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#and be perceived in completely different ways by each person
super-nova5045 · 2 days
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cannot articulate my thoughts for the life of me so sorry for this one.
i think killing bunny was the catalyst for henry’s breakdown which seems strange because if anything henry seems the most blasé about the entire affair. however i think in a way henry and bunny are narrative foils of each other. bunny is all-american, “unintelligent”, athletic, WASP-y, big family, conservative, unserious like 24/7 yet in hindsight the most normal and stable of the group and thought to be wealthy. whereas henry is quite LITERALLY rather uneasy on the eyes, chronically ill, small and unloving family, very rich, very solemn, rather liberal about his sexuality (the whole bacchanal…) and SUPER detached from reality, quite literally making him the most unstable. because who in their right mind kills someone and is like “arghhh that was so freaking epic 😍😍😍”
and i think it comes from this greek/shakespearean idea of temperaments and different moods, the idea two people can balance each other out because they’re tied together by some transcendental string. by killing bunny, he’s immediately sick by it as his migraines come on and he acts weird at the funeral (i think from both the stress and the guilt). i mean the dude literally wipes grave dirt on himself, and i think it’s because he’s SO unstable and unbalanced that he’s entirely vacant and detached, completely ungrounded from reality, because BUNNY was the one who grounded him, who told him “bro this is insane”, who was the constant reminder that henry is unfortunately human, a human with flaws and weaknesses, not a god.
i think then that it’s also interesting that henry is sort of above love, especially heterosexual love. yes he “loves” camilla but it’s in a really weird, unbalanced way. iirc (it’s been a few months since i read the novel) most of them are a bit shocked by it. henry even refuses to acknowledge it (that whole fuck scene with charles). he seems entirely disinterested in camilla as a person and sees her more as something to protect, something to fuel his saviour/god complex. what i then find interesting is that when camilla and charles start to rebel against this, and he can’t kill charles or camilla (camilla thought he would) to get rid of this evidence that he isn’t a perfect protector, a perfect person, he kills himself, which in a way protects the rest of the group.
unlike richard, who later believed henry brought him into the murder so he could perhaps make a scapegoat of him, henry completely excludes bunny from ANYTHING that involves the bacchanal and the murder, despite bunny being his oldest friend and closest for the most part friend. i think it’s been said quite a bit that bunny could’ve been a little less horrified by the murder if he was just included in the bacchanal, because he’s so clingy and has serious rejection issues. i think, in a weird way, henry was trying to protect bunny but also protect bunny’s perception of him as a “good friend” who had his back - ie his protector. and as soon as bunny’s rose-tinted glasses are broken, henry turns the tide against him and kills bunny.
richard mentions a fatal flaw a lot, the thing that sets a character spiraling and usually kills them. however, none of the mains die except for henry and bunny - most of them live miserable, but free, lives. they’re protected by bunny and henry’s sacrifice. they will forever perceive henry as their saviour in a way, even if he had to die for it, even if bunny had to die to preserve this perception. ultimately, bunny (and bunny’s death) was the reason the group got into so much shit, the reason henry had to die. bunny was his weakness - the thing that kept him stable by calling out his blatant flaws and god complex, the thing that, by dying, therefore lead to his detachment from reality and eventual death. so therefore i don’t think henry’s fatal flaw is his detachment; i think it’s bunny.
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elysiansparadise · 7 hours
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Hi, can you talk about/include Pluto square Venus synastry?
This is specifically about Sagittarius Pluto square Pisces Venus.
Thank you! 🤍
How to deal with Venus-Pluto square in synastry?
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It is often said that with this square, they can feel deeply attracted to the other, but their main issues are experiencing extreme emotions such as jealousy, possessiveness or fear of losing the other. Some astrologers mention a strong attachment between both people and the awakening of intense emotions that can consume both of them.
As for practical approaches, I can mention the following:
🤍Talk about your insecurities with your partner: By sharing your insecurities, you make yourself vulnerable, which helps build trust between you. Vulnerability fosters closeness and allows your partner to also feel comfortable sharing their own fears or worries. This makes it more likely that both of you will know how to support each other and react empathetically.
🤍Reassure and show understanding: In many cases it is difficult to open up emotionally due to the fear of being judged or that our concerns or emotions will be minimised. Taking an emphatic and reassuring approach makes it easier to find solutions as a team, reinforcing the union and the sense of belonging and making it easy to work on the areas that could be weakening the relationship.
🤍Feeling jealous is not bad, what is bad is the reaction you may take regarding it: Communicating what makes you both jealous can be a healthy way to work on this issue, as long as it is done in a constructive and respectful way. The goal is not to completely avoid situations that could generate jealousy, but rather to learn to understand, manage and communicate these emotions in a healthy way. Calm down before discussing the topic with your partner, communicate your insecurities assertively by expressing how you feel.
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Some aspects in astrology that can help with this are the following:
🩶The harmonious aspects between Moon-Mercury help you feel confident in being able to share important things, even if this makes you feel vulnerable. They want to strengthen mutual trust and understand each other's emotions. Not only do they feel the freedom to talk about what has hurt them the most, but they also seek to listen to each other and reassure the other.
🩶The aspects between Moon-Saturn can provide the couple with not only patience, but also the desire to be together together for the long term. Both show consideration of the other's emotions, emotional needs and insecurities. They give importance to the emotional well-being of the other in order to have a relationship that makes them both feel good. These types of aspects greatly contribute to a healthy coexistence, and also give them the conviction that the other person genuinely makes an effort to understand them. There is a strong emotional bond between the two and they always seek to strengthen the bond. There is a great commitment and desire to be there for each other. 
🩶Among the aspects that can help we have Mercury-Saturn aspects, since together they try to find solutions long before judging or pointing out the other. They do not jump to conclusions, which strengthens the security that the other will listen to them carefully. They do not explode with each other and feel that they can communicate calmly with each other. They do not shy away from communication no matter how difficult it may seem and they can have a conversation like adults.
🩶The positive aspects between Mercury-Jupiter/Uranus mean that both people can understand the other better even if they do not live or perceive things in the same way. They genuinely show a willingness to see things from another point of view that is not their own. Despite this, their ideals regarding what they want from the relationship may be similar. They show realism and appreciation of their partner's differences. It is easy for them to maintain a positive attitude towards each other and the relationship.
🩶When there are aspects between Neptune-Sun/Moon, it makes it easier for both to understand each other and show empathy towards each other. They have a deep genuine desire to create a safe space so that the other does not feel threatened or judged. Their adoration for each other is such that they are able to help each other overcome any obstacle or accompany them in their healing process.
🩶Mars-Saturn/Pluto trine or sextile make both look for the relationship to continue progressing and moving forward. They have the strength to face any issue with resilience, always hand in hand with each other and empowering each other. There is complicity and unwavering support between them that makes them rely on each other when things get tense. They have a serious and committed vision of the relationship.
🩶Chiron making positive aspects with Moon/Mercury makes it easier to talk about topics that have a lot of emotional weight, and not only that but there is also mutual understanding. There is a strong empathy, a desire to accompany and be by the other's side in their vulnerable moments to support each other. They do not want the other to be alone again in moments of vulnerability.
🩶When your/their Mercury falls in the other's 3rd or 6th house means that there is good communication between you in which solutions are sought and you can allow yourself to speak with transparency. They can give each other the trust to discuss all kinds of topics, show support, advice and solutions to each other. They know that they can count on each other, on their honesty and that both will do their best to understand what the other is going through.
🩶Jupiter falling in the other’s 1st, 4th or 7th inspires both of you to grow and see love in healthier ways. They both know that relationships have difficulties but that is no reason to walk away or end the relationship. They accompany each other through hard times without hesitation, providing support, positivity and a strong companionship. They will always try to put themselves in each other's shoes and treat each other as a team.
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ikolit · 3 months
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that strange new worlds had the episode premise of having Spock temporarily turned fully human and then managed to miss in every aspect of his characterization and how that would affect his relationship with the rest of the crew is truly amazing
#Somehow worse than fanfiction the wasted potential alone#I do appreciate how insane they make amanda and that is the only reason I'm making an effort of watching this awful awful episode#But the way it makes me want to pull up a word document and just rewrite the entire thing#Why does no one in the crew actually like Spock#That they choose to go ooh he's like an hormonal teenager because he is experiencing emotions for the first time in his life ?? What????#Amanda's I'm going to teach you about your human side being strictly about lying to his future in laws#when she had the same conversation with Michael and gave her a through the looking glass book instead#She and sarek really are doubling up into making the most insane children in the galaxy psychology majors across the enterprise must dream#Of studying those two as a couple#Like what are you on ??? I love you queen you deserve the world#I feel like each new kid they got they decided to go a completely different route for the bit sarek got dibs on Michael so Amanda was like#I'll handle spock's whole personality by making him think that everything outside of the Vulcan norms is a human trait so I can get away#With commiting high treason and just pass it as a quirky human thing#They missed such a huge opportunity with both just have Spock continue acting the exact same but being perceived differently just on accou#Of no longer being othered by the crew#and also of just having him go Vulcans don't lie to Amanda's bit and both of them knowing that is an inside joke to their family#I don't even go into this show I just saw that Amanda showed up for this episode and I wanted to check and boy do I regret it
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astrobydalia · 4 months
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Aquamarine. Gold. Lavender.Colors of summer... Astro Observations
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Your 9th house rules your gandchildren! 9th house is 5th from 5th so your kids' kids.
Also, if you are any of your parent's first kid look at their 11th house to get a glimpse at how they will perceive your fs. (11th house is 7th from 5th, so your first kid's spouse)
^^these are derivative astrology methods so you gotta use whole sign system
The scorpion actually represents the underdeveloped/young version of Scorpio while the developed version of Scorpio is represented by the eagle which to me is analogous to the phoenix. That's why you see an eagle representing Scorpio in the The World card (cause this card signifies fulfillment or completion in tarot)
I think the song 'Part of Me' by Katy Perry really illustrates developed Scorpio energy. Is not resentful or vengeful but rather transformative and empowering, you can't end their spirit just like you can't end a phoenix. Underdeveloped Scorpio energy allows pain, trauma and resentment to ultimately k!ll their soul which turns into self-destruction, think how scorpion's stinger actually points at them (and fun fact: scorpions can actually k!ll themselves when they feel cornered)
Being "different" or an "outcast" is not an Aquarius trait, it's a Leo trait. Leo is all about being yourself, being unique, the one and only and main character energy. Aquarius rules inclusivity, equality, social cohesion, FRIENDSHIP (aka people who get you) and public validation, that's why it is a strong fame indicator. Aquarius energy is relatable to others, its new and fresh, Leo it not relatable because it is unique, it shines among the crowd and burns just like the Sun. Aquarius can be unique too but the main difference is Leos feel ultimately they only have themselves while Aquarius will always have people.
Leos are meant to experience feeling "different" or outcasted because they need to learn to accept and express themselves no matter what, that's why it rules bravery and courage. They often either feel alone in their "greatness" or feel like nobody accepts their real self. Either way its more common for them than for Aquarius to experience loneliness and rejection just like the sun can't never have anything come too close to it
Aquarius does not rule uniqueness per se it rules innovation, authenticity and detachment from the ego. Aquarians that try hard to be different and separated from "most" people are underdeveloped because they're still attached to their ego and this is the n1 thing that kills their innovative potential. Aquarius doesn't do things to validate the self like Leo, it generates ideas on how humanity can better express itself and develop, that's why it rules over technology, science and activism and that's why they're known to be trend setters. Air signs are all about finding common ground, aquarians are not meant to be different from communities or groups but rather find new and authentic new ways to represent them (hence the inclusivity).
All the Gemini Venus I've met were very loyal in their relationships idk what you guys are talking about. They are the golden retriever person that is head over heals obsessed with their partner. It's not easy to get them to commit cus they need someone who has that perfect blend between goofy and mysterious, too much of either bores them quickly. They love in a playful and child-like way so I see how they can be flighty and non-commital sometimes but if they're genuinely intrigued by you oh boy they'll be ALL over you in every way pretty consistently
Harsh aspects (esp square) between Mercury-Mercury in synastry are a no-go when it comes to compatibility. The two people can get along well and like each other if the rest of the synastry supports it but they likely have NOTHING in common. Efforts to try and find shared interests or ideas might be misunderstood or feel forced because there's none 😭. Even if you do have shared ideas or interests, you will have vastly different ways of looking at them because the way in which you both think/communicate always clash so you never really see eye to eye. You can get away with having unharmonious connections between venus or mars in synastry but mercury? Nah.
When it comes to predictions specially, you need to have AT LEAST three indicators for an energy to stick. For example, having just one planet at 29º doesn't mean you're gonna be famous, you need to have at least three fame indicators to even consider fame in chart. Also, I can't stress this enough, you REALLY shouldn't need to dig too hard to find the indicators, they're usually evident and fit into the context of the chart, meaning there are no other things contradicting or neutralizing said energy.
Even though we often look at 7th house for marriage, you are most likely to consider marrying and settling down with people who have their placements in your 4th house and/or 10th house, or you just see them as marriage potential in general. 4th house creates a sense of home, security and familiarity while 10th house synastry points to shared goals, seeing a future together, etc. That's how you'll feel tho, to see if that would happen you gotta check composite chart
If you have fire in your big 3 I just know you love being unhinged and a little wild once you get comfortable
Natives with Venus-Chiron aspects tend to have... questionable taste in lovers or get in relationships that are not so promising (forbidden love, etc). Their love life is always a struggle, they feel like they can't find someone that truly loves them and when they do it's always "complicated". With hard aspects they tend to date people who blatantly suck (abusers, psychos, players, etc). With easy aspects this can happen too but I've noticed they are more prone to attracting people who are alright however deep down are very troubled and/or unavailable individuals so the native tends to be the one to heal or sooth their lover.
Scorpio Mars can have sadistic tendencies... It obviously does NOT have to go that far for everyone, in fact most of them are pretty tame but this placement really gets off on the reactions of others I've noticed. Their n1 superpower is catching you off guard and poking at you psychologically. They know exactly what strings to pull and are very aware of how anything they do or say can trigger and affect others. This can manifest as smart and punchy humor, teasing... or really toxic behaviors. Oh and you do NOT wanna see them genuinely angry 😶 If you have this placement im gonna kindly ask you to please use your powers for good 😭💀
Females with Libra placements could have experienced being 'the other woman' I've seen this a lotttt. Either that or they constantly attract situatioships. They have a tendency to not be taken seriously by the opposite sex, only being seen as a trophy or a pretty face kinda vibe. Unless they also have Cancer energy
Which is interesting to see cause even though Libra rules marriage, the kind of women who are mostly perceived as marriage material by men are Cancer placements not Libra. If you think about it, it makes sense tho cause cancer rules family and motherhood
Water venus people have a very approachable and understanding aura. Very diplomatic and tactful, they'll effortlessly make you feel comfortable around them. Equally accepting of others both in public and in privet, but you'll automatically lose them if you make them feel invaded
Fire venus motto is "it's impossible to impress me.... but let's see you try😏". They purposefully market themselves as hard to get cause they want to see what you got. Will constantly crave interactions with some fun and friction
Earth venus are a lot more harsh, they haven't even talked to you yet but somehow have already decided you didn't make the cut 🥱 Silent observers, they'll have a mental spread sheet of what they like and don't like about you
With air venus you don't want to come off too strong otherwise you'll activate their fight or flight response 🏃‍♀️ You'll never know where you stand with them but if you wanna get closer you need to keep it playful and give them space
Virgo Sun/Mars/ASC like to help others but they do it in such way that is also indirectly self-serving to themselves. Virgos are sidereal Leos, they secretly want recognition for their modesty and want their actions and efforts to ultimately shine back on them
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Underdeveloped Pisces Moons are selfish and out of touch. I’ve noticed this placement is painted in a way too innocent light but they can have a nasty shadow too. They will not accept anything that does not conform to their delusional expectations about life and when things don't go their way they’ll isolate in melancholy and victimize themselves using the ‘misunderstood’ card. They can have a really twisted perception of reality, confusing the lines between right and wrong to accommodate their own narrative. Think Thanos from MCU, that character is a perfect example of underdeveloped Pisces Moon fr!! They tend to be very aloof and weaponize their empathy to appear innocent . Can use the “I can understand the world but the world doesn’t understand me” mentality to justify everything they do without ever feeling bad about it.
Another Return that brings a lot of karmic lessons aside from Saturn Return is your North Node return which happens every 18 years (Ages 18, 36, 54, etc)
Gemini risings have a fabricated or fragmented personality. They're often attracted to things like astrology, personality stuff, psychology, etc because it helps them make sense of themselves through abstract concepts. They also tent to define themselves through imitation or comparison like "I do that too", etc. It's very easy for them to convince themselves they're something they're not (gemini rules lies and deception), that's why they're often good actors (Pisces 10th house). They come across as very air-headed cause who they present themselves to be is based on who they THINK and SAY they are vs. how that translates in reality
Based on my life experience and also the responses in astro/observation posts, I've observed Scorpio placements respond relatively well to criticism. Not saying they don't care, but they can handle being villainized quite well because when developed they can have a really healthy acceptance of their shadow side and toxic traits. They also don't mind being misunderstood cause that means people can't pry on their business
CANCER, Libra, Leo and Virgo placements on the other hand are the most sensitive to criticism.... They can't handle not being seen as "the good one" all the time
Most Pisces suns I've met gave off huge xNTJ vibes for some reason like very deep thinkers, silent, sarcastic with a low-key threatening and unapproachable aura. Also VERY elusive and protective their personal stuff, they embodied the "mysterious" Scorpio stereotype fr.
However Pisces sun+pisces venus combo gives much softer vibe, more quiet and doormat-like, you'd think they're high 24/7.
The other bunch of Pisces suns Ive met had a very bubbly and dramatic personality. Can be emotional in a really performative way
Libra Mars people are SMOOOOOTH. Not only with their words but also their mannerisms, how they move and do things in general. You'll never see them triggered or stressed, they make everything look so effortless
The Pluto in Scorpio generation (millennials mostly) were the ones who started this mental health awareness wave. All this concern with anxiety, depression, mental and personality disorders was started by them. They’re the ones who started putting focus on the deeper effects of the dark psychology (Scorpio).
All the people that have scared me and traumatized me deeply for life had planets in my 12th house with no 8th house synastry in sight whatsoever…
>>> In my experience 8th house synastry is only intense in the moment but eventually you get over it fast once you stop entertaining the person/situation. It might be hard to let it go tho cause the connection is intense and this person will leave a lasting impression, but once it’s done that person is forever dead to you. 12th house synastry on the other hand is giving "I fight with you in my sleep", 12th house feels harmless at first but it deals with themes of sorrow and shame. It lingers and haunts you fr. Let’s remember that Saturn, the planet of permanece and lessons, finds its joy in the 12th house…
8th house venus/juno is NOT a sugar baby indicator imo. As per my observation, it is actually the 8th house native that ends up making a lot of money and their spouse/partner benefits from the native's income and success. I swear every person I've seen with these placements had "we could hang out in my yacht if you want😉" as their main flirting technique LMAO. Their own power (8th house) is their main source of seduction and attraction (Venus/Juno)
I believe 2nd house Venus/Juno is more indicative of sugar baby energy. They want that spoiled good life with little effort even if that means being financially dependent on someone else or using family's money
In contrast I've noticed 8th house placements are not really like that, they have a HEAVY entrepreneurial spirit. Super ambitious individuals
With that being said, be careful if your have natal 8th house placements (specially Venus, Moon, Juno, 7th house ruler), cause the people you bond with WILL benefit from YOUR income and success. That's why these natives are prone to experiencing betrayal, cause if you surround yourself with the wrong people they'll take what they want from you or cause chaos in your life and then leave, so use your intuition!!
With 2nd house energy you are good at keeping your resources and income safe, but this means they can lose value if you don't use or invest them eventually just like food goes bad if it just sits in the fridge. With 8th house energy you are prone to loss, debt, loans and other financial risks where you either lose it all or gain lots and lots of money, the all or nothing nature of plutonic energy.
I bet any virgo placement can relate to being a little bit of mess but something I’ve seen in particular with Virgo risings is they are surprisingly sloppy?? You really wouldn't in a million years think so given how they always end up presenting good results but once you know them deeply you notice they often miss out on important details in the process or get so caught up with short-term things that they miss the big picture. Either way, they often look like they got it all together but they constantly improvise a lot more that what it looks like in the surface
Aquarius Mars is a placement I've seen A LOT in celebrities, specially well-liked ones. They attract people to them just by existing, they don't even have to try too hard
I’ve noticed a lot of critically acclaimed actors have air moons
Sagittarius Part of Fortune have a vibrant and fun spirit, you can’t never kill their vibes but they can tend to be immature. It’s like they’re completely oblivious to anything serious 
Libras are people pleasers due to a hidden inferiority complex (sidereal virgo)
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prettieinpink · 9 months
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HOW TO START IMPLEMENTING CHANGE + STAY MOTIVATED
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HAVE A REASON. It is going to be hard to start inputting change in your life if you do not even have a reason why. That reason also has to come from within, not from any other externalities (friends, school, work, family). This reason has to make you strive to be better.
If you’re unsure about your reason, write down times when you feel your happiest and when you feel your lowest, then notice any common themes. 
BUILD DISCIPLINE. Discipline is the ability to be productive without hesitation or distractions. The only way to build it, is to practice it. Do the things you need/want to do, regardless of how you feel in the present.
Just remember, that you always feel better after committing to yourself.
MAKE YOUR PLAN SUSTAINABLE. Your routines and habits you want to implement, need to be at arm’s length for you. While I do believe in challenging yourself if your mind perceives that specific activity as ‘too hard’, it is going to make you avoid that task.
This is a reaction from your ego coming out of your comfort zone because it is so unfamiliar it wants to protect if anything ‘bad’ happens e.g. failure, loss of control and criticism. 
Reminder, that part of you is not bad at all nor is it holding you back. It is the part of you that wants to keep you safe. For your ego to allow you to do tasks out of your comfort zone, it needs to be simple and easy. Then from there, you can build it up to your ideal habit or routine. 
MAKE YOUR ENVIRONMENT INTENTIONAL. Your mind, space and the people around you need to be decluttered and serve a purpose. For your mind, avoid feeding it with an overload of information especially if you are not going to apply it. Minimise social media use and journaling instead of looking for a quick fix. 
Your space, specifically your bedroom has to be the best place for you to grow. Everything in your room needs to serve a purpose, it has to be kept clean to ensure mind clarity and place intentional items around to support your goals (mantras, workout mat, water bottle, instruments). 
The people around you have to support you and your journey. I don’t believe in the ‘value’ or ‘worth’ people have, but rather what you think of them. Someone could be the most overachieving and productive person ever, so they may inspire you, but what if they don’t wish the best for you? People who will support you regardless are the best resource ever.
BE FLEXIBLE. The ability to edit your habits or routine when needed so you can stick to a schedule or adapt to change is a powerful but underrated skill. Anything in life can happen, but if we want to stick to our goals, we need to develop flexibility. 
The best way to develop flexibility is to try everything. For example, meditation. Do 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes, try it in the morning, afternoon or evening, do a guided one or do it by yourself. To get flexible in a habit, you need to expand your capabilities in that habit. 
ALWAYS SOMETHING RATHER THAN NOTHING. Typically during the day, we procrastinate because we want the challenging task to be perfect or we believe there’s not enough time/resources to do it. 
However, just having that small progress each day is always better than nothing. One sentence is better than none, one healthy meal is better than none, 2 minutes of exercise is better than none etc. 
HAVE GOALS THAT YOU LIKE. The reason so many people dislike doing their habits or routines is because it’s not stuff that’s enjoyable for them. It’s habits and routines that they got online from someone completely different. 
Choose your favourite way of exercising, read your favourite books(even graphic ones!) and journal the way you want. If the steps to becoming your best self are steps that you dislike, then it is not your best self. 
IDENTIFY THE WAY YOU SELF-SABOTAGE. If you are struggling to implement change, chances are there are small self-destructive behaviours that are in your routines that hold you back. 
This could be major procrastination, doom-scrolling, an addiction or binge eating. You either have to completely extract these habits from your life or you can do these things in moderation. 
TAKE REGULAR BREAKS. If you are being productive back-to-back and not allowing yourself to cool down, your motivation will deplete quickly. Have around 1-2 hours in your day doing anything you like.
If needed, after each task, take 5-10 minutes for yourself. However, do avoid your phone for these periods and try to be present in whatever you do here. 
HAVE SOFT DAYS. Days in which you do not have to do anything hardcore or intense, and you’re just living. While yes, be somewhat productive but nothing too intense.
This can be your reset, detox or self care days, or all of them combined!
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createserenity · 11 months
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Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship dynamic fascinates me and what fascinates me even more is how people perceive them, partly because I seem to have a much more optimistic view of their dynamic than a lot of what I read suggests they do.
With that in mind I started trying to unpick how I see their dynamic and why and what I ended up with was a series of rambles on various aspects, including confidence, trust, silliness and what they ask of each other. This one is about what they ask of each other and why their relationship isn't some weird one-sided thing where Crowley gives Aziraphale everything he could possibly want or ask for.
I see a lot of posts and things suggesting Crowley always rolls over and does anything Aziraphale asks of him. I don’t know to what extent most people really believe this or if it’s just a fun joke (and I’m not saying that’s bad, I think it’s a fun joke too, I love reading all that stuff and it makes me laugh). The point I wanted to make here though is that I don’t think it’s true and also why I don’t think it’s true.
Everything from here on out is my opinion, but I won’t keep stating that in order to make it more easily readable, just take it as a given. If your opinion is different that’s absolutely fine, I love that we can all see this stuff in different ways depending on our experiences and personalities, it’s why the fandom is so fun. (It’s also why my opinion on so many things in season two ricochets wildly from one theory to another).
So back to Crowley and Aziraphale – I don’t think Aziraphale walks all over Crowley, or certainly not to the extent that people sometimes think he does. Also Crowley doesn’t and wouldn’t allow himself to be walked all over anyway. Why is this even relevant? Because I’ve seen people say that in the final 15 minutes Aziraphale finally asked Crowley to do something that pushed him over the edge and that Aziraphale was shocked when Crowley didn’t roll over and do it because Crowley always does what Aziraphale asks. This isn’t at all true for a start, but also this view tends to include a second assumption, which is that their relationship is one-sided and Aziraphale never does anything for Crowley, that he dismisses him and takes him for granted, which also is not true in a lot of ways. I think it’s a fundamental misinterpretation of their relationship dynamic.  
First of all why can Crowley’s actions be interpreted as just rolling over and doing whatever Aziraphale wants? Well, the answer to that is three-fold – firstly Crowley is a genuinely unselfish in many ways, he does things for people because that’s the way he is, it doesn’t make him a pushover, it just makes him nice. Secondly he loves Aziraphale deeply. Whether he knows it or not doesn’t matter, he cares for Aziraphale and wants him to be happy. This isn’t the same as being a complete doormat, it’s simply compromising with the person you are in a relationship with and occasionally prioritising them over yourself. Both these things come together in the third thing, which is that Crowley’s love language is acts of service – he enjoys doing nice things for Aziraphale, he enjoys rescuing him, or going along with him and letting him have his own way, so why not do it? The point is he’s never railroaded into it by Aziraphale, it’s always a deliberate choice. He is literally saying, I will do this thing for you because I love you and I enjoy making you happy and this is something I feel I can give to you.
How does Aziraphale see this behaviour?
Well that’s a tricky one, because in many ways Aziraphale is the more complex character, not least because he changes the most over the course of their history together. Is there a slight element of him taking Crowley for granted in some of their interactions, especially in season two? Possibly, but mostly I don’t think that’s it at all. When someone gives you things because their love language is acts of service you develop a (mostly sub-conscious) confidence in that relationship dynamic and if you also have confidence in yourself (which Aziraphale absolutely does – I’ll write more on this another time) then when you want something you ask for things. You ask not because you learn to expect, but because you think you’re worthy of asking and you think that your relationship is strong enough to stand up to the ask. I ask my husband for things all the time, sometimes they’re things I know he’ll give me – these are easy asks (I don’t just mean physical objects, I also mean acts of service such as helping me with something), sometimes though I’ll ask for things knowing he probably won’t give me that thing or without having a clue what his answer will be – these are harder asks, the sort you don’t do early on in relationships because they might break it either in one go or over time. Sometimes a hard ask results in me getting what I want, sometimes it results in a bit of back and forth before I get what I want, sometimes I get a no and I’m temporarily annoyed or upset, sometimes I get a no and I accept it because I knew it was the most likely outcome.
The point is that I ask, and so does Aziraphale. You ask because you have confidence that you are worthy of the ask and also that your relationship is strong enough to bear the request, even if the answer is no. Can a no still be annoying or upsetting? Yes absolutely. Can a no still be wrong on the part of the other person? Also yes. The point is that sometimes the no isn’t wrong and it doesn’t necessarily break the relationship. By the time season two comes along Aziraphale is confident enough in his relationship with Crowley to feel it can bear the weight of him asking.
So what happens when he asks? Does Crowley roll over?
Well no, he doesn’t. One big example of this is right at the beginning of the series, in episode one. Here Aziraphale makes a massive ask of Crowley and he knows it’s a big ask. Even before he tells Crowley what the problem is he’s aware of the possibility of a no. “Is it something I can help you with?” Crowley sayss, and Aziraphale merely shrugs. It’s not because Nina is there, she’s gone by that point. It’s also not because he doesn’t have faith in Crowley’s ability to help him, he always has faith in Crowley’s abilities (this is a whole other thing on trust). What he’s doubting is whether Crowley will help him. It’s why they’re meeting in the café, not the bookshop. He wants to break this one to Crowley a bit at a time – there’s a problem and I need help. I want your help, it’s why I called you, but you aren’t going to like it and I’m not even sure whether you will help so I’m establishing that I need help first, rather than showing you Gabriel immediately, so that you aren’t completely surprised when I present the whole problem to you.
Once they go to the bookshop and Crowley is confronted with Gabriel he offers the help he feels able to give by saying that he’ll drive Gabriel somewhere and dump him. He’s stating his willingness to help (which is important later), but for now he’ll only help in one specific way. What he isn’t willing to do is any more than that, not even for Aziraphale.
Help me take care of Gabriel. Help me sort this mess out, Aziraphale says, and what does Crowley say? No. Absolutely not. You’re on your own with this one. Even after Aziraphale practically begs him for help, complete with puppy dog eyes and the magic word, “I’d love you to help me,” Crowley still says no. That is not the reply of someone who lets themselves be walked all over or who rolls over every time the angel they’re in love with flutters their eyelashes.
Okay so what about the fact that he returns? Well, the stakes have been raised: for a start Aziraphale is now directly in danger, which alters the balance in favour of helping him, and remember he was already willing to help, he said as much, but he was previously only willing to help in one way. Now that’s changed. Doing things you wouldn’t normally do for someone you love when the stakes are raised is a perfectly normal rection in a relationship and does not indicate an unhealthy dynamic. Crowley has now realised that getting rid of Gabriel is no longer an option - his preferred plan (dumping Gabriel somewhere) will no longer work, so the only choice is now Aziraphale’s plan of keeping him in the bookshop and taking care of him.
This is why he returns.
A quick note on the call
Just backtracking a bit here – when Aziraphale calls Crowley to ask him for help Crowley agrees to be over in two minutes. It’s instant, no questions asked and at first glance looks like Aziraphale calls and Crowley comes running just because. But nope. Later we are very clearly told that Crowley knows something is wrong the moment he picks up the phone and Aziraphale starts speaking, “This was your ‘Something’s Wrong’ voice.” Crowley already knows there’s a problem and what do you do when your closest friend calls you and tells you about a problem? You try to help. Whether that’s advice, comfort, physically going around to help out or whatever the situation calls for. Of course Crowley says he’ll be there in two minutes, he doesn’t exactly have anything else on and his friend has just indirectly told him something is wrong. He’d be a pretty shitty person/entity if he didn’t agree to drop round and try to help.
So what about the 'I was wrong' dance?
This whole interaction, that many people say indicates how under the thumb he is actually shows us the exact opposite. What’s the first thing Crowley says when Aziraphale asks him to do the dance? “I don’t do the dance.” This tells us a hell of a lot about their relationship dynamic up to this point – for a start Aziraphale has clearly done the dance before, at Crowley’s request, and he lists off the occasions. The dance is silly and slightly demeaning and Aziraphale has done it several times for Crowley, whilst Crowley has never done it, yet somehow we read this whole scene as Crowley being the whipped one? Um. No. Also heavily implied in Crowley’s, “I don’t do the dance” statement is, You’ve asked me to do this before, I’ve always said no because I don’t want to. You’ve always accepted my no before and I want (expect!) you to accept it this time.
But this time Aziraphale doesn’t accept the no. Just like Crowley wouldn’t go along with his plan earlier, Aziraphale now won’t go along with Crowley’s no. Clearly he has done so in the past, but this time their dynamics are different. They’ve been much more open about their friendship for the past four years, they’ve both accepted that they are at least close friends, if not more. They’ve saved the world together and saved each other. They both acknowledge they “carved (this existence) out for ourselves” and that brings strength to their relationship. Now that Aziraphale has more confidence in what they are to each other, he takes that confidence and tests the limits of what Crowley will do for him, to push them more towards equality. Why should he always be the one to do the dance? Crowley responds by acquiescing not because he would just roll over and do anything for Aziraphale but because he recognises three things. Firstly that Aziraphale is pushing and that this is new and that this means something to him in the context of their relationship, secondly because he reluctantly accepts Aziraphale’s point that it isn’t really fair that he never does it, and finally because the request for him to do the dance isn’t about him refusing to help (Aziraphale was never certain he would), it’s about the fact that he’s broken Aziraphale’s trust by refusing to help (which is a slightly and very subtly different thing). To illustrate this, right before Crowley does the dance, just after he says “fine,” he gets this very brief, soft look on his face – this is him acknowledging to himself that Aziraphale deserves this dance, that he loves the angel and that he’s doing this because of both those things – he could have continued to insist on a no, he clearly has before, but this time he chooses not to.
I will do this thing for you because I love you and I enjoy making you happy and this is something I feel I can give to you.
All right, what about the car thing?
What about it? Lending your car to the person you love is very normal. Ok so the car means more to Crowley than a normal car does to us, but the point still stands. Aziraphale is making a reasonable request here. Does he expect a yes? Absolutely, because he also knows it’s a reasonable request given where their relationship is. Does he flirt to get his own way? Hell, yes. Does Crowley know exactly what Aziraphale is playing at? Also a hell yes. And Crowley totally plays up to it, he’s not as opposed to it as he claims. He’s playing up his “no” and his grumpiness for effect, to encourage Aziraphale’s silly flirtiness. Look at the difference between this no and the no he gave Aziraphale earlier. There’s no anger here, there’s no real sense that he thinks Aziraphale is asking too much, he’s playing a role in their relationship and they’ve both played this game before. Look at that little slap of the hand, which Aziraphale responds to equally playfully. The game even continues after Muriel turns up at the shop, when it’s already quite clear that Crowley is going to let Aziraphale use the car (he’s already taking the plants out). Even in the back-room Crowley still teasingly grumbles about trains whilst Aziraphale smiles flirtily, and Crowley playfully withholds the car keys when Muriel interrupts them. They both know Aziraphale is going to end up with them, there’s no point to him not directly handing them over in spite of the interruption, it’s just an excuse to tease Aziraphale back. I mean, look at him – he spends the rest of the conversation wiggling his hips, grinning smugly and confidently handling the Muriel problem by talking about love. Aziraphale’s very overt reaction tells you all you need to know about the dynamic of this one.
Two can play at this flirting game, angel.
But he follows him around like a little puppy!
Well, yes and no. Sure he follows him around whilst he goes around asking all the shopkeepers to the meeting, but he does that because it’s fun for him. He’s curious, Aziraphale is acting oddly, doing something he’s never done before and Crowley wants to know what it is. He’s always found him fascinating – what silly and ridiculous thing is the angel up to now?
Also wanting to hang out with the person you are in love with isn’t at all strange or a sign you are in some sort of weird relationship where only one of you calls the shots. It’s normal. Crowley knows Aziraphale has a tendency to be silly or do unexpected things and he wants to watch him do them and also flirt with him whilst he’s doing them. Looking grumpy and reacting to Aziraphale’s silliness with disbelief is how Crowley flirts-without-flirting. Both of them know, understand and like that dynamic, and he has that role not because he’s unhealthy levels enthralled with everything Aziraphale does but because of the levels of trust they have spent millennia establishing.
What Crowley doesn’t do is wait around for Aziraphale. Look at the scene where Aziraphale daydreams about Job. In that scene he’s aware Aziraphale has something else to show him (the record clue), but he doesn’t stick around whilst Aziraphale ignores him. He could have sat down somewhere in the shop and waited – he’s got an eternity, waiting an hour or so is no big deal, but waiting around like that would suggest he really is a doormat, just waiting for the next time Aziraphale shows him any attention. He doesn’t do that, instead he goes off and does… well, something. There’s a lot of speculation over what it is, but whether he goes off to read Pride and Prejudice or just wanders off to find something more interesting to look at than the back of Aziraphale’s head, he’s clearly saying here that he has a life outside of whatever Aziraphale wants to do.
Also side note - you know what else he doesn’t do for Aziraphale? Adjust his driving style. Aziraphale clearly hates it, it makes him nervous and he even asks Crowley to change several times whilst they’re in the car together, but Crowley never does. This is how I am angel, accept it or don’t, but this is the line and I’m not changing this for you. Related to this is his refusal to accept Aziraphale altering the Bentley. Aziraphale tries to persuade him, “But it’s pretty,” and Crowley really isn’t having it. It’s another hard line and he’s not going to let Aziraphale cross it.
Anything else?
There’s a few other examples that I’ve seen listed in the, “Crowley does whatever Aziraphale says/wants” evidence piles. Things like Aziraphale assuming he’s going to get the drinks in the pub. Well, someone has to get them, and it makes perfect sense that they both assume it’s Crowley here because he’s the one more comfortable with pubs. Having a role that you take on within certain situations in a relationship is healthy and normal, imagine how exhausting it would be to debate who is going to do every little thing all of the time.
In the first series the coat cleaning is another example often cited, but this is something Crowley is perfectly happy to do. Aziraphale is flirting, which is delightful, and he’s not being asked to do anything difficult or dangerous. I will do this thing for you because I love you and I enjoy making you happy and this is something I feel I can give to you, which is totally different from, you always ask, I always give, and you always take.
What about Aziraphale. When does he give?
All the damn time. We just don’t notice it as much because Crowley asks different things of him. His love language is acts of service towards others, but he doesn’t really ask or require them in return. Sometimes he gets them from Aziraphale anyway (Holy water anyone?) Also notably in the Globe Theatre when he’s clearly the one pushing the Arrangement, and Aziraphale more or less agrees to do his work for him (“That doesn’t sound like hard work”) even before he’s asked, before they’ve gone through their little dance of Crowley pushing and Aziraphale supposedly-reluctantly agreeing.
The other things Aziraphale gives Crowley are much more nuanced, and much less measurable to us as the audience, but he gives them constantly, or more or less constantly, throughout their relationship. He gives him acceptance (although he occasionally partially withdraws it, such as in the bandstand scene), his silliness (which is more important than it first appears), a safe space (not just the bookshop, but also a safe space for Crowley to air his real views without fear of consequence, which is important irrespective of whether or not he persuades Aziraphale to agree with him), his physicality (by 1826 he’s really in Crowley’s space so much of the time) and most importantly he gives Crowley himself. Crowley constantly pushes Aziraphale to grow as a person, it’s one of the original reasons he entertains developing a friendship with him. What he asks of Aziraphale is for Aziraphale to think – really think – about what he believes. And Aziraphale does so, but only for Crowley. Humans have constantly questioned religious beliefs throughout history, they’ve written books, made speeches and even had wars over religious doctrine and the problems, inconsistencies and absurdities within it. Crowley is saying nothing to Aziraphale that he won’t already have indirectly heard from humans and dismissed or ignored. But when Crowley says it, he thinks and he changes. That’s what Crowley asks of Aziraphale and it’s what Aziraphale gives him.
What was the point of all this waffle?
Well, honestly there isn’t much of one. Only that their relationship is much more balanced than some suggest and I think I just wanted to spell that out. It also has an implication for the final 15 minutes. There’s no way Aziraphale goes into that with some sort of fake confidence that he can persuade Crowley to follow him to heaven simply because Crowley always follows him – Crowley doesn’t, he has very clear limits that he enforces with Aziraphale and Aziraphale knows this. He might feel confident for other reasons (such as thinking Crowley will be happy to be an angel again) or something else entirely different might be happening (so many theories!) but I’m pretty sure it’s nothing to do with thinking Crowley always does what he asks, because he very clearly doesn’t.
It's also why Crowley waits around afterwards to watch Aziraphale leave. It’s a way indirectly of saying one final time, I love you and I enjoy making you happy… but this is something I cannot give to you.
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undiscovered-horizon · 11 months
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[Zoro is jealous of how impressed you are with another man's strength. A few insults and broken breezeblocks later, he makes sure he's the only man you have eyes on.]
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Roronoa Zoro is a man too busy to boast. He perceives his skills and attributes as a means to an end and not a goal in itself; achieving unmatched swordsmanship is but a method of becoming the world's greatest swordsman.
It's completely useless to waste one's potential only to earn fame and admiration. If one sees their abilities as a goal, they tend to abandon their growth once the goal is achieved, never discovering what they can really do. Therefore, boasting is a manmade border between the current state of things and the wonderful possibilities.
Or so he tells himself.
The crowd cheers again as the blue-haired boy breaks another stack of planks. Each time he adds one more obstacle, the mob of onlookers is sure that this time, he's bound to fail. They've been wrong so far.
Zoro and you have been watching the show from affair but only because you refused to walk away. Sure, on your adventures you have seen people or unimaginable skills and attributes. Nevertheless, the man on the makeshift stage is just that - a man. No Devil Fruit, no canons-for-arms or anything of this sort. Just a person with determination and years of practice.
"Damn, that's some strength," you say in awe. "It's amazing."
Zoro only scoffs, scowling while he stands with his arms crossed. "Come on, this is nothing."
"Oh, right, breaking a stack of five wooden planks with your bare fist is just a regular Tuesday, eh?"
"Definitely not for a twig like him," he answers while still glaring at the boastful plank-breaker. "A gust of wind could break his bones."
Something about his huffing and puffing doesn't sit right with you. After all, why does he care in the first place? Zoro is not the kind of person to be interested in things that are not directly connected to him. It's almost as if...
Is he jealous of the attention?
"You know what, Zoro?" When you turn to look at him, he notices the challenging glint in your eyes. You're up to no good, aren't you? "I'd love to see you try and break even one plank."
He scoffs again but this time he looks almost offended at the implication. "I wouldn't even get out of bed for one."
"That's not a good measure." You shake your head decisively. "It's already hard to make you get up." Then, an idea sparks in your thoughts - something he's sure not to reject. "Let's do it like this. If you can one-up that guy, I'll do whatever you want."
Zoro's brown eyes stare into yours with a new intensity. He seems to be trying to guess how serious you are about your promise. "Anything goes?" he asks suspiciously.
"Nothing that will tarnish my dignity." As a warning, you point your finger at him. "Or dirty my shirt."
Then, to your utmost satisfaction, he gives you a smirk beaming with confidence.
"You're going to regret this."
"I hope so," you answer.
He clenches his jaw at your frivolous tone, his mind racing in a thousand different directions at once. What do you mean you "hope to regret" your wager? What exactly do you think he'll ask of you?
No matter the answers to his questions, Zoro has found a new source of motivation inside him. He can ask anything. As nice as that sounds, and he's sure to let his imagination run amok, the more satisfying prize will be the look of awe you're bound to give him. If you're impressed with this boastful twig of a man, how dazzled will you be with Zoro when he beats him? Maybe you'll finally stop looking at other men like they're actually worth even a second of your time or a speck of your attention.
"Hey, wood boy!" Zoro exclaims at the top of his lungs while making his way through the excited crowd towards the makeshift stage. "Let's see who's stronger."
"A brave challenger appears!" The blue-haired man announces. Whispers erupt among the onlookers. "Or maybe he's stupid?" he directs his question at his fans. Then, when Zoro enters the stage, the man looks at him with a feeling of superiority smeared across his face. "I'll have you know, I'm the local champion."
Up close, the blue-haired man looks even less impressive than from the ground. He's rather scrawny compared to men of similar strength and he could definitely use a long bath. Zoro is almost offended that you'd look at this poser of a clown instead of him.
"Only local?" Zoro asks. He erupts in laughter, making his opponent's expression visibly falter. "Not much of a title. I've seen rocks bigger than this island."
The whispers turn into loud conversations as half of the crowd demands Zoro to take back his words and the other half begs for a showdown to see who's the true master between them.
"Ambitious!" the blue-haired man exclaims with fake casualness, clearly trying to hide his own uneasiness. "That's what I like to see. But I must warn you that breaking wood with the sheer power of your bare fist is neither easy nor simple. Are you sure you can manage?"
Zoro laughs again. His posture only grows with confidence while the other man seems to be becoming smaller with each of Zoro's insults. "Wood is for children."
The blue-haired man swallows nervously. Sweat trickles down his neck. "Alright then." He clasps his hands together, rubbing them to ease the arousing tension. "What do you propose?"
"Breezeblocks."
The crowd audibly gasps and you're not any different. To break something that can render someone unconscious, if not dead, without having to use much strength? Even for someone like Zoro, the suggestion seems more than audacious. True, you wanted to see him prove his bold talk but not break his hands.
But before the blue-haired man can protest or diverge the discussion, a group of eager men bring a load of breezeblocks on stage. Their eyes shine with impatience and desire to see uncommon strength as they take away the wooden boards and set up the first breezeblock for each of them to break. The hollow bricks are placed atop regular, clay bricks that the blue-haired man has used to lay the planks on.
With a light gesture of his hand, Zoro allows the apparent master to begin. The man stretches his arms and cracks his joints. Despite being visibly experienced in this art, there is a noticeable nervousness in his movements, too. As though he's not as confident as he was five minutes ago.
Measuring one or two times beforehand, the local champion slams his fists on the breezeblock. A muffled thud resounds and the crowd falls silent. Then, a loud grunt fills the tense air but not a speck of cement is lifted. The breeze block did not break but considering the agony on the man's face and the deep red of his hand, something surely did break.
Zoro laughs for the third time. Strangely enough, he seems almost suspiciously laid-back. He reaches for the blue-haired man's unbroken breezeblock and places it atop his. If the crowd was silent before, it's deathly quiet now. They don't even dare breathe, awaiting the resolution of this unforeseen wager.
His eyes meet yours and never stray as he punches the stack of breezeblock. They break, fall and crumble on the stagefloor. Zoro doesn't look phased in any way, nor does his hand look to be injured. Judging by his casual attitude, he can easily break a lot more than just two breezeblocks. Maybe one day he'll find out but not at the moment - that's not the point of his little show of strength.
Some people try to accost him or talk to him as he makes his way back to you but Zoro's usual glares and silence quickly mitigate their enthusiasm and soon the mob of onlookers just cheers among themselves.
"Alright, I'm impressed," you admit with a nod. "In capital letters."
"So, anything I want, huh?" He can't help the smile curving his lips. It's a big word that you've used - a little too big for Zoro's imagination because it too happily strayed in directions that might break his heart permanently if you reject him.
"I suppose you do deserve compensation for holding yet another title of a champion. The dreadful weight of success," you say in a dramatic tone. "Now, what is this 'anything' you've decided on?"
Truthfully, he hasn't decided yet. If this "more than friends, less than lovers" situation he has with you was a game of chess, he's just made his opening move. You played back and put him in a place where there are simply too many options to reconsider. So what choice does he have to make to have you in a checkmate?
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juicedaloe · 1 year
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Mithrun and brain damage
I'm not sure if anyone is interested in this, but I wanted to make a post talking about why I think that Mithrun has brain damage from a traumatic brain injury instead of him being a representation of other neurological disorders or mental illness. I'm not that involved in the dunmesh fandom so I don't know how common this headcanon is, though I've seen a few people mention it here and there.
This is just my own opinion so if you disagree then that's fine. Some of this is just speculation and I can't say what Kui's intentions were. This post isn't meant to be that serious. I just wanted to talk about it and hopefully inform about how brain damage can affect some people in a way that I hope is interesting and relevant.
This will be kind of long because I like to talk so it will be under the cut. Apologies for the length and how much I ramble. Feel free to give input especially if I got anything wrong or if this is too confusing.
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Okay let's go
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is incredibly complex. The long-term effects of a TBI include a wide array of symptoms. Each injury is different, and some people can completely recover rather quickly while others can become permanently disabled, even for seemingly "minor" injuries. What I'll cover here isn't a definitive representation of the experiences of all those who have long-term effects from TBI, nor do I speak for everyone with brain damage.
Here are some long term symptoms relevant to this post:
Alexithymia (inability to process and name emotions)
Inability to process and name physical perceptions
Mood swings and emotional regulation difficulties
Communication difficulties
Social impairment
Apathy about caring for oneself
Lack of motivation
Alexithymia and inability to process physical perceptions
This one is rather obvious. While Mithrun is shown to feel emotions and have physical sensations (for instance, describing his location when he gets lost in the dungeon as "a cold place"), he is also apathetic to how this affects him. This means that his physical and emotional perceptions are reduced in some way. He says that becoming lord of the dungeon will leave someone "empty", showing he is aware of his dulled emotional state.
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A good example of this is can be seen here in a bonus comic where he doesn't give much of a reaction to burning his mouth on hot food.
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(I love these two a lot, by the way. Pattadol is really under appreciated.)
He is also not able to recognize bodily signals, such as hunger or when he is tired. Despite collapsing from exhaustion and not eating for long periods of time, he still insists he is not tired or hungry.
Mood swings
Mood swings in combination with alexithymia can be an especially disorientating experience. Those who struggle to perceive their own emotions can still feel them even if they don't know how to recognize it.
Individuals with brain injuries often experience drastic mood swings, particularly anger. To those around them, they can appear to go from 0 to 100 in an instant.
This is more speculation/headcanon on my part, as the strongest emotion Mithrun has for most of his appearances is anger. However one could interpret this as being unrelated as he is seeking revenge for a traumatic experience.
Communication difficulties and social impairment
Not only can naming personal experiences be incredibly difficult with a brain injury, but other areas of communication are often affected as well.
Mithrun is not able to set boundaries for himself even if someone is doing something he would not actually want them to do, which can leave him in a vulnerable position.
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People with brain injuries can sometimes have a paradoxical experience when it comes to communicating with others. They can go from being very quiet to speaking at length about one topic, seemingly without regard for the importance of each bit of information. (I see it like Newton's first law of motion. It is hard to start speaking and it can be just as hard to stop.)
I really like this aspect of Mithrun's characterization. Usually, he is very quiet because he has no reason to speak. However, once he starts talking he is shown to be overly specific and goes on for long periods of time. Kabru has to spend multiple days figuring out his story.
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In a side comic, Kabru tells Mithrun he should condense some of the personal details that Kabru finds irrelevant to the topic of the dungeon.
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Mithrun shares many details about himself because his desire not to do so is gone. This mirrors the experience of many people who have brain damage to overshare and not understand how their words will come across to others. Sometimes they say or do things that are insensitive or inappropriate for the situation.
Caring for oneself and motivation
In the dungeon, Mithrun becomes reliant on others for self care. He also seems especially incapable of motivating himself to take care of his body when he is particularly focused on his goals.
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In these panels, thus far he had been fairly receptive of Kabru trying to take care of him. However, he could sense that the demon was close and was too focused on that to care to eat.
Refusal of care and treatment is often an effect of traumatic brain injury. This can be for seemingly no reason, even if the person knows that this will help them. Sometimes people will lie about receiving treatment or doing things to take care of themselves, either so they can avoid it or avoid having someone take care of them.
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He knows that eating regularly and not pushing himself too much will help him - he's been told multiple times on-screen - but he still has to be continuously told by others to give him that motivation to take care of himself. He's very apathetic to his physical state, even if it seems his only desire is for revenge and he should be doing anything he can to achieve that.
Other things of note
I wasn't sure where to put this, but while Mithrun's sense of direction is speculated by Kabru to be left over from his time as lord of an ever-changing, confusing dungeon, having poor sense of direction in the way he does could also be indicative of brain injury as well.
While the dungeon is confusing and illogical, he is known to have a poor sense of direction and to get frequently lost by those around him, even trying to exit an entrance he just came through. He is shown to be very intelligent, but memory is greatly impacted by brain injuries which affects a person's sense of direction and location.
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Something that really stands out to me about Mithrun is how much the things that help him are particularly helpful to those with brain damage. He is physically capable of performing tasks, but he needs an outside source to remind him and get him started. He relies entirely on routine, and when that regularity is taken away he shows extreme difficulty taking care of himself.
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Sometimes, the care that some people need is simply someone else to encourage them or to tell them when to do things. The care that he needs is pretty consistent with a person with a brain injury who does not need a full time caretaker and would prefer to have some independence.
Also, healing magic is specified to not work with brain injury unless the person is killed and revived. Mithrun had not been revived after his injuries, so it is entirely possible for him to have sustained a TBI. I don't think this matters that much because one is still allowed to have headcanons even if there is a magical explanation or isn't really possible in canon, but I thought it was an interesting detail.
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In conclusion
Because of all this I don't believe that his lack of self care is due solely to mental illness. While mental illnesses like depression or PTSD can cause a decline in self care, the reasons why the affected individual is avoidant of these tasks differs. These disorders can also cause cognitive difficulties and emotional regulation issues, but not to the same extent or in the same way that brain damage would. I think that he does have both depression and PTSD (both are common after a TBI) but those are not his only disabilities.
And on a personal note, I just think that having a character with brain damage is really cool. Most of the time I've seen it the characters are not given very much respect and they are treated as comic relief and a joke. Regardless of whether you agree with this post or not, it is still nice to see a character with a disability like this.
Thank you if you read all of this. I hope it was easy to understand and I did not ramble too much. I don't have anything else to say but I've been wanting to write this out for a while.
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Okay bye
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nayatarot777 · 6 months
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What Type Of Partner Would Be Compatible With You?
I’m doing this reading in hopes of bringing clarity to a lot of you regarding the type of people who’d truly be good for you in comparison to the people who you may want - because those two types of people may not coincide with each other. Hopefully this reading can either confirm that you know which personality traits/characteristics would complement yours or that it at least brings you clarity to the topic at hand.
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• Pile One •
Your compatible partner would be someone who is quite different to you. This is someone who people would never pair you with, but your differences clearly complement each other. I’m seeing that if you are someone who is lacking in emotional expression or if you are just emotionally suppressed, then your partner will be someone who is very emotionally expressive. Very emotionally giving too, but I don’t think that this will make you feel smothered because I have a feeling that this type of partner would be able to read your energy and see that the love that they give is love that you need shown to you - even if you act like you don’t need it. And if you are someone who is very emotionally expressive, I feel like your partner will be the opposite. They’ll be quite emotionally held back in terms of showing how they feel and expressing how they feel, but you guys who relate to that have the ability to read your partner and the ability to tell what they’re feeling. So therefore, I feel like your partner’s lack of emotional expression won’t bother you as you can feel their love anyway. They are probably the type of person to express their love in practical ways instead of emotional ways, but that won’t bother you since you see the deep love in their acts of service.
I am also seeing that your compatible partner will be someone who’s very in touch with their sexuality. Very sexually appealing,m as well as very beautiful too. I feel like this is a compatible trait with you because I have a feeling that you guys may be sexually suppressed a little bit or you may not see the beauty in yourself. So, the universe in this case would be showing you how beautiful you are through the ability to attract a beautiful partner because I’m seeing that you guys would be a very good looking couple - although a strange match in other peoples eyes. However, I feel like one commonality between you that people would see is how physically attractive the both of you are. I am also seeing this partner highlighting to you the beauty of every phase of life, the good as well as the bad - perceivably. I feel like this partner has a lot of Taurus energy because they seem to be able to see the beauty in dark moments quite easily whereas you might struggle with that. You guys could be quite modest people or dress quite modestly, and if so, your partner is going to be the complete opposite. If you’re the person who is very sexually expressive - whether that’s through the way that you dress or through what you talk about - then your partner will be the one who comes across as more modest.
There is a theme here of someone having a distorted view and I’m seeing that for a lot of you this definitely could be you in regards to your physical appearance and your own beauty. It could also be towards certain circumstances in life and your partner would be someone who is able to see the truth of you or life’s circumstances in order to teach you how to view them in a much clearer way. I’m hearing that this partner would help you to advance your clairvoyant abilities in order to see through the smoke and mirrors and the cloudiness of your perception that you may have in regards to yourself or life in general. This person likes to be quite hidden, but from the shadows is where they observe. So there is Taurus energy as well as Scorpio energy. This person can see through the surface level of people and situations which you may struggle to do at times. That might be what the distorted view is about regarding you. But your partner will help you to see the things that you should see clearly as a way of showing you the realities of people who you may need to stay away from. Because I am seeing that both of you would be very close. They’re very protective over you in a very loving way. I’m hearing that some of you would be attached-to-the-hip with your partner, but it won’t feel smothering because the protective nature isn’t coming from a negative, low-vibrational place. It’s not coming from insecurity or jealousy. It’s just coming from a need to protect you out of love and with the purpose and duty of leading you onto the path of your highest good. So therefore, they will kind of be the person who watches out for any dangerous people or situations on your behalf while also teaching you to do that for yourself.
Significant Numbers: 4, 17, 2, 27, 27 - 2727 is an angel number that you can research for an extra message - 28
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• Pile Two •
Your compatible partner is someone who really helps you to get your life in order. Someone who helps you with clearing out the mess and the dirt and the grime - figuratively speaking. This could also be in a literal sense, so for those of you who are quite messy people, I’m seeing that your compatible partner is someone who’s very tidy and orderly. This is someone who is very empowered within themselves and their empowerment leads them to ensure that their life is in order because this empowerment allows them to know that they are the ones in control of their lives. Now, you guys might be people who find yourselves stuck in a victim mindset. You might be someone who is plagued by negative thoughts about yourself or about life in general, but this compatible partner will lead by example and initiate a lot of powerful personal growth within you. This is with the purpose of helping you out of this victim mindset in order for you to realise - just like they have - that you are not a victim to life itself. And that you actually have the ability to be in control of your life if you recognise that and find a way to be. This is someone who would empower you to honour yourself and to honour your self-development by cleaning up behaviours or mindsets or habits that are holding you back.
For some reason, I’m feeling like a lot of people in this pile have dated people (or have simply been attracted to people) who would have done the opposite. Who would have kept you stuck in your own victim mindset and negative patterns of behaviour because of the fact that they were themselves. But your compatible person is someone who is the complete opposite. This person is going to help you to reject the narrative that you’re a victim and that you have no personal power. They are going to cause you to realise that you are actually a very powerful person when you work through the fear and the anxiety and perhaps even your traumas in order to get to the point in which you can listen to your intuition. This compatible partner definitely could be older than you. I feel like there is quite a significant age difference between the both of you so you guys might have more luck with dating people who are older than you. With those who may have more life experience. Those who have learned to overcome the phase that you’re in right now.
Please take that with a grain of salt if you’re underage or just young: do not actively try to date people who are much older than you because most of the time in those cases, there is the element of manipulation towards the naivety of the young person. But if this isn’t someone who is older than you, this is just someone who is more older internally than they are physically. They have a very, very mature mindset. They may think like someone who is years older than them. They have a lot of wisdom that I feel is passed down from the elders in their lives. I’m also seeing that this is someone who is able to handle rejection quite well, and you might be the opposite. You might internalise rejection - whether that’s rejection from people, rejection from workplaces, or rejection from opportunities. It could be rejection from anything, but you guys might not handle rejection very well. And you may internalise it and use that rejection as ‘proof’ that you are not deserving or worthy of whatever it is that you want. But this person is going to change that narrative. Like I said before, they are someone who will reject that narrative that you’re a victim to life because it’s not true. You may be a victim of certain people as most of us are, but that doesn’t mean that the universe and life itself is victimising you. And that’s something that that this compatible partner would want to teach you.
Significant Numbers: 43, 22, 41, 15, 13, 12
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• Pile Three •
Your compatible partner is someone who has been through a lot. They had to drag themselves up out of the mud after being beaten down so much throughout life. To the point that they are someone who would’ve entered a Phoenix rising moment. They would’ve realised their own power and realised that they have the alchemic ability to transmute pain, trauma, and negativity into something that’s gives them comfort and stability and healing. This person would be a master at transforming and the transmutation of negative energy into something beneficial for themselves. I feel like this person could definitely be heavily into occult knowledge or just be heavily connected to the unseen energies and forces in life. They have a very keen understanding of the spirit realm. Of energy and physics. And they know how to manipulate energy in order to get what they want out of their own negative experiences and pain. They’re also someone who is highly connected to the universe and their spirit guides. They pay attention to the messages and the signs that the spirits that they’re connected to like to show to them. This person might do all of these things unconsciously. They might not be the type of person to speak in these terms but ultimately, they are an alchemist. And they know how to transmute energy extremely well. They are spiritually connected to a very high level, even if they wouldn’t put it that way.
This person is someone with very strong boundaries. It’s almost like they cast a circle of boundaries around themself for the sake of self-protection from energies and people and situations that they don’t need to be around. And they have a very keen intuition alongside the understanding of messages from the universe, which helps to keep them safe and protected. This is someone who is well acquainted with the dark and negative energies of life, but they’ve used those types of energies to their advantage. There’s also something about this person‘s eyes. I feel like this type of person is perceived as someone who can see through people and situations, it’s almost like when they’re looking at physical + 3D things and people, they are seeing the undercurrent of energy within those things/people. This person is a bit of a contradiction because I feel like most people who meet them sense all of this hardship and pain and trauma that they’ve had to go through, so their energy is quite heavy - maybe dark to a lot of people - but out of their negative experiences, out of all of the moments of death (literally and figurative), they’ve become some type of earth angel who has the alchemic knowledge to heal themselves as well as others - including you.
If you were in a relationship with them, this person would not be someone who is comfortable with being a victim to life circumstances. Even when they are made a victim. They will convert themselves into a survivor and figure out how to use that victim-hood as a tool to make them the winner in the end. This person does not fucking play about their boundaries 😂. They really don’t. I feel like they are very, very adamant at keeping their boundaries intact because their boundaries are a representation of the power that they have over the energies that they allow into their life. And they’re so used to feeling like they don’t have power from earlier experiences that they don’t play about showing their power and acting on their power for the sake of their own self-protection. This may be your compatible partner because I have a feeling that you guys are exactly like this yourselves. You need someone like this who can protect themselves because you protect your own energy. And when your boundaries are strong, you don’t need someone else who has weak boundaries who will bring destructive energy into both of your lives. When you’re someone who is able to listen to the universe and rise above hardships in life, you don’t need someone next to you who would rather stay in a victim mindset and just let negative energies have their way with them. I feel like this person is your equal. Although you are both rare types of people, they are your equal.
Significant Numbers: 25, 32, 40, 4, 37, 16
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yusiyomogi · 29 days
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mithrun as a character doesn't have his own pov in the story, and i think this is the main reason why interpretations of his actions may differ so much. it was a conscious choice to write him that way, we're supposed to see him as a bit of a mystery and figure out what's going on with him. but i think it's fascinating how it also makes him a divisive character.
there are only a few instances where we get a brief look into his mind. one of my favorites is in the gift exchange extra with this short but interesting narration:
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it's not really canon or anything, but kui is very consistent in how she writes her characters, even in silly extras like this. and here we can see a bit of a mithrun's thought process and it's surprisingly revealing. he participates in the event and even wants to buy a book token, which is a simple but reasonable gift. but when he learns that he can't get them anymore, instead of trying to think about another gift, he simply puts some money in the envelope. the same idea in his mind probably, you can still buy a book with money of course. or maybe he simply gave up. rin, who gets that envelope as a gift, see this as extremely lazy and callous, since from her pov he didn't think about gift at all.
and i think a lot of mithrun's actions in the main story have the same effect on the readers, because we never see his pov. in some instances, it's obvious that he tries, despite his condition. in some instances, it doesn't look like he tries at all. in some instances, it's not obvious that he tries, but he still tries.
i think, the way every reader looks at those moments eventually determines how they will perceive mithrun as a character, including his personality and morality.
case 1. mithrun ruthlessly fights a bunch of guys who want to kill his squad and kabru. he teleports them all into walls, leaving only stone statues behind. while the narrative doesn't put focus on this, the shapes of those statues reveal that mithrun left each person's face unobstructed, so they can breathe even while being stuck in a wall. why would he do it like that? surely it requires a lot of precision to teleport people like that. was he following some orders, maybe to not kill civilians or was it his own decision?
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case 2. as a giant mushroom attacks a crowd of adventurers, filling the air with mind-numbing spores, mithrun declines any help from his squad. he attacks the mushroom himself and, surprisingly, teleports it on another level completely, into the water instead of stone. all the water he teleported as a replacement washes over the crowd and we can see that some of the people start gaining consciousness again. canaries laugh at his unexpected move. why would he waste mana on this? was it necessary to drown the mushroom or did he actually want to get all that water? was it just a part of his plan to find thistle or did he try to help those adventurers?
case 3. this one is something most interpretations agree on, so i won't focus on this too much. mithrun always tries to negotiate with other dungeon lords instead of killing them immediately, even though it's more dangerous. mithrun isn't particularly good at talking, but he says what he believes they need to hear. it's something that even kabru found surprising the first time it happened. was it something that mithrun had to do as part of his job? or was it something he personally wanted to do? why he always tries but gives up so quickly and attacks them anyway? is he being lazy and callous?
case 4. after chimera falin attacks him, mithrun teleports a stone above her head and it hits her. then he starts calmly talking to her, holding his hand on another stone, basically threatening to kill her if she doesn't move. even people from his own squad are unsure what his plan was: did he miss on accident or was it intentional? why would he want to keep her alive? was he simply afraid she's gonna crush thistle or did he actually see her as a person and didn't wanna kill her?
case 5. after spending a few days with kabru, mithrun goes from using him as an improvised projectile against monsters to putting himself between kabru and monsters. was this just a coincidence or mithrun started to care about his companion?
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case 6. when laios becomes dungeon lord and everything seems to fall apart, kabru loses his composure and starts questioning if it was all his fault and what was even the purpose of his survival. mithrun interrupts him by slapping his face. after a few moments he continues to attack him and it turns into a small fight. what was the purpose of this slap? did mithrun genuinely want to interrupt kabru's panic episode? why would mithrun then attack him again? was he still angry at kabru for stopping him and making him trust laios or was he angry that kabru didn't follow his plan?
i could probably find other examples like this, but pretty much every scene with him can be interpreted at least in two different ways. in the end, your choice to see his personality in positive or negative light depends on how you read those moments. mithrun's main symbol throughout the story is the mirror and i think it's interesting that until chapter 94 what every reader see in him is basically a reflection of their own ideas. you can't really look through the mirror, you can only see yourself. and only chapter 94 finally gives us a clear look through that mirror and it certainly doesn't answer every question.
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alotofpockets · 2 months
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Sticks & stones | Mary Earps x Man United!Reader
Where Mary says something hurtful
Woso masterlist | Words: 1k
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You signed for Manchester United in the January transfer window, the team wanted to up their defence the rest of the season, and you had been their best option to do so. 
The team had welcomed you with open arms, but not everything went as smoothly as you had hoped. You didn’t let it bother you much though, knowing that you just had to prove yourself to the team for them to accept you into it fully.
Your playing style was something new to the team. While you were a very sweet, kind, and caring person off the pitch, your on pitch personality was a stark difference. You were very confident on the pitch, which was often perceived as arrogance. That was the part that bothered Mary the most.
She was fine with a new defender coming in to help get their defence better, making her job as a goalkeeper easier. But the arrogance you brought to their game was something she could not wrap her head around. 
After a couple of matches, you had won over the fans and most of the players as well. However, Mary was not one of them, though at points you thought you were even managing to make a little progress with the goalie.
When the semi-final match against Manchester City came around, you were one of the key players, and often got yourself a starting position, having become a crucial part of the defence. 
City had managed to put one in the back of the net, and so had United a few minutes later. The teams were both well matched to each other, which of course was to be expected since the both of you made it this far into the competition.
Going into the 75th minute the score was still level, and both teams were feeling the pressure. Chloe Kelly was making a run towards your goal after intercepting a ball in midfield. You and Mary were the only ones between her and the goals, so you knew you had to do everything to stop her. 
You went in a little too aggressively, and to your frustration completely missed the ball and slid fully into Chloe’s ankle. As she topples over you and the referee comes running your way, you know you messed up. The referee reaches into her pocket and pulls out a red. 
In defeat you stand up and watch the referee point the card in your direction. Katie and Millie ran up to tell the referee down to a yellow, but you knew it was to no use. The first red in your career, never even haven’t gotten red after a double yellow. 
As you were about to walk off, you heard the words from Mary coming from behind you. “Great, just what we needed, another arrogant show-off that might cost us the game.” Her words were more to herself than to anyone in particular, but they were loud enough for you to hear.
The teammates you passed consoled you as you walked off the pitch, but their words wouldn’t erase the ones that were spoken by the English goalkeeper. The booing from the City fans was also not a great feeling.
In the locker room you go over the moment in your head again. Getting red alone would have gotten you down, but with Mary’s words on replay, you were sitting there with tears in your eyes. 
When your teammates started trickling in you were already showered and back in your travel outfit. Some of them came towards you offering a quick hand in support. You had been able to keep up with the score of the match on your phone, and luckily your teammates managed to kick another one in the back of the net and secure Manchester United a spot in the final. A final match you would have to sit out. 
Mary, who’s cubby was next to yours, offered a hand on your shoulder, but you shook it off. “Eh okay, what did I do?” Mary questions jokingly, not realising that you had let your other teammates do what she just did. You look her right in the eyes and say, “Sticks and stones, right?” 
The goalkeeper thinks hard of what you meant, but you thought you’d help her remember. “Arrogant show-off. Words hurt, you know? I admit that I went in too aggressively, but I wasn’t trying to show off, I was trying to prevent her being able to get one on one with you.” You kept your voice low, not wanting to interrupt the rest of the team from celebrating.
“I am sorry for saying that. I really didn’t mean it. In the moment I was very frustrated and therefore wasn’t thinking clearly.” You sighed, “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t still think of me that way.” 
Mary is quick to shake her head, “I really don’t. You are an incredible player and you have given so much to this team. I don’t think we would have been here today if it wasn’t for what you brought to our game.” 
You stare at her dumbfounded for a moment, “You do?” You thought you had a long way to go to convince the goalkeeper of your worth, but she thought of your playing like this? “Yeah, of course. I’m sorry if I didn’t make it seem that way, and again very sorry for what I said on the pitch.”
From that moment on you felt fully part of the team, without having to prove yourself, playing with them became even more enjoyable. While you sadly weren’t able to play in the final yourself, the team did manage to win the title, and knowing that you had been a part in that, was all that mattered now.
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💗 If you enjoyed this fic, please consider liking, commenting, and reblogging!💗
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paraphwrites · 18 days
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followup on my post about dbda & loneliness.
'dead boy detectives' is a show where fundamentally, every character is very very lonely. but, they make each other less lonely. jenny is a surrogate parent for crystal, edwin and niko are always there for each other, crystal and charles understand each other, charles and edwin complete each other. there's just something so beautiful that even though they are all in pain and lonely, they are not alone, they have friends who would literally die for them.
i realized i was queer pretty young and in a very non-accepting environment. i was the only queer person i knew for a really long time, and that was really hard for me. and there was something devastatingly beautiful about watching edwin go through the a similar journey and not be alone.
dbda is important for a million reasons. but i would like to focus on one reason in particular.
'dead boy detectives' illustrates that there are multiple different ways to realize one's queer identity. you have simon, who is so wrapped up in self-hatred that he tears other people down with him. you have edwin, who is utterly unwilling to express any desire in such a way but ultimately embraces it. you have monty, who seems to have always known he was queer and always been very okay with that. you have charles, (i include him because i believe he is, but that can be debated) who goes on a long journey to realize it due to his circumstances. and they are all valid, and they are all real, and some of them hurt other people. because when the world hurts you so fundamentally, sometimes you end up hurting other people too. and you have people who have never had an issue with being queer, and that's great. and you have people who have to come to terms with it and it is hard and it is beautiful but they don't have to do it alone.
and that MATTERS. so often in media, we have a narrow, limited perspective for what realizing one's queer identity means. but there are so, so many different ways to figure yourself out, and dbda shows that in a very tangible and real way
the stories you tell are the stories we hear. so if @netflix only wants to tell stories about straight white people (maybe featuring a token gay character, so they can put it under the lgbt section), then that is the stories that people will hear
chimamanda ngozi adichie gave an incredible ted talk, back in 2009, called 'the danger of a single story.' in it, she discusses how, when you only tell & hear a singular story about a certain group of people, that becomes how you perceive the entire populace.
when a coming out journey is limited to its popular depiction (*realizes* *is kinda sad* *gets a bf*) then that is what all queer people are reduced to
look, i get that netflix has a couple of great shows featuring multiple queer characters, and i've watched & loved most of them. but god if i am not tired of people telling me to watch heartstopper. (i did & it's great & that's not the point.) the point IS that there should not be Two Gay Shows on your platform. because then the entirety of queer people are reduced to that.
now, maybe if it was just dbda, i wouldn't be so up in arms.
BUT THE FUCKING PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY ADAPTATION?????????????????????????????????
you CANNOT reduce queer people to shows that aren't worth renewing. you CANNOT erase queer characters from classic lit just because you want it to be more mainstream. when you do that, you are reducing queer identities to the single story you are willing to tell.
(to be clear i'm not blaming all of homophobia on netflix. i am simply pointing out a way in which they are contributing)
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lilacstro · 2 months
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how do people perceive me (persona charts edition)
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well, another post on this. In my time of studying astrology, I have found different meanings for the 1st house, 7th house, and 10th house in both Vedic and western astrology. Not to say they are completely different, but do hold some major differences. Planets rising or descending on these axis (and the Nadir too, I may say) can again have different meanings and are important.
I really don't know if this is some new eureka information for any of you and saying this would mean something different, but I will just say this is what I have seen on how our public image plays out.
support me on ko-fi :)
Imo,
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#1st house/Ascendant: is our personality that usually comes out when we are comfortable, around people and friends. It is also, our inner talking in some ways, how we may see ourselves or think of ourselves as.
#7th house/Descendant: this house is like the mirror. It often relates to the qualities we have but seek in others, qualities that we seek for long term relationships, and how we are seen in close relationships and friendships
#MC/10th: this house shows how we might be seen at workplaces, how people who are probably just looking/meeting us for the very first time feel.
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you can in fact check the placements of planets in extroverted houses, the above mentioned houses, and most importantly aspects, rising and descending planets to see how your persona may look to people.
Now, check your rising signs in each of the charts above.
here is the link to create persona charts. Check your Ascendant, Descendant, and MC persona charts' rising sign. The interpretations would adjust themselves quite the similar way. So I would not make this post unnecessarily long for anyone :)
lets go. Also, these charts can give you so much more information but I don't think I can inculcate it in this post specifically. However I would consider making another post on this one:)
Apply these meanings to how I have mentioned in the description of the houses in the start. If you have idea of intermediate astrology, seeing the degrees and aspects to your ascendants in all the persona charts below may also provide extra information in the relevant areas:)
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Aries Rising: Ahh, definitely extroverted first of all. Someone who is full of passion and fire, someone who is very passionate and fiery and wont sit at once place for too long, not in a playboy way, but they keep moving to the next thing, and are remarkably ambitious. You come across as someone who isn't afraid to take a fight or challenge that may come, bold and brave, I must say. I feel some people also may see you as competitive in some ways because of your high spirits and you can inspire them both, positively and negatively tbh.
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Taurus Rising: Stable, calm and practical and approachable too!!. A little too calm and security loving so that might make them feel a little boring at times, but people do feel you are a safe person to be with, to talk to. I feel out of all the earth signs, you are types who would be the best listener, a shoulder to lean on types. You might also take things slow, take your time to think things through and might not rush and get impulsive mostly, and this depends on different situations and preferences of what people are looking for tbh.
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Gemini Rising: Ah boy, someone who has something to say on everything, even if they might not be quite aware of it. Also, If your Asc aspects Mars, or Mars is in 1st house, you might actually be seen as someone who might like to take interest in politics. Someone, who will probably be very hard to understand, like say black and white, completely different at times. Someone who has a large intellect and actually has thoughts, a lot of them, and they choose to share them. Someone who probably says a sentence randomly while lunch that people later post on tumblr and twitter.
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Cancer Rising: Innocent and caring. Someone who cares and loves with no intentions of deceit (at least appears so). Someone who is very emotional with everything, might come off as sensitive at times. People may actually think of you as someone who is actually selfless and there maybe times where people may even underestimate your boundaries and anger because of the softie vibes you guys give. People might also actually trust you very easily and not really expect you to deceive them at all, like someone who would never switch up. and someone who people can always count on (it depends tho what you really to with it)
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Leo Rising: Someone who is brave and bold in gestures, someone who is unafraid to let the light shine on them or they would burn themselves to be the light for others. (damn it kinda got poetic in my brain lmao) yeah so someone who is loyal, and outgoing and someone who is either actually themselves or someone who wears a skin good enough to be perceived the way they wish to, making a completely natural appearance to others, and that may actually bring people to let their guards down and be themselves around you, you make people feel good about themselves, cared for and seen, and this actually makes you so attractive. Also, someone who probably dont wanna mess with and actually just be nice to, even if thats pretentious because taking a fight would backfire cos of how many people actually like you.
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Virgo Rising:Hardworking, and also I may say, studious in most forms or serious, like a serious aura or demeanor at times, especially when it concerns things important to the, very clear, concise and organized. Someone who would provide a plan for everything. Someone who actually does mind their own business and stays in lane and expects others to too. Someone who does not play around and are clear and stern. People also may feel very cared for, actually in every shape and form, very deeply, like someone who is a giver and may ask for help in almost all settings. But I would want that you be careful from this since this does not need to turn into an obligation because it pretty much can tbh.
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Libra Rising: Someone who is extremely sociable and charming, someone who everyone wants to be friends with or if not, someone who people do want to have a conversation with atleast once. You may also come off as privileged to some, or as someone who "must have had it easy because yada yada yada" so you may find people disregarding your struggles at times. You might also come off as someone who does not make any bold remarks, especially bad. Someone who is so charming, and aesthetic in some ways, like some kind of talent or beauty or something that woos people. Someone who you can have a conversation with, thought it may take a little while to get to a point where people may let their guards down with you(in all sorts of settings actually) because of "what you might think of them" because you actually appear so put together and perfect, like your opinions matter.
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Scorpio Rising:Most people must have made a peace with this fact that would never know you and you may actually keep people on their toes, guessing. Someone who has a lot of intensity to them, like you can feel it even you all know each other for a while. People may like confiding you tbh, but there is a feeling of "i want them to know this even if I might not feel like so" like nothing you do, but people may feel a pull towards you, to know you or get a validation from you of sorts. You definitely are yourself only when you let your guards down and that is infact, rare. I also feel people might see you as someone who is passionate, and someone who can be trusted with blind eyes on things, personally and even professionally. Extremely capable appearance. Also, intimidating I must say, especially because how seen people feel around you, almost inside out.
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Sagittarius Rising: Cheerful, optimistic and bubbly energy, I understand that this might sound cliche asf, but its true. Someone who optimistic and gives you some kind of boost (and a reality check lol) when talked with. Someone who has experience beyond years and someone who is automatically assumed wise and collected. People may come to you for advice, you might also actually be really funny. Someone who is infact strong through whatever they have been through, and I also feel people might actually like to listen to you when you talk, you may also appear like a good luck charm to some people, someone who is interesting to know about I must say. Someone who you say, damn they must have so many options, they are so cool. Very non judgmental too, until its something outright outrageous
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Capricorn Rising: A serious and intimidating, mind your business kind of feel. Someone who you want to be careful around, especially with what you say and do, people actually might put up a show around you at times, subconsciously tbh, just to feel acknowledged. Someone who is very grounded and "very" realistic and who does not play around, neither professionally or personally. Like no one would really underestimate you or not take you seriously. Like it may take people a while to get used to you, but once they do, they know you are a friend in need, someone who you can definitely count on. Someone who feels reliable and infact I must also add, a realistic ambitious.
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Aquarius Rising: "Different than the rest, she thinks she is the best (but maybe she is, idk I wanna know)" lmao this is a random line I wrote but this is true, people might actually recognize you different from everyone else they have seen previously and there is no lie here, and it may not even take that much of time. I also again feel people might actually let their guards down with you, and talk to you about everything, and just feel heard, you are actually really good at conversations, and listening and advising and everything I must say. Some of you or I may say most of you may come off as socially awkward yet cool kind of person. Someone who is probably in their own world which you wanna be a part of too. Someone who is actually so interesting or actually seems like so, it is kinda tempting to talk to you and know you and its like with everyone who comes across you and holds a conversation w you and you probably leave them on a cliff hanger lol.
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Pisces Rising: Naïve, some people might actually see you like that. Someone who is extremely giving and innocent. An ethereal quality to you, I also feel most people who come across you must think, damn they are so unreal, and that can be for many reasons, maybe the way you look, the way your eyes look, they way you create your art, anything, but something about you is indeed mesmerizing and it is usually hard to pin down, It is easy for the unsaid to be understood around you, someone who is actually so complex but seems so simple on the surface. People also might actually put you on a pedestal or have personal visions or ideals of you because you fit every standard and quality, like a dreamy ethereal quality to you, you have the ability to make people feel like they have some connection with you, also not to mention, you appear very kind. Some people might also want to "save" you because of how you appear too. Like offer you advices or unnecessary protection lol
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paid readings are open:)
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remember, these are my opinions and if they dont feel right, just scroll past and pay no heed. I am actually really sleepy and tired so I am sorry for any grammatical and spelling errors
xoxo
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ilsolefiesta · 2 months
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some random astro observations
according to my observations, people who are most often approached to date on the street tend to have Gemini Venus.
the connection between Scorpio Moon/Venus individuals and dark, gloomy art is fascinating. I've seen numerous mentions that they may be particularly drawn to true crime stories. however, I would like to emphasize that this desire for intense emotions can lead them to discover thriller titles without any initial intention. it can be like: "oh, it just seemed interesting, so I started reading, and then found out there were a lot of hardcore trash in the plot."
the same placements can be perceived so differently depending on the status of a certain person in your life. my ex-boyfriend and my bestie share 85% identical positions. the issue is that these placements appeared to be so damn cool for my friend and so damn bad for my boyfriend. the main essential difference is his Gemini Moon and her Pisces Moon. and it's so fun that I'm ready to forgive HER for all the things HE used to annoy me terribly. I guess, the reason is the better match with my Taurus Moon and better understanding of emotions of each other.
it's crazy that almost every girl who has experienced falling in love or dating a Virgo boy has told me that it was one of the most beautiful, significant and traumatic experience at the same time. (I can agree, I'm also part of this team...)
have you ever experienced this too? you know that you have an excellent compatibility with some sign, but you say with conviction: "never in my life, I don't like them at all." and then suddenly have a crazy crush on someone with this sign? it's me and Scorpio sign...
I can't say for sure, but I believe this is due to the fact that my Venus, which is responsible for aesthetics, is in an aspect with my Capricorn Lilith. as we know, Capricorn is responsible for teeth... I am a complete teeth freak. teeth, occlusion - these are the first things I notice when evaluating someone's attractiveness. it doesn't have to be perfect, a person can even have problems with their teeth, but if I like it... it's 70% of success. there were so many times when my friend showed me photos of REALLY beautiful people (and I rationally understood it), but my response was something like: "yeah, but for me, there's something wrong with their teeth. I can hardly figure out what exactly is wrong. I just don't like the way they smile." That's it. Thank you for reading! Picture credits: Pinterest
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lxmelle · 3 months
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Pure Love.
Geto loved Satoru more than he loved himself. “Don’t follow me to hell; Don’t let yourself be used.”
Gojo loved Suguru more than he loved himself. “I came all the way to mourn Suguru; Who cares what happens to my corpse.”
I’m even more convinced their love for each other was perfect.
Although Geto thought Gojo’s regard would change after what he did (cuz he projected his own self-loathing/inability to forgive himself onto Gojo), he was able to feel his unchanging love at the end. It touched him.
Geto was the kind who could tell Yuta he was a “womaniser” for healing Maki and then vowing himself to Rika. Can we imagine his unwavering feelings for Gojo whose name was tied to what he wore daily for 10 years?
Gojo was the kind who respected Geto’s wishes, even if he didn’t agree with it. Gojo’s unwavering & unchanging love can be seen as something that took Geto by surprise.
Geto thought after they fought that Gojo’s love would’ve changed. I think it in fact it had intensified due to regret & grief. Gojo realised what he felt was love.
Geto was someone who had become very disillusioned by the harsh world, especially as a sorcerer with good intentions & his innate desire to heal.
His “heart window” was very big but his “scope of influence” wasn’t that big. So his efforts could be like a drop in the ocean. He had to try very hard to make big ripples. Someone very pure & caring came to feel that the world was unreliable and couldn’t protect him or others.
Therefore he took it in his own hands.
Gojo, who had power in his hands also took it in his own hands but his view of the world was not as tainted, as his “heart window” (he was by nature selective) wasn’t as large, so his scope was smaller but his “scope of influence” was huge-
His one drop could make a huge ripples or even a tsunami, so his approach had to be very different by being withheld all the time.
It’s just an analogy to describe how we have to recognise they are very different people.
In terms of love, Geto was so disillusioned that white could be black & black could be white - as miminana said in 0.
I think deep inside he wanted to believe in the goodness of the world - that white could be white, & black, black. But it wasn’t the world he was shown.
He tried to create it in a twisted way.
Gojo had always seemed to be a rather honest person. Before Geto defected, he seemed rather cold because he hadn’t yet learned how to connect to others. There were no facades with him until later on… where when it came to protecting his students - he put on a front - but with his peers, he said things as they are. I describe him as very pure and clear. Pragmatic and stoic.
Geto perceived the world in a more complex way that Gojo did. They balanced each other out until Riko died and they both “died/lost” to Toji resulting in Gojo becoming the strongest.
It became convoluted with his disillusionment, grief, and then there was no turning back. I think it was hell for 10 years to be on his own doing expeditions and swallowing multiple curses a day to amass the numbers that he did in 0. It’d make anyone crazy?
In the end… The only person in a dark and dim world who showed Geto that purity / straightforwardness was Satoru Gojo. The man who didn’t begrudge people who do evil. He would ask a villain for their last words. Even wish to save / reach out to someone like Sukuna. He was the symbol of white is white & black is black.
So I think his love purified Geto in many ways.
That’s why I think Gojo saw him off (as he wished) and then Geto picked him up at the airport (because Gojo wanted him there) - they completed each other... they were perfect for each other.
Geto showed Gojo compassion & love and his soul was salvaged.
Gojo showed him purity and his soul was salvaged.
They saved each other...
They understood each other’s Pure Love in the end right!??? It was so preciously preserved for each other only.
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dev1lm4n · 1 year
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all glory
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masterlist | kofi (support me here!)
pairing: joel miller x f!reader
summary: joel has been feeling insecure, finding it hard to come to terms that he's indeed aging. tommy suggests a clever solution: a post-apocalyptic glory hole
word count: 4.8k of pure filth
warnings: minors dni (18+), post-outbreak, joel is 56 here hehe hot old men, insecurities, glory hole, fingering, unsafe piv, slight breeding kink, no pregnancy stuff tho cuz im terrified of that, reader calls him sir, pet name (darling)
note: i decided to create a kofi bcs im a broke college student lol. anyways hope yall enjoy this, do COMMENT and REBLOG if you enjoyed this :)
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Joel Miller had always been a man of confidence.
Being left as a single father for Sarah at an early age, he’s been through thick and thin, trying his best to make ends meet so that they wouldn’t have to end up in one of those run-down shelters. But never once did he question his ability to attract women. 
He’s always had it in him. With a mere glance from his expressive eyes, he can ensnare hearts and leave an everlasting impression on anyone fortunate enough to encounter him. Rugged masculinity and striking refinement; a deathly mix that kept girls swarming after him like bees. After the world descended into chaos, he’s not much different either. Perhaps the bone-deep trauma had left him looking eternally exhausted with sunken eyebags, or that gray filaments started becoming a welcomed addition to his beard, but all in all he’s still charming.
He didn’t have to seek, because people seek for him. Joel had plenty of erotic rendezvous in times where society crumbled and the rule of law eroded, more so now that everyday could be his last and he didn’t have the privilege to take it slow like a true Southern gentleman. He’s done it everywhere. Inside a stuffy closet while hiding from a clicking monstrosity, behind a thin wall while her husband sat cluelessly on the other side, and even taking sexual compensation for his little business. Joel Miller wasn’t a saint. Neither he one for God and he’d like to make it obvious.
Nowadays though, within the tall foreboding walls of Jackson City, that type of attention has faded away. He’s no longer getting those longing stares from across the floor, no longer being begged to corrupt just for some extra wad of cards, no longer being flirted and fawned over like a goddamn stud. Joel didn’t have any problem with it at first. He’s growing old. Instead of those naughty strands of white peeking out of his head, he’s now a complete mix of salt and pepper. Instead of just having a fun smile line, forehead rolls and crows’ feet are now imprinted deep into every crevice. Joel wasn’t the man he used to be. 
He’s weathered away, he thought, unsuited for fun and adventure.
Perhaps it had something to do with his daughter as well. Even when Ellie’s not from his actual blood, everyone in town viewed her that way. He’s her father. Thus, everyone seemed to perceive and treat him as merely a father and not as an actual person that has his own needs and wants. Joel loved his daughter. Terribly so in ways he couldn’t decipher. A part of him has made up his mind that this would be how he should spend the rest of his life: in celibacy. Though the retirement of his sexual and romantic life has slowly taken a toll towards his self-esteem. Tommy, who’s always known to be rather slow and imperceptive, was surprisingly the first one to take notice of his gradual change.
“Maria told me you might be here.”
Tommy’s gruff voice brought him out of his trance. Joel looked up, meeting the familiar figure crouch to get into his little workshop. It was his newfound hobby these days, becoming a hermit and isolating himself from the community. He’d craft a wooden figure or two each night while he relived each and every one of his memories. Good and bad. Of death and of birth. Then by the end of the night he’d feel mildly satisfied with a wooden sculpture shaped like memorabilia from the old world. Joel couldn’t admit it outloud, but insecurity had taken over him. It festered deep into his soul that he couldn’t even bear looking at himself in the mirror anymore or present himself to society.
“Yeah, just..” he paused to ponder on a better way to answer. “Just doin’ my own thing.”
“You skippin’ dinner again?” Tommy’s curiosity sounded oddly suspicious, enough that Joel already knew he’s about to say something obnoxious or entirely uncalled for. The older quirked his thick eyebrows in return.
“Made myself my own plate,” Joel cocked his head towards where a lone plate sat. Judging from the crimson stain smeared on top, it must’ve been one of those canned pastas that he picked out.
“Brother..” Tommy started out, visibly nervous of how his brother would take it. “Is there something wrong?”
“With me?”
“Yeah, with you.”
“No, not that I could think of,” Joel hummed. “I ain’t bitten or anythin’, why are ya asking such a dumb question anyway?”
“You’re just different these days,” Tommy reasoned with a small frown. “You barely come out of your house and if you do, you’re huddled up in this place, carving things for hours on end.”
“There’s nothin’ wrong with wanting to be alone. Is there?” he challenged.
“No, but you’re.. different. Almost like your mind’s troubled for once.”
“There’s nothin’ wrong, Tommy,” he insisted.
Joel was actively avoiding the accusations. He stood up from where he’s been perched upon for hours on end, bringing his half-carved wooden slab with him to set it on one of the displays he had. He’s grown quite the collection. It’s been going on far longer than he’d expected, the crippling fear of being undesirable and hideous, and it brought up an immense feeling of embarrassment. He couldn’t possibly admit such things to Tommy, could he? Tommy was different from him. His first child was on its way to be birthed, but girls still chatter about his charming smile and strong figure. They’d still gossip and make dirty guesses about his size. How long he endured such activities, the position he enjoyed best, and how sweet he was to his partner.
Tommy couldn’t possibly understand his fear.
“You can’t help me even if I told ya,” he grumbled.
“Put some trust in me, will ya?” Tommy chuckled as he spun around his seat to follow Joel’s every move. “Tell me what’s troublin’ you, big brother.”
“They don’t look at me the same way.”
“Who doesn’t?”
“The ladies,” Joel muttered.
His words were barely above a whisper. It almost seemed as if he saw the phenomenon as something humiliating, up to the point where he couldn’t even look Tommy in the eye in fear of having him laugh. He’s never talked about this with anyone else. It didn’t help that he truly didn’t have anyone to talk to in general aside from the few acquaintances his brother introduced him to and well.. Ellie. But none of them seem to be the right person to talk to regarding this. 
Regarding his failure in masculinity. His unspoken worries that he didn’t have any of the strong, chiseled jawline or any of the tightly packed abdomen with six separate squares to admire. He’s grown old and weak. Five years ago, he could’ve probably still sweet-talk his way into a woman's heart, but now he couldn’t even look one in the eye without the fear of being put to shame.
“They still do, Joel,” Tommy assured him. He’s telling the truth. Joel knew that Tommy didn’t have it in him to lie, he’d have sounded like a strangled bird or a squeaky dog’s toy if he did. But his mind couldn’t believe it one bit.
“I don’t know, Tommy..” he muttered. “They don’t look at me the same way. They don’t look at me at all even.. and I���m fine with that I 'spose. I ain’t a whorin’ bastard who couldn’t accept that he’s agin’..”
“But they do, Joel.”
“I’m old,” he sucked in the air. “Lately there are these moments where I.. where I’d look a girl in the eye and all I could feel was humiliation.”
“Humiliation?”
“Like they’re lookin’ at me as if I’m some.. some sort of repulsive creature,” he whispered. “I feel like I could hear ‘em gigglin’ with their girlfriends on how shameless I am.”
Tommy was deduced into silence. Time ticked by as he cranked up his brain to figure out the best way to aid his older brother out of his misery. It’s all in his head, Tommy knew that Joel knew that as well, but it’s easier patching up an oozing wound than a troubled mind. He brought his hand together on top of his jeans as he waited for the younger to make another comment, whether of comfort or of a harsh reality.
“I’ll offer you a solution,” Tommy spoke up. “But you gotta promise not to lose your head over it.”
“It ain’t drugs, is it?”
“No, no..” Tommy chuckled humorlessly.
“I’m open to anythin’” Joel dropped his arms to his side as he curiously eyed Tommy.
“Have you ever heard of a glory hole?”
Joel’s expression contorted in such a way that the younger Miller couldn’t possibly read what he’s thinking any longer.
“I ain’t goin’ outside those borders just to go to some sketchy brothel, Tommy. That’d be pathetic.”
“Well, the thing is this whole operation ain’t sketchy,” Tommy reasoned. “The girls were tested and approved by the local doctor before..”
“Local doctor? You tellin’ me this is happenin’ within Jackson?”
“I operate it, Joel,” he sighed, knowing he’s about to be bombarded with a handful of questions. “And before you ask, no this ain’t considered prostitution as there’s no material exchange.”
“You mean..”
“Yes. The girls do it for free. Volunteers. They do it for their own pleasure and I help make their dreams come true.”
Joel looked at his own brother as if he was a mad man. Who wouldn’t? When he’s just told him that they had an actual glory hole installed without most of the public knowing. Or perhaps they knew, they were just not talking about it in front of Joel.
“Ten to twelve. There’s a small house across the sheep field. One girl every Friday night.”
“Jesus Christ, Tommy. Maria knows about this?”
Tommy shifted uncomfortably on the stool.
“No, but it’s better off she doesn’t.”
Joel felt his morals set askew for a second. This sounded like a terrible idea, despite the fact that he’s confirmed it himself that it’d be the safest a glory hole could possibly be. He scratched his beard and took it into deep consideration.
In the quiet stillness of a winter’s night, the world was wrapped in a soft, white blanket of snow. The moon hung low in the dark sky - a beacon towards those who chose to travel in the deepest hours of nighttime. Joel blew puffs of warm air onto his gloved fingertips, hoping it’d satiate the coolness that made his joints ache and his skin itch. The air was crisp and biting, each breath producing a frosty cloud which quickly amalgamated into the air. He watched as gentle snowflakes, alike to elegant ballet dancers, fell from the heavens up above and twirled and swirled into an intricate pattern. He’s been waiting for way too long.
“So what are ya sayin’? Are you gonna let me take you tomorrow night?” Tommy broke the silence.
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Tommy promised to meet him on the edge of the sheep field, where they’d herd livestocks all throughout the warmer times of the year, but he’s yet to see his tall nose and dark hair from any of the cardinal directions. He’s been waiting for too long to keep the same mindset Tommy’s trained him into, that this was simply a beneficial exchange for every party involved and that he shouldn’t feel shameful for something so instinctive. Waiting gave him time to weigh out the cons, how this was naturally an act of debauchery that wounded both his moral values and beliefs. He ain’t a God preacher, but he’s sure to keep some of those Southern manners.
Maybe this was a bad idea.
None of Tommy’s ideas are ever well thought out. Starting from his sudden gravitation towards the military, to his desires to hand over his entire life towards the Fireflies, and now this. He knew his younger brother wasn’t the brightest of men, but creating an entire glory hole to keep the town’s morale up might be the stupidest one he’s heard yet. Especially when Maria’s not aware of it. He feared for the day when the beans spilled out of its jar, but tonight wasn’t that day. During the time in which he contemplated his decisions, Joel didn’t notice the crunching of snow against thick boots. Tommy was here and he looked far too calm for a self-made procucer.
Tommy beckoned him to follow the path his boots had made. Joel sucked in some of that painfully cold air into his lungs, before he stuffed his hands in his pockets and started trailing along. There were a few street lamps across the field, a ruddy glow emanating from them as they were adorned with a light dusting of snow. He kept his guards up while he scanned through the whistling field of crop, that traumatized part of him always keeping in check of abrupt movements and unsettling sceneries. After a quiet walk for a good three minutes, they finally arrived. The house fronts looked dark enough, and the windows even darker, contrasting with the smooth white sheet of snow upon the roofs.
There was snow piling up outside as well, dirtier ones whose last deposit had been plowed up in deep furrows by the heavy wheels of carts and wagons. He scrutinized over the tracks, wondering if this was meant to be used as a makeshift grain tower. If it was, then Tommy must’ve been a great scheming asshole to turn such a place into his own little heaven. Not one soul was around, which confused Joel even more. Wasn’t this supposed to be a public glory hole? Weren’t it supposed to be disgustingly packed with sweating men, adorned with walls covered in left-over spurts of cum and other bodily fluids, and smelled like sex itself?
Joel continued to pursue Tommy even when he’s overly skeptical about this entirely new scene. His boots were scuffed as he was dragging his feet through the front door, a fight against his defense system that’s begging him to flee out the door at the unfamiliarity. The establishment consisted of a long narrow hallway that eventually led up to an imposing door. Wooden, large, and mysterious.
To his surprise, what was beyond that door wasn’t some tacky sex dungeon with rattling chains and leather whips, it was a modest looking box. Square, he’d assume one meter wide and half a meter tall. He took in the wood it was made from. His pointer finger slowly traced the circumference out of habit. Oak, he concluded, making it sturdy and cool even in the warmer weather. What he failed to notice from the get-go was a pair of legs that were stretched open, chained onto the wall from the considerably-sized gap. Joel’s heart dropped to his stomach, he forgot for an entire minute what he was planning to do, and he’s starting to get cold feet.
“Darlin’, I’ve got someone for you,” Tommy cooed.
“You do, Tommy?”
Normally, people acquire hobbies in order to soothe their brief but occasional boredom, though you have discovered a unique way to tackle long hours of the night. This brilliant discovery of yours was birthed from a fated moment. One where you accidentally stumble across the conversation Tommy had with one of his patrol friends. It began a fantasy in your head. One you didn’t believe could come true until you overheard a passionate storytelling session one of the barmaids gave their friend. Only then did you gather enough courage to talk to Tommy about it. Despite his initial disapproval, saying things like you look too good and gentle to be doing such things, you managed to convince him with a week's worth of nagging.
“Mhm, one of my good friends here,” he hummed. “You’ll let him use you like a good fucking girl, won’t you?”
Goosebumps trailed from your backbone down to where your legs spread wide. Your nervousness made you flinch, effectively causing your legs to rattle against the metal restraints.
“Yes, I will, Tommy.”
When did you get so.. obedient?
“Alright then. I’ll see you in um.. twenty?”
“Thirty,” the foreign voice spoke up, masculine with a twinge of accent.
“Thirty it is.”
The entire room went quiet for an entire minute, only then did you finally hear the door slammed back shut. You swallowed back the throbbing fear in your heart, pushing back those persistent thoughts constantly warning you of the dangers. Even if you trusted Tommy with all your life, you didn’t trust the random strangers Tommy’s picked out. How could you trust them when you didn’t know who they were for sure? They could’ve been someone you see on the daily. The friendly guards, the cafeteria guy who’d always beam a sweet smile your way and give out more bread than standard, or even.. Tommy’s hunk of a brother. The same one who wouldn’t even spare you a look when you’re obviously sending heart eyes his way.
“Darlin’ is your name, ain’t that right?”
There was something so.. alluring about his voice. The type that makes your knees buckle inevitably, despite your best efforts to push it apart.
“That’s right,” you squeaked out.
“Darlin’, it’s been a long long time since I’ve done this, so let me indulge in you alright?”
“Okay,” you breathed out unsurely.
Your eyes instinctively followed the direction of the hushed voice, but all you could see from the dim box was a piece of dark fabric that was hung from above the hole. It was to keep your identity a secret so that the patrons across from you could only see you from the belly button down. Though now you felt more inclined than ever to pull on the draping and meet this man’s eyes. Your thoughts soon diminished when you felt a large hand over your inner thighs. Nowhere dangerous, just resting below where your kneecaps sat. You closed your eyes to try and envision the kind of hands touching you.
Were they soft and unsullied like a baby’s bum? Or were they rough and ridged with years of work?
That large hand traveled down South, inching with an irritatingly slow pace down towards where you ached the most. He was a fair man. He treated both of your thighs in the same manner before the two gathered together in a v-shape over your cotton panties. You wondered if you should’ve worn something more enticing, something which suited a person like you - someone willing to spread their legs for a true stranger. But the man on the other side didn’t seem to have a problem. He didn’t seem like he was bothered by the simplicity of your presentation, instead he was keen on pressing his thumb down the center.
They were the latter. 
His fingers were textured and it felt too good to be true. At the briefest touch, you followed after his movement, hips reaching further up to chase after his departing touch. You whined. Frustrated that he’s cruel enough to press your sensitive clit and leave you all hot and bothered. He let out a deep chuckle, one that came out from the depth of his stomach as he placed his thumb back where it belonged. Your hole clenched and unclenched at the stimulating sensation. Your cotton panties seemed to be a great aid for your needy clit. It felt similar to grinding over a pillow, just this time, it felt a lot more real and animated.
“How long have you been doin’ this, darlin’?”
“Doin’ what, sir?”
So polite. It’s laughable the fact that you’re so soft spoken. Your lips spilled out a gentle moan as his thumb dug deeper into that sensitive spot.
“Lettin’ strangers fuck you,” he was frank with his words that’s for sure.
“This is my first time.. in the box that is,” your voice cracked almost immediately under pressure. “Been thinking of this for a long long time though.”
The gruff man hummed noncommittally as he continued to please you with his thumb. You used to be shy when it comes to being reactive during intercourse, but with the box, it almost felt like you could finally be your true primal self with your utmost carnal desires. He slowly eased your stained panties to the side once he saw an increasingly growing wetness, knowing that it’s time to move on to his next way of torture. Your pussy was exposed to the cool air immediately, it felt like the air was nipping at the sensitive skin all around. He took his two fingers - his middle and pointer finger being his favorite choice despite the controversy - and slowly dragged it atop the slick canal.
“A pretty girl like you gettin’ all wet from a little touchin’,” he chided. “You haven’t been fucked well or somethin’?”
What a considerate man. He called you pretty when he could barely tell what you look like.
“No, maybe, I-” you were flustered. You’ve never had to exchange proper talk when someone’s touching your dirty, wet cunt. “None of Jackson’s men did good. That’s why I hoped..”
Your voice trailed off into a garble of nonsense when he teased at your entrance, trying to decide whether you’re soaked enough to push a finger in comfortably. You whined, louder this time, as your legs fought against the uncomfortable metal cuffs wrapped around your ankle. He decided to play nice for once and made your dreams come true by inserting that thick finger of his. Fingering has never felt good for you, it always felt like an intrusion rather than a welcomed feeling, but he’s making it feel like heaven on earth.
“Hoped a stranger would fuck me well enough,” you took awhile to finish that statement.
He let out one of those noises of disapproval, at your skewed moral direction perhaps or at the tone of desperation your voice must’ve let out. You could only suck in a shallow breath when he started making proper, continuous motions with his finger. He pushed upwards to poke the tip of his finger onto that squishy part, playing around to find out where exactly made you react the most. You loved how he’s patient. You’re half-expecting the men to just stuff their cocks in you like you’re some sex doll instead of taking their time, which you don’t mind either. Half the pleasure was from being treated like nothing.
“Dirty gal,” he degraded, which you found both surprising and exciting. “Just wanted her pussy stuffed with any cock she could have, hm?”
Your hips thrusted up at a larger interruption. This time, the man managed to insert two of his thick fingers inside your eased cunt. He twisted it one-hundred-eighty degrees to the left, then back to the right, before he curled it in a come-here motion. The motion had left you dumb. A combination of ah ah ah’s and unfinished pleads for him to keep still. The man never once fully removed his fingers out of you. He’d slowly pull back to only have a single knuckle stuck inside before pushing it all the way in once more. For once, someone didn’t finger you like you’re a pizza dough waiting to be pounded.
“A-ah, sir. I really.. mmh- I really like that,” you moaned out shamelessly. “Feels really good in my.. in my pussy.”
“You like what, darlin’?”
“Like your fingers.. fingers in my ah- ah pussy!” you whined when he deepened his reach by rotating his wrist upwards. “Something- fuck- something’s coming! Please.. Please don’t sto-”
You warned him like a goddamn virgin and there it was, you couldn’t see it, but you could hear the way your pussy squelched around his finger at the new wave of sticky fluids. The noises were filthy and lewd that you were embarrassed for the first time that night. It coated your throbbing cunt and slowly ebbed out of your hole, dribbling down onto the wooden floor boards under. Strings of almost translucent thickness proof of his success. It’s pretty. The way you gaped around his fingers, tightened and relaxed at his fingers that still kept you full.
“Good girl,” he cooed.
He must be experienced, because he was quick to rub your clit precisely as you went through the throes of orgasm. His broad palm never missed where that bundle of nerves were, until you’re dripping all over the place. Only when you’re right towards the end did he land a small smack atop your pussy, keeping pressure where your womb is to maintain the pleasure for as long as you could. It felt like this wasn’t a shit place for once. It felt like this stranger could surely turn the flesh-eating monsters into a field of rainbows and flowers from how good he’s making you feel.
“You taste sweet,” he muttered. “Someone ever told you that?”
It took you a while to notice that his fingers weren’t there to stuff you full. He was busy tasting you. You could imagine him on the other side of the room, rough fingers deep in his mouth, drenched in your arousal. The thought made you squirm, growing wet once more. You shook your head as his hand slid back up. His fingers ran over your clit with one long stroke before they stayed there. His thumb sat right atop the throbbing spot, unmoving. 
"Perfect little thing, ain't ya?” he asked, and you nodded, your muscles tense as anticipation ran high. "Gonna fill you up real nice."
As soon as the dull tip of his cock prodded against your entrance, your whole body convulsed. Tears slowly crept into your eyes, frustrated, you might as well cry out a pathetic plea if he kept on stalling. Your palms banged flat against the side of the box. Overwhelmed and on the verge of tears when he purposefully missed your weeping hole. His length slid upwards, the warm tip rubbed against your clit from below before it shied away once more. Your toes curled and he must’ve taken the hint from behind the curtains.
The perfect stranger pushed himself up to where his mushroom-like tip ended, allowing you to adjust to the dimensions of his cock before he eased himself deeper.
You let out a strained moan. 
You almost bump the top of your head on the oak boards when he forced his way in. His cock was fully inside you at last. You were ecstatic. Eyes shut close as you bit into your bottom lip, flesh tearing beneath your canines. It was too much all of a sudden. Too good. Too large. Too full. You could hear the loud squelching noise your spongy hole made as he pulled back and stuffed himself back in.
“Fuck,” he groaned silently. “Don’t squeeze around me, darlin’. You're gonna get me in big trouble.”
He chuckled and fuck did it sound so hot.
You felt his fingers gently reach for the width of your hips. His grip was tight and harsh as he guided your every movement with them. He thrusted like a man on a shooting range, with much precision and prowess. You liked this. Liked feeling as if you’re just a doll for people to use and dump their loads in, especially when it's for someone like him. His cock made you writhe and fight against the metal cuffs holding your legs up. Eager to have him speed up to meet your desires yet he was persistent in keeping a stable speed. The sensation was growing. Slowly but surely.
“A-ah.. mmph.. oh God!”
“God ain’t here to save you, darlin’. It’s just this old man right here,” he cooed crudely. 
He made sure to keep you full at all times. Never once did his perfectly-sized cock leave your sloppy hole, it just kept on twitching and growing in size with the help of your warm embrace. “You like this, don’t ya?”
“Oh- oh yes. I like it. Love your..,” he stopped your lewd confession by placing his thumb back atop your once neglected clit, drawing lazily with what’s left of your wetness. You could feel him starting to seep. A tinge of his own arousal mixing in with yours. “Cock! Love your c- cock.”
His heavy pants started to intensify in volume, such a lovely melody when combined with your pathetic whimpers. He’s close.
“Gonna cum in you, darlin’” he muttered out breathlessly. “Gonna make sure you’re all fucked out with my cum.”
You couldn’t think straight. Not when you’re on a highway to heaven. Your little hole tightened, so eager to milk him dry.
“Yeah, you’d like that, won’t you?”
“O-oh.. oh yes. Please.. fuck,”
“Please?”
“Please fill me up.”
His tip started oozing out ribbons after ribbons of cum, quickly filling you up relentlessly. Though he hasn’t stopped bottoming himself up into you. His load sloshed around, coated his length a perfect milky shade, and dribbled down your rear deliciously. Did you really just let a complete stranger fill you up to the top? Did you truly just let him pour his seed up your needy hole?
Maybe you did.
And maybe it’s reckless.
But oddly enough, you don’t feel too bad about it.
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