#Community Radio Involvement

[bookishscrolls]

Effective Community Engagement Strategies for CRS Success

Community Radio Stations (CRS) have a unique and powerful role: to be the voice of the community, by the community, and for the community. But how do you make sure your station isn’t just broadcasting to people but actively engaging with them? This guide dives into actionable strategies for community engagement that will turn your CRS into a dynamic hub of conversation, culture, and…

[charmedreincarnation]

Let me prove to you that consciousness projects your mind and reality and not the other way around There’s a documented case in neuroscience involving a French civil servant in his mid-40s. He lived a completely normal life. he was married, had kids, worked a stable job, never had any significant neurological symptoms beyond occasional leg pain. One day, he went to the hospital for that leg pain, and doctors decided to do a brain scan.

What they found shocked the entire medical community: this man was missing over 90% of his brain tissue. His skull was mostly filled with fluid. There was no detectable cerebral cortex (the part of the brain we’re taught is essential for thinking, decision-making, memory, and personality.) And yet, this man had an average IQ, lived independently, had social relationships, and functioned perfectly.

Doctors called it “hydrocephalus,” but they couldn’t explain how someone could live, think, be conscious… without a brain.

And that’s the point. Consciousness doesn’t come from the brain. The brain is like a radio it receives consciousness, it doesn’t generate it. Just like smashing a radio doesn’t destroy the music, damaging the brain doesn’t destroy the consciousness it just interrupts the signal.

So when I say you are the dreamer, I mean that literally. Your consciousness precedes your body, your brain, and even your mind. You are not your thoughts. You are the awareness behind the thoughts. And once you realize that, you stop trying to “manifest” like you’re convincing the world to give you something. You remember that you’re already dreaming it and wake up (or become lucid in the waking life.) Anyone who’s ever lucid dreamt knows the exact feeling of suddenly becoming aware that everything around you can now be shaped by your will alone. That is conscious manifestation in the waking world as well.

Reality reflects the beliefs held in the mind, which reaffirms the ego, unless interrupted by consciousness remembering itself. This is what “manifesting” is: realizing you’re not the mind or the body. You are the source, the dreamer. And when the dreamer wakes up, reality bends.

[queen-of-signs]

When & Where Will You Meet Your Spouse? 💍💫 Locations, Connections, and Fate ✨

Note: This post fits both Western and Vedic systems. Take what resonates with you more and leave the rest. Lemme know in the comments if it hits home!

Look at where your 7th house ruler is placed; the opposite sign of your 7th lord’s placement can show where and when you might meet them. You might meet your spouse under the zodiac sign opposite to your 7th lord.

7th lord in Aries → opposite sign Libra

7th lord in Taurus → opposite sign Scorpio

7th lord in Gemini → opposite sign Sagittarius

7th lord in Cancer → opposite sign Capricorn

7th lord in Leo → opposite sign Aquarius

7th lord in Virgo → opposite sign Pisces

7th lord in Libra → opposite sign Aries

7th lord in Scorpio → opposite sign Taurus

7th lord in Sagittarius → opposite sign Gemini

7th lord in Capricorn → opposite sign Cancer

7th lord in Aquarius → opposite sign Leo

7th lord in Pisces → opposite sign Virgo

If the opposite sign is Libra, you’re likely to meet your spouse at a wedding, your mother's or a younger sibling's birthday month, through business partnerships, during legal proceedings, at a courthouse, networking events, contract signings, social mixers, collaborative projects, or even a photoshoot or fashion-related event. Since Libra rules one-on-one connections and “the other,” there’s a strong chance you’ll be introduced by someone else, like a friend, colleague, or mutual contact.

If the opposite sign is Scorpio, you might meet your spouse through spiritual circles, taboo interest groups, chat rooms, the dark web, at a car dealership, during a major life event like a birth (someone close to you) or a funeral (death of a loved one), or in moments involving deep emotional or financial transitions like getting insurance, paying taxes, or receiving an inheritance. The meeting is likely to feel sudden, intense, or completely unexpected, happening in a place or situation you’d never imagine.

If the opposite sign is Sagittarius, you’re likely to meet your spouse while studying in college, during higher education abroad, on a long-distance trip, at an airport, could be a foreigner or someone from a different background. You might also cross paths in places like a church, temple, spiritual retreat, or support group. Other possibilities include meeting through publishing, broadcasting, the internet, TV, radio, a casino, a club, or anywhere involving a sense of risk, exploration, or adventure.

If the opposite sign is Capricorn, you could meet your spouse through your father, at work, during career-related events, a business meeting, through mutual friends, colleagues, at a railway station, chain restaurants, historical buildings, museum, concert, weekend gathering, bar, comedy show, award show, or even outside the city or town limits. The connection may come in structured, goal-oriented settings or when you're focused on responsibility and long-term plans.

If the opposite sign is Aquarius, you could meet your spouse online, through an activist group, social cause, NGO, while caring for the elderly, in a gaming chat room, while protesting, through friends, acquaintances, or community events for a social cause. Your spouse may live far away or come from a different cultural background.

If the opposite sign is Pisces, you might meet your spouse in a hospital, foreign country, foreigner, secluded or private setting, while hiking, trekking, during outdoor activities, end of the month or year, near water bodies, at a spa, meditation center, spiritual group, or retreat. The meeting could also happen during a period of emotional low, an existential crisis, or when you feel like you've hit rock bottom, when you're most inward or seeking deeper meaning.

If the opposite sign is Aries, you could meet your spouse when you find a new social circle or group of friends, during a glow-up, in your birthday month, while starting a new hobby, the first week of the month, Mondays, when graduating, changing jobs or locations, or while traveling by road. The meeting could happen when you're taking bold steps or embracing new beginnings.

If the opposite sign is Taurus, you could meet your spouse at local shops, while shopping, at seminars, in a bank, through family connections, coworkers, or business partners. You might also meet in the countryside, on a farm, near agricultural land, at office spaces, during a promotion, or while getting a job, or through charity work.

If the opposite sign is Gemini, you could meet your spouse on social media, dating apps, through your close friends circle, siblings, at restaurants, during local trips, while on the phone, with lots of people around you, in a crowd of young individuals, at university, workshops, during your daily commute, tourist attraction spots, or in your own neighborhood or town.

If the opposite sign is Cancer, you could meet your spouse while it's raining, during a hurricane or storms, near water bodies, at a bar, under clear blue skies, in the evening, introduced by a woman you know, at birthday parties, birth of a child (someone close to you), weddings, or at a cafe.

If the opposite sign is Leo, you could meet your spouse when you're feeling fun, lighthearted, on a close getaway, at a zoo, during outdoor activities, on a family or friends' trip or vacation, in movie theaters, at concerts, while partying and enjoying yourself, or by following them on social media.

If the opposite sign is Virgo, you could meet your spouse while you're busy with daily tasks, at a vet clinic, during a promotion, at the gym, while jogging, working, or caught up in routines that feel mundane. It may take time to realize they’re your person, as you're caught up with other things in your life.

Wanna dive deeper into your chart's layers? ✨🔍 DM me for a full astrology reading, a 5 or 8-year marriage report, detailed synastry, or a kundli matching breakdown 🌙💬 Check out my pinned post for pricing and more info 💫💸

Let’s decode your cosmic chaos together ⭐💖

[moonastro]

Groom persona chart

Asteroid Union in the houses ( 1585)

what is a groom persona chart? this chart exhibits qualities that your husband will have and possible placements that can be seen in their chart. it is simply a chart all about your spouse in a woman's chart. the asteroid groom can be identified using the code 5129.

The union in the groom persona chart represents the meeting between you and your husband. It can identify the environment, place, and symbolic values when meeting them.

reminder: this is my interpretation from observations and first hand experiences, so don't take this to heart.

✨special notes to take in before we get started-

🌼if union is in retrograde the union can be long going, like you and your spouse may take their time to actually start hanging out or start talking even especially if in 3rd house.

🌼if neptune is aspecting union may symbolise the union can have some secrecy or misinformation targeted towards you. depending in the house it's in can tell you why, like if in 2nd house you may misinform yourself into thinking your spouse may have a lot of money.

🌼union conjunct pluto may indicate a cold eery response from your half during the meeting. something may catch your eye about your future spouse but you wont know why. omggg and you may also hide the fact that you are interested in them. like you will keep a poker face or act like you are not interested when meeting them.

🌼union aspecting venus (more accurate if in 8th house) can suggest you secretly having an interest in them after the meeting so to say. union can involve some third party being involved such as a feminine individual.

Union in 1st house: for this placement you may meet your future spouse at a time of reflection and minding your own business. There could be some independence going on that day, you can meet your spouse and be completely by yourself that day also. You can also be the bold one here and approach them first or you may also notice them first. There could be conflict going on that day, whether you fall out with someone or someone around you may be arguing whenever you meet your spouse. Also vehicles can be involved here, you can literally meet them when driving back to your house from work or something.

Union in 2nd house: the meeting of you and your spouse can be very casual. May happen when doing something you find pleasure in such as going to treat yourself for a spa, a nice lunch etc. this meeting may involve some flirtations amongst one another so subtle flirting may happen when you both meet. On the other hand, this placement can bring some familiarity between you two so you may already know your spouse or have encountered them before or you may feel like it.

Union in 3rd house: the union may occur in your childhood neighbourhood. this may be a service occupied area or space so there can be a lot of background technological stuff ging on such as radio being blasted, other people being there as well, a social event with people being in the background. this place can be where travel is needed to get there which i know is literally everywhere because you need to travel everywhere if its outside your house but this is short distance literally like as far as one town to the other town. or this can be considered a bit of travel for you. If Union is in retrograde remember that communication may be very limited and actually non existent whenever you first meet, it’s something that you will have to learn to do when you meet, usually can talk about them to other people first before you actually talk to them.

Union in 4th house: can meet spouse in their home country especially if in the sign of Sagittarius or Pisces. Starting off strong, this meeting between you and your spouse can be somewhat planned or predicted in some ways. Like there may be some very noticeable or predictable approaches that were made whenever you met, like for example, when we you meet them you may already be thinking of moving in with them and thinking of staring a family together that sort of thing. There can be instant attraction and you may already view your soon to be spouse as husband material. With this placement I have also noticed that there is always an age gap, like all the husbands of the charts that have Union in 4H are older than them. Your meeting can involve some type of structural adjustment, you may be very busy when you meet them or vice versa. You may be working like literally in your job, or they can be doing some job as well- it just depends on aspects- like if it’s in exact opposition to mc( although this may cause some problems with meeting oops).

🌻an example would be -my mothers union is in the 4H- my father was doing some labour work and was busy doing something, but he was also AT HIS OWN HOME( 4th house is literally associated with your home) , she just happened to be cycling past him lol. (The degree was 25° which is associated with Aries- and Aries represents fast, actions, vehicles- bicycles).

Union in 5th house: meeting of you and your spouse can involve eyeing them up or vice versa. So love at first sight can be very common for this placement. Being heavily attracted to your spouse can also be very likely whenever you meet for the first time. Once again, this can suggest meeting them at a social event, a bit like the 7th house but this can be more surrounded by young people, or children even. So you may meet wherever there is a fun activity some likely energy going on, anything to do with kids/ children can also be linked with the surroundings whenever you two meet.

🌻for example, I know someone who had their union in 5th house and they met at a place where school kids would go afterschool or you would likely see them there.

Union in 6th house: may meet your future spouse whenever doing daily things/ not thinking about anything just focusing on your day. There may be some unfortunate things that happen in the background such as fights or argument/ hearing bad news/ feeling off that day ( all depend on aspects and sign as well). There could be a moment where you change something you usually would do every day and that’s when you can meet your spouse. Like instead of going to one grocery shop that you would always do every week you may decide to go to a different one to switch it up and may actually meet your future spouse ( more likely if you have Taurus union). Or another example could be whenever you change where you would go to the gym, maybe you decide to go to an outdoor one that day etc etc.

Union in 7th house: you can meet your future spouse when there is a lot of people. He can be part of your social group or extended social group, since this house is all about connections it’s like your friends can be friends with him and you finally meet each other from them. There is also a possibility meeting them at a social media app where people go to socialise and chat. So you may encounter them when you are chatting with friends in an app and they get added to the group chat that sort of thing. Usually what I’ve noticed with this placement usually you’ll meet your spouse after getting out of a relationship also.

Union in 8th house: meeting your spouse can be confusing. You may meet them very randomly or you may meet them but it would be very discreet moment for you as there may not be significant pointers that would indicate you that he is your future spouse. It may take a long time for you to actually open up to each other, may encounter them again, and again and again and… again, until you may think to yourself that you see them way to frequently. This meeting may also suggest that either you can be very attracted to them or not at all, yup you may actually not find them attractive at all whenever you meet them, but what may get you is their soul, their personality and the occurrences that happen by accident??

Union in 9th house: the meeting of your and your future spouse may happen at a time of when you are learning a new experience or experiencing something new that you haven’t before. This can literally mean you learning so a university or an education facility can be somewhere you meet them. But overall this placement can involve some travel or in a foreign environment, a place where you haven’t been before or been longing to explore or visit. Whenever you meet your spouse you can be new at something depending on the sign can tell you how so for example if in Aries may be learning to drive or may be a busier than usual day for you that day.

Union in 10th house: this placement is very professional and distant. This placement can indicate meeting your spouse in a professional matter so this can indicate while he is working or when you are. Usually with the meeting there can be some regulations involved such as effort that needs to be put in order to meet each other. This can simply mean that on the day of meeting there could be extra effort that may happen so for example if in the sign of taurus there could be some additional effort made with your appearance, like you may be more presentable that usual or may wear makeup for the first time because you may not wear it often something like that.

Union in 11th house: first meeting with your spouse can be through friends or online. It is definitely involving some social and interactive progress, I have observed some charts that have had this placement and they met online first THENN met up with them with a friend of their( catch this, she had her union asteroid in Scorpio in 11H and the friend she took with her to meet her spouse was a water sign sun!!!!) anyway, the meeting may be very public, and I mean this meeting can literally be in the middle of whole crowds of people, it will not be private AT ALL. Also this can be a very fun and exciting event for you, you may already know what you are expecting, as you may chatted online beforehand.

Union in 12th house: this placement can emphasise on a fated or unexpected union. What I’ve observed with this placement is that the people with this placement met foreign partners or their partner is from a different country or culture. But both met at a different country where both where born in. However, the meeting of you both may not be known by others very well. It’s not like it is intentionally kept discreet but it just may happen that you won’t be telling anyone about the meeting or how you’ve met them to others if that makes sense.

[cairoblair]

LADS men and their red flags

(a/n: this is my opinion of the LADS men’s red flags in a relationship based on my understanding of their characters and their dynamics with MC)

Rafayel

Manipulation

I think Rafayel would have a tendency to guilt-trip through passive aggressive comments. When he’s upset, you might get the cold shoulder, but more often than not he’s making a snide comment about the situation or about something you said. He’ll do this until you finally make up, and he’ll apologize for his actions, but that won’t stop him from doing it again.

Xavier

Jealousy

Xavier simply can’t stand seeing you around other men. It doesn’t matter if they’re being completely platonic with you, it grinds his gears. He won’t necessarily start a fight over it - he tends to avoid conflict - but you’ll know. He’ll shoot the man a hard glare or pull you closer, or even blatantly interrupt your conversation to drag you away. He can’t stand the thought of any other man getting your attention. He’ll try to make it up to you when you get upset about it, but don’t expect him to change.

Zayne

Lack of Affection

Zayne is not very outwardly emotional, so getting affection from him can be difficult when it’s not just the two of you. In private, he has no problem with you being all over him. But, in public, especially around his colleagues, he almost seems like he’s ignoring you. He might leave his hand on your waist or leave his fingers intertwined with yours, but other than that, his attention seems to be anywhere but you. He’s trying though - he’s not used to being openly affectionate. (thanks astra.)

Sylus

Lack of Communication

Usually, Sylus can’t go very long without seeing you, or at least talking to you. But, when he has a business deal or a meeting to deal with, you may not hear from him for days on end. It’s complete radio silence - no calls, no texts, and not even a response to the various ways you’ve tried to reach him. He’ll suddenly pop back up with no explanation at all, as if nothing ever happened. He’s not secretive about his work necessarily, but the last thing he wants is you getting involved. In his mind, it’s better to keep you in the dark. He’ll be sure to spend plenty of time with you when he gets back, but you’ll never really know when he’s going to disappear again.

Caleb

Controlling

He can’t help it. It comes from a place of love, it really does, but he has a hand in every part of your life. He’s always tracking your location, monitoring who you’re spending time with or talking to, or behaving like a helicopter parent with a troublesome kid. Sometimes, he’ll change your schedule or delete something from your phone without your permission or knowledge, but in his mind, he’s only trying to protect you. Even when he’s away for work, he’s somehow able to be present in every aspect of your life. He knows you’re capable of taking care of yourself, but why would he let you when he can easily do it for you?

[toxicrivalries]

To our most dearest most beloved elle @gayferrari ✨

Happy birth-week from carp @antspaul and myself. Please enjoy this wonderful and silly gift from the pair of us ❤️. We're so glad to have you in both our lives, and hope this brings you joy.

(also here on ao3)

Image ID under the cut.

[a series of 10 images describing Charles Leclerc’s journey into becoming a mouse during the 2025 Formula 1 season. 

IMAGE 1: 

A screenshot from Autosport’s website. 

‘Leclerc made mouse in new Ferrari strategy’ followed by a banner of two images showing Leclerc in his human form and also as a striped field mouse. 

The text reads:

‘Charles Leclerc has turned into a mouse ahead of 2025 season testing, as reported by official channels earlier today. 

Leclerc’s transformation occurred as an experimental effort by Ferrari to maximize their drivers’ physical reflexes. Other teams have already logged formal complaints. The FIA have yet to make their official decision, but an insider source insists that “there is nothing in the rulebook that dictates mice cannot compete in Formula 1”. 

Ferrari boss Frederick Vasseur seemed quite pleased with the outcomes. When asked if the Monegasque driver could communicate over team radio while in mouse form, Vasseur responded that his team are presently working through solutions. He reassured Autosport that Ferrari’s mouseification process is ‘entirely reversible’, though it seems the subject of the transformation must be willing to undergo the process again - a task far more difficult to achieve with a vocabulary limited to squeaks.’

IMAGE 2: 

Charles Leclerc in mouse form, standing near the cockpit of his F1 car. He is a striped field mouse wearing a ferrari cap.

IMAGE 3: 

Charles Leclerc in mouse form, standing on the head of his golden Dachshund Leo. Leo is running towards the viewer with a red chew toy in his mouth. 

IMAGE 4: 

Screenshot of Leclerc’s radio message during a race. The radio reads: ‘Squeak Squeak ****** Squeak’

IMAGE 5: 

An advertisement of Parmesan cheese being sold by Charles’ ice cream company. Charles in his mouse form is posing by a wheel of parmesan. The word LEC in brand font is above his head. 

IMAGE 6: 

A screenshot from the GPDA’s instagram profile. It shows the GDPA’s statement on Charles’ mouse transformation. 

The text reads: 

“‘GPDA Statement regarding “Mouseification’

As athletes, we wholeheartedly understand and support technological developments in revolutionising our sport. As such, we commend the efforts of the scientific and engineering minds behind Ferrari’s “mouseification” process. However, as the representative body of Formula 1 drivers, the GPDA must voice its concerns.

First, we must state that the Grand Prix Drivers Association does not exclude non-human members. Indeed, our purpose is to represent all drivers, including drivers who are mice. Should the FIA, stewards, or any other members of the governing bodies of our Sport single out our rodent co-competitors, it is within the duties of the GPDA to intervene.

Further, the GPDA would like to express concern for the ethics of turning drivers at the pinnacle of motorsport into common household animals. While the engineers of this technique have made assurances that it is reversible, we want to be 100% certain this is the case. Additionally, we want full confirmation that no driver should have to undergo a similar transformation without his or her express permission and consent, regardless of any competitive benefits it may provide.

Lastly, we would like to state on record that GPDA members who have been transformed into animals are willingly participating in the Sport, and that it is not considered animal cruelty. However, should a team force a driver to compete in animal form against their will, the parties involved will be liable for animal cruelty.

The GPDA wishes to be as collaborative and as forthcoming as possible with the stakeholders, teams, individuals, and governing bodies involved in these changes to the sport that we all hold dear.

Best regards, 

The Directors and Chairman of the GPDA on behalf of the Grand Prix Drivers.

#RacingUnited for our Safety, our Sport, our Fans.”

IMAGE 7: 

A screenshot of Charles’ interview with the Athletic. The title reads: “Man or Mouse? Leclerc opens up about mouseification, cheese sponsorship, and 2025 WDC hopes”

It is followed by a graphic banner. The banner displays the Ferrari badge, Charles in his human form, and Charles in his mouse form. His mouse form is wearing a Ferrari cap, and is on a red circle background. 

IMAGE 8: 

A screenshot of Charles’ interview with the Athletic, containing an excerpt of it.

The text reads: 

“Man or Mouse? Leclerc opens up about mouseification, cheese sponsorship, and 2025 WDC hopes”

Indeed, Leclerc has gone from success to success since the opening of the 2025 season. Within a week of claiming the top step in Melbourne, the Monegasque driver announced a new personal sponsorship and collaboration with none other than Parmigiano Reggiano — a match made in heaven, since Leclerc’s momentary mouse metamorphosis. 

“It’s changed my outlook on racing,” he squeaked to his interpreter, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, at whose farm Leclerc has been rumoured to reside since his mouseification. “Being a mouse, it gives me more courage in the car to try things I wouldn’t be trying in previous seasons.” 

This new perspective can be seen in how Leclerc carries himself, though he is only ten centimeters tall. When asked about his target for this season, he answered without hesitation: “To be world champion. This hasn’t changed. I am more certain than ever that this year it is possible.” The current points standings would not disagree. “No mouse has ever been world champion. It would mean a lot to the greater rodent community. It would mean a lot to me.”’

IMAGE 9: 

A breaking news announcement from the official F1 channels. It is framed in Ferrari red. It shows Charles’ in mouse form on his car. 

The text in the image reads: 

‘BREAKING 

Ferrari left with ‘no way to reverse’ Leclerc mouseification. 

IMAGE 10: 

A photo of Sebastian Vettel at the paddock. Charles Leclerc in mouse form is sitting on his shoulder, wearing a little bucket hat. 

END ID]

[poolseason]

more Ninjagelion AU

Setup: In the aftermath of a cataclysmic event on the Dark Island where humans accidentally awakened an entity known as the [OVERLORD] the world was plunged into eternal chaos. 20 years later, Ninjago has managed to rebuild. Now in New Ninjago City, a bustling and lively hub at the heart of Ninjago, has been under attack by monsters- onis, dragons, serpents, unexplainable beasts,- creatures made from the [OVERLORD]'s darkness. Luckily the Special Division ELEMENTS is here to protect the realm from these monstrous threats, with the NINJA mechs. This cant be possible without some valuable members of the team!

Characters, lore, and more ↓

Characters:

Pixal: In this au she's a human scientist, and probably the one person who knows the most about how the NINJA mechs are created. She's in charge of the technical division, and head of research and development. During a monster battle, her order's are second to Cole's. Her highest priority is the integrity of the mechs, to the point she might be a bit negligent of the safety of their pilots. Pixal is deeply involved in some suspicious agendas involving the secret entities hidden under the base, and while she's the most knowledgeable person in the force, she's not the most trustworthy. Pixal is Zane's personal "doctor" and knows more about his schematics than anyone else. She created the Nindroid plugs (aka the Dummy system, an autopilot of sorts) with his personality data. Pixal is also one of the few people who know what happened to the original Dr. Julien and Echo.

Jay: For a little history on him, Jay is on the younger side, have graduated from college a couple of years ago. He originally interned here as an electrical engineer in the Weapons Deparment, but Pixal saw his skill and ingenuity and gave him an unrefusable return offer in the R&D department as her right hand. Jay's parents, Ed and Edna Walker were colleagues of Cyrus Borg and were involved in the engineering and design of the Geofront and NNC's civilian safety infrastructure, so Jay's always been somewhat interested in ELEMENT's work. It was kind of a dream come true when the Pixal Borg hired him. During monster attacks, Jay's in charge of making sure the NINJA mechs operate properly, have access to their weapons and gear, and making sure the NNC fortress moves as needed. Jay's always seen with his goggles and he almost never follows uniform protocol.

Jay is also one of the few Technicians who personally work with the Pilots, he's one of the first people Lloyd warmed up to at ELEMENTS, and he becomes kind of a big brother figure to him after one particularly crazy mission when he has to personally go out onto the field with Lloyd in Unit-01. When Nya arrives the pair work together a lot outside of pilot training, but Nya definitely likes him and he... needs to figure some things out. whoops!

Skylor: Having grown up in the aftermath of the 2nd (Overlord) Impact, Skylor's seen a lot of destruction and cruelty, even first hand from her own father who lead a doomsday cult that wreaked havoc on innocent communities trying to survive in the near apocalyptic event. Vowing to protect the world from similar chaos, she joined the NINJA program's tactical division. When the monster attacks began, she's in-charge of monitoring the enemy's health, pilot life signs, and mapping.

Dareth: His last name is Presley bc of the Elvis hair and inspiration lmao. He's not really a high ranking member of the organization but Cole and the others seem to really trust him, despite his mess ups. Dareth normally handles ferrying radio messages between ground teams and mission control. Dareth is a relaxed guy who values a positive work environment, even if that kind of makes him a bad employee. He's a very good uncle figure to a lot of members of ELEMENTS

MORE Cole: Cole is the leader of the tactical division. He was drafted into the military when he was only a young teenager in the aftermath of the [OVERLORD] but he was recognized by Wu and not long after he completed college and grad school he was quickly hired by ELEMENTS to oversee the tactical division. He's vengeful towards the Overlord's darkness monsters because his mother Lily was the captain of the disastrous expedition to the Dark Island 20 years ago. The dog tags he wears are his own and his mother's.

Lloyd and Zane, on neural headsets: As pilots of a NINJA mech they have a lot of pressure on them, obviously this can cause a lot of mental turmoil and stress. In order to pilot a mech they must synchronize their own mind to their mech's soul*, so stress isn't really a good thing for a pilot to have. Zane was programmed to not experience such emotions, but over the course of the series, its proven that he grows to feel quite strongly and become more human. Despite his programming, the lack of emotion early on was actually a detriment to his ability to pilot, since the NINJA soul wouldn't be able to synchronize it's feelings with an entity that feels nothing. Sometimes its necessary for pilots to wear more complicated neural headsets and spinal connections for more controlled sync testing. During the cross-sync experiment when Zane and Lloyd traded units, they were stuck wearing extra uncomfortable test suits -- too many wires and junk! The only downside to extra connection is that the mech could overload and go berserk. (which big surprise, happened!), so usually Lloyd, the designated Unstable Pilottm, only needs the barebones neural interface in most situations.

[miryum]

Simon Riley has a lot of weird little quirks that I couldn’t fit in any other fic idea

Simon Riley knows how to braid hair and braid it well. French, Dutch, fishtail, anything you wanted. Little tiny braids didn’t deter him either. He would sit on the couch, you standing or sitting between his thick thighs and glare silently in concentration as he braided your hair. He’s also able to pick up any hairstyle real easily. Show him some inspiration on Pinterest and he’ll be able to replicate it almost perfectly. Simon isn’t as good at buns because he can’t quite get how to twist his wrist just right, but give him a strand of hair and he loves to weave it between his fingers. It makes him feel close to you and he is so proud when you wear the braid all throughout the day

Simon Riley folds laundry with military precision and gets a little miffed if you fold the laundry wrong. He literally grumbles and mutters to himself and then re-folds the entire load. He tries to show you how to fold it, but you don’t care as much as him, so he just does it himself. Laundry and the majority of the cleaning goes to Simon because as much as he has qualms about the way you do laundry, don’t even get him started on the way you attempt to clean the house. It’s better for everyone if he just does it

Simon Riley likes to rub his face over your pillow. Especially before or after deployment, he’s like a cat. He circles your pillow in his beefy arms and just presses his cheek to it again and again. It’s like he’s scenting it so that when he goes away, you won’t forget him. You think it’s absolutely adorable and you like to scratch at his hair as he does it

Simon Riley has very strong opinions about Christmas lights. He likes to put them up every year because he grew up Catholic (though he’s now an atheist) and it reminds him of his childhood. He doesn’t really care whether the lights are all white or different colours, but he cannot stand it if they blink. It’s much too annoying and busy and he thinks it’s a cry for attention. It also doesn’t help that sometimes he sees them out of the corner of his eye and the red ones look like the lights on a bomb or the green ones like the call signal on a radio

Simon Riley likes to buy you jewellery. He likes to buy anything and everything that he thinks will look pretty on you. When he finds something with little birds on it, he can’t help but splurge because you’re his Birdie and he loves you

Simon Riley is really good at most any sport, you name it. Rugby, basketball, baseball, American football, the list goes on and on. But put a gun to his head and tell him to score a goal for football and he would take the bullet. There’s really no explanation for it. One could blame it on his utter behemoth size, but he’s able to dribble the basketball or swing at the baseball hurtling towards him, but his feet just trip over themselves as he tries to get the bloody football down the field. He hates that little black and white ball with a burning passion

Simon Riley who is actually pretty involved in the VA. He doesn’t go out and advocate for more funding or anything, but if he sees a homeless veteran, he definitely guides them in the right direction. He goes there once a week just to catch up with everyone. You think it’s very healthy that he’s establishing a community for himself and he really enjoys it – you can see it in his eyes after he comes home Simon Riley who needs to sleep on the couch sometimes after deployment. It’s not that he doesn’t want to hold you close, but the mattress is sometimes a bit too soft for him after sleeping on the ground or in a hard cot for weeks on end. You usually end up joining him, just splaying out on his chest. After a night or two, he returns to his place in the bed, holding you close

Simon Riley has the 141 insignia tattooed on his bicep and then the numbers on his chest. He was going to put the numbers over his heart, but, a week before his appointment, he had met you and some little part of him told him to move the tattoo up three inches. He was very glad he decided to move it because a year later he had gotten your initials with a little bird tattooed right over his heart

[rspberryberet]

a few 90s!stack x black!reader hcs

- loves the music of this era, namely the genres of hip hop and r&b

- favorite rappers are outkast, biggie, and nas

- favorite r&b singers are janet, mary j, and new edition ( anytime, any place is one of his favorite songs that he’s dedicated to you )

- buys a tape of do the right thing ( the spike lee joint ) and JUMPS at the chance to try out the ice thing that mookie did on tina ( iykyk, look it up chile )

- sex is still as good as it was in the 30s, don’t playyy, probably even better because of all the new positions and toys that they’re coming up with

- can’t get completely on board with the radio and walkman shit, he still plays and collects records

- enjoys flashing his teeth at people to scare them off

- obsessed with playing street fighter

- still has to do shady shit for money involving gangs just like he did in chicago in the 30s but refusesss to sell crack especially in black communities

- definitely believes in the conspiracies about reagan funneling drugs into black communities

- his favorite invention of the past few decades by far is the cell phone, he loves being able to call you when he’s away

- loves the fashion of the era ofc, he’s a nikes guy but fucks with a good pair of reeboks

- equally loves the hairstyles of the era, pays for each one you get obviously. his favorite styles for you to get are the elaborate updos, ( like the ones in b.a.p.s ) he thinks it’s pure art

- has grills that fit over his fangs and got you some too obvi

[teine-mallaichte]

Let's talk hallucinations in whump/general fiction.

So first off full disclosure, I have schizoaffective disorder - think some bits of bipolar and some bits of schizophrenia kind of squished together, and as such hallucinations are a BIG part of my general existence.

Definition: A hallucination is a perception of a sensory experience—such as sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch—that appears real but is created by the mind and lacks an external stimulus.

Now, I see a fair few "hallucinations" type prompts in whump events, and just generally within the whump community, and I see a LOT of auditory hallucinations type prompt fills - mainly in the form of malevolent whispers - and ye that's a thing, but there are so many other hallucinations.

The thing is hallucinations can effect literally any sense, not just hearing - though I will add that auditory is usually regarded as the most common.

this is a long post so I am going to put a cut here... below the cut is exploration of the tyoes of hallucination, the causes and a bit about insight.

So, I thought it could be "fun" to explore a few in a post. Lets explore the 5 "main" senses first:

Auditory Hallucinations

Description: These are the most common type of hallucinations. They involve hearing sounds that are not present. The sounds are hear as if they are coming from somewhere external to the body. So in my case I have a few of these, but my main one is a voice who is with me even when I am in meds (another good point there for anyone who wants to use mental illness in their fics even in meds we can do have symptoms). This voice has a name and most of the time he just sorts off passes comments about things and people around me, like a sarcastic narrator and it sounds like he is standing just behind me.

Common Examples:

Malevolent Whispers: Insidious voices that might threaten, taunt, or belittle you.

Hearing Music: Melodies or songs playing that no one else can hear. For me this kind of sounds like someone is playing a radio in a different room.

Environmental Sounds: Hearing footsteps, doors creaking, or other sounds suggesting someone else is present.

Command Hallucinations: Voices that instruct or suggest (its not always ademand, sometimes more subtle and manipulative) you to do certain things, often with a compelling and distressing sense of urgency.

Less used examples:

Kind/supportive hallucinations: Voices that are encouraging, reassuring and supportive.

Distortion: Rather than sounds with no origin hallucinations that disort or warp actual sounds/voices changing the meaning, making it as if the TV or Radio is addressing you personally, making it sound as if a friend is threatening you.

Fun fact: it actually is possible to have a two way (sort of) conversation with a hallucination - I know I do it relatively often. It will be different for everyone, but fo me its a bit like having a conversation on a bad phoneline, yes the voice will respond but often its almost as if he hasn't fully heard what I said - or is ignoring key points. I can do this both outloud and "in my head".

Visual Hallucinations

Description: Visual hallucinations involve seeing things that are not present. These can range from simple shapes and flashes of light to detailed images or scenes. They often appear as if they are in the physical world and can be very convincing.

Common Examples:

Shadowy Figures: Seeing indistinct, shadowy forms that may move or appear to watch the character.

Distorted Faces: Perceiving familiar faces as grotesque or altered in frightening ways.

Apparitions: Full-bodied figures that may interact with the character or appear menacing.

Lights/sparkles: The whump community seems to very much enjoy lights and sparkles, especially in drugging.

Less Used Examples:

Intrusive Visuals: Images of disturbing or graphic nature that suddenly appear in your line of sight.

Perceptual Distortions: Objects appearing to warp, change shape, or color in unnatural ways.

Double Vision: Seeing multiples of objects or people, creating a confusing and disorienting experience.

Scenery Shifts: The entire environment changes, making you believe they are in a completely different place.

Fun fact: Sleep deprivation can cause some wild visual hallucinations, even relatively "mild" sleep deprivation can start to effect a persons perceptions.

Gustatory Hallucinations

Description: Gustatory hallucinations involve tasting things that are not actually present in the mouth. These can range from pleasant to extremely unpleasant tastes and can be triggered without any external food or drink.

Officially these are considered "rare", but personally (as someone who has done a lot of peer support work in the psychosis/voice hearing community I think they are simply under reported.)

Common Examples:

Bitter or Metallic Taste: A persistent bitter or metallic taste in the mouth, often leading to a sense of unease or concern about poisoning.

Sweet or Sour Taste: Tasting something sweet or sour unexpectedly, which can be confusing if it doesn’t match the current context.

Less Used Examples:

Spoiled Food: Tasting something rancid or spoiled, causing nausea and distress.

Unfamiliar Tastes: Tasting something completely unfamiliar and hard to describe, adding to the character's sense of disorientation.

Mimicking Actual Foods: Tasting specific foods that trigger cravings or aversions, despite not eating anything.

Transforming food: Food tasting like other food - I know someone for whom everything tasted like strawberries for days.

Common Causes: Neurological conditions or can be a side effect of medications.

Olfactory Hallucinations

Description: Olfactory hallucinations involve smelling odors that are not actually present. These can be pleasant or unpleasant and occur without any corresponding external stimulus. They can be particularly disorienting because they may trigger memories or emotions associated with certain scents - extremely complex if the person also has PTSD.

Common Examples:

Burning Smell: Wood, rubber, or food, which can lead to panic and fear of a fire.

Rotting Flesh: An overpowering smell of decay or rotting flesh, causing distress and nausea.

Perfume or Flowers: Smelling strong scents like flowers or perfume - hallucinations don't have to be inherently unpleasant sensations.

Less Used Examples:

Chemical Smells: Smelling chemicals like bleach or petrol.

Unfamiliar Scents: Smelling odors that you cannot identify.

Food Smells: Smelling specific foods that trigger hunger or nausea, despite the absence of any actual food.

Tactile Hallucinations

Description: Tactile hallucinations involve feeling sensations on or under the skin that are not actually there. These can range from mild tingling to severe pain and can be extremely distressing.

Common Examples:

Crawling Sensation: Feeling as though insects or bugs are crawling on or under the skin - often leading to frantic scratching or picking.

Electric Shocks: Experiencing sudden, sharp, electric-like jolts.

Pressure: Feeling pressure or tightness around certain body parts, such as a hand gripping the arm or something heavy on the chest.

Less Used Examples:

Temperature Changes: Feeling extreme cold or heat on the skin without any external cause.

Wetness or Dripping: Feeling as though liquid is dripping or running down the skin, even when dry.

Phantom Touches: Sensations of being touched or grabbed, often when alone. Sometimes its an almost feather like touch, other times its more akin to a grab that if reak would leave a bruise.

Right now let's expand - because there are more than 5 senses.

Proprioceptive Hallucinations

Description: Proprioception is the sense of the relative positioning of one's body parts. Proprioceptive hallucinations involve distorted perceptions of where your body is in space or how it is moving.

Common Examples:

Floating Sensation: Feeling as if the body is levitating or moving without control.

Distorted Body Size: Perceiving limbs or the entire body as being unnaturally large or small.

Less Used Examples:

Misaligned Limbs: Feeling as though limbs are twisted or out of place.

Movement Hallucinations: Sensing movements that aren't occurring, like swaying or rotating.

Common causes: Neurological disorders or the effects of certain drugs, but can by caused by a huge array of things.

Vestibular Hallucinations

Description: Vestibular sensations involve balance and spatial orientation. Vestibular hallucinations affect your sense of balance, making you feel dizzy or as though you're moving when you're stationary.

Common Examples:

Vertigo: A spinning sensation, as if the environment or oneself is rotating.

Imbalance: Feeling as though you're about to fall over or can't maintain your balance.

Less Used Examples:

Motion Sensation: Sensing movement, like rocking or swaying, when you're still.

Gravity Distortions: Feeling as if gravity is stronger or weaker than it actually is.

Common caused: Inner ear issues, migraines, or anxiety.

Temporal Hallucinations

Description: Temporal hallucinations involve distorted perceptions of time. They can make time feel like it's speeding up, slowing down, or standing still.

Common Examples:

Time Dilation: Feeling as though time is passing much slower than it actually is.

Time Compression: Perceiving time as moving rapidly, making events feel like they're passing in a blur.

Less Used Examples:

Frozen Moments: Experiencing time as if it's stopped, with everything around you appearing frozen.

Temporal Displacement: Feeling as though you're living in a different time period.

Temporal Dissonance: Feeling as if time is moving differently for you in comparison to those around you.

Common caused: Extreme fatigue, high stress, or under the influence of certain drugs.

Interoceptive Hallucinations

Description: Interoception refers to the perception of sensations from within the body, such as hunger, thirst, or the feeling of a heartbeat. Hallucinations in this realm involve feeling internal sensations that aren't actually occurring.

Common Examples:

False Hunger: Feeling extremely hungry despite having eaten recently.

Nonexistent Thirst: An intense sense of thirst even when well-hydrated - I have had this one a few times and given myself electrolyte imbalances due tot he amount of water I ended up drinking (not fun).

Less Used Examples:

Phantom Heartbeats: Feeling the heart racing or skipping beats without any physical basis.

Digestive Sensations: Sensations of digestion, such as gurgling or bloating, without any real cause.

Common causes: Panic disorder or certain types of seizures.

Right, now lets quickly review the main "causes" of hallucinations

Mental Illness:

Schizophrenia: Can involve basically anything from this list, but anecdotally auditory and visual appear to be the most common.

Bipolar Disorder: Can include hallucinations, especially during manic or depressive episodes.

Schizoaffective Disorder: A combination of symptoms from both schizophrenia and mood disorders, often leading to a variety of hallucinations.

EUPD/BPD: Auditory hallucinations are relatively common.

In all of these the hallucinations will rarely (if ever) exist in isolation. If you do not have primary or secondary experience of mental illness then I would recommend doing a LOT of research - and talking to people who do (on this note my asks are open if anyone has any schizoaffective based questions).

Neurological Conditions:

Epilepsy: Particularly temporal lobe epilepsy, can cause a range of sensory hallucinations.

Parkinson's Disease: Can lead to visual and auditory hallucinations.

Migraine: Migraine auras can include visual and auditory hallucinations.

Once again the hallucinations will not be in isolatation so same advice as with mental illness.

Substance Use and Withdrawal:

Psychedelics: Drugs like LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline are known for causing vivid visual and auditory hallucinations.

Stimulants: Methamphetamine and cocaine can cause tactile and visual hallucinations.

Alcohol Withdrawal: Can lead to visual, auditory, and tactile hallucinations.

You know what I am going to say that my "if you do not have experience of this then go talk to someone who does" advice may just stand for every potential cause.

Sleep Disorders:

Sleep Deprivation: Can cause a variety of hallucinations across different senses.

Narcolepsy: Often includes hypnagogic (while falling asleep) and hypnopompic (while waking up) hallucinations.

Medical Conditions:

Delirium: Acute confusion and hallucinations often seen in severe infections, fever, or after surgery.

Dementia: Especially Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's disease, can cause hallucinations.

Medications:

Anticholinergics: Can cause hallucinations as a side effect.

Steroids: High doses can sometimes lead to hallucinations.

Certain Antidepressants and Antipsychotics: Occasionally, these medications can cause hallucinations.

Psychological Stress and Trauma:

PTSD: Flashbacks and hallucinations related to traumatic events.

Extreme Stress: Can sometimes trigger hallucinations.

Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders:

Thyroid Disorders: Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism can sometimes cause hallucinations.

Electrolyte Imbalances: Severe imbalances can lead to hallucinations.

Deprivation:

Sensory Deprivation: Go google the ganzfeld effect, it's facinating.

Isolation: Extended periods of isolation can lead to hallucinations, known as sensory deprivation hallucinations.

Autoimmune Disorders:

Lupus: Can cause neurological symptoms including hallucinations.

Tumors:

Brain Tumors: Depending on their location, they can cause hallucinations affecting different senses.

Ok, finally point for this post. Let's discuss insight, because it is not as black/white or binary as people seem to assume.

Definition: Insight, in this context, refers to the awareness and understanding that one's hallucinations are not real but are a product of their mind. Insight can be partial or complete, and it often fluctuates.

Complete Insight:

Description: The individual fully understands that their hallucinations are not real and are caused by an underlying condition.

Impact: This can help the person manage their symptoms more effectively and seek appropriate treatment. However, it doesn't necessarily lessen the distress caused by the hallucinations.

Partial Insight:

Description: The individual has some awareness that their hallucinations might not be real but can still struggle with differentiating them from reality.

Impact: This can lead to confusion and anxiety, as the person oscillates between believing and doubting their experiences.

Lack of Insight:

Description: The individual firmly believes that their hallucinations are real and external.

Impact: This can lead to significant distress and functional impairment, as the person might respond to these hallucinations as if they were real.

Now imagine these three points on a scale from 0 (complete insight) to 10 (lack of insight) a person can be anywhere on this scale, and can slide back and fourth along it.

Factors such as stress, fatigue, medication changes, or daily fluctuations in mental state can cause insight to vary. A person might have high insight at one moment and low insight the next.

Basically Insight Is Not Static.

Also sometimes insight is just FREAKING RANDOM fluctuation for no discernible reason - honestly at times there is zero logic.

so ye, halluncinations… the brain is freaking wild.

Disclaimer - this is by no means an exhaustive list and like with many things every individual will experience these things slightly differently.

A similar post about delirium A similar post about fever

[lilbluustar]

you won't come back

pairing�� toxic and obsessive boyfriend!sungchan x fem!reader

wc— 2.5k

content and warnings— toxic relationship dynamics, possessive/jealous behavior, dubcon, controlling partner behavior, obsession themes, alcohol involved, emotional manipulation, rough handling (nonviolent), power play, dirty talk, not romanticized, nsfw (18+ mdi!!), unprotected sex.

note— this is the first time i write something like this, i decided to get out of my comfort zone of what i usually write about and uhm.... don't have too many expectations, it's my first attempt at doing something stronger, but i enjoyed writing this heheh ngl.

Sungchan had always been the perfect boyfriend, gentlemanly, attentive, loving and caring, you trusted him completely and he trusted you, he had always treated you as if you were made of glass, your friends kept telling you how lucky you were to have found a boyfriend as sweet and gentle as him, even if you did something that bothered him, his anger never went too far, even in moments like that, he was caring and loving and treated you with a lot of communication.

but everything changed drastically that day...

you didn't know that Sungchan was on his way for you.

you had invited him earlier, but he declined your invitation.

he himself had told you that he wouldn't come, that he was tired, that he didn't want “unnecessary noise after the week he had had”.

but there he was.

at the entrance to the party, dressed in black, his face tense, his gaze dark as a storm, his jaw clenched.

you saw him after you had uploaded another story. one more. one where you were dancing. where you saw in the background that boy who once confessed he loved you, and a group of girls surrounding you as if you were the sun and they were the planets.

and he... he had seen it all.

he pushed his way through the crowd without a word. no one dared to stop him.

he found you at the edge of the room, laughing with cheeks flushed with alcohol, swaying your hips to the music, provocative without realizing it. or maybe you did.

“love,” he said with a strained, false, venomous smile. “we have to go home. let's go.”

you turned slowly. your expression froze.

“what are you doing here? i didn't even call you to come already...”

your voice trailed the effect of the alcohol, the words soft, confused.

your friends came closer, noticing the change of atmosphere.

“sungchan, wait... let her—”

“i'm fine,” you murmured, though clearly you weren't.

he didn't hear them.

he grabbed you by the wrist with disguised strength and began dragging you toward the exit.

"what are you doing, channie?!”

“shut up.”

his tone was low, but dry as a whiplash.

the walk to the car was a mix of stumbling and arguing cut off by the music in the distance. he barely managed to get you into the passenger seat, slamming the door in pent-up rage.

you climbed in, started the engine, and the silence was so tense that not even the song on the radio dared to play.

“you're crazy.”

“you think so?”

he didn't look at you. his hands were clenched on the steering wheel, his knuckles white.

“you can't come after me like i'm yours.”

"and you're not?"

you looked at him. and you saw something dark in his eyes. something that wasn't just jealousy. it was possession.

"do you know how many people were looking at you?”

“i wasn't doing anything wrong—”

“i saw you.”

his voice trembled.

not of sadness.

of anger.

"dancing like you wanted to be seen. to be touched."

"that's not true! you're sick—"

the car came to a screeching halt in front of your house.

before you could get out, he was already at your door. he opened it, unbuckled your belt with jerky movements.

“what's wrong with you? let me go, Sungchan!”

“you're going to listen to me.”

he carried you on his shoulders leaving you no choice followed by giving you a hard spank on your right ass cheek, ignoring your weak kicks, your halting moans. he unlocked the door with the key he still had, walked in, and dropped you with controlled force onto the living room couch.

"you're drunk. flirting. smiling like nothing."

his body leaned over yours, his shadow covering you.

“do you know what you made me feel?”

he cupped your face, his thumb running over your bottom lip.

"i felt like ripping you away from there. to scream at everyone not to look at you."

you pulled away sharply, your breath hitching.

"you can't do this to me. you can't—"

he grabbed your arm as you tried to get up.

his voice lowered, cutting.

“you're not going back to the party.”

and he pushed you gently back onto the couch, but firmly.

“or do you really want me to lose control?”

his fingers tangled in your hair as his forehead touched yours.

there, in that instant, between desire and poison, between fear and fire... you knew there was no turning back.

your lips opened to say something, but he wouldn't let you.

he kissed you. hard. hungry. as if it was punishment, as if every second you spent away from him needed to be bitten away.

his hands went to your waist in desperation, pushing you back against the couch again as he settled on top of you, controlling every inch.

“is that how you like to be looked at?” his voice crawled against your ear, husky, low, hot. “is that what you wanted, to provoke? for everyone to fantasize about you?”

his teeth grazed your neck, marking it, leaving bites that you knew would leave marks for a few days. leaving that mute threat of what was to come if you weren't his.

his fingers snuck under your dress, caressing the skin of your thighs as if gauging how far he could go before he broke you.

“but you're not going to,” he murmured. “because you're not going anywhere.”

he looked at you. fixed. hard. with that rib-shaking intensity.

"you. you are. mine."

you swallowed spit, eyes glittering from the mixture of rage, adrenaline... and something else you dared not name.

“and i'm going to make it so clear, you're not even going to be able to walk tomorrow.”

he bit your lip. not out of tenderness. out of desperation, hurting it. which caused every kiss to be laced with the alcoholic, metallic taste of your hurting lip and his saliva.

his hands clung to your hips, making you feel how much it had affected him to see you there, dancing without him, ignoring him, shining for other people's eyes.

every kiss he gave you now was punishment, every caress, a way of marking territory.

“are you sorry yet?” his fingers trailed down your back. “because i don't regret going to the party and bringing you home"

he spun you around in a dry motion, pushing you against the backrest.

his body pressed against yours, panting against your neck, his voice roaring in your ear with every word.

“i want you to remember this every time you go out without me. i want you to feel my hands here when you dance...” he squeezed your thighs tightly. "...and here.” his hand brushed the curve of your ass cheekily. "and know that no one else can touch you here. no one." he said, bringing one of his hands to your pussy and one of your breasts, squeezing them in a way that made you let out a moan from the pain it caused.

the atmosphere was burning. and there was no music.

just the rhythm of your ragged breathing, the creaking of the couch, and your halting sighs as tension mingled with desire, and desire with something darker, wilder.

"are you going to go out again without me?” his lips trailed down your neck, leaving a trail of fire. “are you going to let someone else look at you as if they could have you?”

you didn't answer, you couldn't speak, you had never seen Sungchan like that, you were still so surprised that you were unable to formulate a response. a dry, humorless laugh escaped your lips.

"no, baby. i swear...next time, i won't let you go that far."

and then he kissed you again, as if with that he could erase everyone else.

as if his tongue could wash away your memory of other people's stares.

as if the only one who mattered— the only one who could touch you— was him.

and you, between the fear, the adrenaline, and that excitement you didn't know whether to hate or need...

you just gave in.

your legs were already shaking as he leaned over you, holding your face with a firm hand, forcing you to look at him.

“look at me,” he growled, his voice like a knife cutting through the air. “i want you to look at me when i tell you.”

his thumb stroked your lower lip, slow... until he pressed it. he opened your mouth effortlessly, slipping two fingers in as if he didn't care about anything else.

"that's how you were... weren't you? mouth open, eyes glistening, as if begging to be touched..."

he pulled them out with a wet pop and brought them straight to your thighs, down your bristling skin until they left a sticky trail that made you hold your breath.

“do you like teasing me, do you like seeing me like this, watching me lose control for you?”

his mouth found your neck again, this time licking, biting without delicacy.

“look what you're doing to me,” he whispered against your skin, his voice so low and warm you felt it vibrate all the way to your stomach. “you've got me sick.”

he pulled your legs hard, making you slip until your hips were right on the edge.

“they were looking at you like they knew what you were hiding under this dress.” his hands came up slowly, pinching, marking. "but only i know. only i can touch you like this."

he tucked his head between your legs and rested his cheek on your thigh as he looked up at you from below, his lips leaving wet kisses on the sensitive skin of your thighs.

“do you want me to tell you what i thought when i saw those stories? i thought about doing this same thing...but with your friends watching. so they'd know you're not as sweet as you look.”

he bit there, right where you knew it would leave a mark. it hurt, in response, you arched up. your hands clutched at his hair, half trying to push it away, half begging him to stop.

“don't do that,” he whispered, holding your wrists with just one of his hands “don't you dare run from me again.”

he climbed up your body like a hungry predator until he was on top of you, his knee pressing steadily between your legs and his eyes burning.

"you know what i want? i want you to be unable to look in the mirror tomorrow without thinking of me. i want that when you sit down, you'll remember my hands. and when you take a bath... you'll still feel me on your skin."

he kissed you again hard, almost angrily.

his tongue darted out without asking permission, and your whole body shuddered.

“you're going to beg for me, do you understand? and when you do… i'm going to take you so slow, so deep… you're not going to be able to say anyone else's name.”

he turned you around, leaving you face down against the back of the couch, his chest pressed against your back, his breathing agitated, hot.

“you wanted intensity? well, here, love. because tonight… i'm not letting you go."

and with one hand slowly moving down your back —possessive, dominant, desperate— beginning to spank hard on both of your buttocks, there were so many in such a short time that the moment came when because of the force he exerted in spanking you, you were unable to feel the others, they seemed to be numb now because of the pain, he reminded you that when Sungchan gets jealous, he doesn't think anymore. he only acts.

followed by the sound of your clothes being ripped was the only thing that filled the silence for a moment and made you react.

your fingers barely managed to cling to the back of the couch as he leaned you closer, pushing you from the hip until your back formed a tantalizing, humiliating, perfect arch for him.

"look at you… you're like this because of me. because you know there's no one else who could have you this needy."

he pinched and began to aggressively squeeze your sensitive boobs, taking one by one of your nipples into his mouth, biting them until they were incredibly red and sore, with quite a few marks painted on both of them.

his voice was choked, as if what he felt could no longer be contained.

his hands were everywhere— holding your waist tightly, down to where your legs trembled, up again, scratching, marking.

“you knew what you were doing when you postedd those stories,” he growled against your ear. "you wanted this. you wanted this Sungchan."

his mouth slid down your neck as one of his hands moved down until he began to insert some of his fingers inside you.

it was painful.

even your first time you hadn't experienced that kind of pain, you weren't wet enough and his long fingers were already working quickly inside you.

you were scared

he had you trapped, as if he had to leave his breath on your skin to make sure no one else could imagine himself there.

and then, he came in.

all at once.

without warning.

without pause.

a scream broke from your throat, and he smiled. dark. devilishly satisfied.

“shh, don't cry now, baby... this is what you provoked, remember? now you hold on, beautiful.”

each thrust was deeper, more desperate.

there was no tenderness in his movements - only hunger. rage. jealousy transformed into unchecked desire.

he pulled your hair back, forcing you to arch even more.

“look at me. i want you to watch me while i do it. let it be well recorded who it is that breaks you like this.”

your moans mingled with his breathing, with the broken gasps he let out as he continued to mark you from the inside, as if his body needed to erase all traces of anyone who ever looked at you.

“do you still want to go out? do you still feel pretty in front of others?”

he caressed your face with one hand while with the other he clutched your hip as if you were going to run away—as if you belonged to him, completely, forever.

“you are mine. all of you. every bit of you.”

he took you harder, his movements bordering on punishment, out of control, until your legs could barely hold you up.

“and when you're done begging me... i'm going to leave you so full of me... you're going to walk around thinking about this all day.”

his name escaped from your lips, broken. and he leaned in, sticking his forehead to your back, drenched in sweat, panting as if his life was passing away with you.

“say it again,” he commanded. “say it like you really mean it. tell me who breaks you like this.”

and you said it. you shouted it.

because in that moment, you were no longer you.

you were his.

you felt your orgasm approaching even though sungchan this time was not dedicated to give you pleasure like other times.

but before you were able to reach your long awaited climax, he seemed to read your mind and went ahead to tell you:

"you are forbidden to touch yourself, you are not going to finish, you don't deserve it..." you remained silent, you didn't answer, at that moment, you knew that if you tried to contradict him, it could turn out worse.

and then he...

he finished inside you, with a low, guttural moan, filling you completely and deeply with his warm essence, as his hand sank between your thighs one last time, making sure every corner of your body knew his name.

[reasonsforhope]

"In response to last year’s record-breaking heat due to El Niño and impacts from climate change, Indigenous Zenù farmers in Colombia are trying to revive the cultivation of traditional climate-resilient seeds and agroecology systems.

One traditional farming system combines farming with fishing: locals fish during the rainy season when water levels are high, and farm during the dry season on the fertile soils left by the receding water.

Locals and ecologists say conflicts over land with surrounding plantation owners, cattle ranchers and mines are also worsening the impacts of the climate crisis.

To protect their land, the Zenù reserve, which is today surrounded by monoculture plantations, was in 2005 declared the first Colombian territory free from GMOs.

...

In the Zenù reserve, issues with the weather, climate or soil are spread by word of mouth between farmers, or on La Positiva 103.0, a community agroecology radio station. And what’s been on every farmer’s mind is last year’s record-breaking heat and droughts. Both of these were charged by the twin impacts of climate change and a newly developing El Niño, a naturally occurring warmer period that last occurred here in 2016, say climate scientists.

Experts from Colombia’s Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies say the impacts of El Niño will be felt in Colombia until April 2024, adding to farmers’ concerns. Other scientists forecast June to August may be even hotter than 2023, and the next five years could be the hottest on record. On Jan. 24, President Gustavo Petro said he will declare wildfires a natural disaster, following an increase in forest fires that scientists attribute to the effects of El Niño.

In the face of these changes, Zenù farmers are trying to revive traditional agricultural practices like ancestral seed conservation and a unique agroecology system.

Pictured: Remberto Gil’s house is surrounded by an agroforestry system where turkeys and other animals graze under fruit trees such as maracuyá (Passiflora edulis), papaya (Carica papaya) and banana (Musa acuminata colla). Medicinal herbs like toronjil (Melissa officinalis) and tres bolas (Leonotis nepetifolia), and bushes like ají (Capsicum baccatum), yam and frijol diablito (beans) are part of the undergrowth. Image by Monica Pelliccia for Mongabay.

“Climate change is scary due to the possibility of food scarcity,” says Rodrigo Hernandez, a local authority with the Santa Isabel community. “Our ancestral seeds offer a solution as more resistant to climate change.”

Based on their experience, farmers say their ancestral seed varieties are more resistant to high temperatures compared to the imported varieties and cultivars they currently use. These ancestral varieties have adapted to the region’s ecosystem and require less water, they tell Mongabay. According to a report by local organization Grupo Semillas and development foundation SWISSAID, indigenous corn varieties like blaquito are more resistant to the heat, cariaco tolerates drought easily, and negrito is very resistant to high temperatures.

The Zenù diet still incorporates the traditional diversity of seeds, plant varieties and animals they consume, though they too are threatened by climate change: from fish recipes made from bocachico (Prochilodus magdalenae), and reptiles like the babilla or spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus), to different corn varieties to prepare arepas (cornmeal cakes), liquor, cheeses and soups.

“The most important challenge we have now is to save ancient species and involve new generations in ancestral practice,” says Sonia Rocha Marquez, a professor of social sciences at Sinù University in the city of Montería.

...[Despite] land scarcity, Negrete says communities are developing important projects to protect their traditional food systems. Farmers and seed custodians, like Gil, are working with the Association of Organic Agriculture and Livestock Producers (ASPROAL) and their Communitarian Seed House (Casa Comunitaria de Semillas Criollas y Nativas)...

Pictured: Remberto Gil is a seed guardian and farmer who works at the Communitarian Seed House, where the ASPROL association stores 32 seeds of rare or almost extinct species. Image by Monica Pelliccia for Mongabay.

Located near Gil’s house, the seed bank hosts a rainbow of 12 corn varieties, from glistening black to blue to light pink to purple and even white. There are also jars of seeds for local varieties of beans, eggplants, pumpkins and aromatic herbs, some stored in refrigerators. All are ancient varieties shared between local families.

Outside the seed bank is a terrace where chickens and turkeys graze under an agroforestry system for farmers to emulate: local varieties of passion fruit, papaya and banana trees grow above bushes of ají peppers and beans. Traditional medicinal herbs like toronjil or lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) form part of the undergrowth.

Today, 25 families are involved in sharing, storing and commercializing the seeds of 32 rare or almost-extinct varieties.

“When I was a kid, my father brought me to the farm to participate in recovering the land,” says Nilvadys Arrieta, 56, a farmer member of ASPROAL. “Now, I still act with the same collective thinking that moves what we are doing.”

“Working together helps us to save, share more seeds, and sell at fair price [while] avoiding intermediaries and increasing families’ incomes,” Gil says. “Last year, we sold 8 million seeds to organic restaurants in Bogotà and Medellín.”

So far, the 80% of the farmers families living in the Zenù reserve participate in both the agroecology and seed revival projects, he adds."

-via Mongabay, February 6, 2024

[muzaktomyears]

Yoko’s life revolved around her acquisitions, but her most valuable acquisition was John. By marrying Lennon she had established herself as a celebrity and financial power to be reckoned with. It was the process of acquisition – not the object itself – that kept Yoko going. Antiques were routinely delivered, examined, and carted off to Apartment 71 or to the basement for storage. Clothes were bought and hung up, never to be worn. Once she had acquired something, Yoko lost interest in it. She lost interest in John after they were reunited and she lost interest in Sean after he was born. She treated them both with an icy reserve bordering on contempt.

Life became complicated for Yoko because John was not an inanimate object, but a human being – one with an active imagination, a strong sex drive, boundless energy, and a terrible temper. Indeed, Yoko lived in fear of John’s occasional outbursts of anger and frustration. Although he remained quietly behind closed doors most of the time, she knew well that John’s passive and self-absorbed behavior masked an overwhelming restlessness. Like an old lion, he could turn and bite your head off when you least expected it. Whenever John got a little stir-crazy upstairs and threatened to become “difficult”, Yoko attempted frantically to appease him with vague promises, or she would scare him with ominous psychic predictions and mystical mumbo jumbo. Usually, Yoko could keep John in line with a few carefully chosen words. One of her favorite ploys for controlling him was to tell him that the planet Mercury was going retrograde, a perilous astrological period during which accidents were likely to happen. When I asked John what Mercury being retrograde meant, he explained that it was an astrological period when the planet Mercury, “the messenger”, appeared to move backward against the sun, causing massive disruptions in communications and generally creating “chaos in the cosmos”. Yoko was always to tell me that we had to keep John isolated for his own good. Once in a while, John would try to circumvent Yoko’s strict rules, but he would often regret it soon afterward. For instance, one day John was listening to radio station WBAI when he heard a very eloquent, urgent plea for contributions. New subscribers were to receive a copy of a book titled The Devil Was a Woman. John wanted the book, and as WBAI was one of the radio stations he frequently listened to – he was particularly interested in nutritionist Gary Null’s health show – he impulsively ordered me to call up and contribute one thousand dollars on his behalf. Immediately, the station announced the contribution. When Yoko heard about it, she read me the riot act. She reminded me angrily that whenever John acted impulsively, I was to bring his behavior to her attention before following his orders. I was to consult her about all matters involving John and “human relations”, or his having dealings with the outside world. “After all,” explained Yoko, “I’m here to protect him.” I assured her I understood perfectly. Yoko had the key to John Lennon, and she used it to make John her sole possession by taking him out of public circulation. The old lion had pulled in his claws eagerly and agreed to give up rock and roll and its deleterious lifestyle. Because of his self-destructive behavior when he was on his own, John believed that the only sane alternative was to isolate himself. Moreover, Yoko had offered him the opportunity to try parenthood all over again. When she managed to give birth to Sean against all odds, John took it as a sign of divine intervention. He told me that both he and Sean were “riding on Mother’s good luck”. His childlike dependence on Yoko was so great that he dreaded the thought of Yoko dying before he did. “I hope I go first,” John had told me, “because if Mother died before me I wouldn’t be able to face life on my own.” He had resigned himself completely to the proposition that he could not survive without Yoko. Thus, John willingly sacrificed his freedom for the illusion of safety. And it was part of Yoko’s Faustian pact that she had to keep John, for better or for worse, and remain an appendage to John’s fame and to the pervasive Beatles legend, no matter how much she craved independence and personal fame. It was no wonder that she bitterly resented John, even as she was constantly conscious of the need to retain his loyalty. Without John Lennon, Yoko Ono was just an eccentric lady with no money and no power – and for this she would never forgive him.

John Lennon: Living on Borrowed Time, Frederic Seaman (1991)

[therealsaintscully]

Paul's body language listening to Beautiful Boy and what I think is Paul's greatest tragedy

I had to capture Paul's body language while listening to Beautiful Boy as one of his choices on Desert Island Discs in 1982. He says the song is 'very moving' for him—you can listen to the whole thing here and watch the actual video captured in these gifs here.

Desert Island Discs is a radio programme, so I wonder if Paul wasn’t expecting cameras, or perhaps he knew there would be one but wasn’t prepared for his own emotional response once the song started playing. His body language is incredibly poignant to watch, and while I'm no expert, this feels like the rawest I've ever seen him captured on film, even more so than the most difficult parts of Get Back/Let It Be.

It starts when the songs starts playing: his eyes are everywhere, and he puffs his cheeks and bites his lips. He clearly knows the lyrics, you can tell througout this video that he does, but he keeps himself from singing along out loud.

Then, when John sings, “And your daddy’s here,” he puffs his cheeks again and fully turns his back to the camera to collect himself, flicking his hair, and starts rocking back and forth.

His eye are EVERYWHERE at that point, with some more hair flicks. Also, you can't hear in the gif, but there's a second or two of him tapping along with his hands on a table or his thighs, perhaps in discomfort or a nervious tick, and then he stops.

And just when you think he’s composed himself, he turns his back to the camera again and stays like that for a good while. To clarify, the show’s host is sitting right next to him, shoulder-to-shoulder and elbow-to-elbow on Paul’s right, but Paul is clearly avoiding eye contact and communication altogether.

This continues for several more seconds until John sings, “It’s getting better and better.” That's a hint to Paul's own line from Sgt. Pepper, I think we can all agree to that. Then, the camera operator—perhaps taking pity or simply doing their job well—pans the camera and focuses on something even more telling; after tapping along and swiveling, he's now hugging himself.

And that's when the camera cuts, thankfully. I can imagine this is exactly how he must have spent hours in the early eighties, listening to Double Fantasy and the Real Love/Free as a Bird/Now and Then demos and taking it all in.

And herein lies what I think is Paul's greatest tragedy: if, as he's claimed for decades, they were never knowingly or consciously romantically or physically involved while John was alive, I wonder if the understanding of what they actually had crept up on him after John's death, especially in moments like these. It could be argued that it's reflected in songs and lyrics throughout his solo career—a progression of moments, memories, and conversations, all deciphered and processed in a new light.

How heartbreaking.

[scoobydoodean]

just read "cas told them about the civil war in heaven and dean and sam didn't care at all" 1. sam was soulless so i think he gets some slack before he was re-ensouled, 2. dean kept asking to help and cas said no

Cas did not start out the show shy about asking Dean for help. He started the show with almost no sense of personal boundaries, flying into bathrooms or calling in the middle of the night and telling Dean, "I need your help". When Cas needed help in season 5, he was always direct about it. When Cas didn't need help and considered involving his human friends to be an inconvenience that would slow him down, he would disappear without a word, popping in and out of the room. So in early season 6, when Cas keeps popping in and out of the room, the signal he is sending to Dean is, "Your presence at this moment would slow me down. When I need you, I'll let you know." The funny thing is, Dean really doesn't like this behavior from Cas. He likes to know what's going on, and his frustration with Cas refusing to communicate is rather present in 6.03 and 6.06 (the first two season 6 episodes Cas appears in).

Getting Cas to even tell them there was a civil war on in 6.03 is like pulling teeth. Cas keeps flying away then flying back in, giving vague, frustratingly clipped answers. Dean is clearly irritated that Cas won't stand still long enough to give him a straight answer. Finally when they get the jist of the situation out of him:

DEAN: Cas, why didn't you tell us this? CASTIEL: I was ashamed. I expected more from my brothers. I'm sorry. Now I need your blood.

Note that at this point, they're already working with Cas and helping him. Cas has already told them "I need your help." Their missions happen to align, but Cas is trying to find the weapon Balathazar stole and Cas wants to track it down and demands Sam and Dean's help, which they give to him (though soulless Sam is pretty pissed about being ignored for over a year). Dean gets this one moment of vulnerability out of Cas where he admits that he's been avoiding them out of shame, then Cas immediately breaks that tension by grabbing Dean by the wrist, yanking his hand over a bowl, and slicing his palm open without asking. Cas does not want to talk about what he is doing or why, because he knows if he stops for an instant (especially for Dean) he's going to start questioning some of the choices he's been making, and he can't afford that. The whole episode he's darting around place to place, pushing them around wherever he needs all of them to be, and makes himself as unapproachable as possible, controlling the means of communication and the entire situatiuon. The moment that Cas solves things with Balathazar (with Sam and Dean's assistance) he disappears before Dean can ask a single other question, then goes radio silent for weeks, until 6.06 when Dean prays about another angelic weapon (a thing Cas needs for his own purposes) then Cas shows up again. He makes it clear he needs the horn. He shares another small moment of vulnerability, while at the same time conveying that he is overwhelmed and busy.

DEAN What happened to you, Cas? You used to be human, or at least like one. CASTIEL I'm at war. Certain... regrettable things are now required of me.

And Dean actually shows that he is thinking about what Cas needs, by turning away from Cas's questionable actions (torturing a child in 6.03) and straight to questions about the horn Cas needs.

DEAN And Gabriel's Horn of Truth? That's a real thing? CASTIEL You've seen it? DEAN We think it's in town. Something's forcing people... Sound of angel wings fluttering. CASTIEL has left. DEAN Oh, well, you're welcome!

Again, instead of truly including Dean in the why or how, Cas flys off without answering questions. He doesn't actually leave space for Dean to become a part of the situation in any other capacity than the limited ways Cas allows, because Dean's presence would be inconvenient.

Dean is also Not Doing Well in 6.06. He spends the entire episode scared and on edge around Sam, drinking to cope with being in the same room with him, being told by Sam and Bobby that he is crazy, an episode after being assaulted by a rapist and being unable forget Sam watching and smiling. We know he's been sending Cas increasingly frantic prayers out of concern that his brother is possessed by Lucifer (which would also be a big deal on the grand apocalyptic Raphael/angel front), and Cas hasn't answered him. Dean's clearly stung when Cas shows up in 6.06 only because Dean mentioned a weapon Cas needed. After everyone minimizing and ignoring his concerns, Cas is just one more person in his life doing the same, and if you willfully ignore what Dean is going through, you can come away with the conclusion that he's being entitled in 6.06, but if you pay even the slightest shred of attention to exactly how close to a full blown emotional breakdown Dean is in 6.06... it's not hard to see why he isn't in a space to do much more than put his own needs and concerns aside and ask Cas what the weapon he needs is, and to be stung when even that attempt to relate is rebuffed by Cas immediately flying off, with an added implication that Dean's weeks of emotional distress do not matter to him. Cas does come back, and observe Dean's clear distress, and promise his aid with Sam, and Cas makes good on that promise in the following episode, and Dean relies that promise in 6.07, but also clearly receives the "I am spread thin and cannot help you with anything" message that Cas is laying down by the end of the episode, and endeavors not to bother Cas.

It's actually soulless Sam who contacts Cas in 6.10, tricking him into showing up by claiming to have—ding-ding-ding! you guessed it!—an angelic weapon Cas can use in his war. And Cas quickly realizes that his friends and his business partner are about to kill each other, and involves himself to prevent either party from coming to harm by staging Crowley's death.

From 6.07 to 6.10, Cas uses Sam and Dean in his war effort. They just don't know that. Crowley coerces Sam and Dean into working for him and Cas, with Cas as the silent partner in the alpha-gathering business that Sam and Dean don't know about by Cas's design. Cas has no need to come to them and ask for help because they're already in fact helping him, doing exactly what he needs them to do. From Dean's perspective, unaware that Cas is involved with Crowley, Dean's avoiding burdening his busy friend with the King of Hell—someone Dean might have asked for help with in a different setting. And Cas can come to him if he needs something. He has no reason to think Cas won't come to him for help, because that's the only reason Cas showed up at all in 6.03 and 6.06—because Sam and Dean had something he needed.

6.10 is the longest stretch of time Dean and Cas spend together since the start of the season, and it culminates in Dean telling Cas he's there for him, and being told he can't do anything to help (which is what's been communicated by Cas's silence and flighty behavior anyway).

CASTIEL: Crowley was right. It’s not going well for me upstairs. DEAN: If there’s anything we can do – CASTIEL: There isn’t. I wish circumstances were different. Much of the time I’d rather be here. DEAN: Look, Cas, we know you got a steaming pile on your plate. There’s no need for apologies. We’re your friends.

In this interaction, they're also both trying to apologize to each other and dispell the tension that was present from 6.06-6.07. Cas pretty much says he wishes he could just spend all his time with Dean (if that wasn't already clear from Cas lingering around their motel watching TV while a war is on). I.e., if Dean was under the impression during 6.06 that Cas did not care about him and that's why he ignored his frantic prayers, Cas wants to reassure him that that isn't the case at all. In turn, Dean tells Cas that he understands that Cas is busy, makes it clear that he is not hurt like he was in 6.06, and makes it clear that he's there if Cas needs him.

It isn't that they don't care about each other. It's that neither is in a mental space to support each other very well emotionally for the first 1/3-1/2 of the season, and Dean actually is helping Cas—he just doesn't always know it, because Cas doesn't want him to know. Cas and Balthazar use Sam and Dean again (as bait for Raphael and Virgil) in "The French Mistake" without their knowledge. All this secrecy serves to protect Cas's reputation among his friends and prevent the inconvenience of his allies (including the angels who also don't know what he's really up to) protesting how he runs things.

Like I think people really re-write season 6 Castiel into someone who was sulking, hands shoved in his pockets, kicking rocks because awww shucks he could really use Dean's help but Dean didn't care, and Cas was doing sooo many things for him. But that's not really what happened. Cas did Dean exactly one requested favor—helping with Sam in 6.07 (then maybe his brief appearance in 6.12?). Other than that, everything Cas did with Dean ultimately served his own interests. Cas did not fail to make Dean useful to him. He just didn't always want Dean to know how he was being helpful or that Cas was involved. That doesn't mean there weren't ways they hurt each others feelings, or that Cas had no reason to ever be stung (I think it's clear he was irritated with Dean in 6.07 for example) but I think the fandom take on the whole season comes off pretty warped because of a failure to re-examine some of these interactions with the knowledge of what Cas is actually up to and how he's intentionally hiding things and is actually using Dean the whole season.

[nasa]

Let's Explore a Metal-Rich Asteroid 🤘

Between Mars and Jupiter, there lies a unique, metal-rich asteroid named Psyche. Psyche’s special because it looks like it is part or all of the metallic interior of a planetesimal—an early planetary building block of our solar system. For the first time, we have the chance to visit a planetary core and possibly learn more about the turbulent history that created terrestrial planets.

Here are six things to know about the mission that’s a journey into the past: Psyche.

1. Psyche could help us learn more about the origins of our solar system.

After studying data from Earth-based radar and optical telescopes, scientists believe that Psyche collided with other large bodies in space and lost its outer rocky shell. This leads scientists to think that Psyche could have a metal-rich interior, which is a building block of a rocky planet. Since we can’t pierce the core of rocky planets like Mercury, Venus, Mars, and our home planet, Earth, Psyche offers us a window into how other planets are formed.

2. Psyche might be different than other objects in the solar system.

Rocks on Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Earth contain iron oxides. From afar, Psyche doesn’t seem to feature these chemical compounds, so it might have a different history of formation than other planets.

If the Psyche asteroid is leftover material from a planetary formation, scientists are excited to learn about the similarities and differences from other rocky planets. The asteroid might instead prove to be a never-before-seen solar system object. Either way, we’re prepared for the possibility of the unexpected!

3. Three science instruments and a gravity science investigation will be aboard the spacecraft.

The three instruments aboard will be a magnetometer, a gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer, and a multispectral imager. Here’s what each of them will do:

Magnetometer: Detect evidence of a magnetic field, which will tell us whether the asteroid formed from a planetary body

Gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer: Help us figure out what chemical elements Psyche is made of, and how it was formed

Multispectral imager: Gather and share information about the topography and mineral composition of Psyche

The gravity science investigation will allow scientists to determine the asteroid’s rotation, mass, and gravity field and to gain insight into the interior by analyzing the radio waves it communicates with. Then, scientists can measure how Psyche affects the spacecraft’s orbit.

4. The Psyche spacecraft will use a super-efficient propulsion system.

Psyche’s solar electric propulsion system harnesses energy from large solar arrays that convert sunlight into electricity, creating thrust. For the first time ever, we will be using Hall-effect thrusters in deep space.

5. This mission runs on collaboration.

To make this mission happen, we work together with universities, and industry and NASA to draw in resources and expertise.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the mission and is responsible for system engineering, integration, and mission operations, while NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Services Program manages launch operations and procured the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Working with Arizona State University (ASU) offers opportunities for students to train as future instrument or mission leads. Mission leader and Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton is also based at ASU.

Finally, Maxar Technologies is a key commercial participant and delivered the main body of the spacecraft, as well as most of its engineering hardware systems.

6. You can be a part of the journey.

Everyone can find activities to get involved on the mission’s webpage. There's an annual internship to interpret the mission, capstone courses for undergraduate projects, and age-appropriate lessons, craft projects, and videos.

You can join us for a virtual launch experience, and, of course, you can watch the launch with us on Oct. 12, 2023, at 10:16 a.m. EDT!

For official news on the mission, follow us on social media and check out NASA’s and ASU’s Psyche websites.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!