shy.

The picture above is actually the last of the 9F classes to ever be constructed, The Evening Star, which was the last steam engine ever constructed by British Railways, and is on display at the National Railway Museum in York. I went there once, and ooh boy lemme tell you I spent ages there. My friends had to physically drag me out of the building. Slight side note though, why does the museum, which is British, have a coach from a Hikari-model shinkansen? The British Museum struck again.

Another reason I like the 9F class is because of it's versatility, which by that I mean that it was run as both passenger trains and freight trains. While they were originally designed as freight trains, some madlad decided to slap some passenger coaches on, and found that it worked wonders! Though if you ask me, it should've been a no-brainer that the most powerful engine you ever built would be a good versatile model.

I suppose by doing that I actually answered question 2 as well. huh. Although, I suppose I didn't go into details about the technical stuff, so here we go.

The full name is the BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0. All steam locomotive classes conceptualised by British Rail had a 6 digit code after their official name. This code tells you the number and layout of the wheels on the locomotive. For the 9F, you have two tiny wheels at the front with a radius of 3 feet, known as the leading wheels, made to help the train around corners and bends in the track, and then 10 MASSIVE wheels, which provide most of the acceleratory power, and are 5 feet in radius.

Traditionally, the wheels near the back of the locomotive were smaller, but the 9F had massive wheels across the entire length, meaning the rear grate had to be set higher than was standard. This had the effect of a smaller firebox than on other models, which meant that the stoker had to shovel coal more frequently in order to keep up maximum fuel efficiency in the steam engine. There is a reason most standard locomotives had a wheel map of 4-6-2.

There are 9 9F, (probably not intentional) that survived the scrap, and are in use in various locations across the UK. We have the aforementioned 92220 "Evening Star" on display at the National Railway musuem, but there are a few being used for other reasons.

In operation at Tourist Destinations/Steam Heritage Railway sites.

92134 (In service at the North Yorkshire Moors Heritage Railway. It is however missing it's original tender, which has been replaced with one from a class 5 73050.)

92203 "Black Prince" (In service at the North Norfolk Railway.)

92214 (In service at the Great Central Heritage Railway.)

Non Operational:

92207 "Morning Star" (This one is in a bit of a sad state. It is literally just a scrap piece of metal tube, which really has no business being called a train. Some dedicated people are trying to restore it to pristine condition, however.)

92212 (In service at the Mid Hants Heritage Railway until December 2019, when it's boiler ticket expired. Is currently being stored at the site.)

92219 (Being stored at the Strathspey Heritage Railway, and is awaiting Restoration. Poor guy is covered in grime, really needs a wash.)

92220 "Evening Star" (On display at the National Railway Museum in York.)

92240 (Is undergoing restoration at the Bluebell Heritage Railway site.)

92245 (Sadly, is being marked for scrap, and will bring the total survivors down to 8. The boiler is going to be given to 92212, which is a prime example of sharing is caring.)

3. I'M SORRY NO I DON'T. IF I DID I WOULD 100% BE CONSTANTLY SHOWING IT OFF.

But, it is definitely on my list of things I want in the future. Just couldn't afford one at the moment, unfortunately.

4. Oh, funny story that. I actually have, several times. While working on Onryo, I have had that itch of wanting to also have a second project. But I would not want to work on more than 2, as at that point I think it would just become excessive, and I doubt they would ever be finished.

So I did have 2 concepts that I couldn't decide on, which I posted on the Choice Of Games forum a few months ago. I'll link it below.

https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/interest-check-thread/39424/5922?u=leinco

I have since decided on the concept of Broken Rails, and will devote myself to writing the first chapter once I have completed act 2 of Onryo. From that point, I will alternate between the two, writing a chapter for each, then switching, until both are done.

I have considered making a tumblr page for it, but I don't want to do anything like that until I have a demo ready, so I have held off.

Bonus fact about Broken Rails - the train you are on is a Class 9F! Because of the apocalyptic setting, electric trains are a no-go.

That is all, you have reached the light at the end of the tunnel. Or is it an approaching train?

#the onryō of osaka #choicescript #dashingdon #if wip #interactive fiction #trains #steam train #steam locomotive

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24ljoel · 22 days

Text

friends were discussing the possibilities of the omegaverse if everyone didnt focus on the sex. i am just the messenger

"Two homosexuals dive into the convoluted trope that is the Omegaverse. Cutting through the thicket of breeding kinks and weird oviposition things (despite being mammals), the curious scientists delve into the scientific curiosities of the 2nd gender. 1 other homosexual documents everything" Chat is the omegaverse problematic

Because i saw "omegaverse supporters dni" in someone's byf

i mean, how some authors write is very very close to some things men say abt women

Yeah thats fair

i think it could be cool but the wolf thing reminds me of twilight and i don't like the fact that omegas are written that way

Tbf the way some writers write things are ???

"He is my alpha and i am his omega" please stop

i think it could be cool but the wolf thing reminds me of twilight and i don't like the fact that omegas are written that way

also why's there only 3 genders? if you're going to use the greek alphabet use them all

Right??

Make our own omegaverse and reqrite everythinf fr

lmfao sigma gender characteristics: really fuckin annoying that's all

omegaverse but since everyone thinks there's only 3 genders, anyone who presented as anything but the 3 known genders are deemed as "probably just quirky betas" since no one gaf abt betas

someonr presents as a zeta but is deemed as a beta, you know

wrong diagnoses!!!

Yeah that makes sense

i wonder what characteristics the rest of the genders eould have

i'm guessing they probably don't? need/have heats or ruts since they're passed on as betas but idk

what other biological characteristics are there

scent?? does pi smell like chalk??????

Would there be things in the omegaverse similar to pcos that affect the characteristics of the gender or smth

i mean probably

both 2nd gender pcos and 1st gender pcos

can you transition? how would that work? 2nd gender hrt?????

Probably???

both 2nd gender pcos and 1st gender pcos

The nightmare the omegaverse civilians would go thru

scent?? does pi smell like chalk??????

gamma probably smells likr metallic

Since omegaverse rankings r referred to as genders

And to some extent are chemical based, theoretically you could transition to another 2nd gender

scientists trying to figure out the hierachy after finding out there's 21 morr genders they didn't know about:

but i'm guessing that sincr it's traditionally

Alpha Beta Omega

i'd guess it just goes greek alphabet order too?

How do people even get their 2nd gender actually, like, are they inherited from a parent or a lineage, are they chemical in the same vein as actual biological sexes, or are they just random??

are there chromosomes in the 2nd gender Who knows

How do people even get their 2nd gender actually, like, are they inherit…

Like, if an omega and omega get together will their child also be an omega?? Will there be chemical changes that allow the possibility of it turning into a gamma, delta, or alpha?? Or is there some baby making spin the wheel that decides the child's 2nd gender

Chromosomes dont seem fo affect what 2nd gender the child attains since men can be omegas and women can be alphas i sippose

new project : rewritr the entirety of omegaverse

transgender omegaverse you fuckers could post this shit on tumblr

#gay yapping #omegaverse #abo #alpha #beta #omega #alpha beta omega #gay to gay communication #theyre normal yeah

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ladykinrannoch · 2 years

Text

Reading - The tower and the heartbreak...bad pennies and getting what you deserve

I laid a general energy reading for Peggy Meggy and I have to say the next six months looks bleak.

I read with Wheel of the Year Tarot, because I am still trying to learn the symbolism in the cards, and actually the more you read with a deck the easier it becomes. Usually to read on the Harkles I need my Cosmic Tarot because that one channels psychic better for me on such difficult to read energy, but I was pleasantly surprised at how easily these card communicated today, so I must be bonding with the deck.

Underlying energy: The Tower, I don't need to say it for those that follow tarot, the Tower is crash and burn energy, sudden and catastrophic change in the life of the subject on whom we are reading. This is literally the end of the tarmac for the alliterate one. There is such bad karmic energy here now that the next six or more months are going to be a series of tremendously bad luck.

First card out is 3 Swords - the heartbreak and betrayal card, so this alludes to the pain of truth and reality setting in, it is not a nice a energy. This is literally the broken heart card. It could signal affairs, loss, emotional disappointment, business or financial losses or all of the above. Subsequent cards in the spread are the pentacles and cups, so I am refining this down to emotional and financial stress and disappointment. It could also be disappointment in relationships, backstabbing, betrayal. I am not getting infidelity energy here which is interesting. It is more like loneliness, losing friends and supporters. Feeling sorry for oneself, a bit of abandonment.

Next out is The Moon - illusions and deceit traditionally, but it also it can be a rude awakening to being enlightened. I am getting that kind of energy, like she wakes up one day and freaking realises that all the Tower energy and the abandonment by friends and supporters is her OWN fault. Now that really would be one for the books with a narc, they never take responsibility, and I doubt she will publicly, but maybe in private, she finally realises that she has cocked this up and only herself to blame.

The next two are court cards, either people or situations. I got King Pentacles, which could be Harry, earth sign Virgo and Queen of Cups, which is a Cancer or Pisces woman. I am struggling to identify who these cards represent because a King Pentacles is a reliable, trustworthy, influential man who is reliable and steadfast, this is not Harry. As this card is sitting directly above the Tower, I am reading this as a situation around steady income and reliability and stability. The Tower moment therefore could be a total crash and burn situation with finances. In wheel of the year tarot the pentacle suit is associated with autumn or fall, so I think this tower moment is coming in the fall, at the end of Summer, so anytime from mid September through November. Could it be a bankruptcy? A voluntary filing?

The next card is Queen cups, associated with spring in this deck, and of course water signs like Cancer and Pisces, so I think this heralds a terribly emotional time for Markle, and its not short lived. It lasts from October/November all through to spring, April/May. This is quite traumatic with the influence of the Tower energy and the overall situation card of 3 Swords. I am hearing, "the worst nine months of my life, ever! "

The outcome card is 6 cups, which I sometimes think of as the dronk verdriet card, loose translation from Afrikaans is drunk crying, it is a card of reminiscing over better times, being pretty down and out, no energy or desire to 'get out of your cups' or sober up.... just drinking that wine and wallowing. However this card is also a card of meeting up with old friends, talking over better days, the return of an ex-love, someone from your past making an appearance. In this case with the Tower next to this card, I am thinking that whoever turns up, is like a 'bad penny', this is not someone she wants to see. What is jumping into my head is the thought of your past coming to haunt you? This is quite synonymous with the heavy energy of the Tower that is colouring this whole reading.

I actually feel a bit sorry for her!? I am shocked that I have this emotion coming over me, this is dreadfully sad and heavy energy. But I will say it was just fleeting moment of sympathy, because my next thought is "get what you deserve."

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pastelwitchling · 2 years

Text

Hello! I’m not sure if you’re taking requests but after your latest awesome one shot where Michael gets kissed, I wonder if you could write one where Alex nearly gets kissed and we see Michael’s reaction..? I absolutely love your writing and I pretty much squeal every time you post something 🥰🥰

***

They’d been spending the night at the Wild Pony when it happened. Alex always knew Michael was drunk when he got handsy in public. Not that Michael restrained himself when he was sober, but Drunk Michael was more eager to nibble on Alex’s ear or stick a hand up his shirt. And the funniest part was that Alex knew he’d only had two beers.

“You are not that drunk yet,” Alex laughed, shoving Michael’s chest. “Get away from me!”

“What,” Michael grinned against his jaw before he bit the skin there, making Alex gasp. “You don’t want me touching you?”

“I . . .” Alex said a little breathless, “well, I didn’t say that.”

Michael chuckled deeply, the sound reverberating through Alex’s body and making him shudder despite himself. Michael noticed and squeezed his thigh. “Someone’s eager.”

“Screw you,” Alex tried, but his words came out faint and wanting.

“Is that what you want?” Michael said in that deep voice he knew affected Alex. “Because I can take you into the bathroom right now.”

Alex bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. “We . . . we said we’d try to control ourselves, remember?”

Michael scoffed. “First of all,” he kissed Alex’s neck, “I agreed to no such thing. Second, we’ve been here an hour. How much more control do we need?” He slid his hand briefly across Alex’s hips and bit his ear. “Come on, baby. We haven’t had sex in hours. I need to touch you.”

“Damn it, Guerin,” Alex breathed, his eyes fluttering. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes, keeping a hand on Michael’s chest to put some distance between them. “Fine,” he said. “I can’t take it anymore, just . . . go start the truck, I’ll pay for this.”

Michael grinned, kissed Alex’s cheek hard, and said, “Hurry,” before leaving the bar. Alex shook his head, smiling to himself as he stood and pulled out his wallet. No sooner had he paid the bartender and turned to leave than some random guy slung an arm over his shoulder.

“Hey,” he said, “I’ve been watching you for a while.”

He was traditionally handsome, but he reeked of alcohol. And he was still touching Alex.

“I saw you talking to the cowboy—”

“You should really let go of me.”

“—and since you like dudes touching you, I bet I can give you better than he can.”

Wordlessly, Alex grabbed the guy’s wrist, squeezing in a way that made him wince, and tossed his arm aside. He made it two steps before the guy suddenly grabbed his arm.

“Dude, did you not hear me?” he demanded. “I’m good at this kind of thing. Maybe you just want me to prove it.”

And he came around to Alex and grabbed his shoulder. Alex clenched his jaw, all the while reminding himself that killing this man would give Maria trouble. The man leaned in, and just as Alex was about to snap his arm off and break his nose, he was yanked back.

Michael stood there, heaving. He leaned over the man and grabbed his neck, squeezing. “Don’t,” his words shook, his fingers digging into the trembling man’s neck, strangling him, “ever touch him.”

“Guerin . . .” Alex murmured, and realized the man was convulsing. Michael wasn’t letting up. “Guerin, stop,” he gripped his shoulders, tugging gently at first, but Michael wouldn’t let go. “You’re going to kill him, for god’s sake, just stop it!”

He managed to pull Michael off, an arm around his waist, whispering into his shoulder. “I’m okay, all right? I’m okay, just breathe.”

A crowd had gathered, one of the man’s friends kneeling at his side. Alex used the distraction to pull Michael outside.

“Come on,” he murmured, keeping a protective stance at his side. “Let’s go, come on.” They got into the truck and Michael gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white.

Alex turned to face him, running a hand up and down Michael’s arm. “Breathe, baby. I’m okay.”

“Nobody else can touch you, Alex,” he said, the truck vibrating with his words. “Nobody.”

“Nobody will,” Alex promised him. “Breathe.”

“I’m—” he shut his eyes tight. “I’m trying.”

Alex bit his lower lip, thinking, then moved across the console to straddle Michael’s lap. Michael looked up, startled, but his hands instinctively grabbed Alex’s waist. The truck stopped shaking.

“Alex,” he whispered as Alex held his face in his hands, turning into the touch.

Alex leaned in, nuzzling his temple. “You wanted to touch me, right? So touch me.”

Michael exhaled shakily, reaching his hands up under Alex’s shirt. Alex shuddered at Michael’s fingers against his naked skin.

“I won’t be able to control myself,” he murmured against Alex’s lips.

Alex’s mouth hung open, and before he closed the distance between them, he whispered, “Good.”

#alex manes #michael guerin #malex #malex fic #roswell new mexico #roswell nm #tyler blackburn #michael vlamis

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vodkacranberrywitch · 11 months

Text

Chris Evans as a Boyfriend

Deeper view: the hierophant reversed, 10 of pentacles reversed, 8 of pentacles, the world, 6 of cups revers, 2 of swords, 2 of cups

How he appears to others as a boyfriend: wheel of fortune. People around him may see him as the type of boyfriend that any girl would be lucky to have. He speaks highly of his partners. He may convince people that he is the lucky one to be dating his partner. Because of this, people might see him as a good, caring boyfriend. They may also feel like he is undeterred by pitfalls in the relationship and he always patches them up easily.

As a boyfriend, Chris may be somewhat untraditional. He may be someone that would be okay if his partner made more than him or if they were the head of the house. He would be okay if they were doing things that are traditionally the boyfriend's role. As a boyfriend, he partakes in unconventional practices. I'm not getting an open relationship, more like adding another person from time to time or watching blank together. These are just examples of unconventional things. He is a boyfriend that wants to keep things exciting and has no problem dipping into the unconventional.

As a boyfriend, Chris spends a lot of money on his partner. He might be someone that buys them a lot of gifts. The 10 of pentacles reversed is like an overspending card or financial irresponsibility. He might try to fix issues with his partners by using money or impressing them with his status. He may pick partners out of insecurity at this time, using his partners as a status symbol

Chris is dedicated to his partners. He is loyal to them. He may put a lot of thought into how he can keep his partner happy. The 8 of pentacles is a hard work card. He is someone that makes a point to show up for his partner and support them.

With the world, Chris is someone who gets obsessed with his partner. They are like the center of his world. He gives them a lot of attention and care. He wants to spend all of his time with them. I think some people read this card as codependent but that is more the devil to me. I think he may at times feel a need to be with his partner or a deep longing, but it shouldn't be something overwhelming. As a boyfriend, his partner will feel his love and know how much they mean to him.

Chris's biggest issue as a boyfriend is that he goes back and forth too often. He understands that to have a successful relationship, you need to forgive your partner when they hurt you. However, he has an issue with looking back at the past. He doesn't completely forgive his partners and he may bring up ways they hurt him when he has already expressed forgiveness. In this way, he may be a confusing and frustrating boyfriend. I'm also getting, ironically enough, that he may bring baggage into the relationship from his past.

To the person who wanted this reading, I am so sorry it's coming out this late. I just got home from practice.

Thank you for reading! Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

#celeb tarot #chris evans #chris evans tarot #tarot reading

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candont · 4 months

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Not what you asked @olloollo but here's the martial arts and adjacent films that live rent free in my head

I'll watch anything by Sammo Hung. Always entertaining but mostly because I love Wheels on Meals. Not the least because, as I've written before, it has a scene on (ON!!!!!!) Sagrada Familia.

Similarly anything by or with Stephen Chow.

I keep meaning to watch more films by Xu Haofeng. And I really wish someone might translate some of his books into english. I was so obsessed with The Final Master (sometimes just The Master) I wound up via tenuous IG connections tracking down the owner of a record label in China to get a copy of the soundtrack. So that's a must but maybe even more so is Judge Archer which is the last movie I actually bought a physical copy of. It conspicoulsy references and plays with Spaghetti Western man with no name tropes. Also the "close-up" duels/challenges between masters are unlike anything I've seen elsewhere.

As for unlike anything, let's spare a moment for Six-String Samurai one part samurai flick of course, one part Road Warrior, one part Wizard of Oz, one part The Stand and it's a comedy. Its star and co-writer Jeffrey Falcon is a bit of a mystery and occasional internet rabbit hole of mine: apparently chucking the movie business and maybe possibly now married in China, or a maybe a monk in a buddhist monastery or maybe working security at LAX. He's also supposed to have some good fight scenes against fellow anglo in Hong Kong actioners Cynthia Rothrock which I do keep meaning to check out.

Another mystery is Man of Tai Chi which may not break any new ground but has some decent fight scenes. But did you know Keanu Reaves directed this movie?!?! Did you know he casts himself as and plays the oddly affectless anglo baddie typical in a Chinese martial arts flick? Not sure why I don't see this mentioned more.

More traditionally Five Deadly Venoms. Of course, right! But also from around the same time Black Lizard which brings a more ghostly vibe to the action. Which is a perfect jumping off point to a double feature of Legend of The Mountain and A Chinese Ghost Story two radically different takes on similar material straight out of Strange Tales From A Chinese Studio.

And how about a wuxia flick with almost no fighting? Aren't there all sort of tales of masters staring at each other wordlessly as they stage their fight in their heads and then they just walk away? Or maybe something closer to if you haven't bested your opponent in three moves you have essentially lost? Regardless Hsiao-Hsien Hou's The Assassin based on a 17th century story/legend is a revelation I long to see on the big screen.

Honorable mentions to War of The Arrows: the drama portions are a bit slow but the chase that takes up the last hour maybe hour and a half of the movie is for me some of the best action as story outside of Fury Road. And Sword of Doom: holy shit is that a movie that messes with your expectations in the best possible way. I saw it leave a whole sold out theater slack jawed and thrilled to be so and have not stopped thinking about it since.

#your mileage may vary #normally i only torture my family with this kind of stuff

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hopelessreigenkinnie · 2 years

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welcome back to jojodumping™️: stardust crusaders!

i still have absolute avpol brainrot so this time i’m coming at it from an avdol analysis perspective. i recently had an awesome talk with @wizard-snale and they gave me some AMAZING insight into his character and his relationship with joseph so! if you enjoy this post thank them as well :) BIG SDC SPOILERS AHEAD !!

okay so first we need to think abt avdol’s inner turmoil. where he is in his life. despite being so mature and responsible, he’s only in his late 20s and that shows itself sometimes. he’s got a lot of hidden uncertainty, a strong need to be taken seriously. i think this is how joseph became so prominent in his life- he takes avdol and his expertise entirely seriously, and entrusts him with important things (such as getting jotaro out of the cell).

i think avdol has undergone a lot of struggles due to having traits traditionally deemed “feminine”, such as the fact he’s sensitive and doesn’t have the constitution to gamble (just a couple examples). while there is nothing wrong with having these traits and it’s why we love him, they make it easier for him to internalize the ideals of toxic masculinity and it exponentially increases his internalized homophobia. not that avdol wouldn’t be progressive! i think he would support people of any gender or sexuality, as he is very understanding and appreciative of other cultures. however, he cannot handle himself being homosexual. it goes against norms, it makes him even more of a minority, and he would likely fear how it would affect his reputation- would anyone take the quality of his work and knowledge seriously, or would his sexuality be all they see?

here comes joseph. i can only speculate the details on how they got to know one another, but i think avdol very much looked up to joseph, perhaps as an informal father figure. here is this successful, affluent older man who has gone through so much and always strategized his way out of it, and he is coming to avdol for help and education. he trusts avdol to teach him about stands, about tarot, about egypt. when discussing DIO, i think joseph would have been able to detect the subtext in avdol’s feelings- the remorse, the fear, the extreme inner conflict about how DIO had made him feel. how could he be attracted to a man, no matter how evil? how could he have almost succumbed, had he not fled? this is when joseph would begin to explain how, fifty years ago, he knew a man too. a man who was charismatic, charming, attractive. he explains how sometimes men have urges, things they experience that they don’t need to explain. it’s not a big deal, it’s not a reason to hate yourself, it’s an impulse- nothing more. while this may not be the best viewpoint, i think avdol probably really took it to heart, for someone like joseph to have also felt feelings of the same nature towards men. he could have these thoughts and still be worthy of respect! he could feel this way and still be a pillar of his community! it just wasn’t something people casually discussed, nothing to broadcast- but it was okay. he could be himself, even if quietly.

so avdol meets polnareff, who respects him enough to relocate their fight to be on equal footing. a handsome frenchman who excels in swordplay has sought him out, and while he uses class to defeat this new adversary, the entire fight is spent with them trying to outshine the other with chivalry. avdol provides polnareff with the dagger- an opportunity to show his true colors, show himself to be a truly despicable person. but polnareff has too much respect for avdol and his means of combat to resort to such shady tactics. avdol realizes he cannot kill this man, he cannot allow him to die. he wants him around, despite his better judgement- ironically, letting polnareff die then and there would have probably saved avdol’s life. a soul was exchanged for a soul in the grand wheel of fate, and their fates were closely entertwined from that very moment.

we see lots of little interactions between them, and i partially was surprised that they did not share a hotel room in the devil episode- however, this is where avdol’s internalized homophobia and need to seem professional to others comes into play. polnareff could not publicly display interest in avdol for the sake of their reputations. their dynamic becomes rather strange as avdol is aware he’s right most of the time, and you’d think he would be hurt that his companion does not take any of his wisdom seriously. however, i think he’s perceptive enough to realize polnareff is a hardheaded himbo who refuses to listen to reason when it contradicts his feelings. this leads us to the hangman and hol horse fight.

avdol knows why pol has isolated himself, and he also knows this cannot possibly end favorably. he won’t allow polnareff to die alone. he says “i came here because i was worried about you” and gets stabbed in the back. i wish i could understand how he felt in the period between this and the island, i wish we had some shred of insight into how he felt about polnareff not knowing the truth. it gave him time to withdraw from the self-acceptance he had been learning, time to regress and evaluate if this was something he really wanted. he clearly felt some remorse for it, setting up a huge ploy to reveal to polnareff that he was alive- quite the gesture, if you ask me- but this (naturally) goes horribly wrong. polnareff can never follow a plan. so he stumbles upon his lover allowing a zombie with his likeness to consume him, to kill him. out of self-hatred and regret. he realized at this time just how much pol truly feels for him, and rushes to his aid with more confidence and bravado than we had previously seen from our anxiety-riddled bird man. he comes on a little stronger than usual, and it puts polnareff off a bit, but it’s a worthy reunion. everything is better, as long as they can be with one another for the moment.

dio’s mansion causes me so much pain. avdol was determined to set his feelings aside, his adoration had to be compartmentalized. especially after seeing polnareff be taken by d’arby the older, he knew there was a chance they would never see one another again. survival was his only priority. however… his heart had more pull than his mind. he saved polnareff and iggy, finalizing the exchange he’d initiated when he put out the flames covering polnareff’s body all that time ago. he sacrified himself far in advance, but the balance from that exchange was finally due.

avdol is so beloved to me, but he also makes me very fucking sad for these reasons. anyway thanks for reading hope yall like this one as much as the last one

#hrk speaks #jjba #jojodumping #avpol #sdc #stardust crusaders

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infjtarot · 9 months

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Death. Weiser Waite Smith Tarot

The contemporary indication for Key 13: Death is that of transformation and metamorphosis. “The veil and mask of life is perpetuated in change, transformation and passage from lower to higher.”50 The card depicts the end of a phase or stage in the Seeker’s life and the beginning of a new one. The Death card is about change. It assuages the tendency in human nature to resist change. Change is generally uncomfortable. Key 13 appears in readings for Seekers who are about to embark on a dramatically new phase in their lives. The transformation process will be painful for the Seeker. It will be one of the harder moments of the Seeker’s life, but endure and persevere: a bright new era will be up ahead. It can also indicate the overthrow of a former authoritarian regime and the natural cycle of revolution. It can suggest the waning of power of one authority and the growing, ascending power of a new. It is the card of revolutions. Traditionally, Key 13 is related to death and birth, property and inheritance, society and family, war and treaties.51 The Death card also calls to mind plague, in particular the Bubonic Plague of 1347 or the Black Death. In the card imagery, many have interpreted a literal plague being depicted, one that reduces king and peasant alike to their mortality. When the card appears in a spread for someone privileged or of high status, it is a reminder that no one is above suffering. King and peasant alike deal with pain and affliction. Alternatively, there is speculation that Key 13 is inspired by Friday the 13th in October, 1307, when the Knights Templar were summarily charged with offenses such as heresy, idolatry, apostasy, and homosexuality, and subsequently tortured and killed.52 The card follows Key 12: The Hanged Man, which represents the unjust persecution and wrongful convictions of the Templars. Generally, the Death card indicates personal calamity in the Seeker’s life that is beyond his or her control. The Death card is reminiscent of the darker aspects of Key 10: The Wheel of Fortune. Acknowledge that these are difficult times that will try the soul, but they are necessary experiences that the Seeker must endure to find the greatness that is promised to the Seeker. This is also a card about feeling afflicted over and resistant to change. The Seeker is being pushed or pressured to transform out of the current state of affliction to a brighter status, but he or she is resisting it. The card’s appearance in a reading is a call to let go of the present and move on. Note in the backdrop of the card a sun rising from the waters. The imagery is said to have Rosicrucian implications,53 indicating reformation, an epiphany, clarity that will be offered, or the first light of the divine coming through. Sun symbolism throughout the tarot can be seen to represent the “Great Work,” a Seeker’s magnum opus. Here, in the Death card, the rider and horse are marching in the direction of the rising sun, though that sun is still far in the distance. The pain and suffering that the Seeker experiences now, this transitioning or transmutation period, is important for the Seeker’s development toward his or her magnum opus. The element of Water governs this card, indicating fluidity; attributions associated with Water will represent the external forces at play in the Seeker’s situation. This is due to the Death card’s association with Scorpio, a Water sign. Yin energy is dominant. Due to the card’s association with Scorpio, timing-wise it could denote the period October 23–November 21. Benebel Wen

#Death.#tarot #major arcana #Weiser Waite Smith Tarot #benebel wen

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