#and people want to help each other! which is great!

[cup-o-stars]

Relativity Falls!

Design Concepts (and my unnecessary thoughts):

Excuse the the colors, ig my apps are fighting.

I see Mabel finding success no matter what happens to her, but I really like the thought of her running an insane arts and crafts business in GF. Alternatively, if she fell in the portal, she'd come out acting confident as always, but she probably wouldn't realize how much the constant change and lack of family/stability wore her out until she settled back in. In either case, she's a bit cracked.

Dipper is investigative, but cracks easiest under stress and is not as inherently adventurous as Mabel or Ford- so the portal wouldn't treat him well. If he's not the one in the portal, he'd be into stargazing and real magic to share with people, while also warding tourists away from the dangerous stuff. In general, he'd be an unhappy adult if left to his own devices, lol.

Between Dipper and Mabel, I like Dipper being in the portal more. He's a great protagonist, but as a supporting cast member, he needs to be more insane to match the draw that is 'Mabel taking care of children,' ha. I also love the idea of there being no portal / some other looming threat for these two to struggle with (at least because Hirsche has made it clear that Dipper and Mabel are equally smart, and to me it seems like the portal would reopen way quicker with them), but I didn't plan on posting these and I don't know how my followers feel about me posting lore.

Stanford and Stanley:

Pretty much how they are in canon, but now they're in a setting where they can get over themselves, ha. They aren't quite as mature as Dipper and Mabel were at their age, but after coming to GF, they finally found other people to look out for them. Dipper could be a more emotionally available and level-headed role model (I think having people to take care of is calming for him in turn), and they'd both look up to Mabel as the peak of somebody who knows how to socialize.

Fiddleford:

He's a sweet, southern, farm-raised mechanical engineer just like in canon.

Idk why Fiddleford is in GF (visiting an unnamed grandparent?), but I really like his relationship with Ford in the journal. Following that thought, in this AU, he starts out more of Ford's friend than Stan's, and it's kind of a big deal. Unlike Dipper's arc on learning to be a kid, Stan and Ford clearly struggled a lot with interpersonal relationships / finding security outside of eachother, and that's what I think this AU could be about (it's great they realized they need each other in canon, but the part where they had no one else to turn to is also kinda crazy if you ask me).

Ford gets to meet another smart kid in a weird town, which helps him feel more normal. He has a better idea of what friendship is because of it, but also, since I can't imagine Dipper wanting an apprentice so young/vulnerable/impressionable or Mabel asking only one of the twins to stay- he'd have to come to terms with the fact that he can't live in his dream world forever. (Or maybe the apprenticeship comes from somewhere else, just because the conflict around going back to Glass Shard Beach at all, or sending Stan alone could be pretty good.)

On the flipside, I think Stan's initial jealousy of Ford and Fiddleford's friendship would force him to try finding his own friends / hobbies. I like the idea that he fails at first- and a lot- but Mabel notices his mounting frustration (which he is very keen on hiding), and her consistent and unorthodox support makes him realize he wasn't alone to begin with. He can be more open around her, which makes it easier to open up to others, and then he can make friends without having to pull any tricks. He probably starts with some animals, and then at least gets closer to Fiddleford anyways (I feel like they're both more practical than Ford and value human company more, so they'd bond easier once Stan gets over his personal hurdle).

Anyways- because that was way too much- Mabel's exes are a constant source of antagonists and Dipper is stressed about setting a good example.

(I was more of a Monster Falls fan back in the day, but I can't draw animals, lol)

[ghouldtime]

Neighbor! König

Probably can't write a full series for this but for now HEADCANNONS

He initially moved to a residential/suburban area because of his need for privacy. He couldn't stand being in barracks provided because it's too close for comfort and there's just too many people and not enough room

He grew up in a rural village which he would really, greatly prefer but his job doesn't allow him to have that amount of space and no neighbors. The upkeep would be too much

While he doesn't have the full amount of space he'd like, it's enough to keep him busy when he's not deployed and grant him the piece of mind he needs

When he's home and in his 'residential/domestic' mode, he's not wearing the mask. That's a quick way to signal him out and lets be real, it sets off red flags. He'd rather not have the police called on what looks like a very suspicious man, thanks.

Not wearing the mask is also a good way for him to come off of 'work' mode, where he can just be himself, no covering that up.

Plus it's for safety. He knows he's taking a risk by living off of base and he's a man with many enemies. Wearing something trademarked to him in an unprepared environment is a dumb idea and is a great way to end up six feet under

His front yard is pretty minimal but he has a lovely garden in the back. Half the reason he settled on the house that he did was because of the mature trees in the backyard that reminded him of home

When you moved in, König - as much as he didn't want to, made the move to introduce himself. The main motivator wasn't out of politeness but rather necessity. Since he's away for so long, he gives out his personal number and email just in case something happens with the house

He's genuinely surprised when you react positively and even ask if there's anything he'd like you to do when he's away (like collecting his mail, watering any plants)

He's so stumped by that, not having expected such hospitality, that when you ask for his name as you enter in his contact info, his brain short circuits. He tells you it's Kevin, because it's the first K name he could think of that wasn't distinctly Germanic.

Also he doesn't want to bring anyone into his work life. He moved out into the suburbs for a reason. König is who he is on field, that's his callsign. And, once again - safety reasons. If he went around, telling people who he was, he's asking to get another target painted on his back

Though you two initially don't really talk much, you still wave when you see him or wish him a good morning. Even if he's blunt and usually brusque, you never mind it and always try to make polite conversation while respecting his boundaries and need for space

Seeing each other in the mornings becomes routine. You're up for work while he's up tending to his garden (it's better to water early morning, he insists)

He's slow to warm up but when he finally does, he's surprisingly talkative

He really opened up to you because you showed express interest in his garden and flowers alike. You always listened to his advice or would ask specific questions to get him talking and when it came to explaining things, he could talk and talk and talk

The moment he was won over though was when you asked if he'd like help weeding his garden. Taking care of it was therapeutic to him (as tedious as it might be) and wanting to actually come over and spend time with him, even if it was a "chore" made him feel something that day

Being allowed into his yard, his botanical sanctuary, is as great of an award as you can get

He finds it significantly easier to talk when his hands are busy and when there can always be things to talk about (mainly his plants, he's so proud)

You learn of his plants, the fact that he's a private contractor (he conveniently leaves out the military part), and he'll start to actually talk about himself instead of avoiding questions for once

If it weren't from exertion reddening his face already, he's sure he would've turned as red as his tomatoes when you inquired about the off handed comment about his miniatures collection

No one had ever asked him about them - or actually taken them seriously. He's used to people making fun of such hobbies

But not you, you embraced him

Seeing your face light up with amazement and hearing your specific comments about the details he made in replicas of things such as his hometown and some of the fairytale stories he liked as a kid officially had his heart feeling the warm, fuzzy feelings that he usually ignored

The next morning, he was already planting your favorite flowers in his front yard 🪻

(Part Two)

[imthepunchlord]

I think that the main problem with Marinette is that she always gets blamed for minor things, but her bigger mistakes are ignored.

She also gets blamed for things that aren't her fault. Like Reverser I blame Nathaniel and his extreme expectations, and Refleckdoll, it was Alya who was making things worse for Juleka while Marinette was trying to help. Gamer's another as she did play fair and square, and won fair and square.

But yeah, ML has an issue with priorities. With the mindset that ONLY Marinette can be at fault, which has her at fault for things that actually aren't her fault or are minor things when there are bigger faults with others; and that, for Marinette's actual faults and issues, they don't focus on the actual problems.

For one thing, Marinette is a perfectionist, in her work and responsibilities, and in how she helps people. This leads to her being meddling and controlling. With good intentions but she can take it far. She even has this idea that only she can be the solution, though more in an Atlas complex way than being egotistical.

Which I'll give the show this, by how it's set up, Adrien and Marinette kinda feed this bad aspect of their dynamic into each other. Adrien goofs around as a hero or doesn't take situations seriously with his flirting at bad times, so Marinette feels like she has to step up more as leader and responsible one, and Adrien doesn't get a chance to take things more seriously or be the leader as Marinette doesn't expect him to, which leads to his frustration of not being as valued as a partner like he wants and he acts out, and Marinette sees she can't rely on him as much and it just cycles.

I know the show sorta tries to address this with the insistence that Marinette can trust Alya and doesn't need to shoulder everything, which is great, if they didn't take it back right away validating Marinette in being right in not trusting Alya.

Which man, that's one of Marinette's actual big issues, and you address it, and then take two steps back and reverse and vindicate the flawful mindset.

Another big issue is her over involving herself in this she doesn't or shouldn't get involved with, meddling included. She could do to ease back, let others solve their own problems. Like, Darkblade comes to mind (though there may be a better example). I do think it was a good episode, but you got Marinette admitting she's already busy, and doesn't want to be class rep, but steps up as no one else is. This is just an added responsibility she doesn't need but does so because she's involving herself in others problems.

This also leads into the other issue: Marinette's tendency to overpile onto her plate. They even focused on this in Gamer 2.0 but instead of doing a lesson of learning to ease up, take a break, and have fun (which Adrien could've been great for, heck, could've had them bond over a busy lifestyle); but nope, she passes Max off to her parents and continue being busy.

And of course, there's the big issue of her crush.

Like, they're 13-14 yos dealing with first crushes, they're going to be cringe and crazy as they don't know how to handle this, but they just take it way too far. And the extremes it's taken isn't even funny but concerning.

Marinette having his schedule.

The hoard of pictures.

Jealousy that spirals to extremes.

And having rose colored view of Adrien, to thinking he can never do wrong and feeling like she needs to protect and assist him, even at the risk of herself (Collector).

Part of the worst part about this is that this exists for the writers' amusement, taking it to unlikable extremes and not portrayed as really bad flaws that need to be addressed or have lessons about; which leads me to question what's the exaggeration and what can be more accurate/reasonable for the cringey, dramatic crush. Some of which could've been fine issues to fault her for and for her to get called out and learn from, but we don't get that, all we get is unpleasantness.

Oh! You could also cover Marinette's lack of prioritizing herself, and may not knowing how to take a break and have fun. Cause I don't know if this girl knows how to relax. And she definitely doesn't behave like a kid, but much older. Could even delve into the friendship problems she has not really connecting with her friends as well because she doesn't know how to be a kid, how to mess around and goof off.

Marinette has a good number of issues and flaws that can be addressed and worked with, but they pick the wrong ones to focus on.

[megamindsecretlair]

WIP Tuesday

Buckle up babes, it's going to be a long post!

I come before you humble, hat in hand. I know I been wilding ya'll. I know there's a lot of fics I need to update and get back to. I haven't forgotten! And since there are...so many new people thanks to my Terry fics, what a great time to call myself out chuz ya'll too nice to do so! I saw @nerdieforpedro do this a few weeks ago? Forgive me for not tagging the person you got it from, but I am tiredt, chilleee.

Current focus: Terry got my whole heart, ya'll. Every fic I read of him, I just want to go hop in the booth myself and get to writing. Ya'll inspire me every damn day, it's magical. There is a filthy, disgusting, mean, despicable fic I wanna write with him. But alas, he is not the only one I write for.

Girl, there's how many series????? Listen, the muse wants what it wants. 11 series in total. Chillee, why I do dissssss. Some are closer to finishing than others. So let's count them out (click the links to learn more):

Be My Little Darling - Loki series | It Started With a Whisper - Sam Wilson series | Midnight Sin - Vampire Tyrone series | Blackbird - Mob Boss Fontaine | Camp Wanderlust - Franklin Saint series | What You Deserve - Homewrecker Stunna | Runaway Lover - Professor Stunna | If I Took You Home - Kevin Atwater | Kill Her Softly - Zyair Malloy | A Taste of the Divine - Yakuza Sukuna | We Are the Night - Qimir

Frenn, that's a lot, do you sleep? Are you okay? Blink twice if you need help. I'm promise I'm good ya'll, I just love writing and I love interacting with ya'll. You have NO idea how much each and every single one of ya'll mean to me. I love the support, I love the comments, I love the reblogs. I'm trying not to disappoint folks, I was on a schedule and well, life happened. I can course correct, I promise. Just gon' take me a little minute. Let me close the smaller series first!

Okay, surely that's it right, frenn? Ahh no, because there's also the asks that have been piling up. Per my pinned post, you know that I have a scatterbrain. Some asks I deleted because they're too similar to what I've done before. Some I'm still trying to picture before I start writing. But the ones I've kept? At last tally it is...33. Some are similar and I'm going to combine them, but yeahhhhh. This isn't a callout post, keep sending those requests in! Just know it's gonna take me a smoooooooth minute. Also, welcome new people, welcome! But not everything needs a part two, I promise. If I write "The End" at the bottom, that truly means the end. No part 2 planned, ain't trynna write a part two. I want to move on sometimes. I love you, but I'll be writing until I'm gray if everything got a part 2. And I wanna get paid for my writing. Which brings me tooo...

Umm, umm, what's this I hear about a book??? Yes! I am actually writing a book based on an ask I received. It was a sweet ask about what kind of story would go with "Handwritten Letter". I said it gave friends to lovers, she fell first, he fell harder type of vibes. It has morphed into dark academia about a shy girl just trying to come into her own. It's a combo of and a love letter about girls like me, girls like you, each and every person who identifies as a Soft Black Girl. And I already have *so* many ideas about other books I want to do. There will be one based on the Mr. Black series I wrote. There will also be a vampire one! I just can't decide yet which will be the second book I put out. I'm leaning towards vampire because Terry is HEAVY on the brain ya'll. And he'd make a sexy vamp. But anywhooo...

I say all this to say that I'm not a machine. I'm not that quick despite appearances. I may not seem like I have any chill, but I've been fantasizing and turning over these fics in my head for days or weeks before I sit down to write. And I'm not saying to stop. Your support is exactly why I feel good enough about my writing to sit and write an entire book! I want to be a full time author. I want to share my ideas with the world. I'm just slow lmfaoooooo.

In the mean time, I hope you're hitting up all these amazing writers on here. I hope you're commenting and reblogging and showing love on here. I will keep saying it. This site will DIE and these BLACK writers will LEAVE if people keep stealing, not commenting, not reblogging, asking for part 2s and never showing love. Fandom is a community, not a pillar. No one know it's you behind that avatar, go crazy! Go nuts. Show nuts. whatever.

Love, love, love you all. If you read this far, drop something funny in the comments. Or go unhinged in my asks about Terry. Don't get me started about that man, but go awff about him because that's my baby favaaa.

no pressure tags: @chaos-4baby @j0kers-light @umber-cinders @harmshake @planetblaque @babybratzmaraj @soft-persephone

[scrompsautobotsrchives]

The grand race

Alright, first Mirage fic !! *Cracks knuckles* Lets do this. Word count:1K

Mirage lived for adventure even back on cybertron. He would always get up to antics which would have pissed off the prime leader back then. Now on earth, it was his personal playground, He would always toy around with the police in chases, Doing the best stunts he could do. But he always wanted to do more.

One day as he was cruising around the city, He parked nearby just to watch the city go by. He then saw two friends walk up to each other and have a quick chat before one said. "You still down for the race tonight ??"

"Yep, I also heard that they jackpoted the prize to a $1000" The other said enthusiastically.

"Woah..." That was all he needed when he started to zoom back to the makeshift HQ, You were busy helping Optimus and Bumblebee setting everything up when you heard the familiar revving.

"Hey y/n !!" He transformed and kneeled to your height, eager to tell you the news. "Guess what I heard today ?? Your gonna love it"

'What's up ??' You stopped what you were doing and gave him your full attention.

"I heard these guys in the city talking about a race that's happening tonight"

"Oh yeah, They do those almost every year now"

"Really ?? We should go !!"

But before you could give your answer, a familiar prime's voice boomed. "Absolutely not Mirage, We need to remain undercover and away from prying eyes, Drawing attention to yourself will only cause more damage then good" He said, bee whirred in laughter and soon the radio flicked to an audio of the Nelson Muntz... "HA HA !!"

"You must promise me to stay away from that race" Optimus said firmly.

"Yeah yeah sure, I'll stay very well away so far away... Dude don't leave me with these tightasses bro, We'd make a great team" Mirage whispered to you pleadingly.

"Mirage you heard what Optimus said, I'm not doing a race just so you can get kick out of it" You frowned to him.

"But what about for friendship ??" He said, making you raise an eyebrow in dissapointment.

"Ah or or or what about for cash ??"

You looked up at him. "How much are we talking ??"

"$1000, I can get that to you easy"

Now what you could do with $1000, ooooooh you could buy that new games console that just went on a market. You looked at Optimus who was helping Bee before back at Mirage.

"Ok, I'm in" You nodded.

So later in the night, the two of you went out. Heading to the start of the course where all the racer's would line up. You got out as you heard rap music playing on full blast, People catching up and taking selfies. You saw a dude with a clipboard standing nearby, Taking down the names of another person who arrived before you.

"Guess that's our ticket in" You closed the door and went up to him. "Hey, I wanna enter the race"

"Awesome, What car are we racing with ??"

"The Porsche behind me" You nodded to Mirage.

He nodded and took down your name as well. "Alright, your in kid"

"Thanks" You headed back to Mirage and got inside. "Ok remember, we need to make this look natural so nobody notices something's off ok ??" You reminded him of the rules.

"Don't worry, your boy's got this" Even in car form, you could tell Mirage had a huge smirk on his face.

You lined up, Eyeing the competition. some had modified cars ranging from old to new. They took this seriously.

"This'll be easy" Mirage chimed in, revving his engine as he got into place. "Relax"

You nodded as you gripped the steering wheel, Watching someone walk to the middle with the chequered flag, signalling the race was about to start. The contestants around you started to rev up their cars as the flag was raised, and then with the swish downwards, Tires skidded on the road and soon everyone was off.

"Come on Mirage !!" You cheered as you made pretend movements on the drivers seat.

"'scuse me 'scuse me'" He chuckled softly as he passed some contestants with breeze.

But some were proving to be a little bit of a challenge, like we said, some were modified specifically for this race. Mirage grumbled as he attempted to pass some of them. "Move over !!"

The driver in one car could only chuckle and pressed the nitro, picking up speed.

"Damn it !!" You pushed the pedal to the medal, and Mirage began to speed up, pushing a little more and sped past the guy, blowing dust in his face.

"WOOHOO !!!"

The first lap was done, Just gotta keep up the momentum. "Let's kick some aft !!" Mirage cheered.

You cleaned up the second lap, But on the third, one of the contestants began to kick it up a notch. Mirage was cruising along when he felt that he wasn't ahead anymore. "Huh ??"

You watched as one of the contestants sped past you, This car looked like it went through hell and back on the performance.

"Shit !! Come on we got this !!" You reminded.

Mirage was determined, as determined as ever to win this. He tried to speed up as best as he could, Tires burning every drift. The other driver wasn't giving up as well, Both of you pushing the pedal to the medal as the finish line was nearing. The crowd cheered as the two of you crossed, Mirage made a total stop. "Did we win ??"

"I'm not sure ??" You got out of the car, asking the racer. "Yo what's going on ??"

"Beats me" He shrugged.

Because it was such a close call, Some people had to review the footage on their phones just to see who touched the finish line first, You waited for almost 5 minutes before one nodded and shouted. "It was the Porsche !!" Making everyone cheer.

"YEAH !!" You were so goddamn happy, Mirage was so goddamn happy, Oh screw it you were both so goddamn happy.

Others watched as you showed off from mirage and as promised, you were awarded the $1000. You drove off soon after.

"Holy shit that was incredible !! Did you see the guys face !!??"

"Oh, he was so mad !!" Mirage was so happy. "We gotta do that again sometime.

"Maybe... Just maybe" You smirked. You made your debut, a race or two never hurt anyone.

Taglist: @callofdudes

[bengiyo]

Happy of the End: A Dour Show That Pulled Its Punches at the End

I've been trying to sort how I feel about this show, and I don't think I like the extended epilogue. In so many ways, I kinda wish the show had ended at the train station goodbye.

Part of this is how the show crossed over into torture porn a lot. I don't think we gained much from the extended looks at the horrors Haoren survived, and I think it would have been better to not show us too much before revealing his scars to Chihiro. I also don't think the Haoren on Chihiro rape scene led to interesting emotional payoff for a show that wanted such a happy ending. I also wish we hadn't gone so far with the Maya stuff; I think the van threat was enough to prompt Haoren to murder Maya.

The fact that Chihiro is still hanging out with the guy who sold them out to Maya and relying on help from the former sugar daddy (that we know was a client of Maya's) just doesn't sit right with me either. I don't really feel like Chihiro is in a new space in his life, nor do I believe in his success if these are still his primary relationships.

Finally, I didn't like Haoren visually regressing by returning to his old look to go see Chihiro. It really undermined his choice to separate them for Chihiro's own good at the end. It felt like another separation that amounted to little, especially since the show had Maya eliminate himself.

I do tend to like these kinds of bleak stories from Japanese storytellers. I'm a fan of Eternal Yesterday, and I really love Drive My Car (2021), Under the Open Sky (2020), and Shoplifters (2018). I wish we'd ended at the separation by the train, and if we had to have a final scene after that we'd just gotten the very last shot where Haoren returns in his old clothes to the spot of their first and only picture as we got it.

Final Verdict: 7, Beware the Extreme Trigger Warnings. I liked some of the ideas about two traumatized people connecting with each other. However, much of the horrors of this story felt like too much for my tastes, and lacked real payoff for those extensive grotesqueries to feel relevant. I think everyone in the cast gives some really great performances in every scene (romantic, horrific, or otherwise), and it was genuinely a visually pleasing show despite all the grime and trash. It's a complicated piece for me, but not one to which I will return.

[elysiansparadise]

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?

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.

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.

[itsmercuriosity]

🧵NICOLA COUGHLAN AND LUKE NEWTON’S SYNASTRY CHART 🧵

Here’s a BIG preamble!

First of all I would like to state that I’m 80% sure about this synastry chart. Let me clarify: we do not know for sure their birth times, unfortunately, so I had to dive deeply (believe me) into their individual natal charts.

After a thorough analysis and having watched all the WT interviews, I came up with these charts. I’m pretty convinced that L has a 7h sun and N an 11h sun. So here’s the synastry. I cannot stress this enough: we only know their rising signs, so we are certain of the sign the planets are in but not of their houses. Aspects are confirmed, though.

I believe Luke's birth time might be around 16:20-16:45, as for Nic's I believe it to be around 10:15-10:30

Last disclaimer: this again is pure entertainment, I analyse charts of many celebrities and people around me all the time, it’s not my intention to be disrespectful. it’s just for fun! Having said that, I DO believe that they might have something in the future IF they really want to.

Lastly, I’ve been working on this for the last week so thank you in advance if you get to the end of this rambling.

Let's get it started!

ASPECTS:

- Venus conjunct Mars.

This is the first aspect you cannot help but notice. You should expect to find strong connections between these planets when there is a physical relationship. This is THE passion combination and a harmonious aspect link makes for a strong sexual connection as well as the ability to understand each other's sexual needs and drives. It also can contribute to understanding in the area of goals and is a good combination for working together toward a common goal. It is usually the Mars partner who is inclined to take the initiative (Nic).

-Venus trine the Moon.

A connection between these two emotional planets is common and desirable in romantic partnerships. The relationship feels smooth and easy; the feelings between the partners are strong and readily expressed, and there is a sense of a deep, inner connection. It is easier for them to share their inner selves.

-Venus trine Venus.

This positive aspect between contributes to harmonious living, strong mutual feelings of affection and shared tastes and pleasures. I would like to highlight that they both have a fire Venus (L in Aries and N in Sagittarius) and both in their individual charts in the 9th house (which symbolises love in foreigners).

- Their Mercurys have no aspects: This may lead to a lack of communication or understanding BUT having Mercury sextile sun - even though this usually is not an important connection in synastry- that is a positive connection, then it can overcome a lack of an aspect between the two Mercurys and give the ability to understand each other intellectually.

-Jupiter sextile the Sun. This connection allows the Sun person (Luke) to expand and helps this individual fullfil her potential. The Jupiter partner (Nic) will be experienced as a source of growth, gains, and fun. If it is a positive connection, the Sun person might think his luck has improved since the relationship began.

-Jupiter trine the Moon. This helps the couple experience the pleasure of the relationship. They have a great ability to have fun together and enjoy each other's company. There also can be feelings of deep, nonverbal mutual understanding.

-Saturn sextile Sun shows the capacity for commitment and responsibility required for long relationships, although of course compromise and accepting limitations are required. Saturn (Nic) can give the Sun (Luke) a greater sense of security and stability, while the Sun can "lighten up" Saturn. Even though the individuals will feel some of the restrictiveness of this combination, there is likely to be a sense of a deep karmic connection and acceptance that this relationship is going to last a long time.

-Venus conjunct Pluto. this is an undeniable chemistry. Especially Nic finds luke hot.

-Jupiter square Juno: it isn’t necessarily a destructive aspect for marriage. It just means they have to put more conscious effort into understanding each other’s perspectives. Open communication is a necessary ingredient.

HOUSES:

Let's talk about houses. Again this part cannot be verified because we don't know their birth times. This is just my intuition based on what we saw during the press tour.

VENUS:

L’s Venus in N’s 1st house-> He’s so smitten with her. There’s admiration. Feeling loved by him makes her feel that reconnection with herself again. He makes her comfortable with who she is.

N’s Venus in L’s 4th house: He shows her his inner self, his most vulnerable side. He thinks of a future together, he feels like being at home with her.

JUPITER:

L’s Jupiter in N’s 7h house—> She is attracted to his charisma. He makes her see love with better eyes. She wants something serious with him.

N’s Jupiter in L’s 8th house—> he is starstruck. She causes in him a combination of emotions so intense that he will not understand them at first. She will help him connect with the sides of himself that he represses or doesn’t show to others. She changes him. Great level of intimacy.

Jupiter in 8th also: money money money. this aspect gives insane amounts of luxury when with this person. also more self confidence achieved.

MARS:

L’s Mars in N’s 5th house: she feels drawn to him physically. The more he is driven, the more she gets near him.

N’s mars in L’s 9th house: she changes his life. He had a simple vision of life before her. She teaches him a lot.

MOON:

L’s moon in N’s 6th house: She sees him as a reliable person, however she thinks he is someone who finds it difficult to open up emotionally but she tries to let him know how proud she is of him. Acts of service vibes.

N’s moon in L’s 10th house: He cannot bear someone talking ill of her. For him she is superior. He is inspired by her. She gives him support and emotion in career matters.

SUN:

N’s sun in L’s 6th house: she is the peace he always wanted, she heals him.

L’s sun in N’s 12th house: For her he is very charming and has a heart of gold. He is very supportive of her.

PLANETS AND ASTEROIDS:

JUPITER (as in future spouse)

N has Jupiter in pisces. She meets her future partner during filming or when she is surrounded by art.

L has Jupiter in libra. He meets his future partner in an environment associated with arts and creativity. Also through contracts and business.

JUNO: they both have Juno asteroid in the 11th house. Their soulmate may have 11h or aquarius placements (ijbol if I think about N’s alleged 11h stellium and L’s aquarius stellium). Their soulmate might be someone that was a friend before. L’s juno is in cancer and N’s one is in capricorn, which are literally opposite and complimentary signs.

In conclusion:

IMO they are very similar and compatible. Astrology tells us that they are attracted to each other and find comfort in each other's company.

Could they be a thing in the future? Definitely, but it's up to them.

Thanks if you read this thread <3

[holyburningbushbatman]

I Pray for my Brothers and Sisters

God wants all His children to know Him and to love Him. God convicts us to pray for each other, friends! Let us do so without ceasing!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Matthew 5:43-45 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

Amos 7:4-6 "This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, the Lord God was calling for a judgement by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. Then I said, 'O Lord God, please cease! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!' And the Lord relented concerning this: 'This also shall not be,' said the Lord God."

Ephesians 6:13-20 "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak."

James 5:16 "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

1 Timothy 2:1-4 "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

Isaiah 62:6-7 "On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth."

Hebrews 7:25 "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."

Luke 6:28 "'But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.'"

Psalm 20 "May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions! Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call."

All verses from ESV

[birdinabowl]

Pearlrose vs Jaspis

Japis and Pearlrose are not comparable in the slightest. They are not both toxic (only jaspis is). Even without digging into their characters and chemistry their fusions are a great example of how different they are.

Generally, the more humanoid a fusion is, the more stable they are which reflects in the relationship of the gems involved in the fusion. Rainbow Quartz is on the same label of stability as Garnet, who is the embodiment of love and a healthy relationship. If Pearl and Rose had an unhealthy power dynamic like Jasper and Lapis did, their fusion would be far more monstrous.

Along with having multiple legs/hands for feet, Malachite was stuck under the ocean for an extended period of time- malachite gems in real life are toxic in water. This is telling of the fusion as nothing about her is healthy unlike in Rainbow Quartz. In Malachite, they bother struggled and fought to have control over the other, there was never any love between them.

I often see people say the order gives Rose and Pearl a similar power dynamic to Jasper and Lapis but I would have to disagree. Rose didn’t realize the true effect of the order on Pearl, she didn’t realize how it would impact her. We never see a hint of this again, Rose even says this is her last order to Pearl. Jasper and Lapis however just wanted control and power over the other, they wanted a power dynamic that put them in control.

Rose never wanted Pearl to be subservient or submissive towards her. As Pink- before she disguises herself as a Quartz- she tries to talk to Pearl, she’s disappointed when Pearl doesn’t respond back as her own person. She tells Pearl “please don’t even stop” once she starts imagining things because she wants Pearl to be her own person.

Rose loves Pearl, there’s nothing malicious in this scene. They’re both finally happy and on earth, they’re away from homeworlds and the diamonds constant abuse and they can finally find themselves. Pearl starts to fall for Rose because Rose is finally happy. She’s in a form she’s happy with and even if it’s just for a little bit, Rose can be herself on earth and Pearl loves it.

Jasper meanwhile stalks Lapis to beg her to fuse with her again, she calls Lapis a monster. She never loved Lapis, only the power she could get from her. Lapis never loved Jasper either, she liked hurting Jasper- she said this herself! While Lapis does have strength over water, Jasper is physically bigger than her and uses this to jerk her around. There is nothing soft or loving about their interactions unlike interactions between pearlrose.

Pearl’s memories of Rose all show a Rose who is sweet, quirky, kind, and gentle gem

None of Pearl’s memories show a Rose that is controlling or manipulative. None of Pearl’s memories show Rose wanting power over her. Meanwhile, every scene with Jasper and Lapis interacting is tainted with toxicity. Neither of them want to see the other thrive, neither of them want the other to get better. Jasper and Lapis will never be compatible. Nothing would ever fix them.

Pearl and Rose were not perfect but this is to be expected. Rose was abused on homeworld for eons, this lead to a lot of Rose’s mental issues/problems which led her from hiding things from even Pearl (Bismuth, Lion, etc.). This is something that could’ve been overcome had Rose gotten helped instead of dying. The order did hurt Pearl but it was completely unintentional. It is still bad Pearl was hurt, however it is a big difference from Jasper and Lapis deliberately hurting each other. Pearl and Rose helped each other way more than they could ever hurt each other. Many of their issues were situational but they could still talk and argue, they did not have an unhealthy dynamic and they were not toxic.

The biggest difference is that Pearl helped each other heal while Jasper and Lapis just ruined each other. At the end of the day, Japis will always be toxic while Pearlrose will always be a healthy ship.

[bilbao-song]

okay at long last (i wanted to do this at least a little sooner but by the end of last night i was so sleep deprived my brain was not functional): jeffrey in boston on the 23rd!!! (really in-depth PARAGRAPHS of rambling below the cut so you only have to look at it if u want to, otherwise just enjoy the photos lmao)

so. hmmmm what to say about this lmao (the first two paragraphs are probably least important here if u don't want to read All Of That)

all of this was like.....................a dream. like i know talking about this makes me sound like Insane Person Whose Life Revolves Around Concertgoing (although that's kind of just the truth tbh) but being THIS close was like...THE dream to me. or at least the most realistically attainable dream we got there a liiiittle after the opening band had started (they are pretty great btw? i approve. like i'm genuinely excited to see them lol) and i'm not sure what the problem was tbh!! we arrived at a perfectly reasonable time but then everyone got corralled into a giant line that like, looped around itself and wrapped around the block. so that took like ~25 minutes to get through. anywayyy i got one of the ???people who work there (there's a word for this that is escaping me atm) to help me find my seat bc things were of course a bit chaotic by that point and well...........that was a positively magical little jaunt as we got closer and closer and i just kind of lost my mind. my seat was in the third row riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight in the middle. like, perfectly in the middle. it could hardly have been any better :'))))

so! i sat there by myself which felt a little strange bc although i do like doing things on my own i have just never done this before. the only other concert i have been to where i sat basically by myself was like, a thing i got to go to bc someone gave me their extra ticket (air supply! which was fun but like, i only went bc it just came up. no disrespect to air supply lmao) and even then the person next to me was like, super nice and also clearly entertained by my dedication to older music (always exquisite to encounter someone who genuinely wants to hear about ur interests. like once you manage to convince me you're asking out of genuine interest the floodgates are OPEN) but anyway!!! the strangers in the elo mosh pit did not talk to me. this was fine but i was a tiny bit surprised bc everyone has been pretty chatty at the other ones i have been to...as an aside i was repeatedly given the impression that the people directly behind me were kind of mean (consistently not shutting up during the opening act, loudly making rude comments about them, just kind......whining a lot lmao) so i'm 100000% good with not talking to them lol

ANYWAY...onto the important part. sitting through the little intermission was excruciating and kind of went by too quickly bc i kind of did not want the concert to start bc the sooner it started the sooner it was over </3 but it was fun to be sooo close bc i enjoyed watching the crew set everything up and adjusting things and putting jeffrey's little table directly in front of me and whatnot 🥺 but then it started and it was like..............surreal. it quickly became clear that i really had chosen like the absolute perfect seat bc a) the two people in front of me were really short. thank god (the jackasses behind me were also at least a little taller than me so i'm happy for them and was not sorry for standing in front of them in my huge shoes) b) jeffrey directly in front of me. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) again this was like. SURREAL to me in a way bc it's just!!! the best yet and also 💕🥹💕🥹💕🥹 of course. i have been at least slightly pleasantly surprised by my seats at each one i've been to on this tour but even here i experienced that bc i did think i would be off to the side at least a tiiiiny bit...but no it was actually perfect. exquisite. like, i'm really truly not one of those overly-idolizing/Lose Your Mind Over Proximity To Famous Person types but well. i mean if you have read this far i'm sure you are already well aware of how i feel about him lmao

moving forward......bringing this up makes me feel weird bc it sounds so......well. you know. but ummmmm eye contact was definitely established repeatedly 🥺👉👈 looking at me and smiling adorably...........like, this is no exceptional credit to me or anything bc like...what else is he supposed to look at. i was very directly in his field of vision and significantly taller than the two people in front of me lol so he would have had to go to great lengths not to look at me at all. but ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my god???????? it was also kind of hilarious bc it did very muchly keep triggering my insane reflex to look AWAY from people when they make eye contact with me so i had to keep consciously correcting that bc like ????? HELLO lmao. but it was just!!!!!!!! very sweet!!!!!!!!! he was very smiley and adorable. typical...........i could opine on this further but i shan't at the risk of sounding insane. but like this alone was worth it to me sdjkhsjkhsd. felt Nice!!!!!!!!

anyway hmmm what else. well it was just spectacular but u already knew that. his voice has sounded remarkably perfect at each of these shows and that really stands out to me bc i just love that :') i also just love that he's repeatedly absolutely killing it, most importantly just because like, of course!! yay!! but also bc for awhile there was like, a cluster of very weird naysayers within the general community (which involved some kind of disgusting behavior imo but i won't go into detail about that bc like, why rehash it when it's both negative and profoundly ridiculous) and every single concert is just a really beautiful little I Told You So to those people which is SO satisfying to me bc i love to see that sort of thing getting thoroughly shut down and also slightly in part bc i love when i'm right and rude people who i don't like are wrong but that's as snarky as i will allow myself to be in an otherwise very happy post. <3 but i like. idk i just knew. and everyone else who isnt absolutely bonkers did too but well. etc etc etc

as a final note!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! idk i loved it. and i'm so glad that i get to go to the phoenix one as well bc although i'm already getting a little emo about this (........i was already a slight mess after the one in indianapolis tbh) i do think that's like, the only thing that's keeping me from losing it entirely lmao. i feel super lucky to have done all of this and i am having a very very very very very good time

[freedelusionshere]

I do wonder what Syd would do if she bounced and Carmy didn't try to chase her? Last time she did it, he texted her and was willing to discuss the cola ribs dish (and trying to keep the convo going so he could get her back), but he also sort of backed off and gave her space to think about it and didn't pressure her, which is actually good/mature. He also doesn't pressure her about signing the partnership agreement. Other people do (her dad, Nat, Cicero).

If Carmy admits in S4 Luca is great (we know Chef Shapiro is not already) and that he doesn't want to mess up her financial situation further? That he would help her (like, I imaging him doing something way out there by offering to collaborate with her to make her menu for another restaurant!) so that no matter what, he just wants her in his life whether it's in a restaurant or not? That's kind of what I want to see from him.

Because the thing is, Syd wants Carmy to need her without a doubt, she just handles it differently. And she's getting blocked by him creatively at the restaurant, but also, she kind of closes him out of her personal life and keeps that at arm's length (because she doesn't want to get hurt, I'm guessing).

So, the show needs to completely show her side of things now, what that's all about, and then let them start opening up to each other in ways that aren't tied to the restaurant. They can still work through them there, but the idea is that they aren't allowed to hide behind their work situation anymore to get resolution for their obvious deep feelings and wants from the other person.

[dcnfeng]

𝘿𝙧 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤 — "𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙎𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨" (𝙊𝙉𝙀𝙎𝙃𝙊𝙏/𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙊𝙊𝘾/𝙁𝙇𝙐𝙁𝙁)

PROLOGUE After passing a difficult course posed by Dr Elara (genius society member #78) in the intelligentsia guild, with a 10% completion rate. A colleague of hers, Dr Ratio has taken presumed interest in your intelligence. Hearing about your continuous pursuits into becoming a genius society member, Dr Ratio befriends you and encourages you to chase after that initial goal by offering you free tutoring lessons. Though brash, all Dr Ratio seeks, is a person who can surpass his intellect and prove themselves to be a true genius society member. Presumed age gap: 6-7 years. Reader is a legal adult (above 20) and is a student in the intelligentsia guild in hopes of finding leads on becoming a genius society member. 

!! DISCLAIMER BEFORE YOU READ !! << DR ELARA IS A MADE UP CHARACTER BELONGING TO ME! >> << MY ONESHOTS WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN CHARACTER!! >>

@//donfeng_ on tt & @dcnfeng on tumblr <3 Do not use, repost my work without permission!

— 

“Claiming that you possess a high level of intellect as thoroughly proven by your transcripts, yet unable to pass my course, proves nothing but pure nonsense! Must I remind you that numbers on paper do not determine your intelligence as a whole?”  egged your professor, his brash and strict demeanour forcing tears to fall right out of your eyes. Thoughts of uncertainty raced through your mind, the never ending loop of questioning your abilities after a harsh scolding from your professor remained a stagnant process during each private lesson you had with him. He had offered you private tuition in hopes of you becoming a member of the genius society, seeing that you excelled in the teachings of another professor, who’s mannerisms were quite the same as Ratio’s, he had absolute faith in you. “So, do you wish to remain unmoving and weep? Or shall we move on and continue with our pursuits of excellence?” Ratio blew out an exaggerated exhale, returning to your side after pacing back and forth in attempts to ease his distress. Despite his childish endeavour of lashing out on you, all he wanted was for you to achieve success with his help and it angered him greatly to see you give up after he had posed questions that would be of great help to receive recognition from Nous. 

He noticed the look of defeat present on your person which led him to heave out an even heavier sigh. Ratio pulled a chair, sitting down right beside you, leaning a little closer to you with a more gentle expression on his face. Your silence was deafening and it ached him to see you in such a state. “Do tell, what purpose do you serve in becoming a genius society member, dear apprentice?” questioned the doctor, his reddish pink eyes, now less harsh, latched onto yours, eager to get a more in-depth understanding of your desire to join such a harsh environment for renowned geniuses around the cosmos. 

“I just want to .. relish in the fact that I’m ahead of others, maybe even prove people of my past wrong about my capabilities.” you confessed, your voice similar to the soft whispers of the wind on a chilly night. The scholar’s eyes softened, trying to sympathise with the pain of being tossed and discarded like trash by those who you thought you loved. Even if he himself had never experienced such a situation, he yearned to make all his students seek purpose, just, not like this. “You cannot let your past define you no matter the circumstance, do not use it as a means of pursuing intellects that even you yourself are not well endorsed in.” He stated, his words coming off soft yet sharp, a big gleam of disapproval in his gaze. Your heart sank in your chest, the implications of his words being that he wouldn’t give you such lectures if what you said was true.

“Bu–” “The genius society is a harsh organisation. Only those who possess a fixed mindset with analytical yet intellectual prowess are chosen by Nous. Now, tell me, do you wish to surround yourself in knowledge in every waking moment of your life without halt just to prove those who do not value you, a point? If that is your wish, I have no further objections and will do so to oblige to your request. Though, be aware that I will be unforgiving.” For once, your rationality sets in, leaving your mind an empty canvas as you begin to ponder the significant consequences of your actions that you hadn’t thought about before. Ratio takes notice of the pearly tears brimming on your tear ducts and he immediately takes your hand in his, ignoring the rustled notes that lay below both your hands. “Don’t fret on making a decision, as patience breeds success.” his words ring through your head as you drown yourself in the possible outcomes. Instinctively, you began to weep and sob yet again, feeling as if you’ve lost your purpose. Ratio says nothing, his condescending self melting away at the sight of you so broken and beaten by the jarring facts of reality. He wraps his strong arms around your waist, in a feeble attempt to soothe your heartache. The man sighs yet again, trying to console you with minimal effort, after all, he hadn’t gotten used to the concept of intimacy. Though, he was willing to learn from people who matter most, like you. As your sobs begin to die down, he rubs your back before giving it a few light slaps to snap you back into your senses. You felt incredibly embarrassed for soaking up his black vest, but he shrugged it off as your feelings mattered more. “Done deciding?” He shoots you a gentle smile, giving your head an affectionate rub, aware of the migraine going on after such a hard cry. The usual stoic display he posed was no longer visible and all that was left was a gentle personality of his that contrasted oddly well with his usual bluntness. 

“I don’t know what to do.” you stated weakly, unable to come up with a solution to your current issue. Ratio hummed in response, not giving a direct response as he continued grazing his thumb against the back of your hand, quietly thinking of a way to aid your looming confusion. After a while, he looks back at you, his eyes filled with understanding. “Care for a bath? When one’s head is stuffed with filth, your body is no cleaner. It helps relieve me on days where I am most perplexed. Of course, I will not indulge in any .. inappropriate activities with you, however, I’m here to provide you with ailment whenever you desire.”

You hesitantly accept his offer, in which he nods at, before standing up and letting you gather your notes. He stands by the guild’s classroom door, awaiting for your immediate response to come and join him for a relaxing bath. 

[epic-kotlc-crossover]

Survive

This is the second chapter of the Cyclops saga!! Hope you enjoy :)

(or cry. i did when I read this.) -cricket

Tags: @myfairkatiecat @ham-cheese-toastie @bookwormgirl123 @thesfromhms @justalunaticfangirl (let us know if you want to be tagged in the future!)

Fitz hadn't had his adrenaline so high in ages. He'd fought in a war, but this felt more... real. Instead of a bunch of people trying to kill each other—over a woman, even—he and his men were fighting against a cyclops.

A real life, hungry, cyclops.

"The rest of our crew wait for us!" Fitz roared out over the commotion. "If we get killed, they're as good as dead."

He lifted up his sword to the cheers of his men. "How great is your will to survive?"

600 lives to save. No backup. Fitz thought, narrowing his eyes and trying to think of a way to defeat the cyclops. I only have to kill him.

At the word "kill" he faltered, thinking of the infant. If he kept taking lives, how long would it take for him to become a monster?

This is different, Fitz reminded himself. But... instead of killing, maybe we can just maim him a little.

He reminded himself to reach out to Sophie as soon as this was over. She always helped.

Anyway.

"Don't die on me now, not when we're so close to coming home!" He charged forward, and managed to nick the cyclops on the leg, eliciting a howl. Fitz grinned, satisfied.

"Surround him!" The chorus of soldiers cried out. "Attack him from behind!" As they constantly stabbed and slashed at the cyclops, Fits was scanning for any way to take Polyphemus out.

He came up empty every time, and soon the thrum of frustration set in. Blood was flying everywhere, and he saw with grim satisfaction that the source of most of it was the cyclops.

"How great is your will to survive?" Fitz didn't know who said that, but it reminded him of why he was trying to survive.

Sophie.

Marella.

Ithaca.

Stay in his blindspot! Strike his heels! Fitz transmitted out the orders.

He's strong, but he's slow, he thought to himself. How could they use that to their advantage?

"No dying on me now!" He yelled. "We just need to take one life and we're free!"

He must've jinxed it.

A scream pierced the air, and Fits instantly realized that it wasn't the roars of Polyphemus that he'd been hearing for the past minutes.

No, he realized in horror, it was one of his men.

"He's got a club!"

That was....Dex. No. No, no no, no. Not Dex.

"He's got a club!" Someone screamed again.

"Captian, what are our orders?" Keefe asked urgently.

"Captian?"

"Captain!?" That was Dex. Fitz rushed over to where his friend lay on the trampled grass. Dex looked like he'd been stepped on, which he actually might've.... His torso was bleeding from several gashes, and his legs were totally crushed.

"Dex..." Fitz started, tears burning in his eyes

"Captian--" he said, then coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Please don't forget to--" he coughed a little more-- "greet the world with open arms. For me?" Dex pleaded.

Fitz nodded shakily.

Dex's chest fell still.

Fitz vaguely registered tears streaming down his cheeks as he stared at his best friend.

Dex was dead.

Six people were dead.

He was snapped out of his trance as another one of his men yelled for him. Seven. Sven people died under his command. He stood up, shifting his sword around his hand. The cyclops was going to pay.

Only, before he could do anything, Polyphemus collapsed, a cloud of dust rising from where he lay.

Fitz grinned sadly. He'd forgotten about the lotus flowers in the wine. At least not too many people had died, yet.

We have to do what it takes to survive.

[mjrtaurus]

I feel like Doflamingo is credited with being Crocodile's equal in intellect a lot, but Doffy seems to think he's a lot smarter than he actually is. On top of having a cunning intellect, Crocodile has contingency plans upon contingency plans and then a few extra contingency plans in case something comes up. He's very quick to adapt, even if his people skills aren't that great.

Doflamingo is clever and a bit more battle-hardened, but he's not wise. He's great at manipulating people and he can play the long game so long as he has benefits to tide him over, but none of his underworld connections seemed to help him out that much in Dressrosa. And most importantly, as soon as a few variables change it's harder for him to bounce back, like when Caesar was kidnapped or Sugar passed out. That's when his Celestial Dragon impatience and instinct to just destroy everything until he gets what he wants kicks in.

That's why he was eager for a team-up in Marineford. He wanted to use Crocodile's brains to his benefit.

I don’t think Doffy is less intelligent than Crocodile, in fact, I do firmly believe that he and Crocodile are on par with each other when it comes to intelligence. The thing is, Doflamingo and Crocodile are intelligent in different ways.

Doflamingo’s edge over Crocodile is that he knows how people tick. He knows that loyalty and trust are not things to be balked at. He understands how far charisma can take him and how to utilize others to pick up the slack for the technicalities. Simply put, Doflamingo understands people better, but can get lost in the finer, impersonal details that Crocodile excels in.

Crocodile’s edge over Doflamingo is that he knows how to plan. He knows how to lay a firm foundation for a strategy that’s meant to last, yet he fails to account for the human element in which he must work with. He knows where to place the metaphorical support beams to keep the core plan standing with all the backup and contingency plans built in, he just needs the extra sets of hands to do the labor. Simply put, Crocodile understands how to put a plan together better, but he lacks the ability to be personable with his underlings, whereas Doflamingo comes by that ability naturally.

Doflamingo is aware of his weaknesses and Crocodile’s strengths in planning. He wants his reign in Dressrosa to be long and profitable. He wants to keep Kaido off his ass long enough for him to achieve his real goal: destroying the world the Celestial Dragons have made for themselves, and ruling the new one he intends to build on their bones.

And for all of that he needs somebody who can plan better than him. Somebody who has a similar moral deficit. Somebody who the world government and the marines won’t think twice about him talking to.

Somebody exactly like Crocodile.

The only- and I mean the only- problem? Crocodile isn’t interested in being anyone’s underling, and especially not Doflamingo’s. He is too willful, too independent, too untrusting to be for anyone but himself.

To sum it all up, Doflamingo wanting Crocodile for his brain isn’t because he isn’t as smart as Crocodile, it’s because he understands that Crocodile’s expertise is ideal in achieving his goals.

As for how things went down in Dressrosa… Doffy did everything right. I dare say he did even more right by treating the Strawhats as an actual threat from the start, whereas Crocodile didn’t until it was far too late for him. He went into the threat assessment with the Strawhats with the bar set very high, he was just not prepared for the fact that the Strawhats A) don’t give a shit about his bar, B) don’t play by the same set of rules in which his bar is designed to account for, and C) will take his bar that he so graciously presented them with and beat him unconscious with it.

[thoughtofadumbteenprotagonist]

“You should be acknowledging this!” “Um, you should all be reblogging this actually” “think about this thing!” “Be aware of this new awful thing happening half way across the globe that you personally have no hope of every impacting in any way whatsoever, but I will word this post like it’s your fault personally!” No, actually. None of these things are my responsibility personally. Yes they’re shitty, yes they shouldn’t be happening, no I’m not going to be guilt tripped into reblogging your inane rant about it all just so someone else can get guilt tripped too.