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olderthannetfic · 2 years

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I think the very first ask about stitch that started this conversation, about them being American, was just a little bit poorly worded, never meant to dismiss being mixed or raised in a family with a different culture. The issue with stitch isn't that they were born an American citizen, that's not a crime. It's that they constantly speak over POC who were born outside the US or born in it with a strong cultural background, or even western world POC, as just wanting to cape for white racists if they disagree with them. If anyone says "this thing you're talking about isn't racist, but that thing is and we know better than you" or even "a lot of us don't care about this thing you say we should care about", they get the standard set of three or four insults and accused of being in bed with white racists. Instead of just...knowing more than stitch about a given topic?

Really it's kind of insulting because it implies that any POC who agrees or even brings up that they think something supposed to be racist against them isn't racist, or another thing is racist and they would prefer to talk about it, is just abandoning their real principles so that white fandom racists will like them. That if they were a good POC they'd agree that all the things stitch says are racist are in fact racist because of course they must be, stitch knows better. I don't know how to break it to them, but most POC's lives and fandom time don't revolve around trying to be insert-insult-here for white racists.

The plain fact that stitch is American-Caribbean and Black isn't the problem per se, it's them thinking these things give them the right to be an accurate authority on all types of racism. Plus of course if a POC of the ethnicity they're highlighting disagrees with them, they're not only not fighting racism against their own people and defending white racism, they're actively participating in antiblackness against stitch. Even if they're Black. /s

Of course stitch faces racism themselves, that's not deniable. It's a shame that people have tried to get them fired and things like that. It's also true that a lot of the time they hugely overreach. Knowing what it's like to face racism as a Black person is not the same as knowing anything about racism against any other group. Since they'll probably try to spin it that way if they see this, this is not a oh no pearl clutch, how dare a Black person be vocal about racism thing. They do claim authority they don't have and they do insult other POC with it, especially people who aren't American or Western, and they do think that being one of a few POC who have been able to build a large platform talking about racism means they can talk about any racism they'd like. Maybe it's not nice to say but this is a fact.

I've seen racism against them, but I'm a little skeptical of the job thing. I've known other fandom influencer types who talked about similar problems, and I often felt they weren't representing the situation very accurately. This anon, for example, is the kind of thing they'd feel was trying to damage their cred and thus their job prospects.

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gyldowen-draws · 2 years

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What's this? A Rhys playlist? On MY blog? It's more likely than you think!

Music has always been a huge inspiration for my writing and my art, so I wanted to share some of the songs that match Rhys' Vibe™️

I would absolutely love any recommendations for songs that would fit my dearest bastard! Please, please, please send them my way ^.^

Analysis under the cut!

(Just a note: I make a lot of references to Rhys' backstory so if you'd like some context, it's in his ref sheet!)

Fake Your Death: First of all, this is a 10/10 great song all by itself. From the driving drums and piano to the melancholy yet determined delivery of the excellent lyrics, it perfectly captures Rhys' life, always having to move from job to job and literally having to fake his death a couple of times. Some lines that really stick out are, "But even good guys still get paid", "I choose defeat/ I walk away/ and leave this place the same today" and "Just look at all that pain" but honestly every line could accurately describe Rhys and his feelings. If I had to chose one song to represent my boy Rhys, this would be it. Thank you Mr. Way for my life.

Dance on a Volcano: This amazing and energetic song is just a perfect metaphor for Rhys' entire life: in a dangerous situation all alone, not knowing exactly what to do, not able to look back, having to keep moving forward no matter what, the need to get it right. Plus the flame/lava imagery is just perfect for my fire mage. The line "Out of the night and out of the dark/ Into the fire and into the fight/ Well that's where all the heroes go" is just *chef's kiss* perfection. Additionally the line "Whatever you do/ you'd better start doing it right" was the inspiration for the title of my fic series about Rhys and Yor!

This is Gospel: Another great song that captures more of Rhys' internal drive for freedom and fear of vulnerability. And the song's inversion of religious gospel connects to Rhys' background growing up in the Cult of Miriar. To top it all off, he's definitely an "insufferable bastard", so this song's for him!

Dukes Up: This song perfectly encapsulates how Rhys' solution to every problem is violence. Plus it has a rawness to it that fits Rhys perfectly. Short, gritty, and full of raw anger. Just like Rhys!

Training Montage: To me, this song fits Rhys' time in the prison camp and when he decided to give up his life as a con man to become a full-time mercenary instead. The absolute determination in this song is amazingly accurate to how he puts his mind to things. Also the chorus is an incredible representation of his motivations in life. He wants to live in a way that goes entirely against what he was taught in the Cult, a revenge for his childhood. His main goal is to stay true to himself, but he's still figuring out who he is. He feels incredible guilt for killing some of his fellow Vessels and leaving them all behind in the Cult. Most of all, everything he does is for his younger self.

Thus Always to Tyrants: A great Rhys and Yor song! I love how it comes out strong with the lines "Let me die, let me drown/ Leave my bones in the ground", a very Rhys thing. It also does a wonderful job of contrasting the demands at the beginning with the questions at the end of the song, representing these two head-strong men coming together and trying to work out a relationship when neither really knows what they're doing. Also, the line "learn to love without consuming" is just so perfect for their relationship.

Like Real People Do: Absolutely gorgeous song! This is THE Rhys and Yor song. Everything about this song is perfectly accurate. From the understanding that they are both deeply haunted by their pasts to the respect that comes with not wanting to dredge up what is better kept hidden, the lyrics embody Yor's perspective on his budding relationship with the cagey Rhys. The idea that they can both put aside their hurts to find their humanity together through their love is so poignant and beautiful!

Wolves of the Revolution: This song represents a young Rhys, who - freshly escaped from the Cult of Miriar - discovers that the world outside his village is nearly as dangerous and unjust as the hell he just came from. The lines that really stick out are "There was blood in the air/ I was on all fours/ screaming life isn't fair", "born young and wild/ don't let them cut your tail" and "Just a pinch of salt in the wound/ you'll be fine". The soft, melancholy air of the entire song fits the struggles young Rhys faced as he navigated his new freedom all alone.

All These Things That I've Done: It's no secret, Rhys is an absolute bastard who has done plenty of questionable things over the course of his long life, but he still desires validation and understanding like any other person. The almost plaintive yet determined quality to the delivery of the lyrics fits Rhys in this context perfectly. With lines like "I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand", "I'm so much older than I can take", "These changes ain't changing me/ the cold-hearted boy I used to be", and "You know, you know - no you don't, you don't", this song provides a great window into Rhys' psyche. Can he find acceptance in himself and others for all the things he's done?

#Spotify #playlist #oc playlist #elf oc #rhys vanwenys #i know i wrote a lot #but in my defense i just have a lot of Thoughts about my boy

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kouriimei · 9 months

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Earring Challenges (1/?)

color, coatings, and finishes

As the first batch of FFXIV earrings are released, I'm taking the time to design FFXVI (yes!) earrings. Truth be told, I have more or less finished designing the second wave of FFXIV earrings - all I have to do is make the initial design and adjust it (which is quite a lengthy process).

So this combination of designing FFXVI earrings and making the second wave of FFXIV earrings threw me back to the initial challenges during the ideation stage - the stage where I'm brainstorming all sorts of ideas and things I want to capture.

I think designing earrings and making them for the first time is the most exciting part for me because that's where I get to pick and choose what parts of the character I want to represent. And/but that design stage is actually the hardest, namely because there are two (okay, I guess four) problems:

You have the design of the thing you want to make, and as good as it looks, it's actually not possible, and it's not due to a technique issue.

The parts you want doesn't exist either in the size or the color you want... or when they do, they're super expensive.

Color nuances are wild when it comes to cut glass, and it doesn't help that manufacturers add even more nuanced colors, coatings, and finishes over time ლ(இ益இლ)

Color nuances make it hard for me to pinpoint which colored beads, rhinestones, etc. I should be using for jewelry (earrings for now)... and the truth is, sometimes there isn't an exact color (which makes it even harder because then there's no right answer).

I guess I'll specifically delve into no. 3 and 4 today because it's been an absolute headache to me with the XVI earrings. I think next time I will talk more about challenges no.1 and no.2

So let's take a look at an example from Swavoroski's color chart:

Look at all the shades of blues and reds! And by all means, that's not all of them either.

Earlier I mentioned coatings and finishes, right? So let's talk about those because they actually play in as a HUGE factor. Generally, there are four types of coating:

Aurora Boreale (AB)

Auorra Boreale 2x (AB 2x)

Shimmer

Shimmer 2x

When a coating is casted on the glass, it loses part of its base color. Images will do a better job of explaining this, and I think Light Siam is an excellent example. The first image is the base color; the second image is coated AB, and the last is AB 2x.

If you compare the second and third image to the first one, you'll notice that the red is less red and almost teetering onto the purple side of things? You could almost say it's getting close to fuchsia (which, by the way, is another color of its own in cut glass linguo).

So what's the shimmer coating? Shimmer was developed when people complained that AB was too strong, thereby causing the base color to be lost. In simple terms, shimmer is a "weaker" coating of AB, and it kind of does a better job at preserving the base color (but also not really).

Light Siam Shimmer 2x below.

Yeaaaaah.... I will give credit that digital images may not be as accurate as the real thing which makes the job even harder when it comes to picking colors :'>

So if you consider the fact that in one color, you have five different options to choose from, you're littered with a lot of options, and I still haven't gotten into the case where some colors look super similar to each other.... but that will be for a different day.

I guess I also didn't mention that the colors of rhinestones and chatons (things you glue onto ...well, things I guess) will show differently due to their inherent structure. The beads shown above are what are known as "bicone." (Depending on the manufacturer, they may have a different name, but the fact is that the shape is what it looks above.) So when I'm looking at rhinestones and chatons, I also have to keep in mind that the color isn't exactly the same in bicones; it will be "close enough." However, that would also be a topic for a different day.

I'll wrap things up here for this post because it's getting quite long, and I have to say that I didn't anticipate it to being this long?? Part of the reason why I even go through the lengths of explaining this is that it played a huge part of me designing Joshua's earrings, and it was driving me insane to the point I had to ask a friend :'> (Debbie if you're reading this, thank you again ♡)

All images used in this post are for reference and educational material only. I do NOT claim these images as my own, and all credit goes to their respective owners: Swarovski, Crystals and Beads for Friends, Rainbows of Light, Fire Mountain Gems)

#blog post #earring struggles

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rocicrew · 1 year

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2, 10, and 23?

2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

Angst, angst with a happy ending, and prompt fic are my top used, and the rest are all used in the same amount of fics. and i think they're pretty accurate. A lot of the writing I've done has been for prompts, so that's not surprising. And given how most of my fics fall under either a study or going beyond canon for healing, they're bound to be in those themes. It's an angsty show, a lot happen, and so I like to explore a balance between those traumatic events and finding solace in the people close to them.

10. How do you decide what to write?

As I mentioned, prompts have motivated me a lot. Whenever I receive one, either an arc/season or a theme is rather quickly associated with the prompt. Outside of that, it's mostly things I personally wanted to see in the show or themes I wanted to explore through writing.

23. What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

Hmmm. Truthfully, I would like to explore more AUs in general, I had real fun with the Nolden Cant AU and figuring out the little subtle differences of how it'd be between them when it's just the timing that differs. I'm trying to think of AUs I'd thought of in the past, and idk if I'd ever write, but they are fun to think about... The crew during vacation is one bc god knows they need a break. Another was just a thought, was, what if Naomi did manage to get away with Filip? Would she ever be involved in the events of the main series? How would that influence her, etc. Because a large portion of her decisions were influenced by his loss, how would they be influenced by his presence. (One tie-in could be her being on Eros during yk) And a complete crack-how many tropes can you fit with no plot just vibes, is modern ish au. Naomi has a machine shop right next to a tattoo parlor, and one day, when getting her next tattoo, she befriends the artist, Amos. Ever since he drops in and out the machine shop, standing in the corner whenever assholes think they know her job better than her and occasionally helps her out for some extra money. One day, a coffee shop opens right across the street, and Naomi may or may not think the barista, Holden, has a cute ass. Now, this can either be an ot3 or it can be a nolden / praxos one bc turns out the coffee shop also sells plants/flowers and these two idiots keep stealing glances from the cute farmer-coffee guy and the cute plant guy and act like they don't meanwhile holden and prax 'complain' abt how hot the pair cross the street are and how they're definitely together.

#tHIS HAD GONE TO THE BOTTOM OF MY DRAFTS FOR SOME REASON #iM so sorry for the late reply #answered

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uboat53 · 1 year

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TIP FROM A SCIENTIST #5

INTRODUCTION

This one's more conceptual than operational, but I thought I'd put it out there since I hear arguments that are based on misunderstandings of this all the time: Science is not a set of facts and figures, it's a method. Science, or "The Scientific Method" if you will, is a set of instructions to test out and discard bad ideas, hopefully leaving you with only the good ones.

Now, some of you (especially the ones that are scientists yourselves) don't need to hear this, but I'm sure at least some do. Science education in the United States has been poor for quite a while and doesn't teach the subject well (History actually has the same problem, but I'm not a professional or formally trained historian, so I'll leave that alone for the moment). Particularly since the so-called "Science/Religion" debates people have started thinking of science the way they think of religion; as a set of dogma.

There does exist a thing called "scientific consensus" (basically, something on which the overwhelming majority of scientists in a given field agree is true), but the idea that any fact, figure, or idea is "scientific" doesn't mean that it's part of some great canon, it just means that it's survived the method. But survival is precarious; any idea, even the most foundational one, could fail a scientific test tomorrow and be discarded into the trash heap of history. When that happens it won't mean that "science" is wrong, it will mean that it expanded our understanding. After all, that's the real meaning and purpose of science.

So how can this understanding affect your daily life? Well, be suspicious of anyone who tells you some fact and attributes it to "science" but can't tell you how we came to that fact. The science isn't about the information, but about how we got that information. If we don't know how we got that information, we don't know how good it is.

USEFUL ADVICE

Here are a few basic guidelines for how to approach scientific information as a lay-person:

There are some organizations that I would call "trust unless shown otherwise". If something comes from the CDC, for example, or another of the major government science agencies, you can generally assume that it was properly tested and verified unless you have reason to suspect otherwise. The same is true of the major scientific organizations composed mainly of university professors. These organizations have solid rules dictating how they proceed, long histories of adhering to those rules, and internal cultures that strongly support those rules.

Individual professors or experts in various fields, however, aren't always as trustworthy. They fall into the "trust but verify" category. It's okay to trust what they say, but you should probably seek out another source or two before you rely on it for anything serious. It's not that these professors or experts are nefarious, but their job is to represent their own views, not necessarily the consensus. Their reputations are based on being accurate, however, so they're generally on the more trustworthy side of things.

Finally, most anything outside of those categories can probably fall into the category of "check their sources". If a non-scientist tells me that something is proven by science, I'm going to want to see that they got that information from a scientific source, preferably more than one. Most mainstream news sources, for example, are pretty good about quoting their sources and naming them specifically. If they don't do that, be skeptical of any claims they make.

CONCLUSION

Basically, the takeaway is this: science is a method and not an established canon of facts and figures. You can generally tell whether an argument is scientific by checking its sources; are they the kind of sources that went through the method properly? If not, you should probably question the claim in question.

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed this Tip From A Scientist!

(For those interested in my qualifications, they are as follows: B.S. Aerospace Engineering, Concentration Astronautics, and B.A. Physics from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. M.S. Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Sacramento. Adjunct Professor of Astronomy at Sierra College)

#science #understanding science #tip from a scientist

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the-firebird69 · 2 years

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So I heard this today coming home I said you'll find out today and what it is and you're going to want to go to church and you're welcome there so I knew what you were saying I'm going to church tonight and I'm going to say my prayers because I know what this is about now this is about hatred by one of our own who hates us and that's how it hit me

Jeff

I heard it from you too it hit me the same way. He hates us has developed ways to get rid of us. And it's one of our own means he's the same race. I'm going to church because I have to because I'm afraid. God bless Queen Elizabeth II she's my best friend and I need her back

Mac Daddy

We made an art piece it's a show and it's traveling it's an exhibit it moves a whole building it's a giant giant building and it's got many floors and a lot of elevators and walkways two giant walls of names and faces and the number in the very very high trillions and that's how many are missing and they are higher ups and do we have several walls of people who are privates or lower and they're famous family names and they have the same family names they represent to us all of those who are missing but they are missing too. My husband came up with this idea and it's a very simple idea that's all the exhibit is it's just a warehouse okay so you get the idea and we're not doing that he says you know where they are now there's going to be a couple clues I'm going to put those in and there are there is a walkway that's in closed and the whole way is glass well it's a safety lexian and it goes around buildings and it goes over roads and it goes to the local large museum we have people movers in them too they go both ways each and every time the exhibit moves we move the whole thing and we're asking for volunteers from each City to assist us to assemble and disassemble it

Hera Zues

This is our way and this is what we do and we need to help them create this art piece they said they can do the first two walls but the rest of it we're going to have to help do and they do have names and stuff instead of we so let's get going on this and if we have to add more unfortunately we'll just start alphabetically again it may not be in order but they'll all be categorized where they are in the computer this is how we do things this is what we say but these people are alive and we need to do this now

Mac Daddy

They're sending instructions you can send in your missing person and they may have a location for where they are or they may have suspected in The matrix and they're going to send it to us and we'll go through the data and see if it's accurate and will send you a notice and we're doing it now

We approved this message the above is Mac Daddy

Olympus

Good show it was a good job

Thor Freya

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victorianpining · 2 years

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Da fuck, the entire train scene is just a V for Vendetta reference?? I thought that was a 100% original scene?? I need a meta/video on this because I'm still a beginner TJLCita

All right, two requests is too tempting. Here we go:

V for Vendetta is a 2005 film, based on the Alan Moore graphic novel series of the same name which ran from 1982-1989.

The adapted screenplay was written by Lana and Lily Wachowski, who you may know from their work on The Matrix series and Sense8. Both are trans women. V for Vendetta is one of the few film adaptations I vastly prefer to the original. Alan Moore's work in general is a bit on the cynical side, which usually isn't for me. The main thing though is that Lana and Lily built on a few of the details present in the graphic novels to create a beautiful story about the nature of ideas and queer identity.

The novels do include the story of Valerie, a lesbian actress who is sent to a concentration camp for her sexuality. Her speech about identity and integrity, holding on to who you are even when it's all you have left, the very last inch of you, is included almost word for word in the film. To that they've added in Gordon, a man who runs a comedy TV show who Evey discovers is a closeted gay man. He talks about living so long wearing a mask that you begin to forget who you were underneath. Which of course ties into the film's main character, V. A man who wants to only exist as an idea, as a cause, but slowly becomes humanized through his relationship with Evey Hammond.

The film gets criticized for giving the story a more Hollywood structure, right down to adding in a romance between V and Evey and having the final train car scene be more climactic and hopeful than it is in the novel. The way they've adapted the story, there's this emphasis on coincidence (more accurately, the nonexistence of coincidence) and fate. I think the Wachowski's do an amazing job tying all the pieces together so that it feels like the ending is the way things must happen. The film opens with Evey wondering what it's like to love someone who everyone else mythologizes, and it ends with her stating that while everyone else will always remember V for what he represented, she will always remember him as a man. Those themes are all original to the film.

And I'm sure you can see the thematic parallels there, right? Sherlock Holmes is a character who has been adapted so many times that we almost take for granted that he is a character first and foremost, not just an archetype or a set of cultural signifiers. Sherlock, regardless of how you read it, is ultimately about who Sherlock and John really are as people. Lifting the mask, and all that.

The scenes Mark uses for The Empty Hearse are all from the film, not the novel. The emotional conversations near the train car bomb? Not really in the original. He specifically lifted from the version that was criticized for being too romantic. The version with the themes of identity, and the experience of being closeted, and the longing to really know someone who is apparently unknowable. Not to mention all of the fire and water imagery.

So, the train car scene. Sherlock comes back to London and finds John has apparently moved on, that he may have permanently ruined their relationship. To fix things he lets John think they're going to die, so he can give himself permission to say how he really feels. But like in the end of V for Vendetta, it's not enough. V confesses his love to Evey, who only reciprocates by saying she doesn't want V to die. John says Sherlock is the best man he knows, that he's forgiven, but he still seems to want Mary.

Unlike the film though, there's no other catharsis offered in this scene, there's no big shift that takes place here. The timer is left wavering between the days before and after Sherlock and John met, and the end of the episode is left feeling unresolved.

If Mark was deliberately referencing the film, that feels intentional. That there's an appointment in Sumatra that we're all still waiting for.

Or, you know, lazy writing and he just picked the closest climactic scene he could find without much thought. It’s just a coincidence.

#writing johnlock meta in the year of our lord 2021 #asks #rebs blogging

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freddieslater · 4 years

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Rowing the Rarepair Rowboat: Fleurdora/Delatonks | Nymphadora Tonks x Fleur Delacour

Requested by @halfthealphabet

The Order slowly trails into Grimmauld Place, one by one, all with the air of people living through a zombie apocalypse. Grim, weary expressions on every face.

Molly's bustling around as soon as she lays eyes on them, ushering them into the living room where the fire spreads a pleasant warmth into their bones. They certainly need it. Duelling a group of rogue Death Eaters is not exactly what any of them wanted to be doing at three in the morning, in the pouring rain.

Tonks is practically slumped as they join them, Fleur walking in beside them with Fred and Sirius somewhere behind.

"Damn fanatics," Moody growls, taking his frozen eye from its socket, motionless when it should be spinning.

"You'd think they'd have a bit of common sense considering their dark lord has been well and truly dead for a good year now," says George, flinging himself onto one of the crimson armchairs.

All of the old dark green ones (and pretty much everything that represented Slytherin, really) were thrown out by Sirius after the battle at the Ministry. Decided that if he was going to come that close to death at the hands of his own family again, he wasn't going to be stuck surrounded by constant reminders of them. Tonks happily helped him replace everything, since he needed someone who could actually leave the house. The tapestry is still proving to be a bit of a pain, but they've managed to rework it a bit, so it highlights the "disowned" and excluded members and has a majority of the blood-purists replaced with far more worthy members of the family they've created for themselves, or simply burned off instead.

Tonks shrugs their denim jacket off as Bill agrees. He looks the most tired out of them all, aside from Remus. He's not a full werewolf, but the full moon being only days away still seems to affect him almost exactly the same as it does for Remus, who becomes irritable and drained.

"They seem to think, he was "resurrected" to power once before, they can make it happen again," Bill says, shaking his head as he gingerly pulls his sleeve back to inspect the large patch of blood soaking through from a relatively deep cut; the work of a nasty jinx. "Too scared to desert after last time, in case he pops back up again and they land themselves on his bad side."

"They are idiotic," Fleur fumes. Her blouse has been severly singed around the collar and Tonks can't help but worry at a glimpse of blistering skin beneath it.

"Did you manage to get all of them?" Harry asks. "Anyone get away?"

Tonks had barely noticed he was there at all. He was just quietly watching in concern from a chair in the far right corner of the room, with Hermione in the one beside him next to the fire and Ron and Ginny between them, planted cross-legged on the floor. They seem like they were trying to keep Mrs Weasley distracted while the rest of them were out; now that Mr Weasley is back, her attention is fully captured, worrying over the cuts lining his face but with subtle relief shining in her eyes.

"Nearly," Sirius answers, with an undertone of bitterness as he adds, "One disapparated before we could get the bastard. Right after leaving me with this lovely little gift."

He grabs the collar of his shirt that's just as torn and burned and stained with blood as the rest of theirs, and yanks it down at the left to reveal a deep, long gash running right across his collarbone, stopping somewhere down his chest. It's not bleeding, but smoking. And it’s dark green rather than red.

There's an outburst of disgusted noises as well as gasps and a couple of cries.

"You git!" Tonks chides him, slapping his good arm lightly. "You never said they got you!”

"I didn't—you're—“ Sirius tries to say, sounding indignant, but he can't seem to find a good comeback.

Mrs Weasley's attention is immediately focused on him, pushing him towards the door into the kitchen before anyone can ask any further questions so that she can fix it up, something apparently too gruesome for any of them to bear witness.

"We'll catch him, don't worry," Bill says. The statement and the gentle smile seem to be aimed towards the kids. Having been advised to stay out of Order missions for the time being, to readjust and make up for their missed exams, they still look anxious, like they're going to be called up to fight at any moment.

But they seem to take some comfort in Bill's words. Everyone does; reassurances don't seem so false anymore now that missions like these are less common and haven't resulted in a fatal injury or even death since the Battle.

As the others fill Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in on what happened, able to joke a little more now that they're here and winding down from the fight, Tonks catches Fleur trying to assess the damage beneath her shirt as discreetly as possible.

Tonks moves over to her, gently catching her elbow and motioning her head to the door that Mrs Weasley and Sirius left through. They both leave the others in the room to head out into the hallway, where there is thankfully no longer the constant risk of setting off Walburga's shrieking portrait; took a while to find the right spells to remove it, but they managed in the end.

"Are you okay?'" Tonks asks, referencing the wound. "I didn't realize they'd got you. What did they hit you with?"

"I'm not sure," Fleur admits, but she's able to pull the corner of her shirt down better to get a proper look now that she's away from the rest of the Order. She winces, peeling the fabric from the wound, which sticks to it.

It comes away enough to reveal a marred patch of skin below her collarbone and spreading down far enough that it seems to have knocked the spell she usually has on right off.

"I thought something didn't feel right," Fleur says, and winces again when she lightly presses her fingers an inch from the area to test it.

Tonks grimaces in sympathy and only just manages to keep their hands away, having been instinctively going to reach out and offer some form of comfort that would probably only result in making it worse.

“Looks like a simple jinx,” says Tonks, “maybe even just a hastily fired Incendio. Seen a few people panic in duels before, just fire off the first thing that comes to mind. Luckily, it must have bounced off the spell already on you, else could it have been a lot worse than just burning your shirt and, well, this.”

Fleur agrees. “I am beginning to think I need a more permanent solution that that spell, though. It’s not exactly the most reliable, and, truthfully, I’ve never exactly been the best at Transfiguration.”

Tonks grins, pulling out their wand. “Ah, well, it’s not an essential subject.”

“Says the one who can change everything about their appearance at will,” Fleur retorts, but there’s a flicker of a smile on her face.

“True,” Tonks says, as Fleur carefully peels back a little more of her shirt. “But the mediwizards at St. Mungo’s do a pretty good job, too. I have a friend there, particularly skilled in more permanent solutions for trans wizards and witches, like I mentioned, if you wanted to give that another thought? Right, this counter spell.”

Fleur gives another grimace as Tonks points their wand a couple of inches from the wound. She steels herself though, pressing her lips into a line.

With the, thankfully right, incantation and wave of their wand, a small cloud of pale yellow settles over the burned skin. It clings around it for a moment long enough for Fleur to hiss slightly, then it sinks in and a new layer of skin forms over the top until it’s smooth.

Fleur lightly touches her skin, testing for any sign of pain. None seems to come. Her expression settles as she sighs, then a smile is back on her face.

“Thank you,” she says, lifting her eyes to Tonks.

“‘Course,” Tonks says, grin widening with a wink. “I’m your assigned Order partner, remember? I should have been covering you in the first place, especially as I’m also you’re... well, out of Order partner. There has to be a better way to say that.”

Fleur says nothing, just gazing fondly at them, her eyes twinkling. She lays a hand on Tonks’ arm and says, “I can look after myself. But I appreciate this. And the offer. I think I’m ready to take you up on it.”

Tonks smiles and nods. “Okay. Tomorrow, we can stop by, my friend should be in then. You wanna head home the now—“

At that moment, George pops his head around the corner, looks left down the corridor, then right.

“We’re crashing here. More rooms and all that,” George explains. “You two staying as well, or are we getting more coffee and Mum’s breakfast buffet to ourselves?”

Tonks scoffs immediately, then glances at Fleur, who rolls her eyes but nods in a silent confirmation. Turning back to George, Tonks says, “We’ll stay as well. I’m sure Sirius would say the more the merrier, right?”

Fleur makes a little noise, as if disagreeing, and George snorts. But they all make their way back in to join the rest of them, and Sirius and Mrs Weasley return shortly after, though with Sirius looking considerably paler and prodding at the now thin line standing out on his chest every few seconds then wincing. He doesn’t, in fact, mind some of them staying.

They remain in the living room for another hour or so, until the exhaustion kicks back in (or more accurately, when Ginny falls asleep and accidentally kicks an also sleeping Fred in the shin). Then they slowly split off to claim a guest room or head home. Tonks and Fleur takes the room reserved for Tonks’ visits, and are out cold within ten minutes.

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roguethewriter · 5 years

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Writing Characters with Depression

Ah, mental illness representation! So accurate and diverse!

Said no one ever.

Depression is one of the mental illnesses that are slowly entering the mainstream and becoming less stigmatised. Still, media and literature get a lot of things wrong. You're reading this, so clearly you're interested in what they're doing wrong, so you don't do it. You want to give me a well-rounded amazing character with depression in which we can feel represented, right? WELL, THANKS ANGEL, LET ME HELP YOU.

A couple of things before we start:

‌This is mostly based on personal experience. Mental illness manifests and feels different for different people, so always aim to have a variety of perspectives.

‌Trigger Warning: We're going to discuss some aspects about depression that might upset and hit too close to home to some people, so proceed with caution.

‌I'm not going to go into detail about the symptons, causes and treatment, as this is not a medical manual, but a writing guide. So we'll be focusing more about positive characterisation of people with depression in literature/media.

Let's get to it. And why you're at it, have a Malteeser for everytime I say the D word here.

How depression might feel for someone who has it:

‌Lack of energy

‌A feeling of constant fatigue

‌Hopelessness, thinking things are never going to get better

‌Losing interest in things, even things you used to love

‌Inability to concentrate, even on simple tasks like reading something or watching a tv show

‌Not seeing the point of living

‌Feeling like everything bad that happens is your fault

‌Seeing things in a negative light

‌A lack of self-esteem and self-worth

‌Loss of sex drive

‌Feeling irritable

‌Feeling suicidal

How can it manifest?

‌Sleeping too much or too little

‌Eating too much or nothing at all

‌Being self-deprecating, even if it's in a funny way

‌Withdrawing oneself from social activities

‌Moving and talking slowly

‌Neglecting one's appearance, ie. Not showering in days, not brushing your teeth, wearing the same clothes over and over

‌Abusing substances like alcohol, weed

‌Self-harming

‌Quitting your hobbies

‌Having a messy room, or leaving dishes pile up as you're unable to perform everyday taks

‌Quick to snap and get irritable

This list is not exhaustive, and it's also good to do some research, but these are some clear common signs!

Now, let's go for the bad examples:

Common tropes of characters with depression that make me want to throw away the book/tv to the bin

‌The Oscar the Grouch type: Nothing will make this character smile. They are determined to be a negative nelly and have a big black cloud over their heads.

‌The Sleeping Beauty: how do we know they have depression? Well... They're in bed. People with depression spend all their time in bed, right?

‌The Emo Teen: they wear black, they have studded belts, they wear stripes and eyeliner and listen to MCR, and have a monotone voice... That means they're depressed, right?

‌The eDgY eDgE eDgEdton: Omg, they're depressed, that's so edgy and cool. They wear flannel and write angsty song lyrics with their marker over the wall. They flip tables and cry handsomely while smoking weed. That's depression, right?

‌The Undestructible Teen: Life is tough, parents are getting divorced and Jason has left us for stupid Leyla, but let's not address our problems. We'll cure our depression instead by partying everyday and chugging a bottle of vodka. Oh-oh, have we drunk too much? No worries! There are no consequences to our actions or any long-term impact to our health. We just need the Sensible Friend™ to call us out and we'll grow out of our depression, which brings me to...

‌The Miracle: Did they have depression in episode 1? Well, THEY'RE CURED NOW! And all they had to do is just a little pep talk and get out of bed!

WELL, TO THE RUBBISH BIN TO ALL OF YOU, OFF YOU GO!

Things to take into account when writing depression:

‌Depression is an illness, not a character trait. Although it's true that it shapes the way you think and view the world, depression doesn't define your identity, and people with depression have a personality outside of their mental illness.

‌There are many different types of depression. There is depression with psychosis, there is unipolar depression and then if it's paired with episodes of mania it's called bipolar disorder (comment if you'd like a post on that!). Also, depression can mix differently with other mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders. Unipolar depression is quite common, but other types need more positive representation too!

‌People with depression still have sense of humour. In fact, some people with depression are actually some of the funniest people. Although depression can make you see everything in a negative light, humour is one of the best coping mechanisms. It can serve as a waybof deflecting attention from themselves so their loved ones don't get worried or making people laugh is the only thing that can lift up their mood. Whatever it is, characters with depression can still be the life of the party.

‌There is not only one way of going through depression. Some people are bed-ridden and have a complete lack of energy, but some people seem to be quite high-functioning, go to work, do the groceries, but feel miserable inside. Some people might even go through both things through their lifetime. The point is that depression affects everyone differently, and it varies according to the type of depression you have, your life situation, and even the stage in which you're in.

‌It's not just sadness. Sometimes, it's not sadness at all. It might be lack of energy, hopelessness, a sense of losing direction and purpose, and in the darkest of times, losing the will to live, to keep fighting. It's important to understand the spectrum of emotions if you're writing a character witj depression and not reduce it to just "a bad mood".

‌Depression is not always due to trauma. The majority of the stories of depression we hear is a person reacting to a major life event: the death of a relative, parents divorcing, losing a job... But sometimes there is not a real life trigger from depression. Sometimes, it's a chemistry imbalance or simply a hereditary cause (attach link). Some people with depression lead stable lives surrounded by loving people and still have the illness, and this creates a feeling of frustration and self-blame, because you feel you might be at fault for being depressed. This is something a lot of people with depression struggle with, but it's not widely talked about.

Okay, Rogue, so how do I write a character with depression?

Well, my little sweetling, let's do some Dos and Don'ts:

Dos:

‌Wonder why you want to write a character with depression. Is it to start a conversation? Is it to provide visibility and representation to the illness? Is it to show how the plot struggles have affected your character? Or is it just to give them "an edge" or make them somewhat interesting? Misrepresentation can be as bad as lack thereof so make sure you're doing it for good reasons.

‌Read own voices books and testimonials about people with the illness. When writing mental illness, most people go to the symptoms page on Wikipedia, but never think to research about how people affected by depression experience it. This will give you a bigger scope on all the different ways depression can affect a person, and will make your character less of a "manual mental illness" type.

‌Create hope for this character. Yes, things can go wrong when you have a mental illness, and suicide rates are high for people affected by them. We know those stories, and they are necessary that we're aware of them. But we also need positive stories. Chances are, someone with depression will read your story, and to see s character with a happy ending can give them a glimmer of hope that is so much needed during dark times. We need more positive stories about mental illness.

‌Use trigger warnings. Some aspects about depression (self-harm, suicide, substance abuse...) can hit too close to home for some people. It's important you warn your readers.

‌Make them interesting, please! Depression does not equal boring. Make them charming and funny and still hopeless, make them be surrounded by loving relatives and still feel miserable, make them be the most helpful friend or loving daughter and still be unable to help themselves. Giving a character depression is not going to be enough to make them interesting, so make sure they have a well-rounded personality.

Don'ts:

‌Romanticise the illness. Do you think depression is lying in your bed in your black clothes listening to Nirvana on loop? Then you're very far off. Although I previously mentioned depression looks different from everyone, things are likely to get ugly. Depression is more than drawing angsty black ink portraits in your sketch pad. It's having your eyes dry and hurt from staring at your phone screen all day. It's your bones aching from sitting on the sofa until 3am dying for some sleep yet being unable to move yourself to bed. It's blood streaming down the sink from brushing your teeth after not brushing them in days. It's the stale smell of the tracksuit bottoms you'be been wearing for weeks. It's your hair feeling like cardboard from all the product and dirt that's been accumulated after not showering for days. Yes, this all sounds tough, but that's because depression is tough and ugly for those who go through it. Show it.

‌Bash on medication. Some people take it, some people don't, but being negative about it in your content can put people off it, people who might actually need it.

‌Have the character "grow out of it". If they have depression in chapter one, they're very likely to have depression in chapter 10, or even in book 2. They might learn coping mechanisms along the way, but depression can take months, or even years to treat, so we won't believe you if you say they've been cured in 3 days. Or maybe:

‌They were depressed, but they have to save the world, so they grew out of it. Yeah, right mate, like if pep talks were that useful people would spend loads of money on therapy and medication. Riiiight. Your hero might eventually get up and save the world, but the depression will still be there, it won't get cured by saving the planet, it will be waiting for them at the end of the road, so be ready to write that.

‌Cure the character with a love interest. Ah, they had depression, until she came to their life. Now they are cured by love! Nah, mate, they will still struggle with depression even when they're madly in love with the most perfect love interest. Some people with depression have loving stable relationships, so this trope makes no sense.

In conclusion / TLDR:

‌Depression has a lot of different faces, not everyone experiences it the same way or is affected by it the same way.

‌It's not always triggered by life events; sometimes you get it and that's it.

‌It's more than just feeling sad.

‌Some people are quite high-functioning despite suffering from it.

‌Don't glamorise: show the good, the bad and the ugly.

‌Be consistent: if they're depressed in chapter 1, they won't be able to grow out of it in chapter 2.

‌Don't be negative about medication or therapy.

‌Use TWs for sensitive content.

‌Tell positive stories and give a glimmer of hope.

Wow! That's a lot, isn't it? You're probably thinking "this is hard to write!", and that's because it is. This is why I asked you to think why you want to do this. Hopefully it didn't put you off and you still want to give the community some good representation.

Anything I left behind? Any more posts like this you'd like to see? Hit me up with comments!

Good luck with your writing and please, hit me up with any questions or talk to me about your OCs and WIP about mental illness. Peace!

Useful links:

Nhs website on depression

Mind guide for depression

If you're struggling and need someone to talk to

#writeblr #writing advice #writing tips #original characters #mental illness #mental illness representation #writing mental illness #mental health #depression #am writing #fictional characters

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1-800-444-tune · 5 years

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Open for Tarot Readings and Astrology/Numerology Reports

If you still care about my little Tarotscopes Shop you can show your support by donating any amount larger than 4$ CDN today and during this week as appreciation for my daily, weekly, and monthly Tarotscape's Visions of Fortune and Fate Readings I post for free every day. I will also consider doing my super scary-accurate astrology reports for the zodiacs, I will write weekly and daily horoscopes for every sign if I get my goal marker by the middle of the week!;🔔So Please Donate! 🔮 I am starting to get back into my old style Readings of runes and I CHING Readings, and also the infamous Chakra Readings! I am providing my full time 24hrs a day full services for the rest of this week , starting right after this post. So if you want in on this action and want an actual personal reading of any type, I offer....

3 Card Tarot Readings of the general : past/present/future predictions

Other 3 card Readings that I choose to do will be discussed between us

2 card Readings for yes/no choices you want or need to make in your life

There are other 2 Card Readings that I do, however I will not list them here, well talk about it beforehand in the booking of the appointment conversation

Full Access Reading- gives you a full disclosure on your situation at hand

Truth Spread - to gain some insight as to the truth of what's happening right now

Celtic Cross Reading - gives more clarity to an idea or situation you bring to me

4 Cards Of Depth Read - is the greatest for really tough or tricky events this reading will tell you exactly what is going on, these cards are designed to help you understand the difficult situation at hand, and .advise you to overcome the challenge.

4 Cards Of A Very Bad Day Spread- this is for those days you just feel terrible and nothing is going your way, the cards are designed to give you comfort and simple clarity on this real tough rough patch. The best advice comes from here!

The next best advice is one of the many many Oracle Decks to give the very best top notch healing advice that you might need to hear.

The Angelic Guidance Spreads come in a variety of forms, you can get angel messages straight from the Divine through me in a 1 basic card reading, but it's not going to be very good, often you'll need some follow up to that , it comes in 2 card spreads for awesome amazing messages, then 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 card

Goddess Wisdom Guides - tells you your goddesses that represent you or your partner or possibly the situation, it really all depends on the kind of questions you ask me, and all I can say is , wow, ever Insightful, and beautiful truly, these messages are often just the motivation or inspiring words of wisdom we needed to hear from the goddess guides that are by our side in this time of need.

There's so so so many more decks that offer such to great wisdom and great wealths of real true knowledge about our lives but I am not going to ramble on about them all here today, this is enough I explained the best most important ones, in my opinion. So, give me a chance to share this wonderful news of guidance that you will truly find so useful in your life. There's no way you will be let down, there's just no way. I am too good at my craft, what I do is just, k, people cannot thank me enough and you'll, be shocked!

Galaxy Spiral Spread is six cards that's 6cards at $3.00 a card, or if you get this reading plus the angelic guidance I'll put them together for just $11.00

I have a few spreads that I use for Realationships , but the standard one is a 7card reading that tells you just how your partner feels, and what they think , and their intentions too!

Bonus feature for the next two months only/I started doing the Valentine Spread it's a featured reading that will tell you the ins and outs of your relationship, it carefully lists your roles and your participation as a partner and then it says something else I think it's will this relationship work out or something, like the outcome, and it does the same for your lover it lists his roles and advice for him to fix things and what he does in the relationship, It's bugging me cause I forget the other details currently and do not have my book, sorry .

Then for Relationships I also read their energy their spiritual realm guides and read the advice from yoyr partners, also spirit guides, that's another thing I can do that's just so great!!

I can tell you your Spirit Animal Guides and the message they being to you, everybody has over 50 Animal Guides but I will likely pick up just on the most potent ones spiritually apparent to me. I give usually 3 Guide Animal Cards and you do not have to stop there because there's so many more that the oracle will tell me about and alert my attention to, my intuition is key, I trust it like family, yo

Spiritual Realm Messenger Advice Reading- and Spirit Guide Wisdom- this is for your usually, loved ones who have passed on and they're always always trying so very hard to reach out to you, so this is a chance fir you to actually communicate with the deceaxsed for once and finally get a chance to see what they're saying and thinking about your life choices, this reading can also be done for just simple spirits that have chosen to be your guides or to communicate with your actual Guardian Angels, yes I am for real!

Which brings me to this point that I can actually give specific guidance that's from the real #Archangel Michael, if you're really having a hard time or ever thought about what if the angels forgot about me type thing, then this is a reading just for you to lift up your spirits and give you that much needed appreciation and love that you alot of you anyways so often craves, I suggest this reading strongly!

Chakra Readings, these are simply great examinations for your heart mind body and soul , I pick up on your total vibe of yoyr energy centres and points on you and this reading can reveal some major insights as to where you could have blockages and also too gives the remedy, just what you need to do to fix it. This is so intense if you're into the healing arts yourself and are ready to finally level up, or maybe you're someone who's into spirituality or trying to astral project or maybe open your third eye? This Readings for you most definitely if you answered yes to any of those , please seek my help.

Shooting Arrow Spreads, these are just for special dates like New Years, Birthdays, Marriages, Starting a job, Anniversary events of any kind, Traditional or Seasonal Celebrations, I use this one for the Moon Phases, I do one for New Moon and one for Full Moon, you might also be wanting this in general for actually I just thought of this but the 1st of the month, to predict the motivational energies surrounding the coming months like, or at any other important marking dates you associate with movement forward .

6 card Week Spread, to predict your future fir the week ahead, this is a wonderful tool to use to plan your week around these pointers and also to just remember the times that a certain something is going to occur, so you can dodge it or embrace it depending on the event or situation!

Horseshoe Spread - will depict the themes of a signifior and their motives and how their belief systems affect their future at least help to shape the outcome

What Should I Do ? Spread. 3 cards. Tells exactly the situation you are dealing with in the top card then the two on the bottom are your What Not To Do and What to Do cards in the spread, the actual best best for making tough decisions or if your in a position and you just feel like you're really stuck at the moment this spread will absolutely clarify the issue and give you peace of mind n knowing that you have finally got the correct answer now all you have to do is apply your advice you ever been given right? Not so bad after all, see.

This decision/That Decision, when you're at a fork in the road, you know your two options but aren't sure which one is the correct one😇have no fear, my dears, because this is the spread right here! It tells exactly the outcome if you pick say option A. And the outcome if you pick then option B, or I can say #1 option or #2option, and gives you yoyr results and then based on that you can then choose which path you feel you'd like to see your life head in, if you still aren't sure which isn't likely, then we could possibly do it either again or do another spread I'd say to clarify and boost your confidence in one of the options, I have ever got so many more spreads that are not listed here and I just do them if we need to, I just giving you all something genre to choose from , the basics to my self healing art and just my ways of tarotcraft okay, so check these out carefully and try decide what in your life you really need most , and you just don't worry about my end I'm all covered always, and truly won't be a disappointment to you, if anything you'll become a weekly of daily customer I think, after u see what I can provide.

The Big Story Spread- tells you of many different areas in your life, it's by far the largest spread that I really do most often, and it's the most comprehensive.

Houses of Astrology Spread, tells you some insight into some different areas of your life using the 12 houses of astrology. This is one of my faves!

Then I have a few other love and relationship spreads of which, one is for a Broken Heart, one for the Compatibility of a Couple, General Relationships Spread, Readiness for Love, and the Torn Between Lovers Spread, alot more but I'd have to talk about the issue with you first to a session whether they're what you need, so hit me up for love advice and just look into the future of love

There are a few specialty spreads desixgned to tell you about your Financial situation and how to improve it, also my Career Spread to tell you advice of where to head in that regard , all the time money matters eh!

And of course I do dream interpretations , I have a 3 card spread that I love doing that directs your entire dream it tells you what it truly means in your waking life

Then we can discuss if you want some other specialty spreads that I offer we can chat about this one okay I'm stopping the list shortly right after I explain, that everyone abopsolutely must get

A Chakra Reading! Tells you your strengths n weaknesses and what blockages

Rune Readings now Offered at a very fair set Price!

And amazingly detailed and intriguing I ching Readings that you won't wanna miss

There's my fairy oracle deck which I find I'm most connected to, I saved best for last, well, I can basically do all of these spreads with them oracle cards giving the fae wisdom definitions but I simply like to stock to the 2 or 3 card Readings for these oracle cards, this deck is temperamental, it doesn't like to be pressured, but it works well l on shorter answered things I find, just it's personality haha

Now you know everything I do do you want to know my prices ?;!

Prices for Readings are a set rate of $3.55CDN per Card

You can pay by debit card, credit card, Visa, prepaid Mastercard, also your bank account,e transfers to paypal tho. My link should be at the very top of this long msg

You can also now pay with your very own paypal account to my business paypal. Okay simple yes? Payments time no? If you want an honest truthful reading that gives you something to go on to the next level with I have specific life altering advice that's vital to you right now as we speak, the Divine are connected to me and I am channeling so many messages, don't you want to hear yours, your future? I can give you straight up real talk honest and accurate predictions if you give me the chance please try me today yoyr life counts on it!

Click this link to pay for a reading

I'm online and open right now, get ready to have your mind blown!

You can choose absolutely any reading from this list that you'd like me to do or if you've found one online that you like then tell me the detailing of it the how-to and maybe provide a screenshotting of one and it's questions, then I will do my best to provide you with that exact service then! See, I'm so not hard to get along with, I of love and light, I am here to just assist people and get them through tough times! You're top priority and my problems are not even in my mind when I giving a paid reading I do my job and do it very very well, there's absolutely noo way that you'll want to say you didn't get your money's worth, I totally worth this! I have been doing reading in tarot fir ten years so I think I am actually just a bit experienced yup, so come on down, don't be shy, tel me all about your issue and the type of reading you'd like and we will get to it and give you some damn answers yeah?

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reflective-mage · 5 years

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10-Card Tarot Spread for Beginners

A little bit of background before I show you to this spread: yes, I know it's a common spread, but I want to make my page more about the simple basics. From this I hope you gather inspiration and personalize this to you or whoever you're doing the spread for. This is the first spread I learned, and if your cards like it, a very accurate one at that. I'm actually going to be doing a hypothetical reading throughout this post, then a recap at the end of what the reading may look like step-by-step. That being said, here is the breakdown:

Overall, this spread is one to help you (or whoever the reading is on) familiarize yourself (themselves) with a question they have in mind, or just a reality check. The question shouldn't be yes or no (there are much better ways to go about those types of questions) but more open to interpretation.

Shuffling

As for almost all tarot readings, you will want whoever you're doing the reading for to shuffle the deck while thinking about their question that they're asking the cards.

The Spread

In this spread, there are 10 cards with independent meanings that are subject to change based on the context of the other cards. Keep in mind that if a card is drawn upside down, then the meaning of the cars itself is "reversed" (but not necessarily the exact opposite of its divinatory meaning). Here are the individual meanings first:

You as you are now. This card represents your current standing on the issue. For example, if you are drawn the Four of Pentacles, then it may mean that right now you have financial or material security, and even gain, maybe from hard work (a raise at your job), or maybe from inheritance, but there isn't any emotional or spiritual gain and can also show the effects from greed or selfishness.

What is blocking you. This card suggests some sort of obstacle preventing the best or most desired outcome from your situation. This could be figurative, emotional, or literal. For example, if the Death card is drawn here, do not panic, it may just say that there is a sudden, drastic change which you may not be taking well, or perhaps are in denial of. Overcoming this card is likely to get you a step closer to your end goal.

Distant Past. This is often a history or brief explanation of what happened to lead up to this moment. It may bring insight to a specific trait of your character, or provide some sort of explanation of why you're asking the cards the question you are. For example, if you're a rather closed off person, then Two of Swords in this placement would imply an emotional barrier you've put up to protect you from danger as you see it, and that if your heart once protected by these swords becomes exposed, the emotional damage from it could cause confusion, thus these barriers would need to be taken down slowly over time.

Recent Past. This shows recent factors contributing to your question. The term "recent" is completely objective, and this could have happened in the last hour or last decade, or anywhere in between, just recent enough to still be in the process of shaping you as a person. For example, the Ace of Cups in this position predicts the start of a relationship with the potential of true love and happiness, meaning you may have just met someone or gotten close to someone you may want to stick around.

Near Future. This card is practically the same as recent past, only in the future. The same objectivity applies that this card's prediction may happen as soon or distant as it may. For example, the Ten of Cups drawn here may mean that soon your journey may be finished, and you can breathe in peaceful air and feel the lasting calm of overcoming obstacles and earning your relaxation.

Distant Future. This placement in the spread often describes what sort of life you'll have once the near future has passed. This is, again, a suggestion on what it may look like, as Knight of Pentacles filling this role may look like you'll have a large project or assignment to do, requiring much of your time and energy later on in life.

Your inner self. The card representing your inner self shows who you are inside at your roots, despite how you present yourself or how the world sees you. For example, having the Nine of Wands as your 7th card shows that at your core, you may find obstacles and difficulties, but through your inner strength, stamina, and your will to continue on you overcome nearly any obstacle. It represents a strength we didn't know we have until it shows itself.

Environmental Factors. This card illustrates what happens in the world around you as you move toward your goal, as well as how it effects you. For example, drawing Justice here would show that you've noticed (subconsciously or consciencly) a natural law of cause and effect, and the Karma and Dharma after that. It's a reminder to answer for what you may have done wrong in the past, and for you to monitor your actions because they not only effect your future by direct causation, but the consequences of them (positive or negative) will always return to you.

Hopes, Dreams, and Fears. Here, the cards reveal or reenforce what you most desire and dread. For example, Page of Cups may find himself home here and show how youthful you can feel, as well as nearly impulsive from the wonder and excitement. He appears to remind you that in a world growing cold, believing in your dreams can bring warmth back, and add imagination back to the world. He could mean that you might be afraid to grow up and have to lock away your youth, but reminds you that you don't have to.

Potential Outcome. The potential outcome isn't a definitive yes or no, it just shows you a perspective of what the answer to your question could be. For example, the Four of Wands here would mean that you can look back on everything you've done and be proud of it, but it also says to never stop learning, growing, and living. This shows the easy flow of a balanced life, and appears when you have achieved a goal you've set for yourself.

Example Reading

Earlier in the post, I gave examples of what a card could mean in the context of its placement in the layout, and here is a potential conclusion based on that:

"It looks like from the environment you lived in, you saw people suffer from the consequences of their actions, and you've distances yourself a bit, and built up a barrier to protect yourself. Over time, you've met many people, but recently found one that you feel truly happy to be around, and the feelings are mutual. You enjoy that feeling of happiness, it reminds you of when you were young and full of wonder, but now that you've found yourself in a career or something that has brought you stability, but it was at the expense of your imagination and sense of wonder. But you'll overcome that, you always manage to overcome hardships. Your inner strength is reliable, and hasn't failed you yet. In this world, you need to make sure you're taking responsibility for your actions, because soon you'll finally be able to relax and breathe in a breath of fresh air, knowing you finished today's goal. You should be proud of your work today, yesterday, and tomorrow too, and remember to never stop growing, learning, and ultimately living, because you'll always have something new to work on and learn from, and you will always have that spark of imagination in you!"

In case you were wondering, in my tarot deck, The Medieval Scapini Tarot by Luigi Scapini, has "Coins" instead of "Pentacles" as a suit. I'm not sure why, it just does.

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supertransural · 3 years

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My Bloody Valentine, what the hell

Okay. I know I'm probably not writing a hot take with this one, but I just needed to get all my tangled up thoughts out in the form of coherent strings of words ("coherent" is debatable as you'll probably find out if you read this entire thing).

So here I was, watching a random commentary video, and this scene from 5x14 My Bloody Valentine was included in it:

Now that. That's a bi flag. We know how much care set designers put into the details of the scenes we see. This is an episode centered around love. The cupid here talks about "Love", as in, the broad term. The "all-encompassing" term, if you will. He also says he "loves love", which I personally interpret as "in all its shapes and forms", and I don't believe that interpretation of what the cupid is saying is that far-fetched, after all, he kind of is Love (with a capital L). So what does that scene mean?

Let's find out.

First of all, I just feel like I should mention that I think pansexuality would be a better way to "represent" that sort of sentiment around what Love is, but if I'm not mistaken, the pansexual flag was created after this episode aired, and even if the word "pansexual" has existed for a pretty long time in various studies and areas (usually in psychology, if I understand correctly?), and has been used in LGBTQ+ spaces for a while too, it's still not as "commonly known" in the day-to-day life of cishet people, at least not in the same way that being bi is.

That being said, here's one more little nugget before I do a quick analysis of the scene. The idea of being bi is probably the closest thing that any not-very-informed-but-supportive-ish cishet person could think of if they wanted to relate the concept of "love for the sheer sake of love, having love for anyone, love of the masses" to actual characters and how they're able to love their peers (or more accurately, which peers). It's not so surprising to me that this would be the flag chosen by set designers when trying to pass on the message of "this interaction is about love as a general concept, this cupid is love, this cupid loves everyone, and will bless any couple, and yeah in that scene two out of the three characters (other than the cupid himself) stand in front of that light, no reason haha". It makes sense.

Now, onto the actual substance of this.

First of all, because it's funny, Dean why are you literally staring at this cupid's dick, honestly, what the fuck, Sam is averting his eyes (good call), Cas looks like he's only interested in analyzing the cupid's face (more on that later) and nothing else, why are you staring downwards why why why and why (hello, jacting choices). Second of all, because it's funny too, why do you look slightly flustered, in an oh-god-this-is-not-a-drill-shit-oh-god-fuck-embarrassed way? I mean Sam looks like he's been to hell and back, but not flustered.

It's also specifically interesting to see both Cas and Dean being the ones standing together in front of that light. It happens just a little while before, right here:

They're. Staring at a cupid, whose job it is to bless couples, who's Love incarnate, he hugged these two idiots first before getting to Sam, which means something and I'm not exactly sure what but, if you still have braincells (unlike me) please tell me what you conclude of those facts compiled together.

In this particular scene, I don't think the flag is actually a pointer to specific characters being bi, I think it's more of a broad "yeah these guys love a little different" kind of thing. For example, we see Cas in front of that light a lot.

This is season 5, he's barely starting to understand what emotions are, but he's already faithful to Dean and his cause, he's beginning to get what liking things, what caring means. He doesn't figure it all out until way later (in my personal opinion, that is. And I mean... 15x18 anyone?) no, at that point he's driven by things like want, need, yeah, I'll say it, lust, or simple candid curiosity. But that ties into the idea that right now, in that episode, Cas' understanding of "Love" is very broad. He doesn't understand details yet, the only detail he knows is Dean vs the World, and all he gets about that is "the world matters to Dean, there's probably a reason for that, if I follow him around enough I'll probably discover it, and I trust him enough to lead me there". He's still an angel, fairly through and through. He's curious, though.

Refer back to that previous gif, Cas is watching with acute interest what that cupid is doing. Prior to this scene, he's known the "mission" that cupids uphold for thousands of years, but I doubt he's ever really looked at it with the help of the lens of actual humans (read: Dean). He's interested, this cupid's job is to create love, and that seems to be something inherently tied to what makes his charge... himself. That much he knows. Again, probably not in detail, probably not that precisely, but he's got a sense that this cupid represents something he doesn't know and hasn't felt before, yet something Dean and Sam are accustomed to, and driven by. So yeah, he's curious.

Now here's the thing. We see Dean standing in front of that light, both alone, with the cupid, and with Cas. On several occasions.

(something something something bi flag in the background something something something character centered around love something something something the word "dick" something something something what the fuck CW)

We see the cupid standing in front of the light (scroll back up), and we see Cas in front of the light, with the cupid, alone, and with Dean. What about Sam?

...Yeah, no. I replayed that scene several times and I didn't find one instance where we see Sam even remotely lighted by that flag. And when I say remotely, I mean like this:

The light being somewhat noticeable in the background. Even when we see Sam after he moves a bit, like so:

The light is nowhere to be seen. That's after the cupid's left too, so it makes sense the flag wouldn't be relevant anymore: the entity that it represents isn't there to give it meaning anymore. I mean, during that entire scene Sam's a bit (gross understatement, I know) of a background character, but that's simply because he's not the main focus of what the cupid and the flag mean.

Dean though. Dean's a focus alright. No one can ever convince me otherwise, he's bi. That's just a fact at this point. But that's not all the flag and the cupid mean when relating to him here. He's beginning to form a type of bond with Cas, albeit small. He's starting to open up a door that he's never really noticed before: the one that lets people other than blood relatives (or close runner-ups like Bobby) in. And he's facing that head on, like how he's facing the cupid. Both he and Cas do that actually, in their own way. They're looking straight into the eyes of the unknown (Cas literally looks into the eyes of the cupid): for Cas it's this strange foreign thing called emotion, and for Dean it's letting a known emotion be directed at someone new. They're the ones that talk to the cupid, not Sam, because they have things to be curious or apprehensive about, in the context of love (or different love).

They stand in the highlight of that flag, because they're the ones discovering new things (hello, 10x16 speech, yes I'm relating a random scene with a funny light to a speech 5 seasons later, leave me be, I'm insane) and not Sam, who's for one: human, so he already knows what love is, and two: way more in touch with his feelings than his brother. Basically, the concept of Love being something strange, unknown, new, different, scary, worth punching it in the face for, deserving of focused study, take your pick, doesn't really apply to him.

How could I relate this to destiel you ask? Very easily, I say. This, theydies and gentlethems, is a representation of the first step both Cas and Dean take towards each other. A toe in the waters of a frightening and captivating new thing. And again, they face it in a really direct manner.

That is... Right up until the cupid mentions John and Mary. That's when it goes downhill and we understand that whatever Dean and Cas have going on is about to take years of work and a million steps still need to be taken.

Exhibit a:

Look at Cas' face, when the cupid mentions the Big Plan. He starts by studying the cupid (again, curiosity), then looks at Dean, then Dean briefly looks back (perhaps back at Cas but that's debatable), and that's when Cas looks down, embarrassed. I read that as: "Ah yes, as interesting of a concept this cupid is, as fascinating as these two humans' perspective on his mission is, it's still dictated by Heaven, and they're not going to like that. I'm still dictated by Heaven (as I should (???)) and... He's not going to like that. (???)".

Annnnd then Dean punches the cupid in the face, which... Good point, Cas, he indeed doesn't "like that".

So what are those steps highlighted by the ending of that scene? Well, Cas is an angel. Dean is clueless about so many things. He doesn't have faith. Cas isn't exactly free. It's just always about the plan and the mission, whatever comes up in their tumultuous adventures together, it always brings them right back to the core of why there's still such a long way to go: who they are.

All in all, that scene is just. Imagery there, imagery here, reference after reference, big red arrows (yes, I'm using "arrows" in the context of a cupid episode, I fully intend this sentence to have a double meaning) pointing at Dean and at Cas and at them both together. It's not necessarily a direct reference at either of them being bi, although for obvious reasons that's not exactly off the table either, it's sort of a piece of foreshadowing for what's to come, both in that season itself, and the rest of their relationship (here I use "relationship" as a term meaning something like "friendship-that-evolves-into-something-more-later-on").

In short, I'd like to conclude (you can use that as a TL;DR) by quoting my brain when I first saw that flag and connected a couple dots:

"lol bi".

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ramialkarmi · 7 years

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REVIEW: The iPhone 8 is incredible, but you should wait for the iPhone X instead (AAPL)

For the first time in the ten-year history of the iPhone, I can't recommend buying the newest models.

That's not because the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are bad phones. They're actually great.

But there's an even better phone on the way.

I've been using the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus for the last several days, and I think they are perfectly tuned and refined versions of last year's iPhone 7 models. They include cool new features such as wireless charging, amazing cameras, and Apple's fastest processor ever.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will be the best phones on the market when they go on sale September 22. And they'll likely remain the best phones available until November, when the iPhone X arrives.

So, you have a tough decision to make if you're ready for a new iPhone this year. Do you go with the iPhone 8 (which starts at $699) or iPhone 8 Plus (starting at $799) now, or hold out another month for the iPhone X (which starts at $999)?

My call: If you choose one of the iPhone 8 models, I think you'll be happy with your decision. But I think the iPhone X's better. After spending a short time with the X last week, I think it'll be worth the wait — and its sky-high price.

Refined design

At first glance, the iPhone 8 models look nearly identical to their iPhone 7 counterparts and even to the iPhone 6s and 6 models before them. The new phones have the same 4.7-inch and 5.5 inches screens, respectively, as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and almost the same overall dimensions.

But Apple has updated the design of the new phones in subtle and important ways. One that struck me: the iPhone 8 models feel different than the iPhone 7 ones, because their backs are made of a new kind of durable glass. The new phones feel great. They aren't as slippery as their predecessors, whose backs were made of scratch-prone aluminum. And unlike last year's models, the iPhone 8 devices don't have any unsightly antenna strips mucking up their backs.

The iPhone 8 models are also noticeably heavier than their predecessors, but I like that too. The extra heft makes them feel more robust and better constructed.

The only downside to the design of the new phones is that it's starting to feel stale. Apple seems to have ceased its practice of giving the iPhone a thorough redesign every other year. After debuting this same basic look in 2014, the company has now used it on four sets of models in a row.

Going wireless

In addition to making the devices feel better in the hand, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus' new glass backs come with another benefit: wireless charging. Long overdue on the iPhone, wireless charging has been available on other phones for years, and companies like Samsung have made it a key feature in their best devices. Apple hasn't been able to add it until now because the iPhone's metal construction didn't let wireless power pass through.

The iPhone 8 models will work with any charging pad that's compatible with the Qi (pronounced: chee) standard. Apple is selling Qi chargers from Mophie and Belkin in its stores, but you can find loads of others elsewhere from companies including Samsung, Powermat and Ravpower.

Apple also has a wireless charging pad of its own called AirPower in the works that will be able to charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and Airpods at the same time. But it's not coming out until next year.Wireless charging on the iPhone 8 devices is pretty straightforward — you just plug in the charging pad and set your phone on top of it.

The feature is a great addition to the iPhone line. It offers an easy way to top up your battery at the office or reduce the clutter of wires on your nightstand.

Wireless chargers are popping up in cars, restaurants, and even end tables, and I have a feeling you'll soon see it in many more places. The expected popularity of the new iPhones is going to mean lots of people will have phones that support the feature.

Power

Many of the other advancements in the iPhone 8 devices are hidden inside.

Perhaps most notable is Apple's new iPhone processor, called the A11 Bionic. That's a goofy name, but the chip's power is no joke.

To test the new chip, I used an app called Geekbench that measures and compares the processor performance of particular devices. Without getting too technical, the iPhone 8 models blew away everything else in Apple's lineup.

The iPhone 8 models make good use of that power, tapping into it to manage their camera software, improve their battery life, and make augmented reality apps pop.

And while there are other reasons to get the iPhone X, its processor isn't one of them. It will use the same A11 Bionic chip as the iPhone 8 devices.

The cameras — particularly the dual-lens camera system on the 8 Plus — represent the other big hardware advance in the iPhone 8 models. Apple has improved and fine-tuned the 12-megapixel sensors in the devices to prepare them for the upcoming onslaught of augmented-reality apps.

To my untrained eye, pictures taken with the new cameras weren't noticeably better than those made with the iPhone 7 models. However, Apple says the cameras in the new phones are more accurate at capturing colors and offer a variety of other enhancements that will improve your photos.

For the 8 Plus, Apple has added a new feature to Portrait mode, the camera setting the company introduced last year that allows you to zoom in on a subject and blur out the background behind it. Called Portrait Lighting, the new feature lets you take stylized portraits with different lighting effects, such as blacking out the entire background behind a subject.

In my tests, Portrait Lighting didn't work reliably. The lighting conditions had to be just right or the background effects could bleed onto the subject. However, Apple says the feature is still in test form and that Portrait Lighting will improve with future software updates. In the meantime, if a Portait Lighting photo doesn't turn out the way you want, you can tweak the image after the fact.

The screens on the iPhone 8 devices have some new tricks too. While they're not as stunning as the iPhone X's new Super Retina Display, they do a better job of displaying colors than the screens on last year's models.

The new screens incorporate the same True Tone display technology that Apple previous used in the iPad. That technology automatically adjusts the colors they screen display to compensate for ambient lighting conditions. True Tone is especially good indoors or in darker settings.

iOS 11 and augmented reality

As good as each year's iPhones usually are, iOS — the operating system underlying the devices — always seems to be the most important thing in helping them stand apart from the competition. The iPhone 8 models will ship with iOS 11, the latest version, which will also be available for older iPhones and iPads on Tuesday.

You'll see the most marked changed in iOS 11 on the iPad. But it still offers some nice features for iPhones. For example, you'll now be able to customize the iPhone's control panel of settings. You'll also be able to create video loops from Live Photos.

But the highlight feature of iOS 11 is ARKit, a set of software tools that allow developers to make augmented reality apps for iPhones and iPads. There are loads of AR apps that will be ready when iOS 11 launches, and more will trickle out in coming weeks.

Many in the tech world think AR is how we will interact with computers in the future. Apple is about to pull off an incredible feat with iOS 11; with its release, iOS will become the largest AR platform in the world overnight.

AR will need a killer app to catch on. There are some cool ideas out there, including a game that can turn your coffee table into a game board, or an app that will overlay constellations on the real sky.

But many of these early ideas feel gimmicky or like they will only have niche appeal. This is going to make me sound old and boring, but the best use I've of AR so far is in the new Ikea app. It allows you to place virtual versions of Ikea furniture in your home to see how they fit before you buy them.

I'm guessing developers will be doing a lot of experimentation with AR in the near future to figure out what works.

8 or X?

Apple has never offered an iPhone lineup as broad as the one it's about to have. You can get an iPhone SE for as little as $349, or, come November, go all the way to the max with the $999 iPhone X. You almost can't make a bad choice; they're all really, really good phones.

The iPhone 8 models are at the more expensive end of the range. But even though they're fantastic devices, they're not as enticing as the iPhone X.

My advice is to ask yourself how much you're willing to pay. If you don't mind giving up some of the futuristic features in the iPhone X, then the iPhone 8 models will give you the same power and performance and most of the same features of iOS 11 for hundreds of dollars less.

But if the price tag doesn't scare you away, hold off on the iPhone 8s and go for the X.

SEE ALSO: The technology that wants to replace your smartphone will be everywhere in a few weeks

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