#src: the good place

[st-fanfic-bookclub]

Comment resources

Receiving comments means so much to fic authors so we’d love to encourage people to leave more. But we appreciate that leaving comments can be a bit daunting or draining, especially on days when we are tired or already stressed. So here are a few resources to hopefully encourage us all to leave more and to make doing so easier.

Archive of Our Own floating comment boxes

There are a couple of versions of these out there and they can be helpful. They are browser extensions that allow you to keep the comment box on the screen whenever you like so that you can easily comment as you read, rather than getting to the end and panicking about what to say.

Here are two different versions:

AO3 Floating Comment Box by ScriptMouse

Floaty Review Box by ravenel ← I use this one and think it’s great - Squid 💕

Feed The Fandom Fest

Have you heard of the @feedthefandomfest bingo cards? Because if you’re participating in these, maybe one of the recs on this blog could be the perfect way to tick off a square on these cards. Or, if you’ve not started one yet, why not pick one to encourage yourself to comment more and have some fun while doing so?

Here are the different cards:

Original Card

For Beginners

Fluff Edition

Angst Edition

Smut Edition

Old Fic Edition

Billy Hargrove Edition

Or put your own together!

I’d also just recommend having a look through the Feed The Fandom Fest blog in general, it’s such a wonderful resource 💖

Additional AO3 Kudos

Here’s some images of additional kudos for when you’re longing to mash that button again but all it greets you with is that mocking red smiley face. These are complete with the html to easily put them in!

AO3 Random Nice Comments

This browser extension will give you a short, nice comment from a list at the press of a button. It may be useful for beginner commenters who want to say something nice but are unsure what.

Comment prompts

If you want to craft your own comments but are unsure what to say, here’s a few starting points:

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think back on the fic? I’m sure the author would love to know

Who was your favourite character in the fic? 

Where are you reading the fic?

Speculate on what could happen after the end of the fic

How did you react emotionally? Did you laugh? Cry? Smile? Scream?

Or there’s the simple but ever loved:

Keyboard smash

String of emojis

‘Loved this!’

Here’s some more lists of prompts:

Good and easy comment ideas by ao3-shenanigans

Some more easy comment suggestions by ao3-shenanigans

Unhinged fic comment ideas by magpie-murder 

Our comment stickers

Here’s a few stickers we made to use in place of comments if you want to leave something but still don’t know what to type out yourself:

html for the above, in order:

<img src="https://i.postimg.cc/yYRJxJ8C/readforbookclub-sticker.png" alt="sticker with stars and text reading: I READ THIS FIC FOR FANFIC BOOK CLUB AND LOVED IT" width=45% />

<img src="https://i.postimg.cc/yxgDFxh9/greatwork-sticker.png" alt="sticker with stars and text reading: I ADORE THIS FIC GREAT WORK" width=45% />

<img src="https://i.postimg.cc/c12gd7Zc/howtheactualheck-sticker.png" alt="sticker with stars and text reading: HOW THE ACTUAL HECK IS THIS SO GOOD?" width=45% />

<img src="https://i.postimg.cc/V6HSrntm/amazingwriting-star-sticker.png" alt="star-shaped sticker with text reading: AMAZING WRITING!" width=45% />

<img src="https://i.postimg.cc/RZzWHMW6/screamingcryingthrowingup-star-sticker.png" alt="star-shaped sticker with text reading: SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP" width=45% />

<img src="https://i.postimg.cc/1XkfMSMd/mayiofferyoumyfirstborn-star-sticker.png" alt="star-shaped sticker with text reading: MAY I OFFER YOU MY FIRSTBORN? OR PERHAPS MY SOUL?" width=45% />

[phoenixyfriend]

Ko-fi prompt from @liberwolf:

Could you explain Tariff's , like who pays them and what they do to a country?

Well, I can definitely guess where this question is coming from.

Honestly, I was pretty excited to get this prompt, because it's one I can answer and was part of my studies focus in college. International business was my thing, and the issues of comparative advantage (along with Power Purchasing Parity) were one of the things I liked to explore.

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

At their simplest, tariffs are an import tax. The United States has had tariffs as low as 5%, and at other times as high as 44% on most goods, such as during the Civil War. The purpose of a tariff is in two parts: generating revenue for the government, and protectionism.

Let's first explore how a tariff works. If you want to be confused, then you need to have never taken an economics class, and look at this graph:

(src)

So let's undo that confusion.

The simplest examples are raw or basic materials such as steel, cotton, or wine.

First, without tariffs:

Let us say that Country A and Country B both produce steel, and it is of similar quality, and in both cases cost $100 per unit. Transportation from one country to the other is $50/unit, so you can either buy domestically for $100, or internationally for $150. So you buy domestically.

Now, Country B discovers a new place to mine iron very easily, and so their cost for steel drops to $60/unit due to increased ease of access. Country A can either purchase domestically for $100, or internationally for $110 (incl. shipping), which is much more even. Still, it is more cost-effective to purchase domestically, and so Country A isn't worried.

Transportation technology is improved, dropping the shipping costs to $30/unit. A person from Country A can buy: Domestic: $100 International: $60+$30 = $90 Purchasing steel from Country B is now cheaper than purchasing it from Country A, regardless of where you live.

Citizens in Country A, in order to reduce costs for domestic construction, begin to purchase their steel from Country B. As a result, money flows from Country A to B, and the domestic steel industry in Country A begins to feel the strain as demand dwindles.

In this scenario, with no tariffs, Country A begins to rely on B for their steel, which causes a loss of jobs (steelworkers, miners), loss of infrastructure (closing of mines and factories), and an outflow of funds to another country. As a result, Country A sees itself as losing money to B, while also growing increasingly reliant on their trading partner for the crucial good that is steel. If something happens to drive up the price of B's steel again, like political upheaval or a natural disaster, it will be difficult to quickly ramp up the production of steel in Country A's domestic facilities again.

What if a tariff is introduced early?

Alternately, the dropping of complete costs for purchase of steel from Country B could be counteracted with tariffs. Let's say we do a 25% tariff on that steel. This tariff is placed on the value of the steel, not the end cost, so:

$60 + (0.25 x $60) + $30 = $105/unit

Suddenly, with the implementation of a 25% tariff on steel from Country B, the domestic market is once again competitive. People can still buy from Country B if they would like, but Country A is less worried about the potential impacts to the domestic market.

The above example is done in regards to a mature market that has not yet begun to dwindle. The infrastructure and labor is still present, and is being preemptively protected against possible loss of industry to purchasing abroad.

What happens if the tariff is not implemented until after the market has dwindled?

Let's say that the domestic market was not protected by the tariff until several decades on. Country A's domestic production, in response to increased purchasing from abroad, has dwindled to one third of what it was before the change in pricing incentivized purchase from B. Prices have, for the sake of keeping this example simple, remained at $100(A) and $60(B) in that time. However, transportation has likely become better, so transportation is down to $20, meaning that total cost for steel from B is $80, accelerating the turn from domestic steel to international.

So, what happens if you suddenly implement a tariff on international steel? Shall we say, 40%?

$60 + (0.4 x 60) + 20 = $104

It's more expensive to order from abroad! Wow! Let's purchase domestically instead, because these prices add up!

But the production is only a third of what it used to be, and domestic mines and factories for refining the iron into steel can't keep up. They're scaling, sure, but that takes time. Because demand is suddenly triple of the supply, the cost skyrockets, and so steel in Country A is now $150/unit! The price will hopefully come down eventually, as factories and mines get back in gear, but will the people setting prices let that happen?

So industries that have begun to rely on international steel, which had come to $80/unit prior to the tariff, are facing the sudden impact of a cost increase of at least $25/unit (B with tariff) or the demand-driven price increase of domestic (nearly double the pre-tariff cost of steel from B), which is an increase of at least 30% what they were paying prior to the tariff.

There are possible other aspects here, such as government subsidies to buoy the domestic steel industry until it catches back up, or possibly Country B eating some of the costs so that people still buy from them (selling for $50 instead of $60 to mitigate some of the price hike, and maintain a loyal customer base), but that's not a direct impact of the tariff.

Who pays for tariffs?

Ultimately, this is a tax on a product (as opposed to a tax on profits or capital themselves, which has other effects), which means the majority of the cost is passed on directly to the consume.

As I said, we could see the producers in Country B cut their costs a little bit to maintain a loyal customer base, but depending on their trade relationships with other countries, they are just as likely to stop trading with Country A altogether in order to focus on more profitable markets.

So why do we not put tariffs on everything?

Well... for that, we get into the question of production efficiency, or in this case, comparative advantage.

Let's say we have two small, neighboring countries, C and D, that have negligible transportation costs and similar industries. Both have extensive farmland, and both have a history of growing grapes for wine, and goats for wool. Country C is a little further north than D, so it has more rocky grasses that are good for goats, while D has more fertile plains that are good for growing grapes.

Let's say that they have an equal workforce of 500,000 of people. I'm going to say that 10,000 people working full time for a year is 1 unit of labor. So, Country C and Country D have between the 100 units of labor, and 50 each.

The cost of 1 unit of wool = the cost of 1 unit of wine

Country C, having better land for goats, can produce 4 units of wool for every unit of labor, and 2 units of wine for every unit of labor.

Meanwhile, Country D, having better land for grapes, can produce 2 units of wool per unit of labor, and 4 units of wine per unit of labor.

If they each devote exactly half their workforce to each product, then:

Country C: 100 units of wool, 50 units of wine Country D: 50 units of wool, 100 units of wine

Totaling 150 units of each product.

However, if each devotes all of their workforce to the product they're better at...

Country C: 200 units of wool, no wine Country D: no wool, 200 units of wine

and when they trade with each other, they each end up with 100 units of each product, which is a doubling of what their less-efficient labor would have resulted in!

The real world is obviously much more complicated, but in this example, we can see the pros of outsourcing some of your production to another country to focus on your own specialties.

Extreme examples of this IRL are countries where most of the economy rests on one product, such as middle-eastern petro-states that are now struggling to diversify their economies in order to not get left behind in the transition to green energy, or Taiwan's role as the world's primary producer of semiconductors being its 'silicon shield' against China.

Comparative advantage can be used well, such as our Unnamed Countries (that are definitely not the classic example of England and Portugal, with goats instead of sheep) up in the example. With each economy focusing on its specialty, there is a greater yield of both products, meaning a greater bounty for both countries.

However, should something happen to Country C up there, like an earthquake that kills half the goats, they are suddenly left with barely enough wool to clothe themselves, and nothing for Country D, which now has a surplus of wine and no wool.

So you do have to keep some domestic industry, because Bad Things Can Happen. And if we want to avoid the steel example of a collapse in the given industry, tariffs might be needed.

Are export tariffs a thing?

Yes, but they are much rarer, and can largely be defined as "oh my god, everyone please stop getting rid of this really important resource by selling it to foreigners for a big buck, we are depleting this crucial resource."

So what's the big confusion right now?

Donald Trump has, on a number of occasions, talked about 'making China pay' tariffs on the goods they import into the US. This has led to a belief that is not entirely unreasonable, that China would be the side paying the tariffs.

The view this statement engenders is that a tariff is a bit like paying a rental fee for a seller's table at an event: the producer or merchant pays the host (or landlord or what have you) a fee to sell their product on the premises. This could be a farmer's market, a renaissance faire, a comic book convention, whatever. If you want to sell at the event, you have to pay a fee to get a space to set up your table.

In the eyes of the people who listened to Trump, the tariff is that fee. China is paying the United States for access to the market.

And, technically, that's not entirely wrong. China is thus paying to enter the US market. It's just the money to pay that fee needs to come from somewhere, and like most taxes on goods, that fee comes from the consumer.

So... what now?

Well, a lot of smaller US companies that rely on cheap goods made in China are buying up non-perishables while they can, before the tariffs hit. Long-term, manufacturers in the US that rely on parts and tools manufactured in China are going to feel the squeeze once that frontloaded stock is depleted.

Some companies are large enough to take the hit on their own end, still selling at cheap rates to the consumer, because they can offset those costs with other parts of their empire... at least until smaller competitors are driven out of business, at which point they can start jacking up their prices since there are no options left. You may look at that and think, "huh, isn't that the modus operandi for Walmart and Amazon already?" and yes. It is. We are very much anticipating a 'rich get richer, poor go out of business' situation with these tariffs.

The tariffs will also impact larger companies, including non-US ones like Zara (Spanish) and H&M (Swedish), if they have a huge reliance on Chinese production to supply their huge market in the United States.

If you're interested in the repercussions that people expect from these proposed tariffs on Chinese goods, I'd suggest listening to or watching the November 8th, 2024 episode of Morning Brew Daily (I linked to YouTube, but it's also available on Spotify, Nebula, the Morning Brew website, and other podcast platforms).

[phantomrose96]

Honestly I recommend everyone learn just a littttle bit of CSS because it really is powerful and just makes bits and pieces of your internet experience more convenient.

Right now I'm cataloguing recipes I've really enjoyed, just trying to get them all in one place. Many of these are instagram recipes and, because I don't trust link rot (aka the possibility that the instagram link goes dead one day), I'm including a screenshot of the recipe along with the link.

But instagram on desktop... looks like this

(Link, for credit. It's a good recipe)

I obviously could just copy-paste the recipe out of there. But a screenshot would be cleaner for how I'm cataloguing these.

And as-is, I'd have to scroll the whole height of that small right-side window about 4 times to fit it all.

But actually... I can just resize that div holding that whole right-side content

Basically I

hit f12 to open the dev tools

clicked the element finder

clicked on an element inside the recipe side

followed it up the tree until I found the element holding the whole recipe side (do this by hovering the div in the dev tools panel way on the right, then hovering upward and up until I find the element which is the highest up that still only contains the recipe-side content)

in the element.style part, set "width: 1000px" and "height: 1500px"

(I notice the width seems to still be less than 1000px, even though it got bigger)

likely suggests there's an element above it with a max-width set

go up the tree higher until I find the element with the max-width and uncheck that style

screenshot ready

Maybe that sounded complicated but it took me probably 20-30 seconds

And this isn't just about screenshotting recipes like.

website with an annoying gif? select gif, delete gif

do you want a clean screenshot of a digital receipt for record-keeping without a large company banner or irrelevant information? delete unnecessary elements, adjust widths, screenshot

SOMETIMES, you can bypass paywalls if they're relying on something like overflow: hidden, or an overlay in the way, or some JS that runs (you can disable JS in the dev tools)

lost the jpg/png file you used for your profile picture and size doesn't totally matter? grab it from the img src while logged in. (you might even be able to find it in a bigger size by changing the url query parameters)

color contrast on an article really bad? find and change background color. find and change font color

want to make a funny fake screenshot without learning photoshop? just edit the page content in the dev tools

This isn't about like being good enough to write scripts or browser extensions. Really if you just have some basic HTML/CSS understanding a hat worth of tricks, you can make so many little adjustments in your favor.

[northopalshore]

Hello love!!🐉

Would love to see your take on stelliums in solar return charts! Thank you for giving us so much knowledge about astro <3

LOVE YOUR BLOG. PERIOD.

♀ Hello! Thank you for your support ♡

Stelliums in the

Solar Return Chart

Stelliums are always a sign that this year is going to naturally draw you /force you into focusing on that aspect of your life (where the stellium is). There will be a lot of changes, & development which also means this year will be very significant for you growth wise. Usually, also points to a "milestone" being achieved. Though it doesn't have to be that way.

Note: planets or asteroids in retrograde can signify things from the past resurfacing, a time for reevaluations, & revelations to take place. You are going to close a chapter of you life that doesn't serve you anymore.

🍧 In the signs & the houses ࿐

Aries @ the 1st house

A lot of your focus & events surrounding this year will be related to yourself, whether through making more direct decisions, being more stubborn or selfish (whether in a good way or bad). You may feel quicker to react to things, quick to anger, quick to defend yourself. Things around you may seem very hectic and fast paced. Headaches may be quite prominent this year. You may find yourself participating in a lot of competitions as well, or competition in general is a reoccurring theme throughout your year.

Taurus @ the 2nd house

Money, work, aesthetics and your home life will be impactful this year. You may start gaining a lot of income, or focus on gaining said income in the first place. You may be more focused on the things you choose to buy, and more possessive of things that you own. You might be transforming the way you look or even reshape your idea of what you truly value, whether that'd be material or through your connections. Spending a lot of money is very likely as well. You may start writing this year too. Starting a small business, or talking/singing more.

Gemini @ the 3rd house

So, this year is when you will be blessed with a lot of creativity in terms of writing. You may have the urge to communicate more or to express your thoughts, fantasies, creativity and emotions through words; whether that'd be through writing or talking. If Neptune is here, you may start writing fanfiction or even create something like songs or a draft for your books for example. If Pluto is here, you will be transforming they way that you speak or write, or express yourself. Taking a more methodical approach. You could start having a very online presence as well.

Ex: I had a 3rd house Stellium in my 2019 SRC. This was the year I started working on my journals, they were written with the intention to give to my FS one day as a "other side pov". Sort of like the Midnight Sun to Twilight lmao. I definitely yapped a lot (I finished 3 books that year).

Cancer @ the 4th house

There may be something very significant happening in your home life, whether in your house or your parents house. There could be an additional family member for example, or your parents may decide to do a lot of activities together this year. There could also be big fights within the household depending on the sign or planets present (almost guaranteed if Scorpio is here). You may spend a lot of time at home, or with your family this year. You may also get easily sentimental too.

Leo @ the 5th house

This year may be filled with creative endeavors. You could be more extroverted this year, meeting new friends or acquaintances, there may few a few romantic interest for you this year as well, though they may not be that serious i.e crushes, flings.

Ex: I remember the last time I had a 5th house Stellium, I was either in a creative competition or at home drawing all day & night lmaoo it was in Capricorn too. I also met my first and only crush that year (although we never got in a relationship, we only met during the competition and never exchanged numbers). He was a prince charming like boy. He was really nice to me & playful but very gentle. Also, I heard he played the violin damnn. That was a long time ago though. I don't think I'll see him again.

Virgo @ the 6th house

This year, you will be very immersed in your work. It could mean your studies, your career or even a passion project. Whatever it is, this year is the year you'll actually feel "involved" or connected to what you're doing. Taking your work more seriously, trying to reach certain goals you might be itching to obtain. People may look to you for help or guidance quite often this year. You may be the "reference" person of they year. It seems like everything you do it right, or praised for some reason. Especially if Venus is here.

Libra @ the 7th house

There's going to be a lot of things going on within your relationships & close circles but also within business partnerships. It's not just strictly about love. You may be more attached to your friends this year or the people around you i.e spending more time with them or having a significant arc with them for example. You may encounter specific person or company or "muse" that may push you to grow or realize something as well.

Scorpio @ the 8th house

It's likely going to be one of the most painful years of your life (at least until it happens again). Your whole world may feel like it's falling apart and there is nothing you can do. I feel like we all go through this at least once during our adolescent years; a huge shift of perspective happens. Suddenly the world is much gloomier than usual, and now you're able to see the darkness of it all lmao.

In adulthood however, it's likely that you may feel like you have nothing going in your favor. Death after death, failure after failure. This is likely a "rock bottom" stage. Though as they say, the only good thing about hitting rock bottom, is that there is nowhere else to go but up. If you have been putting any "awakenings" or have been in denial of something especially related to you ego, then this year will be especially excruciating for you.

Ex: I had another 8th house Stellium in 2017 & 2018 (two years straight waow). It was in Sagittarius then in pisces . This time, I started really dividing into astrology, a lot of my time was consumed with deeply challenging & introspective thoughts. I began diving into the metaphysical world more. It was also the year I got the most nightmares & dreams about my FS for some reason. I started being "haunted" by his presence. But during this time, I was a massive tsundere lmaoo. I just didn't understand the significance it had, so it drove my logical thinking into a spiral.

Sagittarius @ the 9th house

This is one of those years where education is your tour de force. It may seem like your brain just grew twice its size, I'm kidding lmaooo. You may be keen to start learning something new this year, whether it'd be a language, a course or through religion. Higher studies are highlighted but if you aren't interested in education, then it's likely concerning expansion in general. Look at what sign is here for more context. The core of this SRC placement however, is to challenge the way you have been living before this. Shaking things up by adding new things in your life whether it'd be a new routine, a hobby or even just the way you think.

Ex: I had an 8th house Stellium in 2013. That was when I moved houses & schools for the 3rd - 4th time I think? It was in a different town, closer to my grandmother (mother's side).

Capricorn @ the 10th house

Ding ding ding. You've guessed it! This year is going to be very impactful for your career. You may feel quick to tire this year, and new competition may arise in your work field, you may be working on a passion project, betting all your chips on the table. Fire will be placed under your feet, and you may feel like everything has to happen now. Working and expanding yourself. You will be perfecting your craft, and gaining recognition for your hard work. You may sharpen your strategies for growth or for future plans this year, taking on more responsibility

Aquarius @ the 11th house

There will be a lot of shake ups for you this year, it could be exciting changes; gaining popularity or online recognition. Finally starting that project you've been holding up for months or even years. The one that's been itching your brain. Though, it can also mean that your friends or your peers will have a substantial role this year. You could be gaining more friends, going through many friendships or friend groups, working on team projects for example.

Pisces @ the 12th house

Similar to the 8th house, where it means you're going to be put through a lot of challenges this year, specifically emotional loss and loneliness. You may feel incredibly hopeless this year which could come from your sense of being alienated or just at a different place mentally when compared to your peers. You may feel easily exhausted, hurt and betrayed. Though it might also mean a year of being kept in the dark about something. Usually comes with a few losses that you'll experience, whether it'd be friendships, family members, lovers or even death. Though it also means that you're going to be more aligned with your spiritual side.

It's not all bad however, this year will teach you to let go of the things that have haunted you up to this point, to explore uncharted territory whether that'd be physically, mentally or emotionally. Travel may be prominent this year as well, but moving specifically is more significant.

@northopalshore

@northopalshore SRC 2024 all rights reserved.

[jintaka-hane]

You said yes

Masterlist

Summary: You couldn't give him an answer when he first asked one month ago. Now that he’s docking on the island again, you run to him with words burning on your lips. Word count: 2000w Notes: Jintaka covers his face with his hands 🫣 AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! I know, I know, I KNOW!!! Guilty!! It’s so self-indulgent, I know!!! but please, just look at that face!!! I wanna marry him SO BAD!! | Beckman x f!reader; Img src; fluff. Warning: English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes I might make.

Dedicated to @gav-san. Thank you for encouraging me to keep writing for this big guy 💕

From your workshop, you can smell the salty breeze.

When you arrived on that island, you made sure your window would frame the vast turquoise sea. There’s something romantic about working while watching the waves, crowned by white ribbons and shimmering with hundreds of tiny glints.

Your thumbs sink into the clay and trace sinuous curves as the material spins on the wheel. You've been well paid for that vessel, but although you try to focus on the result, your thoughts are elsewhere.

They always are, once a month. And this time, it's especially hard to concentrate.

Beneath a forced frown, your eyes drift absentmindedly toward the almost ghostlike shape forming in the curtain. The wind is blowing windward toward the shore.

It's a good time to dock.

A brief smile graces your lips, and your right hand drops slightly, causing the symmetry that usually defines your work to break.

“Shit.” You stop the pottery wheel for the third time. The curve can’t go that low, or there won’t be room for the handle. Your lips release a deep sigh, smile fading back into a frown as your clay-covered hands set the wheel in motion again.

“MISS!!”

A breathless, red-cheeked boy braces himself against your doorframe. The air leaves your lungs, and your hands freeze above the vessel, eyes fixed on him in a silent plea for him to speak.

“They’re here,” he finally says, flashing a gap-toothed smile.

If someone had told you the workshop was on fire, you wouldn’t have gotten up any faster. Your chair scrapes across the floor as you shove it back with your calves. None of the rags seem close enough, so you wipe your hands unsuccessfully on your pants. Then, placing a thankful hand on the boy’s shoulder, you disappear down the stairs, leaving the fresh clay to collapse on the endlessly spinning wheel.

It takes you less than six minutes to cover a distance that normally takes twenty. Thankfully, the islanders know you, otherwise they might think you’re running from the law. Maybe that’s exactly what you’ll be doing before long. Barely registering the streets, you dodge people with varying success. Some cheer you on. Others curse when your frantic pace turns careless. The things we do for love, most agree.

In the distance, you finally catch sight of the galleon docked at the port. Once a month, the town allows them to proudly fly their Jolly Roger in a reminder that the island is under their protection.

Your heart pounds against your ribs when you grab the rope ladder, climbing the damp rungs three at a time to reach the railing.

“Woah! Hil!” Roux greets you, juggling a few supplies after you nearly land on top of him.

“Hi, Roux! Hi, Yassop!” you shout mid-run to the sniper, who lifts the butt of his rifle in a laid-back wave.

“SWEETHEAAAAAART!!!” Shanks’ merry, sing-song voice rings out to your right. He is grinning widely, holding out his one arm to hug you. “I’ve-”

“Later, Shanks!” you dodge him as you move along the railing like a gust of wind.

The red-haired shakes his head as if you were a hopeless case. “It’s on the quarterdeck!!” he yells behind you, hands cupped around his mouth. 

You know perfectly well where he is.

He’s always the last to disembark, inspecting the damages in the most vulnerable part of the ship while taking note of the tasks to be done.

As you grab the mainmast to keep your balance when it blocks your way, you see him. Those broad shoulders, wrapped in a too tight black shirt.

“Darlin’?” His browless eyes soon find you too, and his lips part as you leap into his arms, climbing his torso as if to reach the summit of a sacred mountain. The force of your sudden attack has made him stumble backward. The cigarette slips from his mouth. But he recovers instantly, large hands helping your thighs find their hold around his waist as his boot blindly searches for the cigarette.

First things first. Your clay-stained hands search his cheeks, his jaw, and his temples for new scars. Fortunately, he hasn’t earned any new ones. Then, you clutch his already wrinkled shirt, pull him perhaps a bit too hard, and press your lips firmly against his. He exhales through his nose, mouth eager to return the kiss, but you break it off almost immediately.

There are words you need to say.

Words you couldn’t speak when he asked you back then, and that have been burning in your heart for weeks.

“Becks…” you whisper, lips unconsciously finding his again in little soft touches. “Yes...” Your grip on his shirt tightens, the message breaking as your mouth can't help but trail a string of kisses across his now clay-stained cheeks. “Yes, I will… Of course, I will…”

One hand squeezes the back of your thigh. The other trembles for just a second before grabbing your chin.

“That true, darlin’?” He’s beaming, and his eyes look at you with such raw adoration that your ankles instinctively sink into his lower back.

Something inside you clenches at the sight.

There’s no trace of resentment in him. Not even after you made him wait.

“Of course, Becks, I will. I’m yours. I’m sorry that I-” Your words are swallowed by his mouth, claiming yours in a kiss so full of longing it makes you both forget the one you denied him. 

Then he looks at you, features adorned with strands of your favorite shade of gray cascading down. "You needed time, I understood that. And I was more than willing to wait. I’ll always give you whatever you need.” His voice is low and beautifully hoarse. “Always." 

“Then kiss me again, Benn Beckman.”

He grins with that look that makes your knees go weak. Luckily, he’s got you firmly held. And as soon as his stubbled chin brushes against yours, you hear the shouting behind you.

“Oi, Becks!! Don’t leave us hanging, man! Did she say yes or what?!”

“Idiot, can’t you see he’s kissing the life out of her? What do you think?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know anything about this stuff!”

You break into a soft laugh against Beck’s lips, just as his arm snakes around your back and lifts a triumphant thumb toward his friends.

“Lads!! SHE SAID YESSSS!”  They all howl like wolves unleashed, pounding fists and open palms against the wooden railing.

With little else to do in that absence of privacy, you wrap your arms around your lover’s bull-strong neck, smiling so sweetly that more than one pirate finds themselves envying the first mate. Shanks makes his way through whistles and pops of uncorked bottles, claps his friend on the shoulder, and presses a courteous kiss to your cheek. He'll be one of the few who will still be allowed that privilege from now on.

“Finally settling down? Congratulations, you two.” He grins, then turns to you. “’Bout time - one more day and this big guy would’ve drained the whole booze stash again. You should’ve seen how-”

“-Shanks,” Becks cuts in, using his sharp first mate tone.

You laugh, giving a light pat to that chest that usually makes people think twice before doing something stupid. Your own private sanctuary.

“Did you? All the booze?”

“Booze meant for a crew of 30 and a two-week voyage,” Shanks blurts out right away.

The sting of guilt still pricks, but you let yourself get carried away by the captain’s easygoing humor.  

“He’s a tough one, isn’t he?” you gently stroke your man’s chin.

Beckman clicks his tongue. “When are you two going to stop teaming up against me? Now you’re forming an alliance?” he jokes with a half-smile, though his eyes are only on you. In a way that always makes you feel like he’s paid for a ticket just to admire your beauty. 

Your fingers play along his jawbone, and Shanks clears his throat, murmuring another quiet congratulations while getting ready to leave.

“Shanks,” Becks stops him. This time he’s not joking. “I’ll probably regret asking this, but… will you officiate?”

Smiling, the redhead gives his friend one last pat on the back. “I’d be honored, Becks. It’s the least I can do.” 

Beckman gives him a short nod in what feels like the culmination of a lifetime of loyalty. Then, as his captain’s cloak flutters on his way out, gives you a gentle upward push to cradle your body against his chest.

“What do you want to do now, love? Go into town? Grab something to eat? Or would you rather…”

“Go to your cabin?”

The sultry smile you’re about to leave it all touches his sea-weathered face.

“Just so we’re clear, you said that, not me.”

“But you thought it first,” you tease, tilting his chin up with a playful finger.

“I have my doubts about that…”

Your voice turns soft, thumb gently rubbing a smudge of clay you’ve left on his jawline.  “A month is a long time…”

“Agree. Someone’s got a lesson coming for making me wait this long.” He leans in slightly, then lets out a lighthearted grunt as your thumb stops his lips.

“What do you have in mind, Becks?”

“Something that’ll make the wait feel worth every second.”

There’s something in his words that makes you certain he has planned exactly what he’s doing. So you look up sharply at him, lips struggling not to betray your amusement.

“See? You thought it first.”

His hairless brows lift, broad chest rumbling against your body with a warm laugh. “Is this what I’m in for? Constant teasing?”

“Could be.”

“No problem,” he shrugs. “I’m a certified tamer. I’m used to these wild ones.” He gestures toward the crew gathered on the deck.

You keep the straight face that the words you're about to say truly deserve.

"Just to set expectations: I’m not the kind that gets tamed easily."

You expect him to laugh, but instead, his gaze scorches through you for a moment, pupils blown wide in eyes the color of rainclouds. 

“What a lucky bastard I am…” 

As his nose brushes along your jaw, chapped lips kissing their way up toward your mouth, an unusual silence hangs over the deck. The first mate notices, too used to the chaos to miss its absence.

"One second, doll," he rasps, reluctantly pulling his lips from yours to check what the hell is going on.

Dozens of eyes are fixed on you both.

Men covered in scars, with swords slung at their hips, lean dreamily on whatever surface they can find, chins resting on fists and eyes soft with wonder as they admire the sweet little scene.

He sighs first, then barks, and a vein traces a path in his neck from the pearl in his ear down to his collarbone. Soon enough, you’ll be following it with hungry teeth. “Lads, off the ship! My woman and I have some business to discuss!”

“Ooooh! Wedding business?” Roux says, rolling and unrolling a rope in one hand.

“I think he means a different kind of business, pal,” Hongo stretches as he heads for the gangplank.

Limejuice looks from the first mate to his other crewmates, not quite believing his luck. “But you just told me I was in charge of guarding the ship!”

Beckman doesn’t answer anymore. He’s too busy showing his future wife just how much he loves her.

“I think that order’s been revoked, Lim,” Shanks laughs, giving him a shove toward the railing. “Come on, everyone off the ship. Let’s give these two a bit of privacy!”

-*-

Later on, you realize that from his cabin you can see the waves too. White and crowned with thin ribbons that seem to shine more brightly under that day’s sun.

.........................................................................

Taglist: @fanaticsnail @armiliadawn @pandora-writes-one-piece @i-am-vita @eustasscapitankid @nocturnalrorobin @daydreamer-in-training @alwayssassydreamer @sarkitsune03 @warriorheart13-blog <3

[uyuforu]

Astrology Observations VI

All pictures were found on Pinterest

Other posts you could like:

જ⁀➴ Boda Persona Chart Analysis I

જ⁀➴ Astrology Observation: Synastry & Composite with In-Laws pt.1

જ⁀➴ How to know when you will get married?

Book a private reading: menus ; Q&A ; rules ; instagram

Buy me a Kofi •ᴗ•

❀˖° Having a 12H Sun in Solar Return Chart is not for the weak. Your life could "fall apart" during this time, you can have a spiritual awakening, a very hard time in fact. I also noticed it can also mean (doesn’t need to be that, it CAN mean) one of your loved one can pass away unfortunately. It happened to me and a lot of people who also had their sun in their 12h, but not all of them! Usually, you have a hard time in general. But you’ll be fine, it is meant to happen for a reason.

❀˖° Synastry aspects are good to look at but the houses where the aspects fall is very important!! Sun conjunct Moon will have a different meaning where it falls.

❀˖° 7H synastry can mean a wonderful connection and desires to marry. BUT! The 7H can also be the house of enemies, so not everyone’s sun falling in your 7H means you have a good connection with them! I found myself not enjoying most of the people who’s sun fell in my 7H…

❀˖° Underrated Houses in Synastry: 2H, 4H, 6H, 10H.

❀˖° When looking at your Solar Return Chart, check the Synastry it has with your Natal Chart. It will tell you where those placements are felt within you. For example, my SRC’s Sun is in 12H and fall in my 10H this year. I’m having a lot of mental breakdown when it comes to my career, and since it conjuncts a big stellium of mine in my Natal, I just feel like my whole world is falling apart 🥲

❀˖° Please remember: North Node PC will tell you about your Soul purpose WHILE your MC will tell you about your career that is best suit for you. Your NN will never tell you about your career!!

❀˖° Union in your SRC could be the person you will meet this year that will have the strongest influence for you this year.

❀˖° 10H will tell you where your FS was born... ☺️

❀˖° 4H Sun people love to stay at home! Even if they are on a date, they will try to continue the date at home, because this is where they feel the most comfortable.

❀˖° Sun conjunct Mercury in a MC PC is a huge indicator of using communication daily to work, your tool n°1 is your voice!

❀˖° Aquarius Sun 4H are so private!! Aquarius usually are quite private people because they enjoy being mysterious and controlling what people think of them, they like that people don't understand them. But in 4H??? they will lie for the sake of their privacy.

❀˖° Opposite signs aren't that different in the end, they are very similar in fact. Capricorn & Cancer are both very family oriented for example. One is logical minded while the other is more feeling driven.

❀˖° Scorpio Rising have something so intense in their gaze, it's truly something you can't put words on. But once you see this gaze, you know.

❀˖° Chiron in 9H Synastry could be that you think you are too different because of the culture, the language, the beliefs, etc. BUT! If you are from the same place, it can just mean you don't understand each other, you are just basically too different.

❀˖° My step mother and I hated each other, and she had her Moon and Mercury in my 7H. Yep, she hated me. She was often insulting me or even trying to manipulate me with words.

❀˖° Saturn 7H Synastry can mean Saturn person feel like it will never work out between you two. But it could also mean they see you long term, depending of other placements.

❀˖° Sun in 5H Synastry usually means the person really enjoy your presence and think you are fun!

❀˖° Venus 6H Synastry means the Venus Person feels safe around you.

❀˖° You can tell by doing a Synastry with a Celebrity if you can hope to meet them one day. Usually Saturn in 9H or 1H is a sign you will never meet them. Of course, this is just an observation.

❀˖° I checked my Synastry with my first love, and it explained a lot. I have a stellium in his 7H, and of course, he was my first love.

❀˖° But I never expected to got his Venus in my 5H! I never knew if he had a crush on me too or if I was delusional lol.

❀˖° His Sun conjuncted my Neptune, he misunderstood me most of the time. He was seeing me in a way that was so untrue lol.

❀˖° He also had his Sun 1H, he was soooo popular among girls! Any girls from middle school had a huge crush on him at some point.

❀˖° He also had a stellium in my 4H and we were childhood friends.

❀˖° My sun conjuncted his Moon. Now, I had nothing against him, I thought he was funny. But he was indeed seeing me in a light that wasn't me.

❀˖° My Venus conjuncted his Vertex, I suddenly fell for him, and it must have been fated in a way?

❀˖° Though, his Mars fell in my 1H... man thought I was very good looking (he told lmao).

❀˖° Sagittarius Rising in Composite could indicate a mixed couple, but it can also mean you are so different no one expected you two to be together.

❀˖° Union 9H in Composite could mean you met in a foreign country, but also in school!

❀˖° Sun in 11H Composite means you are friends originally. Or just friends lol.

❀˖° Ceres 7H Composite could mean you care a lot about each other.

❀˖° Venus in 7H or conjuncting DSC Composite means one of you or both of you desire to marry each other.

❀˖° Pluto 12H to me is not that good usually. Anytime I saw this placement in Composite, the couple or the people never stayed together. It always ends. There can be exceptions of course.

❀˖° Saturn 5H in a romantic Composite means you will most likely never date, there could be obstacles in this union.

❀˖° Mercury conjunct Saturn Composite means misunderstandings and miscommunication.

❀˖° The year I had this first love, I had a 5H stellium in my SRC, and this stellium fell in my Natal 9H! It was indeed a school love lol.

❀˖° I also had Venus conjunct Vertex, it was my first time falling for anyone.

❀˖° The year I told him my feeling and got rejected I had Venus conjunct Mercury in 12H!

❀˖° Juno 12H in SRC could mean you have a secret crush!

❀˖° Sun conjunct Juno Solar Return Synastry is a big indicator of having a crush on the Sun person.

❀˖° Juno/ Mars/ Neptune in 1H Synastry Solar Return is an indicators of finding 1H person veryyyy attractive, it can be love at first sight, but it is def a crush!

❀˖° Transits Moon conjunct your Natal Mars will make your emotions boil lol. You could complain a lot or have a lot of negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, etc.

❀˖° Union asteroid conjunct Part of Fortune Synastry is a sign you were meant to meet in order to bless each other. It's a lucky meeting. It is very good and shows that you will do well in each other's life.

❀˖° My FS is a Pisces Venus 4H and he is the softest!! Just very cute and very soft person... I love him very much lol.

❀˖° He also has Neptune 3H, he tends to lie to protect himself (Sun 4H makes this effect too), but he is also a very good poet writer. He wrote me poems before and I believe he would do well for poetry writing in general.

❀˖° Pluto 1H could be a sign you will experience a drastic change in your appearance some day. If Jupiter is also there, it could indicate a big and major glow up.

❀˖° Juno 12H could mean your FS is a soul connection, someone who could be spiritual and awaken. If it is very close to the Rising, or conjunct 1H, OR in 1H, it could mean you'll probably have love at first sight for them.

❀˖° Chiron Virgo/ 6H/ Capricorn/ 10H could indicate a burn out at some point in your life.

❀˖° North Node conjunct Pluto could mean your purpose in your life will transform you deeply, mostly if it is in the 1H. You will live a drastic change in your life.

❀˖° Sun conjunct Mercury 1H in Solar Return Chart means you could think a lot about you this year, and think about your choices, and how it will play out for you. You will do more "selfish" choices because you want to make the best for you.

❀˖° Do I love stalking people I love or do I just have some heavy Scorpio/ 8H placements?

❀˖° Yeah indeed, Scorpio love stalking, but Gemini love that too!

❀˖° I have Gemini Moon 8H... u get it? lol

❀˖° It is a known thing, but in SRC, 4H's ruler in 9H means moving abroad! Another indication could be a stellium in 9H. But the stellium could also mean coming back to school, so it depends.

❀˖° SRC 4H Ruler in 12H could mean the same thing. It could simply be moving out.

❀˖° Speaking of the 12H in SRC, Pluto & Venus there could be end of a relationship BUT it could also be a spiritual love and you will learn lessons because of it.

❀˖° SRC 7H ruler in 1H could mean being in a relationships and it being part of who you are this year. Or you could appear as very romantic, very loyal too. Could also attract more contracts.

❀˖° Mars 7H in SRC could be an indicator you have a fight with the one you love, more if Venus squares/ quincunx/ opposite it. If you are single, it could show also more motivation towards long term connections.

❀˖° SRC 5H ruler being in the 7H could mean being in a long term relationship but also finding the one you want to marry.

❀˖° Once again, SRC Juno conjunct Chiron could mean you will suffer in love but it is indeed for healing.

Thank you for reading!

back to index ; ask ; request ; rules ; instagram

[fridgrave2-0]

I'm tired of pretending that I'm okay with ford being an absolute asshole towards fiddleford and basically abusing him.

first of all, yes, it's not ford's fault that he was manipulated (doubtful tbh) and abused by bill, but that doesn't give him the right to be a jerk who closes his eyes on his friend's deepest traumas. the traumas fiddleford got only because stanford completely ignored his warning and got fidds involved into bunch of shit. like his monster hunting which wasn't even the reason fiddleford went to gravity falls in the first place. he was there to help ford build the portal, not to be a part of ford's anomaly quest. and when fiddleford spoke out against it he was ignored because ford doesn't give a shit about anyone else but himself or his muse. fiddleford got traumatized physically and mentally so deeply that in the need to be able to sleep at night peacefully he completely destroyed his mind to the state that even bill was scared to be in there. and what stanford did? he (the one who couldn't care less about fidds warning him about gremoblin) critiqued fiddleford for using the memory gun and didn't even bother to apologize or say that he's sorry in the journal. god, what am I saying, he didn't even took fiddleford to the hospital after fiddleford feel from the sky through the roof of a fucking barn with a dozen of poisonous quills in his body AND A BROKEN ARM. ford described what happened to fidds in the journal, said he "took him home for a treatment" and the next two paragraphs on the other page is "good news the hyperdrive works" LIKE IS THAT THE ONLY THING YOU CARE ABOUT WHAT THE HELL??? "despite our fortune, I have become worried about my assistant... I myself have survived many monster attacks without trauma, but perhaps F is more sensitive that I realized". no shit sherlock, who would've imagine that seeing your worst nightmares and being poisoned can leave a mark on your mental state. sure it's just fiddleford, he's just overreacting because he's "sensitive"))) /src

ford was ignoring fiddleford's concerns all the fucking time that mcgucket was there with him, he took a superstitious and religious guy with anxiety into the forest with real ass monsters who's no one but ford is used to see. fiddleford was warning stanford about shifty and got kidnapped with his identity stolen by the shapeshifter because ford didn't listen. well, at least this time stanford had bothered to apologize for another traumatic event- ah no, next thing ford said is that when the portal is finished all the traumas fiddleford had been through were "worth it". ford just finds ways to make everything worse

we all know that fiddleford has an addictive personality and that the memory gun is the biggest example of that. what we don't talk enough about is that ford at some point decided that sleeping is for losers, but didn't stop at himself and made fiddleford drink 13 fucking cups of coffee, not allowing him to sleep, what in the future made fiddleford a caffeine addict. ford is not only an overworking idiot who gladly damages his own health, no! he wants fiddleford to be the same and quote "gets frustrated" when fiddleford cares not only about his own, but their both basic needs. fiddleford had to work on the portal, get in the trouble with monsters because of ford, but also babysit this manchild to prevent him collapsing from exhaustion (which is more impossible than building a giant portal into the multiverse)

and here we are, the portal testing. once again (and as always) fiddleford did warned ford about everything. fiddleford was working without breaks for days to make sure if the portal will work, and when he found the flaws, he wrote a whole fucking thesis paper, putting all ford's research into a solid work (not taking even smallest credit even tho he was the one to build the portal. when fiddleford had his own theory in the university, ford helped him to only proof that fidds wasn't going crazy by checking the calculations and ford bothered to take the credit for the whole theory, but fiddleford who was a part and a victim of this monumental theory of weirdness didn't took it because he unlike ford doesn't care only about fame). but what did stanford do? he assumed that fiddleford wanted to steal his fucking fame and backstab him. ford didn't even bother to look at something fiddleford was making for three days without resting to make sure that portal won't hurt anyone in the town and that ford won't end up with empty hand if the portal was indeed a lost cause. stanford coldly dismissed fiddleford like they weren't friends, said that he doesn't really waiting fiddleford for the test of the device that fiddleford did built, and even knowing that the portal was dangerous fiddleford chose to come for the test

and then fiddleford got in the portal and it was the biggest traumatic event for him. it was the breaking point for him from which he couldn't stop using the memory gun. it damaged him so much, that he turned from that bright 30-y.o. man into the familiar to us old man mcgucket in the span of two years. his life was ruined for another 30 years, a half of his life he was a mad lonely guy who lived in the junkyard. the man who could've become someone like steve jobs but much better if only he didn't go to help stanford. his family could've been full, tate could have his father. the incident with the portal was the moment of no return for fiddleford, and what did stanford do?

when fiddleford got sucked in the portal, he thought only about the success of his work, that for fidds it was "a remarkable opportunity to confirm or deny the theory" (which he already did with his pre-test research). he didn't think that it was dangerous on the other side, that the portal wouldn't just disintegrate fidds on atoms. and when stanford saw him speaking in a non-human way, shaking and twitching in shock like fiddleford did after the gremoblin incident, ford decided it was nothing. when fiddleford warned him about the apocalypse because he was in the portal and saw it with his own eyes, ford, as always, didn't listen. he didn't just not care about fidds' condition — he diminished everything fiddleford was feeling and everything he witnessed only because it didn't fit in ford's believes which were based just on bill's words (and for stanford it's not something new to belittle things related to fiddleford. he wasn't taking fidds' dream of creating a portable computer seriously, believing that his weirdness theory was much more important)

and after this, stanford insults fiddleford and his family in the journal. he says that he doesn't regret their partnership (it's not really a partnership if stanford didn't count fiddleford as an equal) and friendship breaking up. "to think I considered him a friend!" I doubt he ever did. stanford doesn't know shit about being a good friend (or even a decent person) to someone who sacrificed everything for him. who did put his life aside to be with ford, who cared enough to stay despite stanford again and again putting him in danger, constantly waving him away and feeling no remorse for that. fiddleford was breaking himself for this guy, he canonically was going through "I am nobody to ford if I don't build stuff for him" (and in the end this is exactly what happened). fiddleford didn't tell ford most of his fears and concerns because he didn't want to bother him. fidds was constantly scared and kept in inside because he wanted to be a "better partner". "if I have an anxiety, I will pop anxiety pills", "I'm gonna get through this". and then he didn't

fiddleford was abused by stanford. he was to stanford that ford was to bill, in some ways even worse. it's fucking wild that fiddleford did forgive ford after 30 years of a neverending madness nightmare with his mind being destroyed so much as like it was the earth in the times of the dinosaurs after being hit by the meteorite. fiddleford had lost literally everything, he wasn't even himself for a half of his life and still fidds found the strength to forgive someone who is responsible for it and who used him with regular emotional neglect. and you know what? fuck this. ford would never forgive bill and fiddleford had every right to stay mad at stanford. ford needed to be stuck in the portal to get his head out of the ass and by that time there were only crumbs of someone who fiddleford once was

fiddauthor and billford both are about abuse and toxic relationships. it's up to you what you like to ship, but we need to acknowledge the fact that fiddauthor isn't some fluffy healthy thing where both are happy. fiddleford was never happy and stanford didn't care about fiddleford and his feelings. they made each other worse and ford ruined fidds' life. THIS is the real fiddauthor

[bluelocksource]

Michael Kaiser’s trivia (src: EGOIST BIBLE 2)

☆ Character's color: Metallic Blue.

☆ Weapon : Kaiser Impact.

☆ Birthday: 25th December.

☆ Current age: 19 (at the start of NEL).

☆ Zodiac: Capricorn.

☆ Nickname: "Blue Rose Emperor"

☆ Birthplace: Berlin, Germany.

☆ Family: Father. Himself.

☆ Current height: 186 cm.

☆ Foot size: 28 cm.

☆ Dominant foot: Right.

☆ Blood type: A.

☆ Visual acuity: 0.9 in both eyes.

☆ Grip strength: 80 kg.

☆ Motto: "Become the symbol of impossibility."

☆ Team: Bastard München.

☆ Starts playing football: At age 15.

☆ Interest: Psychology, philosophy, and human behavior principles.

☆ Favorite food: Rusk made from the crust of bread. "When I was a kid, I used to get those from a local sandwich shop before they were thrown away. They’re really good, whether sweet or garlic-flavored." 

☆ Dislike/hated food: Milk. "It reminds me of unpleasant things. Plus, I just hate the smell. It’s gross."

☆ What goes best with rice:  "I don’t really eat rice. Let me know what’s good. "

☆ Favorite animal: Stray dogs.

☆ Favorite season: Winter. "I feel at home with the loneliness."

☆ Favorite movie: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

☆ Favorite music: "Desperado" by Eagles.

☆ Frequently used app: Healthcare app. "Every morning I would measure my pulse to feel alive through numbers."

☆ Favorite football player: None.

☆ Favorite subject: "I haven't really attended school, so I don't know."

☆ Weak subject: "I don’t know because I haven’t been to school."

☆ Mushroom shoots vs Bamboo shoots: "What’s that about? Chocolate? Mushroom will do."

☆ Ideal type: "Someone who is beautiful, smart and affectionate."

☆ Fixation: Despair. "I want to experience the deep immersion of that person."

☆ What would make him happy: Being targeted. "The thought of eliminating them gives me a thrill."

☆ What would make him upset: Presents. "I don’t know how to react, and I really don’t want them. Just go away." 

☆ What he thinks his strength is: “The ability to look down on all 'humans'."

☆ What he thinks his weakness is: “My crazy bed hair. I wake up really poorly.”

☆ What made him cry recently: “When I choked myself, tears came out. I laughed when I saw my face in the mirror.”

☆ Usual sleeping hour: 8 hours (7 hours + 1 hour)

☆ Number of chocolates received from previous Valentine: 800. "Apparently, they were delivered to the team clubhouse."

☆ Place he washes first when taking a bath: Left chest.

☆ What will he do if received 100 million yen: "I don't really care. I guess I'll buy a rose garden."

☆ At what age he stops receiving presents from Santa: "Such things never arrived. That kind of thing doesn’t exist."

☆ What was his last wish from Santa: Freedom.

☆ How he spent his holiday:  "Take a leisure shower, read, think about the people I want to kill and myself, then take a dump and go to sleep."

☆ What will he do during his last day on Earth: "Regret. I think there were other ways to live. If tomorrow were the last day, I’d feel that way."

☆ Favorite historical figure: Nietzsche, Freud, Napoleon. "I want to talk to these three."

☆ If he hadn't encountered soccer, what will he be doing: Crime. Starve to death.

☆ If he could only take one thing to a deserted island, what would it be: "My soccer ball."

☆ If he had a time machine, would he go to the past or the future: The future. "There’s no salvation in the past, so the future is better. I want to see if there’s no salvation in the future either."

note: i want to apologize in advance for any mistake made in the translation!

[peekofhistory]

Src:

MUSK-C

【9000多套华服霓裳】

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1g84y1F7AL/

Sharing a music video for one of my absolute favourite TV series (Chinese or otherwise), Tang Ming Huang (唐明皇) (1993).

In terms character design (hair, makeup, clothing), this show absolutely defined my image of what Tang Dynasty should look like. Although not 100% accurate to historical artefacts, the famous Yang Shuyun (makeup and hair) and Li Jianqun (clothing) took great pains to pair historically accurate designs mixed with cinematic aesthetics to produce this series.

Tang Ming Huang (唐明皇）tells the story of Emperor Xuanzong (name: Li Longji), from his childhood to his ascendance to the throne, with decades of a flourishing dynasty under his reign until a rebellion by An Lushan forced him to flee the capital city. It also includes his story with the famous concubine, Yang Yuhuan, one of the four classic beauties in Chinese history.

Initially wedded to Li Longji's son, the Emperor fell in love (lust?) upon seeing her and eventually broke up their marriage so he could have her for himself. In the end, the Emperor's own military placed the fault for the An Lushan rebellion on Yang Yuhuan and her family, forcing the Emperor to put her to death.

People debate today whether this was a case of a woman being scapegoated for an Emperor's failings, while others believe she was at fault for causing the emperor to become lax in his courtly duties, while her family used her influence to gain power. Either way, their story influenced many poets and artists, it was said that her beauty was so great that "3000 beauties in his court paled in comparison to her" (长恨歌).

The full series can be found on Youtube (click here for playlist), but unfortunately without ENG subs (should I try to sub it…? I'm tempted…but it would be such a big project, the show is 40 eps long T__T But it's so good…)

[bambi-kinos]

Hello dear,I wrote sometime ago to you asking for Paul's pro's and con's, now I'm back to ask you about Linda's. I Iove and miss her so much obviously, she was beautiful and talented in her own way and a great woman of her time. I've always felt at times he didn't deserved her. But nobody's prefect and we all have faults and makes mistakes. The world of celebs - and Linda was one of them too - is usually overly-adored for normal things but is no different than the rest of us.

Again, nothing you write can make me be less of a fan, it's just healthy to see both sides.

Thank you for your time.

Paul would definitely agree with you that he didn't deserve her at times lol. He ended up building a statue to Linda to honor her because of he knew she saved his life:

(src)

When it comes to Linda, as is usually the case her flaws were also her strengths. Linda was a sensitive person who wasn't afraid to act. She had a rebellious streak and was a self-made woman, she didn't wait to be recognized for her photography talent. She just grabbed a camera and did it, even left Heather with babysitters to pursue her dreams. She wasn't a groupie, she just wanted to take her photos and have fun doing it partying with people. When she came across Paul he was at his peak with Sgt. Pepper:

Even from these 2 photos you can tell they connected very quickly! They liked each other right off the bat though it took some time for Paul to decide he wanted to make a move. That didn't happen until he was well and truly wounded, and starting to panic because he was realizing what he would miss out on if he committed to John.

And when he was at his lowest, well, Linda rescued him. She rescued him the way she rescued animals. She swooped in, tended to him, and nursed him back to health. It was very heroic what she did.

The issue is that kind of tender heartedness is a double edged sword. When I read McCartney Legacy Volume 1 (haven't started Volume 2 yet) I was struck that Linda seemed completely ignorant of how brutal nature was. Like, in Chapter 19 the book talks about how Martha's puppies killed a flock of chickens that Linda was planning to release into the Scottish wilderness. Linda was upset because she hadn't realized that domesticated birds would hang out in the front yard waiting to be fed and that this made them a prime target for the puppies.

I also doubt she considered whether or not it was a good idea to release the chickens into the wilderness in the first place. I don't know if Scotland has wild chickens or not but I don't think Linda did either and she was preparing to release them anyway without considering the impact on Scotland's flora and fauna. The fact that she was surprised Martha's puppies went after the chickens is a facepalm moment because dogs are predator animals, of course a pack of puppies would go after chickens if no one was minding them.

I think her loyalty to Paul could become a problem as well. There are accounts in McCartney Legacy of Linda really going after people that Paul didn't like, not in a physical way but she backed him up when he had a problem instead of checking him and going "okay dial it back a notch." Linda was a great marriage partner but she also enabled Paul in some of his more entitled behavior. Wings v. 1 was a really rough place to be because Paul's head was a mess and he took it out on the other band members. Linda didn't check him and she should have. Maybe she did and he didn't take it well but it really looks like she backed him up all the time instead.

Paul also took their family to Lagos when there was a cholera outbreak going at the time and they didn't find out about this cholera outbreak until they got home and read their mail. There was a letter warning them about it that they never read until after they arrived safe at home. Linda should have been more proactive as a mom and a wife, they're lucky the worst thing that happened was Paul suffering an bronchial spasm and a mugging.

Linda was very invested in Paul, which is great, but I think that she had a tendency to leap before looking. All well and good except when you take your children to a country still rebuilding during the violent aftershocks of colonialism or when you help your husband bully your fellow bandmates. And anyone could be guilty of these things so Linda isn't uniquely sinful or anything but she was very in love with Paul and very protective of him. She would keep her blinders on when necessary because she made him her lodestone. Especially after all the shit she went through just for being with him, between the Apple Scruffs and the media and then John's erratic behavior. You can tell that she really wanted to make this relationship work because she had sunk a lot into Paul. So I wonder if there wasn't some sunk-cost fallacy working there.

So I think Linda's flaws were:

Being deliberately myopic about her values and not looking at the bigger picture (the dead chickens)

Not challenging Paul's bad decision making & putting loyalty over common sense safety precautions (taking their family to Lagos without checking for travel advisories, while it was in the middle of a cholera outbreak)

Enabling Paul's behavior even when it was out of pocket (there's a section in McCartney Legacy where Linda joins Paul in berating one of their band members over a phone call)

Overall I think Linda is a rare example of someone who was exactly who she appeared to be. She didn't try to hide her flaws or anything and she was just as well balanced as she seemed. She knew herself and that's really rare! No wonder Paul treasures her so highly. Linda is truly just an ordinary person like us, the difference is that she kept her head most of the time (I think being born into a rich family helps with this, she wasn't overly impressed with Paul's Beatle status).

Linda is a rare figure in the Beatles story in that she generally knew who she was, where she was, and what she was about. Even when trying to total up her flaws we don't get very far lol!

Thank you for this ask and I'm sorry it took so long to answer.

[yourturntothrive]

Your Turn To Thrive: Life After A Death Game

Your Turn To Thrive?

Your Turn To Thrive is a visual novel and stage play sequel to YTTD taking place 6 months after massacre ending with Nao Egokoro as the protagonist. Her and Sara Chidouin start over in a fresh environment as they continue to recover from the events of the death game, forming new bonds of mutual support, and unraveling the mystery of their new home. The story is focused around mental health, post-traumatic growth, and overcoming oppressive systems.

We want to convey each characters mental health experiences in ways that are both psychologically realistic and consistent with their portrayal in YTTD. Nao and Sara are both incredibly powerful characters each with unique strengths and we want that to be reflected in this story, because even in tragedy, life still goes on.

The visual novel is currently being prioritized, and has more content such as optional free time events, minigames, and environmental dialogue. The story will be released in 3 updates roughly similar to the release of Your Turn To Die. Here's a small amount of what we've been working on!

Some of our backgrounds!

In creating backgrounds for Your Turn To Thrive, our goal was a pixel art style similar to Your Turn To Die, but with the ability to display even small objects in enough detail for the environmental point and click elements similar to AI The Somnium Files. To do this, we've made a process to create pixel art backgrounds using real-world photography.

This story takes place in a college setting, so we went around colleges, focusing on liminal spaces, to capture the vibe of this YTTD sequel! These aren't our finalized images, but we think they're looking pretty good :)

Some of our music!

"There's nothing to fear in failure. A person's life does not end there. / As long as you live on... Happiness will surely come to you!" - Kazumi Mishima [src]

Courage in Tragedy is our first public part of the OST, and is meant to be a followup to YTTD's Even in Tragedy combining Day of Tragedy and Step of Courage. Your Turn To Die primarily uses GarageBand loops and For Your Turn To Thrive's OST we wanted to do the same for many of our tracks. YTTT will also contain tracks composed by @crescendotto.

How to stay up to date?

You can find updates here on Tumblr and any of our other socials such as our linktr.ee or Discord!

[deityoftherain]

How to Embed Images and Links on AO3

Note: I have a site skin so the colors might look different. Just follow along with the red arrows! Also, this is a tutorial used on the computer, and I assume mobile posting would be different.

First, open archiveofourown.org and log in if you haven't already. If you don't have an AO3 account, sign up for one as soon as possible because it takes about a week for them to verify you and give you access to your new account.

Next, select "Post" in the top right hand corner like you would typically. Set up everything you desire as you normally would until you reach "Work Text*".

Note: If you need further help, I have an AO3 Tag Guide, a Story Title Guide, a List of Random AO3 Shortcuts, and a How to Post a Work on AO3 with Step-by-Step Explanations Guide for your convenience! I also have a Foundations Writing Lesson post for any beginners or for people who would appreciate a review <333

Once there, click on "Rich Text" in the top right of that section, and then select the image icon or the link icon, depending on which you are intending to make.

Note: Check under the cut for more in-depth instructions slash a continuation of this guide! There is an Image Icon Route and a Link Icon Route.

Image Icon Route

Once you click on the Image Icon, the screen similar to below should pop-up:

*Link Icon Route detour start here

The source is the link to the image you're wanting to add to your work. AO3 doesn't host images itself, but you can use an image hosting site such as postimages.org or even Tumblr itself. If you want to use Tumblr, post a draft with the desired image or locate a post with the desired image. Once you've done that, right click the desired image and Open Image in New Tab (or whatever your computer's equivalent is).

You should have a tab open that starts with "https://64.media.tumblr.com" followed by a bunch of numbers and letters. I want you to copy that link and post it in the source box.

*Link Icon Route detour ends here

Now that the image link is in place, adjust your Width/Height boxes if desired. Feel free to add an image description as well. For best result, I suggest doing 100% in the Width box with nothing in Height, but this is ultimately a personal decision. Feel free to mess around with the proportions using the work drafts and find what's best for you!

If you prefer, you can also use < img src="LINK" alt="IMAGE DESCRIPTION" width="100%" align="center" /> aka < + img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/0e3d1827f755eae4c79e605a8e73a44b/f65ab99ee3c9bf64-a8/s1280x1920/8608529567963545a061989b32a1d4541272ef51.jpg" alt="" width="100%" align="center" /> for this example (*excluding the plus sign at the start) to insert an image using HTML instead of Rich Text. It'll look like this:

It is always a good idea to double-check and confirm that everything is how you want it. Previewing your work also allows you to create a draft.

If you're unhappy with something, edit the work to fix it! If you're happy with how everything looks, go ahead and post it! You're finished here! You've successfully posted a work with an image embedded! Well done; good job :D

Link Icon Route

Once you click on the Link Icon, the screen similar to below should pop-up:

Go copy (Control+C or Command+C) the link to whatever it is you want to insert into the body of the work.

Note: If you're wanting to link specifically to an image and not a post containing that image, scroll up to the link icon route detour colored purple.

Once you got that, paste (Control+V or Command+V) the link into the URL box. If you want something other than the link to display, change the text in the "Text to display" box.

Save your work, check the formatting and everything else like we did in the Image Icon Route section. If everything is how you want it, then congratulations! You have successfully added a link embedded to your work!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to comment and I'll respond! If this guide was helpful to you, please like and reblog! I appreciate it <333

[northopalshore]

hello, gaia! when looking at lunar return charts, are all the planets and aspects interpreted the same as they are in a solar return chart? i’ve been studying solar return charts recently but just discovered lunar returns also and wonder if it’s basically the same. i have the craziest 5h stellium this month with jupiter and uranus in 7h, and both house rulers in the 5h too. i’ll be so surprised if something romantic happens but the chart is so loud at the same time.

SOLAR RETURN VS

LUNAR RETURN

𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋ Hello!

They are quite different actually. But you can apply the same interpretation method to each return chart (aspects only).

Solar Return Charts

are like an accumulation of your next year's forecast i.e your Natal Sun making another trip and returning to its original position (at the time of your birth). This is where you'll see the big, main agendas going on in your life in the next year SRC.

The lunar return chart

is exactly what it sounds like; you natal moon returning to its original position every month. This is where you can see more details within your year i.e the events taking place each month (how you feel, translating to what's happening around you). That's how you use the LRC to predict. Sometimes it doesn't translate directly to the events itself but what you are feeling & where that energy is coming from. I think that's what a lot of people tend to forget when looking at their LRCs (sometimes , I do too). Taking it at face value i.e what will happen that month which just isn't really the case 100%.

From your information:

A sudden confession or relationship opportunity might come absolutely up for you, you might unexpectedly bump into someone cute or get a new crush as well! You will be feeling very excitable about your love life or even your close connection, ( something might change with them too like a new friend perhaps?) either way it will be a fun month for you!

Uranus in the 7th is good to see if you are looking for a relationship/to be in one as it presents you with that opportunity. So does Jupiter!

That 5th house Stellium is probably a result from the spring air lolol. Though, note that significant 5th house placements don't always correlate to love & romance, but also just having a lot more fun that month! (Or just gaining admirers too!)

Just to be safe, I always overlay it with your natal chart as well to see where this energy affects you personally (beyond feelings/where you are experiencing this effect on). If it's in the 4th house; you could have a new family member on the way lol. (Also be careful of getting"freaky" this month if you plan to as it may result in something 9 months later!)

₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑

Hope this helps!

[makeslegend]

@flybcll asked → “ why do you have that look on your face? ” to mark! ( src. / accepting. )

"Nothing! What look? Where? I don't have a look. What look do I have?"

The sentences come out rapid-fire, one after the other. Mark isn't really that bad of a liar, but he's nothing if not a first-class comedian, and there actually is a good reason to be panicking in a situation like this. Not that he's panicking, but it would probably be a good reason to panic for somebody who was.

His voice echoes just a little too loudly in the echoes of the decrepit building, empty except for the two of them.

Well, and the blinking red light coming from the corner of the room.

"Hey, so, completely unrelated—remember how a little while ago, I was like 'hey, Kai, you should come with me to check out this cool place, do a little bit of urbex, it'll be totally fun and safe 'cause I know what I'm doing, seriously, trust me'? That all ring a bell?"

He lets the dread build for a beat or two, trying not to smile. It's a difficult endeavor, even though getting seen on camera is a much bigger risk for him than most people, thanks to his easily discernable appearance.

"Yeah, so, anyway," Mark jerks his head up towards the light, "camera's totally on. My bad!"

[meldaciomartyr]

hey, need to run a name by you ... sarah's got a guy in the inn here, glenn lodrbok. he's dropped the hunters name a few times, i need to know if you know him, and if so what's his story?

It wasn't like Kaleb t'use the secure radio for a simple enquiry, but when Dave heard the name his pal was askin' 'bout it made a lot more sense.

Ahhh, the blond feller he'd first met out on the grasslands.

"I know of 'im, met a few times an' helped him out with some stuff." Like hunts, movin' supplies an' even offerin' a safe hideaway to Glenn an' his family. The SRC was a bit too flash an' loud in their protest against Shinra for Dave's liking, but they meant well an' their intentions were i the right place.

"He's a good feller Kaleb, I can vouch for him."

"His story's a bit more complicated, not somethin' I can explain over the radio, but he's an ally an' trustworthy."

[the-arcade-doctor]

[ YOU HAVE RECIEVED A VOICE MESSAGE FROM: @.rustingoakofficial.bsky.social ]

\# Hey, uh, Jay... D'you know where I could get a good new door? As you could guess from the letter, SRC finally managed to deal with the whole "being locked out of our old place" situation, but... well, you can see for yourself if you're willin' to take the trip.

[ on my way. ]