#and you can apply this philosophy to other shows too

[frazzledsoul]

Not to hark on that (relatively filler) hockey episode of Gilmore Girls again, but I think it's a pretty blatant example of the narrative feeding the audience a bunch of baloney in order to prioritize the desires of the title characters. The narrative in this case would have the audience believe that Jess is in the wrong for not properly arranging a date with his girlfriend instead of....going to the work shift he had previously agreed to, and planning a surprise date for her out of the prying eyes of her mother that their judgmental small town can dissect isn't a sufficient enough atonement for being...pretty responsible, actually. Rory's social life should not take precedence over Jess's work life, and if the narrative argues otherwise, the narrative is fairly shallow and I don't feel bad about rejecting it.

There is a fair amount of classism thrown in here too, that the working-class job the love interest has just isn't as important as the prep school girl's social life. It's a flawed analysis (Jess doesn't have to work that job, after all and it's not like Dean doesn't also have a job as well as a lack of college ambition) but as always the emphasis is on Rory's desires instead of the responsibilities that Jess already has.

It's not the worst thing the show has asked us to believe, given that at times it has argued that infidelity is justifiable if he was your boyfriend first, a married ex is a more reliable prospect than a single broke one, running away to live in a tool shed as a teenage mom is actually a wise decision, Rory actually has the moral high ground when it comes to cheating/cheating adjacent behavior, and parental devotion is a flaw if it gets in the way of your wedding plans. However, just because the show wants us to prioritize the desires of the main characters over the well-being of the people they're dissatisfied with doesn't mean that it is right. Sometimes the narrative just needs to be told to fuck off.

[oatlystrawberryicecream]

the way that some people talk about jason and batman and the joker is so jarring to me because it relies on some unspoken assumptions that i will never buy into

1. the assumption that taking a life inevitably always makes the person who did it worse. killing someone isn’t always this earth shattering thing that harms the person who does it and fundamentally changes their outlook on things. i guess if you have never met a veteran or someone who survived an armed robbery or any number of other things you might make that mistake, but like some of the people who fought in wwii came home and were normal members of the community and the times that their bullets hit the mark were not necessarily the parts of the war that kept them up at night. these assumptions that once you kill you are wicked and have to feel bad and do this whole show of repentance are insidious. if you are gonna look at all this through the lens of christian morality you should at least be aware that that is what you are doing but you cant have just one character be wicked and unclean because of his actions when the bible says that everyone is wicked and unclean by our nature and all sins are equal. a lot of people object to that view but if thats how you see it batman and jason and the joker are all sinners and are all as bad as each other so at least be consistant about how you apply that moral framework.

2. the assumption that being robin or being taken in and trained by bruce means full agreement with and acceptance of every part of bruce’s personal philosophy on justice and morality. jason was a homeless child and even if all this was explicitly laid out for him he could not have agreed since he needed bruce as a matter of survival. bruce’s ideology is extremely important to him and he can teach it to his children all he wants but they are not beholden to it above all else the way he thinks they should be. jason has to live according to his own beliefs regardless of how unacceptable bruce finds it and it is unfair and hypocritical of bruce to get bent out of shape about it.

3. the assumption that killing is always bad. maybe i have listened to too many episodes of behind the bastards but some people will do significant and appalling damage to others no matter what unless they are dead. those people can’t be allowed to keep causing harm. it isn’t glorious and there is no honor about it but it is right and just that they be stopped. there is no reason to strive for purity or ideological high ground when you can provide a measure of safety and justice to victims and prevent future harm instead.

4. the assumption that bruce didn’t have to answer to jason. parents have a duty to their children and it is my opinion that that duty does not end when the child dies. bruce adopted jason and made himself responsible and accountable for everything that happened to jason under his care. that responsibility was ignored over many instances. i am not going to detail the things that led to jason’s death here but it was not good or effective parenting. after jason’s death the disrespect starts pretty immediately with bruce compromising evidence of his murder in order to preserve his ability to continue as batman and continues with bruce getting rid of pretty much all traces of jason’s presence in his life. he is only spoken of as a mistake, a lost cause, or a cautionary tale and is assigned blame for his own death, a death that batman never bothered to fully investigate since he was buried next to the woman who led him into the trap. a new kid is endangered and the joker and batman both continue doing whatever they want as if jason’s life only matters for the way it affects them. bruce needs to answer for all of this, as his son jason has a right to expect more from his father. now the extent to which that extends can be debated but it is clear to me that jason deserved better from bruce.

conclusion: killing is accepted in society in certain circumstances, you may or may not agree with this but self defense laws and even things like jury nullification exist because people knew there should be some wiggle room since no one could have the full context of every situation that would ever arise. ending a life is not normal or ideal but it is not an unfathomably rare experience and it does not always weigh on the person who does it. bruce has never to my knowledge killed someone so he has no idea how he would actually respond but that still isn’t even what jason was asking him to do. all he had to do was be present and not move and he would have been the only parental figure who didn’t let jason down.

[ohnoitstbskyen]

ARCANE season 2 is just one year away!

We finally have a confirmed date for Arcane season 2: November of 2024, just one year away. Riot posted this striking stylized rendering of Jinx simply walking away from camera while some music plays. It is barely more than a teaser trailer, and it would be completely absurd to try and divine meaning or predictions about the show from it. So that's what I'm gonna do! The teaser is accompanied by the musical theme of The Bridge, which Powder sings in the first scene of the show as she and Vi are crossing this very same bridge in the aftermath of a pitched battle, finding their parents among the dead. It is Jinx's foundational trauma, and the crossing of the bridge is a repeated motif in the first season of Arcane, representing the divide between the cities, between characters, between ideologies. And so in this teaser Jinx is crossing the bridge again, in the aftermath of having lost her third father, blaming Piltover not inaccurately for all her suffering. If this is the tone-setter for the show, then, it seems Season 2 of Arcane will be grounded in Jinx's war on Piltover, her attempt to do what Vander couldn't with his riot and what Silco couldn't with his political manipulation. Dear friend across the river My hands are cold and bare Dear friend across the river I'll take what you can spare

To expand a little bit beyond what I can do in a 60 second short - it is of course an obvious conclusion that Season 2 of Arcane would feature Jinx's vengeance against Piltover (there is only so much you can try and predict from a 15 second teaser), but I wonder about the structure that this will take. Will Jinx's vengeance be a feature, a concurrent storyline running alongside all the other storylines, or will it be the central axis that everything else is orbiting?

In Season 1 the show was very much structured around a handful of storylines all converging into the same, single, tragic end-point - for most of the narrative, characters like Jayce and Vi were not even consciously aware of one another, even as their actions had impact on one another. By the end of Season 1, the characters are much more closely acquainted and connected with one another, and maybe that requires a change in structure. Perhaps, rather than a handful of narratives all converging together towards one central tragedy, we get a series of stories exploding out from one central starting point?

Because I could absolutely see Jinx and her war being the anchor-point that everyone else is reacting to. Vi's primary quest is to stop her, so is Caitlyn's. The Council will want bloody revenge, Noxus is going to sense weakness and take advantage of a civil war, the Chembarons will be fighting among themselves to take Silco's place...

It's only really Viktor and Singed whose storylines I could see maintaining some degree of separation from Jinx's vengeance... but then, I do operate on the assumption that Hextech will be used to build weapons of war and that that will be the final breaking point between Jayce and Viktor - I don't think Viktor's moral compass would allow his invention to be turned on the undercity in this way, the very people he most wanted to help and protect.

In this way, I have a feeling he'll enter the war essentially on Jinx's "side," building augmentations and applying Singed's nihilistic philosophy of science to build something to defend the undercity which Jayce, in turn, will find too horrible to contemplate or forgive.

Also who the fuck knows what Vander/Warwick is going to be doing? Is the connection between Singed and Orianna going to... like is Ori going to turn up? I would like Ori to turn up.

[inner-viper]

An Overview of your FS/Lover Soulmate. Who is your soulmate? What are they like? How will you meet them or what is in their current alignment? (18+ ONLY)

Hello everyone, I am Viper, a seer/oracle reader. I am well-versed in my divination and intuition. I decided to do this love tarot reading for fun. I love doing love readings because they are delightful. I hope you find enjoyment in it as I do. Remember nothing is set in stone, you are free to make any choice in your life. For entertainment purposes ONLY. NO MINORS. 18+ ONLY. TW: Mentions of SEXUAL CONTENT. If you are not into that then please leave.

Choose an image that resonates with you. The image that you catches your attention the most is most likely your pile. You can choose 2 or more piles if it resonates. Only take what you deeply resonate with and leave the rest for another. Remember this is general, not every detail will match up.

CHECK OUT MY SHOP AT: https://innerviper.etsy.com

PILE 1:

Classical Tarot Deck: Nine of Swords, Three of Cups, Eight of Wands, The Sun (in reverse), Eight of Pentacles, Nine of Pentacles

Oracle Cards: Appreciation, Contract, The Garden and The Gate, Woman holding a heart (in reverse), All Tied Up, Patience

Ok, this person is a hard worker. They are extremely ambitious and a go-getter-type person. I am also seeing that they are very soft looking. They present themselves with grace and they take amazing care of themselves when they aren’t working too much. Their features are very soft and round. You can tell that this person is very kind. They are also well-liked by their peers. They honestly might be very popular. (Like everyone likes them/knows them but no one really knows them. Although, this is very general you can apply this to everyone). They definitely give off Pisces energy or Gemini energy/FIRE ENERGY TOO. They could have strong earth placements as well. I see that this person is independent, they don’t rely on anyone because they are always achieving their own goals for themselves. They don’t care about other people's goals but they do care about their reputation. I’m seeing that this person has new creative projects or ideas that they value. They definitely have a lot of patience and balanced. Wow, this person is extremely balanced. Honestly, this person is reliable as fuck. If you are ever stranded in the desert, they would drop everything they are doing to come and help you. That’s the type of person they are. They do not wear their heart on their sleeves so they honestly hide their true emotions from others. They seem to have a fear of being vulnerable and a fear of things not going their way. I see how they can get caught up in taking too much workload. They are learning to balance though. The universe is definitely giving lessons to this person about balancing and being honest with themselves right now. They also have strong morals and or philosophy, they could be a lawyer or in the business/fine print side of the business. For some people, they might work in gardening or landscaping. I also see that they present themselves as very beautiful and they are not the type of person to show up in pajamas to go to the store. They are very rich/abundant. They love it when people appreciate them and they appreciate others as well. They probably didn’t have many words of affirmation and when others praise them they get happy. They love nature when they are stressed they stroll through gardens or forests to clear their mind. They would love to go with you to take a walk. Some people might get invited to some nature location and this might be them. They are very warm towards you for sure. This person will be madly in love with you, they will try to play it cool though. As in, they want you to see how independent they are and might be flashy with their material items. They definitely will flex so you can choose them over others. They definitely will respect whoever you choose but they will get secretly jealous but I think they think no one can tell but everyone can LMFAO. This person is mature and very wise beyond their years so they aren’t irrational, of course, everyone has their bad moments in life. If you are in your 20s, I feel like this person will be around your age as well. For some people they might be in their 40s. For those older, they might be in their 30/40s divorced. They also might have one daughter/son.

For their appearance: White person/Hispanic tan person/dark brown eyes/brown hair (could be light or dark), for a feminine presenting person could have highlights and she has long beautiful hair, (she’s fine asf), beautiful smile (it’s contagious), beautiful hands but they are strong

SONG: Lana Del Rey- Playing Dangerously (the lyrics 100% match this energy of theirs)

PILE 2:

Classical Tarot Deck: The Lovers, Two of Swords, Six of Pentacles, King of Cups, Ace of Wands (in reverse), Knight of Swords (in reverse), Four of Pentacles (in reverse) extra card that went flying LMAO

Oracle Cards: The Garden and The Gate, All Tied Up (in reverse), Blossoming Abundance (in reverse), Attachment, Woman Holding a Heart, The Thinking Woman

Your Fs is probably a player/hoe. They like to sleep around with others because it brings them deep satisfaction with their HIGH sex drive. Honestly, not many people can keep up with their sex drive so.. They aren’t pushy either, they honestly attract a lot of people from their looks or aura. They are extremely attractive. This person walks into the room and everyone turns their head. If this person isn’t attractive to you, then they definitely have a strong magnetic aura that draws people’s sexual energy in. They have been in a couple of serious relationships. Once they see you, for some, you already know them (👀🫣) they will suddenly act strange. They will feel weird for wanting to commit to someone (commitment issues LOL). This person has strong qualities as well, they don’t let their emotions get the best of them and that’s very admirable. If someone is actively provoking them they will 100% ignore them and walk away. They are not afraid of walking away from others that don’t interest them. They also like you because you are intellectually challenging, you are able to talk to them about anything and everything. I see that they definitely have or will grow from their last flirtatious events. As they will learn to eventually move towards serious commitment. The majority of people have not met them. That’s why the universe is not putting you both together yet. I also see that they are very tall, or taller than you. This person likes to take you out on multiple fun dates, they need a friend before a lover. This is friends to lovers or friends with benefits to lovers. They are very honest about their emotions and feelings. They will communicate how they feel and they will tell you directly if they like you. They spend a lot of time worrying about meaningless things. I also see for some people that they might be attached to someone or something. They will eventually have to learn to let it go. Remember humans have free will and this is ultimately them not you. I also see that they are very free-spirited, like to spend on others, and are definitely a giver/provider. They like to be given gifts randomly as well. I also see that they love going out to parties and having a good time. They definitely party a lot if they are in college. They might have a hard time trying to balance school workload and partying. This person is very direct but something about them is that they won’t reveal much to you at first. I’m getting something from the cards that something is hidden from me, so maybe at first, they hide away from you. They stare at you and they think you don’t notice it. They have NICE lips. This person is very kissable. This person is open about their sexuality, they don’t give a fuck about the taboos surrounding sex. They believe it’s natural to want to have sex or make love. I’m also seeing that they are very romantic and passionate. If you are in your 20’s or early 30s this person is the same age as you, maybe being 1-2 years older. I really feel like most people will meet them through friends/college. For older people, this person is not what they appear to be. They look younger but they are actually older than they appear. There is no competition with them, they will make it known that you are seeing them. They honestly are possessive because they think you and them are meant for each other. They will respect your boundaries so if you don’t like something then call them out. They are definitely funny at times LOL. VENUS IN AIRES/VENUS IN GEMINI. Scorpio is strong in their chart.

For their appearance: Tan skin/darker skin color. Dyed hair or dark black hair. Their hair changes often? If they are very feminine presenting, they have long hair. Very well kept. Beard that suits their face. They got a nice body though, nice pp or vagina (LIKE ITS VERY PRETTY) Luscious lips for sure.

SONG: Boys a Liar Pt. 2 - Pink Pantheress (Yeah, this is 100% the situation i’m gathering)

PILE 3:

Classical Tarot Deck: Five of Pentacles (in reverse), Nine of Pentacles, The Hanged Man, Ace of Swords (in reverse), Eight of Wands (in reverse), The Lovers

Oracle Deck: Blossoming Abundance, The Thinking Man, Financial Constraints, Seventh Chakra/Archangel Uriel, Angel of Balance (in reverse), Walking Away

This person is very calm when it comes to their finances, they are very smart too. They are connected with the divine and are most likely very spiritual. They aren’t a witch/magician but they do believe in the divine. This person is wise in multiple aspects of their lives. Their life might have been one of teaching wisdom and patience, good thing comes to those who wait. I’m also seeing that they are very serious about lovers and relationships. They will be very glad to have met you because they will go through a whole new journey with you! This person is very kind but you don’t want to cross their boundaries because their words are like sharp knives. This person is very attentive towards their friends. They won’t give them the whole world but rather push them to be the best they can be. They also like to focus on gaining material success. They are very materialistic, to be honest. They have so much abundance and wealth that they are trying to constantly grow. An empire that lasts for decades. I honestly see that they don’t give a single fuck about others opinions. I mentioned this before but be careful to not say something malicious to them. This person spends their time thinking. They are always in their thoughts, you will be in their thoughts LOL. They definitely are straightforward. They may lack a balance between work and their personal life. They lack knowing how to balance other areas as well. They like to initiate projects and ideas. They are very worried about money, to be honest. It’s like they are constantly worrying if they have enough. They are very humble and well-respected in their careers. I feel like you guys will match well with each other. You’ll both push towards the best. They will be very sweet to you guys in private. HONESTLY, IM GETTING BUTTERFLIES. They know how to talk 100%. This person is a charmer LORD-. Watch out because they will catch you off guard. They have strong mercury in their chart. I also see that they love being in silence. If you already met them, (which I feel like you all haven’t :<) they will like to just feel your presence. They appear to be striking. Like honestly they aren’t too approachable but you can definitely come up toward them? This is very poorly described but they are intimidating. They are probably thinking about what they are going to eat for lunch and people will think they are thinking about the next new technology. I also see that they are probably in engineering, COULD BE Mechanical engineering (look it up if you don’t know what it is), or something of engineering. They also dress casually ok! They know what to appear as in certain occasions/events but they like being comfortable more. They give very honest advice, but also might come off as cruel? They are like you ask for it LOL. ALSO, SARCASM IS BIG HERE. They definitely are sarcastic.

For their appearance: Brown hair, Colored eyes, (Skin tone is varied here! Very diverse for this pile) They got a nice body if not on the thinner side. Very nice lips for this pile as well.. For a feminine presenting, they like to have long beautiful hair. (I think all piles had long hair?!) They like to wear gold!!

SONG: Cry- Cigarettes After Sex (This person is SO FUCKING SWEET TO YOU KSNFKFD)

[inthestarsme]

Astro Notes pt. 7

These pictures are not mine! I have taken them from pinterest, the second one seems to be from "Rachel Home and Life" on Pinterest.

‼️Don't repost my Observations without consent and mentioning my page‼️

I very much respect non-binary or trans people. If i'm talking about man or woman, i'm talking about cis-men or woman i know, because often, due to societal coding/standards, there can be differences depending on the gender. But it could very much apply to you if you are non-binary or trans. Just take what resonates and leave what doesn't, as spiritual people like to say.🫶🏻

If you don't agree with my observations, please don't send any hate. They're only my personal observations that i'm posting just for fun. Especialy the specific ones can only apply to certain people. So don't take anything you read too seriously. It's not a science, just pop-astrology!😎

I'm back again! Hope y'all had a great start into the year and some beautiful or at least peaceful holidays. I'm not going to explain to much about my absence (i feel like me not posting regularely or as it works is just a thing now) and just jump right into it.

So, here we go! Ready.... Set..... Okay i'm kidding. But yes, let's go!

Moon in the 3rd house: I always need to talk to a friend about my feelings when i feel overwhelmed, sad, angry, etc. If i try dealing with it just in my head, it feels like a hurricane up there. Sometimes i like writing things down too, but i prefer talking it through and getting a second, reflective opinion and reaction. This kind of fits this placement, so maybe this could help you, if you haven't figured this out about yourself yet.

Chiron in the Solar Return-Chart: I feel like Chiron here shows you a wound that developes over the year, that you might only start seeing at the very end or in the next year.

Leo Risings: You guys really are these confident, radiant, extroverted, even loud types of people. Very social and outgoing. You "shine" and are quite populare. As i am an Aquarius rising (so my rising falls into their 7th house) i tend to attract these kinds of people (as friends and also partners/ love interests, but love interests more so sun in leo as the sun is the heart) even though you wouldn't think so because i tend to be more shy and reserved. But it really doesn't mean that is how you truly feel inside. It is one of the most prominent parts of your personality and how people know you, but you can still hold a lot of insecurities inside yourself. Also: blond hair tends to be typical for these people, also the darker blond shades. But it isn't a must, i've just noticed this. Maybe also just hair that "shines" or somehow stands out.

North Node in the 12th house: Learning how to deal with addictions and any kind of mental health problems, that could've or did get you into any kind of facility (prison, etc.) is a big and important part of your life and souls journey. You need to learn how to take care of your physical health and get a healthy routine and sorted out everyday life, so you can deal with your mental health problems, and not use drugs etc. as a way to deal with your every day life/ to run away from your everyday life/ to make your addiction, mental health struggles, etc. your everyday life and make it mess up your health. You may naturally have always been so focused on work, routines and everyday life, etc., that you always have tended to forget about your mental health and anything to do with that.

Jupiter in the 9th house: Things like religion, philosophy, higher (college) education and traveling can be a source of great happiness and success in your life. In which way really depends on other placements and if you are religious or not, etc.

Moon in the 9th house: You might really need religion or certain philosophical theories placed in your life to feel emptionaly secure and stable. They don't need to necessarily be a typical kind of religion or a academicaly accepted philosophy, but just something that exists inside yourself that fits into these categories.

Empty houses: I think a house being empty just means that in this life there isn't really a focus on this area in your life, or it tends to sort itself out naturaly through other areas in your life that are more in focus. As you have your ruling planet of the house sitting in another house and do not have anything putting more of an emphasis on this house, i think the energy of the house plays itself out through other areas in your life or are influenced by other areas. It still exists in your life, but it isn't in focuse just for itself (i know this isn't necessarily how this is interpreted in general, this is just how i see it).

Scorpio MC: I feel like, as Scorpio and Pluto have a lot to do with ego deaths, a lot of people tend to see me in a bad light and as problematic because i kind of go against their ego, because i trigger something in them they don't want to face and they are hiding with their ego. Also, I'm not necessairly the secretive type of person, but if i stay more secretive, people tend to be more interested and intrigued by me. I also get peoples attention if i present in a "shocking" way (as would many), but i like it honestly (my aquarius rising just loved being weird), and i feel like often people just silently watch me and even admire (or at least noone has ever complained or said anything negative).

I hope you enjoyed this one again. Please leave certain aspects you want me to get into in another post in the comments or just any kind of post you would like to see from me.

I wish you a wonderful year! Byee🫶🏻

[puppygirlclaspers]

Hey people, so I was trying to find out a way of immersing myself in mecha even more and I settled on the idea of making funny little reviews about the gundam kits I've built on my blog so here it is tee hee

(Very minor spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury season 1 episode 6 ahead)

I present to you:

Demi Trainer A.K.A baby's first gundam kit

This is what kickstarted my addiction to building these little guys and honestly it was such a blast as my first experience with it! I saw the HG (1/144) model of this mobile suit in a nerd shop I was in that I was told had these kits and I figured it was a good starting point. I liked the idea of the training mech from g-witch acting as training wheels for me building these kits.

Fun Facts About the Demi Trainer

the MSJ-121 Demi Trainer is a mobile suit seen in The Witch From Mercury series, and is primarily used by students in Asticassia as a mobile suit to train with (hence the name Demi Trainer)

The Demi Trainer is just one model in a series of other Demi mobile suits! Other Demi models we see throughout the series are the MSJ-OP122 Demi Garrison (seen early on when Suletta Mercury's Gundam Aerial is being detained after her first duel), the MSJ-R122 Demi Barding, which is a more advanced model of mobile suit, equipped with more armaments, while still maintaining the Demi model philosophy. There's also Chuchu's iconic MSJ-105CC Demi Trainer, which is an older model that has been heavily modified by Chuchu in order to compete with more modern iterations of Demi mobile suits.

Our primary experience with Demi Trainer in the show is when Suletta Mercury is tasked with piloting one as part of her spotting exam, where she has a particularly difficult time passing it. It honestly made me feel really sad when I watched it for the first time :(

The Design of Demi Trainer

I really love how this mobile suit looks! It's a very simple design but I feel it's so effective at conveying it's primary purpose: to be a baseline training model for mobile suits. It's a lightweight mobile suit with minimal modifications done to it so that it can achieve high mobility and it's easy to maintain. It also looks very much like something a company would mass-produce for an institution like Asticassia.

Demi Trainers are used with a standard set of equipment, which includes a simple shield, a beam gun for ranged combat, a saber stick for melee combat, a combat knife, as well as the Daedalus multi-tool, which can be shaped and transformed into a variety of tools. This makes Demi Trainer a very versatile mobile suit, appropriate for use in many different situations. It doesn't seem to come with any sort of flight module, though that makes sense, as I imagine those are quite expensive to include on mobile suits, and this is meant as a simple trainer mech.

Of course, since it's heavily used in Asticassia, Demi Trainer also has an equipable antenna module for use in duels within the academy.

The Demi mobile suits are known for their extensive customisability, and the Demi Trainer is no different! You can even see these aspects within the design of this mobile suit. There are many little slots and places where you can modify Demi Trainer and potentially add modules or armaments, and you can see the extent of this modification in Chuchu's modified Demi Trainer, despite it being an older model. I'd really love to see what kind of modifications other student in the academy would apply to their Demi Trainers!

Building the Kit

My experience with building this gunpla kit was a blast! I was so excited to get started on this, and the kit did not disappoint! It wasn't too complex so that I was overwhelmed, but it also wasn't so simple that I was bored. Hearing all the clicks and feeling the pieces snap together as I built it was extremely satisfying, and I really like how the instruction booklet was structured.

You're not told to put individual parts of the mobile suit together until you've built a number of modules beforehand. For example, the instructions tell you to build the head, body and arms before telling you to put those parts together, and I think that makes the experience more satisfying. The same structure applies for the waist and legs of the kit, and being able to put all of the parts together at the end is such a good feeling! Of course, you can totally ignore the structure of the booklet and put parts together as you build them, which is also fine.

The kit also comes with a variety of stickers, and with the help of hindsight after having built 2 more kits after this one (which I also plan on reviewing), I can confidently say that the stickers for the Demi Trainer are probably the easiest to apply based on my limited experience! You get a small choice of stickers too, mainly a choice of what colour you want the middle torso portion to be. Of course, I picked purple because it's my favourite colour, but other choices also include red, blue, yellow and pink.

At one point while building this kit, I tried to take a part out so I could hear and feel the click of it again as I assembled it, but I accidentally applied too much force into it and the piece snapped, which make me panic but thankfully I had some glue to repair it, which was a huge relief. Not a fault of the kit itself, just my own excitement getting the better of me! Though I will recommend to be careful when assembling these kits if you're not experienced, and be gentle with them.

I was so so happy when the kit was finished and I could play around with it! Building it is half the fun, and the other half is posing it in all sorts of cool ways! You've seen some pictures of that already, but I also have some gifs of the kit spinning on a little turntable saved for the end.

The HG Demi Trainer kit comes with just the shield, saber stick and beam gun that I mentioned previously, which I personally don't mind too much but of course having more options for equipment is always a good thing. Thankfully you can buy an expansion set for Demi Trainer that includes a beam rifle, gatling gun, combat knife, 4-cell hand missile launcher and open hand parts, as well as some smaller extras. I personally don't have this expansion kit but I would love to get it at some point!

Overall, I think this is a fantastic kit to build, particularly if you are new to gunpla and are looking for a place to start. The Witch From Mercury kits are some of the best quality I think I've seen in gunpla (again, from my limited experience) and if you love the series and want to collect gunpla, you can't go wrong with getting this kit. The posable nature and movement of the kit itself is great, which I think is really cool and allows for some creative shots to be made with them!

This is a little series of posts that I hope to continue in the future! If you have any suggestions on things to add or change please let me know! I'm open to constructive criticism :)

[the-one-0]

I want to introduce you all to my Arcana OC – Indigo. An elegant, thin and fragile elf. We love this, huh?

It took me about two months to design the character from scratch, create an accurate design for them and draw it all. And I'm happy with what I got in the end (but I still hate drawing hair).

Some facts about Indigo:

– For their race, they possessed some magical potential, but not too powerful, which is why they spent a lot of time and effort studying and practicing magic.

– Indigo is stronger in theory than in practice, but they are working on it.

– They have some complexes about appearance, namely, they are not satisfied with the structure of the eyelids (asian lol).

– Loves makeup, but they don't know how to apply it, which makes them even more upset about the structure of their own eyelids.

– They do not have the best eyesight (Indigo is quite short-sighted), but acute hearing never fails.

– The only weapon they have is a combat fan. They don't know how to handle other weapons besides this one.

– Ectomorph.

– They love fans of different designs and types, but they don't often part with their own, which is especially valuable to them. No one is allowed to touch this object.

– Their childhood years were spent in a small mountain village in the East. Indigo moved to Vesuvia with ambitions and desires to improve their live. They did not have the heart to stay in remote places for a long time. Moving was not easy for them, just like the process of obtaining high-level skills and status. And today, Indigo value their place and work very much.

– Not very long ago, they got to the position of court magician.

– Indigo dreams of having a pet, but they are not sure that they can provide it with a better life, so they postpone this moment over and over again.

– No matter how much they like Vesuvia, they are periodically overcome by longing for their native place, where they have not returned for many years and are not even completely sure if that village still exists.

– They are wary of strangers and try to keep communication with strangers to a minimum, but on their own initiative, Indigo never reject those who want to communicate with them. But they never start a dialogue first.

– They are prone to perfectionism and are often very critical of themselves and everything they say or do.

– Indigo cries when, while reading a book, they comes across a sad moment where someone feels bad/hurt. Often their impressionability makes them cry at the sight of dead birds and animals. This can spread to plants.

– Very harmless. They defend themselves only if the attitude towards them becomes frankly disgusting. Most often, they ignore small "red flags", even if they notice them, because Indigo always believe that everyone is wrong.

– Indigo is very passionate about history, art, philosophy and literature. They admire those who can draw, sing or write poetry, as they consider these to be the highest talents.

– They also admire those who are stronger than them in anything.

– Their anger manifests itself in the fact that they isolate themselves from everyone or specifically from the one who annoys them, so as not to say unpleasant things. It is difficult to determine that Indigo are annoyed by something. They won't show it.

– Indigo loves sweets so much. Any kind. Just give them more and they will be at your feet.

– They don't like tea. And coffee too.

– They get drunk quickly. Therefore, Indigo prefer not to get involved with alcohol.

[nail-art-no-jutsu]

🎶🌹 Rojuro 'Rose' Otoribashi headcanons 🌹🎶

Soundtrack: Alexis Ffrench - A Time of Wonder

Y'all I'm back on the bleachwagon and I can't stop thinking about this man, I especially love to imagine how he got to where he is, and finally I'm putting all my ideas in one place. So without further ado:

I don't think he grew up in Soul Society, but I definitely think he died at the worst possible time, when he was young and life was good and easy, and he had time to indulge in his hobbies, music in particular

like Toshiro, Rose heard the calling of Kinshara before he knew what it was, he just thought it was just something that happens to artists after they die

but unlike Toshiro, I imagine Rose told everyone, cause he just talks a lot in general lmao, and someone or other must have told him that what he's describing is called a zanpakuto

otherwise he wouldn't have gone and become a Shinigami at all

he was only interested in the training he needed in order to understand this creative force inside of him that he absolutely must express outwardly, and no instrument seems to be good enough

... except for a sword ...

he absolutely hated the Academy though, not enough room for creative freedom, too much structure, no composing daydreaming in class allowed, not to mention how he always got the best ideas for songs he wanted to write while he was in the middle of a training session

the only good thing about the Academy was meeting many of the people he would call friends for way over a hundred years

Rose didn't acquire shikai or even bankai in order to advance in his career or to become more powerful, he did so because it would have been impossible not to

Kinshara is very insistent and when it has something to show him, he has no choice, not that he doesn't absolutely love the experience, it's so magnificent that it moves him to tears of joy, it's ecstatic, it's sensory heaven

Rose: look at this thing I just learned to do, isn't this wonderful? Any of his friends: my dude, that's called a shikai, go apply for the position of Lieutenant. right now!!!!

he goes through a phase where he's uncomfortable with the fact that Kinshara doesn't just entertain, it kills

he'd be a lover not a fighter if it wasn't for how much farther he got artistically after learning to use his love for music for fighting

he overcomes this dilemma by telling himself that it's fine actually because he's one of the good guys, and promising that he'll only blur the line between creation and destruction against opponents who really deserve it

how do you identify that? he'll cross that bridge when he gets to it. don't worry about it

Rose didn't have a good time as a Lieutentant, again, too much structure, but he actually did apply for the position of Captain himself, at least that way he'd get to make the rules and he could take breaks whenever he wanted and procrastinate with his paperwork until he found the perfect background music for it and so on

this did not work out that great, because he had a very hard time working with Iba's mother as his Lieutenant, she had no patience for *gestures towards all of this*, and I also suspect she might have been resentful that someone so carefree ended up as her superior

and to fast forward just for a bit, Izuru is not like that at all, and it's one of the first things that Rose appreciates about him, Izuru does respect structure, but he's not above doing the work in all kinds of unusual ways as long as it gets done

a thing that Rose shares with Shinji is that he's always been interested in what's going on in the world of the living, especially when it comes to music, and then he branched out to literature, philosophy, pop culture, and other things that are referenced in lyrics, that's how he learns about things, even if after that he starts enjoying them for their own sake

I can see them both taking trips to music stores or to concerts on Earth, separately or together, especially when they were supposed to be doing something else

Rose just really needs a lot of enrichment in his enclosure or else he absolutely will wilt and perish, most gracefully, of course~

he is in fact not a snob when it comes to music, he knows the lyrics to songs you'd least expect, and he can appreciate the artistic value of artists or genres that he doesn't really listen to

you wanna rickroll him? nice try, he loves that song

and yeah, this is getting so long someone pls take my keyboard away from me

just kidding, this is way too much fun 💖

[mushyposts]

WOW PPL SEEM TO LIKE THE ART STUDENT AU. HAVE SOME KATAANG! I like to imagine Aang is SUPER multi-disciplinary!! He's a complete prodigy, he's always been incredibly engaged, excited and ready to learn! He spread his degree out a lot longer due to travelling, he applied for and got a lot of grants to be able to study all over the world! He focuses on the tangible, the grounding and the idea of grief/trauma being something you can hold, nurture. Where possible he's done his theory classes in psychology, philosophy and lit/classics study!! He's INCREDIBLY smart, and insightful! So i want to emphasise that in this AU. He's done a lot of works where the intent is for the viewer to walk through, to see things that seem completely unconnected, small sculptured pieces you can hold, interact with, look at, experience, and then reading the wall text is enough to make you WEEP!! A room full of ceramic versions of every single toy he's able to remember having, paired with a wall text talking about his childhood, full of turmoil, abandonment, systems that are targeted towards ease of the adults, not protecting the children. He asks in his wall texts for the viewer to read his story, to remember his story, and to take a bit of the burden of carrying it from him. Ease the weight. Just.... Aangs art exploring grief and trauma in such a beautiful way, a way that implores you to observe it for all it taught you and all it took from you, and not give it fuel, not allow the anger to fester, to hold it gently, out of the hands of the people who caused it just as you yourself deserved to be handled when it occurred, and to show it mercy. Katara's paintings explore you to feel. To be grounded, they are swirling pathways of looong strips of canvas/paper, all made into wavy pathways that invite you to follow. Theyre confusing, folding in on themselves, ending suddenly and restarting in other spaces. The vague notions of faces, figures, medical images appearing over and over in ways that suggest grief but dont reinforce it. Katara is INCREDIBLY layered, the tear between wanting to provide, protect and heal those around them but the anger at feeling forced into the role. She WANTS to help people, she WANTS to take care of people and be that supportive beam for those she loves but the anger at the world for telling her thats all shes capable of. How dare they tell her she cant do anything else? And then that fighting against the feeling of "If i do it, all im doing is confirming to them that thats all im capable of doing." Her paintings are journeys, they evoke anger and frustration and grief and she very rarely pairs it with detailed wall texts, unlike Aang who has a million and one words to explain how he feels, Katara prefers to explain the context, the medium, why it was chosen, and then let the work speak for itself. This isnt to say she doesnt HAVE the words, she could talk for hours about every single details, why theres a red dot there and a blue there! the curtains are MORE than "just blue" with her and she will talk about it for hours if she wants! But, just like she feels as though her story has been controlled by the world, shes been told what to do, how to feel, she doesnt want to control viewers experience with her works. She has a title, which is just a few words to distinguish it from the rest of her works and doesnt really give away anything to do with the name, and then a wall text with minor details. She wants people to experience it how they need too. Anyway I love kataang. Theyre so lovely. Yes they do exhibitions together. Yes they reference eachothers works in their assignments. Yes theyre cute.

[allforthe-foxholecourt]

Post-Canon Fic Snippet - Sophomore year is starting and Neil just finished his pre-season session with Bea. Neil and Andrew on the roof together, still figuring out how to navigate their not nothingness.

"How did your session with Bea go?" Andrew asked and Neil felt his entire body tense again. The only thing keeping Neil from running from the conversation was their linked hands on the concrete between them.

"It was fine," Neil said and Andrew scoffed beside him.

"It was short," Andrew clarified and Neil bit back his smart ass remark about it being much too long. "Did you even try to talk to her?"

"I showed up didn't I?" Neil grumbled.

"I'll just apply that same philosophy to your precious stickball and you can answer your own question," Andrew shot back, taking another drag of his cigarette. "You need to talk to someone Neil, even if it isn't Bea or a psychiatrist."

"I talk to you," Neil said and watched Andrew roll his eyes.

"Barely," Andrew huffed under his breath. As much as that single word stung Neil knew it was true. Andrew knew more about Neil than anyone else, but Neil still held his cards close to his chest. He didn't talk to Andrew about Evermore or Baltimore or specifics about his life on the run with his mother. Andrew would never push Neil to share more than he was willing, he simply offered his own truths in exchange for truths from Neil. While Neil knew his secret couldn't be held forever, he would cling to them for as long as he could. After a few moments silence Neil moved to go back inside, only the slightest squeeze of Andrew's hand stopped him. "Yes or no?"

"Yes," Neil replied with no hesitation, leaning in to meet Andrew in a heated kiss. He let Andrew guide the pace and depth of their kiss, only touching Andrew where their fingers were already intertwined. This.. they were good at this part - the give and take, yes or no, respecting boundaries while exploring and getting lost in each other. The kisses softened their sharp edges in a way they didn't know how to do with words. It was talking to each other they were still figuring out how to do.

"Don't run off like that again," Andrew said, his fingers holding Neil's chin in place so their gazes locked. Andrew was offering a piece of himself, a vulnerability he kept locked away from everyone else. Neil would protect every piece Andrew gave him, even if it was Neil and his past that Andrew needed protection from.

"Okay," Neil said back with a soft grin twitching at the corners of his lips. Andrew shoved Neil's face away which only made Neil huff a small laugh and they both went inside.

*Art is not mine - artist is lunapiq on Instagram and Tumblr*

[borninwinter81]

William Blake and Good Omens - an intertextual analysis

Please note: I did another version of this and posted it, but it was quite hurried, way too short, and was incorrect in a number of ways so I deleted it. However it had already been reblogged by the time i did so. If you happen to see another version of this meta that's not the right one, this is the version I'm happy with!

After my previous post re William Blake and Good Omens did so well, and so many people showed an interest I've decided to do a more in depth piece. This is focused upon the TV version of Good Omens, not the book.

Please don't tag Neil in this - although it's mostly textual analysis I do a very small amount of S3 theorising, and I know he doesn't want to see that.

I am in no way suggesting that Neil and Terry specifically wrote Good Omens with Blake in mind, I honestly just wanted an excuse to write more about Blake because I love his work so much, and I thought it would be interesting to try and apply some intertexuality since the works will contain similar themes, both being about God, religion, humanity, and angels and demons.

I also should stress that I am not an expert on Blake, there are people far more qualified to comment on him than I. I'm just a former literature student who loves his work.

There have been many different interpretations of Blake's work over the years, so it's completely fine to disagree with someone else's ideas about it, as with any work of art or literature. And although this piece is likely to be long, I'll barely be able to scratch the surface of all the possible meanings that could be ascribed to it.

Much like the old adage that if someone claims to understand quantum physics they're lying, I'm not sure anyone can truly fathom the full meaning of Blake's philosophy (especially in his later prophetic works, fuuuuuuck those beasts....), so if you're confused by him don't be discouraged, that's perfectly normal!

That being said, I wish to discuss the parallels between Good Omens and The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, my personal favourite and probably the most accessible of his longer works.

"Without contraries is no progression. Attraction and Repulsion, Reason and Energy, Love and Hate, are necessary to Human existence. From these contraries spring what the religious call Good & Evil. Good is the passive that obeys Reason. Evil is the active springing from Energy. Good is Heaven. Evil is Hell."

This excerpt is from near the opening and sets out the central idea of the work - that there is an essential duality to humanity, and each person is a combination of extremes. These extremes are not at war with each other, but rather are equally necessary, hence the "marriage" of the title. "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" is a metaphor for the human experience.

Consistently throughout The Marriage... Blake refers to the two extremes as Reason and Energy. These terms could be construed in a number of different ways: thought versus emotion, mental versus physical, restraint versus desire, temperance versus excess, caution versus impulsiveness, and following the rules versus free will.

Blake's use of the word "Reason" in this context may be somewhat confusing, however he likely chose it because of his negative feelings towards science and the Age of Enlightenment. Blake saw literal visions of angels and prophets and the divinity of all creation, and hated that science reduced everything to formulas, calculations, and materialism, leaving the world bereft of wonder. "Art is the Tree of Life. Science is the Tree of Death" as he put it.

His ideas about "reason" are best expressed by his painting "Newton". Though inspired by the scientist, it is not a portrait - instead it depicts a figure deeply engrossed in scientific drawings and calculations, totally ignoring the beauty all around him - see below.

In the context of The Marriage... Reason is "passive" because it involves thought, caution, self-restraint, and doing what you are told, all states which block action. Energy is "active" because it is physical, emotional, impulsive and allows you to act based on your own choices and desires. It's quite clear that Blake feels "energy" is the preferable state - he tells us as much in the next section:

"The Voice of the Devil

All Bibles or sacred codes, have been the causes of the following Errors. 1. That Man has two real existing principles Viz: a Body & a Soul. 2. That Energy, call'd Evil, is alone from the Body, & that Reason, call'd Good, is alone from the Soul. 3. That God will torment Man in Eternity for following his Energies. But the following Contraries to these are True. 1. Man has no Body distinct from his Soul; for that call'd Body is a portion of Soul discern'd by the five Senses, the chief inlets of Soul in this age. 2. Energy is the only life and is from the Body and Reason is the bound or outward circumference of Energy. 3. Energy is Eternal Delight."

So the body is an aspect of the soul, not separate from it, Energy comes from the body, it is Reason which places limits upon Energy, but Energy is eternal delight. Physicality, desire, impulsiveness, emotion, sensual pleasure and free will are not wrong or evil, they are aspects of the human soul and it is from them that we derive our enjoyment of life.

This does not necessarily mean that Reason is always bad. After all, Blake tells us that both are necessary for human existence. Sometimes temperance, caution and thought before action are required. But Reason becomes negative when it "usurps its place and governs the unwilling", i.e. when it completely supplants Energy and becomes the sole guiding factor, forcing passivity.

The Angels of The Marriage... are governed by "systematic reasoning", therefore they are wholly creatures of Reason. They are also "all religious" meaning they believe the "errors" stated above. His Devils by contrast "hate religion" meaning they believe the "contraries", which are the true statements according to Blake. It does not necessarily follow that they are wholly governed by Energy, merely that they believe Energy is "eternal delight".

It is worth noting at this point that Blake saw God and religion as totally separate. For Blake, "God" is that connection with divine wonder which was integral to his life; he tells us plainly that "all deities reside in the human breast" and that "the voice of honest indignation is the voice of God". In other words all humans have a direct and intuitive link with God and don't require the church, Priests, or a religious framework and adherence to a set of rules in order to reach moral decisions. These rules exist only to "enslave the vulgar".

The importance of this ability to make one's own choices about a moral course of action is shown by one of the "Memorable Fancy" sections of The Marriage...

Blake relates how a Devil is able to use an Angel's "systematic reasoning" against them:

"if Jesus Christ is the greatest man, you ought to love him in the greatest degree; now hear how he has given his sanction to the law of ten commandments: did he not mock at the sabbath, and so mock the sabbaths God? Murder those who were murder'd because of him? Turn away the law from the woman taken in adultery? Steal the labor of others to support him? Bear false witness when he omitted making a defence before Pilate? Covet when he pray'd for his disciples, and when he bid them shake off the dust of their feet against such as refused to lodge them? I tell you, no virtue can exist without breaking these ten commandments; Jesus was all virtue, and acted from impulse, not from rules."

The Angel has no way to refute the "reasoning" that Jesus was governed by Energy and "impulse", i.e. his own morality, the "voice of righteous indignation", not reasoning and the rules laid down by Heaven. And because Jesus is the Messiah he must be virtuous, therefore Energy is virtuous. The Angel immediately allows himself to be consumed by fire and is resurrected as a Devil.

How can these concepts apply to the world of Good Omens?  This was where my first draft was totally incorrect, as I tried to transfer Blake's ideas about Angels and Demons and Heaven and Hell wholesale, applying "reason" to Aziraphale and Heaven and "energy" to Crowley and Hell.  In fact the divide is slightly different in the GO-verse: Crowley and Aziraphale *both* represent Energy, and it is Heaven and Hell that act according to Reason.

At first glance Aziraphale may appear to toe the line - he needs creative application of the rules to make him comfortable with trying to avert the apocalypse, and when he doesn't like the way matters are being handled by the Archangels he seeks a higher authority and goes straight to God. He'd clearly prefer someone to be confirming the rightness of his actions for him. However this doesn't mean that he won't act on his own.

Immediately upon his introduction to the story he has given away his flaming sword, an action that he took impulsively because he felt it was right, not because someone told him to. It bothers him, but he does it anyway.

In the Job storyline, though he initially looks for some loophole within the rules that will allow him to save Job's children, in the end he directly goes against Heaven to do it, even though he believes he is going to Fall and become a Demon for having done so.

Though he resists it and exhausts all other possible avenues first, he eventually does take an active role in averting the apocalypse in S1.

He hides Jim at great personal risk to himself and against the will of both Heaven and Hell, again because he feels it is the right thing to do.

He is therefore perfectly capable of independent action from a position of "righteous indignation".

On a more basic level, he enjoys worldly pleasures, which all come from "energy" according to Blake's philosophy. Food and drink most obviously, but also books, music, dancing, theatre, art and so on.

Crowley is more easy to place as acting from Energy - in spite of the obvious aesthetic differences between them, he also loves worldly pleasures. Alcohol and coffee, snazzy clothing, driving his car with Queen blaring on the stereo, going to lunch with Aziraphale, Shakespearean comedies. All things he isn't supposed to want or need, and which baffle other Demons, in the same way that Aziraphale's desire for food baffles the Angels.

And he's absolutely willing to act according to his own moral impulses when they conflict with Hell's orders (or Heaven's), be it saving Job's children, ensuring that Elspeth doesn't die by suicide, or averting the apocalypse. Yes, he'll try to hide his "good" actions in order to avoid punishment by Hell, but he's firmly "on his own side".

Conversely, Heaven and Hell are both part of the structure of religion in this story, are strictly adherent to a set of rules, and their inhabitants appear to have no real desires of their own, other than possible advancement within the systems they uphold. They are "passive" in that their functions allow the status quo to continue and the "great plan" to unfold as they believe it is meant to, even though each side expects a different outcome.

Again, applying Blake's philosophy, I would say the reason for this is that "energy is from the body". Crowley and Aziraphale have both been given bodies in order that they can exist on earth, and *have* existed on earth for 6000 years, therefore "energy" - physical pleasures and free thinking - have become a part of who they are.

On a more fundamental level, possession of a body can be equated to humanity, and humanity has been shown as the most powerful force of all in this story, its influence having led to Adam becoming "human incarnate", and thus acting according to what he feels is right, instead of fulfilling the function he was destined for.

Heaven and Hell contain no material objects, and the Angels and Demons are spiritual beings, having no bodies, so they are not open to energy, and therefore are wholly governed by Reason, and the preservation of the religious structures within which they exist. Structures which, as for Blake, may not actually have anything to do with God herself. In S1 she is a distant observer, clearly aware through her narration of all that is going on, but not interceding in any way. In S2 she is barely present save for her voice being heard briefly in Job, and overlaid with Gabriel's on two occasions.

Bearing all this in mind, what predictions can we make regarding S3 by applying Blake's philosophy?

"The ancient tradition that the world will be consumed in fire at the end of six thousand years is true, as I have heard from Hell.

For the cherub with his flaming sword is hereby commanded to leave his guard at [the] tree of life, and when he does, the whole creation will be consumed and appear infinite and holy, whereas it now appears finite and corrupt.

This will come to pass by an improvement of sensual enjoyment."

The parallels of the cherub with his flaming sword, and the passage of 6000 years should be obvious to anyone reading this - they have of course been lifted directly from the Bible as they are in GO.

I have read some metas which speculated that Aziraphale's bookshop, or perhaps Earth itself, is a metaphorical stand-in for Eden or The Tree of Life. Aziraphale has been commanded to leave his "Eden" and will now be instrumental in causing the whole of creation to become infinite and holy, but Blake tells us this will be done by an improvement of sensual enjoyment, which arises from Energy not Reason.

Sensual enjoyment is something which is intrinsic to Aziraphale's character, and this could make his placement in Heaven very important.

Putting aside all the "final fifteen" theories and taking matters at face value, Aziraphale tells us that if he's in charge he can make a difference - he needs to subvert the system from the inside out. The most subversive thing of all could be that a sensualist who acts according to "the voice of moral indignation" and "Energy" has become the supreme Archangel. We have seen in Blake how a realisation that Energy could be virtuous was enough to convert an Angel into a Devil (incidentally, does the image of an Angel being consumed by fire and emerging as a Devil seem familiar at all...)

We may have seen the beginnings of this already. Gabriel and Beelzebub became open to Energy from such little things as visiting earth, spending time in one another's company, and their mutual enjoyment of a song, which has given them wants and desires beyond those dictated by Heaven and Hell. This is enough to make them wish to leave their roles behind.

It's possible that the same may happen with Muriel. They haven't yet imbibed food or drink, but they have shown an enjoyment of books, which are an earthly pleasure, and open the reader up to new ideas and ways of thinking.

Of course, this would lead to questions regarding the Metatron's statement that he has "ingested things", and whether this means he is acting from reason or energy. Of course the simplest explanation is that it is a manipulation tactic, and he is lying about having done so, but if true that statement has some interesting implications. However, this is now super-long and I'm out of juice, so will leave others to speculate. I may return to this in the future!

There we go, hope you enjoyed. I doubt this will reach nearly as many people as my first Blake post, but if a few find it of interest then my work is done!

[middlenamesage]

⭐️ Lesser known significations of each of the planets ⭐️

Please note that with these planetary placements, the sign gives info about the style in which you conduct yourself, the house gives info about where in life you’re conducting yourself, and the aspects give info about other flavors brought up into the picture, and how your relationship with a placement affects you and fits into the rest of your consciousness/life.

Sun

Can show where/how you like to be creative or your creative gifts. The 5th house and Leo also can show this, but I don’t seem to read enough that the Sun🌞, as our creative life force, often correlates just as directly to the type of creativity or relationship with creativity someone has.

Moon

Can show your relationship with emotional empathy; how much of it you feel, where it feels strongest, how you express it, and how it affects you (this last point being seen through the aspects to your other planets). I wish to clarify that emotional empathy is feeling other people’s emotions, and it’s not the only kind of empathy. Anyone can learn to cultivate intellectual empathy, and act on empathy. But I’ve chosen to bring the subject of emotional empathy up with the Moon because so often people think how much one finds themselves feeling for others is shown by the amount of water placements in a chart. But it’s the Moon itself that actually somewhat singularly shows the most about emotional empathy. Having planets whose core functions don’t relate to our feelings and empathy in water signs, isn’t necessarily gonna make emotional empathy strong for someone. But the function of the Moon itself is to feel and to support our close interpersonal relations.

Mercury

Can give indications about your sense of humor! Mercury rules over language and conscious thought processes, so it can say a lot about what a person processes as being funny, and in what manner they deliver funny insights. Mercury is the original master of wit!

Venus

Can show where you overindulge or what you are most greedy with.

Yes, the benefics can spoil, and they too can corrupt! One corrupted side of Venus is taking too much for herself possibly at the expense of others, and preferring a lazy and pleasurable lifestyle while never putting in the work. In some charts, at some times in your life, Venus’s placement can show where this applies.

Mars

Can show the way you break up with someone. 💔 While Venus’s function is to draw connections and support to us, Mars has the important function of keeping the connections we don’t want out, and severing connections that are no longer working. Mars’ objective is to assert individual will and this can require setting boundaries. Understanding your Mars can help you learn how to set boundaries and understand your tendencies when it comes to breaking up.

Bonus because I think it’s a really good one: Mars can show what type of exercise would be best for you, being the planet of action and vitality.

Jupiter

Can show where you overestimate your abilities or have blind faith in something, in some charts at some times. I’m choosing to cite a more negative side for both of the benefics in this post, as those sides aren’t always talked about a lot. Jupiter allows us to establish our beliefs, and gaining confidence in the way we view things is what creates the space for us to expand. But sticking by beliefs blindly (when it comes to either general philosophies or your beliefs about yourself!), without proper consideration for why you actually believe them, will not create any authentic expansion.

Saturn

Can show realms that at some points in your life you flat out avoid and/or dislike to the point of disgust potentially. This depends on what else you have in that house and how Saturn is aspected, but this has seemed to hold true for both myself at points, and a decent number of others I have observed.

Let’s be real. Saturn is not easy. He/she wants to build something long and lasting, but to actually do so can just seem so daunting. Especially when the limitations in the short term view can look so severe. 🪐 “Get bitter or get better” is a Saturn original line. And most of us have experienced feeling only bitter about our Saturn placement at some point.

Uranus

Can show where you operate for the greater good. Something I appreciate about Uranus (and want to give this shout out during the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction). Uranus doesn’t tend to need the individual accolades (depending how he’s aspected and placed). He understands he’s working to liberate a society and I think that’s beautiful. *Jupiter gushing*

Neptune

Can show where you feel like a victim or have been victimized.

I see Neptune as an outcast and misunderstood, it’s an energy some people might be inclined to try to take advantage of. But it’s for this same reason that your Neptune placement can also show where you have a very keen ability to sense, and want to support, others who suffer a similar predicament as you.

Pluto

Can show where and how you may try to control others. I don’t feel I read enough about this one, for how very common this expression can be at some points in our lives. Pluto is the subject matter that has been hidden from the conscious parts of our minds, specifically because we were the ones to bury it when we felt shame or fear for our power. Yes, Pluto is our power, but at the times that we can’t recognize this, a common reaction is to subtly try to control others in those realms. It can be so subtle and unconscious that we’re likely to not even recognize the ways we are acting or speaking manipulatively. Often the only way to fully solve this issue is to face whatever you blocked from your conscious mind and to learn to see any fears or shame you have associated with your Pluto’s placement, as actually sources of your personal power. 🖤

When you build a relationship with the planets, you’re building your relationship with yourself.

🌞💫🪐🌝

[blood-orange-juice]

I promised a "Furina is Jesus" post. It's kind of a shitpost but also it's not.

The theatre of the courtroom

I'll first have to note that law is a peculiar thing. It is created through practicing it.

It's not just the written rules, it's how we apply them, and who gets to write and rewrite them, and there's no solid foundation underneath.

It's supposed to be treated as immutable until it's suddenly not. Until an insurgence turns into a revolution or the divine right of kings becomes a symbolic relic of the past. In the mildest scenario a bunch of old farts just gather and vote for new rules. Sometimes the very same rules that give those old farts the right to decide rules.

A law remains a law as long as enough people agree to believe and enforce it. How much is "enough" is also debatable (often depends on the size of your army).

It is very much like theatre. Humans like it when the world is molded into coherent stories so they happily participate.

Furina making a show out of trials is not a perversion of law, it shows she understands its very nature.

Transgression and transcendence

Now back to Christianity. The essense of Christianity is transgression. No, seriously.

It's as punk as a religion can get. A god hanging out with publicans and harlots? Killing a god in the most humiliating way possible and being forgiven for it? Symbolically eating a god?

It's insane.

Such practices are usually reserved for small communities of a very special sort (*ahem* left-hand path tantrics*ahem*). It's the only religion I know that gleefully and unashamedly incorporates such things into rituals meant for the lay public.

(this is probably a good time to mention that I'm not Christian and it's a look of an outsider fascinated with philosophy of religion in general)

It's actually one of the real reasons a lot of pagans rejected Christianity so fiercely: it's spectacularly nonchalant in dealing with things that would be considered "unclean" by most archaic cultures.

Now this is important.

As post-structuralist theories state, any attempt to establish a power structure, to set rules or to define self will also produce things that would seem unclean. Impure. Things that should be cast off. It's in the nature of our psyche. The concept of uncleanliness is one of the core mechanisms that allow our mind to function.

(I'll redirect you to Julia Kristeva and the concept she names abjection if you want to dive into it.

I also want to note that abjection and horror go side by side and it makes a lot of sense that Fontaine is also the Lovecraftian expansion)

And what did Christianity do? It subtly removed the importance of "cleanliness". The gravity of it. It established as the norm that norms can be redefined and transcended. That the outcasts and the sinners are not to be forgotten.

It fucking changed the rules of how human psyche and society function. Added an extra possible move.

A sin can be forgiven. A criminal executed in the most ignominious way can turn out to be a god. You never truly know. And also anything can be made clean. Go wash it kitten.

(yay)

(and yes, I know a lot of modern Christians practice the opposite of what I describe. I'm not a fan of these folks too. doesn't matter. the possibility is there. it's glorious. also horrifying and a bit disgusting)

That dude from two thousand years ago

What about him.

I often see people calling a "Jesus figure" anyone who is sacrificed to save others. Or anyone who is reborn. The thing is, this is not how it works.

A god dying and being reborn is the oldest myth on this planet. Last time I checked it was connected to the sun worship, day/night cycle and winter solstice rituals (although it could have changed and also I didn't check very thoroughly). In any way, it predates Christianity by millennia.

Sacrificing all kinds of things and beings to get something in return or to offer gods something else in your stead is also pretty old and very much not Christian.

The unique beauty of that story is that a supreme being, ultimately more worthy than any human, wilfully chose to sacrifice himself for lowly mortals. Actually, allowed them to betray and kill him. And then forgave them.

Do you see how it ties to the previous section? It defied the previoisly established world order (where gods were incomparably more important than humans). It created a paradox. It broke the rules, or rather it destroyed the rules.

Theological debates aside, on a symbolic level it pretty much destroyed the old concept of sin and the idea of a fundamental difference between a god and a human. Everything a paradox touches stops being fully real and needs to be redefined (ceci n'est pas une pipe).

'Sin' doesn't mean the same thing anymore, and 'god' doesn't mean the same thing anymore, even 'death' means a different thing now. The world just starts to function differently after a story like that happens or is told.

(since it only needs to mess up the symbolic order it doesn't even need to happen, only to be told and believed)

And there we have it. A Jesus figure should establish new rules. Preferably better ones. It's someone who fundamentally changes the world with their sacrifice.

That's also where we get back to "law is established by practice". That was the process of establishing a new law.

(this is also why I dislike the idea of Childe as a Jesus figure. he is not a supreme being, he's not the type to sacrifice himself for people he perceives as lower than him, and he is not integrated into society enough for his death to establish new rules. he can still die and be reborn in a new quality, he can even change the world in some way but that would be a different type of story)

Our precious girlfailure

So. Furina.

Fontaine's prophecy speaks of all Fontainians being born with some kind of 'sin'. And the way Neuvilette is talking to the pool of primordial water in 4.1 implies that its ability to dissolve Fontainians is not some kind of natural law but an intentional wrathful act.

And Varunada Lazurite (we know that ascension materials contain the final lines of the archon quest) says this:

"My ideals have no stains. I must correct you. People here bear no sins in the eyes of the gods... Only laws and the Tribunal can judge someone. They can judge even me. So praise my magnificence and purity."

I assume the solution will not be simply killing the eldritch whale or "cleansing" the sin or locking the sea away.

I think Furina will in some way redefine what is considered a sin, or how it should be judged, or who gets to administer judgement. She will create new rules for the world. Probably by dying in some way (temporarily or symbolically) to create a paradox.

(maybe we'll also get to learn that death in Teyvat is not true death)

As I said at the beginning, she understands the law and the very nature of law very well, probably better than Neuvilette. Who else would be better suited for this task.

And no one will notice the beauty and insanity of her gesture, like no one really noticed with that guy two thousand years ago. They'll just think things got fixed because they sacrificed Someone Important.

But that's all right. She'll forgive them.

[voidmountain]

@piratedllama I can but you’re not going to like it!

Void’s guide to getting a job in conservation

My story

My educational credentials: BAs in philosophy and creative writing from a big cheap state school, and a PhD in English literature with a specialization in environmental humanities from a small private R1. Couple years as an adjunct professor.

I trained my entire life to be a literature professor. It’s all I ever wanted. By the time I was finishing my doctorate, I had a very limiting belief that I was either over- or underqualified for any job outside academia. I was wrong.

By the time I made the decision to leave academia, I had published 2.5 peer reviewed academic articles and several magazine pieces. I also had about 5ish years of part-time communications consulting under my belt from helping run the writing center at my institution. I got a part-time social media/SEO management gig, and then used a grant to fund a comms internship at a local environmental nonprofit. Then I straight up just applied to jobs at conservation orgs on LinkedIn at a rate or 5 per week for about 6 months. I was looking for jobs in communications and education. Landed a couple interviews then got a position as a comms manager. My islander heritage ended up being relevant too bc I have a cultural insight into the regions where the org works. I’ve worked here for about a year, mostly wfh desk stuff, but I like to tag along to projects so I can take pics/do interviews/help with fieldwork/coordinate community meetings & info sessions. I still have a publishing career on the side, with 2 new articles out and a book manuscript in the works.

I do not recommend doing it this way lol.

What I would do instead

Conservation orgs have room for people with all kinds of backgrounds and expertise. If your goal is to have a job similar to mine, get lots of writing and science communication experience. Be able to show that you’ve built impactful campaigns and learn your way around SEO and communications terminology. Start with internships/social media, try and get some experience working with journalists, and have a nice portfolio of campaigns (easy way to start is an awareness campaign for a particular policy or science issue). Other creative experience is a plus (photography/graphic design/web design/UI).

Fieldwork is not that hard to get into. You can get field experience as an undergrad by working in research labs or volunteering. From there, lots of conservation orgs in your area are probably looking for volunteers or part-time workers to do field monitoring. TBH you don’t really need a degree to get into fieldwork, but the ceiling is kind of low without one. With a BS you can work your way up through an org probably to a manager level position where you could lead a field team but not direct a program. Generally, without a MS or PhD, you won’t be designing programs—just carrying them out, which can be really rewarding. You can also make lateral moves towards things like project management—coordinating supplies, transportation, methods, and problem-solving stuff.

Other ways to get into the field: orgs often contract out conservation tech companies to carry out specialized operations, like aerial monitoring and bait distribution. Getting a license for like a heavy-lift drone, an ROV, or boat stuff can also get you in the thick of it.

If you want to design and direct conservation programs, unfortunately you probably need to go to grad school. I can write up a separate post about how to decide whether to pursue an advanced degree if people are interested, but my general advice is Never Enroll In A Masters Program. Either do it as a 4+1 with your undergrad or go straight for the PhD. That’s where you’ll get experience designing your own experiments and contributing to the sum of conservation knowledge.

Extremely important caveat

You do not have to do any of these things in any particular order. It’s totally cool to work in the field for a couple years before going back for the PhD. You also do not need to link your education to your job (god knows I didn’t). My side hobbies of wildlife photography and scuba diving made me a great candidate for the job I eventually got, and they didn’t have anything to do with my degree or original career path. There’s also a million other jobs that conservation orgs have that don’t involve having a science background at all—HR, finance, admin, philanthropy, consulting, & policy analysis are huge parts of this. So are other jobs that aren’t *within* conservation at all, like journalism & social organizing.

A lot of folks I meet out here in the conservation world are on their third or fourth careers. It’s very, very normal to switch it up, try many things, land somewhere, leave, and pick up somewhere else.

All this to say: the world is really, really big. Don’t feel pressured to take the shortest most linear possible path. There are a million ways to have a good life.

[finshingpool]

sundays philosophy explained very badly

and yes he seriously needs to go see a shrink.

!! spoilers for the 2.2 story quest!!

also hoyo is trying to be very subtle with the HI3 World Serpent reference.

first thing first, the positives. his ideology might be twisted but Sunday has never use his position of power to sabotage the opposing party (the backstabbing kind)(not that i know of💔). He seeks total dominance from a fair fight, ultimately to prove his beliefs superior.

he never outright rejects the ideas of our protagonist but instead use grounded argument to support his. its not a fight for total oppression of the people but a wrestle among philosophies, that he believes the worthier one will be judged by the people, the aeons, and fate itself.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

! kay so what is Sundayeology.

"a dystopia for the survival of the fittest, or a Sweatdream Paradise for all?"

the way i see it, Sunday wish to bring the closest form of equality into reality(dream xd). a place where strength, status, gender, etc. determined at birth does not affect the life that person desires. he wants to resist the flow of nature, an inherent evil in his eyes that calls itself Natural Selection. The method of such resistance is through Order.

"nature is always accompanied by predation and sacrifice... Its antithesis is known as Order."

how does Sunday define this "Sweatdream Paradise" of his? in his perfect world, nobody would need to work, and hence, would entirely avoid the hardship of reality. it would lead to a forced evolution where we would evolve into a life form detached from our physical state. This transcendence beyond the physical world mainly applies to the human spirit. without hunger and such as, human can cast aside our primal instinct and truly live a life striving towards self enlightenment. only in this hypothetical world do people return to their original self and when faced with their predetermined end, they would leave in the purest of spirit with their dignity intact. To feathered head, this is universal happiness.

so the whats!? mild food for thoughts, facing hardship degrade your dignity???

(might!! have an idea, where most people would assume 'growth' in a emotion sense, 'growth' in Sunday eyes is more on the spiritual side. therefore, in his world, by removing physical limitation where also removing spiritual pain)

"and it is only on these days, that people do not have to adhere to the law where the strong prey on the weak"

in true antagonist fashion, Sunday is a bit of a hypocrite, the status quo where "the strong prey on the weak" is erred but a system where "the strong govern the weak" is perfectly acceptable.

Sunday believes that the individuals that go against his philosophy are the exception, not the rule. as the weekend man himself put it, the ideals the Nameless fought for only represent a small percentage of the people/ 'the fittest' and their actions would negatively impact the 'anonymous and frail member among the masses'.

Sunday view our protagonist quest as quite selfish as they were only focused on striving for a Penocony they deemed right in their eyes, but disregard the perspective of the average Penocony residence (he thought he stood for)

💤⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

! Sundayeology pits against others (the ones i actually pay attention to)

Robin

it's clear robin was his first 'order awakening'(weird). her being shot in the neck and all shows him how Penacony or the universe at large cannot be salvaged through the path of Harmony.

' the bird

nature vs order, an overarching theme in Sundays philosophy. if you played through the 2.2 quest you'd notice the bird flashback is a reoccurring theme. it really helps translate his complex ideas into fornite terms for me. to put it simply, the dove is wounded and Sunday wish to keep it alive by caging it up, it'd be too weak to survive in the wild, at least this way it would continue on living. however, Robin held a different view.

2. Firefly

i think firefly rebuttal during the big yap scene really hit home for me. #powerfulmoment #moved #touched #girlboss #SAM

without any hardship or challenge, people would never have the chance to overcome their weakness and therefore this "blissful world" would only act as an escape for the forementioned weakness

these adversities we faced is just the way of life and the right to deal with them should never be taken from us in the first place.

"the want to escape may be innate in the weak, but whether they are weak are not... it is not up to another to decide

perhaps in your mind, you also view me as 'weak'?"

SHIVER ME TIMBERS. THAT LINE WAS DELIVERED SO WELL ONNNGOD I WAS SQUIRMING.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

! some random references i wanna point out

⋆ SIMULATION CONSPIRACY RING RING (i watched far way too many wendigoon lately) if dreams are undisguisable to reality, whats wrong with that

⋆ The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas: for the masses to achieve eternal happiness, one person must shoulder all their pain (oh sunday)

"the cost is minute, merely a personal.. and eternal sacrifice. If this paradise is to be maintained for everyone, someone must remain trapped in solitary wakening, until the end of the cosmos."

like come onnn, they're not even trying to hide it.

⋆ like i mentioned before, the whole thing is just a big World Serpent reference (with less pressure for survival, MUCH LESS BLOODSHED). Sunday you're NOT Kevin Kaslana.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

i like how everyone has their own interpretation of "why do life slumber?" for lil vro its " because we are afraid to awaken from our dream"

silly beans:p

~ a/n: i like how allat means nothing at all.

signing of for good

[empressofthewind]

Hi! So, not a question but I saw your recent post asking why some people see Mello and Near as sibling coded, and wanted to reply but ran out of space within the character limits in the comments area so thought I would just send this message.

Zero pressure or expectation on you to reply to this or do anything else, but I just wanted to share my thoughts. I can’t say I’m new to Tumblr but I -am- still bad at it, so sorry if this isn’t the ‘right’ way to reply.

The development of sibling-like feelings isn’t necessarily tied to genetics alone. Unrelated kids raised in the same household can and often do nonetheless see each other as siblings, and Mello and Near were essentially raised like foster-brothers. They have the same prolonged exposure to each other in their formative years, have shared history and childhood experience (including trauma, loss, grief over L), were raised in the same environment, and molded by the same “parental”-like authority figures using the same childrearing practices and philosophy. Typically this type of intensely intimate shared history is more exclusive to sibling relationships cuz, well, most kids are raised in their family household, not in an orphanage that never intends to let them be adopted out. In many ways how Mello and Near interact in canon is similar to a complicated sibling relationship – they both show to varying extents feelings of competitiveness and resentment but also understanding, care and protectiveness for each other. The same principles would apply to any of the kids at the Wammy’s House, but it could be even more intense for Near and Mello because as the potential successors they likely had a whole other level of expectations and pressure that was unique to their situation and that the other kids who are not in the immediate running for the title wouldn’t necessarily experience or relate to.

So although it's not the primary way I personally contextualize their relationship, I think it’s not altogether misguided to think of them as sibling coded or that on some level they might relate to each other in that way, whether consciously or not.

But most importantly at the end of the day they’re not genetically related so they definitely can and should still fuck.

Hi!! Thanks for sending this through (this is a perfectly fine way to message me, for the record)! I debated whether or not to reply since I don't want too much discourse on my blog, but it felt rude to leave it unanswered, so this will be a limited edition response from me :-) also placing it under a cut because this is already a long post as is hgsjhgsd

I DO feel the need to say that I'm very familiar with the idea that non-genetically related people can see each other as siblings!! This is the case with foster siblings, adopted siblings, step-siblings, so on and so forth, and I know found family is very much a real concept as well. The thing that's always confused me, as I mentioned in my post, is that there seems to be a very strong insistence from a large (or at least, vocal) group that Mello and Near specifically are like siblings, which very often comes from people who ship other combinations of the Wammy's boys or broadly do not insist the same about others also raised in that same environment. For example, to me, Matt and Mello exhibit a lot of the same traits you mentioned that could be viewed as sibling-like - they were both raised in the same orphanage under the same principles and authority; Mello often gets annoyed with Matt but still seems to care about him to some extent; they lived apart for about five years, but when Mello recruited Matt as a last-resort ally, Matt was still willing to help him. I suppose the distinction relies on how you define the essence of a sibling relationship, with regards to what criteria would need to be present in a relationship to skirt into that territory. Matt and Mello definitely have more of a friendship-like foundation that makes them seem quite comfortable with each other, but Mello and Near have more of a reading each other's minds/always on the same wavelength kind of thing going on, which could also be taken as a familial trait.

Your point about them being the potential successors is interesting to me as well! I suppose it really just depends on how one chooses to interpret Wammy's House as an institution. I've always imagined that most people in the program are quite competitive about it, and that Mello and Near were chosen fairly soon before L's death, but this isn't strictly canon either, so if you assume they were quite young when they were both picked, then this interpretation could work! It does absolutely make sense to me that, if you don't see their relationship as romantic, viewing it as familial in nature would be another way of interpreting the vague sort of fondness they have for each other despite Mello's entire life revolving around his hatred of Near.

On the whole, while it's not my personal interpretation, i find it very insightful reading some of the varying perspectives on it!! I was mostly just curious to know where the idea comes from, as I very commonly see people insist that there's no other valid way to read it/that their dynamic was specifically "coded" to be sibling-like. I don't mind it as a headcanon at all as long as people don't use it as an excuse to bash the ship :-)