#I am extremely frugal

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

Oho boy she has a son?!

[vindelllas]

victoria's astrological secrets 🫧

🫧 with the recent announcement of the victoria’s secret show and angels resurrecting in december, i decided to examine the placements of the women deemed “most beautiful” and dissect what astrological placements are potential indicators and detractors of this belief. the following graphs i have made used data collected from the available birth information of all 41 victoria’s secret angels. any information regarding house placements should be treated lightly, as a vast amount of the angels do not have verified birth information. the same is applicable for karakas and nakshatras, i calculated both assuming angels with unverified birth charts were born at noon their time!

🪐 atmakarakas of the angels:

🪐 with my recent post on shani’s prevalence in western femininity and beauty, i am sure it comes to no surprise that he was by the far the most prevalent atmakaraka of the angels. as a brief refresher, the atmakaraka is the graha that one relates to the most. it is our innermost self, that is why surya is said to be the natural atmakaraka. shani himself lords over one’s bones, hair, and teeth, all of which—when heightened or emphasized astrologically—bestow its native with abundant beauty. despite shani’s traditional connotations of sorrow and pain, it is also associated with the sense of touch. thus, resulting in its natives’ preferences for fields that require manipulation and emphasis of the physical life form. through sculpting one’s body with the likes of fitness, diet, and self care, these models are able to fulfill the physicality of their shani atmakaraka. additionally, shani is said to bestow hazy, gilded eyes, thin and tall figure, whitened teeth, and an overall ether body (which is overall many of the dominant physical traits of models in the industry). when shani excels here, natives are blessed with the loyalty, frugality, self-control, patience, steadfastness, perseverance, and industriousness required to succeed in the industry of modeling. it is important to note these same qualities are often heightened in the darker contexts of the shani-dominated modeling industry, such as dis*rdered eating patterns and exploitative management. this placement is beautiful for heightening one’s worldly desires of democracy, achievement, and experience, but also results in lessons of the harsh realities of this world, facing loneliness at the zenith of achievement, extreme bouts of fear/doubt, and disappointment. i encourage any natives of this placement to especially look at the house this atmakaraka rules to find what will bring you fulfillment and growth on an individual level (primarily examining its mooltrikona, the area in which grahas feel most at home).

🪐 note that only two of the angels had a shukra atmakaraka, which desires transactional relationships and luxury. this is likely due to this placement being more common in the arts, as it has an innate gift from telling and conveying the stories of art. whereas, shani is gifted in the realm of wearing the art of shukra (serving as his grounding canvas). shani being the servant of the asuras aids him in feeling the most comfortable in shukra’s demanding presence; allowing him to thrive. in a similar way shani atmakarakas thrive when being in the eyes of shukra (the constructive teacher). they take heed to his teachings and internalize them for quick reciprocation and emulation.

🎀 amatyakarakas of the angels:

🎀 this reasoning for the lack of shukra serving as an atmakaraka is why i believe it best serves as the most prevalent amatyakaraka. while the results are less statistically significant than those for atmakaraka, shukra is still the most common graha for this placement. think of the amatyakaraka as the second house almost, ruling your career, profession, behavior, karma, and deeds—not necessarily ruling your internal self but how you externalize your atmakaraka. shukra bestows materialistic prosperity, comfortability, wealth acquired through women’s merchandise, and luxuriousness to the fruits of shani. this is why this karaka placement brings forth professionalism in the fields of any inventive, artistic discipline such as fashion without serving as the primary lifestyle of the native. in this way, the natives’ atmakaraka can reduce shukra’s issues with clouded self-perception, heightened sensuality, exaggerated behavior and ideologies, and intense over-romanticism. the restrictive nature of having a shani atmakaraka refines this amorousness and excessive behavioral patterns and, in turn, shukra balances his frugality and conservatism with a healthy pleasure from enjoyment of the touch/physicality he so rules.

🌙 grahas in the first bhava:

🌙 the first house is the realm of one's lagna. this house is considered to be most representative of your existence and true self. the lack of the two most intellect-based grahas, brihaspati and buddha, can give us an insight into the existences of vs angels alike. these grahas' lack of presence is indicating a certain removal from scholarly pursuits and a calling towards the physicalities of the flesh, as seen in rahu and chandra, at an early age. think of the stories of models like adriana lima or candice swanepoel who wanted to serve their communities initially through catholic abstinence and dentistry or dairy and meat farming respectively. instead of continuing to obtain the education and discipline required to succeed in these fields, the models decided to devote themselves to their fashionable craft instead at very young ages. having chandra and rahu in the first bhava can bring self-centricism, sharpening of communicative/professional intellect, and business inclinations. thus, allowing the angels to accumulate success and individuality in the worldly fields of modeling through expertly commodifying themselves.

🌙 grahas in the second bhava:

🌙 in a sudden role reversal, we see no models with verified birth times had chandra in their second house. the second house is all about growth and development. chandra or shukra lying in this house is often indicative of requiring materialistic pleasures to ensure emotional satiation. this is why individuals with these placements can truly struggle with financial and emotional fluctuations. contrarily, surya, ketu, and buddha were the most common grahas in the second in the bhava. these grahas lead to excelling in the matters of the second bhava (wealth and possessions) but issues with detachment and grief surrounding one's family. unfortunately, we see this placement manifesting in many of the angels having to leave their families at a young age to model in other countries for months to even a year at a time. this additionally requires a certain dis-attachment from the home (chandra) and comfortability (shukra) to gain worldly knowledge (buddha), authority/grounding (surya), and self wisdom (ketu) in the industry.

🌚 grahas conjunct luminaries (surya and/or chandra):

🌚 buddha was overwhelmingly the most prevalent graha to be conjunct the angels' luminaries. approximately 59% of the angels had this placement, meaning 24 of the 41 models. buddha, being the graha of communication, results in a penchant for inquiries, analyses, and wit in conjunction to the undertones of their luminary grahas. essentially natives of the placement excel at marketing themselves: identifying their target audience, knowing their unique selling points (such as creating their signature, inventive catwalks and collaborating with trainers to give onlookers an insight into their workout regime via the "train like an angel" series), clarity, consistency, constancy, and intellectual savvy. buddha's sensual undertones attract customers and a worldwide fanbase of feminine emulation and masculine adoration.

🌚 primary placement (surya, chandra, and lagna) rashis of the angels:

🌚 the cancer rashi was most common in the primary placements of the angels. chandra, the overlord of cancer, aids cancer natives in utilizing their fertile imagination and emotional disposition. due to this, these natives are drawn to artistic expression and emotional retention, exacerbating the canvas-like jobs of the angels in their modeling efforts for the brands' bikini-clad, glamorously unachievable campaigns. while seemingly sentimental, cancers' personalities are said to be extremely changeable, ranging from extreme warmth to secrecy which is often mistaken for hardened coldness. this emotional chameleon-like behavior allows the angels to physically transmute the emotions of their photographer and designer to the consumer/onlooker. however, their need for safety and security allows these natives to sometimes go throughout their entire lives in search for family and the comforts of home (as evidenced by the lack of shukra and chandra placements in their second bhava).

🌚 the second most common rashi is aquarius. who is symbolized by the angel carrying water over humanity and pouring it over the earth. in a similar fashion, aquari nurture their environment by quenching the thirsts of the collective--instilling passion within the masses and motivating them to bring change to one another. this is why this rashi is symbolized by "the star" tarot card. similar to the water-bearing aquarius figure, the star card features a feminine being pouring water into a body of water and into the earth, providing nourishment and restoring hope for the future. she has one foot in the water, symbolizing intuition, and one on land, symbolizing stability. this echoes the same duality in aquarius, which is the only zodiac sign represented by two astrological elements: water for her emotional side and air for her intellectual side. the stars symbolize the card’s overarching message of guidance, hope and inspiration. aquarius pertains to setting oneself apart from others, as illustrated by the large, yellow star on the card. aquarius natives have a strong connection to their own intuition and will listen to that internal voice above all others. which ultimately guides these natives to setting their own trends in fashion: think of the infamous and constant quests for a vs angel body even today. the bird on the card symbolizes the sacred ibis of thought who roosts in the tree of the mind, representing the boundless intellect of aquarius. whether it is improving humanity, inventing the next fashion trend or just bolstering our sense of hope and inspiration, aquarius excels.

🌚 primary placement (surya, chandra, and lagna) rashi lords of the angels:

🌚 shani was the most occuring lord of the angels' primary rashis despite cancer's general abundance. think of when shiva came under the influence of shani, he experienced the loss of sati, the first incarnation of his wife. "daksha, the son of brahma, prayed to the mother goddess that she be born as shani's daughter. she agreed on the condition that he would never displease her. he agreed and she was born as sati. when sati matured she fell in love with lord shiva and married him against her father's wishes. daksha disliked this alliance as he felt that the ascetic shiva was not good enough for his daughter. daksha expected shiva to pay obeisance to him but shiva refused to do so, as he was the supreme god and most revered of all. according to vedic tradition, if shiva were to venerate daksha who was lower in stature to the great shiva, the former would be cursed forever. daksha's ego did not allow him to recognize the true shiva. shiva refuses to pay respect to his father-in-law and thereby created an ongoing feud which caused a lot of sorrow to his wife sati.

"daksha decided to avenge this humiliation by organizing a yagya in kankhal near haridwar. he invited all the gods in heaven and prominent men on earth, with the exception of shiva and sati. when sati heard that her father was holding a ceremony, she wanted to go despite not being invited. shiva cautioned her that only misery would result of her going uninvited but she was adamant.

"sati demanded an explanation from daksha as to why she and shiva were not invited. daksha said that shiva, a person who dressed in rags who adorned himself with ashes, skulls and snakes and frequenter of graveyards, had no place in this elite gathering. unable to bear the insult, sati proclaimed that she is giving up her life and in front of an astounded audience she stepped into the sacrificial fire of the yagya.

"when shiva learnt of this, he was inconsolable and in his grief destroyed the yagya and all saksha's army. saksha's head was also cut. then shiva held aloft sati's limp body and began the dance of destruction or tandava nritya. this is the dance that heralds the destruction of the universe.

"guests approached vishnu who was also present at the ceremony. he realized that it was too late to reason with shiva. he let loose his chakra (or disc-like weapon) and cut up sati's body into pieces. the various parts of her body got scattered all over india. wherever a part of sati's body, fell people built a shrine to the goddess shakti. vishnu consoled shiva and requested him to give back life to the dead. shiva did so but insisted that daksha had to be punished for his pride. he cut off a goat's head and attached it to daksha's lifeless body before making him alive. the ceremony was then completed and to this day daksha is depicted with a goat's head

"shani was said to have create all this mayhem in order to punish daksha for his pride and created inconsolable sorrow for shiva. shiva went to mount kailash and lived a life of a recluse and ascetic until parvati (the next incarnation of sati) came into the life and brought him out of the sorrow."

🌚 shani being the destroyer and stripper of maya, it may appear to be an odd placement for such a physically-focused profession. shani basically serves as the personification of spiritual accountability. he was dutiful even when sacrificing his love sati, serving as the emblem of the importance of the sacrificiality of pleasure and needs for greater gain. in a more minute, physical practice, the angels continued to give up what brought them physical comfort: consumption and familial need for the gain of world recognition and beauty. thus, bringing similar acts of concern or judgement from the public (similar to that of shani) due to the past extremism of their efforts to remain in the show and keep their angel status.

☄️ nakshatras (surya, chandra, and lagna) of the angels:

☄️ chitra was the most occurring nakshatra of the angels. think of this nakshatra as the embodiment of succubic understandings. in it, lies the power of evoking female spirits for spiritual purposes. the goddess of its temple is known as bhoom devi. bhoom devi is the personification of all earth/flesh. bhoom devi is the consort of the varaha, an avatar of vishnu. in the satya yuga, "the demon hiranyaksha kidnapped her and hid her in the primordial waters, and vishnu appeared as varaha to rescue her. varaha slew the demon and retrieved the earth from the depths of the ocean, lifting it on his tusks. he restored bhoom devi to her rightful place in the universe, and proceeded to marry her. mangala and narakasura were the sons of varaha and bhoom devi.

"narakasura was the first born of bhoom devi. there are two stories about narakasura's birth: in the first one, he was the first son of bhoomi and varaha. he was born when bhoomi requested varaha for a son. narakasura later performed a penance to receive a boon that only his mother would be able to kill him. in the second story, narakasura's father was hiranyaksha and was born when hiranyaksha's horns touched bhoomi. narakasura is believed to have been the founder of the legendary bhauma dynasty among the boro people.

"sita, the wife of rama, emerged from the earth, and thus bhoomi is her spiritual mother. the story goes that there was once a drought in mithila, the hometown of sita. janaka, the future father of sita, was ploughing the ground. under his plough, he found a baby girl (this girl being sita). raiin showered upon the earth and janaka and his wife, sunaina, decided to adopt sita. as she was born from the earth, she was also known as bhoomija."

☄️ chitra natives mirror the properties of bhoom devi, often struggling with the seemingly never ending attractions between them and draining masculine life forces. while this nakshatra bestows its natives with bursting beauty and abundance, this masculine attention usually begins to sour and darken with time (similar to the trials and tribulations of bhoom devi). while i have spoke about this phenomenon before, i will note that masculine individuals' preference for serving as varaha to that of bhoom devi is directly correlated to the mass masculine adoration we have seen towards the angels in the media. with recent exposures of the toxic happenings behind the scenes of the brand, it is only more evident that chitra natives have been prone to struggling with exploitative behavior. in an attempt to reverse the narrative and make profit from this immense adoration and attraction, we see chitra natives enjoy leaning in to the succubi narrative as they begin to embrace their spiritual awakenings. think of the angels who have recently begun to explore occultism and religion more intensely, such as gisele and adriana. despite their previous strugglings with exploitation, their role in the bhoom devi-varanha dynamic and call to occultism has aided them in their journeys towards healing from the darker undertones of the industry.

☄️ given uttara ashadha's prevalence in the music and fashion industry as a whole, it comes to no surprise that it ranked #2 out of all of the angels' nakshatras. surya is said to uproot poverty, wantonness, malignity and adversity, and procure all those things which are good for current and future generations. thus, its natives are inclined to prosperity in the face of adversity. surya, the cosmic creator’s natural inspiration, is the teacher and ruler of our innate human senses of judgement and discrimination between truth and falsehood and between freedom and responsibility. it is the senses of love and friendship juxtaposed with our rational sense of justice and reason; our passion for progress with our sense of purpose; and direction and destination for life’s values. thus, bestowing great creative wisdom and the brilliant, generous divinities of nature. it separates the good from the great people in this world; removes the sloth, negativity and adversity on this earth; and inspires its natives with enthusiasm for the achievement of dynamic peace and balanced prosperity. forbidding fearsome and ferociousness in one's body, mind and soul and positively transforming the word of divine love and wisdom. in uttara ashadha, he creates fires under the asterism of the final vimshottari nakshatra in his rulership, whosoever should wish that should be offered him: then indeed forthwith; for whatever is offered with the touch of shani (that lies in sagittarius-capricorn), that indeed is given to him. meaning natives of this nakshatra are able to lift their struggles with the aforementioned topics to surya himself to have their wants transmuted into dominance of the earthly realm. these natives greatest longings for spirituality and initial abstinence from bodily superficiality are ultimately what causes them to appear so beautiful and become so successful. in applying the ketuvian principle of abandoning what one initially wants for seeking what the universe knows is right, these natives are granted what it is they so longed for as they sacrificed their initial wants for the promises of surya's delayed gratification.

☄️ it is likely surprising to some that there were no angels (as we currently know of) who possess the bharani nakshatra abundantly. bharani dwells at the very heart of aries. its exaltation place of its nakshatra lord (shukra) lies in the twelfth bhava from it, while debilitation place of its nakshatra lord is in the sixth bhava. since the energy of its nakshatra lord exalts in the twelfth house from itself, it is the nakshatra, which is connected to death, sacrifice, surrender, letting go with the flow, forgiveness and creativity. yet, as its energy debilitates in sixth bhava from itself, bharani natives sometimes have issues with self-restraint, discipline and escapism. which is ultimately why yamaraj becomes its presiding deity, to help these natives integrate surrender and detachment with healthy self-discipline and hard work, which is the domain of yamaraj. think of bharani natives' figures as being the primary subject of arts throughout centuries. yet due to the intense internal reaction it causes amongst others and their immense ability to fixate all attention, it is something that has been hastily and forcefully covered, and correlated with the principle of punishment (the realm of yamaraj).

☄️ remember when krishna states yamaraj punishes sinners, as relayed to vidura (an incarnation of yama) by maitreya during their conversation about the origin and creation of the multiverse: "the brahmanas, the cows and the defenceless creatures are krishna's own body. those whose faculty of judgement has been impaired by their own sin look upon those as distinct from me. they are just like furious serpents, and they are angrily torn apart by the bills of the vulture-like messengers of yamaraja, the superintendent of sinful persons." instead of one's beauty bringing immense adoration to the point of exploitation and celebritization, their beauty brings a religious-like quality reminiscent to the beauty-based punishments of zeus. instead of entertaining the "furious serpents" of the collective for gain, bharanis spiritually castrate them with their meer being.

consider chanting 108 times a unique mantra to surya (on the days it lies in its corresponding nakshatra) and focus on (or worship) the different body part of the body associated with this nakshatra. do exercise extreme caution when doing so and be sure to actively research the pros and cons to this practice and the correct pronunciation and behavior associated with each mantra

while reciting the mantra, visualise the healing rays of surya filling the part of your physical body associated with the nakshatra

doing so will allow you to embrace the energetic properties of the placement!

chitra mantra: om arkaya namah (ankles)

uttara ashadha mantra: om tvashtre saptaturamgamaya namah (navel area)

bharani: om kathoradhamne namah (throat)

☄️ nakshatra vimshottari rulers of the angels:

☄️ surya was the most prominent vimshottari ruler and yet again we see shukra being the least prominent of the angels. solar beauty is foundational for all the beauty around us, it rules the carbon that encompasses our surroundings, creates human life, materializes clothes and homes, etc., as surya is the ultimate life force. surya is the illuminator, the creator, the increaser, and master of truth. his rays are supramental activities of revelation, inspiration, intuition, luminous discernment, and they constitute the action of the transcendental principle of perfect knowledge and whole truth. however, these rays also descend into the human mentality and form at its summit the world of luminous intelligence. in a similar fashion, these natives transcend the human mentality and produce innately unique beauty that has never been seen in the industry before. the rays of surya, as they labor to and fro from our mental existence, create three successive worlds of mentality--one superimposed on the other— the sensational, aesthetic and emotional mind,;the pure intellect; and the divine intelligence. the fullness and perfection of these triple worlds of mind exists only in the pure mental plane of being, where they shine above the three heavens, as their three luminosities. but their light descends upon the physical consciousness and affects the corresponding formations in its earthly realms of light.

☄️ surya enlightens the mind and the thoughts in which contain the illuminations of the truth. he is vipra, the illumined. it is he who delivers the individual human mind from the circumscribed consciousness of self and environment and enlarges the limited movement which is imposed on it by its preoccupation with its own individuality. therefore, surya has clear discernment of things in their totality, such as their parts and their relationships to the spiritual plane, and is clear in perception. this is why it is said men as soon as they begin to receive something of this solar illumination, they strive to yoke their whole mentality and embody a conscious existence of the divine surya within them. thus, all of their obscure mental state and all their erring thoughts are manifested in this light so that it may turn the obscurity of the mind into clearness and convert the errors of thought into those truths which they distortedly represent. this yoking becomes the masculine yoga: "they yoke the mind, and they yoke their thoughts, the enlightened, of the enlightened, the large, the clear-perceptioned.” this is ultimately why surya, the lord of knowledge, aligns all creation into their rightful place in "the sacrifice": “knower of phenomena sole he arranges the sacrificial energies.” yet again we see this prominence of sacrificial attitudes surrounding these natives, beckoning their masculine adorers to yoke the impurity in their physicality and heighten their consciousness to experience being near these natives' glorious presence. yes, shukra is undoubtedly beautiful and luxurious in nature, but what is beauty without adoration? what is self care without transmutation into the likes of awakening sexuality/creativity (shukra) into mass attainments and heights (surya)? do let this post serve as good reminder that all grahas, not just shukra, have immense beauty. the physicality of shani, authoritation of surya, emotion reflectivity and conveyance of chandra, sensuality of buddha, mahamaya and business intellectualism of rahu, spiritual refinement of ketu all lead to the overarching beauty witnessed in both the angels and our overall surroundings.

*all of these placements were found using astrotheme/.com and/or astro-charts/.com. it is important to note that some chandra (moon) placements may be off by up to 6 degrees and lagnas (ascendants/rising signs) as well, due to the fact that many websites do not have 100% accurate birth times for the given celebrities.

xoxo, angel 💋

[skeletoninthemelonland]

Hi Starbs, sorry to hear about your situation, I am a bit younger than you and a couple of years ago I was put into a similar spot, even right now as I'm finishing up high-school my housing isn't very stable. I'll give you some tips if it's something that could help you. (I am from the USA so things are probably different over there) also apologies I am not good with English!!

SAVE. SAVE. SAVE. Budgeting and being frugal when it comes to money is extremely important!!

Do keep a bit of spending money as treats and keeping morality in check will do you good in the long run.

My storage unit costs me 66$ USD a month it's the size of a walk in closet. Whatever isn't essential or you can't carry in a backpack it's best you have a safe place to store it. Some will ask you to buy your own lock so keep that in mind.

Reach out to youth shelters! The one I'm staying at lets us stay 60 days but makes us leave at least 7 until we can come back. We can keep coming back as many times needed for us to find housing (as long as we don't have a record with causing problems at the shelter)

Learn your bus routes if you can, it saves more money than using a car.

Let trustworthy people know about your situation, friends, teachers, whoever, let them know as community and building a support system is essential.

Communicate with your college, perhaps they have dorms or programs that may be of assistance.

Eat!! Drink water!!! Take care of your hygiene!!!

Some gyms have showers so you can get a membership just to go shower if you need!

Cars can be very useful as you can sleep in them, there are camping spots rangers won't look through sometimes you could sleep at, 24 hour opened store parking lots, or in my case outside the gym you have a membership for that's open 24 hours!

Keep distance from your parents. I don't know your situation but from my experience, KEEP A DISTANCE AND HAVE FIRM BOUNDARIES!!! You don't owe them anything, not your location, who you're with, you're schedule, they don’t need to know that.

Apartments usually want you to make 2-3 times the rent. Example: rent is 600 a month? Then you need to make around 1200-1800 a month.

If you have a job communicate with your boss about your situation, they can be very flexible and understanding.

Don't burn bridges in the professional field!

Social networking is a life saver, if you make the right impressions with the right people it can come in clutch later on.

I'm repeating this again but building community and a support system is essential. Maybe a friend you get along well with also wants to move in, you could be roommates. Or an older woman who is fond of you learns about your situation and is willing the rent you a room in her home.

Pay attention to red flags!

Red flags in apartments can be how well maintain it is (mold underneath the sink) and how you’re landlord approaches it.

Red flags in people, like they could know you're desperate and will try to use that against you.

Do your laundry at friend's homes or in public laundromats.

Red flags in environments, maybe you end up in a bad part of town, get out ASAP!!

Share and update someone trustworthy often, you never know what could happen.

I wish I could offer you more but I'm currently still figuring out my situation as well. Stay safe!! Remember someone out there really loves you and wants you to be okay!! And you deserve to be okay!!

.

[blerb-f1]

"Pick up" - Charles Leclerc x fem!german!reader Part 3

Charles and Y/N are in Monaco as an invitation arrives.

This is part three! Here is part one if you'd like to read it before. Here's my masterlist if you want to see more of my writing.

Warning: french! I haven't used my french in a long while so uh PSA. It's just two sentences.

“Why exactly are you on my Yacht, Y/N?”

Charles Leclerc stood at the front of his beautiful, beloved and very expensive Yacht docked in the equally beautiful, beloved and very expensive Monaco Harbor.With his Hands placed on his hips and his white, crisp ironed Dress Shirt making him look like the average yacht owner, his expression was clouded however. Y/N L/N, his german savior could be seen lounging on deck, dressed in swimwear and large sunglasses obscuring her eyes. 

“Because.” she overly punctuated her sentences quite often. “ I get to lay in the sun and stare at Monaco! And it’s free!”

Charles stared at her and sighed. “Could you be any less cheap than this?”

“I would call myself frugal”

“Frugal? You sure about that?”

“Very much.”

She was not just frugal, she was the pure embodiment of cheapness. If a person could be more unwilling to spend a single cent, it would be the people doing extreme couponing on TV, busy with holding up lines at Walmart for three hours.

The driver just decided to accept the situation, as Y/N had already pushed him through quite a lot of these shocks over a short time. Anymore and he’d be found to have a stomach ulcer the size of a soccer ball.  As he leaned back, taking in the sun, a sense of bliss and joy felt his stomach. F1 pushed him around the planet, therefore returning home was always the best.

Then, Y/N leaned forward, offering a glass. A thin flute with colorful liquid and one of those little sparkly umbrellas attached. 

“No alcohol! No Beer before four o’clock.”

“This isn’t beer, Y/N. And that didn’t even rhyme…”

“It does in German!”

Charles took the glass, drinking the colorful juice mixture with relief. Sweet liquid on dry throat. Perfection.

Y/N turned towards him again, beginning to speak. “Say, Charlie, when’s your next race? Need me to drive you back to Italy? Or the airport?”

Grumph. She never missed the opportunity to hit the sore spot called ‘losing his physical license’. 

“No, nothing. I’ve got time now. Nothing on the schedule for the next week or so. By then i’ll have a license again.”

Before he could finish speaking however, a disturbance was approaching. Charles Mother Pascale was approaching the boat in fast steps, her expression determined. she sprinted up the little plank, coming to a stop right before her son. Pascale dug around her Handbag, pulling out a crisp envelope which she handed over. 

The envelope was quickly opened, revealing a pretty looking card. 

Charles read out aloud. 

“Dear Mr. Charles Leclerc, you are hereby invited to a traditional ball hosted at the Prince’s Palace of Monaco along with a companion of choice.”

“-the fuck?”

Y/N audibly was confused. “A Ball? In this day and age? And in the Palace? Are you that important Charles?”

Charles Leclerc was too stunned to speak.

“Y/N, I-”

He took a deep, deeeeep breath in. His lungs filled to the brim with fresh air, willing to steady his thoughts. 

“Y/N, I am Monaco's first driver in so and so many years. I have won races. Obviously I matter.”

“Hm. I really should look at sports more. I only notice Soccer because drunk soccer fans are the worst train passengers.” She then got up, snatching the invitation from his hand and reading it over. “A ball. I wonder, does it feel magical or annoying?”

“I’ve been to one or two before - unless you got someone nice accompanying you it’s just polite chatter and more alcohol than you should drink.”

“So like every social event that has ever occurred?”

“Very much.” He nodded.

Then, a thought occurred to him. The letter expressly stated ‘a companion of choice’. Last year he had taken his girlfriend but they had long broken up by now. What was the right choice now? Ask a friend? Maybe his mom?

At that moment, Y/N leaned over, putting her sunglasses on his nose. 

“Take these or you’ll go blind with that paper flashing you. The sun’s dangerous, you know!”

The solution was right before his nose. He could take Y/N.

“Say Y/N - did you ever want to go to a Ball?”

“What?”

########

The next day, after a long sleep in Pascale’s guest room, Y/N found herself seated at the parlor in one of Monaco’s biggest and most luxurious clothing salons. 

The attendant was visibly judging Y/N up and down before stepping forward to take her measurements. 

“Since the event is this evening, we have to pick one that fits you quite well. We can complete minor alterations until then, but nothing big is possible.”

Y/N simply nodded as Pascale looked around the salon. She looked quite emotional at this situation. 

“Pascale, is everything alright?”

Pascale sniffed. “I never thought I could go dress shopping with a girl!”

“Huh?” 

“I have three sons, not a single daughter. And their girlfriends never wanted to spend time with me. Lorenzo’s last one didn’t want to visit Monaco, Arthur’s is very shy and Charles? Oh Charles, he changes them so often! I can hardly remember their names! I’m so glad to have you around, finally.” 

Oh. This was bad. Y/N had totally forgotten that Pascale believed her to be Charles Girlfriend.

The older woman took a look around the store again, looking at the different fabrics and the clerc fuzz around. Finally, Y/N was allowed to state her thoughts.

“I uh. I guess something not too outstanding. I don’t know most of these people and am just here for Charles.”

“Anything else?”

“No clue what suits me. I couldn't go to my graduation ball so I’ve never worn an evening gown.”

Pascale pulled a grim face. “You never got dressed up like that? You definitely missed out.”

The attendant added. “Then, since you are unsure, how about Miss Leclerc and I pick some dresses to try?”

“I’d like that”

The attendant took that Chance to show Pascale where the right sized dresses were placed. Like pigs searching for truffles, the two were busy digging around for the right scrap of tailored fabric.

15 Minutes later, Y/N stood on top of a little walkway, dressed in a frumpy gown.

“It’s uh…”

Her brain worked hard.

"Nice."

Pascale stared at her with her eyebrows lifted. “Are you sure? You look like a frosted cupcake.”

Y/N audibly sighed. “Trying on dresses is so tiring. I never even considered that. All that work and none of them have looked good.”

“Try the next one honey, I just know that you will like one of them.”

“You sure?”

Charles' mother gave her a reassuring smile. “Yes.”

The German woman disappeared behind the curtain, fabric rustling. She finally returned, her walk more confident and her head lifted up high. The dress was beautiful yet not too busy. A jet black fabric with a light shimmer, the straps folder over her arms. The skirt trailed apart with a light slight on the side. 

Y/N grinned at her advisor, visibly content.

Pascale beamed back at her. “Is this it?”

“This is it?”

“Then let’s go to my salon to get you ready.”

########

Pascale lead Y/N to her salon, turning on the lights as she prepared one of the stylist's tables. She washed Y/N’s hair, before giving it a trim. Then, she picked out hair pins and tied it into a pretty looking, tight updo with loose pieces framing her face. She placed gem decorated pins into her hair to help it stand out more. 

As she finished, a bicycle rang outside. Another older Lady entered the store, approaching Pascale while speaking french. 

“This is my Friend, Marietta. She will do her make-up. Since she speaks french only, any of your wishes need to go through me.”

“I got nothing to say.” Y/N said. “I’m still in a daze. She definitely knows better than me”.

After being shown a photo of the dress, Marietta got working. Brushes en masse passed over her face, applying layer after layer into a beautiful artwork.

Just as she finished, the tailor also approached, bringing the altered dress and a pair of heels along. The three present helped Y/N into the gown and shoes, leading her back to the Leclerc’s place.

Pascale stopped and looked at Y/N, taking in her appearance. 

“Something is missing”

She seemed to go deep inside her mind, thinking hard. Then, she quickly rushed off. Running from room to room, she finally came back carrying quite a few things.

First of all, she handed Y/N a pair of black, long gloves.

“Gloves, you know, always make an outfit better. They prevent you from touching bad things and make you look more mysterious.”

After that, she slipped a bracelet of pearls around her right arm. Matching earrings graced her ears, the necklace decorating her neck.

Finally, she stared at Y/N again. Her eyes are getting watery.

“Y/N.. You look beautiful.”

“Really?”

“Definitely, look”

She spun the surprised woman around, facing her own reflection in the mirror.

Y/N stared at herself in awe. She didn’t know this woman. Her tired skin was gone, along with the darkened eye bags. Her hair looked so great like this, her body looking as if made for the dress covering it.

“Is this…me?”

“That’s why we like dressing up, you know.” Pascale sniffed. “You realize how pretty you truly are.”

Having worked as a train attendant for so long, with ungrateful and rude people had made Y/N less willing to care for her appearance. She hadn’t dressed up or tried in such a long time, this truly was a special moment for her.

Then, the door opened. “Maman, je suis retourné! Est-ce tu finis de choisir une robe pour Y/N?”

Pascale called back. “Oui Charlie. Allez, Allez! Viens ici, regarde la!”

Charles opened the door,  carrying a bag with something. He looked good, all dressed up. Yet, as he caught her appearance he dropped his bag. 

“Y/N?” he asked in surprise.

Y/N gave him a spin. “Do I look that bad?”

Charles Leclerc was too stunned to speak. Again.

“You don’t look bad.” He shook his head. Seeing his moms angry expression, he quickly added. “You look breathtaking.”

Y/N stretched her hand towards his. “Then, shall we get going? I’m glad you picked me up. I would have been scared if you had me go somewhere on my own”

####################

Taglist:

Next part is the last one!

If you want to be tagged, let me know!

Translations:

"Maman, I'm back! Did you finish picking a dress for Y/N?"

"Yes i did. Hurry up, come look!"

############

@itsjustkhaos

@appl3-0rchard

@barcelonaloverf1life

@randomnessis-mine-me

[arcielee]

I am watching season 4 of The Umbrella Academy and I am on episode 2. Klaus has stolen my heart, unsuspectingly, yet again. His character brimmed on a complexity that could almost be annoying with his extremes, but his overall character growth is endearing.

Yes, we enjoy the Klaus shenanigans, the cult running tomfoolery, but then he has this raw moment during his sobriety arc that absolutely pierced my heart:

I like this Klaus. "Hey, he collects coupons. He's frugal, respectable, reliable. And most importantly, he's a Klaus that Claire likes."

Him being an uncle that Claire likes is why he was content to stay this way and I just love that. 😭

[manifesting-principessa]

day 11 - money success story

Finally sent the invoice for my last project and received the payment within a day. And now I have 15.9k in my main bank account!

Not getting in your own way is such an important part of manifestation! I often feel I have internal blocks and when I become aware of them I do my best to tackle them proactively. So I wrote that invoice even though I felt so anxious…

I also learned about the FIRE movement this week and am thinking a lot about what I can take from that. The FIRE (=financial independence retire early) movement is a community of people that save and invest money to retire early.

While extreme frugality is not my thing (I’m more of a hedonist), I find it interesting and think I can learn from many people in the movement how to make smarter financial decisions.

Feeling wealthy and inspired 💸

Eternally grateful!

[miradelletarot]

I *really* don't like doing this, because... Ya know, we're all dealing with shit. But, I figured it was worth a shot anyway. (I am pretty sure I've said this before but... Yeah.) 🫠😮‍💨

I currently work two jobs which give me just enough money to afford a studio apartment and utilities in my area. (On a waiting list. For now.) Until my divorce is final, I can't get any other assistance. I'm BEYOND grateful for the support system I do have giving me a roof over my head and a way to get to work.

Unfortunately, I have so much else to take care of to get myself on my own two feet, and the money I'm bringing in isn't enough. I have 2 credit cards I'm working on paying down now, and trying to save up money to get my own car. Nothing fancy ofc. I just need it to run, and not need a billion dollars to fix it up.

I can't stress this enough, I would rather do something to earn my money instead of just asking for a hand out. So, if you are interested in tarot readings, custom made spell jars, or other witchy things, message me so we can discuss the details. I can even do spellwork on your behalf, but I'll be honest with you, it will be at least $100 usd because it's a lot of energy, time, and materials. We would have a lot to discuss first before I agree to take that on.

I even have abstract art on canvas that I painted that I'm trying to sell so if that interests you lmk and I can show off what I have.

If you would just rather help a girl out, that's cool too, but I'd prefer to do something than nothing (that doesn't involve selling my body to the highest bidder).

Regardless, if you are able and willing to toss a coin to this Gale obsessed, tarot reading goofball, here's the link to my PayPal.me (bc I can't get the tip feature for Tumblr to work....)

Full disclosure though, because in exactly 1 week it's my 38th birthday, I'm spending half my paycheck from my day job on sushi, and a Tim Downie Cameo. That's my gift to myself. Then, I'm being frugal ASF for a while. Just throwing that out there.

If you read thru this, thank you. Whatever it may be (even if all you can offer is a word of encouragement) I am extremely grateful.

[kingmabry]

Prof. Sista Subba Rao (1909-1980) taught English at the Hindu College, Machhlipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He wrote his reminiscences in Telugu and later in English.

I first came to know of Bhagavan in early 1936 from Ramarao Panthulu, my first guide on the spiritual path. He related an incident at the Ashram which convinced me of the mysterious powers of Bhagavan. A cobra crawled into a room. Several people gathered together and were trying to drive it out when Bhagavan came upon the scene. He addressed the serpent and said, “Please move away, these people are frightened by your presence.” The serpent at once went out. Panthulu suggested that I might get cured of the problem of my failing eyesight if I sought Bhagavan’s blessings.

On June 3, 1936, I prostrated before Bhagavan and gave an account of my situation. Bhagavan remarked that my outer sight would be all right if and when I would get my inner sight. I did not understand and requested him to clarify. His answer was, “Not to have outer sight is to have inner sight.” I then begged him to enlighten me on the subject of developing the inner sight and he did so. This was a turning point in my life. My failing sight was my obsession until that moment. But the Maharshi’s upadesa brought about a change in my outlook. From that time, the question of improving my sight receded in the background and I started in right earnest my sadhana for getting the inner eye opened.

One evening, I had a peculiar experience during meditation. My breath became long and sonorous till it resembled the hissing of a serpent. My body became light and my hands, which were on my thighs, started dangling in the air. I felt every particle of my body vibrating and experienced a sort of inexpressible bliss. I did not, however, lose outer consciousness.

This peculiar experience of mine soon attracted the attention of those seated in the hall. My wife was asked to bring some water that was sprinkled on my face. After a while, my body and my breathing came back to normal. I came out of the hall and went home.

After my departure, the devotees seemed to have asked Bhagavan what the matter was with me. Bhagavan seemed to have replied that I was unable to contain the intensity of the sadhana within and so I became externalized. I was told when I came to the Ashram the next morning.

In spite of our extremely frugal life, my finances were running out short. There was absolutely no sign of improvement in my physical sight. On the other hand, the vision was gradually deteriorating. The prospects appeared very gloomy. There was every likelihood of the complete loss of eyesight. How then am I to eke out my livelihood? Further, I had a dependent in my wife. Thoughts of suicide often pressed themselves on me. There were many ponds around and on the hill. We could under the cover of darkness, easily drown ourselves in any of them.

I thought of presenting the facts to Bhagavan and beg him for a solution; but courage failed me. For one thing, Bhagavan always sat in the hall surrounded by a number of devotees; there was no privacy where I could meet him. Secondly, I was hesitant to worry Bhagavan with my personal worldly problems. But there was no alternative. One afternoon, I wrote out on a piece of paper an account of my financial, physical and mental condition and prayed for his grace. I handed over the paper to him and stood near him. He read it through and gave it back to me, but said nothing. I resumed my seat.

Soon there was a change in my outlook on life. I said to myself, ‘Suffering is the result of sinful deeds in the present or past life and everyone must pay for his misdeeds, for every action has its own reaction. By putting an end to the present life, we are adding interest to the principal. Our past sins are the principal, while the suicide will be its interest. All karmic debts are to be cleared to the last penny. It is cowardice to try to escape from the hard facts of life.’ This changed attitude towards life put an end to all thoughts of suicide that thronged the mind previously. I became a changed person, ready to fight out the battle of life at all costs and under all circumstances.

This incident gave me an inkling into the ways of the mahatmas. They do not usually work physical or material miracles but bring about miraculous changes in the mental condition of the devotees.

A few days before Bhagavan’s jayanti in 1940 or 1941, I had a sort of inspiration to compose a Sanskrit verse on Bhagavan. I did so and sent it to the sarvadhikari of the Ashram. In reply he said that the verse was read out on the jayanti day and was greatly appreciated by the devotees. The verse was: “Dwelling on the slopes of Arunachala, Sri Ramana, the Sun of Wisdom and Embodiment of Bliss, taught atma vidya effortlessly. I continually think of this matchless and measureless Guru.”

Sometime later, I saw Bhagavan in a dream seated on an elevated place like a throne. His body was shining like molten gold. Standing before him, I requested for my eyesight. He replied, “That is not possible by me, you may have to go to someone else.” The dream ended.

My brother, a devotee, was an advocate. His clientele was very limited. He wanted to shift his practice to another place in expectation of better luck. He sought Bhagavan’s opinion about it. Bhagavan replied softly, “Is that so? Why don’t you consult an astrologer about it?” We could not help laughing.

A devotee complained, “I am unable to have peace of mind. I am planning to go to the Himalayas in search of it.” Bhagavan said, “You have traveled 250 miles from Madurai and come here. How much mental quietness have you got? Multiply it by the distance from here to the Himalayas to measure the happiness you would get by going there.” Even the questioner could not help laughing.

In reply to a visitor who remarked, “I have had enough of these family troubles, my only recourse is sannyasa”, Bhagavan observed, “Now you are crying over domestic worries; then you will have your share of sannyasi’s problems. A mere change of clothes would not help. Find out the one for whom there is sorrow.”

Once I sought Bhagavan’s blessings on the ground that all my efforts to abide at the source of the mind had proved futile. When Bhagavan asked, “What is the obstruction?” I answered, “It is my deep-rooted tendencies. I need your grace.” His reply was, “Your repeated effort is bound to erase them. All sadhana is meant for this purpose only.” He further observed, “Keep up your practice. There is no need to remind God about His business which is to keep an eye always on our welfare. The mistake one is prone to make is to abandon effort under the mistaken impression that God’s grace is absent. But one should not slacken, for God’s grace is bound to operate at the ripe time.”

- Face to Face

[deanpinterester]

i think shopping almost exclusively from second hand stores has completely skewed my perception of what counts as expensive. i saw a pillowcase for like $25 and i was like WHO is buying this. a throw blanket i really want is $80 and i was ready to faint. are these normal prices or am i just extremely frugal? vote now on your phones

[ekslibris]

lately i've been going back and forth with this a lot and i don't know how to stop.

i've envisioned some kind of realistic life for my future in my mind. what it can be. i can live frugally. minimum wage, have a shit job that nobody dreams of as a child. and i'm not complaining with this, the opposite actually. it's fine. like, i can see my life like this. i can do it. maybe not super exciting and happy, but i could do it for real. try to find satisfaction in the small moments. when i'm just left to myself i don't dream of vacations in hawaii or fancy michelin restaurants. i could be fairly content. we can't all be fancy investment bankers, the world needs petrol station cashiers too. so it's fine. but THEN i get slapped in the face with the life i see other people living. i don't mean influencers online, but friends who finished their education and have cushy jobs now. a childhood friend who knew her passion from childhood and is doing a thousand things related to it anytime i hear from her. a girl i went to high school with that has been posting instagram stories from dubai.??? and it reminds me how life could be SO much better than the small unimportant 'just getting by' life i see for myself. how much more excitement and happiness life could have. how much of excitement and happiness it HAS right in this moment for others. but THEN i swing back to the fact that not only it could be much better, but it could also be much much worse. i could be born into a completely different life. working in a sweatshop in pakinstan? or living in a war zone? or being a child bride.? so how can i complain about anything at all when i at least have all my basic needs met? how stupid it suddenly feels to be envious of people i know and dream of a trip to dubai when i could be starving right now, or homeless. why am i taking so many things for granted.

and i swing back and forth from one extreme of being content and resigned to the idea i have to the other extreme of being desperate for what i see in other lives. and it doesn't stop. back and forth it's infuriating

[soundwavefucker69]

I am so fucking stressed out, man. I'm probably going to have to get a job in retail and I won't be able to afford my car payments on top of the insurance while I'm at it. so the plan is to basically live EXTREMELY frugally for 6-8 months, save up the money I got on top of my tax return, buy a used motorcycle for around 3k, and then surrender my car back to the lender voluntarily. I'll still have to make monthly payments but I won't have to do insurance so it'll be like $50 a month in insurance as opposed to $250. that's the plan right now. it'll massively fuck my credit but my credit is already fucked so whatever.

[femmefatalevibe]

Hi! I just wanted to let you know I really love your blog. I turn 24 this month and I am getting a financial advisor for the first time in my life this month. I’m nervous yet really excited, I have a “scarcity mindset” mindset when it comes to money and when I go to treat myself I sometimes believe I don’t deserve it. I believe I deserve nothing but the best in this life and I am the only one responsible for my finances. Is there any way for me to break this mindset and not see money as the enemy?

Hi love! Thank you so much <3 

Happy early birthday, and congratulations on the adult milestone! You sound like a very responsible and self-aware person, which only can serve you. 

The scarcity mindset, especially around money, can be extremely difficult to break away from – especially if you grew up with less money or parents who also felt guilty for spending it. Try to reframe your money mindset with this understanding: Money is a tool that doesn’t hold inherent value but can be leveraged to help you obtain value and valuable opportunities or resources in your life. So, while saving and investing are important to obtain things like peace of mind and security to ensure your basic needs are met (especially in the event you lose a source of income), the purpose of money is to add value to your life. Sometimes, this means being on the frugal side and cutting back on your spending to pay rent, bills, medical insurance, food, electricity, etc. However, there are other times when the most valuable thing you can do for yourself, once your basic needs are met, is to invest in items, services, or experiences that provide growth opportunities in all life arenas and allow you to expand your consciousness/life experiences– therapy, a massage, a new outfit that makes you feel like a rockstar, a great meal with loved ones, a vacation to reset your body and mind. Think about the ROI on these indulgences – better mental health, physical health, and overall fulfillment or sense of well-being. In the long run, these short-term purchases might even help you make more money down the line (e.g. You splurge on that vacation and new outfit now, so you ace the job interview and get an offer that provides a significant raise from your previous position). 

Forgo the black-and-white mindset that money is limited and only exists to be conserved. You need to put your money to work (which can take on many forms) to make it work for you. Once you have your needs and an emergency fund in place, leverage this abundance to invest in other financial opportunities and means that enrich your life. Remember you deserve it. You quite literally owe it to yourself. 

Hope this helps xx 

[blue-grama]

5 Things That Make You Happy

✨List 5 things that make you happy and send this to the last 10 people who liked/reblogged something from you. Get to know your followers and mutuals!✨

‌I was tagged by @abstractelysium! Thanks for the tag :)

My Five Things of the moment: 1. Warm weather: It's spring in my part of the world, which means whiplash between terrible rain/snow, days so perfectly mild they feel fake, and withering sun. I'm just excited to be outside again. 2. Gay time travel period piece romances out of Thailand: This is my Asian drama corner of the internet, so might as well talk about it, hm? There are some things you don't know you like until you watch one version and then find yourself perking up like a trained seal every time something in the same vein appears.

So yeah, apparently the time-traveling gays are just extremely that for me.

Long way of saying that I have just learned about I'm The Most Beautiful Count and I expect to be seated for it.

3. The fact that one of the only twelve Archaeopteryx specimens in the world is in a corregated metal prefab museum in a one-stoplight town in north-central Wyoming.

By w:en:User:Stephan Schulz - English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2166353

i love her

4. Getting a good deal on something. This is a byproduct of an upbringing by extremely frugal parents, but I become possibly unhealthily giddy at getting something useful or fun for free or cheap. I just picked up a vintage (aka probably only 10 years older than me lol/sob) mustard-yellow suitcase decorated with elephants from a neighbor who was giving it away, and it's objectively kind of hideous but I will love it until it falls apart into a million pieces, and when I finally have to throw it away I will wistfully recount the tale of how it was free.

5. Learning Chinese. This is a lie, Mandarin has regularly been throwing me into existential crises for half my life now, I will die unfluent in this language, it's fine, it's fine. I started learning when I was young because my family lived in China, but when I returned to my home country I basically marked time for years because I went to a university without much of a language program and the most I could really do was keep up a very basic level. I dropped the whole thing for much of my early adulthood, and now I'm back to it. The gratifying thing is how quickly a lot of my reading and comprehension came back. The ungratifying thing is I am tragic at stringing together a sentence. Realistically, I have no good reason to be banging my head against this but I also think that if you don't have a frustrating hobby in adulthood you just start listening to political podcasts and going insane, so here we are. 加油！

As per instructions, tagging people who've recently reblogged from me... @benkaaoi, @chaos0pikachu, @dramalets, @boozles @luthienmpl, @cryptidafter @brifrischu, obviously ignore if you have already done this or find this kind of thing irritating.

[thatfragilecapricorn30]

Once you get this, you have to say five things you like about yourself, publicly. Then you have to send this to ten of your favourite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool~)🌈💖🌈💖🌈

aw thank you for sending this. 5 things i like about myself? oh boy...

I can get along with almost anyone. I'm not saying I like everyone or want to spend time with all these people, but I can definitely be personable (or at least fake it lol).

I like that I'm active and have (at least some) athletic ability. I play tennis and run regularly. I don't swim as much as I used to but I coach kids in the sport so I still get to utilize my skills.

I can touch type quickly. Extremely helpful during college and now at work. So many emails 😩

My red hair. I didn't like it when I was younger, but I like it now.

I am good with money. I'm pretty frugal and I've always worked at least two jobs because I want to make sure I am saving/not going into debt. (Probably need better work/life balance, but that's a different list).

[kichimiangra]

Am yammering. I've grown to resent the morality tales where good things happen to you as a result of your good deeds. I understand their purpose, "enlightened self interest" is a more difficult concept to teach than the extremely simplified version of karma, I just find it disappointing and dishonest.

There are always results for your actions. It's just not that they're necessarily the results that you want, regardless of doing what is morally correct. You work hard at your job, and you may get taken advantage of by your boss or coworkers. You can save someone's life and they are completely ungrateful. You can save your money in a most frugal manner and then have to spend it on a minor crisis rather than the nice thing that you wanted.

Of course, unfairness happens all the time. It is a fundamental facet of our lives. Just having an unfair result isn't satisfying.

No, I'm after outcomes that are not particularly "bad", just something that is a direct result of moral actions. The hero heals a minor minion, now the minion is trying to usurp their boss to catch the heroine's heart. You do the main character thing where you solve everyone's problems and now you have a cult of worshippers who are convinced that you are better than a god. You help out a miserable yokai and get blessed with something you didn't want as a result. Just an endless series of "wait, hang on now, let's discuss this" and being met with "no. Your kindness has consequences."

I savor that shit.

I have to agree that a karma based story

-----

My finger hit 'post'. Standby.

-----

I have to agree that a karma based story is, to a general audience, often the most satisfying route of a story, as for most of us we like to see the Heroes get everything that they worked for as well as see the Villians get their comeuppance for the crimes. In a way the Karma system of storytelling is a story with a world that is 'Just' and a world that is Just comforts people.

As someone who grew up suckling the tit of karmic retribution in story telling though I feel it can often instill this expectation in the reader that the world itself should be Karmic, as media has doubled down into it hard with barely any alternative or questioning. Then when a story arrives that does not conform to the rules of "good things happen to good people; bad things to bad; not all endings are happily ever after OR tragedies" the author can be treated like they are a whore for a tragic ending simply because the Hero wasn't granted everything they ever wanted by the final page.

[pbandjesse]

I had a good day off all things considered. The consideration being I am so sleepy. I almost feel like I have a cold. But it wasn't a bad day.

I had very few goals today. I wanted to clean. I wanted shake shack. And I wanted to go buy flat back earrings at old navy. And I would accomplish those goals.

I woke up this morning later then I like. But after we got home last night I ended up being up super late working on a planning document for Uganda. I think it's going to cost $6k. Which is rough but James thinks we can do it and James is much more frugal so I believe them. Hopefully I'm overestimating how much, but there are variables I just don't know yet. Like the hotel rooms because they are going to get a discount. And like what food will be. We also need visas and yellow fever vaccines. So I was up until 2 reading articles and writing up my findings. I would end up moving to the kitchen because James kept flailing in their sleep. Where Sweetp alerted me to a giant fucking bug. So large I actually woke James up to come get it.

But after that I went back to bed and actually was convinced there was a bug on my tablet and my heart rate went so high I was like. It's time to go to sleep.

When I did get out of bed I washed my faced and got dressed. And then I was right into cleaning. I started in the bathroom. I have found I am avoiding some stuff because my body hurts or I'm like afraid it'll make my body hurts. So I did not do the floors and I did not pull the box from under the sink or like the trash or anything. I did take the stuff out of the shower and cleaned the tub the best I could. But I am for sure being a big baby about anything that has to do with bending.

But I got good cleaning done. And finally started working on getting rid of some kitchen stuff. I decided the best way to do it was to pull out everything I don't want to get rid of. So then James can pair it down from there. I would clear out the cubbies so I could store them there for the time being. This would take a while though. Just moving stuff. I would have to go and get the ladder to get up to the hall shelf.

I would get a lot accomplished. And felt pretty good. I decided it was time to head out into the world.

I really liked my outfit and felt very cool. And was looking forward to shake shack. I was struggling a little when I got there though and was having trouble understanding people talking to me and I don't know why?? Everything just sounded garbled. So I got confused and didn't use the coupon I had which just made me upset with myself. But I'll save it for another time.

I did enjoy my food. I sat inside. I did spill some ketchup on myself but I tried to not let it bother me. For some reason the food made me cough like crazy. Which made me very uncomfortable. But I was trying to not let it stop me.

I went across the street to old navy and looked around for a while. I was surprised how expensive everything was even in the clearance. Old Navy clearance used to be so good!

I did find the earrings I wanted. I wanted flat back earrings and I am very happy with the ones I got. I may go back for another because I got two different ones and I didn't think I would love them as much as I am so now I want matching ones. The only real issue is they are internally threaded and are very hard to put on!! At least they make me feel pretty.

The coughing was making me feel super tired. And when I got home I was so tired I was dizzy.

I would have to spend like a half hour trying to get my broken hoop earring out with two pairs of pliers. Which was not fun and hurt my ears and then putting on the new earrings was a struggled it was tough. But I was so extremely tired.

So as soon as I could I got changed and got in bed and I was out.

I slept until 430. And when I woke up James was here. I don't know if it was the AC or what but my throat hurt so much. And I wanted something. James would get me ice cream and I asked for water but they weren't listening when I tried to tell them that my water bottle had lemonade in it and I yelled to the next room to grt their attention and hurt my throat and was just so upset I was just like. Leave me alone. And that wasn't nice. I would apologize and they would say it's okay but it's not fair that I let myself fall apart and be mean. Hate being mean.

James would order us pizza for dinner. I mostly wanted the salad I got with it. It was just nice sitting together and eating. James walked to go pick it up and apparently they didn't get the notification so they had to quickly make it and so the crust was a little soft but it was fun. I still liked it.

While James was gone I vacuumed and cleaned the kitty litter and refilled our hand soap. And it was a nice evening.

I would spend some time collecting things and putting stuff away. I restuffed my bear DJ because he had gotten so floppy. He's very full now.

I took a salt bath and watched a spooky video. And James met Lane downstairs to get some stuff together for James's philly bike ride tomorrow. I'm glad someone is acting as like a relief vehicle just in case. Makes me feel more secure.

And now we are in bed. And I am really hoping I can fall asleep quick. I love you all. Sleep well!!