#Disruptive pattern material

[alessandro55]

Disruptive Pattern Material

An Encyclopedia of Camouflage

Hardy Blechman

A Firefly Books, Buffalo, NY 2024, 624 pages, 22,2x30,2x5cm, ISBN 9781554070114

euro 280,00

email if you want to buy booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

From animal survival to anti-war irony.

Camouflage occurs naturally in the wild as a mechanism of protection and illusion. Learning from nature, military strategists reproduced, painted and printed camouflage patterns to protect equipment and soldiers.

Disruptive Pattern Material is an encyclopedic history of camouflage from its roots in nature, through to its adoption by armed forces and on to its current popularity within modern civilian culture.

The book begins with the wide variety of wildlife that protects itself by blending into the environment. Military camouflage covers the first uses of camouflage to disguise artillery and ships and eventually individual soldiers. A comprehensive, historical guide features the various camouflage patterns issued to soldiers of 107 nations around the world.

The use of camouflage outside of the armed forces first began in the 1960s by anti-war protestors. From there, camouflage was further explored by artists and designers.

[theplotmage]

Principles and Laws of Magic for Fantasy Writers

Fundamental Laws

1. Law of Conservation of Magic- Magic cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

3. Law of Equivalent Exchange- To gain something, an equal value must be given.

5. Law of Magical Exhaustion- Using magic drains the user’s energy or life force.

Interaction and Interference

4. Law of Magical Interference- Magic can interfere with other magical effects.

6. Law of Magical Contamination- Magic can have unintended side effects.

8. Law of Magical Inertia- Magical effects continue until stopped by an equal or greater force.

Resonance and Conditions

7. Law of Magical Resonance- Magic resonates with certain materials, places, or times.

9. Law of Magical Secrecy- Magic must be kept secret from the non-magical world.

11. Law of Magical Hierarchy- Different types of magic have different levels of power and difficulty.

Balance and Consequences

10. Law of Magical Balance- Every positive magical effect has a negative consequence.

12. Law of Magical Limitation- Magic has limits and cannot solve every problem.

14. Law of Magical Rebound- Misused magic can backfire on the user.

Special Conditions

13. Law of Magical Conduits- Certain objects or beings can channel magic more effectively.

15. Law of Magical Cycles- Magic may be stronger or weaker depending on cycles (e.g., lunar phases).

17. Law of Magical Awareness- Some beings are more attuned to magic and can sense its presence.

Ethical and Moral Laws

16. Law of Magical Ethics- Magic should be used responsibly and ethically.

18. Law of Magical Consent- Magic should not be used on others without their consent.

20. Law of Magical Oaths- Magical promises or oaths are binding and have severe consequences if broken.

Advanced and Rare Laws

19. Law of Magical Evolution- Magic can evolve and change over time.

20. Law of Magical Singularities- Unique, one-of-a-kind magical phenomena exist and are unpredictable.

Unique and Imaginative Magical Laws

- Law of Temporal Magic- Magic can manipulate time, but with severe consequences. Altering the past can create paradoxes, and using time magic ages the caster rapidly.

- Law of Emotional Resonance- Magic is amplified or diminished by the caster’s emotions. Strong emotions like love or anger can make spells more powerful but harder to control.

- Law of Elemental Harmony- Magic is tied to natural elements (fire, water, earth, air). Using one element excessively can disrupt the balance and cause natural disasters.

- Law of Dream Magic- Magic can be accessed through dreams. Dreamwalkers can enter others’ dreams, but they risk getting trapped in the dream world.

- Law of Ancestral Magic- Magic is inherited through bloodlines. The strength and type of magic depend on the caster’s ancestry, and ancient family feuds can influence magical abilities.

- Law of Symbiotic Magic- Magic requires a symbiotic relationship with magical creatures. The caster and creature share power, but harming one affects the other.

- Law of Forgotten Magic- Ancient spells and rituals are lost to time. Discovering and using forgotten magic can yield great power but also unknown dangers.

- Law of Magical Echoes- Spells leave behind echoes that can be sensed or traced. Powerful spells create stronger echoes that linger longer.

- Law of Arcane Geometry- Magic follows geometric patterns. Spells must be cast within specific shapes or alignments to work correctly.

- Law of Celestial Magic- Magic is influenced by celestial bodies. Spells are stronger during certain astronomical events like eclipses or planetary alignments.

- Law of Sentient Magic- Magic has a will of its own. It can choose to aid or hinder the caster based on its own mysterious motives.

- Law of Shadow Magic- Magic can manipulate shadows and darkness. Shadowcasters can travel through shadows but are vulnerable to light.

- Law of Sympathetic Magic- Magic works through connections. A spell cast on a representation of a person (like a doll or portrait) affects the actual person.

- Law of Magical Artifacts- Certain objects hold immense magical power. These artifacts can only be used by those deemed worthy or who possess specific traits.

- Law of Arcane Paradoxes- Some spells create paradoxes that defy logic. These paradoxes can have unpredictable and often dangerous outcomes.

- Law of Elemental Fusion- Combining different elemental magics creates new, hybrid spells with unique properties and effects.

- Law of Ethereal Magic- Magic can interact with the spirit world. Ethereal mages can communicate with spirits, but prolonged contact can blur the line between life and death.

- Law of Arcane Symbiosis- Magic can bond with technology, creating magical machines or enchanted devices with extraordinary capabilities.

- Law of Dimensional Magic- Magic can open portals to other dimensions. Dimensional travelers can explore alternate realities but risk getting lost or encountering hostile beings.

- Law of Arcane Sacrifice- Powerful spells require a sacrifice, such as a cherished memory, a personal item, or even a part of the caster’s soul.

[mariasont]

SLIDE NUMBER 42

spencer struggles to stay focused during his FBI seminar after watching you accept another man's phone number

pairings: spencer reid x shy!reader warnings: post prison spencer, fem reader, fluffy fluff, pre-relationship mutual pining, jealousy, hot people who don't know they're hot, reader is so oblivious wc: 2.4k request: here

His speech is going fine. Good even, by technical standards. Solid pacing, no detectable tremor in his voice, and the audience seems engaged, or at least polite enough to fake it.

No eyes have glazed into vacant stares of boredom, no one has made sudden exits conveniently coinciding with his most critical points. Someone even laughed at his heuristics joke. Sure, that laugh might have stemmed from social obligation rather than genuine amusement, but Spencer’s ego isn’t picky. Validation is validation, however pitiful its origins.

After a hundred (give or take, but who’s counting? Certainly not him anymore) FBI seminars, public speaking has downgraded itself from gut-twisting terror to something more akin to low-level tinnitus. Persistent, yes, but easily ignored if he doesn’t focus on it.

Today, though, there’s a blemish in his confidence, a nearly imperceptible fissure disrupting an otherwise flawless delivery, and annoyingly, he knows exactly what’s causing it.

Or rather, who. 

It would be easy, tempting, even, to attribute it to jet lag or his questionable decision to skip breakfast, despite knowing precisely how much glucose his brain demands to function optimally.

It’s approximately 130 grams daily, for the record.

But under close examination, these excuses collapse.

His mouth dutifully churns out the familiar concepts — cognitive shortcuts, behavioral reinforcement, and a half-dozen other psychological principles he could probably recite even if heavily sedated.

His eyes, though, are less disciplined.

Spencer no longer pretends he isn’t looking for you. Plausible deniability lost its appeal around the hundredth time, so now he’s squarely planted in the acceptance stage, routinely scanning briefing rooms, glancing down the jet aisle, even sweeping through crowded streets that realistically hold zero probability of your sudden appearance.

Stranger things have happened though.

Your usual chair, predictably front and center, has been taken by someone else. The disruption alone unsettles him, an absurd reaction, he knows, considering the concept of assigned seating vanished after high school.

But worse, far worse, your new seat, slightly further back to the left, is paired closely with a stranger. A male. A male stranger.

Did he mention that?

From this distance, Spencer reads you the way he would scrutinize grainy case footage — frame by frame, microexpression after microexpression. You sit poised, shoulders relaxed in a way that seems sincere, fingers neatly intertwined in practiced, polite calm. The hesitant half-smile on your face is one he’s memorized by now, the kind you deploy when responses fail you but courtesy remains compulsory. 

There’s nothing outwardly troubling. No anxious shifts, no rapid blinking patterns, no unconscious signals suggesting underlying distress. And the man beside you remains scrupulously neutral, displaying no signs of threat or territorial intent. No encroaching hand, no aggressive hand over your chair.

Textbook respectful. Harmless, even.

Spencer hates him, regardless.

Maybe hate is a strong word. Spencer is self-aware enough to admit that. He’s nothing if not precise with language, after all. But the irritation brewing in his chest feels warranted, even if it’s inconvenient and flagrantly unprofessional. 

He should be paying attention to his own presentation, should be demonstrating at least a shred of respect for the material, and especially for the painstaking work you poured into it. 

Last Thursday alone, you spent two entire hours rearranging his deck into a visual narrative.

He had fun watching as you tensed each time his hand brushed yours or whenever he leaned a fraction too close, your shoulders tightening in a way he mentally filed under adorably flustered.

He also (less fun) watched you agonize over font choices as though the fate of the world depended on serif or sans-serif, and the way you had gotten so worked up trying to pick between two indistinguishable shades of blue. 

Eventually, he broke. Softly, half-laughing, he told you, it doesn’t matter which one, I’ll love it regardless because you picked it.

He could almost hear your internal plea for the earth to kindly intervene and swallow you whole. And as usual, Spencer pretended he saw nothing, politely glossing over the obvious.

It had, after all, become his speciality — noticing everything about you and pretending he didn’t.

His eyes focus back on you, in the present to see that there’s a napkin involved with the stranger, accompanied by a ballpoint pen scratching digits hastily onto the flimsy, coffee-stained paper, folded once before sliding across the table.

You accept it without hesitation, slipping it beneath your fingers. To any else, the exchange would seem mundane. And maybe it genuinely is mundane.

Maybe people pass you phone numbers all the time and Spencer’s just blind to it, trapped comfortably back in plausible deniability. 

And honestly, why wouldn’t this be a regular occurrence? He should’ve considered this months ago. From a purely observational standpoint, you’ve practically designed to attract attention. Intelligent. Kind. Beautiful. Very beautiful in a soft, disarming way that defies simple categorization.

He expends enormous effort pretending your very existence doesn’t accelerate his heart-rate into concerning ranges. It’s possible that other, saner men don’t waste precious energy on such fruitless, exhausting self-deception.

Spencer blinks slowly, disoriented by the sudden wave of heat climbing uninvited from beneath his collar. The fabric feels restrictive, as though actively tightening, trying to suffocate him purely out of spite.

For the life of him, he can’t remember which slide he’s on, or even if the current slide bears any relation to the words he was previously speaking. His pointer hand hovers mid-gesture, awkwardly frozen.

There’s a distracting ringing in his ears — no, he corrects himself, not ringing.

Silence.

His own silence stretching across the room as he mentally scrambles to pinpoint exactly when he stopped talking. Judging from the expectant stares, probably mid-sentence.

Your eyes find his almost instantly, brows pinched the tiniest bit, like you’re puzzled but trying not to be disrespectful about it. Spencer can feel the sweat prickling beneath his shirt.

But then you smile and give him a thumbs up.

Big and bright and encouraging like you’re trying to telepathically remind him that he’s doing great, as if this is only a mild, forgivable stumble from a nervous academic tripped up by nothing more serious than transition slide number 42.

It’s not funny. He tells himself that with conviction. But there’s some part of him that wants to laugh anyway, if only to release the pressure building inside him.

Instead, he settles for a restrained nod, stretches a smile over clenched teeth, pretends it feels natural then regains his place in the presentation.

Guilt rushes in on the tail end of his anger (anger? jealousy? — the terminology feels suspiciously accurate, but labeling it as so feels premature and vaguely terrifying). He’s uncertain what specific transgression triggered this, but his nervous system apparently feels apologies are overdue, regardless.

Possibly because his thoughts are increasingly heading into Neanderthal territory with every look the man gives you.

Thankfully around halfway, maybe just past that mark, the nameless man beside you rises. It’s discreet, he simply leans in toward you, exchanges some hushed, unintelligible words, then slips away.

The second the chair beside you empties though, that pressure in his chest loosens like a long-held muscle finally unclenched. Like oxygen flooding back into a room that had been vacuum-sealed.

Spencer rushes through his concluding remarks, murmuring a perfunctory thanks to the audience and moves swiftly off the stage.

No handshakes, no small talk, no waiting around to see if anyone has further questions. Frankly, he doesn’t have the bandwidth to pretend he cares.

His mind is fixated solely on you, his priority laser-focused on bridging the gap he’s spent the past hour actively trying not to acknowledge, intent on reaching you first before anyone else gets the chance.

You can’t help yourself from smiling the instant he comes into view, then immediately worry that it’s too much smile, a full wattage beam reserved for grander occasions than a simple post-presentation hello.

But then again, this is Spencer.

Spencer, who just minutes ago had half the room on the edge of their seats, eyes round with wonder, absorbing each detail like children watching a magic trick unfold.

You’re fairly certain he would appreciate that comparison.

“You were incredible,” you say, feeling a little winded by your own excitement. Hopefully, that accounts for the weird expression you’re pretty sure is plastered all over your face. “Seriously, you sounded so confident, and that one part, the twins with the shared delusion? You could hear everyone holding their breath.”

Spencer holds your gaze, expression carefully blank, as if he’s momentarily forgotten how to react. He finally swallows, glancing downward briefly before forcing his eyes back to yours. 

“Thanks,” he says, “to tell you the truth, it felt a bit… off.”

“Really?” you blurt out. “It was probably the slides, honestly. I knew I should’ve picked the darker blue for the headers. The light blue looked fine on my laptop, but projected up there it looked way too… fluorescent. Sorry if it threw you off, or you know, temporarily damaged your retinas.”

His lips curve into something resembling a smile, but there’s a noticeable emptiness behind it, a shadow of the quietly affection grin he saves for Garcia when she insists on inventing some silly nickname for him, or that gently softened look he gives you when you ask him to double-check emails you’re irrationally convinced you wrote incorrectly.

This one feels different. More distant, maybe.

Was that too much? Did you overshoot the tone? Did you mistake his pause for an opening and trample right through it? Did the slides really throw him off? You don’t know, but your mouth is already moving again.

“I mean, no one probably even noticed the color thing. I just… I did. Not that it mattered. The content was what people were paying attention to. Your content, not mine, obviously. Just — sorry, I —”

“The slides were perfect,” he cuts in, shaking his head. “Really, thank you for putting them together.”

Warmth blooms aggressively across your cheeks, spreading upward to your ears until you’re positive they must be visibly burning.

You nod vigorously, maybe too much so, because words seem hazardous at this point. You’re 90% sure the only sound you would make is some kind of mouse-adjacent squeak.

He nods toward the row of now-empty chairs.

“Next time, would you mind sitting a bit closer?” he asks. “If there’s a technical glitch, having you close by could save me from another awkward pause.”

“I was planning to.” You let out a laugh, ducking your head. “But someone got there first and I thought it’d be weird if I challenged them to a duel or something.”

He laughs at that and your heart reacts accordingly.

“Tell you what,” he says, “next time I’ll reserve your seat myself. No need to resort to sword fights on my behalf.”

A chair scrapes violently a few feet away, loud enough to startle you mid-nod. You flinch, pivot slightly, and your purse, which was balanced precariously on the back of your chair, swings off and to the floor. 

Lip balm tubes, scattered pens, mint wrappers, crumbled receipts, and a pitiful handful of coins erupt from the bag like tiny projectiles, landing messily at Spencer’s feet.

You’re halfway through an apology that’s shaping up to be spectacularly frantic when he crouches beside you.

“It’s fine —” he reassures, patiently herding your scattered belongings until his hand stops dead, hovering oddly over something.

A folded napkin. He picks it up gently, like he’s trying not to crumple it, and you immediately recognize it, the paper, the stupid casual tilt of the handwriting. The guy’s phone number paired with an invitation for coffee or drinks or something similarly forgettable.

Honestly, you barely registered it at the time, dismissed it entirely after a polite smile and obligatory nod. It meant nothing then. It means even less now. 

Your brain lurches, caught in a panicked tug-of-war between explaining yourself, pretending nothing happened, or diving headfirst into an apology (your well-worn, anxiety-ridden default).

Because it all suddenly feels painfully amateurish, unbelievably unprofessional, especially in the relentless spotlight of being the newest face, the eager-to-please media liaison who occasionally gets mistaken for someone’s assistant or coffee-fetcher at least twice per conference. 

You already feel like you’re playing catch-up to the rest of them, especially him.

And now, somehow, you’ve inadvertently become the girl who collects phone numbers at work functions. It’s not that you wanted it, but refusing just felt unnecessarily harsh.

And what were you supposed to say? 

Sorry, but I’m secretly nursing a hopeless infatuation for the lanky genius on the stage with an alphabet soup of degrees, beautiful hands, and a voice you would happily let narrate even your most tedious existence? 

Arguably even less professional.

You take the napkin from his hand quickly, tucking it deep into your bag like maybe that’ll erase the last thirty seconds.

“That wasn’t, um, supposed to be…”

“You don’t have to explain,” Spencer interjects, gaze lowered, “I imagine it happens often.”

You press your lips together. Nervously, you steal a glance at him, noting the clench of his jaw and the almost angry crease between his brows.

“It doesn’t, actually.”

Both of you straighten at once, shoulders grazing clumsily as he smooths down his sleeves.

You silently wish, not for the first time, you could translate his face into something tangible. Profiler by osmosis, apparently, isn’t a thing.

“Well,” he says, like he’s still thinking it over. “They’re clearly behind the curve.”

Your stomach dives into freefall, landing roughly somewhere near where your purse had just been. Still, you muster a breezy smile, hand flicking dismissively.

“Oh, um, you don’t need to say that,” you say lightly, even though your mind is already sprinting between seven — no, eight — different theories on what exactly he meant by that. “But thanks.”

“I think I kind of do. Because if anyone’s asking for your number, I think it should be at least someone who —”

“Dr. Reid?” Someone interrupts, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Do you have a second to talk about the regression data on slide 19?”

Spencer nods, starting to turn, but not before his eyes catch yours again. Just once.

His mouth curves into the slightest of smiles, teasing in a way you’ve never seen, as though he’s entirely aware of the words left unsaid and exactly how they’re going to occupy your thoughts in the meantime.

You despise this new smile. You adore this new smile. You’re doomed, either way.

Without a second glance, you fish the napkin from your purse, walking to the nearest trash can and dropping it inside. 

You wonder if he’ll circle back. If he’ll finish the sentence.

And if he doesn’t, well, you’ll be thinking about it anyway.

💌 masterlist taglist has been disbanded! if you want to get updates about my writings follow and turn notifications on for my account strictly for reblogging my works! @mariasreblogs

[theskywithin]

Vertex in The Birth Chart- Planetary Aspects

The Vertex (Vx) in the birth chart is where fate steps in, where life redirects you, where events beyond your control shape who you become. It is not something you seek, it finds you, often through people, experiences, or challenges that feel "meant to be."

When a planet forms an aspect to the Vertex in your birth chart, it reveals the types of fated experiences that will transform you.

💫 Vertex & North Node:

🔹 Conjunction – Major turning points that shift your destiny. Life repeatedly places you in situations where you must step into your higher path. Opportunities and people arrive when you are ready, even if you don’t feel ready.

🔹 Opposition – Fate moves in unexpected, sometimes frustrating ways. Life pushes you to evolve, but it may feel like you are always at a crossroads, torn between the past and the unknown future.

🔹 Square – Fate disrupts before it aligns. Life will challenge you to break cycles, face inner resistance, and step out of your comfort zone. The biggest transformations come through obstacles that force you to grow.

🔹 Trine/Sextile – A natural flow of destined opportunities. You may find that life gently guides you toward your purpose without extreme disruptions. Doors open at the right time.

✨ Key theme: Life will always redirect you to your purpose, even when it feels like you’ve lost your way.

🌞 Vertex & the Sun:

🔹 Conjunction – Moments in life push you toward self-discovery. You are repeatedly placed in situations that challenge you to embrace your true identity, confidence, and leadership. Career shifts, personal reinventions, and major life decisions are shaped by destiny.

🔹 Opposition – Life forces you to confront self-doubt. You may feel like external circumstances challenge your ability to fully express yourself. Fate pushes you to step into your authenticity, even when it’s uncomfortable.

🔹 Square – Ego struggles and identity crises shape your destiny. Major life challenges break old versions of you so you can step into a more authentic self.

🔹 Trine/Sextile – Life presents natural opportunities to grow into your true self. Personal reinventions happen easily, and your path often unfolds without force.

✨ Key theme: Life repeatedly pushes you to own your identity and step into leadership.

🌙 Vertex & the Moon:

🔹 Conjunction – Life-changing emotional events. Family, home, and deep personal growth are tied to fate. You may experience intense inner transformations through key relationships, relocations, or personal awakenings.

🔹 Opposition – Emotional turning points come through external events. You may feel like life forces you to confront your deepest fears, attachments, and emotional patterns.

🔹 Square – Emotional upheavals trigger transformation. Fate often presents intense personal crises or healing journeys that reshape your emotional world.

🔹 Trine/Sextile – Life gently guides you through emotional evolution. You experience natural emotional growth through supportive people and situations.

✨ Key theme: You are meant to evolve emotionally through fated life events.

💞 Vertex & Venus:

🔹 Conjunction – Your destiny is deeply connected to relationships, art, or values. Life-changing partnerships (not just romantic), creative inspirations, or financial shifts alter your path.

🔹 Opposition – You may feel like fate tests your ability to balance relationships and self-worth. There can be karmic experiences around love, beauty, or material wealth.

🔹 Square – Struggles with love, money, or self-value shape your destiny. You may go through intense experiences that force you to redefine what truly matters.

🔹 Trine/Sextile – Opportunities for love, beauty, and abundance flow naturally. You often find yourself at the right place at the right time for relationship and financial growth.

✨ Key theme: Your life’s most important lessons revolve around love, beauty, and values.

🔥 Vertex & Mars:

🔹 Conjunction – Fate forces you into action. You may experience defining moments through competition, ambition, or the need to fight for what you want.

🔹 Opposition – Conflicts and power struggles push you to assert yourself. Fate brings tests of strength, courage, and personal willpower.

🔹 Square – Struggles and obstacles force personal evolution. Life may repeatedly place you in situations that require inner strength, resilience, and decisive action.

🔹 Trine/Sextile – You naturally attract opportunities for leadership and personal growth. Major life events unfold in a way that encourages bold, decisive action.

✨ Key theme: You are meant to develop courage and personal power through fated experiences.

🌌 Vertex & Pluto:

🔹 Conjunction – You will experience deep, life-altering transformations. Fate does not let you stay the same. Powerful experiences reshape your identity, often through loss, crisis, or personal rebirth.

🔹 Opposition – Fate challenges you to surrender and evolve. Life forces you to let go of control and step into a more powerful version of yourself.

🔹 Square – Intense struggles lead to major breakthroughs. You are repeatedly placed in situations that test your ability to transform, rise, and reclaim your power.

🔹 Trine/Sextile – Personal evolution happens naturally. You are drawn toward growth, healing, and deep self-awareness through fated events.

✨ Key theme: Your destiny is one of transformation, power, and rebirth.

🔮 Vertex & Neptune:

🔹 Conjunction – Fate unfolds like a dream. Life may feel surreal at times, with moments that feel too magical, or too painful, to be real. Destiny arrives through spiritual awakenings, artistic callings, or intuitive breakthroughs. You are pulled toward experiences that dissolve illusions and reveal deeper truths.

🔹 Opposition – Fate challenges your ability to see clearly. Life repeatedly places you in situations where you must learn discernment, what is real and what is illusion. There may be experiences of deception, idealization, or loss that force you to trust your inner wisdom.

🔹 Square – Spiritual crises or disillusionment shape your destiny. Fate pushes you through moments of confusion, deception, or escapism, only to bring you back to a higher spiritual truth. Your life path involves breaking free from illusions and discovering the deeper meaning behind everything.

🔹 Trine/Sextile – A gentle, intuitive connection to fate. You naturally step into experiences that enhance your spirituality, creativity, and intuition. You may find that your life unfolds in a way that allows you to experience deep compassion, mysticism, and artistic inspiration.

✨ Key theme: Life repeatedly teaches you that reality is more than what you can see. Your destiny is tied to spirituality, creativity, and learning to trust the unseen.

⚡ Vertex & Uranus:

🔹 Conjunction – Your life path is anything but predictable. Fate intervenes suddenly, often through shocking events, radical shifts, and moments that break you out of stagnation. The universe pushes you toward reinvention, independence, and innovation.

🔹 Opposition – Destiny arrives through disruption. You may feel like you are constantly being pulled in two directions, between what is stable and what is unknown. Fate forces you to choose between comfort and freedom, routine and revolution.

🔹 Square – Chaos leads to awakening. Life places you in situations that challenge you to embrace change rather than resist it. Sudden upheavals force you to let go of control and step into the unknown with courage.

🔹 Trine/Sextile – Destiny unfolds in exciting, unexpected ways. You naturally attract opportunities for growth through unconventional paths, new technology, and radical ideas. Life always seems to lead you toward progress and innovation.

✨ Key theme: You are meant to embrace change, not fear it. Your destiny is tied to innovation, freedom, and unexpected breakthroughs.

💫 Vertex & Jupiter:

🔹 Conjunction – Fate brings massive opportunities for growth, wisdom, and success. You are destined to experience moments of expansion, whether through travel, education, or a higher calling. Life repeatedly places you in situations that push you toward greatness.

🔹 Opposition – Your biggest opportunities come through external forces. Fate often challenges you to step beyond your comfort zone, even when it feels overwhelming. You may struggle between playing it safe and taking big leaps.

🔹 Square – Growth through challenge. Life places you in situations that force you to expand your perspective, overcome limiting beliefs, and take risks. You are meant to break past self-imposed barriers to reach your full potential.

🔹 Trine/Sextile – Destiny flows in your favor. You are naturally drawn to opportunities for wisdom, success, and higher learning. Life has a way of leading you to the right places at the right time.

✨ Key theme: You are meant for expansion, adventure, and big dreams. Fate repeatedly places you in situations where you must embrace growth and trust the journey.

coming up next.... Vertex in The Houses :)

[astroxrion]

How to Recreate Yourself | ASTRO Thread 🌞🪙

Aries Rising

Rebirth happens when you stop waiting for permission to act and start trusting your instincts. Take up space like it’s owed. You’re not here to ask, you’re here to begin. Own your fire. You recreate yourself by moving first and never backing down.

Taurus Rising

You recreate yourself by releasing comfort that costs your soul. Stability is not silence. Rebirth begins when you stop pretending stillness is peace. Claim your worth. Let go. Rebuild with intention. Show the world you’re not just solid—you’re sacred.

Gemini Rising

Rebirth comes when you stop talking around your truth and speak from the center. Your mind is sharp but your power is in honesty. Let curiosity turn inward. Shed the mask of clever and become your message. You are your voice. Use it raw.

Cancer Rising

You recreate yourself by putting your emotional needs first and letting your shell crack open. Stop playing protector and become your own anchor. Rebirth happens when you let the softness lead without shrinking. You are strength in its purest form.

Leo Rising

Stop performing for attention you do not even want. Rebirth comes when you claim your light without theatrics. You are here to radiate, not beg. You recreate yourself by becoming the center from within. Walk like someone who already knows they’re the sun.

Virgo Rising

You are not broken. You do not need to be fixed. Rebirth happens when you stop proving your value through perfection. You recreate yourself by allowing your intuition to lead and trusting that your presence, not performance, is your power.

Libra Rising

You recreate yourself by choosing truth over harmony and depth over approval. Stop dimming to be loved. Rebirth comes when you stop curating and start existing. Show up real. Show up messy. You’re not here to please, you’re here to reflect beauty that is honest.

Scorpio Rising

Rebirth is your entire life pattern. But real transformation comes when you stop hiding your wounds and let others see your power. You recreate yourself when you stop controlling every exit and start living like you survived. Because you did.

Sagittarius Rising

You recreate yourself by leaving behind philosophies that keep you stuck and choosing freedom over performance. Rebirth comes when you live what you believe. Stop chasing highs. Become the truth. Speak it loud. Move like you know who you are.

Capricorn Rising

Rebirth comes when you stop tying your identity to what you produce. You recreate yourself by feeling without apologizing and choosing rest without guilt. You are not your status. You are your discipline, your silence, and your unstoppable will.

Aquarius Rising

You recreate yourself by letting go of the need to be different and just being real. Rebirth happens when you embody the future you dream about. Stop watching from the outside. You are the shift. Step into the scene and own the disruption.

Pisces Rising

You are not here to disappear. You recreate yourself by grounding your gifts and claiming your vision in the material world. Rebirth happens when you stop escaping and start creating. You are the dream. Bring it to life. No more hiding.

[cosmicportal]

In May 1921, American polymath Walter Russell entered a 39-day coma-like state, during which he claimed to have accessed “the source of all knowledge.” Upon awakening, he frantically wrote down what he had seen — pages filled with philosophical, scientific, and spiritual revelations that would later form the foundation of his manuscript *The Universal One*. Though he sent his findings to 500 leading minds of the time, nearly all dismissed him as mad — except one. Nikola Tesla, the visionary inventor, was so struck by Russell’s insights that he urged him to seal the work away for a thousand years, insisting that humanity was not yet ready for its truths.

Walter Russell’s revelations reimagined the very structure of reality. He argued that matter was not solid but crystallized light slowed by thought — that everything around us, from rocks to human bodies, was composed of light patterns, shaped by consciousness. He believed the universe was fundamentally mental, not material, and that all things moved in rhythmic cycles — expansion and contraction, like breath. He dismissed opposites like good and evil as illusions, asserting instead that everything sought harmony and balance. To Russell, death wasn’t an end but the release of compressed light returning to its source. Even time, he claimed, wasn’t linear, but a spiral where past, present, and future coexisted.

These ideas were radically ahead of their time, blending metaphysics, wave dynamics, and a deep sense of universal unity. He believed electricity was a living spiral of energy, not merely electrons in motion, and that the vacuum of space was in fact a vibrant sea of untapped potential. Health, in his view, was the natural rhythm of the body, and disease was simply a disruption of that flow. Though ignored or ridiculed during his lifetime, Russell’s work now draws new attention in an era where quantum physics and consciousness studies begin to echo the same questions. To many, he is no longer a forgotten eccentric, but a prophet of a paradigm yet to come.

[explorastro]

RANDOM ASTRO TAKES #4

Where is Capricorn in your chart can show where you are the GOAT, that’s an area of your life where with discipline and hard work you can overcome anything, all the doors are open and sky is the limit.

Uranus in Pisces in mutual reception with Neptune in Aquarius can embodies an ideal of creativity, spirituality, or physically. They’re divine muse if artists, skillful players, talented photographers, top models. But also intuitive fast thinkers, innovative healing maker, a good content creator, an influencer with eccentric community, an actor that you trust like no one… Neptune is in fall in Aquarius but it’s one of the less difficult fall, if we retire New Age bullshit and delusion about community in our modern society, that placement is in derivative 12H of its domicile, Pisces is in analogy with 12H, it’s symbolic of all the mysticism of the sky.

Generally, if the planets aren’t in exile/fall, harshly aspected or in difficult houses, mutual reception strengthened the planets implicated, their qualities blend each others to creates something very unique and special, Uranus can rules that type of placement.

Some of the best mutual reception :

Mercury in Cancer and Moon in Gemini (fast mind)

Mars in Capricorn and Saturn in Scorpio (THE achiever)

Venus in Cancer and Moon in Taurus (best sensual partner)

Jupiter in Libra and Venus in Sagittarius (abundance of pleasures)

A news from CIA says that Covid 19 had been leaked from a laboratory, when France, in collaboration with China, inaugurated a p4 laboratory BEFORE COVID in Wuhan specifically for this type of virus, it was very strange, given all this, that the new Moon is in Aquarius conjoined with Mercury and Pluto ruled by Saturn in Pisces, the sign of viruses and bacteria. With the new Moon in the same sign as the U.S. Moon, it really is a potential conspiracy in the making that people are now informed.

Mercury in Aquarius ingresses conjunct Pluto at 1 degrees, new ideas emerges from a hidden place of the mind, transformative conversations can disrupting your daily routine, technology boosted, AI more and more used, dystopian Black mirror shit happens in the real world..It’s a previous of the ingress of Uranus in Gemini trine Pluto.

Crown atmospheric of Sun is 1 million of degrees when the Sun is 5000 degrees Celsius, that’s why entourage of Sun dominant are very hot.

The start of a plutocracy/technocracy happens during a Sun/Pluto conjunction in Aquarius, that falls in the 3H of USA, Canada is menaced, Mexicans and South Americans refugees also.

what sign’s rising hide based on their derivative 8H :

Aries (Scorpio 8H) : the secrets of death

Taurus (Sag 8H) : secrets journeys places

Gemini (Cap 8H) : hidden inner knowledge

Cancer (Aqua 8H) : secrets of human birth

Leo (Pisces 8H) : hidden creativity skills

Virgo (Aries 8H) : secrets of motivation

Libra (Taurus 8H) : secrets of arcane le bateleur

Scorpio (Gemini 8H) : secrets books/secrets jokes

Sagittarius (Cancer 8H) : secrets of abundance

Capricorn (Leo 8H) : secrets of glowing up

Aquarius (Virgo 8H) : secrets of epistemology

Pisces (Libra 8H) : secrets of love

Where earth signs fall in your chart is how you are connected to nature,

1/5/9H : you might construct your identity, pleasures, philosophy of life based on grounded thoughts, your daily routine can be to enjoy the instant present, the little things that the life have to offer

2/6/10H : your relationships to material possessions can be so important, but warning on overconsumption, you’re maybe ethical in your career, values.

3/7/11H : you should connecting with others when you commit to your natural skills, that can be crafts or art, but you’re can really enjoy travel with your entourage in green places.

4/8/12H : survival mode might be in your subconscious patterns, you can knowing what is animal spirit, everything can be a natural law in this world for you.

[natalyarose]

𝒥𝓊𝓅𝒾𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒩𝒶𝓀𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓈 & 𝒢𝑒𝓃𝒾𝑒𝓈 🧞✨💐✩

I've always thought Jupiter ruled Nakshatras (Punarvasu, Vishakha, & Purvabhadprada) to be veryy magical with their themes of limitlessness, expansion, sheer spiritual abundance & power. I'm not sure if it has been talked about before, but something that always comes to mind when I envision Jupiterian Nakshatras or meet heavily Jupiter influenced people, is the concept of genies.

Jupiter's abundance and endlessly giving nature is known to be a blessing and a curse. A Jupiterian can be the sweet, generous, selfless friend who is there when you need them; providing you endless support, refuge & material generosity.

The dark side of this inherently generous 'wish-fulfilling' nature of Jupiter Nakshatras, is the possibility that they enable dark behaviours in others & themselves. Always saying yes, always being available and endlessly giving to the wrong type of cause or person, can make you complicit in the crime so to speak, even if the intention is simply to give, or give chances (Punarvasu's themes of second chances, 'return to the light'). Jupiter Nakshatras entail hugeee lessons regarding purpose (Vishakha, 'the Star of Purpose') & being intentional and wise as to how you use your power and influence (the infamous test of character in Purvabhadrapada 'the man with two faces').

These Jupiterian themes have always made me think of genies- wish fulfilling creatures who are inherently unable to say no to the wishes uttered to them. Having to just sit and watch people wish for dreadful things and just go... 'as you wish'. Obviously in real life, there really is a choice not to feed into others' and ones own toxic patterns but with Jupiterians, the urge to give, to be constantly available to others, can almost feel like it's not a choice. It's energetically intertwined in their make-up.

I would love to gather more examples, but it's 3am here and this was a bit of a spur of the moment thing I had to get out haha- I looked into a few of the most prominent 'genie' roles in movies and as I suspected, every single one features an actor/actress with strong Jupiter influence.

Jeannie from 60s sitcom 'I dream of Jeannie' - actress, Barbara Eden has Punarvasu Ascendant

Kazaam from 90s comedic film 'Kazaam' - actor/basketball player Shaquille O'Neal has Purvabhadrapada Sun

Genie from Disney's Aladdin - played in the live action movie by Will Smith, Vishakha Moon.

This genie theme really makes me think of all of the Jupiterian Nakshatras, but Vishakha especially. A friend of mine who is a Vishakha stellium always tells me about how it is said that Vishakha has the ability to generate 'instant karma'. So Vishakha natives to an extent greater than other Nakshatras will receive the raw manifested result of their thoughts/actions veryy quickly. Much like a genie granting instant wishes.

I was going to mention also that the whole genie archetype also reminds me of Rohini a bit- the wish-fulfilling aspect, the element of fulfilling desires without shame/inhibition. It's a little different in nature, but Rohini Nakshatra's got a similar theme where the native is incredibly nurturing of who or what sets their heart on fire, sometimes to a fault. Rohini is capable of immense growth but can forgo morality/practicality for the sake of immersion in the process of creation & sparking joy. Rohini's philosophy is something along the lines of 'let go of judgement because judgement inhibits creation and disrupts purity'. This is very true, but of course as humans on the divided and dense Earthly plane, we know that having a sense of judgement & boundaries is also important.

That was very wordy, but hopefully y'all see what I'm getting at lol. Although I'm more inclined to associate Rohini with wise old wizard dudes with cool beards & mad but genius scientists lol.

Back to Jupiterians-

I believe that Jupiter Nakshatra's 'remedy' is to eventually realise that they are not a slave to their giving nature, and the power lies in them to decide, & give only to a person, dream, goal or cause that truly is aligned with their own soul's path. Break free from the shackles lol- with wisdom hopefully. Without that element of wisdom, Jupiter can run wild with that discovered power.

Jupiterians struggling with discernment is why Jupiter Nakshatras oppose Venusian Nakshatras (Bharani opposes Vishakha; Purvaphalguni opposes Purvabhadrapada; Purvashadha opposes Punarvasu). Venus masters the fine art of 'necessary cruelty' sometimes ya gotta rip out the weeds, warn off the pigeons and trim the rose bush to make your garden a beautiful, pleasant, luxurious place. Jupiter can struggle with this, instinctively wanting to be a safe space for everyone and everything.

Jupiter ruled Nakshatras also partially oppose Solar Nakshatras (Krittika, Uttaraphalguni & Uttarashadha) illustrating the Jupiterian struggle with putting oneself first. Solar Nakshatras keep their energy strong and vibrantly resounding at their core; wheras Jupiter Nakshatras are kinda messy with their energy (lol, not necessarily in a bad way)- they disperse their energy everywhere, giving & giving. Both Solar & Jupiter Nakshatras deal with themes of limitless reserves energy, but in opposite, contrasting ways.

There's so much I could write about Jupiterians, I love Jupiter energy very much. I really love all of the Nakshatras lol, I mean how could you not? Every Nakshatra holds teachings that are integral to making the world a better place 💕🪷

Thankyou for reading!

[androm3da868]

Anuradha Observations pt. 1 🕷️

Anuradha, often known as the 'risk manager' nakshatra, is frequently chosen to portray the hero in films. I'd take it a step further and say that embodying this 'hero' archetype—trying to save everyone—often begins in their childhood.

Commonly found in the legal profession, specifically attorneys, thanks to its strong pattern recognition abilities when it comes to identifying potential harm. Those with this nakshatra excel at preventing disruption by analyzing trends and developing detailed, proactive solutions.

With the ingrained pressure to 'save' those around them since childhood, Anuradha natives often take on the role of damage control or harm prevention (influenced by Saturn). This can manifest in extreme—or at times even forceful—methods (driven by Mars) when protecting loved ones from self-destructive behavior.

As children, natives may have witnessed their parents go through intense 'tower moments'—experiences marked by the misuse of power or authority in destructive ways. These early exposures can lead them to adopt the hero archetype as a form of self-protection, becoming almost obsessive about preventing similar situations in their own lives others.

The mother may have exhibited a personality that was volatile—strategic, impulsive, and at times violent—an aspect of her that only the Anuradha child seemed to witness or be affected by. In contrast, the father may have been cold, authoritative, and highly traditional, yet still commanded more respect within the family dynamic than the mother.

There’s a noticeable pattern among the men of having a complex, often intense bond with the mother. While there may be deep emotional closeness, the relationship can carry an undercurrent of power dynamics. The native might find himself in a caretaker role—feeling a strong sense of duty to provide for his mother—even if the treatment he receives is emotionally taxing. In many cases, the mother maintains a certain control or autonomy over the native, reinforcing a dynamic where love and obligation are deeply entangled.

This dynamic often extends beyond the mother-child relationship, as Anuradha natives may unconsciously recreate similar karmic patterns in their other relationships. They may attract or feel drawn to people who take advantage of their loyalty and protective nature.

Much like Jupiter-ruled nakshatra men—particularly Purva Bhadrapada—who may find themselves being taken advantage of for their material generosity without receiving genuine reciprocation, Saturn-dominant men often experience relationships through a more transactional lens.

With Saturn's influence, Anuradha's connections tends to be a strong emphasis on 'give and take'—a sense of unspoken contracts or duties that govern emotional and material exchange. This can create connections that feel more like obligations than organic bonds, where love or friendship is measured by responsibility and endurance rather than ease or reciprocity.

Often have a wide circle of friends—they instinctively understand that relationships are, at their core, transactional. To them, investment—whether emotional, energetic, or material—is a form of devotion. They don’t enter friendships lightly; there’s a quiet expectation of longevity and mutual commitment. When they make a friend, it’s with the intention that this bond will stand the test of time, bound by an unspoken agreement of loyalty and support.

One of the few nakshatras where it’s common to see ex-partners remain in the native’s life as friends. If a connection still holds value, whether emotionally, socially, or energetically, Anuradha is unlikely to cut ties. There’s a deep-rooted belief in preserving bonds, especially when the relationship continues to serve a purpose.

Furthermore, they make surprisingly good exes, as they rarely let emotions override the value of a meaningful connection. Even when a relationship ends, they have the emotional maturity and strategic awareness to maintain the bond if it's still mutually beneficial. For them, practicality often takes precedence over pride.

Because Anuradha tends to accumulate a large and loyal social circle, they can sometimes fall into the habit of ‘breadcrumbing’—offering small doses of attention or energy to many people rather than deeply investing in a few. Their desire to maintain long-term bonds can lead them to stretch themselves too thin, trying to be everything for everyone. It can eventually lead to burnout or emotional depletion.

Due to the influence of Mitra, Anuradha natives are often unconditionally loving and profoundly forgiving, offering grace and second chances even when others may not deserve it. Yet beneath that generous heart lies a deep-rooted fear of being used or taken advantage of. This inner conflict creates a quiet tension—they want to give freely, but part of them is always scanning for signs of betrayal or imbalance.

Often exerts a quiet form of control in their relationships—whether mentally, emotionally, or even physically. They tend to guide the flow of connection, setting the pace and tone, often without the other person fully realizing it.

However, when it comes to ending a relationship, they may struggle to take direct action. Instead of initiating closure, Anuradha might allow the bond to naturally decay or grow stale, subtly pushing the responsibility of ending things onto the other person. This indirect approach allows them to avoid the guilt or discomfort of finality while still maintaining a sense of internal order.

Have a network of friends that act as informants or 'spies,' subtly gathering information on the native’s behalf. Whether it’s critical business insights, social dynamics, or hidden motives, Anuradha relies on these trusted allies to keep them informed. Their relationships often double as strategic alliances, built not just on loyalty, but on the ability to exchange valuable knowledge.

The type that would come back after going 'no contact', no matter how long it's been, and act as if nothing happened if you made their life better in some way.

Embodies the energy of the reversed Tower card in tarot—where the true struggle lies not in the chaos of change, but in resisting it. While outwardly structured and strategic, Anuradha often clings to crumbling foundations, trying to preserve what no longer serves them out of loyalty, fear, or obligation.

Their instinct is to maintain control, to manage the damage, but in doing so, they may delay the very transformation their soul is calling for. The lesson lies in learning to surrender to necessary endings, rather than clinging to familiar ruins. This may show up in having a hard time letting go of sentimental objects, where they’ll allow things to either become rotten, damaged, and near impossible to reconstruct.

Could be into taxidermy or wet specimen as a hobby.

Ruled by Mitra, the deity of friendship and harmony across all realms, this compassionate nature may lead them toward veganism or vegetarianism, driven by a desire to minimize harm.

Likely to have a strong affinity for animals, often surrounding themselves with pets throughout their lives as a natural extension of their nurturing spirit.

Natives are also noted for striking features—green or hazel eyes are not uncommon.

Prone to developing mysterious or hard-to-diagnose illnesses—often ones that subtly drain their energy, stamina, or vitality over time. True to Saturn’s slow and disciplined rhythm, the journey to diagnosis and healing is rarely straightforward. It can take years of trial, error, and deep self-reflection before finding the right treatment or approach. Yet through this, Anuradha often gains profound insight, resilience, and empathy—transforming suffering into wisdom.

Tend to internalize their emotions, often appearing calm, composed, and even emotionally distant. While Mars rules their energy and drive, Saturn filters it through restraint and contemplation. They are slow to react, rarely impulsive, and often choose thought over expression.

However, when pushed to their limit, their anger can emerge as sharp, cold, and cutting—revealing the inner turmoil they've worked so hard to contain. This shift can be startling to others, as it exposes a depth of feeling that Anuradha rarely shows.

One of the greatest powers of Saturn-ruled nakshatras, like Anuradha, lies in their ability to never take anything for granted. They understand the value of time, effort, and experience—often through hardship—and channel that awareness into building lasting abundance. What they lack in impulsive luck, they make up for with steady, disciplined devotion.

Anuradha, having learned deep life lessons—both from their own pain and from observing the mistakes of others—they become highly determined to eliminate unnecessary risk or shocking transformations. Survival becomes a strategy, and their growth is often rooted in self-master

pt.2

[unboundprompts]

Hey! Weird request, but do you have prompts for how science and maths could be used in magic scenarios to gain the upper hand and make a battle much easier? So far all I have is using infrared glasses to see an invisible warrior

Science and Math in Magical Battle Scenarios

-> feel free to edit and adjust as you see fit.

Angles of reflection can amplify protective spells. You can design a series of intricate mirrors arranged in a geometric pattern to reflect and amplify your magical shields against an incoming attack.

A sound dampening cloak that absorbs sound waves, making the wearer nearly silent. Using principles of acoustics, the cloak allows the user to sneak up on opponents or escape unnoticed, enhancing stealth tactics during combat.

Sound Waves as Weapons. Combining musical abilities with sound frequency analysis, you can use math to calculate the exact frequency that can disrupt an enemy's concentration or shatter magical barriers, crafting a powerful song that acts as both a weapon and a shield.

A handheld device that scans the environment for various wavelengths of light, allowing the user to see through illusions, detect hidden magical traps, or analyze the composition of materials around them.

Calculating Gravity's Pull. Using physics to modify gravity around a battlefield. By calculating gravitational pull with equations, you can create zones where enemies feel heavy and sluggish, while allies feel lighter and faster, turning the tide of battle.

Using chemistry to concoct volatile mixtures that create spectacular distractions or devastating explosions. By carefully measuring ingredients and employing magical runes, you can cause reactions to target specific enemy units.

Employing concepts from quantum mechanics to create portals that allow you to teleport around the battlefield instantly. By calculating the right coordinates based on your enemies’ positions, you can dodge attacks and reposition themselves strategically.

A small device that releases a swarm of nanobots capable of repairing injuries or armor in real-time. The nanobots can also serve offensive purposes, overwhelming an enemy or disabling their technology.

Light Manipulation. Combine the principles of optics with magic to bend light, creating illusions or cloaking yourself and your allies from view. By understanding how light refracts and reflects, you can create a battlefield advantage by confusing your enemies.

A headset that uses artificial intelligence to analyze an opponent’s movements in real-time. By processing data on their fighting style, it predicts their next moves, providing the user with tactical insights and a chance to counter effectively.

A grenade that emits a short burst of electromagnetic energy, disabling electronic devices and magical constructs in its radius. It could be used to thwart technologically enhanced enemies or disrupt their magical defenses.

[anystalker707]

Together?

Pairing: Vinsmoke Sanji x [gender neutral] Reader Summary: Hanging out after a busy night at Baratie. Tags: Bitter sweet / Sanji is very loving / Boyfriend material / Sanji needs to hear some truths

MASTERLIST

          “They’ve lost their minds,” Sanji said in a lower voice tone as he stepped closer to you while you stirred the boiling sauce without taking your eyes off it—a little distraction could ruin a job of hours, and you’d learned that the worst way. “Oregano does not go in everything,” he whispered next to your ear while looking over your shoulder to check what you were doing. He never criticized your job, of course, unless he were to say something about how you should stop following the recipes and orders so strictly, but you knew better than that. Seeing what happened with Sanji for it was enough of a lesson.

“Just shut up and cook,” you sighed as you put the pan on the counter and replaced it with another of boiling water on the stove, already getting the next dish started.

Sanji huffed as he showed you a plate of what he’d done. It was certainly nothing from the menu. “Try it.”

You didn’t stop what you were doing, still adding the vegetables to the plates and covering them with sauce as you opened your mouth and let Sanji feed you a piece of whatever he’d prepared. The sweet taste of the pastry contrasted very well with the savory flavor of the filling, which probably consisted of some sort of fish and a rich sauce. You took your time to savor it before you nodded.

“That’s great, Sanji.” You nodded as you finished the dishes and called one of the waiters to say that table 11’s order was ready. “Like, great,” you tried to express, but it was hard since you were always complimenting Sanji’s cooking a lot. “Above the usual.”

Despite how you moved around so fast to keep up with the orders, Sanji still followed you with that plate in hand. “At least you have some sense, but Zeff—”

“We got orders piling in,” Zeff’s voice spoke over the loud clanking and chattering of the kitchen, as if on cue. “That means no one slacking off!”

Sanji knew it was mainly directed at him, of course. He pressed his lips together and huffed, shaking his head. He grabbed the last piece of what he’d cooked and fed it to you before he walked away.

          In comparison to the open hours, the Baratie could actually be very quiet during the late night hours. The mess and euphoria took another tone and another focus. The loud chatter and music coming from the bar could only be heard faintly in the docks area. No one used to arrive at such late night hours, and the crowd was concentrated at the bar, so it would be quite peaceful there. Watching the moon’s reflection on the calm water was soothing.

The relative silence was disrupted by a pattern of footsteps that you knew very well. “I’m going to be reduced to being a fucking chore-boy at some point,” Sanji said as he eventually stopped and took a seat next to you, on the wooden platform of the dock, feet also hanging from the edge. His breathing was a little out of pace and his forehead was a little sweaty, so he had probably been off doing extra chores as some sort of punishment by Zeff. He sighed as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a cigarette.

You hummed softly. “Hm, maybe.”

Sanji was about to light his cigarette, but he paused and looked at you, dead in the eyes, frozen. “(Y/n), I—”

“No, hear me out!” You sat up properly, trying to come up with a way of saying it in as few words as possible to prevent Sanji from freaking out before you were finished. He looked so cute while angrily trying to get his lighter to work, spinning the sparkwheel with more strength than necessary, sending sparkles flying in the night darkness until he was finally able to light his cigarette. “It’s not that no one recognizes your talent or something, Sanji,” you sighed. “Zeff knows you’re good.”

Sanji furrowed his eyebrows, eyeing you in disbelief, but with that edge of sarcasm.

You observed him for a long moment. “Honestly, what do you want with your life?”

“The All Blue,” Sanji answered without missing a beat. The tip of his cigarette glowed in the dark as he took a drag of it, holding the smoke before slowly exhaling.

“Yeah. How do you expect to achieve it, though?” You raised an eyebrow.

There were a few attempts to answer. A couple of unfinished words came from Sanji as he opened his mouth a few times, but he never properly came up with anything, instead looking off to the sea after returning his cigarette to his lips.

“Exactly,” you said. “You—”

“What does it have to do with anything?” Sanji scoffed.

A silence filled in for a moment as you observed Sanji, trying to wonder what was going on in that mind of his. Sometimes, you wanted to hit him upside the head to check if that’d do anything, maybe shake up his brain and make it work for life the way it worked for food prep.

“Do you think you can find the All Blue by being a chef in the Baratie?” You asked honestly, not really putting effort into sounding all kind and sweet. “What good will it do if you just continue here, being a cook, settled down? It’s so easy to notice that Zeff is trying to push you off, so you can go do something greater, Sanji! He won’t say it directly because both of you are so stubborn, but it’s so clear!”

“But he—”

“He’s a retired pirate,” you cut in. “He’s already lived his life, and the Baratie is what he wants for now, but you? He knows you’re strong and determined. Sometimes he does stuff just to see if you’ll leave and actually do something because you’re so stubborn!”

Sanji clicked his tongue, cursing under his breath as he took another drag of his cigarette. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “How can you even be so sure of it? I’m just not wanted.”

He was so tiring. A sharp sigh escaped your nose as you looked away, shaking your head.

“Even so, do you want to be here your whole life?” You looked at him again. It was hard seeing his face through his hair and in the dark, but you had an idea of the face he might be making. “The world is so big, Sanji. There’s so much to see and live. It sounds a little pathetic, spending your life in a restaurant while you can do much more. While other people are around traveling, partying, discovering things. Living.”

Silence settled in for a second as you thought. Just the idea of all the things you’d heard or read about in the newspapers made your muscles ache to just steal a boat and start sailing.

Everything sounded quieter, suddenly. Your eyes were fixed on the moon as it stood high in the sky, half full, with a trembling image reflected on the dark sea. Maybe the sky also looked different in other places of the world.

“I wish I could even be a pirate,” you said softly, carefully. “That a pirate crew would recruit me. Let me be anything, even if not a cook, let me go with them to explore and see more things out there.” Another pause. “Don’t you wish the same, Sanji?”

No answer came in for a long moment. Smoke continued coming from Sanji as he sat there, almost unmoving.

“Really?” His voice was quiet.

“Of course.”

Sanji was quiet again. He could be mysterious sometimes. Certain subjects or mentions would often make him just fall silent and thoughtful. “Then we should go together.”

“Together?” You mumbled.

“I wouldn’t go without you,” Sanji said quietly, adjusting his posture with a sigh. There were unsaid words, of course, but words that you already knew very well. No one really gave him attention or help like you did, not to mention that if there was someone aside from Zeff who he’d actually turn to, that’d be you. It took someone to calm Sanji’s thoughts or at least help him organize them, and that’d usually be you as well.

“Great,” you stated. Your eyes didn’t even dart his way as you spoke. “I don’t think I’d let you, either.”

A sensation of accomplishment took over both of you, managing to dissolve most of the tension that was going on. Both of you had reached an agreement, even if unspoken, taking away part of the worries that clouded your minds. Even if you didn’t say it, you were always on the edge about Sanji leaving, running away in the middle of the night, and leaving you behind with nothing more than worries.

You finally looked away from the sky, observing the sea under you, and then your gaze fell on Sanji’s hand resting some inches away from your thigh. He would wear rings when he wasn’t cooking, and he always had nice ones. He didn’t even flinch when you grabbed his hand to get the ring he had around his index finger; he was already used to you taking his rings, sometimes returning them days later or just keeping them.

“Pretty,” you mumbled as you admired the details engraved on it. Shamefully, it hung loose around all of your fingers, so you ended up sliding it back on his finger. He grabbed your hand before you could pull it away, though.

Sanji tugged on your hand a little, so you moved closer and let him wrap an arm around you. He put out his cigarette against the wood once it reached the filter. “Why do you take my things, hm?” He raised an eyebrow.

You thought for a moment, and it was difficult to actually come to a conclusion about that. “I’m not sure,” you said softly. Maybe it was the need to have anything of his with you. Feel even closer to him.

“Not afraid I’ll get angry at you?”

With a scoff, you shook your head. “You never get angry at me. I’m too pretty for you to get angry at me.”

The way Sanji took a moment to observe you and then faced away with a sigh made you chuckle victoriously. “That doesn’t mean you should be doing that!” He clicked his tongue, but the annoyance he had wasn’t anything but feigned. A sigh escaped his lips as he visibly relaxed a little, shoulders dropping from their tense stance. “You’re not leaving without me, right?” Sanji muttered into your ear.

“Only if you don’t leave without me.” You raised your eyebrows lightly as you looked at him.

Sanji smiled with a proud air, nodding faintly. He leaned in, but you placed a hand over his mouth and turned his head away before anything could happen.

“You know I hate it when you kiss me right after a cigarette!” You pulled your hand away as he started chuckling.

“Only a little one? Pretty please?” Sanji’s attempts to make a dramatic sad face kept failing since he kept laughing at the glares you sent him. “Come on! I got no kisses today! How am I supposed to live without a kiss from you, hm? Hm?” He wrapped his arms around your waist to pull you closer, kissing your cheek a few times, knowing how all of those made you start melting into his arms. You sighed with a soft groan, turning your face until you could finally meet his lips and give him the kiss he wanted so much.

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

[schilders]

after hours | an after hours moment with takeda.

takeda ittetsu x reader (fem) 1.3k words / ao3 content: smut, whiny whimpering takeda, blow jobs, teasing, some begging, one line of praise, semi-public setting note: i need to fuck this man so bad

“o-oh.”

a hand fists into the material of the shirt covering your shoulder, clenching so hard his knuckles turn white. a heavy, breathy whine slips through his lips, forearm draped over his eyes.

takeda can’t stop the way his hips roll into the heat of your mouth. he’s panting now, fingers digging into your skin, legs spreading a little wider.

you shouldn’t be doing this here, not when anyone still around could wander in. and that’s what he thinks is going to happen, that someone is going to walk in and see you on your knees with his cock down your throat.

“wait,” he chokes, hand moving up to curl around your neck, thumb tracing along the length of your throat. “‘s too much. . .”

pulling away with a pop, you look up at him with amusement swimming in your eyes, his wrecked appearance had heat swimming in your gut, pulling at your insides. “what’s wrong, takeda?” you tease, tongue dipping into his slit, swallowing down the pre that spills forth.

“s-stop—if you keep this up . . . “ a damn near sob spills past his lips, cock twitching in your grasp. he thinks he could cum just like this, with your tongue lapping at his head like it was a lollipop.

“what?” you purr, fingers tightening around the base of his cock, keeping him still as your tongue continues its teasing licks. you revel in his helpless little sounds. “gonna cum?”

“yes, god, yes.”

he makes the mistake of looking down at you, air catching in his lungs when he meets your gaze, his eyes rolling when you engulf his head once more, suckling.

you think he looks the prettiest like this—glasses askew and sliding down the sweaty bridge of his nose, a pink flush dusting his face down to his neck. his lips are parted and swollen from where he’s bitten into them, little breathy noises slipping past them.

his hand comes up, middle finger pushing his glasses up only for them to slide down once more. “w-we shouldn’t be doing this, someone’s going to see.” and you pull away again, rolling your eyes while slapping his cock against the flat of your tongue.

he nearly swears, yet can’t stop the way he guides your lips along his length once more, choking out a moan when you hollow your cheeks, taking him in til your nose is brushing his pubic hair, the coarse strands tickling your face.

he could feel the band in his gut drawing tighter the longer you continued to pleasure him with your mouth, thighs tensing as more pre dribbles down the back of your throat. his hand finds purchase in your hair, grasping the roots, while the other grips the edge of his chair, teeth clenching.

every suck sends pleasure shooting up his spine, his body trembling, leaving him helpless in the chair. a particular hard suck has him jerking forward, folding over you, his stomach clenches, panting breaths hot against the top of your head, disrupting your hair. “ f-fuck, i’m so close—”

hearing him swear as he gets closer and closer to orgasm has your eyes rolling, hands tracing patterns into his clothed thighs, head bobbing along his length. drool spills past your stretched lips, trailing down your chin and dripping in his lap. 

“i-i can’t. . .” he groans, fingers tightening in your hair, his grip on the chair causing it to creak. within the warmth of your mouth, his cock throbs, nearly on the brink of unleashing. “no, no, no—” he nearly sobs when you pull back, thick strings of spit stretch from your mouth before snapping.

wiping your mouth with the back of your hand, you giggle up at him while wrapping a fist around his shaft, stroking along slowly. “wanna hear you say it, take.” you murmur, the slick sound of your hand nearly drowning out his heavy breathing. and he shudders when you squeeze his tip, a thick bead of pre dribbling out and down his length.

his mind is a muddled mess, barely registering your words, eyes locked on the way your hand works his length. “w-what?”

and you wanted to coo at the way he looked, completely wrecked —hair a mess from where he’d tugged on the strands earlier, glasses sat haphazardly on his face, and shirt and tie a complete mess. “look so pretty, take. you’re handling me so well.” you praise, and he whines, hand curling around the back of your head, trying to guide you back to his length.

“please,” he begs.

“please what? ”

“I want to cum.” takeda’s voice is a mess, a needy mess. his thighs twitch under your hands, spreading just a tad wider, almost as if begging you to swallow him down once more.

“yeah?”

takeda nods, back aching from how he’s sitting, but he needs to feel your mouth on him one more time, to feel that band inside him snap.

with slow, deliberate movements, you part your lips, your tongue drawing out to lick at his slit before taking him back in your mouth. and he nearly cums right then and there, eyes rolling til they ached, breathless moans spilling past his lips as he slumps back into the chair. “yes,” his jaw falls slack, hand resting on your neck while you bob along his length.

you wanted him to look at you when he came undone, but seeing him fall apart like this worked, too, especially knowing you were the one who made him this way.

“yes,” he’s breathless, stomach clenching tight, the heat inside of him boiling over and flooding his entire being. rolling his hips, he carefully thrusts into your mouth, wanting to reach release but not hurt you.

he felt like he was about to snap—and he did. a broken moan spills from his lips as his thighs twitch, cock pulsing within your mouth, fingers itching to push you deeper. his body trembles as he cums, creamy ropes filling your mouth while his hips jerk.

you swallow down eagerly, moaning around his length as he continues to release into your mouth. the hands on his thighs stroking up and down softly.

“oh, god,” he’s lazily thrusting now, eyes flicking down to your face, focusing on the way your eyes flutter shut while you continue to extend his orgasm, pulling every drop from him until he is a shuddering mess. his hand leaves your hair, tapping at your cheek, and your eyes open, locking on him immediately.

a breath gets caught in his chest as he notices the look in your eye. for a second there he thinks you’re going to keep going, continue pulling pleasure from him, but then you pull back with a wet schlick sound, hand coming up to replace your mouth, wanting to get the last few drops out.

“tastes so good, take.” and he swears, cock twitching, one last rope of cum spurts from his cock, painting a sticky diagonal line from your brow to your lip, a stark contrast against your skin. the sight has his hips bucking against the air, a whimper escaping his lips.

you laugh, swiping a finger through the mess on your face and bringing it to your lips, holding his gaze as you do so, and his cock jumps.

“d-don’t do that.”

“why not?” you pout.

swallowing down harshly, he hesitantly mirrors your previous movements, wiping through the cum on your face, gathering it on his thumb before sliding over your lips. your lips immediately part, sucking on the digit while your eyes shut, savoring the taste.

“oh.”

when you pull back, there’s a smirk on your face, “you were worried about getting caught, but look at you now. making a mess of me, takeda.”

“d-don’t remind me.”

[kiwi-on-ice]

Lifeweaver x fem!reader

Summary: Niran has always been a gentle lover, but your recent behaviour means he seeks to punish you, but maybe not in the way you expect.

Word count: 3.3k

Warnings: 18+ smut, soft dom!lifeweaver, no use of y/n, use of vibrator, restraints, overstimulation, so many petnames, Niran being sweet as well as in control, fingering, creampie (no threat of pregnancy)

Notes: This is so self indulgent, I just love Lifeweaver so bad. I swear I've been feral about him since his release.

For someone who loved to tease, he seemingly had a strong reaction to you giving the same energy back. At least that’s how you felt towards your lover, who was currently sat comfy in his chair a few feet away from you, book in hand. His body language screamed leisurely, his one leg casually over the other as he reads, his hair half up. Metal fingers gently turn the page before coming back to position on the arm rest, stroking patterns absentmindedly onto the fabric. You on the other hand, were squirming and writhing; bound to a chair with a vibrator pressed against your throbbing heat.

The setting was on low, but still enough for you to feel the constant and mind-numbing buzzing against your most sensitive part. The silk ropes binding you in position gave you just enough leeway to grind against the toy slightly, but it did little to really soothe the ache in your clit as you watched Niran effectively ignore you.

It had started earlier in the day, at a standard meeting for overwatch. Since both you and Niran were new recruits, you sat together with everyone else and listened while the senior members droned on and on about whatever mission you two didn’t even go on. You’d been bored out of your mind, glancing around and seeing Hana on her phone under the table, Lucio drumming his fingers on his thigh to the beat of a new song he was working on, and even Dr Ziegler had been staring at the same corner of the room for about five minutes. So you decided to alleviate that boredom by teasing your loving boyfriend. It started with placing your hand on his thigh, which he smiled at you for, thinking it was a sweet gesture. However your fingers had danced along his trousers’ material, making their way further and further up to his inner thigh. He’d shot you a look, but you ignored it, biting back a smirk as you moved higher. Your fingertips had danced over his crotch before he’d grabbed your wrist, moving your hand to your own thigh and holding it there for the duration of the meeting. Afterwards, he’d left quickly, causing you to worry that you’d upset him or made him uncomfortable; little did you know he was simply cooking up the best way to reprimand you.

Now here you were, bound and helpless as you whimpered softly. He’d told you to not make too much noise when he was meticulously wrapping your body with the silk ropes, heaven forbid his reading is disrupted. You remember the teasing smile he had on his face as he tied the bindings, gently caressing your skin with his hands before securing the fabric into position.

“Like a gift.” He’d uttered, admiring the bindings. You had been excited, thinking he’d make you cum while restrained; something you’d talked about but hadn’t tried yet. But this…well, this certainly wasn’t what you’d expected.

It’s hard to obey your lover’s desire for quiet when you’re grinding gently on a vibrator that isn’t quite giving you the stimulation you need. So, you whine a little louder, hoping you can make him pity you enough to grant you mercy. Instead, he glances at you.

“Colour?” he asks, and when you reply green, he glances back at his book. “You brought this on yourself darling.”

That certainly wasn’t the answer you wanted, but you knew you weren’t in a position to argue. So you bite your lip and decide to make the best of it. You grind against the vibrator as best you can, shivering slightly as you attempt to give yourself as much pleasure as you can discern. But it isn’t enough, you need more. More vibrations, more stimulation…more of Niran. All you can do instead is look at him pitifully as he reads, moaning softly. Despite the circumstances, he truly is beautiful like that. So poised and collected, so stunning. And it only makes you wetter.

The truth however, is that it’s taking all of Niran’s self-control to not get up and make you cry out his name from his fingers and tongue. He loves pleasuring you, and is a very kind and generous lover even when you let him take control. Despite your reassurance that he could be a little rougher, a little meaner if he wanted to, he never did. He’d never punished you more than the occasional slap on the ass or stern tone of voice, but today you’d really pushed the boundaries. He’d seen the fire in your eyes, the determination…the brattiness. You wanted him to react, wanted to see what he’d do. And a part of him took pleasure in disciplining you in a way you most likely weren’t expecting.

You weren’t sure how long you’ve been strapped there, but your breathy whimpers seem to echo around the room as your brain seemingly turns to mush. Eventually, Niran graces with another glance.

“Truly a vision, even like this.” He says, affection clear in his tone despite his actions. This only serves to make you moan, hips stuttering as you attempt to grind harder into the vibrator. He tuts at this.

“Now now beautiful, you know you aren’t going to get anything from that.”

Your thighs shake from how much you’ve been trying to move and squirm, your gaze locking with his as you give him your most desperate and pathetic expression. He finally places his book down and stands, walking over to you and stroking your cheek with this thumb. Looking up at him like this makes him look as if he’s some sort of Greek god; he’s certainly built like one.

“You know I hate to punish you darling, really I do.” He coos softly, his thumb now tracing over your bottom lip. Pushing it into your mouth gently, he tilts his head as he looks at how sinful your mouth looks like this. “But your behaviour…so wanton in public. What happened to my good girl, hm?”

You suck on the digit in your mouth softly, looking up at him from under your eyelashes. You make a gentle noise, curling your tongue around his thumb in the hopes of swaying him. He makes a low groan at that, pulling out of your mouth and sighing down at you.

“Perhaps I should just leave you here…I have a few errands to run after all.” He has no intention of leaving you like this, but delights in your frantic shake of your head. “No? Hm…then whatever shall I do…”

He strokes your hair softly, before running his finger down to your neck. He gently feels your pulse, before slipping to grope gently at your chest through your shirt. You arch your back as best you can, trying to feel more of his touch, before he trails his hand down and down. Excitedly, you think he’s about to finally touch you before his hand goes to the vibrator and flicks it up a setting. You whine instantaneously, the new onslaught of sensation causing your cunt to throb and clench around nothing. This prompts a laugh from Niran, gently stroking your thigh as he observes your reactions.

“Oh sweetheart, look at you.” He murmurs, observing the way you tremble as the vibrator stimulates you. All you can hope to do is whine and let the pleasure wash over you. Smiling softly, he reaches up to undo your shirt buttons, exposing your bra. “You’re so lovely, you didn’t mean to be a brat did you? Not really…”

His tone could most likely make you agree with anything, so you pathetically shake your head at his words. “Didn’t mean it…” you say softly, despite the fact you clearly did.

Niran chuckled lightly, groping your chest. “Oh, if only that were true sweet thing.”

He pinches your nipple beneath your bra, eliciting a sharp sensation that only makes you grind against the vibrator even more. With how on edge you’ve been, it isn’t long before you feel your pleasure building and building. Shaking limbs and your rapidly changing breathing alert your lover to your impending orgasm as he smiles a little brighter.

“Oh darling, will you cum for me?” he asks, like you had a choice, still playing with your nipple with his nimble metal fingers. After a few moments, your hips stutter as you cum, crying out his name as the vibrator pushes you over the edge. Your chest heaves as you catch your breath, but Niran doesn’t move…and more importantly doesn’t move the vibrator. It buzzes incessantly, making your eyes almost roll back as the sensation prolongs your pleasure to an almost painful degree.

“Niran…w-what-“

“Come now darling, when have I ever only given you one orgasm? Even when you’re a brat, my perfect angel deserves pleasure doesn’t she?”

His tone is sickly sweet as you moan at the overstimulation, your hips not being able to decide if they want to move away or grind into the vibrations. While his words are true, he usually allows you a break between them. Now all you can do is moan pathetically and squirm as the pleasure keeps coming. The ropes dig into your skin like a caress, reminding you constantly of your position right now. Niran’s metal hand glides up to your neck, the cold sensation making you shiver. He gently strokes the sides, tracing patterns as you whine.

“Such sweet skin, the desire to mark you is strong but…I wouldn’t want to ruin what is already perfection.”

His compliments and honey-like tone were making it harder to control your body and your noises, at this point he could offer to slap you and you’d beg for it. You try to ask for him to mark you, the words disjointed and messy, but he understands you all the same.

“If you insist, precious.” He states before leaning down and kissing your neck. He presses sloppy kisses along the side before starting to suck the skin, biting down and leaving a mark. “There…now everyone will know the pleasure I give you.”

You can’t help but thank him, everything feeling fuzzy as wave after wave of pleasure buzzes straight against your clit. He chuckles gently at how polite you are when you are in this headspace, as he gently caresses the mark he just left with his thumb. Grinding on it, the pleasure builds and builds as your thighs shake.

“Are you going to cum again?” he asks, watching you intensely. When you nod, he returns the gesture. “Cum for me sweetheart, so lovely.”

With that, you climax for the second time, the intense pleasure almost knocking you out. Luckily, Niran turns the vibrator off, sparing you more overstimulation. Your chest heaves as your body comes down slowly, your lover’s hand gently stroking your hair.

“Good girl, you did so well darling, so so well.” He praises, his other hand stroking your cheek. “Let’s get you out of those bindings, shall we?”

Letting him kneel down, he begins to slowly undo your restraints. They fall to the ground, before he picks you up bridal style. You can’t help but gasp softly, wrapping your arms around his neck as he carries you to the bedroom.

“Was it all okay love? I wasn’t too harsh, was I?” he murmurs softly, placing you down comfortably on your pillows. You giggle softly; knowing that despite you being ‘punished’, he still had you cumming twice in a row. Reassuring him you were okay, a devilish smirk graces his features before he climbs on top of you. “Good…because I think you can take one more, can’t you?”

You nod eagerly, insatiable for his attention even despite your previous intense pleasure. He reaches down between your legs before you shake your head, reaching to pull at his belt. Chuckling, he gets the hint and takes his belt off for you.

“Oh sweetheart, you’re too good to me. You want me to take you properly?” he asks, as you watch him strip himself of his clothes. No matter how many times he undresses in front of you, his physique takes your breath away. He truly looks like he’s been sculpted by the gods, and when he’s fully bare for your gaze, your eyes can’t help but drop down to his excitement. Just like every other part of him, he was pretty, gorgeous even, but big.

He grabs a pillow and pushes it underneath your hips, before spreading your legs open. He tuts for a moment and rids you of your shirt and bra impatiently, clearly wanting you both exposed. Gently, he strokes your clit before sinking a finger inside you, eliciting an impatient noise to rip from your throat.

“Hush darling, I need to prep you. You know this.” He says, a little sternly as he sinks a second finger inside, pumping slowly and methodically. Regardless of his tone, you’re on cloud nine now he’s actually touching you properly. Gripping his arms, feeling the strong muscles under your fingertips, you lay there and let Niran stretch you for him. While you love the sensation of his cold metal digits inside you, you’re glad he’s used his left hand. Your lover shares that sentiment, happy to be able to feel your cunt squeeze his fingers as he curls them inside you.

Once he deems you ready, he shifts to properly slot himself between your thighs, positioning himself at your entrance. You’re so desperate it hurts, but you do your best to be still and good for him as he rubs your clit with his tip.

“So gorgeous, and all for me.” He says, almost dreamily, before he slowly sinks inside of you. No matter how much he preps you, or how often you two sleep together, nothing ever prepares you for the delicious sting of him inside of you, filling you completely. Eyelids fluttering closed, you relax against the bed as he bottoms out inside of you with a soft moan, falling forward a little to capture your lips in a soft kiss. You give him a nod, signalling he can move before he starts to slowly, savouring the warm feeling.

He feels himself twitch inside you when you moan gently, if he could bottle your little whines and gasps he swears he’d get drunk on them every single night. He moves rhythmically, rolling his hips into yours with conviction. Feeling your nails slightly dig into the skin of his bicep makes him groan quietly, his hands reaching to your waist to hold you still. Your legs move to wrap around his frame, pulling him impossibly deeper inside. Pressing his forehead against yours, you both savour the closeness of the experience, before both of you get a little impatient.

Niran pulls back a little, before holding your thighs and pushing them towards you, holding you in a mating press. You swear you see stars at how deep it feels like he’s reaching inside of you as he starts to really rail you into the plush mattress. Thank god for the extra training you’ve been doing since becoming an overwatch agent, gaining you the flexibility to allow your boyfriend to fold you over yourself as he pumps himself deeper and deeper. Your eyes almost glaze over as he thrusts against that spot inside you that causes your breath to catch.

“So pretty…my gorgeous girl…” he pants out, slamming into you. When you’d first taken that next step in your relationship, he was so extraordinarily gentle and slow. Despite telling him that you could take it, that you wanted him to practically use you, he always seemed reluctant to. He never wanted to cause you any type of discomfort of pain, and he certainly didn’t want you to think he was using you for his own pleasure, and not yours. Maybe it was how bratty you’d been, how well you’d responded to his ‘punishment’ or just how pent up he’d been having to watch you cum all over a vibrator, but he was giving it to you good. His hips slam into yours repeatedly, his grip on your thighs tight as he holds them against your chest. You can’t move, can’t breathe, all you can hope to do is moan loudly and let him ravage you.

All the while, he doesn’t stop uttering praises in your ear. He always succeeds in making you feel like the most desirable girl in the world when he has you like this, the prose that slips from his lips so seductive and charming. Mumbling into the crook of your neck, sweet words of how much he adores you, how much your body excites him. You’re completely enveloped, by his sugary compliments and his large frame completely swallowing yours as he moves. Nowhere to move to, nowhere to go. Just laying there as his cock drags in and out of your gushing cunt, your toes curling.

You clench involuntarily around him as he brings your hand down to rub circles on your clit. The position makes it a little awkward, but you’re so turned on that you’re close to making a mess all over him. Moaning in your ear, he kisses your shoulder before moaning himself.

“Oh sweetheart, I don’t think i…เชี่ยเอ้ย…can hold out much longer…need you to cum my love.” He rasps out, his pace never slowing as he pounds into you. All you can do is nod in response, your eyes rolling back as you get closer and closer. After a few more punishing thrusts, you cum hard around him, soaking his cock as you let out a strangled moan.

In that instant, Niran is sure that seeing the ivory gates of heaven would not be as strikingly beautiful as observing you trembling in pleasure beneath his body. He doesn’t think he can stop his hips moving even if he wanted to, and he certainly doesn’t want to stop chasing the pleasure you’re giving him. A small voice in his head reprimands him for using you like this, as you twitch and whimper from overstimulation, but his orgasm builds so rapidly he barely has time to process. He grips your thighs tightly as he feels himself spill inside of you, cumming with a breathy whimper.

You’re barely conscious at this point as he pulls out slowly, watching his cum seep out of you. If you were lucid enough, you’d have silently thanked Dr Ziegler for offering birth control injections to all the overwatch agents. Niran pulls you to his side as he collapses next to you, stroking up and down your back gently.

“My love, was that good?” he coos at you, as he gently tilts your chin up. You nod happily, a smile gracing your features as his gaze travels to his thighs. A worried expression paints itself on his face. “Oh I left bruises…I’m sorry petal.”

You look down to see he had indeed left imprints in your thighs when he’d held you tightly in position. “Niran it’s okay, I liked it.”

“I know you liked it, but I shouldn’t have held you that hard…”

You shake your head quickly. “No Niran… I liked you leaving marks. I like feeling like I’m yours.”

He blinks at you, before replying. “You did?”

When you nod, he can’t help but laugh a little. “Oh beautiful, you’re too good for me, too good.”

“No Niran, you’re perfect for me.” You reassure him, cuddling into his chest and causing his breath to catch at your praise. His cheeks warm as he holds you close, both of your breathing patterns evening out. He's perfect for you, that's all he could hear playing over and over in his mind. It’s a blissful couple of minutes before Niran suddenly speaks. “Didn’t we both say we’d train with the others today..”

You let out a pitiful whine and cuddle closer, causing him to smirk a little. “Alright sweetheart, I’ll make up some excuse.”

[tuesdayisfordancing]

Unfortunate as it is, copyright law is the only practical leverage most people have to fight against tech companies scraping their work for commercial usage without their permission, especially people who also don't have union power to leverage either. Even people who prefer to upload their work for free online shouldn't be taken advantage of; Just because something is available for free online doesn't mean that it's freely available for someone to profit from in any way, especially if the author did not authorize it.

Okay Nonny. Bear with me, you’re not gonna like how I start this and probably not how I finish it either, but I do have a point in the middle. So.

There is in fact long established precedent for people being allowed to profit off of various uses of others’ work without permission, in ways that creative types in general and fandom specifically tend to wholeheartedly approve of. Parody, collage, fanart commissions, unauthorized merch, monetized reaction or analysis videos on youtube, these are significantly clearer cut examples of actually *using* copyrighted material in your own work than the generative ai case. And except for fanart commissions and unauthorized merch, which mostly live off of copyright holders staying cool about it, these are all explicitly permitted under copyright law.

Now, the generative ai case has some conflicting factors around it. On the one hand, it’s not only blatantly transformative to the point where the dataset cannot be recognized in the end result (and when it overfits and comes out with something not sufficiently transformative, that’s covered by preexisting copyright law), it also doesn’t exactly *use* the copyrighted work the way other transformative uses do. A parody riffs off a particular other work, or a few particular other works. A collage or a reaction video uses individual pieces of other works. Generative AI doesn’t do that, it comes up with patterns based on having looked at what a huge number of other works have in common. Like if a formulaic writing/art advice book were instead a robot artist. But on the other hand, the AI that was trained is potentially being used to compete in the same market as the work it was trained on. That “competition in the same market” element is why fan merch and fanart commissions rely on sufferance, rather than legality. That’s part of fair use too. So perhaps there’s some case to be made against AI from that perspective. *But*… the genAI creations, while competing in the same market as some of their training data, are *a lot more different from that training data* than a fanart is from an official art. To a significant degree the most similar comparison here isn’t other types of transformative work it’s… a person who learns to write by reading a lot. They’ll end up competing in the same market as some of *their* training data too. But of course that doesn’t *feel* the same. For starters, that’s *one person* adding themselves to the competition pool. An AI is adding *everyone who uses the AI* to the competition pool. It may be a similar process, but the end result is much more disruptive. Generative AI is going to make making a living off art even harder - and even finding cool *free* art harder - by flooding the market with crap at a whole new scale. That sucks! It’s shitty, and it feels hideously unfair that it uses artists’ work to do it, and people have decided to label this unfairness “theft”. Now, I do not think that is an accurate label and I’ve reached the point of being really frustrated and annoyed about it, on a personal level. Not all things that are unfair are theft and just saying “theft” louder each time is not actually an argument for why something should be considered theft. An analogy I like here: If someone used art you made to make a collage campaigning against your right to make that art (I can picture some assholes doing this with, say, selfies of drag queens), that would feel violating. It would feel unfair. It would suck! But it wouldn’t be theft or plagiarism.

…*And* on whatever hand we’re on now, my own first thought *was* “Okay well, on the one hand when you look at the mechanics this is pretty obviously less infringing than collage or parody, which I don’t think should be banned, but… maybe we can make a special extra strict copyright that applies only to AI? Just because of how this sucks.” And you know, maybe I’m wrong about my current stance and that’s still a good idea! But there seems to be a lack of caution regarding what sorts of rulings are being invited. It seems like some people are running towards any interpretation of copyright that slows down AI, regardless of what *else* it implies. Maybe I’m wrong! I’m no expert. Maybe it’ll be fine and maybe I’m just too pissed at anti-ai shit to see this clearly. I really wish the AI people had done open calls requesting people to add their work to the datasets, for which I think they would have gotten a lot of uptake before the public turned against AI. Maybe if we do end up with copyright protections against AI training that’ll happen and everything’ll be drastically improved. I dunno.

But I get fucking nervous and freaked out at OTW sending DMCA takedowns as a form of agitation for increased copyright protection and I think that’s a reasonable emotional response.

[astrodescent]

saturn through the signs / houses and the karma you receive

in astrology, saturn represents discipline, responsibility, and the limitations we encounter. it correlates to the karmic principle as it reflects the consequences, challenges, and lessons stemming from past actions and choices, urging us to confront and learn from our responsibilities and limitations to evolve spiritually and personally.

aries / 1H: struggles with identity or asserting individuality, lessons in self reliance, struggles with impulsivity and leadership, balance need for action and planning

taurus / 2H: financial security or stability, material possessions being restricted, learning patience and stability, struggles with self worth

gemini / 3H: challenges with communication or expressing thoughts, learning to focus, scattered thinking, problems at school or with neighbours

cancer / 4H: karmic family ties, lessons in providing or not receiving enough emotional support, insecurities, ancestral patterns

leo / 5H: creative limitations, learning responsible risk taking, self expression not being seen as authentic, overcoming fears of being seen

virgo / 6H: self discipline, health problems, being too restricted by the attention to details, need for perfectionism, anxiety

libra / 7H: tests within relationships, too much codependency, finding fairness, patience in collaboration, relationships not being in sync

scorpio / 8H: isolation of self, deep emotional trauma, loosing something (death), massive need for control, addressing fears of the unknown

sagittarius / 9H: beliefs or knowledge being tested, balancing idealism and practical truth, higher education disruption, not being able to be as independent as one would like

capricorn / 10H: lessons within career and public image, seeking approval of others, reputation being targeted, ambition being challenged

aquarius / 11H: friendships or community loses track, patience within social interactions, rebellion of the norm, establishing boundaries in networking

pisces / 12H: delusions or escapism, confronting fears and subconscious issues, boundaries in emotional matters, feeling the feelings of others as one’s own

© spirit-of-phantom 2023