#it's very quantity-oriented

[ananke-xiii]

cas practising (en/forced) exo-/endo-cannibalism will always be important to me.

[artifeast]

Holzmann (and a Margot I thought I'd throw in) catified! Thanks for the ask!

My designs aren't really specific breeds per se, but Holzmann is certainly inspired by Oriental Shorthairs. They just feel very him

[mesetacadre]

how do you feel about a heavy portion of communists being ableist? sending disabled people to prison for being physically unable to work and then acting like that didn't happen doesn't make disabled people confident that communism won't hurt them just as bad as capitalism (I'm not saying billions of trillions dies from communism I'm just saying ''those who won't work won't eat'' is fucking evil especially when I see that rhetoric in modern day! You can say 'oh a wheelchair user can do teaching or archiving' but that ignores how many disabled people are bedbound or fully paralyzed!)

ARTICLE 12. In the U.S.S.R. work is a duty and a matter of honour for every able-bodied citizen, in accordance with the principle: "He who does not work, neither shall he eat."

The principle applied in the U.S.S.R. is that of socialism : "From each according to his ability, to each according to his work."

[...]

ARTICLE 120. Citizens of the U.S.S.R. have the right to maintenance in old age and also in the case of sickness or loss of capacity to work.

This right is ensured by the extensive development of social insurance of workers and employees at state expense, free medical service for the working people and the provision of a wide network of health resorts for the use of the working people.

This is the USSR's 1936 consistution, emphasis mine. Not a perfect constitution by any means, but this is very clearly antithetical to what you believe happened. Disabled people in my own country today have less rights and even less guarantees of those rights being respected. Again, the USSR was not perfect and I'm not saying it was. But you're ascribing willful malice that is embedded in marxism to circumstances that were not easily circumvented. The USSR was an imperfect state lacking in sufficient social protections, which came from times of feudalism without any kind of protection in any aspects save for the nobility, and whose collapse led to unparalleled misery and war. "He who does not work shall not eat" never included disabled people. It's a slogan, and slogans are not nuanced. What the USSR never did was enshrine that slogan into law literally, it always explicitly addressed able-bodied people.

Let's also look at a more modern constitution, Cuba's, from 2019

ARTICLE 42. All people are equal before the law, recieve the same protection and treatment from authorities and enjoy the same rights, freedoms and opportunities, without discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ethnic origin, skin color, religious faith, disability, national or territorial origin, or any other condition or personal circumstance that implies a harmful distinction before human dignity.

All have the right to enjoy the same public spaces and establishments.

Likewise, receive the same salary for the same work, without any discrimination.

The violation of the principle of equality is outlawed and is sanctioned by law.

[...]

ARTICLE 64. The right to work is recognized. The person in condition to work has a right to obtain dignified employment, corresponding to their selection, qualification, aptitude, and economic and societal requirements.

ARTICLE 65. Every person has a right for their work to be compensated as a function of its quality and quantity, expression of the socialist principle "from each according to their capacity, to each according to their work".

[...]

ARTICLE 68. The person who works has a right to social security. The State, through the system of social security, guarantees their adequate protection when they are unable to work because of age, maternity, paternity, disability, or illness.

[...]

ARTICLE 70. The State, through social assistance, protects the people without resources or refuge, not capable of working, who lack family members able to bring them help; and to families who, due to the insufficient income they recieve, if they so choose, in accordance with the law

I don't see anywhere a part that says all disabled people are jailed. Cuba definitely does have effective and real protections for all kinds of disabled people, and just like the USSR, the principle of the duty to work is not applied directly to disabled people. It's hard still to find information on the practical application of disability protection that's not funded by Radio Free Whatever, but here's an article about Cuba's:

[astrologydray]

Ruler of the 2nd through the houses

when you track the ruler of the 2nd house through the houses, you’re looking at how you make money, where your values lie, what you prioritize, and what brings you a sense of security and self-worth.

1st House 🏡:

I am the resource.

Your body, presence, or identity is a source of value. You might attract wealth through personal branding, entrepreneurship, or just being YOU. Confidence = currency. You naturally radiate value, but must learn to own it.

2nd House 🏡:

Born to build.

This is a powerful placement for money, stability, and long-term growth. You naturally know how to build wealth and manage your resources. You’re probably very grounded and value quality over quantity. Shadow side hoarding, fear of change, or stubbornness.

3rd House 🏡:

Money through the mind.

Your voice, ideas, or communication skills are your goldmine. You might make money through writing, teaching, media, or even tech. You value curiosity, mental stimulation, and versatility. Prone to having scattered energy or difficulty monetizing ideas. Your Strength = quick thinking, adaptability, networking = resource magnet.

4th House 🏡:

Home is the foundation of wealth.

You could inherit money, make money through property, or work from home. Emotional security and family support directly affect your money flow. Your values are deeply rooted in your upbringing.

5th House 🏡:

Creative currency.

You attract money through self-expression, creativity, pleasure, or even romance. Think artists, performers, designers — or people who monetize their passions. You value joy, fun, and being seen. Shadow side here = risky money behavior; tying worth to external validation.

6th House 🏡:

Work = worth.

You build wealth slowly and steadily through dedicated effort, skill development, and service. You might work in healing, wellness, administration, or service industries. You value discipline and reliability. Overworking or tying self-worth to productivity may be a problem for you. Relax and give urself grace.

7th House 🏡:

Money through others.

Your values and income may come through partnerships, collaborations, or clients. Business and romantic relationships affect your money deeply. You value harmony, balance, and reciprocity. Be careful of falling into financial dependency or people-pleasing around money.

8th House 🏡:

The wealth alchemist.

You’re drawn to shared resources, investments, and transformative wealth. You might make money through occult work, finance, psychology, or sex-related fields. Power, trust, and depth play a big role in your money story.

9th House 🏡:

Expand to receive.

You attract abundance through travel, teaching, spirituality, law, or publishing. You value freedom, knowledge, and growth. Belief systems around wealth are HUGE here — mindset is everything.

10th House 🏡:

Public success = personal wealth.

You may gain money and security through career, status, or reputation. You value ambition, recognition, and doing something that matters. This placement often pushes you toward visible leadership or high positions.

11th House 🏡:

Money through the collective.

You earn through networks, innovation, tech, or social causes. Think online businesses, group work, or digital platforms. You value progress, originality, and future-oriented thinking. Be careful of being overreliance on external validation or digital platforms. Your unique ideas, group alignment, big-picture wealth building is where it’s at.

12th House 🏡:

Mystical money flow.

This is the most non-linear placement. You may make money through spiritual work, healing, art, or behind-the-scenes roles. Money may come and go mysteriously, and your values are more ethereal than material.

[astrolook]

💖🌸 Venus As Darakaraka - A Ceritified Lover 🌸💖

Read Mercury and Mercury Rx as Darakaraka!

Note: These are just my personal observations and recurring patterns I've noticed over the years from married clients, relatives and friends. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest. Feel free to share in the comments if any of this hits home. This post is based on Vedic astrology.

Venus as Darakaraka - When the cosmos says “you’re into vibes, not resumes.”

When Venus is your Darakaraka, your partner is likely to be romantic, artistic, and deeply invested in self-care. They take pride in their appearance, from skincare and haircare to choosing the right perfumes and clothing. Their aesthetic sense extends to everything they do, whether it’s curating their wardrobe, decorating their space, or engaging in creative pursuits like music, painting, or writing. Some may even enjoy growing their own veggies or gardening.

Your spouse will have big dreams of owning a beautiful home, ideally a spacious one with manicured lawns, a pet, and children. They are self-sufficient and willing to spend on themselves, whether it’s for beauty treatments, skincare, or perhaps even the occasional indulgence in luxurious experiences. Cooking might also be one of their talents, as they enjoy both creating and sharing meals.

Visually-oriented, they appreciate beauty in all forms, from movies and fashion to travel and cultural experiences. Expect them to love trying new restaurants, exploring different cuisines, and shopping for clothing from various cultures. Professionally, they may be involved in industries like media and entertainment, cosmetics, electronics, real estate, retail, hospitality, or consumer goods.

Their relationships with family are also noteworthy. They might have a sister they are very close to, who is more chatty and playful but equally supportive of you. Your spouse will take pride in a clean home and may get irritated by small inconveniences. If they are financially comfortable, they might hire a maid for cleaning and chores but still maintain high standards of cleanliness. However, when they’re feeling down or depressed, they may neglect themselves, possibly overeating or skipping meals, losing interest in personal care.

Fertility is strong with Venus as Darakaraka, so starting a family might happen sooner than expected. If protection was not used before marriage, an unplanned pregnancy could be in the cards. Your spouse (for husband) may sport either a clean-shaven look with smooth skin or a well-groomed beard, maintaining their appearance with pride.

For a wife, expect someone who is fertile, healthy, and carries a well-proportioned body, often with medium to long hair, fuller lips, and thick eyebrows. They might also be prone to hyperpigmentation and love receiving compliments about their appearance. They are not ones to shop at thrift stores as they prefer quality over quantity and are willing to save up for their favorite items.

When it comes to relationships, they have a high libido, and might either enjoy romantic movies or indulge in crushes, fantasizing about being the lead character in a love story. With their natural charisma, they tend to attract attention, and you might have to deal with that even after you’re together. If Venus is placed in the 6th, 8th, 10th, 11th, or 12th houses, be cautious, as they may be prone to extramarital affairs, particularly in fire or water signs.

Venus in the 7th, 9th, 11th, or 12th houses can indicate a partner from a different culture, someone you may not initially find your type, but who you feel an undeniable, fated attraction to. When Venus is in the 1st house, your spouse will likely treat you like a king/ queen or the other way around, making you feel like the center of their world and vice versa. Venus in the 2nd house will indulge you, sometimes to the point of spoiling you or encouraging excess, particularly in food and drink. Venus in the 3rd house loves taking you out on frequent dates and showing you off to their friends and family. If Venus is in the 5th house, you’ve found a perfect life partner like someone who could also be an amazing parent similar to 7th. Venus in the 8th house suggests wealth through marriage, possibly an inheritance, as your spouse is likely to be financially well-off and generous with their resources.

💫 Venus Combos and What They Say About Your Spouse 💫

💚 Venus + Mercury - Expect a younger, baby-faced spouse who may be significantly younger than you. They're witty, charming, and possibly into writing, painting, or other artistic hobbies. If Mercury is retrograde, they might be more reserved in love or less experienced in relationships, but still very talented and expressive.

☀️ Venus + Sun - Your spouse could have a higher social or professional status, admired by many and naturally stands out in a crowd. Think someone confident, radiant, and maybe even self-employed or entrepreneurial.

🌙 Venus + Moon - This combo? Literal beauty/ handsome. Your spouse will have a stunning face, glowing skin that reflects light, and lush, healthy hair. They're soft, nurturing, and emotionally in tune.

🔥 Venus + Mars - The chemistry is 🔥. Your spouse radiates raw sexual energy and may unintentionally turn heads everywhere. They're likely fit and active. In some cases, this combo can bring intense attraction and occasional temptations for them outside wedlock.

🌍 Venus + Jupiter - Foreign connection! Your spouse might be from a different culture, and they love the finer things in life like food, drinks, luxury. If Jupiter is retrograde, the foreign influence still stands, but you may be the one introducing them to indulgent pleasures or spoiling them with your taste.

⏳ Venus + Saturn - Age gap alert! Your spouse could be older, but there's definitely a maturity contrast. If this pair is in the 7th, 9th, 11th, or 12th house, a foreign or long-distance connection is likely. If Saturn is retrograde, the dynamic flips as your spouse could be child-like and laidback, while you take on the more mature, grounding role.

Next Post will be about Mars as Darakaraka!

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

Let’s decode your cosmic chaos together ⭐💖

[ghasel]

💞 tarot pick a pile - Meet Your Soulmate 💌

[image description: the three piles, each with their respecive number]

Hi! If you don't know me, I'm Ghasel, a witch who does tarot and past lives readings!

This is my weekly half and half reading, which means that the first part will be in this post for free and the second part will be on my patreon for the members (a membership is 2$ and you get one extended or extra reading per week, basically 0.50$ per reading!). As always, though, if you do not wish to spend money, this free reading is accessible as a standalone too!

Today we are meeting one of your soulmates! Our soulmates, or soul family members, can have all the types of relationships with us, so don't think only romantic! In this free reading we will meet your soulmate and see who and how they are, then on patreon we will receive a message from them to you!

Reminder: whatever the cards and your soulmates say, you're not forced to do anything. The responsibility and the freedom for your choices are always 100% yours!

How to use this reading: pick the pile that attracts you/resonates with you/calls for you, then scroll down and read the respective reading!

Where to find me: my kofi my patreon my instagram DM always open for chats and readings!

pile 1

[image description: a tarot, a zodiac oracle and a crystal cards shown and three other tarot cards covered; on these there's the text "unveil this cards and receive the message from your soulmate on my patreon!"]

9 of wands in reverse → your soulmate is someone who knows how to work hard, but is not really interested in working to perfect one specific thing and they rather explore and see more different things - knowing more in quantity rather than going deep in one thing; they may have developed this attitude after they spent quite a lot having no other chance than working hard and continuously, so now they have devoted themselves to see and explore what they couldn't explore once; a jack of all trades master of none, but who knows that sometimes doing something different not only can open your mind and deepen your knowledge, but is also a privilege, because you have the conditions to do such

jupiter (18)→ this is the card of expansion, of knowledge and wanting to discover more, of curiosity and of learning about new things for no reason other than they exist; your soulmate seems a wise soul, someone who learned something - on the personal or human level - while discovering and exploring more; it makes me think about visiting a foreign country and learn a philosophy that makes you think about your own life too;nowadays your soulmate has very clear ideas about their thoughts and beliefs but at the same time part of this ideas are to believe that you can always change your mind - they're sure, but they also keep their mind open for anything new they may learn and may add to their personal baggage

rose quartz (48) → your soulmate is a lover, but for life; they love life and love and want to enjoy it and they may be a firm believer of the fact that we're born to be happy and fullfilled; they always strive for more - exploring more, learning more - but at the same time it's not like they're unhappy with what they have and have explored right now; they have a genuine curiosity for learning and exploring, they don't do that to day they know more than others, but because it's genuinely what they like to do, so they keep doing it whenever possible; they may be one of those people who make friends after like one day in a new place; possibly very community oriented;

READ NOW THEIR MESSAGE FOR YOU!

pile 2

[image description: a tarot, a zodiac oracle and a crystal cards shown and three other tarot cards covered; on these there's the text "unveil this cards and receive the message from your soulmate on my patreon!"]

7 of coins in reverse → they were a guardian of something, not in the sense of keeping something at bay but in the sense of keeping something safe; they may have been a patrolling soldier or a high priest/priestess who took care of the communication with nature and spirits for their group; they may also be a very old soul, someone who has learned a lot and is now more aware than sometimes we're scared of things that aren't really scary or dangerous; they know the feeling of being nervous so well and they may have experienced the nerve wrecking experience of wanting to do something, but being scared/nervous because it wasn't what everyone did and wanted for them; at the same time I feel that they were lucky and they had a lifetime in which people around them understood them - they weren't like them, but loved them enough to want them to live as and for themselves (especially a female figure, perhaps a mother); they may have been one of the few people to leave their birth community to go somewhere else

the moon (14) → this card makes me think that this soulmate is presenting themselves as a woman, but it's not necessary; they are someone who knows their shit, they reflect a lot, but even more, they interrogate themselves and are very introspective; they know that to go on in the best and easiest way they need to be balanced with themselves and this means facing every issue and every doubt as soon as they arise; this soulmate may also be very prone to psychic abilities or generally speaking to magic and witchcraft; i don't feel that they are a witch, i feel that they're more someone who has the same knowledges witches and spiritual practitioners have, but isn't walking the path of a witch; they have the knowledge, but they don't call/feel themselves a witch, because their dream and path is something different

spessartine garnet (53) → they are an unicum; as true as it is that no human (or soul) is an island, your soulmate knows themselved intimately and in the detail; they have a clear concept about who they are and what they want and everything they do is according and for it; their soul may really be older than most - so they have had more experience - or they had one specific lifetime in which they have been this type of person - and this is how they're coming through now

p.s. i asked the pendulum if this soulmate is a spirit guide of yours and said no, but i think it's very possible that they're coming through as the person they have been in a specific past life - perhaps with you, perhaps without you

READ NOW THEIR MESSAGE FOR YOU!

pile 3

[image description: a tarot, a zodiac oracle and a crystal cards shown and three other tarot cards covered; on these there's the text "unveil this cards and receive the message from your soulmate on my patreon!"]

7 of wands → they value knowledge, but at the same time they're not too strict on what they know and what they don't; they forgive themselves if they are not aware of something and they think that the most important thing is to act according to your values once you know; they may be a heavy researcher, someone with their nose always stuck in a book (or in a wikipedia loophole), and they probably are the type of person who learns for fun, the curious type that goes on a tangent about something that they will never need to know in their concrete life; they also are a bright person, someone whose curiosity has not been minimized by the idea that some things are "childlike": they do what they want, they learn what they want and they probably live their life in their own, unique way; there's the energy of a jester, in a sense, doing in adulthood something that some think it's childish - I don't think they were a jester, tho

libra (7) → they care about justice and even if people around them may not realize, they do have a strict personal moral and ethical code; they seem to be doing things randomly, but actually everything has a meaning - and sure, sometimes the meaning is only bc they're curious, but that's still a reason! They seem to be completely careless, but actually they put thought in what they do and they avoid doing what goes against their values and their morals; they may actually happen to have a stronger sense of justice than most people

euclase (23) → they are a strong soul; again, it may not seem at all, but they are a more well rounded person than many people who look like they have their shit together, but actually are just going with the flow without thinking for themselves; this soulmate has a bit of shakesperean fool energy, they're the ones who can tell the truth to the king, meaning that they are known as someone different, so they can be completely and authentically themselves with no issues because people expect it from them; they may also be wiser than they seem and they may use sometimes their reputation as someone unserious to … make things go exactly like they want

READ NOW THEIR MESSAGE FOR YOU!

[feratscal]

more sneak peaks I really quickly fell into the habit of quantity over quality when i made my videos last time (because im very goal oriented and i made alot of plans really fast and then i wanted to all of it all at once) So im really enjoying actually taking my time with this one, i´ll have the time to do my other plans later, no stress and all that yknow

[drizne]

Excerpt from the speech “Renouncing Sexual Equality”, from Andrea Dworkin’s “Our Blood”

"In 1970 Kate Millett published Sexual Politics. In that book she proved to many of us -who would have staked our lives on denying it- that sexual relations, the literature depicting those relations, the psychology posturing to explain those relations, the economic system that fix the necessities of those relations, the religious systems that seek to control those relations, are political. She showed us that everything that happens to a woman in her life, everything that touches or molds her, is political.

Women who are feminists, that is, women who grasped her analysis and saw that it explained much of their real existence in their real lives, have tried to understand, struggle against, and transform the political system called patriarchy which exploits our labor, predetermines the ownership of our bodies, and diminishes our selfhood from the day we are born. This struggle has no dimension to it which is abstract: it has touched us in every part of our lives. But nowhere has it touched us more vividly or painfully than in that part of our human lives which we call "love" and "sex". In the course of our struggle to free ourselves from systematic oppression, a serious argument has developed among us, and I want to bring that argument into this room.

Some of us have committed ourselves in all areas, including those called "love" and "sex", to the goal of equality, that is, to state of being equal; correspondence in quantity, degree, value, rank, ability; uniform character, as of motion or surface. Other of us, and I stand on this side of the argument, do not see equality as a proper, or sufficient, or moral, or honorable final goal. We believe that to be equal where there is no universal justice, or where there is no universal freedom is, quite simply, to be the same as the oppressor. It is to have achieved "uniform character, as of motion or surface."

Nowhere is this clearer than in the area of sexuality. The male sexual model is based on a polarization of humankind into man/woman, master/slave, aggressor/victim, active/passive. This male sexual model is now many thousands of years old. The very identity of men, their civil and economic power, the forms of government that they have developed, the wars they wage, are tied irrevocably together. All forms of dominance and submission, whether it be man over woman, white over black, boss over worker, rich over poor, are tied irrevocably to the sexual identities of men and are derived from the male sexual model. Once we grasp this, it becomes clear that in fact men own the sex act, the language which describes sex, the women whom they objectify. Men have written the scenario for any sexual fantasy you have ever had or any sexual act you have ever engaged in.

There is no freedom or justice in exchanging the female role for the male role. There is, no doubt about it, equality. There is no freedom or justice in using male language, the language of your oppressor, to describe sexuality. There is no freedom or justice or even common sense in developing a male sexual sensibility -- a sexual sensibility which is aggressive, competitive, objectifying, quantity oriented. There is only equality. To believe that freedom or justice for women, can be found in mimicry of male sexuality is to delude oneself and to contribute to the oppression of one's sisters. [...] I want to suggest to you that a commitment to sexual equality with males, that is, to uniform character as of motion or surface, is a commitment to becoming the rich instead of the poor, the rapist instead of the raped, the murderer instead of the murdered. I want to ask you to make a different commitment -- a commitment to the abolition of poverty, rape, and murder; that is, a commitment to ending the system of oppression called patriarchy; to ending the male sexual model itself.

The real core of the feminist vision, its revolutionary kernel if you will, has to do with the abolition of all sex roles -- that is, an absolute transformation of human sexuality and the institutions derived from it. In this work, no part of the male sexual model can possibly apply. Equality within the framework of the male sexual model, however that model is reformed or modified, can only perpetuate the model itself and the injustice and bondage which are its intrinsic consequences."

[qualcosadelgenere]

Where in Italy do the ORPHEUS 💙 players come from + headcanons PT.1

And PT.2 here

Gigi Blasi

Lazio Rome

JP "Italy's strongest guardian deity who boasts of his steady saves."/EN "He's the best goalie in Italy, so you can count on his saves."

Headcanons:

He's just a chill guy, a big brother kind of teammate. He always looks out for the others, ensuring they all get along well (truly an impossible mission). He has zero tolerance for bullies and, in general, for disrespect. He keeps a cool head in most cases, but you surely don't wish to see him mad.

His father is a middle school history teacher, while his mother used to work part-time in a local museum before deciding to become a full-time housewife. Since he can remember, Gigi has always been fascinated by the Roman Empire, and for his very first summer job, his mother put in a good word for him to work at the very same museum she used to.

Although young, he's already a very popular figure in Italy and is often taken as a role model.

His favourite teammates to spend time with are Angelo and Fidio, but truth be told, he finds enjoyable aspects in every single Orpheus player.

He sings opera in the shower.

The only thing that breaks his state of perpetual chillness is carbonara made "alla cazzo de cane".

Die-hard fan of Gianluigi Buffon.

Vento Gagliano

Sicily Palermo

"He takes exquisite care of his personal style, even wearing tailored boxers."

Headcanons:

His father has a renowned tailor shop in Palermo where Vento sometimes helps out. His mother is an accountant, but Vento hardly ever speaks to her.

Upsetting subject ahead (Tw: mentions of homophobia).

Unfortunately, his mother filed for divorce when he was just approaching his early teens (around 10 years old). The reason being Vento's father's sexual orientation. After many years of marriage and a kid together, Vento's father felt he couldn't keep lying anymore, not to the people he loved the most. So, one evening, he simply came out to them, naively hoping things would remain the same. Needless to say, Vento's mother didn't take it well.

She left immediately the day after and returned to live with her parents, leaving Vento behind. She never explained to her curious friends and family members why her marriage had fallen apart, not out of courtesy for her ex-husband, but rather to avoid bringing dishonor to her family's name. Heartbroken, Vento's father agreed to sign the divorce papers anyway, on the condition that she'd let Vento be in his life nonetheless. Yet after a while of living with his mother and witnessing his father being the object of constant ridicule, Vento begged the court that had ruled the custody in favor of his mother to let him stay with his father instead. Afterwards, he cut off his maternal side of the family alongside his mother.

He's very touchy, quick to anger, and gets easily upset over the smallest things (which also includes being told he's too touchy). Unconveniently, he is also very prideful and stubborn, so good luck getting forgiven if he feels like you somehow wronged him.

His closest friend on the team is Cannavaro, with whom he has a love-hate relationship. They are constantly at each other's throats, yet share a level of trust that matches no one else on the team. Giuseppe knows about Vento's family situation and the issues he has with managing anger, and tries to be there for him when Vento needs it.

They're not exactly best buddies, but Vento also has a soft spot for Alessandro because he always treats him with the utmost respect, even though the reason behind said respect often borders on simply being intimidated by the Sicilian.

Eats lemons whole. Yes, even the seeds.

Sprays an objectively abhorrent quantity of perfume on himself.

Has a nice singing voice, yet shies away from ever using it.

Ottorino Nobili

Tuscany Pisa

"He's from Pisa, and he wants to do his hometown proud."

Headcanons:

His parents own a trattoria in Pisa's countryside, where Otto grew up.

At first, proud Pisan as he is, he wasn't thrilled to be on the same team as Dante and Giorgio, two Florentines. The infamous atavic rivalry between Pisa and Florence goes back ages, and as hilarious as it is in the eyes of Italians from other regions, it actually made the relationship between these three players strained. Or, better said, mainly the relationship between Otto and Dante, as Giorgio, always rather peaceful, tries his best not to get involved.

Despite this, he is more than glad to be on the national team and have a chance at representing both Italy and his beloved Pisa.

Aside from Dante and Giorgio, he tries to get along with everyone.

He longs to live in the city instead of in the countryside.

The family cat is named after him, Otto.

He makes a mean Cecina.

Anton Gattuso

Calabria Reggio Di Calabria

JP "He says his dream is to be a police officer and fight against evil organizations."/EN "This plucky chap hopes to join the police and take on the criminal underworld."

Headcanons:

He comes from a family of police officers who have been fighting criminal organizations like the Mafia alongside the Italian Ministry of Domestic Affairs for generations. Determined to follow this honorable tradition, Antonio trains hard every day, physically and mentally, to achieve his biggest dream: becoming a Judicial Police officer. He hopes to participate in the required public competition and get accepted. His parents couldn't be prouder.

Upsetting subject ahead (Tw: mentions of honor killings, feminicide, and the mafia).

His great-great-grandparents were the first to devote their entire lives to fighting back after their firstborn daughter became one of the many victims of the 'Ndrangheta, Calabria's mafia. While working, she met a seemingly nice boy from a good family, and everyone was initially very happy for her. After all, a happily married child meant one less mouth to feed and more joy in the home. However, over time, her family began to notice how washed out and distant their once cheerful little girl had become. She had cut ties with all her friends, insisting that she didn’t have time for those “nasty-minded, dumb girls” now that she was married.

And then they started noticing the bruises. How defiantly tall he stood when she hunched her shoulders, looking so small. She had always been so full of life, and he had never borne to see it.

Before they could realize the full extent of what was going on behind closed doors, their little girl dared to square her shoulders one last time. One terrible morning, their daughter was gone.

Suicide, they had said. Yet her parents had no doubt.

It had been an honour killing, poorly staged as a fake suicide by the murderers. Unfortunately, a crime that was never properly investigated and filed suspiciously quickly. Not even the friendship that bound the local police chief to the poor victim's parents had helped counter the ever-present omertà. In fact, not even a day after the discovery, the man had been immediately taken off the case and demoted to managing traffic in a neighboring town, for no apparent reason. The victim's ex-husband, the prime suspect, had been acquitted despite there being more than sufficient evidence to prove that he wanted to see the young woman dead.

Desperate for justice, Anton's great-great-grandparents vowed to do whatever it took to ensure no other family suffered as theirs did.

He tends to keep to himself, so his relationships with his teammates are very professional; they're more like colleagues to him than friends.

Obsessed with going to the gym and eating enough protein.

Dyes his lock of blonde hair at home, and every time, a towel needs to be sacrificed.

Not to be stereotypical, but his spicy tolerance is off the charts.

Marco Maserati

Emilia-Romagna Bologna

"If it's a pasta-based dish you're after, ask this guy! He's very proud of his regional cuisine."

Headcanons:

Although he lives in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, his mother is actually from Gragnano, in the province of Naples. She's the one who instilled in him a love for cooking, both Neapolitan and Emilian cuisine. Together with her mother-in-law, she owns a pasta shop where Marco spends a lot of his free time helping out his mamma and nonna.

He's sunny, carefree, and always in a good mood that's impossible to spoil. He tends to act oblivious on purpose to avoid confronting his issues, and has a habit of masking his negative emotions behind a facade of easy laughter and big smiles. He can be extremely stubborn once he has made his mind up.

He gets on the nerves of everybody at least once per day, but they all love him to some degree.

Best cook among them.

The rest of the team jokes that he's the perfect Italian representation, being exactly 1/2 from the South and 1/2 from the North.

His favourite colour has always been green, but since meeting Gianluca, he's starting to appreciate blue a lot more.

Angelo Gabrini

Piedmont Turin

JP "A cameo artisan who's already received many awards."/EN "He's already won many awards for artisanship, as a crafter of cameo brooches."

Headcanons:

He is an art enthusiast who wishes to leave his hometown in Piedmont to better pursue his passion in Torre del Greco, near Naples, an Italian city internationally famous for its artisanal cameo making.

He can't keep secrets. Like, at all. Nobody is sure whether he is a snitch by accident or if he actually knows what he is doing (non è figlio di Maria il ragazzo).

As his looks would suggest, Angelo has a bubbly personality; he's kind, optimistic, and cheerful, albeit a bit childish at times. He becomes friends with everyone at first sight, including his teammates, even though his favourite person remains Fideo.

At Christmas school's recitals, he was always cast as the angel and never had a say.

He's the best at finding lost objects.

Can be very mean when he wants to be.

Nakata Hidetoshi

He's technically a real person, so I don't feel as comfortable. Maybe if I develop headcanons about him, I will make a separate post about him and Luca.

Giorgio Giannini

Tuscany Florence

 "He's from a well-established family, but he's not one to rest on his laurels."

Headcanons:

His family is one of the last remaining noble families in Florence, and although aristocratic titles no longer have any legal value in Italy, they still possess large artistic and real estate assets. His grandmother from his mother's side comes from a noble Sardinian family as well and she married into the Giannini family.

His mother teaches at the University of Florence, while his father oversees a renowned art gallery.

He's very eloquent and poised, often speaking quite formally by default. He hates violence with a passion and has a habit of putting himself in danger while trying to defuse situations with reasoning rather than with fists. He has a strong sense of justice.

He and Raffaele are best friends, and Giorgio is so head-over-heels in love with their friendship that he sometimes worries about crossing the line between platonic and romantic. (He does. A lot.)

Probably the only person in the FFI (besides Philip and Teres) to find Edgar genuinely charming.

Has a collection of old vinyls from all over the world.

Top of the class since pre-kindergarten.

[dollmaidcrystal]

The Inhabitants of Mistress Aspyce’s Household

Name: Crystal Occupation: Full-time rubberdoll / sissy maid Orientation: Flexible Bio: Crystal retired early from her to career to a life of being Mistress Aspyce’s full time rubber sissy. Her “retirement” has kept her busier than a 9-5 job ever did, thanks to her duties keeping Mistress’s house clean, being a rubber bondage toy, and servicing Mistress’s guests at parties. She’s never been happier. Streaming Guilty Pleasure: "'Tis Time for "Torture," Princess". It's the chillest show about being kept in a torture dungeon ever.

Name: Mistress Aspyce Occupation: Small business owner / Amateur dominatrix Orientation: Equal parts heterosexual and in denial Bio: Previously the puppygirl of a failed leather household, Aspyce has seen so many ways wielding power has caused the people around her to self-destruct. When her leather family collapsed, Aspyce decided she would do better if she was ever the one in charge. Today, Mistress Aspyce runs both her own business and a small rubberist household. Streaming Guilty Pleasure: Classic Disney "Silly Symphonies", like "The Cookie Carnival" and "The China Shop". They're so simple, yet endlessly creative!

Name: Nonsense Occupation: 🐶 Orientation: Neutered, but still humping Bio: Nonsense is a dog. He does dog things. He enjoys running around, chewing, sniffing, and sleeping in Crystal’s bed. Having lived his entire life in a house full of rubberdolls, guests with sissy slaves, and a hidden bondage dungeon, he's gotten very chill about all the fetish stuff around him. Streaming Guilty Pleasure: "101 Dalmatians". There is a bad woman who wants to hurt puppies, but the good dogs save the puppies instead! It's like the best story ever! Note from Nonsense: "I have no problems with Zootopia, but Mommy and her friends need to stop making me watch the howling scene. I'm a doodle. Doodles don't howl to mark territory. We rely on a complicated system of social contract and negotiation. I'm not going to howl, no matter how much you want to post it to TikTok."

Name: Chie Occupation: Petgirl and newlywed wife of Master N / Mistress Aspyce’s “sister” Likes: Previously the kittygirl of a failed leather household, Chie learned that being in charge is a mug’s game. It’s far better to have the freedom of being a pampered pet than have to worry about gross things like employment and bills. She’s currently living with her master thousands of miles away, but she still manages to be a frequent source of chaos in the Aspyce house. Streaming Guilty Pleasure: Cats don't feel any guilt about streaming vast quantities of anime, but "Apothecary Diaries" is really good.

[timid-times]

discord only!

pairings: fxf

genres: romance, modern, slice of life, apocalypse, drama.

age: 18+ for characters and writers! mdni!

activity: high!

disclaimer: I will not write with anyone over 25! just a comfort thing and I prefer those around my age!

hey there! I figured it was time for a new ad refresh as my old one got stale! I’m Andy, 21 years old, in the mst timezone- and I’m a very active role player who loves to just get lost in the sauce of all the nuance and messiness that comes with roleplay!

- Literacy 📕: I’d consider myself literate to advanced and potentially lazy novella! 3 paragraphs on the low end but I can easily hit the discord limit if the scene calls for it! I’m looking for those who write at around the same level! although at the end of the day I’m a quality over quantity!! (just no one liners) I can always provide samples if needed!!

- activity ⚡️: I’m very active due to recently being unemployed and love back n forth chatter whether it be with back to back responses or random ooc yapping! I like to be friends with those I write with too! I’m looking for someone who’s online at similar times as I am and for someone who isn’t hella busy or the type to vanish for days at a time! I understand we all have emergencies of course, just please communicate with me and I’ll do the same! **(tldr: don’t interact if you won’t be active)**

- timezone 🌎: I’m looking for someone who’s rather close to me in timezone! I’m located in MST (mountain standard time) here in the US! I’d prefer a gap of only a few hours between us! over 4 is pushing it!

- pairing 💋: I write exclusively sapphic narratives as it’s just what I’m most experienced in and most comfortable with. I however don’t care what gender identity you are yourself! as long as things are portrayed in a respectful light and there isn’t bigotry, we’ll get along just fine!

- genres 📚: I love anything modern, apocalyptic or dramatic! although I will say I have no interest in anything fantasy oriented! I’m open to discussing plots and creating something from scratch with my partners! I have a few ideas here n’ there, but would appreciate effort on both ends to make something awesome!

I’m sure there’s a thing or two I missed so if you have any questions, do please reach out through DMs! if you’ve tried to get into contact with me before and we lost touch- don’t hesitate to reach out again! 🫶

[thesummerstorms]

Out of curiosity, I went ahead and compiled all the known canonical interactions between Annabeth and Athena, specifically focusing on them actually conversing or meeting in person.

(For those who are curious about the numbers but are scared off by the massive wall of text, from what I can tell Athena has directly interacted with her daughter somewhere between 4 to 8 times in her life.

Two of the " 8 " are hypothetical but not confirmed based on the existence of the Yankees cap and it's behavior before and after Heroes of Olympus. One moment I personally don't count as actually being Athena so much as Annabeth's inner voice, but is up for interpretation. And the last questionable moment is where Athena's voice does speak to her but Annabeth does not actually interact with her mom beyond hearing that.

So I would say the most solid number cannon number is probably 4. )

Possibly something happened pre-series when Annabeth first got her hat. We don't actually know how that went down. But if there's a pre series meeting, that's the most likely spot.

Nothing in TLT. Athena's presence is felt but that's because of how oriented Annabeth and her siblings are initially to Athena's presumed will

Nothing in SOM that I remember. She's following in the footsteps of her mother's favorite, but Athena herself doesn't really have a role.

They do get to meet in TTC. Athena says more or less that she's proud of Annabeth then turns around and suggests killing Thalia and Percy.

It is low key interesting to me that this is probably one of the high points in what we see of their relationship, but this announcement of Annabeth having done well is addressed to the crowd, not Annabeth herself.

Annabeth interrupts Athena to protest the first time she advocates for killing Percy, but Athena cuts her off still without speaking to her

The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. “I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here with the other two.”

“Mother!” Annabeth said. “How can you—”

Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look.

The second time Annabeth protests is the only time Athena speaks to Annabeth directly, but the use of 'exasperated' here is interesting in setting the tone of that interaction:

“Two years for Kronos to deceive you,” Athena said. “Much can change in two years, my young hero.” “Mother!” Annabeth said, exasperated. “It is only the truth, child. It is bad strategy to keep the animal alive. Or the boy.”

Of course Percy also meets Athena here and that's about Annabeth if not with Annabeth- first Athena giving him the clue/inspiration to escape the Hoover Dam, and then Athena telling him more or less to stay away from her daughter.

When Annabeth interrupts the later conversation, Athena leaves. It does make sense in the context of 'she was literally just giving Percy the shovel talk' but it is mildly interesting that this in an opportunity where she could speak directly to her daughter- and maybe she did!- but all we see on screen is her walking away

Also the shift from Mother to Mom, which very likely is just the social context unless you want to read into that ellipsis

“Percy!” Annabeth said, running through the crowd. She stopped short when she saw who I was talking to. “Oh…Mom.” “I will leave you,” Athena said. “For now.”

They don't meet or talk in BOTL and aren't mentioned as having done so between that summer and the previous winter. Athena continues to have an important presence through her history with Daedelus and the other gods identifying Annabeth as her daughter, but doesn't actually appear.

TLO is a lot more significant not in terms of quantity of interactions, but in terms of impact. First, Athena sends a warning/strategic advice to both Percy and Annabeth via Hermes. Including more disapproval for Percy/Annabeth

"[Athena] wanted to come back herself, but Zeus was not going to let his number one strategist leave his side while we’re battling Typhon. And so naturally he sent me to talk to you.” ...

...“Please, Hermes,” Annabeth said. “You said my mother wanted to come. Did she give you any messages for us?”...

...“Bah,” Hermes said. “Your mother said to warn you that you are on your own. You must hold Manhattan without the help of the gods. As if I didn’t know that. Why they pay her to be the wisdom goddess, I’m not sure.”

“Anything else?” Annabeth asked.

“She said you should try plan twenty-three. She said you would know what that meant.”

Annabeth’s face paled. Obviously she knew what it meant, and she didn’t like it. “Go on.”

“Last thing.” Hermes looked at me. “She said to tell Percy: ‘Remember the rivers.’ And, um, something about staying away from her daughter.”

And this is of course where we get the single most positive interaction between the two of them in all of the series

Athena called, “Annabeth Chase, my own daughter.”

Annabeth squeezed my arm, then walked forward and knelt at her mother’s feet.

Athena smiled. “You, my daughter, have exceeded all expectations. You have used your wits, your strength, and your courage to defend this city, and our seat of power. It has come to our attention that Olympus is…well, trashed. The Titan lord did much damage that will have to be repaired. We could rebuild it by magic, of course, and make it just as it was. But the gods feel that the city could be improved. We will take this as an opportunity. And you, my daughter, will design these improvements.”

Annabeth looked up, stunned. “My…my lady?”

Athena smiled wryly. “You are an architect, are you not? You have studied the techniques of Daedalus himself. Who better to redesign Olympus and make it a monument that will last for another eon?”

“You mean…I can design whatever I want?”

“As your heart desires,” the goddess said. “Make us a city for the ages.”

“As long as you have plenty of statues of me,” Apollo added.

“And me,” Aphrodite agreed.

“Hey, and me!” Ares said. “Big statues with huge wicked swords and—”

“All right!” Athena interrupted. “She gets the point. Rise, my daughter, official architect of Olympus.”

We don't have much Annabeth in TLH or SON so no real opportunities for anything there. I did do a keyword search for both "mother" and "Athena" to make sure I didn't miss some reference to something that happened off screen, but I didn't see anything.

Mark of Athena... Well. I'm gonna put the cut here because obviously there's a lot to say from here on.

Right off the bat in chapter one, we take a nose dive from the high point of TLO. We see the specifics of the meeting that Annabeth is referring to later in the book, but I still feel like the first description is useful information:

Annabeth wished she could pray to her mother for guidance, but that wasn’t possible now. Not after last month, when she’d had that horrible encounter with her mom and gotten the worst present of her life.…

And we get hints again when Annabeth receives her prophecy from Ella. Again this should probably all be one singular bullet point since it's just one meeting, but I found the lead up to the reveal too interesting

“The Mark of Athena burns through Rome,” Ella continued, cupping her hands over her ears and raising her voice. “Twins snuff out the angel’s breath, Who holds the key to endless death. Giants’ bane stands gold and pale, Won through pain from a woven jail.”

The effect was like someone dropping a flash grenade on the table. Everyone stared at the harpy. No one spoke. Annabeth’s heart was pounding. The Mark of Athena…She resisted the urge to check her pocket, but she could feel the silver coin growing warmer—the cursed gift from her mother. Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me.

She tells Percy about it eventually, though not in moment by moment detail

A sense of dread settled over [Percy]. “Why? Have you seen Athena?”

She didn’t meet his eyes. “A few weeks ago,” she admitted. “It…it wasn’t good. She didn’t seem like herself. Maybe it’s the Greek/Roman schizophrenia that Nemesis described. I’m not sure. She said some hurtful things. She said I had failed her.”

“Failed her?” Percy wasn’t sure he’d heard her right. Annabeth was the perfect demigod child. She was everything a daughter of Athena should be. “How could you ever—?”

“I don’t know,” she said miserably. “On top of that, I’ve been having nightmares of my own. They don’t make as much sense as yours.”

Then we finally get the details of Annabeth's interaction with Minerva/Athena. And it is identified as being Minerva however...

Minerva is the way she is because she recognizes herself as a reduction/fragment of Athena. Like explicitly she talks about what the Romans have "done to her" in changing her from the Greek Athena to the Roman Minerva. She gets mad when Annabeth calls her Minerva even.

Minerva's anger and violence are rooted in her internal indenfication with her past as Athena and her hatred for what the Romans did to the Greeks specifically. Minerva and Athena are deeply intertwined.

We also still count Nico and Hazel & Thalia and Jason as being siblings despite the Greek/Roman divide.

I will give you the fact that Minerva doesn't recognize Annabeth here and her judgement is impacted. But IMO I don't think it's fair to 100% disconnect this conversation from Athena even if it is Minerva in this scene. And it is a doozy of a scene.

She had just passed Sweet on America, the candy shop where Percy’s mom used to work, and was thinking about going inside to buy some blue candy for old times’ sake, when she saw Athena studying the subway map on the wall.

“Mother!” Annabeth couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t seen her mom in months—not since Zeus had closed the gates of Olympus and forbidden all communication with demigods. Many times, Annabeth had tried to call on her mom anyway, pleading for guidance, sending up burnt offerings with every meal at camp. She’d had no response. Now here was Athena, dressed in jeans and hiking boots and a red flannel shirt, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. She held a backpack and a walking stick like she was prepared for a long journey.

“I must return home,” Athena murmured, studying the map. “The way is complex. I wish Odysseus were here. He would understand.”

“Mom!” Annabeth said. “Athena!” The goddess turned. She seemed to look right through Annabeth with no recognition.

“That was my name,” the goddess said dreamily. “Before they sacked my city, took my identity, made me this.” She looked at her clothes in disgust. “I must return home.”

Annabeth stepped back in shock. “You’re…you’re Minerva?”

“Don’t call me that!” The goddess’s gray eyes flared with anger. “I used to carry a spear and a shield. I held victory in the palm of my hand. I was so much more than this.”

“Mom.” Annabeth’s voice trembled. “It’s me, Annabeth. Your daughter.”

“My daughter…” Athena repeated. “Yes, my children will avenge me. They must destroy the Romans. Horrible, dishonorable, copycat Romans. Hera argued that we must keep the two camps apart. I said, No, let them fight. Let my children destroy the usurpers.”

Annabeth’s heartbeat thumped in her ears. “You wanted that? But you’re wise. You understand warfare better than any—”

“Once!” the goddess said. “Replaced. Sacked. Looted like a trophy and carted off—away from my beloved homeland. I lost so much. I swore I would never forgive. Neither would my children.”

She focused more closely on Annabeth. “You are my daughter?”

“Yes.” The goddess fished something from the pocket of her shirt—an old-fashioned subway token—and pressed it into Annabeth’s hand. “Follow the Mark of Athena,” the goddess said. “Avenge me.”

Annabeth had looked at the coin. As she watched, it changed from a New York subway token to an ancient silver drachma, the kind used by Athenians. It showed an owl, Athena’s sacred animal, with an olive branch on one side and a Greek inscription on the other.

The Mark of Athena.

At the time, Annabeth had had no idea what it meant. She didn’t understand why her mom was acting like this. Minerva or not, she shouldn’t be so confused.

“Mom…” She tried to make her tone as reasonable as possible. “Percy is missing. I need your help.”

She had started to explain Hera’s plan for bringing the camps together to battle Gaea and the giants, but the goddess stamped her walking stick against the marble floor.

“Never!” she said. “Anyone who helps Rome must perish. If you would join them, you are no child of mine. You have already failed me.”

“Mother!”

“I care nothing about this Percy. If he has gone over to the Romans, let him perish. Kill him. Kill all the Romans. Find the Mark, follow it to its source. Witness how Rome has disgraced me, and pledge your vengeance.”

“Athena isn’t the goddess of revenge.” Annabeth’s nails bit into her palms. The silver coin seemed to grow warmer in her hand. “Percy is everything to me.”

“And revenge is everything to me,” the goddess snarled. “Which of us is wiser?”

“Something is wrong with you. What’s happened?”

“Rome happened!” the goddess said bitterly. “See what they have done, making a Roman of me. They wish me to be their goddess? Then let them taste their own evil. Kill them, child.”

“No!”

“Then you are nothing.” The goddess turned to the subway map. Her expression softened, becoming confused and unfocused. “If I could find the route…the way home, then perhaps—But, no. Avenge me or leave me. You are no child of mine.”

Annabeth’s eyes stung. She thought of a thousand horrible things she wanted to say, but she couldn’t. She had turned and fled.

She’d tried to throw away the silver coin, but it simply reappeared in her pocket, the way Riptide did for Percy. Unfortunately, Annabeth’s drachma had no magical powers—at least nothing useful. It only gave her nightmares, and no matter what she tried, she couldn’t get rid of it.

And to my point earlier, even if fans want to pin this interaction on just Minerva, Annabeth still clearly identifies it as being an interaction with her mother, even well after she knows about the Greek/Roman divide.

Since Annabeth’s argument with Athena, the cap had lost its magic. Annabeth wasn’t sure why, but she’d stubbornly brought it along on the quest. Every morning she would try it on, hoping it would work again. So far it had only served as a reminder of her mother’s wrath.

She then hears her mother's voice in the civil war fort. To be fair, this is not actually a conversation so much as her hearing her mother's voice, and it is implied by Aphrodite that this might be subconscious but I'm still counting it for the purpose of record keeping.

Gaea’s voice faded. On the far wall, in the center of the spider swarm, a red symbol blazed to life: the figure of an owl like the one on the silver drachma, staring straight at Annabeth. Then, just as in her nightmares, the Mark of Athena burned across the walls, incinerating the spiders until the room was empty except for the smell of sickly sweet ashes. Go, said a new voice—Annabeth’s mother. Avenge me. Follow the Mark.

We do get mention of a 'voice' when Annabeth is on the quest. I do not personally interpret it as being Athena, and Annabeth seems to dismiss that possibility after a moment, but since the possibility is raised and not conclusively answered, I am including it for completeness' sake

You’ve got your intelligence, a voice said. Annabeth wondered if Athena was speaking to her, but that was probably just wishful thinking.

Not getting a full quote here, but notably there's no sign of an interaction from Athena either when Annabeth tells Arachne that the spider-woman is better than Athena OR when Annabeth prays:

"But the Athena Parthenos was free. Please wake up, Annabeth begged the statue. Mother, help me.

I wasn't in any way expecting Athena to react to that prayer, and I know 'divine laws' is the normal explanation but I am genuinely interested in what makes this moment from Percy at the arch. Not sarcastically, I just wish we had a little bit clearer of an idea of how things worked.

Then we finally get to House of Hades, where Annabeth is of course in Tartarus. To the best of my knowledge, her only direct interaction with Athena is through one of the demigod 's prophetic dreams where Athena praises her and then gives her another task/warning.

In the darkness below stood Reyna, the praetor of New Rome. Her cloak was the color of blood fresh from a vein. Her gold armor glinted. She stared up, her face regal and distant, and spoke directly into Annabeth’s mind.

You have done well, Reyna said, but the voice was Athena’s. The rest of my journey must be on the wings of Rome

. The praetor’s dark eyes turned as gray as storm clouds.

I must stand here, Reyna told her. The Roman must bring me.

In terms of plot/timing this really does make sense as a very short/driven/focused conversation. Please do not take this as me saying they should have had a mother-daughter therapy session here.

But what makes the content of this dream stand out more is that as far as I know, it's the only time Athena ever acknowledges the Mark of Athena quest at all when talking to her daughter, and the closest they come to discussing Tartarus. Which they didn't.

BOO doesn't have anything written from Annabeth or Percy's point of view, reducing what we are able to know about Annabeth and Athena. They do fight together, just like the other members of the seven and their parents, but it's from Jason's point of view so we get a distant observation with no emotion or dialogue attached.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw Annabeth fighting Enceladus. At her side stood a woman with long dark hair and golden armor over her white robes. The goddess thrust her spear at the giant, then brandished her shield with the fearsome bronzed visage of Medusa. Together, Athena and Annabeth drove Enceladus back into the nearest wall of metal scaffolding, which collapsed on top of him.

Afterwards, we get a description of Athena interacting with Hermes, who is apparently trying to ignore her, but nothing with Annabeth. They both participate in the conversation with Zeus, but don't speak or respond to one another.

Annabeth is not a focus in any of the books of TOA, so of course there are no interactions there.

She may or may not have mentioned something that happened off-screen in the Magnus Chase books, but I don't know since I haven't read them. I wouldn't bet on it.

Finally, as of the writing of this post, the last PJO book we have is Chalice of the Gods. Athena interacts directly with Percy on screen, but not Annabeth. It is very strongly suggested that Athena assists Percy for Annabeth's sake.

We do get a mention of Annabeth's hat working again (as Percy needs it for the plot) and then there is a mention of it now causing discomfort to the user and Athena doing it on purpose to remind her child that power has a price.

We know for a fact that it did NOT work this way when Percy used it in either TLT or TTC. I would put my money on Rick just...forgetting that

but from an in universe context we might take it to imply Athena added a price to the use of the gift after Heroes of Olympus and somehow explained her reasoning to Annabeth. (I will leave my emotions about this scene for a different post.)

“Thanks for the loan of the Yankees cap, by the way,” I said. “You never told me it makes you uncomfortable when you wear it.”

She gave me a one-shoulder shrug. “All power has a price. Even being invisible. My mom taught me that a long time ago.” She sounded wistful, maybe a little sad, but not resentful.

She had apparently accepted the way the world worked according to Athena, even if she didn’t always agree, even if it sometimes didn’t make any more sense than Annabeth’s math homework did to me.

I have seen some people use all the above points from COG to suggest that Athena and Annabeth fully reconciled off screen. I personally hate that, but I don't think it's an unfair reading. It is a possibility. I wouldn't say the text confirms that definitively though.

[mercifulstate]

Hello beautiful heart. I have many doubts about the manifestation of specific people... for example, things that are not "physical type" or things that are married, engaged, others that are extremely famous and many other people who want to manifest themselves, others that are racist or others that are not of the same sexual orientation as me. In addition to those who are very "unattainable by beauty", women or those who have been rejected by me and do not notice my existence, or the extremely popular... another thing is the quantity. Is it the same to manifest 1 as 2500 people in love with me? As a friend or an entire university in love with me? Or an entire class? How do I do it? And what about the evidence of 3D? And the other women as 3P? Thank you

Hey anon! It’s natural to have doubts when it comes to manifesting, but remember, YOU are the key, and YOU get to decide what is true to you and what isn't. The 3D world is just a reflection of what you assume to be true. So, if you assume that 2500 people are in love with you, the 3D will naturally reflect that! Neville Goddard says, “Assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled, and it will come to pass.” Trust that what you want is already yours. There is no limit to what you can manifest, whether it’s a single person, a whole class, or 2500 people. The key is believing and accepting it to be true! So, just focus on the feeling of being loved by many and accepting that you are being loved by many, and the 3D will reflect it in its own way. Nothing is truly "unattainable" when you know the power of your assumptions and beliefs! (^_^)

[fable2]

Hello! I'm late to the Orin ask game but I'm curious about: 11 and 25?

Also, sorry if you've already talked about this before but what was Parsipan's relationship with Gortash like? Ketheric too?

Thanks! Love hearing more Parsipan lore. ^^

Never apologise for asking any question about Parsipan ever!!!!

Under a cut because this is long lol

11. What was Orin and your Durge’s biggest point of contention before the tadpole lobotomy?

I had to think about this one a lot because it was a lot of smaller things that built up to Orin's betrayal. It seems too simple to say it was Gortash, because that was the straw that broke the camels back (all that egomania only to enthusiastically degrade himself for Bane's chosen), meanwhile the thing that made Orin the angriest was when Parsipan started calling himself Bhaal - but she didn't ever raise that with him, so it wasn't a point of mutual contention.

Ultimately I think the most long standing disagreement they had really was in the way they treated murder. Both make a show of it, but Parsipan delights in the assault just as much if not more than the kill, and his attitude towards the murder itself is very utilitarian. A kill is a kill. It's not art, it's just an act that enhances his pleasure.

To put it in metaphorical terms, if murder was gastronomy, it's like Orin is one of those chefs who wants to make dishes like that plaster cast of a mouth with foam in it and Parsipan is the kind of person putting cake in his partner's ass just because it turns him on. So why is he in charge of the restaurant!!! What the hell, Bhaal!!!

The way the argument played out was as is in the game, though - Orin saying Parsipan should be more worshipful and make murders special for Bhaal, Parsipan saying (as Sarevok does) that it's quantity over quality and it doesn't matter what he does with the bodies before or after or during as long as the quota is met and the plan is on track (also he's literally made of bhaal so he is an aspect of bhaal so he is bhaal and his opinion is the only one that matters #ratiod #logic #lol)

25. How does your Durge remember Orin, after everything is over?

Parsipan does not have a lot of time left after Orin is dealt with, and even less after the brain is, so his thoughts about Orin during the remainder of his mortal life are often interrupted by more pressing issues. He has a lot of conflicting feelings about her. He wonders if they ever had a connection that he has forgotten - if there was ever something like the automatic kinship he feels for other deep gnomes, if he should be grateful to her for what she did because it led him to a god* he knows loves him and will protect him, and if that doesn't matter because he's certain that he would have been happy in his ignorance anyway.

(*in theory. hopefully. if everything goes according to plan)

After his death he has a lot more time to dwell on it. A looooot more time. And with time, all of those questions just... fade. The saddest part of their dynamic is that despite everything Orin did, Parsipan still ends up viewing her as a stepping stone to his own destiny, nothing more. He is ultimately glad that she did what she did, but he doesn't care for her and doesn't feel as if he owes her anything. He never even tries to save her soul from Bhaal’s domain.

The reality of it all is that he was one of the villains in her story, and he won. He is so much worse than she was, he treated her so poorly, and he barely improved despite being given the best possible chance to turn his life around. He doesn't consider it like this (everyone is the hero of their own story after all), but it's true.

As for his relationship with Ketheric:

Ketheric was a simple, business-oriented dynamic. Ketheric did not like him because he was a weird little murder pervert who vocally didn't understand why death was ever a problem for his relationship with his wife and daughter, while Parsipan was just far more interested in Balthazar (unrequited. Alas) whenever their social spheres overlapped, and Gortash did most of the organising between their trio. They met only because they had to, didn't speak frequently beyond the plan, and Parsipan revelled a bit in how uncomfortable Ketheric was with the clear 2 on 1 balance of power within the trio.

And as for his relationship with Gortash:

They met via the black market weapons trade. Gortash quickly established himself as a supplier for the Bhaalists, and they corresponded via letters for a time (Parsipan's were dictated to Sceleritas, and he had Sceleritas read Gortash's letters to him) until Gortash made a custom blade for Parsipan (the stillmaker dagger), and Parsipan broke into his house in the middle of the night to thank him for it and agree in person to a working partnership where they would support the revival of each others cults where possible.

Parsipan quickly discovered that Gortash was His Type, and offered casual sex. Gortash saw it as an opportunity to further cement the alliance, as well as an opportunity to freely beat up a gnome (or at least something that looks like one) and be thanked for it, and agreed.

Parsipan spent the next few years trying his damnedest to babytrap Gortash and failing miserably. For a man who doesn't use protection unless forced to, is fully capable of it, and loves the idea of getting pregnant, Parsipan is somehow really bad it. Comedically bad at it. Made it to 36 years old with not even a single skipped period.

Asides from All That, they were also fast friends, which combined with their loyalties to their gods and the way their relationship had been established lead to a complicated dynamic where neither would admit feelings beyond the platonic but still were actively in an extreme bdsm arrangement. Neither was willing to let go of their pride and admit the underlying connection, and Gortash didn't entirely conceive of the depth of his own feelings until Parsipan was gone and he read the prayer for forgiveness letter that had been brought up as proof that Parsipan intended to sabotage the plan.

Really should've let him have that baby he wanted tbh.

When Parsipan returned, solidly in a relationship with another intelligent, ambitious human man with his sights set on godly power and a name that started with G, Gortash was... not pleased, necessarily, but not mad either. He assumed that as Parsipan's memory returned over time (or at least as their dynamic was reestablished), Parsipan would realise that Gale was a stand-in for him and would return. That did not happen, As We All Know.

[kxttsstuff]

Survival-oriented special mechanisms Borrowers have evolved. (2!)

🦠;; Their specialized gut bacteria make them able to consume things humans wouldn't be able to; making them able to survive through most forms of pesticide or cleaning chemicals in case they accidentally consumed them.

💉;; Their immune system is much more attentive than humans’, they're constantly surrounded by virus and bacteria, so it is only natural their bodies can adapt to most forms of human disease. This is how borrowers have thrived during big human pandemias. Ever wondered why borrowers get so close to sick humans without feeling scared?

🍖;; They have fast and efficient metabolisms that allow them to successfully break down food and absorb the nutrients, thus getting the maximum energy possible. This reduces the quantity of waste they produce, as well as allow them to survive on minimal sustenance if necessary. However, they also have to eat a lot of food, since they tend to have very active lifestyles.

🐿️;; They have a flexible skeleton, meaning they're less affected by fall damage since their bones absorb the impact. Also, they're able to squeeze through tight spaces by contracting or expanding their rib cages much like mice do.

[artificial-condition]

Growing Garlic 101

It's summertime and that means it's about time to order garlic! Garlic is one of the easiest vegetables I have ever grown, although it takes a while from planting until harvest. Most of that time is hands off, so garlic is something I would recommend to grow if you're new to planting and want something easy (or just want lots of yummy garlic)

What to know before starting

Before getting further, I just want to say that I am in hardiness zone 6b (near zone 7) in the US, so that is my growing experience (what is a/my hardiness zone?). To my knowledge and research, garlic can be grown in a wide variety of climates, including very hot and very cold ones. This post is going to be oriented around US geography and terminology because that's what i know

The first thing to know about garlic is that it is typically planted in the fall, but not harvested until the following summer. Why is it planted so early? Garlic goes through a process called vernalization, which means that it needs a cold period before in order to grow to its fullest potential. In garlic, vernalization is what causes the bulb to split into cloves (rather than just having one big chunk of garlic). The first year I grew garlic, I didn't know that it had to be planted so early so I planted in January. It did pretty good and I was happy with it! Some heads didn't have cloves and some did, so even if you get to it late you'll likely still have something yummy to eat by the end of it!

The next year I grew garlic, I planted it out towards the end of October and I had an amazing harvest! The bulbs were bigger and all had divided into cloves. All this to say, you'll have better garlic if you plant in the fall but if you forget or don't know and get to it late it'll be okay!

Step 1: Picking your garlic varieties

This is such a fun step!!! You can find all sorts of different varieties of seed garlic online, with different colors, tastes, and growing habits. My first year I started with seed garlic I found at lowes; the type I found was your generic grocery bought garlic, which for the most part is a softneck variety called California Early (or California Late).

Softneck vs. Hardneck

You should pick softneck or hardneck depending on the climate you are growing in. Softneck varieties do better in warmer climates while hardnecks are more cold hardy. In my zone 6b, I can grow both hardneck and softneck varieties because I am in the middle of the temperature range for hardiness zones. If you are in zones 1-5, hardneck varieties are recommended for your area while zones 8-12 softnecks grow better. If you are in the middle zones 6-7, you should be able to choose either variety and end up okay :)

Hardneck features

Hardneck garlic differs from softneck most obviously in that it will form a hard flower stem, often called a scape:

These are delicious and should be harvested before the flower opens, when they start to curl. They can be chopped up and used like other vegetables (they're also great in pesto I've heard). I roughly chopped mine this year and put them in a bag in my freezer so I can take them out and add as needed. They have a mild garlic flavor, more herby than the bulbs, and can be used in greater quantity without an overpowering garlic taste

Other differences in hardneck varieties is that they have larger (but fewer) cloves and the cloves peel easier.

Softneck features

Softnecks don't have the hard stalks and also keep good for much longer than hardnecks, so their stems and leaves are better for forming garlic braids:

Because of their superior ability to store well, softneck varieties are the type of garlic most commonly sold in grocery stores. There are much fewer varieties of softneck garlic than hardneck (only a couple dozen vs hundreds of varieties of softneck). There are more cloves in softneck garlics but the cloves are smaller and harder to peel.

Where to order seed garlic

Here are some good places I've found to order seed garlic:

Hudson Valley Seed Company

Johnny's Seeds

Urban Farmer (my favorite, I ordered here last year)

You can also just buy garlic from local farmers/hardware stores! They'll likely have varieties well suited to grow in your area.

Step 2: Planting

After you receive your garlic, keep it whole in the bulbs until time to plant. The general rule is to plant 6-8 weeks before your typical first frost date (where is that for me?), but I found that its okay to do it later than that, especially since climate change is messing with the dates. For reference, my average last frost date is October 11th but I didn't plant last year until October 22. Typically they are planted around September-November, the warmer your climate the later you plant.

Before planting, I recommend adding an inch or two of compost to the top of the soil. This will give them nutrients for the year ahead :)

If you are planting late or have pretty mild winters, one trick is to keep the garlic heads in the fridge (not freezer) for a month or two before planting. This will simulate vernalization and will help them to form cloves and bigger heads!

It is good to plant in a fairly sunny area. Mine has partial shade but they do great there!

When you are ready to plant, separate the bulbs into cloves. Try to keep as much as the papery skin on your cloves as possible as it helps to protect them in the ground, but don't beat yourself up about it. I plant mine roughly four inches apart, shoving them about two inches down with them upright (the hairy root end is the bottom and they taper to a point at the top):

After they're all planted, water pretty deep and mulch about an inch or two deep. This will help protect them from hard freezes in the upcoming winter. You can use whatever you have access to, I recommend things that will decompose so they add nutrients to the soil. I raked up fallen leaves from my yard last year and used those

Step 3: Wait

Now relax! The garlic won't be ready for a long time, so just let it do its thing. I don't really ever water mine because I get pretty consistent rainfall, but you can water periodically if you are in a dry climate. It is good to water before particularly hard freezes, it helps the bulbs have what they need to survive.

You might see the greens popping up if you have warm sprees in the late fall/winter. It is fine to ignore these, they will likely die back when it gets cold again but they will still come right back in the spring. You'll want to remove any heavy mulch in the spring when they start growing (my leaves had mostly decomposed so I didn't need to do this)

Step 4: Harvest time

I water mine occasionally as they are growing in the spring or summer, but for the most part I don't bother. I have fairly regular rain and garlic seems very resilient to water differences.

Your garlic will be ready sometime in May-August, depending on what varieties, when you planted, and your climate.

When it is getting close to harvest, it is natural for the leaves to start dying back a bit, especially with softneck varieties. You'll see the garlic scapes form on hardneck varieties, and will need to cut these off once they begin curling, before they flower:

For softneck garlic, harvest when about half of the leaves have yellowed and died off, starting with the bottom leaves. The tops may start to flop over when ready.

For hardneck, the appearance of scapes means they'll be ready in about 4-8 weeks. The leaves will die off as well, but not near as much as softneck varieties in my experience.

Do not water for a week before harvesting. You want your garlic to dry out some before harvesting :D

Since my garlic is in a raised bed, I have fairly loose soil. Therefore, I can just pull the neck of the garlic right above the ground to harvest my garlic. If you have more compacted soil, it would be best to dig around the clove some before you harvest so that it comes out whole and unbroken.

Congrats!!! Your garlic is ready!!

Step 5: Eating and preserving

At this point, your garlic is all out of the ground and ready to be eaten. If you have more garlic than you can eat within the next couple months, you'll need to preserve it. There's a lot of ways to preserve it, but I'll go over a couple I have done.

Idea 1: cloves in a vinegar

This one is primarily how I preserved my garlic last year and I'll be doing it again this year. It is very simple: just peel your garlic, place in clean jars, pour over hot boiling vinegar, seal, let cool, and store in the fridge! Make sure the cloves of garlic are completely submerged in the vinegar or you risk foodborne illnesses. The garlic has enzymes that prevent the cloves from absorbing the vinegar, and the vinegar prevents any bacteria from growing and causing the garlic to spoil. The cloves don't taste like vinegar and can be chopped and added to dishes as needed!

Idea 2: cure whole heads

This is best done with softneck garlic as they store better for longer than hardneck.

This is essentially letting them dry so they keep longer. After harvesting, keep the heads as is with dirt and leaves still attached (brush off any big dirt clumps but don't scrub them clean). Place the heads somewhere flat, warm, well ventilated, and shaded from too much direct sunlight (can get some indirect sunlight). This can be in a garage, on palattes, hanging somewhere, in a shed, whatever you have that seems best. I did mine on my front porch just laying on the concrete.

Leave them alone to dry for at least two weeks, then store as desired! You can trim the leaves and roots off and clean with a brush if desired, or leave the leaves and dirt and roots and store. I trimmed the roots off, left the leaves, braided them together, and hung in my kitchen:

(here is a video about braiding garlic) (note: it can only be done with softnecks)

Idea 3: make garlic confit

This is such a yummy way to use up garlic. Peel your cloves, add to a saucepan, cover in desired liquid oil, and cook on low until the cloves are soft and smushable. Store in the fridge after letting cool and eat within a week :)

Idea 5: Roasted garlic

Here is a recipe

And that's about it! Enjoy your garlic :D

@yourfriendfrogs