#Tapping Troubleshooting

[fidgetspringer]

We're going over the wiring the old owner did on the bike, which is very neatly colour coded, but my stepdad is also VERY colour blind, so far it's going a lot like this:

Stepdad: "So this red wire-"

Me: "That one's green but go on."

Him: "So this green wire-"

-

Him: "This one's orange, right?"

Me: "That's the brown one."

-

Him: *Pointedly holding up wire*

Me: "Red."

So at least i'm being somewhat useful.

[wisdomandroyalty]

How To Make Perfect Rice Every Time

🍚 Master the art of perfect rice every time with our step-by-step guide! Say goodbye to sticky, mushy rice and hello to fluffy perfection. 🌟 #CookingTips #FlawlessRice #WizBlog #Food

Rice, a beloved staple in numerous cultures globally, holds an esteemed position on dining tables spanning from Asia to Africa to South America. This versatile grain graciously lends itself to an array of delectable dishes, ranging from savory delicacies to delightful desserts. Cooking rice can be quite a challenging task, even for experienced chefs. It’s not uncommon to end up with rice that is…

[catcze]

Reblogs are greatly appreciated !!

"What flowers do you like?"

Wriothesley asks one day, trying to seem nonchalant. Trying to make it look not as obvious that he's already mentally running through a list of Fontanian florists.

But you hm to yourself, frowning. "I... don't know. I've never really received flowers before," you say with a shrug, acting like it's no big deal. Wriothesley, though, has to catch himself before he drops the pen in his hand.

"Never?" He asks with wide eyes, head snapping in your direction, jaw dropping the slightest bit. "None of your past relationships ever got you flowers?"

You shake your head, not really bothered by the fact, and although you're nonchalant about it, Wriothesley immediately feels the gears in his head turn. That mental list of florists runs through his mind at double the speed. His finger absently taps on the wood of his desk, mind racing as he does some rough estimations. Unaware and unsuspecting, you merely go back to perusing the books in his office, running your hands over their worn spines, oblivious to the clench in Wriothesley's jaw and the determined glint in his eye.

A week later, and Wriothesley returns from the surface with a bouquet in his hands. It's nothing too big or ostentatious— that's not really his style. Instead, it's simple in its beauty and easy on the eyes. All sorts of flowers have been included, even ones not native to Fontaine. Cecilias from Mondstadt, Glaze Lillies and Qingxin from Liyue, Padisarahs from Sumeru, and even Fluorescent Flowers from Inazuma's Chinju forest, among others. All arranged by hands more skilled and talent more honed than he could ever hope to achieve.

Wriothesley knocks on your door, heart stuck in his throat, and can't help but laugh a little at how cliche it all looks. Him, standing in front of your door with a bunch of flowers in hand, desperately trying to fight down his blush when he hears a 'coming!' faintly behind your door.

When you swing it open, your greeting is caught in your throat, eyes wide as they behold the blue and white blossoms Wriothesley brought for you.

"What... what's this? What's the occasion?"

But he shakes his head, and at his behest you take the bouquet into your arms, holding it carefully. When you bury your nose among the petals, they smell sweet but not saccharinely overpowering. It's enough to make you want to cry.

"No occasion," Wriothesley says, one hand going to scratch at the back of his neck, his smile shy and bashful. "I just wanted to get them for you. Wanted to be the first person to ever get you a bouquet of flowers, you know? But importing them took longer than i expected and, well, I told the florist that I was giving it to someone very special so they spent some extra time on the arrangement..." He trails off, clearing his throat nervously. "...Do you like it?"

And that sets loose the tears behind your eyes.

Wriothesley panics a little when he sees how you blubber, sobs making your shoulders shake as you hide your face in the flowers. His eyes widen, a frantic apology on the tip of his tongue while he fears that he messed up somehow. But then you tackle him into a hug, arms wrapping around his shoulders, pulling him close until you can bury your head in his chest and cry. His arms wrap around you almost hesitantly, but when you nuzzle closer into his embrace and they tighten around you.

You're barely able to speak through your tears, words muffled around his undoubtedly ruined shirt.

"I love it." I love you, you really mean.

And how can you not? This sweetheart of a man bought you flowers just because he wanted to. Because no one else had before, and he wanted to be the first person to do so. All his sporadic trips to the surface for the past week make sense— you doubt procuring so many imported flowers so quickly was an easy task on top of troubleshooting the various hiccups of the fortress and sorting through some documents that found themselves on his desk. But he did it anyway, just because he thought it'd make you happy.

"I'm glad," Wriothesley murmurs. He rocks you back and forth in his embrace until your happy tears begin to subside. Then he clears his throat. "So, can I buy you another one next week, too?"

[ #Taglist registration here !! ]

[chowadoe]

so more on that role reversal au...

Shadow (created as a Weapon Against Humanity) who was eventually raised, and exploited, by G.U.N to become Humanity's Ultimate weapon and Sonic, found by Robotnik

some more expanded thoughts below ^_^

SHADOW - G.U.N AGENT

Shadow was initially created with the intention of being a Weapon Against Humanity. after a life-altering incident, G.U.N. takes Shadow into their custody, raising him to become one of their top agents, exploiting him.

he's constantly under government surveillance... inhibitor rings (developed by G.U.N.) are clamped onto him like a shock collar so he is unable to tap into his full power. (Shadow has neither tested nor does he know the extent of his strength.. he has never tried removing them. G.U.N. is the only one who can remove them.)

the hypocritical method in wanting their weapon (cough trained dog) to exercise and develop restraint on his own terms, and yet forcefully acclimating him.

Shadow’s aware of his past. Definitely struggles with Existential dread about why he’s on Earth and what he was made for. he wants to (and feels like he should) do good, but if he was initially made with destructive intent… is he compensating this way? is this what he really wants? no.. he shouldn't think like that.. Maria would want him to be good..

If not to make the world the better a place, if they still treat his kind as inferior and sometimes, even a threat to the whole human race, does humanity and this planet still deserve its rite for redemption? What is humanity? Is that something he’s capable of, as a weapon of mass destruction?

what is he trying to prove here? His docility? His ability to be obedient and be, by human standards, good? what does that mean in a world that may never accept them, and much less him- a synthetic and all-unnatural organism forged from humanity’s worst and an alien race only capable of Evil and wrongdoing. a being so perfectly suited for any and all forms of persecution. Humankind’s scapegoat. He thinks about Maria.

Maria remains a guiding light. Back then, she would sneak Shadow out to gaze upon the Earth, her former home. She misses it, the lush greenery, the sun, the people. she hopes that Shadow will get to experience what it’s like.

au shadow is emo edgy in a sad wet adult 40yo cat leon kennedy kind of way. au sonic is emo edgy like a 14yo that found out you could buy a tattoo gun on amazon without a license. I know nothing about resident evil

when he's not on a mission, he's usually in his "room" (extremely generous word for containment chamber/training facility.) he's like a hamster in a cage with toys to play with . (treadmills. race tracks. dummy robots. Ak-47s.) He's allowed to freely roam HQ from hours 6am-10pm, and if not, he is usually escorted by a guard, unless its Rouge sneaking him out. But beyond that, it's not like the ultimate lifeform needs that much sleep, and it'd be bad to have their ultimate weapon roaming the halls without supervision. but let's say there's the occasional nocturnal scavenger providing him a bit of nightly mischief that even the most complicated most difficult to navigate ventilation system cannot keep a natural-born burrower out..... (haha)

SONIC - ACCOMPLICE

Robotnik’s “accomplice” (adoptive son?)

Sonic goes along with Robotnik’s schemes but has his own ulterior motives .. after all, working under someone is still infringing on his sense of freedom, independence, and pride.

He only rlly helps out Robotnik out if it helps him… robotnik makes some new tech that tickles his , esp if smth that happens to enhance his existing abilities. sure he’s more than capable of doing things on his own but what’s better than to play with his new toys with his already existing toys (GUN. shadow.)

and if he manages to break them in a day then he’s found an issue that robotnik needs to troubleshoot immediately. eggman should really be Thanking him!

his only known goal atm is to find things that stave off his boredom. from what Shadow's gathered at least. but maybe there's more...

has a very bad No Good Fixation on shadow's inhibitor rings for whatever reason. wonder that could mean.

Still fucking around with roles and nothing's rlly set in stone. Im just kind of giggling kicking rocks and throwing pebbles in the water to see what lands ^q^

Rouge is still there! A contractor for G.U.N. A Recovering/reformed Jewel thief who joins the task force (maybe?) 

the gang is also there! still brainstorming roles though. emrmmm

[captainsophiestark]

Rebound

Dick Grayson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Requested by @navyhua! Hope you like it!

Fandom: DC

Summary: Dick and Babs just broke up, on the eve of an undercover mission requiring the cover to be as a couple. Luckily, Dick knows somebody who can step into Babs's place.

Word Count: 4,829

Category: Angst, Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"It's a three month minimum undercover mission. I completely understand if you're not up for it, but... I was hoping you'd be willing to take it on."

I stared holes in my kitchen wall, immensely grateful that Dick couldn't see my face right now. I kept the phone to my ear even though my good friend and vigilante buddy was finished speaking, now just waiting for my response. I felt more and more awkward with every second that passed, but I just couldn't bring myself to respond.

Dick was set to leave tomorrow morning for a massive, in-depth undercover mission to infiltrate a seriously dangerous group that a few of us had been keeping our eyes on. The cover required Dick and another person to go as a couple, acting completley and perfectly in love for the next few months. Until about a week ago, the plan had been perfectly set for him to go with Barbara Gordon, our mutual friend and his long-time girlfriend.

But then, just over a week ago, he and Barbara had broken up.

They were both fairly mature people, and had been friends long before they started dating, so there hadn't been much drama. Every single member of our group of friends and vigilantes had been relieved about that, not least of all because Dick and Barbara were essential leadership members of our teams, and a messy breakup would've been rough for more than just them. But, understandably, as a result of the breakup, they didn't want to go through with this undercover misison together, pretending to be a happy couple for months when their relationship had just ended.

I'd been part of conversations in passing troubleshooting what to do, but since I hadn't really had a role in the original plan, I hadn't paid much attention to the replanning. Now, it was all I could think about on a loop, since Dick had just asked me to go with him in Barbara's place.

I could tell from Dick's tone when he'd asked that he'd been worried about inconveniencing me on such short notice, especially since a few of our other friends had already tapped out due to scheduling conflicts. I was perfectly able to change my plans to go with him; scheduling was the least of my worries.

Instead, the number one concern dominating my mind was the absolutely gigantic, secret crush I'd been harboring on Dick for years. I'd been head over heels in love with the guy for a long time now, and the thought of spending months faking a relationship barely a week after he'd broken up with his girlfriend, another good friend of mine, made me sick to my stomach with nerves.

"Look, I know it's bad timing," Dick continued, apparently taking my absolute silence as indecision and not panic. "I'll understand if you can't make it work. But... if there's any chance you can get free, it would save the mission. You're just about my last hope of finding somebody who can see this through with me."

I let out a long sigh through my nose. This was a bad, stupid idea. But Dick needed my help, and I didn't want to leave him hanging. Besides, this mission was about more than a stupid crush. We were going after an organization doing legitimate harm to people, and if we didn't take this shot at taking them down, who knew when the next one might come along?

"Alright," I said, forcing the word out before I could second-guess myself anymore. "Alright, I'll do it."

"Really?" The joy and relief in Dick's voice made my heart do a backflip, and I shook my head at myself. "Thank you, so much. I'll come pick you up in the morning so we can head out. Is that enough time for you to pack and get everything in order?"

"Yeah, it should be," I said, fighting to keep the resignation and regret out of my tone. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Perfect! I'll bring your favorite coffee order."

I could practically hear the adorable wink in his voice that I loved to see in person as he hung up the phone. I let out a long, heavy sigh and set my own phone face down on the counter. This was a terrible idea. But it was too late to back out now.

I needed to pack.

****************

True to his word, Dick knocked on my door bright and early the next morning. I'd been pretty unable to sleep last night thanks to my brain overthinking the decision I'd just made, but on the bright side, it meant I'd had plently of time to pull off the perfect packing job. When I opened my door to find Dick grinning, an extra coffee in-hand for me, I was already ready to go.

"Good morning," he said, fixing me with the smile that never failed to make my heart race. "Here's your coffee, as promised."

I did my best to smile back as I took the cup from him, one bag already slung over my shoulder.

"Thanks."

"Thank you. For... probably obvious reasons, Babs and I really weren't in a place to do this mission together. If you hadn't been willing to step in on such short notice, we would've been in serious trouble."

"...Glad I could help."

"Here, let me give you a hand with your bags."

It didn't take more than one trip for Dick and I to get everything loaded in "our" car. For the sake of our cover, we were driving over to the gorgeous resort we'd be staying at together in this rental, in character from the moment we got within a few miles of the place.

I paused for just a second outside the passenger side door before joining Dick. I was not going to let this stupid crush compromise our mission, especially not when I knew Dick was still processing a major breakup. We'd been alone plenty of times before, we'd been friends for years. Sure, it would be a little different to act like a couple, but I made myself a promise then and there that I wouldn't let myself get carried away. For my sake, and for Dick's.

****************

"So, how long have you two been together?"

Dick and I shared a look, and I knew neither of us had to fake the warm smile spreading on both of our faces. For the sake of creating a cover we could stick to easily, Dick and I had kept a lot of truth in our fake story, including things like when we'd met. Dick already had one arm around my waist, but he pulled me in tighter to his side as he answered the question for both of us without breaking my eye contact.

"Almost two years now. Although, we've known each other a lot longer."

"Since we were kids."

Dick's hand gently squeezed my waist, and my heart felt like it was about to burst from the warm glow this man seemed to cause with just a single look. We really had been in each other's lives a long time now; we'd been each other's constants through quite a lot of change and challenge.

Which was why I forced myself to take a deep breath and a half-step back from our cover as a couple as Dick turned away to face the people in front of us. We'd been here for almost two months now, and at first, I'd been doing fine with separating reality from the fake story we were trying to sell everyone else. But in the last few weeks, something just felt... different.

I knew it was in my head, but more recently, when Dick gazed into my eyes to sell that we were deeply in love, it felt like there was an energy and a truth there that hadn't existed before. When he kissed me to maintain our cover, he never lingered, but in the past few weeks the small pecks seemed to stretch out for an extra few milliseconds more than they necessarily needed to, especially when Dick's arms were around me.

I took a careful sip of the drink in my hand as I forced my attention back to the couple in front of us. Dick had been carrying the entire conversation, which wasn't fair to him. He was an outstanding performer, and I needed to stop buying into our own press. It was a fine line to walk while we were quite literally in the belly of the beast, at a massive party with all of the targets we'd been gathering information on for months, but in the back of my head I chanted a little reminder to myself: "friend friend friend friend friend".

"Well, the two of you certainly make a sweet couple," said the woman in front of us with a smile. "We're glad you were able to join us here."

"We are, too," I said, returning her smile. "It's been a wonderful experience, and some great time for the two of us to get to spend together."

"But now, if you'll excuse us," Dick broke in with one of his trademark grins, pulling me a few steps to the side with him, "we're just dying to go dance."

The couple we'd been speaking to waved us away with adoring smiles, and my heart skipped a beat as Dick whirled us onto the dance floor, his arms wrapped tightly around me. We'd spent plenty of Wayne Galas dancing the night away like fools, but never this intimately. The chant in my head died down despite my best efforts.

Dick and I swayed to the music, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist as I rested my hands on his shoulders. Slowly, he leaned in closer, and my heart did a backflip. He brought his mouth right up to my ear, and I swear I was on the verge of cardiac arrest until he spoke.

"I just got a message from Wally. We got all the evidence we need, and they're about to break in here and take down the whole room."

I bit my lip, trying to ignore the pit of disappointment opening in my stomach. We'd done our jobs, and unless something went wrong in the next few moments, we were about to get some very bad people out of a position to do harm. The last thing I should have been feeling was disappointment.

"They're gonna need some kind of distraction while they put the last touches into place, especially for the security guys around the room. I've got an idea, but I need you to go with it, okay?"

I nodded, even though my clenching heart told me this was a bad, bad idea.

"I trust you."

Dick's hands squeezed my waist, and then he was spinning me, out and away from him. I let him lead, trusting him and trusting myself to know what to do when the time came. The music around us swelled to a finale for this song, and Dick had worked us right into the middle of the room. He dipped me, then held my hands tightly once I was standing upright in front of him again. As the last notes faded throughout the room, he dropped to one knee before me.

The gasp I let out was real. Everyone around the room echoed it. If Wally needed a distraction, Dick had found the perfect way to do it.

I quickly threw my hands up to my face, mirroring the normal reaction and also giving myself some room to get in the zone. Dick just smiled up at me, his face practically radiating love and affection.

"My love... I've been waiting for the right time to do this, and I can't think of a better one than now." The phrase was enough to help me get back in the zone, if only slightly. This was the best time for a fake proposal, as a distraction for our friends. "You make me the happiest man alive. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. So... would you do me the absolute honor of agreeing to marry me?"

I huffed a little laugh, letting a smile creep onto my face as my hands dropped. I knew how to sell the act, and more importantly, I'd managed to keep it straight in my head that we were acting.

"Yes. Baby, a thousand times yes! I love you so much."

Dick grinned, popping a up from where he'd been kneeling and sliding a ring I recognized as one of his own onto my finger. In a pinch, it'd work as a fake engagement ring, especially since if everything went according to plan, no one in the room would get the chance to look at it up close.

Cheers errupted around us as Dick finished giving me the ring. I smiled up at him, expecting that to more or less be the end of things, but then he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me tightly into his chest. His other hand came up to cup the back of my neck, and he pulled me into a deep, searing kiss unlike anything we'd ever done for our cover so far.

An absolutely tiny part of my brain argued that this was all part of creating a distraction that would do its job and distract for as long as our team needed to get in here. But the rest of me disagreed. This kiss, the way he held me, felt different. We'd been faking it for two months, I knew what that felt like. But as Dick held me to him and kissed me like the world was ending, there was a spark of something real and wonderful that I knew I wasn't imagining.

In the back of my mind, I recognized the sounds of shouting and glass shattering from the room around us. I blocked out all of them as Dick slowly pulled away from me, his eyes locking onto mine. I just stared back, my mouth slightly open. No doubt, our cover was broken now as our friends descended on the place, and yet the soft look in Dick's eyes didn't fade for an instant. He breathed my name, but then a shout that sounded like Wally came from across the room, and the moment broke. Dick turned to look in the direction of the noise, then dropped his hands from my waist and rushed into the fray with nothing more than a quick glance back at me.

I felt like someone had driven a knife into my heart and was wiggling it around with reckless abandon, but I forced myself to lock down the emotions, at least for a moment. Our friends were fighting to get and keep control of the room, and they needed all the help they could get.

Thankfully, I'd been working with this team as a vigilante for long enough that it came back to me perfectly naturally, even while my emotions were trying to take me out then and there. Gradually, we managed to get control of the room, securing all the bad guys Dick and I had been scouting for months. Once the action calmed down, I searched the room for Dick, intending to pull him aside and talk to him. Honestly, I'd been expecting him to be looking for me to do the same thing. But instead, I found him across the room, his attention completely focused on Barbara.

I bit down on my tongue so hard I almost drew blood. That knife in my heart had dug in deeper than I'd thought possible. I turned away, using the cover of cleaning up the mess in the room to hide my face from my friends, and tried to get a hold of myself. It's not like Dick and I were anything real. He'd just gotten out of a long term relationship, and everything we'd been doing for the past two months was supposed to be fake. Even if I'd thought I felt something different in that last kiss... it might not have meant anything to Dick.

I focused on taking deep breaths as I helped Wally, Dick, and the rest of our team wrap up the last loose threads on our mission. I kept trying to catch Dick's eye, but he refused to even look at me, which hurt about a thousand times worse than seeing him go running to Barbara. I loved both of them, and I didn't want to let my emotions convince me to do something I'd regret, so I took off at the first opportunity, saying I was exhausted and needed to rest. Thankfully, none of my friends called me on it.

Dick barely seemed to notice at all.

****************

After getting some breathing room from Dick and the illusion we'd created for the sake of our mission, I still couldn't shake the feeling that something had been different in that last kiss. Even if it didn't mean anything to Dick, even if he felt it was a mistake and wasn't interested in me the way I'd been interested in him, I knew we needed to talk about it. This radio silence would turn into a friendship-crushing awkwardness that I honestly couldn't take.

I called Dick two days after we got home from our mission to ask him to come over or grab coffee for a conversation, but he'd brushed me off with a lame excuse. I'd tried to set something up with him or else catch him at one of our training bases another dozen times over the next few weeks, but he just kept ducking me. It was incredibly unlike him, but after so many attempts, I took the hint. There really wasn't much else I could do. Whatever was going on with him, whatever had been behind that last kiss on our mission, Dick clearly wanted nothing to do with me now.

I debated talking to one of our other friends about it. If he kept avoiding me for too much longer, maybe I would. But eventually I decided that if he wanted space that badly, then I would give it to him.

I'd gone about three days after making that resolution before I'd broken down. I sat at my kitchen counter, drafting and redrafting a message to send to Dick to hopefully open the door between us again to talk and be friends like normal, before this mission had made things so weird. I didn't even care if he didn't feel the same way about me romantically, or if he wanted to say I'd been hallucinating whatever I'd felt during that last kiss. I just wanted my friend back.

I'd just gotten to a draft of my message that I didn't absolutely hate every word of when a knock came at my door. I frowned. I hadn't been expecting anybody, and honestly, I didn't want to be interrupted in the middle of drafting this stupid message lest I chicken out for another few days.

I stood up with a sigh to check the peep hole, then froze solid when I saw Dick on the other side. Even worse, he had a boquet of flowers in his hand. Whatever that was about, my brain and body were telling me I was way too nervous to ever know.

I was just contemplating whether I could get away with pretending not to be home, all the courage to do with the message draining away at the thought of having to say it to him in person, when he called my name from the other side of the door.

"I know you're home," he continued. "And honestly, I understand if you don't want to talk to me right now, but... I'd really like the chance to explain myself."

That, at least, got my attention. I took a deep breath, then slowly opened the door, revealing Dick on the other side. He gave me a smile as soon as he saw me, but it was much weaker than I was used to. Honestly, he looked more nervous than I'd ever seen him before.

"Thanks for opening the door," he said. He held the flowers out to me, and gingerly I took them. "Do you, uh... do you mind if I come in?"

"Of course not," I said, sighing a little as I stepped aside to make room for Dick. A bit of the tension in his shoulders seemed to fade at my words, and he stepped past me into my apartment. I shut the door, planning to ask if he wanted something to drink before we both settled in for whatever this conversation was going to be, but Dick beat me to the punch.

"Listen, I want to start by saying I'm sorry for disappearing on you." He spoke emphatically, standing in the middle of my entryway, his eyes locked completely on mine. Apparently we were doing this now. "I needed some time and some space to figure things out, but I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way in the process."

I cleared my throat and shrugged, setting the flowers down and then crossing my arms.

"Well, let's see. After spending two months together joined at the hip, you kissed me... like that, and then turned around and disappeared on me with a bunch of lame ass excuses for why you didn't have time to see me. Yeah, Dick, whatever that was, it hurt."

He grimaced, but took a step closer to me all the same.

"I'm sorry. I could've handled myself better. But..." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking away from me for the first time since he'd gotten here. I just raised an eyebrow and waited for whatever he decided to say next. When he met my eyes again, he looked a little at war with himself. "...I need you to promise me something."

I huffed a little laugh. "Seriously? Dick, you said you wanted to come in and explain something, so let's start there."

He just shook his head. "I need you to promise me that our friendship won't be affected. Alright? If I promise you that I won't make it weird, I need you to promise me you'll at least try to do the same."

"Dick, there is only one of us in this room who's made the friendship weird recently, and it's you. But... fine. I promise."

Dick let out a sigh of relief, then straightened up as he met my eyes.

"While we were on our mission... I started to feel like I wanted what we were pretending to do to be real. I realized I liked holding you, and kissing you, and having people look at us and know we were together. And as a result, I let myself get carried away when I kissed you on the last night of our mission. And I'm sorry for that."

I just stared back at him, my brain working overtime to try to process what he'd just said. I don't know what I'd been expecting, but a confession that my long-time friend and crush had spent the two months of our mission wrestling the same feelings I'd been struggling with? That hadn't been it.

Although, it was certainly a nice surprise.

"Dick..." I breathed, trying to decide where to start with what he'd just said. He broke back in before I got the chance to decide.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same way," he said quickly. "I don't mean to put pressure on you. But... I didn't feel like I could keep that secret from you, especially after that kiss."

The smallest hint of a smile pulled its way onto my face despite myself.

"You don't need to apologize," I said. "Not for that, anyway. I... ugh, I can't believe I'm about to admit this, but I've had feelings for you for... a long time. I didn't mind that kiss one bit."

Dick's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah, really. It's why I was so hesitant to take the mission in the first place. But we didn't really have another option to go get those guys, and I've gotten pretty good at shoving those feelings away and focusing on our friendship instead, so... here we are, I guess."

Now it was Dick's turn for a little smile. His seemed to be incredibly relief-driven, although we weren't totally out of the woods yet.

"That's incredible to hear," he said. "Seriously, I was getting worried I'd crossed a line and destroyed our friendship."

"Is that why you've been avoiding me?" I asked. "Because if so, Dick, you should've just talked to me-"

"No, that's not why. At least, not entirely." I raised an eyebrow, and Dick took another deep breath before continuing. "I'm sure I don't have to remind you, I just got out of a pretty long relationship with Barbara. When we'd started our mission especially, it'd only been a week."

"Yeah," I said, trying to keep the storm of emotions that memory brought on from showing on my face. "I remember."

Dick gave me a knowing little smile, then continued.

"Well, about halfway through our undercover mission... that's when I started feeling more than the usual friendship feelings about you. It felt real and right and like something I wanted to pursue, but... Barbara was my first long-term relationship. The two have us have known each other forever, and even though we parted on good terms, it still felt a little... weird, to just be moving on like that. And I care about you. A lot. I didn't want to make a mistake and end up hurting you. I wanted to be sure that my feelings were real, and not just a side effect of the breakup or our proximity and cover. I wanted to make sure I didn't treat you like a rebound. So, I ran when the mission finished, to get some space and to think. Maybe I could've handled that part better, but by the end of our two months, I was seriously starting to lose it holding feelings back, so... I couldn't think of a better way to handle things in the moment."

"...And? You took all that time and space, what did you figure out?"

The faint smile returned to Dick's face, along with the usual easy confidence I knew so well. He closed the last of the distance between us, gently taking my hands in his, and I let him.

"I figured out that these feelings I have for you are a lot more than a rebound, or proximity driven, or whatever else. I took some time to process, especially the stuff to do with Babs, and I feel good about why and how we ended. It was the right choice, for both of us, and we're both better for it. And most importantly, I think my next right choice is you. I'm just happier when I'm around you. My heart feels warmer when I get to hold you in my arms. You almost sent me into cardiac arrest with your outfit on the last night of our mission. So, if you feel the same way... I'd really like to be your boyfriend. Or at least take you on a date, if you want to start slower."

"I... I'm not going to lie, I kind of feel like I'm hallucinating right now."

Dick laughed. "I hope you at least feel like it's a positive hallucination?"

"Oh, definitely. Not one that I want to end by any means."

"Good. Then... is that a yes? To a date?"

I smiled, meeting Dick's eyes as my heart did backflips. "That's a yes to dating. Exclusively, if you're at that point, too."

"Absolutely I am. I'm... so happy to hear you say that."

I grinned. "I mean, I do feel like we're a little past first-date territory. Sure, we haven't technically been on one yet, but all the traditional first date activities are relationship markers we passed years ago. I already know all about your hometown, favorite color, and secret vigilante lifestyle."

Dick laughed again, letting go of my hands to wrap his arms around my waist and pull me into his chest instead. My heart was practically beating out of my chest, and when I brought one hand up to rest on Dick's chest, I could feel that his was, too.

"You know, I might not count 'secret vigilante lifestyle reveal' as a first date milestone," he teased. I hummed, pretending to think on the issue.

"I don't know, Dick. I mean, that's a pretty big potential dealbreaker you might want to get out of the way early-"

I stopped my teasing short as Dick moved forward, bringing his lips to mine for a real kiss, no undercover pretense attached. I melted into him, everything else in the world instantly fading to irrelevance. Despite our long history as friends, it really was too early for some things, including using the "L" word. But that didn't mean I didn't feel it, heart and soul. The past few months had been a constant emotional rollercoaster, but no matter what came next, this moment and this budding relationship with Dick made everything else worth it in my book.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen @misshale21

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[my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction]

Troubleshooting

Nathan Bateman x afab!Reader • Rating: 18+ pals Masterlist• ao3• want to be tagged? | request info • Kinktober 2024 Masterlist • Kinktober 2023 Masterlist • Day 23: Begging

Summary: Nathan can't say no to a challenge.

A/N: This was meant to be for kinktober 2023 (I'm so sorry).

Warnings: reader who has trouble orgasming by just penetration alone, p in v sex, cream pie, pet names, not beta read, please let me know if I have missed a warning!

Word Count: 765

“Nathan please,” you gasp, grabbing hold of the edge of his desk desperately as he pounds into you from behind.

“It’s okay baby, it’s okay, I got you.” He mutters, his voice gravely with the strain of holding back. He grasps your waist, keeping you still as he thrusts inside. 

You whine, tears in your eyes from being on the edge for so long. Part of you wishes you hadn’t told Nathan that you couldn’t come by penetration alone, but you didn’t realise quite how much of a personal challenge he would take it as. More fool you.

It feels so good, which is most of the problem. It makes pleasure spike and burn, but it never quite crests, never lets you get completely there.

“Fuck, you’re so fucking wet, you know that?” He growls, spreading his feet wider apart to change the angle. 

If you were a little more coherent you’d throw a sarcastic comment back at him, but the time for frontal lobe thinking was long past. 

“Please!” The sob breaks in your voice. It was bordering on painful how much you needed it, how desperate you were to come. 

Your slick dripped down your thighs, the slap of skin echoing loudly with every thrust. 

“You can do it, baby,” he moans deep in his throat, “I know you can, I know you can come.” 

“I can’t,” you tense, your muscles aching from tightrope walking you along the precipice. 

“You can, you can,” he groans, the sound vibrating through you. “I believe in you.” 

It would almost be sweet if you didn’t want to cry. Pleasure twisted along your nerves, pulling them tight but refusing to snap. Sweat dripped down your back, as he moved, trying a different angle, different speed. He’d been trying for what felt like forever. Unable to stop troubleshooting until the problem was fixed. 

You gasp, as he thrusts shallowly, tensing, your blood buzzing as he hits the same spot in quick, rapid succession. 

“Nathan!” 

“There you are, there you are,” he mutters, part of you wants to hit the smug grin off his face that you just know is plastered to it. “Little more.” 

It’s good, mind-numbingly good, but it’s just not going to get you there. Your clit throbs, yearning for the smallest touch to send you over the edge. 

You sob, your arms weakening. Your left gives out for a second, buckling and you yelp before Nathan grabs you, keeping you from falling and smacking your head on the corner of his desk. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay,” he pulls you close to his chest, kissing your neck greedily as he grinds his hips, keeping his cock deep inside. 

His beard scrapes along your skin and you moan, gasping for air. You couldn’t do this, this was too much, you needed to tap out, to-

He squeezes your left breast in his hand while his other runs down your stomach, his fingers rubbing your clit once and then you scream. 

Your orgasm hits you so hard, tensing every muscle as you convulse and cry out. Pleasure spikes up your spine, cutting under your skin and making your eyes roll back. You gasp out his name, practically vibrating and pulsing along him as your body finally collapses into pure bliss. 

Nathan groans, growling as your walls squeeze and milk him harder than he can ever remember. He shutters, barely managing to thrust one more before he comes deep inside, filling you to the brim. 

He holds you close, slumping back into his desk chair and taking you with him. 

You let out a little huff of air as you land. 

Nathan nuzzles your neck, sucking lightly and whispering sweet words. 

“So much for, ‘you can get anyone to come on your cock alone.’” You mumble, but there’s no heat in your words, too blissed out. 

He chuckles. “Guess you’re a problem I’m going to keep having to try to solve.” He holds you tight, rubbing your arms soothingly. “You okay?” 

You nod. 

He kisses your cheek. “Sorry I couldn’t keep going,” he mutters, “you just sound and feel too good for me to not indulge you.” 

You glance over your shoulder at him, pulling a face. “Indulge me?” 

He grins, “oh yeah,” and slips his hand down between your legs, he brushes his fingers over your clit and you jump, wriggling and moaning softly. “I don’t think I showed here enough attention, did I?” 

“Nathan,” you try to say warningly, but it comes out wanton. 

His grin widens, “I know you got one more in you.” 

Thank you for reading!

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[pupsmailbox]

TECHNOLOGY ID PACK

NAMES︰ admin. ajax. alexa. am. atari. audio. auto. bailey. binary. blank. blu. blue. bluesse. browser. browsette. bug. byte. cache. calware. chip. circe. click. clicker. clickie. clicky. cloud. coda. code. codette. codie. cody. computette. crypt. cursor. cy. cyber. cybernet. cybernetica. cyberweb. cypher. cypherre. data. dell. digi. digitalia. digitelle. digitesse. disc. dot. electronica. electronique. emoticon. emoticonnie. fax. file. gig. gizmo. glitch. glitche. glitchesse. glitchette. graphique. hacker. hal. halware. hijack. index. informationne. intelligette. internette. interweb. java. javascript. juno. key. link. linuxe. lotus. lovebytes. mac. mal. malakai. malware. malwaria. memorette. memorie. meta. mic. micah. mickey. morphe. mouse. mousette. myspace. nano. neo. net. netette. nett. netty. paige. pascal. payton. peyton. pixel. programatha. programette. programme. pulse. reboot. rom. router. ruby. sam. sammy. screene. screenette. sean. shock. solitaire. spy. static. stutter. talia. tap. tecca. tech. techette. tessa. tetris. trojan. troubleshoot. ts. user. vir. virus. virusse. volt. vyrus. webbe. wheatley. whirr. widget. will. wirehead. wiresse. zap. zett. zetta. zip.

PRONOUNS︰ ai/ai. alt/alt. anti/antivirus. arc/archive. audio/audio. bat/battery. beep/beep. beep/boop. bit/bit. bit/byte. blue/blue. board/board. bright/bright. brow/browser. browser/browser. brr/brr. bu/bug. bug/bug. buzz/buzz. byt/byte. byte/byte. c/cpu. charge/charger. cir/circuit. cli/click. click/clack. click/click. click/scroll. co/code. code/code. color/color. com/com. com/computer. comp/computer. compute/computer. computer/computer. cor/corrupt. corrupt/corrupt. CPU/CPU. crash/crash. cre/creeper. crtl/crtl. cy/cyber. cyb/cyber. cyber/cyber. da/data. data/data. delete/delete. di/disk. dig/digital. digi/digi. digi/digital. digital/digital. dra/drag. e/exe. electronic/electronic. enter/enter. er/error. err/error. error/error. exe/exe. fi/file. file/file. gi/gif. gli/glitch. glit/glitch. glitch/glitch. graphic/graphic. hac/hacker. hack/hack. hard/hardware. head/phone. hij/hijacker. ho/home. info/info. information/information. int/internet. intelligent/intelligence. intelligent/intelligent. inter/net. internet/internet. it/it. jpg/jpg. key/board. key/cap. key/key. key/keyboard. key/keylogger. lag/lag. lap/laptop. ligh/light. linux/linux. load/load. log/login. main/mainframe. mal/malware. me/media. memory/memorie. mon/monitor. mou/mouse. nano/nano. net/net. net/network. org/org. over/overwrite. page/page. pix/pix. pix/pixel. pixel/pixel. plu/plug. png/png. pop/popup. port/port. pow/power. pro/program. program/program. ram/ram. ran/ransom. reboot/reboot. reload/reload. res/restore. ret/retro. route/router. sca/scan. scr/scroll. scre/screen. scre/screencap. scree/screen. screen/screen. scri/script. script/script. sentient/sentience. shift/shift. site/site. skip/skip. soft/software. spa/spam. space/space. spy/spyware. stop/stop. te/tech. tech/nology. tech/tech. technology/technology. tou/touchpad. txt/txt. typ/type. upload/upload. user/user. vi/viru. vi/virus. vir/virtual. web/page. web/web. whir/whir. wi/wire. win/dow. win/window. wire/wire. wire/wired. zip/zip . ⌨ . ☣ . ⚙ . ⚠ . 🎞 . 🎨 . 🎭 . 🎮 . 🎵 . 👀 . 👁 . 💔 . 💡 . 💢 . 💣 . 💳 . 💵 . 💻 . 💽 . 💾 . 💿 . 📀 . 📱 . 🔇 . 🔈 . 🔉 . 🔊 . 🔋 . 🔌 . 🔎 . 🖥 . 🖱 . 🗡 . 🗯 . 🛠 . 🧿 .

[cosmicdream222]

Welcome ✨

Call me Cosmic. she/her. Millennial.

I blog about manifesting, loa, reality shifting, the void, etc. If that isn’t your cup of tea, peace out 👽 Asks & DMs are open as long as you are kind & respectful but please read through the FAQ before asking anything!

★ About me ★

I started making aff tapes & subliminals for myself & sharing them here on tumblr in the fall of 2023, and began posting on yt in April 2024.

YouTube channel 📌Previous pinned

Void, shifting & loa stuff compiled from others

The void explained in an old reiki book

An interview with a shifter who has been time-leaping since 2001

The void explained by a lucid dreaming instructor

Near-death experience & manifesting

Misc inspiration from loa twitter

More motivation from loa twitter

Just desire, intend & know it's possible

The universe is a giant hologram

You already have it all

Master Shifter Love Remix Series

How shifting works (the whole package)

Shifting is a law - so treat it like one

Shifting is the least special thing in the world

Shifting/manifesting is not your job

You deserve everything you want

Vanilla explains: Past Lives, Death & Afterlives

Resources, Challenges & Methods

DMT breathwork to enter the void

Wake up with your dream life: affirm & relax challenge

EFT tapping script

Manifesting is not a process challenge

What is Psych-k?

The Phase Basics

SSILD for lucid dreaming

Tips for lucid dreaming

Dream life script Google doc template

My OG void concept aff tape

My Void state subs on Google drive

Full desired appearance & beauty sub

Saturating session with my cats

FAQ: Read these before sending a question!

"Can I manifest...?"

YES. It doesn't matter what it is: the answer is always yes. You can manifest anything you want. Anything!

I will no longer be answering any questions about deadlines/time

About me & my personal experiences & successes

The time I entered the void before I knew what the void was

How do you personally manifest?

Have you entered the void?

Backstory about me and this blog

A quick example on affirming to combat negative thoughts

Success: reconnected with sp after 8+ yrs NC

My mom got super fast subliminal results?!

Manifesting/shifting/void 101

What is the state of the wish fulfilled?

A reminder not to create stories around unwanted circumstances

What is the void?

How do we manifest?

States are not a method

Persisting does not mean repetition

How do I persist properly?

Does robotic affirming work?

What is a saturating session?

Is birds before land a thing?

How do I improve my visualization skills?

How can I manifest in a scientifically proven way?

Doubts/fears/troubleshooting

The void is hard for me, any tips?

How can shifting be simple when it’s so hard for me?

Is shifting real?

What happens to my current self after shifting?

When we manifest are we shifting to a new reality?

When I manifest something, will other people see it too?

How long does it take to see results?

How can I stop obsessing about results?

I’m scared I’m abandoning/betraying people in this reality when I shift/enter the void

Why do some people fail?

What am I doing wrong?

I have doubts, what if this doesn’t work?

How do I convince the logical part of myself?

How can I ignore my toxic/negative circumstances?

What should I do if I’m overthinking?

Funnies :)

The affirming carrot

Me not reacting to 3D circumstances like

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: The Fool's Journey

The Fool’s Journey is the archetypal story told by the Major Arcana of the Tarot.

Use the Fool’s Journey for inspiration and brainstorming, rather than for developing a plot or outlining.

It’s far more powerful for suggesting solutions than for suggesting structure (as is true for Tarot in general).

As a writer, the Fool’s Journey can help you:

Pinpoint the emotions your character should be feeling at each story stage,

Find the next step for a character stuck at a particular stage,

Create conflict appropriate to each story stage,

Access archetypal images and symbols to add depth to your story,

Troubleshoot problems caused by your character skipping a vital story stage,

Assess your own progress as a writer.

The ‘Fool’s Journey’ is the term coined by Eden Gray to describe the story of the Major Arcana of the Tarot.

USING THE FOOL'S JOURNEY

Possible pitfalls - useful for adding conflict to your story;

Feelings in life - the things that might be going through your character’s head,

Outward signs - external events of objects that can represent that stage of the story.

TROUBLESHOOTING

If your story is lacking conflict, find the card which best represents your character and use the “pitfalls” list as a starting point.

If you aren’t sure what your character is thinking at a certain point in the story, find their corresponding card and explore the “feelings” list.

If you need more events in your story that relate to the current stage it’s in, find the corresponding card and brainstorm ideas using the “signs” list.

If you don’t know what your character should do next, find which card their current state corresponds to, and use the exercises to brainstorm scenes for the next card.

If you need the influence of a particular card in your story, consider creating a character who fulfills those functions and makes use of similar symbols.

THE FOOL'S JOURNEY: 22 Cards

0. The Wandering Fool

The hero of the Major Arcana

How is your hero a wise fool?

How will this symbol gain new meaning when the hero returns home after their long journey?

1. The Magician

The Magician uses the way of the intellect to uncover spiritual secrets; he is an active seeker of knowledge and clarity. 

Who is the initiator of your character’s current way of life?

Does your character tend more towards the empirical or the mystical? What conflict does this dichotomy cause them?

Outward signs: A juggler, conjurer or magician, an adept, a bookworm.

Possible pitfalls: Megalomania, being a charlatan, omnipotence.

Feeling in life: Tapping into huge reserves of power, feeling in charge, confidence, a Faustian thirst for knowledge.

2. The High Priestess

The feminine counterpart of the Magician; she represents the mystical path to spirituality as opposed to the intellectual.

Her approach is passive, inwardly-directed, and in no way inferior or less effective to that of the Magician.

What is the character open to and expectant of?

Outward signs: Loss of consciousness, waiting, turning the other cheek, taking part in a ritual, allowing oneself to be guided blindly.

Possible pitfalls: Escapism, doubt, indecisiveness.

Feeling in life: Letting go, trust in the universe, inspiration, feeling loved, peace, going with the flow.

3. The Empress

The power of nature, as opposed to the Emperor, who represents the man-made or artificial.

She can be a source of abundance, creativity, nourishment, and life but at the same time, she can bring about the destructive forces of natural disasters.

How does your character embrace life?

Are they in tune with nature?

Outward signs: A feast, a mother, an artist, going shopping.

Possible pitfalls: Uncontrolled growth, changeableness, inconsistency.

Feeling in life: Creative flow, feeling alive, understanding the cycles of life, belief in abundance.

4. The Emperor

As the Father figure, he is the source of authority and responsibility.

While he may at times seem overbearing or critical, he provides the disciplining influence which is the essence of all learning and spirituality.

How does your character approach their responsibilities?

How do they struggle with discipline or authority?

Outward signs: An authority figure, being told to try harder, being given a routine or schedule, being drafted, a (verbal or physical) beating.

Possible pitfalls: Obstinacy, perfectionism, strictness, hard heartedness.

Feeling in life: To be aware of responsibilities, being cruel to be kind, a realistic outlook, seriousness, being given constructive criticism.

5. The Hierophant

The teacher of religious mysteries and the first suggestion of the underworld of adventure.

The hero must travel through both the (conscious) visible world, and the (unconscious) hidden world to find what is essential.

What character might work as a Hierophant to urge your character to discover the world that they’re ignoring?

What is visible in the character’s world? What is hidden?

Outward signs: A truth-teller, a blunder, an invitation.

Possible pitfalls: Hyposcrisy, world-weariness, “guru-ism”.

Feeling in life: Faith in the divine, profound experiences.

6. The Lovers

Having realised that there is a world beyond that which they had conceived, the hero must now decide whether or not to leave home and hearth and search for it (in the visible or invisible world).

The hero makes this decision with a light, pure heart, and with the best intentions.

This card depicts a pair of lovers because even after the teachings of the Hierophant, love is the ultimate driving force that allows us to make a change.

How does the experience of love force the character to make a choice between their current life and the life they might have?

How do they describe the choice to themselves? Are they accurate?

What are they afraid of leaving behind? How does their desire outweigh this fear?

Outward signs: An object of desire, arguments with parents or guardians.

Possible pitfalls: Intemperance, excessive joy.

Feeling in life: Butterflies, fearless decisiveness.

7. The Chariot

The decision made in the Lovers card has spurred the hero on to leave his home and set off in search of adventure.

Represents the pull of opposites.

What are some signs or symbols that the character has been chosen as the hero of the story?

How does the character set off on the adventure? What spurs them on?

How does the character struggle to keep their two steeds in check?

Outward signs: A new form, or clothing symbolic of a new function; provision of a vehicle; setting out on a journey.

Possible pitfalls: Arrogance, impulsiveness, intemperance.

Feeling in life: Optimism; desire for motion; being poised; increasing awareness; maturity; the first, intoxicating phase of the road trip, before reality begins to leak back in.

8. Justice

Marks the point of separation with the ordinary world.

This is when the hero reaches the first crossing.

The figure of Justice represents the old laws the hero is leaving behind and the new laws (of the new world) that are drawing them into their power.

The character must be ready and willing to take on responsibility, but unlike the choice of the Lovers card, Justice, with her prominent right foot, represents a more considered, rational approach.

What are the rules of the old/ordinary world that the character is leaving behind?

What are the rules of the new/adventure world? How do they differ? How do these differences cause problems for the character?

What responsibilities must the character take on? How do they feel about it?

Outward signs: Lifting the sword of power, training montage, a schedule/roster/plan of action.

Possible pitfalls: Being a know-it-all, prejudice, slyness, overconfidence.

Feeling in life: Fairness to others, making intelligent decisions, just rewards.

9. The Hermit

With the single digit cards ends the Fool’s sojourn in the realms of light.

From now on they are in the dark underworld of adventure.

This is the beginning of the inward journey, and for this reason requires some solitary reflection.

They’ve travelled a long way from The Fool card, where the mountains on the summit of which the Hermit now stands, were far in the distance.

Can also appear as another person, often a Helper, who provides the character with a protective talisman for their crossing.

This is also where the character learns their true name. It may be part of the revelation of the heavenly parents, who are often kept secret from the hero. 

How and where does the character seek peace and quiet?

How are they provided with a talisman for the journey ahead?

How does the character discover their true name? What does it mean to them?

What does this period of solitary reflection reveal to the character?

Outward signs: A hideaway/den/nook, a protective figure, a symbolic gift.

Possible pitfalls: Strangeness, feeling like an outsider, being too concerned with the other world, disenchantment.

Feeling in life: Clarity, inner peace, standing up for yourself, finding yourself.

10. The Wheel of Fortune

The card that clarifies the character’s goal.

What is the character seeking?

What are the weaknesses they must improve before they can reach a resolution?

What figure symbolises this weakness in the character? How does their interaction highlight this weakness?

Outward signs: Missing treasure, a nemesis/enemy/shapeshifter.

Possible pitfalls: Fatalism, misunderstanding your life’s purpose.

Feeling in life: Unpleasant learning experiences, resistance.

11. Strength

Brings the character face to face with their first true test of inner strength.

It follows on from the Wheel of Fortune by applying pressure to the character’s weak points.

The character must “tame the beast within”, accept their shadow side, and welcome their anima or animus.

What happens to try the character’s weakness and test their strength?

What is the shadow side that they need to accept? Why is it difficult for them to do so?

Outward signs: A spirit animal, a wild animal needing to be tamed, another character who is in some respects the hero’s opposite.

Possible pitfalls: Pride, a hardened heart, mercilessness.

Feeling in life: Living life to the full, a passionate attachment to life, showing your claws when necessary.

12. The Hanged Man

This card represents an existential crisis.

This is when the character questions the purpose they took on in the Wheel of Fortune, and in fact, the whole journey up to this point.

While unity lies at the motionless centre of the wheel, and the struggle of daily life on the outside, the character stuck in this stage is the hamster running along the inner surface of the wheel. 

Their whole experience of life is turned upside down, and until their perspective shifts to match their experience, they will be kept suspended.

What causes the character to question their purpose or their way of life?

What mistakes does the character keep repeating?

Outward signs: Something or someone hung, or held upside down, a revolution.

Possible pitfalls: Being caught in a vicious cycle, getting “hung up”.

Feeling in life: Repeating experiences like a broken record, mid-life crisis, inability to get out of your own way, having your patience tested.

13. Death

Death is a card that engenders fear, and the sooner the character learns to accept that fear instead of spending all of their energies trying to avoid the inevitable, the better (at least for them, perhaps not for story tension).

Death requires something to be left behind.

While this will feel like a hard sacrifice for the character, they will never make it while they’re carrying around “dead weight.”

What is the sacrifice the character must make?

Why is it impossible for the story to continue until this sacrifice is made?

How does the character try to avoid this sacrifice?

What are the consequences of the transformation brought by Death?

Outward signs: Bones, corpses, a wasteland, katabasis.

Possible pitfalls: Dying of fear, collapse.

Feeling in life: Ending, the search for peace and renewal, leave taking.

14. Temperance

Between the violence of Death and the Devil, stands the serene figure of Temperance. 

The challenge of Temperance is to find a middle ground between being dead to physical existence (Death) and being chained to it (Devil) by our vices or excessive passions.

This is the key to making it out of the underworld alive.

Who or what guides the character through the (real or imagined) underworld?

How does the character tread the middle path after the loss they suffered in Death?

Outward signs: A guide, a light in darkness, unnatural stillness.

Possible pitfalls: Following false influences, ordinariness.

Feeling in life: Being forcibly dragged along, conformity, level-headedness, health.

15. The Devil

Represents the dark side of the anima/animus, as depicted by the chained lovers.

Often this manifests in a way that entices the character to act in complete contradiction to their deepest values.

For example, killing to save lives, lying to appear honest, torturing people into believing in a merciful deity, etc.

What aspects of their shadow self has the character been suppressing?

What enslaves the character?

How does the character betray all that they have been striving for?

Outward signs: Taking up arms to keep the peace, using the people you love for base gains, a scandal, a seducer.

Possible pitfalls: Being enslaved by the shadow side, leaving the true path, intemperance, lust, power struggles.

Feeling in life: Slavery, addiction, being taken captive, being seduced, doing things you don’t want to do, betraying yourself.

16. The Tower

The destruction of the Tower is the sign that the old world has become too confining. 

The stage at which the character can show a side of themselves that no one would have suspected existed.

It is the sign that you can achieve the unthinkable.

What ideas are limiting the character’s view of the whole?

How can the character destroy these ideas in the most sudden, violent way possible?

How do others react to seeing the character’s hidden (and unsuspected) side?

Outward signs: An explosion, a breakthrough, the revelation of a new self, becoming visible.

Possible pitfalls: Defeat, collapse.

Feeling in life: Chaos, insecurity, surprise changes, escape.

17. The Star

Now we come to the 3 cards that represent a gradual lightening and emergence from the underworld: the Star, the Moon and the Sun.

The worst is now behind our hero, although their work isn’t done.

The Star is there to guide them to the next stage.

How does the character rejuvenate after their hard work in the Tower?

What abundant provisions do they enjoy?

How do they adjust to their new freedom of the world-view that was destroyed in the Tower?

Outward signs: A guiding light in the dark, a safe place to make camp, finding fresh provisions after a long journey.

Possible pitfalls: Forgetting the present while focusing on the future, being lost in daydreams, becoming complacent.

Feeling in life: Trust for the future, rejuvenation, youth.

18. The Moon

Represents a strange, changeable landscape that can easily confuse and trap the hero. 

Although the character has triumphed, they must still navigate the dangerous return journey back to the ordinary world.

The hero must extricate themselves from the temptations of the underworld, return to the world of the living and bring with them the elixir of life, if they are to succeed fully.

The Moon is the greatest threat to losing their true name, but to characters who are prepared and who are adept at traversing their inner landscape, it is also the greatest opportunity.

This is the test of whether a character is truly the master of two worlds, and can cross and recross the treacherous threshold.

How is the return journey different to the outward journey?

How do past landmarks take on new meaning and new danger?

What are the temptations that make the character want to stay instead of returning home?

Outward signs: A changing landscape, a narrow gateway, a difficult crossing.

Possible pitfalls: Being lost in the enchanted forest, losing sight of the destination, becoming enslaved by fear.

Feeling in life: Anger, frustration, mistrust, nightmares, fears, longing.

19. The Sun

The stage at which the character finally leaves the underworld of adventure and returns to the light, ordinary world. 

Looking back from this vantage point, the character realises that the enormous difficulties they just wrestled with actually boil down to a simple solution; that they would have triumphed much sooner had they not complicated the problem.

Now their task is to begin readjusting to the ordinary world, and reconciling the change in their inner world to the lack of change in the outer world.

How does the character re-emerge into the ordinary world?

How has the character changed, and how has the world stayed the same?

How does this cause conflict for the character and their allies?

Outward signs: Blinking against the light, waking up, watching the sun rise.

Possible pitfalls: Clichés.

Feeling in life: Feeling carefree, freedom, joie de vivre, lightness, fun, enjoyment.

20. Judgement

The Judgement card represents a final test of the character’s worthiness to be the bearer of the elixir of life.

If, by some chance, a false hero has managed to come this far, this is the stage at which they will be discovered and sent back to the underworld.

On the other hand, for the true hero, Judgement brings resurrection; a revitalising influence that is the final, freeing reward of their long journey.

What is the final test the character must undergo to prove their worthiness?

Why is the test easy for worthy characters to pass?

How can unworthy characters be discovered and punished?

Outward signs: Being reunited with loved ones, a return to life and vitality, verdure returning to a barren land, an arrest, a trial, a condemnation, an execution.

Possible pitfalls: To fail at cheating (for the unworthy hero).

Feeling in life: Feeling free and at peace.

21. The World

Is the resolution of the readjustment brought about in the crisis of the Hanged Man.

Brings unity to the opposites that have been battling for supremacy over the hero throughout their journey: dark & light, good & bad, action & inaction, male & female.

This isn’t because the world is suddenly free of strife, but because the character has accepted and dealt with both sides of the duality and thus earned freedom from them.

However temporary this freedom might be…

How does the World give the character the ability to disseminate their wisdom (or the “elixir of life”) far and wide?

What makes the unity of the World fragile? What might urge the character into another Fool’s Journey (and give you an opportunity for a sequel)?

Outward signs: A coronation, a homecoming, something in perfect balance.

Possible pitfalls: None.

Feeling in life: Joy, profound satisfaction, a feeling of finally being home.

NOTES

One final revelation about The Fool’s Journey, and indeed about any archetypal journey, is that their writers insist that certain stages of the story need to be taken in the prescribed order.

A character can’t skip building the ego during the “daytime” arc without facing the later consequences: material lack in the ordinary world and possibly ostracism.

Furthermore, an underdeveloped ego is not as great a challenge to abandon in the underworld, and whenever the sacrifice is small, so is the subsequent reward.

Sources: 1 2 3 ⚜ More Writing Notes: On Tarot ⚜ Notes & References

[stellarbit]

Reassurance

I needed some positive affirmations and I made Tech give em. No real warnings, but light discussion of anxiety.

2.8k words

You asked Wrecker to train with you and you keep getting knocked on your ass. Tech offers to help and ends up helping more than you thought possible.

It's a comfort fic mostly and I'm feral for some Tech comfort. Enjoyyyy (Also let me know if you can spot the other potential prompt in here.)

“You’re doing it wrong.” Wrecker chuckled.

You hit the sparring mat hard, knocking some of the air from you. Since surrendering your lightsaber, you took to honing your other combat skills. Wrecker’s hand-to-hand skills were some of the best and he was happy to help when you approached him.

He towered over you as you got back on your feet. “You need to put your weight into it.” 

“I am.” You didn’t mean to sound as annoyed as you did.

“No you’re not.” Crosshair taunted in a sing-song tone from his place leaning against a far wall. The downtime was rare and Crosshair deemed watching you flounder worthy of that time. “You hesitate every time you need to push harder. An easy way to get killed.”

You whirled on him. “I push as hard as I can.” Everything about the thin sniper got under your skin. In a way that made you want to hurry up and see what face he’d make when you slap him across the face. Because it wasn’t and if. It was absolutely a when.

Multiple times you caught him watching you. When you did, his stare stayed on whatever part had caught his attention before slowly meeting your eyes. The way he smirked and chewed that fucking toothpick screamed, ‘Do it, I dare you.’

Crosshair shook his head dismissively and snorted. “No. You’re not.”

Wrecker stepped between you and Crosshair, his massive frame blocking your view. His hands were splayed out in a placating gesture.“What he means is you’re holding back.”

“Or maybe she’s afraid of hurting you.” Crosshair quipped.

Wrecker belted out a laugh, “Ha! Yeah, right.” At that, you cut him a mean look.

The door to the sparring room hissed open and Tech filed in, out of armor and no databad in hand. He took in the sight of you all, to his eyes, just standing around. “Well that was short lived. I thought you’d be sparring most of the afternoon.”

“We are.” Your temper was quickly burning through your patience. “They just have some unhelpful commentary.”

“Perhaps, although you do not handle criticism well.” Tech turned to Wrecker. “What seems to be the issue?”

Wrecker chose his words carefully, wary of the intensity of your glare. "She..." He paused, feeling the weight of your disapproving stare. "She hits a wall and hesitates when she needs to push through."

Tech pondered for a moment, tapping a knuckle to his chin. “I’d like to see what exactly you mean. I may be able to troubleshoot this obstacle.” He tipped his head to you. “If you don’t mind my watching.”

Your stomach flipped. There hadn't been many opportunities for the two of you to be alone. In fact, you hadn’t been alone since your last mission ended. You were discreet in seeking out his company, mindful of not being too obvious. Despite helping you with your broken armor before and acknowledging, even relishing, your attraction to him, nothing more had come of it. You were starting to wonder if it had just been a passing interest for him.

Wrecker and you assumed your positions while Tech adjusted his goggles, a soft beep indicating the start of his recording.

You followed the familiar routine, blending the techniques Wrecker had taught you with those instilled by your former Master. Initially, everything flowed smoothly as you utilized your agility to evade Wrecker's raw strength. There were moments when you successfully countered his attacks and seized the offensive. However, as Wrecker intensified his efforts, a tightness began coiling in your stomach that radiated into your limbs.

The sensation swelled, threatening to overflow or overwhelm you entirely. Just as it had countless times before, the intensity reached a dizzying point where you could no longer anticipate Wrecker's moves. Ultimately, in your attempt to flank him, Wrecker landed an elbow to your chest, sending you sprawling onto your back.

The wind knocked out of you again, leaving you writhing on the floor. Another beep came from Tech’s direction. Recording over I guess.

Wrecker rushed to you. “I think we should stop for today.”

“Agreed.” Tech said firmly as he approached. Kneeling down, he made himself at home inspecting your head for injuries. “While phrenospasms aren’t typically life threatening, it is best to rest after experiencing them.” After a moment of silence, Tech sighed, “You need to catch your breath.”

Wrecker winced, knelt down, and slid a hand under your back to ease you into a sitting position. “Sorry about that, sarad,” His large hand did a few circles on your back before sliding to your cheek. The soft gesture soothed you. “But you’ll get it!” He gave you one last pat on the back before standing up.

Tech clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "I'll check her over," he announced, his annoyance evident. Waving off their presence in a bored manner, he added, "It would be best if that happened without any 'unhelpful commentary.'”

Crosshair pushed off of the wall. “Well, if you’re looking for someone else to knock you down, I’ll gladly do it.” You nearly bit his leg as he walked by.

When the door shut and you were alone, Tech pulled your face back in his direction. “Do not dwell on Crosshair’s remarks. He enjoys getting a rise out of people.” With his arm cradling your back, he held your arm and brought the two of you to your feet. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah,” You took a deep breath in, stepped out of his grasp, and rolled your shoulders. “Just need to practice.” Tech's gaze remained focused on you, analyzing your every move. "When you started hesitating, right before Wrecker landed that hit, you were thinking something. What was it?"

“I wasn’t thinking of anything.” You said quickly, hoping he would drop it.

He didn’t. “You were definitely processing something. Other than your sparring, what were you feeling?”

You turned and blinked at Tech. He never failed to surprise you. “Emotionally?” Analyzing the failures in your strategy was one thing, asking about feelings was a completely separate realm.

Tech shook his head, “No, no. Physically” He walked forward and placed a hand in the middle of your chest. “Just now, you may not be thinking a singular thought but you are feeling your heart rate spiking. Am I correct?” He could feel it himself, but it was important you acknowledged it.

Of course he was correct, his touch kicked your heart into your throat. 

When you nodded he continued. “It is safe to say that is due to your attraction to me. While you may not be actively thinking about it, your body is reacting with patterned behavior due to recurring circumstantial stimuli.” He pulled his hand back and said, “In other words, our bodies remember how we react during significant events. When exposed to similar circumstances our bodies tend to react in an established pattern. It can be positive, like nostalgia. Or it can be detrimental in the cases of fear or stress. Our bodies react before our minds can register what we feel.” He let out a final quip, “It is a survival instinct.”

Tech stepped back and rolled a hand towards you, urging you on. “Now, what were you feeling?”

Taking a second to take what he said in, you realized no one had ever asked you that. The Jedi pointed out identified concerning behavior in you and voiced their warnings, but they never asked you where it stemmed from. They made their theories that then solidified into fact. After that, not much changed their minds. One abided by their rules … or left. 

Seeing how you were stationed with a squad of clones sans a lightsaber, it was clear where your path went. 

Your gaze wandered around the room - anywhere but at Tech. “Something built inside me and I lost focus.”

“Your avoidant behavior suggests this is an uncomfortable topic. Why?”

As well meaning as his questioning may have been, showing him what the Jedi Council had seen hadn’t been at the top of your priorities. “It’s just… I know there’s something wrong with me. But don’t worry,” You tried to laugh it off, “I’ll figure it out.”

Tech’s brows furrowed and his head tilted, clearly confused as to how you got to that conclusion, “I did not say, nor do I believe, you are defective.” The last word snapped your eyes back to him. It didn’t carry weight for just you. “Did the Jedi tell you that?”

Suddenly you could hear your Master’s voice, ‘Dangerous.’ It rang through you and with it came shame. Looking at Tech, patiently asking you questions for your own benefit, your Master’s voice fell silent. 

  “I can’t fight like the Jedi. They fight with the force to keep peace for the greater good.” You hesitate before continuing. “But this energy builds inside of me and I want to use it because sometimes… sometimes I want to win no matter the cost.” Tech’s expression had not changed; he did not seem to grasp the issue. Desperately, you clasped your hands to your chest. “That’s wrong. It’s selfish and that’s not the way of the Jedi. Being selfish can make us - “ You flinched, “them dangerous. Jedi aren’t supposed to want things. I want a great many things, Tech, and the list only grows. The way I am makes me weak minded and dangerous.”

“When you say that you feel this way ‘sometimes,’ what kind of instances are you referring to?”

“The times when losing will cost me something I care about.”

“There is no passion, there is serenity.” Tech recited one of the tenets of the Jedi. “There is no emotion, there is peace.”

“Exactly.” His boundless knowledge earned him a humorous scoff from you.

Tech hummed in understanding. “I can see the Jedi perspective on such traits, considering their Code. However, I'm struggling to discern the correlation between that and your issue with Wrecker. It's merely a practice session, therefore you're not in danger of losing anything beyond the match itself.

You both stood in silence for a few moments. Reflecting on what you confessed and with eyes on the ground, you finally spoke, “I asked Wrecker to spar because I want to know that when I fight I will win. I lose focus because losing to Wrecker now means I’m going to lose something more important than a match in the future.”

An extra set of feet came into sight followed by Tech’s face.

Tech knelt to meet your eyes, adjusting his goggles to better observe you. "The logic in that statement is flawed, at best." he remarked, his tone measured. 

"Individual motivations and morals in combat varies from person to person. As long as your primary motive isn’t causing others or yourself pain, there is no wrong way to survive."

"What if my actions to protect what matters to me hurts others?" The genuine fear on your face caught Tech off guard. "If I prioritize a few, what about the rest?" Your self-doubt and self-loathing troubled Tech; it was a burden you didn't deserve to bear.

“There will always be champions for the many. The few, however, need their champions too.” A slight quirk of his lips hinted at a comforting reassurance. "Additionally, if you're using losing to Wrecker as a benchmark for your future success rates, I'd advise adjusting your expectations. Even General Skywalker himself lost a sparring match to Wrecker. Merely holding your own against him is an accomplishment worthy of pride."

The way your face contorted paired with you sinking to your knees made him worry you might be sick. Instead you sucked in a massive breath and on a shakey exhale you said, “Tech, thank you.” You sounded lighter. A point of satisfaction for Tech.

There was something Tech wanted for you. “What you feel and how you feel is valid. It is crucial you know that.” He cupped his hand just below your ear to smooth his thumb over your cheek. “Until you do, I am glad to remind you.”

Tech’s eyes fell to your lips momentarily, your pained expression warmed into a small smile. There was only one thing missing. He moved his hand to brush his thumb over your bottom lip. Your breath caught, and your lips parted involuntarily. "I am curious to hear about this growing list of wants." Slipping his forefinger under your chin he moved your gaze with his as he raised to his knees, posturing over you. It gave him a full view of the flush finally working its way across your cheeks. "Have there been any recent additions?"

Looking at the way your hair was bound together, he didn’t deny the urge to explore a few things. He hooked finger into your hair tie and pulled your hair loose. It fell down, some of it falling into your face. Tech use his fingers to comb your hair back, stopping at the nape of your neck, and then circling his hand back to your cheek. Watching you over the past few rotations, he’d noticed your fondness for your face being touched.

Leaning into his touch, with a hand resting over his, you were practically purring for him. “There have.” You said, spurring him on.

“Do people appear on this list?”

Your nod came with a subtle shift in your gaze, your eyes half-lidded. Tech felt a flutter in his chest, he even felt heat creeping into his own face.

"Do I feature on this list?" he ventured, his voice betraying a bit of anticipation.

Your eyes drifted to his lips before meeting his gaze once more. "I want you, Tech," you confessed, a weighty emotion evident in your expression.

Tech's breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding as he lowered himself slightly. In response, you leaned forward, closing the distance between you. "What exactly do you want, sarad?" he inquired softly.

Just as he hoped, your eyes widened for a split second at the sound of their nickname for you. It meant "flower" in Mando'a—a fitting description for how you blossomed in their presence, and at this moment, in his. 

"Stars above, I want you to kiss me.” Without hesitation, you seized Tech, drawing him down to your level. When your lips hit, Tech only tensed for a second, his hand finding its place at your waist, drawing you closer and deepening the kiss. You responded eagerly, capturing his lower lip with a gentle suck.

A soft, pleased sound escaped Tech's lips as he tightened his grip on your hair, pulling you impossibly closer. Your hands roamed freely, one wrapping around his back while the other found its place around his neck. With a forceful tug you two stumbled backward in unison.

Not breaking the kiss, Tech shoved the hand on your waist out to cushion the fall. Once lowered onto your back, he pulled away to hover over you and allowed you both some air. You didn’t let him pull too far away, stopping him by hooking a leg around his. The pressure of you grinding up into him pulled another little sound from him. His eyes squeezed shut before he playfully pressed his weight down onto you. “I will say one thing.”

With a playful huff, you teased, "Only one thing this time?"

Tech arched an eyebrow in amusement. "Just this once." With deliberate movements, he pushed himself up onto one elbow, transitioning back onto his knees, while simultaneously lifting you to him and allowing your legs to hang around his waist.

You pulled yourself up onto his lap, holding onto his neck for support. “Go on.”

"You are not weak," Tech affirmed, his hands firmly grasping your thighs as he bounced on his heels and lifted you both up. His movements were fluid as he rose to his feet, a smirk playing on his lips. "But I daresay you are dangerous."

His remark elicited a genuine laugh from you, though it didn't diminish the charm you found in his words. If anything, it heightened it.

With a subtle tap on your leg, he signaled for you to lower your legs. “As enjoyable as this is, I'd prefer not to delve further into it while my brothers could walk in at any moment," he explained, assisting you to regain your balance. With a deft movement, he produced your hair tie as if out of thin air. "I've given great thought to the aspects of you I wish to explore. And I intend to do so without interruption."

Before you could get another touch in Tech stepped back and tapped his goggles, initiating a soft beep. “Now that we’ve identified the issue, get into position and show me your stances.”

You laughed, “You’re kidding me.”

“I am not, but should you need further encouragement I do have ideas for rewards for your strongest positions.”

It didn’t take you long to get into position.

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Three Kings Divination Spread

After rounds of testing and refining, I present to you, the completed Three Kings Divination Spread! This is a spread used for getting advice (which, in my opinion, all good tarot spreads should do to varying degrees).

Feel free to use this for yourself or for free readings, but do not use it for paid readings and do not claim that you invented this particular spread. I went through a lot of trouble to figure this whole thing out and troubleshoot it over on @jasper-tarot-reader. Other than that, I don't care what you do with it. Print it out, eat it, shit on it, I don't care.

Finally, if you independently decide to invent your own Three Kings-inspired tarot thing, great! More of us should be poking at Creepypastas for inspiration, and there are a shitload of other ways to approach this ritual-story and turn it into a spread, some of which I worked on before I narrowed down to this. Get silly with it.

The Story

The Three Kings Ritual was originally posted on Reddit's r/NoSleep under the title "Please don't actually try this." by FableForge. This is a ritual creepypasta focused on helping you tap into (but not travel to) a place that the OP calls the Shadowside in order to ask questions and have them answered, sometimes with more questions.

It's a very short Creepypasta and it's worth reading in full to understand this spread in its entirety. You need the context of the source for the reading to help it make sense, even moreso than the average pop culture tarot spread.

We are not going through all that trouble to tap fully into the Shadowside. Instead, we are using the general theory of this ritual-story as a framing device for a standard advice-seeking reading, potentially tapping into other entities (pop culture or not) for their perspectives.

The Setup

There are several things you need in order to get started:

three tarot decks

a strong appreciation for and decent understanding of the elements that line up with the tarot suits

a large surface to do the readings on, ideally with you sitting facing the north (or north-ish) so you have plenty of room for cards

something to prop up the Kings/Queen and Fool so that they can "see" both you and the other card

Ideally, you will want to use two decks with incredibly established "characters" for the Court cards, and one deck with unestablished "characters" for the Court cards for the querent.

You will then sit roughly as seen below:

The red cards are your significators, which we will talk about more in the next section, while the white cards with the black details are the actual ones you draw for the reading. I usually cap it at two cards each. You will be sitting facing the north (as is seen in the original Creepypasta) at a table or desk with plenty of space for the cards and reading to spread out.

This spread is broken up into two categories: In Court and Out Of Court. It is entirely up to you about whether or not your question is for within your Court or from outside of it. Regardless of the version, you choose the Court whose element you are most connected to.

In Court readings are typically best for questions in which you are the primary decision-maker but would like advice. This version has you as the King (represented by the King/Queen card) and grants you the Queen (represented by the other Queen/King of the same suit) and the Fool (represented by the Knight/Page of the same suit).

Out Of Court readings are typically best for questions in which you are on equal decision-making footing with others (typically spirit guides or deities) or you need advice from someone who is an equal. This version has you as a King (represented by the King/Queen) and involves picking two equivalent Kings (if you use a King card yourself, use two more Kings; if you use a Queen card, use two more Queens) from other suits.

If your tarot deck has renamed the Court members, choose from the "top two". For example, in the Transient Light Tarot, I would choose from the Crown (King) or Keeper (Queen) instead of the Champion (Knight) or Apprentice (Page).

(Since my practice with the four elements involves them having an allied element, an enemy element, and a neutral element, I typically pick the allied and neutral elements to the querent's element.)

This is why you need three decks - the Querent deck, the Queen/King deck, and the Fool/King deck - to represent their respective advice. Fandom decks for pieces of media you enjoy can actually be useful for this even if they otherwise suck as divination tools, since you already know the characters quite well.

I tend to work clockwise - the querent in the middle, the Queen/one of the Kings at the northwest/11 o'clock position, and the Fool/the other King at the northeast/1 o'clock position. But I've also accidentally reversed it a few times and it still came out fine as long as the cards were in their right spots.

The Reading

This is the most standard part of this reading. You are going to refer to yourself as King [Querent Name] or Queen [Querent Name] and use the formal titles of your Queen and Fool/other two Kings (if they have them) while asking your question. You will also have to repeat your query and any background information three times.

Do not belittle yourself in the reading - you are the querent, you are the one with the most agency in this reading, you are a King getting advice from your Court or speaking to Kings of other Courts, and there is nothing to fear. You are merely getting advice from beings that you respect the opinions, thoughts, and advice of.

When drawing cards for the reading, keep it balanced. Don't draw one card for yourself, three for the Queen, and two for the Fool. Everyone gets equal say in this spread.

Don't be surprised if the "advice to yourself" portion (the Querent part) just reiterates the problem. This is helpful too, because it gives you a good look at the situation in the context of the rest of the cards. You are both reading the cards separately (as advice from the different Court members) and together (as one giant clusterfuck reading, just separated into understandable chunks).

Finally, expect this to knock you on your ass if you pour energy into your readings. Three decks and an average of six cards plus searching for the three Court cards beforehand for the reading and, if you're me, tapping into the pop culture entities involved (even accidentally but I keep doing it) will wipe you the fuck out. At the risk of using a metaphor, you are not examining already-identified patches in your tomato garden, you are getting lost in the woods and fighting a coyote with nothing but a plastic water bottle and a stick you found on the ground. And sometimes that's what you need in life to get some good advice.

[rosecoloredtarot]

Troubleshooting Your Tarot Deck

I read a bunch of people for unnecessarily cleansing their decks but didn’t actually provide any alternatives! So I wanted to describe some of the ways I troubleshoot my tarot decks. Please, please, please feel free to add on.

Sleep on it. Literally. My favorite way of working through some wonky readings is to sleep with my deck under my pillow. I like to do it for 3 nights but you can really go as long as you want. You may have some pretty crazy dreams, but I like to think that means it’s working.

Change things up. If you’re dealing with repetitive answers, change how you approach it. Whether that means changing your spread, your question, your shuffling technique or a secret fourth thing.

Put the bitch down. I have found that doing readings too often can muddle them together (well, I’ve had trouble with reading for myself too frequently. Multiple people in a day is fine, but draining). Taking a break of even just a couple days can make all the difference.

Make an offering. Your tarot deck has a spirit too! Appreciate what it does for you and give it a gift. It could be a symbolic offering, like food, alcohol or some incense, or a new case to live in.

Give it a recharge. It might be acting funky because it’s tapped out. Use whichever is your preferred charging method. I like moonlight and sunlight (ironically, they are also cleansing methods, but it’s all about intention at that point).

Ask it what’s up. If you ask your deck why it’s acting out, it may just tell you what’s going on. Maybe it wants one of the other solutions, maybe it wants something else.

If none of those things work, then I’ll cleanse my deck. Sometimes it’s as simple as a smoke cleansing, sometimes it is reorder the deck and let it sit in salt for a week, it just depends on the situation.

[emptysekai]

guide to ad-free youtube for mobile via. youtube revanced

since youtube vance is no longer maintained and youtube is cracking down on adblockers here is how to download youtube revanced which has the best options for customising youtube features; including removing youtube shorts popups, sponsorship segments in videos, hiding unused buttons, bringing back dislikes, and more! [official revanced github]

this guide is for android only. sorry apple users idk how to help you. your device doesn't have to be rooted. even if it is, you should still be able to follow this guide. if you have youtube vanced installed, revanced shouldn't clash, so you don't have to uninstall it if you don't want to.

installation guide:

1. download all 3:

i. microg (this will let you log into your youtube account) [apk mirror] (scroll past description, download the latest one)

ii. revanced manager apk [github] (select the latest release, scroll to the bottom in assets, install the .apk file)

iii. latest youtube apk [apk mirror]

2. open revanced manager

3. select in this order: "patcher" -> "select an application" -> "storage" (note: if your phone asks you to let the app have storage access, say yes)

[id. two screenshots of the revanced manager app. there are red markings drawn overtop, indicating areas to select mentioned in step 3. the three spots are circled by a red square, an arrow pointing towards it, and a circle with a marked number to indicate the order at the end of each arrow. id end.]

4. select the youtube apk you downloaded

5. select patches. you can tap "recommended" or "default" or turn on/off patches you want

6. once you have selected, select: "done" -> "patch"

7. wait as it intialises youtube revanced. when it's done select "install" (note: if your phone gives you a warning that the app is blocked, select: "more details" -> "install anyway")

8. if this worked, you should have youtube revanced installed, and you can log in like normal. if this didn't work, read the next part.

(under the read more are troubleshooting solutions + other alternative apps)

issue a) if the botom right now says "open"

1. select: 3 dots on the top right -> "export apk"

2. save it

3. open whatever file browsing app you use (most phones should have a default one that comes pre-installed called something like "files" or "my files". if you don't have one, you can go to the play store and search "files" and pick one. if you aren't sure, i use "files by google")

4. find the exported file and install it (it will be called something like "youtube-revanced-versionnumber.apk")

5. if this worked, you should have youtube revanced installed, and you can log in like normal. if this didn't work, you can read the next part.

issue b) can't build or install youtube revanced with no option to export

1. something may have gone wrong with the file installation at some point, so try a clean start. to do this, uninstall:

i. revanced manager

ii. youtube revanced

iii. microg

iv. (optional) disable/uninstall the default youtube app

2. follow guide from step 1 again, hopefully it works. if it's still not working, you can try other alternatives. i've listed some in the next part of this post

alternatives:

libretube, newpipe, songtube, vuetube, astron, puretuber

i haven't used any of these personally, but i haven't seen any problems with them. let me know if there are and i'll remove it from the list.

you can also use youtube through your web browser with adblock add-ons. i'm not sure whether youtube has affected their mobile site though. with the firefox app you can use ublock origins (for ads) + youtube high definition (for general quality fixes)

[imitationgame77]

Pinging and Tapping

In the world of the Murderbot Diaries, communication is often conducted via comm and feed. Generally, comm is used when internal network is not available, or when one is trying to communicate across space, and feed is used when people are on the same network and allow each other access.

We also often see “pings” and “taps” as a way of quick communication.

Generally, pings are used for comm communications, and taps are used for feed communications, but there seem to be different purposes. Here are what we can gather from the story, and also from real life examples.

[Pings]

Purpose in the MB world:

Pings are typically used for signalling, checking connectivity, and getting responses from other systems or units. They act like a way to see if the other side is present and ready to communicate or respond.

Purpose in Real Life:

Network Connectivity: In computer networks, a "ping" is a diagnostic tool used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. It measures the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer.

Usage in the MB World:

Status Checks: Used to check if systems, such as satellites, drones, or transports, are active and responsive. For example, pinging a satellite to see if it responds​​.

Communication Initiation: Used to start communication with other systems, often to establish a connection or share data. For instance, pinging a transport to offer media files in exchange for a ride​​.

Detection: Used by systems to detect the presence of specific units, like SecUnits, without direct contact​​.

Usage in Real Life:

ICMP Echo Request/Reply: The ping command sends an ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) Echo Request message to the target host and waits for an ICMP Echo Reply.

Network Troubleshooting: Used to determine if a particular host is reachable and to measure the latency between the source and destination.

[Taps]

Purpose in the MB World:

Taps are used more for internal communication within the network or feed. They serve as a means to acknowledge, signal actions, or provide private communication without verbal interaction.

Purpose in Real Life:

Internal Communication: In many systems, "taps" or similar mechanisms are used to signal and communicate internally within a network or system.

Usage in the MB World:

Acknowledgments: Used to acknowledge received messages or instructions. For instance, tapping back an acknowledgment to confirm receipt of instructions​​.

Private Communication: Used to send private or secure messages within the feed, often to communicate specific commands or information discreetly. For example, tapping the feed to communicate privately with another character without others listening in​​.

Control Signals: Used to signal or control actions within the feed, like tapping to instruct a character to fall back or take specific actions​​.

Usage in Real Life:

Signalling Mechanisms: Within computer systems, taps can be analogous to various signalling mechanisms like inter-process communication (IPC), which includes methods such as semaphores, shared memory, and message queues.

Acknowledgments and Control Signals: In networking, control signals and acknowledgments are crucial for managing data flow and ensuring reliable communication. For example, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) uses acknowledgments to confirm the receipt of data packets.

Network Taps: In the context of network security, a "network tap" is a device that allows access to data flowing across a network for monitoring and analysis.​​.

[Comparison]

In both the fictional world of Murderbot Diaries and real life, pings are primarily used for external signalling and connectivity checks, while taps are used for internal communication and control within the feed network

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

[Something Worth Noting]

There are some instances where taps seem more reasonable, but pings are used instead.

In Artificial Condition when Murderbot was watching Sanctuary Moon, and ART was trying to get its attention, asking to watch World Hoppers together. (see Artificial Condition, Pings, 5, 6 my AO3)

In Network Effect, when Murderbot finds that a hostile vessel (i.e. ART) was approaching and notifies the team quickly (see Network Effect, Pings, 1 my AO3)

In Network Effect, when Murderbot was locking itself up in the bathroom (see Network Effect, Pings, 11, 12 my AO3)

In Network Effect, when ART requested a private connection (see Network Effect, Pings, 13 my AO3)

In Network Effect, when Amena comes along with Murderbot to investigate Barish-Estranza shuttle, but is told to wait outside. She offers to help to which Murderbot pings acknowledgement (see Network Effect, Pings, 14 my AO3)

At the end of System Collapse when Murderbot pinged Three to ask if it wanted to listen to Holism explain planetary infrastructure (see System Collapse, Pings 15 my AO3)

Of these, 1, 3, 4 are where ART was sending pings to Murderbot. This is actually quite sweet, because we can tell that ART is being very polite to Murderbot. ART is fully capable of slamming into Murderbot’s private feed, but in all of these occasions, Murderbot has been rejecting feed communication which it reserves for friends and clients. ART is respecting this.

Instance 2 is unusual, and I am not 100% sure why Murderbot chose to use ping here. But since it was emergency, and ping is a protocol where it receives automatic response if it had been received at the other end, it was sufficient for its purposes.

When we read the context in which 5 happens we notice that Murderbot is now inside the B-E shuttle, and for security reasons, ART had cut it off from the feed network. So, Murderbot has the options of either verbally answering to Amena, or sending a ping for acknowledgement, and it chose the latter.

In instance 6, Murderbot seems to be being polite to Three who is busy (?) watching educational media. They are cordial to each other, but because Three is still not used to being a free SecUnit, Murderbot is being more careful around it.

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

If you are willing to be bored to death, you can see my AO3 post for the list of all the instances where pinging and tapping happen!

[nanowrimo]

How Finding the Right Writing Community Can Support You as a Writer

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Novlr, a 2023 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is the world’s first writer-owned creative writing platform, built by writers, for writers. Today, professional writer and Novlr Community Lead Pamela Koehne-Drube shares some of the benefits a writing community can provide:

I’ve been a storyteller since I first learned to speak and a writer since I first held a pen. The writing journey is an emotional roller coaster, and no single day is ever the same. 

There are moments of delight, like when a scene I’ve struggled with finally comes together, or the satisfaction of building a character who comes to life on the page. There’s the sense of accomplishment when my first draft is finished and I get to read my completed story, and the nerves of putting those same words in front of readers for the very first time.

There are lots of silent rooms, the soft tapping of keys, or the scribble of a pen. Sometimes the isolation gets too much, and that’s when I grapple with writer’s block, wrestle with stubborn plot holes, or have to slog through edits I’m just not in the mood for.

In my years as a working writer, the most important thing I’ve learned is that while only I can do the writing, I don’t have to go on the journey alone. A writing community can make all the difference in keeping me motivated. 

What is a writing community?

Writing communities are as diverse as the writers who are part of them. Every writer will have a different need from their community, but what they do share is giving writers the opportunity to interact, share knowledge, and provide mutual support.

Some communities come ready-made. NaNoWriMo is a prime example, where diverse writers all rally together to achieve a common goal and support each other along the way. It has been one of my biggest encouragements over the years. And at Novlr, we’ve built an entire writing workspace around the idea of community, not only offering a virtual space for writers to come together and share their wins, struggles, ideas, and techniques but also giving our writer-owners a real say and influence in how our platform grows and develops.

Why are writing communities important?

Writing communities are a lifeline for many of us, offering a nurturing environment where we can learn, grow, and find kinship. Whether it's seeking feedback, gaining inspiration, or just breaking the isolation often associated with writing, they play an invaluable role in any writer's journey.

Encouragement

Sometimes, as a writer, all you need is someone telling you you’re doing a good job. Positive affirmations and encouragement can make all the difference, not only to your confidence but also to motivate you to stick with it. Being able to share ideas, troubleshoot plot holes, and celebrate even the small victories with people who get it is the perfect motivation.

Accountability

Being part of a writing community that openly shares its goals and commitments is a surefire way to motivate you to follow through. Again, NaNoWriMo is a perfect example of this; announcing your intention to the world and to the wider NaNo community makes your 50,000-word draft more than just an idea you have. It makes it real.

This accountability works for smaller goals too. Just sharing them with people makes them a tangible thing to work toward, keeping you accountable and on track to achieve your writing goals.

Become a better writer

Writing groups offer the perfect opportunity to get real-time feedback on your work and expose yourself to diverse and unique perspectives from fellow writers. Not only can they learn from you and your experiences, but you can learn from theirs by championing supportive and constructive criticism.

Rediscover the joy of writing!

There’s something truly special about the collective joy and camaraderie of sharing your writing journey. Writing groups help foster friendships where you can celebrate your shared successes. The challenges of writing become less daunting and more like puzzles to be solved together, and if you involve group activities, like writing prompts or collaborative projects, the process of writing becomes much more vibrant and enjoyable. 

What types of writing communities are there?

Writing events

Writing events foster writing communities where each member shares a single goal or focus. NaNoWriMo is, of course, the biggest and most well-known goal-focused event in the creative writing space. I have lifelong writing pals I’ve met over NaNoWriMo, and we still regularly get together for critiques. Last year, I even did a 24-hour novel challenge where we took the NaNo goal of 50,000 words but tried to fit it into a single 24-hour period. It was one of the toughest writing challenges I’ve ever done, but the community that came from it is amazing.

Similarly, online communities, like our Discord, that host regular writing sprints, often attract goal-focused individuals who enjoy the thrill of time-bound writing challenges. 

In-person writing groups

In-person writing groups meet at a dedicated time and place, like a local coffee shop, library, or someone's home. I host a writing group at my local pub on one of their quieter afternoons, and there’s a handful of us who get together, exchange ideas, play writing games, provide real-time feedback, and just generally share our work in the spirit of improving our craft. 

The value of personal contact can't be underestimated, as it does allow for more nuanced discussions about works in progress and provides a structure that many writers, myself included, find beneficial.

Critique groups

Critique groups, as the name suggests, focus primarily on providing constructive feedback on members' work. These groups are all about sharing drafts and receiving detailed criticism about your writing — anything from accuracy to style and accessibility.

Peer critiques can offer a variety of perspectives on your writing. It’s a great way to find plot holes, character inconsistencies, or stylistic improvements that you might have overlooked early on. Furthermore, by critiquing others' work, you learn to sharpen your own editing skills and gain fresh insights into the writing process.

Writing retreats

Writing retreats are designed to provide writers with a break from their everyday environment and immerse them in a space dedicated to their writing. These retreats can range from weekend getaways to month-long residencies and are often situated in inspiring locations, from country houses to beachfront cabins.

The tranquil and focused atmosphere of a retreat is designed to spark creativity and reduce distractions, allowing writers to concentrate solely on their craft.

Online writing communities

Not everyone lives near other writers or is comfortable seeking out strangers in person. Online writing communities offer a digital space for writers to interact and learn from each other, extending the possibility of collaboration regardless of geographical location.

Platforms like Reddit, Discord, and the NaNoWriMo forums are popular for hosting vibrant writing communities, providing a dynamically interactive space that keeps writers connected, inspired, and motivated in their writing journey, even if they can’t be with other writers in person.

Social media

Social media channels offer various ways for writers to connect, exchange ideas, and foster communities. On Twitter and Tumblr, writers can follow trending hashtags like #writingcommunity, #amwriting, #writeblr, #writingtips, or #NaNoWriMo to engage in conversations, share inspiration, or get advice. TikTok has also recently emerged as another hub for writers, with the #BookTok and #WritingTok trends really taking off. 

To sum up

Writing communities come in many forms and serve different purposes, but each offers unique benefits to support and enrich your writing journey. They provide the encouragement, accountability, feedback, and camaraderie needed to navigate the often solitary path of writing. It may be your journey, but you don’t have to take it alone.

As you seek to join or create a writing community, consider what you want from the experience and explore various options that align with your needs, preferences, and schedule. Remember, writing doesn't have to be a lonely endeavour. In the company of fellow writers, the journey becomes a shared experience, making the process less daunting and far more rewarding. Happy writing!

Novlr is free to use. However, for those who need the extra bits, there’s a 40% discount on Novlr Pro for 12 months for NaNoWriMo writers. Simply add the NANO23 coupon code when subscribing at Novlr.org. Offer expires December 31st, 2023.

Pamela Koehne-Drube is all about building creative writing communities where imagination thrives and writers achieve their goals. As a professional ghostwriter and editor, Pamela has first-hand experience in the book trade, from supporting fledgeling writers all the way through to working with the Big Five publishers. She’s an expert on all things writing. In her role as Writer Development & Community Lead at Novlr, you'll find her organising challenges and chatting about writing in Novlr’s Discord and building a repository of amazing writing, editing, publishing, and marketing resources for the Reading Room.

Top photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash.

[dickinson-devotee]

What a way to turn 34. 🎉

After many hours of cutting, wiring, soldering, painting, refining, reinforcing, stitching, troubleshooting, and repairing, The Jacket was finally ready to be FTTB in Baltimore. I was IN LOVE with that jacket from the second I first laid eyes on it, so when The Future Past tour was announced with Somewhere In Time as the prominent theme, there was no way I COULDN'T recreate it! I'm so, SO happy with how it turned out, and I owe it all to my amazing rommate Marcus, because it absolutely, positively wouldn't have ended up that good without his work on the wiring and programming. I owe him so much for this!!

I also owe one million thanks to my new friend Tanis for allowing me to be her plus one; if there was a concert to get lucky with for FTTB, it was absolutely this one. The Baltimore crowd was great; so much so that even Bruce commented on it, which he hadn't done before (at least at the two prior shows I was at.)

And what a show; as always, Iron Maiden were impeccable in every way, and I'm so grateful for the chance to see them three times total during The Future Past Tour. 🥰

Now the real question... did Bruce see me? Yes, I was impossible to miss 😆 But he took forever to acknowledge me, I think it might have been the encore before he gave me a little smile and a quick point. Meanwhile Adrian acknowledged me immediately when he came over to our side of the stage (we were in front of Steve and Janick). He was so adorable about it too, we made eye contact and you could see him go "woah!" and point at me, then made a little gesture toward his own torso to acknowledge my jacket 😄 When I tell you I BEEMED and mouthed "thank you!" feeling like a million bucks. Then a couple songs later, the lady behind me tapped me on the shoulder and frantically redirected my attention to Nicko, who was standing up behind the drum kit and very enthusiastically pointed to me and gave me a thumbs up and a big smile. 🥰 I love him!! I didn't expect him to see me until after "Iron Maiden" played and he came out to toss out some drumsticks so it was so delightful that he was so keen to throw some attention my way in that moment. ❤️❤️

And the absolute cherry on top; Steve didn't specifically acknowledge me during the show (though we definitely made eye contact multiple times because I am in love with him and was watching him basically any time I wasn't watching Bruce 😄), but he pointed at me after the encore and tossed me a sweatband; best birthday present ever!!

Godddddd what a magnificent end to my little sprint of shows. I'm so SO glad that I added Baltimore, it was absolutely worth it.