IWTV Trailer (me losing my freaking marbles - YOLO) Pt2

I'm just going frame by frame thru AMC'S BEAUTIFUL new IWTV trailer. But I had to split this into 2 parts cuz Tumblr won't let me post 30+ pics. 🙄

They transition from Louis telling Claudia "It's you and me," to BB!Dan being "disrespectful"--yelling at Louis wanting him to make him a vamp, like we heard in S01E01.

And they immediately cut to the clip we've seen before of Louis crying & being dragged off by some old dude (if that's a vampire I feel bad for him, LOL). This might be Claudia/Madeleine's execution, rather than the Trial itself, cuz Louis was wearing a different outfit. (And Claudia's wearing the YELLOW DRESS! Imma be sick! 😭)

So I wonder when the "best outfit" Jam Reiderson said Claudia wears is gonna take place--which I'm assuming is the red Flamenco dress from the posters.

It is SO incredible that we're actually gonna see The Trial, and LESTAT BEING THERE, and seeing Madeleine & Armand & Santiago.

It's interesting that they cut from Armand saying it wasn't SanFran where he failed Louis but Paris, and jump to hallucination!Lestat mocking Armand, yelling "HA!" Is Louis' outfit the same as the one where the old dude dragged him out crying? It kinda looks the same. So is Louis imagining Lestat being FURIOUS with Armand for what's about to happen to Claudia? I wonder why Les is in THAT suit, cuz it looks like the same one he wore in S1E03 the night he kicked Jelly Roll Morton out of town & ragged on Louis about not wanting to kill humans.

Good lord, here we go. #GoneTooSoonMadeleine. U_U And I LIKE THE IMAGERY of the joint/shared transformation, nodding to Claudia desperately wanting Louis to be her (blood) spouse, as they make Madeleine together.

Jfc Louis really did almost kill BB!Daniel. O_O He shattered all that plaster--that's brain damage for sure--no wonder he can't remember the interview, LOL. (I still think Armand used the Mind Gift to make him forget everything.)

A lot of paintings and canvases--art heist Armand?! Are we finally gonna see how he made all that money, going around stealing priceless treasures!? (You can see Armand's feet floating, LOL.) Or is the inside of that chateau his coven raided, "we own dominion!"?

Daniel asking Louis: "YOU BUY THAT?"

AMC thinks they're FUNNY! Cuz they cut right from Armand stealing art he didn't BUY, to lovebomber!Lestat laughing in the townhouse and Louis yelling in what looks like a train station? So he's freaking TF out in public (just like Paul).

Ooooo--then they have Lelio!WolfKiller!Lestat about to attack someone (Magnus? Nope, I double-checked it's Armand cuz ofc it is), looking like the freaking BEAST in his red cape--

--right before we get Lestat's POV of Louis and him fighting in Ep5.

Cuz yeah, Lestat had snapped, and was beating Louis like he was a DOG, like he wasn't even seeing a PERSON, let alone someone he was supposed to be protecting from vampires/monsters LIKE HIM--and OMFG Louis was in blue just like Belle was during the wolf attack--I hate this show.

And they immediately jump from Louis getting beat by Lestat to what I assume is Louis getting jumped by the Theatre--trapped in the coffin they were gonna bury him alive in.

What on earth is Claudia throwing? I swear I think these are bombed/blown-up body parts--pieces of someone's life gone cuz of the WAR. (And immediately cut to Loustat fighting.)

"Who are you, Louis? If there was no ME, if there was no HIM." So yes, the fan theory that Louis WANTS those pieces gone are correct. Or rather--Louis THOUGHT that having those pieces removed would help him. He thought he could recover the lost parts of himself if he wiped his mind of the painful memories. But something must've triggered him--likely finding Claudia's diaries after the 1970s--we are SOOOOO deep in Merrick territory. Cuz Louis wants those memories BACK now--with a vengeance.

*squints* Are they really GOING THERE with Lesmand!? O_O That's not Nickistat, right? Cuz the very next clip is Armand--using telekinesis on Louis (or Daniel?) WTF?!

And then we see the familiar clip of Armand using the Fire Gift when he first meets Louis. Just paralleling how much Armand openly flaunts his many gifts in front of Louis, while Lestat tried to hide everything he could do to not scare Louis away--until Ep5 ofc.

Doomed "happy" "family." YELLOW DRESS ALERT ☝️. The calm b4 ish hits the fan. They immediately cut to Claudia being "welcomed" by the Theatre and Santiago zooming thru the tunnel--

--DEATH to all of them! "F**k these vampires"--Claudia never lied!

Louis, you are just too dang pretty--GTFO off my dang screen. 😍

Another YELLOW dress--these images are cursed.

Loustat reunion at the Trial, if that's the same outfit Lestat wore here.

Give him hell, Armand! 😈 He wanted to be the Devil's Minion so bad--here you go! Look at all that glass shattering around him; no wonder Daniel's scared for his life, LOL! (If this is actually Louis throwing a fit I will DIE.)

Louis finna GO OFF on this BUFFOON! So THAT'S why Armand was mad! XD Louis (or Claudia?) was about to rip Santiago's whole jaw off! XDDDD

The sound of Louis just crying has me in a STATE. AMC is doing something SO freaking different from the film & the books. Louis is actively trying to make sense of things, as we see this poor man just suffering with PTSD and mental illness; with no one to HELP him but some crotchety old man who borderline hates him, and an old AF vampire who'd loves him so much that he'd rather have Louis forget everything cuz ignorance is bliss. 😩

Louis WANTS to remember everything. Armand does NOT want the interview. And Daniel is scared.

Holy freaking goodness, what an incredible trailer. 👏 May 12th can't get here fast enough!

Can you do a Eddie x male reader (or Gn or whatever floats ur boat)

So Eddie realised how everyone says that hellfire is a cult and decided to jokingly summon a demon (not thinking it would work) but it does and the demon is reader.

The next day,Eddie would have a demon (which looks human apart from the blatantly obvious horns and tail) follow him around in the halls,intimidating the fuck outta everyone-including hellfire

U do the rest lol

I changed it slightly because my plot worked a bit better like that, I hope that's ok!

Enjoy Eddie with a demon bf <3 (side note, i am looking for a potential beta reader, lmk if you're interested)

Masterlist

Eddie was joking. He swears to whatever horrid gods were listening that he really was joking. Claiming he could summon demons was a joke. Buying some weird occult book was a joke. And following some dumb ritual in the middle of the woods was most certainly a joke.

And yet, here you stood. Tall, strangely strong looking, and intimidating as all hell.

Hearing the thoughts in his head (of varying quality), you chuckled. “Thank you.”

“You can hear that shit?!” He asked, pumping his fists and hopping around. “A fuckin’ demon! A whole ass demon!” He nearly tripped over a branch, managing to catch himself before laughing hysterically.

Usually, humans were… calmer. There was usually more bowing, maybe some crying and worshiping. This one, however, couldn’t be more excited.

He whipped around suddenly, messy hair following. It was dusk by now, though the forest’s clearing made way for the pinkish sky.

“Do I get a wish or something? Trade my soul for fame and talent?” He excitedly questioned.

You tilted your head. He really didn’t know who you were.

“My name is Y/n. Usually, I am only summoned by humans with more… expertise. If you wanted something small like ‘fame’, summon a lesser demon.” You snarled, slightly upset your time was wasted. He was cute, sure, but that didn’t mean you’d drop everything for a single summoning.

“So what do I ask you for then?!” He yelled, arms out.

You sighed, shaking your head. “Whatever it is you need. In exchange, I take you.”

“What, like, you take me to hell? Like a ‘tortured soul’ or something?” He waved his hands, attempting to make his voice quiver. “Pretty sure I was doing that anyway, man.”

You raised a brow. “No. I take you. As in you become mine. Usually as a spouse, though none stay after they die.”

The way he froze nearly made you laugh. It was a bit unexpected, truthfully. Humans were usually boring. Too much fear coursing through them for anything other than small talk. But this man, he stared you in the eyes.

Granted, it seemed there was a bit of lingering fear, but you mostly sensed excitement.

“Let me double check here, hot demon gives me whatever I want in exchange for dating me?” His eyes were so wide they looked like saucers, as if you’d told him the most confusing information possible.

“If that is how you’d like to word it.”

And that is exactly how Eddie Munson, Hawkin’s resident freak, ended up with a demon trailing behind him to school.

You hid your horns and tail from other humans, though demons always kept an intimidating aura. Usually it stopped any human from looking you in the eye, too terrified to approach. It didn’t stop Eddie though.

He’d paraded you around for a week or two now. He’d managed to convince you to attend Hawkins with him today, scaring the student body even more than they already were.

Currently, not only did he have demon protection on his side, but he was cruising with a B in every class (yes, most of it was you helping him, but he needed less help than he thought he did). He insisted A’s would be too suspicious.

“I mean, if they thought I was a freak before, wait ‘til they see me with you,” He laughed, leading you into the school. Most students backed away from you on sight. Though you were unphased, Eddie seemed to enjoy watching a few jocks turning away in fear.

“Hell yes,” He near squealed, leading you to the drama room.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to ask,” He mumbled, slowing down his walking speed a bit. “D’you know what DnD is?”

You opened your mouth to say that no, you didn’t know what it was, when you were interrupted.

“Recruiting another freak?”

A voice from behind you spoke, drawing both of your attention. A blonde man stood with his arms crossed, two equally boring looking men on either side. Each sported a letterman jacket, the same boring green all the jocks wore. Eddie’s thoughts echoed through your mind.

Jason, total asshole. The other guys are his friends.

That was really all you needed to know.

No, you didn’t get attached to humans very often. But everyone has their faults, right? Eddie even wanted to stay after he died, that was more than you could say for any of the others.

“What, nothing to say? You’re all usually all talk in the lunchroom,” Jason muttered, scoffing at Eddie.

Speaking of, the man had tensed next to you. He pulled off a smirk, making his body language as calm as he could, though you could still hear his thoughts. They were racing, trying to find the way that left him the least beat up.

You, on the other hand, had no such intentions. Who cared about the quickest way out? You could kill them in less than a second. Though Eddie wasn’t a fan of murder, so you refrained.

For now.

“It’d be easier if you left,” You warned. They couldn’t say you never did anything for them.

Jason turned to you with his brows furrowed. “I don’t even know who you are.”

You sighed. “That can be rectified.”

You looked at Jason, revealing your horns to him along with your tail. You saw him freeze immediately, staring at you with the same terror you expected.

He was mumbling something under his breath, probably a half-assed prayer.

Oh please, that won’t do anything.

Your words echoed through his head, sending him running from the area, shouting about how cursed Eddie was, and that his whole cult was doomed to hell.  His now extremely confused friends followed, yelling at him to wait for them.

You were about to turn around and continue on as normal when you heard hysterical laughing.

“Holy shit! That was fucking great! Did you see how he ran?!” Eddie gave a poor imitation of Jason, screaming added and all. Though you likely wouldn’t admit it to your hellbound friends, it made you laugh. Eddie always found a way to.

You let the illusion fall, leaving your horns and tail out to be fully seen. He dragged you into the club room, still going on about how funny it was to watch Jason run.

“Eddie you’re l…late.”

It was then Eddie remembered that he forgot to warn you about the club members, who were now staring at you, horns and tail out, demonic sigils fully present on you.

“I forgot to mention that, didn’t I,” Eddie murmured, though you weren’t sure who he was talking to.

“‘Forgot to mention’?! Is that a demon? Or some kind of Upside Down freak monster?” A black-haired kid question, staring at you in fear and awe.

“Riiiight,” Eddie said, wincing a bit. “Meet my boyfriend.”

“Your WHAT?!”

(Hi there! Hope you don't mind the ask out of the blue haha)

Regarding your most recent post, unless you're referencing a specific line that I've forgotten, I believe it was Scary who said the hot glue thing to Norm, actually. Nevertheless I agree with the general sentiment of your post! Lincoln would never admit to being the glue but... Let's be honest, yeah, he is. I think episode 35 demonstrates that best tbh! He's a good husband lol. And otherwise yeah, who makes sure Scary isn't left behind in the hall of mirrors in Hell? Who breaks the pick to gain her trust? Who hugs her when it very well could have killed him? Who puts himself in a line of fire to reunite Taylor with his dad? Who runs after Taylor into Hell and carries him when he's just a head? Who stops him from jumping out of a building?Who tries to make sure that Normal hears Hermie's last words? Who goes with Normal back to Goofs when he's in mourning?

Preaching to the choir of course lol, but I appreciate what you had to say on the matter. It seems whether it's in the show or in the fandom, Linc never gets the credit that he deserves 😒😏. Not to throw the other teens under the bus, of course! They all look out for each other at the end of the day. But... The glue? Yeah, it's Linc and you're so real for saying it!

(I’m 100% good with getting asks out of the blue, thanks for the ask!)

I double checked the transcript and you are 100% right, that was Scary who said Normal was the hot glue keeping everyone together! I did not go back to check to the episode before making my post that’s my bad thank you for the correction hdsjfhhdfjs—

But YEAH! Thank you for adding examples! Lincoln has consistently been there for his spouses since day one! He keeps their heads on their shoulders, keeps them from breaking apart or losing their balance, and gives them room to grow as people!

continuing the 'gunter is a obfuscating snake of a sleezeball in the married conquest route and i'm kinda into it' thought: one line that bothered me for a while was in his JP S-support; it's basically his confession line:

Gunther: A promise is a promise. Please answer the question. Kamui: Y-yeah, all right… I don’t have anyone like that… Gunther: I see. Then, what about someone like me? Kamui: W-what? Gunther: You are the only woman that I have loved.

[record scratch] here's the fun thing:

that is a straight up lie.

what about your dead wife gunter? the one you spent twenty-thirty years plotting revenge for and was the literal reason you got possessed by? (kronk voice) that wife? :P

there's a few plausible reasonings for this discrepancy: one, it's not the character, somebody at nintendo straight up didn't play revelation. fates was rushed, it's entirely possible that some S-supports were not double-checked for facts when iirc the routes were being done by separate teams. (1b: technically you could argue 'maybe he didn't actually love her lol' which is darkly hysterical, but that feels so wildly out of character to the whole 'plotting revenge for 20 years' shtick that i'm tossing that out). and then two: nintendo itself fully intended gunter to be lying to corrin.

and i think it's that second reasoning.

which is interesting b/c nintendo almost always falls on the line of warping characters to be lovestruck waifus/husbandos that worship you/corrin even if it starts to bend/break their characterization. why keep his sharp, murky edges of all characters? I genuinely don't think i've ever seen nintendo go as far as have a character baldly lie to you the player so boldly especially when it comes to the main love confession---nintendo doesn't really mix the 'cold blooded emotional manipulation' with the waifuism.

now ... I do think he genuinely loves corrin [gestures @ my whole revelation loveblog]. different topic, that, but both can co-exist, since i think gunter doubling down on the 'you're the only one :)' shtick is him being so petrified at how many questions will be asked about his past, especially in conquest.

don't forget in conquest, corrin (thinks) and is truly considered to be garon's daughter.

you know. the dude that killed his wife he swore revenge on.

awkward, my dude, to fall in love with garon's daughter, lul.

and yet - gunter's trying to balance 'we genuinely love each other, let's start with a clean slate' with 'she's gonna start asking shit i don't want to get into if i do try to be honest ... nope nope nope not gonna go there'. he's a bit of a coward there, but in some ways i can't blame him. there's a lot of hints that point to him being painfully lonely as a closet widow, and the idea of ruining this tender new love with a lot of painful shit in his past is a risk he just kinda... sidesteps.... and keeps sidestepping........... until it's just too awful to even bring up to begin with.

it's a very human flaw.

but even still on the other hand, i think it says a lot of darkly nuanced things that he has no qualms not even just not telling corrin shit, his spouse in conquest, but actively lying to her about his past and doubling down on that secret.

honestly in another metatextual level, it's kind of fridge brilliance for setting up how, mmmm long-term emotionally manipulative he can be, that's only really shown in revelation ('i've been using you all along'). you also see glimmers of it with corrin's A-support with silas with the literal gaslighting corrin to forget about silas; so this isn't a one-off moment.

gunter is a fucking fantastic snake of an actor.

and lastly on another level, ultimately i think that line is actually one of those that explains some people's terrible reading comprehension of gunter. don't forget that Fate's EN fan-translation scene that first year was huge, far bigger than any other FE game, and so a lot of fandoms/people's opinions were shaped by osmosis from the JP script versus the EN script. I could totally see people taking that implication he's never been married at face value and genuinely being confused as to his actual backstory if they've never played revelation. basically everything about his character is all misdirections right down to playing players like a fiddle with his assumed archetype (jeigan, wholesome dad), and the abyss between what he says and what he is.

tl;dr more sleazeball midlife crisis jeigans plz 🙏

☾ Rules & Regulations ☽

first it occurs to me that i never really stated the rules to requesting on here. sorry about that, but i think it's high time that i lay down the law (jk). please be mindful of these rules because failure to do so will mean immediate deletion of request :D

please and thank you. i'm so tired of seeing requests that feel like i'm being demanded to do something. it doesn't make me want to get to those requests any quicker. i do this for free because it's fun and i like doing this. but requests that start off with 'i want to know this,' or 'tell me about that,' -_- drive me crazy. so, please use your manners and say please and thank you <3

dating life? who cares?! i will not look into an idols dating life or who they are in a relationship with. i don't care and neither should you. what we're doing is already an invasion of privacy. my question to all those who want to know is, if the tables are turned do you want someone finding out about your relationship status without your consent?

husbands! wives! parents! oh my! look my loves, my babies... there is no way in h-e-double hockey sticks i can tell you what someone will be like as a father/mother/spouse unless i use my own intuition, maybe tarot (and this is a huge maybe because that would be the finest grain of salt), and what i've given in "as a boyfriend" or "girlfriend" <- if i ever do female idols lol nothing in a chart will indicate what someone is like as a husband/wife. it only indicates what a person is "looking for" "will bring balance." idk how others can come up with that kind of stuff unless they change "boyfriend/girlfriend" to "husband/wife" lol

adults only! i will not do 18+ readings on anyone who is not over the age of 21. the legal age in South Korea is 21 years old, so please don't ask because i will just delete that request.

one and only one -_- please, i beg of you, try to keep each request down to 1 thing and 1 thing only. no i would like to know x, y, z...nope not gonna happen haha there is no killing two birds with one stone here lol just request again for something else my loves <3

look before you ask check here the WIP list will always tell you what has already been requested ^^

ummm who? okay i would like to think of myself as a kpop connoisseur but i'm not. i can't identify someone by just their names. so please, tell me their group ^^

help a sister out! if you know the idols birth time, and date of birth (month, day, year) and their birthplace...please put that in the request. it saves me soooo much time ^^ or if you know their birth chart details that saves me even more time and i can get to your request quicker ^^

limited info...is a struggle okay, this is for my non astrology babies. i know you want to know everything you can about your favorite idol, i get it BUT you need to understand that without proper birth information which includes: birth time, birth place (city/country), and basic birthday info (m/d/y) there is only so much we astrology blogs can give you. i'm sorry.

patience is so much of a virtue please know that these requests will take me some time. there are moments when they'll be flying onto my blog like i'm a machine and other times when it seems like i've disappeared. (i haven't i'm just busy). i do these in my spare time when i'm not working and when i'm not writing on my other blog which you can find here. so bear with me as i try to get these done <3

☾ SIDE NOTE ☽ thank you for requesting on here. it means a lot to me that you're interested in what i have to say. i love y'all from the bottom of my heart and please stay safe, warm, healthy, and make sure to get proper rest!

“#NoticiasTNT | @JJAbrams abordará el ship que tiene a los fans de Star Wars al borde de sus asientos: #Reylo. 😍✨ ¿Cómo crees que se resolverá la relación entre Kylo y Rey? https://t.co/jUtB2o5ORz”

#NoticiasTNT | @JJAbrams will address the ship that has Star Wars fans on the edge of their seats: #Reylo . How do you think the relationship between Kylo and Rey will be resolved?

TNT™ América Latina tweeted this out to their 2.4 million followers. So, if anyone still has any doubts about what’s going on here...

YOU IN SIX MONTHS - YEAR 🌸

PICK A PHOTO (1,2,3) 1 starts at the left. Meditate or make sure you're following intuition don't double guess, but some piles will have messages for you ..so you can choose more than one.

Read this 🌸

Hey guys! :) I'm excited to make this pick a pile (well pick a number how I made it anyways lmfao) I'm clairvoyant and check out my paid services here and other readings here on masterlist, I don't use Tarot for these, straight up intuition. Take these with a grain of salt because they won't resonate 100% with everyone, I sure wish they did though. Supporting this PAC means a lot for my motivation as these take energy. Also keep in mind you won't even know if these resonates until later;) (for some anyways)

PILE ONE

🌸You guys make really like crystals.. I sense rose quartz could be a good match for you or it could ring a bell for some. ( I picked up one for your reading)

🌸 A lot of you will start traveling more and taking more pictures, you're going to be a lot more extraverted. I think some of you guys struggle opening up emotionally.. yea that is gonna be somewhat of a problem still especially with new connections, people may think you're closed off or "playerish". A lot of partying. Sagittarius placement could ring a bell you or someone special. I see boxes.. so of y'all will move. An apartment could ring a bell I also see white walls this could resonate to a degree. Some of you guys have a passion for music and perhaps singing.

🌸 You guys really feels emotions in music, may even have a favorite artist. I see something with school or work like an accomplishment, you're gonna be busy in those departments specifically to achieve a scholarship or higher position. You may struggle balancing social and work life. Some of you guys may have a roomate I see college. Some of you guys really like computers lol and may have a career involving technology somehow but that's only for a specific amount of you. You may be the type to say you don't care much about future spouses and want to live in the moment but you're gonna be wondering all that stuff, you're gonna be somewhat love sick. For some of you guys specifically, are very young and are curious and use Astrology for fun and maybe to distract from emotions I think you're gonna start having awareness to nurture yourself emotionally more than intellectually / research. You guys may be dating someone but this seems like a new person for a lot of you and some will heal from relationship heartbreak. Some of you guys struggle a lot financially specifically you guys may not be able to afford personal readings so you rely on PAC a lot. I get fire energy from this pile especially Sagittarius with some Virgo and Pisces and Libra, Libra venus or sun or moon. Leo may be somewhere.. specifically the rising but take what resonates. You will be more worried about money stuff but you will sure be having a blast. A lot of you guys are hella attractive you may have a mini glow up as well. Some of you guys may have darker skin / are from foreign countries. Some of you guys may have father issues, this may continue to bother you but may resolve a bit. Aries placement may resonate maybe the Sun or Venus. Do you replay the same songs? Or have a really weird playlist that is hella mixed. Some of you guys are atheists.

PILE TWO

🌸 I feel some pain not gonna lie. Are you lying to yourself about something? feeling demotivated? Like you're not good enough.. This is something you're gonna be working on and it's going to be very apparent, are you trying to escape reality? Maybe it's the expectations you have for yourself well babe that's stops now. Within the time span stated you may struggle with this a bit but you're gonna be more mature I feel like maybe a more pessimistic but more so realistic. "It is what it is" attitude. You may act like that out of pain but you know you can't escape from things anymore, family may have been harsh on you and may annoy you these timespans with something you don't wanna do or something expected from them to you. You may be an impulsive buyers so try to control buying with this timespan. I see you trying to talk to new people but a burden in your heart still holds you back, yes? For some of you.. you may be quite happy right now but it seems you're also distracting yourself from things you may know it's temporary. You're someone who wants to be recognized more, you may work on this more. I heard "pajama" "lipstick" "hair change" "new outfits "I was just eating food" that could resonate with SOME. Please stop thinking about the ex/ fling for some of y'all, they really don't care move on babes! I know it's hard but I got you. I heard "fireworks" this may be apparent this timespan. You have closed friends but not a lot it seems but you are close to the ones you do have. This is very specific so it probably won't resonate with barely anyone but "Emily" and "Jen" "Rodriguez" "Janika" "Erika" "New york' "United States" "Canada" "Capital" "SHEIN" came up, "grey jeans" "bracelet" "Promise you won't leave me" "Will they stay" ? For some of you guys you may be the type to watch a lot of pick a pile readings on the same person. Some of you guys like art / are good at writing may have an interest in that. I Think a lot of you guys will blossom into such mature beautiful version of yourselves, this isn't bad at all! This reading is so beautiful it's like you guys become the best with yourselves with some work. "Capricorn & Saturn" energy, Leo mars? Virgo sun... Libra moon 12th house placements 8th house mercuries & 7th house placements, someone may have a stellium reading this in Astrology.

PILE THREE

🌸" I did it finally" "I'm home" "Who can I trust" "Why me?" "Jupiter dominance" "I get jealous but I'll never admit this!" "I'm not the best in relationships, I'm working on it though" "Maybe I shouldn't love so hard" "Do they even like me?" "Their vibe is off bro.." Okay interesting.. you guys have a lot of interesting thoughts very interesting thoughts.. I smell an overthinker... Gemini?? & Cancer sun perhaps?? Cancer & Gemini energy as well as Scorpio.. Scorpio rising? Pluto dominance could relate and Saturn and Mars. Aquarius could relate in any placements or Uranus energy. Don't trip over the Astrology too much.

🌸 I think you guys.. when you love someone you kind of match into their personality and before you know it you're acting like them... specific but you guys will find someone you trust you'll be skeptical but waitt! this is someone that is gonna love you so much. They may have Libra & Scorpio placements, Scorpio Mercury? Dang they really love you, Sagittarius or Fire moon could resonate. Someone may have moon in 2nd. This could also be someone you know for only some of you and that bond would strengthen. Omg my heart is warm.. you FUCKING MADE IT! your dreams.. okay wtf I sound 5 but anyways, you guys will feel like you guys have the world especially with someone;)). Emotionally you guys will get better, I hear "Therapist" for some of you "Sarah" will resonate with only a little of you. This could be someone you meet as well. Some of you guys may have someone with light brown hair / blonde hair close to you will be close to you. You guys may be someone with a lot of love trouble / love advice maybe from men if you're attracted to them, you're gonna ask someone you love a lot about advice. DO FOLLOW THE ADVICE INSTEAD OF ALWAYS DOING WHATEVER. Okay so this is a very hyper reading, you guys may have random bursts of energy. You guys will be known more known as "funny" you guys are really funny and original. You will feel really good make sure not to develop an ego..

If you want to look into your chart to see your commited partner/marriage

I see so many folks asking about this & I feel like people look for these things in the wrong places or they’re instantly reaching for some obscure techniques (persona charts?? Random asteroids?? Never saw it really describing anything correctly. That’s like the last thing you should look at). Get your basics covered first. Your primary energies in the natal chart can tell you SO SO much. Okay let’s goooooo

1. Your descendant/7th house, duh. What sign is it in? If you have any planets in the 7th, look at them. Look at the ruler of the 7th. In what house it sits in? What aspects does it have? I’d look at classic rulership first btw. Also, for a predictive work like this, try exploring your chart with whole sign system.

Some basic examples of characteristics of partners according to planets in the 7th:

Sun: happy partnership, someone that is somewhat known in certain circles, generous, fun, inspiring, works in creative fields, an entrepreneur or a business person, someone who simply shines; marriage can come a bit later in life

Moon: partner that is caring or even parental towards you, family-oriented, sensitive, moody, stay-at-home partner, working in fields associated with nurturing or food (or anything that makes you feel nice); can also bring popularity; can marry young

Mercury: an intellectual, or someone with a “mercurial” occupation (communication, travel; teacher, writer, accountant etc.), a worldly person, sociable, talkative, possibly someone younger or of a young spirit; this also means you can marry earlier in life

Venus: a harmonious partner, a romantic, non-confrontational, an eye-candy, diplomatic nature, can work in any “venusian” industry (arts, food etc.), financialy stable; this also should bring harmony and luck in relationships*

Mars: an energetic partner, assertive, full of passion, independent, a leader, someone who constatnly keeps you on your toes, great motivator, a masculine type (regardless of gender), may work in a military/police etc.

Jupiter: a successfull partner, jolly, popular, possibly from a different background/culture/a foreigner, spiritual, philosophical, a teacher, can work in entertainment; you may meet while traveling or marry abroad; brings great luck*

Saturn: someone older than you, a mature person, disciplined, patient, possibly a widow/a widower; marriage can come later than expected

Uranus: an eccentric partner, intelligent, full of surprises, innovative, creative, someone working in science or tech-related fields; unconventional partnership; you may marry suddenly (and divorce as fast lol)

Neptune: spiritual, intuitive, sensitive, working overseas or in artistic fields; you’re looking for a soulmate; you may actually never marry your partner because something always gets in the way 

Pluto: intuitive, magnetic, spiritual, persuasive, can work as a psychiatrist or a crime detector or in fields associated with science; a power couple; you may marry in secret

*Venus is the greater benefic for those with a night chart (Sun below the asc/dsc axis); Jupiter is the greater benefic for those with a day chart (Sun above the asc/dsc axis). Look to see which will bring you more luck in life.

If you have no planets in the 7th, just look at its ruler and the aspects it makes. Now lemme give you an example of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Just so you have a better understanding of how to approach this.

Angelina's descendant is in Capricorn so we look at Saturn. Using equal house system, it falls into her 12th house (actually her Venus as well), it can denote having secret relationships and affairs. That's how her relationship with Pitt started. Her Saturn squares Jupiter - Brad's a double Sagittarius. His descendant ruler is Mercury and it's a part of a stellium, which consists of Mars, Venus and Moon - I think it's obvious that Angelina is an embodiment of those energies. She's a nurturing Cancer rising, with charming & sexy Venus on the ascendant and she has a strong, fiery Aries Mars. And, obviously, she’s a Gemini.

(I could get into their synastry, in which they check all the basic & important rules of a relationship but that's not the point. Btw their synastry is kind of mind-blowing, these ascendant-vertex conjunctions? I mean WOW).

2. Depending on your gender (that’s a traditional way of looking at it but screw heteronormativity so do whatever floats your boat) OR depending if your chart is more masculine or feminine: Sun and Mars for feminine folks; Moon and Venus for masculine; if you’re non-binary, look at both or what you feel like will suit you most. This is for more what YOU are attracted to although Sun and Moon are said to show your spouse. 

Venus specifically symbolizes love so you may look at the house it falls in to see where you may find it. For example, if it’s in your 3rd house, you may meet them somewhere local, doing every-day stuff; in school or through your siblings. The house your Venus is in shows where your charms and beauty are seen the most. For example, if it’s in the 11th it’s more probable you’ll date one of your friends cause you’re seen as attractive in your friend group. Also, some houses aren’t straightforwardly assigned to places so I guess for some houses it works better.

Your descendant ruler may apply to this technique as well but can moreso show traits that will further characterize your spouse. For example, descendant ruler in the 8th - they may be an accountant; in the 10th - may be someone well-established; 5th - may work with children or be of a creative nature etc.

3. Derivative house system: just flip your chart. Listen, it partially makes sense that 8th house stands for shared resources. For example, if you have benefics in the 8th house it can point to having a wealthy partner through whom you yourself will get rich or whatever. Well it coincides with the theory that your 8th house is your partner’s symbolic 2nd house. You can use derivative house system from any point in your chart but we’re talking about your partner, so just flip your chart upside down. Just DON’T read it in a literal sense. 

I’ll give you an example of my mom’s chart. When we flip it, she has Neptune in the 2nd house. Her ex-husband, my dad, was earning money as a sailor (this also, later in life, meant that money was slipping through his fingers and that brought material instability). This is further backed up by Jupiter on the MC and even by Sun in the 9th house - all points to long travels and working in foreign lands. Stellium in the 10th also means he became a career-oriented person.

Obviously, when you flip your chart, it will say the opposite of your natal. So you’re thinking, “in my natal my desc ruler is in the 10th and when I look at it upside down it’s in the 4th - that’s the complete opposite! *Oprah voice* So what is the truth??? Am I marrying someone family- or career-oriented???” It’s important to point that derivative house system is activated once you get married/enter a stable, commited relationship. So this is something to look at additionally.

5. Other fun stuff to look at: Jupiter. In vedic astrology Jupiter represents the husband but we’re doing western so that’s not my point (ha! I got you there, didn’t I?). Jupiter stands for legal matters. It’s very common to see lots of Jupiter in synastry of married couples (bonus points if there’s flowing Jupiter-Jupiter aspects). Juno, which is one of the main, early discovered asteroids, symbolizes marriage and commitment; it also shows the way we balance things out, compromise and show fairness. It can tell us how we’re approaching these things and what we look for in a potential stable partner.

I just had the creepiest experience on Facebook marketplace. So I haven't had a Facebook in 2 years. I made one again because a friend asked me to help with social media posts for a business. My parents also had things they wanted to sell that I couldn't sell online because they were too big or heavy. And my mom apparently doesn't know how to use marketplace. When I had a Facebook, I sold a lot of stuff on marketplace and never had an issue. This morning, I got this message about one of the items and I answered politely, said I would check the item about what he was asking. He kept sending messages and was like can I take a look or we can meet up so I can view it and I said sure you can view it when we meet up and I meet in public parking lots. I said I could not do it today because I would be bringing my dad, who went out of town today. He kept insisting that I meet this morning no matter what I said and on top of that wanted to meet 20 minutes from when he messaged. By the way, by this point yes my intuition was like this is creepy. I looked at his profile, I saw that he was a biker. not that that matters but I wondered if that's why he was being aggressive. I had to repeat for the third time that I would not meet this morning and that I would have my father meet him tomorrow. He said okay I'll pass then. I said okay and then I immediately blocked him. There's no report button for aggressive or creepy behavior so I left it at that until not even 20 minutes later a lady asks about a different item and because I had checked his profile I knew that it was his wife lol. So I immediately blocked her and googled the names. And what came up was she had embezzled money from a really big company in town. I was like, did I just avoid getting kidnapped and killed? The lucky thing is since it's an account I don't use, I use a different name for it. Then I looked them up on the county clerk page and both of them had seven or eight cases of criminal activity. I reported both of them but the only option that made sense was scam and there was no way to provide any information. So, they didn't curse or say anything too provocative, but you could tell that something questionable was going on.

My point is, you should be really safe. I consider myself to be a bit impulsive but I'm always cautious about these things hence why I was double checking everything as this was happening but if someone wasn't paying attention maybe they would have met up with this person or not realized that coincidentally the person that contacted 20 minutes later was this person's wife. And certainly why would you continue to contact somebody after they've blocked your spouse? It was just the weirdest, creepiest thing and I'm glad I used a fake name. I think I will stick to the apps where you just have to send a package off instead of meeting in person. And even with those I use a nickname instead of a real name.

Yikes.

Maybe I'm also being animal racist, but a current guess I have for oMaM is that the rabbit Sly saw at the docks was actually the newspaper photographer who seems to be spending a lot of energy documenting Sly's movements at this party, and the bad lighting/state of intoxicated introspection led Syl to make a wrong assumption. (Also did you ever watch Hoodwinked? Spoilers: the reporter bunny did it)

lol hey guys. So I've been fairly MIA the past couple of weeks due to my job trying to actively murder me but I wanted to pop in for a hot second to talk about where we are theory-wise at this point in the season.

First of all, to address the actual ask, I feel like Brennan must have known Longfoot would be suspicious due to ~animal racism~ and put him in as a red herring and now we have even more info to back that up.

I suspect that what's going on with the stuff in the manor is a version of the Pepper's ghost illusion which involves mirrors to do ghostly projections and look pretty darn good for an effect that was invented hundreds of years ago. If you've ever ridden Haunted Mansion at Disney, that's the effect they use to do the waltzing ghosts (fun fact, because the effect mirrors the objects it's used on and the Imagineers forgot to take that into account, all of the female ghosts are leading in the dance!) But that's just fluff, let's talk plot.

So last week's ep threw a LOT of suspicion on Sly with him literally being painted at the villain and Grant doing absolutely nothing to defend himself. And, I'll admit, it would be pretty delicious to not only have Sly foreshadow it earlier with his coy, "Why yes, it also could have been me," and also that Grant himself would have [REDACTED] Rekha a SECOND TIME (watch the Murder Mystery ep of Game Changers if you don't know what I mean--it's my fave ep). But I talked it over with my watch buddy @camwritery and I don't think Sly is actually a baddie. I think this is a double double cross (Lol a cross from Mr. Cross). Here's my thought process.

(1) Yes there's that stack of letters Daisy found in Sly's hand but those easily could have been forged. I'd like Buck to take a look at those since he has that rogue handwriting checking ability.

(2) Squire Badger specially said something was coming to F Sly up and Sly could tell he wasn't the mastermind. Fletcher would make the most sense as to who the mastermind actually is. Like, it wouldn't be so much a twist to the audience but it would be a big ass twist to the CHARACTERS who thought he was fully dead (for the most part) and I feel like that matters more than "subverting expectations" or whatever. It's possible we find out it's actually another party guest I guess (or more likely, that some number of them are involved as accomplices) but Brennan said last week we've met all the characters and it's too late to introduce a new person at this point. And Fletcher is such a through line in Sly and Daisy's stories, it would be weird to not go for the payoff.

(3) So Fletcher is alive. We know this. What would a dead but not dead criminal mastermind want? To ruin his arch nemesis, obv. So, how do you do that? Maybe you fake the death of some mouse to create an unsolvable murder to drive him crazy? And then maybe you work with the person who the fake murder pissed off (because of Sly's inability to "solve" it) to ruin Sly because that guy hates Sly now? And maybe you involve some element of faking deaths in your plan because a faked death is what was central to the original plot that made Sly's reputation and ruined your family? That's so convoluted but this is a guy who handcuffed himself to his enemy and jumped off a waterfall. He's clearly a drama queen and he has nothing but time.

(4) I think Sly has figured this out to some degree and he's decided that letting himself get captured is the best option for him at the moment. Like, he didn't protest at all. Which, yes, checks out to his laidback, posh casual persona but I think he knows that if anything happens to anyone while he's locked up then it casts suspicion on someone besides him or it means the "murders" have to stop because no one will kill anyone while he's not active as a possible suspect due to literally not being able to murder anyone. Speaking of--

(5) Yeah, I don't believe these are murders. All those dead bodies from the list? Badgers, corvids, horned animals. That's the badger fam and their spouses. And the one guy we "knew" was dead also doesn't seem to be dead (which Brennan seeded from the start with Conor's widow hearing his voice which seems possible if she lives so close and he was alive this whole time). I guess framing Sly for a full family murder or something was the plan? But that doesn't quite check out because presumably they'd un-die at some point and I feel like they wouldn't want to live under assumed identities in animal Bavaria or something. I know news doesn't travel fast w/o the internet but they're prominent people. News would spread I assume. Maybe the death faking was to make Sly believe he was crazy? Or to believe in ghosts? Messing with a genius's mind is I'm sure one of the worst things you can do. There's also Buck's Frankenstein theory which is a little out there but they were trying crazy stuff with electricity and dead bodies back in the day. Kind of a wild pull but cam sent me this about a Dr. Squires from the same-ish time period shocking someone back to life. It would be wild and now we have some alt explanations for the electricity but gotta explore all options. And this would Constance to call her dad a madman, lol.

(6) Grant/Sly has a lot more info than us with all those maddening redacted texts so it's very likely he has some long game happening we know nothing about. I wondered if he might have known about Fletcher for a while--when Daisy revealed he was alive he was surprised but I don't remember if he was surprised that he was alive or if it was ambiguous and it might just be that he didn't tell her. I assumed he didn't know at all (because I feel like that's what Brennan narrated in episode 1) but I need to go back and check.

(7) At the end of the day, D20 is a show that rewards love and friendship over betrayal and the like. This very much could be the first season with a real betrayal but I'm kinda skeptical. Sly could just be a big faker but he seems genuine to me. Also, what would his motive even be here? This doesn't seem like his style and I don't know why he'd do this.

(8) Lars failed their check on purpose and Ian saw full puppydog earnestness. Sly if you've been a bad guy this whole time and Lars didn't know, bitch I'll kill you

(9) Not really on topic but I want to note, Daisy's find of that second trick portrait makes me thing my theory was correct and there's a third somewhere. I wonder where.

(10) Even less on topic but the "Show Her Your Butt 2: Electric Boogaloo" sequence last week made me spit soda everywhere and I think that should be acknowledged.

Survey #389

“i’m well aware i’m a danger to myself  /  are you aware i’m a danger to others?”

How much do you weigh? Yeah, we're starting off on a bad foot. If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? Putting Roman's used litter in the trash. Do you think you can love someone without trusting them? Hm... I guess you could love them, but it'd be a complicated situation. What’s your opinion on people who go hunting for sport? If it's purely for sport, from the very bottom of my heart, fuck you. Do you have a fairly fast or slow internet connection? I'd say it's decently fast. Have you ever been someplace tropical? Yeah, Florida. My grandma lived there. Are you sensitive to caffeine? No. It does like... nothing to me. How do you usually get around? My mom's car. Have you ever been accused of being too clingy? No actually, but I know I kinda am. What do you think about Kim Kardashian? I don't have an opinion of her. Can you speak any French? No. Favorite yogurt flavor? The only yogurt I've been liking lately is cookies and cream to add a different texture, because otherwise, I don't like its natural texture very much??? Idk man, my taste buds are wild. How much money do you have in your wallet right now? Just like $5. What bottled water brand do you like? Essentia. Your favorite way to eat chocolate? As chocolate bars, probably. How often do you listen to country music? Like, never. Linkin Park or Avenged Sevenfold? Linkin Park. Last surgery you had? Pilonidal cyst removal. Have you ever played guitar? I briefly took classes for it in high school, yes. Best I got to was playing some of the intro to "Crazy Train." I enjoyed it, but not enough to be consistent and really learn. Is there someone in your life whose career/life choices you find immoral/unethical? Have you ever told that person your views? Do you find it difficult to support them (emotionally or otherwise) because of their choices? I don't think so? What trait do you feel you lack that you wish you possessed? Independence and confidence would be nice... Have you ever considered writing your memoirs? No. Do you find it difficult to stay invested in online relationships? God no. I love my online friends. Half of 'em more than "irl" ones. Are you the type of person who pays close attention to the release dates of movies, music, etc., and will, for example, go see a movie or buy an album on the date it is released? If so, when is the last time you did so? I have to be VERY invested in it to care THAT much. It happened most recently when Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty premiered. Do you have any stickers on your laptop? No. Would you rather have a job for which you had to go in early in the morning or one you had to stay late into the evening at? Early in the morning. I'm in a better mood in the morning. Do you use any apps to track your health or medications? I have a calorie-counting app, as well as one to track my period. Whose opinions/recommendations do you value most? My mom's, best friend's, and psychiatrist's. If you could’ve been at any historical event, which would you have liked to witness firsthand? I don't really know. Maybe the very first Pride event? Is there something that you really want to do but are afraid of doing? If so, why are you afraid of doing it? Ride a rollercoaster, for one. I know I never will, though. I'm too afraid of throwing up, but even more realistically, I fear passing out before of the twisting and turning and just standing up makes me very dizzy. My blood pressure is STUPID low. What is something society “expects” you to do that you don’t want to do and/or don’t plan on doing? Have kids. That's a big 'ole fat no from me. Have Jehovah's Witnesses ever come to your door? Twice at least. Are you well-known by people in your area? No. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? No, thank Christ. It sounds terrifying. What's your favourite type of bird? Barn owls. Melanistic ones, to be exact. Stunning. What tv show(s) have you been watching currently? I'm only keeping up with Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty. Have you ever dated a smoker? For less than a day. Do you share a middle name with any of your siblings? Yes. Have you ever been a member in a band? No. Besides the school band. Can you cry on command? If so, have you ever used it to your advantage? No. Do you have separate emails for personal and business? No. Have you ever missed a flight? Yes. Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse? Multiple times. Have you ever taken a ride in a convertible? I think once with my brother. Why did you last need to use a band-aid? I'unno. What fruit do you eat most often? Apples. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? My ma. Has someone ever tried to start an argument with you over Facebook? What happened? A few times. I don't feel like thinking over this. Have you ever had an unusual type of milk (eg. oat, rice, almond)? I've tried almond milk, and I hated it. If you could experience life as a Disney princess for a week, which princess would you pick and why? uhhhhhh idk When you’re at home, do you spend most of your time in your room? I'm essentially always in my room. If you like to sleep in late, have your parents ever told you off for doing so? No. Do you find piercings attractive? Yep. Do you like potato chips? Loooove 'em. What’s the most stalker-like/creepy thing you’ve ever done? If you don’t think you’ve done anything like that, what’s the most stalker-like thing someone’s done to you? Nothing beyond checking Jason's Facebook sometimes after the breakup, I think. Even that though I wouldn't recommend doing. You're just going to get yourself hurt. Stay away from exes' profiles. Do you think it’s a double standard that a woman can hit a man and expect to get away with it, but if a man hits a woman it’s assault? Yep. I don't give a fuck what's in your pants, you don't hit anybody unless you're fighting to defend yourself. What’s your favorite old Disney movie and favorite new Disney movie? I mean... define "old." I'll go with The Lion King for old, and for new, uh... Finding Dory, probs. Name something “trendy” or popular that you dislike. I don't really know what IS trendy right now... Is Snapchat still "in?" Because I've never gotten that. “Dirty talk” in the bedroom…love it, like it, don’t care, dislike it, or hate it? I think I'm kinda neutral about it? Like I mean it also depends on exactly what is said. I prefer more loving talk, though. What is/are your favorite type(s) of ethnic food, and what’s your favorite food within that type? I'm a basic fatass that likes American cuisine most, aha... Like give me a cheeseburger and I'm happy lmao. How would you describe your relationship with your hair over the years? I love it more now at a short length than I ever did long. When it was long and I was in my deepest depression, I was awful about brushing it. It would get so knotted. Like looking back, it nearly makes me shiver. I HIGHLY recommend cutting your hair for anyone who struggles with selfcare. How do you feel about your SO daily/regularly checking up on a couple of his exes on social media? I'm single, but hypothetically, if you're checking an ex's page nearly every day, I would not be okay with that. I'm totally fine with exes remaining friends and just cordially talking now and again, but that's it. It's a respect thing. Do you prefer your guy to wear cologne or not? I personally like cologne if it's not overwhelming. I really don't care if you wear it or not, though. Ladies, how important is it to you that your SO wears/would wear a wedding ring? This survey is so heteronormative. But anyway, unless there was an issue like it not fitting, I'd want my spouse to wear their ring. What was the turning point that led you to decide for or against having children? There are a lot of reasons I don't want kids. I'm too selfish with my "me" time, I stress out too easily, I don't want to dedicate my life to keeping another person alive and fed and happy, I have bad genes... I could go on and on. I just wouldn't be a good, "present" enough mom. I am much more interested in ensuring *I* am okay. Is having your “dream” wedding really that important to have? Not at all. I mean I want a smooth and memorable wedding, but I'm not obsessed with it being perfect. Do you consider it cheating if your SO goes to a strip club and then doesn’t tell you? That's certainly not cheating, but I wouldn't like it. Being secretive about anything in a relationship is unhealthy, imo. I'd be hurt and also very insecure because I wouldn't feel like "enough." How old is too old for trick-or-treating? Honestly? I don't think you ever are. Like come on, does it REALLY matter? Let people have fun. I don't do it because of societal standards, but I would if I didn't care about being judged. Do you sleep with your arms over or under the covers? It depends on the temperature, but I normally wake up with them under. Do you own any t-shirts of your favorite band? I have an Ozzy one stored somewhere, but it doesn't fit me now. There was another I really liked too, but that one is WAY too small now. Fries or onion rings? Fries. I'm not a fan of onion rings. True/False: you’ve had an odd dream this week. Story of my life. I had one last night where I kept dying in different ways, and I actually felt the pain, like drowning in magma. Do you find tattoo sleeves attractive? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Do you like carving pumpkins? Yeah. What’s an animal you want to have as a pet but can’t? My mom has absolutely forbidden me to get a tarantula (uh, many tarantulas in my case) until I move out, lol. That doesn't stop me from checking Craigslist like every day. ;_; Have your parents ever caught you drinking? "Caught," no. Any time I've drunk, I've had permission or was a legal adult by then. How would you react if your celebrity crush came to your door? First be humiliated at my appearance and then absolutely pass out lmao. Has your mom/dad ever walked in on you kissing or anything more with someone? No, thank fuck. The person you have a crush on is drunk and goes to kiss you, you know they don’t realize what they’re doing, but do you kiss anyways? If I know it's something they wouldn't do sober, absolutely not. What would you prefer to get from a guy/girl: flowers, a hand written poem, a picture he drew of you or a nice night out? Any would be lovely, but the poem would appeal most to me because of the amount of thought that goes into poetry. Do you any shirts with any kind of images of food on them? What? I don't think so, no. Which holiday is the most fun to decorate for? Halloween. What was the first website you had an email account on? Yahoo. Have you ever written a fanfic? No. Tattoos or piercings? Both are grand, but tats win. What’s the last gross movie/show/video you saw? I saw this picture of a snake split open that had eaten another snake. Would you rather live in a huuuge house or a little cozy one? Lil cozy one! I don't want more space than is needed for cleaning reasons, as well as price. Do you have a tutor for anything? No. Who’s the best kisser you know? Jason was. Has anyone ever threatened you with a knife? No. I'd like it to stay that way. (If you’re a girl) Has anyone ever called you "shortie" instead of girl? Ew, no. Do you have a deep voice? For a woman, yes. Do you play games with boys/girls, like 'hard to get’? Hi, I'm an adult. Is there a Sonic where you live? YES. It's my fave fast-food place. What do you like on your pizza? I have three go-tos depending on my mood: Pepperoni, jalapenos, or meat lovers.

How much do you weigh? what a weirdly personal question

If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? sitting in the shade reading a book

Do you think you can love someone without trusting them? yes but not in a way that will ever be truly fulfilling

What’s your opinion on people who go hunting for sport? i live in a very rural area so i grew up with hunting for sport extremely normalized but once i actually developed and used my critical thinking skills i realized how morally reprehensible it is. literally just begging these people to use their brains.

Do you have a fairly fast or slow internet connection? eh its pretty fast

Have you ever been someplace tropical? florida lmao

Are you sensitive to caffeine? somewhat. i dont really consume it that much

How do you usually get around? driving myself

Have you ever been accused of being too clingy? no bc i’m generally pretty independent unless i reallyyyy like someone

What do you think about Kim Kardashian? neutral

Can you speak any French? je parle un peu français

Favorite yogurt flavor? i’m lactose intolerant so i recently tried dairy free yogurt and i hated it sooo i guess none

How much money do you have in your wallet right now? i dont have any cash in my wallet rn lol

What bottled water brand do you like? deer park or aquafina

Your favorite way to eat chocolate? brownies

How often do you listen to country music? sometimes.

Linkin Park or Avenged Sevenfold? neither

Last surgery you had? my wisdom teeth surgery

Have you ever played guitar? no but i wish i could

Is there someone in your life whose career/life choices you find immoral/unethical? Have you ever told that person your views? Do you find it difficult to support them (emotionally or otherwise) because of their choices? um i dont think so

What trait do you feel you lack that you wish you possessed? a little more confidence

Have you ever considered writing your memoirs? maybe

Do you find it difficult to stay invested in online relationships? i dont have very many online friends anymore but when i had a bunch i loved talking to them

Are you the type of person who pays close attention to the release dates of movies, music, etc., and will, for example, go see a movie or buy an album on the date it is released? If so, when is the last time you did so? only for something i really like.

Do you have any stickers on your laptop? a bunch

Would you rather have a job for which you had to go in early in the morning or one you had to stay late into the evening at? early in the morning so then i have the rest of the day to myself when i get off

Do you use any apps to track your health or medications? i have a workout app but that’s it.

Whose opinions/recommendations do you value most? my mom, sister, and my 2 best friends

If you could’ve been at any historical event, which would you have liked to witness firsthand? probably the women’s suffrage movement or the civil rights movement

Is there something that you really want to do but are afraid of doing? If so, why are you afraid of doing it?i want to tell him how i feel but i’m afraid i’ll ruin the friendship

What is something society “expects” you to do that you don’t want to do and/or don’t plan on doing? wear a tampon i’m sorry but i can’t do it

Have Jehovah's Witnesses ever come to your door? no

Are you well-known by people in your area? eh somewhat

Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? no and i dont want to

What's your favourite type of bird? owls!!

What tv show(s) have you been watching currently? i’m watching loki, hsmtmts, planning to watch s2 of never have i ever, and i started one piece but i haven’t watched in a while

Have you ever dated a smoker? no but that might change😳

Do you share a middle name with any of your siblings? no

Have you ever been a member in a band? No.

Can you cry on command? If so, have you ever used it to your advantage? No.

Do you have separate emails for personal and business? i have my school email and personal email

Have you ever missed a flight? no

Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse? i think so.

Have you ever taken a ride in a convertible? i literally rode in my best friend’s convertible last night lmao

Why did you last need to use a band-aid? i dont remember

What fruit do you eat most often? bananas and clementines

Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? maybe my great uncle?

Has someone ever tried to start an argument with you over Facebook? What happened? no but i’ve been in a few on insta and twitter.

Have you ever had an unusual type of milk (eg. oat, rice, almond)? i don’t straight up drink milk but i love things made with almond milk.

If you could experience life as a Disney princess for a week, which princess would you pick and why? elsa i want ice powers

When you’re at home, do you spend most of your time in your room? sometimes but normally during the day i’m in the living room with my family

If you like to sleep in late, have your parents ever told you off for doing so? No.

Do you find piercings attractive? Yep.

Do you like potato chips? Loooove 'em.

What’s the most stalker-like/creepy thing you’ve ever done? If you don’t think you’ve done anything like that, what’s the most stalker-like thing someone’s done to you? i’ve looked up a few people’s houses on zillow in my day.

Do you think it’s a double standard that a woman can hit a man and expect to get away with it, but if a man hits a woman it’s assault? absolutely, you shouldn’t hit anyone

What’s your favorite old Disney movie and favorite new Disney movie? my top 3 are princess and the frog, tangled, and frozen 2. i also love the little mermaid

Name something “trendy” or popular that you dislike. idrk

“Dirty talk” in the bedroom…love it, like it, don’t care, dislike it, or hate it? it depends on what it is. it should also be mixed with some loving or praise talk imo

What is/are your favorite type(s) of ethnic food, and what’s your favorite food within that type? i LOVE italian food specifically fettuccine alfredo and i also love asian food such as general tso’s, sweet and sour chicken, lo mein, shrimp fried rice, LUMPIA 🤤

How would you describe your relationship with your hair over the years? i’ve always liked my hair color and thickness. i always go back and forth between growing it out long and cutting it short bc i can never choose which i like more also it has lots of red undertones so i’m thinking about dyeing it a deep red

How do you feel about your SO daily/regularly checking up on a couple of his exes on social media? hypothetically it would be a red flag to me. a clear sign they haven’t moved on from the past

Do you prefer your guy to wear cologne or not? a good smelling cologne on a man will quite literally make me bust a nut.

Ladies, how important is it to you that your SO wears/would wear a wedding ring? i’d want them to unless it didnt fit or something

What was the turning point that led you to decide for or against having children? i’m very close with my family so i’ve always loved the idea of having one of my own with my future spouse

Is having your “dream” wedding really that important to have? i definitely have ideas for my wedding and i would want it to go a certain way according to our plan but in the end if things go wrong or plans change it wouldn’t matter as long as i’m marrying the loml.

Do you consider it cheating if your SO goes to a strip club and then doesn’t tell you? i wouldn’t consider it cheating if he was just watching but i would be angry that he hid it from me

How old is too old for trick-or-treating? i dont think it matters unless ur posing a danger to little children

Do you sleep with your arms over or under the covers? depends but mostly under

Do you own any t-shirts of your favorite band? i have nsync and harry styles shirts but thats it

Fries or onion rings? Fries.

True/False: you’ve had an odd dream this week. all the time but most of the time i forget them right after i wake up

Do you find tattoo sleeves attractive? depends

Do you like carving pumpkins? Yeah.

What’s an animal you want to have as a pet but can’t? i think raccoons are adorable but its kindaaaa hard to domesticate them

Have your parents ever caught you drinking? no bc my parents let me drink in the house and i’ve told them abt every time i’ve drank at college

How would you react if your celebrity crush came to your door? i would absolutely piss and shit on myself.

Has your mom/dad ever walked in on you kissing or anything more with someone? no

The person you have a crush on is drunk and goes to kiss you, you know they don’t realize what they’re doing, but do you kiss anyways? i would stop it even if i want to bc i don’t want them to regret anything and i wouldn’t want them to kiss me if they don’t like me bc it would hurt too much.

What would you prefer to get from a guy/girl: flowers, a hand written poem, a picture he drew of you or a nice night out? i would love them all but something abt a guy taking the time to write a poem for me makes me melt

Do you any shirts with any kind of images of food on them? no.

Which holiday is the most fun to decorate for? halloween

What was the first website you had an email account on? gmail

Have you ever written a fanfic? YES AHSHDH.

Tattoos or piercings? tats for sure.

What’s the last gross movie/show/video you saw? the scene where alexei breaks the inmate’s wrist in black widow is SO GROSS i cringe every time

Would you rather live in a huuuge house or a little cozy one? definitely a little cozy one

Do you have a tutor for anything? No.

Who’s the best kisser you know? i’ve only kissed one person.

Has anyone ever threatened you with a knife? No. I'd like it to stay that way.

(If you’re a girl) Has anyone ever called you "shortie" instead of girl? no and i hope they dont

Do you have a deep voice? not really

Do you play games with boys/girls, like 'hard to get’? no thats dumb

Is there a Sonic where you live? yes i’m a whore for sonic

What do you like on your pizza? pepperoni or sausage

What are your favorite movies and TV shows outside of SW? I’m looking for new things to watch since SW was so disappointing

My tastes are pretty eclectic, so I will stick to just things that are either similar to sw or are in the reylo-esque romance wheelhouse and have happy endings:

Chuck. It is a goofy, light-hearted action-adventure show with extremely endearing characters and a very prominent central romance (seriously, heavy romance and there is a lot of payoff for it, you will be FED- it's kind of slow burn but also shockingly NOT slow burn, they are deep into it pretty much immediately). The main couple is the classic Stoic Badass gradually softened by an innocent they have to protect who is a liability in battle but full of the Power of Heart. Chuck is The Heart btw. He is of that vanishingly rare male Beauty (of B&tB) type. He's incredibly generous and open, Sarah is prickly and closed-off. It is Quality. Very much a gender-swap of your typical cliche anime couple lol. I would recommend stopping at the mid-season finale in season 4, because it's downhill from there. The beginning of season 3 is very rough, but it's definitely worth it to stay for the back half, imo. There are several great endings to choose from before things go to shit, so we don't need to talk about the finale. Probably the most tonally similar to SW thing possible without being high/space fantasy. More humour, more silly, but definitely has a spiritual kinship. Has the best THE BEST 'secret revealed' scenes I have ever seen in anything. If you're into that and were hoping for that in ep IX, you need to watch Chuck.

The Shop Around the Corner. 1940 romance/drama film. You've Got Mail is a remake of it. Jimmy Stewart being profoundly adorable, Frank Morgan (aka the Wizard of Oz), various amusing side characters, and an absolutely deathless double blind 'secretly in love with the workplace nemesis' plot that can and probably has been a great reylo AU.

Mirromask. Fantasy/coming-of-age film. Touted as a 'spiritual successor' to Labyrinth by the filmmakers (one of whom is Neil Gaiman) and let me tell you, that is extremely apt. Beautiful, magical, laden with symbolism and Mask Discourse, and has a great ship. I quote it regularly.

Speaking of which, I'm sure you've seen Labyrinth? If you haven't seen Labyrinth, drop everything and watch Labyrinth.

Legend (the Ridley Scott director's cut, not the theatrical cut). Sumptuous fairy tale, runs on proper fairy tale logic, stunning to look at and overall captivating. Tim Curry. Tim Curry as a lonely tragic lord of darkness who tries to seduce the heroine and has drippingly overwrought monologues.

Howl's Moving Castle. Fairy tale adventure/romance film. Beautifully animated, has the ending you want.

The Silence of the Lambs. Thriller/drama film. Actual masterpiece. Use it as a gateway drug to read the books and rejoice that Clannibal is canon and it is spectacular. Just SotL and Hannibal, you don't need to read the other two. Stan Clarice Starling and revel in that ending. Most triumphant 'villain'/heroine ship of all time (he is not technically a villain but for shorthand's sake).

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Terry Gilliam 1988 fantasy/adventure film. THE TRIUMPH OF IDEALISM OVER CYNICS I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW HEALING IT WAS TO WATCH AFTER THE TROS BULLSHIT HIT. Jonathan Pryce's spiritual villain is basically Chris Terrio and it is cathartic to see imagination and sentiment conquer him.

Sabrina. 1995 romance film. Modern fairy tale with Harrison Ford. Rejecting what you thought you wanted all your life for the thing you actually need, growing up but still believing in magic, beautiful character development across all the leads. Could be (and is irrc) a fantastic reylo AU.

The Scarlet Pimpernel. 1934 adventure film. High romance, secret identities, play-acting, people who aren't at all what they appear to be, falling in love with your own spouse, Big Heroism, guile and wit and audacity. It makes me do little kicks like a happy baby. This is one of the 3-5 films constantly tied for my favourite film of all time. There is a good quality rip free on youtube. Watch it and fall in love with Leslie Howard (this is possibly my favourite acting performance of all time).

Oh, related note. Pygmalion 1938 or My Fair Lady. (The musical is based on this film and borrows from it heavily, including its much more romantic ending compared to the original play.)

The Mummy. 1999 action/adventure/romance film. Very tonally similar to sw. A fucking great time, A+ characters.

EVER AFTER. 1998 romance film. The flawless and perfect and best ever Cinderella adaptation. This is the most satisfying film in history, maybe, the ending is so good it is amazing it exists. Also, it has Richard O'Brien being slimy. Huge selling point. Grapples with identity and stewardship, is brilliant.

Fruits Basket. drama/romance anime. I haven't watched the new version yet, but it's following the manga so I know the story. The original anime didn't do the whole plot (because they caught up with the source material) but it's wonderful and I still recommend it. The central ship is (spoiler.........) a B&tB type where we eventually discover the main love interest both feels like a figurative monster and turns into a literal monster. He has an incredible speech about his relationship with people's fear, it makes me weep. I called the endgame from the first episode and always thought it was obvious, but there is a red herring love triangle dynamic. It's really not annoying, though, because it is a red herring. (I hate love triangles)

I am Dragon. Russian monster romance film. Beautiful, simple fable with a really great heroine.

Jane Eyre. 1943 Gothic Romance film. It's Jane Eyre, byronic hero x sensible heroine love story with much atmosphere and Gothic drama. I stan this version because I am an Orson Welles fangirl and I'm also not convinced it can be improved upon. Elizabeth Taylor's film debut btw.

Hellboy. 2004 action/adventure/romance film. Defying destiny, reconciling identity, monster romance. The complete package and a great time. Tonally similar to SW and probably thematically closest to it out of this whole list. Don't watch the sequel.

Beauty and the Beast 1987 tv series. Exactly what it says on the tin. Deals with the classic B&tB themes, but in a different way. He's not cursed and will never transform into an ordinary man. The first season is very episodic and 'case of the week', but the second season gets more into character drama. It's dated, but if you give it a chance you can get past some of the cheese factor and it's really a unique experience. Its concerns are SO atypical that it feels like something fandom would make rather than a mainstream network show. It was so massively, insanely popular with women at the time that a record of Vincent (the beast) reading poetry topped the album charts. Also Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton. Stop at season two. Point of interest: George RR Martin wrote for this show.

Stargate (the movie not the series) sci-fi fantasy about a nerdy guy who accidentally a hero.

Possession. 2009... mystery/supernatural/romance. Okay. This is a whole thing. Lee Pace and Sarah Michelle Gellar. It's based on a Korean film I've never been able to find for some reason, but being Hollywood they ruined the romanticism and nuance of the original in the theatrical cut to make a shitty punative ending. However. If you buy it on dvd and go to the alternate ending (which follows the original story) with around 20 minutes left (scene after Lee Pace's character wakes from a bad dream-go to deleted scenes and select the alternate ending), you will get a very, very interesting character study/thriller/redemption about sincerity within deception, compassion, and a major question about second chances with a positive answer. It's kind of dark and kind of astonishingly idealistic at the same time. The heroine makes a very powerful choice, twice over. It's fascinating. If you're into the conflicted and uncertain period in reylo, the part where he is most ambiguous, and you wanted more of that and much darker shades to it, you might be really into this. Also, it should be noted, there is a MASSIVE height difference and they show it off. The film is flawed (and the seams show on the Hollywood rewrite) but idk, it's fascinating. Shocking to me that they even got to shoot the original ending. It is pretty balls to the wall with its themes on forgiveness.

I would recommend getting into kdramas because there is a wealth of female-gaze tropey amazing content, but always check the ending before getting invested. My all-time fave is the 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, but it's not sw related at all lmao. It has a happy ending with all the elements you'd want, but it's not satisfying in execution, so that's it's major flaw and I find that pretty common with kdramas. One that is maybe more relevant is My Love from Another Star, which has a hero who is a little bit like Ben in personality. The heroine isn't my favourite, though. It does have a decent ending.

Oh yeah- brain fart. Kurosawa films and classic westerns were both very influential on SW. Or you can combine both and watch The Magnificent Seven.

Twisted Fate/Graves thoughts 2 Electric Boogaloo because none of you can stop me

and I just have a lot of feelings okay

- t.f. taking an entire paragraph mid-fall during a harrowing life or death chase to give you the context for how much the imminent destruction of his boots is a  tragedy is the funniest and most endearing character detail and also irrefutable proof that despite appearances he, too, really does only have that half a brain cell, it simply pingpongs around in there much more than graves’ half (which instead finds one idea and GOES HARD for it no matter what lol bless him)   

also his pov is basically just a flippant ‘well this is a goddamn bitch of an unsatisfactory situation’ until graves literally forces him to have an honest emotion at gunpoint, and y’know... that be what love feels like sometimes when you’re like that as a person, extremely relatable, I feel for him so much

- I’m still just quietly astounded by the hmmm... implied intimacy? I guess? in the argument they’re having once they’re actually talking in burning tides. let’s look at what they’re actually saying to each other:     

T.F.: “Are you ever gonna learn? . . . Every time I try to help you, I-” and “ I tried to get us out. The rest of us saw the job was going south . . . But you wouldn’t back down. You never do.”

vs.

Graves: “You’ll run again. That’s all you’ve ever done.” and “You made out alright, though . . . You know why? It’s because you’re a coward. And nothing you’ll ever say can change that.” 

like them’s the sort of fraught fighting words you have with a spouse right towards the end of an ugly divorce, the full fruitless ‘why do you always have to --’ and ‘but you never listen to me!!!’ deal, especially from graves’ side lol. it’s the sort of hurtful you can really only be with someone you’ve been very, very close to, someone you know incredibly well. considering the whole backstory what graves is essentially saying here is ‘It’s your own fault people have left you; you deserve to be alone’.

(interestingly, in twisted fate’s pov it seems that what’s really messing with him is the part of not being listened to. he tried to plead with his family and they refused to listen, he tried to convince graves to run away with the rest of them and he didn’t listen, and here they are again and graves isn’t listening  a g a i n  and at that point t.f. clearly just sort of. gives up on actually being heard, in a slightly heartbreaking way. and from how graves reacts to seeing that I really think he’s not naturally cruel like that at all, he’s just in too much pain to think until this startles him out of it and then he does actually listen)

- through both stories graves is so desperately, enduringly horny for t.f. to be emotionally present and engaged with him without slipping away into his ~*cool magic gambler*~ persona and I find it weirdly sweet 

- graves immediately getting fond of this leaky battered old rowboat... hfsadkjfhasd he’s sort of adorable in a way? it’s also really cute how he’s got this really tight focus on tf and his mannerisms and how genuine he’s being at any given moment. it’s such a neat way to show what he’s feeling and thinking about, which must be hard with a character who’s so massively oblivious to the finer points of his own inner life lol  

ALSO can we talk about how tf literally winks at him at one point, right after they’ve sort of had a little moment of regained trust... like my good sir that is so deeply unnecessarily saucy of you, please control yourself (though in his defense graves somehow still isn’t picking up what he’s putting down so y’know maybe subtle isn’t the way to go here anyway haha)

- I wonder if t.f. used to go by his initials even before he changed his name -- graves calls him by it straight off the bat in burning tides and t.f. seems to consider his real name mildly embarrassing lol. (also intriguing that he does appear to think of it as his ‘real name’, and not ‘old name’ or something like that. it’s why I feel like we’ve got more of a dual identity going on here than a deadname situation, it feels more like two distinct levels of emotional vulnerability/availability to me. and so ‘tobias’ stops being relevant when there’s no one left to know him as that. ow.)    

- from reading his bio it seems like twisted fate has had to figure out a lot of the magic stuff on his own (except for the mention of his grandpa teaching him the fortune telling part of it -- seems like they had a bit of a special connection, really, if him leaving his old cards with the kid before they left is anything to go by). what I’m saying is that I would read thousands upon thousands of words of him experimenting with it when they were younger and graves hurriedly having to topple a table over and pull them both behind it for cover before they both explode lol 

(and then t.f. popping his head up afterwards like ‘hAH see I TOLD you I could do it!’ and graves disconsolately lighting a cigar from the burning rubble b/c the things one does for love partnerships huh)

- I’ve been looking over burning tides with a writing eye a few times to figure out what makes it work so well for me, and one of the things I really like is that there are a lot of small comments/details that are there or are framed in a certain way specifically to emphasize the familiarity and history between the characters. Just small details like He moves fast for a big man. I’d forgotten that and graves mentioning he’s never liked standing too close when t.f. does the teleporting thing -- not to mention t.f.’s name reveal, which if I understand this correctly was actually new information to the readers when burning tides was going on. (and yes it is still very funny to me that his actual name is tobias. the duality of man)   

(I also feel like there are HUGE differences in writing quality between the different POV sections -- I guess different people wrote for the different characters? Well, both of the first person sections are gold and that’s what matters to me in this story so I don’t really mind. Sadly the Miss Fortune parts read the weirdest and stiffest to me, which is unfortunate b/c I love her lore concept a lot and she’s so cool in double double-cross. WHO the fuck let an unironic ‘the crimson-haired siren’ slip through the edit, is what I really want to know. please, narrator, tell me about her cerulean orbs while you’re at it) 

- The man I used to know seems lost under years of hatred.

I don’t try to say anything else. I can see it in his eyes, now. Something’s broken inside of him.

still makes me SO SAD and I’m incredibly happy it turns out not to be true in the end thank GOD

- this might just be me reading into stuff too much, but I really like this sense that in moments of high emotion/genuine vulnerability, graves tends to sound older and more tired while t.f. sounds younger than he actually is, more frightened and hurt

- if his mind hadn’t been completely focused on partner-rescuing and open murder were in any way his style, t.f. totally could have killed gangplank right there and then before miss fortune even got to blow the fucker up haha. then again if that were the sort of guy he were he’d be dead along with all the rest of them

- it’s so good that graves tries to save miss fortune’s guy before they leave the cave but also isn’t broken up about it when it turns out he can’t, that feels like such a correct encapsulation of his moral character haha

- I really do enjoy graves’ POV so much not just because there’s something immensely comforting about how he refuses to be scared even in the face of death because he’s too damn grouchy and won’t give the world the satisfaction, but also because the language/cadence is so satisfying. he does have a way with words, in a gruff non-flashy sort of way.

It smells like the end of everything – sulfur and ash and death; cooked hair and melting skin -- the rhythm of that is so gooood and that whole section conveys the horror and destruction but also the awe of the scene so well. (I’m telling you graves isn’t actually dumb at all, just astoundingly unbendingly single minded once he’s got an idea in his head lol) 

- I keep thinking about the fact that the last two things twisted fate thinks about before he passes out from drowning is if graves is scared and ‘What would Malcolm do?’ and I’m feeling real 😭😭😭 about it

- I’m still so disproportionately intrigued by graves mentioning his mom in burning tides. considering how early and seemingly easily he left home (...not to mention that he brings her up in connection with someone punching him in the face) it might be a safe bet that they weren’t that close but like. she also seems to be one of the very very few non-revengy things he’s checked up on after getting out of prison. did he send money home sometimes? would he visit whenever they came back to bilgewater? did she ever meet t.f. and if so did she approve or was this a bit of a uncharmable mother in law from hell situation? I um. I want to know these things pls riot it’s for science

.

(First post is over here btw, if anyone’s interested!)

Homes, relationships, realtors

These are a series of anonymous questions I was asked and I'm endeavoring to answer them. I am not a concise writer. I apologize in advance for the length of this post.

Step 1: Start Your Research Early. Step 2: Determine How Much House You Can Afford. Step 3: Get Prequalified and Preapproved for credit for Your Mortgage. Step 4: Find the Right Real Estate Agent. Step 5: Shop for Your Home and Make an Offer. Step 6: Get a Home Inspection. Step 7: Work on home loan with bank lender Step 8: Get home appraised Step 9: Complete paperwork and close the deal ?

How were you able to learn what the homeownership steps entailed and how did you vet the realtor, home inspector, home appraiser, and lender, if you used them? How did you ensure the people whose help you enlisted were legit and were going to do right by you?

How did you find out what the paperwork/legal aspect of marriage was going to entail (research so far has given me a few different answers)? There was a lot I either didn’t know or didn’t understand - you need to get your ring appraised and added to your insurance (what kind of insurance), for example? You need to change how your tax filings and paperwork in general, especially if you choose to change your last name, etc. I’m scared of missing an item and running into some obstacle😫

How do you also ensure that your name and/or your spouse’s name is on the deed and stays there? I’ve come across TOO many stories about one party thinking their name was on the deed only to find out it either wasn’t or it was removed. Or one party dying and the remaining party finding out the place wasn’t on their name or was removed. Or, one party kicking the other out and not being able to advocate for themselves because their name, come to find out, isn’t on the deed😳😞 How do you avoid all that (besides vetting your potential SO properly lol)

------------------------

The first thing I want to say is I am NOT a financial advisor or a counselor/therapist. I am not a lawyer. I am a 55 year old database developer (in 2020) and have bought several houses and been with/married to the same person for 32 years. Prior to this person, I played a very large field of folks, and was in a lot of short-term relationships. The longest relationship I'd been in by the time we met was 10 months and it ended very badly. I'm not an expert, I'm just old and experienced. Another thing I am is frugal. While I'm being detailed, I'm also bi, cis, childless-by-choice, mostly-abled, and white. I can't speak directly to the experiences that marginalized folks (especially those with multiple marginalizations) have had.

I'll talk about the relationship stuff first 'cos that'll be the shorter answer. I met my spouse in an online space for roleplaying gamers back in 1988 (before the internet existed there were dialup networks, I was on those basically from 1983 on). The beginning of our relationship was a shared interest in roleplaying games. We also found similar tastes in books. Over time we discovered other shared interests, or got each other interested in the things we cared about. We both love being in the woods, and the natural world. We care deeply about the environment. We have always been in agreement politically. At first we were on opposite ends of religious matters, and neither of us tried to change the other in that regard. Eventually we grew together on that. We both knew from the outset that we wanted to travel the world together.

There have been stumbles. Bad ones. We are able to hurt each other more than any other human on the planet, and we're aware of that. We try not to, but sometimes we just, do. Then we talk about it. We've been in therapy to work things out several times, and have learned techniques for working through our problems. The thread running through all of this is we were committed to making it work, to working through, to not giving up.

We have woven our lives together into a fabric that works for us. This takes trial and error. It takes being willing to make mistakes and, more importantly, forgive those mistakes. It requires you to learn from your mistakes and to do personal work. You have to be willing to change the things about yourself that need changing. Certainly some things are deeply embedded. Those things you need to learn work arounds for. It's especially difficult to figure out which things are too deeply embedded to be changed, and which are mostly habits you can retrain. Ideally they'll be supporting you through this work, and doing their own work along similar lines. If things work out, you're both growing as more emotionally mature individuals who bring things to the relationship that help sustain it through the hard times.

It helps that I am good at things he's not, and vice versa. We have a decent division of labor (both emotional and household). We give each other space to enjoy our different interests, too. I love movies of all sorts, but he's mostly fond of SF and action movies. We will watch those things together, and I watch my romcoms and historical dramas on my own while he's doing his stuff.

Sometimes it's a choice you have to make every day, to stay together. Sometimes it is effortless. Still, it always takes time to build shared experiences. To build traditions. To figure out how you fit together. This is time well-spent, even if you discover that you just don't fit together and you can't make it work. This prepares you for your next opportunity to explore with another person.

Now on to home ownership.

tl;dr is we did research into mortgages and closing costs and everything to do with buying a house before we bought one using various resources (mostly at libraries, this was in the dark ages when we bought our first house)

We were living in Juneau, AK when we got to the point that we had enough stable income to start talking about owning a home. This got us talking about the future, and our plans. Specifically we talked about what it would be like when we were finally able to travel like we wanted. We realized that if we were still in Juneau, all of our travel plans would be doubled in cost because just getting out of Juneau is a trip in itself. We decided (not just for that reason, but a lot of other ones, as well) that we wanted to move and we would buy a house somewhere else.

For a lot of people the answer of "where" is obvious but it wasn't for us. We made a list of qualities for where we wanted to live.

Inside the US

Low population growth 

Not on the west coast 

Not in the south

Within a day's easy drive to the ocean

At least four distinct seasons

There were other criteria we had on the list, but those were the ones that narrowed our search down to Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Then we spoke with work friends who had lived in all three states. They heartily recommended Vermont over the other two for a few good reasons. We both wanted to work for the state so we researched where most of the state jobs were located. That placed us in central Vermont.

Deciding where you want to own a home isn't just about what you can afford, but where you want to live. There's a lot you can change about a home once you buy it, but you can't change the location. When you buy a home you're putting yourself into a place that it's not going to be a simple matter to leave if you decide you want to later. It's not impossible, but depending on where you buy, it can be very difficult to sell again. Deciding where you are going to focus your home search is part of the research you want to do.

Figuring out how much house you can afford is a complicated thing. The financial institutions will encourage you to buy the maximum amount of house you can afford based on your income, a snapshot of your debt load, and your credit rating. That's all well and good, but you also need to take into account your actual lifestyle. If you never were interested in cooking, then it's a waste of money to buy a home with a big ole "professional" kitchen because it's all shiney and cool. You could buy a less expensive home with a smaller, more functional kitchen suitable for the lunchables you "prepare" on the daily, and put that extra money into something else.

Figure out what things you must have, that if a house doesn't have it, you're not going to buy it. For some people that's X bathrooms. For others it's lots of inside storage. Make actual lists of these things that you keep handy so you can just check for them when you're doing your search. Divide the list up into "must have" vs "nice to have" vs "I wouldn't pay more for this but if it's there it could be a tie breaker". The list may change as you start looking over listings, and that's fine. It helps you figure out what is really important to you.

Financial institutions. I... hate... banks. I haven't done my financial transactions with a bank (generally speaking) for over thirty years. Credit unions are the financial institution to work with. Of course, that is something to take with a grain of salt because there are some horrific credit unions with shitty customer service and nasty fees all over, too. If you can get into a state credit union (in Vermont anyone who lives in Vermont or works for the state can join the Vermont State Employees Credit Union) do it. There's typically a minimum deposit required in one account (for my credit union I have to keep $25 in a savings account). When you're looking at financial institutions to finance through, do your research of course, but include credit unions in your research. Look for first time home buyer programs (there are federal programs for this, as well). Look for low interest rates. The blog you should be looking into is Bitches Get Riches for more specifics on this. Their information is way more up to date and helpful regarding interest and mortgages and stuff.

You're going to need money to pay the closing costs. That is money that you pay over and above the mortgage. You will need money to put a deposit down on whatever house you want to buy. The deposit tells the seller you're really interested. If they decide to accept the offer from someone else, you will get the desposit back. If they accept your offer, the deposit goes towards purchase/closing costs. You will need money for the appraisal, an inspection (do not buy a home without an inspection, if they won't let you do an inspection, run), and a title search. These are all over and above closing costs. How much you can expect to pay is variable and something else to research. You will also need a down payment. If you can't put 20% of the purchase price in as a down payment, you will also need to buy private mortgage insurance. That cost typically gets rolled into your monthly mortgage payment. You will also need homeowners insurance.

Once you've worked these things out, you're ready to really dig into the listings. This used to be a whole lot more complicated than it is now. The MLS used to only be available to realtors, but that has changed. Most realtors will list houses online in a searchable place (the best places to do searches varies by region, in New England, I would look on the NNEREN website (Northern New England Real Estate Network). In other areas Zillow might be the best place to look. It really depends on what the standard for local realtors is where you want to buy.

The great thing about online searching is you can plug things in, make notes, save favorites, and build lists of features, or things you care about. There's typically photos of the property that get you started, as well. Because of these online tools, you don't really need a realtor to represent you in the sale. You can contact the realtor representing the seller if you want to see a property.

It can be tiring, looking at houses. Doing research. It takes time. If you can't, or don't want to do this, then you can get yourself a buyer's realtor. Their job will be to take the criteria for what you're looking for and find houses that might work for you. They present you with the options, and will arrange for a viewing if you like any that you're seeing. This has the benefit of reducing how much research you have to do personally, but it does mean that they get a cut of the final sale (but it also means you have a realtor on -your- side in the negotiations, though they're not allowed to influence you on certain things like what price to offer). Because they get a cut, some sellers won't work with buyer realtors.

The snarky answer about how you find a realtor you can trust is "you really don't". Realtors are all about closing house sales with the least amount of effort on their part possible. That is their job. That is how they earn their money. Every time they have to do something for you, it reduces the value of the commission they make off the sale. Some realtors resent this, others don't care and just see it as part of doing business. Some of them are really friendly, and love their job and love helping people find homes. Others are snotty nozzles. But they are all trying to sell you the most expensive house they can get you to fall in love with. They will regularly try to go $10-20K over your stated "highest cost" on the assumption that you won't really mind having to pay "just a LITTLE bit more" on your mortgage payment to have whatever feature they're trying to convince you that you really want.

Don't fall for this. Stand fast on your financial limits. Remember that increased purchase price means increased closing costs. Find a realtor that doesn't make you want to shower after you talk to them, and who will take your calls or answer your emails. If they won't communicate the way that works best for you, find another one. There is always another one who has a different style. It's OK to shop for realtors.

Different regions have different rules about real estate. Spend some time looking into your state's rules. Like in Vermont, you have to get a radon test. Some things are national, but a lot are regional. There are SO many guides online these days it should be possible for you to find one fairly local to help you be sure you're doing everything you need to. Your state might even have an agency for helping first time buyers.

Ensuring folks are legit: Find out what licensing requirements there are in your state. Realtors have to take tests and get licensed to sell within their area. This is something they should be proud to display in their office because it's not a simple test they have to take. Appraisers typically need a license, too. To get a title search done you need an attorney, they also have professional oversight. An attorney might ask for an initial low deposit (they have to pay for copies in town offices) but most of these professionals won't ask for payment in advance. If they do, be wary. Ask around to see if that's usual in your area. They usually bill for their services after they've provided their report here. Try talking to a variety of people about what realtor they have used, or what appraiser. Ask for referrals from folks you know (coworkers, friends, family of coworkers, etc). You can also search online for reviews of services and see the bad experiences folks have had (most folks only complain about bad service, so take those with a grain of salt).

In the end, you're buying a service, and the person performing the service should be doing their job. If you find out that they didn't, because they are licensed (and possibly insured), you will probably have recourse. Obviously it's better to avoid that because it's a painful thing. But sometimes that's just how things shake out.

I have to say that I've never considered a situation where my name might have been removed from my deed without my knowledge. I suppose if I were worried, I'd set up a reminder to check on it occasionally, like checking on my credit rating from time to time. I mean, to remove you without your knowledge requires forging documents. I know that this sort of thing happens, but... there's only so much you can do to protect yourself if someone is intent on breaking the law in some way. So, I guess, really pay attention to red flags when you're starting a relationship. Don't assume they will change if they're engaging in concerning behaviors.

Phew, the tax stuff is a whole other thing. It's usually worth working with a tax preparer the first year you're filing after buying a house. They can go over all the paperwork with you, so you understand it. Property taxes are so local that you really need to research it based on where you’re buying.

We have a specific amount on our homeowner's insurance that covers "household item loss" up to a certain amount of money, and we specify how much. We have a LOT of computer equipment, so ours is fairly high. If I were to lose a ring, it'd be covered under that. My engagement ring was a $50 cubic zirconia. Our wedding rings were a few hundred. Our computer stuff is way more valuable monetarily.

About all the things relating to marriage and how it entwines lives legally: that's like a dissertation for another day. :)  There are huge articles out there talking about all the things that getting married means from a legal stand point. It varies by state and even city. It matters if it's a same-sex marriage or not, as well (it shouldn't but some places have "civil unions" which aren't always the same legal thing as hetero marriages).

If you're still here, wow. I'm impressed. I'm happy to answer questions. Maybe consider me like an elderly queer aunt who doesn't mind talking a lot. I hope this helps you.

covid diaries aka memoirs of the plague

trying to keep my thoughts organized and coherent has been a bitch recently, so i’m going to try to put them down more or less in order here and see where we end up. this is going to be heavy on personal covid content and might get long, so please skip if either distresses you.

so last tues, the uh... 24th i guess, i started feeling ill. mostly like allergies plus a bad headache. i had a feeling i was getting sick but didn’t want to alarm my spouse or housemate/best friend, so stuck with ‘could very well be allergies and dehydration.’ also it very well could have been, and it was very reassuring for us all to tell each other that. my company had already moved the majority of employees to work-from-home, including me, so i already wasn’t going to come into contact with anyone outside my home.

symptoms got worse over the next few days, congestion, headache, feeling feverish, cough started up. we didn’t own a thermometer, and my spouse and housemate tried every wal-mart, wal-greens, target, etc to find one. housemate said at one place they laughed at her when she asked if they had any. i tried ordering one on amazon with no luck. either they were $90+, out of stock, or not shipping until may. i settled on ordering on for shipment in may. the seller messaged me the next day and said they couldn’t fulfill the order and asked to cancel it.

from our last costco trip we had already (unintentionally) gotten stocked up on toilet paper, snacks, and some dry goods. at some point before I got sick, spouse and I bought a bag of rice and bag of potatoes, because I intermittently try to do mealprepping and seemed being stuck at home would be a good time to try again, what with national and state-wide states of emergency being declared. also seemed good to have them in supply. and we were still stocked up on cold and flu medecine from when i got bronchitis mid-dec to mid-jan. so we were/are pretty well-stocked on essentials? that was reassuring, as i was obviously, noticeably sick by last friday.

i was hoping i would get better over the weekend but i did not. still couldn’t find a thermometer anywhere. governor had issued the state-wide stay-at-home order on uh...thurs? weds? but already being sick, and already working from home, and not going out, it didn’t really affect me much?

i feel like i should mention at this point that since the state of emergency was declared and we started to transition to working from home, i’d been trying to ration my social media (tumblr/twitter/insta) time for my sanity. but also not having information makes me feel helpless, so i had the CDC covid page up and checked every day. and then the colorado state covid page too. seeing the numbers of confirmed cases double, and triple, from week to week was... hm.

also one of my younger siblings moved from colorado to arizona at the start of march, and presumably lost their phone because i haven’t heard from them since despite poking. that hasn’t been concerning during a global pandemic. not at all. they’re probably not dead. i mean, you’d think a bitch could call their older sibling to let them know they’re not dead, but whatever. i’m sure they’re fine. probably. anyway.

where was i. so by the weekend i was Not Feeling Well At All Actually. my cough had become “scary.” my housemate did all the dishes in the kitchen despite not being responsible for most of them. i felt, and sounded, disgusting.

i checked the covid testing requirements again, and basically found that in colorado you had to be dying to be tested for covid. cool.

monday rolled around, still not better. i ended up having work computer issues (their end, not mine) where i basically ended up laying on the couch in my office while IT did IT things. a blessing. i slogged through the rest of the day. just felt like i wasn’t tracking well, couldn’t focus on shit. that evening while watching shows with husbeast & housemate, i had a truly uncontrollable coughing spasm/fit that seemed to just go on. could barely talk without coughing. i coughed all night. i basically didn’t sleep.

tuesday morning i woke up, and started coughing again. i could hear a crackle echo up my throat when i breathed if i was in the right position. i sat up to try and get my breath. i think it was like 6 am. spouse creature (already awake from my coughing) gently rubbed my back. i started crying. i just wanted to sleep, and i couldn’t sleep, and i couldn’t stop coughing, and i felt like i could barely breathe, and things just hurt, and i couldn’t think straight. i felt so... defeated. i think it freaked out the spouse creature. i usually only cry during children’s movies.

i took the day off of work. i hadn’t taken a day yet because i was already working from home, and it was the end of the month which is the busiest for my team, and my boss had said last week that if i felt i could work, they needed me. by tuesday morning i was out of energy and also fucks. i got in the queue for a teladoc appointment. per the CDC and colorado covid websites, telehealth visits are to be the first option in order to help prevent the spread, etc. also i would have done teladoc anyway bc i don’t have a PCP.

it took a few hours to get connected with a doctor. i think i started coughing while he did his intro thing. he basically said, well i think i know what you’re calling about, but why don’t you tell me. i told him. and coughed some more. he said my symptoms are consistent with covid, and in a perfect world they’d be able to get me in for rapid testing, but they couldn’t. that basically people are only getting tested at this point who are getting admitted to the hospital. some people were able to access testing through their PCPs but even that was drying up. he advised me to self-isolate (already on it lol) and for my household to self-quarantine for at least two weeks from when i started showing symptoms. and i could un-self-isolate once the majority of my symptoms calmed down AND when i didn’t have a fever for three days straight with no meds. he prescribed me an inhaler and a cough suppressant pill, though he said the cough suppressant might not do much since it didn’t seem to be working for anyone else with similar.

husbeast had run out to get some more supplies by the time i got on the vidcall with the doc, mostly liquids and electrolytes. he went back out once i gave him the rundown, to fill my prescription and get me the good costco chicken soup once they were open. he also, miracle of miracles, managed to find and buy a temporal thermometer at costco for like $45 i think. a true champion. my temp seemed to be fine in the afternoon, a touch above normal but fine. i’m not actually sure what my personal base temperature is. i should also say that i’d been consistently taking dayquil and sudafed since the previous weds.

that evening my temp started to go up. and up. or at least i think it was tuesday night. maybe it was weds? freaked out spouse, i got up to 102 F even with sudafed and additional acetaminophen. i basically had a fever from tues through this morning (friday), while taking pills like clockwork. always seemed to get worse in the afternoon/evening and be better in the morning. today at least it’s stayed below 100F, even mostly below 99F.

the cough and difficulty breathing has been the worst part. i have delicate baby lungs to begin with, and i have allergies and a history of childhood asthma. so i’m already paranoid about my breathing even with a normal cold. but to hear that i would have to immediately proceed to emergency services should my symptoms progress to: can only get a few words out, can’t stand up or walk across the room, can’t maintain conciousness, to hear that was... something. because then it’s basically like, okay, if I get pneumonia and my lungs are filling up, then i can go see a doctor in person. cool. and i know it says on the websites that there’s no approved treatment for coronavirus, that treatment for less severe cases will be the same at home as it would be in person, but shit. i woke up so many times last night feeling like i was fighting for air, waking up because i was coughing so hard i had to sit up all the way to breathe, and i kept thinking, what if i just stop breathing in my sleep? not like i would notice, right?

it’s been scary. i’ve been trying not to freak out my people with more crying and whatnot, but i’ve already got anxiety and this shit aint helping. i’m trying to stay relatively calm and not make them deal with me losing my shit on top of already taking care of me and bringing me soup and water and pills and asking what they can do for me. i’m tired of being sick. i want a new pair of lungs. i want to not feel like i’ve been hit by a truck. my ribs hurt from coughing so much. my chest hurts. my whole body aches. the headache keeps coming and going. i can’t stop fucking coughing. i don’t want to die, i just want to maybe go into a coma and wake up when this is all over. once the line of dump trucks has stopped running me over.

and i’m just so mad at the lack of preparedness in the US. i’m so pissed that i can’t even get tested, i can’t know for sure what the fuck is happening to me. i’m so mad that the cheeto is president during this. i hate this fucking timeline. i hate that we don’t even have clear numbers on cases because of mismanagement. i hate that i keep feeling like i’m about to throw up because i’m coughing so fucking hard. real fucking reassuring to know that the symptoms i’ve been told to watch for, to know that i need to go to the hospital, are the same ones that constitute an emergency and would mean that i would basically have to be rushed there. wearing a facemask if we can find one.

ugh. the other worst part is that i haven’t even been really coherent enough to write. and i’ve only been able to settle on a few things to read and watch. being sick makes me picky and like, impossible to please. so i’m spoiled for choice with 4+ streaming services, but nothing sounds good. and my people are working from home, but they’re still working. they can’t spend all their time with me. i’m bored, and everything is garbage, and there are only so many times i can rewatch the princess bride. i have been napping quite a lot, but even that doesn’t take all day.

maybe i’ll write some crackfic. then it doesn’t have to be coherent. and it would be in the spirit of covid to write some real absurd shit i think.

anyway. i might delete this later. i feel better for getting events put down and venting.  also i apologize, i have no idea how to do a readmore cut on tumblr anymore.